Did we call it the silly season? Today there is furious media and candidate discussion with straight faces of Ari Goldkind. It’s okay. You have not missed anything important. Mr. Goldkind is just a candidate for mayor, one of dozens who does not have a chance in a million of getting elected. He is however something for Doug Ford to talk about. Mr. Ford says Ari Goldkind is John Tory’s tag-team partner and that Tory, the frontrunner, is afraid to debate without him. Ford says he won’t appear at any debate where Goldkind appears. There’s more than a little bad blood between them after Goldkind accused Ford of being anti-semitic. In fairness, it is curious how Mr. Goldkind gets to be present at any debate. He is a criminal lawyer but it’s hard to see in practical terms why he has any more business at debates with big-time candidates who can win than say Wally Schwauss or Tibor Steinberger.
Sarah’s Food Drive: #Leaside thank you Tweets
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Mark Jordan is among the busiest of Tweetmasters this week as he thanks and encourages the many people who have contributed to Sarah and Claire’s Food Drive. These two young ladies are Mark’s daughters and their annual efforts to raise food for the Daily Bread Food Bank is the stuff of neighbrhood legends. Everyone is looking forward to the exciting and furious preparation of food baskets this Saturday outside Chad McDowell’s valu mart, a brief but enthusiastic event that sees school kids making a difference. Among those in the thank you list at Leaside and #Leaside are Charlene Kalia, Patrick Rocca, Bonnie Byford Real Estate, Against The Grain Tavern, Midtown Orthodontics, McSorely’s Grill and Wonderful Saloon, SportClips on Bayview and Wisey’s Pies and Bake House on Eglinton E. Of course there are many more. Our thanks too for making South Bayview such a generious and decent place.
Schwartz, union bid billions for 75% for LCBO
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CTV says that ONEX Corporation (the mining behemoth controlled by Gerry Schwartz) and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) have offered the Ontario government $11 billion in cash for 75% of the LCBO. There would be other players, a consortium of banks, but the majority of shares, according to CTV, would be held by the union. Premier Kathleen Wynne has already said (in the summer) that the government will not go forward with such a plan, but many think the temptation for this deeply-strapped province may be too great. The government would retain 25% of the ownership of the LCBO.
Markets swoon: Dow plummets 334, TSE off 205
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Quite a little blood bath on worries about the usual non-specific things. This is the most volatile we have seen North American markets in a few years. It makes stocks quite cheap however. TSX
Small Business Day has prizes for consumers
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The CFIB has launched a national contest at the Twitter hashtag MyFavSmallBiz (#MyFavsmallBiz) to mark what it is calling Small Business Saturday. The day is set for Saturday, October 25, 2014. But it seem a more critical date is Saturday, September 18, 2014. Until then, the CFIB will make two draws of $500 a day from among consumer Tweets to that hashtag telling why they like their favorite small business. The CFIB is the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. It is running the campaign in partnership with the small retailer’s best friend, Interac, On South Bayview, the Merchant of Tennis at 1621 Bayview Ave. has asked customers to tweet their appreciation of the store.
Chief concerned about escalation of violence
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Rather vague story about the public expectation, as filtered through the Star, about what the police should be saying to “reassure” the public in the face of the shooting deaths of three young men. Toronto Star
“Cops must stop guys from posting nude pix”
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A student at UBC is outraged that police kept asking her if she gave those nude pictures of herself to her now estanged boyfriend willingly. She did. But, she says, what’s that got to do with why the cops can’t stop guys from doing this. That’s what the lady wants. The Province Nude online? It’s mom’s rule vs the United Nations.
Johnston family: “Our humble pleasure to serve”
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Penrose Fish and Chips is now closed, but the Johnston family has left a touching note of thanks and farewell on the door at 600 Mount Pleasant Rd.
I regret that in the past few weeks we have not be able to attend to our evening customers who have been so important to the survival of this little shop. This little enterprise was not built to handle the volume of business we have encountered over the past month.
In the past 64 years, Penrose has hand cut, on site, more than 4,000,000 lbs. of Pacific Halibut and over 8,000,000 lbs of potatoes, not to mention the 25,000 homemade lemon meringue pies.
It has been our humble pleasure to serve any and all that walked through our door, from the rich and the famous to the those that could not pay until next week.
Our lives have been enriched by the conversation and interaction of so many of you that it becomes almost overhwhelming to think of.
As many of you may know, the Johnstons are a sailing clan. so we would like to wish you all “sandy bottoms” as you (and I hope you do) splice the main brace.
It has been our most extreme pleasure to be part of your life in our great city.
Work hard and be humble and remember that your name will go further than your feet ever will.
Fare thee well Dave, Rosemary, Katie and Stacey Johnston
CanTire presses “aggressive” 3-year targets
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CTC wants to hit three percent growth in sales a year in the auto and hardware sections, five percent at Mark’s Work Wearhouse and nine percent at Sport Chek. Reuters
Toronto drops season opener 4-3 to Montreal
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Mall slaughter foiled, Mounties watch 90 suspects
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The RCMP has revealed it has 90 Islamist terror suspects under surveillance in Canada following a chilling report via NBC of a planned attack to mow down shoppers at a shopping mall here. The NBC News report said Canadian authorities had heard would-be terrorists discussing potential ISIS-inspired “knife and gun” attacks against Canadian and US targets in Canada. The report quotes unidentified US intelligence officials. NBC says the targets ranged from an unnamed shopping mall to attacks on Americans or the US Embassy. In the mall plan, the group allegedly discussed mowing down people on crowded escalators until police arrived. NBC says the plan was disrupted. RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson told the media Wednesday (October 8, 2014) the force has about 63 active security investigations on 90 suspected extremists who intend to join fights abroad or who have returned to Canada. But Paulson told the Commons public safety committee “it’s nothing that I think that Canadians need to be alarmed about.” Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney, however, told the committee these individuals pose a threat to Canadian security at home.
2014 election silly season breaks on Toronto
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John Tory will be excoriated in a television ad for saying women learn to play golf as means to get ahead in business. Rob Ford is under scrutiny for saying, some declare falsely, that he has a Jewish wife. Olivia Chow is sinking like a rock but her battle cry is that Doug Ford can’t win. Silly may not be a strong enough word for this season. Google leads