Heng Xiaojun of the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa visits one of the bus passengers injured in Monday afternoon’s crash on Highway 401. (@ChinaEmbOttawa/Twitter)
Bus crash aftermath/MARSHALL HEALEY/Special to The Recorder and Times)
A man from China has died and four other Chinese tourists remain in hospital with life-threatening injuries after a tour bus carrying 37 passengers sideswiped a rock cut along Highway 401 near Prescott Monday afternoon. The man who died was a 54-year-old from Suzhou in eastern China’s Jiangsu Province, according to OPP. Survivors were visited by members of the Chinese embassy. The passengers are from the cities of Suzhou, Nantong, Shanghai, Hefei and Ningbo.
Cyclist John Lobraico has reported encountering barbed wire “fencing” stretched across the trail used by hikers and bike riders that runs from the parking lot near Bayview Avenue and Pottery Road to the ravine behind the Loblaws grocery store on Redway Road. He posted a photo showing scratches to his arms. The utterly malicious nature of such an ambush seems beyond the capacity of adults using the trail. Police have been notified. The incident has been posted to Leaside Community. It has inspired some unfortunate us versus them comment in the context of cyclists and “hikers and workout moms with their starbucks/yoga pants and baby strollers.” It does seem unlikely however that “workout moms” would be stringing barbed wire across a local trail. Leaside Community
A motorcyclist and a car driver are both dead after their vehicles collided Monday night in Brampton at Queen St. and Bramalea Rd. Peel paramedics told CP24 that both persons were pronounced at the scene. A shattered motorcycle could be seen in photos tweeted by DR@media371. Police hinted at a possible cause saying the driver of the motor vehicle may have suffered a “possible medical episode” at the time.
Rob Ford’s widow, Renata Ford, has launched a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against her brothers-in-law Doug and Randy Ford and the family business, Deco Labels, claiming she and her children were bilked out of millions of dollars. The suit was filed Friday in Ontario Superior Court, Mrs. Ford claims Doug and his brother Randy, who run the Ford family businesses “conspired together” to deprive her and her children of shares in the family company Deco Toronto and the proceeds of a life insurance policy. The brothers are trustees for their late brother’s estate. A statement sent by a PC Party spokesperson on behalf of Diane Ford, mother of the Ford brothers, says “it is heartbreaking that Renata has chosen to bring forward these false and baseless allegations against our family, right in the middle of a provincial election campaign.” Coming as it does, 48 hours before the General Election, the action, whatever its merit, would seem to have been timed to influence matters beyond whatever is decided in court. Read tweets pro and con.
Bus crash aftermath/MARSHALL HEALEY/Special to The Recorder and Times)
A bus loaded with tourists from Asia, most of whom do not speak English, has gone off highway 401 and struck the wall of a cliff cut through rock to accommodate the highway. Many people were seriously injured in the crash near Prescott. The paramedic service of Leeds and Grenville County tweeted that numerous persons at the scene were found with vital signs absent and that others with serious injuries had been taken to Brockville General Hospital. Another 20 people were being taken to Kemptville Hospital to be assessed. A spokesperson for the Brockville General Hospital said it had received five critical patients and transferred a sixth to Kingston via Ornge air ambulance. The bus carries the logos of Union Tour Express, a company that is registered in Peabody, Massachusetts. CBC News has not yet been able to reach the company. It is not clear why the bus drifted to the right and ran off the pavement. — CBC Ottawa Citizen All Coverage
Flashback to April 2017: l to r Brooke Gillford, French’s Food, Mayor John Tory, Andrew Mitchell, president of Select Food Products, MPP Andrew Potts and Burkhard Mausberg, CEO of the Greenbelt Fund
What could be better than French’s all-Canadian ketchup made and bottled on Sunrise Ave? It is one of the products which may see a boost as Canadian tariffs against the US kick in next month. Things like jam and other condiments will face a 25 percent tax. The CBC report here says big manufacturers may just eat the tariff in order to maintain Canadian market share. We’ll see. Next, as many as 25 are dead in a volcanic eruption in Guatemala. Below that, Kim Jong-un has installed a new military commander who is said to be less hawkish than the previous. Is this real or show-time? Finally, a Muslim woman is rankling at the taboo nature of the menstrual reality. Let’s get real, as they say at City News.
A homeowner has posted these security camera pictures on Leaside Community to see if anyone can recognize the two young men who entered a family garage at six minutes three Saturday morning. The door was accidentally left open and as the poster says “our luck ran out.” The two young persons took two bikes which were not expensive. “One is 30 years old (a Trek 820, red, rather beat up!) but it travelled across Italy with me so I would love to have it back. The second is a black Giant Roam. If anyone recognizes these boys (one is in a dark hoodie and light shorts, one is in dark pants and dark ROOTS sweatshirt) and/or find either of these bikes tossed anywhere, please message me. In the meantime, remember to make sure your garage door’s completely close at night.” Good advice.
Motown Brunch rocked to music of Sharon Riley and the Faith Chorales
A large crowd filled the William Lea Room Sunday at Leaside Arena to support the re-election of Councillor Jon Burnside. Many well-known local faces such as Lorna Krawchuk and Patrick Rocca were seen rocking to the Motown renderings of Sharon Riley and the Faith Chorales (below). Mr. Burnside, elected first in 2014, will contest the redrawn constituency of Ward 33 in the October general election. Ward 33 contains Leaside and Thorncliffe Park. Catering was by the Andy Elder team from Grilltime on Laird Drive.
Betty and David Creighton with Rev Ian LaFleur of St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church
Large crowd
Mona Piper Playground at Cudmore Creek Parl, 250 Manor Road at Forman Ave.
The Mona Piper Playground at Manor Road and Forman Ave was dedicated Sunday with a large crowd of the late school guard’s family and friends in attendance. The much-loved woman who was a shepherd to countless children over many decades at Maurice Cody Public School died in February. Her daughter Ann Piper spoke briefly saying that she had brought her mother to see the site under construction. “She was just so moved and overwhelmed by it all…she thought it was just a wonderful legacy,” Ms Piper said. “Mom’s great-grandchildren are going to get to play in her park today,” Piper declared to much applause. The park was built on land previously owned by Manor Road Church next door. It was acquired for this purpose with the collaboration of MRUC. Councillor Josh Matlow oversaw the purchase and later planning of a playground. He solicited community suggestions for a name.
CUDMORE CREEK PARK
The playground was named after Mrs. Piper and the larger park for Cudmore Creek, a waterway which ran to the Don River through Leaside before homes were built north of Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. Among those present Sunday in addition to Ann Piper were her brother John, Mr. Matlow, Reverend Debra Schneider, pastor of MURC, Robert Nigro, principal of Maurice Cody School, Reverend Ian LaFleur of St.Cuthbert’s Anglican Church and many congregants of the church as well as friends and family of Mona Piper. In her remarks, Rev. Schneider introduced Rev. Roberta Howey, who will take over at MRUC when Rev. Debra retires later in June.
As many as 20,000 cyclists, runners and walkers filled the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway Sunday for the 31st annual Ride for Heart. It raises money and supports heart disease research at the Heart and Stroke Foundation. A recurring phenomenon among the pictures appearing in Twitter was the handlebar selfie shot seen above. Good for a laugh but are they really keepers?
Seen under construction/UT Forum contributor G.L.17
Urban Toronto website has outlined progress on the Barbara Ann Scott facility which sits on the roof of the underground parking to College Park off Bay St. UT has recent photos of the site showing progress on various elements of the park including the concrete pad of a five-metre-wide kidney-shaped skate trail. It also shows the concrete structure of the adjacent skate pavilion. This historic corner gained much of its early form in 1929 and 30 when T. Eaton Co built its elegant College St. store (below left) seen here under construction. Work on the south wing of the store was halted because of the Great Depression. Other old pictures of Yonge and College
Premier Wynne has said she does not expect to be re-elected. “After Thursday, I will no longer be Ontario’s Premier,” she said. The tough political leader, who has held power since 2013, struggled successfully to control her emotions, saying she is “okay” with losing power. She cast her concern for Ontario as a fear that PC leader Doug Ford might have “too much power.” People do not trust his judgement, she said. She did not mention Andrea Horwath by name. Her remarks heat up into a bitter attack on Ford and a portrayal of both the PCs and the NDP as extremist. “If your concern is that you’d be electing me or electing a Liberal government, that’s not going to happen,” she said. “And so we need Liberals at Queen’s Park to stop a majority for either of the other governments.” NDP Leader Andrea Horwath accused Wynne of “playing a dangerous game” that could elect the PC Party. “Her request today for a minority government is a demand that she be allowed to continue to hold the power at Queen’s Park — something voters have already rejected,” Horwath said in a statement. The NDP supported a minority Wynne government for a year in 2013 and kept it in power at the height of the gas plant scandal. It’s late, but the campaign is clearly not over.
