The Bulldog

Rail Deck Park to stretch from Bathurst to Rogers Centre

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Rail Deck Park is a visionary 21-acre vision which will cover the GO tracks and railway lands from Bathurst street mo the Rogers Centre. The exciting concept was announced today by Mayor Tory and various City officials. However like a lot of nice ideas this one is still out there somewhere. A staff report on Rail Deck Park will come to Executive Committee in September. No cost estimate is available just yet, but it’s expected to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

NO DEATHS: Emirates 777 crash lands, burns at Dubai

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An Emirates flight en route from southern India caught fire after apparently skidding as it landed at Dubai International Airport Wednesday. Video showed a burst of flames and then thick black smoke billowing from the stricken Boeing 777 shortly after it came to a standstill. One commentator said it appeared a land gear had failed and subsequent heat from the landing has caused a fuel tank to explode. Remarkably, there are said to be no fatalities among the 282 passengers and 18 crew members on board. “Emirates can confirm that today, 3 August 2016, flight EK521 traveling from Trivandrum International Airport in Thiruvananthapuram, India to Dubai has been involved in an accident at Dubai International Airport,” the airline said in a statement.

Pokepain as ferry terminal tells Pokestops to scram

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Toronto has asked the makers of Pokemon GO to remove so-called virtual beacons away from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal because kids are cluttering up the already crowded dock for the island ferries. At least five PokeStops (beacons that draw in players of the smartphone game) are situated in the immediate area around the ferry terminal.

BIA Business Enhancement Breakfast set for August 9

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Nordstrom Rack discount store set for Vaughan in 2018

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Nordstrom announced plans Tuesday to open one of its discount Nordstrom Rack brand stores in the Vaughan.Mills Shopping Centre by 2018 about 30 km north of Toronto. There will be a second such store in Calgary, the announcement said..Nordstrom Rack is part of the flossy retailers off-price retail division with products said to be discounted by 30 per cent to 70 per cent.  Nordstrom plans to open three full-line stores in the Toronto in the fall. These will be one in the Eaton Centre (September) and another at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre (October) with a third at Sherway Gardens in fall 2017.

Four Seasons Auto at 199 Laird sold for $10.5 million

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It has been a long time coming, but sources at Four Seasons Auto Collision at 199 Laird Drive say the property has been sold. Records show the sale was made to a numbered company for $10.5 million. The deal closed July 8, 2016 and the new owner will assume control in the fall. The front-desk lady at the unassuming old premises was clear. “Done deal” she said. But, she added, the buyer is not Mitch Goldhar, owner of the SmartCentres retail group across Wicksteed Ave. “Definitely not SmartCentre,” said the Four Seasons source. Just what this emphasis might mean may be guessed at but it is certainly widely believed that there were marathon efforts by SmartCentre to buy Four Seasons. Now the owners, brothers Pat, Mike and Mario Ricci will see a generous payday whoever the new owner. It has been 52 years since Pat and Mike bought the corner and set up their car repair business. Later, younger brother Mario joined the firm. Over the years the auto body and scrapyard grew to its present size. It has become legendary across the City for its distinctive curb appeal.  A nice history of the family by Lorna Krawchuk is here 

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Bike lanes are being installed on Bloor St. during August

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Bloor Street between Shaw Street and Avenue Road should be avoided during the installation of bicycle lanes which is now ongoing. The bike lanes are part of a pilot project approved by city council in May. The project is said to be an attempt to discover the “impacts and benefits” of bikes lanes on Bloor.  All on-street parking will be removed on Bloor Street during the first few days of construction. About 1.3 percent of Canadians cycle to work every day.

 

Liberals plan to create panel to appoint high court judges

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The Globe and Mail says the Liberal government has confirmed it will overhaul the way Canada picks Supreme Court justices. It will, says the paper, open up a process that has been criticized as partisan and unaccountable. Former prime minister Kim Campbell is said to be about to become the chair a new seven-member advisory board that will be tasked with recommending candidates to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Thomas Cromwell. Whether this process will address the most common complaint  about the court is another matter. Typically, Canadians seem to care less about “secrecy” in the selection of judges than the court’s 21st Century appearance as a kind of parallel government to the elected one.

Houston relievers shut down Jays bats in hard-luck loss

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It will probably be soon enough if the Blue Jays never see Houston pitchers Michael Feliz and Chris Devenski again. Between them, the two relief hurlers shut down Toronto’s best batting talent Monday night through five overtime innings. It ended 2-1 Astros in the 14th.

Kristin Della Rovere to Hockey Canada camp in August

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Pregnant women told to avoid Zika-tainted Miami suburb

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The U.S. health authority in Atlanta has issued a warning to pregnant women Monday to avoid the Zika-stricken Wynwood Art District of Miami. It has told couples who have been there recently to delay having children for at least two months. This after the number of people feared infected through mosquito bites in the U.S. climbed to 14. The unusual warning comes from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It also warns expectant mothers who have visited the neighbourhood since June to be tested. Meantime, Florida is working overtime to control the Zika.

2-storey “boarding house” in Metro lot at Eglinton-Bayview

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The corner of Eglinton Ave. E and Bayview Ave. is a source of constant surprise these days. The two-storey construction building that has risen in the Metro parking lot almost looks like Metrolinx gone into the boarding house business .