Children burned by chemical in Ottawa school

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Blistering injury suffered by pupil

Details are emerging, along with shocking photographs, of an unexplained series of incidents at an Ottawa public school, and nearby daycare, where children have been burned by a chemical which somehow found its way onto toilet seats. One father has released pictures he took of his 7-year-old daughter after she was burned at Avalon Public School last November. Since then, there have been two more incidents in February. Parents and school authorities are urgently seeking an explanation to what has been happening. They have apparently tried to replicate the burns by leaving the standard cleaning material on the toilet in a test but have not been able to cause the type of burns suffered by the children. CTV 

Trend Shoppe now closed on Bayview Ave.

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The Trend Shoppe, a fixture on Bayview Ave. for many  years, has closed. All stock is gone from the location at 1622, which is one door south of Patisserie de Cigogne. The Trend Shoppe was known for fashionable mid-range women’s wear and had a loyal clientele in Leaside and Davisville Village. For a number of years, the store was on the east side of Bayview in the old TD Bank building which now houses Sleep Country. The company continues to do business at another store at 2900 Steeles Ave. E. in Thornhill.    

No safe time for teens to use phone on the street

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Evidence again that there is no safe time for young people to show their smartphones on the public street. This time a 19-year-old and a 17-year-old boy say that they were robbed of their phones at 4.30 in the afternoon on Eglinton Ave. E near Holly Street. The theft happened Sunday,  February 24, 2013. The boys were accosted by two others who then took the phones. The suspects are said to be very tall. One is said to be 6 feet, 3 inches and the other at least 6 feet, maybe taller. Police are requesting the assistance of the public in identifying the following described persons in connection with this offence. Description of Suspect #1: Male, black, 18 to 19 years, 6’3”, thin build. Suspect #2: Male, black, 18 to 19 years, 6’0” to 6’1”.

Excuse me, what the heck are you talking on?

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Visitors to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona were having fun with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Monday — a full two weeks before the device is expected to launch in New York. The Galaxy Note 8 seems to have created a whole new category in phones, tablets or whatever. The Telegraph newspaper called it “a large mini tablet.” The thing is more than eight inches long and if it looks like the guy above is talking on a small TV, well, those who handled the Galaxy Note 8 in Barcelona say they liked it. The Galaxy Note 8 will launch worldwide in the second quarter of 2013. The eight-inch screen comes with a resolution of 1280×800 pixels which comes to 189 pixels per inch (ppi), greater than the Pad mini, which has screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels with 163 ppi. The tablet runs on the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating System and includes the Samsung stylus pen to compliment the touch-screen. The tablet comes with a 5-megapixel camera and will operate on the 3G or Wifi network. Most other mini tablets on the market have 7-inch screens and time will tell if consumers are ready to accept the new format.

240 Rose Park in Moore Park sold in six days

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The original Moore Park home at 240 Rose Park Drive at Welland Ave. has sold in six days for slightly under the listing price of $1,149,000. It changed hands for $1,135,000. The pretty brick home is said to be washed in natural light and has two magnificent trademark Oaks on the front lawn. It was an estate sale, which may account for the fairly affordable price, at least by today’s standards. 

Rob Ford walks away from election audit

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Call it a Trifecta, a three leaf clover or whatever you will. Any way you put it, Mayor Rob Ford has now walked away from three attempts to either kick him out of office and otherwise penalize him.  The latest win came today when a three-person committee  voted 2-1 not to commence legal proceedings against the mayor for a three percent overrun on his election expenses in 2010. The audit had found Ford’s campaign went over its $1.3-million spending cap by $40,168. The audit also found the campaign contravened the Municipal Elections Act in several ways – from spending before the campaign formally started, to accepting corporate and cash contributions, to obtaining “generous credit terms” from the family business.  680 News 

Let’s fix the TTC dead zone on Bayview (Part 2)

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We wrote about the TTC “dead zone” on Bayview Ave early in January and now Carol Burtin-Fripp of the Leaside homeowners association has written elsewhere outlining a proposed solution for the absence of bus service between Bayview/Moore and South Bayview’s downtown shopping district to the north. Ms Burton-Fripp says her plan is to move the Yonge Street base for the 11 Bayview bus from the Davisville station to St. Clair station. The 11 (and sister route 11C) would then travel a similar route to the 88 South Leaside bus but continue on up Bayview past Sutherland. This is an inventive idea and no doubt one that many in the south end of South Bayview would applaud. It might be not so welcome to many riders who make their homes along and off of Davisville Ave. (including the apartments south of June Rowlands Park). Ms Burton Fripp recalls that in the 1990s there was discussion of possibly altering the route of the 88 bus to pass through the South Bayview business district. This was an idea published in January by The South Bayview Bulldog. The South Leaside bus could then turn east at Millwood Ave. or Parkhurst Ave. and find its way back to the present route ultimately servicing Wicksteed Ave. Ms Burtin Fripp says she has asked John Parker (Ward 26) to consult the TTC about it. This is a public service and brings credit on her. Previous post. 

Meeting to discuss mural on Coxwell station

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There will be a meeting to discuss a new “community mural” to be painted on the side of the recently renovated Coxwell subway station. Residents are invited to have some input at the meeting. which will be held Tuesday, February 26 from at 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.  It will be held in the Council Chamber, East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Ave.  

Maybe teachers should wear lapel badges

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The president of the Ontario secondary school teachers union says maybe teachers will participate in extra-curricular activities — and maybe they won’t. Hard feelings are expected to linger, it seems. Each teacher will decide whether he/she is going to help out as before. Really too bad. Maybe teachers should think of wearing lapel buttons or lanyard badges so everyone can identify  just what they will do. “I’m okay for the Halloween Parade” but not those silly music recitals. Help us out. 

Top British cardinal forced to resign

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Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the UK’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, has resigned as the head of the Scottish Catholic church after being accused of “inappropriate acts” towards fellow priests. News that Pope Benedict had accepted the cardinal’s resignation as archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh came after the Observer disclosed a series of allegations by three priests and one former priest. O’Brien has denied the allegations and had been expected to continue in his post as archbishop until mid-March, when he was due to retire at age 75.

“Defector Boxer Girl” packs lightning wallop

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Click through for video 

North Korean defector Choi Hyun-mi looks like a typical 19-year-old Korean teen with a penchant for pink, but Choi has a special ability. She packs a staggering right punch that can knock out most opponents. A Japanese challenger, Tsubasa Tenku, experienced that recently when Choi defended her WBA featherweight crown. South Koreans call her the “Defector Boxer Girl” and see her as a new ray of hope in the country known a generation ago for producing scrappy and fearless fighters. See her box