Month: September 2013

Estimated 3,000 at BBQ in support of Costco

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Crowds of people came and went — and patiently waited for burgers — all day long at a barbecue jointly sponsored by Costco and the Thorncliffe Park Tenants Association Saturday September 28, 2013. It was clearly a neighborhood affair with a mixture of dress but with a distinct subcontinental presence. Masses of orderly and happy people streamed on and off the old parking lot of the former Coca Cola property  It’s easy to lose count over about 500 because people move around. But it seems reasonable that there were no fewer than 2,000 people, including children,  on the lot at any given time. A figure of as many as 3,000 on the day — 1 to 5 p.m. — seems quite possible. It was an impressive show of support for the proposed Costco re-development   The company wishes to demolish the Coke factory and 1965 office building to put up an approximately 150,000 square foot store and adjoining service station.  It has said it will ensure green space and a place of honour for the bronze sculpture that Coca Cola commissioned when it built the site nearly 50 years ago. Abbas Kolia, president of the tenants association was present with other community leaders, representatives of Costco and various interested parties. Janet Sherbanowski, executive director of the Crime Prevention Association of Toronto, was offering the view that a Costco would provide good paying jobs closer to home for parents of the many young people living in Thorncliffe Park. The idea that there is decent money to be earned working for Costco was not lost on the crowd. Signs urging people to sign a petition said: “Costco = Jobs + Prosperity for Us”. Out on Overlea Blvd. a red and yellow sign announced the barbecue and proclaimed “We Welcome Costco”. Dozens of local teenagers, all wearing orange shirts emblazoned with the name of the tenants association, formed platoons of information helpers around the property.. 

Peek-a-boo picture at Mt. Pleasant Harvest Fair

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Father and daughter get organized for a fun picture at the stick-your head-through-the-hole gallery at Crazy Cuts hair cutting for kids on Mount Pleasant Saturday afternoon. Left, “Where are you dear?” Centre, “Hang on, Dad. This is strange.” Right, a great picture and mom records it. The weather was spectacular for the annual Harvest Fair  and the street was thronging. 

Costco BBQ today on Coca Cola’s Overlea site

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Costco is holding a barbecue today (Saturday, September 28) between 1 and 5 p.m. for residents of Thorncliffe Park. It will be on the Coca Cola site at 42 Overlea Blvd where the wholesale club hopes to build a new store and service station. The event will be conducted in association with the Thorncliffe Park Tenants Association and no doubt Costco hopes to make a good impression prior to public meetings on the proposed development to be held early next year. It is said that thousands of residents are expected to attend today’s barbecue. Support is likely to be high for the Costco plan among local residents with the prospect of well paid jobs and further business activity in the area. Opposition to the plan will come from heritage groups who say that the Coke office building, which would be demolished for a new Costco, should be saved for its architectural value. 

Digital “practice operations” for new surgeons

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Two surgeons-scientists in Toronto, Drs. Teodor Grantcharov and Vanessa Palter, are working on a practical digital exercise for new surgeons that appears to be a sure-fire way of preventing them from making mistakes. The idea is to have them do their operations in advance in a computer room.  The two say that surgical residents ought to achieve an established level of proficiency in a virtual operating room before they start plying their scalpel in a real OR. Statistics show that in the first 50 cases, the risk of major complications is significantly higher than after the next 30 cases. Story

2013 apple crop hits South Bayview shelves

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South Bayview apple-eaters should be able to find at least a few varieites from the 2013 crop on shelves tomorrow (Saturday, September 28, 2013). Some specialty shops were offering the Ontario Honey Crisp just in today (Friday). These big juicy apples are an absolute treat and the really good news is that this year’s crop is huge. Farmers can see a long selling season because of ideal growing condtions this season in apple country to the north, east and southswest of Toronto  Last year apple crops were devastated after a freakish warm spell in March caused the trees to bloom early. Then a deep frost killed off buds of an estaimted 85 percent of the crop. The farming horror story translated into a loss estiamted at some $60-million for Ontario apple growers. Honey Crisp is among the earliest varieties available but all the choices will be on sale soon. The sweet green-coloured Russett is usually a litle later

Belsize Drive town homes meeting this Fall

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The six town homes yet to be built at the site of the former Glebe Presbyterian Church on Belsize Drive are still under review at the City Planning Department. The process does not seem to be difficult and a public meeting on the development is expected sometime this fall. The homes will be three-storeys high with a common space underground garage containing 13 parking spots.     

Toronto spends $75,000 for 30 very nice chairs

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The case of the $74,850 chairs to replace the old 1960s seating in the City Hall members lounge is clearly a case of  the spending of Other People’s Money. This is an often repeated and seldom avoided folly of public servants and others who have authority to spend OPM. In this case, the designer chairs were wearing a little thin and so it was decided replacements were needed. Those responsible were apparently untouched by the Rob Ford method in such things. Instead, they commissioned a whole set — 30 of them — of designer made and finished chairs. The man who had final say on this has since resigned and he did so for reasons unrelated to the chair fiasco. There is understandable outrage over this at City Hall but the reasons behind it are little understood. The tendency of people to spend OPM more freely than their own is rooted in our DNA. It is truly a Darwinian flaw. Think about it. If the money does not belong to you, are you more inclined to let it go more freely. Yes, you are.  Every office should have a sign on the wall that says “OPM.”  Toronto Sun on the chairs 

Leasider’s No Name adventure with Dave Nichol

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Dave Nichol created No Name concept

Long-time Leaside resident Ian Slack and his wonderful wife SueEllen will be fondly remembered by those who were their neighbors both on Airdrie Road and later at 2 Donlea Drive. Ian has written from his retirement home to tell us an entertaining story about the late Loblaws retailing genius Dave Nichol who died earlier this week. Nichol was known to be a perfectionist and Ian witnessed this quality during an assignment at the launch of the No Name line in the 80s. He was there at a Loblaws store with a cameraman whose name will be protected. Nichol wanted everything perfect and when he saw a display wasn’t up to snuff he simply walked away and staff had to rush in to make it right. Then Nichol would re-appear and begin his spiel about whatever line was on the table, Ian recalls. Nichol’s demonstrations contained displays of the No Name items next to well known brands. In one display, the price of the brand name ketchup was lower than the No Name. It seemed odd so Slack asked Nichol if in some cases consumers would have to pay more for the No Name brand. Nichol looked at the prices and without a word turned and walked away. The crew came running out and changed the prices so that the brand name ketchup cost more. The Brand name in fact cost more but a staffer had priced it wrong. Nichol returned to continue the interview but before Ian could ask a question his cameraman blurted out an appalling insult. “You’re attitude sucks,” he told the chief executive. Stunned and horrified Slack could only watch as once again Nichol walked away. Five minute later he returned and Slack was full of apologies for his cameraman’s insane behaviour. As he tried to make amends Ian’s phone started ringing. It was the news director asking “What the Hell is going on there?” Needless to say, Nichol had complained about the cameraman, something that doesn’t seem too unreasonable. As Ian tells it, he finished the interview as quickly as possible and made a run for the door. The cameraman was suspended for three days for his odd and untimely outburst. No word on the staffer who made the pricing error but we can only imagine.

PM says he won’t take no for answer on Keystone

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Stephen Harper gave Barak Obama what some might call a figurative finger in the eye today. The Prime Minister said as far as he is concerned the Keystone pipeline issue will not be settled if he gets a “no” from Mr Obama. Mr. Harper told a meeting of  the Canadian American Business Council on the second day of his visit to New York that “my view is you don’t take no for an answer.” “We haven’t had that but if we were to get that, that won’t be final. This won’t be final until it’s approved and we will keep pushing forward,” Harper said. The words seem to hint at a strategy that looks beyond Mr. Obama’s term as president and prosecutes the Canadian case with whoever is next White House. 

Toronto Camera Club will be open at Harvest Fair

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The Toronto Camera Club will be feature participant at the Mt. Pleasant BIA’s Harvest Fair this Saturday, October 29, 2913. The club will be is celebrating its 125 anniversary this year. That history is recalled in the National Post. Hope you are able to read it. Most of the Toronto newspapers require subscriptions these days. Harvest Fair