New garden centre to open on Bayview Ave.

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Davenport Garden Centre will open a new location on the site of the former Garden Court Nurseries at Bayview Ave. and  Davisville Ave. The street address is 1466 Bayview. Work began Monday and continued today on the metal and translucent plastic structure that will house springtime offerings at this traditional spot for flowers and Christmas trees. Carla Rose was overseeing work at the site as she also hefted wheelbarrows of earth across the strip of land that for decades hosted the Garden Court business. “We”re excited,” said Ms. Rose. ” We hope everyone is happy to see flowers and plants back on this corner.” The land in question is a narrow strip running along Davisville at the end of the parking lot for the Valu mart. After its sale two years ago, the whole block is now owned by a numbered company which is keeping its option open for future development. The Valu mart is owned by Loblaws subsidiary National Grocers but it is understood that Loblaws has no ownership of the land. Davenport Garden Centre is located at the corner of Davenport Rd. and Dupont St., a space that has also been a garden nursery for many years.  Previously it was known for decades merely as “Ron’s”. Photos: Top and centre, construction underway on the new Davenport Garden Centre location at Bayview and Davisville, bottom, Garden Court Nurseries sign as the business prepared to close in 2012.  

Eeew! Executive sleepovers at Whole Foods

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Prospective employees of the new Whole Foods in the now-building development at 1860 Bayview may wish to ponder carefully a career with the trendy grocer. According to BBC retailing reporter Katie Hope, the man at the top of the firm thinks that “there’s something about sleeping in the same house and then fixing breakfast or dinner together that is very much a bonding experience.” Or so says John Mackey, the fellow who founded Whole Foods back in 1980 and who has overseen its rise to international success. He seems to get it that most people would rather eat glass than chat with their boss in their pajamas. “I know this sounds weird,” he admits. Yes.  And then there’s the whole gender thing.  BBC

You gotta love Kate and William’s Kiwi gallery

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are in New Zealand tonight. They have their infant son, Prince George along, and the first pictures are especially enjoyable. For once, baby George isn’t stealing the show. At right we see the royal arrival in Wellington today. Kate is a good sport about the Maori custom of rubbing noses as a welcome. Prince William participates in a Maori ceremony and at bottom, the duke and duchess meet the athlete. The look on Kate’s face is priceless. Prince George is a star attraction of course. CTV royal correspondent Victoria Arbiter says the couple received a warm welcome. The duchess appears to be taking a hands-on approach with George, insisting on carrying her son herself off the plane rather than pass him on to the nanny who is travelling with them. While the family is now resting after their 30-hour journey Down Under, George will join his parents for his first official engagement Tuesday during an informal event at Government House, where the royal couple will meet with 10 New Zealand families, who each have babies born within a week of George. As the tour progresses, William and Catherine plan to balance out their more serious official engagements, such as meeting victims of the Christchurch earthquake, with more informal events such as meeting with “The Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson and enjoying a few sporting events of their own. CTV

Sign of the Skier pop-up store on Bayview

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Sign of Skier will begin an annual sell-off of goods Tuesday, April 8, 2014, as it opens a pop-up store in the premises at 1633 Bayview Ave. next door to Pagnello Antiques. This is the former Sentry toy shop.  Last year, Sign of the Skier ran a brief pop-up store in the former Country Store location on Bayview.

Bob Geldof’s daughter Peaches dead at 25

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Peaches Geldof

Peaches Geldof, the daughter of Bob Geldof and the late Paula Yates, has died at the age of 25, the BBC reports. There were reports that police were called to her home in Wrotham, Kent, on Monday where her body was discovered. Geldof, a mother of two, was a prolific tweeter and the final message that she sent on Sunday was a picture of her as a child with her mother. Kent Police said: “Police were called at 1.35pm on 7 April 2014 to an address near Wrotham following a report of concern for the welfare of a woman. A woman aged 25 was pronounced dead by South East Coast Ambulance Service. “At this stage, the death is being treated as an unexplained sudden death. Officers are working to establish the circumstances around the death.” Bob Geldof said: “Peaches has died. We are beyond pain. She was the wildest, funniest, cleverest, wittiest and the most bonkers of all of us. Writing ‘was’ destroys me afresh. What a beautiful child. How is this possible that we will not see her again? How is that bearable? We loved her and will cherish her forever. 

Wynne won’t release libel notice to Hudak

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The notice of legal action by Premier Wynne against Tim Hudak is sort of unreal. Spooky. Like the night they cancelled the gas plant. Canadian Press 

McDonald’s is lovin’ that Filipino work ethic

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McDonald’s restaurants are said to like Filipino workers because they work harder and show up on time. How very curious. Why don’t they prefer home grown employees who might come to work (or not) and who insist on every other weekend off to go to the cottage with mom and dad?  Just asking.  CBC

Chow opens Uptown office, vows to help children

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Olivia Chow opened her campaign office at Yonge St. and Rosehill Ave. just south of St. Clair Ave on Sunday. The location seems a necessary sign to “uptown folks” that she is more than a south-of-Bloor candidate. In keeping with what most voters might expect, the candidate promised to put children at the heart of her campaign. She said she will broaden after-school activities. When fully operational, it will cost somebody about $3.2 million a year. The promise has the essential quality of an NDP plum. There is  much empathy in the expressed need “to do more” without much examination of what’s happening. The main talking point for Ms. Chow was that right now one out of five children has access to after-school activities. But who and where they are is not clear. The promise raises again the merits of all-day kindergarten. It is doubtlessly a boon to working parents but it was sold by the Ontario Government as necessary for the adequate education of kids. There has been considerable questioning of that contention in the light of the first year’s results. 

Witness sends comment on crosswalk accident

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A 22-year-old woman has been struck by a car on Bayview Ave at or near the crosswalk for Soudan Ave. and Parkhurst Blvd (on the east side).  It appears she was hit by the vehicle when it failed to stop for the crosswalk. We have eyewitnesses information in the form of a comment below that corrects an earlier version.  Thanks to Mr. Baker for his information. The accident occurred about 8  p.m.  and the woman was taken to Sunnybrook Hospital. Police diverted traffic, including the 11 Bayview bus, along Cleveland Street and Manor Road.

2 hurt in motorcycle mayhem near Yonge-St. Clair

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A motorcyclist and a pedestrian are in Sunnybrook Hospital tonight after an incident of pure mayhem at the corner of Yonge St. and Pleasant Blvd this evening. It happened about 5.30 p.m. as three motorcycles were seen speeding north on Yonge from Rosehill Ave. A motorist who saw the motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic said he knew they were “an accident about to happen.” His perception was all too accurate. One of the lane-changing bikes was clipped by a southbound BMW (photo centre) turning left at Pleasant. Police speculate the 75-year-old driver had no idea that the motorcycle would appear out of nowhere in front of his car. The motorcycle was hurled onto the east sidewalk of Yonge Street (photo top) where it injured a woman pedestrian. She is 67 ears old.. The cyclist, aged 29, was also badly hurt. Police said one of the other motorcycles stopped but the third fled the scene. The intersection is one block south of Yonge and St.Clair. Yonge is closed between St. Clair and Rosehill.  A woman who witnessed the accident (photo bottom) said the motorcycle seemed to fly to pieces. It landed many feet north of the rider and the pedestrian.  She and her friend ran to try to assist the bleeding pedestrian. She is reported to have head injuries. The rider appeared to have broken legs this witness said. Other witnesses said they think the motorcycles were traveling at “twice the speed limit.”

Old Leaside PO painted a “whitewash” white

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The old Postal Station R, now known as 2 Laird Drive or site of the new Upper House Condominium, has been painted a strange whitewash white. The red-brick building is slated for demolition as soon as an application finally emerges from the Ontario Municipal Board. The developer, Knightstone Capital, has approval to build to a height of seven storeys, the top level said to be a mechanical room. So why the white paint job?  Some think the old post office will soon blossom with signs and become a sales and presentation site. It’s our best guess. 

Quebec Liberals look good to win Monday’s voting

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The Quebec Liberals could be set to defeat the Parti Quebecois in Monday’s general election. It seems as if a moment-of-opportunity call to the polls has backfired on PQ leader Pauline Marois. A Leger Marketing poll released today gives the Liberals 38 per cent support compared to 29 per cent for the Parti Quebecois, 23 per cent for the centrist Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ), and nine per cent for left-wing separatist party Quebec solidaire.