The legal action launched by Marineland alleges that the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals maliciously targeted the theme park in order to curry favour with animal rights activists and raise money. The lawsuit alleges the OSPCA launched a criminal investigation against Marineland last year for “improper purposes” and with the intention of harming the Niagara Falls amusement park’s reputation. The investigation ended with the laying of 11 animal cruelty charges against Marineland which were then withdrawn because the Crown attorney assigned to the matter concluded there was no reasonable expectation of a conviction. The stunning lawsuit alleges that the OSPCA was in fact attempting to shut down Marineland as part of an agenda to eliminate commercial zoos The OSPCA has not yet filed a statement of defence except to deny all the charges. Marineland is seeking $21 million in damages on grounds of malicious prosecution, negligent investigation, injurious falsehood, and abuse of power and process. “The OSPCA’s purpose in initiating the prosecution was not the enforcement of the law,” the statement of claim reads. “It was motivated by a series of improper objectives, including a desire to accomplish its own policy agenda, to mollify the animal activist community, to please its donors and to effectively destroy Marineland.”

The Midtown development frenzy sparked by a rapid transit line along Eglinton Ave. reaches well into Scarborough. It has gripped KingSett Capital, owners of the dowdy Eglinton Square Mall on the southeast corner of Victoria Park and Eg.linton Ave/O’Connor Drive. The mall will be polished up and loaded with that profitable quality called density. Read towers, apartments and townhouses. Urban Toronto

EGLINTON SLICED DOWN MIDDLE AT DON MILLS

And a photo tweeted today by Metrolinx Crosstown offers a graphic picture of how Eglinton Ave. has been divided as work proceeds on the Science Centre Station at Don Mills. The view is to the west.

BREAKING: "it was a false alarm" police say as emerge King St pot shop (under lockdown for hrs) after 9/11 gun call potentially a hostage

— Chris Glover (@chrisgloverCBC) October 26, 2017

Police have now said that Thursday’s rather alarming call and apparent stand-off at a marijuana shop on King St. W. at Charlotte St. was a false alarm. After perhaps two hours of trying to speak with anyone inside the business, police breached the doors and found no one.This began with a report from persons yet to be identified, if they are known, that a man with a gun was seen and that he might have hostages. King St has been closed most of the afternoon as police carefully tried to assess this concern, but after failing to make contact they decided to enter the building. This occurred at the 365 Dispensary, a marjiuana shop, and a storefornt called the Underground Garage.

Good forecast/Tony Smyth @LateNightCam

Davisville Pumpkin Parade Wednesday night

Merry Market

SummerLunch Plus

Physiomed Halloween Skating Party

Crowded trains/M. Sanson @mjpsanson

Fixing the plough in 1929/Toronto Archives

Forecasters say the weather should be just right for Halloween and the important Davisville Pumpkin Parade the next day. It will be cool and pleasantly dry. In that spirit, take a look the work of this young artist and jot down the parade details — Belsize Drive at Glebe Manor Square. To the right, the Leaside Presbyterian Church holds the annual Merry Market next Saturday, November 4. Centre left we see a young lady chowing down on a welcome lunch as a reminder of the work done by SummerLunch Plus. The program feeds needy kids a midday meal all year round. They are honoured by Health Kids Community Challenge East York. Centre right, check details of the Physiomed skating party Saturday evening. Below that, grumpy riders trying to board during the morning rush hour at Davisville station continue to post pictures of how train after train is jammed full. Then finally, a glance back at a farmer in 1929 East York making sure his plough will do the job at the (then) annual furrow-making competition on land where now sit homes and schools.

As work forges to a February finish and opening for the Costco on Overlea Blvd., there is a replay of the anticipation and concern that marked the four-year journey to this point. Thursday’s Leaside Community Group is alive with reactions prompted by a City News story. The comments run from “Can’t wait” to “Nightmare.”  It is all old news because the issue has had the pants beaten off it at meetings everywhere including City Council and the Ontario Municipal Board.

EAST LEASIDE UNDER SEIGE

In fact, the thread published today morphs quickly into an attack on Toronto works planning. The east side of Leaside is struggling with more construction than it has seen at one time in living memory. Sewers and sidewalk replacement on residential streets and on Millwood and Laird Drive, the doubtful re-creation of the corner at Millwood and Laird plus the senseless deployment of traffic cones make a visit to anywhere in this area a challenge. It is said that homeowners on Southvale Drive are making it a habit to park with the nose of the car pointing out so they can make eye contact with drivers in the vehicles that are often end-to-end in front of their homes.

GREG MacPHERSON

Greg MacPherson makes a point at Leaside Community about the narrow and limited exits to the east from Leaside.

These geniuses just intentionally made the traffic worse (slower) at Millwood and Laird, so don’t expect any intelligent response to what they’re doing re: Costco. For this not to go to total crap, they need to connect some streets so that all of the traffic doesn’t have to go through the two, thin bottlenecks (Millwood and Wicksteed) by adding crossings at Copeland, Industrial and Esandar. Should also finally connect Leslie and Redway/Bayview, etc. But of course they won’t do any of those things. Instead, they’ll take away more lanes by putting in flowerpots down the middle of the road on Wicksteed, Laird and Brentcliffe. And Eglinton’s a write-off until 2020?

Overlea Costco targeted for completion by mid-February

On Roehampton Monday afternoon

Do you know him?

Stole a parcel

Micheal Harding of Roehampton Ave. posted these pictures at Leaside Community of a parcel thief at work Monday. The man took one from Harding’s front step. He is asking for any help because there were lots of people out walking dogs at mid-afternoon. He thanks Jeff Gosselin from Cloud 9 AV for the camera setup and adds: “We’re unfortunately getting our money’s worth already.” There are many comments at Leaside Community

SAFE DROPPING SUGGESTED

Added to this post Thursday morning are the comments of a letter carrier Feng Chang who speaks of Safe Dropping, an interesting initiative:

Sorry to hear about your theft. I’m a current Canada Post letter carrier and “Safe Dropping” is a double-edged sword. Customers either prefer it or they don’t. Procedure is to prevent the parcel from being seen from the sidewalk/street, but discretion is left up to the individual. You can choose to: “Do Not Safe Drop”, “Signature Required” or “Card Item for Pickup”. A Delivery Notice Card is used if personal contact is unavailable. Parcels are then picked up at a Retail Postal Office. Unless “Card Item for Pickup” is noted, if something is safe dropped or carded without first attempting to deliver, your letter carrier is unfortunately cutting corners. Hope this helps

Murdoch Campbell, wife Grace and Flannel

Blast scene on Gibson Ave.

A blind Hamilton man whose home exploded Tuesday has been charged with arson in the incident. Curiously, a statement from the Fire Marshal’s Office says the cause has not been determined yet. But what’s known is the man, Murdoch Campbell, 76, lost his wife in August. She was a much-admired person locally and a lane was named after her in recent days. It appears Murdoch and his wife were inseparable. Murdoch is recovering in hospital and so is his dog Flannel, seen in pictures above. Gas is still off to nearly 300 homes in the area near the Gibson Street location of Murdoch’s home.

Frightening for sure

Honolulu has enacted a so-called Zombie law which makes it an offense to be caught looking at a cell phone while crossing the street. People caught texting or not paying attention while crossing can be fined up to $35 by police. That fine jumps to $99 for repeat offenders. City News is polling online about whether Toronto needs this type of law and the responses are running 86 and a half percent in favour.

At Scholfield and Edgar in Rosedale

Seen in 2014

Double Pot of Gold at Sunnybrook

This venerable maple sits where Scholfield and Edgar Aves meet in Rosedale. We see it Tuesday as it was cut down and in 2014 in its summer glory.  Also in this cluster, a last look at the double rainbow (pot of gold for sure) at Sunnybrook Plaza shot by Geoff Gilmour-Taylor and tweeted from @gilmourtaylor. Below the text, Davisville Public School worthies remind us of the money raised by the dragon kids in all their efforts in Terry Fox runs. Davisville Rocks. Finally, Physio-med is having a Halloween Party Friday at Leaside arena. Take a look at the poster.

Davisville Public School

Phyiso-med party

The sale of subsidiary Lord and Taylor’s building in Manhattan has set off speculation about its debt-burdened parent Hudson’s Bay Co. HBC is Canada’s oldest corporation. Then, Fats Domino, that happy musical soul from the 1950s is dead at 89. Below that, as predicted, Xi Jinping will rip up the Chinese constitution, such as it was, and become another Dear Leader type staying on at the top into unknown times. Ugh. Finally, 245 men and woman in Brazil have leaped off a bridge together for fun. Take a look.

Canadian Press reports that the Bank of Canada has left its interest rate unchanged at one percent Wednesday after raising it twice this year. CP says Governor Stephen Poloz also signalled that future hikes are likely on the horizon but may occur at a more tentative rate. He said the respite from a rate increase was prompted by the recent strength of the Canadian dollar and a desire to slow the rise in the speed of inflation.