Horses who died in fire are named in note from Sunnybrook

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A coach from Sunnybrook Stables posted a note on Facebook expressing gratitude for the community’s support and grief over the loss of their cherished horses. In the note, the deceased horses are named. We found photos of ten out of the sixteen horses who died in the fire on the Sunnybrook Stables website and have posted them here. If you have photos or memories to share, we encourage you to share them on our Facebook page.  Our hearts go out to the equestrian community as we all mourn the loss of these gentle souls.  The note reads,

As many of you will have heard Sunnybrook Stables caught fire early this morning.  We are deeply grateful to Toronto Fire and to the Toronto Mounted Unit for their help.  Their efforts resulted in the successful evacuation of the back barn and all horses in that barn are safe.  They are currently housed at the Horse Palace.  All have been checked by our vet and are well.

On behalf of all of us at The Riding Academy and at Sunnybrook Stables, I want to thank everyone who took the time to reach out, come down, send condolences, and for the many thoughtful offers of assistance.  Our Sunnybrook and Horse Palace herds are cherished member of our family, and it is with incredible sadness that we mourn the loss of Mr. T, Beau, Sutherland, Sandy, Sampson, Axel, Sugar, Blossom, Poomba, Hercules, Apollo, Phoenix, Marty Misty, Tess and Gifford.  These horses were wonderful teachers and friends, the best of the best.  We loved them dearly, and we are beyond devastated.  They are forever in our hearts.

Source: http://sunnybrookstables.ca/horses/
Source: http://sunnybrookstables.ca/horses/
Source: http://sunnybrookstables.ca/horses/
Source: http://sunnybrookstables.ca/horses/
Source: http://sunnybrookstables.ca/horses/
Source: http://sunnybrookstables.ca/horses/
Source: http://sunnybrookstables.ca/horses/
Source: http://sunnybrookstables.ca/horses/
Source: http://sunnybrookstables.ca/horses/
Source: http://sunnybrookstables.ca/horses/

Fire sweeps horse barns at Sunnybrook Stables

Great show ends long weekend at Leaside High School field

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Colourful free show
Finale burst
Set out ready to be fused
Donkey Kone truck is busy
Large crowd

Visiting today, funeral Tuesday for Michael Leo Devine, 61

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Friends and associates of Micheal Leo Devine may visit Monday (today) between and 3 and 5 p.m. and again from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Paul O’Connor Funeral Home at 1939 Lawrence Ave. A funeral mass will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 78 Clifton Road. Obituary

Okuda here to brighten up your morning jaunt down Jarvis

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Parkside Student Residences at Carlton and Jarvis
Equilibrium
Okuda San Miguel

As reported by Urban Toronto, the former Primrose Hotel on the southwest corner of Carlton and Jarvis Sts. has re-opened as the Parkside Student Residences. As part of this re-birth the east wall of the building will become a canvas for Spanish artist Okuda San Miguel. Okuda (he has the artistic inclination to a one-word name) is, at 38, an established street artist in Europe and elsewhere. Okuda is commissioned to render his work titled Equilibrium (centre) this summer. Here is a pleasant video with Spanish narration. Urban Toronto

Sunnybrook Park is now 70 per cent re-opened police tweet

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FB discussion asks whereabouts of horse barn custodians

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12 horses reported killed
Jennifer McIntyre @JenMcEditor

Many are expressing sadness and concern Monday about the fire at Sunnybrook Stables. One has posted a question: “It is very very upsetting. Hope to God this wasn’t set on purpose! Where were the custodians that live in the House next door” Another person speculates about fireworks. “This is gutting to learn, I smelled smoke this morning and thought it was from fireworks in the park last night. Now I’m wondering if fireworks in the park caused this?”

NOW MAY NOT BE THE TIME TO CRITICIZE

Many are saying how little time there may have been for rescue and the difficulty of handling panicking horses. Others say this is not the time to judge. One woman writes: “I know every inch of that place. I have also had a horse saved from a barn fire elsewhere. Barns can go up very very fast. Horses aren’t easy to save. When I was at Sunnybrook there were at least two people on site at all times but at three in the morning you can’t fault the staff for not saving every horse.” Facebook

CALL SAID TO HAVE COME FROM APARTMENT BUILDING

City News says that Toronto Fire “originally received a phone call from someone in a nearby apartment building, notifying them of the fire.”

Fire sweeps horse barns at Sunnybrook Stables on Leslie

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16 HORSES DEAD, 13 SAVED

Toronto firefighters say 16 horses have been killed and 13 rescued when fire swept the horse barns at Sunnybrook Stables early Monday. It broke out just before 3 a.m. and engulfed one stable before a second nearby barn also caught fire. When firefighters arrived they were able to move about 13 horses from the second burning barn to another barn for safekeeping. Police say the surviving horses were taken to the Horse Palace at Exhibition Place. Sunnybrook Stables has private and group horse-riding lessons, as well as summer camps. They confirmed that some horses have died. Police are asking anyone who saw anything suspicious in the park at around 3 a.m. Monday to contact investigators or Crime Stoppers.

Horses who died in fire are named in note from Sunnybrook

Reservoir fenced off, weather outlook for fireworks Monday

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Fenced off on Rosehill
Cornflower Blue
Tzatz
Bayview and Belsize
Monday looking okay

Upper left, much of Rosehill Reservoir is fenced off as work continues on the rehabilitation of the old facility in Deer Park. The sight is a surprise for many venturing west from South Bayview. This is a long project, apparently taking place over two years. Many pipes in the reservoir system are said to be a century old. Upper right, Spring flowers are pleasant on this frock in the window of Cornflower Blue, 1606 Bayview Ave. Centre left is a serviceable looking beach coverup in the window of Tzatz at 1609. Centre right is a weakness (ahem) in the installation of new street signs. They hang perilously when strapping loosens. Watch out below. Finally at bottom is the rest of the weekend weather. It indicates a pleasant evening for Monday’s fireworks at the Leaside High School field starting at 9 p.m.

Conflagration in central Brandon razes 58 apartment homes

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Incredible fireball from apartment/Marston Grindley Twitter
Residents watch homes burn/Twitter via Premier Pallister
Devastation/Kaileea Marie Graham Twitter
MANY BUILDINGS DESTROYED

A downtown inferno in Brandon has razed a 58-unit apartment complex operated by the Brandon Friendship Centre. Incredibly, it appears no one has been hurt in the conflagration. Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister called the fire massive, as indeed it was, burning through several buildings.  Brian Kayes, Brandon’s director of risk and emergency management, said the fire broke out in an office and school supplies store across the street from the apartment. Flaming embers rained onto the apartment, known as Massey Manor, as well as a bar and beer store. All were destroyed. At the fire’s peak Saturday afternoon, City officials warned that embers were drifting “a significant distance” and were threatening to spark more fires. Reinforcements from outside the City, including firefighters from Canadian Forces Base Shilo, arrived to help stop the blaze. CTV says the fire destroyed or damaged “multiple buildings” in the core. “The people that lived in Massey Manor went outside to watch the fire and then unbeknownst to them, their building caught fire. So pretty well everyone had already evacuated from that building to watch the fire,” Kayes explained.

Kids bang on door late at night in Leaside as form of hellery

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High spirits
They know there’s a camera too
And think they’re hiding their identity by keeping heads down

Tween and teen boys are commonly banging on doors in Leaside (and no doubt elsewhere) late at night as video published on Leaside Community shows. It is a form of mischief as old as time but no less annoying and many of those commenting say parents are to blame. Who knows. But it’s worrisome evidence of a state of mind later in life that might ponder malicious telephone calls and anonymous poison pen letters. Not saying, just thinking. There is a long thread of postings which may be seen here.

“Toronto Diana” at a spectacular Saturday morning scene

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End of a chase? Maybe so.
Wreckage by the planter

https://twitter.com/TorontoDiana/status/997854059771125761

As recorded by Twitter correspondent Toronto Diana above, there were exactly no serious injuries in this startling tangle of cars at Wellesley and Jarvis Sts.  It was the result of a chase by police after a man and a woman robbed the Coach Store on Bloor Street West. PC David Hopkinson told CP24 that a woman walked into the Coach store on Bloor Street West between Queens Park and Sultan Street shortly after 10 a.m. She said she was armed and grabbed several pieces. The couple fled in a silver vehicle, believed to be a silver, older model Acura RDX. The pursuit came to an abrupt end when the getaway car struck a Hyundai outside the big A&W store on the northeast corner. “I saw a young lady, all in black, short-cut hair, she fell beside my truck. She got up, ran again, and she jumped over the fence, and she fell again and then she took off,” said a witness. Another person helped open the door for the man. “The guy from the silver car tried to come out from the car,” Akash Kacchiyapatil told CP24. “I just opened the door to escort him out and he ran away.”

Man runs to help at Jarvis and Front/Michael Alday

3 people charged after dead, starving horses found on farm

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Three people are facing animal cruelty charges after the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) discovered multiple dead horses and 15 other horses near starvation at a farm in Stouffville. The OSPCA went to the farm, about 50 kilometres northeast of Toronto, on May 3 after hearing concerns about the condition of a herd of horses there. CBC

Emaciated horse found on Stouffville area farm/Oscar Calvete via CBC