Ben Tomory with family’s maple syrup

Cody gear at Winter Fair

Toques were hot item

Mayor Tory with Steve Mastoras

Planned for Mortimer and Broadview

South Bayview met Ben Tomory Saturday as he made maple syrup taffy outside Cumbrae’s. It was a big hit with the under-tens although some adults sneaked a stick or two. Ben’s family produces the syrup on their farm near Pefferlaw. To the right, upper and lower, a happy Cody Dad shows off school gear he was selling Saturday at the Cody Winter Fair. What a joyous madhouse that was. Below, Mayor Tory is everywhere these days and Friday it was at Mortimer and Broadview to see Whistler’s owner Steven Mastoras. Mr. Mastoras tweeted his pleasure with the imaginative new condo (right) that will fill the corner in due course.

Jeff Hohner, Edward Wong and Daryn Everett

Jeff Hohner, Mike Zivot and Daryn Everett

Chicken Wing Eating Contest in progress

2017 Guys Night Out at Leaside Pub/Don Bates

It was an exhilarating and busy Friday for Jeff Hohner of the Leaside Pub and friends. They were up late Thursday and into the early hours in the office at the pub counting the proceeds from the Leaside Guys Night Out event.  About 125 men attended the auctions (silent and live) contests (darts, chicken wing eating) and made donations that yielded a lot of money. The Belle of the Ball prize so-to-speak was the Steak and Cigar evening at Andy Elder’s Grilltime with Nick Kypreos (for eight)) which was bought for a record $2,500 by community member Ed Barrett.

WOULD IT BE ENOUGH?

Would it all be enough to buy 4,000 toys for every boy and girl at the four schools in Thorncliffe Park and Flemngdon Park? By 2.30 a.m. Hohner, Mike Zivot, Daryn Everett, Edward Wong and friends had the answer. It was good. They were up early Friday to pick up and pay for the toys. Then it was on to the schools for delivery. With four locations to cover, time was tight. There were five palettes for Thorncliffe Park Public School alone. At the end of job, the annual Guys Night Out looks to be in good shape. There is a little money left for further good work from the total of about $20,000 collected. The turnout and selfless purpose of the contributions speaks loudly and well of the men of Leaside. Mike Zivot observes that the gratitude expressed by teachers and administrators at the schools was overwhelming.

Local 24-hour Metro may cut hours

Former 7-Eleven at Danforth and Donlands

Metro Inc say it will cease 24 hour service at most stores in Toronto because of the impending cost related the $15 minimum wage and other Ontario legislation which forces it to pay part-time workers as full-time. Among the Metro locations which may no longer offer 24-hour service is the very busy store at Eglinton Ave. and Bayview Ave. It was once called the busiest Metro in Toronto although LRT construction may have slowed business somewhat. Metro says it expects to incur $45-$50 million in extra costs next year from Ontario’s minimum wage hike, according to the Financial Post

LOBLAWS EXPERIMENT

It remains to be seen what the wage increase will mean at Loblaws. Many stores, like 301 Moore Ave., is open until midnight staffed entirely by part-time help. Will this continue? Loblaws tried a 24-hour model at Moore Ave and elsewhere in 2011. The pilot lasted just four months before it was cancelled.

Six years since it was occupied

Snapped Friday

As seen in 2011

There is a tenant for the basement unit at 1560 Bayview Ave that was last occupied by the photography supply dealer in 2011. A small sign over the door of the walk-down unit indicates it is leased. The photo was snapped Friday and so far the new tenant is unknown. But it won’t be long before we know.

Denzil Minnan-Wong has announced he will seek the PC candidacy in Don Valley East. He hopes to find loyalty, name-recognition and friendship among voters there from his many years as a Councillor in Ward 34. Then, a musical evening at Manor Road United Church Friday (tonight) with a talented quartet known as the Four Men. They will sing songs of the season starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door. Below that, the remarkable story of how a man traced the thief who stole his bicycle and ultimately recovered his treasured two-wheeler. Finally, a dog has been attacked by an owl in Edmonton and although the owners of the animal seem surprised, owls will do that to little dogs. They are well-known birds of prey.

Former ambassador to China David Mulroney warns Canadians of the unceasing scheming of the Beijing government to influence and ultimately shape Canadian behaviour at all levels. It seems to be part of the “Great Country” ambitions of China created by President Xi. “It never stops,” says Mulroney. “It’s like a warm bath they immerse you in.” Canadian Press

A tale of two fires is seen here with must-see video of a man saving a rabbit (circled) from the current LA hell-on-earth. Back home, a smart City News wrap on the Palleta meat-packing plant fire.

Prime Minister Trudeau has left China without securing the start of free trade talks with the world’s second-largest economy and he concedes that this may be because he wants the Chinese to adopt a “progressive” agenda that includes the environment, labour, gender and governance issues. Mr. Trudeau said the two countries need to address how Canada deals with China’s state-owned enterprises. Separately, he also said he is committed to standing up for Canadian values in a “respectful way,” including protecting the interests of Canadians behind bars.“Canadians should be under no illusions that a free trade deal with China will be easy.”

“CANADA CAN’T GET ANYTHING DONE”

WenranJiang, director of the Canada-China Energy and Environment Forum, said the delay in starting the talks “will only further convince the Chinese side that Canada can’t get anything done We can’t build a pipeline to the west coast when every reason is there to get it done.” He offered a bitter view of Canadian diplomacy saying this was “a country of complacency, without pressure to compete with others; we tend to think we have all the high moral grounds on gender, environment, labour while others are inferior to us.”

EXCHANGE ON FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

Don Valley West MP Rob Oliphant was chairing the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration Thursday when Conservative MP Michelle Rempel questioned the MInister Ahmed D. Hussen, the member of York South-Weston. Rempel and Hussen engaged in long exchange in which Rempel clearly felt she was not getting a committment from the minister to ensure that a condemnation of female genital mutilation would be included in the forthcoming Canada Citizenship Guide. Facebook

The Toronto Star says that Councillor Josh Matlow has provided its reporters with a text from outgoing TTC CEO Andy Byford which contradicts Mr. Byford’s later contention that a briefing note on the Scarborough subway was prepared solely by TTC staff. The Star story says: “Byford has told council and the city’s auditor general that the memo was not prepared at the request of either Mayor John Tory or TTC Chair Josh Colle, and that it was instead initiated by transit agency staff to prepare TTC executives for questions on an important debate. An auditor general’s report on the briefing note released in October reached the same conclusion.” That briefing note is said to have cast significant doubt that a return (from the Scarborough subway) to an alternative light rail transit (LRT) plan was possible and relied on incorrect assumptions to conclude the cost of the LRT had also risen to nearly match that of a subway. Call it a “smoking subway” development.

Creeds coming soon (Instagram @creedscoffeebar)

Brie salad at Avenue Bistro (Instagram @avenuebistroto)

Quinn Johnston will be a Gael

1269 Danforth Rd.

The Four Men at MRUC Friday

This is Leaside Guys Night Out

The papered windows of 1595 Bayview Ave. are a good thing. Creeds Coffee Bar (and dry cleaning) will move into the former Second Cup in January. Gotta love it. To the right, this pleasant-looking Brie Salad may be had at Avenue Bistro across the street at 1568 Bayview. Below that, the Queen’s University Gaels are bragging about the commitment of Leaside Junior Wildcats forward Quinn Johnston to join them in 2018-19. Go Quinn. Still further down, the little strip mall at 1269 Danforth Rd. may now be called Power Plant Plaza after City Council voted to purchase the place to give the Scarborough Subway a jolt or two someday. As promised, Ward 22’s Josh Matlow tried to stop the whole thing but the one-stop wonder rolls on, a monument to misguided democracy. Lower left, The Four Men will serenade friends who attend Friday night at Manor Road United Church. Looks like a classy affair. And tonight (Thursday) is the 14th Annual Leaside Guys Night Out in aid of needy kids. Check the poster and drop in.