Tomorrow (Saturday, August 23, 2014) will see the Thorncliffe Summer Festival take place at R. V. Burgess Park on Thorncliffe Park Drive. It’s a project of the Thorncliffe Neighborhood Office. From 2 to 6 p.m. the business and family event will see booths and tents where merchants will do business. There will be obstacle games and family activities and an arts and crafts section for youth and children. There will also be a vendors bazaar organized by the Thorncliffe Park Women’s Business Association. As reported by Jean Ko Din in the East York Mirror, this is a new group of about 70 women formed to help vendors keep track of their transactions and account for money. Jean Ko Din
928 Millwood condominium sold for $396,000
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Current and recent valuations on condominiums locally range from the two-bedroom unit at 928 Millwood Rd. which recently sold for $396,000 to the 1 plus 1 bedroom unit at 188 Redpath Ave. which is listed for $409,000. The Millwood unit is on the fourth floor of a pleasant looking building near Randolph Ave. and was listed for $419,000. The pressure on the price may be related to the sale date, December 14, 2013.
Kinsella would excel at dirty-politics buskerfest
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Marcus Gee of the Globe and Mail is here regretting the campaign tone set by Olivia Chow worker Warren Kinsella for his clanger that John Tory is “segregationist”. Mr. Kinsella would rank well at a dirty-politics buskerfest.
Coach consoles kids with “speech for a lifetime”
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They’re calling this the speech these kids will remember for a lifetime. And why not. Their fantastic coach, David Belisle, is making them proud of themselves after a hurtful 8-7 loss in the Little League World Series. Every father will hope to do as well with his own children.
Bulldog reader Bob gets Beer Store scoop
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Long-time Bulldog reader Bob Arsenault of Bayview Ave. has winkled out good news on the Beer Store at 609 Roehampton Ave. It’s been closed for ten days. Bob was up there earlier Thursday and asked some questions of people on the site. It appears that the Beer Store will be coming back at this location after the place is fully renovated and adds, of all things, a Tim Hortons coffeeteria. Bob calls this great news and so it is. The downside is it will take a year. What’s the rush?
Ward 16’s Karen Stintz out of politics at City Hall
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Karen Stintz has dropped out of the mayor’s race and is dropping out of politics at City Hall. She will not run for councillor in Ward 16 although she is still able to place in her name in contention. She would doubtlessly win that election easily. The Ward 16 councillor told a news conference Thursday (August 21, 2014) that she has run though her financial resources and cannot continue the campaign. She said she is not going to endorse any other candidate. Ms Stintz has been unable to get her public support above 5 percent in any of the many polls taken to gauge who might win the election for mayor. Although she is widely-liked and owns sensible ideas, the contest has been dominated by John Tory, Rob Ford and Olivia Chow. Ms Stintz said that among her first priorities on stepping out of the race will be to get her children ready for school in September.
Jon Burnside endorses John Tory for Mayor
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Bayview Leaside? South Bayview? Vote today!
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The South Bayview Bulldog is offering readers a chance to vote on what name they would prefer for the new BIA (yet to be formed) if and when it is created. The name has become an issue as some say the “Leaside cache” is needed to re-brand South Bayview and attract new shoppers from far and abroad. Others call this wrong-headed. Locally, it may reinforce the view in Davisville and elsewhere of some Leasiders as being territorial. Hey, no offense. What do you think? Should the BIA be called Bayview Leaside or should it have the name carried by the business district for many years — South Bayview? Vote at the polling station at the top of the left column. and don’t shoot the Bulldog. (Well actually, he’s bulletproof.) Previous Post
Yours to Discover: New Alberta license plates
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They like to keep things moving out west and that includes the license plate designs. Albertans are about to get a new one based on a photographic depiction of the rockies with a field of prairie grass beneath the numbers (inset top). The new plate moves motorists into the digital age for the time time whether they like it or not. The plates announce Alberta.ca at the bottom. The new plate was the top vote winner in a public survey of three designs. It garnered 48.5 per cent support. It seems like a tradition to refresh the plates in Alberta. Here in Ontario the stodgy blue and white markers instructing us the province is Yours to Discover are pretty much unchanged since 1982. At that time the William Davis government said goodbye to the friendly urging that we Keep it Beautiful. Alberta has had to deal with the rise and fall of political parties which co-opted provincial slogans. The Alberta Wildrose Party pretty put an end to the Wild Rose Country license plates. It was a bit like the arrival of the Yours to Discover political party in Ontario. This said, it may be time for Ontario to think about something more inspiring. Of course, there isn’t a lot of money. In Alberta the provincial debt is negligible.
No condos at Garden Court: Community Council
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Community Council has now voted to reject the proposal to convert the Garden Court rental apartments to condominiums. In doing so, council took the advice of City Staff which late in July said no such conversion was possible in light of municipal bylaws which protect moderate and low rent housing. The matter will come before full City Council on Monday, August 25, 2014, which is expected to follow the recommendations and also reject the plan. Previous post
German firm Dr. Oetker picks up McCain pizza
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The German-based food conglomerate Dr. Oetker has purchased the North American frozen pizza operations of McCain Foods. Financial terms of the deal were not available. It covers the Ellio’s brand in the U.S. and a two-year licence for the use of the McCain brand name in Canada. McCain has retained ownership however of its Pizza Pocket operation. The German firm has been headquartered in Mississauga since 1962 and has subsidiaries in at least 12 other countries including India, Brazil and Australia. This year Dr. Oetker opened a new pizza-making plant in London Ontario and now adds the McCain operations in Grand Falls, N.B., and Lodi, N.J. The company said all 300 McCain employees at both locations will be offered employment with Dr. Oetker. The deal is subject to regulatory approval in Canada. The Oetker firm does not appear to be widely known in Canada, despite its size. It was founded by Doctor August Oetker in 1891. He created an early and popular form of cake mix. Premier at municipal election event in London
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Premier Wynne has addressed a fundraising event for a candidate in the London, Ontario municipal election in October. Ms. Wynne is said to have attended the meeting for Jesse Helmer on “her personal time”. Mr. Helmer is said to be a personal friend of the Premier’s. He is a newcomer to politics and is trying to defeat incumbent member of London Council Stephen Orser. Helmer raised $4,745 for his campaign from the Tuesday night event at which Ms Wynne spoke.