Lowes will open in Target at Shopper’s World Danforth

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Lowes Canada will open a store in the vacant Target premises in Shoppers World Danforth as part of expansion plans this fall. The Rio.Can-owned shopping centre is at 3003 Danforth between Main St. and Victoria Park Ave. Six other stores will fill Target former locations across Ontario. They are Ancaster, Milton Mall Shopping Centre, Mississauga, Centrepoint Mall, Toronto, RioCan St. Laurent in Ottawa and Intercity Shopping Centre, Thunder Bay. In total, Lowes will open 14 stores across Canada. But, hopes that it might open in the East York Town Centre have been dashed. No mention is made of the Target location there.

Olympic bid? Say a prayer for common sense and Toronto

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Mayor Tory is said to think that Toronto’s administration of the Pan Am Games sets a fine example with which to bid for the 2024 Olympic Games. He will be correct in all likelihood from the viewpoint of that stern council of Olympic bosses who sit in judgement of municipal supplicants from all over the world. Who can erase the images of weeping losers forced to participate in those grotesque television specials in which the winner is finally declared. Not unlike the cruel spectacles of the Hunger Games. Taxpayers may relate better to knowing that in the past it cost their town millions just to be humiliated in front of a world audience of billions. It’s not the same as losing in the high jump. This defeat comes by the arbitrary fiat of IOC Brahmins in Lausanne.

COST OVERRUNS NOT UNKNOWN IN TORONTO

The City and the Province have indeed produced a series of smooth functioning sites for events, a structure of homes in the Pan Am Village of which to be proud and some nighttime carnivals on Nathan Phillips Square which entertained many. Could Toronto mount the 2024 Olympic Games? Sure. The issue for thoughtful ratepayers will be whether the indebtedness and inconvenience is really necessary. The Olympics, remember, seldom make a profit. The host City is always left holding the bag. God knows, cost overruns are not unknown in Toronto. The mayor says he wants to make a decision ”very quickly”. We think not too quickly would be better, sir. Toronto is facing a tight deadline. Candidates must make an official bid with the International Olympic Committee by Sept. 15.

REMEMBER, THE  IOC WOULD BE LUCKY TO HAVE US

Notwithstanding deadlines, the most important Olympic planning issues in debt-ridden Ontario are the cost and the sound judgement of those to be in charge. Ontario is not China, where a wonderful spectacle was produced with the unpaid labour of millions of patriotic people. The profound truth about this blessed place on the Great Lakes is that the IOC will be lucky to come here. Let there be enough good judgement to prevent abuse of the citizens. The HOV lanes on the Gardiner, QEW and Don Valley have been an abomination. The drive to Hamilton has turned into a two-hour stop and go ordeal. No earthly purpose has been served by this product of over-excited planners.

Conservatives leap ahead in new Postmedia election poll

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A new poll shows the Conservative Party is by far the most popular among Canadian voters. The poll was done by Mainstreet Research for Postmedia. It suggests Prime Minister Harper and the Tories received a sharp boost in popularity as a result of the enhanced Universal Child Care Benefit. Among decided voters, the Conservatives lead with 38 per cent support, followed by the NDP at 27 per cent and the Liberals at 25 per cent. The Green party is at six per cent (the Bloc Québécois is at four per cent). One in five voters (20 per cent) remains undecided. Ottawa Citizen

Premier Wynne in summit with teachers union Friday

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Premier Wynne was scheduled to meeting Friday morning (July 24, 2015) with leaders of the Elementary Teachers Federation, the Secondary School Teachers Federation and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association. It looks like a kind of Hail Mary Summit. Worried parents can only hope that something will come out of this meeting although it is difficult to see what it might be. Will the Premier say again that there is just no money? The unions claim they don’t want an increase (really?) but there are a lot of things they do want that translate into dollars (like more teachers).

Large owl sends driver, Lexus into ditch near Dundas

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An Ancaster motorist is recovering from serious injuries in a Hamilton hospital after he was apparently driven off the road by a confrontation with a large owl on rural roads Thursday morning. It happened around 1 a.m. on Sulphur Springs Road near Dundas. The vehicle, a Lexus SUV, flipped and crashed into a tree near a sharp bend. The man was trapped in his car for about half an hour before fire crews managed to cut him out. Police originally believed the car hit a deer before crashing but have now confirmed that it was an owl. They are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact them.

Campaign to name Leaside street after Dave Stickney

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Sandra Creighton writing on the Leaside Chit Chat Facebook page is asking friends to help her honour the late Dave Stickney by re-naming Markham Avenue to Stickney Way. Markham Ave. is a short street running from Airdrie Road to Laird Drive. Sandra writes: “Please help us to rename Markham Ave to Stickney Way in honour of Dave Stickney. A group of Dave Stickney’s friends have formed a committee to find ways to honour and remember Sticks who gave so much of himself to the Leaside Community, Leaside High School, Leaside United Church and girls softball (to name a few).”  Sandra says Markham is a good candidate for this because it has no addresses on it, so no homes or businesses will be impacted. She intends to canvas the homes Thursday night (July 23, 2015) surrounding Markham Ave. to inform them of this initiative and obtain signatures. A petition is available to sign at Grill Time on Laird for the community to sign if you agree.  You can also visit this link to sign online: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/393/820/106/rename-markham-ave-in-leaside-to-stickney-way/

Beloved African elephant, Iringa, has died in California

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paws-iringaThe Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) announced yesterday that they made the decision to humanely euthanize Iringa. The wildlife sanctuary in San Andreas, California stated that she had a long history of degenerative joint and foot disease, which is the leading reasons for euthanizing elephants in captivity.  PAWS President Ed Stewart would like us to know that “PAWS sends its most heartfelt condolences to the Toronto Zoo staff, the people of Toronto, and to all those who loved Iringa. Along with them, PAWS will miss this very special and dear elephant”.  Iringa was born in Mozambique, Africa, in 1969 and lived at the Toronto Zoo from 1974 to 2013. Toronto’s Iringa, Toka and Thika arrived at PAWS in October 2013 following the zoo’s decision to end its elephant program. (Photo: PAWS Press Release)