The South Bayview Bulldog

Earl Haig Secondary meeting

City Hall meeting

What does the province fear from Toronto’s residential bylaws? Whatever it is, the Ford government has taken the extraordinary step of introducing a bill (108) to essentially wipe out the freedom so-long sought by the City to moderate its dizzying growth. The issue is livability. Bill 108 would, apparently, return so-called de novo (start over) powers to the process. Builders would have the right to simply say that Toronto’s bylaws should be put aside for their project. It permits, as per the old OMB, entirely new and different criteria to be put in place for each project. And of course, each departure from a bylaw becomes a precedent, permitting more and more precedents until the bylaw is dead.

Jenny Tremblett and her Border Collie friend/Instagramcollie

Visiting at Parklea and Rumsey/Facebook

This Thursday

Sewer vacuum season/Bulldog

Seen around South Bayview early this week is the arrival of patio season. Love it. That’s Sophie’s (upper left) on Sunday. To the right, Jenny Tremblett and her white Border Collie from the Leaside Instagram account. Centre left is a charming visitor to a garden at Parklea Dr. and Rumsey Rd. Centre right we see a reminder for the Northlea EMS first annual (if you please) Spring Fling. Below that is the scene at McRae Dr. and Bayview Ave. Monday as the sewer vacuum season gets underway. More critically, does this signal the end of those wretched orange cones blocking the corner?

The PC government will reverse its intended retroactive funding cuts to municipalities after heavy pressure from mayors who warned of devastating impacts to public health, child care and ambulance services. Premier Ford announced Monday he had heard from municipalities that they could find savings in their own budgets, but they needed more time to do so. “We’ve come up with a conclusion that we’re going to work together,” he said Monday. “We’re going to maintain the funding throughout this year. Every mayor I talked to said they can find savings. So that’s good news. But they said they needed more runway” — Canadian Press

#BREAKING: Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces government will cancel retroactive cuts to public health, child care and other municipal services #onpoli

MORE: https://t.co/x6vbi0481B pic.twitter.com/fYhMKWfeaE

— Global News Toronto (@globalnewsto) May 27, 2019

A Facebook post tells of an attempt at a midnight egging with unintended consequences for the perps on Broadway Ave between Rumsey and Hanna Rd. Sunday morning. The post runs “a black sedan came speeding up to us as four teens attempted to throw eggs at us. A drive-by egging. As they veered over to our side of the street the idiot driver failed to see the car parked in front of him and crashed directly into the back left side of the vehicle causing fairly significant damage to both cars. These teens were most definitely driving mommy or daddies car trying to cause mischief. We were unable to see the license plate or model as both me and my friends were a little shocked at the time however it is a black sedan with probably a lot of damage to the front right side of the vehicle. If anyone knows who it is please go speak to them, encourage them to man up to their mistakes and take responsibility and apologize for the damage they caused to that poor unsuspecting person’s car.”

A minivan is seen surrounded by police tape after it allegedly struck a female pedestrian in Etobicoke on May 26, 2019. CITYNEWS/Ken Townsend

A woman is critically hurt after being pinned under a minivan on North Queen St and Nova Rd in Etobicoke about 7:15 p.m. Sunday. She is said to be in her 30s. More as available.

Is the US playing Canada like a fiddle on trade? That’s the gist of a story by CBC writer Janyce McGregor as she casts a cynical eye on Liberal victory laps at steel and aluminum mills across the country. She quotes people saying that lifting the tariffs on these metals was a mere tactic in the US trade war on China. Canada got what appears to be a reversible respite from tariffs so the US can present a united North American front to Beijing. McGregor suggests the tariffs could easily return. Long gone are the days when Canada was the essential next-door ally in the war against Communism. Now, it seems, the relative smallness of Canada’s population — a mere 37 million — make it just another small-time player. No more punching above our weight. More like getting beaten up from time to time. A nasty new reality to reckon with.

The well-publicized helicopter spray of oak trees in and near the Moore Park Ravine (Mud Creek) was carried out in the murk of dawn Sunday. Those who have experienced it (2013) know that on certain passes the home will shake as the chopper descends to near tree-top level. There have been no reports of incidents but the language in some homes was no doubt colourful. And unprintable.

https://twitter.com/Astro_yyz/status/1132613938384908288

Video from a reported down-and-out Saskatoon neighborhood shows a woman being kicked and beaten to the ground by young people. She had threatened to call police because they were throwing stones at a man. Such violence is deeply shocking but not unknown. A psychologist in the video talks about the violence that feeds on itself among the young.

There was no winning ticket for the $9 million jackpot in Saturday night’s Lotto 649 draw  However, the guaranteed $1 million prize was claimed by a ticket holder in Ontario. The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on May 29 will be approximately $11 million.

Toronto Raptors trailed all night but found fourth quarter grit to claw their back to a 100-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday and advance to the NBA finals against the Golden State Warriors. As usual, Kawhi Leonard led the way with 27 points and 17 rebounds. Game 1 will mark the first NBA Finals game ever played on Canadian soil.

Rescuer with Amanda Eller

Robert F Smith

Dr. Tina Chada

Faces of joy, generosity and remorse this Sunday morning. At left is Amanda Eller, 36, in a photo taken with a rescuer just moments after she was discovered in the thick forests of Maui Island in Hawaii. She had been there for two weeks and official searches had ended. The men who found Amanda were hired by her family. At centre is billionaire Robert F. Smith, the wealthiest black man in the US. Late last week he stunned faculty and students at Morehouse College in Atlanta by adding a word or two to his commencement address. He said he was going to pay off all student loans at Morehouse, a sum estimated at $40 million. Finally, at right, Toronto psychiatrist Jasjot (Tina) Chadda has been suspended for six months by the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Chadda was also given a public scolding by the college for her predatory business practices. She expressed remorse. Michele Mandel of the Toronto Sun.