Christmas peace for Wynne, Harper? Not so much

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Is a Christmas peace at hand for Kathleen Wynne and Stephen Harper? A lot of people had hoped that maybe John Tory, Toronto’s new mayor, would somehow act as an intermediary to help smooth things out. The premier seemed to use some injudicious language however  in a year-end interview with the Canadian Press. She said she hoped the prime minister wasn’t engaged in a vendetta against Ontario. It was the type of “gosh do you really suppose” type of politicking which the premier is good at. Anyone, regardless of political affiliation, will understand why no prime minister can pursue a vendetta against Ontario. Maybe the PM has a vendetta or something like it against the premier, but that’s a different thing. In fact, Ms Wynne and the PM are such different kinds of people it is not surprising they don’t hit it off. Regrettable, but not surprising. The last time the two met was December 5. 2013,. “I really believe that as leaders and as politicians with a lot of responsibility we have to be able to, all of us, rise above the personal,” Wynne said in a year-end interview with The Canadian Press. “I don’t think this should be about a personal interaction. It should be about the offices of prime minister and premier of Ontario having a good working relationship because that’s in the best interest of the people of the province and quite frankly it’s in the best interest of the people of the country.” Jason MacDonald, a Harper aide, said there will be a meeting but did not say when. The biggest rock in the way of better relations is the planned Ontario pension plan. The premier thinks people need to save more and Harper say tax breaks are a better way because they don’t take away income.  Harper has recently said the Ontario government should focus less on “confrontation” and more on getting its fiscal house in order. Ontario has a $12.5-billion deficit, while Ottawa is banking on a $1.6-billion surplus for 2015-16. Fitch Ratings on Friday downgraded Ontario’s long-term debt rating to AA-, saying “difficult actions” will be necessary for the province to meet its target of balance. 

Christmas weather to be wet but manageable

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The Christmas weather will be rainy but manageable it seems and should not interfere with travel plans, even by air. Daytime highs will be above seasonal with sadly no sign of the sun from Monday over to Saturday, December 27. Most of the precipitation is forecast for Christmas Eve when the 24 hour total of rain is set at between 10 and 15 mm. Christmas Day is predicted to have a high of four degrees and possibly a mm of rain. Weather Network

Amazing stem cell improvement for Gordie Howe

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The family of Gordie Howe has reported what seems to be astonishing improvements for the hockey legend as the result of stem cell injections offered by a research firm. The injections given to Howe by Stememdica Cell Technologies has brought the stricken Howe back to his feet and has him conversing normally with his family. It is an amazing result, wholly unexpected, after the 86-year-old former NHL hero was laid low by a serious stroke. He was thought to be near death. It is apparently yet another example of the breath-taking pace of medical advancement.   TSN

Inglewood Drive celebrates its Parade of Santas

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Families on Inglewood Drive in Moore Park gathered Friday evening (December 19, 2014) to celebrate the season and admire their handiwork in the form of 45 giant Santa Claus statues towering above them on lawns down both sides of the street. The 12-foot fan-inflated electric polyethylene symbols of the season are marking their second year as Inglewood’s Parade of Santas. It began in 2013 when resident Amy Westin went looking for a Christmas statement for the front of the home she shares with her husband Tom and their three children, Violet, Sienna and Mattias. She struck on one of the enormous and (maybe in a nice way) “grotesque” Santa Claus statues at Canadian Tire. Up it went to much family excitement. Oh yeah, and a lot of work too. These things are ungainly as all get-out and easily blown over. They really need to be tethered on four sides and anchored as well. How did the idea of a whole street-full of Santas spread? It wasn’t a case of keeping up with the Westins, exactly, that caused the craze to capture people all along Inglewood Drive.  Neighbour Yousry Bissada asked Amy if she and Tom would mind if he got one too. He liked it, you see. Go for it, said the Westins. A neighborhood gathering much like last night’s offered an opportunity for residents to focus on the Santa mammoths as a group. By the end of the evening, several people were determined to have one of their own. Word spread and as the orders were registered at CTC, a funny thing happened. The company ran out of Santas. Head office got word and soon a large re-supply arrived. CTC recognized a good promotion and (as the video below recounts) arrived on the street with 23 more complimentary Santas. The South Bayview Bulldog covets Moore Park as its own turf and our story brought the Toronto Star and others to record the Santa parade. Oak-lined Inglewood Drive soon rivaled the north pole in the national media as a second home for St. Nick. In these fun photos by Bulldog co-publisher Sue Byford we see Friday night scenes from top to bottom: The Westin family l-r Violet, Sienna, Amy, Tom and Mattias, street scenes at the party looking east  

Suspects in arson fires September 7 downtown

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Toronto Police have released these images of three men wanted for arson fires in cars and garages on Sunday, September 7, 2014. These fires were at  Frederick Street and The Esplanade and in a Green P lot on Church Street. Police say the trio is responsible for all events. One of them is described as possibly white, in his late teens to early 20s, with a beard and tattoos on the inside of both his forearms and top of left hand (right). 

Potent “Netflix effect” seen in baby naming

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The annual accounting of what we’re naming our babies has been unearthed by the Toronto Star. There was a time when children were necessarily named after their dads (Hiram the III and stuff like that) or royalty. In many ways English kids were lucky to have the anonymity offered by names like George or Edward. Movies changed  much of that and today it is Netflix, HBO and other entertainment spinners causing us to name kids after stars. 

Liberals paid $10,000 to have computers wiped

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According to news reports, the OPP says the Ontario Liberals paid $10,000 to wipe clean the computers of the political staff of the party. The police say they were told this by the spouse of a senior advisor in the office of former premier Dalton McGuinty. The spouse is Peter Faist, a name previously known, and his work was paid for he said by the Liberal Caucus, which is funded by taxpayers. The revelations come in newly released information about an OPP search warrant. “Mr. Faist was under the impression that Cabinet Office was aware of his presence and the work requested of him,” the warrant says. Faist told investigators that his spouse, Laura Miller, asked him to wipe “personal data” off about 20 computers used by senior staff in the premier’s office, the warrant says. Facebook photo shows Laura Miller and Peter Faist.