Chris Selley of the National Post summons up late 20th Century Yonge and Clair. You know, the Uptown, Hollywood, ‘RB and all the rest. The headline suggests we’re going to read about the intersection “reborn”. We get only a sprinkling of hopes for the rejuvenation of this important junction (streetcars, buses and subway). There’s no mention of how, even in the 80s, it was more like downtown than most shoppers in South Bayview (where?) preferred. A reminder perhaps that you can’t go home again. But a fun piece with enjoyable photos. Here.

Visa has taken out newspaper ads seen Thursday accusing Walmart of using consumers as pawns in its battle over merchant fees. Walmart said earlier this week that it will phase out the use of Visa at its 400 stores in Canada because the fees are just too high. Walmart said it pays more than $100 million in fees annually for customers using credit cards like Visa, MasterCard and Discover. Visa contends it has among the lowest rates of any merchant card in Canada however it has many so-called rewards cards that rival costly American Express. Costco finally ditched Amex for MasterCard because of fees. It is a longstanding argument between card companies and retailers. Merchants say it is the consumer who pays for “premium” cards giving gifts.  Credit card charges in Canada are said to be among the highest in the world. Retailers across Canada are watching the skirmish with interest but most were unwilling to comment or indicate if they too are considering taking up their own arms against the dominant credit card provider. But the CBC quotes Alimentation Couche-Tard (Mac’s and others) as expressing sympathy with Walmart. Visa says Walmart is a bully “dragging millions of Canadian consumers into the middle of a business disagreement that can and should be resolved between our companies.”

They’ve got a nice day ahead if the forecast holds for the Shop, Wine and Dine evening on Mt. Pleasant. It begins at 5 and runs til 9 p.m.  The BIA is advertising sidewalk sales, music and great food. Kidnasium has an offer to look after kids for those three hours for $35. The newly-minted MarBar at Manor Road (formerly Celestin) is open as is the former Longest Yard now refurbished as The Belsize Public House. Take a look.

The task force assigned to slash the cost of policing in Toronto has recommended sweeping changes. One such upheaval only hinted at is the suggested closure of 53 Division at Eglinton Ave. E. and Duplex Avenue. Other divisional offices would also be merged (see list below). There will be media lockup Thursday where officials will provide a technical briefing on the task force report. The briefing will include a review of the report, a presentation by Task Force members and one-on-one interviews with Chief Mark Saunders and Chair Andy Pringle. Content from the technical briefing will be under embargo until 3 p.m. The information as published here was obtained by CBC News through leaks. It includes:

• No promotions or new hires for three years.
• Getting officers to move away from mobile work stations and towards utilizing smartphones.
• Disbanding the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS) by the end of this summer.
• Ending transit patrols, leaving the work to TTC special constables.
• Using crime data to determine where officers are needed most.
• Divisional boundaries will be reworked. 54 Division is set to amalgamate with 55 Division in 2017. The officer’s notes also indicate that 12, 13, 33, 53, and 41 Division stations could be targeted for closure in 2018.
• No longer attending bylaw calls made to 3-1-1.
• Overhauling the paid-duty officer program.
• Handing over to the city school crossing guard, life guard and parking enforcement programs.
• The authorized strength of the police force will drop from 5,100 to 4,750 by 2017, a reduction mainly driven by attrition.

It’s not going to be safe without them

Police in 53 Division are warning of what appears to be an increase in break-ins with the arrival of better weather. It is a fairly annual occurrence for homes in midtown and especially the South Bayview neighborhoods of Leaside, Davisville, Moore Park, Thorncliffe Park, Rosedale, Summerhill and nearby areas to see this increase in crime. The current concern is marked by entry through unlocked back doors at night. Homeowners are being advised to make sure that doors and windows are locked and alarms activated before they go to bed. Homeowners are also being advised to ensure that their vehicles and bicycles are locked and secured. Homeowners are also encouraged to register their bicycles online with the Toronto Police Service.  Questions can be directed to Crime Prevention Officers Constables Timothy Somers at 416-808-5337 or Alex Li at 416-808-5308.

The costly finish to a story from Airdrie Road which we posted here in January sees a homeowner paying about $75,000 to lower his home’s roofline 23 centimetres (nine inches). It is a part of bittersweet pleasure of living in Leaside that the residents association (LPOA) sniffed out the height and complained to the City. The owner, Kian Sohrabi, took it to the Ontario Municipal Board where he lost. As reported at the time, part of the concern was that the City had already granted an exemption, setting a new height, which the builder flouted. But then, nine inches does not seem like much on a street where there appears to be more than one house exceeding the permitted height. Would it happen in Moore Park or Lawrence Park? Does it matter? The LPOA, ever alert to precedent, will say it does. OMB turns down an appeal on height of 151 Airdrie

Hannah N of Northern Secondary School has won bronze in the current Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award which is given for personal self-development among those aged 14-24. The recognition was created “because not all learning happens in the classroom”. Hannah is seen below with NSS principal Ron Felsen.

Congratulations to Hannah N. on receiving the @dukeofedontario Bronze Standard. Way to go! #NSSRocks! pic.twitter.com/ILUvCvJRPb

— Adam Marshall (@PrincipalNSS) June 14, 2016

Twitter has changed its blocking policy to be less stalker-friendly by closing a loophole that allowed blocked users from sneaking into your newsfeed through retweets.  Twitter announced that it had made blocking more user-friendly in a way to help users control their experience on the network. Consumerist 

The search continued Wednesday for a 2-year-old boy who was dragged into the water by an alligator near Disney’s upscale Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Hope is fading however that he will be found alive. The family of five from Nebraska was on vacation and wading in the Seven Seas Lagoon about 9:20 p.m. Tuesday when the attack happened in an area where “no swimming” signs were posted, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings told a news conference earlier in the morning. The father tried to rescue his son but was unsuccessful, Demings said.