The South Bayview Bulldog

Hayden Landolt and Olivia Walsh with the Agnes Macphail trophy in 2016

Maeve Pestonji of St Anselm Catholic School/www.tcdsb.org/schools/St Anselm

The Agnes Macphail Public Speaking Contest for elementary school children in East York has been cancelled because of the many strikes called by the Elementary Teacher Federation of Ontario and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’. The contest features children from Grades Six to Eight. Lorna Krawchuk of the Macphail committee is quoted as saying “participation depends on the teacher of that class appreciating the value to his/her students of researching, preparing and delivering a speech and devoting the necessary class time to have that happen.” Recent years have seen two winners from St. Anselm Catholic Elementary School in Leaside

John Cunningham, 72

Died alone in room at Queen East and Munro St.

Police are appealing Sunday for help in finding the next-of-kin of John Cunningham, 72. Mr. Cunningham died January 2 in his upstairs room at 668A Queen Street East just east of Munro St.  A release says that after exhaustive efforts, investigators have been unable to locate next-of-kin to inform them of his passing. “We are asking for any family or friends to contact us at 416-808-5500, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, online on our Facebook Leave a Tip page, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637). Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes or Google Play.”

Inspired by a few Indigenous folk who have blocked the main rail line from Toronto to Montreal and Ottawa, west end warriors against oil blocked the main freight line across Toronto north of Dupont St. near Landsdowne Saturday. “Can’t drink oil, leave it in the soil,” they chanted. Federal Court dismisses challenge to Trans Mountain pipeline expansion

Kylie McDonald, 17/CP24 video capture Twitter

Halton police are praising the honesty of Kim McDonald, 17, who found a lost bag of cash and promptly reported it to police. The release says the girl’s honesty “replenishes faith in the good-hearted nature of the majority of youth in our community.”

Bag containing as much as $30,000 “dropped” by a dental employee

Police have explained that the bag was apparently dropped by an employee of a dental practice as she was locking up the premises at the end of the day. Many business people find the idea that this kind of cash is carried around by a one person and that it can be dropped and mislaid frankly astonishing.

Saturday’s brutally cold temperatures will end overnight with a high of 1º Sunday along as much as five cm of snow. There will be more snow Wednesday with similar temperatures through Thursday. But Friday will see a return to frigid conditions with a forecast daytime high of minus 8º.  Weather Network

Raptors President Masai Ujiri is seen as a sort of secret weapon as Prime Minister Trudeau tours Africa seeking support for Canada’s bid for a seat on the Security Council. Then, 10,000 episodes of Coronation Street later, the popular ITV soap opera is still going strong around the world. Below that, Google is seen as a Canadian asset in this breathless CBC report about Canada’s tech sector. And finally, former TTC boss Andy Byford, now head of the MTA in New York, is having to explain how graffiti sneaks turned an entire train into a garish nightmare while it sat in the yards. Yikes.

Wheel of Fortune contestant Jessie Rebhan of Palmetto Bay, Florida, has won US$37,000 with a stunning deduction. She correctly guessed Buying a Juicer with only four of the 13 letters on the board.

Struggle on 501 Queen streetcar during Friday rush hour/Twitter @CascadingDesign

A fight said to be between TTC fare inspectors and a passenger on the 501 Queen streetcar is posted to Twitter Friday. The owner of @CascadingDesign writes: “The officers approached him, asked for proof of payment, and he blew them off. They then insisted, stopped the streetcar, and as he got up they crowded in. He tried to move in the opposite direction (and it) then turned into mutual shoving and then punches.”

Cabaret event

Through MRUC doors

Love is the Answer as Manor Road United Church holds what is billed as Cabaret at the Manor Saturday evening. Toronto’s Jason Fowler, a regular at Hugh’s Room, will be one of the musicians on stage at the Cabaret.

Canadians on the Diamond Princess, now moored in Yokahama, are quarantined in their cabins until authorities can be sure none of them has the coronavirus. Then, Kirk Douglas is dead at age 103. Below that, videos on the separate debuts, of a sort, for Justin Bieber and Britpop star Louis Tomlinson

Shining faces of some Toronto Leaside Wildcats

This great photo was posted by the Toronto Leaside Wildcats to mark National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Talk about shining faces.