The South Bayview Bulldog

As many as 70,000 customers are still without power in Ottawa and area Sunday following two tornadoes that struck the area Friday. Hundreds of flood victims and people whose homes sustained tornado damage will be able to return to their homes Sunday. According to a press release from the City of Gatineau, families will be reintegrated in stages, CTV reported. Frightening video of the twisters that they struck has been released.

No winning ticket was sold for the $24 million jackpot in Saturday night’s Lotto 649 draw. The guaranteed $1 million prize went to a ticket holder in Ontario. The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on Sept. 26 will be approximately $30 million

Charlie rescued from tornado rubble/Simon Ostler Twitter

A beagle named Charlie has been rescued from under the rubble of a collapsed home in the tornado-ravaged Ottawa neighborhood of Dunrobin. Parts of the City were badly damaged and power is still out to thousands. Members of the media joined citizens to illuminate the darkened wreckage with cell phones as Charlie was carried to safety.

SANDRO LISI RUNNING FOR SCHOOL TRUSTEE

CP24 says it has been told that Alexander (Sandro) Lisi, friend and sometime driver for late Mayor Rob Ford, is running for school trustee in a northwest ward where he has lived most of life. The incumbent, Avtar Minhas, is not running. Lisi was charged with extortion in connection with an alleged bid to retrieve the infamous video of Rob Ford smoking what appeared to be crack cocaine. The charged was dropped in 2016.

RIDING BUMPER ON LANSDOWNE BUS

Instagram video shows someone riding on the back of the 47A Lansdowne bus. The TTC is upset although the dangerous behaviour seems somehow timeless among a strain of young men. In the video, which can be seen and heard on the City News website, the occupants of the vehicle with the dash cam seem to find it amusing.

Riding the 47A Lansdowne bus

Several changes to the motor and pedestrian traffic rules at the intersection of Eglinton Ave.and Bayview Ave will be implemented between Monday and Tuesday. Some rules will stay the same. The linked notice from Metrolinx contains 14 substantive points about the rules.

A thread is just underway Saturday morning about school options where they exist in South Leaside.

Dave Wheeler

Number one in is slot

The tricky business of being a provocative radio host without losing your job for offending people is playing out in Winnipeg. Former in-your-face DJ Dave Wheeler is suing Roger Media for firing him because, as he contends, he was merely doing his job. The wrongful dismissal suit seeks more than $1.4 million in damages from 92.1 CITI FM and parent Rogers. In June Wheeler was talking about the dilemma of Scarlett Johansson who withdrew from a film called Rub and Tug because she was facing backlash after agreeing to play a trans man.  Wheeler made a remark comparing transgender people to actors who “pretend to be different things.” One quote is: “If someone is born human (and) they pretend to be a dog (it) is not right to agree with them for the sake of their feelings.” The suit contends it was an express or implied term of Wheeler’s employment with Rogers that his on-air persona was to be provocative and controversial and he was to push the boundaries and engage listeners in controversial social topics.

Outage map at 8.30 a.m. Saturday

Shot in annex Friday afternoon

Crews continue to repair downed lines Saturday from damage caused mostly by fallen branches and trees on Friday afternoon. The Hydro Outage map shows scattered dark spots. South Leaside seems to be fairly hard hit.  Below, video from Toronto and Ottawa where a tornado has struck. A cold front has brought more than a hint of Fall to South Bayview.

Canadian Press says Shoppers Drug Mart has received Health Canada’s approval to be a licensed medical marijuana producer, opening the door for the pharmacy chain owned by Loblaw to dispense medical cannabis to patients. Shoppers applied for this authorization in October 2016. Shoppers media person Catherine Thomas said the firm believes pharmacists “have an important role to play in the safe and informed use of medical cannabis, and this is the first step in our journey to provide medical cannabis to our patients. We will share more information about our plans in the coming weeks.”

Last lighted home on Sutherland heading east

High winds caused scattered outages in Leaside and Davisville Friday evening. The lights remained off along parts of Sutherland Dr. east of Bessborough Dr. as well as on Southea Ave., Astor Ave. and Rolph Rd. Across the City, an early estimate of those hit by blackouts was about 8,000 customers. Toronto Hydro says homes in the Annex, Leaside, Yorkville and Etobicoke, just south of Highway 401 are off grid. There are also power failures in part of the GTA Region. The Toronto Hydro outage map suggested a widespread blackout in north and south Leaside including Bennington Heights. But lights appear to be on there and in most places.

Duplex and Alexandria

Hard luck for this driver

William Mack, principal of North Toronto Collegiate Institute, sent home the following letter to parents. It is intact except for links and unrelated forthcoming events.

Student Demonstration
Today, many North Toronto students, as well as students across the province, participated in a demonstration to express their views about recent provincial changes to the Physical and Health Education Curriculum (HPEC). They also highlighted concerns regarding Indigenous Education, following the cancellation of provincial summer writing projects as well as issues concerning LGBTQ+ youth. While there are no changes to the Physical and Health Education Curriculum used in secondary schools, the Ministry of Education requires all school boards, including the TDSB, to use the re-issued 2010 HPEC for grades 1 through 8

It is important to note that the Ontario government’s upcoming review of the HPEC will include consultations. Details are not yet available, but once finalized, these will be widely shared. At TDSB, Aboriginal perspectives are infused in the curriculum for all students. Direct wrap-around supports are provided to enhance the overall achievement of First Nation, Métis and Inuit students throughout the TDSB.

The demonstration began at 1:00 pm and continued until 3:00 pm.  To be clear, this was not a school or TDSB event. Staff did not actively participate in the students’ demonstration. The majority of students were in the building and in classrooms throughout the afternoon, and learning did continue for those students. One of the very top priorities at our school is safety. To that end, organizing students co-operated with staff to ensure the well-being of all those participating. School administration and other staff were present to ensure that students were safe throughout the demonstration.

This was a peaceful event. As a school, we encourage students to be well-informed about issues in our society, to think critically, and to express themselves respectfully and responsibly in articulating views they may have. Our students did just that and we are confident that in the days and weeks ahead they will continue to conduct themselves in this way.  I would like to thank our vice-principals who supervised this afternoon’s gathering as well as the many staff who supported us in supervising the school throughout the afternoon.

At its core, today’s demonstration proved to be an excellent way for students to get involved with civic engagement at a young age, exercise their autonomy and learn about the power of a young voice.  As always, we remain proud of our students for their spirit and passion.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at the school.

William Mack
Principal
North Toronto Collegiate Institute