Pollster Lorne Bozinoff of Forum Research says Mayor Rob Ford is showing popular support similar to that which got him easily elected in 2010. Not only that, the poll was done before Ford’s photo-op meeting with Prime Minister Harper to announce federal funding for a Scarborough subway extension. The telephone survey was conducted for the The Toronto Sun. It found Ford’s approval rating at 49 per cent. According to the paper, the only time Ford has surpassed the 50 per cent mark was during his first few months in office. “He’s on a roll,” says Mr. Bozinoff as reported in the Sun. Also today, it seems the idea of a subway extension has wide popularity across the city. Thus it seems Mr. Ford may even be more popular than when the phone poll was taken. “Pictures say more than words,” wrote Sun columnist Warren Kinsella. “The Harper-Ford picture says plenty. Namely, the video is gone, baby, gone.”
Bayview-Millwood back to normal after closure
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The intersection of Bayview Ave and Millwood Rd is back to normal after being closed all day on Wednesday September 25th. There was no access to westbound Millwood from Bayview or the other way during the reconstruction of road at that location.
Poll on jets at Toronto Island: 47% yes, 45% no
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The City has done a poll by telephone on how people feel about permitting Porter Airlines to fly jets out of Billy Bishop Airport on Toronto Island. The results are very evenly split with 47% being in favour and 45% opposed. The poll’s conclusion was that “half of Torontonians say that an expanded airport with jets does not fit with the revitalized waterfront, and Toronto residents living in the waterfront area are most likely to say that the airport does not fit.” The phone poll seems to have cast the issue as one of clean air and the impact of jets on the use of the island by families. The information campaign to convince people that the Bombardier jets in question are “quiet” — and the fact that they do in fact make noise — is not being emphasized it seems at City Hall.
Streaming service Netflix taking Canada by storm
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The Internet streaming service Netflix Inc. is said to be experiencing explosive growth in Canada. Information released by the federal regulator estimates that the online service is now activated in about 17 per cent of Canadian homes. The regulator’s annual report says Netflix grew by 70 per cent in 2012 in Canada. That would be an expansion of about 2.5 million homes. Some have noted this was before the current interest being shown in programs such as House of Cards, the political thriller series set in post Thatcher Britain. The Globe and Mail has quoted a presumably informed source in this field, Kaan Yigit, as saying that Netflix “has to be the simplest value proposition anywhere. One price, no commitment, cancel any time and it works on practically any device.” The vice chair of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) said in a speech yesterday “We’re looking at a communications environment that is radically different from what it was only 10 years ago.”Will deal give BlackBerry time to fix itself?
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Hillhurst B&E nets jewellery, cash, camera
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Toronto Police Service report: A resident of Hillhurst Boulevard reports that on September 16, 2013 at approximately 0945 hours, entry was gained into the premises by forcing a door. Removed was a quantity of jewellery, cash, a camera and personal accessory.
David Bowie exhibition at Art Gallery of Ontario
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The David Bowie exhibition opens Wednesday September 25 at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. The exhibition is replete with the elaborate costumes from Bowie’s concert day and music videos hung mannequins and elsewhere. The collection is said to span Bowie’s life right back to the days when he appeared under his real name, David Jones. David Bowie
The Bulldog is Sociable! Great to meet you!
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Liberal MPP for Niagara Falls resigns his seat
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The Liberal member of the Ontario Legislature for Niagara Falls has resigned his seat as of today. Kim Craitor is retiring from provincial politics citing his age (67) and a desire to “put my health and famly first.” Craitor’s departure leaves the Liberal government four seats short of a majority. The standings as of today in the 107 seat house are Liberals 50, Progressive Conservatives 37 and the NDP 20. It seems like a tough time for Premier Kathleen Wynne to lose another member but it is widely believed that a general election cannot be delayed much more than six months in any case. The Premier today thanked Craitor for his service.
Glory be! Riders find 110 bikes for Thorncliffe kids
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The Morning Glory Cycling Club and Gears had great success with their joint campaign to collect bicycles for the children of Thorncliffe Park. Last Sunday, September 22, 2013, at East York Town Centre members of the club distributed 110 bikes of all forms complete with a new lock, helmut and bell to happy kids who, in many cases, could only dream of ever having their own bicycle. Andrew MacEachern, chair of the bike drive, told The South Bayview Bulldog that about 25 bicycles were held back for necessary refurbishing by the Gears mechanics before being distributed over the next few weeks. Mr. MacEachern is seen above (right) with his co-chair for the event, Barry Gordon. Inset upper left is the long line up of patient parents and kids hoping for a bike. The club’s website has more on the story. “There truly is nothing more infectious than a child’s smile and happy face and that was found in abundance yesterday,” the club’s webmaster commented. Thanks was also expressed to Kevin Wallace and colleagues from Gears for their public spirited efforts. Bennington Hts. density raised by neighbourhood group
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The emerging issue of increasing density in the fine family neighborhoods of South Bayview has come to the fore in Bennington Heights. The issue is also front of mind just across the ravine in Moore Park where demolition has started to replace 308 Rose Park Drive with two homes. In Bennington, a committed group of residents has started Save Our Bennington. The spur for this initiative was a spate of proposals to redevelop four properties at the east end of the neighborhood. In each case the concern of the residents is so-called densification (also called intensification) and not the simple replacement of existing homes. As the map (inset) shows, there is a proposed development on Evergreen Gardens as well as a townhouse development at the corner of Bayview Heights Drive and Evergreen. The residents say that at 21 Evergreen the city’s committee of adjustment has granted a land severance without reference to letters of opposition from all local residents. “Two identical cookie-cutter homes have been proposed for this land – and both homes would be 10 percent taller and have a larger footprint and square footage on the property than permitted by the city zoning bylaws. If this plan proceeds, several mature trees over 40 years old would also be lost,” the group says on its website SaveBennington.com. Another town home development may be built on Bayview Heights. Densification is easily seen as a conflict-of-interest for cash-strapped bureaucrats who know the bylaws are intended to prevent such changes but approve them anyway because governments are so desperate for the taxes. The issue seems to go to the heart of not just the integrity of neighborhoods but the nature of democracy.
Sarah’s Food Drive begins Saturday 28, 2013
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The annual food drive that remembers the work of a little girl from Leaside is on again. This time Rob and Jesse Tremblett and Patrick Rocca are the sponsors. You can donate online with your contribution going to the Daily Bread Food Bank at http://sarahsfooddrive.com. The food drive runs from September 28 to October 13, 2013 Sarah, for those who don’t know this charming story, is now 11 years old but when she was six she told her mom at dinner one night that she was full, even though she still had lots of food left on my plate. Thus was she and her family were inspired to begin raising food for the Daily Bread Food Bank. Please give generously and adopt Sarah’s motto that “we are just getting started.” Previous posts