The South Bayview Bulldog

Liam McIntyre

Netflix inspires royal names

Lately popular Lincoln

The Ontario government has issued a release saying that Olivia and Benjamin are the most popular names for baby girls and boys born in 2016. Lincoln joined Ontario’s top 20 list of baby names for the first time since such records were kept. Go figure. That durable Hollywood moniker Liam (Neeson, McIntyre) has dropped to second place this year after being in first place for boys for five years. Royal names for babies are on the rise after the television series The Crown was released on Netflix, the ministry noted. That means there are more Elizabeths, Margarets and Winstons being bundled home from the hospital.Top names for baby girls in Ontario in 2016:

• Olivia
• Emma
• Charlotte
• Ava
• Sophia

Top names for baby boys in Ontario in 2016:

• Benjamin
• Liam
• Noah
• Ethan
• Lucas

Kate Wheeler and Christine Bentley of What She Said

Carolers dropped in

Kate Wheeler with daughters painted by Heather Cooper

Sophie and Alex Beaton

Ann Brodie and Kris Abel

Bill Hutchison and Harold Robbins

Rani Jamieson and Ted Stuebing

Mary Whittall and Cindy Alexander

Kate Wheeler and husband John Beaton hosted Let’s Get Lit, a smart reception at their Lawrence Park home Saturday. Guests dined on a dazzling selection of finger foods. Many made a meal of the delicious eggnog created by the hostess. Dozens of business friends and neighbors talked and laughed the evening away.  Christine Bentley was there. Like Wheeler, she is a former CTV anchor. Now the two women own a multi-platform radio and Facebook program called What She Said! Talk. They showcase enterprising and interesting women. The program is newly lodged at 105.9 The Region. airing weekends at noon.

Daughters Sophie and Alexandra Beaton were there. Sophie is graduating from McGill with honours and is heading to law school. Alex is on her way to Los Angeles for pilot season, she is currently the lead in a web series called Spiral www.spiralbackwards.com  and has been a lead in The Next Step on Family Channel for six years.

Seneca College Journalism Professor Bill Hutchison joined the party too. The former CTV reporter and anchor is also anchoring some morning shifts at The Region. Guests were enchanted by a painting of Kate as a young mom with Sophie and Alex done by artist Heather Cooper. It was commissioned by Mr. Beaton. Cooper is also the designer of famous corporate logos such as Roots, CN and the LCBO.

Freeman Real Estate crowds/@joemihevc

Long lineup/@joemihevc

The annual turkey giveaway started by Honest Ed Mirvish some 30 years ago has been taken over by Bathurst St  Realtor Elden Freeman of Freeman Real Estate and Spirit of Math, an afterschool math program for kids. Sunday Freeman’s office at 988 Bathurst saw hundreds of people waiting in line for a free Yule bird  The first person in line arrived around 4 a.m. and, by opening hour at 9 a.m., there were hundreds of people. The annual line up outside the former Honest Ed’s location was a holiday custom for many in the area.

Barry and Honey Sherman are reported by CTV to have been found hanging inside their Old Colony Rd. home. The network quotes “police sources” as the autopsy results on the celebrated couple reveals that death was caused by “ligature neck compression.” This would be consistent with hanging. The CBC meanwhile says Toronto homicide Det. Brandon Price told reporters outside the couple’s home on Saturday that police “cannot say 100 per cent with certainty” whether or not foul play was involved. The billionaire philanthropists were discovered at their home in the St. Andrew-Windfields area near Bayview Avenue and Highway 401 on Friday morning.

Pam Seatle of City News filed this report late Saturday wrapping up information so far in deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman. Autopsy results may be available Sunday.

No winning ticket was sold for the $9 million jackpot in Saturday night’s Lotto 649 draw. The guaranteed $1 million dollar prize went to a ticket holder in Ontario. The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on December 20 will be approximately $12 million.

Rides on the TTC will be free on Sunday as the service marks the official opening of the Line One subway extension to Vaughan. Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca made the announcement at Sheppard West Station on Saturday morning, saying it that it was only made possible through the ability of the province and the City to work together in a “rapid fashion.” The free service will be in effect from 5 a.m. Sunday until 5 a.m. Monday and will cover the entire TTC network, including buses, streetcars and subways.

A civil lawsuit has been filed against members of Canada’s Greek Orthodox clergy making allegations of theft of donations made for a sick baby in addition to other claims of unsavory activities  CBC

Santa’s photo prompter

Young chef in kitchen

Larissa is a cute elf

Good turnout

Snap photog must read The Bulldog

Happy pancake fans

Christine Stock makes these dolls in Davisville

The Annual Manor Road United Church Santa Pancake Breakfast was well-attended Saturday. The pancake kitchen was hopping and there were interesting sales tables. Local craft person Christine Stock was showing sweet dolls she makes right in Davisville Village.

ROAD CLOSURE:
Mt Pleasant Av + Eglinton Av
-Hydro has attended
-Wires have been fixed
-Roads re-opened
^dh

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) December 16, 2017

A top general, always at the side of Kim Jung un, has disappeared. Life is cheap in the North Korean workers paradise. In Toronto, police are talking all around the point in the dreadful deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman. They’re saying things like the public does not need to fear there is a killer on the loose. On a happier note, Star Wars, the Last Jedi is breaking attendance records. And in Pennsylvania, the misguided notion that university kids won’t drink themselves to death is being called out.

Jon Burnside Ward 26

Josh Matlow (and Molly) Ward 22

Kristin Wong-Tam Ward 27

The Ontario Municipal Board has approved the City of Toronto plan to add three wards to the electoral map. It brings the total number of wards to 47 from 44 and redraws ward boundaries all over the City. In South Bayview and across Midtown changes will send voters and maybe some politicians back to school for next year’s election. Ward 22 (Josh Matlow) has survived more or less intact but it’s now called Ward 26. The present Ward 26 (or a lot of it) now held by Jon Burnside contains Leaside and Bennington Heights. It will become Ward 33. Much change awaits those below Moore Ave. where Kristin Wong-Tam’s power base of Ward 27 has been chopped up and allocated to the new Wards 21, 22, 25 and 34. No doubt Wong-Tam will find a favorable place to run from among her choices.

WARD 34

Residents of Moore Park and Rosedale will now find themselves in Ward 34 along with much of East York. The candidate in this ward will have to seek votes from residents of Inglewood Drive and Carlaw Ave. It stretches from Yonge St and Davenport Rd. to Coxwell Ave and the Danforth. Interesting territory. The map below contains an error which might confuse people from Moore Park, Deer Park and area. It places the Mud Creek in the Vale of Avoca and the Yellow Creek in the Moore Park Ravine. Geography has it just the opposite. The whole map

Midtown wards redrawn