The South Bayview Bulldog

Four people are dead following a three-alarm fire at 95 Gainsborough Rd. in East York. The alarm came in just before 5 a.m. Friday to the home near Coxwell Ave and Eastwood Road. Carl Hantske of 680 News reports. Twitter posts with video.

Rogue traders who have been influencing social media investors through their Reddit group have been slapped down by restrictions placed on their favorite stocks Thursday. One of these, GameStop Corp. plunged at mid-morning after moves were made to curtail its trading. Among those taking action were Robinhood Markets, TD Bank and Interactive Brokers Group Inc. GameStop stock plummeted as much as 68% when trading was halted. CBC Here is an earlier analysis from Mike Eppel.

Secondary station concrete pouring 📷 Metrolinx

Secondary station next to 801 Mt. Pleasant 📷 Metrolinx

Metrolinx says that as early as Saturday, crews at Mt Peasant Station will perform a major concrete pour within the work zones on the north side of Eglinton Ave east of Mount Pleasant Road. The concrete will form one of the permanent station structures underground. To ensure the integrity and continuity of the pour, work will begin as early as 6 a.m. and take approximately 12 hours to complete. Concrete trucks will stage on Eglinton, Mt. Pleasant and within the work zones. Two concrete pumps will be set up at the secondary entrance site. Traffic control personnel and/or a paid duty officer will be present while this work takes place.

Good neighbours at work

Talented LHS grad Arden La-Rose

A Leaside resident has posted an amusing thank you to his good-hearted (and able-bodied) neighbours after Tuesday’s snow. The caption reads Wanted for stealing my heart for clearing our driveway! At the upper right is LHS grad Arden La-Rose, a talented athlete in several fields including sprinting and soccer. As Susan Scandiffio reports, Arden will be active in both at the University of South Florida. Down below we see (left) how a whisk is an excellent device for removing the chunks of snow embedded in poodle fur. Love it. We’re going to think of that every time we stir the soup. Here’s the FB video called Doodles on the Rock.  Then two snowfall shots showing clear pavement on the Bayview Extension at Pottery Road Wednesday morning. This view comes from one of Toronto’s traffic cameras, often helpful in checking road conditions. Below that is a shot taken Tuesday night by Rudy Limeback of activity at the foot of Leadale Ave looking south into Sandy Bruce Park. That’s the Moore Ave. Loblaws in the background

Whisk cleans snowballs

Clear sailing on Bayview Extensions Wednesday

Leadale Ave looking south into Sandy Bruce Park Tuesday night with a snowplow too

Ugly vaccine politics seem to have broken out in Europe and reports from Euronews and CTV Ottawa describe the threats and fears now being heard. Below, the first good-sized snowstorm doesn’t seem to be worse than expected at least. Finally, there are hints that accusations against the former governor-general include physical contact.

Leaside Residents Association Annual Meeting and Town Hall is scheduled for Wednesday, January 27, 2021.

Annual Meeting from 6:30pm-7:00pm and Town Hall from 7:00pm-8.30pm. Connect via Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82046740645); or phone (647-374-4685 or 647-558-0588), webinar ID 820 4674 0645. All community members are welcome to attend the Annual Meeting and Town Hall. Voting on motions is restricted to Leasiders with a paid membership in the LRA. To buy a membership, please go to LRA website.
Speakers at town hall:
· LRA Co-Presidents, Carol Burtin Fripp and Geoff Kettel
· NEW! MP Rob Oliphant
· City Councillor Jaye Robinson
· TDSB Trustee Rachel Chernos Lin
Questions for the speakers may be submitted on Zoom or on LRA contact form.

1951 Yonge Development Community Consultation Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 6:30 PM

SERRA has encouraged participation in the Community consulation meeting for 1951 Yonge Street. Their recent mailer outlines their concerns with this development, as outlined below.

The application was previously submitted as a two tower development of 35 and 25 storeys, the proposal has now been resubmitted at 30 and 45 storeys! No green or open spaces proposed and with more than 800 units, bringing an additional 1,400 residents to the area.

This application adds to Davisville area development applications for 30 Merton, 140 Merton, 276 Merton, 22 Balliol, 155 Balliol, 185 Balliol, 265 Balliol, 141 Davisville (and we are afraid with more to come). As a result, we project Davisville population to grow from 9,000 residents (2016 Canada Census) to 17,000 residents.

The developer, The Times Group, claims the greater density is permitted because the province more than doubled the height allowance for this block (from the city’s recommendation) to between 30 and 45 storeys and because the development is next to the Davisville subway.

This application was already appealed earlier by the developer to the LPAT. The city, TDSB and SERRA are registered as parties to oppose at the LPAT.

This meeting is to obtain YOUR input about this application, then for City Planning to finalize their position on this project, and then for City Council to provide instructions to the city solicitor on how to oppose at the LPAT.

How can you provide input? Please attend the Community Consultation meeting for 1951 Yonge Street to learn more. Please ask the city planner on this file and hosting this meeting to review the Mount Pleasant report and consider issuing a similarly strong objection report.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at serra@southeglinton.ca

A man of 39 has died of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in a large home on Suncrest Drive in the Bridle Path area. Two other people, a woman, 69, and a child, 12, suffered symptoms but were treated at hospital and are recovering. It is not reported if the home was equipped with CO detectors.

A snowfall warning of up to 10 cm. has been issued for Toronto. Some areas may see 15 cm. As seen in the Weather Channel week ahead above, This will occur Tuesday with cold midweek temperatures to follow.

Revered Leafs veteran George Armstrong has died at the age of 90. He was a 60-year resident of Leaside.

• George Armstrong, Maple Leafs legend and long-time captain, dead at 90
• Affable legend George Armstrong honoured by Leaside
• Wikipedia

Blue quartz crystals create Cookie Monster/Mike Bowers Facebook

A geologist has found a lump of volcanic rock in Brazil which when cut open reveals an uncanny similarity to Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster. The rock has entranced geologists, Sesame fans and people in general as pictures of the grinning prehistoric cookie nut fly across social media. The rock was found in the Rio Grande dol sul region near Soledade by a man identified as Lucas Fassari. He sent it to a California rock specialist named Mike Bowers. Mr. Bowers posted these pictures on his Facebook page and made an entertaining video with the voice of the cookie monster. The rock was found in November 2020 and looked deceptively uninteresting until it was sliced. Bowers says the interior contains deep blue quartz crystals that form the Cookie Monster face and that it may have a value of as much as $10,000.

Peanut-shaped in original form/Mike Bowers Facebook

Two winning tickets were sold for the jackpot in Saturday night’s Lotto 649 draw — one in Quebec and the other in British Columbia. Each ticket is worth $4.2 million. The draw’s guaranteed $1 million prize also went to a lottery player in B.C. The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on Jan. 27 will be approximately $5 million.