The South Bayview Bulldog

Buffalo Evening News 

One of the convicts who plotted to blow up the TSE and other downtown locations has been given as much as six months parole to go to school. There are a number of restrictions on Saad Gaya, now 28. He was 21 when he prepared to detonate three tonnes of what he thought was ammonia nitrate fertilizer as part of the infamous Toronto 18 terror plot. His lawyer says he is very remorseful and rehabilitated and we can only hope that this is true. Sadly, the world is full of “reformed” terrorists who faked it just long enough to go out and kill people. Sorry Saad, hope you put it together and stay straight. CBC 

They say that age doesn’t matter that much in young women’s hockey but it must have been something that gave the Ryerson Rams that big sister edge they used to whip the Leaside Wildcats 5 to 1 in exhibition play at Mattamy Arena Saturday night. The Ryerson girls, cellar-dwellers in the Ontario University Athletic League, average a year or two older than the Grade 12 teammates of the Wildcats squad. Siobhan Birch potted the lone Leaside goal unassisted on Rams netminder Ally Sarna in the second. Shots on goal told a true story with Leaside’s Danielle Tolland facing 37 and Ryerson’s Sarna merely 20. Sunday afternoon it’s back to regular season play with an afternoon match at Leaside Arena against the Brampton Canadettes.

Toronto Star writer Edward Keenan has embarked on a three-part series (if you please) dealing with NIMBYism. You can find the first one here. He mentions the Jefferson Homeless Shelter hoax. South Bayview residents are still stinging from the calculated dishonesty and entrapment perpetrated by the homeless charity Raise the Roof and the ad agency Leo Burnett.  On October 2, 2015, pedestrians on Bayview Ave. were informed by signage that a 62-bed shelter was moving into a vacant building. The affairs of this new hostel would be managed by three volunteers. In nearby shops “staff” of the hostel sought out residents to confirm that buses would indeed ferry the homeless from wherever they might be found to fill the place. The Jefferson Shelter said in a notice that it knew people living in South Bayview might have questions. How thoughtful. Why not call the number provided and (it was implied) hear our side, said the notice. Of course there was no one at the other end of the line, just a recording to leave a message.

MEDIA FELL OVERBOARD

The whiz kids at Leo Burnett knew that this was their access to juicy recorded material that would permit them to paint their lurid picture. With suckers like the people of Leaside and Davisville who needed paid actors?  The holy warriors of anti-NIMBYism would be fully unleashed with this stuff.  The media fell overboard. Writers snickered that people might cry at being told that a homeless hostel was moving in. But one respectable single woman renting a flat above a shop next door to the fictitious shelter did cry. How silly of her to think that maybe as she walked from the bus after dark she might not feel as safe as she once did. Yes, and some people who own fine homes here actually wondered if they should sell them. It is a distress that comfortable reporters no doubt think these people deserved.  You know, it’s what you get when you react badly to carefully calculated deceit and entrapment.

The Mt. Pleasant Village BIA has announced winners in the annual Window Wanderland contest. The people’s choice was found to be a tie between Uptown Chiropractic and Jacaranda Tree (two perennial contenders) with the next spot owned by Periwinkle Flowers The judges on the other hand said first place went to Briton House with second spot to Wild Bird & Bernardi’s Antiques.

The CBC has put together this excellent report on relevant baby arrivals in the New Year — as if moments really mattered. The times in “after witching hour seconds and minutes” are 39 seconds, five minutes even and 34 minutes. We’ll let you match up the times with the names. Nice stuff.

A man described by Toronto Police Operations as in his 50s was struck and hospitalized at the corner of Davisville Ave. and Mt Pleasant Rd. Friday night. Police remained on the  scene in bitterly cold weather three hours later as part of accident reconstruction. Several homes for the elderly line the west side of Mt. Pleasant between Merton St. and Davisville. This accident occurred during the peak afternoon period afternoon for pedestrian accidents. It is matched by a similar dangerous period in the morning when people are up and about but it is still dark

MUST BE CAREFUL

Clint Stibbe

PC Clint Stibbe of Toronto Traffic Services spoke on CP24 about traffic fatalities in 2015.  At 64 dead, it is the highest number of traffic fatalities recorded in 11 years. The toll of pedestrians was 38. In 2014 the number of traffic deaths was 51 and in 2013, 63. The highest number of total traffic deaths in recent years was 66 in 2004. Stibbe said the highest number of pedestrian collisions happen while vehicles are making left turns. The second highest is during right turns followed by mid-block crossings.

PARKING LOTS ARE DANGEROUS

Collisions in parking lots came in fourth. Parking lots are tricky because the rules of the road often seem suspended. Both pedestrians and drivers move in irregular patterns and frequently appear from any point on the compass. This is a common complaint at the Loblaws parking lot at 301 Moore Ave.

THE ELDERLY

Older people are vulnerable for reasons of reduced agility, awareness and inability to recover as easily from an injury. Experts say older pedestrians — and others — should have a strategy when crossing. Follow the lights, watch for cars turning especially from behind and if crossing in mid block, wait until stop lights at a nearby corner has stopped traffic. Never cross diagonally nor by charging into the street, especially on a four lane road.  “It doesn’t take much, especially when an individual is older, for their body to receive a substantial injury,” Stibbe says.

Nine months after Rosa Agostino sold Caffe Doria at the corner of Yonge Street and Roxborough St. W. the new owners have closed the landmark coffee and snack business. The reason is not stated in the closing announcement but the notice posted on the door states there is “a new and innovative project set for 2016.” No hint has been given as to what that might be. Under Agostino’s 15 year ownership the sidewalk (and indoor) cafe built a loyal clientele from across Rosedale, Summerhill and beyond. Loyalists sadly say the post Agostino Doria was less customer friendly and saw patrons drift off to other Yonge Street hangouts like Terroni and 7Grams  Rosa Agostino sells Rosedale landmark Caffe Doria  Here is a personalized history of Caffe Doria in recent times from Yonge and Roxborough News 

Caffe Doria was frequently quite busy in fine weather

Natalie Cole, the American singer who overcame battles with substance abuse and the long shadow of her famous father to earn worldwide success of her own, has died. She was 65. Cole died Thursday night at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles “due to complications from ongoing health issues,” according to a statement from her family. Patrick Garrity and Elisha Fieldstadt NBC News

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stuns Turks and the world by declaring that Turkey should structure its power in him, much like Hitler managed to do in Germany. Telegraph UK

Scene looking southwest from corner of Mt. Pleasant and Carstowe Rd.

A boy has been struck by a CPR train on or near the tracks at the bridge over the Mt. Pleasant extension at  Carstowe Rd. about 3.30 a.m. Friday morning. Police say the victim was walking with friends near the bridge. The boy, 16, is in grave condition in hospital. The tracks through Rosedale are heavily fenced and in fact difficult to access by members of the public anywhere in the City.