The South Bayview Bulldog

The Hero of Play program rocked Friday’s assembly at Davisville Junior Public School on Millwood Road. Awards were given to the school heroes (ten in all) who participated in eight videos to be used in Canadian schools to inspire fitness, athleticism and the Olympic spirit. Above, Davisville principal Shona Farrelly presents the honours. Notable supporters of the HOP physical activity modules were present.  Olympic speed skater Amanda Overland and Pan Am fencer Vanessa Laca-Warrick signed cards and spoke. Davisville parents Gord Miller (of TSN ockey) and Sarah were present in the crowded gym. Also seen was Julia Brennan of  Canadian Tire, co-sponsor of Hero of Play. Komac the Olympic committee moose mascot was there, for sure. HOP modules are a resource for teachers to introduce a variety of Olympic sports and values into the classroom as part of the Canadian Olympic School Program.  At the end of the school term, schools in participating markets that have leveraged the program are rewarded with an “Olympic Day” play day activation.

L to r Amanda Overland, Vanessa Laka-Warrick, Sarah and Gord Miller

The full height of the four-plex apartment building at Bayview Ave and Merton St. is apparent this week. The builders of small steel residential buildings say they are a good investment, being stronger and more energy efficient. It’s not clear how the energy part works.

Kelly Dolson’s Core Body Science Pilates and Training Studio at 862 Millwood Road will hold a special weekend workshop on the care of the body’s fascia in May. That’s the thin sheath of fibrous tissue that wraps our muscles. In the video below, Kelly and associate Veronica Pena explain the value of keeping the fascia healthy and well-stretched. To introduce this form of body care, Core Fitness will hold a weekend work shop May 28 and 29, 2016. It’s a great way to learn more about your body and see if you wish to participate in fascia classes which will take place after the workshop. Kelly Dolson is a well-known Leaside area professional with a long career in health care. She is a registered nurse and former hospital emergency care worker. Core Body Science offers classes with modified movement instructions for each client’s unique fitness profile and adapts the exercise to allow each person to work to their own potential. The studio offers a full range of services to assist clients in achieving their core strength and ease of motion, including Pilates, Personal Training, Rehab with Physiotherapy, Muscle Activation, Fascia Stretch, and Acupuncture. To inquire about the fascia workshop or other services call (416) 799-0444

Peter Sloly

Former deputy police chief Peter Sloly has been hired by the audit, consulting and advisory firm Deloitte to advise it firm on projects relating to the company’s risk and forensic practices. Deloitte noted Mr. Sloly’s experience in cyber risk, security and social media in making the announcement Thursday. In a written statement, Ryan Brain, the regional managing partner for Deloitte in Toronto, said the former Toronto deputy cop is a “proven leader” and an “out-of-the-box thinker.”

An app called Kik that is kid-friendly but also predator-friendly is reviewed here by the CBC  The company that owns it is in Waterloo.

Toronto Zoo knows how to get the public to take an interest. It’s running a multiple-choice contest to name the new baby rhino — and there are no wrong answers. The choice offered for the two-month old little fellow (well, not that little) are Nandu, Kaziranga and Vihaan. As explained by the zoo, Nandu means cheerful and happy, Vihaan can mean dawn of the morning or the beginning of a new era while Kaziranga is the name of a national park in northeast India that is home to more than half of the world’s one-horned rhinoceroses.

Chad and Alyssa McDowell, the amiable operators of the Valu-Mart at 1500 Bayview Ave. are on their way to Edmonton. Chad has taken an opportunity to run a larger store in the Alberta capital and the two have been packing bags for a few days now.  A new franchisee will be appointed but in the meantime manager Mike Tufts is in charge. Good luck Chad and Alyssa.

Robert Prichard, the chairman of Metrolinx, has told CP24 that he is concerned about the delivery schedule of a “test car” for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. Prichard says Metrolinx should have had possession of the car from Bombardier by now so that it was available to test on the under-construction rail line being dug along Toronto’s longest street. The Metrolinx chairman told Stephen LeDrew that the LRT cars are based on the same frame as the undelivered Toronto streetcars ordered by the TTC. The $770 million LRT order must arrive and be tested by the 2020 opening.

ONTARIO, OTTAWA MUST GET ANSWERS

It is a deeply disturbing revelation. The City is suffering a convulsion caused by LRT construction while the supplier of the vehicle required to run it seems to be lost in space.  No explanation worthy of the name has been given for the delay. Does anyone really know what has gone wrong?  Is there personal dereliction at work here? Are the employees incompetent?  It does not seem too much to ask that both the Ontario and Federal Governments obtain some explanation and provide it to the public.

It may not catch on along Bessborough Drive or at Granite Place but at least two Toronto women are in the business of serving meals to total strangers in their home. They advertise a menu, take a reservation, greet and serve the unknown guests, take payment in kind (beer, wine or whatever) and hopefully say goodnight without incident. What the police (on safety) or City Hall (on legality) might say about this is unknown. The CBC’s Sophia Hama tells of how Nadya Khoja and Sarah Lee do this out of their Toronto condo in what is known as the “sharing economy.”

Consumerist website says that YouTube is about to introduce six-second ads in an attempt to hold short-attention span cell phone viewers and to beat out Facebook, which has surpassed YouTube for video viewing online. Who knew?  A lot of those well-watched videos on Facebook started out on YouTube. At a mere six seconds, even the most impatient viewer is inclined to wait through these coyly-named “bumper ads”. YouTube will still keep the longer ads as well. Examples that YouTube showed in its announcement of the 6-second spots were short sections of existing full-length ads.

The new Star Trek television show that’s being produced for the CBS streaming service All Access will be filmed in Toronto according to Trek News. CBS is said to have studio space booked for the summer.  All five previous live-action Star Trek series have shot in Los Angeles. Canadian government tax incentives are traditionally a reason for filming in Canada, as opposed to Los Angeles. The new series will launch in early 2017 with a broadcast TV special on CBS. The first episode and all subsequent episodes will be exclusively shown in the U.S. on All Access.