The South Bayview Bulldog

Can this bright Sunday morning possibly make up for the gloom we will feel at about 5 p.m. as we are plunged into darkness by Standard Time? There appears to be much sound argument that the semi-annual time change is an abuse of our bodies and minds.

• Eight scientific reasons to ditch daylight time – and two to keep it
• Daylight Saving Time doesn’t work and was invented by our enemies: Nine reasons to hate the clock change this Sunday

A ticket sold in Ontario claimed Saturday night’s $9.6 million Lotto 649 jackpot, while the draw’s guaranteed $1 million prize went to a ticket holder in Quebec. The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on Nov. 7 will be approximately $5 million.

Eggstatic 1568 Bayview

Beauty Bloom

Aytac Fashion

At upper left, the breakfast and brunch renaissance in South Bayview continues with preparation to open at Eggstatic, 1568 Bayview Ave., next door to Verdi Trattoria. This makes the fourth such happy arrival here after Green Canoe on Millwood Rd., Brunch Story at 874 Eglinton (at Laird) and the enormously busy Sophie’s Kitchen at 1614 Bayview. Still in the top gallery, on the east side of Bayview new businesses Beauty Bloom and Aytac Fashion are a welcome sight. In the lower gallery, the progression of La Muse (now at 1592 Bayview) to its soon to be completed new home at 1610 Bayview. That’s the former home of Horticultural Design. As reported here in June, owner Michael Renaud closed his business at the end of August after 27 years to accept a position with Summerhill Nursery and Floral on Poplar Plains Road.

Present LaMuse at 1592

Horticultural Design in June

Now repainted and soon to open at La Muse at 1610

The plan by Statistics Canada to require the big banks and other financial institutions to provide it with name-specific information about how some 500,000 Canadians spend their money has inspired a national petition to stop such snooping. A petition started in Calgary has gathered about 9,000 names in about 24 hours. The scheme came to light about a week ago through the digging of Global News. Statistics Canada has said that the process, while very detailed in the collection process, will not reveal any names or other personal information when the data is released. As might be expected, the reason for this extraordinary use of banking information is said to be entirely for your own good. The data will be used to see where and how Canadians spend (and possibly get) their money permitting better economic planning. Or something like that.

• Why StatsCan wants Canadians’ personal banking information
• Statscan willing to delay launch of plan to obtain personal banking records but insists it’s ultimately necessary

Here is a summary of evidence at the trial of Rohinie Bisesar from Toronto Sun court reporter Michele Mandel and a video of comments from the family of the victim, Rosemary Junor, and Ms Bisesar’s counsel.

Charles Gaines

Shirley Donoghue

Keira Knightley and Mackenzie Foy

Faces in the news starts at left with the unsplattered countenance of Charles Gaines, who says he invented the game of paintball. Someone in the YouTube comments disputes that but Gaines description of his cerebral inspiration sounds authentic. Then to Manhattan where Shirley Donoghue, 90, has been phone-scammed out of $20,000. There’s no depths to which such worms will go. At the right, we see Mackenzie Foy (as Klara) and Keira Knightley (as the Sugar Plum Fairy) in the newly released Disney epic The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. It has a huge cast including Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman. See them all here.

No winning ticket was sold for the $42 million jackpot in Friday night’s Lotto Max draw. The jackpot for the next draw on Nov. 9 will grow to approximately $50 million, and there will be six Maxmillions prizes of $1 million possible.

Friday’s debate between David Frum and Steve Bannon seemed forgotten in the anger and fear seen both outside Thomson Hall and briefly inside. The debate was described by the organizers, Munk Debates, as a discussion of liberalism versus populism. Among protesters it was viewed as a triumph of Nazism and white supremacy. Some said that Frum and Bannon were merely “two right-wingers”  City News has caught many expressions of the fearful anger here.

New Brunswick’s Liberal government has fallen after losing a confidence vote on its throne speech Friday. Premier Brian Gallant told the legislature he would be going to the lieutenant-governor to resign — and to suggest Tory Leader Blaine Higgs be given the opportunity to form government.

• New Brunswick’s Liberal government falls to Tories after throne speech defeated
• New Brunswick’s next premier is a fiscal hawk and former Irving Oil executive

Standard Time returns to Ontario at 2 a.m. Sunday bringing with it extra peril on darkened streets. As many as 17 pedestrians were hit by cars and other vehicles overnight Thursday/Friday with varying injuries. In one instance a man of 90 was walking on Annabelle Drive in Etobicoke at around 8:45 p.m. when he was struck.

MAKE A PLAN TO CROSS ROAD

Safety consultants urge pedestrians to concentrate on crossing streets and, in effect, make a plan about where, when and how to cross. Too often crossing the street is done impulsively and without regard to traffic, they say.

Hugh Heckman

Meghan Markle

The Hot One

Hugh Heckman, an-award winning news writer for CBS and other employers, was fired from the Public Broadcasting Corporation (PBS) for telling a male colleague that Meghan Markle was “not bad.” The men were assessing photos and Heckman says he barely mumbled the remark. But it was heard by at least two women working in the newsroom. They complained that Heckman had engaged in sexist conduct that tainted the workplace. He was fired two days later. In an action against PBS for unspecified damages, Heckman complains of a double standard because his female coworkers had been heard saying Justin Trudeau was “hot” without similar consequences. Heckman, 72, was working on a story about Prince Harry and his then fiancée on Nov. 25, 2017 according to his statement of claim. His lawyer, Jillian Weiss, says the firing does a disservice to complaints of workplace harassment. Daily Mail and National Post