The South Bayview Bulldog

Shaun Chen was elected chair of the Toronto District School Board at its first meeting of the new board yesterday. There is a good deal of talk about a new start at the dysfunctional board. But the stories announcing the election result also say that Mr. Chen, who is 34, will seek a Liberal nomination in next year’s federal election. If Mr Chen is as good as he is ambitious, everything will be just fine.

Pictures from Gill’s Facebook page

Gill Rosenberg, the Canadian-Israeli woman who has gone to fight ISIS with the Kurdish army, seems to be okay. Despite posts on radical Islamic sites saying she has been taken prisoner, messages which appear to have come from Ms. Rosenberg personally deny it. This afternoon (Monday, December 1, 2014) has seen a flurry of messages to Rosenberg’s Facebook page. In one which has the sign-on “Gill Rosenberg” the message says:  “I’m totally safe and secure. I don’t have Internet access or any communication devices with me for my safety and security. I can’t reply regularly and only happened to have a chance to log in and see these (bs) news stories. Ignore the reports  I’ve been captured.” Ms Rosenberg, 31, is by any measure a remarkable person. Her Facebook page is a compendium of content both youthful and mature. She is inspired by the de facto alliance between Israel and Kurd peoples in Iraq to defeat ISIS. Israel’s Haaretz reported Rosenberg gave an interview to Israel Radio, explaining why she wanted to join the Kurdish fight against ISIS. “They are our brothers. They are good people. They love life, a lot like us, really,” she reportedly said. Rosenberg indicated she was a member of the IDF from 2006 to 2008 and posted several photos of herself in uniform.

The evening of Friday, November 28, 2014 sparkled as the Uptown-Yonge BIA lit its Christmas tree in St. Clements-Yonge Parkette. At lower right, Ward 25 Councillor Jaye Robinson is seen with Daly McCarten, BIA Co-ordinator

It’s what happens to you if you are a woman and you try to enter Saudi Arabia at the wheel of car. It is, after all, the only country in the world that prohibits women from driving. Until six hours ago, Loujain Hathloul had been tweeting from the border point with Saudi Arabia’s next door neighbor, but now there is silence. Loujain, who is Saudi, said she had been held there a day. Activists said she was arrested on Monday afternoon, but the interior ministry did not immediately comment on her case. “They don’t want her to come because she is a woman driver,” one activist told AFP, asking to remain anonymous. “The customs (department) have no right to prevent me from entering even if in their opinion I am ‘a violator’ because I am Saudi,” Hathloul had tweeted on Monday morning.

Old opponents from the Wars of Don Valley West met in a cordial public-interest meeting at Queen’s Park Monday morning (December 1, 2014). Kathleen Wynne and John Tory battled for the seat in the 2007 provincial election. Tory lost. Today they met privately and then came before the media to speak of their plans to work together in the interests of the City. There wasn’t a lot to learn but it was nice. The most tangible evidence of action may have been with Smart Track, the mayor’s plan to electrify and integrate the rail systems into the TTC. The premier seemed to suggest that planing with her government is underway. Let’s hope so.  Mr Tory has appointed Denzil Minnan-Wong (Ward 34) deputy mayor.  The new mayor has also named some deputy mayors for areas of the city. although their roles are not quite clear. These appointments are subject to a council vote. They are Vince Crisanti (Ward 1) west, Glenn De Baeremaeker  (Ward 43) east and Pam McConnell (Ward 28) south. Importantly, Josh Colle (Ward 15) is the chair of the TTC, charged with making Smart Track happen. Gary Crawford (Ward 36) will be budget chief.  Lots of griping however