Wildcats fall 4-2 to Aeros as regular PWHL season ends

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Toronto Aero’s defeated the Leaside Wildcats 4-2 as both teams played their final game (#38) in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League regular season. The game was played at Mattamy Arena in the Ryerson sports complex above Maple Leaf Gardens rather than at Leaside Gardens because of the uncertainty created by negotiations with CUPE. It was a penalty-filled match with Leaside taking six trips to the box. They paid a big price in goals as the Aeros capitalized on two power plays. The Aeros had two penalties. The measure of the teams may best be seen in the shots on goal  Danielle Toland faced 34 while the Aeros Stephanie Neatby saw but 14 come her way. Final standings will depend on the outcome of afternoon games Sunday but it is certain the Wildcats will gain a playoff berth.

PLAYOFF SERIES

Teams finishing among the top 16 will be in the playoffs. Durham West Lightning will take on the 16th  ranked team Etobicoke.  And so it goes down the list of contenders. It seem likely that Leaside (#6) will meet London (#11) in a best of five series. The semi-finals will follow a similar pattern..

Police have nothing to say about Beyonce, thanks a lot

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The Toronto police union says it will not be joining other police groups which plan to boycott Beyonce’s upcoming tour dates. This from Toronto Police Association President Mike McCormack.  He is right. Beyonce may be a schnook but it isn’t the job of the police service to organize boycotts. Beyonce’s half time show at the Super Bowl was radically black beyond reasonableness for some.

Parkarr app designed to help you find a parking space

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A new app called Parkarr is intended to match up people seeking a street parking space with those who are leaving. It will work if departing drivers take the trouble to alert the system that they are leaving. Parkarr was created by a New York woman, Robyn Gerber, who got the idea from her father. He puts a piece of paper on the dash showing a smiley face if he is leaving that day, a frown if he isn’t. Parkarr shows parking spaces within a 20-block radius with the forthcoming vacant space — as indicated by departing driver — in turquoise. No car information is exchanged until both drivers accept, and the app works on an honor system. As you pull into a spot, the person pulling in has to say if it was successful or not. So far, 1,000 people have signed up for the app in New york. But what if several drivers arrive looking for the same spot?

B.C. ticket a $22 million winner of Lotto 6-49 jackpot

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There is a $22-million jackpot in British Colmbia for Saturday night’s Lotto 6-49 draw. The lottery’s grand prize was last won Jan. 30, when a ticket worth $18.3-million was held by someone in Ontario The jackpot for the next Lotto 6-49 draw on Wednesday night will be $5-million.

Wildcats vs Aeros Sunday morning at Mattamy arena

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See later post

“Door opening” bank attempt mimics July Leaside robbery

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Police are appealing for the public’s help in catching a bank robbery accomplice who the fled the scene of an early morning botched robbery outside the TD Bank at Kipling Ave and the Queensway Saturday. He was seen speeding off in a silver-coloured compact. He and another man (now in hospital after being shot by police) planned to rob the bank when it opened. But witnesses called police before the bank was open and they arrived to time to confront and shoot one of the robbers. His injuries are non-life threatening. The “door-opening” method of operation for these two is similar to the robbery at the TD Bank branch at 320 Moore Ave last July (See link) The events prompted police to lockdown businesses in the area including the IKEA store at 1475 the Queensway,  Shopper Miles Billneff phoned CP24 and was recorded as shown below. TD Bank Bayview and Moore robbed as doors unlocked

bank remnants

Articles belonging holdup man scattered in parking lot.

Volvo moves to “digital key” in Swedish pilot run this Spring

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Volvo says its 2017 models will come without keys. Instead, owners wlll get a digital key app for their phones which permits them to do everything with their phone that they can with a key. Volvo is boasting it is the  world’s first car manufacturer to do this. It claims digital keys do everything a conventional key can do — unlock/lock the doors, open the trunk and start the engine. But, hey, customers who don’t want to deal with a digital version of their key can opt for a traditional key.

STOLEN PHONE?

Digital key users will be able to receive more than one key on their app, Volvo says, allowing them to access different Volvo cars in different locations. For example, the company says people could potentially book and pay for a rental car anywhere and have the digital key delivered to their phone immediately. Consumerist online asks the question about possible theft of the phone. Phones are much more likely to stolen or forgotten than deep in the pocket car keys. The service will pilot digital keys this spring in Sweden.

Openings collide as Pusateri’s, Whole Foods aim for Spring

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The latest word out of the under-renovation Pusateri’s flagship store at 1539 Avenue Rd is that the owners hope to have it open again by late in the Spring of this year. That might mean May or early June. It was in August 2015 that a smoky fire hit the high-end grocery. Inspectors and workers are said to be busy making sure the new construction is all up to code. This opening date would place Pusateri’s on a collision course of sorts with Whole Foods in the new commercial centre at 1860 Bayview Ave (at Broadway Ave). Signs proclaim “Opening This Spring” and you may be sure the Whole Foods bosses hope this is true.

Canadians in hospital after chopper crash, boy gravely hurt

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A Canadian man and woman, 50 and 45 years, are in hospital in stable condition and a 15-year-old boy thought to be their son, is in critical condition in Hawaii following the crash of a tourist helicopter at Pearl Harbor. The names have not been released. See video.

In Thorncliffe Park, police are looking into the stabbing of a man., 47, in an apartment at 71 Thorncliffe Park Drive. It happened about 12.45 a.m. Saturday and the victim is said to be in critical condition.

And CUPE local 79 and the City have agreed to extend negotiations an additional 24 hours as they work to a avoid a strike.

What the deuce? Canadian toonie coin is 20 years old

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Time flies, especially when you’re spending money. Try to believe it was on this day 20 year ago the first Canadian two-dollar coin was launched into circulation Since then the durable two-tone deuce doubloon has become a valued friend to Canadians in need of metre-money or a main-lined solo-long espresso. Almost 883 million of the coins have entered circulation The toonie features the image of a polar bear on one side, and like all other current Canadian circulation coins, has a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the other.

TOONIES LAST 20 YEARS

The discontinued two-dollar bill was less expensive to manufacture, but each bill lasted on average only one year. Toonies, on the other hand, are durable as the deuce (sorry). They last 20 years. The introduction of the toonie followed the successful introduction of the $1 loonie coin in 1987. That coin must be counted as an enduring success.

COMMON LOON

The loonie’s rather embarrassing beginning is disappearing into history. It was first intended to carry the image of a Canadian voyageur but the original plates were lost in transit. Not to encourage counterfeiters, the Canadian Mint just moved on to a picture of the common loon. It seems to have worked.  The Mint abandoned plans for a possible $5 coin to replace the $5 bill a decade ago, after a government-commissioned poll found almost no support for such a move, despite the savings to be had.

Canadians in Pearl Harbor chopper crash, boy gravely hurt

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Watch as this helicopter accident happens in a split second. It hardly seems possible that the chopper could fall so quickly. Tourist Shawn Winrich was taking photos of Pearl Harbor when he saw a helicopter “essentially coming straight at us” at the popular Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,  tourist destination. He switched to video, recording the helicopter’s dramatic drop into the water below.

VISITING CANADIANS

The family of four visiting from Canada and the pilot on board made it out, but one passenger — a 15-year-old boy who was trapped underwater and had to be cut free from his seat — remained hospitalized in critical condition Friday. No identities have been released

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Man rescued from crashed helicopter at Pearl Harbor

 

ZOO: Hello there, you funny-looking Rhino cutie pie, you

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The Toronto Zoo’s 11-year-old female rhinoceros Ashakiran, gave birth to a male calf on Wednesday, February 17th at 9:42 pm. He is just about as cute as an English bulldog. The Bulldog likes its funny looks and wishes a similar satisfaction for this little guy.