The South Bayview Bulldog

Soudan Ave is closed between Mt. Pleasant and Brownlow Ave. Wednesday and the normally friendly patio at Starbucks looks like a bomb crater. It was about 4 o’clock Tuesday when staff and customers heard an enormous “bang” and then saw water shooting up out of the patio. Customers scrambled and water was flooding into the shop through the Soudan Ave door and down the steps into coffee-making land. Thousands have since then seen the video (below) of the unfortunate Starbucks customer (she’s a regular) who lost her footing and fell into what looks like three or more feet of water. People ran to the rescue, including Ryan Dawson, who shot the video. The woman was rescued and will be okay.

Soudan Ave. closed between Mt. Pleasant and Brownlow

Welcome to our patio

It might not have been unexpected but spectators and fair goers at the annual ploughing match in Thamesville soundly booed Premier Wynne yesterday. Southwestern Ontario has a deep grievance about so-called wind farms and the apparently related cost of electricity. One man said his hydro bills had increased 35 percent since Ms. Wynne assumed the office.  CBC

This unfortunate woman was picking her way carefully by a sinkhole on Soudan Ave. at Mt. Pleasant but all her care didn’t avoid a tumble into the deep water. The video was being taken by photo-journalist Ryan Dawson who ran to help the lady, along with others. She is said to be okay. The video was aired on CTV Toronto.

This car was terribly hung up on a wrought iron fence Tuesday evening after a tangle with another northbound car on Avenue Road at Balmoral Ave. It is a scary feeling to walk the Avenue Road sidewalk as cars pound north towards St. Clair. Fortunately no pedestrians were around when this happened.

Toronto Police will progressively change the colour of police cruisers to grey apparently because they are easier to keep clean and have a higher re-sale value. It is truly a sign of these cost-conscious times when the colour of police cars has more to do with resale value of the vehicle than the visibility of the uniformed patrol. Chris Nielsen, of Fleet Management, insists the patrol cars will maintain high visibility, although it seems doubtful they will be as obvious as the present white cars with blue and red trim. In the 70s and 80s, Metropolitan Toronto Police cars were chrome yellow, an expensive but dramatically visible statement. Chrome yellow was a costly and specialized process however and was finally abandoned for white cars. The new grey Ford Interceptors are now being rolled on city streets as vehicles are replaced. Each scout car has a lifespan of about 4.5 years, so it will take about four years to change the look of all cars so that there is no additional cost to the Service. About 80 cars are slated to be replaced this year. Toronto Police Service News Release

Chrome yellow was seriously visible

At approximately 8:30am on Tuesday, Toronto Police were on scene investigating an incident at the corner of Millwood Road and Sutherland Drive.  Millwood Road was closed in both directions from Randolph Road to Airdrie Road. The road was re-opened before 10am.

PI collision Sutherland Dr & Millwood Rd, pedestrian struck. The intersection is closed ^ma

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) September 20, 2016

Millwood Rd is now open ^ma

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) September 20, 2016

Some residents on Bessborough Drive in South Leaside have received notice that there will be a Best Buy commercial being shot on Thursday, September 22nd, 2016, between the hours of 7am – 11pm.  Surprisingly, none of the dozen production vehicles will be parked on Bessborough Drive, instead they will be seen on the south side of Rolland Road (between Bessborough and Hanna), on the North side of St. Cuthbert’s Road (between Bayview and Bessborough) and on the west side of Berney Crescent (150 meters from the corner).  Circle Productions has noted that a donation of $1000 is being made to the Trace Manes Playground Rejuvenation Project as a thank you for having their production in our neighbourhood.  Very nice indeed.

Boris Cherkassky

Friends and admirers of the long-time crossing guard at St. Anselm Catholic School on Bessborough Drive are mourning the loss of Boris Cherkassky. He collapsed and died Friday while at work. Several tweets remark on the wonderful legacy of service performed at Post #5 (Bessborough Drive and Millwood Rd). One person wrote: “We are all so blessed to have known you.” There will be a memorial mass for Boris Cherkassky on Friday, September 23 at St. Anselm Parish at 9 a.m. St. Anselm is at 1 Macnaughton Rd., Leaside.

Memorial created by school kids, loaded with condolence messages for Boris.

South Bayview and other Midtown neighborhoods need school guards, according to the 53 Division Community Response Unit. Applications are being accepted now for the important job of keeping the children of the City safe while going to and from school. For more information, or to apply, please contact Constable Wai Lau, 416-808-5327 Or by email, Wai.Lau@torontopolice.on.ca  Police are asking that people who might apply, are encouraged to try this useful job and of course earn extra money.