Black sedan wanted in wounding of sisters in playground

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Black, four-door Nissan Versa sedan, 2007-2011/Toronto Police

Police have released a picture of the wanted vehicle in the appalling shooting at a Scarborough playground Thursday in which sisters, 5 and 9, were hit by gunfire. Both are said to be on the mend in hospital. This occurred at a parkette at McCowan  Rd.and Alton Towers Circle. The wanted vehicle is a black, four-door Nissan Versa sedan, 2007-2011. Police say this was an attempt by someone in the sedan to shoot a man in or near the playground. The incident ranks among the worst examples of wanton disregard for life seen in Toronto.

Playground where shooting occurred/CBC
Police flood the area/City News
Woman hugs her daughter/City News capture

Now Italy says it will withdraw from Canada-EU free trade

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Italy’s new populist government says that it will not ratify the European Union’s free trade agreement with Canada. The meaning of this is somewhat clouded because 90 percent of the agreement is in the hands of the EU. But there is fear that Italy’s position may trigger a domino effect causing France and/or Germany to follow suit. This has not happened and as former Quebec Premier Jean Charest says, there is hope it will not. Listen to Charest and be impressed once again by this intelligent former federal leader, once the leader of the federal Progessive Conservative Party and later Liberal Premier of Quebec. He was and is a staunch defender of confederation. Worth a listen.

Chief condemns “despicable” shooting that wounds 2 girls

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Two girls, 5 and 9, are in hospital after mindless gunfire by someone at a playground on Alton Towers Circle near McCowan Rd and McNicoll Ave about 5 p.m. Thursday. One child is said to have life-threatening injuries. Also news of Premier elect Ford meeting with FM Chrystia Freeland on trade, the new Raptors coach Nick Nurse and video of thief stealing a Banksy print.






Gorilla daughter Charlie named for big daddy Charles at Zoo

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Mom Ngozi with Charlie

The Toronto Zoo has revealed a new infant gorilla named Charlie after its father.  The mom is Ngozi. Charlie is most frequently a nickname for women named Charlotte or some similar name. Twenty-year-old Western Lowland gorilla Ngozi gave birth to the baby girl on June 7. The Global News video has a commercial but is pleasant as we hear a zoo person announcing details of the naming.

CMHC suggests lower house prices in Toronto won’t last

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The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation suggests that the decline in Ontario home prices isn’t expected to last. CMHC predicts moderate economic growth in the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario generally will provide support for provincial real estate prices in 2018 and 2019. CMHC expects inflation-adjusted home prices in the province will remain relatively stable and close to the levels of last year’s fourth quarter.

Faces we like tell stories of peril, music and the human spirit

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Kailyn and mom Jessica Griffin
Mike Love of the Beach Boys
Transplant crusader Helene Campbell

Here are Kailyn and mom Jessica Griffin from Mississippi where Kailyn, 5, is happily recovering from a terrifying ordeal with “tick paralysis.” Another case here. Centre is California boy Mike Love discussing the newly-married sounds of the Beach Boys and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Help me Rhonda! Finally, the irrepressible spirit of Helene Campbell has been honoured as she receives the key to the City of Ottawa, her hometown. Helene is a double lung transplant recipient (at Toronto General) and has gone on to crusade tirelessly on behalf of the transplant cause.

CUPE teaching staff in uphill battle to vote on York U. offer

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Members of one unit (out of three) forming CUPE Local 3903 at York University voted to approve the school’s latest offer but the national union has overturned the vote. In a strike that is all about issues like “job security” and “permanent tenured employment” the rank and file have been without pay cheques since March. Two of the units did not vote and the CUPE head office says there are unspecified “significant discrepancies” in vote.  They called for an immediate re-vote but local unit members complained that would disenfranchise members who had to arrange their time more carefully. And these people actually have jobs. Canadian Press at CP24

Local outages but power mostly restored in South Bayview

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Power has been restored to Davisville, Moore Park and most of Midtown after yesterday’s wind and rain storm caused widespread blackouts. Local outages are stil seen in Rosedale and near East York. The localized outages still represent as many as 2,100 household and businesses. At the height of the outage, about 16,000 Toronto Hydro customers were without power. The City was struck with furious winds and rain during the midafternoon Wednesday. Tree covered Midtown and east side neighborhoods were subject to downed wires. See Toronto Hydro outage map.

Davisville, Moore Park take the hit in Wednesday outages

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Tufts was forced to close
Wires down on Inglewood Dr.
Lights out but ambulancer must scream through at Merton and Mt. Pleasant
Power still on to east side of Bayview
St. Clair West
Torrential afternoon rain flooded gutters

Falling trees and branches created a unique pattern of afternoon power outages in Moore Park and Davisville Village between Bayview and Mt. Pleasant Wednesday. The lights remained on in homes on the north side of Millwood except for a northward blackout bump that closed businesses just north of Millwood on the west side. Tufts Valumart was forced to close. Traffic lights seemed to collapse. They were out on Mt. Pleasant from Soudan Ave. down to Inglewood Drive. That’s eight corners. Homebound traffic was backed up to nearly Jarvis St. Esso gasoline continued to flow at Merton and Mt. Pleasant because the plant has a backup generator. Across the City, as many as 16,000 were without power at the peak of the outage and the traffic light failure was everywhere. The current hydro outage map is here. At 8 p.m. shows two or three localized areas in south Davisville but there is a large downtown blackout bounded by Dupont, Spadina, Bloor St. West and Ossington. There is large blackout in Leslieville and upper Beach south of Gerrard St stretching from lower Carlaw over to nearly Main Street. Power remains on south of Eastern Ave. Below (left) the rains came and (right) traffic lights out at Merton and Mt. Pleasant and ambulance can’t wait.




Thunderstorms moving through Ontario leave some in dark

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1871 firehall tower starkly exposed as demolition clears site

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Demolition for Halo Residences on Yonge, image by UT Forum contributor AlvinofDiaspar
UT Forum contributor AlvinofDiaspar
1955 photo by James Salmon. Toronto Public Library

The historic fire hall tower which for decades topped the St. Charles Tavern on Yonge St. north of College St  is seen with new clarity as demolition continues around it. The tower will moved closer to the street and incorporated into a condominium. Urban Toronto

City News videos of breaking, situational news importance

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Woman carried from home in chair

Home fires have seen the rescue of a woman in a chair on Elvaston Drive near Victoria Park and Eglinton. Another fire on Caddy Dr. near Lawrence and Scarborough Golf Club Rd. has left a man in critical condition. Other videos relate new penalties for distracted driving and the worrisome lack of readiness for legal marijuana. Do we know how to test for it, control edible tidbits that might appeal to children or manage the simple act of growing tons of it in the backyard? Seems not. Finally Nitish Bissonauth on that cowardly and depraved attack on geese.