The new mortgage rules apply to homes over $500,000. A buyer will have to put down 10 percent of the price as a down payment. It’s potentially a lot of money but similar down payments are not unknown in Canada. In the 1970s and 80s, another time of fast growth, a home priced at $200,000 typically required a down payment of 25 percent, or $50,000. It didn’t stop homes from soaring in value. This was shot in Leaside by the way.
Picture taking with Santa between noon and 3 p.m.
There are some nice free offers Saturday on Bayview. Patrick Rocca and Valumart are offering complimentary poinsettia plants to customers while they last. There is also a Santa at Valumart as well as COBs. How about that.
Rexall Health, the re-named pharmacy chain previously known as Pharma Plus, has cut hours at South Bayview locations and perhaps elsewhere. The tightening of the payroll has rather soured the mood in the stores at 320 Moore Ave. and Sunnybrook Plaza where the wait to see a pharmacist or assistant has run to nearly ten minutes in some instances. Midweek the lineup to see the single pharmacy employee at 320 Moore numbered seven. Earlier this fall the chain got a new president, Jurgen Schreiber, who as stories in both the Globe and Mail and Financial Post suggested, is seen as an agent to the possible sale of Rexall Health. Long-time customers at 320 Moore were a bit grumpy about the delays. Cutbacks are often a sign of an attempt to prepare a company for sale. Some of the possible purchasers were speculated about in this previous post from May: Rexall boss Schreiber seen as agent of possible takeover
Hamilton’s CHCH, which was among the first private television stations in Canada, has declared bankruptcy. The 61-year-old CHCH announced Friday afternoon by email to staff that the corporate entity Chanel ll L.P. was broke. In recent years the station has been known somewhat prophetically it seems as Channel Zero. It was bought by Channel Zero in Toronto in 2009. At that time it was on the verge of going off the air when CanWest Global collapsed. Today’s announcement brought an abrupt halt to all news broadcasts although Channel Zero chair Romen Podzyhun said on air that news broadcasts will resume on Monday. Just what form they will take or what it means for staff in is unclear. Station statement
A Service Ontario employee has been arrested and accused of obtaining VIN numbers and key codes for high-end cars in Toronto. At a news conference today police said that this employee provided the information to a locksmith who was able to make keys. The locksmith is also under arrest. The two are alleged to have been part of a large conspiracy to steal cars organized by the so-called Black Axe, a Nigerian mob. With the keys, it was fairly easy work for the ring to steal as many as 500 vehicles in the middle of the night. They were shipped out of east coast ports to Africa for re-sale. This activity has been taking place for many months across Toronto, including South Bayview neighborhoods in Midtown.
LEASIDE TOYOTA THEFTS
The explanations of how the thefts were facilitated by a government employee recalls the theft of six Toyota Highlanders from Leaside and nearby driveways in 2009. It was never explained how such a theft could have been committed. Those thefts are not part of the current arrests nor is the VIN and key code theft necessarily how those cars were taken. Nonetheless, the presence of an inside thief at Service Ontario would explain how the Toyotas were taken so quietly in the night. CBC Previous posts Nigerian news report
Students from Children’s Garden School had a very exciting day yesterday. They presented their toy donations to the CP 24 CHUM Christmas Wish live on camera with Stephen LeDrew, host of Live at Noon. The visit to the set has become a pre-Christmas CGS tradition. This is their fourth year running. Marie Bates, Principal of the school, took a few moments to explain to Stephen how the toys are collected. Every year CGS staff hosts The Holiday Outreach ‘Night Out’ for parents. Parents bring an unwrapped toy and drop off their children at school for a fun Friday night with their friends and teachers. CGS staff is very happy to give back at this time of year and share the spirit of giving with their students. The children were very proud to donate the toys they collected.
The City has planned a series of public meetings to hear concerns about the growth near Yonge and Eglinton Ave. related to the Crosstown LRT. The first such gathering will be in the Centre Court of the RioCan Yonge Eglinton Centre from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 13, 2015. Others are planned at North Toronto Collegiate and Northern Secondary School.There are yet more such meetings to be held in the new year.
There was much excitement at Toronto Airport as the Prime Minister and the Ontario Premier were present to welcome a small number of the Syrian refugee families and family members arriving Thursday night. One case covered by CP24 tells of the warm reception received by two young women from their Canadian cousins. The sponsor, Christine Youseff, is quoted as saying: “I’m going to show them the Canadian way — I’m going to make them Canadian.” We might pray for a similarly auspicious placement for all those now headed to Canada. CBC
This story is republished from our sister blog, Yonge and Roxborough News. The recent Roxborough West unsuccessful parking application triggers a reminder that parking can be a hot and emotional issue in Toronto. Take the case of a condo building at 2 Ridelle Avenue in the Bathurst and Eglinton area that has 44 units and only 32 parking spaces. As reported by the National Post, the dispute began some years back over an Audi with flat tires in parking space number 20. A resident noticed that the car was not being driven regularly and alerted the building’s board of directors. “Please be advised that … if you wish to retain the right to rent your parking space, you are required to bring the car into good repair, insured and with active plates,” read the memo to resident Paula Couture. If Couture didn’t get the car in order, read a subsequent letter, it would be towed to “allow other deserving residents” to take the spot.
OWNED SPOT FOR 24 YEARS
Couture claimed that the spot had been hers for the past 24 years, and she retained “exclusive use of my parking spot” regardless of what was in it. The board, in turn, shot back that she had no basis to question its “exclusive authority to assign parking spaces” and advised her to seek a lawyer. To pay her maintenance fees, Couture kept cutting cheques that included her $50 a month rental fee for the disputed spot. The condo board refused to cash them and then placed liens on Couture’s unit as it went into arrears.
SHE WINS $15,623.05
It’s at this point, Ontario Superior Court Justice Frederick L. Myers noted that the dispute passed beyond anything resembling “amicable, businesslike or neighbourly” behavior. In her lawsuit against the condo board, launched in September, Couture had sought a declaration that the condo board had wrongly taken away her parking spot, monetary damages and an injunction to forever bar the condo board from treating her in a “harassing, harsh, burdensome and/or unfair manner.” Couture, however, won only the $15,623.05 she incurred as a result of the liens. The story by the NatPost’s Tristin Hoppe (subscription)
Mechanical Santa man does a mean Jumping Jack at Pagnello
South Bayview is well into the Christmas shopping season and the mood on the street is positive. The presence of West Coast Kids and manager Karen Becker is like an old friend on South Bayview. Merchants are putting on their best faces, from the traditional pajama parade (our term) in the window of Tzatz to the wild and hilarious leaping Kris Kringle at Pagnello Antiques. See him in action below. He is for sale at $250. Many shops like The Source Men’s Wear and Paul Carreira Casuals are showing great selections. The new BIA has done yeoman work on short notice of giving the street a pleasant green and Christmas feeling.
CHARITABLE WORK
Through some doors there is a genuine goodwill. At Bayview Orthodontic Clinic you can leave a toy for the Toronto Firefighers Toy Drive. At Bonnie Byford Real Estate, Sue Byford and her dad Richard are sorting and folding hundreds of pieces of clothing donated locally. The Byfords will deliver it all to The Sanctuary Street Outreach and Drop-in on Charles Street by Christmas. Sue notes that amomg the most urgent items are men’s underwear, deodorant, razors, women’s underwear, women’s feminine hygiene items.
SPACES FOR LEASE
There are spaces for lease but this is frequently so. The business cycle seldom sees every space occupied. One recent closure for unspecified reasons is Tokyo Sushi and it appears that this is permanent even though there are no signs indicating what is happening. The former TD Bank space beside Second Cup is a superb space for a big chain restaurant like McDonald’s. If Bayview is right for a large Starbucks, it ought to be right for a McCafe. We can speculate. Enjoy the leaping Santa and send us your Bayview stories at news@bayview-news.com
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The analysis by KPMG says the police department might be better — and certainly cheaper — if it had fewer cops, stations and cruisers, plus more civilians. No promises, mind you. CP24
This entertaining report from CBS News may or may not contain very good advice. Few sensible people would want very much money tied up in handbags even these beauties. At least not as an investment. But it is fun to think about. Meg Baker is the reporter.
