Wallonians sign deal but full approval still pending

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There’s much excitement in Europe where Belgian politicians have reached an agreement to back a landmark free trade deal between the EU and Canada. But the reaction is guarded in Canada where the government called the announcement a “positive development.”  There was also a cautious welcome from European Council President Donald Tusk, who chairs EU leaders’ summits. But both stopped short of declaring the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a done deal. “Only once all procedures are finalized for EU signing CETA, will I contact (Canadian) PM Justin Trudeau,” Tusk said in a tweet. The issue is related to how Belgians in the district of Wallonia wish to deal with disputes relating to farms products.

Toronto Executive votes not to pursue Expo 2025

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The City’s 12-member Executive Committee plus Mayor Tory voted Wednesday evening to accept a staff recommendation not to pursue a world’s fair. The decision came amid a stark divide in opinion among the Committee and a roster of some 40 speakers from a body supporting an Expo bid. The best-guess estimate of Toronto’s on-the-hook cost to proceed with the bid is nearly two billion dollars. Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong moved the motion that the committee adopt the conclusion of senior city staff that the risk of hosting Expo 2025 outweighed potential benefits.

CANYON BETWEEN SIDES

His remarks crystallized the canyon that exists between those who would be required to approve such an expenditure and those who dream of the opportunity to spend it. “We can’t afford to get this wrong, the cost escalation could be huge,” Minnan-Wong said. “If you were to ask any residents if your choice was to build more transit or to have a world’s fair, which would you choose? I think the choice would be pretty obvious to the public, they would choose more transit.” The final decision lies with city council next month. Mayor John Tory said he cannot support a bidding process when other levels of government have given no indication they’re prepared to write cheques to support the fair.

Britain said ready to deploy troops, tanks and jets to Estonia

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British media are reporting Thursday morning that the UK will deploy troops, tanks and jets to Eastern Europe to deter feared Russian aggression. According to the reports, the troops will remain six months and then be replaced by a similar force from another NATO country. They say this is the biggest military build-up in Eastern Europe since the Cold War. The destination of the force is Estonia, one of three Baltic states (Estonia and Lithuania are the others) which fear that Vladimir Putin is a Stalin in disguise. They cite his intrusions into the Ukraine. Former prime minister Harper believed that Putin had covert ambitions if not a precise plan for extensions of power. It is not known where the present Canadian government stands on that type of thinking.

Love is definitely in the air at 30 Roehampton Avenue

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This is a perfectly lovely story from the CBC’s Victoria Calido and Paul Borkwood. Love and a sky-high marriage proposal on Roehampton Ave. CBC

love-slider

Minister’s staffer collapses during Queen’s Park scrum

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CTV reports that Health Minister Eric Hoskins was speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park Wednesday when one of his staffers collapsed. Hoskins, who is a medical doctor, administered first aid to the staffer until more help arrived. She is expected to be okay.

Bellwood Health re-opens at Glenvale and Brentcliffe

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Bellwood Health Services is returning to a new building at its old home on Brentcliffe Road at Glenvale Blvd this week.  This address used to house the former Donwood Institute site, one of Canada’s first addiction treatment hospitals.  Bellwood, a member of the Edgewood Health Network, offers comprehensive residential and outpatient treatment programs and services for alcohol, drug, gambling and sex addiction, and a concurrent program for addiction with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder\OSI.  The Waterstone Clinic offers outpatient and residential treatment for Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder, and collaborates with Bellwood Health Services to provide concurrent addiction treatment as necessary.  Grand Opening Celebration is Thursday, October 27th, 2016 with a 10:30am reception. Formal remarks and ribbon cutting at 11:00am. Lunch and Tours, 11:45am. 175 Brentcliffe Road, Toronto.  RSVP.  Website.

OMB okays 146/150 Laird, saves old Durant building

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146-150-laird-durant

The Ontario Municipal Board has approved the redevelopment of Laird Drive at 146-150 Laird Drive opposite the SmartCentre. The site includes the so-called Durant Building which the developers have agreed to retain intact. The development is a home for older people to be owned by Viva Retirement Communities, a Canadian company. The original unrevised plan called for two buildings, seven and eight storeys. Randolph Road sits behind and to the west of the proposed project and would be shaded by it. The OMB found that a revision to reduce grading at the rear to 7.5 degrees was a relief from such shading. Residents also complained about the “100-foot wall” that would greet them in their backyard and the hundreds of balconies looking down on them. At a rancorous public meeting in February 2015, dozens of speakers directed attacks on the size and height. Full decision

Miracle boy’s recovery just before life support was shut off

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A three-year-old English boy, Dylan Askin, has a rare form of lung cancer. Earlier this year his parents were preparing for the worst, but he made an astonishing recovery. Sadly, doctors cannot say it will last but for now he is a joy to his parents and miracle to physicians.

Another nurse attacked at CAMH as she worked at night

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Another nurse has been attacked and beaten at the Centre for Addition and Mental Health on Queen Street West Sunday morning, it has been revealed. The case demonstrates once again the apparently dangerous conditions existing at the hospital for staff treating patients there. In 2014 a nurse was badly beaten and the furore over that case caused the hospital to apologize for not taking enough care to see that nurses are protected. The dilemma is clear however. Patients are not treated like prison inmates and if they are inclined to be violent, staff is going to get hurt. Previous incidents have failed to shed light on how the handling such threats is addressed in real terms at CAMH. In this case a 53-year-old man is in custody.  Lots of blame but few useful facts in CAMH nurse case

Young man shot in shoulder in Flemingdon Park

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A young man in his 20s was shot in the shoulder during some sort of incident in Flemingdon Park overnight. His injuries are said to be manageable.

https://twitter.com/tpscalls/status/791113640233594880

Marcus Gee unlimbers Expo 2025 Baloney Detector

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So many Torontonians say they just can’t wrap their minds around how their great City will be greater than it is if it spends unknown billions on a municipal ego trip called Expo 2025. Neither, apparently, can Globe and Mail writer Marcus Gee

Chilly weather this week before (we hope) a nice Halloween

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The weather is expected to turn progressively colder into Wednesday evening with temperatures falling to barely above freezing to the north. Halloween remains a bit of an unknown (spooky!) but the guessing we like is that South Bayview will be not be too far off of seasonal temperature values. The Weather Network is saying: “Most of Canada will be mild during the first week of November and the Great Lakes should have several days of milder weather next week, which could then spread east into Atlantic Canada.”