Honest Ed’s outlandish landmark is for sale

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The outlandish Toronto landmark known as Honest Ed’s is for sale for an estimated $100 million. And despite reassurances from the company, it seems the bargain centre at Bloor St West and Bathurst St. is likely to be part of history before very long. Ed Mirvish, who died in 2007, started his in-your-face cut-rate store in 1948 and went on to accumulate a fortune in real estate. Along the way he became one of the world’s great impresarios, owning theatres and launching thousands of performances. The general manager of Honest Ed’s Russell Lazar said “nothing has been signed”. That appears to be a reference to the wide belief that the property will go to condominiums. The Mirvish family is clearly in the process of reorganizing its assets.  Last October, David Mirvish unveiled plans for a Frank Gehry-designed art and condo complex at the site of the Princess of Wales Theatre on King Street West in downtown. 

Eight new ministers range in age from 33 to 54

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Stephen Harper poses with the eight new members of the federal cabinet at Government House in Ottawa after the swearing in ceremony. Harper has his hopes riding on the appeal and performance of the new ministers as a way of inspiring fresh public support. Time will tell. From the left: Chris Alexander, 44, Pierre Polliviere, 34, Candace Bergen, 48, Kellie Lietch, 43, Kevin Sorensen, 54, Shelley Glover, 46, Michelle Rempel, 33 and Greg Rickford, 45. 

4 men accused in $8 million fraud of banks

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Toronto Police Service has caught up with a daring gang who borrowed money from banks for non-existent businesses. But the end did not come before some $8 million had been defrauded from branches of the big banks. Cops say only “a minority” of the cash has been recovered. It is unknown just where it went. Police would only say the money has been laundered. Four men were sought and three have been arrested. The four are left to right Daniel Kebbe, Elias Rassi, Ajaz Ahmed Khan  and Michael Shawn Majeed. It appears Khan has left the country.  As described in the National Post, the plan involved using the premises and furnishings of existing businesses to dupe bank personnel that they were looking at a legitimate start up which needed a loan. For more than a year, the ringleaders orchestrated a series of meetings with lenders in the Toronto area, inviting them to locations staged as legitimate businesses. 

Is there life after Loblaws for Life brand?

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Commentator says Shoppers Drug Mart junk food looked clinical.  Marc Weisblott

Byford back in offices at 1536 Bayview Ave.

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Sue Byford writes that the company is getting settled back in its premises at 1536 Bayview after several weeks of renovations. The Byford’s Blog

PM tweets “four strong women” to cabinet

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Prime Minister Harper has tweeted the news that he will name four new women and eight new ministers to the cabinet.  “Proud to be naming four new strong capable women to the ministry,” he wrote of the shuffle which will be officially announced at 11 a.m. ET. LIVE updates:   See cabinet list here.

Esso at Bayview and Broadway closed this week

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Motorists and Tim Hortons consumers will want to know that the Esso station at Bayview Ave. and Broadway Ave. will be closed this week for renovations. 

Bid to honour Sharon, Lois and Bram locally

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Josh Matlow (Ward 22) has introduced a motion to name the playground at June Rowlands Park after a popular children’s musical trio — Sharon, Lois and Bram. Sharon Hampson, Lois Lilienstien and Bram Morrison created their music and entertainment for kids right here in 1978. They were picked up by the CBC in 1984 and went on to become an important part of the lives of millions of children and their parents. June Rowlands Park is at Mt. Pleasant Rd. and Davisville Ave. The motion is set to be heard at City Council in September. 

Loblaws to buy Shoppers Drug for 12.4 billion

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The deal for Loblaws to buy Shoppers Drug Mart was cooked up just a few days ago by Galen G. Weston. He met with the president of Shoppers, Holger Kluge, in a mini-van on a country road, Mr. Weston told a news conference. Mr. Kluge quipped: “We’ve been dating for quite some time.” Such is the background to this stunning retail acquisition. It is an earthquake in Canadian business. Loblaws will devour Shoppers Drug Mart and form a grocery, pharmacy and personal care giant that can slug it out with any U.S. competitor. “This transformational partnership changes the retail landscape in Canada,” Galen G. Weston, executive chairman of Loblaw, said in the statement. “With scale and capability, we will be able to accelerate our momentum and strengthen our position in the increasingly competitive marketplace.” Bloomberg  Toronto Star

Muskoka accident woman now in Sunnybrook

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Gravenhurst Banner –(edited): A last quick boat trip for the day around Muldrew Lake ended with a 19-year-old woman taken to hospital with serious injuries when the tube she was riding on struck a rock face.  At approximately 1 p.m. members of the Bracebridge OPP and Muskoka EMS responded to a pleasure craft accident at the north end of the lake. Three young women were being towed around at the north end when they entered a narrow part of the lake to turn around. As the boat made the turn, the tube exited the wake at a high rate of speed striking a rock face. The young rider was seriously injured. She was taken by air ambulance to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.  The other two riders suffered minor injuries 

Loblaws goes healthy with “Nutshell” store

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This post was written before the announcement that Loblaws had purchased Shoppers Drug Mart. At first blush it’s hard to know whether Nutshell, the experimental store announced Friday by Loblaws, is for real or just a gambit to grab our attention. The Toronto Star story suggests the health-themed store will compete with Whole Foods. The Canada.com story elaborates on recruiting drives (poster inset) and the development of what appears to be an insider culture of Nutshell-ism. (Play with a real Nutshell cube).  Nutshell will open sometime this Fall in a loft-like atmosphere at 150 King St. West. It will feature ready-to-eat things, groceries, health food, vitamins, wellness seminars and a full pharmacy! Sounds like a cross between Tim Hortons and Shoppers Drug Mart. One can certainly see how Loblaws might like to throw a wrench in the big plans of  Whole Foods especially somewhere along Bayivew Ave. Whole Foods will open at 1860 Bayview sometime in 2015 and for a period at least it seems likely that the chic allure of WF clean-living will impact others in the market. That certainly applies to Metro’s big store at Eglinton Ave. and Bayview. Metro however is a seasoned price competitor and will throw everything its got at WF’s rather expensive image. You can also buy Coke at Metro. As for high-end customers, we’re thinking WF will have a tougher time weening them off  Summerhill Market and the Loblaws at 321 Moore. Location, location location. That’s it in a Nutshell for now.  

Abortion debate: Irish rogue pulls MP onto lap

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An Irish MP is taking heat for his groping behaviour toward a female colleague during a most sensitive debate in the Dublin parliament, or Dail.  MP Tom Barry grabbed fellow MP Aine Collins and pulled her onto his lap as the house re-convened on debate of a contentious bill to liberalize abortion in the Catholic land. Cameras caught Barry grabbing Collins as she passed his seat. He holds her there for four or five seconds as she struggles to get up. As she does so, Barry appears to give the MP a slap on the bottom. No doubt the behaviour is egregious at any time but in the middle of the abortion debate it seemed especially outrageous. Barry apologized to Collins and called the action “disrespectful and inappropriate.” The Irish Times described the incident as “embarrassing, inappropriate and reprehensible,” calling Tom Barry a “boor.” “Barry’s actions were humiliating not just to Collins, but to women everywhere,” the Times wrote. “Is that how male politicians view women? As playthings they can grope anytime they want? … Barry should be ashamed of himself, because we are. He says he’s ‘mortified,’ but would he be so mortified if he wasn’t caught?” The abortion bill passed on Friday, legalizing limited abortions in Ireland for the first time.