Yonge line down for Saturday a.m. track work

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Yonge St. subway service will be delayed until at least noon  on Saturday because of track work near Davisville Station. There will be no service between Bloor and Eglinton stations. Thirty-five shuttle buses will be operating on Yonge Street until the closure is lifted, the TTC says. While that stretch is closed, subway service will begin as scheduled at 9 a.m. on all other portions of the system.

Profile reveals Jim Flaherty’s close family ties

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Among the reflections being published on the life of Jim Flaherty is a profile of his close relationship with his wife and children. She is Christine Elliott, deputy leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. They have 23-year-old triplet sons, Quinn, John and Galen. The couple are said to have been partners in every sense of the word, according to the story published today in the Hamilton Spectator and sourced through TorStar. Elsewhere, a remarkable gesture of respect for the late finance minister as the elite of global finance paused during a gathering of the G-20 members in Washington to pay tribute to  Mr. Flaherty. The body opened its doors to a private dinner so the media might hear the remarks of those who spoke about their colleague. It was the first time in nearly a decade such an event was attended by a Canadian finance minister other than Flaherty. The new minister, Joe Oliver, said his predecessor would be remembered as a great Canadian statesman for his influence on policy, and also for his role among decision-makers who steered the world through the post-2007 financial crisis. “I also want to say how much I appreciated Jim’s personal kindness and assistance when I was a candidate, and later a cabinet colleague,” Oliver said. Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney, now chairman of the Bank of England, spoke of the valuable guidance he had received. Photos by Bernard Weil, Toronto Star: top, Jim Flaherty and Christine Elliott, with sons Quinn (l), John (2nd rt) and Galen (r).  Spectator  

Jim Flaherty died suddenly says a shocked prime minister

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NASDAQ tribute
Jim Flaherty

The NASDAQ sign over Wall Street flashes the news and a tribute to former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty following his death today. The stunning information has been felt here in Toronto, all corners of Canada and in countries around the world. The family released a statement saying Mr. Flaherty had been in Ottawa at the time of his death. There is no cause known for the passing of the 64-year-old Conservative. Prime Minister Harper spoke briefly to say that his “partner and friend” had died very suddenly. The PM was clearly shocked by the death. His wife Laureen was seen to be crying. A police news conference said only that a 9-1-1 call had been received about a man in difficulty.

Declared dead in Ottawa apartment

Mr. Flaherty was declared dead in his apartment on Cumberland Street in Ottawa. Flaherty stepped down as finance minister a few weeks ago, citing personal reasons and a desire to leave public service and head back to the private sector. He suffered from what was called a painful skin condition which was not fatal. He had long been a key player in the Harper government, especially when it came to fiscal policy. He has been the only Tory to serve as finance minister under Prime Minister Harper, having served the same role in Ontario at the provincial level before running federally. In retiring, Mr. Flaherty said he was planning to take work in private business. The family statement said: “Christine Elliott and her triplet sons, John, Galen and Quinn would like to make Canadians aware that her beloved husband and father passed away peacefully today in Ottawa. “We appreciate that he was so well supported in his public life by Canadians from coast to coast to coast and by his international colleagues. “The family asks for privacy at this time.”

Stephen Colbert confirmed to replace Letterman

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A new triumvirate of late show laugh-masters is formed as CBS announces a five-year deal with Stephen Colbert to take the prime late-night slot being vacated by David Letterman   Left to right: Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel. The New York Times say that Colbert will essentially change his act for CBS. He will be,  in one way, an all-new talent for CBS because he will drop the broadly satirical blowhard conservative character he has played for nine years, and instead perform as himself. Mr. Colbert became the immediate front-runner for the position both because of an increasing recognition of his talent — his show won two Emmy Awards last year — and because he clearly wanted the job. His representation had ensured that he would be available to CBS by syncing his recent contracts with Mr. Letterman’s.  CBC Twitter

Better make me safe or I’ll sue you big time

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Annie Malik, 19, says she feels betrayed by York University because of the shooting on March 6, 2014 at York. Maybe, but the $20 million lawsuit she and seven other students have launched against the school over this incident has the smell of mindless greed on it. We’re sorry for Ms Malik’s trauma and her injuries, but the idea that a university could hire enough security guards — 10? 40? 300? 1000? —  to make sure no one ever gets hurt by a random shooting incident is stupid.  Sean Tepper, Toronto Star

Leaside Garden Society meets Thursday night

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Leaside Garden Society meets tonight (Thursday, April 10, 2014) at the Leaside Library on McRae Drive. Master Gardner Cathy Park will discuss Balcony Gardening. Ms. Park has been a Master Gardener for 14 years and a member of Leaside Garden Society since she moved to the neighbourhood 20 years ago. Her interests are in shade plants and environmentally-friendly garden practices and, recently, garden tours to far off places. Refreshments are available prior to the meeting, which begins at 7:30 p.m.

Prince George takes engagement “in his crawl”

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Time for the next batch of pictures from New Zealand where royal reporters are saying Prince George took his first major royal engagement entirely in his stride. Or as Gordon  Rayner of the The Telegraph said, in his crawl. The occasion was a meeting of the prince with ten other babies at what Rayner called the world’s most exclusive playgroup. George is now fully mobile, a feat which at eight months apparently beats his father by a month.  The playgroup was organised by The Royal New Zealand Plunket Society, or Plunket for short, which provides free parental support services to more than nine in ten babies there. In years to come the future king will look back on this joyous event as the moment his life’s work began. George’s mom, the duchess, was wearing a Tory Burch dress. She carried carried Prince George on her hip as she chatted and giggled with other parents about their shared experiences of bringing up babies. And where fashion-watchers are usually obsessed with the Duchess’s outfit, it was Prince George’s smart navy blue dungarees that were attracting more interest on Twitter. The Prince wore a £75 pair of “sailboat smocked dungarees” by the British designer Rachel Riley over a white Milo Body by Chelsea Clothing Company and navy Alex Pre-Walkers shoes by Early Days. The babies chosen as George’s playmates were politically-correct. They included the daughter of two gay fathers and children of Maori, Samoan, Polish and Oriental descent. All were born within days of Prince George, but most were dwarfed by him, apart from Levi Birch, known as “superman” because of his strength and size. Rayner reports that Prince George had no fear in pulling himself up towards the other children – and stealing their toys.  Telegraph

Ford once again attacks our ding-dong trolleys

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It’s a funny thing how our goofy mayor has a way of stating issues that are burning just under the surface of public discourse. That would be Rob Ford and the ding-dong trolleys of Toronto. At Jaye Robinson’s Ward 25 Transit Town Hall in  February the well-dressed Lawrence Park crowd had more than one cranky word to say about “19th century technology” embodied in our a streetcars. TTC chief general manager Andy Byford dodged the topic by saying he got streetcars as a fait accomplis (our words) when he stepped off the plane from Australia. It didn’t take much to read his mind. Now Ford is back on the topic.  “I won’t be buying anymore streetcars as long as I’m mayor and I’m planning to be mayor for a long time, much to your chagrin, .” he told reporters.  Ford blamed streetcars for “causing congestion in this city” and argued that buses would be a better alternative. Before Ford swept into office, council agreed to a $1.2-billion deal to buy 204 new streetcars. They are expected to start hitting the streets this August and a new garage is being built on Leslie St. to house the vehicles. The new fleet is expected to last as long as 35 years.  TTC officials say the capacity of one new streetcar equals that of three 12-metre buses. They also sit in the middle of the street and block traffic.

#Leaside High kids give blood at Northlea clinic

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The Northlea Elementary and Middle School blood donor wrapped at 8 p.m. Wednesday night after a busy day that saw the eight donor beds mostly occupied all day long. Some 126 people came out to donate, but after the rigorous testing required, the number who actually gave blood was 96. That’s a solid figure and just about met the clinic’s average of 100 based on past events. Traffic was steady in the gymnasium with regulars like Bob Moenk and MaryJane McIntyre (inset top) and some wonderful young donors from Leaside High School. Inset centre are (front l to r) Ashlyn, Ashley and Grace. At rear l to r, Ben and Russell. These great kids showed up right after classes ended and their mere presence gave everybody a boost. The idea to  give blood came from Grace. Dare we say she was born to be a leader of men? In any case, every single donor honoured the legacy of Northlea students Emmy Duff and Noah Wolfe (inset bottom). Emmy was diagnosed with Leukemia in 1996 and a second time in November 2002. It was shocking news but there was even worse to come. The Leaside community reeled when one of Emmy’s schoolmates, Noah, was diagnosed with the same disease within a week of Emmy’s second diagnosis. The Northlea blood clinic was born out of the desperation of those difficult days and has gone on to become a signal event for the Canadian Blood Services.