Month: March 2018

Team Epping from the Leaside Curling Club stole two points in the 10th end to edge McEwen 8-7 in Brier play in Regina Thursday. Epping and his colleagues join the top four teams advancing to the Page playoff. Winner of the Page playoff between the top two seeds advances directly to Sunday’s championship game, while the loser drops to the semifinal to face the winner of the playoff between the third and fourth seeds. Sunday’s champion represents Canada at the world men’s curling championship in Las Vegas from March 31 to April 8.

Dofasco steel in Hamilton

Alcoa Aluminum

Canadian Press quotes an unidentified source in the US administration as saying Canada and Mexico will gain an open exemption from heavy tariffs on steel and aluminum declared Thursday by President Trump. Trump signed the documents for the legislation at the White House, surrounded by burly steelworkers. It specifies a 25 percent tariff on steel and a ten percent tariff on aluminium. CP’s source is called an official speaking on condition of anonymity. It said he would not address the issue of whether the threat of tariffs would be used to bully Canada and Mexico at the NAFTA bargaining table, saying only that NAFTA is important to economic and national security. CBC

Saudi Arabian women jogged this International Women’s Day. It’s a right they recently acquired along with drivng and popping in at the football matches. But their Iranian sisters are feeling the sting of a two-year prison sentence on a woman who took off her compulsory headscarf in protest. The story is creepy. Much more pleasant is the City News celebration of its reporter Ginella Mass. Take a look. Below that, McDonald’s is taking flak for its Women’s Day efforts but this corporate video about a black woman who became an wealthy franchisee is quite moving. Finally. there is still no cause of death for Italian soccer star Davide Astori. His funeral took place today.

Jana Pokorna

Coyote urine for this guy

Thursday at 3 p.m. on TSN

Mabel’s event

Starts Friday

Engaging composite of faces

Jana Pokorna, the well-liked and long-time creator of jewellery in Leaside, has moved her shop from Sutherland Dr to 461 Eglinton East at Banff Road. Jana is a talented and inspiring person. She is an annual participant in the Ride to Conquer Cancer. Check the City News story done when her bike was stolen in 2015. Then visit Jana. Upper right, there is an informative and entertaining thread about raccoons in Leaside here. The consensus is as strong as coyote urine that if you get some of it from Urban Nature on Don Mills Rd. the raccoons will flee. But others are resigned to raccoon hegemony. One poster says:  “I for one, welcome our new raccoon overlords.”  Below that, a small reminder that Leaside’s Team Epping faces a Wild Card team at the Tim Horton’s Brier at 3 p.m. Thursday. It’s on TSN.  Centre left, don’t forget to get your tweens and teens over to Mabel’s Fables March 15 when the author and artist of the kids gaming series Cross Ups will visit. To the right, a most engaging poster for International Women’s Day tweeted by Leaside United Church. Lastly, tomorrow marks the beginning of March Madness. Go over to the arena and check out the silent auction offerings.

Depiction of bar/Plaza Midtown

Depiction of lounge/Plaza Midtown

Urban Toronto architectural site has published pictures and information about the two tower development known as Plaza Midtown. The towers will sit on Dunfield Ave and Holly St., side streets running between Eglinton and Soudan Ave. near Yonge St. The article notes amenities scheduled for inclusion in the buildings. They are said to feature concierge service with a bar and suites with guest bedrooms.

Viola Desmond

Lucy Maud Mongomery

Emily Carr

A new $10 bill will be revealed in Halifax Thursday on which a black woman, Viola Desmond, is portrayed. It is a mark of respect for her refusal more than 70 years ago to willingly leave the auditorium of a segregated New Glasgow Nova Scotia movie theatre. The bill will be unveiled by Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz. Desmond will be the first black person — and the first non-royal woman — on a regularly circulating Canadian bank note. She was a beautician and entrepreneur who sold her own line of cosmetics. When her car broke down on the way to Sydney, she decided to watch a movie at the Roseland Theatre. At that time blacks were relegated to the balcony of the theatre but Desmond sat downstairs where she was closer to the screen because her eyesight was poor. She was forced to leave.

SURVEY ABOUT FAMOUS WOMEN

A poll by Ipsos on behalf of Historica Canada suggests Canadians have a limited knowledge of some famous women in the country’s past. Most could not name the accomplishments of painter Emily Carr and author Lucy Maud Montgomery. It should be said that polls about public awareness of historical figures seldom do very well. Regrettable perhaps, but true.

Join us live from @hfxpublib for the unveil of #Canada $10 bank note featuring #ViolaDesmond. 11:30 am ET #InternationalWomensDay #HerStoryOurStory https://t.co/Y0lwDYJbLF pic.twitter.com/N7GMb45F5f

— Bank of Canada (@bankofcanada) March 8, 2018

W for Women Yeah!

Heather Hiscox

Cynthia Nixon

McDonald’s has inverted the M in its famous arches sign in parts of California and, they say, online all over the place. Many were stunned by the change. A few posted concerns that McDonald was making an anatomical statement. But no, it’s only a W for Women, as in National Women’s Day. Then the estimable Heather Hiscox, 2 a.m. riser and host of the CBC’s morning television news these many years. She has  been named winner of the Canadian Screen Award for Best News Anchor. Well deserved. On the right, you may recall Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon. She is seriously pondering a run against Republican Governor of New York Mario Cuomo. Happy National Women’s Day to all those celebrating.

The Toronto and District School Board will hold a meeting Monday, March 26 at Hodgson Middle School to consult parents and public on redirecting part of the enrolment at Eglinton Jr. Public School at Eglinton and Mt. Pleasant over to Maurice Cody Public School Belsize Drive. The board is making more space at Eglinton for the 2018-2019 year but it won’t be enough to ensure that there is room for all the children the present Eglinton zone. In due course, those who are not able to make the meeting will be able to review information at the TDSB site (Click on Eglinton Jr. Public School and Maurice Cody Junior Public School).

The Toronto police homicide unit is investigating after two people were found dead in a residential area in North York. Police say officers responded to a call for a medical complaint at 18 Graydon Hall Dr. on Tuesday. The scene is northeast of York Mills and Don Mills Rds. When they arrived at the scene, officers found the bodies of a 30-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman. Police say both had obvious injuries. At this time police are not looking for any suspects and say there is no threat to public safety.

Ontario’s Liberal government is breaking its promise to maintain a balanced budget this year, saying its upcoming fiscal plan will run a deficit in order to fund programs for seniors, women and students ahead of a Spring election. Last year the minister, Mr. Sousa, had promised a strong of annual budgets that woild all be balanced. The budget now set for March 28 will, as the minister put it,  invest to create growth. he went to say in a speech at noon:. “You cannot create jobs by beggaring your future prospects. As I have said many times — balancing the budget is not an end in itself. It is a means to an end. And that end is a stronger Ontario.” The provincial debt is something in excess of $300 billion

BOC HOLDS RATE STEADY

The Bank of Canada kept its key interest rate target on hold Wednesday as it pointed to a climate of broadening, important unknowns around trade. In explaining its decision to maintain its benchmark at 1.25 per cent, the central bank noted that recent trade policy developments have created thickening clouds around the outlook for the Canadian and global economies.

Team Ontario: John Epping, Matt Camm, Patrick Jannsen, Tim March

Ontario’s John Epping continued to impress in his first Canadian men’s curling championship appearance, posting his sixth straight win with an 8-4 victory over Steve Laycock’s Saskatchewan rink in Wednesday’s afternoon draw at the Tim Hortons Brier. Epping’s foursome from Toronto’s Leaside Curling Club scored four in the ninth end to improve to 6-1 heading into championship pool play on Friday. Both teams had already advanced to the championship pool and came into the match on impressive runs. Laycock’s Saskatoon rink had won four straight heading into the showdown with Epping. But the hosts fell to 4-3 when Epping used the hammer to bust open what had been a tight game. Northern Ontario’s Brad Jacobs also finished pool play at 6-1 after posting a 6-3 victory over Manitoba’s Reid Carruthers. Jacobs stole two in the fifth end and capped the match with two in the ninth. Carruthers, who already advanced to the championship pool, fell to 5-2 — TSN

Sarah Huckabee Saunders

Wilbur Ross

Steve Mnuchin

The CBC is reporting that White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Saunders and two members of US  cabinet have suggested that Canada and Mexico might escape crushing tariffs on steel and aluminum. Ms. Sanders said Canada and Mexico could get a “carve-out” from the tariffs for reasons of national security. She is reported to have said that other allies might ask for such exemptions on a case-by-case basis. Earlier Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told reporters that Trump has “indicated a degree of flexibility.” “If we can work something out with Canada and Mexico they will be exempted. It’s not inconceivable that others could be exempted on a similar basis,” Ross said. The avoidance of already announced tariffs on steel (25 percent) and aluminum (10 percent) would badly hurt Canada’s economy. In recent days US administration officials have said that Canada would not be excluded from tariffs but might receive certain exemptions. The wording is careful but if genuine seems to represent a critical opportunity for Canada.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the administration was “definitely going to end up” with the across-the-board tariffs Trump is seeking — 25 per cent on steel imports, 10 per cent on aluminum. “But, again, there will be a mechanism where, to the extent that the president wants to give waivers, the president can do that,” he told Fox Business. CBC