The South Bayview Bulldog

The official opening of the Target store in the East York Town Centre has seen a busy day. Shopping carts overflowing with boxes and bags were the norm. The new store is a colourful and highly interactive experience given the many staff on duty. The parking lot was full. Spaces were taken by arriving shoppers the moment they were vacated by others. Merchants in the mall said they had noticed an increase in traffic because of the Target store. Target has said that it was surprised at the cost of re-fitting the old Zellers location but a look around provides some clues on where the  money went. The original pedestrian-only escalator has been replaced with a a modern four lane lifter — up and down lanes for people and two more lanes up and down for shopping carts.  

Robert Sawyer

Robert Sawyer, 59, will become Rona’s president and CEO next month. For more than 30 years with Metro Inc, the grocery store giant. Most recently he has been chief operating officer and executive vice president. His arrival is being cast in various ways by analysts who respect his knowledge and capacities as a leader but in some cases wonder whether a background in food retailing fits with the needs of the struggling Rona franchise. Nonetheless, Rona is praising Mr. Sawyer up to the sky. Another analyst noted the Mr. Sawyer is Anglophone, something of a departure for a company steeped in Quebecois culture. But Robert Chevrier, executive chairman of Rona’s board of directors said “Robert has the operational and turnaround expertise needed to put Rona back on the path to profitable growth and increase value for all of our stakeholders.” Global 

Lululemon has pulled all of its new black yoga pants off the racks after complaints that they just show too much through the fabric. The pants are made in Taiwan and it appears that the company and manufacturer are at odds as to how this happened. While Lululemon seems to be indicating that the problem lies with the manufacturer, the Taiwanese supplier says it followed design specifications and the retailer merely misjudged customer tastes. “We expect this issue will have a significant impact on our financial results,” the company said in the statement. “We have used the same manufacturing partner on key fabrics since 2004. This event is not the result of changing manufacturers or quality of ingredients.” Lululemon said it will offer full refunds or exchanges to customers who bought the black Luon pants after March 1 either online or in stores. CBC

It’s official name is University-Rosedale but we’re going to call it  U-R for short.  It is the proposed political home that stretches from the corner of Bayview and Moore in the northeast to the corner of Ossington and Dundas in the southwest. It contains Bennington Heights, Moore Park, Rosedale,  Yorkville, the Annex, Queen’s Park, U of T, University Avenue, Chinatown, Toronto Western Hospital and the well-cared for homes and businesses along Shaw, Ossington and other routes. Oh yes, there’s also the Royal Ontario Museum, Honest Ed’s, Little Italy and Christie Pits. What riches you have U-R! And all these places hardly begin to cover it. It’s too bad University-Rosedale is so strung out across the centre of the Toronto. Nonetheless, this is what the electoral boundaries commissioners have decided in their final report. The package of maps and street descriptions has gone to Members of Parliament and there is no further public input scheduled. So it seems likely that U-R will live both in the present and in history. University- Rosedale has an odd shape, but that is not unusual for downtown ridings. Still, with all its magical parts, it bucks the tradition of the north-south “fingers” that we have come to know.  So from where did U-R spring?  It is almost as if it were an after thought.  The original plan for the South Bayview neighborhoods of Bennington and Moore Park (and Rosedale) was to make them part of a riding called Mt Pleasant. But this would have cannibalized the riding of St. Paul’s and there was withering resistance to that from various quarters. There also seemed to be a need to liberate the central parts of Toronto (known traditionally as Uptown) from Downtown districts that ran to the lake. As an after thought, if that’s what it is, U-R seems to be a pretty good one. Whether cunning voters in Rosedale will find themselves making common cause with the Lords of the Peking Duck on Spadina is an open question. But a delicious one. Mr. and Mrs. Bennington Heights and Moore Park, this is where U-R. 

They’re getting an early start on the re-building season at 87 Airdrie Road. The original structure at this address has been reduced to three walls on a very chilly Monday, March 18, 2013. That’s it inset at the upper left. Trust all the neighbors are at peace with the plan. We’ll be back in about threw months to see how it’s going. From a quick look around the relatively busy winter season is going to translate into an equally busy spring in Leaside. 

Proposed levy on bank accounts

Banks stocks in  North America were under moderate pressure today in the wake of the stunning proposal  by EU leaders to tax bank accounts in Cyprus as part of a bailout program to save the island country from bankruptcy. Across Europe, depositors recoiled at the idea and there were fears of runs on the bank — the panic-stricken withdrawal of funds that can cause the economy to collapse. The surprise decision by Euro zone leaders to part-fund a bailout of Cyprus by taxing bank deposits is a totally unforeseen and for most people incomprehensible seizure.  Some speculation ran to the amount of Russian mafia money stashed in Cypriot banks. The EU struck the deal on Saturday to hand Cyprus rescue loans worth 10 billion euros ($13 billion), but defied warnings – including from the European Central Bank – and imposed a levy that would see those with cash in the island’s banks lose 6.75 percent on deposits under 100,000 euros and 9.9 percent for deposits over 100,000 euros. Parliament in Cyprus put off a vote on the measure – which has shaken depositors’ confidence in banks across the continent  Those who favour the plan point to the “unique” conditions in Cyprus where the banks have made loans totalling more than eight times the country’s national output. 

An application to construct a four-storey building at 416 Eglinton Ave. W will be heard Wednesday March 20, 2013 at 10 a.m. at North York Council 5100 Yonge Street. It is expected to be a lively meeting. Sources say the plan involves adding floors to the present structure, which was built as a grocery store in 1936 at the same time as the Eglinton Theatre. 416 Eglinton sits at the T junction of Elmsthorpe Ave and Eglinton. There is a four storey residential building which also houses a Bank of Montreal branch on the southwest corner of that intersection  at present. Although a variance from the present city plan will be required, it may be tempting for councillors to support the request. There is much talk now of “building up” Eglinton Ave. in keeping with the arrival of an LRT.    

The CRTC has told Corus Entertainment to fall in line with an educational mandate for OWN Canada, or face losing its broadcast license. That call came via a rarely-issued mandatory order from the regulator to ensure that the Canadian version of OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network complies with an original 1996 licensing mandate for Canadian Learning Television to “provide formal and informal educational programming and learning opportunities” that generally focus on adult education. Corus subsequently rebranded CLT as Viva and then as OWN Canada, to bring Oprah Winfrey’s female-skewing network to Canada. Corus issued a statement in the wake of the CRTC decision indicating it was “pleased” with the decision to allow OWN Canada to continue operating as a category A service. “Corus will work within the guidelines set out by the commission and will ensure that OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada) continues to provide a compelling service to its viewers,” the broadcaster said. Corus gave no details on how it will meet the guidelines and monitoring requirements imposed on it. Today’s events follow a December 2012 hearing where Corus argued it was acting in good faith and complying with the educational mandate of OWN Canada, and the CRTC finally ruling it remains in non-compliance with the nature of service definition.