The South Bayview Bulldog

Friday night’s Lotto Max draw yielded a $60 million winning ticket held somewhere in Ontario. Everyone hopes the winner is now organizing his or her new life and not tragically unaware of this windfall lost under the cushions of the sofa. There were also 48 Maxmillions prizes of $1 million each up for grabs, and 20 of them were claimed by a total of 34 ticket holders, meaning some of those prizes will be shared. The size of the GTA makes the odds about 50/50 that the $60 million ticket is somewhere near, or in, Toronto.

Burglar seen leaving Carbon dress store at 2955 Yonge St. last Thursday

Stories of interest in recent hours include the ordeal of Alex Mazelow, owner of Carbon dress shop at 2955 Yonge St. south of Blythwood Rd. His store has been burglarized three times in less than a month. Then, a dangerous blocking of doors at the Union Station Bay St. teamway. It backed up crowds as they tried to go home from a Mumford and Sons concert at Scotiabank Arena. The doors were shut “for no apparent reason” but of course there is a reason. We just don’t know its name yet. Stupidity, forgetfulness, malice?  Yes, it has a name. Then, an Edmonton judge has denied Omar Khadar a passport so he can go to Saudi Arabia, apparently for religious reasons. He is also forbidden from speaking privately with his sister, who lives abroad, because she has been known to support terrorist groups. Below that, a grumpy GO train rider in the “quiet” car has silenced the carol singing of happy train conductor Gordon Plumridge.

Parade heads north up Bayview from Belsize

Arson the dalmation is ready to go

Pictures outside Pizza Pizza

Who’s in charge?

Strutting their stuff

Say “Christmas”

The Pooch Parade organized by Joanne Lowe of Big Stretch Yoga on Bayview Ave was a barking success Saturday morning. It was held in support of the Toronto Humane Society. Joanne rescued her dog Rufus, adopted from the THS, and he marched in the parade. It’s estimated that $500 was raised. The event was held in conjunction with the last weekend shopping push before Christmas sponsored by the Bayview Leaside BIA. Many fine animals and their friends attended. South Bayview being what it is, there were also lots of other canines out and about just as a matter of course on this chilly December 22nd.

Markets seemed to be in permanent massive decline Friday as Toronto and New York indexes recorded further large losses. Toronto was down 206 points and the Down Jones index down 414. The sustained near-panic selling is occurring in the context of the Canada-US staring match with China over citizens held by Beijing apparently as hostages in response to the extradition proceedings against Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou. In demanding the release of Canadian Michael Kovrig and Michael Savor Friday, the foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, talked a lot about the rule of  law.  It’s something the Chinese like to say they too follow but in practice Beijing cheats a lot. It is never questioned publicly about such things because no public comment is permitted.

• Freeland demands China release detained Canadians
• Canadian Michael Kovrig held in a Chinese cell with lights on 24 hours a day, source says

The time-honoured practice of panhandling has changed. Now it takes place from home. Jovan Hill says he makes $200 a day begging on Twitter. That’s better than Humphrey Bogart in this amusing clip from the film The Treasure of Sierra Madre

Karen Stintz and Jaye Robinson

Cosburn Wolves on the prowl

58th Scouts

Changing of guard

Nancy sees East York sunrise

Patrick Rocca’s skating event

East York skating

From out of the past comes a former TTC Chair, Karen Stintz, with advice for the incoming transit supremo Jaye Robinson. Speaking of a supremo, Stintz thinks the idea of a transit Czar won’t work. No kidding. All this unfolds in the North York Post as Doug Ford looms in the background with plans to take over the subways.. Below that is a great shot of Cosburn Middle School kids celebrating a goal at the 5th Annual EYCI Winter Classic between Cosburn and Glen Ames Senior Public School. “Great moments frozen in time” sayeth the Cosburn Athletics chief. Then, a changing of the guard at Humphrey Funeral Home A.W. Miles-Newbigging Chapel as Bruce Humphrey hands over the reins to long-time friend and associate Kim Hunter. Mr. Humphrey remembers growing up on the second level of the Bayview and St. Cuthbert’s Drive building when his grandma was in charge. Lorna Krawchuk has written about it here. Also notable is the winter sunrise observed by East York horticulturist Nancy Lewis and various family skating chances over the holidays. Take a look.

Tractor block heater may be the cause

Most horses rescued

Five horses have died following a barn fire in Milton early Friday morning. The fire broke out at the First Line Training Centre, located at 13730 First Line, at around 1:40 a.m. Halton Regional Police along with firefighters from Milton and Halton Hills responded to the incident. Approximately 40 horses were inside. Milton Fire Chief Dave Pratt speculated that the fire started in a tractor on the outside of the building with a block heater that was plugged in.

Barn fire at the First Line Training Centre on Arkel Rd in Milton. Over 35 horses were rescued, 2 died. @HaltonPolice & Milton Fire assisted w the evacuation, @HaltonMedics207 performed first aid on the animals. Many of the Woodbine & Mohawk horses are from here. @Dave_Pratt_FD pic.twitter.com/GDI3aQ1SfO

— Jeremy Cohn (@JeremyCohnTV) December 21, 2018

Claas Relotius

Zhu Hua

Zhang Shilong

Faces, faces as German ace reporter Claas Relotius (left) won’t showing his in public any time soon. He was fired this week from Der Spiegel (the Mirror) for fabricating dozens of stories. Names, places, plots — you name it. With an imagination this fertile Relotius became CNN’s 2016 Reporter of the Year. Then, US authorities have accused two Chinese government hackers, Zhu Hua (centre) and Zhang Shilong (right) of concerted cyber-attacks on US and Canadian firms to steal their secrets. That’s how we do things in president-for-life Xi Jinping’s paradise.

Framing beehive Thursday

Depiction from 2014

Plan from 2014

Years of planning and just plain waiting has suddenly brought furious activity at the northeast corner of McRae and Sutherland Drives. The framework for what was (and apparently is) planned as six townhouses with rooftop patios has leaped skyward in about ten days. The development is on the former site of Bill and Vito’s Shell station, a well-remembered neighborhood haunt run for more than 60 years by two WW II veterans. Resistance to the rooftop patios was considerable when the matter was before North York Community Council. Townhouse okay for Bill and Vito site at McRae, Sutherland.

The Leaside Garden Society meeting will be held on Thursday February 14, 2019 at the Leaside Public Library, 165 McRae Dr. at 7:30 p.m.  Mark Stewart will speak on “Seed Saving and Seed Libraries”.  All are welcome.

Halton Region is dealing with a single case of measles and as is usual in such cases, it names locations where others may have been exposed to someone with the disease. In this case, anyone visiting the Amsterdam Brewhouse, 245 Queen’s Quay, on Sunday between 2.30 and 6 p.m is advised to contact public health.