Leasider’s No Name adventure with Dave Nichol

by  • 

Dave Nichol created No Name concept

Long-time Leaside resident Ian Slack and his wonderful wife SueEllen will be fondly remembered by those who were their neighbors both on Airdrie Road and later at 2 Donlea Drive. Ian has written from his retirement home to tell us an entertaining story about the late Loblaws retailing genius Dave Nichol who died earlier this week. Nichol was known to be a perfectionist and Ian witnessed this quality during an assignment at the launch of the No Name line in the 80s. He was there at a Loblaws store with a cameraman whose name will be protected. Nichol wanted everything perfect and when he saw a display wasn’t up to snuff he simply walked away and staff had to rush in to make it right. Then Nichol would re-appear and begin his spiel about whatever line was on the table, Ian recalls. Nichol’s demonstrations contained displays of the No Name items next to well known brands. In one display, the price of the brand name ketchup was lower than the No Name. It seemed odd so Slack asked Nichol if in some cases consumers would have to pay more for the No Name brand. Nichol looked at the prices and without a word turned and walked away. The crew came running out and changed the prices so that the brand name ketchup cost more. The Brand name in fact cost more but a staffer had priced it wrong. Nichol returned to continue the interview but before Ian could ask a question his cameraman blurted out an appalling insult. “You’re attitude sucks,” he told the chief executive. Stunned and horrified Slack could only watch as once again Nichol walked away. Five minute later he returned and Slack was full of apologies for his cameraman’s insane behaviour. As he tried to make amends Ian’s phone started ringing. It was the news director asking “What the Hell is going on there?” Needless to say, Nichol had complained about the cameraman, something that doesn’t seem too unreasonable. As Ian tells it, he finished the interview as quickly as possible and made a run for the door. The cameraman was suspended for three days for his odd and untimely outburst. No word on the staffer who made the pricing error but we can only imagine.

PM says he won’t take no for answer on Keystone

by  • 

Stephen Harper gave Barak Obama what some might call a figurative finger in the eye today. The Prime Minister said as far as he is concerned the Keystone pipeline issue will not be settled if he gets a “no” from Mr Obama. Mr. Harper told a meeting of  the Canadian American Business Council on the second day of his visit to New York that “my view is you don’t take no for an answer.” “We haven’t had that but if we were to get that, that won’t be final. This won’t be final until it’s approved and we will keep pushing forward,” Harper said. The words seem to hint at a strategy that looks beyond Mr. Obama’s term as president and prosecutes the Canadian case with whoever is next White House. 

Toronto Camera Club will be open at Harvest Fair

by  • 

The Toronto Camera Club will be feature participant at the Mt. Pleasant BIA’s Harvest Fair this Saturday, October 29, 2913. The club will be is celebrating its 125 anniversary this year. That history is recalled in the National Post. Hope you are able to read it. Most of the Toronto newspapers require subscriptions these days. Harvest Fair 

Man, 90, targeted by man and woman in car

by  • 

Toronto Police Service report:   A 90 year old male reports that on September 20, 2013 at approximately 1800 hours, he was in the area of Sheppard Avenue West and Arleta Avenue, when a male and female suspect approached him in a vehicle. A conversation ensued and the male suspect removed the victim’s ring from his person. The female suspect made a demand for cash but the victim did not comply. The suspects then fled the scene in the vehicle in an unknown direction. No injuries sustained by the victim. Police are requesting the assistance of the public in identifying the following described persons in connection with this offence. Description of Suspect #1: Male, white.  Suspect #2: Female, white.

Replacement nose grows on man’s forehead

by  • 

A man from China’s Fujian province has had a new nose grown on his forehead following a traffic accident last year. The 22-year-old man suffered severe nasal trauma and his subsequent treatment caused his nasal cartilage to corrode. Surgeons came up with the idea of growing a nose on his forehead. The nose was created by placing a skin tissue expander onto Xiaolian’s forehead. This was cut into the shape of a nose and was supported by cartilage taken from the man’s ribs. Surgeons say that the nose has developed well and that the transplant surgery will be carried out soon. 

Memories of Dave Nichol, food retailing genius

by  • 

It’s only accurate to call Dave Nichol a food retailing genius. Nichol created the private-line concept in Canada and was responsible for household terms ranging from President’s Choice to The Insider’s Report to the entire “Memories of…” line of products. He was a dynamo who expected high performance from staff and ultimately fell out with his employer, Loblaw, over money. Nichols died Sunday at the age of 73.  No cause of death was given. The Chatham, Ont., native appeared in television ads for Loblaws in the 80s and 90s, pitching products and promotions of all types. Nichol joined Loblaws in 1972 and held various roles with the company, including president of Loblaw Supermarkets and head of the product development team. Many of the products Nichol is responsible for remain popular, including the Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie A statement from Loblaw Companies Limited praised Nichol as an innovative marketer who left a lasting mark on the company. “We are deeply saddened and our thoughts and prayers go out to Dave’s family,” said chairman Galen G. Weston. “Dave’s passion for food and his vision helped to transform the way Canadians eat, and he has left a tremendous legacy that endures in the company today. He will be missed by all who had the opportunity to work with him and benefit from his guidance and friendship.”

Hunt for elusive “buried Spitfires” goes on

by  • 

A year after the high hopes of aviation buffs that there were as many as 140 WWII Spitfires buried under farmland in Burma, the scheme to locate and excavate them has come to nothing. Now the driving force behind the project, Spitfire hunter David Cundall, will return to Burma to start a new dig for a lost squadron of buried Castle Bromwich-built Spitfires early next year.  The news comes a week after the aviation enthusiast revealed he had unearthed fresh evidence suggesting he had found the exact location of the buried planes. Many are treating the story of the buried planes as a kind of charming but baseless legend. Birmingham Mail 

Wildcats earn 2-2 tie to open PWHL season

by  • 

Click picture to see Fickr gallery and slide show

The Leaside Wildcats fought to a come-from-behind 2-2 overtime tie against the hometown Rivulettes in Cambridge Friday, September 20, 2013. It was the Wildcats Provincial Womens Hockey League season opener. They will be looking to take it all in their home opener this Friday, September 27, at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.  It sounds funny but that’s upstairs over the Loblaws at Carlton and Church. (You know how to get there). Our Wildcats will test the Southwest Wildcats.  The next home game for Leaside will be at Angela James Arena, 165 Grenoble Dr. in Flemingdon Park on Saturday, Oct. 5, 5:30 p.m. against Whitby. On Sunday, Oct. 6 there will no doubt be a huge turnout to watch the Wildcats crack a bottle of champagne (we’re hoping) on the net to christen the second ice pad at Leaside Arena. It is known officially as the Bert F. Grant rink  after the late local builder and businessman. Check standings at the PWHL site

Louise Penny, Peter Robinson novels at Sleuth

by  • 

Sleuth of Baker Street,  907 Millwood Rd. at Sutherland Ave., has news of two prominent Canadian authors. Montrealer Louise Penny has provided Sleuth with signed copies of her latest Chief Inspector Gamache novel, suitable for gift-giving. The novel is titled  How the Light Gets In (Minotaur, $29.99). We’re told the signed stock is limited, so you should order soon. Peter Robinson will visit the shop on Thursday, October 3 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. He will report on the latest Inspector Banks novel, Children of the Revolution (McClelland and Stewart, $29.95). Everyone is of course invited to come meet the congenial Dr. Robinson. He has been the subject of a previous post here. If you can’t make it, Sleuth suggests you can still get a signed copy by calling in an order soonest at (416) 483-3111

“Toronto 18” member dead in Syria, CBC says

by  • 

The CBC says that an informant has told it that Alie Mohamed Dirie has died in Syria. He was one of the Toronto 18 who plotted to blow up parliament and behead the prime minister, in the event you’ve forgotten them. That was in 2009 but  even though he was convicted, Dirie made good an escape from Canada using a false passport to join Syrian Islamist forces.  CBC

Forum Research poll shows Rob Ford “on a roll”

by  • 

Pollster Lorne Bozinoff of Forum Research says Mayor Rob Ford is showing popular support similar to that which got him easily elected in 2010. Not only that, the poll was done before Ford’s photo-op meeting with Prime Minister Harper to announce federal funding for a Scarborough subway extension. The telephone survey was conducted for the The Toronto Sun. It  found Ford’s approval rating at 49 per cent.  According to the paper, the only time Ford has surpassed the 50 per cent mark was during his first few months in office. “He’s on a roll,” says Mr. Bozinoff as reported in the Sun. Also today, it seems the idea of a subway extension has wide popularity across the city. Thus it seems Mr. Ford may even be more popular than when the phone poll was taken. “Pictures say more than words,” wrote Sun columnist Warren Kinsella. “The Harper-Ford picture says plenty. Namely, the video is gone, baby, gone.”

Bayview-Millwood back to normal after closure

by  • 

The intersection of Bayview Ave and Millwood Rd is back to normal after being closed all day on Wednesday September 25th. There was no access to westbound Millwood from Bayview or the other way during the reconstruction of road at that location.