South Bayview Bulldog Admin

Parker on bid to derail subway extension

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As Josh Matlow (Ward 22) campaigns for a delay on a decision to build the Scarborough subway, there is a move to get next-door city councillor John Parker (Ward 26) to support the move. Residents of Leaside are being asked to write  to Mr. Parker urging him to do this.  The local effort is being aided, it would appear, by Geoff  Kettel, well-known in the community, who has sent a general e-mail marked “URGENT TO ACT: Ask Councillor Parker to support Councillor Josh Matlow who wants to put Scarboroug​h subway on hold — along with the tax hike.”
JOHN PARKER’S REPLY TO GEOFF KETTEL 

I have favoured the LRT option from the start, and have voted accordingly at every turn in the debate.
The difficult thing is that Council has now spoken. Our side lost. The other two levels of government have also endorsed the subway option, and have committed funding to it. Undoing the existing plan will be a complicated task. The issue goes well beyond the vote on the 2014 City of Toronto budget. Notwithstanding that, yesterday at Council I tried to have the vote on the subway tax split from the vote on the other contributors to the overall tax rate. My side came up short on that as well. Council then voted on one all-in tax rate, including the subway tax. I voted in the negative, again as a reflection of my disapproval of the subway expense. I voted in the negative even though, the subway tax aside, I had no quarrel with the actual tax rate being proposed. Again, my vote was in the minority. We will get into the detailed voting on particular budget items today. My vote on each item will depend on the form in which each particular proposition is framed when it finally reaches the voting stage. As you know, various proposals have a way of being bundled together, and things can therefore become complicated. Be assured I will none the less seek every practical opportunity to confirm my disapproval of the subway expansion proposal. Which I have done consistently as a member of Council and as a member of the TTC every time the matter has come before me. All of that having been said, you will understand that bringing about a change in policy will take more than one more vote from me at Council confirming my disapproval of the subway extension. It will take a new attitude by Council and – to be candid – some backbone at Queen’s Park. Which is where you might want to try to bring some immediate influence to bear if the goal is to bring about a change of policy concerning the SRT replacement proposal.

“Quiet new jets” issue is a clever red herring

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Five well-known Torontonians have written a column in the Globe and Mail opposing plans to expand Billy Bishop Airport on the Toronto Islands. They are Paul Bedford, a former chief planner of Toronto, David Crombie, a former mayor, Jack Diamond, Toronto-based international architect; Anne Golden former head the United Way and now chair of the Transit Investment Advisory Panel and Ken Greenberg, former head of urban design in the Toronto planning department.  In summarizing their position, the writers say: “There is no such thing as a “little big airline” or a “little big airport.” Those are clever words masking private gain and public loss. We cannot allow it to replace a highly valued public vision for our waterfront. We only have one waterfront and it belongs to everyone.” This statement is reminiscent of Mr. Crombie’s warning a few weeks ago. Be prepared to see a large airport on the island if there is any expansion permitted, he said. This is a profound perception that cuts through irrelevant things like how much sound new jet planes may make. Expansion at the airport sets Toronto on the path for an enormously busy international terminal with all the congestion, noise and dirt that come with it. Globe and Mail 

Has Loblaws axed Nutshell with a rhyming tweet?

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A rhyming tweet from Nutshell on King would seem to be the way Loblaws has chosen to announce that it has “aborted” its ballyhooed pilot plan to battle Whole Foods. Last July,  the company created quite a flurry when it announced the imminent opening of Nutshell Live Life Well.  Julija Hunter, Loblaw’s vice-president of public relations told the Toronto Star: “It’s a convenience-based, fresh food led drugstore model — a new version of a health store.” The much-discussed location for Nutshell was a restored old building downtown that green people could feel good about — 500 King Street West. Well, there is enough bogus information flying around Twitter that it’s good to take everything you read with a grain of salt substitute. But  a tweet from Nutshell on King seems to say it all, even though it is a rather unorthodox way of telling the public the plan is off.
Pistachios are green
Almonds are brown
Try not to frown
Nutshell has shut down.
While we have to abort
We thank you all for your support!
Since last July, Nutshell’s Twitter account has been full of “can’t wait for you to open” impatience and faux health advice like “Sitting is the new smoking.” But then, out of nowhere, the above tweet about pistachios and the need to abort. Oh dear.

Bell Let’s Talk Day at Northern Secondary

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Clara Hughes, Canada’s six-time Olympic medalist graced the stage at the senior assembly at Northern Secondary School on Mt  Pleasant Rd. today (Tuesday, January 28, 2014). It was the fourth annual national Bell Let’s Talk Day in aid of a wider understanding of the issues of mental health. Clara is seen here third from the left at the NSS assembly shortly before she tweeted her congratulations to staff and students for a “‘fantastic show.” Clara was busy throughout the day. Later she tweeted “Out of my element at BNN (Business News Network) but worth it for Bell Let’s Talk.” One source suggests that the campaign raised some $4 million over the day to aid research and assist those afflicted. Photo Twitter. 

Memories of dear friends, good times at Chai on Bayview

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Lambert Moo, Rainbow Tan and chai on Bayview

The closing of Lambert Moo’s restaurant at 1575 Bayview Ave. is a cruel event set in this cruelest of Januaries. Chai on Bayview closed over the weekend, a victim of an economy and a street that is labouring under difficult challenges. All of South Bayview is feeling the neglect of customers who are bludgeoned by parking tickets. The emergence of retail shopping on Laird Drive is extracting a punishing penalty on some businesses. As to Chai on Bayview, there seems to have been a gradual falling away of the good friends and pleasant times in which the business was re-started by Mr. Moo. His right-hand helper, Rainbow Tan, was much loved by the clientele. When she left a couple of years ago, she took something with her. And there were many others, Chinese kids who had made their way to Canada and were glad to be here. But the rent was substantial and even with loyal patrons, it became hard for Moo to make ends meet. We are told that he has left on his own terms  Some now say they have never seen as many places vacant on South Bayview. On a sunny Tuesday, there is a wisp of hope in the disappearance of the For Rent signs on the spaces last occupied by Yeh Yogurt and What Lola Wants. Let’s hope for good news. Photos by The South Bayview Bulldog show Lambert Moo and Rainbow Tan in happier times, Chai on Bayview in summer.

Unable to retire, or just bored doing nothing?

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In its first go round the headline on the CTV story linked here bought into the “unable to retire” view of older Canadians. It was changed later. The StatsCan numbers show many people work after they leave their life’s employment, but the story had no apparent interest in whether they do it out of an absolute need to work or the simple nature of the animal. There must be more than a few filthy rich people in those statistics who kept on working for — pardon the expression — the fun of it.  CTV

Loblaws slated for Kensington condominium

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Loblaws has agreed to open a large supermarket on the second floor of the condominium now being planned by Tribute Communities  at College Street and Spadina Avenue. This spot is cheek by jowl with Kensington Market. The store is said to be planned at 20,000 square feet. This would be a second upstairs store in a condo for Loblaws. South Bayview watchers will know of the large store planned at the Madison on Eglinton Ave. E. between between Dunfield Ave. and Lillian Street. The announcement of the Loblaws in Kensington will bring a furore over the character of the neighborhood. In recent months the residents, led by Adam Vaughan (Ward 20) were successful is killing a Walmart store planned for the area.  Mr. Vaughan told the Globe and Mail tonight that he is wary of the development adding “Keningston needs help.” This may be true, but Kensington also needs better hygiene. Higher property values and a measure of gentrification would ensure that but many prefer the sub-granola quality of the area as it is.  Globe and Mail

Island airport consultation hears from dozens

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There was a lively hearing at City Hall tonight (Monday, January 27, 2014) into the proposal to extend the runways at Billy Bishop Airport. Twitter

Healthy food restaurant Chai on Bayview closed

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There are reports Monday night that the long-time healthy food restaurant Chai on Bayview Ave. is closed. This small restaurant located at 1577 Bayview broke ground in the bouyant times on South Bayview after the turn of the century. It was run during its final years by Lambert Moo.  There will be further information on the situation with Chai on Bayview reported here tomorrow. 

Change of plan: Saks will open at Eaton Centre

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1896 building to be Saks 

Hudson’s Bay Co. has surprised business and consumer interests this morning (Monday, January 27, 2014) by announcing that it will open a Saks store at the corner of Yonge and Queen Streets in the iconic old building that once housed the  Robert Simpson Company. The move appears to be motivated at least in part by the announcement that another U.S. retail name, Nordstrom, will occupy the former Sears (and previously Eaton’s) store in the Eaton Centre. It was also announced that Hudson Bay will open a Saks at the  Sherway Gardens Mall in Mississauga.  As part of the deal, Hudson Bay will sell the Yonge and Queen property and an adjoining office tower to the owner of The Toronto Eaton Centre, Cadillac Fairview. Hudson Bay will then lease back the store and tower for a 25 year period with an option to renew. The decision to open Saks at Yonge and Queen seems to put on hold for the moment the plan to open a Saks at the The Hudson Bay site at Yonge and Bloor Sts.   The Globe and Mail reports that HBC chief executive officer Richard Baker said that Cadillac Fairview CEO John Sullivan convinced him to roll out Saks at the Queen Street store, where it will share space with Hudson’s Bay (previously called the Bay.) HBC acquired U.S.-based Saks Inc. last year for $2.4-billion. The suggestion is that Cadillac Fairview offered Hudson Bay an offer it found very difficult to refuse.

Beyonce tasteless at Grammy Awards

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Mailonline

Veteran Irene Atkinson to retire from TDSB

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Irene Atkinson

Trustee Irene Atkinson will end her years on Toronto District School Board by retiring at the close of her term this fall. Ms. Atkinson has served for 40 years on the board helping to develop lunch, child care initiatives and other programs. She escaped death in the spring of 2013 by the narrowest of margins when fire ripped through her home in High Park. She underwent a lengthy recovery both at St.Joseph’s Hospital and at home. On her return to the board, Ms. Atkinson sported a shirt which said “l’m not dead yet.”  CTV’s Naomi Parness has a sensitive piece here in which Ms. Atkinson discusses her fire ordeal and how it has changed her. CTV