Month: February 2017

CBC

HOCKEY HOODLUMS

A number of parents in Edmonton have been forbidden to attend their children’s games by the local hockey association after too many incidents of rink rage.  Parents, mostly men, threaten and confront referees and others when their emotional involvement causes them to behave like hoodlums. The Edmonton body sent a scolding email to the organization’s members about what it called “the stereotype of the worst hockey parent.”  It said the behaviour puts a black eye on the sport and parents in the spotlight. It also embarrasses young players that their parents are out of control.  President Mark Doram said several incidents have been reported in past weeks, including one particularly alarming event “when parents became so emotionally engaged in the game that the referees were afraid for their safety.” Doram said that parents of players from the novice division all the way up to midget have been disciplined. The most recent police incident was at a peewee division game. He said the sport continues to lose officials because they fear for their safety.

Video: PM Justin Trudeau meets with #Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey pic.twitter.com/2nmxc7Uy8H

— CityNews 680 (Inactive) (@680NEWS) February 27, 2017

The prime minster was in Brampton and Mississauga Monday morning. The tone of his welcome by civic employees was giddy pleasure. In Mississauga, balconies of people shouted like children. The PM replied like a teacher: “Aren’t any of you at work today?”

A reader has denied that the CRA paid an employee $538,000 to move from Richmond Hill to Belleville. This allegation was part of recent concerns about government waste presented by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Jason Andrus says the figure published includes the value of the home. The home was not paid for by the CRA but by a new buyer.  Mr. Andrus says the “actual sale of the house (was) approx. $522,960.” He says CTF knows better and says their “right-leaning partisanship is on full display here”

It was all really quite unbelievable — and still is.

Family members have revealed that actor Bill Paxton, 61, was undergoing heart surgery at the time of his death. While Paxton appeared to be active, healthy and busier than ever, prepping for new movie roles and starring in the new CBS cop drama “Training Day,” the affable 61-year-old actor was apparently dealing with some kind of heart problem that required surgery.

Design concepts will be unveiled Monday night for two new parks to be created on Manor Road in coming months. These are parcels of lands at the former Glebe Manor Lawn Bowling Club (156 Manor) and at Forman Ave and Manor (purchased from Manor Road United Church). Right now they are muddy tracts but design consultants have been busy since December using feedback from earlier meetings. The public meeting set for Monday, February 27, 2017 is under the auspices of Josh Matlow (Ward 22) at Manor Road United, 240 Manor. It will begin at 6.30 p.m.

A report from the Changing Workplaces Review is said to be coming due at Queen’s Park and the reportage is filled with foreboding about what it may mean for business. Some of the freebies to workers suggested are shown below. And while it is true the government can apply all or any of these changes, it cannot make businesses stay in business. A place like Dollarama is famous for its part-time pay regime by which it avoids much pension payment cost. Many small businesses might find it necessary to close if they are required to stream another $5 or $10,000 into sick pay, higher overtime or “human resources” to deal with union membership. CBC

• Making paid sick days mandatory.
• Boosting the minimum required paid vacation to three weeks per year from the current two weeks.
• Lowering the threshold at which overtime pay must kick in to 40 hours, down from the current 44 hours.
• Abolishing the lower minimum wage for students under 18 and people who serve alcohol.
• Requiring employers to pay their part-time workers the same as full-time workers doing similar jobs.

https://twitter.com/shirleybee123/status/835890189545443328

Um, this team means business. Shirley Breen, Meridian CU manager, tweets about the new branch at 690 Mt. Pleasant and the team that plays together, stays together and hurls a mean axe together. (Only after hours). This new outpost of the credit union that vows to be a bank someday will open March 27. Looking forward. Ambitious Meridian CU to spark business on Mt. Pleasant

Sunrise Records of Toronto has agreed to take over 70 stores now leased by HMV in shopping malls all across Canada. Sunrise, a music and video throwback of sorts, sells recorded music including vinyl plus entertainment video. It’s motto is “Rockin Canada since 1977”.  The CBC quotes Sunrise president Doug Putnam as saying: “With HMV leaving, it leaves a big hole in the marketplace, so we just thought it was a good opportunity and the timing was right. So we are going to jump on it and do what we can.” Putman says Sunrise is making a seven-figure investment, and he hopes to turn a profit by next year. He says that with lower head office costs, renegotiated leases and more depth in the record catalogue, Sunrise can succeed where HMV and so many others have failed. Sunrise now has nine stores in southern Ontario. It’s gutsy and deserving of support

BASED IN ANCASTER

Putman told CTV he isn’t convinced digital music signals the end of physical media. “A lot of the younger consumers still love having something tangible,” he said. Putman saidhe has has long believed in buying merchandise you can hold in your hands. He grew up working at the family business, Everest Toys, a manufacturer and distributor based in Ancaster, Ont. He bought the Sunrise chain from Malcolm Perlman in October 2014 just as streaming was going mainstream. Perlman had spent the previous few years shutting down most of the Sunrise stores in the Toronto area, often blaming higher rent. When Putman gained control of the company, there were five Sunrise Records stores left. He’s since doubled the number by opening in Ontario cities like Ottawa and North Bay. He said all of those stores are profitable. HMV in bankruptcy, remaining stores to close April 30

The Leaside Junior Wildcats gave up two games on the weekend to the Stoney Creek Sabres to face an uphill task to advance from the preliminary round in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League playoffs. The Cats lost a two-goal lead Saturday in Stoney Creek to lose the game 4-2. Sunday they dropped game two in the best-of-five series by a score of 2-0. The second Stoney Creek goal was scored at 14.51 of the second period. That was two seconds after one Leaside penalty ended and seven seconds after another began. The net effect was five Sabres on three Cats. To stay in the playoffs, Leaside will have to win all three of the remaining games against Stoney Creek scheduled for next weekend.  Leaside and Stoney Creek finished 9th and 8th respectively in the 20-team conference.

Josh Matlow (Ward 22) comments on the imminent demolition of the elegant former TD Bank structure at Yonge St. and Millwood Rd. in his current newsletter. He notes that a “previous council” approved the demolition of the building. He has been told there is “nothing we can do to save the building”  All this is yet more sadness after the surprise demolition of the CIBC branch at Yonge and Roselawn Ave. in January. There had been high hopes that a forward-thinking builder would save the edifice of the bank in a new project as shown in a  depiction above from last year. Now, as  Mr. Matlow says, City Planning is conducting a heritage audit of our community as part of the Midtown in Focus review of the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan Area he requested. The results of this review are expected this year. He has also made an interactive map of all heritage properties located in Ward 22. Last hurrah for classic old bank at Yonge and Millwood