Loblaws will notify some 200 people at its Brampton headquarters today that they are being laid off. The company is also looking to trim another 75 positions but it insists all the reductions will be administrative, not among those who run your grocery store. It is a chronic issue for companies that, over time, grow larger than necessary. In the coming months Loblaws will be seeking approval for the integration of the Shoppers Drug Mart chain into its empire
Free trade with Europe near say Harper, EU chief
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Both Canada and the European Union are signalling tonight that agreement has been reached in principle on a free trade agreement between the two. Prime Minister Stephen Harper will travel to Brussels tomorrow to conclude the deal with the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso. Certain industry sources confirm to CBC News that Canada has agreed to raise cheese import quotas to 37,000 tonnes from 20,000, and to increase Europe’s share of that to 30,000 tonnes from 13,000. In return, it is expected Canada has received concessions on beef and pork. It was reported the two sides reached a deal on those issues last month. A trade source privy to the negotiations told CBC News that quotas would be phased in by sector over three, five or seven years, giving producers in Canada and in Europe time to adjust. The deal is worth an estimated $1 billion to the beef and pork industries, the trade source said. Reports say the draft agreement is now in the hands of provincial premiers for their reaction. More bedtime reading for Premier Kath. Let’s hope the deal is cinched. We have got lots to sell them. Bloomberg
Quotes from gov’t speech and what others say
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Below are quotes both from the Speech from the Throne and from critics about today’s announced agenda for the coming session of Parliament. Here.
Byfords’ Annual Halloween Glowstick Giveaway
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Sue Byford of Bonnie Byford Real Estate (and co-publisher of the South Bayview Bulldog) reports that the company has launched its annual Free Glowstick campaign to help keep kids safe this Halloween. The handy glowing sticks signal motorists that the street is full of children going door to door. Really, every child should have one when the trick or treating begins. The Glowsticks are free but the number is limited so make your stop at the Byford storefront at 1536 Bayview Ave. just north of Millwood Rd. Be safe, be seen, it’s Halloween!
Woman cyclist injured on Spadina near Dundas
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A woman cyclist has been seriously injured in a collision with large construction flatbed-trailer used to carry heavy equipment between sites. The woman, 25, and the truck were both heading north on Spadina, which has a designated bike lane. It may be that they became tangled because of the width of the trailer, which was carrying was appears to be backhoe. Police say the woman became trapped in the rear wheel well of the trailer and suffered injuries to her pelvis and leg. It appears she was very lucky to survive. The accident occurred about 7.30 a.m. VideoMillionaire’s wild and crazy visit to Little Rock
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Toronto millionaire Michael Wekerle is being sued by a hotel valet in Little Rock, Arkansas for injuries sustained during Mr. Wekerle’s astonishing behaviour when he stayed at the luxury hotel in 2010. He is said in a sworn statement before the court to have dropped his pants in the lobby and then removed his underpants in the bar, licked a woman’s foot, shouted profanities and tried to flip a doorman over his shoulder. And that, apparently, isn’t the half of it. His lawyers says Wekerle will defend the case but in a communication with the Star he is said to have conceded there are things about that evening of which is not proud. Story.
Teens 16 and 13 lead police on U.S.-Canada chase
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Teenage runaways, a boy 16, and a girl 13, from the Ottawa area have been captured in Maine after a two-day on and off chase which saw the two steal several vehicles as well as crash a U.S. border crossing. They are in custody and okay after abandoning a truck and fleeing down a steep embankment. True love. Story
Brave Malala to receive honorary citizenship
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Malala Yousafzai will join five other courageous and historic figures this fall when Canada confers honorary citizenship on the 16-year-old Pakistani girl. Wednesday’s throne speech will include that special detail. Malala will join the distinguished ranks of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, Nelson Mandela, The Dalai Lama, Aung San Suu Kyi and The Aga Khan. “Our government will bestow honorary citizenship on Malala Yousafzai who courageously advocates for human rights and freedom against the backdrop of Taliban extremism and oppression,” a government source told the CBC. The appointment will surely be well received by proud Canadians who remember the cruel gun attack on Malala as she made her way home from school. The announcement of such decisions indicates that the matter is fully settled and Malala and her family have agreed to accept the honour. UN offers no solutions to aboriginal poverty
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The linked report from Reuters tells of a scolding from a UN “rapproteur” (story teller) about the sub-standard lives of many of Canada’s aboriginals. The issues of crime, poverty, broken families and the frequent mistreatment of woman have been the burden both of the First Nationa and successive Canadian governments of many different political stripes. Countless Canadians, men like former prime minister Paul Martin, have made it a labour of their lives to try to raise up the aboriginal population as a whole. It would appear that the very most that can be said about the UN story teller’s report is that he sees what every Canadian sees. Unlike Canadians however, he has never had to try to actually change life on the reservations. His report apparently had not a single useful suggestion, if Reuters is to be believed. No doubt many in Ottawa would be glad to see volunteers from Switzerland and Sweden offer to help out on the ground. No such luck. Reuters
Study says bacon can lower a man’s fertility
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Smack in the middle of the television campaign that curiously seems to equate bacon with sunshine, a Harvard University study suggests that men who eat it daily may damage their fertility. Telegraph
Annual Ghoulish Giveaway is this weekend
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| Charlene and her girls |
The 5th Annual Ghoulish Giveaway sponsored by Charlene Kalia will take place this Saturday, October 19, 2013, as usual at Tremblett’s Valumart on Bayview Ave. It goes from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and as many will recall it’s a great time to catch a family portrait (all together) in a Halloween setting. Including the free pictures there will ge free pumpkins, hands on animals with Positively Pets, face painting, BBQ, candy floss and more. Don’t forget to enter the pumpkin carving contest 1st prize – $200 RBC Visa Card, 2nd prize – $100 Scholar’s Choice and 3rd prize – $50 Cineplex Gift Card. See you there.
Spiking apples on fence at Moore and Lumley
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The bus stop at Moore Ave. and Lumley Ave at the top of Bennington Heights is an idyllic area where apples grow in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. A recent TTC client had some time to waste while waiting for the 88 Leaside bus to the subway station so it was spent picking up apples and spiking them on the sharp rods of the cemetery’s fence.