The South Bayview Bulldog

OCAD among schools threatened

Twitter accounts say that bomb threats have shut down and caused evacuations at the Ontario School of Art and Design (OCAD) and at parts of Ryerson University. Police are saying that threats were made to ten campuses at four schools. George Brown College and Humber College are also named. The threats are clearly coordinated and similar in nature, police say.

The @TorontoPolice Service is responding to numerous bomb threats to post-secondary campuses throughout the city. We're investigating & working w/ schools to evacuate where necessary. Anyone who has received a threat or has info on the investigation is asked to call police. ^CdK

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) June 18, 2019

This is the day the federal government is supposed to make a decision to build the Trans Mountain Pipeline (which is owned by you) or not. Despite concerns for the economy, there is widespread support for the project. Most Canadians say the failure of the country to sell its oil and achieve oil self-sufficiency is a crisis.

Breathtaking images of wildlife on eastern shore

Posted this week

In flight

Area photographer Colin Mcconnell has made another post to Facebook of superb wildlife scenes taken along the eastern shoreline. As he says: “Nature is nice.” And nicely captured, we add. Mcconnell is also on Instagram.

Hello City Hall and Raptors fans

Thrilled crowds

Beautiful flyover by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds during the Toronto #RaptorsParade. You can see the sea of people at NPS (0:10). #WeTheNorth #Raptors #NBA #Champions 🏀🇨🇦🏆 @CFSnowbirdspic.twitter.com/yi8gFEXH5C

— Tom Podolec Aviation (@TomPodolec) June 17, 2019

Passage des Snowbirds au-dessus de l’hôtel de ville de #Toronto. Les joueurs ne sont toujours pas arrivés. #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/dkZV01ArMw

— Mathieu Simard (@mathieusimard) June 17, 2019

Geri Halliwell

Pauley Perette

Gloria Vanderbilt

Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) says she was a brat for breaking up the Spice Girls 21 years ago. But she went on to a stunning solo career before re-joining SG and is said to have made a huge fortune along the way. At centre is Pauley Perrette, formerly of the popular crime drama NCIS, who says she left the program because she’s afraid of Mark Harmon. Now she is upping her attacks on Harmon. Finally at the right, Gloria Vanderbilt, heiress, socialite, businesswoman and Anderson Cooper’s mom, has died at age 95. She lived quite a life.

The federal government is expected to approve construction of the now publicly owned Trans Mountain Pipeline, a decision that will be greatly applauded by those concerned about the economy. The federal government is also set to start a program to help new buyers pay for their first home. It will start on Labour Day, shortly before the October general election. The plan will pick up five percent of a mortgage on existing homes for households that earn under $120,000 a year, on a mortgage of no more than $480,000. And Airbus has stepped up the pressure on arch-rival Boeing on the opening day of the Paris airshow by launching a new long-range small passenger jet and announcing $15bn (£12bn) worth of orders. It is called the A321XLR and is a long-haul version of the A321neo that competes with Boeing’s grounded 737 Max.

Police are confirming that as many as three were injured by gunfire in an incident at Bay and Queen Sts. on pavement mobbed with Raptors celebrants. An announcement from the stage while the Prime Minister was present asked fans to stay calm, but not to leave. A late Tweet from Police Operations says that three are injured, but not too seriously, and that two persons are in custody. Weapons have also been seized. On-air commentators for the CBC offered praise for police who acted to quell potential panic.

POTENTIALLY DEADLY PANIC

The huge turnout for the parade and rally slowed the event. Scott Lightfoot of CTV was saying that player introductions were taking place at 3.45 p.m., some three hours later than expected. It seems probable that the rally will last until at least 5 p.m. and perhaps longer, after which crowds will be finding their way home. Downtown streets and mass transit routes are likely to be crowded well into the evening. Below is video posted by Star City Hall reporter Jennifer Pagliaro showing the potential deadly panic. It is quite scary.

I’m on the roof of city hall and something is happening. People are running including what looks to be cops and security pic.twitter.com/FEbhw88OqI

— Jennifer Pagliaro (@jpags) June 17, 2019

Twitter: @CityofTO

11:59 AM – 17 Jun 2019 – Nathan Phillips Square is at capacity, no one else will be allowed on the Square. Watch the parade + rally on big screen at Coronation Park. Everyone onsite: please celebrate safely… @TorontoPolice want you to be able to enjoy the entire event! #WeTheNorthDay #WeTheNorth (Twitter: @cityoftoronto)

Queen, Osgoode and Dundas TTC Stations are closed due to overcrowding at street level.

Screens have been set up at Yonge-Dundas Square to watch the Toronto Raptors victory parade in an effort to ease overcrowding at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto police said.

Toronto Police, Fire and Ambulance have set up a medical post in the intersection on Bay Street, South of Dundas and just East of City Hall. If you or others are feeling unwell, please look for the parked ambulance to get attention.

New Road Closures: Yonge Street is closed from Richmond to just north of Dundas. Also, Dundas is closed between Bay and Church Streets. No vehicles permitted.

To give you a sense of how overcrowded it is, the ramp to city hall was blocked off. But in the past hour, @torontopolice are lifting people who want to leave up and over the wall. A lot of people are choosing to leave.#WeTheNorthDay #RaptorsParade pic.twitter.com/0r5AVSzYXM

— Nick Westoll (@NWestoll) June 17, 2019

Close to capacity

Viewing areas at City Hall and all along the route are close to capacity. At 10.30 Monday police are appealing for fans not to block the parade route. “Stay off the road and allow the players and the floats to pass. All viewing areas close to capacity. Be patient and safe,” they tweeted. Police Operations

The Toronto Raptors Championship Parade will begin at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, June 17 at the Princes’ Gates at Exhibition Place, and will finish at Nathan Phillips Square, where a rally will cap off the festivities — CBC

Skating rink is boarded over to accommodate crowd

Monday will see Toronto delight in Raptors victory ecstasy with a parade for the NBA champions snaking its way from Exhibition Place to City Hall for a huge noon-hour rally. As many as 2,000,000 people are expected to line the route and crowd Nathan Phillips Square for the event. The parade begins at 10 a.m. at the Princes’ Gates and will head east on Lakeshore Boulevard before turning north onto York Street and University Avenue and finally heading east on Queen Street to Nathan Phillips Square for the 12:30 p.m. rally. Sunday saw the rare spectacle of workmen covering the City Hall Skating Rink in order to make room for the crowds.

As many as 2 million expected