Month: September 2016

Starbucks brings cheese-filled bagel bites to U.S. stores

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Starbucks in the U.S. is rolling out an innovative bagel dough food known variously as the bagel balls, bantam bagels or bagel bites. The chewy little snacks will be introduced to 7,000 locations in three varieties  — Classic, stuffed with plain whip cream cheese, Everybody’s favorite, an everything bagel stuffed with veggie cream cheese and Cinnamon Toast, a cinnamon nutmeg egg bagel stuffed with maple butter cream. They sell for $2.95 for one or six for $7.98. Bagel bites are the creation of an enterprising New York couple, Nick and Elyse Oleksak, who persuaded Starbucks to take a chance after they gained prominence from an appearance on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in 2015. “We reinvented an iconic food in one of the most cynical cities on earth that is founded on the bagel,” Oleksak old CNBC. There is no word on whether we will see bagel bites in Canada.

 

“Summer was two weeks long” says Penny back at school

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Penny Oleksiak was back at school Tuesday with kids all across Toronto and it felt a bit funny because “summer was two weeks long,” she told reporters. The medal-winning Olympic swimmer returned to the halls of Monarch Park Collegiate on Hanson Street just off Coxwell Ave. She told CTV: “I don’t want to say I am excited but I guess I am excited to see my friends and do some school work. It is going to be a lot better for me just because I can come back to school and chill out I guess. Training is going to be more normal for me (this year).” Penny had her swimming coach and principal flanking her, helpful as she tried to recall her timetable for the Grade Eleven this year.

Cyclist badly hurt when he veers into van on Gerrard St.

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Police have now reported on a van-cycle accident Sunday about 2 p.m. on Gerrard Street near River Street. They say that the car and cyclist were heading west on Gerrard when the cyclist veered into the path of the vehicle for reasons unknown. The rider, 69, is in hospital with life-threatening injuries.  A 22-year-old man was driving the 2015 Dodge Journey.  He  remained at the scene.

Burnside reminder of 3-5 Southvale meeting Thursday

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Shane Baghai Development SouthvaleJon Burnside (Ward 26) has offered another reminder that there will be public consultation Thursday, September 8, 2016 at Leaside Arena to discuss a new submission from the developer of 3-5 Southvale Drive. It begins at 7 p.m. Information may be had by calling the Councillor’s office office at 416-392-0215 or writing to councillor_burnside@toronto.ca.

Black Lives Matter handful block UK airport re air quality

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Euronews reports that nine people saying they represent Black Lives Matter have blocked a runway at London’s City Airport over air quality Tuesday, something consider a threat to black lives. Euronews 

IRAN CLOTHING RAIDS

Police in Iran have raided 800 women’s wear shops accused of selling western-style clothes. These include garments that have short sleeves and quirky sayings on them like: “Stay Calm I’m the Queen”. More than 3,000 stores received warnings about selling clothes that the government does not like. Glad you’re in Canada?

47-storey giant proposed for Eglinton East and Dunfield

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The linked story tells of plans for a 47-storey giant at 55 Eglinton Ave E., at the southwest corner of Dunfield Ave. It sits across Dunfield from the Madison, a huge development near completion. It contains a Loblaws on the second floor of a retail podium. Another high-rise tower from the LRT-development gift that keeps on giving. Urban Toronto

British burn model of London to mark Great Fire of 1666

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London has marked the 350th anniversary of the Great fire of London by setting fire to model of the City on a barge out in the Thames. According to the London Fire Brigade, the fire started on Sept. 2, 1666. As buildings were built closely together and were made of timber, the fire was able to spread easily. A drought caused by a dry summer and strong winds also made it possible for the fire to do significant damage. The linked CBC feature says the official death toll was just six people, but it is believed many others died from related causes. The fire was stopped days later on Sept. 6 by blowing up houses in the fire’s path to give it space to stop. Ultimately, over 13,000 homes were destroyed by the fire. The fire came at the end of the Great Plague, which overtook London for many months in 1665 and 66. Some 100,000 people died.