Vaccination in Toronto will be slower than elsewhere in the province because there are simply so many people here, Mayor Tory has suggested. Does that sound like a failure to allocate resources? The rationale is contained in this story published by CP24.

Confusion and imminent delay seem to be in charge of the federal government’s duty to get the population, especially seniors, vaccinated on an urgent timetable. The most recent dithering arises from a little-known body called the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. It is said to be an advisor to Health Canada and Monday it said that none of the whacking great 500,000 dose shipment of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine should be given to people 65 and over. Does that make sense?

No time to be picky

The vaccine has shown good results and recently has been rated as 82 percent effective in stopping the virus. As well, Oxford-Astrazeneca has almost complete effectiveness in beating back the worst symptoms of C-19. In that regard, it is apparently better than the Johnson & Johnson vaccine just approved in the US. But this seems like no time to be picky. Sickness and death continue to roll on and doctors across the globe urgently recommend that the vulnerable take any vaccine — and take it as soon as possible.

• AstraZeneca doses set to arrive Wednesday — but questions remain about who gets them first
• Hard data “clearly vindicates” UK approach as France approves Oxford for over-65s
• Dr. Fauci on J&J’s COVID-19 vaccine: ‘I would have no hesitancy whatsoever to take it’

Encampment fire slows, blocks traffic at Parliament and Bloor/zabby@zabbygal

Toronto Fire Service knocked down a 6 a.m. homeless encampment fire near Bloor East and Parliament St. Tuesday. Such fires are now a common phenomenon in Canada’s largest City. No one was hurt in the blaze although fire officials are quoted as saying the blaze was “massive”. As can be seen in the hi-rise photo taken by zabby@zabbygal from the southwest corner, police are pushing traffic away from Bloor St. westbound.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission says it is still waiting for the Sudbury winner of $70 million last weekend to come forward. CBC

The publisher of the Dr Seuss books has decided to cancel their publication because of on-going criticism of racist images. Over the years, the Seuss books have seen changes to the illustrations but for unstated reasons, it seems that the specified books can’t be saved. CTV

Torstar Corp., owner of the Toronto Star, the Hamilton Spectator and other papers, announced on Monday it plans to launch an online casino betting brand in Ontario this year. The Toronto Star has, since its founding, espoused the so-called Atkinson principles, which are named after one of the founding families and broadly focus on advancing progressive causes such as worker protections, civil liberties, and other social justice issues — CBC

The City has issued a news release Monday which describes the structure of vaccination clinics and the designation of 249 drugstores in the plan to immunize citizens in general. It appears that more than 100 clinics are planned across Canada’s largest City. But the timing is cautious — no sooner than April — as vaccine supplies remain unclear. The excerpt below seems most relevant. Full release

The nine City-operated immunization clinics are on schedule to be ready to open on or before April 1. Once fully operational – seven days per week, nine hours per day – it is estimated that more than 120,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses will be administered each week through the network of City-operated clinics. Physical setup of five City-operated clinic locations is complete, with work on a sixth starting today at Mitchell Field Community Centre in Willowdale. More information on City-operated clinics is available online: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-protect-yourself-others/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-how-to-get-vaccinated/?accordion=city-immunization-clinics.

City-operated immunization clinics are just one piece of the immunization plan for Toronto – there will be many and varied opportunities for vaccination for all residents, once the supply of vaccine is established. Other immunization clinics will be operated by hospital, Ontario Health Team and community partners, mobile clinic operations, targeted community response and the widespread availability of vaccine through family doctors and pharmacies. At this time, based on current vaccine supply, health sector partners coordinated by the City’s Ontario Health Teams and Local Health Integration Networks have identified a number of community clinics that will include:
• 49 planned vaccination clinics to be operated by hospitals and Ontario Health Teams (on site and elsewhere, i.e. parking lots)
• 46 planned vaccination clinics to be operated by community health centres
• 249 pharmacies that will begin to operate with provincial direction

The parents of a 14-month-old boy have been charged with criminal negligence causing death and failure to provide the necessities of life after the toddler died from ingesting fentanyl, heroin and cocaine kept for adult use. The case has been in the hands of the Child and Youth Advocacy Centre since May, 2020 after the death was reported. The boy lived in a Toronto apartment with his mother, father and unnamed other adults.

Construction – McRae Drive @ Millwood Road – Mar 1st, 2021

Sewer work underway in Leaside has blocked McRae Drive east of Millwood Rd. This is the latest in constricted passage across the neighbourhood.

Construction – McRae Drive @ Millwood Road – Mar 1st, 2021

The work is scheduled to finish this Spring. Fingers crossed.

Strom sewer work locations

College St. closed Monday morning

The Toronto Fire Service has extinguished a single-alarm fire in a home near College St. and Macklem Ave in Little Portugal Monday morning. Macklem is between Dufferin St. and Gladstone Ave.

Take me to the arena please

Leaside girls Ada, Bea and Hazel

Coyote coat is stylish and a good guard against predator

Curb alert

Cedarvale Ave parking lot

What to watch, what to watch

The Leaside Wildcats have posted the shining faces of Ada, Bea and Hazel, three local girls who really want to get back to playing hockey. Can’t wait to be there when they drop the puck, ladies. At the centre-right is a wild-looking bit of canine apparel previously unknown to The Bulldog. It’s an anti-coyote coat loaded with spikes and spines designed to repel the critters. On the lower left is an old TV curb alert from Raman Daya at Davisville Parents Facebook. At the bottom left is the large parking lot on Cedarvale Ave. near Stan Wadlow park which the City proposes to turn into housing for the homeless. And yes, some people would prefer otherwise. Lastly, the Queen of the Gambit herself reminds us of the lively local Facebook thread of more than 40 comments about your next streaming binge. Just try not to over-snack if it’s exciting.

Joanna Kovats/Facebook

Crystal Grech/Facebook

A gorgeous moon known to astronomers as a Snow Moon graced Toronto’s sky Friday night and it will return Saturday if skies are clear. Two women living in Leslieville (and many others no doubt) took photos. In the picture at the left, the photographer is joined by a red-tailed hawk on the Leslie Street Spit. Facebook