The South Bayview Bulldog

They call them “semi-actuated type 2 pedestrian signals” and there’s one at the corner of Bayview Ave and Manor Rd. These SA2 signals require a pedestrian to push the button — that little yellow box known as the beg button — in order for the WALK sign to light up when the traffic signal turns green. If the button is not pressed, pedestrians are left looking at a green light for cars and a DON’T WALK  signal for them. Why? One has to guess that the SA2 is intended to make traffic turns faster onto southbound Bayview if there are no pedestrians waiting. But on any day at Bayview and Manor/Fleming there are lots of pedestrians heading back and forth from Hollywood Gelato to Bayview Jug Milk.  Many of them don’t get it. Lorna Krawchuk notes that the effect is the same down at McRae/Merton and Bayview where there is another SA2.

PEDESTRIANS THINK THE SIGNAL IS BROKEN

As the pedestrian website Walk Toronto says, pedestrians will think the system is broken and try to cross anyway. Walk Toronto calls these signals, of which there are hundreds in Toronto, frustrating and dangerous. Engineers are no doubt a boon to society but they have a way of assuming everybody else knows what they know. It’s called “I knew. How come you didn’t?” At another intersection in town,  guerrilla sign makers have plastered the SA2 with a sign that explains how it is used. All of this is about how hospitable South Bayview might be for the many people who come to shop here.

15 SECONDS OF GREEN TO CROSS BAYVIEW

In recent months on a Saturday, The South Bayview Bulldog measured the allotted green-signal cross time from east to west at Manor Rd It is a skimpy 15 seconds. That’s really short if you’re trying to figure out why the walk sign didn’t come on. Walk Toronto says that a recent post by Spacing Toronto asked readers to identify intersections in the city where they thought SA2 signals should be replaced by signals where the walk sign always comes on with a green light. It says there were many responses reflecting the frustration pedestrians feel about this type of signal. Walk Toronto decided to send this crowdsourced list (cross-referenced with the city’s traffic signal inventory to make sure they are all SA2 signals) to City of Toronto Transportation Services with a request to review them and change them to the more pedestrian-friendly type of signal.

Joe Oliver, Marco Mendicino, Joe Volpe and the flags of Israel and Canada

There is not a lot of reliable conventional wisdom about how the battle of Eglinton-Lawrence will end on election day (October 19, 2015). An article by Tom Blackwell in the National Post assays this topic today but the writer has no definitive information. Finance Minister Oliver is matched against Liberal Marco Mendicino. It touches on the two or three most important known elements. Mr. Mendicino is an articulate candidate in a riding that for many years was the safe home of old-time Liberal Joe Volpe. Can the Liberals take it back? Blackwell also notes that 30 percent of the population is Jewish (as is Oliver) and that many Jews have decided they prefer the Conservatives to their long-time former political preference. All of this leaves one educated but still unable to predict the outcome. The article is in the Post but you may not be able to read it because of the pay wall. It is here however on Twitter but you have to join —  Joe Oliver’s Battle 

Hudson’s Bay will lay off 265 mostly office employees in the U.S. and in Toronto. Spokeswoman Tiffany Bourre said the cuts will be centred at the company’s U.S offices where it acquired American luxury retailer Saks International in 2013. The affected cities include New York, St. Louis, Jackson, Mississippi, Aberdeen in Washington state and some others. The company said the layoffs are linked to cost savings it has discovered over the past two years after integrating Saks’s operations. The company will take a $20-million charge in the third quarter related to the restructuring and said the layoffs and other actions should save it around $75 million in 2016.Hudson’s Bay said it has hired 2,000 new employees since the takeover of Saks and plans to add more as it opens seven new locations under the Saks brands next year. The company’s brands include Hudson’s Bay, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks off Fifth, and Home Outfitters.

A number of people are saying that Old City Hall must not become a shopping mall. This matter arises because the City has hired a real estate firm to dream up some uses for the 1899 structure when the Ontario courts finally move to a new building. That will apparently be no sooner than 2020, maybe later. People commenting in blogTO are saying that a museum and nothing but a museum must occupy this old seat of government.  Maybe. The biggest problem with Old City Hall is not that it might become a shopping mall. Old City Hall is lucky to see people inside it for any reason. It is an important place but deeply dark and difficult. These days, entry by the front door would not occur unless a contempt citation for non-appearance were waiting in the courtroom. Anyway, The South Bayview Bulldog would love to see the old hall a happy centre of public activity. In due course Council might wish to consider some commercial use of the building by a public-spirited company that has the means to make it more accessible. Historical or museum attractions could co-habit with commercial activity. There are worse things than stores.

Today could be the day that the Toronto Blue Jays win the American League East Championship. It would be the first time since 1993 (what a party). It will take only a Jays win and a New York Yankee loss for this to happen. Toronto still sits ahead of the Kansas City Royals (AL West) in the race for No. 1 spot in the American League, a desirable prize that would ensure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Though the clubs own the same record, the Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker. SportsNet 

Canadian tenor Michael Burgess has died at the age of 70 after a long battle with cancer. Burgess is celebrated for his portrayal of Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables” in more than 1,000 performances at the Royal Alexandra Theatre on King Street W.  He was also known to sports fans for his inspiring renderings of “O Canada”. Mr. Burgess died at a Toronto hospice Monday surrounded by members of his family. In a statement theatre impresario David Mirvish said Burgess “created the role of Jean Valjean in ‘Les Miserables,’ which was one of the first international blockbusters to have its own production in Canada with a local cast, instead of a touring version.” Burgess was born in Regina.

It was predictable perhaps but it told viewers what was on the mind of the three major party leaders about Canada’s foreign policy. CP24

 The party leaders will try to out point each other on foreign affairs tonight in another important but untelevised debate. The  meeting may be seen live however at the CPAC link here. CPAC will stream the debate live beginning at 7 p.m. CPAC live stream of leaders debate