The South Bayview Bulldog

A man accused of being a jet-setting bank robber who flew in and out of Toronto to render his felonies apparently tried to escape from police as he waited for the plane at Heathrow Airport. CTV reports that Jefferey James Shuman feigned chest pains hoping to be taken to a hospital in London. But it was too transparent and he is in custody in York Region tonight after being deported from Switzerland. Shuman — nicknamed “The Vaulter” because he allegedly hopped over counters to rob banks — is arrested alleged to have robbed 21 banks in the GTA as he also lived a less exciting life in the U.S. and Europe. He is both a U.S. and French citizen. Shuman had been sought under an international arrest warrant issued by Canada. He arrived back here on Saturday afternoon. Peel Regional Police said they picked him up from Pearson International Airport and delivered him into the hands of York Regional Police.

East York Town Centre has been in business on its sprawling Overlea Blvd acreage for many years. The Optical Factory store proudly displays a sign that reads Here since 1962. We must be doing something right. But things have changed at EYTC over that time as thousands of South Asian families have flooded into Thorncliffe Park Drive apartments making the neighborhood one of Canada’s busiest new-arrival landing spots. A walk around the Town Centre this weekend revealed that stores like Bentley Leather, the Rockport shoe outlet and many others have moved out. That doesn’t mention the sealed off cavern that used to be occupied by Target and before that Zeller’s. Still, dozens of dress, shoe, rug, kitchenware and furniture stores with no apparent “brand” populate aisles which are only occasionally spotted by empty stores. Fast food places, abound.

GRASS ROOTS OF BUSINESS

It is a testament to the grass-roots of private business. And there are new places that seem to fit well at EYTC. Ichiban Living is a beehive of a general wares store (not unlike Dollarama) with aisles so narrow customers pass sideways. Ichiban means Number One and it seems to be a Japanese under-the-radar phenomenon which is growing fast. Speaking of Dollarama, it is a veteran resident of EYTC (in the basement if you please) and apparently the only such business down there. These endeavors are flashing reminders of the state of  things as is the Money Mart.  It may be the only one to be found between Millwood Rd and Yonge Street. East York Town Centre is owned by Morguard Investments Corporation, a reit not unlike RioCan but with less prestigious properties. Morguard is big enough  to have “landlord influence” among valuable tenants like the banks (TD, Scotia, Shoppers Drug Mart, Rogers, Bell and Tim Hortons are here).  It is of interest to know that Morguard owns and manages the upscale Leaside Towers on Overlea, Rideau Towers 1, 2, 3 & 4 on Thorncliffe Park Drive and the Leaside Corporate Centre office building on Overlea Boulevard.

FOOD BASICS

At the under-renovation Food Basics (owned by Metro) the place is frankly, a mess. But Sunday morning it was crowded with local clients. Among the hundreds dressed in various colourful styles of traditional Pakistani and Middle Eastern dress. The mind turns to what the owners of this under-performing shopping mall might wish for themselves. The word Costco comes to mind. The construction of this store would pull hundreds of thousands of people to the stoplight outside EYTC. These are consumers who have seldom, if ever set eyes on Thorncliffe Park. Right now, the Costco proposal is in limbo, destined to be heard at the Ontario Municipal Board at an unstated date. Two businesses have taken the matter there. They are Iqbal Halal Food, the largest Asian grocery store in Ontario, located down near the south intersection of Overlea and Thorncliffe Park and the Heritage Funeral Home. Iqbal may well be concerned that its business will be undercut by Costco.

Ichiban general merchandise store — the name means Number One

School teacher Neil Bantleman has turned himself in to Indonesian custody after the country’s supreme court overturned his acquittal on charges that he and an Indonesian teacher allegedly abused three children. His wife has told the CBC their  family’s hope now hangs on a judicial review of the trial which is said to have seen much doubtful evidence. Bantleman, from Burlington, and Ferdinant Tjiong, had been sentenced to 10 years in prison last April. Both appealed to the country’s High Court which acquitted them in August. Those acquittals were overturned on Wednesday.

Many people do it. They rankle when Starbucks wants to put their name on the cup. It may make some feel at home but others think it is silly. Many a John Henry has made the poor barista spell out Herkimer or similar unlikely name. (No offense to any Herkimer). Just over a week ago, Jen Nubian of Atlanta decided it would be funny to tell the Starbucks barista that her name was Beyoncé. But, she quickly realised she was messing with the wrong barista. The female staff member’s brilliant comeback is seen above. Nubian says she was absolutely put in her place.

Union representatives for the City’s 23,000 inside workers (CUPE Local 79) have walked away from the bargaining table after receiving a final offer from the municipality. But it isn’t clear how far away they have gone. Mayor Tory (above left) says the union has dismissed the idea of a mediator but CUPE says it hasn’t. That’s Union President Tim Macguire (right). The final offer placed on the table Saturday was intended by the City said to address workplace conditions and job security which the union has made an issue. The state of these negotiations have all the signs of last-minute posturing on the part of CUPE. A “final offer” in such negotiations is normally taken to mean the union must decide whether to accept or go on strike. Local 79 seems to playing for time Sunday morning. It is hard for most people, knowing the high quality jobs of most of these employees, to imagine CUPE would take workers out on a stoppage. But who knows.

BEST TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Mayor John Tory spoke Sunday urging the union to return to the table and reminding them they have the “best terms and conditions of employment available in either the private or the public sectors anywhere in the province”.  Tory said shortly after the city tabled a new offer to the union, which represents more than 20,000 inside municipal workers, the union shut down the proposal. “Without warning or explanation, CUPE Local 79 released the province’s lead mediator, who has been working with our group, the two sides, for the past eight days,” Tory said.

Simcoe Street is closed Saturday night from Bremner Boulevard to Front Street because of the falling ice, TPS posts say. No one has been hurt but some of the ice is large enough to injure. The falling ice was first noticed at around 9:45 p.m. Police said it may have come from the CN Tower.

Kevin Page

The former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page has told CBC Radio that the new Liberal finance minister, Bill Morneau (Toronto Centre) is even less transparent on fiscal matters than the Conservative government which preceded the Trudeau majority. Page contradicted the host of the program saying: “I don’t think it is [more transparent]. The documents — they’re not better from a government that promised to be better, more transparent … there’s no more information, perhaps even less information, than what we got from the previous government,” Page said in an interview CBC Radio’s The House. “I don’t think we’ve seen the transparency yet,” he said. Page was a sharp critic of the Conservatives during his time as a spending watchdog. He frequently said the Tory policy lacked clarity around the deficit figure.

$40 MILLION FUDGE FACTOR

Page told The House that the government took the private sector forecast for Canada’s economy in the next fiscal year and then cut an extra $40 billion from the projected growth, something he calls a fiscal “fudge factor.” “It just wasn’t explained. This is a government that wants to be more transparent, more analytical, more evidence-based and he (Morneau) missed an important opportunity to explain to people why the outlook is changing. And I think we’re going to hear, in a few weeks, that they want a big stimulus package,” Page said. Page also said that Mr. Morneau should have released fiscal targets to put Canadians at ease. “We shouldn’t give an unlimited leash to the finance minister. I think that’s never a good idea. I think he missed an opportunity this week to say ‘Yeah the situation has deteriorated … but we’ll not allow the deficit to go above $30 billion, we’ll get back to balance somewhere over the medium term,’ Mr.Page told the radio program.

Victorious East York Bulldogs. Photo courtesy EYB

The minor novice East York Bulldogs are repeat champions of their division and winners of the Don Montgomery Memorial Hockey Tournament in Scarborough. They were undefeated in last weekend’s tournament.

CBC

As expected, sixth place Leaside Wildcats will meet 11th place London Devilettes in a preliminary best-of-five playoff round in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League. Play is set to begin in Leaside with the first two games at Leaside Gardens (labour conditions permitting) on Saturday March 5, and Sunday March 6, 2016. Further action will move to London for games on Friday and (if needed) Saturday. And if that play leaves the teams tied two games to two a fifth match will go Sunday, March 13, 2016 in Leaside. Here is the link showing all the preliminary match ups.

LABOUR NEGOTIATIONS

At post time CUPE Local 79 continues to negotiate although it looks bit as if the City has said there is nothing left to  give. It is not likely there will be a strike but if there is, the home games may move to Mattamy Arena at the Ryerson Sports Centre at Carlton and Church Streets.

The MP for Don Valley West Rob Oliphant has been interviewed by Canadian Press about his role as chair of the parliamentary committee on issues related to the so-called right-to-die. Mr.Oliphant is a United Church minister and has dealt with parishioners and others who are dying. It is an informed article. Canadian Press 

This is a nice little CBC story on the tension as Toronto fans wait and hope for another big season from the Blue Jays. Many wonder whether Jose Bautista should be as cocky in public as he has been. Sooner or later all batters lose it. Might be good to be humble, at least for the bleachers.