The South Bayview Bulldog

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.

Charlene Kalia

Once again Friday evening — for the seventh annual time — Charlene Kalia’s signal fundraising evening Laugh Out Loud in Leaside has entertained local friends and many outside visitors. This year’s LOL was held to support the Regent Park Community Food Centre and Community Food Centres of Canada. In her remarks to the hundreds present at the William Lea Room at Leaside Garden Kalia said it has been important for her “to shine  a light on worthy community causes” as she found them. She told the happy crowd that together they were making an “important impact on hunger and poor health facing many of our communities.”  The benefit always features exciting food for those who attend and last night was no different.

PUBLIC SPIRITED

Among those public-spirited retailers serving to a hungry gang of partiers was Andy Elder of Grilltime at 62 Laird, Drive, De La Mer, whose oyster bar was mobbed, and kept on serving, long after oyster bars normally close. Other well-known names in Leaside: Neal Brothers Foods, the Indian restaurant Pukka, Cup Cakes Leaside, Amsterdam Brewery and Sapsucker Maple Tree Filtered Water. The outpouring of generosity is remarkable among local organizations and businesses. More than 50 donated items to be sold at silent auction. There are traditionally many coveted prizes offered in a live auctions.

LIVE AUCTIONS

This year saw winners to an escape to Fogo  Island, Newfoundland’s vacation hideaway donated by the Shorefast Foundation, a Backyard Barbecue Party for 20 guests offered by Andy Elder, a catered party in the winner’s home with Chef Miheer of O&B’s Cafe Grill in the Bayview Village, Fly Away With Me, an evening at the Nelligan Hotel in Old Montreal plus Air Canada tickets and gift a certificate,  and finally Puttin on the Ritz, a one night stay in a deluxe room at the Ritz Carlton Toronto with breakfast and a gift certificate towards the Spa and Dinner. Yes the good times rolled on at the Lea Room for a wonderful cause.

What are the big races, controversies, and moments that will have everyone talking about the 2016 Oscars come Sunday night? CNN’s Stephanie Elam previews.

The LCBO will emerge from the cocoon of government ownership and start an online store beginning as early as this summer, a notation in the provincial budget has revealed. The details are sketchy but it appears the liquor store  will offer a wide a variety of spirits and wine to be delivered to the home by some form of safe transportation. The government monopoly says it expects to take at least 40,000 orders at the online store in a year of the launch.

A DECADE LATE

This development comes perhaps a decade onto the era of serious online shopping in private industry. A remaining element as yet unembraced by government is the self-serve machine, an important factor in democratizing wine and liquor sales in most parts of the world including the U.S. The government has long studiously avoided even mentioning the self-serve machine possibly because it is heavily opposed by OPSEU, the Ontario  Public Employees Union. CBC