The South Bayview Bulldog

Vice Admiral Norman

Marie Henein

Justin Trudeau

The CBC and other news organizations say federal prosecutors will drop the breach of trust prosecution against Vice-Admiral Mark Norman for fear that details of the trial might blow up on the Liberal government during the coming general election. The decision by the Justice Department seems a signal victory for Norman’s chief counsel, Toronto criminal lawyer Marie Henein, who has hinted that the government was trying to orchestrate a public impression of the case outside the courtroom. For Mr. Trudeau and his party, the retreat cuts their losses in the wake of the smouldering SNC-Lavalin matter. The single breach of trust charge was laid last year. Norman, a former commander of the navy, was accused of leaking cabinet secrets in relation to a $668-million shipbuilding deal to lease a supply vessel. The backdown was telegraphed Tuesday when the Public Prosecution Service of Canada took the unusual step of sending out a notice to the media advising them that they “may wish to attend” court on Wednesday at 10 a.m. The case has also seen the government face allegations of political interference from the Opposition Conservatives.

Stocks fell sharply on Tuesday after a top US trade official indicated that higher tariffs on Chinese goods are coming later this week, disappointing traders who hoped President Donald Trump’s weekend tweet threat was just a negotiation tactic. The Dow was down 470 points, the TSX was off 135. The Toronto drop seems less dramatic than that in New York. What can we hope for in a world where Canada — once adored by both China and the US — is now a pariah to both?

Doors open and dangerous

David Fafinski of Hamilton was on the QEW last Thursday when he recorded this misguided delivery of lumber. OPP are aghast of course. It fairly shouts knock my doors off and defines unsafe. Unfortunately the plate is unreadable. But it must have come from a nearby lumber yard or Home Depot. Language may be offensive. 

A security lapse at Freedom Mobile has exposed customer data. The firm is owned by Shaw Communications of Calgary. The online publication Techcrunch says researchers Noam Rotem and Ran Locar found an Elasticsearch server leaking five million logs containing customer data. The server wasn’t protected with a password, allowing anyone to access the data. Credit card numbers were seen in plain language. Freedom said the data exposed was from customers who had opened or made any changes to their accounts at 17 Freedom Mobile retail locations from March 25 to April 15 and any customers who made changes or opened accounts on April 16.

City meeting at Greenwood College School on Mt. Pleasant Rd. Monday night

An information meeting Monday about a proposed 8-storey mixed-use building at 1410 Bayview Ave south of Balliol St. has heard concerns about the building’s height, traffic, parking, schools and unrented retail space  Like most such meetings, residents struggled with contrary concepts of residential bylaws limiting height and density next to official plans promoting growth, tower living and fewer cars. For many, it’s double talk. Brian Athey, former president of the Leaside Property Owners Association, asked if mid-rise heights of seven and eight storeys specified in the official planning act (OPA 405) exist “as a right” or are they subject to the many provisions in the plan intended to mitigate height.  A sneaky question to expose OPA 405 as a sham on the public? The reply from City planner Alex Teixeira was that OPA 405 is intended “to be read as a whole, so I think everything does apply.”  Make of it what you will. But those present were particularly offended by the idea that the garage at 1410 would have 44 parking spaces for 65 units. The residential bylaw would require 77 spaces for that density. The meeting heard the developer’s planner, Louis Tinker, say that increasing density and better transit has reduced car ownership downtown. City hopes seem to be high for the same thing in Midtown but those present openly scoffed at this idea.

Here’s a shot of the 5 alarm fire raging on at York Memorial Collegiate from the BT Chopper. Eglinton remains closed from Trethewey to Black Creek & Trethewey is closed north of Eglinton as a result. The call for this fire came in at about 3:30 this morning! Updates on @BTtoronto pic.twitter.com/8BeyfgK5Io

— Stephanie Henry (@henrylstephanie) May 7, 2019

The Toronto Fire Service was called back to York Memorial Collegiate Institute on Monday around 3 a.m.. for a fire that erupted in the auditorium. Flames could be seen coming from a second-storey window of the school, fire officials said. It is the second major fire to strike the high school at 2690 Eglinton Ave. West in 24 hours and is being called a completely separate incident. Fire Chief Pegg said the sequence is “very rare.” A sixth alarm was rung Tuesday afternoon and a helicopter is being employed to alert police to changing winds patterns so that the public can be aware of ground smoke patterns.

Five alarm fire on 90th anniversary of school/CBC

Long tradition

Environment Day collection at Leaside Arena

A reminder to pull together your old electronics for safe disposal at Thursday’s Enviroment Day at Leaside Arena

You may be richer than you think, as the Scotiabank slogan goes, but please don’t park in their little lot at the corner of Eglinton Ave. and Laird Dr. It’s the talk of the evening on Facebook Monday night with many comments saying that parking tickets from a bank aren’t legal. That makes sense. This unusual action seems to be prompted by coffee drinkers slipping into the lot then scooting over to Starbucks. One woman writes that the battle has been going on since 1983 “when TD bank branch was where Starbucks is now. Scotiabank went so far as to plaster banners on your windshield which were almost impossible to remove.”

Scotiabank lot at Laird and Eglinton (across the road from Starbucks).

Jones Avenue Adult Centre burns/Global News

Fire crews battled a four-alarm roofing fire at the Jones Avenue Adult Centre at 540 Jones Ave Monday night. Seven roofers were apparently on top of the building when the flames broke out, but they were able to get out safely. The school was evacuated and no injuries have been reported. The school is an English as a Second Language learning centre for adults.

The weekend removal of some 300 cats from a single apartment unit in North York has once again highlighted the difficulty neighbours often have in getting action against such abuse. The issue for most is the putrid odour associated with such a large cat population. Neighbours in this City News report say they complained frequently but it is not said to whom. On Saturday it was Toronto Cat Rescue and Toronto Animal Services that executed an order.

2011 CASE ON MANOR ROAD

The issue of whom to call is critical, as those who lived through a similar case on Manor Rd. near Mt. Pleasant in 2011 know well. Neighbours in that case had complained endlessly to the City without action. Municipal bureaucrats apparently considered the matter a case of a homeowner’s rights. In the end, it was an election canvasser who got action. He called the fire department because the smell coming from the house made him fear there was a dead body inside. Fire personnel found 60 cats in the house.