The Bulldog

Leaside downs Etobicoke 5-2 at MasterCard Centre

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Leaside Junior Wildcats defeated Etobicoke Dolphins 5-2 Thursday night at MasterCard Centre in Provincial Women’s Hockey League play. The win will be a welcome boost for 13th-placed Leaside to outscore the 10th-ranked Dolphins.  Goals came from Captain Kristin Della Rovere in the first period unassisted, Emma Pye, Myah Bowa and Quinn Johnston in the second and Madison Heeney in the third. Assists came from Olivia Kariunas, Kasumi Kobo, Kristin Della Rovere (twice) Myah Bowal, Samantha Jones and Megan Pardy. Leaside peppered Dolphin goalie Tristyn Elford with 34 shots while Shanna Dolighan in the Leaside net faced 18. Boxscore.

Ribbon cut as Bellwood re-opens at Glenvale, Brentcliffe

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Fears woman drove off Cherry St. bridge into Ship Chl.

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Police say they have been told that a woman drove her car through the railing of the Cherry Street bridge and plunged the vehicle into a shipping channel on Toronto’s lakeshore. This information comes from a cyclist who dove into the lake in an attempt to rescue the driver. He was unable to find anything and was taken to hospital to be treated for hypothermia. Fire officials and the fire boat are at the scene with divers.  At dinner hours, police announced they will have to wait until morning to confirm whether a motorist was in fact inside the car. Brett Moore of the TPS told CP24 that divers had located the car but nightfall was forcing them to suspend their recovery efforts for the evening.

Moore said he was unable to confirm if any passengers were located.

https://twitter.com/nickjboisvert/status/791760870015664129

Boston subway riders smash windows to escape smoke

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There was a bit of drama on the Boston subway last evening when a motor started to smoke. Fumes filled the cars but the doors didn’t open. Passengers took matters into their own hands. Three went to hospital for minor injuries

Frightfully good lawn decorating contest underway

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A few of the satisfyingly scary close-ups from 186 Hanna Rd.

Karen Fraser, of Mallory Crescent, is set to go with her fourth annual Halloween Lawn Decorating Contest. The website is here setting out the categories and some useful reminders for zealous Halloween competitors. Decorations must be “PG13” and safe. The judges’ decision will of course be final and judging of the finalists will be based only on what is visible from the sidewalk. Speaking of visible, the freaky folks across the top of this post and those below are from the always entertaining front lawn of 186 Hanna Road and were shot (so to speak) two days ago.
scary-560-lawn

Wallonians sign deal but full approval still pending

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There’s much excitement in Europe where Belgian politicians have reached an agreement to back a landmark free trade deal between the EU and Canada. But the reaction is guarded in Canada where the government called the announcement a “positive development.”  There was also a cautious welcome from European Council President Donald Tusk, who chairs EU leaders’ summits. But both stopped short of declaring the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a done deal. “Only once all procedures are finalized for EU signing CETA, will I contact (Canadian) PM Justin Trudeau,” Tusk said in a tweet. The issue is related to how Belgians in the district of Wallonia wish to deal with disputes relating to farms products.

Toronto Executive votes not to pursue Expo 2025

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The City’s 12-member Executive Committee plus Mayor Tory voted Wednesday evening to accept a staff recommendation not to pursue a world’s fair. The decision came amid a stark divide in opinion among the Committee and a roster of some 40 speakers from a body supporting an Expo bid. The best-guess estimate of Toronto’s on-the-hook cost to proceed with the bid is nearly two billion dollars. Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong moved the motion that the committee adopt the conclusion of senior city staff that the risk of hosting Expo 2025 outweighed potential benefits.

CANYON BETWEEN SIDES

His remarks crystallized the canyon that exists between those who would be required to approve such an expenditure and those who dream of the opportunity to spend it. “We can’t afford to get this wrong, the cost escalation could be huge,” Minnan-Wong said. “If you were to ask any residents if your choice was to build more transit or to have a world’s fair, which would you choose? I think the choice would be pretty obvious to the public, they would choose more transit.” The final decision lies with city council next month. Mayor John Tory said he cannot support a bidding process when other levels of government have given no indication they’re prepared to write cheques to support the fair.

Britain said ready to deploy troops, tanks and jets to Estonia

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British media are reporting Thursday morning that the UK will deploy troops, tanks and jets to Eastern Europe to deter feared Russian aggression. According to the reports, the troops will remain six months and then be replaced by a similar force from another NATO country. They say this is the biggest military build-up in Eastern Europe since the Cold War. The destination of the force is Estonia, one of three Baltic states (Estonia and Lithuania are the others) which fear that Vladimir Putin is a Stalin in disguise. They cite his intrusions into the Ukraine. Former prime minister Harper believed that Putin had covert ambitions if not a precise plan for extensions of power. It is not known where the present Canadian government stands on that type of thinking.

Love is definitely in the air at 30 Roehampton Avenue

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This is a perfectly lovely story from the CBC’s Victoria Calido and Paul Borkwood. Love and a sky-high marriage proposal on Roehampton Ave. CBC

love-slider

Minister’s staffer collapses during Queen’s Park scrum

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CTV reports that Health Minister Eric Hoskins was speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park Wednesday when one of his staffers collapsed. Hoskins, who is a medical doctor, administered first aid to the staffer until more help arrived. She is expected to be okay.

Bellwood Health re-opens at Glenvale and Brentcliffe

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Bellwood Health Services is returning to a new building at its old home on Brentcliffe Road at Glenvale Blvd this week.  This address used to house the former Donwood Institute site, one of Canada’s first addiction treatment hospitals.  Bellwood, a member of the Edgewood Health Network, offers comprehensive residential and outpatient treatment programs and services for alcohol, drug, gambling and sex addiction, and a concurrent program for addiction with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder\OSI.  The Waterstone Clinic offers outpatient and residential treatment for Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder, and collaborates with Bellwood Health Services to provide concurrent addiction treatment as necessary.  Grand Opening Celebration is Thursday, October 27th, 2016 with a 10:30am reception. Formal remarks and ribbon cutting at 11:00am. Lunch and Tours, 11:45am. 175 Brentcliffe Road, Toronto.  RSVP.  Website.

OMB okays 146/150 Laird, saves old Durant building

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The Ontario Municipal Board has approved the redevelopment of Laird Drive at 146-150 Laird Drive opposite the SmartCentre. The site includes the so-called Durant Building which the developers have agreed to retain intact. The development is a home for older people to be owned by Viva Retirement Communities, a Canadian company. The original unrevised plan called for two buildings, seven and eight storeys. Randolph Road sits behind and to the west of the proposed project and would be shaded by it. The OMB found that a revision to reduce grading at the rear to 7.5 degrees was a relief from such shading. Residents also complained about the “100-foot wall” that would greet them in their backyard and the hundreds of balconies looking down on them. At a rancorous public meeting in February 2015, dozens of speakers directed attacks on the size and height. Full decision