Scary tale of Ottawa’s failure to deport Raed Jaser

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The hair raising details on the failure of Canada to deport Raed Jaser, 35, have been revealed in a CBC report which is shown on video at the link below. From his fraudulent arrival at age 15 in 1993 with his family, through criminal acts of fraud. and deportation orders, Jaser’s case is a textbook example of this country as a soft haven for anyone who showed up at the airport claiming refugee status. CBC. 

How will we pay for the Emerald City of Transit?

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An epic showdown appears likely between the forces of Mayor Ford and  the “Taxes for the TTC”  elements of council after a key Ford supporter, Gary Crawford (Ward 36) has flip-flopped on the application of such levies. Premier Wynne is waiting to slap them on. Gas, sales, business — all kinds of taxes to help us build that Emerald City of Transit we are to believe is out there somewhere. At least that’s how it sounds when the Premier gets going. The other day she was fretting that a “working mother” couldn’t zoom across the GTA in just a few minutes to get to her job. That would be nice. But you get the feeling the premier was talking about zip lines. For his part, the mayor wants to float the subway dream by opening a gigantic casino. That already unpopular idea got  another  trashing today, this time from the Catholic Church. The archbishop, Cardinal Thomas Collins, warned of the “grievous suffering” caused by gambling. He may well be right and the sad lineups at the OLG  ticket stands sometimes give a glimpse of that.  As to transit, of course we need it. But how costly must it be? The transit debate is too much like an election campaign. Many people seem to be staking their political success on sending Toronto to Transit Glory, no matter what it costs.

Walmart says mint-scented bags repel raccoons

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Walmart Canada today announced a minted scented which is said to be irritating to rodents of all kinds. The company says that Great Value Mint-X bags are proven effective at repelling such creates because an all natural, mint scented fragrance that is added to the plastic during the manufacturing process. In a study conducted by the University of Maryland, School of Medicine Comparative Medicine Program in 2011, two bags were placed in a test area over a seven day period, one Mint-X bag and one standard untreated bag, both filled with standardized food. In this test, the Mint-X bag proved 100% repellence of raccoons, while the non-Mint-X bags were penetrated 67% of the time. Who knew?

Comparing Lawrence Park CI with Leaside HS

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A very interesting report by Global News has compared Toronto high schools for the percentage of students who employ a paid tutor with the ability of their parents to pay. It won’t come as a big surprise that well-off neighborhoods, like those around South Bayview, have higher percentages of students with tutors. The information was obtained from the Toronto District School Board through access to information laws. But does the use of tutors help students equally, even when there is money to hire good ones? Department of Education figures which rank the excellence of high schools show Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute with an overall score of 8.4 out of 10 in 2012. Leaside High School had a ranking of 8.3, essentially a tie. But hey, the TDSB figures on tutoring show that 24 percent of Lawrence park students had a tutor, while only 16 percent of LHS kids got outside help. Fun with figures! The TDSB rankings for all high schools are here.  

Man harassed girl, 10, near Overlea and Don Mills

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Toronto Police Service is on the lookout for a man who was making a nuisance of himself by insisting on walking home with a ten-year-old girl near Don Mills Road and Overlea Boulevard last week. The girl was crossing the soccer field of Gateway Public School alone around 4:15 p.m. when a man approached and pulled on her shirt sleeve. He was persistent that he should walk her home. The girl ran towards the school and the man left the area. He is  described as dark in complexion, 30 to 40 years old, 5’ 8” tall with a medium build. He had short black hair, a moustache, and was wearing a dark blue zip-up hoodie, white T-shirt, light blue track pants and black shoes. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 416-808-5400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477.

Gypsy Moth spraying this May in Moore Park

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There will be aerial spraying of trees in Moore Park and nearby areas this spring to combat the recurring problem of Gypsy Moth infestations. It is the first year since 2008 that arbourlogists have detected a sufficient presence of moth egg masses to require spraying. The Moore Park Residents Association says the spray is likely to occur between May 15 and June 2 and be scheduled between 5 am and 7:30 am in order to minimize disruption. The Urban Forestry Branch will notify affected residents over the next few weeks by delivery of notices, signage, website information and media releases. The last outbreak of Gypsy Moth in Toronto in 2007 and 2008 was successfully suppressed through a combination of the build-up of natural enemies, integrated pest management measures and aerial and ground treatments of Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki (Btk), a naturally-occurring bacterium having insecticidal properties. The same spray will be used in 2013. Since that time levels of Gypsy Moth have been very low. But this year there has been detection of the pest in Moore Park and ten other areas of Toronto, particularly near the intersection of Princess Margaret Boulevard and Kipling Avenue. This present level of infestation was not expected and is contrary to past population cycles throughout the Gypsy Moth’s present range. Gypsy Moth outbreaks typically come in a 7-10 year cycle and last for 2-3 years. It is likely that this level of infestation points to the beginning of another outbreak in these areas — with City of Toronto website information. 

Leaside Archival Exhibit opens at Library

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The Layers of Leaside Archival Exhibit opened Tuesday at the Leaside Library at 165 McRae Drive. The exhibit is a thoroughly entertaining display of old photographs and memorabilia.  The pictures are organized in a way that helps a visitor make sense of the numerous stages in the history of the community. It’s well worth a visit. Pictures we liked showed the long-gone octagonal house (top) built by William Lea in 1850 near the present site of Leaside Arena. The octagonal home, known as Leaside, burned in 1913. Someone was present on that day and captured this image as the house billowed smoke. Also (below) in the Leaside Exhibit is a picture of the 1902 John Edmund Lea home at 33 Heather Road. At lower right is the renovated Edmund Lea home where it can be seen the home has been extended to the south. It also got a third dormer and that elegant decorative window beside the porch. Tara Hatherly — East York Mirror 

Laureen Harper a savvy “political wife”

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Savvy wife

A story in the National Post about how to bring up kids in the political spotlight offers an insight into the wise mind of Laureen Harper. When the reporter asked her to give advice to Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire on this subject Mrs Harper adroitly sidestepped the invitation. Instead, she suggested that it would be presumptuous to say the least for her to give advice to a dynamic young couple like Justin and Sophie.  But she was not finished. For her next gambit Mrs Harper laid on the humility with a trowel. You have to admire her political savvy when she said she could probably take lessons from Trudeau and Gregoire. Finally, each will have to judge for himself  if this seems even close to the truth but for her ultimate bob-and-weave, the prime minister’s spouse said that people recognize Sophie Gregoire when she walks down the street but that they would never even notice Laureen Harper. This is what you call a clever political wife.

Holt Renfrew bargains still a long drive away

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South Bayview and all of Toronto are apparently going to be a long time waiting for the bargain concept from Holt Renfrew. The brand, called hr2, has just opened in the Montreal suburb of Brossard. A second store will open in May in the Vaughan Mills Shopping Centre far from the original HR stores. All of which is fine for those who enjoy the action at Winners and Marshals. These long-time outlets in (and near) the Laird Drive SmartCentre are busy all the time. Reports from Montreal say the hr2 offerings do not duplicate inventory at regular HR stores on Bloor Street and in Yorkdale. HR does say that there will eventually be ten hr2 outlets across Canada but so far nothing more than that.  The  Brossard storefront is said to feature weekend casual looks, including a denim section with brands like Seven and Hudson Jeans, and a display of bright and tropical summer dresses. Prices boast marked reductions, like a pair of AG Premier Skinny-Straight mid-waisted jeans selling for $179 instead of $290, a turquoise Hawaiian dress by Alice + Olivia is $248 instead of $440, and a frilly navy number by Pink Tartan is $279 instead of $695. For more conservative shoppers, there’s a designated area for Giorgio Armani Collezioni suits.