The South Bayview Bulldog

The residents of Fort McMurray are trickling back into the abandoned city they had to flee a month ago. Many were greeted by grim ashes of homes, vehicles and other belongings. Premier Notley was in the city, at Fire Station 5, to talk about the first day of the re-entry plan. “Today begins a journey more than a month in the making,” she said. “This journey is possible because of incredibly brave and dedicated first-responders who were able to save so much of this city, from one of the most destructive wildfires Alberta, and indeed Canada, has ever seen.”

The Ontario government has made a commitment to spend about $150 million in the planning and design of the Yonge Street subway relief line. The minister, Steven Del Duca, made the announcement with Mayor Tory Wednesday. It was a day when many TTC riders were saying that the subways seems to break down daily. A fire related to the third rail at the Bloor St. station of the Bloor-Danforth line fouled the commute Wednesday morning. Mr. Tory said the funding is a welcome move in a city that “took years off” from building transit and is desperate for more infrastructure.

Two numbered companies operating Paws and Claws at 1721 Bayview Ave and its previous location in the Sunnybrook Plaza have been fined $65,000 for failing to pay employees and failing to produce records as required to an employment standards officer, according to a news release from the Ministry of Labour. The companies pleaded guilty to failing to comply with orders to pay wages totalling approximately $19,000. The amounts paid varied from $163.96 to $2,789.12, the news release said. Paws and Claws has been in business in South Bayview for several years. The release does not state the dates of the complaints. The orders to pay related to 18 claimants. Before pleading guilty, the defendants made payments in the approximate amount of the orders. The company 2330653 Ontario Inc. (1721 Bayview) was fined a total of $30,000 while 2062730 Ontario Inc. (660 Eglinton East) was fined a total of $20,000 and director Corey Samuel was fined a total of $15,000.

53 Division police have posted this “Don’t Drink and Bike” video.

Starbucks is doubling down on so-called nitro cold brew coffee in the U.S. The impact of half a cup of this java with the edgy name is like consuming two espressos. The promotion is on a roll. The drink is cool, smooth, mellow (not harsh like other coffee) and loved by millenials.  Anyway, Starbucks  add nitro cold brew to its lineup in its stores in Los Angeles and six other cities this summer. It had previously served the brew exclusively at its higher-end Reserve Roastery and Tasting Rooms. It is dispensed through shiny pipes that look like draft beer taps. Somewhere in there, the nitrogen under pressure is infused into the brew. Baristas are said to vow it gets the caffeine into the blood quicker. Whoa. Starbucks has not said exactly when the nitro coffee will become available and there is no word about Canada.

Mayor Tory has marked the beginning of Toronto’s first-ever pride month by raising the rainbow flag City Hall. What was once a day of celebration became pride week and now extends over a month. Councillor Kristin Wong-Tam spoke about the historic struggles of Toronto’s LGBT community. “It hasn’t always been fine. There have been moments in time in the history of the LGBT movement where we’ve had to fight harder to … get the recognition we deserve,” Wong-Tam said. Separately, Prime Minister Trudeau raised the rainbow flag on Parliament Hill.

A new app permits anyone to program 911 and her cell ready self-dial if she loses control of the phone when attacked. It is one of a number of self-defense apps being shown.

https://twitter.com/tpscalls/status/737896470716776449

A big bang in or near the Bloor station of Line 2 Wednesday erupted into fire and caused a lot of damage, the TTC reports. The line is stopped between Pape Ave and George Street. A feeder cable has been damaged in what sounds like a bad connection with the third rail. The fire caused a smoky morning in the station and on the street outside.

TTC CEO says trains now running on line 2 after morning shutdown due to fire. Says he'll "get to the bottom of this" pic.twitter.com/qj5nch1N5u

— Linda Ward (@LindaWardCBC) June 1, 2016

https://twitter.com/bradTTC/status/737981656741601281

TTC crews at Bloor report loud bang at track level. Station filling with smoke. Problem 3rd rail and feeder cable. pic.twitter.com/wlCaHupkg8

— Tony Smyth (@LateNightCam) June 1, 2016

Update: Shuttle buses continue to operate on Line 2 btwn Pape and St George Stns. #TTC

— TTC Service Alerts (@TTCnotices) June 1, 2016

Kim O’Connor is the woman who shot the gripping video of Isiah Dickerson being thrown around the gorilla canal at the Cincinnati Zoo has given a thoughtful interview to CNN. In it, she say she feels sure that Harambe, the 17-year old gorilla, was a  danger to Isiah. “I don’t believe Harambe was going to give that little boy up,” said O’Connor. Since the zoo shot the gorilla to permit the escape of the child, there have been news stories attacking the parents and online petitions against the zoo. Ms. O’Connor, an eyewitness to the conditions — water and concrete — as well as the state of the gorilla, seems like a sensible observer.