A report says that it’s not the streetcars that are slow, it’s the riders. It takes so long to get people on and off the cars because, well, because it takes so long. It’s their fault, not the streetcar’s. Councillor Minnan-Wong sets us right: “It’s not the car’s fault,” he says. “It’s the loading and unloading of passengers.” But the wonderful new streetcars have more doors. That will mean passengers can get on and off faster says, Minnan-Wong. People are so silly trying to ride on streetcars that they can’t get on and off of quickly. They don’t deserve the nice things streetcars do for them. Streetcars are better and smarter than people. That’s why they’ve taken over Mr. Minnan-Wong’s brain.
$23 mln deal agreed in Superior Propane blast
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Cop cruiser makes unmanned U-turn on McRae
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The excitement at Bayview Ave. and Merton/McRae tonight (Thursday, August 7, 2014) was when the police cruiser parked on McRae Drive slowly began to move. It had all its lights flashing so when it slowly began a giant U-turn on McRae back towards Bayview, motorists and pedestrians were somewhat awestruck. The guys in the Pizza Hut store on the corner had a pretty good view. “We thought maybe a kid had sneaked into the car and was stealing it,” said one of the several workers in the shop. “But then when it was right around and coming back at us we could see there was nobody inside.” Indeed. The officer, seen with his vehicle top inset, had gotten out of his car to investigate what witnesses called a minor fender bender in the intersection. He parked the car safely (he thought) off the intersection with the front wheels turned out against the curb. There is a slight grade downward towards Bayview and he did want the car to roll back out into that main street. But alas, the vehicle was primed to head the other way. It made a complete turn as other drivers stopped and watched and then headed across Bayview, lights flashing, and went up onto the sidewalk on the west side before stopping. The activity brought Councillor Matlow (Ward 22) down to the corner from his nearby home to see what was happening. We can only echo his tweeted sentiment that happily no one was hurt. Burger contest begins Monday, Aug 11, 2014
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| CLICK HERE TO VOTE |
The Leaside Burger Battle is just one of the most innovative promotional ideas to come down the road in a long time. The eager chefs at seven local eateries challenge you to try their burgers, vote and send a dollar from the bill for each beef sandwich to the Hospital for Sick Children. Hey, it all works because they’ve given you 14 days to eat merely seven burgers. That’s only one burger every two days. You might sneak in a few more. Anyway “The Battle” is on as of Monday, August 11 and ends Monday, August 25, 2014. The Leaside Seven (alphabetically) are: Against The Grain Urban Tavern, Grilltime, McSorley’s Saloon and Grill, Originals Bar, Shoeless Joe’s, South St. Burger Co. and The Leaside Pub. Throughout the two week Burger Battle, the community is invited to visit the seven participating restaurants to eat, vote and support their hood. A dollar from every ‘Leaside Burger’ sold will be donated to HSC Foundation in memory of Georgia Grace Walsh. Andy Elder, owner of Grilltime in Leaside, came up with the #BurgerBattle as a way to connect the neighbourhood. “Leaside is a tight knit community filled with great families and great restaurants,” said Andy. “The Burger Battle brings the two together for a fun end of summer celebration.”
- Against the Grain Urban Tavern- 8 oz. all natural beef patty stuffed with mixed cheddar and jalapenos, topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato and onion and finished with a deep fried pickle for $10
- Grilltime – 6 oz. patty of ground brisket topped with double smoked cheddar cheese, peameal bacon jam, Neal Brothers Foods sriracha mayo, and pickled red onions served on a COBS hamburger bun for $8.
- McSorley’s Saloon and Grill – 6 oz. fresh ground chuck burger that’s mustard seared and griddle smashed! It’s topped with house made gherkin mayo, peameal bacon, sliced tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, fresh arugula, cheese curds & piled high with dusted onions, served on a toasted buttery sesame seed egg bun, served with fries and slaw for $10.99.
- Originals Bar – 7 oz. 100% prime rib beef, built with Guinness smoked bacon, hickory BBQ sauce, sautéed mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, onion rings, hothouse tomatoes and lettuce. Served with a dill pickle on the side for $8.95.
- Shoeless Joe’s – sautéed mushrooms, roasted red peppers, cucumbers, baby arugula and goat cheese served on a toasted brioche bun.
- South St. Burger Co.- Hawaiian burger topped with ginger glazed pineapple, bacon, lettuce, wasabi mayo,and hot pepper relish $6.55 (4 oz.) $8.55 (6 oz.).
- The Leaside Pub – a house-seasoned all-beef burger topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, dill pickle, and cheddar cheese. The winning restaurant will earn bragging rights and the title of ‘Best Leaside Burger.’ To join the conversation on Twitter please follow @LSBurgerBattle and use the hashtag #BurgerBattle.
LIFT Fitness drop-in offer runs through August
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LIFT Fitness at 1675 Bayview Ave. is having an inventive and attractive promotion in August. Every Tuesday and Thursday between 10 a.m. and 6.30 p.m.you are invited to drop in. No membership is required but space is limited. All they ask is a $5 donation to Hospital for Sick Children. The promotion end ends August 31.
Garden of Distinction at 142 Glenvale Blvd
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Up at 142 Glenvale Blvd Keith Hogg and Trish Houston are proud to display a Gardens of Distinction certificate on their lawn. They were one of six places chosen by the Garden Society and presented their awards totally by surprise. This smart-looking two-storey brick home features a garden with an imaginative bed constructed of round rocks and large landscaping stones. Together they form a modest retaining wall for a striking growth of Japanese Blood Grass. The structure is Mr. Hogg’s creation. He is an architectural engineer. Elsewhere a small and beautifully manicured garden featuring an ornamental pear tree sits beside the interlocking brick walkway. A pink ribbon adorns the pear tree in memory of Georgia Walsh.
Renovated EY house gets $50,000 over asking
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Older home near Stan Wadlow Park paid back owner for renovations and then some. Globe and Mail
Did Leslie thieves get the red dye treatment?
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Check the picture published below of the discarded bank notes from that holdup on Leslie Street at York Mills Road yesterday. When you do, see if you think there are some odd looking pink or red pieces in the mess. The banks and police don’t like to talk about it but for many years they have used “exploding” bank rolls on unsuspecting bandits. The package looks like a roll of cash but it is a harmless exploding device that sprays red dye on whomever is holding it. This trick was played to good effect on a Bayview Ave. bank robber a few years ago. Elsewhere, the inset picture shows a hapless bandit in Britain enveloped by this red dye trick. In the Bayview case, the terrified bandit made his getaway on foot but as he raced north he was clearly declared guilty by the red stains all over his hands and face. Joy of Victory for Canada’s Milos Raonic
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It wasn’t pretty but Milos Raonic fought and won as he beat American Jack Sock 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4) on centre court Wednesday night at Rexall Centre. Toronto Star
Garden of Distinction has an English feel
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Here’s the wonderful English garden of Marilyn Kenny and Ian Hallett, owners of the home at 1 Kenrae Rd. where it meets Randolph Ave. This inventive garden is one of six chosen by the Leaside Garden Society and in future days we’re going to try to drop in on all of of them. This garden enhances a difficult triangular shaped lot with shrubs, flowers and trees. Like a good English garden this one has paths and little hiding places away from the busy world just a few feet away. Very nice and greatly deserving of the award. Photo shows the garden with home hidden behind and a cherub with the garden society’s notice inset.
Commuters move train car to rescue trapped man
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There’s been a most remarkable group effort by commuters on the Perth, Australia transit system. Together, they tilted a train car to free a man whose leg had gone into the gap between the platform and the train. It is an exhilarating and alarming thing to watch all at once. Few of us think about the “train gap” that lurks in most stations. Last year, a 5-year-old girl, Ava Buckareff, slipped between a subway car and platform at the St. Clair station. TTC officials explained that there is indeed jeopardy for riders at this station under certain conditions. Happily for young Ava, her aunt pulled the child free before the train started to move. Video from Perth is amazing. Flashback to St. Clair subway incident
3 escape with cash from Leslie-York Mills CIBC
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Three men robbed the CIBC branch on Leslie St. north of York Mills Road Wednesday afternoon. They made their getaway but not before they dropped coins and bank notes all over the road. The hunt is on at this dinner hour for the three. No one appears to have been hurt.