Girl, 15, leaves video testament to her anguish

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Three pictures of a lovely-looking young woman who was in fact desperate for friends and an escape from Internet bullying. Amanda Todd, 15, of  Vancouver,  took  her life Wednesday a few days after she used YouTube to share her heart-wrenching story of being bullied online and beaten at school. Her simple, touching video is seen here.. 

Recall: Fears of metal mesh in Mini-Wheats

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Kellogg’s is recalling certain types of its Mini-Wheats breakfast cereal over fears that it could contain metal fragments from a faulty manufacturing part. The recall is said to affect at least three million boxes of Mini-Wheats cereal. The products were sold in Canada, the United States and Mexico. In Canada, the recalled cereals include: Mini-Wheats Original Frosted cereal Mini-Wheats Brown Sugar Flavour Frosted cereal Most of the products have best-before dates between April 1, 2013 and July 29, 2013. Kellogg’s has warned that tiny pieces of “flexible metal mesh” could be in the cereal. Concerned consumers in Canada can call Kellogg’s at 1-888-876-3750. The line is open between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

Awesome sale at Leaside United starting Friday

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This will be one of the busiest weekends of the years as churches launch all sorts of rummage sales. One of most enjoyable is the Awesome Sale at Leaside United Church. It begins Friday afternoon ( 3 to 7 pm.) and extends to Saturday, October 13, 2012 from 10 am until noon. There will be thousands of pre-sorted quality items in 15 departments including treasures and trinkets, books, linens, toys, furniture, small appliances, housewares and jewellery.

Leaside Cleaners owners decide to retire

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The building owned by Mimi and Phillip at 1540 Bayview has been put up for lease. The decision seems to spell the end of Leaside Cleaners, the business they operated at that location for decades. The premises was gutted by fire about a year ago and for many long months the couple persevered and were determined to re-open. Now however it appears, they will retire from this business and let the well known storefront be used by someone else.  

Report opens door a crack in holiday retail ban

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City staff has laboured long and produced a series of recommendations on holiday retail shopping to be considered on or shortly after Tuesday October 16, 2012 by the City’s Economic Development Committee.  The report calls for a change in the present Toronto legislation to allow shopping on four holidays — Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day  and Thanksgiving Day.  It recommends that stores be closed on New Year’s Day, Family Day,  Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. The staff report containing these conclusions does not seem to make it clear if the closures which would apply to “retail stores” would now also apply to so-called shopping districts like the Eaton Centre. It’s been a source of irritation to retailers that Toronto legislation has been  unfair in this respect. Research done by the City Staff  revealed a wide disparity among Ontario municipalities with respect to openings. It’s notable that 74% of the Ontario communities surveyed permit retail openings on Family Day.  BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan permit opening on any day. 
Read staff report

Tomatoes a dramatic anti-stroke food: survey

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Tomatoes are said to contain an antioxidant which dramtically lowers the risk of stroke in men. A study from Finland shows that men who had the highest levels of lycopene—an antioxidant found in tomatoes—had fewer strokes than men who had the lowest level of lycopene in their blood. Overall, the risk of strokes was reduced by 55%.

180 Laird Drive asking price is $2,000,000

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The now vacant bank building at 180 Laird Drive across the street from the Smart Centre is for sale. If you’re in the market for a fairly spacious 1930s building with 20-odd parking spaces (nice) this one is listed for $2,000,000. It has two floors with somewhat less than 3,000 square feet downstairs and about 2,000 square feet upstairs.  Some planners have noted that if this building were removed it would permit a much smoother flow of traffic through the Laird, McRae, Wicksteed  intersection. Over the front door the property comes with a very nice coat of arms in concrete of the now defunct Imperial Bank of Canada  Imperial and the Canadian Bank of Commerce merged in 1960. 

Ontario druggists to re-new scripts, give flu shots

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The Ontario Government has relaxed long-standing rules about the renewal of non-narcotic prescriptions. Such prescriptions may now be authorized by pharmacists without reference to a doctor. Logically, it appears that doctors must still write the prescription. Pharmacists are also now permitted to give flu shots. For most people who take a prescription on a standing basis, this arrangement will mean less waiting at the drugstore while the pharmacy tries to confirm a repeat with the physician. This process sometimes takes as much as 48 hours, although it is usually shorter. Doctors typically charge their patients a fee which is attributed to the expense of having staff deal with pharmacy calls. Globe and Mail