The Bulldog

53 Division alert regarding break and enters

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53 Division Police are warning residents in the Mt. Pleasant Rd. and  St. Clair Avenue East about residential break and enters. People are asked to lock their doors, secure their windows and set security alarms if possible when they go out. If you see anything suspicious, please contact police at 911 if in progress, or the non-emergency line at 416-808-2222

Readers write about lawyer Marie Heinen post

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We had reader comments on this week’s post reporting that criminal lawyer Marie Heinen is carrying a new brief on behalf of Jian Ghomeshi. The description in our post of Ms. Heinen being “tough, stylish and smart as whip” seemed to catch the imagination of some. One man tweeted  Smart as a whip. Cute as a button?  Sir, focus on the top photo as a means of keeping your mind on business. Serge Boivin wanted to know if the pun “smart as a whip” was intended. Yes and no. We grasped well enough the lurking second meaning of this tepid double entendre. But as humour, it seemed inconsequential and we do not like to fear the language when it makes the primary point so well. Finally, a third person seemed peevish. And your point is exactly what? this reader demanded. Well, Sir or Madam, thanks for asking but we’re not at all sure of your point. Sorry. Previous post  Postscript: Unknown has left a new comment on this post “Readers write about lawyer Marie Heinen post”: It’s really pretty clear, says Unknown to the Bulldog. “They think you’re the joke.”  So angry, Unknown. Be well and do not let these little blogs get to you like this.

Is Facebook causing kids to blow their money?

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People have said that joining Facebook is a bit like having a website run by your boss. Hey Joe, have you done this yet? Why not? You know the drill. Now a Vancouver pollster says many young people blame Facebook for making them so stretched at the bank. The survey says nearly one-third of Canadians under 30 feel pressure from Facebook impedes their ability to meet financial goals. Western Canadians of all ages were significantly more likely to cite Facebook as the problem, encompassing 14% of respondents versus 4% on the East Coast. A story by CANOE quotes Laurie Campbell of Credit Canada Debt Solutions, which commissioned the study in partnership with Capital One. She says that “keeping up with the Joneses” can influence young minds to blow their money carelessly.  To mark November as Financial Literacy Month, the study looked at “failure to launch,” defined as an inability to meet financial goals — something 65% of respondents have experienced. On average, Canadians are $45,000 short of their monetary goal, a number that jumps to $79,000 in Western Canada. Campbell’s advice for beating the trend includes tracking expenses and visualizing goals — for example, a photo of a new car on your fridge. Sounds good. 

Redway Rd Loblaws to feature “click-and-collect”

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Loblaws will soon provide its click-and-collect service  at the Redway Road store in Leaside. The announcement was made by Jeremy Pee, senior vice-president, e-commerce and omni-channels. The concept has been popular in the United Kingdom. It permits customers to log onto shop.loblaws.ca to place their orders and pick them later in the day within a pre-determined window of time. Previous post 

Urban Nature has new arrivals for the holidays

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Paul Oliver’s Urban Nature Store in the Brentcliffe Mall is a fantastic resource for family and kids Christmas gifts this year. Canada’s Birding Store is well known for supplying the essentials of the naturists hobby. There is a breathtaking inventory of bird seeds, bird feeders, bird houses, bat houses, weather vanes, pest control  and such important household aids as clothes moth traps and pantry moth traps. But the Urban Nature store has great environmentally friendly gifts. Check the delightful earrings (inset) for mom. They are charming and come in dozens of styles. Best part? These shiny and fun earrings (inset right) are recycled from used cardboard in cereal boxes. Take a quick click over the Urban Nature website to review these wonderful gifts. Click the Fun and Education Department. When you’re done there, go to New Arrivals. Check out the Kate and Levi Dog Puppet Kit and the Giraffe Puppet Kit.  They contain all recycled elements. You can build a birdhouse or a bat house with the kids. Bat houses are a huge asset at the cottage. Bats are said to eat 1200 mosquitoes a day. Also at New Arrivals, check out the just-arrived bots. YOXOmoto Doon, YOXObug Flye and YOXObot Orig,  Spiced Mug Mats (also at New Arrivals) are a ingenious stocking stuffers or small gift at $3.95 each. A hot mug on the mat generates different aromatic scents from each mat. Orders over $125 qualify for free shipping. This applies only to orders shipping to Canadian addresses. Those who ship never pay customs or duties within Canada. To determine shipping charge, the store suggests you add items to your cart and then click the “estimate shipping” link. You will then be asked to enter your postal code. Shipping rates are based on the weight of the products. Orders can also be picked up from the Urban Nature is on Brentcliffe Rd. between Vanderhoof Ave. and Eglinton Ave. E.  There’s lots of parking out front.    

End of 30-day notice to cancel phone, Internet

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The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) says Canadians will no longer need to provide 30-days notice to change or cancel their television, phone or Internet service. The  CRTC does not say what the expectation for cancellation should be except that 30 days notice is too long.  It said the end of the 30-day notice period will make it easier for residential customers and small businesses to take advantage of the marketplace by switching.

DancExperts now open at 105 Vanderhoof Ave.

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DancExperts, the well-known Leaside dance clothing store, is now located in its new premises at 105 Vanderhoof Ave Unit 3. This commercial mall is the easy-parking space with a wide collection of businesses such as Gears (the bicycle people) and food distributor Manning Canning. DancExperts Manager Heather Taylor and the ladies moved into the space this past weekend and want everyone to know they are up, running and ready for business. Previously, DancExperts was at 852 Millwood Road for many years. Give them a call. (416) 421-8506  

SNC Lavalin: Who the heck are these guys again?

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It means a lot to a certain class of business people and financiers but news that SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. will reduce the size of its worldwide workforce by 10 per cent leaves most Canadians saying: “Who are these guys again?” Think of SNC Lavalin as the company that does the work for a mining company and maybe finances them too. It is really reassuring to ordinary readers to find that Wikipedia prefaces its description of what the company does with a warning that the article may be “too technical” for most. In any case, the actual number of jobs lost is 4,000 and there is no hint in the Globe and Mail or other stories as to just where those jobs might be. Of course we have a lot of mining in Canada. 

Man accosts 14-year-old at Duplex and Briar Hill

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On Tuesday November 4, 2014 at approximately 4:30 p.m. the TPS received a call about a suspicious incident in the Briar Hill Avenue and Duplex Avenue area. It is reported that a man approached a 14-year-old girl and began to converse with her. The man then tried to lure the girl into his vehicle. She was able to escape.   The man is described as 20 to 30 years, medium build with short dark hair and a round face. He was driving an older-model dark-green van.