Laird LRT stop will replace long-time Bagel maker

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In recent days the provincial transit body Metrolinx has been releasing information and pictures of stations along the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. In a previous post, The South Bayview Bulldog published details of the Bayview Ave. and Mt. Pleasant Rd. stops. Now we can show these pictures of the new buildings and  locations for the station at Laird Dr. The main entrance (inset top) will be built on the site of the strip mall on the southwest corner. This mall now houses the Great Canadian Bagel and other retailers. The mall will be demolished to make way for the station shown. Across Laird to the east, a second entrance (inset lower) will be built on the parking lot of the RioCan-owned Laird Centre on the southeast corner. In this depiction you can see the Pier One outlet which will remain. Metrolinx confirms there will be no LRT access on the north side of Eglinton at Laird. This means the charming former TD bank building on the northwest corner will remain a Starbucks. McDonald’s to be demolished for Bayview station. 

RCMP find scent of fraud on Duffy, Nigel Wright

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Nigel Wright, former chief aide to Prime Minister Stephen Harper is insisting that his actions in lending Mike Duffy $90,000 were “entirely legal.” The RCMP however say they suspect that both Wright and Senator Duffy committed a range of offenses. They cite breach of trust, fraud and bribery. News stories do not refer to the Criminal Code specifics of these suspicions. No charges have been laid. It’s the first time the RCMP has indicated that Nigel Wright is a key figure in the investigation into the Senate spending scandal. Cpl. Greg Horton says the offenses would relate to Duffy’s role as a Canadian senator and Mr. Wright’s former role as chief of staff for the prime minister of Canada.” 

Bathtubs, sinks, taps stolen from Rochester Ave

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Thieves must have needed a truck to remove the load of plumbing supplies taken from a location on Rochester Avenue in Lawrence Park on Sunday, November 10, 2013.  Police at 53 Division say entry was gained by unknown means and that the loot included a quantity of plumbing items, bathtubs, sinks, faucets and a cooktop. 

Glow-in-the dark quarter is coin of the year

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The Royal Canadian Mint’s glow-in-the-dark quarter has won the most innovative coin of the year award and become a “global phenomenon” since it was released in March 2012, the Mint says in a news release. The 25-cent piece glows in the dark with a  skeleton of dinosaur which once roamed Alberta. It is the Pachyrhinosaurus Lakustai, a new species of dinosaur discovered from a fossil found in the province. The Mint said this was the first photo-luminescent coin in the world and that subsequent releases in this “glow-in-the-dark” series have all rapidly sold out. The award is presented by Krause Publications, a Wisconsin-based media company dedicated to collectibles. An international panel of medallists, journalists, and central bank and museum officials judges the annual competition. This recognition of the Mint’s leadership in innovation will be formalized in Berlin, Germany on February 8, 2014, when the award will be presented at the World Money Fair.

Boy foils abductor who doesn’t know code word

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A scheme to get more kids to walk to school more often has been announced on a day when every parent is fretting about their kid’s safety at school. A man has tried to pick up a 10-year-old boy outside Kimberley Junior Public School in the Kingston Road and Main Street area. The man told a story that has tricked other kids. “You’re mom told me to pick you up,” he said. Fortunately, this lad’s mother had trained him. The boy asked for a code word and when the would-be kidnapper didn’t know it, he fled in a beat up car. Now put this teachable moment for parents next to the boilerplate news release from the  local school boards and the city about how too many kids are being driven to school. Nowhere in this excited story about what an adventure it is to walk to school does it mention the constant spectre of harm to children that compels parents to try to hand their kid directly to the teacher. Listen, we get it. Such close supervision isn’t necessarily the best thing for a child. Walking, cycling and running are what kids are supposed to do. But the fact remains the streets are not as safe as we might wish.  It’s too bad that the walk-to-school campaign doesn’t have some answers. 

After-work pilfering at Hudson’s Bay on Bloor

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Looks like someone was doing a little after-work pilfering at the Hudson’s Bay Company at 44 Bloor Street East. The company reports that about 5.30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 someone scooped up some jewellery and headed for the doors. They got away.

Man rescued from trench collapse on Mildenhall

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A workman has had a close call after being buried in earth up to his shoulders on Mildenhall Rd. in the Lawrence Ave. and Bayview Ave. area of Lawrence Park. The man and his workmates were attempting to seal a leaky basement, a process known as parging. They had dug a deep trench beside the home and early in the afternoon the earth gave way, trapping the man. It took firefighters digging and carefully shoring up the sides of  the trench to finally extricate the man. He is said to be essentially unhurt but was checked out at hospital. 

“Live town meeting” by phone in by-vote riding

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Phones were ringing all over the riding of Toronto-Centre with a recorded message from Liberal leader Justin Trudeau Tuesday evening. It invited those who answered to stay on the line and, within a short time, to take part in a “live town hall meeting with thousands of your fellow constituents.” The recording said that Mr. Trudeau were be available at the meeting and answer questions from anyone.  Toronto Centre is one of four federal ridings in which a byelection will be held November 25.

Fed minister says Ford should quit immediately

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Raging bull and Ms McConnell
Ward 24 member of City Council Pam McConnell  is okay after that raging bull performance by Mayor Ford Monday. As seen in he pictures (inset) Ms McConnell is literally bowled over by Mr. Ford as he rushes to join in an imagined rumble in which his brother was involved. This school yard performance begins with Mr. Ford barreling along a narrow aisle at City Hall council chamber. He seems to think he can slip right by Mr. McConnell but of course is absolutely unable to do that. In the centre pictures he might be trying to muscle her out of the way but the impact has knocked her off balance. At bottom, she reels backwards barely avoiding a bounce off the floor, but members of the mayor’s staff catch her. “I was pretty shocked,” said Ms. McConnell.. “I had the stuffing knocked out of me, and the location I was hit in was very dangerous. So I feel extremely lucky, like I had angels on my shoulder yesterday.”  It was a brief incident on the day that saw the mayor and his brother, Doug, isolated at city hall. In fact, today brought more shunning of the Ford brothers both at City Hall and in Ottawa, where Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism said Ford should immediately stop dragging Toronto through this embarrassment and resign. Kenney is the member for Calgary Southeast. 

Money reporter Bartiromo calls it quits at CNBC

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Maria Bartiromo

CNBC says veteran anchor and reporter Maria Bartiromo is leaving the business news channel. Bartiromo’s contract ends Nov. 24, concluding 20 years with CNBC, the channel said Monday. The New York Times and others reported Bartiromo is joining Fox Business Network. The Fox network said it had no immediate announcement to make Monday. The Drudge Report was first to report Bartiromo’s move. “After twenty great years of having a front row seat to some of the most important economic stories in the world, it’s hard to sum up the gratitude and appreciation I have for the team that helped make it happen,” Bartiromo said in a statement. “I am incredibly proud of what we have been able to accomplish.” Her representative did not immediately respond when asked to comment on reports that she’s going to Fox Business. ABC

Moore Park ravine home sells for $2 million

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The large and spacious bungalow at 113 Hudson Drive has sold for $2 million even, a down tick of $79,000 (or 4%) from the listing. This interesting home is on an excellent street and has a frontage of 66 feet. It sits on a ravine lot that is 276 feet deep. Pictures inset show the view from an upstairs sitting room and the patio outside the basement family room. For a potential buyer it was presumably a trade off between the view and the privacy against the limited amount of table land at the rear. The home has 2+2 bedrooms and some really nice amenities like a walk-out balcony from the master bedroom, two gas fireplaces and four washrooms. The taxes in 2013 were $13,571 which in context is enough but Torontonians in fact pay very reasonable property taxes compared to many cities in the U.S. This home dates from the post war period and is part of the ravine property owned by the Simpson Knitting Mills family. Much of it was sold off  in 1945 to build homes similar to 113 Hudson.

Explosive device detonated on King Street W.

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A suspicious explosive device seemed so unstable to police that they detonated it right on the spot this morning at the corner of King St West and Peter Street. It was a noising announcement to the neighborhood at 7.45 a.m., rattling windows and leaving an ugly black scar on the road. The device was found in the trunk of a white Civic Honda  which was stopped this morning by police. Two men were taken into custody.