Category: Uncategorized

NATO will deploy a permanent full-scale military force on its border with Russia to defend its territory against a future Russian invasion, the alliance’s chief has told The Telegraph newspaper. The smallest, most vulnerable and likely targets of any future invasion by Russia would be the Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says NATO is undergoing fundamental change that will reflect the consequences of Vladimir Putin’s actions. “What we see now is a new reality, a new normal for European security,” he said. “Therefore, we have now asked our military commanders to provide options for what we call a reset, a longer-term adaptation of NATO.”

Finland, Sweden expected to join NATO

In the upside-down world of Russian politics, the outright invasion of Ukraine is no reason for anyone else to be nervous. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that NATO is “a tool of confrontation”. This comes as US defence officials said Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has been a “massive strategic blunder” which is likely to bring NATO enlargement. Nordic brothers Finland and Sweden have tried to stay neutral but the attack on Ukraine has shifted public opinion in both countries towards membership in NATO. US officials say that could come as early as June.

Police say this man approached and embraced girl in Bloor/Royal York station

Police say an older man, apparently well-groomed and dressed, spontaneously approached a girl of 14 in the Bloor subway station at Royal York Road on April 5. He embraced her and spoke to her as he moved her in his direction. She asked him to stop and another person in the station intervened. The man then left. The police release implies that the man was entirely unknown to the girl. He is described as white, medium build, clean-shaven, with short white hair, wearing a black baseball cap with a design/sticker on top of the brim, black pants, a black hoodie, a black puffer vest, black Puma shoes with white Puma stripe logo, carrying a blue duffle/messenger bag with black strap. Call 22 Division (416) 808-2200 with information.

Shopify, the Canadian web-design wonder firm, has announced that its stock will split 10 for one. Shopify has become legendary in a period of about seven years since it went public in 2015. It leaped to $1690 and made many investors millionaires. Since then it has fallen back. Here’s the MarketWatch post early Monday.

Shares of Shopify Inc. SHOP, -6.33% rallied 1.8% in premarket trading Monday, after the Canada-based e-commerce software company said it was planning for a 10-for-1 split of its common stock, in an effort to make its shares “more accessible to all investors.” That would be the first stock split since the company went public in May 2015. The stock closed Friday at $603.18, but has plunged 64.3% from its Nov. 19, 2021 record close of $1,690.60. Separately, the company also announced a proposal to preserve the voting power of its Founder and Chief Executive Tobi Lütke, by issuing a new class of share to Lütke. The new “Founder” shares will provide Lütke with a variable number of votes that when combined with shares already owned by him, his family and his affiliates, will represent 40% of the voting power. The proposal and the split are pending shareholder approval at the annual meeting on June 7. Shopify’s stock has tumbled 56.2% year to date through Friday, while the S&P 500 SPX, -0.27% has lost 5.8%.

PepisCo, the maker of Frito-Lay chips, is reported to have settled its price dispute with Loblaw. This report in the Financial Post says shipments of Dorito, Tostito, Miss Vickies and other chips will resume Monday and see stores fully stocked by Easter.

Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, has walked the streets of Kyiv and met ordinary Ukrainians along the way. This surprise visit is accompanied by a further $130 million in weapons aid.

The union, Unifor, says 900 employees at the Metro supermarket distribution warehouse in Etobicoke are back to work this weekend after approving a new contract. It means that fresh produce is now being restocked at Metro and Food Basics stores. Under the new agreement, workers will receive an average pay increase of 15.8 percent over the next four and a half years, starting with a $2.25 per hour increase in the first year paid retroactively to Oct. 24, 2021.

You have to love it. A season-opener with real fans in a rejuvenated stadium.

This week’s federal budget will see billions collected by the federal government in the form of your taxes going to creating more housing, dental care for children under 12, climate change, aid to Ukraine and to beef up the Canadian Armed Forces. And yes, it’s that political thing called the budget but it’s also your money. Specfics from CTV

Watch as Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews scores his 55th goal of the season against the Dallas Stars to surpass Rick Vaive for most goals in a single season by a Toronto Maple Leafs player– SportsNet

Kristyn Wong-Tam

At City Hall

Krystyn Wong-Tam will leave City Council and run for the NDP in the downtown riding of Toronto Centre in the provincial general election in June. She has served on Council since 2010. Her statement Friday said “it is with much gratitude and love that I announce that I will not be seeking re-election for City Council in October. Furthermore, after a great deal of consideration and conversations with my family and close friends, I have decided to put my name forward to seek the NDP nomination to become the next Member of Provincial Parliament for Toronto Centre.” Ms Wong-Tam was born in Hong Kong in 1971 and came to Canada by her parents in 1975. Wikipedia

Police at 53 Division say Thursday the investigation into the discovery of a body in Yellow Creek in Deer Park is ongoing. No further information has been released. It appears further information may await the results of an autopsy.

Hard facts at Metro

Fresh produce is in short supply at Metro and Food Basics stores across the City as 900 workers at the firm’s distribution centre continue a strike. But negotiation Thursday between the company and unions has resulted in a tentative agreement which will be voted on Friday.