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. 

No condos at Garden Court: Community Council

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Community Council has now voted to reject the proposal to convert the Garden Court rental apartments to condominiums.  In doing so, council took the advice of City Staff which late in July said no such conversion was possible in light of municipal bylaws which protect moderate and low rent housing. The matter will come before full City Council on Monday, August 25, 2014, which is expected to follow the recommendations and also reject the plan.  Previous post 

German firm Dr. Oetker picks up McCain pizza

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The German-based food conglomerate Dr. Oetker has purchased the North American frozen pizza operations of McCain Foods. Financial terms of the deal were not available. It covers the Ellio’s brand in the U.S. and a two-year licence for the use of the McCain brand name in Canada. McCain has retained ownership however of its Pizza Pocket operation. The German firm has been headquartered in Mississauga since 1962 and has subsidiaries in at least 12 other countries including India, Brazil and Australia.  This year Dr. Oetker opened a new pizza-making plant in London Ontario and now adds  the McCain operations in Grand Falls, N.B., and Lodi, N.J. The company said all 300 McCain employees at both locations will be offered employment with Dr. Oetker. The deal is subject to regulatory approval in Canada. The Oetker firm does not appear to be widely known in Canada, despite its size. It was founded by Doctor August Oetker in 1891. He created an early and popular form of cake mix. 

Premier at municipal election event in London

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Premier Wynne has addressed a fundraising event for a candidate in the London, Ontario municipal election in October. Ms. Wynne is said to have attended the meeting for Jesse Helmer on “her personal time”. Mr. Helmer is said to be a personal friend of the Premier’s. He is a newcomer to politics and is trying to defeat incumbent member of London Council Stephen Orser.  Helmer raised $4,745 for his campaign from the Tuesday night event at which Ms Wynne spoke. 

Private liquor sales here? Dream on people

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It’s a familiar old glass of beer every time anybody says it would be better for Ontario if the LCBO were abolished. Nice, but the Howe Institute makes a feeble case that the government would see more money if it did so. The institutes’s other claim that prices would go down is a no-brainer. If that were the only issue for the Ontario Government to ponder, we would have private liquor stores in a wink. But it isn’t. This government — especially this government — will never give up the cheaply-collected $1.7 billion which is pumped each year into the Queen’s Park slush fund from the LCBO. Right now, the minister merely has to bark at the LCBO to send over the money and it’s done. You may be sure that the cost of collecting the taxes required to part private distributors with their cash would be expensive.   Hamilton Spectator

Copper staircase railings stolen on Spadina Rd.

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Thieves broke into a home on Spadina Road between between Saturday August 9 and Saturday August 16, 2014 and disassembled the fabricated copper copper staircase railing from upper and lower floor staircases. No value is stated by police for the copper hand railing. The commercial price of copper is about $4 a pound. What do a couple of copper staircase railings weigh? 

Judge gives terror accused benefit of the doubt

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It’s good to be tried in Canada where the judge may give you the benefit of the doubt. In acquitting London, Ontario doctor Khurram Syed Sherhis of conspiring to facilitate terrorism, Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland said that while Sher, 32, probably harboured some jihadist sympathies, he was not convinced the doctor genuinely intended to join a conspiracy.  Globe and Mail 

Price of nut spread set to test nerves, loyalty

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Spring frost in Turkey, where the hazelnuts are grown, is set to drive up the cost of Nutella spread, a Canadian breakfast favorite. Many say they can’t live without it. Turkey is home to about 70 per cent of the world’s hazelnut crop where the annual yield of 800,000 tons may be reduced to merely 540,000 tons. Freeworld Trading, a commodity trading company in the United Kingdom, reports that hazelnut prices have been soaring since the March frost. We should add however that the marketplace may yet discover alternative ways to supply the nut and chocolate spread industry. But for now, the gloom is on the hazelnut. CTV