The South Bayview Bulldog

One of the most enduring names in modern motoring is the Mazda Miata — or Mazda MX-5 as it has been known in the U.S for a few years. The durable little sports car is turning 25 this year. The saying that the Mazda Miata was The Best British Sports Car The Japanese Ever Built still has currency. Check out the Jay Leno video here or by clicking the picture. Many fascinating details of the car are explained. Miata, it is said, was the name of the Mazda boss at the time the  vehicle was designed. Mazda will display 15 Miatas from various years in a dedicated area of the New York International Auto Show this Spring, including concepts from past auto shows, production models and race cars. Mazda says in a press release that the Miata debuted at the Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 9, 1989. According to Mazda, some keys to the roadster’s enduring success include its affordability, simplicity and lively handling. Currently in its third generation, Mazda says that it has sold more than 900,000 Miatas.

Remember the old joke? What Quebecois really want is a fully separate Quebec inside a strong united Canada. It was always a crowd-pleaser in Montreal cabarets, French or English (when they had English). Now we have the recurring evidence that the joke it still true. A poll done by Ipsos Reid for CTV reveals that a majority of Quebec residents would  want a separate Quebec to use the Canadian dollar and its citizens to have access to Canadian passports. Just gimme me the things I want Squarehead and don’t bug me about taxes, you know? 

Your very own MPP, Kathleen Wynne (Liberal, Don Valley West) cast herself as Ontario’s personal guardian and creator of all things good when she addressed her party’s convention on Saturday afternoon. Ms.Wynne made a play for seniors, those hard-case Conservative voters by telling them that Stephen Harper didn’t care about them. The Premier interspersed her remarks with shouts of “that’s right” to reinforce her wisdom. It was inexplicable, she said, that Mr. Harper would not take care of struggling old folks who have been thrown out of the middle class by retirement. He was willful and ideological, she intoned. The federal-provincial back and forth on this topic has been clear. The Finance Minister (now retired) claims Canada has never had a more affluent, if not wealthy, generation of seniors. Was it really necessary to increase the Canada Pension in order to help some people who had fallen short? No need to answer. The feds are all about dealing with the debt. That was a subject missing from the Premier’s remarks today. In fact the speech was like a reverse epiphany on debt  It had an unreal feeling, possibly like the night they decided to cancel the gas plant.  Ottawa writer David Reevely concludes in the Citizen that the Premier announced “the end of the adult conversation” about the province’s problems and how to fix them. The premier redefined herself as the possessor of “safe hands” which will guide us through troubled times ahead, he said.

Police offer a reminder that Danforth Ave. will be closed between Donlands Ave and and Broadview Ave. for the Greek Independence Day Parade on Sunday beginning. The parade will assemble at Eastern Commerce Collegiate Institute, 16 Phin Avenue, at 11 a.m., and start at 1 p.m. The parade will march west n Danforth dispersing west of Jackman Ave. 

Pepsi is on a tear in the British capital to convert soft-drink consumers to its Pepsi Max. Left is a video from today in which bus riders were shocked by life-like depictions of an alien invasion, tentacles flying up out of manholes and a raging tiger. At right, is part of the campaign from last year where a magician tricks pedestrians by appearing to fly along beside a bus. Hard-headed analysts say he is actually attached to the vehicle by a steel rod posing as his arm and a body harness under his clothes.

When the Northlea Elementary and Middle School Blood Donor Clinic gets underway on April 9, 2014, the challenge will be out to young Leasiders right across the community. Those 17 and older are eligible to give the precious gift of blood. Every public-spirited person who does give, will do so in the name of people like Northlea student Emmy Duff and Noah Wolfe (inset right). Emmy was diagnosed with Leukemia in 1996 and a second time in November 2002. It was shocking news but there was even worse to come. The Northlea community reeled when one of Emmy’s schoolmates, Noah Wolfe, was diagnosed with the same disease within a week of Emmy’s second diagnosis. It was a catastrophe that echoed through every home. Registered Nurse and Northlea mom Anne Murray and her friends began to think about starting a blood donor clinic to help Emmy and Noah. But there was much skepticism that a simple elementary school could organize a successful blood clinic. Canadian Blood Services required a minimum of 80 pledged donors per clinic. Ms. Murray, her friends and neighbors went to work. At that first clinic, held in February 2003, a remarkable 206 people arrived. After necessary testing eliminated some, the Northlea start up clinic had collected 172 units of blood, more than triple the average collected elsewhere. Now, Ms. Murray and clinic marketing co-ordinator Maria Charlebois say, the challenge to maintain this life-saving work falls on the shoulders of those who follow. “I’m really hoping we will have a good showing from Leaside High School,” she says. The organizers are hoping that groups of parents and their teenage kids will find the time to participate. “Emmy had the courage to say yes to the idea of a blood clinic and to comprehend that others would benefit as well,” Anne Murray says. Now the Northlea Blood Clinic must hope that this spirit is still alive among those who knew Emmy and Noah. To make an appointment call 1-888-2-donate (366283). The clinic runs from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.at Northlea school, 305 Rumsey Road. on Wednesday, April 9, 2014. The clinic is held bi-annually in the Spring and Fall. It has become an important part of the collection process for Canadian Blood Services. 

The City of  Toronto is urging residents to clean up as much of the leftover brush and tree branches from December’s ice storm. Wood debris will be removed by the regular leaf and yard waste collection crews on the next pickup day. Get the stuff out there by 7a.m. The diameter of branches must not be larger than 7.5 centimetres (3 inches). For limbs, trunks and stumps that exceed this accepted size, residents must make arrangements with a private company specializing in handling this type of waste. For City collection, branches must be put out in small bundles no longer than 1.2 metres (4 feet) in length and 0.6 metres (2 feet) in width. The maximum height for yard waste containers is 95 centimetres (37 inches) and each container cannot weigh more than 20 kilograms (40 pounds). Kraft paper bags are acceptable containers. The City will not pick up yard waste set out in plastic bags or cardboard boxes. If residents see large fallen limbs from public trees located on public property, they may call 311 to report it, the City advises. 

The Federal Competition Bureau has approved deal by which Loblaws will purchase Shoppers Drug Mart. The bureau will require Loblaws to sell 18 stores. None of  these are in Toronto and none seem to carry the company’s flagship name. Most of the locations are small-town Shoppers plus a fe No Frill locations. It isn’t too clearly stated in news reports but it appears this is related to nearby Loblaws or other company franchises which include a pharmacy, or may yet get one. The decision reveals some of the hard-ball tactics used by Loblaws and others with suppliers, such as requiring discounts retroactively. Globe and Mail