Newsstand: October 15, 2015

In the news: the Jays win, Scotiabank drops sponsorship of three more Toronto events, and a new survey says bed bug reports are on the rise.

By Sarah Duong • Illustration by Matthew Daley

Despite a controversial call that resulted in a one-run lead for the Texas Rangers, the Toronto Blue Jays rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning during last night’s Game 5 at the Rogers Centre to win the game 6–3. They’ll face off against the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series.

Following Scotiabank’s sponsorship withdrawal from Toronto’s all-night Nuit Blanche art thing, the bank has also announced withdrawal from three more high profile events: BuskerFest, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, and CHIN International Picnic. The decision came following a review conducted by the bank earlier this year, which stated, “As with any business, we review our investments, including our sponsorship partnerships, on a regular basis. Arts and cultural sponsorships remain an important part of our overall sponsorship strategy.”

According to a yet-to-be released report by Compas Research, 70 per cent of Ontario’s public health inspectors believe reports of bed bugs have increased in their area. Abell Pest Control worker Mike Heimbach said, “We thought it would be on the decrease but it’s actually on the rise.” He added, “A lot of businesses and hotels have professionally managed programs, whereas apartments, it’s easier to conceal.” According to Toronto Public Health, however, only 543 bed bug complaints were filed so far this year, compared to 1368 complaints lodged in 2014 and 1315 in 2013.