The South Bayview Bulldog

The 18th annual Doors Open Toronto presented by Great Gulf is on this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday. Some 150 architecturally, historically, culturally and socially significant buildings across the City will be open to the public. Many of this year’s unique and unexplored spaces will host exhibitions, architectural talks and a music series. More than 10 walking tours are also available. Most venues will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A list of locations and hours is available at here. A few places nearby: Greenwood College School, Historic Don Jail – Bridgepoint Active Healthcare, Ismaili Centre Toronto, John Street Roundhouse, Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Tara Collum spotted this friend on the Don River Valley Trail

Rob Oliphant Esq

Morning Glory Elite Squad

Good Golly Miss Molly

Opening at 590 Mt. Pleasant

Join us June 1

Some findings of things near you this Wednesday. Tara Collum was on the Don River Valley Trail when she saw this deer. The pleasures of walking. To the right, Rob Oliphant and charming presence are at Agnes Macphail’s former residence, a duplex at Millwood Rd. and Donegall Drive. The great Macphail was celebrated at an LHS assembly on her imminent appearance on the new Canadian tens. She lived upstairs incidentally. Below that, a formidable group known at the Morning Glory Cycling Elite Squad who will take to the roads Saturday and have issued an invitation to join them. Below that, as noted by Chantal Vaillancourt, the Sofa Bed Store is getting ready to open at 590 Mt. Pleasant Rd. That’s at the old Eric and Susan Lamps location just north of Penrose Rd. To the left of that, Good Golly Miss Molly and also dad, Councillor Josh Matlow. This was snapped at the Apple Tree Markets Tuesday afternoon in Davisville Park. And then a final reminder of the Leaside Smokedown June 1 at Amsterdam Brewery. Proceeds go to the Holland Bloorview Hospital on Kilgour Road. So worthy.

The crisis point seems near for an estimated 200 tenants staging a rent strike in Parkdale. One landlord, AIMco, has started eviction action against tenants who withheld their May rent in protest against a reported increase of five percent, three and a half percent above the standard 1.5 percent. The added sum is justified by improvements which were made to the buildings. The increase may or may not be justified but it does seem within the provisions of the law. Cole Webber, who is with the Parkdale Community Legal Services, said AIMCo has initiated evictions on tenants who refused to pay their rent at the beginning of this month. His complaint is not without merit but may not be quite to the point. “AIMCo claims socially responsible investment practices. We fail to see what is socially responsible about evicting low-income people from their homes in the middle of a housing crisis.” There has been talk of a rent strike among some tenants in Thorncliffe Park but it does not appear to have taken root, at least so far. AIMco and another landlord, MetCap are facing the rent strike.

Saturday is the main planting day for the combined-sponors program called the Seton Woods Forest Meadows Project taking place in East York’s Taylor Creek Park. This wholesome and educational project is teaching boys, girls, teens and adults the value of conservation. It is an exercise in community building and some excellent socializing. If you have a son or daughter who might like to make the community better, give the 132 Scouts a shout. Posters are interactive so take a look

We catch a glimpse

Woman knocks on door and waits

She has voice contact with accomplices

When woman responcded they scurried away

A York Region woman is certain that three people going door to door in her neighborhood are a break-in gang. Their method is to have the young woman (seen above) knock on the door to check if there’s anyone home. This is a well-established trick. In this case, it seems the woman is in voice contact with her accomplices, two men slowly moving along the street in an old Mercedes. The homeowner, Debra Cossaro Di Benedetto, delayed opening the door. But the woman hung around outside for as long as five minutes. That is an extraordinarily long time for anyone to wait at the door. Di Bennedetto finally asked through the door what the woman wanted. She said she was looking for “John” and quickly departed. Later, when Di Benedetto viewed her own video and that of neighbour, she saw that the two men had emerged from the old Mercedes and were about to go between the houses when they suddenly turned around and left. Now she feels sure that when she spoke to the woman at her door, the door-knocker sent a voice alarm to her accomplices that someone was home. That sent them all scurrying away.  York Region Police check concern of possible break-in gang

Victims include a girl 8, teenagers

Hateful attack on the innocent

A former British spy and terrorism expert estimates there may be as many as 1,000 men in Britain capable of the same unspeakable behaviour as Salman Abedi, the 22-year-old death dreamer who blew himself up at the Manchester arena Monday and took 22 others with him. He injured as many as 60 and set equal parts of fear and anger in the hearts of decent people everywhere. The estimate is from Richard Barrett, as quoted from a BBC radio interview Tuesday. “We value our society, we talk about freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, and all this sort of thing, and we really do want to preserve those values against the attacks or terrorism, and if we’re following around 1,000 people or something I think we’re losing those values,” said Barrett. “I don’t think anyone’s expecting the security services or police to monitor the population here on the scale of perhaps what was done in East Germany.”  Barrett expressed his concern by the numbers, noting “returnees” from Iraq and Syria said to be 400 or so, plus the people who wanted to go to Iraq or Syria but were stopped. They could count up to 600, he said. “So already you’re up to 1,000 before you even start on the people who live here and maybe never expressed any or didn’t knowingly express any intention to go to Syria, so what do you do about that?”

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This year’s Maiurice Cody spring fair is scheduled for Saturday, May 27th, 2017 between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m, rain or shine.  It promises games, jumping castle, rock climbing, target throwing, bake sale, henna art, raffles and much more!  The theme this year is “Canada 150”.

Toronto police have been invited to participate in uniform at the New York City Pride March in June. The invitation is said to be designed to make a point about the Toronto Pride ban on TPS uniforms in the local parade.  The Gay Officers Action League in New York requested permission for Toronto officers to join uniformed members of the NYPD Marching band and colour guard in the June 25th Pride March in New York City — the same day as the Toronto Pride Parade.

Two gay men, aged 20 and 23, have received 83 strokes of the cane each after being found guilty of breaking sharia rules in conservative Aceh province, the only part of Indonesia that implements Islamic law. The spectacle is reminiscent of public executions of previous centuries, events held to warn possible transgressors and as group entertainment. Many were recording the punishment with their phones. The video reveals something like a holiday occasion as the two are led onto a stage set up outside a mosque in front of a crowd of thousands, who jeered and booed. The pair bowed their heads as they were whipped by officials who wore dark robes and masks with eye slits, and used thin rattan canes. One of the men grimaced occasionally and the other showed little emotion. Before the caning, Abdul Gani Isa, a member of the Acehnese clerics’ council, told the crowd the caning was “a lesson for the public”. “Lessons carried out with our sharia law are conducted in a very thoughtful way, are educational and do not violate human rights,” he said.