Speed is said by police to have been a factor n the death of a 36-year-old man when his motorcycle slammed into a utility pole on Rosedale Valley Road early Saturday. The accident happened near Bayview Avenue at around 2:05 a.m. The man suffered major traumatic injuries and was rushed to hospital, but succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
Glass skyscraper blisters paint across the street
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The developers behind a skyscraper blamed for starting fires and causing damage by reflecting the sun’s rays have said they will erect a temporary scaffold screen in a bid to stop the “phenomenon”. The half-finished 37-storey tower at 20 Fenchurch Street in central London, dubbed the “Walkie Talkie” due to its distinctive shape, is now being called the “Walkie Scorchie” because of its apparent ability to bounce heat from the sun on to buildings in the next street. Business owners in Eastcheap say the £200m project has blistered paintwork, caused tiles to smash and singed fabric. A motorist said the intense heat melted part of his Jaguar — Guardian.
St. Cuthbert’s Women’s Dinner is Friday, Oct. 23
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Lorna Krawchuk has written to remind us of the 11th Annual Women’s Dinner at St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church, 1399 Bayview Ave. This is the one where the men of the parish serve dinner and are the wine stewards. They also clean up. It sounds like a nice evening and the tickets are very reasonable at $20 a person. This event will be held Friday, October 23, 2013. Come at 6.30 for dinner at 7.15 p.m. Tickets are available at the church office (416) 485-0329
Warm smiles at Valumart indoor barbecue
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Here are a couple of images of our rainy South Bayview day. It’s a shame we could not trade Friday’s weather for today’s, but it was ever thus. Top we see some welcoming smiles at Tremblett’s Valumart from the inside barbecue. It was scheduled to be outside but forget that. Staff was cooking up burgers and weenies on the permanent stoves in the prepared foods area and these ladies were in charge of serving the fixings beside cash. Below, it really doesn’t matter if it is pouring rain when soccer is your passion. These three young guys in Moore Park were absolutely indifferent to the pelting water as they tried to outdo each other with moves on the net — or saves. They were not far from home and a dry change of clothes. Around South Bayview there seemed to be evidence of the adage that people go shopping when it rains. Bayview Ave was busy and the parking lot at the Smart Centre was crowded. Sunny tomorrow! Darkest transit tragedy was St. Clair right-of-way
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Marcus Gee writes in the Globe and Mail today (Saturday,September 7, 2013) that Beijing has managed to build as many as a dozen subway lines in the last 25 years whereas Toronto hasn’t added much if any capacity to its underground service This is, as you will gather, a criticism of everything transit in Toronto. Mr. Gee is a perceptive man and is seldom wrong in his commentary on the state of the municipality. His dismay at the performance of the present transportation minister is fully understandable. Mr Murray seems to be trying to build a subway to Scarborough by having a temper tantrum a day. Our quibble with Mr. Gee is his comparison of Toronto and Beijing. It’s a common device when we want to complain about Canadian underachievement. The Bulldog would submit that China’s subways have been built as much for reasons of nation-building and international status as for commuter convenience. Happily, Chinese subways aren’t finished up with laughable Greek columns like those in Stalinist Moscow and St. Petersburg. But there’s a similar kind of nationalism at work. In a country with woeful public health, spotty pensions and a bumper crop of orphans, subways may or may not seem to have been a sensible first priority. Of course it is also quite cheap to build anything in China for all the reasons that every factory owner knows. It’s true, we have been neglectful of heavy transit in Toronto but for many years there has been little public outcry about that. Even today transit is not the thing that inspires lawn signs in Leaside, or perhaps even Scarborough. The depth of our dark night of transit tragedy occurred during the mayoralty of Mr. Miller and his youthful keeper of the streetcars, Mr. Giambone. The construction of the St.Clair right-of way was an insanity by any way of measuring it and a shameful crushing of the will of the people of that street.
Peter Neals are in their kitchen on Rykert Cres.
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There’s an enjoyable profile of the kitchen life of Peter and Lara Neal (Neal Brothers Foods) and how they built it in their renovated home on Rykert Crescent. It’s published today in the Globe and Mail (may require subscription)
Costco staff among the best paid in retail
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| Well paid jobs for Thorncliffe Park? |
We hope that North York Community Councillors will ask about the current hourly pay for employees at Costco stores in Ontario when the matter of the old Coca Cola buildings on Overlea Blvd. comes before them next Tuesday, September 10, 2013. On council’s agenda is a proposal to demolish the 1965 Coke structures and put up a bustling Costco store plus a full up service station as well. Whatever else my be on the minds of Chair Maria Augimari and her colleagues, the members will be well served by a look at the excellent money that Costco has waiting for its new employees at this location. Earlier meetings have been told there may be as many as 100 full-time jobs. There would be few retail workers in Thorncliffe Park who would not gladly trade their present positions for a chance to see the $17 or $18 an hour that Costco is said to pay. Research suggests that Costco rewards its employees with pay as much as double the going rate as places like Walmart, Target and others. The minimum wage in Ontario is $10.25 but under certain conditions some may be paid less. The 11-member council is in a position to approve the Toronto City Staff report on the proposed Costco and send it on with a recommendation to full council to do the same. Previously The Bulldog has reported on this and on the public spirited decision by Costco to maintain and find a place of pride for the Walter Yarwood sculpture that has adorned the Coke property for 50 years. Members of the the North York Community Council are Maria Augimeri, Chair, John Parker, Vice-chair, Shelley Carroll, Josh Colle, John Filion, Denzil Minnan-Wong, James Pasternak, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, David Shiner and Karen Stintz Plan for Overlea Costco Yarwood’s sculpture
Large extension added at 31 Sutherland Drive
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Here at 31 Sutherland Drive there is a full size extension being added at the back. This man is shuttling concrete to the back of the property and we can only hope he doesn’t have to personally transfer all the cement for a poured foundation. The modest home has a nice if somewhat busy location. It sits on Sutherland facing north with a view of the more exalted section of Bessborough Drive. The 88 Leaside bus passes frequently which may be both a blessing and a curse. This is just one of a number of homes being renovated or demolished in South Leaside on these desirable streets.
Semi on Donlea Dr. changes hands for $859,262
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There’s a fairly interesting example of the prices people are paying for modest but updated homes in North Leaside published in the Toronto Star’s What They Got feature today (Friday, September 6, 2013). It reveals that the semi-detached home at 262 Donlea Drive sold in just seven days for $859,262, some $60,262 over the asking price. The property sits at the corner of Brentcliffe Rd. on a 25 foot by 135 foot lot. It has a single car garage and a shared driveway. The home was described as “Extensively Renovated” with the kitchen re-done. It also has nicely updated baths, new electrical and a front yard irrigation system installed in 2009. Nice. Kitchen extras included stainless fridge, oven, dishwasher, microwave/convection oven and front load stacked washer and dryer. There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms in the house. It last sold in the year 2000 for $330,000. Canada, 9 others reject “Russian veto” on actions
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The prime minister says the G20 discussion in Russia on Syria was “extremely frank but respectful”. At the end, Canada signed a joint statement with nine other countries declaring the regime of Bashar Assad responsible for the chemical weapons strike against civilians last month in a Damascus. The countries signing the statement with the U.S. were Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. “The world cannot wait for endless failed processes that can only lead to increased suffering in Syria and regional instability,” says the statement. Mr Harper also offered a tough verdict on Russian leader Valdimr Putin: “I think…we are simply not prepared to accept the idea that there is a Russian veto over all of our actions.” In all of this Canada has been a reluctant convert to the idea of taking action against the Assad. The PM has said that his decision to add this country’s name to the statement is about the precedent set by the use of chemical weapons without a response to make clear the world’s disapproval.
Bayview extension to stay closed another month
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Bayview Avenue will remain closed for an additional two weeks between River Street and Lower River Street the gas company Enbridge has announced. The closure has been in effect since the beginning of August for work on the Don Valley natural gas pipeline. Enbridge now expects the Bayview extension to re-open at River Street by the end of September.
Mr. Shurman should retire for good of the party
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It’s a stupid and unnecessary embarrassment the Conservatives at Queen’s Park should have been able to avoid. Finance critic Peter Shurman has been using an expense provision that is legal but in a way that is totally outside the spirit of what was intended. He billed the public more than $20,000 for a future retirement home in Nigara Falls. The arrangement is supposed to help MPPs pay for living expenses while they are at the Legislature in Toronto. This matter follows the Bulldog’s iron-clad rule of human nature: People never — never — treat other people’s money with the same care as their own. Maybe Mr Shurman should retire now for the good of the party. Comment