The South Bayview Bulldog

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. 

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.

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

There are signs of Spring and you have seen them, Sunday morning’s cold weather not withstanding. time to say goodbye the bitterness of this bitter winter. No more “The groundhog called for six weeks more winter so I ate him” stuff. It”s over. One of the most entertaining omens is the annual ice blasting on the Rideau River in Ottawa. The rumbling noise of the work is a near century old  project in the capital. Explosions were heard and felt around parts of the Rideau River Saturday.  There’s close to 1,000 structures on the Rideau watershed that have the potential of flooding every year. Here in South Bayview, the Weather Channel’s Daniel Martins says it’s a testament to how harsh the winter has been in southern Ontario that a brief return to seasonal temperatures can feel so warm. Still, that’s how many residents were feeling Sunday as above-zero temperatures were widespread, and more of the same expected Saturday and a slight cool down on the way for Sunday  How right you are Daniel.

Jessie Sahdra has opened his new Bagel House Express on Eglinton Ave. W near the corner of Castle Knock Rd. It’s right beside the Starbucks. Today (Saturday, March 8, 2014) he was in high spirits as customers flocked in to order his delicious Montreal-style bagels, long a favourite of the residents of South Bayview. Jessie posed with a Bagel House employee Shawn Shahzad (left and right inset). Shawn is also well known to South Bayview customers. The new shop receives deliveries of fresh bagels from the South Bayview ovens. It is an economical and well-located business addition for the company. Bagel House has three locations already in Toronto — 1548 South Bayview Ave., 1722 Avenue Road and 1438 Yonge Street. There is also one in Mississaugua. The firm began in 1999 when Jessie migrated from a Montreal bagel bakery where he learned the craft. We don’t know whether its the simple ingredients, the hand rolling, boiling in honey water or the wood-oven baking. Together however, the Montreal Bagel is a national treasure.