The South Bayview Bulldog

Dalton McGuinty was back outside the office he left in scandal tonight more than three years ago. Near the door to what is now the office of Kathleen Wynne. Mr. McGuinty unveiled an official portrait of himself. Every premier has one, and  the former premier’s  has been rendered by a well-known painter of Ontario prime ministers, Istvan Nyikos of Collingwood. Nyikos has done the portraits  of  former premiers Bill Davis and Mike Harris, among others.  McGuinty conceived and/or approved the disastrously costly election-eve cancellation of two gas plants in 2011. His subsequent biography blamed others for the decision and said the plants were always located in the wrong place. But it was the naked political expediency of the cancellations which, critics say, cost so much money. The figure has been set at $1.1 billion.

Phyllis Ellis

Celebrated Leaside filmmaker and sports personality Phyllis Ellis will see her latest documentary Girl’s Night Out aired Thursday night (February 25, 2016) at 9.p.m. on the CBC. The film was inspired by the book Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol by Ann Dowsett Johnston. “I was captivated and deeply impacted by the book,” says Ellis. “It spoke to me as a mother, a woman, and a filmmaker. Everyone has a relationship with alcohol. It’s ubiquitous in our culture and we’re affected by it in different ways.”  Ms. Ellis, a Donald Brittain Award-winning filmmaker is also an active member of the community having served as a judge for the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame in her capacity as a former field hockey Olympian. She is a a member of the University of Toronto Sports Hall of Fame and an advocate for enhancing opportunities for women in sport.

The news that Starbucks at Laird and Kenrae was closing has touched a nerve in the community. The story is now in many forums with the question of “why?” frequently asked.  Even Starbucks employees are not sure although there seems to be a feeling that Starbucks was over-stored in South Bayview. The location at Eglinton and Laird in the old TD Bank building is probably not as busy as Starbucks would like but as one person said, it an “investment store” ready to pump out thousands of drinks a day when the LRT is finished.

SOCIAL DAY SATURDAY

A small bright note is that the final day, which was said to be Friday, is put over to Sunday and there will a Social Day at the 62 Laird location on Saturday. There is speculation about who or what will move into the spot. Some suggest that even with perhaps two years left on the lease Starbucks will “protect” the nicely positioned store by papering it over and paying the rent. The economics strain the brain. Perhaps they don’t want Tim’s in there. Well, who knows? But it seems certain the premises will certainly be in demand.

 The Toronto Zoo says there will soon be official viewing of the celebrated panda cubs born here last year. That happens Saturday,.March 12, 2016 for parents and others wishing to plan an excursion. In video released today, the mother, Er Shun, is bustling around her cubs, sometimes trying to pick them both up at once. This is quite a chore since they are now 6.859 kg and 5.920 kg. There is also an ongoing contest to name the cubs. CBC video 

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation has given a cheque for $5,000 to Interval House, the shelter for women and children. The money was raised through the Leaside Holiday House Tour.

This is the great squad of pee wee teammates which has acquitted itself so well this season. Along the way they also provided much fun for Saturday night hockey fans. They are in first place in their LHA division. The team is in good shape to make it to the championship round. Is the South Bayview Bulldog proud of them?  Count on it. Left to right # 16 Max Boer, # 11 Paul Essam, #2 Charlie Baillie, #5 Ciara Carasole, #3 Derek Poltoranos, # 12 Mathew Rendle. Front is goal tender #6 Silas Laramee. Absent # 9 Oliver Burnett, # 8 Toby Milo, #14 Connor Atkins, #7 Ryan Alexander

Jason Ramsay-Brown

The well-known authority on Toronto ravines, Jason Ramsay-Brown, will speak on Wednesday, February 24, at 2 p.m. at the S. Walter Stewart Library on Memorial Street in  East York. Mr. Ramsay-Brown is the author of Toronto’s Ravines and Urban Forests. The address is sponsored by the East York Historical Society and The Toronto Public Library. The East York Historical Society also meets on the last Tuesday of January, March, May, September and November at 7:30 p.m. with refreshments prior to the meeting and holds several afternoon “Show and Tell“ discussions throughout the year.

Toronto Mayor John Tory met Premier Wynne today and asked her to allow the City to install photo radar speed traps on municipal streets. Such radar speed traps are used in Alberta and Saskatchewan. But they were withdrawn from streets in Toronto by former Premier Mike Harris when he took office in 1995. The program was costly at about 4.5 million but generated more than $19 million in revenue for provincial coffers. That may not be the best reason for installing it. Many challenges have been allowed in Saskatchewan but the program continues. The premier seemed non-committal. This page from the City of Edmonton is informative.

The University of Guelph has confirmed the deaths of two students in a kayaking accident on the Credit river Sunday. They are  Kaya Firth, a third-year English student and her boyfriend Zach Sutherland, a fourth-year commerce major. Ms. Firth’s body was found yesterday. OPP found Mr.Suthlerand’s body Tuesday afternoon. The alarm went up when someone saw two empty kayaks struck in the ice in the river. Just what went so terribly wrong is not known. “We are deeply saddened by this news,” said University of Guelph president Franco Vaccarino. “Our hearts and thoughts go out to the friends and families of these two vibrant young people.” Ther OPP issued a statement about safety: “Basic safety practices such as learning to swim at an early age, wearing a life-jacket or a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) while on a vessel or in water; adult supervision of children while swimming; and not drinking and boating can make the difference between surviving, or not.”

It is now three months since the President of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Victor Dodig decided to give his depositors on Bayview Ave the gift of digital. We wondered how things are going because the little branch at 1529 seems so lonely. There is a pleasant enough jill-of-all trades (“no problem” she saith) stationed at a desk midway back in the branch. She was dealing with an older woman Monday standing alone among the terminals who, when she made eye contact with The Bulldog, gave her head a grim shake. Does she wish to give Mr Dodig the digit? She did not say it but up the street in at least two of the “Five Sisters” who own  banking in Canada there is much glee about the digital deconstruction of CIBC’s conventional banking structure. Not enough millennials no doubt and most of them think wealth management is a Starbucks card.  Remember however that while most banks are nice they are not your friend. Anything can happen

Employees at Starbucks, 62 Laird Drive at Kenrae Road have been told their store will be closing at the end of this week. The abrupt closure seems odd but it appears business has been slow at the sunlit coffee spot, especially in the evenings .The small plaza at 62 Laird is particularly attractive because of the parking at the rear. Monday night employees were saying they were appreciative that they will get transfers to other local Starbucks. There are at least five in South Bayview  The focus will now be on who might wish to lease this desireable spot