Canadian Cardinal a contender for Papacy

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Cardinal Marc Oulette

The surprising announcement that Pope Benedict will resign the papacy on February 24, 2013 because of failing health has brought forward a number of possible successors, including a Canadian, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the archbishop of Quebec City. He is said to have “the best odds of replacing Pope Benedict XVI according to an Irish betting site, at 11 to 4. In London, it’s said bookies are making Cardinal Oulette a 3-1 favorite for election to the papacy. No doubt such gaming references in this field will shock some at the Vatican and elsewhere. Cardinal Ouellet, 68, is the head of the Congregation for Bishops, essentially the Vatican’s top staff director. He was once quoted as saying being the pope “would be a nightmare.” He also told Quebec City’s Le Soleil newspaper that a pope’s duties “are perhaps not very enviable.” National Post 

Wynne to appoint all-new back bench cabinet

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Okay, we know that South Bayview’s very own Premier, Kathleen Wynne, has cleaned out the big offices at Queen’s Park and that her cabinet, to be named tomorrow, will contain many relatively unknown people. We know that Sandy at Cobs Bread was hoping for something high-minded like Environment Minister, but — well don’t give up your bread job Sandy. Seriously,  we can only wish the Premier well with her clean slate approach. There is a ton of stuff that needs doing. Wish we could get back some of those millions lost on shutting down that power plant,  Here is the best the CBC can guess published Sunday night. CBC.

Leaside Gardens fundraiser is Friday, February 22

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The Laugh Out Loud in Leaside benefit scheduled for February 22, 2013 is 70% sold, Charlene Kalia writes to say. The event is in aid of  fundraising  to build a second ice pad at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens. Highlights of the evening include: MC Jack Corrigan,  hilarious Yuk Yuks stand up comedy musical, performance by the James Dean Band, de la mer oyster bar, delicious appetizers tantalizing desserts live and silent auctions  The date again is  Friday February 22, 2013  at  7:30 pm at: Fantasy Farm, 50 Pottery Road. Single ticket: $80 Reserved table of 10: $800 Tickets can be purchased as follows: Email: charlene@charlenekalia.com Phone: 416-925-9191 Online (by credit card, fee applies) Download and print ticket order form. Cheques should be made payable to East York Foundation. To donate items for the auction, please contact Charlene Kalia, 416-925-9191, charlene@charlenekalia.com 

Bob Rae will retire this Summer says John Ivison

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Ottawa insider John Ivison writes in the National Post that Toronto-Centre-Rosedale MP Bob Rae will retire this Summer rather than play second fiddle to “Trudeau Jr.” Ivison no doubt has good sources but it is his own eyes and ears that have helped him sketch this sensitive view of the venerable Mr.Rae more as a statesman than party stalwart. Ivison also offers a thoughtful before and after glimpse of  Rae the  party healer of just 18 months ago against someone now much sought after by Trudeau and others to help retain his central Toronto bulwark for the Liberals. Ivison also touches on the new dynamic in play with the creation of the riding of Mt. Pleasant, a plum many Conservatives feel they may be able to pluck. Ivison says George Smitherman is noodling a run there for the Liberals. Whom might the CPs like: Jane Pitfield? John Tory?Karen Stintz?  John Ivison 

Leaside Sunday morning power outage

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A widespread power failure across Leaside occurred this morning shortly after 9 a.m. The outage is so far unexplained but it was a surprise on such a pleasant morning and inconvenient even though it was on a Sunday morning. Power has now been restored. Among the Twitter early warning messagers Lise Lareau was a reliable source:  Power out this morning. 680 news site says it’s widespread in Toronto’s Bayview and Eglinton area (Leaside). No idea how long and then later Power in Bayview Eglinton / Leaside area just came back. Yay.  John Parker tweeted:  The NFL has nothing on us: The power went out over the entire neighbourhood on Leaside Flames Select Tournament championship day.  Josh McInerney was the most plaintive tweeter: Hey leaside??? Where’s the power!? I got coffee to make!!!

Leaside business leaders meeting Monday

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Don Valley West MP John Carmichael has issued an invitation to business people from the Leaside area to a breakfast meeting on Monday, February 11, in Cork’s Restaurant inside Longo’s supermarket in Leaside Village. The Business Leaders Breakfast is scheduled to begin at 7.15 am. although it seems to run fairly late (8.45 a.m) possibly for latecomers. 

Round up? Round down? It’s common cents

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Having told customers at the checkout last week that it would “round up” change, Loblaws has now posted a sign saying it will “round down” the amount payable (for cash sales). Either way, it seems fair and it isn’t much money. But the government’s decision to eliminate the penny from circulation  has retailers and clerks everywhere asking plaintively “How is this supposed to work?”

Area families unlimber toboggans and sleighs

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There was a reward of sorts for parents and kids as they unlimbered the sleighs, toboggans and whatnot to hit the snowy hills. This was the scene shortly after noon at Talbot Park opposite Leaside High. Streets across South Bayview are pictures of sunny winter weather. Shovelling sidewalks and sweeping cars clear of snow is the community occupation this Saturday. 

Sunnybrook School celebrates its milestone

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This is an extract of an article submitted by Sunnybrook school to  The Town Crier: In 1950, a pregnant woman, her husband and their small son travelled from Vienna to Toronto to start a new life. Irmingard Hoff, the daughter of a prominent Viennese surgeon and a pharmacist, had studied early childhood education in Vienna and brought with her to Canada a dream — to start a nursery school. Two years later, through sheer determination, Hoff’s vision took shape. She rented space in the basement of St. Augustine of Canterbury church on Bayview Avenue — just south of Sunnybrook Hospital and north of the recently opened Sunnybrook Plaza. With eight students and one committed teacher, Sunnybrook School was born. By 1960 Sunnybrook School had 40 students and a waiting list. The classroom space was cramped, and Hoff wished for outdoor space where she could have a proper age-appropriate playground and a garden. With the help of some supportive parents, the Hoffs were able to raise the money to build the first privately owned nursery school in Toronto housed in a building designed for the purpose. In September of 1960 Sunnybrook School opened its doors at 469 Merton St. with 65 students in five classes. Town Crier 

Snow clearing continues through the night

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Some 600 plows continue to clank through the streets tonight in an attempt to bring some order to the city’s traffic on Saturday. A news release regarding emergency services and staffing is on a page here. The good news is that the sunny weather forecast is holding so that everyone may at least go out without snow in the face. This storm is easily identified by those over about the age of about 12 as the worst in the city since the execrable winter of 2008. The snowfall of that year however fell early and frequently right through to the end of February and we may hope that Toronto will escape the 2013 winter with less snow overall than in 2008. 

13.5 hrs on tarmac leaves vacationers exhausted

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These are the faces of weary travellers essentially imprisoned aboard a Sunwing Vacations jet which sat on the tarmac at Toronto airport for some 13 and a half hours today before they were released back into the terminal for a short break. They later re-boarded and departed for Panama City tonight. It was a scenario very much in the cards as technology, human expectation and immutable weather collided to make victims out of airline passengers. There was precious little food and even less water. In the end, passengers were given consolation food vouchers for use in the terminal and a small “travel voucher”. Hundreds of flights were cancelled through the day. A Sunwing spokesman sounded a little sensitive when interviewed by CP24 as he tried to explain the company was  doing its best. The spokesperson, Daryl McWiliams, blamed problems related to de-icing. That would have been an essential process for any plane taking off today and it was not explained why Sunwing seemed to be out in the de-icing cold. Finally, at about 8 p.m. the jet was able to obtain a gate to disembark passengers into the same terminal from which they had boarded the plane at 7 a.m. The  Sunwing saga was the most dramatic of the countless inconveniences experienced at the airport.  

Snowfall slows, expected clearing this evening

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Pearson airport depatures

Today’s snowfall has dropped more precipitation that expected with mid-afternoon measurements at about 20 cm. Central Toronto was expected to receive more like 15 cm. The weather formation is moving east however and conditions are expected to clear tonight in anticipation of a sunny day Saturday. Conditions have been miserable everywhere but the disruption of personal plans has been perhaps most serious at the airport. There are reports of tourist aircraft sitting on the tarmac at 2 p.m., as much as six hours after they were scheduled to depart. Screens and websites show that traffic outbound has been pretty much shut down.  Police are asking drivers to stay at home to permit plowing and help prevent accidents. Many cars are stranded. There were some 275 accidents reported between midnight and 1 pm., according to the Ontario Provincial Police.