Ward 7 Councillor Georgio Mammoliti will run for the Progressive Conservatives in the general election. He will be nominated in a new riding known as Brampton-Centre. Mammoliti was first elected to public office as the NDP MPP for what was then the riding of Yorkview in 1990, serving his first term in Bob Rae’s NDP majority government before his defeat in 1995. He joins City Councillors Shelley Carroll and Denzil Minnan-Wong who are also running in the provincial general election. Carroll is nominated by the Liberals in Don Valley North and Minnan-Wong by the  PCs in Don Valley East. A recent tweet by Steve Paikin that Ward 22 Councillor Josh Matlow was getting calls asking him to run for the Liberals in St. Paul’s has been met with silence. Eric Hoskin, the former Health Minister, recently retired from the riding to take a federal appointment.

Sir Richard Starkey

Stylized stop sign

Kizomba

Ringo Starr has been knighted by the Queen and has taken it in stride. Richard Starkey is who he was at birth. Then the National report on marijuana packaging when it becomes legal. The stylized stop sign is terribly coy. Below that, the BBC wants to call it the sexiest dance in the world but it seems their Kizomba could be an excuse for whatever you wish. Lastly, the sole male northern rhino has died of old age.

Paul Oliver of Urban Nature

Pay Day Stores examined

Leaside Rotary

Danforth Planning

Just B Cause

Upper left, Paul Oliver, owner of the Urban Nature stores, will speak to the Leaside Garden Society on April 12th at 7.30 p.m. in the Leaside Public Library, 165 McRae Drive. His topic will be is Attracting Summer Birds to Your Garden. Upper right, the City is holding a meeting to discuss pay-day loan stores such as this one in Flemingdon Park. It’s in the Sunny Foodmart Plaza off Gateway. These businesses bedevil good intentions towards those who use them. It is the fault of the borrower, the pay-day loaners or the banks? Speaking of good intentions, get your recycling over to the Leaside Rotary Recycling Day on April 21 at the East York Town Centre. Bottom right, the Just B Cause evening is March 29. It’s in aid of New Circles Prom Drive. Please check it out. Lower left, the fifth and final community meeting on the Danforth Avenue Planning Study is Tuesday (today) at Hope United Church, 2550 Danforth Ave. at Main St.in two time slots to accommodate as many people as possible. Community members can either attend from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. or from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Twitter/@Deanna67581025

Twitter /@hilcomar

Burned out

Toronto Fire extinguished a fire on the second floor of the building housing Green Mountain Flowers at 350 Coxwell Ave at Fairford Ave. Tuesday. Area real estate agent Sam Obeid said that one man had been taken to hospital and was in stable condition.

Flower shop at Coxwell and Fairford on fire and completely gutted. Sad day for the owners. Hopefully the upstairs tenants made it out safely.
Hats off to all the first responders. #toronto #fire pic.twitter.com/NB061s78Yw

— Sam Obeid (@SamObeid) March 20, 2018

Mainstreet graph

Tighter in Toronto

PC leader Ford

A poll by Mainstreet Research shows the Progressive Conservative Party under Doug Ford would win a general election if it were held today. There is about two months to go before the June 7 voting day to see if that will last. The Mainstreet Research poll released Tuesday finds that the Ontario PC Party has a 21 point lead over the governing Liberals. It found that the PC Party currently enjoys 47 percent support among decided and leaning voters — an astonishing lead for any party in Ontario. The Liberals under Kathleen Wynne sit at 26.2 per cent. The Ontario NDP under Andrea Horwath sit at 18.6 per cent support and the Green party sits at 6.4 per cent. The graph above shows the PCs in blue, Liberals in red and NDP in orange. The poll also reveals the Liberal-left bent of Toronto. Within the City, Mainstreet  found the PCs sit at 37.5 per cent support, just two-and-a half-percent ahead of the Liberals at 35 per cent for the Liberals; 20.3 per cent for NDP; and six per cent for the Green Party. The poll sampled 2,003 Ontarians of voting age on March 17 and March 18 by automated telephone poll and asked them who they would vote for if the election were held today. Mainstreet Research

JUDY FOOTE

A source has told Canadian Press that former Liberal MP Judy Foote will be named lieutenant-governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. An announcement is expected later Tuesday, making Foote the first woman to serve as the province’s lieutenant-governor.

Ant season has struck in South Bayview and owners are burning up social media with the best way to deal with it. Many prefer ant traps but others feel the need for more elaborate methods like wet or dry applications of Diatomaceous Earth. Ortho Home Defense Max is also recommended. Serious cases seem to require an exterminator like Orkin. See the discussion here

Man minding own business attacked

Swaggering like heroes

Peel Police believe that one or more of the bullies who beat up a man sitting on the steps of the Square One bus station last Tuesday are from the BC Lower Mainland. The victim, 29, who is autisitc, was minding his business as he put on his shoes. As seen in the video, the three launched a vicious unprovoked attack on the man. Then they swaggered off like heroes. It happened about 10:45 p.m. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact investigators with the Peel 12 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau at (905) 453-2121, ext. 1233. Information may also be left anonymously by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or by visiting www.peelcrimestoppers.ca or by sending a text message to CRIMES (274637) with the word ‘PEEL’ and then your tip.

HUSBAND, FAMILY MOURNING INNOCENT WOMAN

The Toronto Star has detailed the last hours of Ruma Amar, the woman gunned down in the attack on another person at Playtime Bowl and Entertainment on Dufferin St. As told by reporter Vjosa Isai, Ruma and her husband, accompanied by a younger sister, had visited Ikea to look at baby cradles. They were planning a family. Later in the day, they went to the arcade at the bowling alley five minutes from their condo. Amar sent her elderly father updates on WhatsApp — a video of the trio playing games, a photo of the Mentos and Jolly Ranchers they had won. He responded with smiley faces and heart emojis. As they left to get some dessert. Amar was following her husband and sister out the door, trailing slightly behind, when the gunfire erupted and she fell to the ground. Star

Gene Simmons

Kathleen Wynne

Dwayne Wade

Gene Simmons, legendary anti-drug Demon of KISS, the band he founded 40 years ago, has become the new Chief Evangelical Officer of the Canadian recreational marijuana company, Invictus Strategies MD Corp. It’s a heck of an endorsement for the aging rocker. No money mentioned but how do you like my principles now? Then, the well-known face of Premier Wynne is normally composed but she may be put to the blush by her remarks Friday at Humber College. If kids didn’t vote, she told them, “some older person, older than me, some white person” would decide the election. Is that embarrassing? And at right, Dwayne Wade, NBA star and father of kids in the Broward County School System.  He will support the March For Our Lives Rally in Washington March 24. Strength to you, Mr. Wade.

The CBC has encapsulated Monday’s throne speech by saying that the Ontario Liberals have promised more spending to reduce hospital wait times, increase home care, expand mental health care, make child care more affordable, expand Pharmacare, expand “free” tuition and reduce student debt. Funny how we saw that coming.

• Ontario Liberals use throne speech to make big spending promises for health care, child care
• Canadian at centre of Facebook data scandal cut political teeth with Liberals read 1216 commentsvideo
• Notorious Russian online troll farm also took swipes at Canadian targets
• 1st NHL player of colour, Larry Kwong, dies at 94
• Lightning fast wireless is on the way: here’s how 5G will change life in Canada

Dundas and George Sts/City News

A three-year-old boy has been hit and seriously injured at a crosswalk at the corner of Dundas St. E and George St. The truck shown behind the police car is the vehicle in question. Police are asking anyone who witnessed the accident to call 416-808-1900. More as available.

Milkcow to open on Yonge near Blythwood/Milkcow photo

Loving the Sharon, Lois and Bram playground/Jenn Dunstan

Rev. Emily Gorden and Rev. Warren McDouglall/LUC photo

Cosburn United 85th/Mary Fragedakis

Just “B” Cause

Korean franchise phenom Milkcow, founded merely moments ago in 2014, will open this summer at 2651 Yonge St. south of Sporting Life (at Blythwood). Like most Korean popular culture, Milkcow, is exquisitely cute with soft ice cream flavours like Affogato (Espresso) and Snow Drop (Cotton Candy, Sea Salt and Jelly Beans). See them here. If you are a business wonk, it appears that it might require $100,000 Canadian to open a Milkcow franchise. Upper right, this young guy is loving the improvements at the Sharon, Lois and Bram playground in Davisville Park. Photo was tweeted by Jenn Dunstan @JennDunstan. Thanks Jenn. Below that, a lovely photo to mark the return of Rev. Emily Gordon to Leaside United Church following maternity leave. She is seen with Rev. Warren McDougall, who filled in during her absence. Lower right, the Just “B” Cause evening of Andy Elder is March 29. Enjoy Burgers, Butter Tarts, Beer, Band and Bingo with friends at the Amsterdam Brewery, 45 Esandar Dr. Call 416 467- 4745 or inquire at admin@grilltime.ca. Donations of gently-used clothing to New Circles Prom Drive would be appreciated. Lastly, Mary Fragedakis tweeted this good-looking cake which marked, along with those who consumed it, the 85th anniversary of Cosburn United Church. Congratulations  all.

Henry and Amy Zhang, forlorn owners

Bella

City News has this curious but not uncommon story of dog theft. Bella, a sweet Schnauzer-Poodle mix, disappeared outside the No Frills at Front and Princess Sts. Her owners, Henry and Amy Zhang, are heart-broken but there is video of two suspects, a man and woman who not only had Bella, but stole food from the nearby Pet Valu to feed her. Then, there’s been another bomb go off in Austin Texas, That’s four in about ten days. Below that, startling images of scruntineers and others stuffing ballot boxes during the Russian election that swept Vladimir Putin into a fourth term Sunday. That means he will be head of government for at least 24 years, longer than Stalin. Finally, Facebook is being asked how come it permitted a data firm, Cambridge Analytica, to mine the information of millions of people prior to the US election. Huh, how come Mark?