I don’t think it comes as a surprise to anyone that it’s cold outside. Here’s the scoop.
This morning’s video wheel focuses on the aftermath of the winter weather bomb that hit the eastern seaboard. The images of frigid floodwaters in Boston are particularly bone chilling to watch. At least seven people have died in weather-related accidents. Global news.
The South Bayview Bulldog achieved record readership in 2017, registering more than three-quarters of a million page views in the 12 months ending December 31st. The Bulldog was first published in 2009 and re-launched in 2012 as a commercial blog dedicated to the residents and merchants of neighbourhoods surrounding the business street of the same name. It has proven itself to be an effective and affordable place for local businesses to gain attention and build name recognition. Editorially, The Bulldog has been the little blog that could. It is widely followed by readers in South Bayview and by other media locally and across the City. Thanks for checking The Bulldog.
EXTREME COLD WARNING
Environment Canada has issued an Extreme Cold Warning for Toronto. A prolonged period of very cold wind chills is expected. Temperatures will fall rapidly this evening to reach lows of minus 20 to 25 degrees celsius. Wind chill values due to northwest winds up to 50 kilometres per hour will be in the minus 35 to 40 range tonight. Temperatures and wind chill values will be slightly lower Friday night. The extreme cold will continue until Saturday or possibly into Sunday morning. Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to ec.cpio-tempetes-ospc-storms.ec@canada.ca or tweet reports using #ONStorm.
TORONTO WARMING CENTRES
The City of Toronto has announced the opening of two 24/7 warming centres to provide additional relief for homeless individuals and their pets.
“We continue to explore all options and opportunities to protect our city’s most vulnerable residents,” said Mayor John Tory. “These warming centres provide accessible immediate relief during Extreme Cold Weather events and are in addition to the City’s other winter respite services.”
The overnight warming centres, located at Metro Hall, 55 John St., and Regent Park Community Centre, 402 Shuter St., will operate 24/7 daily beginning this evening at 7 p.m. and continuing until the current Extreme Cold Weather Alert is terminated.
The Regent Park Community Centre warming centre will be operated by the City’s Office of Emergency Management in conjunction with the Canadian Red Cross and provide 100 cots, meals, showers, hygiene kits and referrals to additional supports. Metro Hall will be accessible 24/7 for the same time period and provide drop-in access to a warm, welcoming space. Toronto Paramedic Services will have a dedicated resources available at both warming centres in the evenings to provide assistance to those in need.
“Extreme winter weather conditions can turn a heart-breaking situation into a tragedy,” said Councillor James Pasternak (Ward 10 York Centre), Chair of the City’s Community Development and Recreation Committee. “Through action, policy and resources at the City we must do everything to bring hope and save lives.”
The two new warming centres are in addition to six winter respite locations, which make available more than 400 drop-in spaces and operate continuously on a 24/7 basis until April 15.
Yesterday afternoon, the City of Toronto made a formal Request for Assistance through the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre for potential use of the Moss Park Armoury. As per the established process, the Province has relayed the Request for Assistance for use of the Armoury to the Government of Canada for consideration. Discussions are continuing today to expedite the request.
The City continues to explore all available measures and options to ensure services are available for the city’s homeless individuals. Anyone can come in from the cold at all public buildings during regular business hours, including civic centres and libraries. Beginning this evening, TTC operators and first responders have been asked to be alert for anyone in need of homelessness services and to contact 311 to engage outreach support.
The City has enhanced capacity and staff resources at its newest winter respite site at the Better Living Centre on the Exhibition Place grounds. Last night, the City increased the number of cots available at the centre to 150 to accommodate increased demand. Opened on December 21 with an original capacity of 100 beds, the centre had 115 spaces filled as of 4 a.m. this morning.
The City has also reiterated its expectations with front-line City staff as well as agencies delivering homelessness services that anyone who requests City-funded or operated homeless support and respite services will receive it.
Several staff from other areas of the City have been redeployed to support Shelter, Support and Housing Administration staff to review internal communication protocols regarding the sharing of shelter and winter respite service availability throughout the 24-hour period. Call centre staff working for the division and 311 service operators are also involved in this review.
The City will also continue to work with Ombudsman Susan Opler and her staff on their inquiry into these issues.
For emergency shelter, residents should call 311. Toll free in Toronto, it is 1-877-338-3398. Youth and adults can also get a walk-in referral to shelter at the Streets to Homes Assessment and Referral Centre at 129 Peter St.
Slightly more than a month after the discovery of the body of Tess Richey in the basement stairwell of a vacant building on Church St at Dundonald St., a vigorous campaign continues on social media to find her killer. Although police are calling him only a person of interest, much of the chatter on Twitter has concluded the unidentified man is guilty of the 23-year-old woman’s death. One person says she saw him in recent days outside Crews and Tagos, the Church St. bar where Tess spent her last hours with a friend, Ryley Simard.
https://twitter.com/butilovememore/status/940247453378457600
ABC News reports that more than 3,000 U.S. flights have been canceled as a massive winter storm hits the Northeast, packing heavy snow, gusty winds and the coldest air of the season. 3 fatalities have been reported in North Carolina due to the storm.
Atlantic Canada is bracing for heavy snowfall and strong winds.
Carrie Lester has tweeted this undated photo when her daughter was at Johnny Bower’s goalie camp in Toronto. It was when she was about 11 or 12 years old. There is a gallery of the ceremony at ACC Wednesday below the text. To the right, a reminder that nominations are open until January 25 for the Agnes Macphail Award. Below, a supplemental bulletin board which reminds us of the St. Cuthbert’s Community Potluck Dinner January 20, the Leaside United Church Trivia Night the same evening and the Leaside Curling Club Friends and Family Little Rocks Bonspiel January 27.
The new children’s park at Manor Rd. and Forman Ave. is nearing completion. Josh Matlow (Ward 22) has written to constituents asking how they feel about naming it after much-loved and now retired school crossing guard Mona Piper. To the right, the Leaside Curling Club reminds all and any that its Friends and Family Little Rocks Bonspiel takes place Saturday, January 27 at Leaside Arena. Lower left, the Toronto Card Show is back at Amsterdam Brewery, 45 Esandar Drive, Sunday, January 14. And the Lindy Lives at Swing Dance Lessons 374 Dupont St. January 7.
In Belgium they call it the Baby Box. But it’s really a place to abandon your new-born anonymously with knowledge that it will be fed and put up for adoption. The Baby Box saw four infants deposited there during 2017. It is run by the charity Moeders voor Moeders (Mom for Moms). Then in the UK, the pressure on hospitals from winter illnesses has led to a decision to cancel all elective surgery until at least February. In York Region, police have released aerial video of a drunk at the wheel in Markham. Scary. And finally, My God there are two them. Yes, brothers Logan and Jake Paul are busy on the Internet flexing their muscles and building cult-like followings of teenagers whose minds are controlled by these golden-haired digital itinerants.
Leaside Jr. Wildcats have tweeted a message of sympathy Wednesday expressing sorrow at the death of Avery Andrew, a star defense player and Captain of the Barrie Jr. Sharks. Both Leaside and Barrie play in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League. OPP have identified Avery as a victim in a two-vehicle collision on Simcoe County Rd 15 near 5th Sideroad Monday. The crash took place around 9:30 p.m. January 1 when Avery was a passenger in a northbound vehicle. For reasons unknown it crossed the centre line and struck a southbound vehicle. Police said she was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver, an 18-year-old New Tecumseth male, received non-life threatening injuries.The driver of the other vehicle, a 23-year-old Adjala-Tosorontio man, wasn’t seriously injured. The road conditions are believed to have contributed to the collision. Alcohol and distracted driving have been ruled out as possible causes.
SHARKS STATEMENT
A statement on the Barrie Sharks website called the 18-year-old Andrew “a wonderful friend and teammate.” It goes on: “The Barrie Sharks are saddened to share news of the tragic and sudden passing of Avery Andrew, Captain of our 2017-18 Barrie Jr. Sharks. Avery began playing hockey at the Novice level with the Clearview Girls Hockey Association, and has been a member of the BWHA since 2012. A talented and hardworking player, Avery was a member of our Bantam AA and Midget AA teams before playing with our Intermediate AA Barrie Jr. Sharks for the past two seasons. Avery was named team captain this past September, a responsibility that fit perfectly with her leadership on the ice and in the dressing room. Avery will be remembered by fellow players as not only a talented and determined player, but as a teammate who lifted the spirits of every room she entered. On behalf of all of our Barrie Sharks players and families, we would like to share our deepest sympathies and condolences. Our thoughts are with the Andrew family through this difficult time.”
The OPP have identified the victim of a fatal New Year's Day crash as 18-year-old Avery Andrew of #AdjalaTosorontio, killed in a two vehicle collision on County Rd 15 near 5th Sideroad around 9:45 Monday.
— Barrie 360 Traffic & Weather (@Barrie360Alerts) January 3, 2018
Just when you thought you'd seen it all. This vehicle is wrapped around the overhead sign support beam. Folded in half. pic.twitter.com/B9sOH04LzX
— Tony Smyth (@LateNightCam) January 3, 2018
The photgrapher, Tony Smyth @LateNightCam, saw it at the scene and was left astounded. Two persons died in this terrible wreck when the car somehow collided with the stout steel support for a highway sign on the 401 eastbound at Warden Ave. Smyth says: “Just when you thought you’d seen it all. This vehicle is wrapped around the overhead sign support beam. Folded in half.” Indeed. What dynamic creates such a strange collision. One clue may be the sloped concrete barriers which rise to meet the metal support. If the driver got a wheel on that cement at high speed it might have flipped the vehicle roof-first against the steel with terible force.
Global News has a “harbour cam” which captured distant shots of two people crossing the Bay using a stick or pole to stab at the ice as a test of its safety. The scene just shouts the question: “What were they thinking.” Ice like this isn’t so agreeable that it gives a warning about when it will plunge you into icy depths. Global quotes a police marine officer, PC Ricardo Gomez, as follows: “There are times when we’re out on the ice geared up and we’re going through the ice unexpectedly, so I can’t imagine members of the public that are not suited up in dry suits and life jackets without the training to be out there — it’s extremely dangerous,” Gomez told Global News on Tuesday, noting tracks of broken ice are regularly being made to allow boats to pass.
Logan Paul is like countless millenial kids. He has a large following on YouTube — sometimes millions of other kids — while being utterly unknown to everyone over 30. Now he is in a crisis of sorts because he posted video of a body hanging in a Japanese forest where people commit suicide. Some people thought it was a bad thing for other kids to see. He has apologized.
