A report from the Schulich School of Business at York University says Ontario drivers “pay far too much” for car insurance. Business professors Fred Lazar and Eli Prisman are said to have been commissioned by the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association to do the study. The purpose is not stated. It is widely reported Friday (April 10, 2015) that the study shows that “in 2013 alone, consumers likely overpaid by $840 million.” A tidy sum. The professors are calling on the auditor-general to review the system. In 2014, the Liberal government passed legislation aimed at reducing car insurance premiums by 15 per cent on average by August of 2016. At the time, the government said the new bill, the Fighting Fraud and Reducing Automobile Insurance Rates Act, will help reduce costs and uncertainty in the auto insurance industry and protect more than nine million licensed provincial drivers as well as fight fraud.
Mother of six boys learns that lucky seven will be a girl
by •
Widely-reported story today from Apex, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh is this “gender reveal” event at which Cheryl Lair learns she will have a girl after giving birth to six boys. Jeanne Moos of CNN.
Burnside seeking roaming stop sign cameras for Toronto
by •
Jon Burnside (Ward 26) is seeking to place roaming stop-sign cameras on City streets. Mr. Burnside, a former police officer, said he will pitch the idea to city council’s public works committee at its meeting on Thursday. “What I am looking to do is get the province together with the city and with the Toronto Police Service to investigate the potential of this. The reality is, we have a lot of concerns about pedestrian safety and traffic in general and the only way to really change drivers’ behaviour is by increasing the likelihood of getting caught,” Burnside told CP24. He said the cameras would not be stationary but would move from stop sign to stop sign.
Kevin Crull out at Bell Media, Mary Ann Turcke steps in
by •
Kevin Crull is out at Bell media. The president of the media unit of BCE has resigned after an embattled two weeks that followed his efforts to influence coverage on CTV of the company’s business. He apologized for attempting to censor input from the government regulator into the news. In a statement, BCE Chief Executive George Cope made clear that the departure of Bell Media that Mr. Crull (top) was related to interference in the editorial operations of Bell’s CTV television network. “The independence of Bell Media’s news operations is of paramount importance to our company and to all Canadians,” Cope said. “There can be no doubt that Bell will always uphold the journalistic standards that have made CTV the most trusted brand in Canadian news.” Globe and Mail newspaper, partly owned by BCE, reported Crull had told the head of CTV News not to conduct on-air interviews with the regulator’s chairman.Crull will be replaced at Bell Media by Mary Ann Turcke, BCE said. Ms. Turcke (inset bottom) was previously in charge of media sales, local TV and radio for the unit.BCE also announced several other executive moves, including naming Blaik Kirby as head of Bell Mobility, its wireless business, and Rizwan Jamal as head of residential services. Turcke, Kirby and Jamal will all report to Wade Oosterman, who was named group president of BCE and Bell. He had previously headed the wireless and residential units.
Work begins on Montgomery Square at 2384 Yonge
by •
Work has begun at the site of former Postal Station K at Yonge St.and Montgomery Ave. Hoarding is now up and Jonathon Kent of Councillor Greb’s office reports permits have been issued for the construction of a building as planned by the Rockport Group as reported in The South Bayview Bulldog. The plan is inventive. The architectural whole of Station K will be saved although a small brick addition at the rear will be demolished. On that part of the property Rockport will be build a 25 storey residential tower. The development will be called Montgomery Square
Josh Matlow will be keynote speaker at SERRA AGM
by •
South Eglinton Ratepayers’ & Residents’ Association (SERRA) invites you to their Annual General Meeting on Thursday, April 23rd, 2015 from 6:30 – 9:00pm. The meeting will take place at the Manor Road United Church in the Main Hall (upstairs). Keynote Speaker will be Josh Matlow, Councillor Ward 22. Topics of interest will be the tall homes on our streets; explosive growth of Yonge-Eglinton condo towers and the impact on our neighbourhood; Eglinton LRT progress; and Mt. Pleasant business area improvements. Also present will be Jamie Robinson of Metrolinx and TDSB Trustee Shelley Laskin. More information is available on their website at www.southeglinton.ca.
Raccoons test drive the new Green Bins
by •
The City of Toronto has released a video of the new “raccoon-proof” Green Bin 2.0. The little bandits are known to be quite crafty, with time they may figure these out too.
“We Love You, Toronto!” for $200 please Alex
by •
Host Alex Trebek tested contestants’ knowledge of our fine city on Tuesday night’s episode of Jeopardy! In the category named “We Love You, Toronto!”, only one answer stumped all three players. Would you have known the question?
Brown leading race for PC leader, McNaughton drops out
by •
MPP Monte McNaughton is out of the Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership contest. The London-area MPP says he will be endorsing Barrie MP Patrick Brown for leader of the party. That means the race is down to two people, Brown and deputy PC leader Christine Elliott, the widow of former finance minister Jim Flaherty. McNaughton says Brown will reform the party, and has “the energy and ability” to bring thousands of new members from different backgrounds into the Tory fold. McNaughton says he looks forward to spending more time with his family. PC party members across the province will vote for the new leader on May 3 and 7, using preferential ballots, with the results to be announced at a convention in Toronto on May 9.
New York subway under torrent of flooding, no injuries
by •
Don’t complain about Toronto subway flooding ever again. Look at the roaring Niagara thundering through the New York subway last night after a water main break. Then there is the people sitting in the train. We thought this was supposed to make the trains into killer lightning rods. But no injuries apparently.
New BIA will take the name Bayview Leaside BIA
by •
Members present at the first meeting of the new business improvement area on South Bayview Ave. have voted to name their body the Bayview Leaside Business Improvement Area (BIA). The first general meeting of the new body was sparsely attended on this wet and cold Wednesday night. There were 28 members present in a large room at Leaside United Church containing in total perhaps 50 people. They included members of the public, City officials and the media. A sometimes meandering discussion of names led to a list of 13 suggestions including South Bayview. In December this name received 80 percent of votes in an online poll opposite the name Bayview Leaside (the name chosen Wednesday).
At the meeting, members were provided with options such as Davisville Leaside, South Bayview Village and Shops of South Bayview. Someone suggested Town of Leaside BIA but this idea was disqualified on the recommendation of Michael Saunders, of the City Economic Development Office. In the end, Bayview Leaside received 17 votes out of the total of 28, with the remaining eleven scattered among the other names. South Bayview received no votes.
The new BIA’s Board of Management was nominated to City Council in one vote from a slate of members who stood to offer themselves: They are Stephen Betts, manager of the Canada Trust TD Bank, Grant Allardyce, the Source Menswear, Trae Zammit, Smokin’ Cigar, Deborah Kuchme, Pagnello’s Antiques, Stanley Janecek, White House Meats, Simon Hanlon, McSorley’s Saloon and David Illiatovitch-Owen, de le mer fresh fish. It was explained by Mr. Saunders that the members now nominated will be confirmed at the pleasure of City Council and all being well, will serve a period of about three years and six months. That would coincide with the end of the term of City Council in 2018.
The proposed tentative budget of the BIA was approved at some $190,300 with preliminary provisions for such things as accommodation, part time staff (one) and early embellishments to the street like flowers. The meeting was reminded of the $25,000 in funds ear-marked for a Bayview BIA by the Leaside Property Owners Association (LPOA). These are funds obtained as a partial settlement from the SmartCentres Corporation for desisting in opposition to the so-called “Walmart Plaza” now under construction between Vanderhoof Ave. and Wicksteed Ave. east of Laird Drive
Councillor John Burnside was present and spoke briefly and Chloe Richer, constituency assistant to Councilor Josh Matlow also spoke on Mr. Matlow’s behalf. He had a previous commitment. Also present was Ray Gork, of the Leaside Paint Centre and Paul Carreira of Carreira Casuals.
Miami will “throw the book” at Canadian Consul’s son
by •