Australian Senator Larissa Watters was conducting business as usual both as a legislator and nursing mother the other day.  As time passed it was clear she would need to feed her daughter more or less at the same time she moved a motion. So she did. Here in Toronto meanwhile, the care and feeding of bar patrons during an LCBO strike was keeping delivery people busy Thursday. A possible strike may occur Monday. Below that, aging hippies and rockers from the 80s and 90s are once again making their way to the rock concert at Glastonbury, England. Normally the event is rained into a mud fest. But this year the heat threatens to cook the fans to death. Finally, some extemporaneous Justin Trudeau.

Premier Wynne is scheduled to visit South Bayview Friday shortly before or during the noon hour to offer best wishes to the retiring operators of Rosie’s Kitchen at 1549 Bayview Ave. next to the Scotiabank. The greatly-loved mom and pop of Rosie’s Kitchen are Frank and Nora, who have operated the breakfast and lunch spot, and raised a son and daughter, since they arrived in Canada from Korea in 2004. Part of Bayview Ave. since 2004, Frank and Nora to retire

These are robberies by three men who hit their targets in numbers of two or three at a time. One of the bandits is armed with a BB gun. This prompted police to  name the felons after a boyhood weapon used by previous generations, the Red Ryder BB gun. The holdups occurred between March 14 and April 11 at ten stores located primarily east of Hwy 27, west of Weston Road and close to Finch Avenue West in the evening. The three men are described as 20-25, 5’8″-6’0″. Their conduct is very menacing as seen in the photo above and the video.

Pride week events may be found at Toronto news release. 

Sears Canada will close 59 stores, about 25 per cent of its 225 locations in Canada. The closures will release as many as 2,900 of its 17,000 workers. Sears has liabilities of $1.1 billion and has admitted it will run out of cash this year unless it manages to put together a survival plan.

Police have raided two Canna Clinic marijuana shops located on Queen St. W. and Kensington Ave.  Canna Clinics, which is based in BC, has seven locations in Toronto. Mayor Tory has complained in recent days about a resurgence in the illegal outlets. Locally, Councilor Josh Matlow (Ward 22) was tweeting his approval of the raids.

POT WORKERS JOIN UNIFOR

In related news, employees at a Canna Clinics location on Broadview Ave have apparently joined the Unifor union. The development may raise an issue for the union given the present state of the law. Those working at places like Canna Clinic are considered to be breaking the law. Unifor is an enormous union representing tens of thousands of employees at newspapers, airlines and railways in Canada.

First work on CIBC Sqaure

The One stalled?

Edwards Gardens and Toronto Botantical plan

Mayor Tory joins dignitaries Wednesday at the ground-breaking of CIBC Square, a huge multi-tower project known until now as Bay Park Centre. Upper right, the Globe and Mail says the project to replace the Stollerys building at Bloor and Yonge Sts. is stalled. It is grandly named The One but apparently there is an issue with money. More happily the City of Toronto’s Parks, Forestry, and Recreation department is advocating a transformation of Edwards Gardens and the Toronto Botanical Garden on Lawrence Avenue East at Leslie Street through a master plan that is detailed here.

OPSEU, the union representing LCBO workers, has been busy in recent days complaining about the dreadful workng condtiions at liquor stores. They are negotiating a contract. Now the Ontario Public Service Employees Union will be setting up shop outside the LCBO headquarters at 43 Freeland Street. Read all about it at CP24. At City Hall, a sculpture of a snapping turtle will soon sit in Nathan Phillips Square as a tribute to the City’s Indigenous population. That news may be had at the CBC.  Meanwhile, at the University of Toronto, exclusion will evidently represent inclusion as black students have a graduation ceremony all to themselves. They say it is necessary because of issues which they concede are subtle. City News has that in some detail.  And finally among the news you may use or choose to mentally lose, a Mainstreet/Postmedia poll finds Premier Wynne has a 70 percent disapproval ratng in Ontario. Her national disapproval is 48 per cent but that doesn’t mean she can run in Manitoba. Go to City News.

Police have issued these pictures of a man wanted in connection with a stabbing in the lobby of a Sherbourne Street apartment building Sunday weekend. The attack occurred in the small hours when a 22-year-old man was approached by a man at the Sherbourne Street and Dundas Street East location. An argument took place followed by a stabbing with minor injuries.

Madelyn and Olivia were doing their bit to put a squeeze on diabetes Wednesday. Kids everywhere have been selling lemonade to raise funds for Diabetes Canada D-Camps in Ontario. This is outside the Valumart. Well done ladies. Photo Charlene Kalia

You’re seeing it all over town and on Randolph Rd. Wednesday even City staff were unclear why the metal sewer covers have what appears to be fabric under them. One surveyer-type guy said maybe the City was trying to filter the rainwater but he wasn’t sure and certainly didn’t know why they would need to do that. The question is now before the sages of 311 so stand by.