The South Bayview Bulldog

With the three fatalities announced by the OPP overnight, the number of fatal snowmobile accidents in Canada is rising quickly. Known and widely reported cases seem to number at least 11 since New Year’s. Two men are reported to have died early today (Saturday, January 30, 2016) as a result of injuries received when their snowmobile crashed through ice on Go Home Lake near Georgian Bay west of the TransCanada Highway. Another died Friday night in an apparently similar way in the waters of Dark Lake in Haliburton. Yesterday, five snowmobilers died in an avalanche near McBride B.C. On the New Year’s weekend there were reports of deaths in King Township, Nova Scotia and during a Wilderness Adventure vacation on Blackcomb Mountain in B.C.

What’s in a name

Leaside Wildcats host the London Devilettes at Leaside Gardens tonight (Saturday, January 30, 2016). The opening face off is set for 7.40 p.m. The Devilettes sit in 11th place in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League. The Wildcats reside in third. The London ladies carry a saucy urban-slang name for sure. Fun. We will see how they are at hockey against the Wicked Leaside Wildcats tonight.

A man has changed his name so that it will appear as ZnoneoftheAbove on ballots in the Oshawa-Whitby by-election February 11, 2016. Sheldon Bergson has told the CBC that he’s trying to give an option to people who are fed up with voting over and over for the main parties and seeing nothing really change. Uh-huh.

The raccoon that attacked a 6-year-old boy walking to school with his mother in New Jersey two days ago has tested positive for rabies. Local police have issued a door-to-door warning. Aryan Gavali was targeted by the raccoon in a running attack directly at the child. It climbed atop his head and began biting the boy’s face. Many people came to help including a painter who used a heavy pole to kill the raccoon. It is an insight for parents into the danger posed by rabid raccoons. An earlier post today describes the continued growth of the rabid population of raccoons near Hamilton.

The Globe and Mail and others are making it seem that Metrolinx has blundered because it’s been discovered that new electric GO trains (due in 2024) are a couple of inches high to fit into the Union Station train shed. Metrolinx confirms that either the roof of the shed will have to be raised a couple of inches, the tracks lowered a couple of inches, or something. No word on whether the trains, presumably still unbuilt, could be altered. But in addition to that, there is fretting that because the train shed, built in 1929, is a heritage building, it might not be possible to correct ceiling space in there. Here is where ordinary people are asking why a train shed is a heritage building?  Millions have been spent to update the place, even to installing a glass roof. Heritage?

The 30 days since December 30, 2015 have netted South Bayview residents some 36 minutes in afternoon light. This view at 4.30 p.m. Friday, January 29, 2016 from Bessborough Drive looking west along McRae Drive tells the story. There isn’t any news here but it is nice to think about.

Negotiations with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have gone nowhere and the City of Toronto  has asked the Ministry of Labour for a so-called “No Board” report which starts a clock (of sorts) ticking towards a strike. No stoppage is inevitable but it places the employer and union in the position to either lock out or strike within 17 days of the report being issued. Indoor (local 79) and outdoor (local 416) are the employees in question. The City release is all very constructive about how this will help get a settlement but the fact remains that things are stalled. Will we see a Springtime garbage strike?  It will make municipal history if we do, considering that half of Toronto will be trying to clean up uncollected refuse while the other half has its garbage smoothly taken away by a private contractor.

The last Land Rover Defender off-road vehicle that has been made for almost seven decades has rolled off the production line in Britain. Dozens of workers at the Jaguar Land Rover plant near Birmingham in central England cheered Friday as the last one was presented with its lights flashing and horn blaring. Jaguar Land Rover did not say why the model is being discontinued although it appears it could be because the model can no longer meet emission and safety regulations.

Carolyn Ireland

Carolyn Ireland writes in the  Globe and Mail about eye-popping over-list bids in South Bayview and East York. She cites 664 Hillsdale Ave. where the sellers turned down a $250,000 over-list “bully bid”. They were rewarded with a bidding war that netted them $360,000 over list. The final price was 1,510,888. Breathtaking

Councillor Burnside (Ward 26) has sent out a reminder of his public meeting to discuss the 2016 Toronto Budget and 2016-2025 Capital Plan. It is Monday, February 1, 2016 at Leaside Gardens. These matters are already under discussion and will be addressed by City Council on February 17th. There has been what the Councillor calls a robust debate about possible new taxes. This meeting is an opportunity for ratepayers to ask questions and voice opinion. The Executive Director of Financial Planning Division, Josie La Vita, will be presenting highlights of the budget, as well as answering questions. As needed (416) 392-0215 or councillor_burnside@toronto.ca.