Jane’s Walk of Moore Park Sunday morning

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Sunday, May 3, 2014, will see better weather for the Jane’s Walk through Moore Park. This interesting neighborhood which was built during the 1920s was orignally known as Lot 16. Before homes were constructed in the mid 20s and after, there was a militar barracks perched on the crest of the heights where Ridge Drive now runs. The barracks down in 1919. Much similar lore and perhaps more timely information wll be available from walk leader and local resident Lorraine Tinsley. The walk is supported by Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 26). It is said that you’ll learn about famous residents, treasured architectural features and natural landscapes on this walk. This is a two hour event beginning at 10 a.m. with the marshalling point in Moorevale Park on Moore Ave.
PADDLE THE DON
Tomorrow is also the day of the Manulife Paddle the Don event in which hundreds of paddlers travel 10.5km from E.T. Seton Park to the mouth of the Don River in Toronto at the Keating Channel. It is said to be an experience like no other.

Who knew? This is World Naked Gardening Day

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Those who promote it call World Naked Gardening Day a way to connect oneself with nature. No doubt. A little more than necessary or survivable in this climate, we say. But look, different strokes etc. People wax rhapsodic about it. “Gardening naked is not only a simple joy, it reminds us–even if only for those few sun kissed minutes (Ed. — lol) –that we can be honest with who we are as humans and as part of this planet.” They say it is a global movement but suspiciously much of the coverage is in British newspapers, including the Guardian. That would be the British. No sex but lots of nudity. WNGD  The Bath Chronicle 

Global Marijuana March at Queen’s Park at noon

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Some day it may be seen as terribly incorrect to snicker at the Global Marijuana March. It is scheduled this year to take place Saturday (May 3, 2014). We could not help notice the comfortable hours kept by the crusaders for whatever it is that the march represents. The day begins at  12 noon more or less.  The parade itself will begin forming up on the north side of Queen’s Park. The march is scheduled to commence at 2 p.m., ending at approximately 4 p.m.. The participants will proceed onto Queens Park Crescent East and head north. The parade will turn eastbound on Bloor Street West, southbound on Yonge Street, westbound on Wellesley Street, and again northbound on Queen’s Park Crescent East. The participants will disperse between St. Joseph Street and Charles Street. Demonstration components: 10 trucks/cars/floats and some bicycles. No that haze is not the Liberal cabinet burning documents. 

Yonge jewellery store robbed by two armed men

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Thieves robbed the Jewellery by Isaac shop at 2490 Yonge Street on Thursday (May 1, 2014). Two men wearing disguises entered the premises. One of them produced a handgun and smashed several glass displays then removed a quantity of jewellery. The suspects fled the scene westbound on Castlefield Avenue. The owner of the shop, who is 63, was not injured.

“Ford could spoil the election for Tory from jail”

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What is not being said about Rob Ford following another election poll is that he still has more than enough support to spoil the outcome of the voting for mayor. Spoil it, that is, for those who do not want to see Olivia Chow win.  With 22 per cent of the support  — as recorded by Forum Research — Ford would be well able to ensure John Tory’s defeat at the hands of Ms. Chow. Even  after the ghastly pictures of his honour sucking away on a dope stick in his sister’s basement and that shockingly vulgar and juvenile barroom language  — Mr. Ford has enough support to win thousands of votes. He would win them even if he were locked in a jail cell.  All of this seems written in  the stars unless somehow Mr. Ford’s name is off the ballot.  No scent of that happening.  The only way it could come about is if Ford drops out of the campaign before the ballots are printed or if he is arrested and convicted of an indictable offense. In that case, he could be removed from office. The Forum poll has found that Ford has dropped to third place in the mayoral race for the first time with that 22 per cent. Thirty-three per cent said they would vote for Olivia Chow, 27 per cent for John Tory, six per cent for Karen Stintz and five per cent for David Soknacki. The poll was conducted one day after Ford announced a leave of absence. 

Residents fight 25-foot lot appeal in Moore Park

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The Moore Park Ratepayers Association is fighting an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) that would permit the construction of two three-story homes on lots with 25-foot frontages. The lots would be created from the present property at 139 Glenrose Ave. (between Mt. Pleasant and Welland) which has a conforming home on an original 50-foot lot.  The MPRA says in a letter to its members that a successful appeal is likely to have a significant effect on the future development of the 1920s neighborhood. “We were very concerned.” says the letter, “about this because the minimum frontage in this area and much of Moore Park is 40ft. If this appeal were successful, it would likely act as a precedent for so many of the 50ft lots in Moore Park and we could see a rapid transformation as the developers push through further such severances. We see this as a major threat to our area.” The MPRAS says it was successful in stopping this plan at Committee of Adjustment but the developer has now moved on to the OMB where the matter will be heard on June 9 and 10, 2014.  The letter says a residents group and the MPRA have come together to raise funds to retain the professionals needed. A trust account has been opened and cheques may be sent to Ross Marshall, payable to the “Ross Marshall Trust” at 134 Glenrose Ave, Toronto ON M4T IK8.  Also, cheques may be made payable to the MPRA and sent to the Treasurer, Peter J. Gordon at PO Box 43525, 1531 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4G 4G8. 

Duelling garden centres at Bayview-Davisville

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It appears to be case of duelling garden centres at the corner of Bayview and Davisville Aves. That’s because the Valu mart grocery store, owned by Loblaw subsidiary National Grocers, has taken several spaces in the parking lot and built a fenced garden sales centre smack up against the new Davenport Garden Centre. As readers of The Bulldog will know, Davenport recently leased the space formerly owned by Garden Court Nurseries and  installed a nice flower and plant place right on Davisville You can see the Valu mart place in the foreground of the top picture, with Davenport’s new building in the background. Below is a shot inside the Davenport centre. You can see how the Valu mart structure pretty much isolates the Davenport nursery from the parking lot. Well, it does belong to Valu mart after all. Today it was very crowded in the parking lot without those extra spaces. Some traffic had to exit by way of Bayview. For her part, the manager of the Davenport space, Carla Rose smiled and said: “The more the merrier.”

Adventure in walking for LHS kids on Eglinton

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The construction on Eglinton Ave E. opposite Leaside High School has narrowed traffic to two lanes and created an adventure in pedestrian walkways for students. It’s all quite safe but curious too as kids now take a concrete-buttressed diversionary path running beside traffic. This young man is heading south after exiting the long tube of safety barriers used to create a walkway. He waits in what would normally be the middle of the street for the light to change before heading toward LHS on the south side. Traffic has been shifted to the south side of Eglinton and reduced to one lane in each direction near Donlea Drive from west of Bessborough Drive to just east of Hanna Road. It is part of the Eglinton LRT project.  Previous post 

Toronto Marathon road closures this Saturday

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The annual GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon will close local roads this Saturday,  May 4 , 2014. The run begins at 7.30 a.m. in North York and will snake through streets on Yonge and west of Yonge until it heads east along Rosedale Valley Road. Times are indeterminate but there will be mid-morning closures there and on Bayview Ave. south of Rosedale Valley. The DVP exit for Bayview Ave. will be closed but we’re not sure what this means because the whole road is closed for maintenance. This will send more vehicles onto South Bayview. Full road closure list 

Torstar sells Harlequin for merely $455 million

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Torstar Corp. has sold its once-upon-a-time romance publisher to the News Corp. subsidiary HarperCollins. Once upon a time Harlequin was a spinner of cash that thickened the wallets of Star owners for decades. Then the great newspaper-publishing empire was sucker-punched by both the Internet revolution, followed in 2011 by the Kindle and Kobo earthquake. It was a commercial ambush that wiped out many companies in less time than it takes to get a baby into kindergarten. Few companies had so much to lose however as Torstar. The sale price of Harlequin, $455 million in cash, seems like a pittance compared to what it might have fetched ten years ago. “Harlequin has been an important part of Torstar over the past 39 years and we are very proud of the global success it has achieved,” said David Holland, President and Chief Executive Officer of Torstar Corp. in a news release. Torstar acquired control of Harlequin in 1975 and full ownership in 1981. “While making the decision to sell has been difficult, we are confident that this transaction represents excellent value for Torstar shareholders and it also further strengthens the financial position of Torstar,” Holland said. Some of the sale proceeds will be used to pay down debt. With Torstar news release 

NDP leader says she will not support Lib. budget

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That’s it then. NDP leader Andrea Horwath says she will not support the budget tabled yesterday by the Ontario Liberal government. Her decision seems certain to trigger a Spring election.”I have lost confidence in Kathleen Wynne and her ability to deliver,” Horwath said Friday. “I cannot in good conscience support a government that people don’t trust anymore.”  For many it will be surprising, given the things she has already supported, that the NDP leader can make this declaration with a straight face. But she did it,. She looked very serious as she personally ticked off the member for Don Valley West (Leaside-East York) and admitted without saying so that she will vote with her political opposites, the Progressive Conservatives. Her words might easily have come out of the mouth of the PC leader Hudak: “This budget is not a solid plan for the future. It’s a mad dash to escape the scandals. It’s time for change. We do not support this government any longer.” CBC  Ontario blind to gathering economic storm