Category: Bayview Biz

Rashida Powankumar/South Bayview Bulldog

Pixies ever faithful to Bayview Ave.

Best street ever

Public-spirited friends of Bayview Ave. gathered Saturday to sweep up winter left-overs at the annual Bayview Leaside BIA Sweep the Streets Clean Up. The community of interest shared by east and west banks of the  Don River was on display as Rashida Powankumar (above) a reporter for the Toronto Observer came to write about the event. The Observer is published by the Centennial College School of Journalism from its “intimate boutique campus” at Carlaw and Mortimer Aves. Rashida echoes the sentiments of many who practice the craft. “I love what I do. I really enjoy it. Every day it’s something new and I love that,” Rashida said

Bayview and Fleming

Crypto Fast kiosk (Twitter / @CryptoFastca)

Read Wiki post

The firm Crypto Fast is tweeting that it has installed a bitcoin machine at Bayview Jug Milk at Bayview Ave. and Fleming Crescent. Crypto Fast uses the term ATM, as many do, but others say they are correctly called merely kiosks because they do not function like bank ATMs. This Wikipedia article is useful in educating yourself about how such machines are used, and the caution that should be employed. Among other things, it deals with the murky world of money muling. Bitcoin kiosks have also been used as a tool by phone scammers to induce victims to send money that is untraceable by the authorities. Oh yes, you can buy a bitcoin today for $10,173.98 Canadian, if you have that lying around. 

Kris Morra, Warren Ravinthirarajah and Debora Kuchme (leader of the Pixies) with Darryl Kaplan, President of the TABIA Board of Directors./Bayview-Leaside BIA

Leaside Guys Night Out/Andy Elder

Bayview-Leaside Santa/BIA

Beach boardwalk/DeClute Real Estate

Congratulations to the Bayview Leaside BIA and the tireless Bayview Pixies for winning the top prize for this year’s Apple Fest, in honour of their “green” event decor. Judges found the October 2017 Apple Fest street dressing of South Bayview one of the best in the City. The award was given by the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) and recognizes decorative and recyclable decorations. Above left we see (from left) BIA representatives Kris Morra, Warren Ravinthirarajah and Debora Kuchme (leader of the Pixies) with Darryl Kaplan, President of the TABIA Board of Directors. Then to the right, Leaside men chow down at the Leaside Pub on Laird Drive at Thursday’s 14th Annual Leaside Guys Night Out. This selfless effort raises money to buy a gift for every single school child in Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park. God’s work gentlemen. Lower left is the Bayview Leaside BIA Santa and he’s a good one. You can visit him this weekend. To  the lower right, a look at the Beaches boardwalk brightly lighted thanks to the public-spirited contribution of  DeClute Real Estate. Below that, a reminder of the December-long holiday pop-up shop at Bamboo Bay private art school at Bayview and Millwood Rd. Pop up and take a look. Below, is the updated South Bayview bulletin board with events happening tonight and this weekend.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cumbrae’s (@cumbraes)

New signs (right) have appeared on Bayview which reflect the name of the Business Improvement Area. The street’s business district has been known as South Bayview for many decades.

New Cadbury sign

Old Kit Kat sign

Chocolate bar rivals

Cadbury and Nestle are among the fiercest competitors in the world. They sell confections on seven continents. Cadbury parent, Mondelez (formerly Kraft Foods) has had a running battle in Europe over the shape of Nestle’s Kit Kat bar, of all things. Nestle claimed a patent not just on the name, but on the four-finger structure of Kit Kat. Cadbury, which has its own finger food, fought that and won. The question of who would raise the new sign on the Bayview Jug Milk store at Bayview Ave. and Fleming Crescent was not as bitterly fought.

CADBURY BLUE

In fact, Nestle may not even know its beat up old sign is gone, replaced with a spiffy blue Cadbury flag. The Ontario Lottery Corporation may have a part of the action since its logo is up there now as well. The change came after the Jug Milk owner asked Nestle to replace the aging sign. It was a rusting eyesore. Nestle pondered that and declined. The owner then tried Hershey. It passed too. But the Canadian arm of Cadbury, the nearly 200-year-old British firm said yes. From what we hear, it may be the start of a program to install Cadbury corner store signs elsewhere. Certainly beats Circle K. But that’s another story.

Why are storefronts empty on South Bayview, Mt Pleasant Rd and other attractive midtown business districts? Mayor Tory suspects that many of these vacant shops are just property plays by their owners. Whatever the truth, Tory is campaigning to eliminate the approximately $22 million a year in tax rebates to landlords who control empty storefronts. He requires provincial approval to make the change. Landlords will see the issue differently. Business may be better than it was during the economic crisis of 2008 but things are certainly not back to the palmy days of 2000.

Subsidizing business to keep space empty?

And while some landlords may play the tax loss game for profit it remains true that not every prospective tenant is worth the trouble. Too many stores wash out in 18 months if the business plan is based on a dream. Are rents too high? Sure. It is a fair comment that no one who can’t afford to buy the store should be in retail. In making his decision public, Tory said that from 2001 to 2013, the City handed out $367 million through its property tax rebate for vacant commercial and industrial buildings. Maybe half of that money went to businesses where property values are skyrocketing, he said. “We are subsidizing people to keep space empty that is increasing, almost hourly, in value,” Tory told reporters.

John Tory, this is your life. No seriously, Your Worship, thanks for visiting South Bayview on the first of two Apple Fest days. The second is Sunday. The mayor is quite popular. A notable public official will find both acquaintances and total strangers (see headline slider photo) to share a shutter-click or two. We see Josh Matlow (Ward 22) and Patrick Rocca on the scene. The crisp and sunny Saturday was a boon to the BIA Apple event. A good first go at what should become a tradition.

Beautiful fall afternoon in Toronto. Checked out the scene at the first @LeasideBIA #OctoberAppleFest. pic.twitter.com/aTBivjj0rJ

— John Tory (@JohnTory) October 22, 2016

South Bayview video producer Gil Gauvreau was busy Saturday working on a video commissioned by the Bayview Leaside BIA. Here he is in front of Norman Tailors at 1565 Bayview.