Toronto’s first government marijuana store will be in a RioCan plaza at 2480 Gerrard St. E. at Victoria Park Ave. The new Ontario Cannabis Store will have neighbors like Tim Horton’s and Buck N Up. It is one of four locations announced Wednesday. The others are in Guelph, Kingston and Thunder Bay. It is easy to see why operators of now illegal pot shops think there will be plenty of room for them in the new world of okey-dokey-smokey.
A Peterborough girl, Faith Dickinson, 15, has been invited to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19. Faith is one of seven winners of the Diana Award who will be on the grounds of Windsor Castle for the wedding, according to a news release. The Diana Award, created in honour of the late Princess of Wales, is given to young people who are “changing the world… through kindness, compassion and service.” The Peterborough teen was summoned to St. James’s Palace last year to receive the award for her charity, Cuddles for Cancer. She started the project when she was nine, after her aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her aunt suffered cold and shivers during treatment and told Faith of her affliction. The girl set out to make her aunt a fleece blanket. At the Diana ceremony, she said “Prince William told me that I was just doing such an amazing thing. And Prince Harry told me that I was the most impressive redhead there tonight.” Faith has now made more than 3,500 personalized blankets, which have been sent across the world, and she’s raised more than $30,000 to have them delivered. Most recently, the CBC reports, she began delivering the blankets to soldiers returning home with injuries or suffering from PTSD.
Dayna Brons, 24, the athletic therapist for the Humboldt Broncos has become the 16th person to die in the crushing tragedy near Humboldt, Saskatchewan. Relatives of the young woman said they will always remember her “joyful smile.” Ms Brons died Wednesday at the Saskatoon hospital which received so many injured from the bus-truck collision last Friday night. Across the nation formal services and personal acts of remembrance are taking place in every community. Hockey sticks and candles sit outside many front doors as people try to offer strength to others and find some themselves. Canadian Press says Brons was surrounded “by those she loved and those who loved her” at her death. Details of what happened remain fragmentary. It appears however that the semi either did not stop at a stop sign, or pulled out into the path of the bus. The bus is said to have struck the truck and had much of the upper portion flattened, thus causing the dreadful death and injury.
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority has announced a plan to turn 16 kilometres of hydro right of way in Toronto into parkland called the Meadoway. It will be a collaboration among the the Conservation Authority (TRCA), The W. Garfield Weston Foundation, and the City of Toronto A news release Wednesday describes the scheme but makes no reference to just how the towers and high-tension wires are integrated into a park. It will stretch from the Don River Ravine in Midtown to the Rouge National Urban Park This appears to be the stretch of land now known as the Gatineau Hydro Corridor, although again, the news release doesn’t name it. As seen on a map showing urban trails, the Gatineau stretches from near Leaside to the northeast. News release.
Hey Rookie, you howling Beagle pup. We know you love this plug for the Park and Bark Dog Show here in the South Bayview Summary. See you there on May 5 in the parking lot at Yonge and Davisville. Upper right, Alok Tomar’s Leaside Insurance has advice about keeping rainwater away from the house. Below that, a great-looking Pink Day Cake at East York Memorial Arena where kids will play hockey to mark this anti-bullying Wednesday. Lower left, our friends in Summerhill are reminded of the ABC Residents Association clean up day in Ramsden Park April 21. ABCRA takes its name from its boundaries west of Yonge St. being Avenue Rd., Bloor St. and the CP tracks. Lastly for today, Rob Oliphant’s Youth Career and Job Fair Thursday. Get that kid over to 1100 Millwood Rd. for his/her own maturity. South Bayview Bulletin Board
Stop the presses. The City has changed its plan to close the Don Valley Parkway this weekend. It all happened in about 90 minutes Wednesday. “The closure of the Don Valley Parkway originally scheduled for annual maintenance work this weekend has been cancelled. As a result, the DVP will remain open this weekend. Significant rain in the forecast is a key factor in this late decision. In addition, Transportation Services was planning to pave as part of its work this weekend and the forecast chilly temperatures are not conducive to good paving. Details about a future closure of the parkway for this work will be communicated next week.”
David Livingston, chief of staff to ex-Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty, has been sentenced to four months in jail and a year’s probation for deleting documents related to the notorious 2011 gas plant cancellation scandal. It is a sorry day for Livingston, 65, a man of otherwise spotless reputation who was apparently ensnared by his loyalty to Mr. McGuinty. Judge Timothy Lipson said the crime committed was extremely serious. “His conduct was an affront to, and an attack upon, democratic institutions and values,” Lipson said. “An attempt to tamper with the democratic process requires a strong denunciatory response.” The Crown had called for a six-month jail term while the defence had urged a conditional discharge, saying bad publicity has been enough punishment for Mr. Livingston.
BAD JOB REFERENCE IS NOT DEFAMATION
The Ontario Court of Appeal has said that even though the content of a job reference may be defamatory the author is not necessarily liable. In the case of an Ontario woman who sued her former supervisor, the court said such references are protected by the defence of qualified privilege. “The statements made by the respondent were defamatory but, given that they were made in the context of providing an employment reference, they were subject to a defence of qualified privilege,” the Appeal Court said. “The trial judge also concluded that the plaintiff had failed to prove malice in the making of the statements, so the defence of qualified privilege was not defeated.”
SON OF SLEEPER AGENTS GETS CANADIAN PASSPORT
Alex Vavilov, the son of Russian sleeper agents who have been kicked out of Canada and can never return, has nonetheless been granted a Canadian passport because he was born here. The Supreme Court is reviewing Vavilov’s status but until it returns a decision, he is a Canadian. Fascinating stuff. CBC
A special weather bulletin calls for freezing rain Thursday and says it looks likely to happen again on Saturday and Sunday. Here is the Environment Canada statement:
Some freezing rain possible Thursday morning. Potential ice storm for parts of Southern Ontario Saturday and Sunday. A fast-moving low pressure system will cross Southern Ontario Thursday bringing an area of rain with it. The precipitation may start off as freezing rain early in the morning before quickly changing to rain as temperatures rise above the freezing mark. Any freezing rain should be fairly brief near the Highway 401 corridor, but may persist for a couple of hours for regions farther north and especially over higher terrain. Locally slippery conditions are possible. Closer to the Lake Ontario shoreline, only rain is expected.
MORE SIGNIFICANT FREEZING
A much more significant freezing rain event is looking increasingly likely for portions of Southern Ontario Saturday and Sunday as a slow-moving low pressure system approaches the area. Precipitation may start out as rain, but increasing northeasterly winds will draw colder air from an arctic high pressure system to the north, resulting in a changeover to freezing rain. A few rounds of precipitation are likely during this period with a significant threat of prolonged freezing rain in some areas.
20 MM POSSIBLE
At this point, there is still considerable uncertainty with regards to which areas may be most affected. Areas closer to Lake Ontario and near the Highway 401 corridor may remain just above the freezing mark much of the time limiting the amount of icing somewhat. Areas farther north and over higher terrain are likely to be impacted the most. This has the potential to be a major ice storm for some regions with ice accumulations in excess of 20 millimetres possible. Ice accumulations of this magnitude combined with gusty winds to 60 km/h may result in widespread power outages due to fallen tree limbs and power lines. Travel is also expected to be hazardous.
A public meeting held by the Bayview Leaside BIA to discuss the Bayview Ave. streetscape heard a variety of suggestions in response to early planning ideas. They are seen in images below as written. Those present saw schematic images from the consulting firm The Planning Partnership plus Steers Davies Gleave. Depictions showed benches and trees on “flankages” such as the north side of Millwood east of Bayview. It’s hoped to plant new trees which will rise from the sidewalk level on both sides. Decorative maps called “standing screens” (above) were shown. The budget is currently at close to $297,300. BIA sharing calls for half of approved costs to be paid by the City. The remainder comes from monies levied on merchants and landlords by the BIA. In this case some $50,000 of City money is on hand from Councillor Burnside (Ward 26). He told The Bulldog he secured the current money from the Toronto street beautification office. Then later, as part of Section 37 agreement with Shane Baghai, he secured another 50k for a total of $100k. This was offered voluntarily because the development property, 3 Southvale, is below minimum size threshold for Section 37. Money from Ward 22 is said to be pending.
City News has followed up the Cosmo Condo flop in which people purchased unbuilt homes in Vaughan two years ago and are now being given their money back. Why? You may suspect the worst. Then, it appears the Government of Canada is all adrift on how to deal with the BC NDP refusal to permit the construction of the Trans Canada Pipeline. Alberta Premier Notley, also a New Democrat, says it seems like a consitutional crisis. Finally, Xi Jinping has said in a speech that he is prepared to lower the tariffs against US cars entering China.
Faceboook. Depending on who you are, you may loathe, love or be happy to leave it alone. But there is a carnival of politics Tuesday as Mark Zuckerberg goes to Congress to be humiliated.
The Toronto Star found a Tim Hortons near Halifax selling “Humboldt Doughnuts.” It’s a somewhat misguided response to a national catastrophe but, apparently because a local reporter bearded the manager on where the proceeds would go, Tim’s has now said that all money will go the stricken families.
