Vortex this, you insufferable polar mass

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There’s a cold alert, as if you needed to be told. For weather, South Bayview is like the south side of Mars today. Well, you can always duck into Chai or Second Cup, unlike Mars. An Arctic air mass (the hated Polar Vortex) has settled over southern Ontario, plunging much of the region into a deep freeze that is bringing wind chills as low as -35. Environment Canada is encouraging people to limit their exposure to the cold and bundle up when they head outdoors. (Well yeahhh!).  In Toronto, the temperature dropped to -20 C with a frigid wind chill of -30 overnight, creating dangerous conditions for homeless people who spent the night on the street. So that’s the sorry weather word. Do you want to know about the frozen streetcars? Well here it is because we have some space to fill. The cold weather is causing problems again for the TTC’s fleet of aging streetcars. Customers can expect longer than normal wait times on all streetcar routes due to weather-related equipment problems. Shuttle buses have been brought in to supplement streetcar service.

Moms-to-be closing early on January 23, 2014

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Moms-to-be-and-more will close an hour early at 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 23, 2014. The store will be the site of filming which is being done there. Moms-to-be-and-more will re-open at the regular opening time of 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 24, 2014.

Fire at Pickering water treatment plant

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A dark plume of smoke rose up from the Pickering water treatment plant this morning (Tuesday, January 20, 2014). Firefighters were fighting a fire at the plant and by 11 a.m. appeared to be beaten down.  The Dufferin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant is located on McKay Road near Squires Beach Road, south of Highway 401. Durham police say an explosion occurred inside one of the buildings but no one suffered any injuries and everyone is accounted for. 

Truck piles into many cars at Bellamy and KR

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There is a terrible tangle of cars along with a huge 18-wheeler transport truck piled up on Kingston Rd. near the corner of Bellamy Rd. at mid-morning (Tuesday, January 20, 2014)  Video shown at CP24 shows EMS personnel using heavy rescue equipment. As many as five people are injured. Occupants of the vehicles which have been released from wreckage are being loaded onto ambulances. Police advise drivers to stay away from the area. 

Stephen Harper speech to Knesset is here

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LRT work starting any day at Eg at Brentcliffe

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TBM (top) and finished tunnel

As posted earlier, work is imminent on Eglinton Ave. E in connection with the construction of the Crosstown Eglinton LRT. Metrolinx says digging may start as early as this week to prepare for the large so-called launch shafts for tunnel boring machines (TBMs). The site will stretch east from Brentcliffe Road. It appears that the boring work done in 2014 will take place between Brentcliffe and the vicinity of Yonge Street. As construction approaches certain neighborhoods, more localized construction notices will be distributed. The two TBMs will begin tunnelling at the launch shaft east of Brentcliffe and work their way west towards Yonge. It appears the westward progress of the tunnels requires a large work zone east of Brentcliffe Road over to Leslie Street during this phase. Barriers and other protection measures will be used to separate the work zone safely from the public. Traffic lanes will be shifted to the north side of Eglinton Avenue between Brentcliffe Road and Leslie Street to allow construction crews to begin excavation of the shaft from the south side. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction along Eglinton Avenue East in the work zone east of Brentcliffe Road. A long-term closure of the pathway to Eglinton Ave. from Aerodrome Crescent is required. A short-term closure of the north side pedestrian walkway along Eglinton Avenue is required for approximately 4-6 weeks. The sidewalk on the south side of Eglinton will be open during this time. Subsequently, a long-term closure of the south side pedestrian walkway on Eglinton Avenue is required for the construction of the Tunnel Boring Machine launch pit. The sidewalk on the north side of Eglinton will be open for pedestrian use.Pedestrians are reminded to cross the streets at corners with traffic lights or stop signs. Crossing in the middle of a block can be dangerous. Please take care when travelling near construction areas and watch for additional signs directing pedestrians. Barriers will be used to separate the work zone from the traffic. Both eastbound and westbound TTC bus stops in the construction area may be relocated for the safety of the transit riders. With the Metrolinx new release.

Laugh Out Loud will support New Circles causes

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Charlene Kalia and other public spirited business people will host the Laugh Out Loud in Leaside Act 5 good-times event on Friday, February 28, 2014  It’s time now to start thinking about buying a ticket or table. This annual evening of fun, good food and comedy will benefit the New Circles charitable organization.  The prominent board of directors of New Circles (names on the website) oversees and implements important community programs across Toronto. Best known of these may be the Clothing Program. But New Circles also offers unique services such as Seniors Mobile Mall and the Prom Boutique. The Mobile Mall takes useful selections of goods to seniors. Prom Boutique is a charming and community building concept by which graduating students in Flemingdon Park, Thorncliffe Park and Victoria Village may select formal dresses, suits, accessories and shoes for their upcoming prom at no cost. Laugh Out Loud in Leaside will feature Yuk Yuk’s Comedy, Gourmet Food stations from Grilltime, wine tasting, oyster bar, a silent/live auction and more. Date, time and location: Friday, February 28, 2014; 7.30 p.m. in the William Lea Room of the Leaside Memorial Gardens.  Tickets are $80. Contact Charlene by mail or by phone at (416)  925-9191.   

HMCS Toronto makes heroin seizure off Tanzania

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The RCN reports that the frigate HMCS Toronto has seized a large haul of heroin while on patrol in the Indian Ocean about 40 miles off the coast of Tanzania. These are pictures of Toronto preparing to board the drug vessel and sailors in required hazmat wear as they assess the seizure. They found 265 bags of heroin weighing in at more than 280 kilograms. The narcotics were catalogued and then disposed of. It’s the ninth time the frigate has intercepted drug shipments on the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, and the military says 8.5 tonnes of narcotics have been recovered so fa. HMCS Toronto is on patrol in the region as part of an international effort to curb terrorism and deter piracy on the high seas. Last month the frigate made what the military called the largest heroin seizure in the history of combined maritime forces operations when it recovered 538 kilograms of heroin after stopping a ship off the east coast of Africa.

We don’t yet know the definition of new rush hour

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Set to change?

A million questions would appear to await Denzil Minnan-Wong (Ward 34) when he holds a news conference Tuesday to discuss the city’s new rush hour parking prohibitions.  There has been seemingly no explanation thus far about plans to extend rush hour from the present 4 to 6 p.m. to a rather staggering 3 to 7 p.m. A similar extension is planned for the morning rush hour. Police have been unable to say just what the extension may mean. Will turn prohibitions like those in place at Welland and Moore Aves. be extended to reflect the new definition of rush hour? We do not know. But similar questions are likely to be asked all across the city as people wonder how much they will have to adjust, if at all, to changes in local no turn and no entry prohibitions. The extended rush hour may not impact local restrictions, but until we know — we don’t know. 

1936 “People’s Car, People’s Beer” poster surfaces

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Some curious advertising posters for Guinness ale have surfaced after more than 77 years lost in the archives. One of them shows the original Volkswagen at the time of its creation in Hitler’s Germany. It is titled  “People”s Car, People’s Beer.” The ads were created at the behest  of the Dublin office of the brewing firm and are said to have caused embarrassment in the London office. Germany and the U.K. were at peace in 1936 and there was a warming of relations generally because of the Olympics held that year in Germany. But the Nazis were exhibiting worrisome behaviour both at home and externally. The posters were drawn by John Gilroy, who produced most of the company’s classic advertising  The images, which were never used, include a smiling German soldier holding a pint of stout with the slogan ‘It is time – for a Guinness’.The Mailonline says one picture features a Wehrmacht soldier holding a pint with the caption, ‘It’s time for a Guinness’, while another features toucans with beer glasses balanced on their beaks flying above the Olympic stadium which is draped in Swastika flags. The paintings are all originals, made using oil on canvas, and would have been used to mass-produce poster copies, but were never actually used. The images, which are now thought to be worth £1.2million, feature in a new book, Gilroy Was Good For Guinness, written by former Guinness brewer David Hughes. Mail Online 

Punishing parking fines in effect this week

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You’ve heard that it is coming. Fines of $150 for getting caught with your car in a rush hour zone. And much else. Will it help traffic? Maybe. It is guaranteed to make the City zillions? Yup.  Metro News   Rush hour to be extended too. 

Durham police press on with search for teacher

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A week has passed and there is no indication of what has happened to Whitby high school teacher Jeffrey Boucher. The 52-year-old high school teacher who has been missing since Monday.  Durham Regional Police continue their so far thankless task but say they would be “remiss” if they did not scour every foot of the area where Mr. Boucher might have gone. And so the search goes on.