Millions of Canadians who hold PC MasterCards will be watching to see what impact, if any, the decision by CIBC to “absorb” those attached to bank accounts into a new brand called Simplii Financial has on their day-to-day use of the card. CIBC has provided the back-end banking services for PC Financial for nearly 20 years but the companies said Wednesday they are going their separate ways. Loblaws owned PC says it will continue to offer MasterCard credit card products and the PC Plus loyalty-points program as usual but the mechanics of that are not outlined. PC spokesperson Lana Gogas did write to The South Bayview Bulldog to state that there are no changes to the PC Financial Mastercard products as they are solely provided by PC Bank.

EFFORTS TO EXPLAIN

There are brave media efforts to keep this clear for PC card holders who are not depositors at CIBC. It appears to be the case that PC branded cards will still be issued but the future is by definition unknown.  “We are excited about the future and our ability to create new products to serve Canadians,” PC Financial spokesperson said Ms Gogas. “Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter for PC Financial, including continued strength in payments and loyalty through our PC Financial MasterCard products.” Canadian Press CBC

Imp says Hi

Superintendent Scott Baptist

Celtic fiddler

Sandlot politics

Thursday is National Thrift Shop Day

Round and about South Bayview, this imp says “Hi” from Davisville on the Instagram account of real estate agent Mark Oulahen. Maybe just cause dad asked. Then to the right, Superintendent Scott Baptist, commander of the new Midtown District — a merging of Divisions 13 and 53 in central Toronto. Good luck Super. Below that, a cheery Celtic fiddler at Tuesday’s East York Farmer’s Market. Lower left, MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith should blush, even though he has something to do with the good work of getting these kids to play ball. We trust things are just as functional in Ottawa. And finally, Thursday is National Thrift Shop Day. Yes. There will be surprise freebies for shoppers and regular discounts too at the Sally Ann thrifts, one of which is at Overlea Blvd and Thorncliffe Park Drive.

Fire has swept an 19th century church in Burlington at 4372 Appleby Road. The church has been the property of the Trinity Baptist Church since the early 1970s when it was purchased after sitting vacant. It had previously been a United Church. Halton police say a call came in about a fire at the church after 1 a.m..It appears from Twitter that there had been a series of church events being held at the location during the early days of August. The pastor of the church of the church said he suspected arson but had no specific information.

Jay Szymanski/Peel Paramedics

A man in his 30s has been badly hurt in a motorcycle accident at Mavis and Burnhamthorpe Roads in Mississauga Tuesday night. He was the rider of the bike. A woman believed to be in her 20s suffered what are called minor injuries in the crash which apparently involved collision with a car. .

The BBC has distributed this video of a rare white moose, one of maybe just 100 in the country. The moose population is 400,000, but as one wag said, they all look like Bullwinkle. This fella, white antlers and all, was evidently tracked by naturalists long enough to know his habits and place a camera where it would capture this exciting moment. It is said the creatures are not albino but rather have a genetic mutation that causes their fur (and antlers) to turn white. That distinction is lost on many.

COLLISION
Carlaw Ave and Lake Shore Blvd, rolled over cement truck, no info on injuries, expect delays in that area #GO1473532 ^cb

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) August 15, 2017

The strange case of Rehab Dughmosh, 32, a woman deeply alienated from every democratic custom, it seems, continues to beleaguer the court system and haunt the notion of Canadian citizenship. The authorities say they know this is indeed the woman identified in the media as the golf club and knife assailant at a Canadian Tire Store last April. Her sole appearance in court saw her clad in a niqab, which hid her face. She has refused to leave her jail cell twice to attend court appearances. It is not known if she wears the niqab in the cell. Nor has the media yet unfolded her journey to Canadian citizenship to an utterly stunned public. It is known that she left Canada to join ISIS in 2016 but was stopped in Turkey and brought back. Tuesday, Dughmosh refused to appear in court a second time to face the charges against her. The judge said she will be required to appear now by video on Thursday, but if she refuses to leave her cell for that appearance, some other contrivance apparently will be necessary.

The CEO of Metro Inc. says the plan to jump Ontario’s minimum wage in stages to $15 by January 1, 2019 will cost his firm $45 to $50 million in 2018. Eric R. La Fleche says the Montreal grocer will try to control that impact but he offered no particular methods. His comments were contained in Metro’s financial report for the 16 weeks ended July 1 and follow similar warnings by other retailers and a coalition representing a broad range of business groups.

BAYVIEW AND EGLINTON STORE

Among the bits of information in the report was note of a slight decrease in same store sales — in Ontario and Quebec down 0.2 perent. The store at Eglinton Ave. E. and Bayview Ave. which sits on company-owned land has been under enormous pressure from the chaos of LRT construction and intense competition. New competitors to the historically top-grossing Metro location include Longo’s in Leaside Village and Whole Foods at Bayview and Broadway. But there are many more and some still to come. Perhaps the trendiest name in all grocerydom — beating even WF — is Organic Garage. It is signed on to open a store at Laird Dr. and Canvarco Rd. in a large development (79,000 sq. feet) from Quaestus Corp. Farm Boy, another grocer with a name almost too cute for food, is also on its way.  Grocer to anchor complex at Laird Dr. and Canvarco Rd. Farm Boy (and others) want to make it big in Toronto

Fighting for every dollar

Jay advertises on Bayview

Rudy Limeback/rudy.ca

Rudy Limeback spotted this unusual business initiative on Bayview Ave. The Bulldog located Jay the auto mechanic. He works the area and he tells us he comes to your home the same day on his cycle. That phone number is 416 480-1726.

Urban Toronto carries an update on a highly visible and large development on Avenue Road. The crane is up and forming is started.  Urban Toronto Underpinning underway for Brookdale on Avenue Road

The Leaside Community Facebook page is alive with traffic related posts Tuesday. It appears that Jason Prenger has started a counter-petition asking that the speed limit on the lower Bayview Extension be maintained at 50 km/h rather than restored to 60 km/h. In response to this Sharon Manley has commented that the new bicycle lanes on Bayview below Moore are not safe “with adjacent high speed traffic.” She says they are not separated by barriers and offer no protection from traffic. On a parking related note, Alison Ashamalia references a plan in Winnipeg to have diagonal or angled parking on some streets. Sharon Shirak Woynarski says this would be great for Bayview Ave. Maybe. It is easy to get into an angled parking space but very tricky to get out because a driver is quite blind to oncoming traffic from the right. Angled parking, which once existed on Bayview when Leaside was Leaside (if you catch our meaning) would also mean no parking on either side of the street during rush hour, a big minus. Leaside Community Petition to restore 60 km limit on Bayview south of Pottery

Blast from the past

A Bullock’s Oriole which was apparently blown thousands of miles off course during migration will be returned to the west coast from Ottawa by Air Canada. The bird (a female Icterus Bullockii) was discovered in the capital’s suburb of Pakenham in 2015 and by December of last year had nearly expired in the cold when it was rescued by Ray Holland. Information varies on the Bullock’s native habitat. It may be seen, depending on the time of year, as far south as Mexico or in the Squamish Valley of British Columbia. The plan is to release the bird near Vancouver and trust it will follow its instincts to fly south this fall. This video of a Bullock’s Oriole reveals a chirpy attitude.

Pakenham, back in 2015