The South Bayview Bulldog

Eva Ravikovich

A Newmarket court has found three people who ran the daycare where two-year-old Eva Ravikovich died to be guilty of operating an illegal child-care centre. Ruslan Panfilova, 47, his wife Olena Panfilova, 50, and her daughter Karyna Rabadanova, 26, were found guilty under the province’s Day Nurseries Act by a justice of the peace in a Newmarket court. The 2013 death occurred at the daycare on Yellowood Circle. There were 27 children at the daycare the day the child  died. Police found rotten food in the refrigerator, a garbage bag of dirty diapers and 14 dogs in the home. Provincial law limits unlicensed child-care facilities to five children under the age of 10.

Leaside Gardens swimming pool and (inset) long-abandoned sunbathing steps

The nearly 60-year-old swimming pool at Leaside Gardens will be renovated this summer. As plans go forward at the Parks and Recreation Department for this work, there is said to be a related idea from developer Shane Baghai to create a new City parkette on about half an acre of unused table land behind the pool. It is known around the Gardens as “the back 40”. The pleasant parcel of grass and trees is now land locked from City streets and is not accessible to police vehicles and other services. But Baghai is said to have proposed access to the land off Southvale Drive on the west side of the proposed condominium he hopes to build at the land known as 3&5 Southvale.

Google maps reveals the little-known green space behind Leaside Gardens.

Nothing is agreed to but the parcel of land itself, which is seen through the west-facing window wall of the swimming pool will be part of a landscaping project regardless of the park project. This work will see the demolition of the old sunbathing steps (photo at top) a relic of a bygone era when soaking up sun in a bathing suit was more fashionable. The City will create a grassy terrace down to the window of the pool from the table-land to the west.

MAIN PUMP SEIZED

Inside the pool, old equipment such the seized pumping system which is supposed to empty the pool will be replaced. For years, pool staff has had to rent portable pumps when it was necessary to drain the pool. The roof leaks too. Stains and rotting ceiling panels can be seen in change rooms and elsewhere. The leaking is worst it seems under heavy roof-top dehumification equipment. It will have to be hefted down along with HVAC to do the work.

SCHEDULE

The project is expected to take three to five months. The present start date is hovering between May and June of 2016. The pool closure work has parents with kids in swimming classes and others looking around for another pool. The nearest would seem to be the outside pool at 5 Leaside Drive (416) 396-2822 and the indoor pool at the East York Community Centre, 1081 Pape Ave (416) 396 2880

Sales of resale homes in the Greater Toronto Area have risen a dizzying 8.2 per cent in January from a year earlier, says the Toronto Real Estate Board. The total number of transactions was 4,572. Average prices climbed 14.1 per cent, while the MLS home price index revealed an increase of 11.2 per cent.  The 905 factor taken alone is even more remarkable. The average price for a detached home in the city, or 416 area code, rose 11.6 per cent, but surged 20.9 per cent in the 905 region. Percentages aside, total price tags were higher inside Toronto, an average $1.06-million in 416, compared to $783,565.

 Atlantic.com has written a thought-provoking article recognizing the many ways in which Starbucks makes a contribution to the lives of its employees. It wants to be a company with a conscience, as stated in its own PR about this work.  But critics say such things as helping UK baristas pay up-front apartment rental fees in London are small change against a fatter pay cheque. Worth reading.

By mid afternoon South Bayview was beautiful

Men in shirt sleeves, joggers in shorts, an open-jacketed stroll with Fido and an inviting opportunity to let the sun shine on your face. That was our favorite high street on a February 3 like no other it has seen. Thanks to a Texas low pressure system we received a funneling of warm air that made this the warmest post groundhog day in history. Forecasters predicted that previous record highs would be shattered when the temperature passed 9 C Wednesday morning. At 2 p.m., the mercury hit 15.5 C at Pearson International Airport. The previous record set at the airport was 9.3 C in 1991.

This is a useful reminder of the Leafs long history. That’s the new leaf on the video thumbnail reflective of the 1930s.

Driver of this silver SUV with rear-mounted wheel might be on the phone

Mark Corrigan was shocked to see this motorist whiz by in front of him through a red light at Major Mackenzie Drive and Bayview Ave.  He spoke with the CBC about it and said he had to pull over and compose himself. As is clear from the dash cam video seen below, Corrigan has the green. A close up and adjustment of the picture by The South Bayview Bulldog seems to show the driver holding something (a phone?) in his/her right hand. From captures of the video it looks like the tail lights of this car identify a 2012 (or close) Toyota RAV

As some 1,800 kids roll into eight hockey rinks this weekend much of the fuel that will sustain the Leaside Select Hockey Tournament will come from wonderfully dressed hot dogs and glazed peameal bacon sandwiches (No cracks about the hot dogs on the ice please, everyone is a team player). These great walk-away delights are two favorites at Andy Elder’s Grilltime meat shop on Laird Drive. Andy is catering things at Leaside Gardens where he will dish up more than 1,200 meals on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Andy will also be serving delectable smoked brisket and chili and roast beef sandwiches with peppers, horseradish aioli, caramelized onion and arugula. (When’s lunch?)

GAMES AT EIGHT ARENAS

This is the 26th invitational tourney and it will see 116 teams on the ice with  29 of them from Leaside alone. Games will be played at eight rinks (Leaside, Angela James, Canlan Victoria Park, De La Salle, Don Mills, Oriole, Victoria Village and York Mills). The hard-working chair is Grant Worden and his equally industrious co-chairs are Valerie Cooke, Masja Stark and Line Livingstone. Grant notes that the tournament’s Platinum Sponsor is Scotiabank, without which it would be hard to mount this great sporting and family event. .

CBC Weather Network  

U.S- based Lowe’s has scooped up the Quebec home repair and hardware giant Rona by paying double the stock price — $24 — that was being paid at the close of business last night. The whole deal is worth $3.2 billion Cdn. The deal has been cosy with both boards taking votes to approve the deal and Lowes agreeing to place its headquarters in Boucherville, Quebec. That location is a kind of sop to Quebec nationalist feeling about the home-grown Rona.  A previous attempt by Lowe’s to purchase Rona in 2012 collapsed after resistance from Rona’s management and outright hostility from the Quebec provincial government and pension fund. Time will tell what  opposition still exists. Lowe’s has also committed “to continue to employ the vast majority of its current employees and maintain key executives from Rona’s strong leadership team.”

The annual Agnes Macphail Public Speaking Contest for elementary school students will take place Wednesday, February 17, 2016 in the True Davidson Council Chambers of the East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Ave. The best speeches will be heard in the final round of this event from students in grades 6, 7, 8 of East York and nearby schools.  The event will begin at 7 p.m. There are students from schools in the Toronto District School Board as well as the Toronto Catholic District School Board participating.  St. Anselm’s will be participating. For information contact Lorna Krawchuk.at (416) 425-4431 or LTKrawchuk8@aol.com