The South Bayview Bulldog

At the link below is a great column for any parent whose kid plays minor hockey. It’s by Steve Simmons of  the Toronto Sun and as he tells it here the column was written some time ago. You may have read it already. Simmons likes to re-publish it every year because his recollections remind him that when he gets behind the bench of his minor league squad each season the young heroes on the ice are just kids. He tells a poignant and funny story of a boy who was too embarrassed to tell his parents or Simmons himself that he was frightened and sometime hurt by the crazy dogpile antics of his own teammates each time they won a game. Above, we see just such a frenzy as joyous players treat their goalie like a beanbag. Simmons was finally able to get this secret out of the lad and restore his ace goalie to the lineup. Clearly, the kid was no cream puff. He faced down searing shots on goal but his own teammates scared him. That’s actually all too human. Steve Simmons 

First Capital Realty has received a Gold Maple Leaf Award for Design and Development Excellence at the meeting of the  International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC). The award recognizes the design of Leaside Village shopping centre on Laird Drive and the public spirited work of restoring the railway maintenance building which now houses Longo’s (inset top). The Canadian convention was held this week at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. First Capital is a large international real estate investment trust (REIT) which has made purchases locally such as the former CIBC building at 180 Laird  Interestingly the former bank  remains vacant seven months after it was purchased. Although a modest structure by the standard of 1930s bank buildings, 180 Laird does have a well-preserved coat of arms of the bank’s builder, the Imperial Bank of Canada, over the front door (inset). The building stayed in the bank’s family until this year’s sale even after the Imperial merged with the Bank of Commerce in 1960 to create the CIBC. Some think First Capital’s interest in the building is as a foothold looking toward the redevelopment of the west side of Laird Drive south of McRae Drive. First Capital are also the owners of Hazelton Lanes in Yorkville.

Berardinetti

Do high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes merely create congestion? That’s the view of Michelle Berardinetti (Ward 35). Her sense of traffic on Eglinton Ave. E. is that very few cars can qualify to run in the HOV lanes. Therefore, says the Scarborough Southwest member of council, she wants the lanes eliminated. Berardinetti represents the south side of Eglinton.  The lanes were created to encourage car-pooling but has it? “We don’t see any studies produced to say that that works,” she said. “I want to see a report to see if it works. We do many things in the city to improve gridlock, but this is more detrimental.” 

BlogTO has an interesting feature on the Zeidler Architects vision for Yonge and Queen (inset). Here we see the breathtaking transition from the 19th century structure in place to a 65 level residential building. It seems quite unclear as to just how feasible this will be. Re-construction may be required to make the tower sit satisfactorily on the heritage site. It may have to be torn down and become a facade, perhaps. Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 27) has also made an apparently sensible complaint about the absence of parking in this concept. Hard to imagine that there is no new parking at all, but that is what is being said. According to BlogTO a recent public meeting  “was worryingly devoid of any actual community members” BlogTO

Sun News poll makes interesting news. Justin Trudeau is more popular than the other leaders but least suited to be prime minister, according to the survey.

It surely won’t be very long now. The heavy oak doors and other elegant woodwork have been stripped from the interior. The porch light and electrical fixtures have been ripped off the exterior. Someone has even dug up the nearly 90 year old flag stones that formed the front walk. And then on Thursday, September 19, 2013, Enbridge sank a hole across the street and turned off the gas to 308 Rose Park Drive in Moore Park. Outside on the nice little boulevard that lines the street, the mandatory orange plastic mesh tree fence has gone up to protect the maples. They are only about 45 years ago, planted in sadness too when the original elm trees all died off from the wretched disease. In this instance, the orange tree fence also protects the unique stand-alone street lamps that line Rose Park Drive. They remain in use from the 1920s. A short walk to the rear past the original milk box is the large yard. Stretching across nearly 70 feet, it will be fine for the two town homes to be built here in the months to come. The owners — all of them — are gone but neighbors have many memories of their friends and events (inset) like the 2011 Rose Park Drive Street Party where magician Tricky Ricky beguiled kids in the driveway to 308. So long 308.