The South Bayview Bulldog

Sidewalk Sensation on Bayview Ave.

Kate Leuschen Millar/Vanessa Garrison

Isabella Goudros, Chloe Coutts and twin sister Sophie/Helen Panayiotou

East York Days July 18

Neighbours’ Night Out

Upper left, the merchants of the Bayview Leaside BIA have an entertaining Saturday organized for July 14. The weather will be mostly sunny with a chance of a thunderstorm, all of which is easily managed. Please come out to your favorite business street and say hello. Upper right, East York Girl Guide leader Kate Leuschen Millar writes about how the Guides rose to meet two area challenges this year. Read her column at Toronto.com  Centre left are the shining faces of Isabella Goudros, Chloe Coutts and twin sister Sophie. They are members of the Leaside High School Track Team which was named the Overall Girls and Overall Combined Champions at the TDSSAA City Track and Field Championships late in May. Read Janis Fertuck’s account of the team’s work. To the right, Saturday afternoon and  evening sees the 13th Annual Neighbours Night Out in Thorncliffe Park. Great summer fun. Bottom left, a reminder of the East York Days concert coming up Wednesday, July 18. Visit the South Bayview Bulletin Board for more summer events.

The new Ontario government has nailed its populist laundry list to the wall of the Legislature with Thursday’s Speech from the Throne. City News chronicles the Ford Nation promises. In the US, a promotion by the Build-A-Bear toy chain has caused bedlam as supplies ran out in a promotion where the goods could be purchased in dollars for the age of your child in years. Below that, a frightening accident in which an 800-pound boulder rolled off the back of a truck killing a mother and daughter. Finally, the CBC tries to capture the mystique of Toronto native Drake, concluding by some calculations that he is more popular than the Beatles. How do you measure that?

Robert Prichard has announced his resignation as Chairman of the Board of Metrolinx, effective immediately. Prichard had been with Metrolinx for nine years – first as president and CEO, then as board chair for seven years. In a statement released by the provincial transportation agency, Prichard says with the election of a new government in Ontario, now is the right time for a change in leadership.

The recreation activities along Bremner Blvd — CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium and Rogers Centre — appear to have been the target of a threat which police have so far refused to make public. In addressing increased police presence in the heavily-barriered area, police have said there is a threat but refused to discuss what it is. This  has caused annoyance among some who feel the public has a right to know the nature of such things. The likely reason for police caution is the fear of inspiring additional misfits to perhaps actually execute a threat. The use of a truck to hit crowds of people comes to mind.

The three large firms contracted to build the Eglinton Crosstown LRT are suing the provincial transit authority,  Metrolinx, for breach of contract over the original deadline for completion of the project. The companies, Aecon, EllisDon and SNC-Lavalin (Crosslinx), say circumstances have made it difficult, or impossible, for them to finish the LRT by the previously agreed deadline of 2021. Metrolinx has 30 days to respond to the notice of motion filed at the Ontario Superior Court. The contractors are saying that work by “utility companies” took longer than scheduled and that there were delays in the issuance of “permits, licenses and approvals.” In a statement provided to CP24 on Thursday, Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins said that the transit agency has been “working closely” with the Crosslinx consortium over the last several months “on their alleged reasons for a claim” but have not yet arrived at a solution. “As with any contract, claims are considered and reviewed thoroughly and we continue to work with Crosslinx to reach an outcome that fairly addresses the challenges that they have encountered on Eglinton,” she said. The Eglinton Crosstown had been scheduled for completion by 2020 which was later pushed back to September 2021.

A news conference will be held Thursday at 8 a.m. in the media gallery at police headquarters to announce a new Gun Violence Reduction Plan. Chief Mark and Mayor Tory to make public details of the program. It will be live-streamed The news conference will be available on the TOC and will be live-streamed at this address.

Hydro One’s CEO is retiring as part of an agreement between the Ontario government and the utility company that will also see the replacement of the entire board. The deal, whatever else it may include, means Mayo Schmidt will receive a retirement sum of about $400,000 instead of the $10 million firing bonus he might have received if he had been dismissed. Wednesday night there is much speculation about possible unknowns attached to the deal. CTV says many want to know “what the government had to give up” to persuade Schmidt to retire.

Video has been released showing both the rescued Thai soccer boys in hospital, as well as shots taken during the rescue. The boys were sedated and effectively asleep as they were brought out. Rescuers feared there might be panic. In the event, it was a huge success and the boys are all said to be doing well in hospital.

The Honda Indy is a wonderful driving exhibition but no place for the family Accord, says Carl Hanske.

Fire: Laird Dr/ Eglinton Ave.. Vehicle on fire. Occupant is out of the vehicle. Reports that one lane is now blocked. No info on which roadway/lane is impacted. Units responding. #GO1261795^adc

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) July 11, 2018

Heroes honoured by TTC/Mayor Tory photo

Mayor Tory has tweeted pictures and expressed his pleasure at being able to personally thank the heroes of the Broadview subway station rescue June 28. A blind man who had fallen to the tracks was pulled to safety by the men. They are Kyle Busquine, Julio Cabrera and Jehangir Faisal, seen at the centre of the group photo at Tuesday’s TTC board meeting. The men were given free passes to the transit system for a year.  Hero leaps onto tracks to save blind man stranded below

ALSO AT THE TTC

The TTC board has appointed Rick Leary as CEO, a job he has been doing on an interim basis since Andy Byford left the agency more than six months ago. Leary is a railway man through and through, having begun his career as a train attendant with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in 1984 and risen through the ranks, eventually becoming the Chief Operating Officer of that system.

BOMBARDIER TRANSIT PRESIDENT APOLOGIZES

It hardly seems enough but the transit president of Bombardier, Benoit Brossoit, has apologized for the appalling performance of his company with respect to delayed delivery and massively slipshod work on Toronto’s new streetcars. Bombardier confirmed last week that it would have to recall 67 of the 89 streetcars already delivered to the TTC because to a “welding defect” that could impact the guaranteed 30-year lifespan of the vehicles. Brossoit appeared before the TTC board to say he “understands and shares the disappointment” of TTC riders and “truly apologizes” for the issue. Bombardier is doing everything it can to “make it right” and deliver on its commitments to Toronto. If Bombardier made dishwasher soap it would be out of business by now.

Morning mishap at Mt. Pleasant and Roehampton with former Best Western in background (Reddit / u/HNTRXHNTR)

A morning rush hour accident that saw a car (above) slam into a utility pole Tuesday was further distress for drivers at the construction war zone known as Mt. Pleasant and Eglinton. It seems everyone is okay, more or less. There is a long thread at Reddit Toronto where u/HNTRXHNTR posted this photo. Lots of discussion about how it wasn’t an accident but it was in fact unless the driver set out this morning intending to hit a pole. Catchy Reddit handle Mr. u/HNTRXHNTR.