Ward 6 Councilor Mark Grimes will have to explain himself to his fellow Council members next week. This in the light of a report from the integrity commissioner, Valerie Jepson, that he acted in a way that assisted high-rise developers in his ward. In one instance Mr. Grimes went around City staff and Council to reduce the amount of a development tax to be paid from $250,000 down to $100,000. In all of this, Jepson has concluded that the Etobicoke lakeshore member did not benefit personally although he apparently tried to persuade a developer to do business with one of his friends. Jepson is persuaded nonetheless, that the Councillor has learned from her investigation and says she will not recommend action against him at Council. John Lancaster, CBC.

Members of the Leaside Chit Chat page have posted pictures and compared notes on Thursday’s lightning-like rainstorm between about 2 and 3 p.m. Susan Ferguson posted pictures of the inundation in the SmartCentre parking lot. There’s no drainage it seems. Sandra Creighton noted that the wild and crazy LRT corner of Bayview Ave. and Eglinton Ave. E was well-flooded as well. And indeed, the rain was torrential for nearly half an hour and quite a surprise it seems to forecasters. No thunder was noted throughout the rain storm as recorded in the south end of Leaside and in Bennington Heights/Moore Park. But the rain was selective. Paddy Duncan says she was downtown at an appointment where there wasn’t much more than a sprinkle.  Leaside Chit Chat 

The fifth annual Lawn Summer Night benefit in aid of research into Cystic Fibrosis saw a sold out crowd of competitors at the Leaside Lawn Bowing Club on Hanna Road Thursday. The event is sponsored by KPMG and was inspired by a much-loved colleague, Eva Dien Brine Markvoort, who died in 2010 at the age of 26 of the disease. The usual madcap get-ups and team names were plentiful. Above is the Team Sausage squad of (l to r) Thomas, Verity, Murilo, Geoff and Brandon. Like so many good names, Team Sausage was an act of whimsy related to past and best-forgotten cottage hijinks. Other wonderful names abounded: The Bowlevardiers, The Lawn Whisperers, Great Bowls of Fire, The Bowled and the Beautiful, The Bowlerinas and the Barack O Bowlers. Congratulations all.

The torrential rain that thundered across Toronto between 2 the 3 p.m. Thursday seems to have come as a total surprise to forecasters. Morning predictions spoke of sweltering temperatures and zero precipitation.

Toronto is under a severe thunderstorm warning. 30-55 mm of rain is likely over the next hour, Environment Canada says.

— CBC Toronto (@CBCToronto) July 7, 2016

The push to save the dilapidated Davisville Junior Public School has been effectively stopped by a successful motion at Toronto and East York Council to defer discussion indefinitely. This is good news for those who work at the school and for proponents of a so-called neighborhood hub which would see additional community facilities built on the site of a new school. The motion to defer a discussion to declare the 1960 school a heritage site came from Josh Matlow (Ward 22). It passed 8-0 with four members absent. Locally, Councillor Wong-Tam was present and voted in favour. The Toronto Preservation Board had previously voted unanimously to save the school. Among the most compelling speakers at TEYC was Shona Farrelly, principal of Davisville PS.

 

 

Here we are outside the Leaside Home Depot Monday night where the Bulldog was drooling over this (we’re sure) 1958 Corvette (and if the year is wrong, let us know). Hat’s off to the owner.

In the U.S., Walgreens and Rite Aid are said to be on track for a merger of their stores. It might mean the closure of as many as 500 pharmacies.  Walgreen already owns names like Duane Reade (New York City) and Boots (Europe). Walgreen is the second biggest U.S. drugstore chain (after CVS) and Rite Aide fourth largest. Many will wonder about the recent sale of the Rexall chain in Canada. In May it moved from the hands of Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz to those of the U.S. firm McKesson for $3 billion. But then there is the entrepreneurial Galen Weston recently winner of a deal to own Shoppers Drug Mart. Does he have further plans?  It is all speculation of course but remember that the wealthy buy things because they can.

The mayor has announced further allowances of $250 a month to needy families to help pay for rent while they wait in the City’s backlog of people hoping to get public housing. Some 550 families will receive the subsidy.

Toronto has issued a super extreme heat alert Thursday. It looks like the same 33-degree oven we had yesterday is here again. Cooling centres are open across the City again. Here are places to find refuge if you don’t have air. They are open from 11 a.m. today and close at 7 p.m. There are many cool places to hang out however, including libraries and shopping malls. Here are the cooling centres:

• Metro Hall – 55 John St. (This cooling centre remains open 24 hours a day for the duration of the extreme heat warning)

• East York Civic Centre – 850 Coxwell Ave.

• North York Civic Centre – 5100 Yonge St.

• Driftwood Community Centre – 4401 Jane St.

• Etobicoke Civic Centre – 399 The West Mall

• McGregor Community Centre – 2231 Lawrence Ave. E.

• Centennial Park Community Centre – 1967 Ellesmere Rd.

Those at the greatest risk of heat-related illnesses include people with chronic illnesses, infants, young children, and those with limited mobility.

 

Late Wednesday Canada Post kicked its lockout deadline over to Monday at 12:01 a.m. ET. It says it is willing to submit to binding arbitration in an effort to resolve the ongoing labour dispute. (Did it hear from the government?)  We know that there are no talks planned between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). Spokesman Jon Hamilton said the two sides couldn’t be further apart. The issues are money — CUPW wants more than the 1.5 percent offered — the pension limitations Canada Post says it needs to reduce costs. About 50,000 staff are waiting and will be affected. Canadian Press reports that Public Services Minister Judy Foote was warned three months ago that contract negotiations between Canada Post and CUPW were likely to lead to a strike or lockout, with officials advising the government to avoid taking sides in bargaining.

 

40,000 fans thrilled to the heroics of Canadian-born Michael Saunders Wednesday night at Rogers Centre as the Blue Jays swept the World Series Champions Kansas City Royals 4 to 2. Saunders was making his case. He hit his 16th home run of the season in the fourth inning and a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth to set up a walk off win for reliever Roberto Osuna. “Bobbie, Bobbie” rang around the centre as Osuna baffled the Royals in the top of the ninth. Saunders, 29, is having the best season of his career, posting 40 RBI through his first 78 games. On Tuesday, Saunders was nominated as one of five players vying for the final spot on the American League All-Star team, to be decided by a fan vote.

Send Saunders to the ASG by voting here: https://t.co/rXLylpqcZB #VoteCaptainCanadahttps://t.co/QlkdCmZdt7

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 6, 2016