(For lease) Prime Retail Location on Bayview | Leaside/Davisville, Toronto | Bonnie Byford R.E. https://t.co/YUX4ZmOkk9

— Bonnie Byford R.E. (@bonniebyford) March 3, 2017

Part of Bayview Ave. since 2004, Frank and Nora to retire

Costco will charge shoppers in Canada and the US an extra $5 or $10 for an annual membership starting June, the firm has announced. The membership fee is a huge part of Costco’s revenue. It amounts to $2.6 billion US globally, more than the Costco made in profits last year. The increase will put a regular “gold star” membership at $60 in national currency in the U.S. and Canada. An executive membership, which comes with discounts and benefits, will be bumped up $10 to $120 a year. The last increase was in 2011. Costco had almost 87 million members at the end of its last fiscal year, including about 10 million in Canada.

It’s not an epidemic yet and you want to do your part to keep it that way. Most valuable in this CBC account is the advice that those between the ages of 25 and 47 may be more vulnerable to this disease. It apparently has to do with just how well — or poorly — vaccine was administered for a period between 1970 and 1992. Otherwise, the best information says it would be wise to stay away from certain west-end bars where a cluster cases seems to have originated and to stay home if you are sick. CBC

Do you know him?

Dating fraud say police

Large sum of money obtained

Police are trying to find a man who went by the name of Domenic Gurino when he met a woman, 52, in an on-line dating site that police say is a fraud. This was in November and about a month into the relationship the man told her of a property investment with “profitable returns”  The woman provided a “large sum of money” on the strength of the man’s word, say police. Having received the funds, the man has evaded the woman

–

It won’t be too surprising to learn but the poor little house under construction that snapped in the wind early Thursday will be torn down. Joanna Lavoie of the Beach Mirror checks in with word that the trouble began when the house lifted off its foundation causing the structure above to crumple.

What fun. It happened on the Metro Train system in Melbourne. Take a look.

New CEO John Boynton

Can Star still afford printing?

Didn’t seem to click

Torstar’s new president and CEO is John Boynton. He is a turnaround agent and some will wryly add his rainmaking skills are much-needed at the Toronto Star 

171 teams will compete

The largest women’s hockey tournament in the world will kick off next Friday when the 38th Annual Toronto Leaside Wildcats March Madness Tournament begins at 18 arenas across the City. Players and parents from across Ontario and many other parts of Canada converge on Leaside Arena for at least part of the time. One large contingent is flying in from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. This year, says Mark Schrutt, tournament director, a record 171 teams will compete across all age levels and categories. Hundreds of volunteers and paid personnel like referees and arena staff will toil from Friday March 10 to Sunday March 12 to keep the program moving.

SILENT AUCTION

It’s an expensive event and one important element in carrying the cost is the silent auction which takes place in the William Lea Room at Leaside Arena. This year a huge variety of exciting prizes is up for silent bidding. West Jet has donated two round trip tickets to anywhere they fly. There are Leaf Tickets, Raptor Tickets, Jays Tickets, an Autographed Darryl Sittler Stick, Original Richard Johnson Ice Hut Photograph, CWHL Autographed All Star Jersey, Sonos Play 1 System. Apple Watch, many hockey camp gift certificates. Eagles Nest Golf Passes, Restaurant Gift Certificates, Wine Baskets and NHL Alumni  Autographed Jersey.The Auction closes at 7 p.m. on Saturday March 11th and payment may be made by cash, cheque or credit card.

ARENAS

Games will be played all across Toronto: Angela James in Flemingdon Park, Baycrest, Commander, Don Montgomery, East York, Leaside, RINX, Scarborough Centennial, Ted Reeve, Birchmount, Cummer, Malvern, Oriole, Phil White, Scarborough Village, York Mills, Mitchell Field.

2017 Leaside March Break Madness Schedule (as of Feb 27 @ 9:30 pm, subject to change)

The dizzying upward spiral of home prices in the Greater Toronto Area registered a year over year increase in February of 27.7 per cent. The average selling price of a home in the GTA in February was $875.983. The average price in the City of Toronto rose 19.2 per cent to $859,186 and the average price in the 905 area climbed nearly 33.1 per cent to $885,508. Meanwhile, the MLS HPI composite benchmark price for the GTA was up by 23.8 per cent compared with February 2016. The Toronto board says there were 8,014 home sales through the MLS system last month, up from 7,583 a year ago. The increase came as new listings in February totalled 9,834, down 12.5 per cent compared with a year ago.

Upper left is the most touching of stories about a teacher who quietly had herself tested to see if she would be a match as a kidney donor to her pupil Lila. She was. Don’t miss this one. And then, to the right, a harrowing escape for a prison guard. The attempt to subdue him is caught on video. Lower right, Priscilla Presley cuts the ribbon and speaks at an expansion to the Elvis museum in Memphis. And finally, lower left is the CBC’s reprise of Donald Trump’s Canadian moment during a speech to Congress.

Empty tunnels

Who will make LRT trains?

BOMBARDIER “RECORD OF FAILURE WELL KNOWN”

Metrolinx has had talks with a different transit manufacturer to ensure it gets the vehicles it needs to finish the Eglinton Crosstown LRT by the 2021 finish date. And the bitter legal argument in court seems to make clear that Metrolinx wants out of its deal with Bombardier. Canadian Press says the Ontario corporation filed a lengthy document in court, including affidavits, in response to an injunction filed last month by Bombardier. The Montreal firm appears intent on trying to stop Metrolinx from cancelling the $770 million contract for 182 vehicles. Thursday, Metrolinx said Bombardier has repeatedly failed to deliver a prototype vehicle on time for the scheduled opening of the $5.3-billion line.

METROLINX HAS “OTHER” REASONS

Metrolinx describes the Bombardier injunction as a tactic to force it into months of litigation that would make it impossible for another supplier to provide the vehicles in time. Bombardier has denied this allegation. The CP account says Bombardier claims Metrolinx’s has other reasons for wishing to end the contract which “have nothing to do with its ability to deliver.” But the story does not say — perhaps because Bombardier does not say — what these other reasons might be. Bombardier claims Metrolinx has refused to inspect the pilot vehicle since October and won’t use a dispute resolution process included in the contract.

BOMBARDIER FAILURE “WELL-KNOWN”

The Globe and Mail remarks on one especially juicy affidavit from Metrolinx which says: “Bombardier’s record of failure to perform its obligations on public infrastructure projects around the globe is well-known and publicized.” This damning remark is said to be authored by Metrolinx executive Mark Ciavarro. Wikipedia list nine other Canadian “rolling stock” manufacturers but it isn’t clear if they can build light rapid transit trains. They are  ARS Canada Rolling Stock, National Steel Car (National), Canadian Car and Foundry, Urban Transportation Development Corporation, Montreal Locomotive Works – Toronto Transit Commission subway cars, Preston Car Company, Hawker Siddeley Canada, Ottawa Car Company – interurban cars, Arva Industries