Cyclist dead, possibly shot, during dispute in Little Portugal

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A cyclist is dead, possibly from gunfire, after what appears to have been a confrontation with three men in a vehicle at Frankish and Sheridan Aves. in Little Portugal. The man was reportedly hit by the vehicle around 5:30 p.m. in a small parking lot behind a school near Dundas and Dufferin Sts. Police say that there was some sort of altercation between the men and the victim following the collision. The occupants then fled the scene on foot, leaving the vehicle behind. The photo above was tweeted by City News and shows the bicycle  close to or wedged under a car.

No NAFTA at all would be best deal for the US says Trump

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Donald Trump has left the Quebec G7 meeting to go to his Singapore rendezvous with Kim Jung-un in Singapore. He was blunt as usual about US trade intentions toward Canada and Mexico. He said the US would settle either for a very weakened NAFTA agreement with both neighbors or separate deals with Canada and Mexico. No more three amigos, it seems. Best of all for the US, he said, would be no deal at all. It would hurt Canada and Mexico badly. But, Trump added, that is not what he wants.




Woo Hoo! That $60 million Lotto prize won by single ticket

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That big $60 million Lotto Max jackpot has been won by a single ticket sold in Quebec. Woo Hoo to someone.  The draw also offered 52 Maxmillion prizes of $1 million each, and 27 of them were won. They are shared by the holders 37 winning tickets sold across Canada. The jackpot for the next Lotto Max draw on June 15 will be approximately $35 million.

Night the NHL Old Timers played Leaside Kings Juveniles

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1972 program
1972 Old Timers

David Stanger has posted a 46-year-old program from an evening at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens when the NHL Old Timers played the Leaside Kings Juveniles (what a name). It is a hoot and especially fun to read and remember names of NHL stars of the past. Many will remember local pals too (or see themselves). Leaside Chit Chat

Happening right now in your own neighborhood backyard

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Two in random attack on Bloor shoppers with pepper spray

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Police say seven or eight people were randomly attacked with pepper spray Friday night and four were taken to hospital for treatment. This occurred on the concourse level of 2 Bloor East at Yonge St. about 8 p.m. Two suspects are sought and one is said to be a white man with dark hair a red baseball cap with a red tank top and a black backpack. The other is a woman with dark hair who was wearing white glasses and a tank top.

Man in bad shape flown to hospital from Hwy 401/Pickering

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A man has been airlifted to hospital in critical condition from a collision in Pickering on Friday afternoon. The crash occurred at around 5 p.m. on Highway 401 at Brock Rd. Two vehicles were involved in the incident, according to OPP.

Canadian cops within law to find killers with private DNA

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Golden State killer was caught using familial DNA tracing

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has told Canadian Press that direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies are subject to federal and provincial private-sector privacy laws, if they are based in the country or have a real and substantial link to Canada and are engaged in commercial activities. Generally speaking, says CP, Canadian police would have lawful authority to pursue an action such as trying to identify suspects with DNA information held by private companies under those laws, the office said. It also noted, however, that the DNA Identification Act, which introduced the National DNA Data Bank in 1998, does not allow for familial searching. “Our view is that DNA constitutes highly sensitive personal information. While DNA profiles can help solve cold cases … and bring emotional closure to victims and families, their collection and retention must respect the highest possible standards of fair balance between security and privacy,” it said in an emailed statement.

Trump goes on the offensive as G7 meeting opens in Quebec

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Donald Trump is firing back at Canada Friday morning over what he says are unfair trade practices as he prepares to head to the G7 meeting in Charlevoix, Quebec. The latest series of tweets by Trump follow posts he made last night — including his accusation that the Prime Minister is being “indignant.” Among his shots is criticism of Canada for unfairly charging tariffs on dairy products shipped to the US. This is in fact a long-time and unfair practice of Canada and one which, according to commentator John Ivison, of the National Post, Canada has agreed to modify in discussions already completed. The other sensitive issue for the US is Canadian lumber. The heart of that dispute is the claim that the Canadian lumber industry is unfairly subsidized by federal and provincial governments, as most timber in Canada is owned by the provincial governments. Wikipedia

CNN: Anthony Bourdain is dead at 61, an apparent suicide

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American celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain has been found dead in his hotel room in France while working on his CNN series. He was 61. CNN confirmed the death, saying in a statement he was found unresponsive Friday morning by friend and chef Eric Ripert, and calling it a suicide. CNN said Bourdain was in Strasbourg filming an upcoming segment in his series Parts Unknown, which airs on the network.




Blue, orange and candid thumbnails as the sun rises Friday

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Ontario has awakened Friday to a political map that makes it look like three provinces. Downtown Toronto is NDP orange while the rest of the province below Sudbury is largely Conservative blue. The enormous northern hinterland up to the Manitoba border and Hudson Bay is orange as well. A man from Etobicoke is the premier-elect. He is the not very smooth-talking brother of one of the most problematic mayors that Toronto has ever endured. Many say the PC victory would have been even larger if the party had been led by Christine Elliott. The new premier is viewed by many as a right-wing renegade. Whatever his impulses however, he seems to possess some capacity for restraint when his utterances backfire.

NDP, LIBERALS

His opponent as leader of the Opposition is a woman from Hamilton who many fear as a socialist radical. Her popularity in the NDP has remained solid in spite of her consistent support for the Wynne minority government throughout the hideous gas plant scandal. There is no money she would leave unspent. The Ontario Liberal Party is reduced to a political rump of merely seven seats. This would seem to be a long-overdue rejection of policies pursued through five years by a self-avowed activist. For good or ill, Kathleen Wynne pursued energy policies that both infuriated and terrified many. There were hints the Liberals might even eliminate natural gas as a home heating fuel. Most of all, the government cost taxpayers billions. But the ever well-intentioned Wynne was and is a political figure of human titanium. A charming person to meet, some will add that she is also wily beyond belief. She won Don Valley West by 181 votes.

The night Ontario’s political landscape changed completely

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