Many hundreds of thousands must have already visited the new Loblaws in Maple Leaf Gardens. It is, as Loblaws  says, Food’s Greatest Stage. And many millions more will soon attend this imaginative and storied place of business. You can be thrilled by the sheer volume of sports sagas that unfolded here over six decades. And then bask in the way it has been redefined with great love. It is a supermarket of course but it is also a food court. You can have a choice of cuisines (Japanese at the lower left). Some wish their local Loblaws were as well stocked with spiced sausages and such rare produce as Savoy cabbages and Pecans in the shell. The underground parking is connected to the store by an escalator. Actually there are two escalators —  one for you and one for your shopping cart. Technologically speaking, it’s more fun than an iPhone. Near the main door, all the musty glory of the Gardens comes crashing back under a maple leaf constructed of chairs salvaged from the blue seating section (lower right). On the wall beside it are the original remaining marks of those brutal stairs that generations of hockey fans happily climbed.   

Cadillac today introduced its 2013 compact sports/luxury sedan, the ATS, prior to its unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show this week, revealing the all-new car designed to compete with such premium compacts as the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class that dominate the segment. With the styling of Cadillac’s new Art and Science credo, the rear-drive sedan boasts the lowest curb weight – 3,400 pounds – of its class along with the choice of three engines, two four-cylinders and a V6. Cadillac says the ATS emphasizes handling finesse for enthusiast drivers, with near 50/50 weight balance and a suspension that includes a five-link independent rear suspension, multi-link double-pivot MacPherson-strut front suspension with direct-acting stabilizer bar, and driver-adjustable FE3 sport suspension with Magnetic Ride Control real-time damping. Fox  Sports

Canadians lost billions when Nortel Industries suddenly collapsed in 2000, a victim of the technology bubble. The galling part was that no one saw it coming.  The RCMP claim that’s because three men at the top of Nortel conspired to keep the true picture from becoming public.This decade-long drama reaches a pinnacle of sorts this coming week when Nortel chief Frank Dunn (left) CFO Douglas Beatty (centre) and controller Michael Gollogly (right) go on trial for criminal conspiracy to hide the truth. The charges could bring sentences of as much as 14 years for falsification of documents and public statements. The trial is scheduled to begin January 16, 2012 after opening processes this week. 

Coca Cola is slated to depart its long-time premises at 42 Overlea Blvd later this year or early next. A decision has been taken to house the company in a three-storey addition to the Toronto Sun building on King Street East. The Thorncliffe neighbourhood will no doubt be sorry to see Coke leave. The future of its present home, built by the company is 1965, is unknown. The operation there consists of sales and administration only, as  the bottling side of the operation migrated to Brampton a decade ago. Coke is calling this change a  “Live Positively” move. It apparently thinks life will be more vibrant downtown.  It will, says Coke, permit employees to  walk, bicycle or take public transportation to work. 

The Toronto Star today carries a story further exploring the background of Paul Hindle, the man accused in the death of Leaside home decorator Lisa Lebitka. He was seen by many as fun-loving and energetic but, according to Amy Dempsey of the Star, those who knew Hindle, like his eldest son, mother and former business associates, say he left a “trail of disaster.” This is a family photo of L:isa Lebitka with Hindle’s 18-year-old son Evan. 

Two Australian men and their 11-year-old sons escape death by using their empty cooler as a flotation device. But equally crucial was their GPS which permitted a rescue chopper to fly directly to them. Video.

This winter’s extraordinarily fine weather has got the hammers ringing at dozens of sites across Leaside. The lack of snow is driving home improvement of all kinds. From total knock downs through bump ups to interior renovations, the push is on. Neighbors on one dynamic street, Donlea Drive, will be delighted to see the furious work going on at No. 48 (inset). This property has been a hole in the ground for more than a year, but today carpenters were all over the structure in cold but clear weather. The same type of activity can be seen on almost any street.