See link to National Post at bottom of post: The Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries was created by an act of the provincial legislature more than 180 years ago as a public trust and “property of the citizens,” a status that apparently went unchanged in 12 other Ontario laws affecting the group, passed as recently as 1989. Today, though, the organization styles itself as an independent non-profit corporation, its books withheld from public scrutiny and its three main directors — all pillars of the Toronto business and philanthropic establishments — accountable to neither the public nor the legislature.  National Post

There will be an inventive Mother’s Day promotion this Saturday, May 12, 2012 in the Valu-mart garden centre between 10 am. and noon. Guests will receive a professional photo from Negin Saifafi Photography if — and only if — they register with the merchants group Locallea.com. Registration will generate a personal invitation which may be used to obtain the photo gift. Charlene Kalia is sponsoring this event along with Locallea.com and Tremblett’s Valu-mart. 

The Toronto Marathon (and Half Marthon) will be run on Sunday, May 6, 2012. It involves some 15,000 runners and can be counted on to make Sunday morning and perhaps some of the afternoon a driving mess. Linked below, courtesy of CITY is a list of road closures, which as you can see is very complex. Still, the marathon will not come through South Bayview although we will feel the impact. List of road closures.

Police at Yunnan’s annual mud festival are smeared by partying locals and tourists. See it now or miss it. Report by Sam Datta-Paulin

The spectre of an 80 to 90,000 square foot Walmart store on Wicksteed Ave. has been raised in material published by Councillor Parker based on his discussion with the owners of SmartCentres. Link at johnparker.ca  Mr Parker makes it clear that he does not know to whom  the largest space in the so-called Wicksteed Salamander site will be leased. The operative words, as we read it in his remarks, are as follows: “What we do know for sure is that the largest building proposed for the project is 80,000 sq ft. (It could well turn out to be smaller if we manage the application strategically.) Meanwhile, as far as I know, the smallest store operated by the celebrated retailer from Bentonville Arkansas whose name starts with W is 90,000 sq ft”  Mr. Parker goes on to state his opposition to big box retail in Leaside and gives a brief history of zoning concessions which encourage such businesses.  Walmart will be facing competition in Canada from Target, which will open a store in the East York Town Centre in 2013.