Will we rise to the challenge of Toronto Clean-up Days?
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As it does every year, the City of Toronto is encouraging and helping residents and business people to clean up the awful stuff found under winter’s snow. There is lots to do wherever you look although the left over ice and snow still keeps us at bay. But the time is coming. Toronto Community Clean-up Days are set this year for Saturday April 18 and Sunday April 19, 2015. The process is easy. Just pick your turf for cleaning. Hey, it cold be South Bayview on the west side between Millwood and Manor Rds. (it’s no worse than any other place but it makes the point) Get your gang of public-spirited volunteers together and register with the City.This makes it easy for workers to come and take away your blue-bagged refuse. Here’s the City’s site on how to do it. Community Clean-up days. How about everyone who observes Earth Hour taking an hour or two to tackle this aspect of our environment?
Leafs sign 11 year old with one day contract
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The Toronto Maple Leafs won a spot in people’s hearts after signing Garrett Gamble to the team for a one day contract. Garrett is a die-hard Leafs fan with Mucopolysaccaridosis IVA, also known as Morquio Syndrome, More
Exchange event to be held April 18 at Leaside library
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There are many excellent events for adults and children at Leaside Public Library as Spring begins. Check the library website. One of the most interesting is a swap or exchange centre where people can exchange items in good condition for others which may suit their needs better. It is set for Saturday, April 18, 2015 from noon to 3 p.m. at the library on McRae Drive. How does it work?
- Items limited to small accessories, i.e. wallet, small purse, coin purse, belt, scarf, hair accessories, sunglasses, bow tie,ring, necklace, bracelet, brooch, earrings, chain, pendant, charms,cuff links, tie tack, tie pin, wristwatch,jewelry. Please NO big hand bags or big purses, NO clothes.
- Trade for the same number or less of items you bring in. i.e., if you bring in 5 item, you can walk away with 5 or less. regardless of purchased values, only number counts.
- You will receive a ticket at the door confirming your donation, and the ticket will be your shopping money, which you pay back at the door when you leave.
- Donations need to be in nice conditions and clean
- Once your donation is put in swap, they are no longer yours. All leftovers will be donated to Goodwill after the Swap finishes.
- If two or more people interested in same item, rock/scissor/paper rules.
Drop in, no registration required.
Leaside Smokedown a night worth planning to attend
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Many Leaside couples will wish to save the date of Thursday May 28, 2015 so they can attend a unique charity event at Amsterdam Brewery on Esandar Rd. The Leaside Smokedown is being planned by a number of fun-loving and public-spirited residents. The collaborators include the Grilltime meat store’s Andy Elder, Cathy Hawkins of Amsterdam Brewery, music player and public speaker Tim Magwood and others. Magwood is a director of Lake Scugog Camp, a series of recreational sites where kids who need it are offered life-altering chances to learn and grow up. The camps have been in business since 1931 and have cared for thousands with a special personal attention that set the camp apart. The cook and caterer to Leaside, Andy Elder, is always eager to get his hands of a giant smoker barbecue trailer, which in this case, is owned by Councillor Jon Burnside, another collaborator. The simple themes of the party are food and music. Leaside’s Duncan Couttes of the group Our Lady Peace will be playing as will many others. Some of the events are hilarious. Amsterdam will offer a live auction prize called “Brewmaster for a day, Beer for Year.” Can you imagine. There will also be a silent auction and other contributor-sponsors like Patrick Rocca, to help swell the final cheque to Lake Scugog Camp. Tickets will be $100 per person when they go on sale.
Costco offers to include 1965 Coke building in new store
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Proposed Costco looking southeast with 1965 office seen on left facing Overlea
Costco Wholesale Corporation has changed it plans for a store at the site of the former Coca Cola bottling plant and office building at 42-46 Overlea Blvd. to include the main part of the 1965 office building in its new store. This is a change from plans published last year which called for the demolition of the old Coke headquarters. The City has placed the office on its heritage list but there was an open debate among architects as to its actual value in historic terms. But now Costco has proposed to retain it in the plans for a warehouse store. A small original addition to the office building will still be demolished under the plan.
In announcing this Monday night at the William Lea Room, Toronto chief planner Steve Forrester said there would be many people, including city employees, who did not know of this change. It had been made only within the last few days, he said. The meeting was held to hear public input on a request by Coscto to build what it calls ancillary parking to the north and west of the proposed store beside a little used portion of Thorncliffe Park Drive.
The land is owned mainly by Ontario Hydro, which is agreeable to leasing it as parking. A smaller parcel is owned by the City of Toronto. In total it would accommodate 124 cars and be used by employees only, the meeting was told. The need for more parking comes about as result of the decision to retain the old Coke office building, which would now form the portion of the Costco building which faces Overlea. The store and the parking in the original plan have been swapped so that parking is now at the northeast end of the property at 42-46 Overlea. The retention of the office building reduced planned parking from 655 spaces to 548. The additional 124 spaces across Thorncliffe Park are required to meet the expected demand. The new store will be 160,000 square feet with the main door on the east of the building facing the parking lot. The Walter Yarwood Coca Cola sculpture will be retained in its present position in a small square on Overlea. The square now sits below grade and Costco proposes to raise it and the sculpture to ground level for ease of access to the building .
Highway 407 charging truckers twice for the same trip
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CTV News tonight is reporting that Highway 407, the privately held and operated bypass north of Toronto, is frequently charging tractor trailer operators twice for the same trip across the roadway. This occurs because 407 detectors are counting the truck once by the sensor in the windshield and a second time by photographing its rear license plate. It isn’t clear why this happens but Highway 407 has acknowledged it privately to truckers. Such trucking firms say they have to carefully go through all charges to separate out the second billing. It amounts to tens of thousands of dollars a month. One company was sworn to secrecy about the problem when it received a rebate. Another firm has been notified by the Transportation Department that its plates will be de-registered with the government if it doesn’t pays its bills, legal or otherwise. More
Up close and ugly with the Air Canada 624 wreckage
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Reporters were allowed to get close to the AC624 wreck today and it was ugly. It is clear everyone on board was very lucky to get out alive. The plane came out of cloud much lower to the ground than planned and hit an antenna, losing wheels and an engine.
Lifestlyes of the newly-rich exposed in court papers
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Torstar News Service has the frankly juicy story of three people, formerly-wedded couple, Sarah Purslove and husband Robert Oesterlund — and Toronto interior designer (above with Oesterlund). Ms.Purslove is suing Oesterlund for part of or possession of the penthouse and many other aspects their life together. Metro
95 by 95 foot lot at 21 Evergreen Gdns will house 2 homes
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21 Evergreen Gardens in Bennington Heights will house two homes
The drawn out re-development of the 95 by 95 foot lot at 21 Evergreen Gardens in Bennington Heights is moving ahead with two large square homes under way by builder Howard Tencer. He has built other such homes in Bennington. The exceptional little street sits in two parts, east and west of Orchard Green. Number 21 is on the east leg of the street heading to Bayview Heights Drive. The home on the east side of the lot will overlook Evergreen Gardens Park. Very nice.
Morning routine at Leaside firehall on McRae Drive
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Each morning the firefighters at Station 321 on McRae Drive near Sutherland check out both the ladder and pumper trucks for such things as brake and washer fluids and functioning horn and siren. “We don’t check the siren too early or very long,” firefighter Chris Etzell laughed. We see Chris here with his head under the cab of the ladder trick.
Media reports: shots fired at NSA Headquarters
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One dead, two injured. Reports