The South Bayview Bulldog

Kids with cancer land in Toronto

Will Scotland be my new home?

“I hear it is very beautiful”

Is there any sanity at all left in the world? Late reports say that Russia will scale back attacks on the Ukrainian capital as talks continue. The heartbreaking cost of Putin’s apparent megalomania is seen among the children being housed in adjoining countries like Poland and Romania. Five Ukrainian kids with cancer are now at the Hospital for Sick Children. And a planeload of orphans has arrived in Scotland. It was a huge challenge to get them there.

Two parents and three children who died in a smokey house fire in Brampton Monday have been identified as dad Nazir Ali, mom Raven Ali-O’Dea and Alia, 10, Jayden, eight, and Layla, seven. The cause of the fire remains undetermined but family members suggested that the home on Conestoga Drive did not have working fire/smoke alarms.

QEW near St. Catharines

Minister Caroline Mulroney has confirmed that six sections of four-lane highway will become permanent 110 km/h roads. The province launched a pilot project in 2019 to boost the speeds on certain areas of highway across the province. Canadian Press says it has learned that those speed limits will now be made permanent as of April 22. The roads in question are the Queen Elizabeth Way from Hamilton to St. Catharines, Highway 402 from London to Sarnia, Highway 417 from Ottawa to the Quebec border, Highway 401 from Windsor to Tilbury and Highway 404 from Newmarket to Woodbine.

Mayor worries in advance about Ontario Line disruption

Mayor Tory took the chance to say he’s worried about the impact of construction as he and Premier Ford attended the groundbreaking for the 16-kilometre Ontario Line Monday. “It is a subject of huge concern to me,” Tory said about the disruption to local businesses. And the high-rise tower mushrooms that follow new transit lines have already begun in Newmarket.

NDP and Liberals make replacement workers illegal

Unions are applauding pending legislation that will make “scabs” or replacement workers illegal during a union strike. The NDP/Liberal deal promises to introduce a new law by the end of next year that would ban such workers in the federal sector.

The province of Ontario and the federal government have signed a $13.2-billion agreement to lower the cost of child care to parents to an average of $10 a day by September 2025.

Prposed station at Queen St and De Grassi St/

Residents of Leslieville are giving mixed reviews to new images released of the Ontario Line concepts for Queen and De Grassi Sts and Gerrard St and Carlaw Ave. Monday approaching noon there were as many as 80 posts.

Ukraine president Zelensky has said that he is prepared to discuss a neutral status for his country as part of peace talks with Russia. But he insisted that such a possibility would have to be approved by the Ukrainian people in a vote and guaranteed by the West. Austria achieved an officially neutral status in the days following WW2 and escaped being swallowed up by the Soviet Union

See later story. Canadian Press has sent out word that Ontario will sign the federal scheme for child-car support Monday although the details remain vague and some might call them cryptic. Read the bulletin below:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford will make an announcement Monday morning after the two sides reportedly reached a $10.2 billion deal to subsidize the cost of child care last night. Sources from both the federal and provincial governments told The Canadian Press Sunday that they had agreed on a deal, with Ontario becoming the final jurisdiction in the country to sign on to the $30 billion accord. Ontario had been holding out for more money, but reportedly did not receive any additional funds as part of the deal. Instead, the two sides agreed on additional flexibility in how the money is spent and a review mechanism that initiates in three years where Ontario can ask the federal government for more money. The announcement will take place somewhere in the Greater Toronto Area at 11 a.m.

Conestoga Drive, Brampton

Three children are said to be among five people who died in a house fire on Conestoga Drive near Sutter Ave early Monday in Brampton. Citytv reporter Carl Hantske (see tweet below) says he believes that smoke was the lethal element. He also reports that three adults survived.

A fire in a speaker high above the court caused an evacuation of from Scotiabank Arena Saturday night. It didn’t stop the Raptors from walloping the Indiana Pacers 131 to 91.

Lowly Habs stun Leafs with 4-2 win in Montreal

It was a good game nonetheless and the Habs earned their victory. One of their goals was cancelled as an offside.

Social media makes those muscular guys a bit scared

Among the many dumb things that occur on social media is, we’re told, the intimidation of guys worried about their manly look. Woe is me.

Flixbus in operation

FlixBus, a global operation that is active across Europe, the US and Brazil, will start a series of new routes in Southern Ontario including service from Toronto to Ottawa and Toronto to Niagara Falls. FlixBus will also run regularly from Toronto to southwestern stops in Guelph, downtown Kitchener and at Waterloo University. The service begins on April 7. FlixBus is owned by FlixMobility in Munich. Following the end of service by Greyhound Bus in Canada, the Badder Bus Company began a Toronto to London service starting last July. CBC FlixBus Facebook

Good Sunday to all and, no, winter is not over. Of course, all of this is routine in Toronto. It has been known to snow in the Ontario capital. Questions like “Will there be enough to build a snowman?” and “Why did I put my boots away?” are rumbling around the neighbourhood. Weather Network

A previously-much visited page at The Bulldog has been updated as our Midtown world slowly returns to face-to-face recreation. Take a look at what’s coming up.