Amazing resilience of home-ownership pride
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What else can it be but the centuries old pride in owning the property. Sales of existing homes in major Canadian cities are pushing up and there is nowhere else for the prices to go either. Here in Toronto there has been an increase of 21 percent in August sales over those of July. Multiple Listing Service also shows increasing Vancouver sales in an astonishing 52.5 per cent year-over-year. Calgary had a 27.5 percent increase. Increases of various amounts are seen nationally.
Man robbed at 5 a.m. at Yonge and Broadway
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Toronto Police Service report: A 21 year old male reports that on Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at approximately 0508 hours, he was in the area of Yonge Street and Broadway Avenue when a black vehicle stopped nearby. A male suspect exited the vehicle, struck the victim and demanded the victim’s wallet. The victim complied and the suspect fled the scene in the vehicle northbound on Yonge Street. No injuries were sustained by the victim. Police are requesting the assistance of the public in identifying the following described person in connection with this offence. Description of Suspect: Male, white, 30 to 40 years, 5’11”, 200 pounds, muscular build
Many events will close roads beginning Thursday
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Here are some road closures this weekend:
Toronto International Film Festival – Thursday to Sunday closure King Street West from Duncan Street to John Street will be closed from early this morning, September 5, to about 11 p.m. on Sunday, September 8 for red-carpet festivities at the Princess of Wales Theatre. TTC streetcar traffic on King Street West will be maintained at all times during this closure
The Festival of Praise – Saturday closure The southbound lanes of Queen’s Park Crescent from Wellesley Street to College Street will be closed on Saturday, September 7 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Taste of the Kingsway – Friday to Sunday closure Bloor Street West from Prince Edward Drive North to Montgomery Road will be closed from Friday, September 6 at noon to Sunday, September 8 at 11 p.m. A series of full and partial road closures will also take place in the surrounding area to accommodate this event. Cabbagetown Festival – Saturday and Sunday closure Parliament Street from Gerrard Street to Wellesley Street will be closed in both directions on Saturday, September 7 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Parliament Street from Gerrard Street to Wellesley Street will be closed on Sunday, September 8 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Bang and Olufsen Yorkville 5K Charity Run – Sunday closure A series of road closures will occur in the area bounded by Davenport Road to the north, Queen’s Park/Avenue Road to the west, College Street to the south and Bay Street to the east on Sunday, September 8 from 7 a.m. to noon for this annual event.
Toddler climbed onto chair on Thorncliffe balcony
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The toddler who fell seven storeys last night from a balcony at 43 Thorncliffe Park Drive remains in hospital with serious injuries. The boy is about 17 months. Police said he had climbed onto a chair before toppling over the balcony railing. It is a common enough challenge for parents trying to make a home kid-proof but not always easy to accomplish.
Couric forwards Toronto cop’s message to kids
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| Chris Boddy Katie Couric |
It was a nice thing to do and pretty smart public relations too. When Katie Couric, or one of her many staff, saw Toronto Staff Sergeant Chris Boddy’s first day of school tweet, the little message was on its way to nearly 900,000 twitter followers of the TV celebrity. Boddy had sent a simple heartfelt message to kids to do the decent thing. He said: “Dear Students, if you see a kid eating alone in the cafe, say hello and join him/her. #thatisnice” That message was retweeted by Couric to her 898,917 followers the same day and has since gotten more than 1,500 retweets, Staff sgt. Boddy told CityNews he first noticed Couric’s handle appearing on his Twitter feed on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Boddy tweeted to his 9,255 followers, “Thanks SO much everyone for the 1500+ [retweets] of yesterday’s ‘#thatisnice’ back to school tweet!”
Murray says he will drive tracks east by himself
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Transportation Minister Glen Murray’s odd series of excited and indignant news conferences in recent days has culminated in his announcement today that the Ontario Government will go it alone to build a shorter, two-station subway to Scarborough. Whether the people of Scarborough are as fed up about this issue as the minister says, is an open question. It’s frankly doubtful, in our view, that this is the last word on the funding and routing of the subway. 680 News Mayor Ford’s statement
Whole Foods will face bristling competition
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Bree Rody-Mantha writing online in PostCity.com reviews the arrival sometime in 2015 of Whole Foods in the little commercial complex yet-to-be-built at 1860 Bayview Ave corner of Broadway Ave. This is the former site of Rumble and later Brennan Pontiac. The article is worth a read for the opinion offered by Stan Janecek, the owner of White House Meats at 1523 Bayview. The issue for many is just how hurtful yet another grocery anchor will be to business along South Bayview. Mr. Janecek seems to think that it will be a battle of the big guys (our term). Ms Rody-Mantha mentions Loblaws, Metro, Sobey’s Valu mart and Longo’s. She might have added Summerhill Market in both Rosedale and at 1054 Mt. Pleasant Rd. in Sherwood Park. Many families remember mom and dad shopping at the Mt Pleasant location when it was Bilton’s. Summerhill Market will be no slouch in defending its well-heeled clientele. What they prepare and stock is top notch and there’s no worrisome doubt about brand names. Whole Foods is finicky. The firm has a reputation for refusing to carry things like Coca Cola and other items apparently for dietetic reasons that aren’t always clear. In any case, it is commonly said that South Bayview, as nice as it is, cannot support a full-up grocery store which has no parking lot. Unlike most of the things one can purchase here, groceries are heavy. That was the lesson of the public-spirited effort by Bruno’s to plant his business in the old Bayview Playhouse. And those who followed Bruno’s at the playhouse location did not pursue an aggressive policy of carry-to-your-car for customers. As we know, the playhouse is now a Shoppers Drug Mart. Carry-to-your-car is a lesson that Summerhill seems to have learned. Bree Rody-Mantha
PM’s book on hockey for sale in November
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Book publisher Simon and Schuster has released the front cover and title of the Prime Minister’s forthcoming book on the history of hockey. In it, Mr. Harper profiles the evolution of the “forgotten” era of the amateur game into the phenomenon of professional hockey. The book is titled A Great Game: The Forgotten Leafs and the Rise of Professional Hockey. It will be released November 5 according to S and S. Stephen Harper’s fascination with and love of hockey was formed, as it is with most Canadian young men, when he played the game as a boy. In this case, his earliest years in that regard were with the Leaside Lions.Hoping for new toilets at Trace Manes field house
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The Community Centre at Trace Manes Park will be closed this fall for a minimum of two months beginning September 30, 2013. Sadly, tennis players will lose the use of the versatile 1967 building for part of the season but probably hardy racqueteers will carry on until the snow flies anyway. And two months is an optimistic estimate from staff today (Wednesday September 4, 2013) who feel that if things are done quickly there might be a chance of a Yule season bridge game in the handy and well-used field house. But the first order of business, say staff, are things like new windows and “environmental” items. How like Toronto. Well, it’s all good but we have observed that the washrooms are looking a little “green” as well, if you catch our meaning. So far no guarantee of new porcelain. The wish list is long. Let’s hope for some new plumbing fixtures for Christmas. Cleveland kidnapper found hanged in his cell
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A wretched end, it must be said, for a wretched iindividual. Ariel Castro may have acted on remorse, but more likely he was merely feeling sorry for himself. CNN
Nearly edible! Android OS to be called Kit Kat
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In what may be a master-stroke of catchy branding, Google’s Android has decided to call the latest version of its operating system — Android 4.4 — Kit Kat, after the Nestle’s candy bar. And when you think about it, yeah, there’s something for both companies in this unexpected naming. As part of the appeal to youthful phone cultists Nestle’s will produce 50 million specially branded chocolate bars and distribute them to 19 markets, including the U.S, U.K, Canada and the Middle East. When you buy the bar, you will be able to enter to win Google prizes, including the Nexus 7 tablet. According to Nestle’s press release, they will also make a limited number of robot-shaped bars. Just like a real-life Willy Wonka.