South Bayview Bulldog Admin

End of local broadcasting, New Year’s Eve style

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The now nearly forgotten impact of cable-TV on local programming in Canada has taken one last kick at Toronto. Citytv’s venerable New Year’s Eve broadcast from Nathan Phillips Square will be submerged in the ABC celebration. Why? Because there is just too much to watch on TV on New Year’s Eve. Rogers, owners of City, has decided it can do better without fighting for the eyes of local TV watchers by letting ABC take centre stage. It is a pattern that is many years old as private TV discarded local programming that was unable to hold large audiences in the age of multi-channel choices. Toronto Star

Some have scolded City for this decision. Others are excited about bundling up to be at Nathan Phillips Square. Others say, “no thanks,”  it”s the fireplace for me. Go there by clicking tweets. 

2014 greeted by crowds in London and Berlin

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911 Call: “I want you to arrest Senator Mike Duffy”

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Chatham OPP cite this one as among the silliest of their 911 calls during 2013. Here’s the list.  CTV

Rowanwood residents bruised after 8-day outage

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Rowanwood in happier times

The National Post’s Peter Kuttenbrouwer writes about the people on Rowanwood Ave saying “The New Year’s Eve party at the Grahams (on the Rosedale street) is back on, after Toronto Hydro restored power to the family of five at 2 p.m. Monday. No preferential treatment for this family. There will be hors d’oeuvres, hot entrées, teams squaring off at home-made trivia and lots of alcohol. There will also be lingering bitterness, after nine days without electricity. . . .”  Best bit from the story: “John Graham’s parents, Sandy and Bill Graham had come from England for Christmas. “’Luckily John’s parents said, ‘Don’t worry, we lived through the war,’ ” says Ms. Graham. ‘Cold flannel baths, that’s what we did during the war.’” “They helped the family boil kettles of water to wash dishes by candlelight.”  As extracted by Yonge and Roxborough News.  National Post (if you can get through the paywall.”

Canada beats U.S. 3-2 in World Junior Hockey

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Globe and Mail 

Let’s hope 2014 is not as nutty as this one

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As you ponder the White New Year’s ahead, we thought you might like to know that squirrels use their tails to cover their heads in the snow.What are you going to do?  

Free skating New Year’s Day at Leaside Arena

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There will be free skating on New Year’s (Wednesday, January 1, 2014) at the new rink in the Leaside Arena. This family event will get underway at 1 pm.and run until 4 p.m. We’re told there will be free hot chocolate for the first 400 skaters (and maybe helpers too) who arrive.  The organizers ask that you bring your own skates and note that helmets are not mandatory

8 Tanager Ave. changes hands for first time in 65 years

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When they finished  building 8 Tanager Ave. in north Leaside in 1948, Trace Manes had just been acclaimed mayor and you could still bet on the ponies in Thorncliffe Park. The Premier had yet to be born. The house sold for $7,000. This fall the same well-cared for two-storey brick house changed hands for the first time in 65 years. It did so for a tidy increase on that original value, fetching $1,235,000. That’s an increase of about 176 times and a bonus of $156,000 over the asking rice of $1,079,000. As those around the area will know, No. 8 Tanager sits between Broadway Ave. and Glenvale Blvd. in a lovely part of the neighborhood.  It has 1,200 sq. ft.of floor space on a lot that is 35 by 133-ft. There is a single-car attached garage and private drive. Taxes aren’t usually a source of amusement but some may get a chuckle that the $6,174  levy for this year is barely $800 short of the original selling price.  Toronto Star 

Canada fights back to 5-3 win against Slovakia

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Canada’s junior men’s hockey team has battled back from a 3-1 challenge to win 5-3 against a strong Team Slovakia. The come-back means Canada gets a ticket to face a strong United States team tomorrow on the trail the tournament championship in Sweden. Centre Nic Petan scored the winner on a power play. He then excelled by firing the winning shot into an empty Slovak net.  Slovakia jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second period on two goals from David Griger and another from Martin Reway. Canada matched those with goals from Curtis Lazar, Anthony Mantha, Jonathan Drouin and Petan. “I wanted to show I could play great hockey over here and that’s what I’m doing now” – Forward Anthony Mantha Zachary Fucale made his first start of the tournament for the Canadians, stopping 19 of 22 shots. Coach Brent Sutter indicated Fucale will be in net for the team’s next game against the United States. If Canada beats the United States on Tuesday in the final game of the preliminary round in regulation, it will win its pool. Curtis Lazar and Mantha also scored for Canada before a crowd of 2,558. Charles Hudon suffered what appeared to be a shoulder injury early in the third period, but returned to the bench after missing a few shifts, and Sutter said later the forward was fine.  

Galen G. Weston business newsmaker of 2013

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Galen G. Weston
The Canadian Press has named Galen G. Weston, 41, as its Business Newsmaker of the Year for 2013. Mr. Weston is the executive chairman of Loblaws. He was the choice of news executives by a margin of 22 percent among all the nominees. Second place was taken by BCE chief George Cope. Galen Weston won the annual selection process for his role in one of the biggest takeovers in the country’s retail history (Shoppers Drug Mart) and his strong stance on the need for change in Bangladesh after the Dhaka factory collapse in April. Canadians see the value system in place at Loblaws stores every day, where the company’s many locations are staffed with the larger interests of the community in mind. In recent recent years Loblaws has been instrumental in the renovation of Maple Leaf  Gardens.

Many personal possessions lost in Elvina fire

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Jury Onyszczak has been interviewed by the Toronto Sun (with video) on his losses when his home on Elvina Gdns caught fire. Fire officials feel the blaze may have been caused when power returned to the small apartment building.  Sun    Previous post 

Break-in during blackout in on Hudson Dr.

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TPS report — A resident of Hudson Drive reports that between 1630 hours on December 23, 2013 and 0800 hours on December 24, 2013, entry was gained into the premises by forcing a door. Removed was a quantity of jewellery and watches. This occurrence coincides with the power outage that hit South Bayview on the morning of Sunday, December 22, 2013 and lasted two days.