An adjudicator with the province’s Information and Privacy Commission has ordered the government to disclose the names of doctors and the amounts they have billed the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). Doctors remuneration, public money that has long been held confidential, has become a contentious matter in a time of a $300 billion provincial debt. Health Minister Eric Hoskins has implicitly criticized certain specialists without naming them for the large sums they bill. Doctors respond that medical practices are expensive to run. The story has been broken by the CBC’s Mike Crawley who says the government may just let public disclosure happen. “I’m not going to second guess what the information and privacy commission has said,” Wynne told reporters Friday in Ottawa. “We’ll work with the information and privacy commissioner to comply with what he has proposed.” It is a change in tone for Ontario but might be seen as a useful development in harnessing public support for its efforts to throw a net over the cost of OHIP. The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) opposes the release of doctors’ billings and could seek a judicial review of the ruling, potentially delaying or stopping the disclosure.
Couple’s year-long struggle after given the wrong baby
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A couple who were given the wrong baby by a hospital in El Salvador a year ago has finally been allowed to travel home to Texas with their own child. Rich Cushworth and his wife Mercedes were given a birth certificate for their son Moses a few days ago. The agonizing realization that something might be wrong, the shocking truth when they took DNA, the international hassle to move a child across borders — the nightmare is re-told here to the BBC’s Matthew Price.
Mini Rogers Cup event underway at Leaside Tennis Club
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Tuesday saw the kickoff of the Mini Rogers Cup with 40 kids running around the courts practicing their forehands and backhands at Leaside Tennis Club. The children ranged in age from six to 12 years old and showed off their determination and skill. Mini Rogers Cup at Leaside
Toronto home sales up 15.7% since May 2015 says TREB
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The average selling price of a resale home in the Toronto area leaped 15.7 per cent in a year to $751,908 according to the Toronto Real Estate Board. Low inventory is given as the reason for the pressure upwards. The board said 12,870 homes were sold in May across the region, that’s an increase of 10.6 per cent increase compared to May 2015. “While the record number of home sales through the first five months of 2016 is not necessarily surprising, it does sometimes mask the larger story in the GTA: the shortage of listings, which has resulted in strong upward pressure on home prices,” said TREB President Mark McLean in a statement. In Vancouver, sales jumped 17.6 per cent last month and the benchmark selling price surged by a breathtaking 29.7 per cent.
United Airlines re-makes business class for rich flyers
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United airlines is promoting what it calls Polaris, a cushy new level of service in business class which, it claims, offers up to 6 feet, 6 inches of sleep space. Hard to believe. They spaces are called business class isolation pods. Consumerist
DVP, Gardiner closed Sunday for Becel Ride for Heart
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Some 15,000 cyclists and 5,000 runners are expected to travel the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway Sunday for the Becel Ride for Heart in aid of the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Road closures will take place at 2 a.m.Sunday and run well into the afternoon. Police are recommending people take public transit to avoid extensive traffic congestion in the area, especially in the downtown core and on arterial roadways. Every dollar raised by pledges is said to go to research. The Foundation’s goal is to raise $7 million this year for heart disease research.
French’s Canadian ketchup will be made on Sunrise Ave.
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French’s Food Company has struck a deal with Select Food Products Ltd. at 120 Sunrise Ave. in the Bermondsey Rd. and O’Connor Drive area to make French’s ketchup in Canada. Select Foods is an established maker of condiments and gravies, many of which are sold under the Horne’s brand name. Its plant is close to the East York boundary. Work will begin on the all Canada ketchup — the tomatoes will come from Leamington — next year. “We are thrilled to be partnering with French’s on this opportunity,” said Select Food Products president Andrew Mitchell in an interview. “We’ve been talking to French’s for a little while. They have come to visit us, too. “We wanted to make sure it’s a right fit because this is a long-term partnership,” Mitchell said. “I like them. I can work with them. Our values align with their values.” The move comes after Canadians rose to French’s defense when Loblaws decided to delete it from the chain’s shelves.
Elegant Garage Sale to close on Bayview in September
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Simon Gadke, the manager at Elegant Garage Sale, has confirmed that the business will close on Bayview Ave at the end of September. The information became public today as the consignment store began to inform people who have goods there so they might make other arrangements. The business continues to be owned by the family of the late Lynn Albert, who started Elegant Garage and was a fixture at the 1588 Bayview store for so many years. Lynn Albert died eleven months ago.
Bulldog finds Choppers, Cessnas touring downtown sky
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An examination of last night’s flights over downtown Toronto using the WebTrak flight tracking tool, has revealed a 30 minute jaunt by a helicopter out of Buttonville airport between about 8.45 and 9.15. There were also a host of Cessnas in what appeared to be “tourist mode” over downtown. There was a Jays game with the roof open, so no surprise there. A couple of Cessnas originating from Toronto/Markham Airport and Burlington Airpark did multiple loops of downtown. We’re sure it was a good view. The Bulldog also noted a flight that originated near Polson Pier at approximately 11:10pm did a multiple passes around downtown and East York then passed over Davisville Village at approximately 11:40 p.m., at a mere 1400 ft. of altitude. We think we heard that one! It landed at Downsview at approximately 11:45 p.m. Could that be one of the mystery choppers that kept us awake last night?

Screenshot from WebTrak website
Darwin Barney heroics help Blue Jays beat Yankees 4-1
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Bell Media sends Canada AM to bed for good on Friday
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CTV has announced that Canada AM will cease its 44-year run with Friday’s program. It is said to be the longest running morning television shows in Canada’s history. “We are incredibly thankful to our viewers from coast-to-coast-to-coast who have been with us on this journey and a heartfelt part of our TV family all these years,” co-hosts Beverly Thomson, Marci Ien and Jeff Hutcheson said in a joint statement published on CTV News online.
WHAT ELSE MIGHT BELL DO?
The end of Canada AM must be a bit chilling to CTV News employees. The future of old-fashioned television from the sprawling piece of acreage at McCowan Rd. and Hwy 401 will most certainly have been discussed in the offices of Bell Media thinkers. Maybe they just love it. Maybe not. And maybe they wonder how many newscasts they need.
Midnight chopper ruckus part of “emergency services”?
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Upon investigation through WebTrak, the helicopter was related to emergency services.
— Billy Bishop Airport (@BBishopAirport) June 2, 2016


