Edward Leung raises Pharmasave sign at 491 Eglinton W

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Pharmacist Lawrence Leung has opened a new drugstore under the Pharmasave brand at 491 Eglinton Ave. West in the Forest Hill Medical and Professional Building at the corner of Tarlton Road. Pharmasave is an association of 450 stores across Canada by which independent druggists gain some brand recognition for their practices and the advantage of group buying. The website says the brand was founded in 1981 but it seems to be a relatively recent spurt of growth that has seen the Pharmasave sign popping up around town. Among the services offered by Mr. Leung is free delivery. He is joined at the Eglinton location by pharmacists Laura Shapiro and To Ha. There’s a Pharmasave on Yonge between Rosehill and Jackes as well as one in the East General Hospital. Map of Toronto locations

Trudeau to cast himself as the anti-Harper

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Justin Trudeau will cast himself as the only alternative to Stephen Harper as prime minister when he speaks to Liberal delegates in Toronto Saturday. Globe and Mail 

Gripping video of Toronto doctor’s rescue

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“How lucky is this woman?” say the anchors of CBS 5 in Phoenix as Dr. Elise Heon is flown to safety at the end of a helicopter tether over a distance of many miles. All the  way, her adventure is seen on a live feed from the stasion’s chopper. Dr. Heon is seen to be in high spirits after an overnight stranding, waving to people on the ground as she flies 500 feet above them. Some of the most remarkable video seen of a helicopter rescue. As reported below, Dr. Heon is a prominent ophthamolgist and professor at the U of T. CBS 5 – KPHO

Riverdale doctor rescued from canyon in Arizona

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Dr. Elise Heon
A Toronto physician and Riverdale resident has been rescued from  a ledge in a canyon in Sedona Arizona after she had not been heard from for about 24 hours. Elise Heon, 50, is an ophthalmologist at the Hospital for Sick Children and an ophthalmology science professor at the University of Toronto. Dr. Heon was lifted by rescuers from the isolated perch and flown to safety by helicopter on Friday. Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said a rescue chopper was dispatched when Dr. Heon was heard yelling for help around 8 a.m. Friday.  She was stranded on a narrow ledge about 800 feet from the bottom of the canyon. Fourteen rescuers were stationed 180 feet above Dr. Heon before she was pulled out of the canyon by helicopter around 5 p.m. She could be seen waving at people as she was flown out of the canyon by a mechanical rope and harness. Although her condition is unknown is it clear the doctor is mobile and making decisions.

Can these women and their sisters change things?

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Is this a committee that can really accomplish anything or is it just going to make us feel good? We know that there are disproportionately many less women on Canada’s corporate boards and we would like it to change. As usual when this subject comes up, criticism is directed at the “old boys club”  — guys in charge who just want to deal with males like them. We will see in due course whether that’s the conclusion of the 23 prominent business people appointed to a new committee that will offer advice on how to get more women on corporate boards. The new committee includes 16 women and seven men. Four of these well-known women are (left to right) Beverley Briscoe of Briscoe Management, Janet Ecker,  President of the Toronto Financial Services Alliance, Senator Linda Frum, and Catherine Swift, head of the Canadian Federation of  Independent Business. Below is a list of the appointments. Bloomberg

Sports themed hair cutting on Bayview Ave.

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The choice space at 1538 Bayview Ave just north of Millwod Rd. has been leased by Sport Clips Haircuts, a  U.S. hair care franchise which boasts some 1,000 locations throughout the U.S. This address is the former NIMA money exchange premises. Sports Clips has just opened its first location in Canada in Burlington and it says it has plans to open at least three more in Toronto.  “After a year and a half of market research and planning, we’re very excited to open the first store in Canada!” said Peter Kowal.  “We look forward to demonstrating to the community that a sports-themed hair salon for men and boys is what the city has been missing.” It’s nice to have a new business on the street of course but no doubt the long-time hair-cutting places will be keeping an eye on their new potential competition. We could not help noticing that part of Sports Clips promotion (inset) shows guys watching sports on big screens and getting their hair cut by happy ladies. Welcome Sports Clips. 

Funds allocated to repair Bayview Ave. footbridge

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The Bayview Pedestrian Bridge which crosses Bayview at the CNIB just north of Kilgour rd is scheduled for re-built. A sum of $822,000 has been allocated by the federal department of economic development for the job.. In December 2011, the old and deteriorated bridge was deemed unsafe for users and was closed. The decision has affected thousands of community members, including people with impaired vision.

Hackers put pig-like Kim on official website

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This ia what you get when you are the hopelessly undeserving third-generation product of nepotism. North Korea’s Uriminzokkiri Twitter and Flickr accounts stopped sending out content typical of that posted by the regime in Pyongyang, such as photos of  Kim Jong Un meeting with military officials. Instead, a picture posted today showed Kim’s face with a pig-like snout and a drawing of Mickey Mouse on his chest. Underneath, text read: ‘Threatening world peace with ICBMs and Nuclear weapons/Wasting money while his people starve to death.’ The mocked-up Wanted poster included a $1million ‘bounty’ placed on Kim and accusations of ‘human rights violations’.

Tim Hortons checks out Sunnybrook Plaza

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Vacant stores

Word has whizzed through the stores at Sunnybrook Plaza that Tim Hortons has taken a look at the little shopping strip at Eglinton Ave. E and Bayview Ave. Sunnybrook has two vacancies. One of them is a smaller space at the east end of the mall still bearing the signage of Mountain Bean Coffee. That tenant was locked out last year because of unpaid rent. And many will know about the large vacant space next to the CIBC branch until recently occupied by Wrap-it-up, the gift shop and Canada Post franchise. There are a number of sources who say Tim’s agents have looked at the former Mountain Bean location and found it unsuitable.  One source says the coffee leader is looking at the Wrap-it-up space. It is a better location in the mall and large enough to house a restaurant type operation such as Hortons. Nothing has been announced and behind the scenes there might be issues. Rio.Can, Sunnybrook’s owner, must weigh the balance between food outlets and important specialized retail companies. It’s retail that attracts grown up shoppers with money. Time will tell.

Film critic Roger Ebert dead at age of 70

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Siskel and Ebert

Film Critic Roger Ebert has died at the age of 70 after along battle with cancer. Ebert had been a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times since 1967. He had announced on his blog Wednesday that he was undergoing radiation treatment after a recurrence of cancer. Mr Ebert had suffered the ravages of surgery causing considerable disfigurement. Toronto Star. He was supported in his adversity by his wife Chias. Roger Ebert will always be synonymous for most people over 30 for his long association with fellow film critic Gene Siskel, who died in 1999.  As the team of Siskel
and Ebert they became the reigning authorities on film criticism on television.  Their trademark thumbs up-thumbs down verdict on a movie became genuine Hollywood parlance. 

Coke’s new HQ sets stage for Overlea Blvd move

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Coca-Cola cut the ribbon Thursday morning at its new King Street East headquarters in the Toronto Sun building.  Mayor Rob Ford and Infrastructure Minister Glen Murray were there as Coca-Cola Ltd. president Nicola Kettlitz and Refreshments Canada president John Guarino  unveiled the new office. What it all means for Overlea Blvd is a sad goodbye. The company has signalled that the move from its long-time Thorncliffe Park offices will be this spring.  But there are high hopes that the Overlea land will be re-developed, perhaps with a strong retail element.  Previous post 

Hearing April 10 on fate of 308 Rose Park

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The application to demolish 308 Rose Park Drive and replace it with two townhouse-style structures will be before the Committee of Adjustment next Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at Old City Hall. 308 Rose Park dates from the earliest construction in Moore Park. It sits on a 68 foot wide lot however and the temptation has clearly been too much for the present owners.  The plan as set out calls for each home to be three-storeys with a single car garage. The home was listed for $2,495,000 in September.