The South Bayview Bulldog

Chicago homeowner. ticketed for too many dogs and for not cleaning up, paints his house in unneighborly colours.

The renovation of the bus bays at the Pleasant Blvd entrance to the St. Clair Ave. subway station has thrown commuters and buses out on the street. What’s more, the bays are going to be closed until December, according to TTC staff on the scene. Buses on the 88 Leaside and other lines pull up and hope for the best as potential passengers wander the sidewalks. Above is the lineup for the 88 Leaside.  That bus now loops back onto its route by heading out to Yonge St and turning right at St.Clair. Buses arriving at the Pleasant Blvd entrance now play an announcement as they approach the station warning riders to get a transfer or receipt so they can get into the station. In reality, the bus driver and toll booth operators don’t seem to care whether a rider has paid or not.

This is part of the act put on by a busker who calls himself the Funny Waiter. He is. The Bulldog found him on Yonge Street just north of Dundas Street. Buskerfest wraps up Sunday, opening at 11 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m.

Barrie police have tweeted word that they have found the young girl abducted in Barrie on Saturday morning and that she is safe. Two people are in custody in relation to the incident on the City’s Dunlop Street East. The girl. who appeared to be under 18, was walking on Dunlop near Owen Street just before noon, when a man and woman drove up in a charcoal-coloured Dodge Magnum. The man got out of the vehicle holding a black gun in the air, then placed the firearm on the roof of the car. He demanded that the victim get into the car. Police have not clarified if there was a relationship between the parties (daughter, father mother?) and may not be able to do so because of identification. Nor did they say whether the taking of this young woman was even more sinister than that.

Picture shows the woman abducted with abductor apparently behind the pole

The very hot weather this August has made the annual wasp season even edgier. The common and sensible practice of keeping food and drink covered on the patio is a good one. Sadly, this cannot extend to the food you want to eat.  Kathleen, above, shoos away a yellow jacket on the patio at Caffe Doria on Yonge Street.

The construction website Buzz-Buzz posted this wonderful video as an example of a construction style. It is also a testament to the decency of people. Amish farmers in Ohio raise a barn for a neighbor in ten hours between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. last May. The three-minute and thirty-second clip was shot by resident Scott Miller who used a Canon 60d Camera with a Pixel TW-282/E3 wireless remote timer set at 20-second intervals to capture 1,600 photos over the 10 hour period.

There is deep concern about the theft of potent fentynal patches stolen Thursday from a drug store at Church and Queen Streets. The fentynal is said to be more potent than heroin and police are especially concerned that it could fall into the hands of children. As many as 100 of the potentially deadly patches were taken, stolen for their opioid pain reliever. The Toronto Sun says that fentanyl has been linked to recent fatal overdoses in the GTA. The drug is also behind a recent spike in overdose deaths in Western Canada. There were 14 to 20 boxes, each containing five fentanyl skin patches, stolen. Police say the drug is used by addicts who scrape or otherwise extract the active material from the patches and inject it or mix it with other substances. The Toronto Police drug squad recently warned the public about the growing fentanyl problem, both with patches and the mixing of its powdered form with other drugs, such as cocaine and Oxycontin

Christine Elliot

Christine Elliot has resigned as a member of the provincial legislature Friday (August 28, 2015). She lost in an attempt to lead the Progressive Conservative Party earlier this year. Ms. Elliot is the widow of the late Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. She has three sons  The leader of the PCs, Patrick Brown has issued a statement thanking Elliott for her public service. “Christine has been a tireless advocate for her constituents and Ontario, and an esteemed member of our caucus,” he said. “We appreciate her well wishes and in turn wish her the best as she embarks on this next chapter of her life.”Elliott “could be the fiercest of adversaries in debates” and “left her mark on Ontario’s political landscape,” said Premier Kathleen Wynne. “She was passionate, but never personal,” said Wynne. “Her regard for Queen’s Park and its elected members made her one of the most respected MPPs in the house. “New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath said Elliott was “a strong female voice” who always conducted herself with dignity and intelligence.

The plan for the former Amaya Dining Room at 1701 Bayview Ave is a concept to be known as the Indian Street Food Co. Owner Hemant Bhagwani  had promised a new idea or two and this is it. He is quoted in the Post as saying: “After Amaya, I wanted to take Indian food to the next level. It’s about street food for me now. We’re going to re-open as Indian Street Food Company.” The menu will have 25 items with a price range from $7 to $12. It sounds as if the place will be elaborately decorated in an ornate style with “street lamps” from India and a “royal gold door”. The food is described as street snacks.