Solar cell at Sandy Bruce Park monitors water

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Toronto Hydro has installed a wireless and solar-operated Data Collection Centre in Sandy Bruce Park on Moore Avenue at the top of Pottery Road. The DCC contains a cell phone which receives data on water usage from the smart metre in your basement and then re-sends it to Toronto Hydro. The DCC on Moore Ave collects data from homes all over South Bayview to a radius of approximately 2 kilometres of its location. There are some 300 such DCC in Toronto and this is  said to be the only community in Canada using this wireless method of delivery for water data. 

Grab bag of ideas for the LRT at the Don Valley

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Linked below is a Toronto Star story by Tess Kalinowski which contains a grab bag of ideas from various people on how to configure the Scarborough LRT. The ever-present Geoff Kettel of the Leaside Property Owners Association is quite upset about the decision to eliminate Leslie station.  Among other things Mr. Kettel floated with Ms. Kalinowski the idea of a viaduct across the Don Valley on Eglinton. Presumably a station for Leslie would be built at viaduct grade level and passengers would somehow find their way down to the ground. Whatever. You may well guess  that residents of the flossy units in the Scenic on Eglinton complex would not like the idea of looking out their windows at a viaduct. Also quoted in the story is Ward 26 Councillor John Parker who allowed it was a blue-sky thought that if the LRT were in fact a subway between Black Creek and Don Mills, the much-hoped for Downtown Relief Line could connect directly into it. The idea is appealing but of course the new Stintz-inspired  TTC executive wants nothing to do with a subway on Eglinton. Pity. This is an important issue for the community but it is equally true that the elimination of the Leslie Street station will not trouble the vast majority of residents in the area. That’s our guess, at any rate. And Metrolinx has a powerful argument when it says the station would have been among the most expensive to build but lightly-used on the line. Tess Kalinowski

South Bayview power brokers in Wynne cabinet

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L to R Premier Wynne, Dr Eric Hoskins, Mr Glen Murray and Mr. Michael Coteau
Premier Wynne’s new cabinet features three MPPs from her home turf of South Bayivew. She represents Don Valley West.  Her colleagues and convention supporters Eric Hoskins (St. Paul’s) Glen Murray (Toronto Centre-Rosedale) and Michael Coteau  (Don Valley East) join Wynne in cabinet. L to R, Dr Hoskins holds economic development trade and employment, Mr. Murray, infrastructure and transportation and Mr. Coteau, citizenship  and immigration, The new Premier has built a cabinet that is slightly larger than the McGuinty cabinet. The full list is here. 

Canadian Cardinal a contender for Papacy

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Cardinal Marc Oulette

The surprising announcement that Pope Benedict will resign the papacy on February 24, 2013 because of failing health has brought forward a number of possible successors, including a Canadian, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the archbishop of Quebec City. He is said to have “the best odds of replacing Pope Benedict XVI according to an Irish betting site, at 11 to 4. In London, it’s said bookies are making Cardinal Oulette a 3-1 favorite for election to the papacy. No doubt such gaming references in this field will shock some at the Vatican and elsewhere. Cardinal Ouellet, 68, is the head of the Congregation for Bishops, essentially the Vatican’s top staff director. He was once quoted as saying being the pope “would be a nightmare.” He also told Quebec City’s Le Soleil newspaper that a pope’s duties “are perhaps not very enviable.” National Post 

Wynne to appoint all-new back bench cabinet

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Okay, we know that South Bayview’s very own Premier, Kathleen Wynne, has cleaned out the big offices at Queen’s Park and that her cabinet, to be named tomorrow, will contain many relatively unknown people. We know that Sandy at Cobs Bread was hoping for something high-minded like Environment Minister, but — well don’t give up your bread job Sandy. Seriously,  we can only wish the Premier well with her clean slate approach. There is a ton of stuff that needs doing. Wish we could get back some of those millions lost on shutting down that power plant,  Here is the best the CBC can guess published Sunday night. CBC.

Leaside Gardens fundraiser is Friday, February 22

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The Laugh Out Loud in Leaside benefit scheduled for February 22, 2013 is 70% sold, Charlene Kalia writes to say. The event is in aid of  fundraising  to build a second ice pad at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens. Highlights of the evening include: MC Jack Corrigan,  hilarious Yuk Yuks stand up comedy musical, performance by the James Dean Band, de la mer oyster bar, delicious appetizers tantalizing desserts live and silent auctions  The date again is  Friday February 22, 2013  at  7:30 pm at: Fantasy Farm, 50 Pottery Road. Single ticket: $80 Reserved table of 10: $800 Tickets can be purchased as follows: Email: charlene@charlenekalia.com Phone: 416-925-9191 Online (by credit card, fee applies) Download and print ticket order form. Cheques should be made payable to East York Foundation. To donate items for the auction, please contact Charlene Kalia, 416-925-9191, charlene@charlenekalia.com 

Bob Rae will retire this Summer says John Ivison

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Ottawa insider John Ivison writes in the National Post that Toronto-Centre-Rosedale MP Bob Rae will retire this Summer rather than play second fiddle to “Trudeau Jr.” Ivison no doubt has good sources but it is his own eyes and ears that have helped him sketch this sensitive view of the venerable Mr.Rae more as a statesman than party stalwart. Ivison also offers a thoughtful before and after glimpse of  Rae the  party healer of just 18 months ago against someone now much sought after by Trudeau and others to help retain his central Toronto bulwark for the Liberals. Ivison also touches on the new dynamic in play with the creation of the riding of Mt. Pleasant, a plum many Conservatives feel they may be able to pluck. Ivison says George Smitherman is noodling a run there for the Liberals. Whom might the CPs like: Jane Pitfield? John Tory?Karen Stintz?  John Ivison 

Leaside Sunday morning power outage

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A widespread power failure across Leaside occurred this morning shortly after 9 a.m. The outage is so far unexplained but it was a surprise on such a pleasant morning and inconvenient even though it was on a Sunday morning. Power has now been restored. Among the Twitter early warning messagers Lise Lareau was a reliable source:  Power out this morning. 680 news site says it’s widespread in Toronto’s Bayview and Eglinton area (Leaside). No idea how long and then later Power in Bayview Eglinton / Leaside area just came back. Yay.  John Parker tweeted:  The NFL has nothing on us: The power went out over the entire neighbourhood on Leaside Flames Select Tournament championship day.  Josh McInerney was the most plaintive tweeter: Hey leaside??? Where’s the power!? I got coffee to make!!!

Leaside business leaders meeting Monday

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Don Valley West MP John Carmichael has issued an invitation to business people from the Leaside area to a breakfast meeting on Monday, February 11, in Cork’s Restaurant inside Longo’s supermarket in Leaside Village. The Business Leaders Breakfast is scheduled to begin at 7.15 am. although it seems to run fairly late (8.45 a.m) possibly for latecomers. 

Round up? Round down? It’s common cents

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Having told customers at the checkout last week that it would “round up” change, Loblaws has now posted a sign saying it will “round down” the amount payable (for cash sales). Either way, it seems fair and it isn’t much money. But the government’s decision to eliminate the penny from circulation  has retailers and clerks everywhere asking plaintively “How is this supposed to work?”