The hapless Quebec company Bombardier will lay off 7,000 positions over two years in its rail division despite being two years behind in the delivery of streetcars to the City of Toronto. The scandalous incompetency of the Mexican subsidiary has seen a handful of slipshod vehicles delivered, many of them entirely out of alignment and unusable by the TTC. City Council is deciding whether to sue the company. It is an appalling example of the folly — in this case — of buying Canadian. That is how Bombardier got the contract. There seems very little chance that it would have received Toronto’s trolley business if it were not an old Canadian company. On the same day this was announced, the floundering firm said it has a letter of intent from Air Canada to buy 45 of the CSeries 300 jetliner with an option of 30 more. It must be asked if that deal was brokered in the Prime Minister’s office. Bombardier is also waiting to hear about taxpayer money so it can somehow try to survive.
The sad end to more than one small retail start-up is recorded by Sara Mojtehedzadeh of the Toronto Star in the form of the complaint by a former employee that she was not paid. The Tori and Cates cupcake venture on Bayview Ave. in the Spring of 2014 was a likeable thing. Look at the pictures in this BlogTO article. But the business plan, like so many of its kind, must have been badly flawed. How many cupcakes do you have to sell to meet the rent and other costs (like paying people) to stay in business? It didn’t last long. The place was closed and equipment sold at auction barely nine months later. Now a former employee, Helena Borody, has gone public in a dispute with the Tori and Cates owner Christine D’Onofrio of Leaside. Barody is a wedding cake designer located on Stephenson Ave. off the Danforth. Sara Mojtehdzadeh, Toronto Star
Leaside Wildcats played below their normal game Tuesday night in a 3-0 loss to Oakville Hornets in Oakville. Leaside averages 2.3 goals a game. Everyone seemed to have a rocky night which was made worse by eight minutes of penalties. Oakville scored two of their markers on power plays. Even in a losing effort the Wildcats outshot the Hornets 24 to 17. Oakville net minder Nikki Cece saw them coming and stopped them all. Katie Mowbray took the loss. She was subbed by Danielle Toland. Tough one.
Aisle Eight at 301 Moore Ave (Loblaws) is desolate and stripped of its cash register tonight. The Bulldog sniffed out the changing scene at the South Bayview grocery store last week. No one knew what the company was going to do with that space. But now further whispers suggest (without confirmation) it is another attempt to wean the public off human cashiers and onto self checkout. It’s been tried by Loblaws before in Quebec. At that time it met resistance. But for those who like it, there would seem to be no doubt it can move you through the checkout process faster. Self-checkout machines (SCOs) are said to have been in use for about 20 years in some places. They bring the promise of reduced costs and efficiency. However the human interaction is gone. What about asking customers if they want to donate to a charity. A U.S. grocer took out some units to ensure that its stores have “an opportunity for that last interaction” with customers. But it seems human-less transactions are ominously appealing to businesses. The banks are teetering on the brink. We shall see.
A meeting was held at Greenwood College School at Davisville and Mt. Pleasant Tuesday night to discuss possible concepts and challenges related to a proposed construction of a Midtown Hub on the property of Davisville Public School. The meeting was organized by Josh Matlow (Ward 22) and members of the Midtown Hub Advocacy Group. There were about 50 members of the public present including South Eglinton Ratepayers and Residents Association (SERRA).
SCHOOL PROPERTY
The meeting heard that negotiations for the purchase of about three-quarters of a hectare (or nearly two acres) of the present school site are ongoing. Although snug, it a valuable piece of Midtown property which might fetch $7 to 8 million. It is money that must be found through the auspices of City Hall and public subscription. The land is now occupied by the sprawling footprint of the old Davisville School. The meeting heard that the Toronto and District School Board might break ground for the school in 2020. The intent of the City’s Forestry, Parks and Recreation Department is a Midtown Hub which complements the school and is used by students, but also provides recreational facilities for the public, both youthful and senior.
SWIMMING POOL WISH
One component deeply wished for is a swimming pool. The meeting heard that the greater Yonge and Eglinton area is a burgeoning series of neighbourhoods stretching down to Mt..Pleasant Cememtery. The pool and other facilities at North Toronto Community Centre operate at full capacity. Councillor Matlow is confident the money for both the purchase of the land and the construction of the building is achievable. He had this to say.
MEMBERS OF THE MIDTOWN HUB CORE GROUP
Stephanie Rickard Chadda, whose focus is community advocacy and fundraising
Lisa Kelleher, whois primarily working on community programs and services alignment
John Hiddema, working on strategy and partnership development, as well as communications
Chris Trussell, called the “community animator” and who is our local food procurement advisor
Laura Greer, whose focus is communications and government relations
Nicholas Lagopoulos, Capital investment, development, and Public & Private Partnerships advisor
Tanya Murdoch, Who was on the video camera and is videographer and school council liaison
Anita Huang Teshima, who works on digital strategy
Vera Kan, who helps with data analytics and business case development
Dorlene Lin, who is a content producer
Kavita Khandelwal-Young, who is the accountant and active in other group work as well Who will give Davisville Village a Hub — and a heart?
A man has been shot several times near Vendome Place and Grenoble Drive west of the Don Valley Parkway in Flemingdon Park on Tuesday afternoon, Toronto police say. Police say the victim is in his 30s and suffered serious injuries. For a short period of time police placed Grenoble Public School in a hold and secure, but it has since been lifted. The search goes on for a suspect.
Norway’s skiing, swimming cat has gone viral. The Bulldog admires his skills. You can follow Jesper’s all-season adventures on his very own Facebook Page.
The average price of homes in Canada is rocketing up but it is really a story of two cities and the foreign money they attract, say analysts. The January value of a re-sale home increased by 17 per cent to $470,297 over a year ago. But this is deceiving because outside of Ontario and B.C. (Toronto and Vancouver) the gains in price are much lower, says the Canadian Real Estate Association. Strip the two cities out of the numbers and the average Canadian home was worth $338,392 last month while the year-over-year gain drops to eight per cent.
Republished from February 6, 2016: Josh Matlow (Ward 22) will join local parents on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 between 7 and 9 p.m. to keep alive the dream of a Midtown Community Hub at the site of a new Davisville Public School near Yonge St. and Millwood Rd. Several community uses will be discussed that would benefit the wider community at such a recreation and community hub. The meeting will take place at Greenwood College School, Room 103, 443 Mt Pleasant Rd. Who will give Davisville Village a Hub — and a heart?
It’s about five centimetres and it is making a mess of everything. The snow is forecast to end late Tuesday afternoon and it will be mainly cloudy tonight with flurries beginning again before tomorrow morning. The city says it will continue to salt the roads during rush hour this morning.
What a fabulous day to build a snowman in Toronto!