Gears at 109 Vanderhoof Ave. has announced that it is closing because of what it calls industry challenges and an anticipated lack of supply for the next 12 to 18 months. The long-time shop will close Friday, March 26 in order to consolidate resources in other Gears shops in the GTA. A release says the decision was not taken lightly but is logical to protect staff and business. Release
The Toronto Zoo Tuesday released a video of a reluctant zebra being coaxed (unsuccessfully) to come to dinner.
There are few personal problems more upsetting or disruptive than that of the loss of a wallet with all its valuable contents. Decent people are communicating at Leaside Facebook to help find the wallet dropped by a woman somewhere in the business district of Bayview Ave. Tuesday.
City planners are said to be sending a scheme to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee that would bring a fancified version of Yonge St all the way to Davisville Ave. The scheme is more of the current urban thinking in Toronto and has no particular attribution except unidentified planners. This time it envisions bike lanes, trees and various things on a stretch of Yonge from Bloor St. to Davisville. CP24 is posting bursts of short takes on this.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments from the City of Toronto Tuesday in its bid to overturn the Ontario government’s decision to slice City Council in half in the middle of the 2018 election campaign. It will be months before the court renders a decision but a fundamental of Canada’s constitution has to be dealt with in some way. Namely, that the provinces control and dispose of municipalities any way they like. It’s for this reason apparently that the Attorney General of Canada will be represented at today’s hearing. Many believe that the newly-elected Ford government acted vindictively against Toronto but there are national issues to be considered. We’ll hear the arguments soon.
Many shoppers will be surprised if not shocked at news that the parent company of Sobeys has signed a deal to buy 51 percent of Longo’s. The deal includes Longos grocery store chain and its Grocery Gateway e-commerce business. The price is said to be $357 million. Empire Company Ltd. of Stellarton, Nova Scotia, said the deal adds two high-quality banners to its business and helps it grow in Ontario. According to a news release Tuesday, Toronto-area grocer Longo’s and Grocery Gateway will continue to be led by CEO Anthony Longo. However, Empire said Longo’s will be able to benefit from its infrastructure and capabilities in areas such as sourcing, logistics and real estate. Longo’s is a post-war business phenomenon in Ontario where it grew from a family-owned fruit store to a large chain of widely-patronized grocery stores. It’s known most notably in South Bayview for its store in the former steam engine repair building on Laird Drive.
The City of Toronto says Monday that it plans to see over-80 citizens vaccinated between now and April 11. This as the Ontario online booking portal for province-wide vaccinations opened at 8 a.m.
Rogers buys Shaw for $26 bilion
City News says Monday that its owner, Rogers Communications Inc., has signed a deal to buy Shaw Communications Inc. in a deal valued at $26 billion, including debt. Both companies are phone and cable competitors to Bell Canada. The deal must be approved by the CRTC. The story makes no mention of Corus Entertainment, owner of Global News. Corus is a separate company also controlled by the Shaw family. Stories from the National Post and CBC
Apartments illegally built over exhaust repair shop
A ticket holder in Quebec won Saturday’s $27 million Lotto 649 jackpot. The draw’s guaranteed $1 million prize also went to a lottery player in Quebec. The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on Mar. 17 will be an estimated $5 million.
The fire marshall has found there were no smoke alarms in the home at 95 Gainsborough Rd when fire killed four people there on January 29. Then, so much personal sound flowed from the cassette player invented by Dutch inventor Lou Ottens 65 years ago. He has just died at the age of 94. Below that, two employees of a retirement home in Alliston are on leave at home because of their silly decision to go shopping without masks and then post their giggles on social media. Foolish but rather harmless. Give them a break. Lastly, it seems that the Amazon warehouse in Brampton has been an absolute beehive of virus reproduction. What do they do, spit on each other?
East-end nature photographer Colin Mcconnell has posted the latest in his open-ended Dogs in the Hood series. This absolutely adorable pup is off the cuteness scale.
Tammy Mallett, manager of the Valu-Mart at 1500 Bayview Ave, has published pictures on the Davisville Parents FB account which she says show a break-in underway this week at the store. Some of the apparently teenaged people in the pictures may be identifiable. And at Leaside Community, a long thread discusses why the pictures were taken down by the admin.
Facebook appeal to find lost snake
And then there’s the Saturday morning appeal for the return of a lost snake in Little India. One reader asks how you lose a snake. Do they roam free?
Two women escaped serious injury Friday evening when they were struck by a vehicle on Pape Ave near the Food Basics store near Gamble Ave. The incident occurred at about 7 p.m.
Eight teen boys in retail crime wave
Toronto Police report Saturday that six teenage boys are apprehended and two more sought in a string of retail robberies across the GTA. Five of them are minors and one is just 15. The eldest is 19 and he is named in the release.
