The South Bayview Bulldog

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

CUPE Local 79 president Tim Maguire has spoken on the CBC about “extra duties” — potentially thousands of different things — that may become forbidden work as his members go on a work-to-rule campaign  They include, he says, things like shovelling the snow or fixing a broken photocopier. Mr Maguire says:  “They will still get paid, but they won’t be working for free.”  Taxpayers will surely agree that CUPE workers are getting paid. Work-to-rule is a charade: A series of undefined but limitless tasks that members of the public supposedly wont notice (but maybe they will) and either way are apparently important enough for the union to go on strike about. The reality is that the secret negotiations about “extra duties” deal with ever more carefully-defined job descriptions. Maybe an employee can shovel snow in the playground but not the walkway. A different employee would be required for that. A cheeky example maybe but it makes the City’s point that it wishes to keep some  flexibility in the workplace. Tell us we’re wrong.  CBC

Snow and or freezing rain expected Wednesday, Thursday. CBC  Weather Network 

This stick-up felon robbed a bank on Tuesday, January 19, 2016, at 11:15 a.m. at Kingston Road and Morningside Avenue area. The security camera capture is so detailed he might as well have posed for it. At the time, he was dressed in a yellow high-visibility coat with two chest patches cut out  He passed the bank teller a note indicating he had a gun and demanded money  If you know him, call police immediately.

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TDSB trustee Sheila Ward obituary was published February 20, 2016

For weeks the speculation surrounding Samsung was that the South Korean electronics giant would trot out Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones just as the Mobile World Congress tech confab was about to begin. Samsung delivered right on cue Sunday. USA Today 

Tim Maguire, head of CUPE Inside Workers Local 79

CUPE Local 79 president Tim Maguire is threatening to haul the City’s inside workers onto a work-to-rule on Monday if there is no settlement. The mayor, bless him, says he regrets that kind of inflammatory (our word) talk. And as usual, it is very hard to know just what issues of life and death cause this distress. We hear of “duties outside of their jobs descriptions” for one. Is this about who will get the coffee?  How about “skipped breaks.”  That’s a deal breaker for sure. However, the good news is the talks continue tonight.

MISGUIDED SECRECY

Decades of misguided practice have built a wall of secrecy that is abused by both sides. Yes, negotiations should not take place in public but when union officials offer feeble excuses for working to rule or half-baked strikes, it is more than fair for people to demand  to know why  This very day has seen CUPE say absurd things. They don’t want to inconvenience the public just the employer. Can you process that? You are the employer.

JOSH MATLOW MESSAGE

Josh Matlow (Ward 22) sent a message to constituents Sunday night in which he said City workers will complete their job obligations but refuse to do any extra duties as are often requested. He says that if one relies on services provided by CUPE 79 workers, such as City of Toronto child care, they should not be affected. Services would be affected if the union eventually decides to strike or the City decides to lock them out.

Patrick Rocca

Well-known realtor and community supporter Patrick Rocca has been chosen the 2016 winner of the Agnes Macphail Award. The award was established by the Borough of East York and continues as an annual event to recognize an outstanding volunteer who lives within the boundaries of the former borough. The Agnes Macphail Selection Committee met, as established in the selection process, on Wednesday February 3, 2016 to examine the nominations received and to select this years award recipient. The committee voted to nominate Mr Patrick Rocca as the 2016 Agnes Macphail Award recipient. The award will be presented on March 24, 2016 which is the anniversary of Agnes Macphail’s birth. This will take place in the East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Ave beginning at 7 p.m.