The South Bayview Bulldog

Left to right: Peter Milczyn (sitting in for Premier Wynne) Jon Keiran, PC, Amara Possian, NDP, John Kittredge, Libertarian, Morgan Bailey, Green

The Don Valley West all-candidates meeting drew a large crowd and heard lively answers from the five candidates Wednesday night at the Lea Room at Leaside Arena. The partisan back and forth continued in the absence of Premier Wynne, who was campaigning in Northern Ontario. Her failure to attend surprised many. One explanation offered by organizers was that the parties had agreed that their leaders would not attend meetings in their own ridings. It appears to be a new arrangement. The format consisted of written questions from audience members, a process that permitted organizers to filter repetition and irrelevant material. It also prevented speech making by audience members so inclined. Candidates were asked serious questions about the deficit, Hydro rates and transportation. Everyone had a plan to reduce the deficit and lower Hydro cost. The party members present were Peter Milczyn (sitting in for Premier Wynne) Jon Keiran, PC, Amara Possian, NDP, John Kittredge, Libertarian and Morgan Bailey, Green. The moderator was Brian Athey, past president of the Leaside Property Owners Association.

Full house at LPOA candidates meeting in the Lea Room

Fireworks master David Bryant has posted the full non-stop grand finale of Monday evening’s fireworks display. The sequence was triggered from Mr. Bryant’s phone and created the powerful impact he anticipated. Bryant is local man who has undertaken to put on free fireworks displays, as he is able, during the summer.  Friends assist him as do his wife and daughter. It isn’t cheap and sometimes there are donations but altogether it seems very community-spirited, not to mention generous. Thanks David.

Bryant family

Fireworks master

With helper

Cody Spring Fair

Stairs to Don Valley/BlogTO

Bike to Work Day

Card Show

Welcome

Bessborough Mayfair

Woof

This weekend sees both the Maurice Cody Spring Fair and Bessborough School Mayfair. One each on Saturday and Sunday. At upper right, BlogTO discovers the  long stairway to Don Valley delights. As many know, it sits just off Millwood on Redway Drive. Secret Leaside. Climbing down the left side we see cyclists posing as a reminder that Monday is Bike to Work Day. Well, not if you work in your kitchen. Those who pedal for fun should assemble at Don Mills and Lawrence (SE corner) at 6.15 a.m. and ride through Serena Gundy Park. Alternate plans call for assembly at Laird and Eglinton (NW corner), at 6.45 a.m. and ride across Eglinton, then down Yonge, picking up people all along the way, and head down to City Hall. There’s a free breakfast at the Square. Other reminders for the Taco and Burrito Crowd that Grillies is hosting their grand opening this Friday at 1560 Bayview. Finally, Woofstock both Saturday and Sunday at Woodbine Park.

Join us tonight for Don Valley West all candidates debate. We are proud to support @PeterMilczyn standing in for @Kathleen_Wynne. Doors open at 7 pm. Debate starts at 730 pm in the William Lea Room at Leaside Arena. https://t.co/20LtPpFcj2

— TeamWynne (@TeamWynne) May 23, 2018

Farah Shirdon, ISIS man from Calgary

Ben Makuch of Vice Media

The Supreme Court will hear the case of Vice Media vs the Crown when it decides whether the RCMP has the authority to obtain messages between a reporter and a young ISIS convert from Calgary. Farah Shirdon, 22, a naturalized Canadian born in Somalia, is now dead according to the US government. But in 2014 he carried on communication by way of an app called Kik with Vice Media reporter Ben Makuch. Shirdon was prosecuted by the government for treason and the Mounties wanted to see the messages. Several courts have found that the communication is evidence and must be handed over. Vice Media sees a threat to press freedom.

NOUR CASE A PRECEDENT?

In December the SCOC found that texts in a criminal prosecution were privileged but only because they were on the phone of an accomplice not the accused. If they had been found on the cell of Nour Marakah, a firearms trafficker, there would have been no privilege. It is an interesting subtlety that was ripped up by Justice Moldaver in a blistering minority opinion. Now it remains to be seen whether this will be relevant in the Vice complaint. Fear not Canada. SCOC finds that some texts private but with a sharp dissent

No one is using the word “fireworks.” Quite the contrary as fire marshal’s personnel speak of accidental causes and multiple ignition sources. No details are stated. Yet they also speak of the origin of the fire being on the upper surface of the barn. Roof?  Horses who died in fire are named in note from Sunnybrook

City Council has appointed Jonathan Tsao to be the Councillor for Don Valley East (Ward 33) to replace former Councillor Shelley Carroll who resigned to run for the Liberal Party in the June General Election. Tsao narrowly beat out Divya Nayak on the third ballot. Tsao is a former provincial government employee and is said to be an advocate for children’s mental health. Eighteen candidates, seven of whom live in the ward, applied to fill the seat. The voting went to three ballots and Tsao, who was supported by the mayor and many allies like Jon Burnside (Ward 26) won by only five votes (23-18). A Twitter search today shows many comments on the political shadings of sympathies at Council. Josh Matlow (Ward 22) joined a number of downtown and west-central Councillors in supporting Ms Nayak. Twitter

Lynx contesting matters of mating or maybe territory

There’s much interest in this video of two Lynx screeching at each other. It was taken as Edward Trist, his girlfriend Nicole Lewis and his daughter were heading down a logging road to go fishing near Avery Lake near Dryden. This is remote country near the Manitoba border. The animals were about nine metres from where they stopped. “We started off down this road and there were two Lynx on the road and as we approached, they didn’t move which was really odd,” he said. “We got out and started filming it … what we caught on camera is very, very rare to catch.”

Canadian Lynx (Note distinctive beard)

Candidates in the June 7 general election for the riding of Don Valley West have been invited to an all-candidates debate on Wednesday, May 23 in the William Lea Room at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens. Don Valley West is the long-time seat of Premier Kathleen Wynne. She is challenged this year by Progressive Conservative candidate Jon W. Kieran. All parties have been invited, including the NDP, Green Party and Libertarian Party. The doors open at 7 p.m. and the debate is set to begin at 7.30 p.m. This debate is sponsored by the Leaside Property Owners Association.

MODERATOR BRIAN ATHEY

The moderator will be Brian Athey, past president of the LPOA. Each candidate will give a three-minute opening statement after which attendees  ask questions directed to one or more candidate. Each candidate has the opportunity to make a one-minute response to any question. The Q&A session lasts approximately 75 minutes, after which each candidate makes a closing statement (in reverse order from the opening statements). Candidates’ order of speaking is decided by their drawing a number from a hat just before the meeting begins, and, as noted above, the speaking order will reverse for closing statements. Questions will be provided by the attendees only and in writing so that Mr. Athey can sort or combine them to avoid repetition.  There will be index cards — and pencils, as needed —- for people as they enter the William Lea Room.

Marks and Spencer will close more than 100 stores in the UK as online shopping shreds the old firm’s business to ribbons. Many jobs will be lost. Then in Washington State, two mountain bikers have been attacked by a cougar. One man is dead. Below that, fascinating video of two wild cats, Lynx in fact, growling at each other in a spat about mating or territory. This took place near Avery Lake, Ontario not far from the Manitoba border. Finally, a look again at the official wedding photos of Meghan and Harry’s wedding. The glow continues.