The South Bayview Bulldog

Ontario’s new license plates will remain blue and white but will forgo raised letters so typical of plates around the world. The background is blue, the letters and numerals white. Information on the construction and materials of the plate is not at hand but depictions of it reveal the new motto (A Place To Grow) and a redesigned Ontario Trillium. It’s 60 years since the plates were made with white letters on blue. That was before stickers and the plate background changed to mark a new issuance. The year was printed on the plate as shown by the 1971 plate below.

The PC government’s first budget has been tabled in the:Legislature Thursday.

• Ford government committed to lifting cap on pot shops in Ontario
• Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s first budget calls for four more years of deficits
• Ontario Budget 2019: A child-care credit, dental care for seniors, and drinking in parks on the way
• Randall Denley: Ontario budget sees Doug Ford’s PCs unveil a sweeping four-year plan touching on every aspect of government

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released information Thursday about the royal birth just days away. It will be a bit more private than previous royal arrivals to Harry’s brother William, and his own mom and dad, Diana and Charles. This breezy report from PeopleTV has the story.

There’s an apparent awakening among seasoned Toronto scribblers — Mike Crawley of the CBC and Chris Selley of the National Post are two — that the Ford transit dream isn’t all that bad. They almost giggle at the thought of driverless relief-line trains speeding through NDP Green downtown. Could be good, including the thrust to Markham and the loop at Ontario Place. But the whole thing comes from a government led by Doug Ford and in Ottawa (and other places) that’s not good. The PCs may yet regret. if they don’t already. electing Mr. Ford as their leader over the less contentious Christine Elliott. The Toronto Star Thursday reflects, as it usually does, the inner sanctum thinking of the Liberal government. One of its headlines is “Doug Ford’s transit plan has good elements. But Ford himself is cause for skepticism.”

A 45-year-old man using a mobility device or scooter has been rescued after he fell three floors down an elevator shaft at a Toronto Community Housing building downtown. Toronto Fire crews were called to the building on Simcoe St near Dundas St just after 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. “They arrived to find a patient at the bottom of an elevator shaft and a scooter that had fallen down with him,” Capt. Adrian Ratushniak said. Fire officials said the man fell about 50 feet from the third floor and was rescued from the bottom of the shaft in the basement. He was taken to hospital with leg injuries. It is unclear how the man fell down the shaft. Police and officials with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority are investigating — CityNews

Whiskey is microchpped and shy

Whiskey is found

Whiskey is  found. A post to Leaside Chit Chat asks for help finding Whiskey. It says he was “lost in the Laird and Eglinton area (Wednesday) while in the care of the dog walker. Whiskey is 11 months old, he is brown with a white chest. He is shy. He has no collar on but he is microchipped. If you know anyone that lives in Leaside, Davisville or further south in the Thorncliffe or Danforth area please share this post with them and ask them to keep their eyes peeled for poor Whiskey. If anyone sees him please ask them to email me at janetstone03@gmail.com. Or call (647) 202-0282.”

Jammies at school breakfast

Ride in woods

Planting Day

Northlea E&MS has published a “social days” calendar for their students including a jammies breakfast, ride in the woods and planting day. The list of events is long. Take a look.

London Police say that Julian Assange, wanted by the US on official secrets violations, has been removed from the Ecuador embassy at the invitation of the ambassador. Assange has been there since 2012. Assange is generally said to be the founder of the world-wide Wikileaks phenomenon. Wikipedia 

Mystery so far surrounds the fatal stabbing of Rae Cara Carrington, 51, of Toronto by a man who escaped from the scene in the City’s PATH system Wednesday. It occurred at a food counter apparently without any disturbance to suggest that this type of violence was imminent. Reports call the killing “targeted” but the police have not commented on this. Ms. Carrington was an employee at the salad bar where the stabbing happened. The suspect is described as white, 20-30 years, 5’8″ to 5’9″, medium build, with dark hair and facial hair. He was wearing a light-coloured ball cap, a black hooded sweater with a white T-shirt underneath, dark pants and dark shoes. A release Thursday says Ms. Carrington was fatally wounded when a suspect attacked her in the Commerce Court section of the underground shopping complex, located near King and Bay streets.

Restaurant called Fast Fresh Foods completely taped off and surrounded by police after a fatal stabbing in PATH system food court last night. @globalnewsto https://t.co/Sxbt9qumef

— Kamil Karamali (@KamilKaramali) April 11, 2019

The Liberals are using their omnibus budget bill to legislate a “right to housing” and the requirements on future government to not drop the concept, Canadian Press reports Thursday. The bill sets into law rules around the Liberals’ 10-year national housing strategy, valued at more than $40 billion, and creates two new oversight bodies meant to make sure the spending reduces homelessness. A national housing council is to advise the government on the effects of the strategy and a new housing advocate is to report annually on systemic issues preventing Canadians from finding affordable and safe places to live.