United Church to defrock atheist minister Gretta Vosper

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A committee of the United Church of Canada has voted to expel Rev. Gretta Vosper for her steadfast atheism. The panel judging the reverend said she would not be eligible for admission given her beliefs. Four members of the 23-member committee however voted to support Vosper. They concluded that she was “suitable” as a minister. They said the church has evolved since its founding and must continue doing so to meet the spiritual needs of Canadians. For her part, the former pastor of West Hill United Church argues that her spiritual home has always been about “ethos” not belief. This seems to suggest that fellowship, kindness and similar upstanding qualities are sufficient to qualify one for such a position in the church.

Resident says construction at old CAMH is polluting ravine

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BIA planning an October Apple Fest for South Bayview

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CRTC: Skinny cable offered skinny service from Bell, Rogers

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Growing teen brains no place for marijuana say doctors

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The Canadian Medical Association is calling for a minimum age of 21 to purchase even low-level potency marijuana. The CMA told a federal task force that young brains are still growing at 25 and “ideally” the minimum pot-smoking age should be 25. But it acknowledges that the pressure to make legislation workable probably requires a lower limit like 21. The doctors say they do not oppose marijuana legalization but strongly recommend a go-slow approach. It urges more money be spent on research, medical and social services for addictions treatment, a ban on home cultivation, a ban on smoking non-medical marijuana in public places and pilot projects before a full national rollout of legalized marijuana. The CMA notes that even now with the use of pot illegal use among youth aged 15 to 24 is double that of the general population. It says that 17 percent of teens using marijuana go on to become seriously addicted to it.

Live link to remarks on passing of chief Bill McCormack

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Swiss Chalet selling “dipping sauce” Lays potato chips

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Swiss Chalet is selling Lay’s potato chips flavoured to match the narcotic appeal of its signature dipping sauce. The chips are only available at Swiss Chalet restaurants. Who knows if that will change. “This uniquely Canadian potato chip was the perfect way to bring two iconic Canadian flavours to the masses in a new and exciting way,” Lindsay Robison, Swiss Chalet’s director of marketing, said in a news release. Swiss Chalet says its sauce as a “staple with Canadian families since 1954.”

What is the MPP for Don Valley West planning for herself?

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Premier Wynne is proroguing the Legislature so her government can deliver a new throne speech. But the real question is: What does the Premier have in mind for herself? It’s less than two years to the next provincial election. A speech from the throne offers the voting public a chance to see the government differently. The Premier knows that she is unpopular in a political sense. So is her party. The challenges facing Ontario are enormous — starting with its elephant-sized $300 billion debt.  Politics is knowing how to win. Does the Premier still have a belief that she can do that?

Commercial alarm call on Eglinton Ave. near Mann Ave.

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TPS Operations post regarding Rosedale Valley closed

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Toronto hotter than bamboo steamer on record Sept. 7

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Toronto was hotter than a bamboo steamer yesterday. The mercury registered the hottest September 7 ever with a daytime high of 34.5 C. That broke the previous record of 33.9 C, which was set in 1969. Weather forecasters note that this is 38th time the City has exceeded the 30 C mark this year, compared to only 14 times last year and seven the year before.

Who has it right about effectiveness of “flu mist” vaccine?

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Somebody is wrong when it comes to the effectiveness of nasal spray flu vaccine for children. The Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta is telling U.S. doctors the spray is only “three per cent effective” in the annual defense against flu. That is said to compare with 63 percent effectiveness, on average, for the old-fashioned injection. But here in Ontario, Health Minister Eric Hoskins says the province will continue to offer the spray, pointing to a study by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research that found flu mist “as effective as the injectable version.” All of this is separate from the annual guessing game required by scientists to foresee just what strains of flu are going show up as influenza hits each fall. CBC