Month: September 2014

Oct 27 vote cannot be a brother’s wish foundation

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How must we understand the moving scene outside the Etobicoke home of Doug Ford’s mom this evening? The newly-declared candidate for mayor, Rob Ford’s older brother, spoke with a cracking voice about fulfilling Rob Ford’s mission at City Hall, We heard about the plea of a sick man to enlist his brother to somehow prevent a return to the municipal bad old days. No one need feel cynical about the amazing scenario that unfolded there. We believe it was all sincere. Taking it as it seems to have been intended, however, it is absolutely no basis on which to cast a vote for mayor. Doug Ford’s speech this evening saw the public coupling of  the mayor’s illness with the political aspirations of two brothers. However much one’s heart may go out to the mayor and his family in this time of difficulty electors must have the strength of mind to reject voting for Mr. Ford out of sympathy. Sympathy is no basis on which to choose a mayor. Unfortunately, however unwittingly this context was created, large parts of it are located in the thoroughly hard-headed realm of the public good. We hope that Doug  Ford will not turn his campaign into a kind of wish foundation for his sick brother.

CBC wants to shut down over-the-air service

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The CBC has asked the CRTC to let it shut diown its 80-year-old over-the-air free system and force cable firms to pay for the service as it were some hot movie channel. Bloomberg

Chow and Tory respond to Doug Ford candidacy

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In responding to Doug Ford’s candidacy for mayor, Olivia Chow said her thoughts were with Rob Ford and the family. She remembered when he supported her at the time of her husband’s death. For his part, John Tory advised voters not to vote for another Ford. Tory said Doug Ford has repeatedly put down other members of council. He said one Ford was as divisive as another. Chow and Tory found themselves where few candidates wish to be. They were required to deal with the excitement generated by Doug Ford’s surprise entry into the mayoralty. The first public opinion polls to come out of today’s events will have an important psychological impact on where the campaign might go.  If Tory is able to retain his large lead in the face of the Ford frenzy — as much as 40 percent in past polling — he will be very hard to beat. 

Rob Ford’s statement on quitting the race

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Rob Ford’s statement on dropping out of the mayor”s race

Your candidates for Toronto mayor as of 2 p.m.

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Say hello to your new mayoral slate. And get ready for a brutal six-week campaign charged with some campaign chemistry seldom seen in Toronto politics. Can John Tory continue to be seen as the only acceptable choice for mayor? Will his sober and friendly approach to politics win enough hearts and minds? As of this week, he stood at 40 percent in public support. But with Rob Ford out of the race, and sick into the bargain, will his brother, Doug, launch furious in-fighting to change that. Will he, of all things, extract a sympathy vote because of his brother’s illness? Will Olivia Chow stay in the race? In what seems an unlikely inversion of sentiment, the John Tory campaign may not want her out. Sure, she is not likely to win, but at the least she will draw fire if she is in the race. The chemical cocktail may put electors flat on their backs. The polling has already begun 

Doug Ford will run for mayor in brother’s place

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Dramatic moments at the City Hall nominations office as Jeff Silverstein, the mayor’s assistant, withdraws the mayor’s name from the ballot and adds the name of Mr. Ford’s brother, Doug. All this with less than an hour to remain before the deadline to file, It is also confirmed that Rob Ford will run for council in Etobicoke Ward 2. It is a ward the Rob Ford held for years and seems like a certainty for him to win again, notwithstanding his illness. Silverstein was saying only “We will be making a statement later today.” 

Ford drops out of mayoralty, will run for council

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Sobey’s event hints at grocery store competition

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You don’t have to look hard to see the intense grocery store competition in South Bayview. It has been chronicled here before and this morning at a chilly 8 a.m. ceremony MP John Carmichael and John Parker (Ward 26) participated in the ribbon cutting at Sobey’s in the SmartCentre on Laird Drive. The store was having its Grand Opening. It follows by less than a week the Grand Opening of the refurbished Metro at Bayview Ave. and Eglinton Ave. E.  Both these food mammoths, as well as Loblaws, Valu mart, Longo’s and a gaggle of smaller operators have their eyes on the furious work going on at 1860 Bayview Ave at Broadway Ave. It is here that Whole Foods will open next year. Whole Foods Market, Inc is a dynamic Austin, Texas-based firm with stores in the US, Canada, and the UK.  It specializes in all-natural and organic foods. Some think the strategy is more directed toward the installation of its own brands. This is a growing phenomenon particularly at Loblaws. It is now necessary to visit independent operators to buy well-known brand names like Silk soy milk. In the case of Whole Foods, brand names like Coca Cola and Becel are missing from the shelves.

Death of man near Bayview-Hwy. 401 a homicide

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Toronto Police continue to investigate the death of a 22-year-old man found dead behind an apartment building on Upper Canada Drive near Highway 401 and Bayview Ave.  They were called early yesterday (Thursday, September 11, 2014) to the scene. So far they have stated no cause of death. The death is considered a homicide however. 

Noah Ritter brings his “word act” to Ellen show

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Ellen DeGeneris has interviewed the young Noah Ritter on her program. Noah rocketed to viral-video fame a couple of weeks ago when he was fresh off a midway ride at a country fair in Ohio. It is amusing to watch Noah because he is very bright. Some might feel a little uncomfortable that this youngster’s view of himself is being a little distorted by all the attention. Call a doctor.

Hudson Bay struggles back with help of Saks

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Financial Post 

Nomination Day 2014 dawns over South Bayview

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Nomination day dawns over South Bayview today (Friday September 12, 2014) with what looks like safe races for the sitting councillors in Wards 22 and 25. Both Josh Matlow (22) and Jaye Robinson (25) have what appear to be unassailable positions. Mr. Matlow is known for an energetic stewardship of his ward in which few issues do not deserve his personal attention. In Ward 16, there is what appears to be a wide-open race in which 15 candidates will try to take the district now held by Karen Stintz. In Ward 26, two-time incumbent John Parker will try to hold off a second challenge from Jon Burnside, the candidate who came within 400 votes of winning in 2010.  Parker is also challenged by David Sparrow. In 2010, the vote was split three ways between Mr. Parker, Mr Burnside and a third candidate, Mohamed Dhanani, who is not running this time. In Ward 27 , Kristyn Wong-Tam will face a field of ten candidates as she attempts to nail down a second term. In 2010, she squeaked through with merely 28 percent of the vote in a field of 15 candidates. For many people who live in parts of Rosedale, Moore Park and Summerhill, Ms Wong-Tam’s tenure represents the embodiment of a cultural canyon dividing the ward. Many ratepayers question her judgement as seen in efforts to rezone a lot on Molson Street against fierce local resistance. The councillor also spearheads Open Streets, a project seen by some as illusory. In 2010, Ken Chan, a former policeman came within 450 votes in the large field. Both Ms Wong-Tam and Mr. Chan were declared LGBT candidates.

Ward 22 Khan, Sarfraz; Matlow, Josh; Murphy, Bob; O’Shaughnessy, James.
Ward 26 Burnside, Jon; Parker, John; Popov, Dimitre; Sparrow, David; Vania, Wasim; Velshi, Ishrath
Ward 27 Ahmed, Kamal; Byford, David; DAmours, Alain; Dichter, Benjamin; Humfryes, Susan; Lawrence, Robin; McIver, Megan; Stone, Jordan; Wolvin, Rob; Wong-Tam, Kristyn.
Ward 25 Diep, Kim; Friedman, Richard; Hostler, Tanya; Robinson, Jaye; Streker, Nikola.
Ward 16 Boutros, Jean-Pierre; Cannella, John; Carmichael Greb; Coll, Michael; Conacher, Sean; Darby, Charm; Gallezot, Thomas; Heaney, Gary; Levitan, Steven; Mills, Terry; Spence Paul; Tanel, Adam; Vukosavljev, Peter; Williams, Bob; Youssefi, Dyanoosh.