Month: April 2017

1893 hotel to re-open this summer

Dining perspective #1 – “The Tower”

Dining perspective #2 – “Lincoln Terrace”

Work continues toward the summer opening of the renovated Broadview Hotel at the corner of Broadview and Queen East where it has stood since 1893. A virtual tour (that would be pictures of the place to you and me) are here. Very nice. The owners, Streetcar Developments, expect the hotel to re-open with a rooftop terrace that is said to have a stunning view of the Toronto skyline with a 360-degree glass pyramid skylight. The Broadview Hotel will have 58 guest rooms each outfitted with luxurious appointments, a vinyl record player and a bar. Joanna Lavoie of the Beach Mirror was there yesterday.

VIDEO: The @BroadviewHotel will soon be opening its doors. Our @JoannaLavoie stopped by today. #RiversideTO #RiverdaleTO #eastTO pic.twitter.com/bZLcmZOnXw

— Beach – East York Neighbourhood Voice (@BeachEastYork) April 26, 2017

Published May 14, 2014: The Broadview Hotel on Queen Street East at Broadview Ave has been bought for restoration by Streetcar Developments, a Toronto company dedicated to this type of work. The imposing 1893 Romanesque-style building has been notable in recent decades only for its rundown condition and as the home of Jilly’s Strip Club. In a news release Tuesday (May 13, 2014) Streetcar says it will not be turning the Riverdale landmark into condominiums but will rather be “focusing all our efforts on making the building safe and restoring it to reflect its place in Toronto’s history.” The company’s CEO, Les Mallins “We will first be focusing all our efforts on making the building safe and restoring it to reflect its place in Toronto’s history,” he added. Since at least 2004, rumours have circulated that the building will be bought and renovated to become a version of the Drake or the Gladstone, boutique hotel/bar/performance art venues on Queen St. W. So far, however, there are no signs of this actually happening. Still operating as a hotel, the lower floor is Jilly’s, “a rough and tumble strip club.” (Wikipedia). The operation was the scene of a barmaid stabbing in the early 1990s.

l to r Brooke Gillford, French’s Food, Mayor John Tory, Andrew Mitchell, president of Select Foods, MPP Andrew Potts and Burkhard Mausberg, CEO of the Greenbelt Fund

Select Foods at 120 Sunrise Ave.

French’s all-Canadian ketchup is about to start rolling off the new assembly line at Select Foods at 120 Sunrise Ave just off Bermondsey Rd. A photo-op and announcement of the timing took place in recent days. Those present were Brooke Gillford, French’s Food, Mayor John Tory, Andrew Mitchell, president of Select Foods, MPP Andrew Potts and Burkhard Mausberg, CEO of the Greenbelt Fund  The new production line follows last year’s handshake between French’s Food and long-time food packager Select to produce a ketchup that’s as close to 100 per cent Canadian as possible. The issue of tomatoes and where they come from is a sensitive one for many consumers. French’s got the idea for a made-in-Canada ketchup using Leamington tomatoes after Heinz decided to move out of the Essex County garden community. Select Foods is an established maker of condiments and gravies, many of which are sold under the Horne’s brand name. Its plant is close to the East York boundary.

Videos of interest start with the artificial womb, an ingenious device to give preemies that extra chance of life. Expect to hear more of this invention. To the right, there is fairly widespread concern among parents about the conduct of Netflix (again) this time over the melodramatic series “Thirteen Reasons Why” and how it may entrap young minds into the “I’ll get even with them” suicide. As any adult knows, there is no revenge for such kids, merely death. Below that, City News covers the closure this summer of Whittamore Farms north of Toronto. We listened closely but didn’t hear exactly why this is being done. Let us know if you hear it. And, the rescue of not one but 12 ducklings who fell between the rungs of a storm sewer cover when their mother inadvertently led them over this trap for little feet.

With regards to the incident that took place yesterday afternoon at our East York location in Toronto, we are grateful for the support (ctd)

— EDEN.empire (@myedenca) April 26, 2017

The fraud involved selling donated items meant for shelters and food banks for profit. https://t.co/PB2m8r133Q

— Toronto Star (@TorontoStar) April 26, 2017

The Star’s Alyshyshah Hasham was in court Wednesday when the former executive director of a Salvation Army donation storage and distribution centre was found guilty of a massive fraud involving selling donated items meant for shelters and food banks for profit. These included toys donated through the Christmas Toy Mountain campaign. Court heard that David Rennie took cash in a variety of ways for high quality goods intended for needy kids. Ontario Court Justice Sandra Bacchus found that after Rennie was appointed executive director of the centre in January 2010 he developed a relationship with a wholesaler, Umaish “Tony” Ramrattan. Rennie began allowing Ramrattan to pick the best donations — toys and food that was far from its expiry date — and take it to another warehouse and sell it for a profit. Trucks laden with donations from Nestle and Sun laundry detergent were rerouted to this second warehouse operated by Ramrattan. The fraud was so brazen that staff began to complain among themselves and finally persuaded a warehouse manager to make a complaint. Ramratten was found not guilty. His defense was that he thought the arrangement with Rennie was authorized by the Army. Sentencing is still to be set.

Kevin O’Leary has dropped out of the Conservative leadership race because, he says, he does not think he can defeat Justin Trudeau at the next election. O’Leary will endorse Quebec MP and leadership candidate Maxime Bernier.

Geoff Kettel has written to invite readers to attend on May 1 at one of two Laird in Focus presentations and workshops. These are efforts by the City to involve the community in planning as the impact of transit and growth occur. The events are being held at the William Lea Room at the Leaside Arena. Check for times on the Toronto Planing pdf: Laird in Focus presentations and workshops

Canadian Press reports on what the RCMP found to be nefarious efforts by Vice Admiral Mark Norman to pressure the new Liberal government into fulfilling a contract with the firm of Chantier Davie to provide the navy with a new supply ship. The Mounties said in their request for a search warrant of Norman’s home that he had leaked information to Davie and others in the media that the Trudeau cabinet was about to kill or delay the contract. This was a violation of cabinet secrecy punishable by imprisonment. In the end, the Liberals went ahead with the contract because there was an $89 million penalty attached to cancellation. Admiral Norman is defended by Toronto criminal lawyer Marie Henein. CP

The South Bayview Bulldog visited the shiny new Whole Foods located at 1860 Bayview Avenue, at Broadway this morning.

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The LCBO has confirmed that Bonne Brooks has resigned from the chair’s position. Mail from Christine Bujold of the board to The Bulldog says: “We were disappointed to receive Bonnie’s resignation yesterday but wish her well in her future endeavours.  We are pleased that Penny Lipsett, the current Vice Chair of the LCBO has agreed to serve as the Acting Chair as the government determines next steps in this process.”  The story, first broadcast late Tuesday on CP24 seemed to drop out of the news Wednesday morning.The story was broadcast concurrent with news about the strike vote by LCBO workers. Union president Warren Smokey Thomas was asked about it. He said he had never met Ms. Brooks. Workers voted 93 percent in favour of a strike.

A public federal hearing underway in Toronto to decide whether the publication Your Ward News is in fact hate propaganda or something more like simple rubbish. The offensive and wildly confusing printed material has been distributed by private delivery occasionally in South Bayview since it was banned from the mail pouches of Canada Post by MP Judy Foote, the minister responsible for Canada Post. The Board of Review Hearing hearing is being held at Yonge and Sheppard. Lawyers for Your Ward News will argue that while the content of the publication may be “crap” that doesn’t make it hateful propaganda and they suggest they will test the constitutionality of the decision in court

https://twitter.com/ebalgord/status/856889167267147776