The South Bayview Bulldog

Toronto Sun writer Michele Mandel with speculation about the shooting of Annex criminal lawyer Randall Barrs.on Tuesday, Was it a contract, she asks.  Toronto Sun

The #Leaside Smokedown is only ONE month away! Tell your friends & get your tickets today https://t.co/a3BUO36dtD @Grill_Bill @amsterdambeer

— New Circles (@NewCircles) September 20, 2016

It’s October 20.

A London Ontario court has heard the case of a 10-year-old immigrant boy who was denied freedom to play, schooling, adequate food or even. it seems, clean clothes. The Canadian Press story has no information about where the lad was from when he landed in this country two years ago to live with his aunt and uncle. No names of any kind are given. It is another astonishing instance of a child being treated in the most unconscionable way by people who are not the parents. Were they motivated by an aberration? Cruelty, poverty or utter ignorance? We don’t know. The aunt and uncle were sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in jail and two years of probation for their dereliction and abuse. They have apologized to the court and to the boy for his treatment. He was found wearing urine-stained pajama after an anonymous tip brought the CAS to the door. He was seen in silhouette inside and police were called.

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