Brian Williams has been suspended from NBC News for six months without pay. Although it is called a suspension this punishment would surely seem to mark the end for Williams at the Peacock Network. It has been a dizzying fall from a great height for the 55-year old anchorman. The irony is killing. Williams destroyed the only professional capital he owned. His credibility. It seems he will never be able to get it back in the cynical world of big-time journalism.
Fiona’s happy business of baking COBs Bread
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Fiona Boylan, owner of the COBs Bread outlet at 1539 Bayview Ave. has celebrated the fifth anniversary of her franchise with a thoroughgoing renovation that has enlarged and modernized the location. The store re-opened last Saturday after three weeks of furious work. In the middle of work, with the shop pretty much gutted, it was occasionally possible to witness a kind of panic in the street as customers incorrectly assumed the store was closing. Such is the indispensable quality for many of this luscious bread. Most noticeable in the renovated store is the larger reception and sales area. Doors have been brought forward to align with the rest the storefront. The bread-buying space is now much larger. New LED lights and cabinets grace the inside. Sumayyah Desai of the COBs Leaside staff chronicled the excitement of the opening hours. The Hot Cross Bun special that day with butter and strawberry jam added a buzz and excitement, Sumayyah recalled. There were gift bags of COBs bread and other goodies and an appearance by the store’s mascot Breadhead, courtesy of Fiona’s three-year-old son Max. Fiona Boylan talked about the appeal of the bread business as it’s conceived by the Australian parent company. She liked the idea of a franchise with such a stable firm. And a bakery is a happy business she observed. It is indeed hard not to like being inside a COBs bakery. Fiona found the neighborhood appealing (of course) recalling that many residents of Leaside have cottages at Midland’s Wymbolwood Beach, as do she and her husband. The original COBs opened ten years ago and was operated as a corporate location until Fiona became the franchisee. She is a strong supporter of the new Bayview BIA and most merchants would have to agree that COBs now ranks among South Bayview’s most compelling anchors. A final note, the South Bayview Bulldog is honoured and proud to count COBs among its advertising sponsors beginning this month. Photos: Left to right, Ryan and Anne Marie are ready to rock the Grand Re-opening, Max, 3, as COBs mascot Breadhead, Fiona Boylan, owner
Hopson Grace to open at Yonge and Macpherson
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Andrea Hopson, a former vice president of Tiffany’s in Canada and her business partner Martha Grace McKinn, will shortly open a new shop featuring tabletop items. They have chosen to locate at 1120 Yonge (at Marlborough) formerly occupied by the Patachou Patisserie. Ms. Hopson is quoted extensively in Canadian Jeweller Magazine about this new venture. She says that after 21 years with Tiffany & Co. has joined the Advisory Board at Mindham Fine Jewellery and other jewellers. But it appears her real focus a “niche luxury retail bricks and mortar and on-line business in Toronto’s Rosedale neighbourhood.” Hopson Grace will focus on entertaining with a highly curated merchandise offering of largely exclusive tabletop designs from around the globe. We will extend an elevated customer experience as we encourage Torontonians and Canadians to “‘come back to the table”. Hopson Grace plans to open in the early Spring of 2015. Sounds nice.
City Council buries Scarborough subway concern
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Terrible crash on Hwy. 401 at Milton kills one
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Eg-Lawrence: Adams plans to run against Oliver
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The Eve Adams conversion to Trudeau Liberalism gets stranger by the day. Now the Huffington Post says that the ambitious MP plans to run against Finance Minister Joe Oliver in Eglinton–Lawrence. It seems quite a challenge for Ms Adams, who would not normally be taken for the “sacrificial lamb” type of candidate. (Or was that the deal?) It’s true Oliver had to defeat long-time Liberal back bencher Joe Volpe. Still, Oliver has acquitted himself well. In this mixed Jewish riding, many will wonder if Ms. Adams would know how to place an order at United Bakers. Then there is her other baggage. Will Oliver sneaks arrange a bad car wash in the hope Adams will block the gas pumps? But elections are tricky. Mr. Oliver is 74, albeit very active and alert. Will he be vulnerable to this 41-year-old glamourous would-be giant killer? Stay tuned.
Premier to talk to OPP about Sudbury election
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Angry residents demand stop to Laird project
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They were angry. Owner after owner of homes on Randolph Rd rose at a crowded meeting Monday night at the Leaside arena to condemn the project known as 146/150 Laird Drive. It calls for two buildings, seven and eight storeys to be owned and run by Viva Retirement Communities. Randolph sits behind and to the west of the proposed project and would be shaded by it. Residents also complained about the “100-foot wall” that would greet them in their backyard and the hundreds of balconies looking down on them. Dozens of speakers directed attacks on the size and height. Re-zoning from the legal limit of 12.2 metres to 32 metres is required. The rhetoric was impressive. Carol Fripp of the Leaside Property Owners Association said Laird Drive had to be saved from any more “Kremlin-shaped buildings.” Others spoke of a “tsunami” of such buildings that would line Laird as developers “did violence to the bylaws.” More than 400 people have signed a petition to stop the project in its present form. The anger generated by the development prompted a number of speakers to rail against developers in general, traffic and the change being brought to Leaside by the Eglinton LRT. There was also bitter futility as well because the Ontario Municipal Board might have the final say. Councillor Burnside took the floor to concede that developers have more influence than they should . He noted the annual land transfer tax yielded $430 million. It was a situation he said in which “developers have been getting away with things.” In conclusion the Councillor said he did not oppose development within the bylaws and rules set out. And then he turned to the developers and spoke directly. He challenged their opening remarks about wanting to be part of and integrated into the community. Clearly, he said, the community didn’t want this development. He left no doubt there is a fight ahead. (Monday, February 9, 2015)
Matlow doubts value of Scarborough subway
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Josh Matlow (Ward 22) may or may not like a fight but he is correct to raise the many disturbing issues surrounding the Scarborough subway. His plan is widely construed in the media as a challenge to the mayor and so it may be. Tuesday (February 10, 2015) Matlow will be getting answers to vital questions of how much money the city will waste if it builds Rob Ford’s full out subway and whether the traffic that will board the subway can possibly justify its cost. These questions were put in a compelling light by the former chief general manger of the TTC in a Toronto Star column some weeks ago. Michael Warren was the Andy Byford of his day and he knows something. He contends the subway is lousy value for money and is being pushed forward by Mayor Tory and Premier Wynne for thin political expediencies. David Nickle, City Centre Mirror R. Michael Warren
Toronto women fall through ice on Rideau Canal
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Two women were rescued from the Rideau Canal in Ottawa when they fell through ice on a uncleared section of the canal. One of the women fell in up to her waist and her left leg became stuck. CBC Ottawa video above records the tense moments as she is finally freed, even as she is suffering the effect of wet clothes in freezing weather. Neither of the visitors from Toronto were seriously injured and did not need to be taken to hospital, paramedics said. “It is always advisable to stay on the ice surface where the ice is clear. He noted that snow acts as a thermal blanket on the ice and may affect the thickness of the ice.” The skateway remains open while the NCC investigates.
Where’s Edward Snowden now TV is listening
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The Korean electronics giant Samsung has had to issue a general warning to users of its “smart” TV sets that the machine is listening to them even when they aren’t talking to it. Samsung had that bit of news buried in the fine print of the instructions. When the media picked up on this terrific feature the company had to make a general announcement. According to Samsung, the things you say when the sneaky Samsung box is on may be heard by “a third person” Where’s Edward Snowden when you need him? Another story from the U-K says that Samsung is working on a watch that can talk to your car. Really? Will the watch talk to you too? Samsung makes many things. Fridges, stoves — are they listening? Is there an off switch? Samsung warns users
City on high alert for any sign of measles outbreak
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Toronto parents, doctors and health authorities are on the alert Monday morning as they scan the horizon for any sign of a measles. Toronto Public Health jumped in at a daycare over the weekend where there was a known measles patient present for a period of time. Parents in the west end got a call advising them to have children vaccinated if they were not already fully protected. Family doctors are hearing from concerned parents whether their vaccinations are up to date. As of Saturday, there were six confirmed cases of measles that had been reported to Toronto Public Health, including two children under age two and four adults. All are from separate families leaving a clear prospect that measles is not fully quarantined. The video below done by the New York Times discusses the roots of the vaccine skepticism that began with a now discredited 1998 report authored by Dr. Andrew Wakefield suggesting a possible link between the measles vaccine and autism.