Mayor denies Reuters story that Toronto Hydro for sale

Mayor Tory has emphatically denied a  Reuters story published Saturday that says he is involved in negotiations about a possible sale of Toronto Hydro to Hydro One for a mix of cash and stock in the newly privatized company. The Reuters account was written by veteran news service reporter John Tilak reported Saturday that Hydro One was in talks to buy the city’s public hydro utility for as much as $3 billion, divided into cash and stock in the provincial power distributor, which was itself partially sold in Nov. 2015. The mayor wrote mail to set his denial on the record. “In recent months, I clearly indicated that I would not be supporting any proposal to sell Toronto Hydro. Rather, I indicated my support for additional City investment in a Toronto Hydro that remained in public hands,” Tory said..

Twin boys, 9, crossing Sheppard hit by minivan near Jane

Twin boys were struck by a van on Sheppard Ave west of Jane Street Saturday morning sending both to hospital. One lad is said to have life-threatening injuries. The two, aged nine, were crossing the street on their own when the accident occurred. The vehicle was driven by a woman, 20, who has given her account to police.

#TOcore at Ryerson pondering parks, women panelists

https://twitter.com/katie_wittmann/status/838060542724083714

This event is occupying many Saturday at Ryerson. From the tweets, the atmosphere seems somewhat rarefied. But good luck to these thinkers today.

WORLD: Snapchat millions for school, 180-lb ovarian cyst






St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California parlayed a $15,000 investment into a windfall of at least $24 million in the Snapchat IPO. This thanks to a unique venture capital fund set up by the school’s investment-savvy parents. Upper right, a Pennsylvania woman has had a 180-lb. ovarian cyst removed after years of wondering why she was gaining weight. Lower right, human remains have been found in the sewers of a former church-run home for unmarried mothers in Ireland. The discovery is in the town of Tuam in western Ireland and the bodies are said to range from newborns to toddlers. And in London, Uber is fighting a court decision upholding a Transport Department order requiring Uber to prove that its drivers can speak English. At last notice, carefree Toronto took the position that it didn’t matter.

Man hurt as incoming subway knocks him to platform

A young man has been gravely hurt when he somehow came into contact with a speeding train entering Bloor Station on the Yonge line Friday night. The man was on the southbound platform and perhaps glanced off the train, a frightening prospect that most commuters will easily be able to imagine. He fell to the platform surface. Paramedics told CP24  they were called to the Line 1 station at 9:48 p.m. for a report of a man injured by a moving train. Police said there was no indication that the incident was suspicious in nature which suggests the man was not pushed.

Shootout in Stoney Creek ends Junior Wildcats season

The Leaside Junior Wildcats were eliminated from further play in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League playoffs last night in Stoney Creek where the game ended in a shootout. The sudden-death solution to a tie always ends in a 2-1 outcome for one team or the other  The tough Sabre squad prevailed at their home arena near Hamilton. Leaside stood ninth, Stoney Creek eighth in the 20-team PWHL rankings going into the best of five preliminary series last weekend. The Leaside women played with great heart but were taken down three games to none by Stoney Creek.

OAKVILLE POWERHOUSE

As the playoffs enter the quarter finals it seems likely that the Oakville Hornets with a stunning record of 31-3-4 will be taking home the league trophy when it’s all over.

Tireless East York volunteer Justin Van Dette is toasted

It was a remarkable turnout for Justin Van Dette Thursday. He’s a young man (one source says he was 17 in 1996) who has built a large community of loyalty and affection for his tireless commitment to East York and the good works that are done there. This night it was the AIDS Committee of Toronto which benefited. Notables like Premier Wynne, PC leader Patrick Brown and Mayor Tory joined “roasters” including Mel Lastman, Don Cherry, Brian Burke, Gail Nyberg, Bill Saundercook, George Smitherman, Anthony Farnell, Ken Reid, Tyler Currie and yet more friends of Van Dette at EG3 at 77 Peter Street. It was said that at least 170 people had committed to the event. Like many men of accomplishment and promise Van Dette is a low-key personality with a mannerly style. So East York. Day to day he can be found working on Community Relations at the Michael Garron (Toronto East General) Hospital. His politics are conservative but his social style is distinctly unaligned. In an amusing column Friday Joe Warmington of the Toronto Sun suggested that Van Dette is known among his intimates as The Shaker. This may be. Although we are not told the principal talent of this distinction it seems likely to be similar to that of a rainmaker.

A different kind of visit to Rosie’s as Frank and Nora retire

Part of Bayview Ave. since 2004, Frank and Nora to retire

Costco to increase membership fee to $60 starting June 1

Costco will charge shoppers in Canada and the US an extra $5 or $10 for an annual membership starting June, the firm has announced. The membership fee is a huge part of Costco’s revenue. It amounts to $2.6 billion US globally, more than the Costco made in profits last year. The increase will put a regular “gold star” membership at $60 in national currency in the U.S. and Canada. An executive membership, which comes with discounts and benefits, will be bumped up $10 to $120 a year. The last increase was in 2011. Costco had almost 87 million members at the end of its last fiscal year, including about 10 million in Canada.

Mumps cases grow to 25 and “we’re not near the end yet”

It’s not an epidemic yet and you want to do your part to keep it that way. Most valuable in this CBC account is the advice that those between the ages of 25 and 47 may be more vulnerable to this disease. It apparently has to do with just how well — or poorly — vaccine was administered for a period between 1970 and 1992. Otherwise, the best information says it would be wise to stay away from certain west-end bars where a cluster cases seems to have originated and to stay home if you are sick. CBC

Woman bilked for “large sum of money” in dating scam

Police are trying to find a man who went by the name of Domenic Gurino when he met a woman, 52, in an on-line dating site that police say is a fraud. This was in November and about a month into the relationship the man told her of a property investment with “profitable returns”  The woman provided a “large sum of money” on the strength of the man’s word, say police. Having received the funds, the man has evaded the woman

Faithful Joanna bulletin on “Leaning Tower of Leslieville”

It won’t be too surprising to learn but the poor little house under construction that snapped in the wind early Thursday will be torn down. Joanna Lavoie of the Beach Mirror checks in with word that the trouble began when the house lifted off its foundation causing the structure above to crumple.