Click to read weather statement

Sunnybrook Stables when sun shines

The calm before Friday night’s storm has offered some nice sunshine. People are out and about maybe knowing they will be largely housebound Saturday. The details of what is coming are in the special alert from Environment Canada above. The TTC has taken a licking on Twitter and elsewhere for slow buses. Reader Wilson Lau posted to Facebook at 10.43 p.m. that it was an hour and half of both waiting and creeping along Eglinton. He got off the bus and walked. People are quite grumpy about it, as seen below.

https://twitter.com/zoemichailidis_/status/809536503542149120

@TTChelps I guess you just decided to scrap the 56 Leaside South route without telling anyone? #waitingforthettc

— TheClarkophile (@Clarkophile) December 15, 2016

Long-time area retailer Parallele at 1717 Bayview Ave. provides in home advice and service for furniture, window treatments and decor. The go-to man is Paul Lussier (416) 481-7207

That mischievous Jennifer Pagliaro of the Toronto Star has published a small chart with the names of councillors who got less than 50 percent of the popular vote in the 2014 election. The reason she is up to such things? Because these ten joined 12 others to vote down exploring the concept of ranked ballots for the 2022 election. Ranked ballots are said to provide a more democratic outcome by giving voters a chance to pick a first and second choice. If the “winner” has less than 50 percent of the votes, there is an automatic recount in which first and second choices are combined to find a 50 percent plus winner. You be the judge. Those voting in favour by the way (17 of them) were Ainslie, Balao, Carroll, Cole, Cressy, Davis, Doucette, Filion, Fletcher, Fragedakis, Layton, Lee, Matlow, McConnell, McMahon, Mihevc, Moeser, Parks, Tory, Wong Tam.

Here is the list of cllrs that voted against studying ranked ballots, with those who received less than 50% of the vote in 2014 highlighted pic.twitter.com/tbzDkLeCFd

— Jennifer Pagliaro (@jpags) December 14, 2016

Leaside Junior Wildcat fans will be wishing their team luck — and looking for a 6-point payoff — from a three-game road trip this weekend to Southwestern Ontario. The Cats meet London in the Forest City Friday night, Southwest in Windsor on Saturday and Bluewater in the farm town of Strathroy Sunday morning. Their three opponents rank 14, 19 and 11 respectively in the 20-team Provincial Women’s Hockey League. Leaside sits at 8th with a chance to muscle its way into contention if it can sweep the weekend. Go Cats.

Jon Burnside (Ward 26) has appeared on the John Oakley program on Talk Radio AM640 to discuss the rationale, his vote in favour and the politics of road tolls. Mr. Oakley is a Leaside resident.

The company reveals that in 2013 there was a breach that revealed the personal information of a billion users to hackers. Some say this will sink the already faltering deal to sell Yahoo to Verizon. Reuters

A house fire ripped through an old wooden home on Nickel Street in downtown Port Colborne Wednesday morning taking the lives of four people. The dead are Tammy Burd, 37, her children Joshua Zuvic, 2, daughter Samantha Zuvic, 15, and grandmother Eva Burd, 83. Two men, husband Joe Zuvic and an uncle, Gary Burd, escaped the flaming house. Neighbours spoke with affection for the occupants of the home, who are said to be long-time residents in the street not far from the Welland Canal. There is so far no information about what might have happened.

Tammy Burd with son Joshua, Samantha, 15, with Joshua

Home ablaze as fire dept arrived

Scale of damage

Sign at SmartCentre

Prefer a Shoppers

Can’t repeat it

The arrival of a KFC restaurant in the SmartCentre has inspired nearly 50 comments in half a day from ladies (and a few men) who post at the Leaside Community Facebook account. Their reaction is pretty much one of dismay, in some cases disgust. One woman posted a barfing emogi. A number of others said “Yuck”. There was also: “Oh No” “Eeew” and “What a shame”. A number of posters said they would have prefered a Shoppers Drug Mart, Nandos Chicken or perhaps an Indigo (that would be the long-shot of the century). One woman said she loved KFC but wasn’t permitted to eat it. Other comments remarked on cholesterol. Andrew Redlich and other posters recalled the KFC long-gone at the corner of Millwood Rd. and Rumsey. Leaside Community

Site of 1984 low-rise plaza cleared. Urban Toronto

What’s a serious bite?

Signs will be required

Dangerous dog muzzle

Beginning next March, Toronto dogs that bite a human or another pet will be designated a “dangerous dog” according to the language of a bylaw passed Wednesday. Such animals will be required to wear a muzzle. Warning signs (it’s not clear where) will be required and a dangerous dog will be banned from Toronto’s off-leash parks. Apparently any attack would have to be “severe” to have a dog declared but opponents are concerned just what that means.. Also, Georgio Mammoliti is worried the bylaw could put small dogs like Chihuahuas in the same category as other breeds. He says some owners could become repeat offenders.