The South Bayview Bulldog

The Gardiner Expressway will be shut down over the Thanksgiving long weekend for maintenance and improvements. The closure will stretch from Highway 427 to the Don Valley Parkway starting 12:01 a.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Monday.

Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative Party of Canada Leader Andrew Scheer, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet are pictured in this composite image/Canadian Press)

All six federal party leaders are in the national capital today for an English-language debate beginning at 7 p.m. Monday. It will be widely broadcast and streamed as follows:

• Television, CTV, CBC, Global, OMNI, CSPAN and probably others
• Radio, CBC Radio one or Global News Radio Network
• Online, the debate will stream on more than a dozen platforms including thestar.com, Huffingtonpost.ca, CNCnews.ca, Globalnews.ca, macleans.ca and Radio-Canada.ca—plus Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Extinction Rebellion

As estimated 200 climate protesters of a body previously unheard of by most people were blocking traffic on the Bloor Viaduct Monday morning.  The group was identified in the media as a British protest, Extinction Rebellion. There were also protests in London and Amsterdam today. Extinction Rebellion was formed a year ago with the stated aim of performing acts of civil disobedience. There are many tweets and pictures on Twitter.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce speaking to reporters Sunday night/Global News Twitter

Some 55,000 education workers in Ontario will not strike Monday after successful last-minute contract talks with the provincial government, according to Education Minister Stephen Lecce. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing a number of education support workers across the province, reached a tentative deal on Sunday evening — a move that should allow public schools to open as normal. “Parents can rest easy knowing that the Government worked tirelessly to ensure their children remain in the classroom, where they belong,” Lecce said in a statement. The minister was asked why the work of both teaching and support staff in Ontario school are not considered an essential service like transit staff. He said now was not the time for finger-pointing.

GO transit spokesperson Anne Marie Atkins has raised an unexpected and rather astonishing fear that GO train service will be delayed because of a possible strike by CUPE support works at Ontario schools on Monday. She said the closure of schools may well mean that parents who operate the trains will stay home, thus creating inevitable slowdowns or disruptions. The impact of parents booking off work can be seen as an inconvenience in many industries but the possibility it might hit essential public services has previously gone unstated. Gov’t, CUPE continue talks in an effort to avoid Monday strike

Thirteen new cardinals

Cardinal Michael Czerny

Pope Francis has continued his reform of the Catholic Church by appointing 13 like-minded clerics to the College of Cardinals over the weekend. Among those appointed is the Canadian Jesuit Michael Czerny. Czerny, 73, founded the Jesuit Centre for Social Faith and Justice at St. Michael’s College on St. Mary St. He is a rare Jesuit appointee to the College.

The arrest Saturday of Andrew Cardiazo Esguerra, 28, at a residence near Oakwood Ave and Vaughan Rd also resulted in the recovery of much loot stolen over the summer from apartment and condo lockers. Now police at 14 Division are inviting those who may have lost such items to call the Major Crime Unit there to identify their property. The number is (416) 808-1400. The items recovered include sports memorabilia, coins, stamp collections, comic book collections, posters, video games, tools, jewelry, boxed model cars and various other collectibles. The loot may have a value of as much as $200,000.

Contract talks between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the provincial government continue Sunday at the Sheraton Centre Hotel at 123 Queen West. The threat of a province-wide strike by Ontario education workers looms for Monday morning.

There was no winning ticket for the $21.8 million jackpot in Saturday night’s Lotto 6/49 draw. However, the guaranteed $1 million prize went to a ticket holder in Quebec. Another ticket sold in Quebec and one in Saskatoon matched five of the six winning numbers plus the bonus to claim $150,552 each. The jackpot for the next Lotto 6/49 draw on Oct. 9 will be approximately $25 million.

Debra Kuchme introduces young friend to animated pony Butterscotch outside Pagnello’s Antiques/Bulldog

Here are Pumpkin and Nina (in red) with friends on sunny Saturday/Bulldog

Pumpkin and Apple — yeah/Bulldog

Penne Pomodoro tasting at Tutto Pronto/Bulldog

Suggestions for face painting outside Bonnie Byford Real Estate/Bulldog

Beautiful baskets at MacFab/Bulldog

Delightful Betty Loo Photo Booth/Bulldog

Strongbow Cider tasting at McSorley’s/Bulldog

It was a lovely day Saturday for the Bayview Leaside BIA Apple Fest event and there was lots of entertaining activity for shoppers. Also Saturday, thousands turned out for the Leaside Block Party (below) sponsored by the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Tennis court was converted to a basketball court for Holland Bloor patients/Bulldog

Andy Elder and daughter Sarah cooked hundreds of burgers to assist the charity event/Bulldog