The prime minister and his family arrived in Washington Wednesday afternoon in preparation for tomorrow’s state dinner with President Obama. The rush, with Mrs. Trudeau and the children running across the tarmac, is interesting as Canadian officials hustle the Trudeaus into cars. One Canadian government source likened the demand for tickets to Thursday evening’s state dinner to Game 7 of a Stanley Cup final between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadians.
Imperial Oil has sold 279 Esso stations to Couche-Tard (Night Owl) the Quebec giant that has been running Esso’s On the Run convenience stores for many years.Couche-Tard is among the largest convenience store and gas bar operator in the world, having many stations in Europe under different names. An important part of the deal will be the addition of Tim Horton kiosks or full-service cafes in as many as 229 locations mostly in Ontario. The seller and buyer say consumers will not notice much difference. Canadian Business
A Halton trash collector has been fired for loading up his truck with snow, evidently in an effort make the truck heavier for the pay-by-weight process used in Halton. The video was captured by Milton resident Anna O’Sullivan Tuesday morning and posted online. She said she did not realize the driver was doing anything wrong. But the snow had the potential to increase the money made by the employer Miller Waste Systems
The South Eglinton Ratepayers and Residents Association will hold a two-hour seminar this evening at Greenwood College School on the challenges and solutions related to renovations. It begins at 6.45 p.m. at the school which is at 445 Mt. Pleasant Rd. at Davisville Ave. Details.
George Martin has died in the United Kingdon at age 90. He is widely-credited with giving the recordings of the Beatles, especially the early ones, the infectious musicality which vaulted the group to world-wide fame.
Jeanne Sauve
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is said by Canadian Press to be a man looking for a woman to be featured on a new bank note starting in 2018. Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau are marking International Women’s Day by announcing the search for a new face for the currency. The bank is asking the public to nominate women deserving of the recognition. Submissions can be made on the bank’s website between now and April 15. Following the practice with men, nominees will have to have been deceased for at least 25 years The custom tends to blunt political considerations and permit an assessment of the candidate’s entire life. The nominee must be a Canadian woman who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, achievement or distinction in any field, benefiting the people of Canada, or in the service of Canada. Jeanne Sauve (1922-1993) was a dignified and effective governor general and might make a nationally acceptable choice.
Josh Mtlow
Josh Matlow (Ward 22) has commented on the dismissal of a City employee who claimed to be on jury duty for 44 days even though the jury was not sitting and the employee should have been at work. Because employees get paid while on jury duty the taxpayer forked out $11,000 for nothing. Matlow told the City’s audit committee that people “people can disappear around here and there’s no accountability for where they went and when they’re coming back.” The 44 days worth of paid hooky were reported in the auditor’s report along with another case in which a worker was terminated for having falsified time logs, resulting in more than 800 hours of time theft at a cost of around $40,000.
THESE ARE THE ONES WE KNOW ABOUT
The cases raise the quality of reasonable supervision in City offices. They also bring to mind the special psychology related to the use of OPM (other people’s money) by both the honest and the not so honest. It is a little-discussed reality that is deeply rooted in human nature. These cases were identified somehow but not before the money was gone and the nature of “accountability” reasonably remains an issue for the Councillor. .
The Fraser Institute, a Conservative think tank, says it sees no end to Ontario’s growing debt and it estimates that nine cents of every tax dollar collected goes to pay interest on the $300 billion owing. Fraser says that between 2003/04 and 2015/16. Ontario’s debt level increased more than any other province. Per capita debt has now reached about $21,000 for every man, woman and child.
Jon Burnside (Ward 26) is holding a Thorncliffe Community Town Hall meeting tonight (Tuesday, March 8, 2016) which will see many public representatives available to answer questions. It will begin at 7 p.m. at the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office in the LINK Room at 1 Leaside Park Dr. A release sent out yesterday says that representatives from 53 Division, Municipal Licensing Standards, Transportation, Parks & Recreation, Costco, Community Crisis Response Team, and Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office will be in attendance. It says that this is an opportunity to voice concerns and ask questions. Anyone with questions is invited to call the Councillor’s office at 416-392-0215 or councillor_burnside@toronto.ca.
A loveable Toronto Bassett Hound has gathered more than 100,000 followers on Instagram and become a modest source of income for his owners. Advertisers are apparently eager to pay to have their name associated with Dean, as he is known. But his owner, Carly Bright, says Dean does not yet pay for himself which seems like one expensive Bassett Hound. Animal love.
Danier Leather Store will begin the company’s liquidation sale today (Tuesday, March 8, 2016) at its 76 stores across Canada. That includes the Danier stores at Eaton Centre and Yorkdale. The liquidators say in addition to their current inventory, the stores are receiving new shipments from warehouses. The store fixtures, furniture and equipment are also for sale.
