The pet store chain that operates Pets Unlimited, Petculture, PJ’s Pets and Oliver & Pets Co is closing 27 of its 39 stores across Canada. One is in Toronto at 3291 Yonge St. at Brookdale Ave. “We are saddened to say that we are closing our doors after almost 50 years of serving the pet community across Canada,” said Brad Hamilton, vice president of PJ’s Pets, in a news release. The 27 stores that are closing include one in Newfoundland and Labrador, one store in Prince Edward Island, six in Nova Scotia, three in New Brunswick, 11 in Ontario, and five in British Columbia. A detailed list of locations can be found here. A March 2016 report by Price Waterhouse Cooper says the company employs 427 people. The stores that are closing are offering discounted prices on pet merchandise, including pet food, accessories and supplies.

Ari Ofsevit was pushing himself to better his time at last Monday’s Boston Marathon. His harrowing story is told by Millika Marshal of WBZ Boston. She’s looking for the man she kissed during the Boston Marathon

The ASLAN Boys Choir will be heard in concert again Sunday, April 24, 2016 at St.Cuthbert’s Church, 1399 Bayview Ave. The boys are said to be singing better than ever with Benoît Boutet (tenor), Matthew Li (bass) and Asal Iranmehr (accompanist). Admission is $15 and $5

They call it milking the green rush, but don’t ask exactly what they’re doing. Shops are popping up all over Toronto — including Mt. Pleasant Rd — and three in a row on the Danforth. .

Toronto Raptors have lost the fourth game in their playoff test against the Pacers to tie the series 2-2. Sportsnet says the team was outhustled and embarrassed by the 100 to 83 loss in Indianapolis. The loss was a deep disappointment to loyal fans who had travelled to Indiana capital. Sportsnet’s Michael Grange lashed the Raptors. “With a chance to win three straight playoff games in the same series for the first time in franchise history and the chance to take a 3-1 lead in a series for the first time and – most importantly – a chance to come home to the Air Canada Centre with an opportunity to clinch their first-round series at home, the Raptors fumbled and stumbled and looked like the moment was too big for them”.

Magical Midways with its carnival rides and games of chance is back in Thorncliffe Park outside the East York Town Centre. There are the traditional rides like Go Gator and Tilt-A-Ride. The Snocones and Cotton Candy booth was busy as Saturday, April 23 saw a good crowd. Magical Midways is here until Sunday, May 1, 2016.

The sunny lawn outside the Legislature building is the scene Saturday afternoon of the #COD Rally. That’s a body protesting the government’s apparent pre-occupation with the cost of medical service. They are known as Concerned Ontario Doctors and claim that “unilateral cuts” to the province’s health-care spending has jeopardized doctors’ ability to provide quality care to patients.

Volunteers from businesses, homes and the BIA formed a powerful cleaning team from Davisville  Ave to Soudan Ave  for the annual Spring Sweep. After nearly three hours of collecting cigarette butts and refuse along our favorite high street a few of the heroic cleaners took a pictures with the bags of rubbish. Well done gang and thank you all big time. See you next year.

Thank you to our wonderful Bayview Pixies! You keep Bayview Leaside beautiful! pic.twitter.com/8dpZwaAGTe

— Bayview Leaside BIA (@LeasideBIA) April 23, 2016

Business Insider says Costco members should expect annual membership increase of as much as ten percent next year. Annual fees could go from $55 to $60 for a basic membership and from $110 to $120 for its executive membership in the U.s. the report says. ,“If its comp were to dramatically slow in the meantime or if there were some major macro disruption, it might delay this increase,” analysts wrote. “But, it sounds like that’s not likely.”

 

The Winnipeg woman accused of concealing the remains of six infants in a U-Haul storage locker spoke daily of wanting to abort her pregnancy in 1997 her trial has heard. A friend, Danielle Devereaux, who met Andrea Giesbrecht in 1996 and worked with her until 2000 at Pioneer Grain testified that Giesbrecht was worried when she was pregnant in 1997. “She said she didn’t want to have the baby and talked about plans on how to abort the baby,” Devereaux testified.

Three expensive Humvee vehicles fell to absolute destruction during a training air-drop by a U.S. Army airborne unit in Germany this week. More than a million viewers on social media have seen the sequence after a video surfaced showing (in total) three Humvees breaking free of rigging and plummeting to the ground. The video is seen below in edited form which deletes profanity of the oddly delighted men watching. They are not identified,  Many original versions may be seen on YouTube.

A favorite Mac’s store and Subway sandwich bar at Eglinton West and Avenue Rd. are gone, demolished in what seems like wink. Much faster than the removal of the McDonald’s at Bayview. All such work is being done by Priestly Demolition Inc. Locals know well that the Oriole station will be here on the northwest corner with a secondary entrance 80 metres to east on the north side of Eglinton where two storefronts are already history. Metrolinx tells Wikipedia that this station will serve Chaplin Estates, Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School, the Eglinton Park and the Eglinton theatre, but of course there are no movies there any more. It is now the Eglinton Grand event vanue.