Private home, public park or political football

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It’s easy to see why neighbors at the north end of Bessborough Drive and elsewhere want to leave the historic Thomas G. Elgie home just as it is. The property is currently owned by Renaissance Homes of Toronto and its president Matthew Garnet is trying to make some money from it.  What’s left of the Elgie family’s 200-odd acre farm from the mid-1880s is a verdant corner of the community providing a park-like atmosphere for those who live there. Over the years members of the Elgie family, a conservative clan from the United Kingdom, have given much public service to Ontario. Their story is important. The building that sits on the property today is well off the street and consists of mainly two parts. One dates from 1883 and the other from the 1970s. The picture above shows the general size and shape of today’s Elgie House and the inset black and white picture, taken in 1934, shows the piece in which the pioneer family huddled so long ago. Mr. Garnet’s plan is to divide the property in three lots using two of them for new homes. On the third lot, he proposes to relocate the renovated portion of the Elgie home which was built in 1883. The 20th century part would be demolished. That plan has been rejected by City Council and by the Committee of Adjustment. The home is a heritage property — as it should be — and with preservationists and neighbors in agreement, the Renaissance proposals have gone nowhere.  In this election year there is no appetite for it at the office of Councillor John Parker (Ward 26). So Mr. Garnet has taken his case to the Ontario Municipal Board. On Monday, May 12 the OMB will weigh the argument that the location of the farmhouse on the property — its  “placement, setback and orientation”  — are integral to the home’s historical attributes. In other words, it can’t be moved to that third lot Mr. Garnet wants to create. Some may say it is an interesting position for the City to take in a province where every summer weekend sees a historical home being moved to a commercially suitable location.

Ami welcomes her clients on Bayview Ave

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Ami

Ami , the petite esthetician and manicurist, loves her new location on Bayview Ave.  “It is so friendly and nice with people coming and going,” says the cheerful businesswoman. She has built her business at different locations over 20 years since finding passage to Canada from Vietnam.  And the early years were a struggle, going to school to learn her craft and working for others. But her persistence won out and now she is proud to recount her considerable clientele. “They are wonderful and loyal” says Ami. Like all  practitioners on her business, Ami is licensed by the Ontario government to provide the services of the esthetician’s trade. Manicure, pedicure, body-waxing, eye lash curl and tint and biogel (artificial) nails are among her range of skills. She is currently offering  25 percent discount for a first visit to her new studio at 1659 Bayview Ave (416) 489-8292 and cell (416) 828-4354. There is a quiet pride about Ami. She’s a Canadian now and like so many immigrants who thought they wanted to go the U.S. using Canada as a way station, Ami found she really liked it better in Toronto than anywhere else. She’s glad she figured that out. It is 20 years since Ami set foot in this country and she has worked every day she has been here. One can imagine why her clientele show her loyalty.   

Weekend break-in reported on Ridge Drive

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Police report a weekend break-in on Ridge Drive in Moore Park. It occurred between 2 p.m. Saturday, March 8, 2014 and 6 p.m. Sunday March 9, 2014. Entry was apparently gained by forcing a door. Jewellery and silverware were stolen.

Scooter rolls onto tracks at Eglinton station

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A commuter operating an electric scooter rolled onto  the tracks at Eglinton station Monday. The person was not hurt  by the fall nor by an oncoming train, which the motorman was able to stop in time. Rush hour was delayed about 20 minutes while the scooter and its operator were lifted off the tracks. 

Malaysia says it tracked plane miles off course

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See latest above

New “equity map” looks a lot like an income map

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It’s the “neighbourhood equity score” combining ratings for economic opportunity, social development, health, participation in decision-making and physical surroundings in 140 Toronto neighborhoods. But as someone tweeted tonight, the map looks like an old-fashioned family average income map. The Globe and Mail writers are excited and predict a lively debate and maybe there should be. But enlightening, it is not. Note how the north end Scarborough neighborhoods populated by Chinese have high-equity rankings. Your local (high) equity scores are Leaside 85.82, Rosedale-Moore Park 83.78, Yonge-Eglinton 88.11, Yonge St. Clair 80.99, Lawrence Park North 92.05, Lawrence Park South 90.12.  Equity scores

Bear cub unwraps sign announcing his name

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A lovely touch and brilliant stroke of public relations as the Toronto Zoo gets bear cub to unveil his own name. They must have rubbed the whole thing with cub nip the way he goes at it. Some March break news leads

Rose Park Dr. homes speeding to completion

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308A and 308B

They were vacuuming the lines outside 308A and 308B Rose Park Drive in Moore Park on Monday (March 10, 2014) as the work speeds ahead on these two new homes  It was the Link Line firm at work getting gas service into the homes. Those who have followed the re-development story in The South Bayview Bulldog will know that just last summer this 70-foot wide lot was occupied by a single residence dating from 1920s Moore Park. With much collaboration on the part of neighbors the subdivision was done and plans approved.  Demolition began last September and the pace of the work has been good. In that time the quality Oak doors were removed from the original 308 and sold to Habitat for Humanity. The home was listed for $2,495,000 in September 2012 with the sale price settling at $2,150,000 in October 2012. It will be interesting to see how the numbers are rationalized to drop the letters which now separate the two 308s. While this two-for-one scheme was acceptable to residents, the same can’t be said about a similar proposal in Bennington Heights in recent months. Critics of such land use call it densification — a definite term of opprobrium. A residents group, Save our Bennington,  took local builders Howard Tencer and Tracey Fines to the Ontario Municipal Board over plans to divide the 95-foot lot at 21 Evergreen Gardens. That appeal was overruled and no doubt there will be two homes at that site in future months. The two neighborhoods are different. There are few 95-foot lots in Moore Park. 

Make eye contact: “Hey, I’m looking at you”

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Toronto Police Service begins its pedestrian safety campaign this Monday morning and one of the hopes is that drivers will try to make eye contact with pedestrians at intersections. In many communities in the U.S. it’s called the “Hey, I’m looking at you” campaign. During the week of Monday, March 10 to Sunday, March 16, 2014 TPS will be conducting the annual March Break pedestrian safety campaign. The “March Break, March Safe Campaign” is designed to promote the education, awareness and enforcement strategies intended to heighten public awareness of pedestrian safety. Collision analysis shows that so far in Toronto this year 75% of fatalities involve pedestrians. Many involve jay-walking. In South Bayview, the stretch of Yonge Street between Merton St. and Davisville Ave. is known to The Bulldog as “Jaywalk Alley.” Drivers have to be especially careful through this two block stretch. On a busy four lane street subway commuters race across Yonge without looking. Davisville is the only station on the Yonge line with no entrance on the east side of the street. On South Bayview Ave., drivers are typically pretty good about slowing to let pedestrians cross. But if a pedestrian you tuned out at #didn’tlook like the lady in the  photo it can be dangerous. The  cops also warn that the safety of children in the care must be a top priority.

Peladeau delivers body blow to his media

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Pierre-Karl Peladeau has announced he will run for the Parti Quebecois in the forthcoming election. Until he resigned his offices a short time ago he was the operating chief of Sun News, the Sun newspapers, the Journal de Montréal, TVA television network and Videotron Cable. His interest are said to be a blind trust but in the end, Peladeau owns control of this array of companies. His goal, Peledeau said, is to see Quebec a separate country. Few people in Toronto will be able to analyse the Quebec scene well enough to know just how this may effect the outcome of voting, or the future of the province. It is certain however that Mr. Peladeau has struck a body low to the credibility of his many media businesses and broadcasting endeavors regulated by federal statute. QMI and Sun News have been famous for a long crusade against the CBC and its spending. No doubt many supporters of CBC will be pleased to dismiss further criticism as an attempt to destroy the national glue offered by the CBC. And it will be fun also for reporters to ask their colleagues at the Toronto Sun when the separatist editorials will be published.  Globe and Mail

Bayview suite sells for $374,000 in 16 days

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A third floor, two-bedroom suite in central South Bayview has sold for 99% of its asking price. Suite 305 at 1387 Bayview Ave. (Bayview Ave. and McRae Dr) was listed at $379,000 and fetched $374,000.  This is a life-lease building (not a condo), marketed to the 65+ crowd.  The previous selling price in year 2000 was $270,000. The front door of the building is on McRae. The unit is 1,080 sq. ft. and comes with one parking space, one exclusive locker Maintenance fees: are $415 per month and taxes: $2,700 (2013) It was on the market 16 days. What They Got

Premier throws “Mike Harris” to OSSTF meeting

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Premier Kathleeen Wynne addressed the OSSTF (Ontario teachers) this morning. Her remarks were underway at shortly after 11 a.m. DT  and the Premier said things the teachers wanted to hear. Ms. Wynne raised the spectre of the hated (certainly by the teachers) Mike Harris repeating her contention that “It was Mike Harris who made me who I am.”  She said that the Conservatives want “a war” with education and labour. Steve Paikin tweets that it went not badly for Ms. Wynne. Not much booing and even a little applause. Of course. This method is called “If you don’t like me, think how you’ll feel about the other guy.” Can an election be far off?