The South Bayview Bulldog

If you needed more evidence that you had better follow the rules at the airport, this is it. A man who apparently ducked through a forbidden door in order to find a place to smoke last night set off a long, paralyzing shut-down at Pearson International and forced the return of a flight to Toronto after it was half way to Brazil. Ugh. The passenger had a good ticket and passport to travel but he was seen  “breaching security” in the pre-boarding area. Off went the alarms. Outgoing flights were boarded while police searched for the man. They had no idea what he was up to. Everything at the airport stopped. Stunned passengers aboard the flight to Rio de Janiero learned they had spent six hours in the air for nothing when the captain announced he would shortly be landing at — Toronto. Ugh again. Lesson?  Please follow the rules at the airport.  

Wally Rayner, a former president of the Glebe Manor Lawn Bowling Club Limited, says the 1923 articles of incorporation of the club require the property’s return either to the Glebe Manor Presbyterian Church or to the City for a nominal sum if the company ceases to exist as a lawn bowling club. Rayner was president of the club in 1999. His assertions, and those of his wife Georgina, threw Wednesday night’s public meeting about the proposed sale of the land into a turmoil. According to the Rayners, every president of the club since it began has received a copy of the articles of incorporation and letters patent which specify the club may not be sold for profit. The couple said there should be a copy of this undertaking in City archives dating from dealings the municipality had with Glebe Manor Lawn Bowling 15 years ago. But it also seems likely that the Rayners contentions may be verified, or denied, at the Ontario Ministry of Government Services. Glebe Manor Presbyterian Church no longer exists however its records are probably extant. Most critically, the Rayners said that the current president, Phil Foubert, should make public the articles of incorporation which are said to be in his possession. Mr. Foubert is spearheading the scheme to sell the property for as much as $3 million to be used for the site of town homes. The meeting, which was called by Josh Matlow (Ward 22) also heard calls for an ad hoc “shareholders” meeting among members of the club. Many present at the Hodgson School gathering said they were active members of the club and wanted to have their say in what was happening.  Mr. Matlow said he had only just learned of the information provided by the Rayners and intended to ask the city solicitor to investigate immediately. 

There’s lots of activity among candidates even though we are still the best part of five months away from the municipal election. Jon Burnside, candidate for Councillor in Ward 26, will hold a big fundraiser on Sunday, June 22,  2014, at the Amsterdam Brewery on Esander Road. That one will begin at 7 p.m.  

Josh Matlow (Ward 22) has convened a meeting tonight (Wednesday, June 18, 2014) to sort out the plan to sell off the Glebe Manor Lawn Bowling Club for residential development. The matter has been around for a few months apparently but it was not on the radar of most of the community. Now it is, and the widespread feeling is that the small green parcel of land at 196 Manor Road should become a City Parkette. City staff has been asked to pursue the question with executives at the club, who are said to have chosen a developer. What is the property worth and can Toronto Parks pay for it? The meeting gets underway at 7 p.m. tonight at Hodgson Senior Public School at 282 Davisville Ave.  

The listings for re-sale homes in Toronto has shown a spurt year over year with new listings up 7.8%  says the Toronto Real Estate Board. TREB is predicting a seller’s market for at least the rest of this year. The average GTA house price as of mid-June, 2014, was $582,100, up some 8.6 per cent from the average price of $535,865 at the same time last year. It is quite a city all right.