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Newsstand: December 25, 2010
Illustration by Jeremy Kai/Torontoist.
It’s a Saturday full of Christmas cheer: two versions of breaking and entering (one more serious than the other), some sad accidents, a vigil, and one scene from sports history made out of cookie goodness. Happy something!
Toronto suffered a rash of random break-ins all across the city last night. Based on witness reports, police have produced a composite sketch of the suspect, whom victims claim entered their homes by unlikely means, primarily involving their heating systems. Witnesses describe the suspect’s behaviour as erratic, and say that in many cases the break-ins involved only a raid on fridges and pantries in search of baked goods and dairy products. “Maybe he was sleepwalking,” proposes David Topping, a Toronto resident whose home was targeted. “Night eaters. I’ve heard of those.” The suspect is described as a five-foot-eight caucasian male, approximately 250 pounds, whose distinguishing features include unruly white facial hair and a prominent tattoo on his right bicep of the words “Mrs. Claus” encased by a red heart. Witnesses disagree about whether the intruder’s head-to-toe red suit was made of faux-fur or velour. Police say that the suspect may be dangerous to himself and others, and they ask that citizens be vigilant.
In an incident that authorities do not believe is connected, two home invasions occurred yesterday in Toronto and Vaughn in which two suspects in their twenties assaulted or tied up homeowners, stole cash and jewelry, and fled the scene. Well, Merry Christmas to you, too. Toronto and York police are investigating.
One man was killed and another is in the hospital with injuries after they were struck by a TTC bus while repairing a light in the Bathurst underpass north of Dupont on Thursday evening. The electrical workers had made an unplanned stop to fix the light. It has not been determined whether charges will be laid, and police have not released the names of the victims.
A vigil was held last night for the four men killed last Christmas eve when the scaffolding on which they were working outside a Rexdale highrise collapsed. The incident drew attention to the difficulties faced particularly by migrant and immigrant workers and prompted calls for a review of workplace safety rules in Ontario.
In search of some halfway decent news, we found this little gem from the Toronto Star: a family of grown-up Jewish siblings whose annual tradition includes building epic scenes from history in gingerbread. This year’s triumph is a depiction of LA Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax’s 1965 perfect game against the Chicago Cubs. Delicious.
So, what are you going to do with yourselves today, Torontoist readers? If Christmas isn’t your bag, you can always join in the grand tradition of many a non–Christmas-celebrator and go to the movies. Several theatres will be open today, including the TIFF Bell Lightbox. We’ve been hearing good things about Black Swan. Tons of holiday fun for the whole family!
If your fridge is a looking a little sparse on the grocery front and you need to eat out, then we sure hope you like bagels and Chinese food, ’cause that’s mostly what’s open today. If your cupboard is looking a little sparse on the booze front, then there’s just nothing you can do about that, except maybe go over to someone else’s house and drink their booze. Hey, happy Christmas, folks!