The South Bayview Bulldog

Some have been published here, some not. CBC

1,111 carat diamond

Canadian diamond miner Lucara Mining says it has found what is thought to be the second largest diamond in history. The stone measures 1,111 carats, a gem the size of a tennis ball.  TSX-listed and Vancouver-based Lucara said in a Wednesday it had found the enormous stone on the south lobe of the company’s Karowe Mine in Botswana on Monday. It is described as “gem quality, Type IIa,” and its dimensions are 65 by 56 by 40 millimetres. One caret is equal to a fifth of a gram, so Lucara’s 1,111-carat diamond weighs 222 grams. This would make newly-found stone the biggest gem-quality diamond discovered since the famed Cullinan diamond measuring more than 3,000 carats was found in South Africa in 1905. The Cullinan was subsequently cut into smaller pieces, with the two largest portions incorporated into Britain’s Crown Jewels. “The significance of the recovery of a gem-quality stone larger than 1,000 carats, the largest for more than a century … cannot be overstated,” Lucara CEO William Lamb said. On Thursday, Lucara announced it had found two more large diamonds, one measuring 813 carats — the sixth largest ever recovered — and another measuring 374 carats in the same vein.

Temperatures stay abnormally high in the Toronto area with generally fair weather expected through to the end of the month. There will however be some rain or wet snow on Sunday. Weather Network

Leaside Wildcats registered their 9th win of the season yesterday in Aurora when they defeated the Panthers 3-0. This Saturday the Wildcats meet Mississuaga in Missy returning to Leaside Arena on Sunday for an 3.40 p.m. tilt against Stoney Creek Sabres. Along with their nine wins, Leaside owns one loss and two ties. They stand seventh in the league with 20 points but have played only 12 games, the fewest of any squad in the 20-team league. Standings 

At  Mt. Pleasant Rd. and Soudan Ave. the City’s litter bin program has taken remarkably different forms on opposite sides of Mt. Pleasant. On the east is a tough-looking black container, apparently of all-steel construction, while on the west side of the street is the familiar broken-down plastic rubbish made by Astral.

Bloomberg News

The Globe and Mail recounts the exploits of a fabulously rich “out-of-province” buyer of the two-bedroom corner suite in the Hazelton Hotel at 118 Yorkville Ave. He/she (they?) flew into town to see the place which is described as having “limited access” whatever that means. Maybe it was rented to another party. Anyway, it was love or something close as the buyer parted with $3,850,000 to own the two bedroom unit. Not a steal but a good deal better than the original listed price of $4,199,000. It has been on the market for 6 months. Taxes are a tidy $25,835. Check out the corner sitting room (top left below).

As predicted, The Bay will introduce two locations of Saks Fifth Avenue in February.  In a news release, Saks said it will open at the “Eaton Centre” which is really the old Bay store. Another store will open in Sherway Gardens soon after. Both locations will feature a Saks Food Hall with gourmet international food products from Pusateri’s. Oliver & Bonacini is also providing restaurants at both stores. The company says the 11,000 square-foot restaurant and bar in the Eaton Centre will span three floors at the corner of Yonge and Richmond streets while the Sherway Gardens restaurant will be 5,500 square feet.

The list is not as informative as one might think. The five big grocers (Loblaws, Metro, Sobeys, Longos and Walmart) will all get a chance to sell beer but as before there is no word on just where. Each will have to apply on a store by store basis and overall the vast majority of their stores will not have beer. The other grocers named are mostly local businesses in out-of-town places. CBC