The Toronto Fire Department has controlled a fire at a well known bagel shop on Bathurst Street near Lawrence.Ave. W. The blaze has badly damaged the Haymishe Bagel Shop at 3031 Bathurst.
233 dead in Brazil night club catastrophe
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As many as 233 people are believed to have died early today in a lightning like fire that swept through a nightclub in the southern Brazilian city of Santa Maria. Most victims appear to have died from the thick smoke that blinded any attempt at organized escape. Many died from trampling in the panic, It appears that ceiling acoustical tiles caught fire during a band’s pyrotechnic show. The Kiss Club was massive — designed to hold as many as 3,000. One report said there were about 1,000 inside at the time of the fire. The Diário de Santa Maria website said the fire broke out around 2 a.m. local time Sunday. CNN
Girl’s petition wins change in Gatorade formula
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| Sarah Kavanagh |
Pepsi in the U.S. has announced that has removed a chemical ingredient from Gatorade and other soft drinks because consumers believe it is dangerous. The ingredient is an emulsifier, brominated vegetable oil (BVO) which is also used as a flame retardant and has other industrial uses. It is still legal to use the chemical in foods in the U.S. even though it has been banned from human consumption in many countries, including Canada. The catalyst for Pepsi’s action was a petition containing more than 200,000 names circulated by a 15-year-old Mississippi girl, Sarah Kavanagh (inset).
Congratulations to Premier Kathleen Wynne
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The Ontario Liberal leadership balloting was a long marathon of party platitudes from people both important and not so important. But the now Premier-Designate made her Saturday morning pitch for support a clarifying moment for delegates and members of the public alike. Her speech, in delivery, intellect and freshness, showed her to be the woman for the job. To personally address her opponents, Mr Hudak and Ms Horwath, and to offer them easily understood reasons for them to work with her, was admirable. We think it must have swayed many undeclared delegates. I care about fiscal responsibility, she said. I care about a fair society. Ms Wynne also expressed a steely determination to win if an early election is necessary. For many in and around the riding of Don Valley West who know Ms Wynne only by her slightly leftish reputation, it was surely refreshing to see their local MPP smack in the centre of the political road. We sincerely wish the Premier well and hope she manages to keep herself and the government in the centre. Pupatello pressured as opponents move to Wynne
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Pupatello 817, Wynne 705. But moments after Sandra Pupatello widened her lead in Ontario’s Liberal leadership race in the second ballot, Charles Sousa and Gerard Kennedy threw their support to Kathleen Wynne. “She’s been a great champion for the community,” Sousa said of Wynne. Out of 2,073 valid votes, Pupatello won 817. She needed 1,037 votes to win the party’s leadership. Although commentators asked rhetorically whether Pupatello would throw her support behind Wynne before a third ballot, the voting has begun and Pupatello is still seeking support in that balloting. CTV
Country Store sale at Wicksteed warehouse
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A further note regarding the closing of the Country Store on Bayview Ave: there is apparently a sale of store fixtures and related goods at the company’s warehouse at 168 Wicksteed Ave.
First Ballot: Pupatelo 2 votes ahead of Wynne
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Sandra Pupatello is hanging on to a razor thin lead in Ontario’s Liberal leadership race following the first round of voting. The former MPP captured 599 of the 2084 valid ballets, closely followed by Kathleen Wynne with 597 votes. CTV
Global streams Liberal convention live
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Dalton McGuinty honoured by Liberal Party
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Dalton McGuinty was at his most fatherly and Premier Dad-like Friday night as he said thank you to Ontarians and members of the provincial Liberal Party. Although he is retiring under a huge cloud of mismanagement and political gaffes, the Premier was witty and in apparent good spirits. Tomorrow (Saturday) the leadership contest is expected to be fought out between former cabinet minister Sandra Pupatello and Kathleen Wynne, former cabinet minister and the MPP for Don Valley West. But it was Mr. McGuinty’s night. “It has been my joy and honour to serve as your premier,” he told delegates gathered at the Mattamy Athletics Centre in Toronto (the former Maple Leaf Gardens). It is the place where he won the leadership of the party back in 1996. He recalled his wife’s reaction to his victory. “It was here, 16 years ago, when they announced the results, that Terri grabbed me, leaned over and gently whispered in my ear: ‘You said you weren’t going to win.'” “Nobody was more terrified than me when I won,” he said. CBC video of speech
“Checkout fee” for Visa use still forbidden here
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A dramatic new charge for the use of credit cards is about to begin in the U.S. They’re calling it a checkout fee and it can legally run to as much as four per cent of the value of the purchase if you pay with a Visa or MasteCard. This charge comes about as the result of a settlement between the card companies the U.S. government over the fees being collected for the use of so-called premium cards. Those are the ones that carry a higher transaction fee for retailers. It has been an issue in Canada where the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has been fighting to give retailers the same freedom to off set the added “swipe charge” of the growing number of premium cards. For more than a year, Visa and MasterCard have been calculating ways to get more from retailers so they can offer their card holders “gifts” and “premiums”. Of course nothing is really free and sooner or later the consumer is going to pay for those alleged freebies either through a checkout charge similar to those now effective in the U.S., or in higher prices. In Canada, credit card companies have been successful in fighting off demands by retailers to charge consumers selectively more for premium cards. As it stands, if a merchant signs on to accept Visa, he must charge whatever the card company says, and no more.
Country Store closes after decades on Bayview
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Friends and patrons of The Country Store at 1657 Bayview will be saddened to hear the store has closed. In what other merchants call an overnight clear out, the shop which has been a landmark on South Bayview for decades is now vacant. Apparently, according to those on the street, business was conducted more or less as usual; yesterday (Thursday). It was also said on the street that there had been discussions with the landlord. A large sign offers the premises for lease (416) 402-8182.
“Urban Tavern” set to open in Leaside Village
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There are some nice sketches showing the as yet unfinished Against the Grain Urban Tavern scheduled to open in March in the Leaside Village shopping centre. We are also waiting for the Cupcake Girls to open their franchise in Leaside Village. Elsewhere in openings and closing news, the hoarding is now down at the new Smokin’ Cigar location at 1540 Bayview Ave. Keep watching. We have more opening and closing news to come.