“Skull and crossbones” bank robber sought

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Police have released a bank camera picture of man wanted for a robbery at Midland and Kingston road just before Christmas. The photograph seems sure to lead to an identification of the person shown. The man did escape with cash. He is described as 40-50 years old and about five feet, eight inches tall. He was wearing a dark 3/4 length coat and a black toque with skull and crossbones design.Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416−808−7350, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416−222−TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637), or Leave A Tip on Facebook. Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes, Google Play or Blackberry App World.  

Prime Minister dines on meatball sandwich

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Stephen Harper continues his just-plain-Steve strategy — a scheme to humanize him (or maybe show the real Harper, as he might say). This time it was a stop at Ottawa’s venerable Prescott restaurant last Friday for one of their famous meatball sandwiches. Harper posed with the Prescott staff and posted the photo on his Twitter account. The Prime Minister has more than 296 thousand followers on his Twitter account. Last Monday, he  tweeted his entire day with photos including having breakfast with the cat. The effort seems to strike a chord with some people. In commenting, one Ottawa man said: “I remember in the late 60s when the Prescott had a men’s side and a ladies and escorts side. They still serve square pizza?  It was the best pizza in town way back then.” Another called the Prescott a landmark and said he was proud to have eaten there. “Congrats to Mr Harper. The waiter on the right in the picture must have more than 35 years service, an indication of the quality of the business and management.” 

Toronto home sales grow during January

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The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) reports that the first two weeks of January saw 1,469 sales through the Toronto MLS system, a 2.4% increase over the same period last year. It says this continues the trend from 2012 of low-rise strong price growth as competition between buyers remained quite strong. The average selling price is eToornto home prices strong in xpected to grow in 2013.  The average cost of a home during this period was $464,228 in the city of Toronto and $457,181 in the rest of the GTA, with roughly two-thirds of sales occurring in the 905 area.

Best Buy/Future closing 15 big box stores

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Best Buy Canada has announced that it will  close 15 big-box stores and cut about 800 employees. The number is comprised of seven Best Buy and eight Future Shop stores. The electronics retailer is crying the Big Box Store Blues, saying consumers want smaller, more intimate retail experiences. And they might have added fuller and more immediate service. The firm operates under both the Best Buy and Future store brands. There is a Future Shop in the RioCan Leaside Centre at Eglinton Ave. E and Laird Drive and a Best Buy in the SmartCentre on Laird. A spokesperson said :“Right now, what were doing is re-sizing the retail footprint where it makes sense in certain markets and absolutely the plan is to grow a significant number of Future Shop small-store concept and the Best Buy mobile locations are going to continue growing as well.” The stores that are closing are B.C. Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta and Ontario. “It is fairly evenly spread out across Canada.  In Ontario, three Future Shops will close. They are in Ancaster, Barrie South and Erin Mills.  

Pretty little snowfall on South Bayview

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This interlude occurred about 9.30 am. at Bayview Ave. and Millwood Rd.  The day has unfolded with periods of brilliant sunshine between the gusty snow fall. In outlying parts of the city there are snow squalls have brought near zero visibility. The Weather Channel is saying that in the wake of an Arctic cold front that blasted across the regions last night, a strong surge of much colder air arrived and the squalls developed in the strong and gusty westerly flow off of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. But unless you are planning any highway driving today, you won’t see much of that.

New Sport Chek store at Yonge and St.Clements

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Sport Chek has opened a store at 2529 Yonge and St. Clements Ave. It is reviewed here by Francine Kopun  and she calls it a  foray into one of Toronto’s best and most challenging retail environments. We take this to be upscale mid-town Toronto. (on the fringe of South Bayviewland).  She notes the use of some 140 digital Samsung screens “spilling videos of athletes in action, the technical specs of running shoes, the latest NBA scores and community events, including the calendar for the Eglinton lawyers pick-up hockey league.” Francine Kopun. 

Classes cancelled at Grenoble Public School

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All classes at Grenoble Public School at 9 Grenoble Drive near Overlea Blvd. and Don Mills Rd were cancelled Wednesday because of a water main break in the area late Tuesday. Parents were asked to make alternate arrangements for the 700 or so pupils at the JK to Grade Five school. But the school board also arranged for emergency water to be trucked in to supply washrooms and it provided bottled water for kids whose parents were unable to make other arrangements.

Warm weather helps roof repair on Heath Street

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Today’s warm weather has been a great help to these roofers on this Heath Street East home just west of Welland Ave. They are repairing a third floor damaged by the fall of a large twin oak on October 30, 2013. Three homes were struck in the fall of the large tree. This home was one of two damaged by the westerly trunk of the oak when the forked trunks split during a nasty overnight windstorm. If these workers are back up there Thursday they will have to bundle up a lot more. Frigid weather is moving in and today’s highs will give way to minus five degree temperatures tomorrow. 

Former mayors say “No” to Toronto casino

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Three former mayors — Crombie, Sewell and Eggleton — have written a letter to Mayor Rob Ford and city council recommending against a casino for Toronto. Their warning that Toronto should “beware the sales pitch” — is a voice of caution that repeats concerns heard before about casino gambling: Casinos try to keep customers inside the establishment causing small business outside on the street to starve, casinos attract crime and add to the cost of policing and other services, casinos prey on the vulnerable and increase everything from homelessness to alcoholism. But are these three former mayors wise men or merely voices from the past. David Crombie (1972-1978), John Sewell (1978-1980), and Senator Art Eggleton (1980-1991) were very different from each other in their day. Crombie is known for saving mid-town neighbourhoods from developers. He is a soft-conservative whose legacy is precious and deserved. It’s hard to know what the combative John Sewell accomplished apart from getting himself unelected by an unknown alderman named Eggleton after one brief term. “Art” as the new mayor was widely known, ran a savvy 11-year tour during some of the best times the city has experienced.  But all of these men operated in a Toronto that is long gone, especially around gambling. The Ontario Government’s OLG presides over some of the most doubtful exploitation of  the gambling poor.  If the OLG hasn’t led to galloping homelessness, nothing will.  The mayors are most on target, in our view, in their concern about how casinos like to imprison and otherwise sponge up all the business of any kind within a wide radius of their slot machines. But this is something that can be specifically targeted in any agreement and readily policed by merchants. It may not be a good reason to embrace a casino and The South Bayview Bulldog certainly has no need for more gambling. But like the sales pitch from the casino operators, the concerns expressed by the former mayors need to be carefully reviewed for accuracy.