The baby is the eleventh of the critically endangered species to begin life at the TORONTO ZOO. As yet, the keepers haven’t been able to get close enough to determine its sex.
“We are very excited with this birth,” said MARIA FRANKE, Curator of Mammals. “Gorillas are under extreme threats in the wild. It’s predicted that the wild population will have an 80% reduction over three generations, and it’s essential that we do everything we can to save this species.”
Over the past 15 years there’ve been many successful births at the TORONTO ZOO – Siberian Tiger cubs, Komodo Dragons, two pandas, several Masai giraffes, a Grevy’s Zebra, a polar bear, gorillas, snow leopards – the list goes on.
To reach the TORONTO Zoo – by car, from downtown, take the 401 Eastbound to Exit 389, Meadowvale Road. Follow the Zoo signs to 361A Old Finch Avenue. Large parking lot. By TTC bus, take the subway (Sheppard Line) to DON MILLS STATION. Bus #85 leaves from here, and will drop you in front of the Zoo entrance about 45 minutes later. Along the way, you’ll pass through suburban Don Mills and Scarborough.
The National Ballet School (NBS) occupies a number of buildings – some historic, some brand new – on Jarvis and Maitland Streets in downtown TORONTO.
Since its founding, NBS has been acclaimed for excellence in the training of dance professionals. Graduates perform in major companies worldwide, and include some of the finest choreographers and artistic directors. The School is associated with the National Ballet of Canada, itself founded in 1951.
<PHOTO – Ballet School audition, Kashmala Fida/CBC>
NBS provides dance training, academic instruction and student housing on its TORONTO campus. Founders – CELIA FRANCA and BETTY OLIPHANT, both now deceased. <PHOTO ABOVE – Betty Oliphant Theatre>
The School opened in a former Quaker Meeting House, <PHOTOS ABOVE> at 111 Maitland Street. It was purchased for the sum of $80,000. The building has been totally renovated, inside and out, and is now the dining hall.
Since the year 2000, the School has expanded by occupying several buildings formerly owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. <PHOTO ABOVE – the former CBC Radio building>
<PHOTO – the CBC’s former headquarters for Ontario>
Major expansion of the NBS was completed in 2007 at a cost of $100-million.
Canadians are furious today at some of the tweets made by POTUS, while winging his way to Singapore for a showdown with Kim Jong-Un of NORTH KOREA. And well they should be. Arriving late at the G-7 gathering in La Baie, QUEBEC, and leaving early – the Trumpster more-or-less trashed the Summit and Canada’s Prime Minister. He essentially called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a liar who made “false statements” about Canada-US trade.
DONALD TRUMP – “Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive tariffs to our US farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our US Reps not to endorse the (G-7) Communique, as we look at tariffs on automobiles flooding the US market.” – Sunday Star, June 10/2018
Scott Pilgrim, Captain Canuck, Nelvana, Superman, Johnny Canuck and Capitaine Kebec are just a few of the Canadian comic book heroes you might encounter in the TORONTO Reference Library’s Collections, 789 Yonge Street.
<“OH BOY!”, editorial cartoon by THEO MOUDAKIS, Toronto Star, June 8/2018>
ONTARIO woke up this morning to a Progressive Conservative majority government, headed by a controversial premier – DOUG FORD. Torontonians have already enjoyed four years of chaos with Doug’s younger brother – former mayor, the late ROB FORD – and now we’re in for another term of Ford-style governing, only on a much grander scale.
OUT OF 124 SEATS in the Legislative Assembly – Progressive Conservatives 76; New Democrats 39; Liberals 7; and the Green Party 1. The New Democrat’s ANDREA HORWATH will head the Opposition. Both the Green Party and the Liberals ‘achieved’ non-party status. Premier KATHLEEN WYNNE saved her seat but will resign as Leader of the Liberal Party,
<The ‘Pink Palace’ (Legislative Assembly) will soon be rockin’>
The University of TORONTO celebrates Pride Month in June with a rainbow flag of 3,000 cranes in HART HOUSE. Handmade from origami paper, the cranes make a proportionate flag measuring 9 feet by 15 feet.
The idea came from LUCY CHUNG, the director of Infrastructure Planning for the Faculty of Arts and Science. It took about two weeks and more than 50 people to fold the cranes and assemble the flag.
<PHOTO – U of T News>
The Spadina (Spa-dee-na) Museum, 285 Spadina (Spa-dye-na) Road, sits atop Davenport Hill. One of several museums operated by the City of TORONTO, the house was built in 1866. Its interior is furnished in styles from the 1860’s to the 1930’s.
Located near Casa Loma and the stables, the surrounding neighborhood contains some of TORONTO’s finest homes. Within easy walking distance – Nordheimer Ravine and its trails, Ardwold Gate, Winston Churchill Park and the St. Clair Reservoir. A short drive or walk away – Forest Hill Village.
PHOTOS ABOVE by Roland Shainidze – 
The Museum is surrounded by immaculate Victorian and Edwardian gardens. The Spadina Museum is open Tuesday to Friday, noon-4 pm; Saturday and Sunday, noon-5 pm. Subway stop: DUPONT, and then walk northwest uphill, or ST. CLAIR subway stop, and then streetcar #512 westbound to Spadina Road, and walk south.
High above Charity Crescent in the suburb of Cathedraltown, came a sculpture called ‘Charity, Perpetuation of Perfection’. “The last thing that would cross my mind would be to raise a life-sized cow with chrome-like finish two storeys in the air and consider that proper,” said local resident Danny Dasilva. “I hate it.”
Donated by well-meaning developer HELEN ROMAN-BARBER, the statue honoured a prize-winning show cow that died in 1988. It was put there with the approval of city councillor ALAN HO – who faced the wrath of the populace. Anyway, Charity has hit the road. She’s on her way back to Ms. Roman-Barber. Who says the suburbs are dull?
This walkable neighbourhood contains one of North America’s largest collections of Victorian-era housing, two of our city’s oldest cemeteries, an animal farm, parks and gardens.
CABBAGETOWN is reachable by the eastbound #506 BUS (streetcars are temporarily off-line) from COLLEGE subway station to Parliament Street. Then walk east.
Toronto Savvy 