Ghomeshi suit against CBC ends and he pays costs
by •
The Jian Ghomeshi lawsuit claiming damages of $55 million has collapsed and been withdrawn. Ghomeshi will, according to tweeted information from CBC insiders, pay the corporation $18,000 in costs. It is an outcome many employment lawyers predicted because as a unionized staffer he had no access to such damages. CBC spokesman Chuck Thompson is quoted as saying the settlement was reached Friday but that it still needs to be “formalized through a court order.” Thompson told The Globe and Mail that Ghomeshi will continue to pursue his reinstatement through a grievance previously filed with his union, the Canadian Media Guild.
Burnside to address LPOA tonight at William Lea
by •
The Leaside Property Owners Association will meet this evening (Tuesday, November 5, 2014) at 7:30 p.m. in the William Lea Room at Leaside Memorial Arena The featured speaker is Councillor-elect Jon Burnside. There will be regular business done and the election of directors. The meeting sponsors are Richard Byford, Carol Wrigley, Charlene Kalia, Patrick Rocca and The Leaside Pub.
“Eight reasons why Toronto doesn’t need Uber”
by •
A fairly compelling list of reasons why Uber should, at least, be regulated like everyone else in the cab business. Councillor Gordon Perks Mayor-elect hits the wrong note on Uber
City plans to narrow lanes on downtown streets
by •
The City staff has concluded that many of our main roads have lanes that are too wide. Over a period time, therefore, some downtown lanes are going to be made narrower. The expectation is that it will make drivers slow down. Stephen Buckley, general manager of transportation services is quoted as saying that when lanes are too wide there is no place for bike lanes and it takes pedestrians longer to cross streets. What is missing in reports is the actual measurements. Curious citizens might like to go out and stretch a tape across their own street. Anyway, Mr. Buckley says the objective is to get vehicles traveling (starting downtown) at a continuous 30 to 40 kilometres an hour. He feels this steady as-you-go approach would make drivers ecstatic. The narrowing will be done by in some cases by adding bike lanes. In other cases, sidewalks would be widened thus narrowing the street. On South Bayview Ave. we have among the widest sidewalks in the city. Most people seem to love the two-lane nature of Bayview between Davisville and Parkhurst/Soudan.
Pictures of a nasty November windstorm
by •
These images encapsulate the windstorm of Monday, November 24, 2014 that whacked Toronto and packed gusts of up to 80km/h. Generally, it appears that South Bayview did better than some neighborhoods regarding power failures. There were however reports of branches down on Bessborough at Sutherland Drive. Blackouts in Leaside seemed to be fairly isolated. Josh Matlow (Ward 22) tweeted news that several homes in that ward were experiencing blackouts, wires were down and some signalized intersections (such as at Yonge and St. Clair) were without power. The big rotten tree (top) is one of many that fell. This one is in Parkdale. Weather Channel
Toronto Star: Recent summary of weather news
by •
Dion Phaneuf with kids at Leaside Sports Chek
by •
Is this exciting or what? Dion Phaneuf was at the Sport Chek in the Smart Centre Monday and gave a talk on how the pros get ready. He then did some face time with individual kids, members of the Leaside Flames Minor Peewees AA team. Did we say it was exciting? Just check the look on that young man’s face at right.
Fire, Hydro swamped with calls, downed wires
by •
Toronto Fire and Hydro are juggling dozens of calls about down electricity linees. There were nearly 60 calls at the peak for active situations including Whitewood, Broadway, Glenvale, Pleasant Blvd and Avoca Ave. List is here
Rainbows and roaring winds in South Bayview
by •
Beautiful rainbows and angry winds that make the flying leaves sting your skin. We’re getting all of it across South Bayview this evening. One resident reported seeing construction fencing tumble over in the wind on Roehampton a short time ago. She saw garbage cans and a sofa cushion (!) flying across Bayview and feared the rattling sign at Bayview Car Wash was getting ready to collapse. Another person reports that it was very difficult keeping his balance at the corner of Bayview Ave. and Belsize Dr. in nasty gusting wind. The stunning rainbow picture was taken outside Christine Manning’s Rental Kitchens on Vanderhoof. Mannings Cannings is in the complex at 105-109 Vanderhoof near Brentcliffe Rd. Photo at right shows Leacrest Road looking east at Rolph Road and was taken by Michael Nourse. Thanks Christine and Michael. Weather Channel
Sad Canadian teen sex and suicide case ends
by •
The sad case of a Nova Scotia teenage girl who committed suicide in shame and harassment seems to be drawing to a close. The name of the girl was in household use across Canada for at least two years until a court at the trial of a boy accused of taking her picture slapped a ban on all names. Taking her picture? She was at an out-of-control teen party, in bed with another boy, apparently with her full consent. The picture and the boy’s use of it were finally defined by the authorities as the distribution of child pornography, surely one of the most unusual applications of that law. But the girl was underage. Her girlfriends testified that they had begged her to get out of bed and leave the party but she adamantly refused. Pictures were distributed on the Internet and the teen ultimately took her own life. This morning (Monday, November 24, 2014) in Halifax the teen boy who took the picture pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography Now it seems to be over, even though the girl’s parents would like to be able to have her name out in public again. It is a case that should give everyone — especially the media — pause about what’s news and what should not be news. Reporters have made much of the Internet’s role in this case but very little is said about the hourly repetition of her name with all the lurid details over many months. Wikipedia