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The long-awaited attempt to fly around the world in a solar-powered plane has gotten under way from Abu Dhabi Monday morning. Takeoff came around 7 a.m., well before midnight Toronto time. The aircraft is called the Solar Impulse-2. It took off on a trip that may take five months and will see the plane cross the U.S. to land in many places including New York. The pilot at takeoff was Andre Borschberg. He will share the duties with a fellow Swiss, Bertrand Piccard. The plan will stop at various locations around the globe, for rest, to carry out maintenance and to spread a campaigning message about clean technologies. Before taking off, Borschberg told BBC News: “I am confident we have a very special aeroplane, and it will have to be to get us across the big oceans.

Divisional court has slashed the amount of legal costs four Southwestern Ontario families will have to pay to three wind-turbine companies building huge windmills near their homes as part of Ontario’s alternative energy program. The turbine firms had demanded #$340,000 from the local homeowners near Goderich because they lost their action  to have the construction of wind farms stopped on health and environmental grounds. The court said that $67,000 was the proper amount. The court noted that the families fight against the wind turbines was more than a personal crusade. Globe and Mail 

Loblaw Companies released statement today (Monday, March 9, 2015) that it has plans to build as many as 50 new stores in Canada this year, part of a $1.2 billion investment that will create 20,000 jobs.  The investment includes construction projects for new and existing stores, e-commerce expansion, and continued investment in supply chain and IT. “True to our strategy, our investment will create better access to fresh food, wellness solutions closer to home, e-commerce convenience, and a family of stores that elevate grocery, pharmacy, apparel and banking experiences,” Loblaw president Galen G. Weston said in a release. The release does not specify which  markets are likely to be targeted by Loblaws but The South Bayview Bulldog has long speculated that sooner or later Loblaws will want to bring its hidden store on Redway Road back out onto the street where it will attract more traffic.

This video from The Telegraph newspaper in London presents data from the University of Chicago. We’re not sure it’s not an ad for Match.com which gets mentioned but it purports to be a scholarly accounting. It is fun to watch though just the same.

Kathy McLachlan tweeted a charming picture which she took today on one of her regular walks around South Bayview. She observes correctly that there was a pretty light in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. The winter sun and deep snow seems to work together on that. You can see the whole picture by clicking on the re-tweet of Ms McLachlan’s tweet in the column at the left. Other people commented on Twitter (Leaside) on what a pleasant day it was for a walk.

In Baltmore, weather forecaster Candice Dold was left hanging when she threw to the station weather character, Traffic Jam Jimmy. Jimmy was not ready to say anything except “Can I get a fish sandwich?” at the McDonald’s window. Jimmy explained that he had been on the road for hours and was famished.

Fiona Boylan’s COBs Bread was more than neighborly with this seasonal treat

COBs Bread was sharing Hot Cross Buns with friends and neighbors over the weekend. Here are some of the happy recipients.

Bell Media says the big U.S, cable companies and networks should be banned from cable delivery into Canadian homes. Kevin Crull, president, said these big signals have no business on Canada’s cable systems. Globe and Mail 

Alan Redway received friends and supporters Saturday as he signed copies of his book Governing Toronto, Bringing Back The City That Worked. He spoke briefly and told those present he wishes to create a political groundswell in Toronto to have the provincial government review the effectiveness of the present structure of the provincial capital. Mr. Redway, a former mayor of East York and one-time MP for what is now the riding of Don Valley East, said that the present “mega-City” created in 1998 has not delivered the savings which were given as the reason for the amalgamation of the six municipalities of the then Metropolitan Toronto. It is to this model that Mr. Redway looks in his desire to create a “political groundswell” He noted that before amalgamation the provincial government reviewed the Toronto government every ten years. He noted that former premier Dalton McGuinty said this would  be like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube. He also recalled that Kathleen Wynne was among the most vigorous opponents of amalgamation 17 years ago but wondered whether by now she might have “toothpaste reverberating in her ears.”  Mr Redway’s own review of how Toronto works told him that City Councillors were burdened with agendas that inundated them in local business from distant wards and distracted from metropolitan issues. He recalled the amalgamation of Montreal in 2000 and subsequent decision to restore local independence to separate cities. He noted community councils.  Amalgamated Toronto started with six in 1998 but that was shrunk to four.  Among those present at the Walter Stewart Library on Memorial Park Drive was Ward 29 Councillor Mary Fragedakis.