Polar bears cancel Lake Ontario dip in the interest of safety

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The Toronto Polar Bear Club has decided to cancel its annual dip into Lake Ontario at Sunnyside Beach on New Year’s Day due to extreme cold weather. The event was being held in support of the Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre, an organization that works to eliminate violence and abuse in the lives of children, youth and their families. It would have been the 13th annual dip, with hundreds of people expected to attend.

Third car this year thoroughly stuck in Queen’s Quay tunnel

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Third car this year/KTauro@TPSTauro
Watch for streetcars Uh-huh./KTauro@TPSTauro
Serious damage /City News

A vehicle was driven into the Queens Quay streetcar tunnel early Sunday, apparently the third time year that this has happened. The circumstances seem stranger than ever in this case. The Ford SUV is a rental car and has had the plates removed. Police also say the car was “wiped down” seemingly to remove fingerprints. It happened about 4:30 a.m. when the TTC notified commuters that the 510 Spadina streetcar would be forced to turn back northbound at Spadina and Queens Quay. The 509 Harbourfront streetcar is also turning back westbound at Spadina and Queens Quay.

Candlelight vigil for Aubrey and Chloe on Vancouver Island

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Hundreds of friends and members of the public gathered Saturday night to mourn the two sisters found dead Christmas Day at an apartment occupied by their father in the Vancouver Island town of Oak Bay. Among those present were teachers of Chloe and Aubrey Berry, 6 and 4. Their father, Andrew Berry, 43, was found with apparently self-inflicted wounds. British Columbia’s child and youth representative says his office has begun to collect information about the matter. Bernard Richard said Friday it is too early to say whether he will launch a formal investigation, but he says his office has contacted the B.C. Coroners Service and the provincial ministry in charge of child welfare and has started gathering documents.

COURT DOCUMENT

The British Columbia Supreme Court document describing the settlement of custody between parents Sarah Cotton and Berry is being widely read Sunday. It ranges over four years of strained relations between the common-law couple. They met while they were both employed at BC Ferries. The account by Madame Justice Gray speaks of a father who seemed increasingly detached from efforts to manage the relationship in the interests of the children.  2017 BCSC 907 Cotton v. Berry – The Courts of British Columbia – Province of British Columbia

Two tickets split Saturday’s $5 million Lotto 649 jackpot

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There are two winning tickets for Saturday night’s $5 million Lotto 649 jackpot, making each worth $2.5 million. One ticket was sold in Ontario and the other in Quebec. The draw’s guaranteed $1 million prize was claimed by a ticket purchased in Ontario. The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on Jan. 3 will be approximately $5 million.

Cars will enter and exit 33 Laird at Canvarco, says report

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Vehicular traffic to the commercial development planned at 33 Laird Drive will enter and exit exclusively by way of Canvarco Rd. A post Saturday named some of the tenants who are confirmed at 33 Laird. It suggested there might be a four-way intersection at Laird and Millwood Rd. to permit access to the development. A staff report from February 2017 makes it clear that this is not the case. The report states that pedestrian traffic may enter by a walkway from Laird. It says that throughout the application process to build the project “there have been conversations between the applicant and Transportation Services regarding a conceptual redesign of the intersection of Laird Drive and Canvarco Road. Although the design is still being discussed, it is anticipated that Canvarco Road will have an additional westbound lane, with the final configuration including exclusive left-turn and right-turn lanes from Canvarco Road out to Laird Drive.” There is no mention of the precise nature of the traffic control at Canvarco but it is presumed to be a stop sign. The report was written before the changes to Laird and Millwood made during the Fall of 2017 but it clearly had them in mind.  Some tenants named for development at 33 Laird

Elephant calf stands 25 minutes after birth at Belgian zoo

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A newborn elephant calf at Planckendael Zoo in Belgium has struggled to his feet just 25 minutes after birth. The healthy baby elephant, born Christmas Day, has delighted zoo officials and elephant lovers world wide. Then the Video Wheel stops in the Bronx where generous friends and neighbors are bringing together supplies and clothing for the families driven out by the fire that killed 12 people. Below that, even hardy New Yorkers are saying maybe they’ll give Times Square a pass this year as temperatures are set to plunge to wind-chill values of minus 30. Finally, the Bata Shoe Museum has an exhibit which tells us that heeled shoes were first worn by men as an aid to stability in the saddle.






Local posts from police cite falling debris at Yonge/St. Clair

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Summary on gas break, road closures and Oshawa death

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Gas leak at Park Rd. and Collier St./City News Jason MacLellan

Frigid weather is causing trademark water main breaks and on Park Rd. south of Rosedale Valley Rd. an apparently related gas line break at Collier St. Work continues.

7-DAY A WEEK GO SERVICE TO BARRIE

GO Transit is debuting all-day train service that will run seven days a week on the Barrie-Toronto line in 2018. Saturday saw the first train depart from Barrie from Toronto on the new hourly weekend GO train service from Union Station. Metrolinx is also offering hourly GO train service in both directions between Union station and Aurora station during the midday and evening rush. This will begin on Tuesday. Increased service will also run in the mornings, afternoon and late evenings between Union and Bradford stations.

ROAD CLOSURES FOR SHORTENED CITY HALL EVENT

The City of Toronto will host a New Year’s Eve celebration at Nathan Philips Square but it will begin late at 11.30 p.m.and last only to the end of fireworks, which begin at midnight. All this because of the record cold. Here are road closures, for both vehicles and pedestrians, which will be in effect from 6 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

  • Queen Street West, from Yonge Street to University Avenue
  •  Bay Street, from Richmond Street West to Dundas Street West
  •  York Street, from Richmond Street West to Queen Street West
  •  Hagerman Street, from Elizabeth Street to Bay Street
  •  Elizabeth Street, from Foster Place to Hagerman Street
  •  Albert Street, from Bay Street to James Street
  •  James Street, from Queen Street West to Albert Street

MAN CHARGED IN OSHAWA AFTER BODY FOUND AND “PACKAGE” DETONATED.

“No trucks” order as skittish Europe readies for New Year’s

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Securities forces are on full alert across Europe for New Year’s. There is much focus on making sure no misfit in a truck gets within range of crowded venues.

Now gas leak reported at Park Rd. and Rosedale Valley Rd.

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Barry Sherman to receive Order of Canada posthumously

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Barry Sherman will be given the Order of Canada posthumously. Mr. Sherman was already slated to win the highest medal offered to a Canadian before he and his wife Honey were found dead last month. Governor General Julie Payette announced 125 new appointments Friday. They include William Shatner, famous for his role as Captain Kirk on Star Trek and Academy Award-nominated Quebec film director Denis Villeneuve, both named as officers of the order Friday, while singer-songwriter Jann Arden was made a member

HOCKEY GLASSES RECALLED

Molson Coors Canada is recalling approximately 215,000 limited edition NHL beer glasses after eight people were reported injured while washing the glasses. Health Canada says that as of Dec. 18, Molson Coors had received 11 reports of glasses breaking while being hand-washed, resulting in the eight injuries. The company says the glasses were distributed during October and November in special edition cases of Molson Canadian and through an online offer where customers entered special codes from their beer cases to receive a glass. This recall involves 568-millilitre glasses with the Molson Canadian logo and NHL 100 year (1917-2017) logo. The glasses also have the logo of one of eight NHL hockey teams — Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators or Toronto Maple Leafs — on the front

Freezing trams as only Toronto can, mystery monster in bay

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Third of trams frozen in yards
What is this?/City News capture
Warming centre
Keeping ferry channel open
No skating
Great City in the Ice Box

You’ve heard of Autumn in New York? This is Toronto in the Ice Box. Upper left, transit wonks are saying that a third of Toronto’s streetcars are so stiff they can’t leave the barns. There are allegedly breaks in the tracks as well. Please don’t get us started on trolley technology. Upper right, this shot of unknown origin shows a mystery ice monster in the bay. Who are you? Below that, a newly-installed sign outside the Better Living Centre where the City has set up warming accommodation for those unable to get into a shelter. We trust that the tireless outreach people are ferrying such hapless souls down there. Centre left is the Toronto Fire Service icebreaker keeping the ferry channel open. And bottom left, a reminder that you may not be permitted to skate at Nathan Phillips Square because of the cold. Lower right, a majestic shot of the frozen bay and skyline.