Flowering South Bayview offers compliments of the season

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Week ahead

TPS begins process of divesting Crossing Guard program

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The Toronto Police Service is taking early steps in its expressed intention of divesting itself of the School Crossing Guard program. To begin, it is asking those interested in possibly assuming these duties to provide information to the service on how this might be done. It says that if there “sufficient interest, ability and feasibility of third-party delivery of the program, the TPS may, but is not obligated to, initiate a competitive bidding opportunity.”  News release

Wynne begins 3-year trial of “basic income no matter what”

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True to her activist creed, Premier Kathleen Wynne will introduce a trial program of payments to poorer Ontario residents — “a basic income, no matter what.” The program will see the three-year trial begin immediately in Hamilton, Lindsay and Thunder Bay. The plan is “a basic income pilot project aimed at providing financial stability for low-income residents during a time of precarious work and a changing economy,” the Premier is quoted from remarks in Hamilton. Global News.

 

Horwath will dispense free (tax supported) medicine

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NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says that if she is elected Premier in 2018 she will introduce universal pharmacare to the province.  Horwath said the province’s first plan to cover drugs for its 13.6 million citizens would cover 125 drugs, cost an estimated $475 million a year and be fully implemented by 2020.

 

Truck hits man, teen on motorcycle on Yonge at Erskine

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A man and a young woman apparently his daughter have been injured when they were hit by a pickup truck as they rode a motorcycle north on Yonge St. at Erskine Ave Sunday night. The driver of the pickup drove off but police now say they have found the vehicle although they have not said where. The bike was hit about 8:45 p.m. Sunday when the pickup truck tried to turn left onto Erskine and struck the northbound motorcycle. The injured parties, 54 and 16, are said to be seriously hurt but on the mend.

Video wheel assays having twins at 39 without man around

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The video wheel begins with Sarah Lenti. She grew up in a conservative Christian home so her parents were surprised when she told them she wanted to have a baby before getting married. Now she has two lovely kids but no husband. Alternatively, it appears she does have some money. To the right, a reprise of Game Six by Breakfast Television. Such goal tending but really, boo hoo. Then, the inevitable creation of music videos on the vertical so they “fit” your phone. And finally diverse Toronto, meet homogeneous Tokyo where a mixed race Miss Japan is barely permitted on television. They don’t care what you think, you know.

Mac’s at Eglinton and Petman robbed by man with a knife

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Tenant rent strike threat against MetCap could boomerang

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Aliza Kassam, MetCap tenant
May 1 Rent Strike
Large landlord
Pat Moore, Thorncliffe Park tenant

Some tenants of MetCap apartment buildings in Parkdale have hung up signs calling for a rent strike on May 1.  Their public expression of an intention not to pay the rent has led to eviction notices which would permit MetCap to commence eviction proceedings two weeks after the rent is due and remains unpaid. One of the leaders of the strike is tenant Aliza Kassam. She was interviewed by CityNews.  A rent strike was raised at a community meeting held with Thorncliffe Park tenants by Premier Wynne in January. At that time such action was advocated by tenant Pat Moore, a board member of the Thorncliffe Neighborhood Office (TNO).  So far as is known there is no action currently planned by Thorncliffe tenants.

ABOVE GUIDELINE RENT INCREASE

One issue in both neighborhoods is the so-called Above Guideline Increase (AGI). These are rent bumps for authorized improvements which permit a landlord to raise rents above the rent control guidelines in order to cover the cost. Many tenants see AGI applications as a pretext to raise rents. MetCap manages 19 apartment buildings in Parkdale and five are facing rent increases. Tenants are demanding MetCap withdraw all pending AGI applications in Parkdale, stop the practice of applying for AGIs in Parkdale and resolve all outstanding maintenance issues.

METCAP CEO

MetCap CEO Brent Merril says he is doing everything by the book and he intends to proceed with eviction if tenants do pay the rent. After the strike comes into effect, he will issue an N4 Notice of Termination as of May 2 giving tenants 14 days to pay their rent and if they do not the landlord can choose to take them to the Landlord and Tenant Board for an eviction hearing.

Capitals down Leafs 2-1 in overtime to advance to round two

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The Washington Capitals have stopped the Maple Leafs playoff drive and moved themselves into the second round of Stanley Cup playoffs with a seven-game series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The landmark series between Toronto and Washington will be recalled for intensely contested games with unimaginable goal-keeping. The six games featured four overtime periods, an indication of how evenly matched were these two teams. In the end, Marcus Johansson scored the overtime winner as the Caps eked out a 2-1 win. Leaf hearts soared when Auston Matthews broke the 0-0 tie to put Toronto ahead in the third (below). But it was not to be.

Woman gravely hurt in mystery incident with TPS at home

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A 61-year-old woman has suffered life-threatening injuries Sunday morning, including burns to a significant portion of her body, in an unexplained encounter with Toronto police at her home in a building on Saranac Blvd. northwest of Bathurst St and Lawrence Ave in North York. The incident appears to have started with a series of calls about a woman apparently causing a nuisance although again the information is vague. Police Emergency Task Force officers arrived at 3 a.m. and “interacted” with the woman inside one of the units, according to a statement from the police supervisory agency the Special Investigations Unit. During the interaction, the woman suffered the injuries and was taken to hospital. The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this case to call 1-800-787-8529.

LIVE: Macron, Le Pen face off in 2nd round of voting May 7

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Centrist Emmanuel Macron and right-wing leader Marine Le Pen will face each other in a May 7 runoff for the French presidency after coming first and second in Sunday’s first round of voting, according to multiple projections. Macron, 39, is a comparative political novice who has never held elected office isa seen nonethless as an easy winner over Le Pen.

Incredible 2 km line up of French voters in Montreal

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The French Consulate in Montreal said that 57,000 French nationals had registered to vote in the Montreal area in the French presiential election. The video above shows a seemingly never-ending lineup which some say stretched two kilometres, There was one location with several polling stations inside. The election features political forces unlike those seen in other elections. Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron leading the race as polls open