Belle Epoque is moving from its long-time location at 1066 Yonge Street to 604 Queen Street West, just west of Bathurst. The quirky furniture, decor and (sometimes) clothing store has been on Yonge for 20 years.
Zoo animals roam streets in flood-stricken Tblisi, Georgia
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Flash flooding has destroyed cages and inundated enclosures in the capital of the Black Sea country. As many as 300 animals are unaccounted for and in this video we can see a number of large creatures roaming the streets. People have been told to stay indoors.
Dinosaurs conquer world with brain the size of thimble
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Jurassic World has returned a first night bonanza of an estimated $82.8 million in first night receipts and is set to do something similar tonight (Saturday, June 13, 2015). That gives Colin Trevorrow’s film the third biggest opening day of all time behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and Avengers: Age of Ultron, and puts it on pace for nearly $200 million in North American ticket sales by Sunday. It is quite a performance for a species with a brain the size of thimble. Still, some wags quipped that the humans in Jurassic World could have been a bit smarter too. But then this is what makes a story. Enjoy.
“I love you baby”: Flowers for Thorncliffe dancercise lady
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These graceful ladies were a short act between steel drum virtuosos and an Afghan orchestra. A man was smitten by someone in the dance squad and went down on a knee to present flowers to her. Nicely done sir and a charming moment at the Thorncliffe Neighbours Night Out at R.V. Burgess Park. The park was full of clothing concessions and playing kids (swings, wading pool) as well a food court on the north side.
The Burgess Park’s wading pool (top) was a source of endless fun for kids. Centre above, colourful ethnic clothing stalls attracted many while bottom left, Councillor Jon Burnside is seen in discussion with a constituent. Lower right, the swings were busy too.
Maclean’s story on Fleming Crescent lawyer Robert Ellis
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Mr Ellis is the man who had the misfortune of living next door when the illegal eyesore we all know as 27 Fleming was built. It is shortly to be demolished. The article is worth a look. Maclean’s
Body of Sina Parsi has been found near Jane and St Clair
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See later post above
Neighbours Night Out marks ten year anniversary
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The 10th Annual Thorncliffe Park Neighbours Night Out is today at R.V.Burgess Park beginning at 2 p.m. This popular event always attracts thousands of local residents well as community leaders and politicians. This year will be no different. There are many enjoyable musical acts scheduled: steel pan bands, a performance by Eid Ismail and an Afghan Band. Of course there’s lot of food offered by local vendors. The stage show begins at 4 and runs until 8 p.m. Neighbours Night Out relies upon business and community generosity and there seems to be plenty of it. The Insurance Bureau of Canada has been headlined as the sole Platinum Sponsor but there are many others including the East York Town Centre and its owner Morguard Investments. The image below shows sponsors listed by the organizers. Thanks to all of them.
35 Winnipeg Tim Horton’s workers join food workers union
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Workers at a Tim Horton’s in Winnipeg have joined a union following a decision from the Manitoba Labour Relations Board. The 35 employees will now try to negotiate a contract. The union is the Workers United Canada, a body representing about 10,000 employees in Canada and 150,000 across North America. The union says the labour board ordered the reinstatement of an employee who had been fired in February after talking to union organizers.
South Bayview mailbox conversion planned for 2018
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The conversion of door-to-door mail delivery to community mailbox pick up in South Bayview is said to be scheduled to begin in 2018 and continue through 2019, according to a report in the Toronto Star. This report is based on a plan which has been prepared by Canada Post for City Council and which has not yet been released. It is expected to come before council in the next few days. An amazing revelation is that door-to-door delivery will be permanently continued by Canada to the residents and businesses in what is called the Downtown Core, an area south of Bloor St. The plan divides Toronto into three such areas. The others include Dense Urban, the area known as mid-town and including South Bayview and all the neighbourhoods of Rosedale, Summerhill, Davisville, Moore Park, Leaside, Lawrence Park, Forest Hill and areas to the north. The third area is Urban, all of the suburbs as we know them — Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough. It includes a staggering 670,,987 addresses and is scheduled to begin conversion in 2017. Toronto Star
Welcome to Prof. Sam Hammond’s job-action university
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Sam Hammond
As students across Toronto continued their modest little gatherings to complain that they are being short-changed, the head of the elementary teachers union was explaining why it’s all the school board’s fault there will be no report cards. “There is no clear explanation as to why school boards like Toronto, Peel and York Region can’t issue report cards as other boards are doing,” says a straight-faced Professor Hammond. “These boards may be larger but they have proportionately as many administrators within their system to handle the task of issuing report cards,” he added in a written statement Friday. Actually there is a reason. It’s money. The school boards, including the huge Toronto and District School Board, say it would cost millions to bring in the trained staff to curate all the information necessary for a proper report card. That’s the work that the teachers are paid to do. They also get paid for not doing it at Sam Hammond’s nutty job-action university. Says the prof: “All school boards have known for more than a month that (the union’s) work-to-rule action would affect the formal report card process. They have had ample time to prepare.” Right, that’s why the union decided not to supply report cards. It would have so little impact. After all, the teacher’s aren’t working to rule to disrupt anything. Welcome to Sam Hammond University
U2’s Bono to meet PM, other leaders, in Ottawa Monday
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Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson, will have a private meting with Prime Minister Harper and will then meet separately with Opposition leader Mulcair and Liberal leader Trudeau in Ottawa on Monday, June 15, 2015. Globe and Mail
NAACP executive revealed as a white woman by parents
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Rachel Dolezal’s parents have outed their daughter, in a sense, by making it public that she is white, not black. Ms. Dolezal is the head of the Spokane NAACP. It an absolutely absorbing tale as told by CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux