CBC’s Mike Crawley at Queen’s Park points to the calendar showing the start of two corruption trials involving highly-placed Ontario Liberals. One hearing will feature testimony from the Premier herself. Crawley says the outcome has the potential to kneecap the party as it tries to stay in power at the 2018 general election.

TRIAL ONE

Trial One will hear charges of bribery against Wynne’s former campaign director, Pat Sorbara, and Liberal fundraiser Gerry Lougheed Jr. They are accused of violating Ontario’s Elections Act by allegedly offering a job to a would-be Liberal candidate Andrew Olivier in exchange for stepping aside in the 2014 byelection in Sudbury. Their trial begins Thursday. The speculation could not help but touch the Premier herself and she will appear in court next Wednesday to personally deny involvement.

TRIAL TWO

Monday in Toronto top aides to Wynne’s predecessor Dalton McGuinty face a criminal trial on charges of breach of trust and mischief. David Livingston, McGuinty’s chief of staff in 2012-13, and his deputy chief of staff Laura Miller are accused of destroying government documents about the cancellation of two gas-fired power plants. CBC

The Leaside Lawn Bowling Club will host the Ontario Provincial Men’s and Women’s Novice Pairs Championship on Saturday and Sunday, September 9 and 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Thirty-two men and women representing the 16 Districts across the province will compete for the title of Ontario Champion. If you have ever wondered about what goes on at the Leaside Lawn Bowling Club in Talbot Park, this would be an excellent opportunity to check out the club and see some top-notch bowling. The address is 190 Hanna Rd. near Leaside High School. Phone  (416) 483-1418

 

Friends, neighbours and fellow parishioners of Northlea United Church, 125 Brentcliffe Rd., enjoyed a late summer dinner of corn and hotdogs Wednesday evening. The green front lawn of Northlea with its elegant stand of trees was alive with activity. Kids bounced on an inflated play castle. Proceeds went to Northlea’s General Fund. Friends of the event are Maria Montessori School, Pawsitively Pets for Kids, Sportball and 132nd Toronto Scouts.

The renovation dreams of the owner of 291 Indian Rd. are over as the old home is demolished after half the house collapsed on the weekend.

Here are weekend events and road closures as released Wednesday by the City:

Toronto International Film Festival
TIFF’s fourth annual Festival Street initiative will run from Thursday, September 7 through Sunday, September 10. Festival Street events will result in the full closure of King Street West to traffic between Spadina and University Avenues from 5 a.m. on Thursday, September 7 until 5 a.m. on Monday, September 11. John Street between King and Wellington Streets will also be closed during the five-day period. More information is available at bit.ly/2wART4M.

Taste of the Kingsway
Bloor Street West between Prince Edward Drive North and Montgomery Road will be closed from Friday, September 8 at noon to Sunday, September 10 at 11 p.m. A series of full and partial road closures will also take place in the surrounding area to accommodate the Taste of the Kingsway event.

Festival of Praise
The formation of the parade and festival area for this event will require the closure of all northbound lanes of Queen’s Park Circle from College Street to Bloor Street on Saturday, September 9 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The dispersal area for the parade will result in the closure of the northbound lanes of Queen’s Park Crescent from College Street to Wellesley Street from 2 to 5 p.m.

Cabbagetown Festival
Parliament Street between Gerrard and Wellesley Streets and Carlton Street between Parliament and Berkeley Streets will be closed from Saturday, September 9 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, September 10 at 9 p.m. for the Cabbagetown Festival.

Bang and Olufsen Yorkville 5K Charity Fun Run/Walk
and Canadian 5K Road Race Championship
A series of road closures will take place in the area bounded by Davenport Road to the north, University Avenue/Queen’s Park/Avenue Road to the west, Dundas Street to the south and Bay Street to the east on Sunday, September 10 from 8 a.m. to noon for these two events.

Toronto 5K for Sick Kids Hospital Foundation
A series of road closures will take place in the area bounded by St. Clair Avenue West to the north, Christie Street to the west, Davenport Road to the south and Russell Hill Road/Boulton Drive to the east on Saturday, September 9 from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. for this fundraising event.

Young Roberto Osuna was the fall guy Tuesday as the Boston Red Sox figured him in the bottom of the 19th (well past 1 a.m) at Fenway Park. Sox take the marathon 3-2. Ugh. CBC

The Toronto area real estate market continued to cool in August but nonetheless prices were up three percent over last year. Figures from the Toronto Real Estate Board are very generalized and will not reflect conditions in every neighborhood. But the homes sold overall in August decreased by 34.8 per cent compared to August 2016. The number of new home listings also fell by 6.8 per cent in August compared to last year, which TREB said is the lowest level for August since 2010. Meanwhile, the average price for a home in Toronto is $732,292, a three per cent increase from August 2016.

Abe Hussein has been found safe at a hotel near the airport having checked himself in after arriving from Montreal Tuesday. There had been concerns for the man, 81, after he apparently missed a meet up with his family. Peel police Const. Harinder Sohi said that Hussein was found at a Mississauga hotel on Wednesday morning. Surveillance footage showed Hussein getting on a GO bus bound for the Yorkdale area leading to concerns he was lost in Toronto.

Bayview Leaside BIA held a lunch Tuesday to say thank you to Bayview’s Pixies, the volunteer group that keeps the street looking green and beautiful. The event was in the magnificent Davisville garden of Debora Kuchme, leader of the Pixies. The ladies seen above in the top picture from the left are Debora Kuchme, Carol Smith, Marilyn Cook, Janis Fertuck, Linda Fox, Helen Godfrey, Hannelore Mohring, Angela Fusco and Erica Wevanloon. Not present, Jo Ann Davis and Cate Gravely. A treasured thank you card signed by many merchants on Bayview Ave. was presented to those present by Cheryl Sims, co-ordinator of the BIA

A South Bayview medley with real style this Tuesday as Kate Wheeler (What She Said) posts some nice items for sale on the Leaside Community FB page. This antique pram is on FB Marketplace and might fetch $1,500. Lovely. Then, it’s a reminder that the South Leaside Monday Group of great moms is getting ready for a new season. Check in with them. Below that, a welcome new sign in the window at 1588 Bayview where Boo boo and Lefty, home furnishings and decor will be moving in. Looking forward. Few may remember the Plymouth, a Chrysler car from years past but Torontomobilia posts this from Leaside. The car was named after Plymouth Rock (pilgrims and all that). This Plymouth Rocks too. Finally, the Leaside Wildcats sitting up straight, or as the coach said in a tweet to #Leaside, learning how to sit in school now that they have to do that thing again.

Mayor Tory marked the first day back to school in Flemingdon Park Tuesday morning with Councillors Jaye Robinson (Ward 25) and Jon Burnside (Ward 22) plus others (see below). They inaugurated a new more prominently marked school zone for Grenoble Public School. It is one of seven such new zones put into effect with the start of the school year. The City is introducing enhanced school safety measures as part of the so-called Vision Zero Safety Program.  Ms. Robinson is chair of pubic works. Also present was Police Supt. Gord Jones and public health physician Sara Whitehead. The new zones feature safety signs with flashing beacons, school zone pavement stencils, “watch your speed” driver feedback signs and markings at school crosswalks.

The CBC says that OPP have closed Highway 6 at Caledonia as Six Nations persons encroach on Highway 6 near the town. At about 1:30 p.m. Monday OPP responded to reports that a group of individuals were blocking the route to Lake Erie communities. Police say in the interest of public safety, they have closed Highway 6 between Argyle Street North and Greens Road, and Sixth Line between Argyle Street South and Oneida Road.