A special weather statement from Environment Canada issued late Saturday afternoon calls for widespread snowfall Christmas Eve, with higher amounts possible near the Lake Ontario shore. The Weather Network is estimating that as much as 15 cm might fall Sunday with more than one cm Christmas morning.
A TD Bank safe deposit box was drilled open because records said it was unused, according to a CBC story published online. Inside that box were immigration papers, a wedding ring and 22-carat gold bangles and a neckless. Now they are gone and no one seems to know where. The Edmonton man who suffered this stunning loss is Suraj Khatiwada. The bank is saying it doesn’t know why its records did not show the box belonged to Mr. Khatiwada. Private contractors are employed to open locked boxes that must be opened. The story does not say who that was or if he can shed light on the valuables. CBC
Two people were taken to a local hospital with serious injuries after a rollover on Highway 410 in Brampton.
Another shot of precipitation is expected to move into the Golden Horseshoe area Friday evening. Precipitation will begin as a mix of snow and freezing drizzle before changing over to straight snow by Saturday morning. The snow should taper off in the afternoon with additional snowfall amounts in the 4 to 8 cm range. Motorists should be prepared for poor winter travelling conditions tonight and Saturday — Environment Canada
Another North Korean soldier escaped to the south Thursday amid bullets fired by his own colleagues. He is the fourth defector this year to make the dangerous decision to scramble across the demilitarized zone to freedom. One defector who is now immersed in Western culture tells a tale of how he was required to try to sustain the virility of aging dictators.
For those who didn’t know, the Barrie Police Service is reminding you that the second-hand gold bar market is a place to avoid. It is relatively easy to phony-up bars and make them look like the real thing. A Canadian bank fell for this trick recently. Currently, the regional police service says they’ve received complaints of counterfeit gold bars being sold online through Kijiji. The bars are alleged to appear to be real and are professionally packed bearing an official looking stamp resembling the Perth Mint or the Royal Canadian Mint. Testing has shown the bars are copper plated with gold.
Upper left, manager Shirley Breen (right) and her friends at the Meridian Credit Union branch on Mt. Pleasant Rd at Soudan Ave as they pose with some of the clothing collected for the excellent New Circles Community Services on Bartley Road. Well done all. Then to the right, MP Rob Oliphant offers congratulations to hardware retailer Ken Comlekcier on his retirement. He has run True Value Hardware on Bayview Ave for decades. Lower left, the East York NDP will be forgiven for their cheapish shot at the prime minister in turn for the hilarious wayback photo seen here. It does say quite a bit about our heart-throb PM. He will be 46 on Christmas Day. Lower left, a reminder of the last day of Advent services at Leaside United. Others will be having similar services. To the right, some gifts put together by the Junior Wildcats for donation by the Shoeboxes charity to women in shelters. Then finally, the Regent Theatre on Mt. Pleasant Rd. is for sale for $9 million which is a hefty price for a heritage building. We show it in its original guise at the Belsize Theatre. The greatest honour anyone could offer this old palace (and the neighborhood) would be the restoration of its proper name and use for a viable commercial purpose.
June Rowlands, the first woman mayor of Toronto, has died at age 93 in a long-term care home, her family has confirmed. She was an advocate for North Toronto and the park at Mt. Pleasant Rd. and Davisville Ave. carries her name. Her long career in municipal politics was acknowledged by Mayor Tory and Councillor Josh Matlow (Ward 22) said “I am grateful to her and express my sincerest condolences to her family & friends. We will continue to celebrate her legacy at the park in midtown Toronto that is named in her honour.” CBC
A professional bike thief is at work downtown in these pictures released by Toronto Police. He was at bike racks outside Service Ontario and other offices at 777 Bay St.. It was Wednesday, November 15 when he cut the bike locks with tools and removed two bicycles. On Thursday, November 30, the same man was at the bike racks on the south side of 777 Bay Street where he stole more bikes. He is described as mid-to-late 30s, 5’9″-6″, medium build. He was seen wearing a black winter jacket, black pants, black toque, carrying a black backpack On Thursday, November 30, 2017, the same man attended the bike racks on the south side of 777 Bay Street
Notable failures from Bombardier (yawn) and Apple (really?) headline this Video Wheel. The Bum story is well known. Those streetcars they promised are still out there somewhere. Ontario is going elsewhere for trams and trains. Cynthia Mulligan with that But the discovery by Toronto scientist John Poole that Apple has been intentionally slowing down iPhones to make them “last” has set the snooty tech giant on its ear. Below that, Emma Gibson (the infant) is in many ways the same age as her mom Tina. Check out the arithmetic. And finally, the harrowing and hurtful effort by Florida police officer Jon Cusak to catch a drug dealer.
Canada has joined 34 other countries in abstaining on a UN resolution that declares the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital to be null and void. The resolution, despite its language, has no power to change the American action. The vote was 128 in favour, nine opposed and 35 abstaining. Among those abstaining were Canada, Australia, Mexico and Argentina. Those opposing the resolution were the US, Israel, Togo, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Honduras and Guatemala. “We are disappointed that this resolution is one-sided and does not advance prospects for peace to which we aspire, which is why we have abstained on today’s vote,” said Adam Austin, a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland. “Canada’s longstanding position is that the status of Jerusalem can be resolved only as part of a general settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. This has been the policy of consecutive governments, both Liberal and Conservative.”
As many as 10,000 people including the Prime Minister and Premier Wynne attended the funeral Thursday for Apotex founder Barry Sherman and his wife Honey Sherman. It was held at the Toronto International Cetnreand there are estiamtes of as manyt asz 10,000 present. It will surely rank as among the largest funerals in Canada’s history. It heard from many fmaily members and from Senator Linda Frum, a personal friend of the couple. The service was broadcast live by the CBC and CP24.
Mourners gather to pay tribute to billionaire couple Barry and Honey Sherman
