246 Forman Ave.sold for $951,000 in 7 days

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246 Forman Ave.
The Toronto Star’s popular feature What They Got has information on  246 Forman Ave., a home that sold in seven days for $951,000. The asking price of this 1,300 square foot house was  $849,900 and it sold previously in 2007 for $600,000. Further information: Lot: about 52- by 29-ft. irregular lot, built-in single car garage, private drive Taxes: $4,679 (2013) Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Days on the market: This property has a new kitchen and new heated floors in the kitchen, front hall, family room and  basement. It also has two renovated bathrooms, a new roof, hot water system and windows. 

Break-ins reported in Lawrence Park, East York

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There has been a break-in on  Cheltenham Ave. in Lawrence Park. It occurred Tuesday, January 28, 2014, when thieves forced a window.  The occupants were apparently out between 4.45 p.m. and about five after ten in the evening. Removed was a computer, a quantity of jewellery, identification, purses, keys and alcoholic beverages. Another break-in took place the same day on Queensdale Avenue south of East General Hospital between 5.30 p.m. and 1 a.m.the following day.  Removed was a quantity of jewellery and a walkie talkie set.

Matlow, Parker, Kettel dream of derailed subway

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John Parker (Ward 26) has replied to Geoff Kettel’s e-mailed exhortation for residents to petition Parker to help derail the extension to the Bloor-Danforth subway. Mr. Kettel was inspired by Josh Matlow (Ward 22) who is working at council to delay the project as a waste of money. The subway scheme, known loosely as the Scarborough subway, is the fruit of Mayor Ford’s efforts to replace the already planned and funded LRT with a full out subway. Mr. Ford was provided with assistance in that triumph last October when the federal government agreed to contribute funds. It had been the last government to announce funding for a transit line of some sort. In his reply, Mr Parker says “I have favoured the LRT option from the start, and have voted accordingly at every turn in the debate. The difficult thing is that Council has now spoken. Our side lost.(24-20 on October 9, 2013, results below — Ed ) The councillor goes on: “Be assured I will none the less seek every practical opportunity to confirm my disapproval of the subway expansion proposal. Which I have done consistently as a member of Council and as a member of the TTC every time the matter has come before me. All of that having been said, you will understand that bringing about a change in policy will take more than one more vote from me at Council confirming my disapproval of the subway extension. It will take a new attitude by Council and – to be candid – some backbone at Queen’s Park. Which is where you might want to try to bring some immediate influence to bear if the goal is to bring about a change of policy concerning the LRT replacement proposal.” Below is the vote recorded on October 9, 2013 which was previously published. The only “local” councillor to vote in favour of the subway option was TTC chair Karen Stintz.  Previous post plus Mr. Parker’s full letter as sent out by Mr. Kettel. on January 30, 2014.

Yes: 24 Ana Bailão, Michelle Berardinetti, Raymond Cho, Josh Colle, Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Mike Del Grande, Frank Di Giorgio, Doug Ford, Rob Ford, Mark Grimes, Norman Kelly, Chin Lee, Giorgio Mammoliti, Peter Milczyn, Ron Moeser, Frances Nunziata (Chair), Cesar Palacio, James Pasternak, Anthony Perruzza, David Shiner, Karen Stintz, Michael Thompson
No: 20 Paul Ainslie, Maria Augimeri, Shelley Carroll, Janet Davis, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Mary Fragedakis, Mike Layton, Gloria Lindsay Luby, Josh Matlow, Pam McConnell, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Joe Mihevc, Denzil Minnan-Wong, John Parker, Gord Perks, Jaye Robinson, Adam Vaughan, Kristyn Wong-Tam

Escalator horror death in Montreal subway

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A horror scenario in which clothing is drawn into a machine has played out in the Montreal subway with fatal results. A woman estimated to be about 48 years old was at the Fabre station this morning (Thursday, January 31, 2014) when her hair and scarf became entangled in a subway escalator. Police say that somehow the moving staircase grabbed the woman’s scarf. “She tried to pull the scarf free but her hair got entangled and she was apparently strangled to death,” a police spokesman said, citing witnesses and surveillance video. 

Most minimum wage earners are far from poor

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A provocative spin here on the true nature of the minimum wage. The minimum hourly rate was officially raised 75 cents an hour by Premier Wynne this morning. It’s now $11. But does this help the poor?  Konrad Yakabusski

Patio, sidewalk rules to be reviewed by City

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Toronto will hold a series of consultative meetings to review the bylaws on sidewalk patios and boulevard cafés. The Licensing and Standards division has undertaken the review in an attempt to create one bylaw for Toronto. As patio owners on South Bayview certainly know, each former municipality has a pre-amalgamation bylaw that regulates boulevard cafe and marketing activities. Many a prospective restaurant owner has learned to his chagrin that the east side of Bayview (former East York) and the west side of Bayview (Toronto) have very different rules. As a result, the requirements, approval processes, permit types and application fees are different depending on the area where the business is located. Each of the following four meetings will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. 
Thursday, February 6 in City Hall’s committee room 2 
Tuesday, February 11 in East York Civic Centre’s council chamber 
Thursday, February 13 in Etobicoke Civic Centre’s main boardroom 
Tuesday, February 18 in North York Civic Centre’s committee room 3 

Here’s a source of more: Have your say.

The hard work of keeping us warm this winter

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Joel Eastwood of the Toronto Star tells an intuitive tale about our hard January as he checks in with, among others, Tom Spanton, owner of Leaside Plumbing on Laird Drive.   Joel Eastwood

Michael Fellin to be Crescent’s 10th headmaster

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Michael Fellin
Michael Fellin is poised to take the helm at Toronto’s Crescent School this coming fall when the present headmaster Geoff Roberts retires after 36 years at the eminent boys school.  The 39-year-old Mr. Fellin is in only his third year at the 30-acre Bayview Ave. campus. But he was marked for advancement when he joined and the board members made it official when they appointed him the tenth headmaster of Crescent in December. Mr Fellin began his education career in 2000 at Neil McNeil High School on Victoria Park Ave. where he was a teacher and then vice principal. In a release announcing his appointment, the board lauded Fellin’s contributions to the leadership of the school over the past two years, noting particularly his academic credentials, his understanding of independent schools and of boys education and his commitment to the uniqueness of educating boys. He had, said the board, an excellent rapport with students. Crescent has an enrollment of 700 and a faculty and staff of 140, all of whom have the privilege of working in the pleasant school nestled just off Bayview opposite the Granite Club.    

Council votes for a 2.23% tax increase in 2014

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City Council has voted for a 2.23% property tax increase in 2014. The vote was 32-13. The budget meeting continues at city hall and is not expected to be completed tonight.  The members voted as follows:

Yes: 32 Ana Bailão, Michelle Berardinetti, Shelley Carroll, Raymond Cho, Josh Colle, Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Janet Davis, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Mike Del Grande, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Mary Fragedakis, Mark Grimes, Norman Kelly, Mike Layton, Chin Lee, Peter Leon, Pam McConnell, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Joe Mihevc, Peter Milczyn, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Frances Nunziata (Chair), Cesar Palacio, James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Jaye Robinson, Karen Stintz, Michael Thompson, Adam Vaughan, Kristyn Wong-Tam  

No: 13 Paul Ainslie, Maria Augimeri, Frank Di Giorgio, Paula Fletcher, Doug Ford, Rob Ford, Gloria Lindsay Luby, Giorgio Mammoliti, Josh Matlow, Ron Moeser, John Parker, Anthony Perruzza, David Shiner

Water off at Union Station for TTC, train riders

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There is no water tonight (Wednesday, January 29, 2014) and that includes the washrooms for anyone travelling by TTC or train. The effected area includes the GO and VIA concourses. Toronto Water was doing work in the area when a water valve broke, requiring water to be shut off until proper repairs can be completed. They’re working on it.

Parker on bid to derail subway extension

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As Josh Matlow (Ward 22) campaigns for a delay on a decision to build the Scarborough subway, there is a move to get next-door city councillor John Parker (Ward 26) to support the move. Residents of Leaside are being asked to write  to Mr. Parker urging him to do this.  The local effort is being aided, it would appear, by Geoff  Kettel, well-known in the community, who has sent a general e-mail marked “URGENT TO ACT: Ask Councillor Parker to support Councillor Josh Matlow who wants to put Scarboroug​h subway on hold — along with the tax hike.”
JOHN PARKER’S REPLY TO GEOFF KETTEL 

I have favoured the LRT option from the start, and have voted accordingly at every turn in the debate.
The difficult thing is that Council has now spoken. Our side lost. The other two levels of government have also endorsed the subway option, and have committed funding to it. Undoing the existing plan will be a complicated task. The issue goes well beyond the vote on the 2014 City of Toronto budget. Notwithstanding that, yesterday at Council I tried to have the vote on the subway tax split from the vote on the other contributors to the overall tax rate. My side came up short on that as well. Council then voted on one all-in tax rate, including the subway tax. I voted in the negative, again as a reflection of my disapproval of the subway expense. I voted in the negative even though, the subway tax aside, I had no quarrel with the actual tax rate being proposed. Again, my vote was in the minority. We will get into the detailed voting on particular budget items today. My vote on each item will depend on the form in which each particular proposition is framed when it finally reaches the voting stage. As you know, various proposals have a way of being bundled together, and things can therefore become complicated. Be assured I will none the less seek every practical opportunity to confirm my disapproval of the subway expansion proposal. Which I have done consistently as a member of Council and as a member of the TTC every time the matter has come before me. All of that having been said, you will understand that bringing about a change in policy will take more than one more vote from me at Council confirming my disapproval of the subway extension. It will take a new attitude by Council and – to be candid – some backbone at Queen’s Park. Which is where you might want to try to bring some immediate influence to bear if the goal is to bring about a change of policy concerning the SRT replacement proposal.

“Quiet new jets” issue is a clever red herring

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Five well-known Torontonians have written a column in the Globe and Mail opposing plans to expand Billy Bishop Airport on the Toronto Islands. They are Paul Bedford, a former chief planner of Toronto, David Crombie, a former mayor, Jack Diamond, Toronto-based international architect; Anne Golden former head the United Way and now chair of the Transit Investment Advisory Panel and Ken Greenberg, former head of urban design in the Toronto planning department.  In summarizing their position, the writers say: “There is no such thing as a “little big airline” or a “little big airport.” Those are clever words masking private gain and public loss. We cannot allow it to replace a highly valued public vision for our waterfront. We only have one waterfront and it belongs to everyone.” This statement is reminiscent of Mr. Crombie’s warning a few weeks ago. Be prepared to see a large airport on the island if there is any expansion permitted, he said. This is a profound perception that cuts through irrelevant things like how much sound new jet planes may make. Expansion at the airport sets Toronto on the path for an enormously busy international terminal with all the congestion, noise and dirt that come with it. Globe and Mail