The South Bayview Bulldog

A Burlington man who has brought joy to families for some 30 years with an elaborate Christmas light display at his home has died in a fall from the roof. It is said that Doug Musson, 83, fell while trying to fix a leak that was affecting the display. A statement on the family website celebrating the lights said Mr. Musson was “up on a ladder trying to find out why water was dripping on the pathway which might drip on visitors to the display when the ladder fell.”  The statement said Musson died in hospital on Monday.  “Our family is devastated. I debated even turning on the lights but decided he would want them on and he worked hard on making all of the displays,” said the statement from one of his children. A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family and as of Wednesday morning had raised $9,835, already past its goal of $5,000 goal. Burlington residents pay tribute online to Doug Musson

Doug Musson

Wonderful Christmas lights

James Giles seen with mayor of his hometown, Terrace BC

Cut rate plans for the holidays

Saving the bees

James Giles (left) is being treated like the hero he is this week as the Carnegie Hero Fund, based in Pittsburgh, added Giles and handful of other brave people to the very few who will hold the Carnegie Medal. Giles twice ran into his neighbor’s home to save two young children. He is seen above with Carol Leclerc, mayor Terrace BC, which earlier this year recognized his bravery.  Then, major cell phone providers in Canada are waging a price war, offering consumers deals on data plans. Rogers, Bell and Telus are offering plans that include 10 GB of data for $60 per month for customers who already have their own device. Right, saving the bees is a national mission as Canada will limit but not ban the use of two neonicotinoids (also known as neonics) that are said to be killing off bees and important insects at an alarming rate.  And lastly, on video, the Maple Leafs have celebrated 100 years of Go Leafs Go by thumping Carolina 8 to 1.

• Non-residents make up 3.4 per cent of residential property owners in Toronto

Police are warning GTA merchants about fake $100 bills circulating this Christmas season. They have been found in Peel Region and all bear the number FKW4346846. George Weston Ltd., owners of Loblaw Companies Ltd., is saying that it was part of a price-fixing scheme on packaged bread unknown to management. It says that it learned of the practice in 2015 and told the federal Competition Bureau as soon as it discovered the decade long practice in 2015. The people who were part of the arrangement are no longer with the firm. And a  person is dead following a crash on Highway 409 in Etobicoke on Tuesday evening. OPP say the eastbound lanes of Highway 409 were closed between Martin Grove Road and Kipling Avenue due to a “vehicle fire.” The two-vehicle collision happened around 5 p.m.

Four-way corner at entry to new Costco

Work goes on at all hours on new store

Window work on integrated offices of Coca Cola

A four-way intersection has been created on Overlea Blvd at the entry to the still-unfinished parking lot for the new Costco store. Drivers going east on Overlea will be able to turn left into Costco or right into the East York Town Centre. Work continues at all hours on the Costco to meet a planned opening of the store late in February.

Street ticketed nine nights straight

There is a lively and extensive discussion of street parking underway on Leaside Community Facebook page Tuesday. It is inspired by Peter Baugh of Leaside who has started a petition to abolish the long-standing three-hour parking limitation on City streets. Mr. Baugh says he and his neighbours have been ticketed nine nights running because someone is making serial complaints about street parking. By midmorning there are more than 20 posts. One is from Justin Van Dette who supports the bylaw and says during the winter, street parking and snow tend to narrow streets to one lane. Another says she favours cars on the street because it slows traffic. While another point of view is that the bylaw addresses commuters who park on residential streets to take transit. Mr. Baugh has made a supplemental post about what he called the “arbitrary nature of enforcement of an unjustifiable and pointless rule. Virtually any objective that people *think* this rule serves could be achieved more directly and fairly with other more sensible measures,” he says.

Here’s a TTC efficiency which will deny some riders access to the service but still make money for the transit agency. Get rid of cash fares so all the fare collectors can be removed from the payroll. Yes, some poor people who can’t afford a Presto card and a few rich who occasionally jump on the train for cash will be unable to ride. The latest bit of digital progress from City News. In Brooklyn, New York, a terrible tragedy when an unattended menorah causes a fire that kills four. Below that, an astonishing funicular railway that keeps you standing upright by rolling the floor like a midway ride. Yikes. Finally, Kyle Lowry takes kids shopping. Could be good.

Andy Elder and Peter Ramirez

Brentcliffe Portal

PC Wai Lau

Smudge Sticks at Butter Studio

Expanded lot at Summerhill Market

Upper left, Andy Elder and Peter Ramirez are smiling because of all those pieces of paper taped to the walls behind them are orders. It is the season for special requests and the principals of Grilltime at 62 Laird Drive are busy. To the right, Constable Wai Lau proudly shows off his 25th anniversary watch from the Toronto Police Service where he has faithfully served for a quarter century. Wai is the 53 Division School Crossing Guard Coordinator, overseeing 75 crossing guards and ensuring that children get from home to school safely. Well done sir. Centre left, a rarely seen view over the Brentcliffe Portal of the Eglinton LRT where crews are said to be making progress on “wall form work.” Lower right, the expanded parking lot at Summerhill Market is now open. There are a total of 43 spaces. Finally, on the left, Butter Studio has a lot of interesting accessories and notions for Christmas including these smudge sticks.

The funeral service for Barry and Honey Sherman will be held in the Toronto International Centre, an enormous venue making it possible for thousands to attend.  It will be Thursday at 11 a.m., according to Benjamin’s Park Memorial Chapel. In the meantime, the death of the two revered persons, has been made more bewildering with the release of autopsy results which show they died of neck compression. CTV and other media have said that Sherman and his wife were found hanging together in the basement of their home. The circumstances of how this might have come about is enough  to make most minds swim in horror. Not surprisingly, it is said that the homicide squad has been assigned to the matter. Efforts to reconcile such a bizarre end for two such important people with how it could possibly have happened must be weighing heavily on the cops, as it is on the public.

• Sherman: ruthless tycoon who revolutionized Canada drug industry.
• Benjamin’s Park Memorial Chapel
• Barry and Honey Sherman sued builders of North York home

As a life-long Leafs fan, I am excited by the team’s chances this year. Tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of our beloved Toronto Maple Leafs. I am officially proclaiming December 19th as Toronto Maple Leafs Day. #TMLTalk #nhlnext100 pic.twitter.com/bZNc3xAHxS

— John Tory (@JohnTory) December 18, 2017

K-pop star Kim Jong-hyun, 27, has been found dead in his Seoul hotel room with burned coal briquettes in a pan on the stove. They produce deadly carbon monoxide. He was the lead singer of the South Korean boy band SHINee. Police said Kim’s sister told them that, before his death, the singer had behaved erratically and sent her text messages that included messages such as “Final farewell” and “I’ve had difficulties.” CBC

See later post