Manderley Manor to new space on Mt Pleasant

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James and Ilona Sublett are moving their long-standing furniture store, Manderley Manor, down Mount Pleasant Rd. to a 4,800 square foot double store. They will be at 543 and 545 Mount Pleasant, beside the Regent Theatre just north of Belsize Drive. Manderley Manor is known for its dealership status with Stickley Furniture, a classic brand of quality American-made furnishings. Stickley is an amazing story by itself. Created in upstate New York by Gustav Stickley more than century ago, it still makes its Oak, Cherry and fine wood pieces there. The Subletts have been established on Mount Pleasant for 25 years and quality furniture has been their passion the whole time. If you think the name of their store is familiar, check Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 Gothic romance Rebecca. 

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again… I came upon it suddenly; the approach masked by the unnatural growth of a vast shrub that spread in all directions… There was Manderley, our Manderley, secretive and silent as it had always been, the gray stone shining in the moonlight of my dream, the mullioned windows reflecting the green lawns and terrace. Time could not wreck the perfect symmetry of those walls, nor the site itself, a jewel in the hollow of a hand. 

Game to be chair of CFL says Ward 16’s Stintz

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Karen Stintz says she’s game to take the chair of the Canadian Football League. The active and sociable former TTC chair, mayoralty candidate, Ward 16 councillor, wife and mom says the job would be just her speed. (We see her flexibility opposite in a Salsa competition). Somehow the idea got into her head (we dare not ask how) but she says that for some time she has been thinking about the position. The Toronto Star, which broke this news doesn’t say if she has been asked or just what started her mind working. The story does quote Ms Stintz as saying  she “grew up with football” when her family lived in Baltimore and then later Indianapolis.  She has been to two Grey Cups,  she told David Rider.  He notes that a commemorative 99th Grey Cup football — a gala dinner centrepiece that Stintz won — has a prominent place of honour in her council office. Ms. Stintz has the issues at her fingertips: a new (stadium) home for the Argos, making sure they stay in Toronto (should be easy) new teams in an expanded CFL and so on. Cynics have noted that John Tory, front runner for mayor and someone with whom she shares parallel politics, is former CFL chairman and a mover in those circles. Stintz was never in a  position to win the mayoralty but, say those of suspicious mind, her absence from the race certainly does not hurt him. 

Dressing up in red? It may be a Chinese thing

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Researchers at Wuhan University in China have concluded that Chinese men find women dressed in red more attractive than those garbed in any other colour. So dress in red, right?  Well, with a caveat. The Chinese have a 1,000 year history of loving red. The symbolic meaning of red to the Chinese is good fortune, good times and a kind of general well-being. Does your average guy in Shanghai like to see a girl dressed in red? It’s a good bet. She’s talking to him about happiness, money, good health and who knows what else, as well as how great she is personally. Red is about as intuitive to the Chinese as white is to a bride on her wedding day. Just so you know.

Thorncliffe festival tomorrow from 2 to 6 p.m.

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Tomorrow (Saturday, August 23, 2014) will see the Thorncliffe Summer Festival take place at  R. V. Burgess Park on Thorncliffe Park Drive. It’s a project of the Thorncliffe Neighborhood Office. From 2  to 6 p.m. the business and family event will see booths and tents where merchants will do business.  There will  be obstacle games and family activities and an arts and crafts section for youth and children. There will also be a vendors bazaar organized by the Thorncliffe Park Women’s Business Association. As reported by Jean Ko Din in the East York Mirror, this is a new group of about 70 women formed to help vendors keep track of their transactions and account for money. Jean Ko Din 

928 Millwood condominium sold for $396,000

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Current and recent valuations on condominiums locally range from the two-bedroom unit at 928 Millwood Rd. which recently sold for $396,000 to the 1 plus 1 bedroom unit at 188 Redpath Ave. which is listed for $409,000. The Millwood unit is on the fourth floor of a pleasant looking building near Randolph Ave. and was listed for $419,000. The pressure on the price may be related to the sale date, December 14, 2013.

Kinsella would excel at dirty-politics buskerfest

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Marcus Gee of the Globe and Mail is here regretting the campaign tone set by Olivia Chow worker Warren Kinsella for his clanger that John Tory is “segregationist”. Mr. Kinsella would rank well at a dirty-politics buskerfest. 

Coach consoles kids with “speech for a lifetime”

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They’re calling this the speech these kids will remember for a lifetime. And why not. Their fantastic coach, David Belisle, is making them proud of themselves after a hurtful 8-7 loss in the Little League World Series. Every father will hope to do as well with his own children.  

Bulldog reader Bob gets Beer Store scoop

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Long-time Bulldog reader Bob Arsenault of Bayview Ave. has winkled out good news on the Beer Store at 609 Roehampton Ave. It’s been closed for ten days. Bob was up there earlier Thursday and asked some questions of people on the site. It appears that the Beer Store will be coming back at this location after the place is fully renovated and adds, of all things, a Tim Hortons coffeeteria. Bob calls this great news and so it is. The downside is it will take a year. What’s the rush? 

Ward 16’s Karen Stintz out of politics at City Hall

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Karen Stintz has dropped out of the mayor’s race and is dropping out of politics at City Hall. She will not run for councillor in Ward 16 although she is still able to place in her name in contention. She would doubtlessly win that election easily. The Ward 16 councillor told a news conference Thursday (August 21, 2014) that she has run though her financial resources and cannot continue the campaign. She said she is not going to endorse any other candidate. Ms Stintz has been unable to get her public support above 5 percent in any of the many polls taken to gauge who might win the election for mayor. Although she is widely-liked and owns sensible ideas, the contest has been dominated by John Tory, Rob Ford and Olivia Chow. Ms Stintz said that among her first priorities on stepping out of the race will be to get her children ready for school in September.

Jon Burnside endorses John Tory for Mayor

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Candidate for Toronto Council for Ward 26 Jon Burnside has endorsed John Tory for mayor. Mr. Burnside is a former police officer and business owner. The other notable candidates are the two-time incumbent and lawyer John Parker and David Sparrow, head of the Toronto chapter of the actors association, ACTRA. So far as is known, they have not voiced an endorsement for mayor. There is no survey information known for the race in Ward 26 although there may be private polling. In 2010, the race was close with Mr. Parker finishing about 400 votes ahead of Mr. Burnside and another candidate (who is not running this year) Mohamed Dhanani, coming a close third to Mr. Burnside. The election is Monday, October 27, 2014. 

Bayview Leaside? South Bayview? Vote today!

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The South Bayview Bulldog is offering readers a chance to vote on what name they would prefer for the new BIA (yet to be formed) if and when it is created. The name has become an issue as some say the “Leaside cache” is needed to re-brand South Bayview and attract new shoppers from far and abroad. Others call this wrong-headed. Locally, it may reinforce the view in Davisville and elsewhere of some Leasiders as being territorial. Hey, no offense. What do you think? Should the BIA be called Bayview Leaside or should it have the name carried by the business district for many years — South Bayview? Vote at the polling station at the top of the left column. and don’t shoot the Bulldog. (Well actually, he’s bulletproof.)  Previous Post

Yours to Discover: New Alberta license plates

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They like to keep things moving out west and that includes the license plate designs. Albertans are about to get a new one based on a photographic depiction of the rockies with a field of prairie grass beneath the numbers (inset top). The new plate moves motorists into the digital age for the time time whether they like it or not. The plates announce Alberta.ca at the bottom. The new plate was the top vote winner in a public survey of three designs. It garnered 48.5 per cent support. It seems like a tradition to refresh the plates in Alberta. Here in Ontario the stodgy blue and white markers instructing us the province is Yours to Discover are pretty much unchanged since 1982. At that time the William Davis government said goodbye to the friendly urging that we Keep it Beautiful.  Alberta has had to deal with the rise and fall of political parties which co-opted provincial slogans. The Alberta Wildrose Party pretty put an end to the Wild Rose Country license plates. It was a bit like the arrival of the Yours to Discover political party in Ontario. This said, it may be time for Ontario to think about something more inspiring. Of course, there isn’t a lot of money. In Alberta the provincial debt is negligible.