There was a very moving story at Queen’s Park Monday morning where a 12-year-old Beeton, Ontario girl, Madi Vanstone, met Monday morning with Premier Wynne in her campaign to have OHIP cover the high cost of a drug she needs to treat Cystic Fibrosis. The drug is not covered at present. Madi was at a news conference with her mother and her MPP, Jim Wilson (PC Simcoe Grey) before she saw the Premier. The thing about the drug, Kalydeco, is that it really works. After fundraising by friends and citizens to buy the expensive treatment, Madi was actually no longer positive for the disease. She plays and does athletics like a normal kid. As her mother Beth said at the news conference, Kalydeco works at the cellular level, effectively erasing the Cystic Fibrosis. News reports say that the Premier told Madi she will “push” to see that the little girl gets this important medication.
Truck fire closes Gardiner, Lakeshore
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Traffic is now said to getting through through both ways after this truck fire at about 7 a.m. Monday morning on the Gardiner Expressway. It happened at the Gardiner near Jameson Ave. and caused the closure of all roads, including Lakeshore Blvd. No injuries and no explosions, although there was an early fear that there was a propane canister in the truck that might go off. One motorist tweeted that he moved only two km in 90 minutes in his drive into Toronto from the west. This twitter thread is active with updates Jane Brown tweeted about 9.30 that all lanes are open.
Aga Khan says Wynford park belongs to people
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John Parker (Ward 26) says online he was talking to the Aga Khan IV on Friday (February 28, 2014) during the religious leader’s visit to Canada last week. Mr. Parker’s ward contains the nearly completed Wynford Drive cultural centre and park devoted to the history of the Ismaili Shia denomination of Islam. It is expected to open this year. The Aga Khan asked Parker to make sure that local people understood that this park was also their park. It was a pleasant democratic sentiment coming from this supreme religious leader. The Aga Khan is considered the infallible leader of Ismaili Shias, a body of people estimated at as many as 15 million. This is a fraction of the world’s Muslims but it seems an important one in the light of the civilized leadership and good work of the current Aga Khan. The family claims a direct relationship to Mohamed. The holder of this position however is much more familiar to non-Muslims as a cultivated and wealthy man of many secular interests. He seems steeped in the finer qualities of Persian and Western culture. Whatever the truth, the Aga Khan’s great work as a proponent of pluralism has earned him honourary Canadian citizenship. As such he addressed the combined Houses of Parliament in Ottawa last week and made some entertaining remarks about Olympic hockey. His ascension to the position he has held since 1957 occurred when his grandfather, Aga Khan III, decided to pass over his own sons and appoint his grandson Karim Al-Hussaini then 20-year-old student at Harvard as his successor.
Will Ford detonate after dark in Hollywood?
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There is a theme recurring in the well-known and busy hashtag Twitter thread known as #TOpoli. Among the gnashing of teeth over the idea that anyone should care about Rob Ford in Hollywood there is a kind of premonition (or hope) that Toronto’s chief magistrate will do what he almost always does — get into huge trouble after nightfall. Former Globe reporter Steve Ladurantaye asks “Ford in Hollywood — what could go wrong?” Alex tweets “I’ve a creeping feeling that Ford’s being set up for the kind of humiliation that only he’s dumb enough to fall for, at our expense.” Tomorrow morning will reveal whether our fears or desires have been met. In the meantime, John Tory is tweeting at #TOpoli that you look at his campaign video. It’s here on the left on the Bulldog too.
Laugh Out Loud in Leaside a great success
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Charlene Kalia has confirmed what many guests to the 5th Annual Laugh Out Loud in Leaside event are saying. The community fundraiser and entertainment was held Friday night in the William Lea Room at the arena and it was an all-star success. It was sold out to some 200 friends and local residents. The proceeds exceeded $25,000 and will go to the New Circles charitable group. This year LOL had both Leasiders but also many guests from other neighbourhoods too. Lexus on the Park was the major sponsor and the night was funny with Yuk Yuk comedians. The food parade began with Neal Brothers Foods providing a room full of delicious chips for enjoying and taking home. Andy Elder from Grilltime and Christine Manning from Manning Cannings (love that name) teamed up for an epic slider that was a huge crowd pleaser although John Parker (Ward 26) tweeted that they were “cute little hamburgers”. Delemar provided the oyster bar and a sampling of their candied and jerk salmon. Tori and Cates Cupcakes on Bayview Ave. provided delicious and moist cupcakes for all the guests and not one was left over. Hanna Neal was the wine sponsor, Amsterdam the beer sponsor and Pepsi the beverage sponsor. Special guests were Peter Neal, Nick and Anne Marie Kypreos and MC was Canadian Tire Guy Paul Constable. Indisicion band played to a crowd that pushed tables aside to dance.
“Mess-acre” of trash bins captured by homeowner
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A resident of Upper Canada Drive, Ron Rimer, took the inset pictures recently and sent them to Jack Lakey, columnist for the Toronto Star. Mr. Rimer was astounded at the “mess-acre” as he called it of garbage bins on his street after the regular pickup. Upper Canada is near Bayview Ave. running east off from near Yonge Street. Mr. Rimer said he found the bins in the middle of the street. Mr. Lakey’s makes the point in his Fixer column that this is an area served by CUPE sanitation workers employed by the City. He contrasts the chaos here with the neat and tidy wake (typically) of the privatized workers from the Green For Life (GFL) company which collects the refuse west of Yonge Street. Lakey says what many know: sloppy work by unionized employees is not helpful to their job security. Many people in South Bayview can certainly testify to the way garbage bins get thrown into the middle of driveways. In fairness, of course, no one saw exactly what happened to the bins on Upper Canada. But what is clear is that the management of GFL sends its employees to school about this matter. They expect, and they usually get, a neat arrangement of bins placed back where they came from. It doesn’t seem too difficult. The possibility of private garbage collection east of Yonge Street will be a campaign issue this year. It will be an important question for all candidates as to how they will proceed if elected.Opening day for Jan Nguyen’s “Play Cafe”
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| Jan Nguyen and Ren |
Jan Nguyen’s new drop-in and play centre at 1517 Bayview Ave. had its grand opening today (Saturday, March 1, 2014). It is fairly unique concept which drew a large crowd of friends, acquaintances and fresh customers. Play Cafe is an opportunity for children to play and perform simple crafts while their parents have a snack, a cup of coffee and perhaps socialize a little. On this day there was entertainment in the morning and by 1 p.m. many kids were in a supervised group painting cups. Play is an idea which Ms. Nguyen worked on with her husband Crown Attorney Henry Poon from their Davisville Village home. She and her husband are parents and long-time South Bayview residents, Jan Nguyen noted as she hefted her daughter Ren into her arms. Ms Nguyen also has an extensive communications background. She worked for a decade for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment in communications. “I was in the fire department,” she conceded on suggestion. “We put out the fires.” The extended concept of Play Cafe includes drop-in play spaces, creative workshops, coffee and healthy snacks as well as availabilities for private parties. Learn more at www.playcreativecafe.com.
Tango the Newfoundland on Bayview Ave.
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Tango took a walk on Bayview Ave. this Saturday, along with his friends, the Pretak family of Belsize Drive. The dark brown Newfoundland pup is bigger and bulkier than any dog you can think of, even grown up. Like many large dogs, Tango the Newfoundland has a calm nature. The breed is known for this and for its strength and intelligence. These are qualities which the fishermen of the Dominion of Newfoundland found helpful. The dogs are said to excel at water rescue and lifesaving because of their muscular build, thick double coat, webbed feet, and innate swimming abilities. They come by their name honestly having been bred in the former Crown Colony well before Confederation with Canada. Nice to see you Tango. w/WikipediaBayview “terrazzo” turns to gravel in one winter
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An unfortunate sign of Spring is being seen through the ice along Bayview Ave. It is the badly deteriorated “terrazzo” finish installed by the City last July. The stone and concrete finish is a surround for the trees on the east side of the street. One winter has turned the pavement into loose gravel. Can we start over and do it better? When the terrazzo was being installed we noted the rough nature of the finish and hoped that it might be ground down to a decorative finish. Solid concrete might be better than what we are seeing these days.
Target Corp. stubs its toe badly in Canada
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Analysts have pointed to the simple inability to keep the shelves filled in the disappointing launch of Target Corp.in Canada. Local shoppers were able to see it almost immediately at the store in the East York Town Centre. Results released in the U.S. show a loss so far of a billion dollars. Target will no doubt be hoping for the opening of the Costco store, if approved, on Overlea Blvd. as a way of creating new retail critical mass in the neighborhood. Marina Strauss
TDSB trustee accused of ‘bullying’ fellow staff
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How high are tempers running at meetings of our school trustees? Several sources are saying that Trustee Howard Goodman badgered TDSB Education Director Donna Quan during a planning meeting on Wednesday. Mr. Goodman is said to have “intimidated” Ms. Quan over the non-payment of board membership fees. One trustee called Mr. Goodman’s behaviour an unseemly display of anger. Mr. Goodman represents Ward 8, Eglinton-Lawrence. Ward 8 lies west of Yonge Street and follows a very irregular border on the south on either side of Eglinton Ave. W. Twitter CTV
Man kills two in Edmonton stabbing rampage
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Edmonton police have captured a former employee of the Loblaws grocery distribution centre in northwest of the city after a man went on a stabbing rampage today. Two pepole are said to have died and as many as four have been injured. News reports said that a man wearing camouflage clothing entered the building with two knives and began to attack people. The accused has been identified as Jayme Pasieka. Police say he is an employee at the distribution centre that employs at least 100 people and handles food for the Superstore grocery chain.