Reaction to stories that the Government is thinking about selling the 250 LCBO locations where it owns the real estate was sharply critical today Some readers say Ontario is selling its furniture to pay the credit card. One said it is the province’s grandchildren who are selling the furniture so their grandparents will have a roof.. Either way, this surprising revelation related to spending and debt broke Monday at Queen’s Park where PC critic Vic Fedeli demanded to know if there will be closures and job losses. The Minister, Mr. Sousa, was slippery — he said the sales, if they happen — would not reduce service At the LCBO there was a statement that it would continue with the same complement as always,. Many in South Bayview will be scratching their heads to think of an LCBO location that is actually owned by the Government. Smart Centre, Bayview and Millwood, Yonge and Major — and any others that come to mind are rented.
Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue properly named at Toronto Zoo
by •
The Toronto Zoo has decided on the names of the first giant pandas born in Canada: They are to be Jia Panpan (meaning Canadian Hope).He is the male cub. His sister is Jia Yueyue (Canadian Joy). Please don’t ask us to tell the difference. Both Premier Wynne (Don Valley West) and Prime Minister Trudeau found the cubs too cute to resist attending the name-reveal but maybe with an additional reason or two from most people for there.
May Wong-Tam stand in like glory to Rosie the Riveter
by •
Rosie the Riveter
Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam has spoken to Luke Simcoe of the tabloid paper Toronto Metro about the erasure of women’s histories. Her exact words when asked why there aren’t more statues of women was that “It speaks to the continual erasure of women’s histories. The value of women’s contributions to community, city and nation-building is often undervalued because we’re not given the same opportunities as men.” It’s an odd way to put it Erasure. The erasure of women’s histories. Goodness. But never mind. Agnes Macphail celebrations are nearly upon us and the wonderful parkette in Ms. Wong-Tam’s own riding is full of the work of Frances Loring and Florence Wyle. Some of the statues are of men, like a lowly fictitious guy who worked his heart out in a war plant. We’re guessing the Councillor herself will have her own statue by and by, erasures notwithstanding. May she join the ranks of unforgotten women from Victoria Regina to Rosie the Riveter.
Telling Thorncliffe Park’s Stories to be held March 19
by •
An event called Telling Thorncliffe Park’s Stories is a “community-based collaborative event and exhibit” which should also be fun. It will investigate, document, illustrate and animate the history of Thorncliffe Park from First Nations and settlers to Thorncliffe Park Raceway, its planned modern residential, commercial and industrial development, and contemporary challenges, say organizers. It will be held Saturday March 19 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Jenner Jean-Marie Community Centre Gymnasium at 48 Thorncliffe Park Dr, East York www.tpwomenscomm.org
Amber Alert was a parent talking to son who ran away
by •
OPP confirm that the feared abduction of a boy possibly 8 to 11 years was actually a parent dealing with a son who was “running away from home.” Because of concern on the part of whoever saw this exchange, a province-wide Amber Alert was issued. The process included an over-ride of all television signals in a large part of the province, not just news bulletins. No doubt this is being discussed in the offices of television and cable firms today. .The alert was cancelled about an hour into the alarm with police saying the boy had been located and was safe.
@ HISTORIC: Ray Tomlinson invented e-mail in 1971
by •
Ray Tomlinson
The man who invented email as the world knows it has died. Ray Tomlinson conceived of the first bit of test e-mail which included the distinguishing symbol @ to separate the user from the host. Tomlinson created the send message (SNDMSG) command which directed mail to a recipients doorstep — his computer. Mr. Tomlinson is said to have died Saturday of an apparent heart attack at the age of 74. He sent the very first email back in 1971. At the time, he was working in Boston at Bolt, Beranek, and Newman (BBN), a company that was instrumental in the development of a very early version of the internet, called ARPANET. As an employee, he was “looking for problems [ARPANET] could solve,” Tomlinson told The Verge in a 2012 interview. He decided to use the @ symbol because it had almost no use at the time being mostly employed as a symbol to specify the price of produce per piece e.g. apples @ 25 cents. Sadly, the very first email has been lost. As Tomlinson said: “The first e-mail was completely forgettable and (was) therefore, forgotten.”
Burnside newsletter summarizes four developments
by •
Jon Burnside’s monthly newsletter summarizes the status of four large developments: 660 Eglinton Ave. E (Sunnybrook Plaza); Dawsco Plaza (Steve Diamond) located at Brentcliffe and Eglinton; 140-150 Laird and 3-5 Southvale Drive beisde Leaside Gardens. The seniors residence at 140-150 Laird has been heard at the Ontario Municipal Board and a decision is expected within 90 days. The newsletter is here in pdf form.
Eglinton down to one lane each way east of Brentcliffe
by •
Metrolinx has issued a notice that crews are doing roadway surface reconstruction on Eglinton Avenue East between Brentcliffe Road and Leslie Street. During this work, Eglinton Avenue East will be reduced to one lane only for both directions of traffic. Paid Duty Police Officers (PDOs) and/or flagmen will be employed to control traffic at each end of the work site. Release
Timothy’s Coffee closed at Mt. Pleasant and Soudan
by •
Readers report that the Timothy’s Coffee location at. Pleasant and Soudan is now closed permanently according to the sign on the door. This outcome was anticipated as the struggling Timothy’s franchise dealt with the new (2012) Starbucks on the opposite corner.
London ties best-of-five playoff series with Leaside 1-1
by •
London Deviletttes have tied the best-of-five playoff series with the Leaside Wildcats, defeating Leaside 4 to 1 at the Gardens Sunday afternoon.The series now moves to London for two games. If a fifth game is necessary, it will be played at Leaisde Gardens. The Wildcats were a different team from the one which battled to a 3-2 victory Saturday night. The Devilettes scored quickly twice in the first period Sunday and got two more in the third. The Leaside goal came courtesy of Megan Pardy at 15.33 of the third with an assist from Olivia Kariunas.
CORRECTION
Incorrect information was published previously on Saturday’s winning goal for Leaside. It was scored by Siobhan Birch with assists from Bronte Mutukistna and Cynthia Cavanagh The Bulldog regrets the error.
Snow-melting time as temperatures rise in week to come
by •
It will be snow-melting time all this week as South Bayview begins to zero in on Spring. The temperature is forecast to reach a high of 9 C on Monday and will continue to rise on Tuesday and Wednesday with daytime highs of 12 C and 13 C. Weather Network
Hyundai Iconiq is a triple-pronged environmental car
by •
Hyundai is showing a triple-pronged bid for the environmentally friendly car market at the Geneva Auto Show. The Hyundai Ioniq is poised to be a bold vehicle — a sedan sold with drivetrain options that can turn it into a gasoline-hybrid, a plug-in or a fully-electric car. Jim Drury of Reuters reports.