Rita DeMontis is loving Longo’s in Leaside

Shopping maven Rita DeMontis discovering what many local people have already found as she goes through Longo’s in the Leaside Village. Toronto Sun

Motion to study when life begins defeated 203-91

The Harper government was determined to defeat the backbench bill. MPs voted 203-91 with a number of  Convservative MPs in favour supported by four Liberal MPs. The definition of life in Canada remains as it has for decades as beginning when an infant is fully delivered at birth.   CBC.ca

High school teachers vote heavily for strike

High school teachers have voted in favour of a strike, but union leaders say they won’t be walking out any time soon. Toronto members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) voted 93.4 per cent in favour, matching an appetite for job action expressed in votes held across the province. Globe and Mail

Sunnybrook’s Uptown on Restaurant Makeover

The Food Network will air The Uptown episode of Restaurant Makeover tomorrow night, Thirsday, September 27, 2012. The Uptown was for many years the Sunnybrook Restaurant at the east end of the Sunnybrook Plaza. Earlier this year it was re-made according to the tender mercies and wisdom of Restaurant Makeover. Tomorrow’s show will be aired on the Food Network at 9 p.m. Should be fun and of course the restaurant folks are inviting everyone to come over and watch the show.

Globe’s Margaret Wente accused of plagiarism

There are a series of complaints that the Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente is guilty of what is declared to be plagiarism. Incidents appear to have been accumulating somewhat under the surface of the news. This article in the NYTPicker deals sufficiently with specifics of one case from which a reader can make his own decision as to whether there has been plagiarism. There are, it should be added, enough complaints about Margaret Wente’s various columns that it would be quite a job to personally find and read the specifics of each case. But it seems to add to the gravity of the accusation. — Torontoist  Huffington Post  

CTV says Trudeau will run for Liberal leader

CTV News says that it has learned Justin Trudeau will announce his candidacy for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada at a rally in Quebec next Tuesday.

City’s plastic bag ban is coming apart

L to r Peter Milczyn, Anna Kinastowski, John Parker 

City Council’s shoot-from-the-hip decision to ban plastic bags effective January 1, 2013 is beginning to come apart.  Back on June 6 Council huddled all day and then stunned citizens and businesses alike by announcing that the bag was gone. Since then City Solicitor Anna Kinastowski has gently reminded Council that  the case for legality of the bylaw would be better if there had been some consultation with the rest of Toronto’s population. Now Ward 5 Councillor Peter Milczyn (The Kingsway) says in a motion for next week’s Council meeting that “it would be prudent” for council to formally reopen the debate. If two-thirds of councillors agree, the ban could be rescinded or delayed. Readers will recall that three Councillors  — Matlow, Minan-Wong and Pasternak — changed their minds from no to yes in the process. Among other local Councillors, John Parker voted no and Kristyn Wong-Tam and Jay Robinson voted yes. Karen Stintz was absent. Toronto Star  

Day after the Canadian Tire fire that was

Canadian Tire in the RioCan Centre at Laird Drive and Eglinton Ave. E. will be closed for several weeks after yesterday’s fire. Today the store and parking lot were full of green shirted clean up people from a company with the somewhat grandiose name of Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification. Well, if the name means anything it should be a great cleanup. As suspected, there will huge losses on water-logged inventory. 

BBC and reporter apologize to the Queen

The BBC has been forced to issue an extraordinary apology after disclosing details of a private conversation a senior journalist had with the Queen in which she expressed concerns that a radical Muslim cleric was not in police custody – an embarrassing disclosure for a monarch who avoids public political statements.National Post

Ontario reports first pig-to-human H1N1 case

The province has said it has a confirmed case of pig-to-human influenza — H1N1 — but in an unusual move won’t say where it is. Dr. Arlene King, medical officer of health for Ontario, said the patient is an adult male who is in critical but stable condition in hospital. He is said to have come down with symptoms of the influenza virus strain after close contact with pigs either in Canada or the U.S. The case was confirmed Sept. 23 after laboratory tests were conducted. Toronto Star

School Board is not promoting polygamy

The Toronto School Board issued a poster called Love Has No Gender showing stick-figure pictures of different kinds of couples. But wait a second. Some of the pictures don’t show a couple, they show a trio. One little picture shows a man and two women. Another picture in the poster shows a woman and two men. The school board says it is not promoting polygamy.. The reason for showing two ladies and one man is to remind young people that someone might be attracted to both men and women. Polygamy is illegal. 

Now a mugger who was wearing a disguise

Toronto Police Service report:  A 41 year old female and a 63 year old male report that on September 23, 2012 at approximately 1830 hours, they were in the area of Avenue Road and Davenport Road when a male suspect wearing a disguise approached from behind, grabbed a necklace from the female victim and knocked her to the ground. The suspect attempted to flee the scene but was apprehended a short distance away by the male victim and a struggle ensued. The suspect fled the scene southbound on Avenue Road towards Bernard Avenue.