Prime Minister Stephen Harper has awarded the Order of Hockey in Canada to NHL stars Paul Henderson and Mark Messier and former Team Canada coach Dave King at a ceremony in the Parliament Buildings Monday. This was the second year the honour has been awarded by Hockey Canada and the prime minister took part in a hockey “hotstove” discussion with Messier, Henderson, King. The Order of Hockey in Canada celebrates people “who have made an extraordinary contribution to hockey in Canada.”
Lightning, light-hail rattles South Bayview
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Thunder, lightning and light-weight hail have rolled across the South Bayview area. It didn’t last too long. The rest of the week will be mixed as well with remnants of winter still in the air. Check weather at the TWC button above. Toronto Hydro reported a number of blackouts across the city.
Dolly Jewellers to open this month on Bayview
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Alex and Beverly Simmons were busy making adjustments to their new location at 1699 Bayview today. They are the second generation owners of Dolly Jewellers, a firm that was founded in 1946 by Bev’s dad Ned Austin. Alex explained that over the years the company has grown and sometimes contracted. At one time there were six locations. This however will be a second store to go with the original location at 1971 Weston Road. They hope to open late this month. 1699 is the location near Hillsdale which was occupied by Smokin Cigar for so many years.
Garden Court at NY Council on Tuesday
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An application to convert the Garden Court Apartments at 1477 Bayview from rental to condominium units will be heard tomorrow (Tuesday, April 9, 2013) at North York Community Council. Meetings are held at 5100 Yonge Street and the secretary is Francine Adamo, Phone: 416-395-0480
Nordstrom will open store in Yorkdale
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Nordstrom, the high-service family-owned department store based in Seattle, will open a store in Yorkdale Shopping Centre. It is the second Toronto area store planned by Nordstrom, the other being in Sherway Plaza. The three-level, 188,000 sq. ft. store will be housed in the mall’s new expansion which is set to begin January 2014. Nordstrom was founded in 1887 and has always emphasized service. For many years new employees were given a company handbook welcoming them. It said: “Use the best judgement in all situations. There are no other rules.”
Terry Fallis speaks Monday at Leaside Library
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Author Terry Fallis will be in Leaside tomorrow as part of his busy schedule. The Leaside High School graduate will speak on the subject Keep Toronto Reading. That’s tomorrow night, Monday, April 8, 2013 at 7.30 pm. at the Leaside Library, 165 McRae Drive. Previous post
North Korea could not survive being normal
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Call this “North Korea for Dummies”. The most important thing to remember abut North Korea is that the Kim family mafia behave like idiots because they literally have no choice. Kim, his aunts, uncles and generals spend their lives trying to figure out how to keep from falling off the anthill in Pyongyang. They know that if there is even a crack in their isolation, a whisper of “normalization” — they are finished. A tidal wave of ideas and prosperity will sweep them away for ever. That’s because the North Korean political and economic model cannot survive sensible interaction with the rest of the world. That’s why Little Kim is always screaming at us. He might as well be saying, “Stay away, stay away. I’m nuts.” The second (and last) thing to remember about North Korea is that the Chinese embarrass themselves daily with their hand-wringing. The wise guys in Beijing have made an enormous mess of North Korea. Let them have the courage to fix it. Sure, it will require some heavy lifting but they owe it to us, to themselves and especially to the benighted 25 million souls who struggle to find food in the sad place next door.
Ottawa to look into RBC outsourcing program
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The minister of human resources says it would be unacceptable for the Royal Bank of Canada to bring workers from India into the country to take the jobs of people now doing them. The minister, Diane Finley (inset left) was commenting on a CBC story in which RBC tech employee Dave Moreau (inset right) told the program Go Public that the bank has served termination notices on 45 employees. In the meantime, the same employees are training the new arrivals to do the jobs the old employees are required to leave, the CBC says. “If true, this situation is unacceptable,” said Ms Finley. The employees will be let go after they train workers supplied by iGate Corp, an IT offshore specialist based in Fremont California. The new employees will do the same work as those to be laid off. Just how the foreign employees are documented to work in Canada and in effect take the jobs of citizens isn’t clear although the bank told the CBC that the workers were working legally. Report.$300,000 approved by city to finish Cody field
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City Council has approved $300,000 to help finance the Maurice Cody School’ Dirt-to-Turf project. The approval came on a motion last week from Josh Matlow (Ward 22). In his current newsletter Mr. Matlow says he will attend the April 9, 2013 Family and School Association to take questions on a proposed a community-use program for the turf field when finished, apparently broadening its use and value to area.
Bucharest Cat Show loves the hairless feline
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This pair of Sphynx cats exhibit what some might say is the unlovely quality of most of the cats strutting through the Bucharest Cat Show this weekend. As the Mailonline complains: “Their beauty must be on the inside! Some of the world’s most miserable looking cats enter competition to find most attractive feline” All sorts of hairless cats with enormous ears made their owners proud at the Romanian cat show however. Of all the hopefuls at the international feline beauty competition the Mailonline says the most unfortunate-looking breed were the Canadian Sphynx cats (not those shown) but their owners still thought they were in with a winning chance. More than 200 cats of varying breeds sharpened their claws for the competition, but it was a distinctly mixed bag of cuddliness and ugliness. Mailonline picturesIt’s love, even though we think he got a free pass
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There was love in the air Saturday as Justin Trudeau addressed Liberal Party delegates in Toronto a week before they pick their new leader. Trudeau spoke of “change” and pledged to be the servant of Canada. The Liberals, he said, were the “irresistible alternative” to the present government. As he spoke, a new national poll showed that fully 73 percent of Canadians think Mr. Trudeau has not had to “prove himself” in a Liberal leadership race that has turned into a “coronation,” and that he wouldn’t even be seriously considered were it not for his deceased father. But at the same time. the poll found many voters apparently don’t care about their own judgment on this topic. Those who want change say he is the one who has the “best chance”” to win . See speech here.
Edward Leung raises Pharmasave sign at 491 Eglinton W
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Pharmacist Lawrence Leung has opened a new drugstore under the Pharmasave brand at 491 Eglinton Ave. West in the Forest Hill Medical and Professional Building at the corner of Tarlton Road. Pharmasave is an association of 450 stores across Canada by which independent druggists gain some brand recognition for their practices and the advantage of group buying. The website says the brand was founded in 1981 but it seems to be a relatively recent spurt of growth that has seen the Pharmasave sign popping up around town. Among the services offered by Mr. Leung is free delivery. He is joined at the Eglinton location by pharmacists Laura Shapiro and To Ha. There’s a Pharmasave on Yonge between Rosehill and Jackes as well as one in the East General Hospital. Map of Toronto locations