The South Bayview Bulldog

A meeting of an estimated 60 neighbors in the Fleming Crescent and Parkhurst Blvd area expressed determination to see the illegal structure at 27 Fleming demolished. It is a three-year nightmare that seems far from over.

There is a stop-work order against the building. It was applied last year after a two-year period of mad non-conforming work. The original bungalow was cleared and work began on what the contractor told the city was a two storey home. That was just one little oversight as the floor space, height and structural specifications within the building expanded in all directions. The City seems to carry a lot of responsibility for what went wrong as well. The builder went to committee of adjustment and showed a set of plans. But as next door neighbor and lawyer Robert Ellis says: “They had a plan. They just didn’t build according to the plan”

Last night at the William Lea Room concerned residents met with the current owner, Hy Hirshberg, where the meeting was tense but under control. At the end, residents were satisfied that Mr. Hirshberg does not intend to make any changes to the large structure. Many neighbors spoke of how they had tried to get the city to stop work two years ago when it was clear that the  original owner was in violation of the bylaws. The home was largely framed up and closed in during this period. Now the owner has 30 days to appear at the Committee of Adjustment and seek whatever accommodation that it may offer. But residents say none is called for and are looking for an order to demolish. That cannot happen for another 90 days after the committee hearing Thus it may be four months before this central Leaside neighborhood will know the fate of 27 Fleming.

It was sold as a bungalow in 2012 for $670,000 and again to the present owner for $1,050,000 last year Residents theorize that the price paid is about the value of the mud and believe it remains a viable knock-down and rebuild for any competent builder. Councillor Jon Burnside (Ward 26) was at the hastily-called meeting and spoke twice, before and after the  meeting with the owner of the building. He explained the procedure at committee and offered a declaration to pursue the matter there and to seek City assistance with legal staff if the matter moves on to the Ontario Municipal Board. Also present at the meeting was Geoff Kettel of the Leaside Property Owners Association.

This unfortunate soldier has a gallery of tourists watching as he apparently slips on a manhole cover and falls during the ceremonial changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Embarrassing but not unknown.

You might get a pretty good discussion going in most living rooms about whether it is “cruel and unusual” to sentence someone to a minimum three years for using a loaded, prohibited firearm in a first offense  But it wouldn’t matter what the armchair debate decided. That’s because the Supreme Court of Canada, by a majority of 6 to 3, does not like the idea. The Ontario Court of Appeal had previously found the notion “cruel and unusual”. So did the SCOC. It is an interesting matter because it is one where the Justices are bringing to bear personal opinion about what’s unusual and what’s cruel. There isn’t much factual precedent for this type of rumination. It’s just what you happen to believe. In this, case, the majority, led by Chief Justice Beverely McLachlin said the minimum terms would be fair in most cases, but would be grossly disproportionate in “reasonably foreseeable” cases that amounted to no more than licensing infractions, rather than serious crimes. The minority said that basing a law’s constitutionality on hypothetical cases that have never happened lacks common sense.

An Alaska Airlines flight took off for Seattle but had to return to Anchorage Monday when the captain heard a thumping noise coming from the hold. On landing, officials discovered a baggage handler inside the hold.. He said he had fallen asleep .

Technology continues to tear apart copyright and ownership of intellectual property. It started a long time ago when suddenly no one was getting paid for creating and playing music. Or not much, anyway. The latest manifestation of the vanishing copyright comes courtesy of a Twitter app called Periscsope. Last night it streamed Game of Thrones simultaneously with HBO.

Parents who refuse to vaccinate their children will miss out on government benefits of up to $15,000 per child under a new measure announced by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Under current laws, families with children who are not immunized can still receive annual childcare rebates and other benefits if they have a personal, philosophical or religious objection.

It may be the finest addition to the life of the people of Ontario since OHIP, but Cap and Trade leaves many people wondering what it is and how it really works. Cap and trade is described by its advocates as the most economically sensible approach to controlling greenhouse gas emissions, the primary driver of global warming. The “cap” sets a limit on emissions, which is lowered over time to reduce the amount of pollutants released into the atmosphere. The “trade” creates a market for carbon allowances, helping companies innovate in order to meet, or come in under, their allocated limit. The less they emit, the less they pay, so it is in their economic incentive to pollute less. What many fear is that if businesses and corporations are financially punished for their pollution emissions, the costs will eventually be handed over to the consumers. Basic economic principles state that if a good’s price increases, demand usually decreases. However, because energy production is an inelastic good, utility companies can drive up their sale price to cover their rising production costs without seeing a decrease in demand from their customers. All of this becomes all-too-real at Premier Wynne signs an agreement today (Monday, April 13, 2015) with Quebec to create a system of cap and trade.

U.S. presidential campaigns seem to eat the world. They go on forever. Hillary Clinton will try again at the age of 68 to become president. If she is nominated and ends up running against a Bush (Jeb) it will be quite a statement about name-recognition. Here is a content-light but amusing photo history of Ms Clinton and Bill. Check out the 60s hippies.

It is a dilemma faced daily by food shoppers in Canada and U.S — is organic food really safer or just more expensive? According to the 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture purchases of organic food have hit a plateau as consumers struggle with the pricing. They no doubt like the idea —  as stated by the U.S. National Organic Program — that  “synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used in growing organic foods”  But is this useful information or just scary talk? There are lots of things that cannot be used in the growing of food. Canada doesn’t permit nor condone the use of sewage sludge in agriculture or the entry of such products. The picture in the U.S appears to suggest that despite the availability of organic food, consumers are increasingly hard-pressed to accept the added expense and sales have gone flat. A pint of berries cannot be justified at $3.99 rather than $2.99 because they left out the sewage sludge. But that dubious proposition is put before shoppers daily. Supporters of organic say the benefits have not been communicated well enough to consumers. Still, evidence that non-organic food is threatening seems hard to find. Who died or got ill from buying non-organic food?