The pastor of Lawrence Park Community Church has cancelled the concert that was never really scheduled. John Suk says he has no idea how anyone thought they had permission to have a concert at the Bayview Ave church. But word was sent out somehow that contentious Ukrainian-born pianist Valentina Lisitsa would be performing a free concert there. “Normally, before you advertise an event, you ask the people if you can have it there,” Suk said Friday. “No one did any of that. We’re totally blindsided by this. We gave no permission and next thing you know, the phone’s ringing off the hook.” The church is at 2180 Bayview at Dawlish Ave.
Buffet rule at work at Cara goes sky-high in TSX IPO
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A stunning IPO for Cara Operations Ltd. on the TSX as its well-established and winning businesses Swiss Chalet and Harvey’s rode a huge wave of interest to raise more than $200 million dollars. It is the best Canadian IPO since 2007. Clearly the Warren Buffet rule was at work. Easy to understand and well-established with a proven record of profitability. Yeah. The restaurant company opened at C$31.26 in its first day of trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange, up from its initial public offering price of C$23 a share. It finished up $10 on the IPO opening price.
Oh dear, the new ferry terminal has a green roof it seems
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The winning design for Jack Layton ferry terminal has been revealed. It is the work of KPMB Architects (Toronto), West 8 (Rotterdam), and Greenberg Consultants (Toronto). The design won 1,200 responses to an online consultation although the final decision belonged to the selection committee. The new terminal is part of a plan that also includes a wave deck, an indoor/outdoor market, and a publicly accessible green roof. The ferry terminal will be a subject of passing interest to most people but is revealed the life and breath of some in the sharp comments set down under the news at BlogTO. There is much dislike of the green (grass) roof. They don’t last apparently. One reader is ecstatic: “Called it!” he exults. “I knew this would be the one! Now, to see if the execution ends up nearly as nice as the renderings” For sure, friend. Another declares: “We have lefties who want a spacewing roof and green roofs everywhere. Have you seen Leslie Barns? LOL” No, sorry. Here’s another: “The design is appropriate to the area and the nearby parkland, and the undulating roof keeps with the theme already established by the numerous wavedecks at points west of Harbourfront Centre. Of course the pillars will be much thicker, the green room either fenced off or inaccessible and crowds and ferry lapdog (sic) times aren’t going to get much better than they are today.” A cynical note from Nathan Phillips: “I can’t wait to see how the bureaucrats at the City start adding their little pieces of dross to the project. Jack Layton Terminal won’t look like this when it is finished.” Someone wants to know “Why does Ford Nation read BlogTo?” Tough question. But much anxiety attends that green roof: “You don’t need Home Depot style roofs. And you don’t need green roofs either. As per former US Energy Secretary Steven Chu white roofs offer similar cooling effects, and with no added weight to the roof, and without the idiocy of placing moisture on a roof.” Hey, nuff said.
Vanishing water a threat to California fresh produce
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This report by CBC’s Joanna Wagstaffe surveys the measures that may be necessary to ensure there is water for all residents. It will be mean less water for everyone but it could bring an end to lucrative agriculture in places like the Imperial Valley. It is from such places that we see the wonderful plums and other fruit. The economic impact on California would be staggering. It is crisis that has been a while in the making. Cities like Los Angeles are naturally arid places made possible by water from the Colorado River stored in the artificial Lake Meade. That’s disappearing too. A time may be come when the state simply can’t support as many people as it does now.
Hey, roll up the rim for fast chocky hazelnut butter
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Variations of the Nutella items at Timmy’s starting April 15
From April 15 to June 9, 2015, Tim Horton’s will be offering a variety of Nutella specialties. There will be chocolate hazelnut Nutella-filled doughnuts, “pastry pockets” and even Nutella spread for bagels. Very appealing. We’re still giving Starbucks the edge on Espresso but The Bulldog is an equal-opportunity Nutella eater.
Good evening, here is the news for Kelowna from Toronto
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Shaw Media will consolidate much of its news production in Canada which among other things will see the local news for Kelowna B.C. done in Toronto. It could cause the loss of 30 jobs.. The owners of Global Television and 19 specialty networks, including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, History and Showcase, said local weekend and late-night newscasts for markets east of Alberta, as well as Kelowna, B.C., will now be produced in Toronto with a single-anchor team. Local news gathering will continue, and morning and early evening shows will still be anchored in the markets in which they’re delivered.
Man trying to board flight he was denied is tasered
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A man who was denied permission to board a Turkish Airways flight and who then tried to do so anyway has been tasered. In the moments before that happened he was apparently mostly incoherent as authorities tried to question him at Pearson Airport. It appears he may have mental issues. Audio from the cell phone video posted on YouTube is not very clear but police say they had various questions to which he essentially did not respond. Cops wanted to know what was in his briefcase, for example.
Overpaying for car insurance? This study says you are
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A report from the Schulich School of Business at York University says Ontario drivers “pay far too much” for car insurance. Business professors Fred Lazar and Eli Prisman are said to have been commissioned by the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association to do the study. The purpose is not stated. It is widely reported Friday (April 10, 2015) that the study shows that “in 2013 alone, consumers likely overpaid by $840 million.” A tidy sum. The professors are calling on the auditor-general to review the system. In 2014, the Liberal government passed legislation aimed at reducing car insurance premiums by 15 per cent on average by August of 2016. At the time, the government said the new bill, the Fighting Fraud and Reducing Automobile Insurance Rates Act, will help reduce costs and uncertainty in the auto insurance industry and protect more than nine million licensed provincial drivers as well as fight fraud.
Mother of six boys learns that lucky seven will be a girl
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Widely-reported story today from Apex, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh is this “gender reveal” event at which Cheryl Lair learns she will have a girl after giving birth to six boys. Jeanne Moos of CNN.
Burnside seeking roaming stop sign cameras for Toronto
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Jon Burnside (Ward 26) is seeking to place roaming stop-sign cameras on City streets. Mr. Burnside, a former police officer, said he will pitch the idea to city council’s public works committee at its meeting on Thursday. “What I am looking to do is get the province together with the city and with the Toronto Police Service to investigate the potential of this. The reality is, we have a lot of concerns about pedestrian safety and traffic in general and the only way to really change drivers’ behaviour is by increasing the likelihood of getting caught,” Burnside told CP24. He said the cameras would not be stationary but would move from stop sign to stop sign.
Kevin Crull out at Bell Media, Mary Ann Turcke steps in
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Kevin Crull is out at Bell media. The president of the media unit of BCE has resigned after an embattled two weeks that followed his efforts to influence coverage on CTV of the company’s business. He apologized for attempting to censor input from the government regulator into the news. In a statement, BCE Chief Executive George Cope made clear that the departure of Bell Media that Mr. Crull (top) was related to interference in the editorial operations of Bell’s CTV television network. “The independence of Bell Media’s news operations is of paramount importance to our company and to all Canadians,” Cope said. “There can be no doubt that Bell will always uphold the journalistic standards that have made CTV the most trusted brand in Canadian news.” Globe and Mail newspaper, partly owned by BCE, reported Crull had told the head of CTV News not to conduct on-air interviews with the regulator’s chairman.Crull will be replaced at Bell Media by Mary Ann Turcke, BCE said. Ms. Turcke (inset bottom) was previously in charge of media sales, local TV and radio for the unit.BCE also announced several other executive moves, including naming Blaik Kirby as head of Bell Mobility, its wireless business, and Rizwan Jamal as head of residential services. Turcke, Kirby and Jamal will all report to Wade Oosterman, who was named group president of BCE and Bell. He had previously headed the wireless and residential units.
Work begins on Montgomery Square at 2384 Yonge
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Work has begun at the site of former Postal Station K at Yonge St.and Montgomery Ave. Hoarding is now up and Jonathon Kent of Councillor Greb’s office reports permits have been issued for the construction of a building as planned by the Rockport Group as reported in The South Bayview Bulldog. The plan is inventive. The architectural whole of Station K will be saved although a small brick addition at the rear will be demolished. On that part of the property Rockport will be build a 25 storey residential tower. The development will be called Montgomery Square