Three months after Homefront opened on South Bayview the Globe and Mail published a feature called Eclectic Bayview. It appeared September 10, 2000 and featured a little map (right) showing what the author thought was the heart of the  district. All the shop owners were flattered. There were seven named. They were Inquisitive, The Country Store, Early Canadian Furniture, Horticultural Design, Nestings, Homefront and M.E.G.S.  Ten years has passed and, with Homefront slated to consolidate with its store at 371 Eglinton Ave. West, there will be two of the originals left on South Bayview. That of course is business. But we can’t help feeling sorry about closures on Bayview. The Globe’s article was highly personalized view of Bayview. As history has shown there are many other businesses that make the street exciting. And there have been openings. Detail, Oddjects, Moms to be and More and DEW, for example.

SOUTH AFRICA — An ancient dinosaur nesting site, the oldest ever found, has been excavated in the Free State, the University of the Witwatersrand said on Wednesday. Paleontologists found clutches of eggs, many with embryos, as well as tiny dinosaur footprints Researchers said this was the oldest known evidence showing that dinosaur hatchlings remained at the nesting site long enough to at least double in size.The nests were from the prosauropod dinosaur known as the Massospondylus and were 190-million-year-old. At least ten nests were found at several levels. Each one had up to 34 round eggs in tightly-clustered clutches. The researchers said the distribution of the nests in the sediments showed the dinosaurs returned repeatedly to the site, and apparently nested together. The research was led by Canadian paleontologist, Robert Reisz, a professor of biology at the University of Toronto. Hans-Dieter Sues from the Smithsonian Institute in the United States, Eric Roberts from James Cook University in Australia, and Adam Yates from Wits, were part of the team. Reisz said he suspected there were many more nests in the cliff still covered by tons of rock.

A copper box time capsule buried under the cornerstone of Maple Leaf Gardens has been opened to reveal items both predictable and mysterious. One of the unexplained pieces is the ivory elephant shown above. Toronto residents are being asked to offer an explanation for the elephant. It does seem possible that this was a good luck charm of some type. Perhaps Conn Smythe was hoping for good fortune as he opened this arena in the darkest days of the Great Depression. Among the items inside, a four-page typewritten letter from the directors of Maple Leaf Gardens that describes the building and the technology behind the ice. And,

• A four-page stock prospectus for Maple Leaf Gardens

• A 1930-31 official NHL rule book

• The 1931 official hockey rules of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association

• 1930 Ontario Hockey Association rules

• A 1931 Toronto Municipal handbook

• A Red Ensign flag

• A Globe newspaper from Sept. 21, 1931, sporting the headline ‘Britain abandons gold standard exchanges’

• A Mail and Empire newspaper from the same date with a similar headline

• A Toronto Daily Star

• The Evening Telegram

The contents of a time capsule found during the renovation of Maple Leaf Gardens will be revealed today in Toronto. The opening ceremony was to begin at 10.30. Above is a picture of the 1931 corner stone laying. The capsule may have been buried the same day. See previous post by clicking headline above. The time capsule was found by workers as the building was being remodelled to house a Loblaws grocery store and an athletic centre for Ryerson University. The box was found underneath a stone at the front of Maple Leaf Gardens. Maple Leaf Gardens was built by Conn Smythe in 1931 and the Toronto Maple Leafs played there until 1999. The time capsule contents are to go on display this afternoon at Ryerson University. More to come. 

Bonnie Brooks (left) has been appointed to head up both The Bay as well as its U.S. sister department store Lord and Taylor. She replaces Brendan Hoffman  at Lord and Taylor. He is said to be heading to another retailer, Bon Ton. As a news conference today Ms Brooks refused to deny the idea that Lord and Taylor would make a move to Canada, or what form that move might take. Trish Stuebing’s Homefront Diary

Hard on news that China House at 925 Eglinton West has closed for good, comes news that House of Chan, across the street, will also close. House of Chan will fall to the wreckers ball in a couple of  years to make way for the Bathurst LRT station.  Generations of Toronto families have dined on the traditional Cantonese dishes of these two restaurants. The changes are no doubt partly due to the profusion of Chinese cuisine elsewhere in the City. It is said that the valuable property where China House thrived for more than 60 years will now be developed into a condominium.  House of Chan and a few other business on the northwest corner of Eglinton and Bathurst will come down to permit additional access to the LRT. At a public meeting before Christmas many of these details were presented to local residents.   It was revealed that a  small plaza at the northeast corner will be the site of the main station. Secondary entrance across Bathurst will require demolition of Israel’s Judaica and House of Chan. A third property, Halleluia Restaurant, which is situated between House of Chan and Israel’s Judaica and is now vacant, will also be torn down. A second public open house for the Bathurst Station design is scheduled for next spring.

Heather and Brian Purcell are hosting their annual fundraiser for Sick Kids known as Curling for Kids this Saturday, January 28, 2012. The event is at Leaside Arena and kicks off about 7 pm. with curling (of course) followed by a silent auction and dinner. Curling for Kids is formally approved by the Hospital for Sick Children and once again this year the hospital has written a letter supporting the work of Heather and Brian. Those who wish more information may call Heather (416) 544-9749 or Brian  (416) 452-4580. Stock photo