Toronto: Livin' in the city: 20,000 weapons smuggled in, annually; 5% of all weapons intercepted at border crossing

• Miss Universe Welcome! • Toronto Guns'N'Shootin's * Hydro Toronto & Powr Outages • Blue Jays Watch

Miss Universe Watch

Don't forget Her Beauty's appearance at Centennial Stadium, August 4, for the Italy vs Canada political-celebrity soccer match. Details: Soccer Battle of Parliaments

Toronto Guns'N'Shootin's Watch

Leader of Ontario Conservatives wants stiff stop on illegal gunsJohn Tory calls for action on illegal guns - Urges stricter border controls, tougher sentences and more officers on the streets, says Tory's office via Canada NewsWire. Contact: Brendan How (416) 319-1418

Murder at Yong-Dundas Square, Downtown Business Improvement Area via Canada NewsWire, July 31, 2005.

GTA annual homicide toll climbs to 38 over the bangbang weekend, by Timothy Appleby, The Globe & Mail, August 1, 2005. Two heavy-duty weekends in a row, but death rate still low if you look at the annual comparatives. No comfort to those who've lost loved ones, or just plain love this city!

Heat on to stop guns at border, by Tom Godfrey, Toronto Sun, August 2, 2005.

Canadian police and customs agents want Ottawa to tighten border crossings so gunrunners can't sneak in weapons from the United States that fall into the hands of Toronto triggermen.

Canada Customs officials said they seized about 1,000 weapons nationwide last year being sneaked into the country, mostly from the U.S.

During the year about 20,000 weapons are smuggled across the border, they estimate.

About 5% of all weapons are intercepted by his officers at crossings, said Ron Moran, president of the Customs Excise Union.

Water guns no good at Pearson Airport, Toronto Star, August 1, 2005.

Toronto Hydro & Power Outages

Toronto downtown's July 26 power outage, TorontoTory, July 26, 2005

Pulse23.com source on power outage, but no reporting dates on webpage - a pet peeve!

BLUE JAYS WATCH

I found this snippet in an item called The Hour Online out of Fairfield County, Connecticut, drawing on Associated Press: "Juan Rivera connected for the AL West leaders and Paul Byrd threw seven solid innings, but Los Angeles' normally dependable bullpen blew a 7-3 lead in the last two innings -- perhaps Thursday's 18-inning game in Toronto took a toll. How could I have missed this one? Too much politics, to be sure.
Apologies. - Owlb