“Silver gun” used as Uptown banks robbed Friday
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It appears that a bank robber with a silver gun hit two Uptown bank branches Friday, January 2, 2015. Police say a silver gun was used first at the TD Canada Trust branch located on Yonge Street near Bedford Park Avenue. Within 15 minutes, there was a holdup at the BMO branch on Avenue Road at Fairlawn Avenue. Police believe the same suspect is responsible for both robberies. A description of the suspect has not yet been provided by police.
Dad delivers baby on Don Mills — and does good
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A father who was trying to drive and monitor the urgent arrival of his new daughter was told to pull over and do the job himself without help from the hospital. And so he did. Like millions of fathers before, he faced the job of helping his wife deliver a baby and survived. So did everyone. The touching CTV story by Paul Bliss tells the tale. It happened Thursday (January 1, 2015). Timing for a delivery at the hospital wasn’t quite right. The baby, a little girl, was half out. The delivery occurred at the corner of Don Mills Road at Esterbrooke Avenue, just north of Sheppard Avenue, at approximately 9 p.m. The father, Alex, delivered the baby while on the phone with the operator. His said first instinct was to put the infant next to her mother’s bare skin to keep her warm. Nearby York Region paramedics rushed to the scene, but arrived after the baby was born on the back seat of the white SUV. The mother and baby were brought by ambulance to a nearby hospital to be checked out. Both are healthy. The little girl is the third child for Anna and Alex, who have not yet picked out a name. CTV
DEW clothing is vacant, apparently at an end
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The premises of DEW at 1553 Bayview Ave. are vacant tonight and there is no information posted about the shop’s future. Photographs here show the familiar women’s wear store at about 8.30 p.m. on Friday, January 2, 2015. DEW — which stands for Day Evening Weekend — recently celebrated seven years on Bayview.
Prince Andrew named in U.S. underage sex case
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Bono speculates he may never again play guitar
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Ward boundaries reviewed at public meeting
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Public meetings will be held next week to discuss the possible size of populations and boundaries of City electoral wards, such as Ward 26 (Leaside) and Ward 22 (Davisville). The meeting closest to South Bayview in general will be at S. Walter Stewart Library, 170 Memorial Park Ave on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 beginning at 6 p.m. A news release today (Friday, January 2, 2015) suggests that populations of wards may be as much as 30 to 50 percent above the targeted average of 60,958. City boundaries are of course numbered but they are also fitted inside the boundaries of federal constituencies, two to a constituency. The federal boundaries have names and thus Ward 26 has inherited the name Don Valley West. The federal lines have just been re-drawn and will form the basis on which voters elect the new Parliament in a general election expected this year. Other municipal boundary meetings will be held Thursday, January 8 and Saturday, January 10 at Parkdale Library, 1303 Queen St. W., and Trinity St. Paul’s Church, 427 Bloor St. W. respectively. These three meetings are part of a two-stage public consultation process. Additional information, including meeting times, locations and the full calendar of the review’s public consultation meetings, is available at http://www.drawthelines.ca.Rescuers expect to find man in debris in basement
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Fire and rescue officials have brought heavy lifting equipment into play at the residential fire scene in Don Mills. They expect to find the body of a 68-year-old man in the basement of 28 Camwood Cres., the home he apparently owned and lived in by himself. His car is in the driveway following the New Year’s day fire. Neighbors said if the car is there, the man is in the house. At its height, 65 firefighters were battling the blaze. The fire was brought under control just after 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. They are uncertain about the cause. Postscript: The man’s body was found in the basement as expected.
Local Public Eatery at 180 Laird Drive update
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| Front door bricked in |
The Local Public Eatery restaurant in the old bank building at 180 Laird Drive has hung a sign saying the business will open early in 2015. Looks like there’s a couple of months work left there at least. There appears to be a permanent or convertible roof going in on the extension at the rear of the building. The original front door to the bank featuring the crest of the Imperial Bank of Canada has been bricked in, but the crest has been saved. The new entrance to the restaurant will be on the northeast corner of the building on Laird at the corner of McRae Drive. As we reported in September, the Local Eatery franchise is a western Canadian chain with five trendy dining and drinking establishments in B.C., Alberta and Toronto’s Liberty Village. The Toronto Local says on its website that its “kind of like your living room, with better food and people to serve you beer, fanatical about craft beer and rotating new selections, passionate about great food and the best ingredients.” It is owned by Vancouver businessman Jeffery Fuller who also owns the Joey chain.
Edith Dr. fire damage a glistening spectacle
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Workers placed metal blue mesh security fences around 82 and 84 Edith Drive New Year’s Day. The two homes were destroyed by a chimney fire which started in No 82 and leaped next door shortly after 7 p.m. New Year’s Eve. The homes sit on the quiet older street east of Eglinton Park at the three-way corner with Helendale Ave. Icy evidence of the bitterly cold evening endured by firefighters was caked on everything at the modest semi-detached homes. Morning sunshine created a glistening spectacle for nearby people and their iPhone and for kids who gathered in Eglinton Park behind the homes. Firefighters tried to contain it but had to get off the roof as flames broke through. As many as 22 trucks and more than 90 firefighters were on scene, trying to keep the fire from spreading to the closely-located neighboring semis. Photo: The South Bayview Bulldog
New Year’s polar bears face frigid morning
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The annual polar bear custom has been honoured in some cities but cancelled in others this morning. Events were scheduled in Vancouver and Toronto, but the plunge was cancelled in Hamilton where ice along the shore made any approach to the water dangerous for semi-naked humans pretending to be polar bears.
COUNTDOWN VIDEOS
Below are videos of the countdown to 2015 — one from Toronto and one from New York.
COUNTDOWN VIDEOS
Below are videos of the countdown to 2015 — one from Toronto and one from New York.
Tory to hold skating party plus meet-and-greet
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It is New Year’s Day 2015 and in South Bayview, Leaside arena will be closed today. But both rinks will be open Friday, January 2, 2015. If you have kids and care to skate today, Mayor John Tory will hold a family skating party at the City rink in Nathan Phillips Square. It will substitute for the long-standing tradition of a levee, or reception by the mayor. Mr. Tory’s skating event will run from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Nathan Phillips Square. There will be a “family-friendly DJ,” hot chocolate, apple cider, coffee and tea. The mayor will move between the outdoor skating rink and the city hall lobby, where he will mingle with people who don’t feel like braving the ice. He has eliminated the traditional levee receiving line. “That’s the only distinction, other than adding the more family-friendly event. Which we really wanted to do and the mayor wanted to do, personally,” said Tory staffer Amanda Galbraith. “He’s a grandfather. He wanted to make it more of a family event. Happy New Year and a prosperous 2015 to everyone from the South Bayview Bulldog.