Dad claims boy, 4, found wandering in North York

Police say the father of a boy about 4 years old found wandering has claimed the lad. It happened near Leslie Street and Sheppard Ave., presumably near the boy’s home.

Winterlicious restaurants locally are listed

This is the list published by the City. If it is incomplete, please tell The South Bayview Bulldog. Winterlicious list for Midtown

Branksome Wellness Centre opens today

The greatly anticipated opening of the Branksome Hall Athletics and Wellness Centre is underway today (Friday, January 23, 2015) with students thronging the new building. The imposing building is already a landmark to South Bayview area residents. Branksome Hall’s award-winning Athletics and Wellness Centre is at the corner of  Mount Pleasant Road and Elm Avenue. The nearly 68,000-square-foot (6,300-sq.-m.) building includes two saltwater swimming pools (a training/lap pool and a shallow-floor teaching pool), a viewing gallery that overlooks them, a gymnasium, a dryland rowing centre, dance and yoga studios, a fitness centre, a rooftop terrace, meeting rooms, a 300-person dining hall that specializes in simple, delicious and healthy meals and a fireplace lounge. Branksome Athletics Centre nearing completion  Athletic,Wellness complex rising on Mt. Pleasant  

Soft footballs? Facts seem pretty soft too

The fog surrounding the soft football semi-scandal is thick enough to cut with a pigskin. The Patriots say they don’t know anything about it.  To indignant reporters demanding how it could happen, the team principals have said, in effect, how are we supposed to know. The journalism is miserable. There is no information in the stories about who actually said first there were soft footballs. It’s a galloping rumour. No source, lots of speed. The balls are supposedly checked by the league two hours before the game. Did they? What was found? The balls are supposed to be checked again at half time, it is said in some stories. Were they? What was found? Not banner day for the fifth estate. New York Times 

Rio.Can pays $31.5 million for rest of Leaside Ctr

The Rio-Can REIT, known as Rio.Can, purchased the outstanding 50 percent of the Leaside Centre at Eglinton Ave. E. and Laird Drive last week. The following statement is of interest but makes no reference to plans to redevelop the centre.                            

On January 15, 2015, RioCan completed the acquisition of the remaining 50% interest in RioCan Leaside Centre, in Toronto, Ontario from Kimco Realty Corporation (“Kimco”). This 133,000 square foot new format centre is anchored by Canadian Tire. Other tenants include PetSmart, Pier One Imports, and Alexanian Carpet & Flooring. The property is very well located at the corner of Eglinton Avenue and Laird Avenue along the Eglinton Light Rail (“LRT”) line, currently under construction. The site is planned to host a secondary entrance to the LRT stop at the southeast corner of Eglinton Avenue and Laird Avenue. The 50% interest in the centre was acquired from Kimco at a purchase price of $31.5 million, which equates to a capitalization rate of 5.5%. RioCan assumed Kimco’s $16.5 million interest in the debt on the property, which carries an interest rate of 3.3% and matures in 2017.

Eglinton LRT tunnel boring reaches Allen Road

There was a milestone reached this week as the tunnel boring machines digging the Eglinton LRT broke through at the construction chamber at Allen Road. The machines will now cross the short distance to the wall on the east side and begin their boring through to Yonge Street about 6.7 kilometres to the east. Work on the Brentcliffe Road and Yonge Street leg of the Eglinton tunnel is underway and Metrolinx has estimated that it will reach Yonge from the east side by the end of 2016.  

Hodgson rink to open early for Friday PD Day

Josh Matlow (Ward 22) has posted information that Hodgson School Ice Rink will be open tomorrow (Friday, January 23, 2015) between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m.  He notes for everyone’s information that the City’s website currently still indicates regular school day hours starting at 4:30 p.m. Friday is a PD Day and thus kids will be able to skate from 10 a.m. tomorrow. This seems like a very useful decision. 

“National costume” stuns Canada and the world

It’s not often the CBC calls anything Canadian “insane” but that word has crept into coverage of our Miss Universe candidate’s national costume. The response to Caledon native Chanel Beckenlehner’s eccentric costume on Twitter has been mixed. Many appreciate Beckenlehner’s commitment to achieving a puckhead look.  The event was held Wednesday, January 21, 2015 in Miami.  CBC  CTV   Winners, losers and train wrecks of the Miss Universe costume contest

Minor injuries to 4 in North York school accident

Toronto Sun 

Leaside’s Pat and Bobbi Cochar are profiled

Kingston Whig-Standard  Here they are again 

BA customer denounces “filth class” seating

A first-class passenger on British Airways from London to St. Lucia has posted a video of what is certainly a filthy-looking seat. Things are tough at the airlines and BA has had additional woes with a particularly fractious union. Welcome aboard friends.

Toronto story: There’s never enough money

Money, money, money as they say on Storage Wars. There is never enough. It seems like a lament for Toronto as Mayor Tory goes about trying to find the cash needed to execute his plans. This morning at Executive Committee members will grapple with City Manager Joe Pennachetti’s request for  an additional $1.65 to perform due diligence on the trickier parts of the mayor’s SmartTrack plan. This week has also seen the introduction of a draft budget for the City that has a sting to it. Yesterday it emerged the budget plan relied on a loan of two million dollars from the Ontario government. Have they got two million dollars? Can Toronto pay it back? Also this morning, Premier Wynne has received failing mark from the Fraser Institute as a manager of money. She will say, correctly, that the thinkers at Fraser are her political opponents but, still, the numbers are the numbers.   There was a moment reminiscent of  Rob Ford Thursday morning when Mayor Tory was stopped at the doors to Executive Committee by what appeared to be a down-and-out supplicant. Mr. Tory listened and promised to looked into the issue.