The amusing picture of Niko the police dog clinging to his master’s leg during a rappelling exercise has produced a lot of excitement about a rappelling dog. Really? It looks fairly clear that Niko is practicing a simpler skill — hanging on for dear life. Happily he is a wearing a harness that would prevent a fall if his paws slipped but dogs are not so clear on that sort of thing. Better to let instinct kick in and grab the boss’s leg. The Vancouver Police Department posted this photo of service dog Niko, a five-year-old purebred German shepherd, in the middle of a training scenario in which he’s “rappelling” down a wall with his handler, PC. Dan Ames. The photo, posted on Oct. 22, is captioned “Hey dad … This rappelling? Yuh, I’m not a fan.” The picture has since garnered more than 3,400 likes, more than 2,800 shares and nearly 300 comments.
A group of nine local arts has leased the large premises at 1591 Bayview Ave. to show and sell their work up until December 7. The What are you lookin at? exhibit opens tomorrow (Saturday, November 7, 2015). The large display window of the former bank building (recently the scene of the misguided homeless scam) has been showing signage asking this cheeky question for a week or two. Now like all good advertising, it has an answer. Not much. But of course one could be enjoying a work by Millwood Rd. painter David Gadke (above) who struck this pose wearing a souvenir hat from a recent visit to Russia. Others exhibiting are Bill Drummond, Ron Eady, Nicholas Edwards, Wayne Gadke, Kathy House, Ed Hughes, Michael Mouat and Gerrald Sevier. Information (416) 483-1986 and ((647) 391-6355.
Police are on the hunt for a woman who they say walked into a Toronto retirement home posing as a nurse and stole $1,000 in cash from a 91-year-old resident. This happened about 1:50 p.m. on Monday (November 2, 2015) when the thief wearing scrubs entered a retirement home in the area of Avenue Road and Eglinton Avenue West. The resident spotted the woman inside her apartment and police say the woman fled the building with over $1,000 in cash. The suspect is described as a thin female in her 30s with shoulder-length brown hair. According to police, she was wearing hot pink scrubs, a white baseball cap, white shoes and a royal blue lanyard with a white name tag. Police say they believe there may be more victims. Security camera images (inset) have been released and police ask anyone with information about the case to call 416-808-5300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
Toronto City Council has approved the zoning by-law amendment from Councillor Jon Burnside (right) to permit a Costco Warehouse on Overlea Blvd. Council voted 21 to 7 at its meeting Wednesday November 4, 2015. The Costco proposal was modified so that the gas bar is not approved and will require further traffic studies after the warehouse is built and has been in operation for at least 6 months. The City will select the firm to do the traffic study. The substantial support for the proposal at Council is of interest. The Leaside Property Owners Association was opposed to the development on many points. The Thorncliffe Park area is said to have poverty levels of 40 percent and support there is very high for the Costco.
BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY
Councillor Gord Perks (Ward 14) in Parkdale was a strong opponent during debate. In the video below, he makes an extended defense of what are known as employment lands. He cites lands in Liberty Village which sat vacant “for decades” now being employed for light industrial or office purposes. For his part, Councillor Burnside reflected on the poverty in Thorncliffe Park and ended by saying “What I have here in my heart is the best deal for the community.” Make sure you watch the exchanges between Mr. Perks and Mr. Burnside. Costco has agreed to incorporate the 1965 Coca Cola office into its new store, this saves certain architectural features that were valued by some. The Walter Yarwood sculpture which has stood on Overlea since that time will also be given a place of honour at the site.
WHO VOTED HOW
In October, North York Community Council was unable to decide on approval. It split 3 to 3 with many members absent. At that time. Councillor Burnside issued a statement suggesting that he would support the proposal if the gas bar were reduced to 12 pumps from 18, that Costco do traffic studies and that Thorncliffe residents be hired. The embedded YouTube video covers a critical period in debate, apparently toward the end of the day November 4, 2015. It was posted to Twitter by Mayor Tory. Those opposed to the Costco were: Davis, Filion, Fletcher, Fragedakis, Matlow, Perks, Robinson. Among local Councillors supporting the Costco proposal, apart from Mr. Burnside (Ward 26) was Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 27). Christin Carmichael Greb (Ward 16) was absent Mayor Tory voted in favour. For now, one can only imagine the personal deliberation of members such as Josh Matlow (Ward 22) and Jaye Robinson (Ward 25). They found themselves opposed to the Costco.
Andy Elder’s Meat and Greet series of events to mark his store’s seventh anniversary is on this Saturday with an appearance and offerings from Christine Manning, the creator and owner of the Manning Canning products. Christine creates a magical variety of spices, condiments, confections and savoury seasonings right here in Leaside. This weekend Christine and Andy will put together a meat dish that shows off some of these great products. All are welcome to snack at Grilltime, 47 Laird Drive, between 11 a.m.and 3 p.m. Andy Elder’s Grilltime turns 7 with Meat and Greet
British and American intelligence suspect that ISIS or some other terrorist body had an inside person at the Cairo airport. They feel sure a bomb was planted in luggage aboard the doomed Russian Airbus that fell to the earth in the desert last week. British passengers preparing to return home have been told they cannot put any luggage in the hold of their aircraft, which is being treated as the weak link in the airport’s security. Instead their luggage will be sent on in a separate cargo plane. US officials have said intelligence suggests the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or another terrorist group may have had “an assist from someone at the airport” and the British security services have discovered evidence of a plot to carry out a major atrocity.
Telus Corp. will lay off 1,500 positions as it boosts dividend payments to shareholders. There was essentially no information on just where such cuts will occur but the company said many job loses would be “voluntary departures.” Telus has a large switching operation on Laird Drive. The Vancouver-based company operates one of Canada’s biggest telecommunications networks. It said that the layoffs will save as much as $125 million a year. At the same time, Telus told shareholders it would raise their dividend payments by five per cent to 44 cents per share, starting in January, after hiking its dividend earlier this year.
Stephen LeClair, the civil service budget watchdog, says it is unlikely that Ontario will achieve a balanced budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year. Indeed, LeClair said it looks as though the deficit could approach $3.5 billion, partly because of lower than anticipated tax revenues. He suggests revenues could be off by approximately $1 billion because of slower economic growth. The provincial debt is closing in on $293 billion and costs taxpayers $10 billion just to pay the interest. Finance Minister Charles Sousa said he and the government “remain committed to balancing the budget by 2017-18.”
Dunn Ave. bridge, built about 1912, is seen in 1920
The replacement of the bridges on Dunn Ave. and Dowling Ave. in the west end will remove two busy access routes to the Gardiner Expressway and Lakeshore Rd. The bridges cross the main line to the west and will be removed later this month for an undetermined period until new structures are built. The work is part of a formal renewal project needed because the present structures are at the end of their functional life. City of Toronto
Dr. Bradley Lands surveys 105 lbs. of candy he netted with his innovative candy buy back scheme. He accepted cast off Halloween candy from South Bayview kids and their parents at a $5 a lb. and then matched it with $5 of his own. The proceeds go to the playground renovation project at Trace Manes Park in memory of Georgia Walsh. Dr. Lands is on Bayview Ave. in his own practice, Midtown Orthodontics. Candy buy back to aid Trace Manes project What the new splashpad might look like
