A 21-year-old man has been sentenced to five years in prison in connection with a 2017 impaired driving crash in East Gwillimbury that left a 28-year-old father dead. The sentence, which also includes an eight-year driving ban, was handed down to Tyler Neilsen in a Newmarket courtroom on Thursday. He previously pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle that fatally struck Stuart Ellis on Nov. 13, 2017 while having alcohol and four other drugs in his system.

APOLOGY

“I can’t imagine the pain and suffering I have brought into your lives,” he said in court to Ellis wife Justine. “I’m so sorry. The worst part of this whole accident is that I took a father away from his children. I will never be able to forget that. I am ready to accept the court’s punishment.”  Widowed mom counts cost as impaired driver makes bail

#BreakingNews Tyler Nielsen’s final taste of freedom before being sentenced to 5 years in a penitentiary & an 8 year driving ban for criminal negligence causing the death of Stuart Ellis in Nov 2017. Nielsen was impaired by alcohol & drugs & was driving recklessly, 200 km+ pic.twitter.com/NFViKcij3n

— Catherine McDonald (@cmcdonaldglobal) March 21, 2019

The Ontario government will simplify aspects of Ontario’s electricity system which it says will save money and reduce rates. The PC Party promised in the last election to reduce electricity prices by 12% — on top of the Fair Hydro Plan introduced by the Liberals. It reduced rates by borrowing money to cut prices. Under this new plan, the Fair Hydro Plan would be wound down and refinanced with the hope of saving as much as $4 billion and bring the financing in line with recommendations from the Auditor General.

Shares soared 30 percent/NYSE

Levi Strauss surged more than 30% during its public debut Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. The iconic maker of Levi’s 501 blue jeans raised $623 million from the stock sale. Levi Strauss(LEVI) priced the initial public offering at $17 a share, above its expected price range. At an early trading price of $22.97 a share, the 166-year old company is valued at about $8.9 billion.

• US Fed Signals No Rate Hikes in 2019, and One Hike in 2020

Air Canada says its Boeing 737 Max aircraft are equipped with two optional safety features reportedly absent from the same jetliners which crashed in Ethiopia and Indonesia. The New York Times reports Thursday that the Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air jets were not equipped with angle-of-attack indicators and disagree lights that are used by the aircraft’s software system during flight to avert stalls. According to the report, the safety features are not standard on the aircraft and are offered by Boeing as upgrades. Air Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur says the airline purchased the features for its fleet of 24 Max 8 planes.

The Greek Independence Day Parade road closures are as follows: Danforth Ave from Donlands Ave to Broadview Ave will be fully closed on Sunday, March 24 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate this event.

Marguerite Pigott

That’s a wrap

The City of Toronto has appointed Marguerite Pigott as Toronto’s new Film Commissioner and Director of Entertainment Industries, starting April 8. Pigott was Vice-President of Outreach and Strategic Initiatives for the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), a position she has held since 2014.  Before that she positions with SuperChannel and Odeon Films (an Alliance Atlantis company). Since 2009, Pigott has been on the Board of Ontario Creates, formerly the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

Oasis Blvd early Thursday/CBC Twitter

A bus slammed into at least two homes on Oasis Blvd in east Scarborough early Thursday. This is northwest of McNicholl Ave. and Tapscott Rd. No one in the homes was injured. The driver, a woman, went to hospital with minor injuries. She said the street was slippery. Surveillance footage (below) shows the bus travelling on Oasis Boulevard when it fails to make a curve in the road and jumps the curb. CityNews report.  Also

Work is underway at 688 Mt. Pleasant

Mr. DeSantis worked here for decades/Google

Workmen are making changes at 688 Mt. Pleasant Rd., the long-vacant home of DeSantis Men’s Hair Salon and the space at 692 Mt. Pleasant between Meridian and Starbucks. Little is known of the tenants but the activity is welcome. Below is the street in 2011. DeSantis shared the corner with the much-remembered Lai Toh Heen and Sweet Gallery on the corner. Across the road Timothy’s was at Briton House.

2011 when DeSantis lived here with Lai Toh Heen and Sweet Gallery. Timothy’s was in Briton House

Unknown millions of Canadians have never held a paper copy of Maclean’s Magazine or Chatelaine, once de riguer for any lady of the house and women generally. But 20 years after the digital revolution owner Roger’s Media has sold the titles to St. Joseph Communications of Toronto. Those interested in this transaction may wonder at the price paid but no such information is being released. It will not have been very much.

After more than a year of testing, Tim Hortons will launch its new loyalty program across Canada on Wednesday, giving the company a new tool to fend off challenges to its coffee supremacy. The rewards program is centred on visits, which must involve a purchase of $0.50 or more, and can’t be within half an hour of each other. After seven visits, customers get a free coffee or tea at any size, or a baked good (except Timbits and bagels). Instead of a paper card, the rewards program will be offered on the Tim Hortons mobile app as well as on a plastic, reusable swipe card — giving Tim Hortons a wider window into customer buying habits — Financial Post

2359 Danforth looking toward Danforth in August 2018

At top, construction as seen in August. Below depictions of On the Danforth.

The Star says that the condominium project at 2359 Danforth Ave. at Morton Rd. (east of Woodbine) has been cancelled by the owner, DIAM Danforth Property Inc., because a lender “called in a construction loan.” It is apparently the latest in a series of residential construction cancellations. Online promotional material indicates that the condo, known as On the Danforth, was supposed to open in 2017. This would mean that buyers of the units will have had their money tied up for years. They received letters this week telling them the sold-out 135-unit, 10-storey development was being terminated “due to unforeseen circumstances outside of DIAM’s control.” It is said that refunds will be returned.