The Leaside Lawn Bowling Club has scheduled a fundraising evening every Thursday in the month of July The regular event will raise funds to assist in research of Cystic Fibrosis. InsideToronto.com
Yonge between Millwood and Imperial
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On the dynamic section of Yonge Street between Millwood Rd. and Imperial Street, there’s lots going on. The old TD Bank (upper left) is being used for filming purposes. They seem to have a lot of stories so it isn’t clear just what’s going on. Must be an industry secret. We hope that elegant old bank structure is headed for something better than that. Right, the place we call the best LCBO store we ever had, is in a hiatus of sorts. Half of it has been torn down, the other half stands. Some cultured gentlemen who are connected with the project said it was destined to be a bank. “A Bank of Montreal, I hope,” said one. Sounds a little tentative. Across the street is the grand new TD Bank and lower right the now divided up Rogers store as that company junks its video rental business. The back half of the store will go up for lease when Rogers lease runs out. The same rationalization is going on at the Rogers store in the Sunnybrook Plaza.
Michael says “See You in September”
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Seems that when it gets this hot some people just want to go away. That appears to be the case with Michael, genial owner of Horticultural Design at 1610 South Bayview. Michael has once again made his seasonal getaway leaving a large sign reminiscent of the Beach Boys refrain — See you In September. Okay Michael, whatever you say. But the rest of us are still here.
Gyro Hyundai aiming to open early next year
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An important addition to Laird Drive is the planned auto dealership at the corner of Laird and Industrial Street. Signs have gone up giving us a rendering of Gyro Hyundai, a new car showroom and service centre owned by the principals of Gyro Mazda across the street. The signs say Gyro Hyundai is intended to be open sometime early in 2013.
James Lea home priced at $3.95 million
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Readers will have noticed from a post of two or three days ago that the beautiful home at 33 Heather Road in Leaside is for sale. It is of 1902 construction and was originally occupied by the family of James Lea. The list price is $3.95 million 33 Heather is said to sit on a lot 80 x 150 feet widening to 92. It was renovated in 2004 but continues to preserve the original home. There are about 5,000 sq. feet of living space Previous post with picture.
Canadian stocks flying high near close
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Canadian stocks shot up Tuesday following the long holiday weekend The S&P/TSX Composite Index ballooned 250.29 points, or 2.2%, to approach noon ET at 11,846.85 The Canadian dollar grew 0.47 cents to 98.79 cents U.S. Canadian markets were closed Monday in observance of Canada Day. Gold miners made headway with Centerra Gold. Corp. climbing 10.4% and NovaGold Resources Inc.adding 6%. Also making notable moves were Canacol Energy, up 6.6%, and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International rising 5%. Economically speaking, a report from the Royal Bank commented on manufacturing this morning. The RBC Canadian Manufacturing PMI for June managed to inch higher for the fifth consecutive month. However, the improvement was slight, rising to 54.8 from 54.7 in May. Any reading above 50 indicates improving conditions in the manufacturing sector with the wider the gap above this break even level, the greater the extent of the improvement. Courtesy TSX
Barclays Bank scandal claims CEO
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The AP video here is a summary of the surface events in the Barclays scandal. To understand the scandal we recommend the linked story from the Telegraph newspaper at the bottom of this post. The issue, and it requires a study, is about how banks are manipulating the London Inter Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) improperly to their advantage. The Telegraph story sheds a lot of light. Telegraph.co.uk
Toronto isn’t Manhattan or Hong Kong
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The concern that downtown Toronto’s high-rise condo frenzy will lead to something called Manhattanization is explored in the linked CBC.ca story. It’s thought provoking but the bald prediction that this trend will change family housing dreams may be a bit over-stated. There’s nothing that says people must buy those glass boxes in the sky. Toronto has much more real estate than either Manhattan or Hong Kong. Those who want to live in a home with a garden (like you fortunate denizens of South Bayview and environs) will still be able to find one, even if it’s at a bit of a distance from Central Toronto. It’s true that the stock of single family homes south of Lawrence or York Mills is fixed. But that has been true for a long time. Demand for those units has been intense for many decades. CBC.ca
TSX up 250 points at noon Tuesday
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It isn’t often that the TSX is up 250 points at noon. It would be better if the index hit that mark at 3.45 p.m. but either way the explanation for this optimism is typically vague. Maybe the Europeans will lower interest rates, maybe they’ll buy commodities. Joy, joy! Until tomorrow perhaps, when an equally flimsy rationale will produce a fit of depression and despair. Check for yourself.
Super big table linen sale at Homefront
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They’re overstocked in the linen department at Homefront. As a result, they are having a rare sale on table linens. Many of the fabrics are no-iron and sizes go as large as a 168 inches in length. Discounts range from 30% to 70% off. The only exception is our Flax Poly Custom Program. Every table is different. So before you come in please measure the length and width of your table. Decide how much of the cloth you want to overhang at the end. Most people like a foot (12 inches) but shorter or longer is okay too. This is a wonderful opportunity to fill in the gaps in your table linens so you are ready for the holidays in the Fall. (416) 488-3189) — Trish Stuebing
Thinking (and thinking) about holiday openings
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In one brief evening of doing God’s work, City Council made plastic bags illegal in Toronto. For the public, there was no blip on the radar that this was coming and no one asked us what it thought. Whatever you feel about plastic bags, compare that summary execution to the ponderous course the City has travelled on the subject of holiday openings. Before the last election two years ago, City staff told Council that Toronto really had to get with it and permit shopping on statutory holidays like today. Even the Executive Committee voted in favour of it. But Councillors just couldn’t summon up the courage to take a vote. After the election, the City organized a huge public opinion poll. It’s still going on. Recently flyers were delivered to announce a large series of public meetings. Meantime, stores like Staples and other big chains are open today. The Eaton Centre and heaven knows how many other malls are open. The theatres are open and so are the bars and the restaurants. There’s something about this issue that terrifies your average Councillor.
Last night’s fireworks from brenda043
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She calls herself brend043 and she did a great job of shooting the fireworks last night.