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Newsstand: November 4, 2015
In the news: suspect sought after toddler suffers minor burns in west-end attack, the future of a historic tree is up for grabs, and downtown Toronto is getting a new university.
Police are searching for a woman after a three-year-old boy was sprayed with a chemical substance last week at a west-end theatre. According to Toronto police, the boy and his father were standing in line outside of Humber Cinemas Theatre when the woman approached the child and sprayed him with the substance, leaving burns on his neck and ears and burning holes into the toddler’s clothes. Police say the attack appears to have been random, and are currently running tests to identify the substance.
The future of a historic red oak tree is up for debate today at city council, with City Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti (Ward 7, York West) and historian Edith George supporting conservation efforts. According to George, the “original owner’s family members was a Loyalist with the Mackenzie Rebellion of 1837. And one family that had their estate here… all four of them became members of the Order of Canada.” Mammoliti said of the tree, “I’ve proposed the city establish a trust fund where people can actually donate money and at the end of the day, we can buy property and turn it into a parkette,” adding that the tree’s current owner was willing to sell it “at a reasonable price.”
A private, Boston-based university has set its sights on opening a new location in Toronto’s downtown core, with courses set to start early 2016. In a release issued Tuesday by Northeastern University, President Joseph E. Aeon stated, “Toronto’s culture of innovation and increased demand for a highly skilled workforce make it an excellent regional partner for Northeastern. We are excited to build a bright future together.” While the school has yet to reveal a full list of programs, it said that the options “will focus on fields in high demand from employers in the region.”