City’s plastic bag ban is coming apart

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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 If two-thirds of councillors agree, the ban could be rescinded or delayed.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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Messy Church for kids at Manor Road United

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An innovative program for kids with a delightful name gets underway in October at Manor Road United Church. Thanks to Susan Russell for letting us know about Messy Church, billed as a fun-packed evening which will explore “big questions” like crafts, drama, activities, preparing a meal , storytelling, songs and prayer. The first event is Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at the church. The group will meet October through June (except January). Join up at http://www.manorroadunitedchurch.com/

Fire destroys CTC Garden Centre at Laird and Eglinton

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Photos Evan Ross

Fire has destroyed the Garden Centre at Canadian Tire at Laird Drive and Eglinton Ave E. The blaze broke out during rush hour Monday creating an almost impassable traffic jam along Eglinton and on Laird Drive. Evan Ross, a Canadian Tire employee, said he had just sat down for lunch when a colleague from the Garden Centre came running into the main building to say there was a fire. Then the alarm went off and the sprinkler system began to spray water on millions of dollars of inventory. Ross ran outside and snapped the above picture just as the fire was getting started. Later, lower right, he sent The South Bayview Bulldog a shot of the aftermath. Video was taken a short distance away from outside Pier One showing the plume of black smoke that rose above the neighborhood. There were no injuries.  Ross said he and his friends think the fire originated near a cardboard box inside the centre and they guess the cause is careless smoking.  Firefighters are fortunate that propane tanks shown in this picture survived the fire. Ross said he and others had just loaded many bags of charcoal and other flammable inventory into the centre for the night.  YouTube video

Life and Times of Sam The Record Man

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Toronto Star  The legendary seller of recorded music and exemplary citizen is dead at 92.

Boy hit on Thorncliffe Park “barely injured”

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The 9–year-old boy who was hit by a car and briefly trapped under the vehicle is said to be barely injured. The accident occurred when the boy realized he had boarded the wrong bus and dashed across Thorncliffe Park Drive to catch the right bus and was struck by the passing car. Previous post.

600,000 of us still don’t buckle the seat belt

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According to Toronto Police, there is still a seven or eight percent minority of drivers who operate their vehicles without doing up the safety belt. Today marks the beginning of an annual drive to enforce the law.  That percentage totals some  600,000 people who are unbuckled. .

Sam “the Record Man” Sniderman dead at 92

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Toronto Star