South Bayview Bulldog Admin

Street robberies on Mt Pleasant, Douglas Dr

by  • 

Police are reporting two incidents from last Sunday, May 20, 2012. The first occurred at approximately 8 pm. when a woman reported she was in the area of Mount Pleasant Road and Eglinton Avenue East when she was approached by a male suspect. The man produced a knife and made a demand for cash. The victim complied. The suspect then fled the scene in an unknown direction. No injuries were sustained by the victim. Police request the assistance of the public in identifying the following described person in connection with this offence. Description of Suspect: Male, black, 20-25 years, 5’4”-5’7”, 110-150 pounds, thin build.
Douglas Drive and Astley Ave.
The police service reports that a 15 year old boy says that on Sunday night at approximately 11.45 pm. hours he was in the area of Douglas Drive and Astley Avenue when he was approached by three male suspects. One suspect made a demand for the victim’s property then produced a knife. The victim complied. The suspects fled the scene with the victims Blackberry in an unknown direction. No injuries were sustained by the victim. Police are requesting the assistance of the public in identifying the following described persons in connection with this offence. Description of Suspect #1: Male, black, 14-17 years, 5’10”, black hair, medium build. Suspect #2: Male, white, 14-17 years, 6’3”, short brown hair, thin build. Suspect #3: Male, black, 14-17 years, 5’9”-5’10”, black hair, medium build.

Electrician Tim Schell wins $50 million jackpot

by  • 

RELEASE — After a long weekend spent house hunting, Toronto resident Timothy Schell can now buy the house of his dreams. Early this morning, Timothy discovered that he is the winner of the $50 million jackpot from the Friday, May 18 draw. Soon after arriving at work early this morning, Timothy and his colleague decided to check their numbers online. “We both got our tickets out and I read through the numbers one by one. I was in total shock when my ticket matched all seven numbers. I said to my colleague, ‘No way . . . Stuff like this doesn’t happen to people like me,'” said the 34-year old electrician.
Shell station at Bayview and Sheppard
Timothy bought his lottery ticket on a whim after much coaxing from the cashier at his regular gas station, the Shell outlet at 2831 Bayview.  Although the fact that he’s now a multi-millionaire is still sinking in, Timothy knows one thing for certain – the house he does eventually buy will have a huge garage. “I’m a hot-rod man – I love fast bikes, muscle cars and big trucks,” he said. “I also look forward to visiting all of the major bike and car shows around the world.”

Scotiabank sells its home for $1.2 billion

by  • 

As expected, the Bank of Nova Scotia has sold off its landmark building at King and Bay Streets. The 1988 complex consisting of about two million square feet of space and is almost completely occupied. The price paid was $1.2 billion. The buyers are well known Canadian firms Dundee Real Estate and H&R Real Estate. The partnered deal has yet to close.  Scotia Plaza was built during the halcyon days bank building during the 70s and 80s. It is described as a  postmodern landmark in red granite. The dramatic sculptured sides were as sensation at the time.  Most remarkably, the bank sold its building to raise cash to satisfy requirements of new global banking regulations. The sale of the building was a way for Scotiabank to raise money without having to sell off core banking assets.

Tokyo Skytree Tower has rocky opening

by  • 

Many tourists got stuck on the observation deck of the new Tokyo Skytree Tower on opening day. High winds forced operators to shut down two elevators to the observation deck. Everyone later came down safely. The world’s tallest tower and Japan’s biggest new landmark was designed to replace previous broadcast towers in the Japanese capital.  Nearly 8,000 visitors were expected to take high-speed elevators up to the observation decks of the 634-metre (2,080ft) tower to mark its opening. Some reportedly waited in line more than a week to get the coveted tickets for a panoramic view, although Tuesday ended up being cloudy in Tokyo.  The chart above shows the CN tower to be now the third highest broadcasting tower in the world.  National Post

Hospital posts ED wait times online

by  • 

There is a discussion about Toronto hospitals showing wait times online for treatment in the Emergency Department. A Kitchener hospital, St. Mary’s, has recently begun this practice. A picture of its website information from this morning can be seen above. At that time, there were 14 patients being treated, six waiting with a likely wait time of three hours for any other non-urgent cases. It’s said that St. Michael’s in Toronto is considering a similar service 

Mac’s at Eglinton and Petman robbed

by  • 

Toronto Police Service report:  A 24 year old male employee of Mac’s Convenience, 393 Eglinton Avenue East, reports that on May 19, 2012 at approximately 0024 hours, a male suspect entered the premises and approached the counter. The suspect produced a knife, held it to the victim’s back and demanded he open the cash drawer. The victim complied and the suspect grabbed a quantity of cash from the till and a quantity of sunglasses from a rack. The suspect then fled the scene in an unknown direction. 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, black, 20 to 30 years, 5’8” to 5’10”, 161 to 180 pounds, thin build, brown eyes.

Memories of the St Cuthbert’s Spring Fair

by  • 

Robin Dickie has generously written to report on the details of the much loved St. Cuthbert’s Spring Fair and has sent some pictures as well to keep memories fresh. Thanks Robin — Ed   Link here for Robin’s report.

Mayor on the air a hit for Newstalk 1010

by  • 

It’s seems to be the place to listen if you want to know what Toronto’s big guy is going to do next. The weekly appearance of Mayor Rob Ford and his brother Doug on Newstalk 1010 radio always produces a story for local media. Will he attend a gay-lesbian event? Does he support the Toronto police vs G20 dissidents? Will the mayor extend private garbage collection east of Yonge Street? It’s all there. And clearly, it’s a platform that serves both the mayor and the radio station. Mr Ford avoids annoying questions that normally pepper him in scrums. Newstalk 1010 gets the action. The latest flash from the mayor over the air is that he will not push through privatization of garbage collection east of Yonge Street this term. Answering a  listener from East York, the mayor said the east side of town will have to wait for privatization. It was a pretty frank response. Mr Ford obviously thinks privatization is a winning issue and he intends to use it to help him get re-elected in 2014. Some media, like BlogTO, are playing the decision like a betrayal. But it isn’t as if Ford is raising taxes when he said he wouldn’t. Now that would be a betrayal. 

Rare eclipse of Sun seen in Asia, N. America

by  • 

A thrilling eclipse of the Sun known as The Ring of Fire has rolled across Asia and parts of North America tonight. This video shows scenes in the Far East where the spectacle was at its best. Once approximately every 18 years the moon passes in front of the Sun, leaving a golden halo visible. Care must be taken to protect the eyes. In Canada, it’s said that British Columbia had the best view of what was only a partial view of the solar eclipse late Sunday well after bedtime in Eastern Canada. 

Money exchange at 1538 will not re-open

by  • 

Sources tell the South Bayview Bulldog that the NIMA money exchange at 1538 Bayview Ave will not be re-opening. It was previously reported back in December of last year that the owner, Hamid, had vowed to get the shop back in business. But now it appears that his dream of starting a full-up money exchange business has been dashed. The very bad break delivered by the fire last fall that ripped through Leaside Cleaners is the cause. The newly renovated NIMA shop next door was heavily damaged by smoke. It has not been open since. Hamid is a busy person. He is the successful operator of at least eight subway sandwich outlets.

Ward 27’s Wong-Tam pushing Expo bid

by  • 

Nearly six years after a push for Expo 2015 fell apart, there’s a movement afoot for Toronto to consider bidding for the World’s Fair in 2025. “It’s very early in exploration. The conversations are very casual. It’s information-gathering,” said Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam. Wong-Tam (Ward 27, Toronto Centre-Rosedale) said she is speaking to business leaders and trade unions, among others, to see if there is an appetite to mount a bid for the international exposition that showcases technology, architecture and culture from around the world. “So far the reaction has been very warm to enthusiastic,” she said. In 2006, city council, lead by then-mayor David Miller, was firmly behind Toronto making a bid. The federal government pledged to contribute $600 million to cover infrastructure, security and other costs.

Hedge removal improves lane visibility

by  • 

The removal of the hedge on the property at 720 Millwood Rd. has created much better visibility for those exiting the heavily travelled lane east  of Bayview. Here we see the final bits being removed and (right) what it looked like before removal. The new fence also looks good. This is the residence which was occupied by Agnes Macphail when she moved to Toronto after after her defeat in the general election of 1940.