Bloomberg News has set its course to begin a new Canadian news and business channel this summer. It will have “domestic news makers and detail the impact of global news on Canadian business” according to Bloomberg. The channel will be created with the partnership of Channel Zero, a Canadian company that owns CHCH-TV in Hamilton. CHCH may prove an important part of the “local” content for the new business channel. “Canada is a vital market for us,” founder and majority owner Michael Bloomberg said in a statement. “It is now one of our fastest-growing markets in the world.” The new channel is intended to broadcast non-stop from a studio in Toronto’s downtown financial district, and will have bureaus in Ottawa, Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Bloomberg competes with Thomson Reuters in providing news, data and information to business and media clients.
Hockey Puck News: Tory supports 2nd NHL team
by •
Only a mayor who had been struck in the head by a hockey puck could have gotten this one wrong. So when John Tory was asked on 102.1 the Edge if he supported the idea of a second NHL team his worship said but of course Toronto could easily support a second team. Wow. This word from the chief magistrate was greeted like the arrival of free food and money. The euphoria in the media was unalloyed even as Mr. Tory added an observation that any Leaside Flames Atom could recite: “I think you have to get (NHL Commissioner) Gary Bettman here and say ‘OK, it’s time,’”
Phoenix Llama Drama Ding Dong chase ends well
by •
Car chases are common on TV news, but it’s very rare that we get to see a llama chase. And this one was a genuine Llama Drama Ding Dong. The two animals were spotted running through the streets of Sun City, Arizona outside Phoenix. They had been part of a demonstration at the Carillons GenCare Lifestyle Facility but somehow the mother and baby managed to wrangle loose. They were finally captured again by some expert lassoing. Give a look.
Ford Oakville will make right hand SUV for UK
by •
Ford will add 400 new jobs at the Oakville as production of the new Edge crossover SUV is set to launch. For the first time, a Canadian plant will make cars for shipment to the U-K as well as North America. Ford announced last October that 1,000 jobs would be added at the facility by the end of 2014 This ups the number to 1,400. It is very good economic news for the whole area from Hamilton to Toronto and beyond. news to build the redesigned Edge. And, with the addition of right-hand-drive and a diesel engine, the Edge will also be exported to the UK. Ford told Canadian Press that global demand for utility vehicles is up 88 per cent since 2008 and now account for 19 per cent of the global automotive market.
Leaside man dies in fall on knife on icy walkway
by •
Premier suggests PC member is “homophobic”
by •
Premier Wynne says she feels homophobia is behind some opposition to Ontario’s proposed sex education curriculum. The plan calls for the instruction of same sex instruction in Grade 3. An opening for this accusation came on the use of a single word from PC MPP Monte McNaughton in heated debate. He said “especially” the Premier should not be the judge of what was age appropriate for school kids. Would the Premier have used the H-word if McNaughton had not used the word especially? There is homophobia around no doubt. But the word never seems to be sufficiently well-defined in most contexts. Some parents fear impressionable children are going to be offered “alternatives” to the sex preference which most parents hope for when it comes to their children Is this a reasonable fear? Is it publicly permitted? Is it homophobia?
Couple gives birth to rare identical triplets
by •
A suburban Detroit couple, Lauren and Michael Whitely, have given birth to identical triplet boys. They already have two older son aged three and two. Amazingly, the rare identical births occurred without the use of fertility treatment of any kind. Identical births are those created from one egg. The triplets were born at Henry Ford Hospital in St. Clair Shores on January 25, 2015. The babies have been in newborn intensive care but now are able to carry on at home. The Whitelys are young. Lauren is 32 and Michael 31. He says it is amazing to find himself with five children at that age. Identical triplets also were born December 5 to a woman in Billings, Montana. Dr. Savitri Kumar, a neonatologist at Henry Ford Hospital, said data on identical triplet births by natural conception varies from one in 60,000 to one in 2 million. Most doctors call the chances “one-in-a-million,” Kumar said.
Man says chunks fell from Gardiner yesterday
by •
A Toronto man, Ahsen Ali Siddiqi, has told CP24 that two or more chunks of concrete fell from the Gardiner Expressway onto his mother’s car and another vehicle yesterday near the foot of Simcoe Street. No one was hurt. Siddiqi says however that vehicle glass was smashed to a crumpled safety-glass mess by the objects. The Gardiner Expressway has had pieces fall in recent times. Twitter suggests the last incident was recent December 2012. At that time several chunk were reported down and City Hall asked anyone seeing fallen concrete to leave it where it had dropped. The entire expressway is supposed to be under a type of maintenance to prevent such things.
4 brothers aged 2-15 die in Manitoba farm fire
by •
Four little boys have died in a farmhouse fire in the tiny Manitoba crossroads of Kane. They were caught in the two-storey home when fire destroyed it shortly after midnight. Their mother, 34, and three other children, a boy and two girls, escaped the flames and were found by police and fire officials sitting a vehicle on the property. The children who died are said be between the age of two and 15 years. The father arrived home from work to find his home in flames. He and his wife are said to have tried to enter, but were unable. Ralph Groening, the reeve of the area told CBC News many in the community know the family. “It was a large family and it’s a huge tragedy,” said Groening “We also know that the adults, the parents, put every effort into saving all of their children but were unsuccessful.” Bernard Schellenberg, fire chief is quoted as saying that “one section of the house, which is a new addition, had already collapsed, and the older portion of the house had fire coming out of the windows.” There is very little else known “It sounded like the parents tried to go in to get their children, but with heavy smoke conditions, they could not.” Schellenberg said the father made the emergency call when he saw smoke coming from his house as he was returning from work. He said 20 firefighters in three trucks responded to the call. He said the remains of those who died are still in the rubble of the house and the scene is now in the hands of the Office of the Fire Commissioner.Fancy a nice east view overlooking Howard Talbot Park?
by •
It appears that Bayview Ave. and Laird Drive will have serious developments at the corners where they meet Eglinton Ave. E. courtesy of the Ontario Government. This is because Metrolinx, the Ontario transit authority that owns the sites will be trying to maximize the return to the government at the sites of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT stations. Bayview (Leaside) station will be on the southeast corner where the McDonalds is now located. Units on the east side of an office or condo there would overlook Talbot Park. Nice. At Laird Drive, the strip plaza containing many familiar businesses on the southwest corner will be home to the main station. There will be a secondary location in what i snow the parking lot of the RioCan Leaside Centre on the east side of Laird.
City forms Water SWAT Team to battle “no water”
by •
Mayor Tory, City Manager Pennachetti and Toronto Water General Manager Lou Di Gironimo met on an urgent basis Wednesday morning to discuss the 300 or so properties where there is “no water” in the City. The mayor acknowledged the need to fix the lack of water as quickly as possible. “Toronto Water crews are working as hard as they can to respond to the large volume of calls. however, we need more resources to help customers understand what we are dealing with, and when staff will be on site to investigate each situation.” It appears the city has created a Water SWAT Team that will provide what is called customized care to these residents. This may involve creating a temporary water service connection to a neighbour’s property, which is called a highline. If a highline cannot be established, either for mechanical reasons or if the neighbour would prefer not to install a temporary connection, the property will be put on the priority list to have the outside water service thawed. Since the cold weather first hit on February 14, the City of Toronto has received close to 2,000 “no water” calls due to frozen pipes. More than 1,200 of these calls were received within the first three days. In the majority of cases, investigations have found that the pipes within the dwelling are frozen. The problem falls to the homeowner. The City recommends the use of a blow dry to thaw frozen pipes but in the end, residents may require a plumber. Full release with advice on getting information
March begins to really hurt as water dries up
by •
The unspeakable weather has caused more than 2,000 calls for no water so far this year. Josh Matlow (Ward 22) and others at City Hall were saying Wednesday morning that many homes have not had running water for days. Criticism naturally falls on Toronto Water. That may be unfair. Councillor Joe Milhevc (Ward 21) blames it squarely on the weather. There is criticism of the system and the lack of information about when crews can attend to them. This assumes such things can be made coherent in the midst of natural chaos. Mayor Tory was said to be speaking with Toronto Water officials today. More and better infrastructure is the cry but that doesn’t help today. Nor will it ensure that the ravages of a month like this won’t strike again.