The South Bayview Bulldog

Tons of steel scaffolding has crashed to the ground killing ten workers in Beijing. The collapse occurred at one of Beijing’s most prestigious high schools on Monday (December 29, 2014). Four others were injured. It was morning and the school day was underway at Tsinghua High School in the city’s northwest. No classrooms or other buildings used for instruction, according to a statement from the Beijing municipal propaganda bureau. It said the injured were in stable condition. A high school official with the surname Jiang said all of the victims were constructing a gymnasium at the school, which is affiliated with one of China’s top universities, also called Tsinghua. He said no teachers or students were hurt.

The TTC bus driver who made a left-hand turn smack into the front of an oncoming street car may have had only a moment to actually see the trolley. That’s because the bus was behind a second streetcar as it travelled along Main Street towards Danforth Avenue. It is of course the bus driver’s responsibility to know that there is nothing hiding behind the vehicle in front. Three people were slightly injured in the accident and the TTC has said it will expedite a review of driver training. Excellent CBC report below tells the story. 

This collision mid-morning occurred Saturday (December 27, 2014). See later report

Toronto Fire Service sent out a repeat notice Friday morning (Boxing Day) that the fire at Spuntini Ristorante  and its downstairs companion place Sotto Sotto had suspicious origins. The old restaurant seemed as dry as tinder last night as flames mushroomed through the roof at the location on Avenue Rd just south of Davenport Rd. in the Annex. The eating spots are famous for celebrity patrons and there is much sadness among notables. The Italian word sotto (softly) suggests an intimate hideaway. Kevin O’Leary tweeted his sorrow at the loss of a second home. No one was hurt in the four-alarm fire. Damage is estimated at more than a $1,000,000 according to some reports although this amount seems conservative given the location of the property. These two “ristos” have hosted  Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) soirees. Among the hotshot diners: Oprah Winfrey, Matt Damon, Mary J. Blige, Bill Murray, Elton John, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Smits and Ewan McGregor, Brad Pitt, Lauren Graham, Edward Norton, Evangeline Lilly, Dominic Monaghan, Jack White, Jimmy Page and U2. The owner of the restaurants, Marisa Rocca,.promised in a statement today to rebuild and “come back stronger than ever.”