The Federal Liberals will enact legislation to compel all employers in federally-regulated sectors to ensure men and women receive equal pay for work of equal value. That’s more than just equal pay for equal work, remember. It sometimes means an employer has to try to figure out whether a foreman should be paid the same — or more — than a personal assistant. How do you do that? And the statements yesterday follow a pattern of bold declarations followed by a sober warning about just what might work.  Don’t forget union contracts. Employment Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk declared the government will be “proactive” in this matter followed moments later by Status of Women Minister Patty Hajdu saying what a devilishly tricky business it is to actually decide what equal value really means. So stay tuned for change but remember the excited announcement about the legalization of marijuana which appears to now be deep in the Liberal freezer. Canadian Press 

The question of whether Ken Pagan is the person who threw a beer can onto the field at the Blue Jays-Orioles game Tuesday night continues to generate both contrary statements and huge public curiosity. Here are a few tweets among the many offerings on social media which call the police interpretation doubtful. But police say they have satisfactory evidence for their allegation that Mr. Pagan is responsible. He is expected to meet cops sometime today with his lawyer. Man in police release is Toronto Sun employee Ken Pagan  Who is Ken Pagan?

https://twitter.com/mattfharris/status/783842746197049344

This is MUST WATCH viewing before the public goes after Ken Pagan. #BlueJays #KenPagan #grassyknollhttps://t.co/HqXDc2FVr2

— Section 524 • Andrew (@Section524) October 6, 2016

On Round 1 @VicFedeliMPP says he knows accused #beerthrower Ken Pagan from when Fedeli was mayor of North Bay. Says he'd never waste a beer

— NEWSTALK1010 (@NEWSTALK1010) October 6, 2016

If the evidence is so clear that Ken Pagan threw a beer can why did police release a *Canadian Press* photo?

— Siobhan Morris (@siomoCTV) October 6, 2016

Well what a surprise. After 72 hours of media anticipation that Toronto might suddenly by subjected to “killer clown” behaviour (the horror!) two 15 year-olds get dressed up and try to terrorize younger kids at Pope Francis Catholic School near Ossington Avenue and Dundas Street Wednesday afternoon. No one was hurt and the boys have had a good talk with cops and been sent home. It’s unknown whether police will wish to pursue it further. But really. The news reports are calling it a bizarre incident. Please give us a break guys. Clueless radio and television fear-mongering is bizarre. It’s all too bad, and of course these teens will have to be responsible for their behaviour.

The community barbecue marking the closing day of Sarah and Claire’s Food Drive will take place this Saturday, October 8 at the South Bayview Valu Mart. It is a much anticipated event which marks the building of 160 Thanksgiving Holiday Hampers by Sarah, Claire and their friends. The food is donated to Daily Bread Food Bank and the job will be overseen by Daily Bread executive director Gail Nyberg. The barbecue begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. at which time the kids and organizers will do the Thanksgiving build. Shop Saturday at Valu Mart and make a contribution while you attend the barbecue.

MESSAGE FROM MOM

Lynda Debono has sent a message to friends today asking for their participation. She thanks sponsors Mike Tufts at Valu-mart and Patrick Rocca | Bosley Real Estate.  “Come join us for a burger or hotdog and enjoy cotton candy, courtesy of Councillor Jon Burnside, check out the petting zoo, courtesy of Pawsitiviely Pets, and get your face painted or get a tattoo from one of our talented youth volunteers. We are thrilled to announce that we have sold 160 Thanksgiving Holiday Hampers, which will provide 160 clients of Daily Bread Food Bank with a traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the fixings.  A HUGE thank you to the following local businesses that participated in the Local Business Challenge.  Many of these businesses bought the Thanksgiving Holiday Hampers that will be distributed to Daily Bread Food Bank today.”

The Toronto Sun is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person who appears to be responsible. See video in the post below. Toronto Sun

An Ottawa-area mother, Chelsey Masse, and her husband learned in a harsh way the folly of not paying a traffic ticket. In their hometown of Gatineau, Que. an unpaid ticket leads to a driver’s license suspension. So it was that the couple was pulled over by the Quebec SQ (provincial police) a long way from home and told that Chelsey’s license had been suspended three days earlier because of the unpaid ticket.  Hear the story. CBC

Urban Toronto website features this smaller development at Eglinton Ave E and Walder Ave. from Core Development Group and built by Mazenga Building Group. Architects are Batay-Csorba.  The low-rise townhome development has seven units. Urban Toronto

 

#BREAKING: Blue Jays win #WildCardGame against Orioles 5-2 on Edwin Encarnacion's walkoff home run https://t.co/XMLUqWM5Pc #WildCard

— The Globe and Mail (@globeandmail) October 5, 2016

The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 in 11 innings Tuesday night at the Rogers Centre, setting up an American League Division Series rematch against the Texas Rangers. Edwin Encarnacion hammered a three-run homer to bring the marathon game to an abrupt end. The scene was set after Devon Travis singled with one out off Ubaldo Jimenez, Baltimore’s seventh pitcher on the night, and thrilled the crowd on a headlong run to third base on a single by Josh Donaldson. Encarnacion followed with a thundering homer into left field outer space. Both Jays and Orioles dug deep into the bullpens during the game. The pitching was top-notch. A near-capacity crowd of 49,934 fretted and bellowed through tense extra innings. One low a note occurred when someone threw a beer can at Oriole outfielder Hyun Soo Kim

Its great I can hear the kids at the public school next to me chanting Let's Go Blue Jays! @BlueJays @BessboroughEMS #Leaside #BlueJays

— Deb Lace-Kelly (@DebLaceKelly) October 4, 2016

It was created 40 years ago to protect people who had legitimate claims against builders. Along the way it has spent and spent and spent — your money. We do seem to love our big government. Toronto Star

Dan McTeague, the former Liberal MP who re-invented himself into Canada’s go-to source on gas prices, is warning that there might — might — be shortages of gasoline at service stations because of fuel restrictions that have been placed on a major pipeline. The National Energy Board ordered Trans-Northern Pipelines Inc. to reduce the flow of oil throughout its pipeline system by 10 per cent in a ruling issued on September 27. The release explains that the NEB is concerned said about “pipeline releases and overpressure incidents that occurred in 2009 and 2010.” The NEB said that the order would remain in effect while Trans-Northern Pipelines Inc. “implements a longer term solution.” Mr. McTeague, who runs the website GasBuddy.com say this may lead to rolling shortages at stations anywhere from Hamilton to Ottawa. “There are a number of concerns that NEB has identified and it is not going to be a 7 or 10 day fix,” McTeague told CP24 on Tuesday. “Ultimately gas stations will see the effect. Some will close down for brief periods of time.” This warning has the maddening quality of so many stories that warn of possible outcomes — there is no way to know whether there will in fact be shortages. McTeague suggests we may see more tanker trucks on the highway carrying fuel to supplement the pipeline.

Comedian Ashley Botting will host the Leaside Smokedown BBQ dinner and music night at Amsterdam Brewers Thursday, October 20, 2016. Music will be by Fergus Hambleton & Friends with dinner catered by Andy Elder of Grilltime meat shop on Laird Drive. This year’s Smokedown is in aid of the East York and Leaside charity New Circles. Botting is a Toronto-based actor, comedian, writer, singer, and alumna of Toronto’s Second City Mainstage where she wrote and performed four revues including Sixteen Scandals and How To Kill A Comedian.  Botting recently performed with The Toronto Symphony Orchestra in The Second City Guide to the Symphony in sold-out shows at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall. Tickets to this lively community event are $75 which includes the evening’s dinner and entertainment plus a drink ticket and live and silent auctions. There’s also a $50 charitable donation tax receipt. Tickets at NewCircles.ca/news  

Someday perhaps there will be a scholarly examination — or maybe a cost-benefit study by Price-Waterhouse — on why streetcars continue to clutter up Toronto’s roadways. But today all we have is another news release about road closures while trolley tracks are replaced. This time it is the intersection of Bay and Richmond Streets shut down from 6 a.m. Thursday to next Tuesday at 6 a.m. Release