The South Bayview Bulldog

Beth Nealson (Mayor of Leaside) and True Davidson (Reeve of East York) in 1966/Toronto Star

Wildcat coaches celebrate players

Remember The Vintage Room at the Inn on the Park?

El Hogar

Marking 50 anniversary of Beach Metro News

East York Jam

True Davidson and Leaside Mayor Beth Nealson are among the more famous local women (to say the least) as the world reflects on International Women’s Day this week. Jamie Bradburn writing in Torontoist recalls that Davidson, then Reeve of East York, sniped in 1966: “I think the real reason the Government decided to amalgamate our two municipalities is that the men didn’t want so many women around in politics and decided to get rid of one lady mayor.”  At the upper right is the coaching gang of the Leaside Wildcats Under 18B (Taylor) team as they celebrate their players on women’s day. Hats off to you too, ladies. Below that is more nostalgia recalling the Inn on the Park and its elegant Vintage Room at the Leaside Chit Chat Facebook page. Further down is a post by the El Hogar Ministries in Honduras. It’s a long-time benefactor of generous parishioners at Leaside United Church. At bottom right is a reminder of the East York Jam Fest set for March 26 and 27 at the East York Civic Centre. Looks like fun. Lastly, at bottom left is a tribute by veteran cartoonist Bill Suddick to Beach Metro News, celebrating 50 years in business.

CTV News is saying Wednesday that Ontario will end the requirement to wear masks in most indoor public settings and schools on Monday, March 21. It says the province will end mandatory masking everywhere except hospitals, congregate care settings and the long-term care system by March 21. Medical Officer of Health Keiren Moore will speak at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

The Ontario government says it will upgrade the curriculum for all levels of school with an increased emphasis on science. The acronym STEM (meaning science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is often used to describe this field. And yes kids, it may require some work but that’s what smart people do.

Chief Ramer getting ready for a cold dip

Toronto Police Chief Jim Ramer will take the Polar Plunge in aid of Special Olympics athletes later this month. The annual fundraising ends March 21 after which Ramer (who must be a heck of a good sport) will be dumped into icy water by Wendel Clark

City property near Leaside Spur Trail to become paramedics hub

Eight sites to be developed

Eight large properties downtown and in North York are going to be “unlocked” in the words of the City and redeveloped in various ways. Among the most mentioned is the former bus terminal at 611 Bay St but locally there’s the large property at 18 Dyas Road just east of the Leaside Spur Trail. Plans are to make it the new Paramedics Multi-Function Station Hub.

Former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, General Philip Breedlove, says Putin miscalculated the determination and toughness of Ukrainians when he invaded that country. Below, an explanation of how NATO supplies are being delivered to the Ukraine army.

Below, a remarkable video from inside Ukraine. President Zelensky is seen saying again that he will not leave Kyiv. Also, interviews with Quebec men who are former Canadian army members now hoping to fight in Ukraine.

Vehicle theft goes on almost nightly in Midtown. A 2021 white Grand Jeep Cherokee was stolen early Monday from Randolph Road just north of Hanna Road. Many readers are commenting.

Drugstore robber surrenders/DRP

Durham Regional Police have released video from their helicopter as it guided ground cops in the chase of three teen boys after the robbery of an IDA drugstore on Bond St in Oshawa. The audio is very distorted but the video shows an exciting chase with one culprit tackled and another throwing his hands up in surrender.

Highest octane priced at 216.9

The invasion of Ukraine is forcing already high gasoline prices even higher. The cost per litre is now well over $2 a litre in Vancouver. The helpful monitor of local gas prices from 680 News is here. It shows the price in Toronto steady at 184.9 after leaping ten cents last Friday.

Toronto Police will be busy in Lawrence Park, Mt Pleasant, Leaside and Thorncliffe Park among other areas Monday on what is known as #VZET Enforcement focused on #VisionZeroTO. They will be concentrating on the Big Four of bad driving (see Tweet). Officer Scott Baptist explains it on Tik Tok.

Covering up the tailights

Hello there

These captures are said to show a man working (so to speak) on a truck in a driveway at Rykert Cres and Broadway Ave about 1.20 a.m. Saturday morning. For reasons unknown, he left the job unfinished. FB

Thousands gather at 60 St. Clair West, location of the Russian consulate-general/Camille Beaubien Twitter

At the rally/Gary Bakuniac Twitter

A crowd of Torontonians estimated to number as many as 10,000 rallied for the freedom of Ukraine Sunday outside the Russian consulate-general at 60 St. Clair Ave West. The #StandWithUkraine rally was organized by the Toronto branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, and began at 2 p.m. Demonstrators held the Ukrainian flag and signs condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions. In a tweet Sunday afternoon, Toronto police said St. Clair Avenue from Yonge Street to Avoca Avenue was closed due to a “large crowd” blocking traffic in the area. Twitter

Construction deck moved by the wind/Carla Bosaski Twitter

High winds were causing stuff to fly around and at Portland and Adelaide Sts the road was closed briefly when a construction platform looked like it was ready to fall. Yonge St was closed between Asquith and Yorkville because of blowing construction materials. And a rolled truck has caused a temporary closure of the Burlington Skyway. The picture below is courtesy of the OPP. They have also tweeted a bad single-car accident on the 403 (posted below) which may or may not be wind-related. Fingers crossed as we see the Toronto Hydro Outage Map is quite clear approaching 3 p.m. Winds appeared to subside in Midtown about the same time.