The South Bayview Bulldog

The Scotsman newspaper plucked choice slang from the streets of Glasgow to describe the opening of the XX Commonwealth Games tonight (Wednesday, July 23, 2014). Pure dead brilliant  it pronounced the star studded spectacle in the City’s Celtic Park. The CBC reports that trap shooter Susan Nattrass, an eight-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, carried the Maple Leaf flag as our team paraded in. The team wore the Canadian tartan (inset). Our contingent numbers 265 athletes, the largest ever for Commonwealth Games outside the country. On the Internet, many agencies were replaying the incredible rugby skills of Canada’s Conor Trainor (see it below).  Rod Stewart and Susan Boyle headlined the ceremony, which included a giant kilt, Scottish dancing, an inflatable Loch Ness Monster, and other delights. Images of Opening The CBC notes that Stewart included some Canadian content when he performed Rhythm of my Heart, much to the delight of the crowd. Canadian singer-songwriter Marc Jordan wrote the song for Stewart. Jordan was in Glasgow at the opening ceremony to watch Stewart perform his hit. Boyle sang Mull of Kintyre, and may or may not have forgotten the first two lines of the song. “The Canadian team is aiming to finish in the top three in the overall medal standings after falling to fourth at the 2010 Games in Delhi, India. The track and field team is particularly strong, with 2013 world championship medallists Brianne Theisen-Eaton (heptathlon), Damian Warner (decathlon) and Derek Drouin (also an Olympic bronze medallist in the high jump) on the squad. Boston Marathon wheelchair champion Josh Cassidy will compete in the para-sport 1,500 metres.”  

Roger Cattel has taken this picture of police stopping a vehicle in Leaside for concerns related to speed. It is not clear just what is going on here. Mr. Cattel is the public-spirited resident of McRae Drive who has organized the funding and printing of the lawn signs which urge drivers to slow down. That initiative has been greatly welcomed across the city but it comes with some thankless aspects. The expectation of many signs for all who want them may not be met. The printing process is involved and costly. 

Most everyone has noticed the renewed interest taken this Spring by the important Behar Group Realty firm in leasing the hard-luck space at 1560 Bayview Ave at the corner of Belsize Drive. To say the building has not looked especially loved is to say what every South Bayview resident of 20 years knows already. But, in fairness to the owners, they probably did not design the place. They own the upkeep however. The builder adopted what  a generally discredited walk-down concept for the “first floor” spaces in this multi-unit building. Why discredited? Simple. No one wants to walk down stairs to visit a retail store. The owners also constructed a ramp and stairs to make access to the spaces in the northerly part of the building easier. It didn’t seem to help. There was not a lot of space to work with and the steps got hidden away behind the ramp. So they tried, after a fashion, but now the season is here and the place is costing money. It is more urgent than in past years because the last viable tenant in the corner space, 7-Eleven stores, has paid off its lease after the short-lived try to install one their corner stores. For years the empty space (see inset bottom taken in 2012) was actually paying rent courtesy 7-Eleven. Now it apparently is not and you see can how the neatness quotient has gone up. We wish Behar good luck with this tough proposition. It may be time however for a whole new concept on this corner. For those who care to know, Wikipedia describes 7-Eleven (or 7-11) as part of an international chain of convenience stores headquartered in Tokyo. 7-Eleven, primarily operating as a franchise, is the world’s largest operator, franchisor, and licensor of convenience stores with more than 50,000 outlets. 

Video of that dancing Toronto police officer at the Beach Jazz Festival has prompted a few cheaper shots on Twitter. You can see the Soca Cop above. It’s true he’s on duty but unlike the dancing school guard he is not simultaneously directing traffic and guiding children across the street.