Writer says Canada “set the bar too low”

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Gold medal winner Rosie MacLennan
The  Summer Olympics are over and Postmedia writer Mathew Fisher says there’s just no hiding the awful truth. The athletes were valiant but 2012 is quite possibly our worst summer Olympic games ever. Fisher says that the Canadian team placed 36th in the standings used by the IOC. We won just  one gold medal, five silver and 12 bronze. It’s clear, says Fisher, that Ottawa and the Canadian Olympic Committee “set the bar too low”. Fisher’s column.

635 Hillsdale E. sold for $550,000 in six days

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A 1922 two storey brick semi at 635 Hillsdale Ave. E. has changed hands in recent days for $550,000. It seems nicely kept and it sold in six days.  Some might have expected it to fetch more, except there’s no parking.  Picture.

Christine Sinclair to carry the Maple Leaf flag

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Christine Sinclair, Canada’s gutsy women’s soccer captain at the Summer Olympics, will carry the Maple Leaf flag at the closing ceremonies this afternoon.  Sinclair, from Burnaby B.C., says the decision is a “huge honour.” 

Leaside Village is partly open, partly closed

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Leaside Village is partly open and partly closed. It’s possible to drive into the shopping centre via the Esander Drive entrance and tour the property in front of the Longo’s and the Linen Chest, which is beside Longo’s. Large areas of parking have been fenced off from the rest of the mall, which remains under construction. It appears that when Longo’s opens next Wednesday there will be an exit to Laird through fenced off construction. There is also an exit south onto Esander past Waste Management. 

Millwood mall awaits successor to Anna’s Spa

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It’s not Leaside Village or the SmartCentre but the little strip mall at Sutherland Drive and Millwood Road has the loyalty of many Leasiders. In recent times this seemingly unchangeable place has seen a few alterations. ServiceOntario moved out when its unit was purchased by the owner of Sleuth of Baker Street. That well-known shop is now installed there. But mostly it’s been home to neighborhood fixtures such as Fix It Again Sam and Nick’s Barber Shop (even though Nick has retired). That’s why the papered-over window of what was Anna’s Day Spa has drawn the curiosity of so many people.  What’s going on, they want to know. According to sources, the unit has been sold to the interests that own Everest Roofing, which also owns the Chiropractic office at the west end. Something is going into Anna’s, but there’s no word yet on just what. Everest Roofing vehicles may be seen parked behind the mall.  

Politics of trash collection grips media

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The politics of Toronto garbage collection may excite or revolt you.  We see the split in The Toronto Sun and the Toronto Star. They are  locked in a battle over whether the efforts of the new private garbage collector, Green For Life, are satisfactory or incompetent.  Toronto Sun  Toronto Star

Bayview ticket case yields $70,737 legal bill

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A physician practising at Sunnybroook Health Sciences Centre  has been told she will have to pay $70,537 in municipal legal fees for fighting a parking ticket she received on South Bayview in November. 2007. Dr. Anna Marie Arenson, whose husband is a lawyer, has fought a five-year battle to have her concerns treated as a class action lawsuit. The action would have permitted other motorists who felt that Bayview’s Pay and Display meters were simply not working during a storm that encrusted them with ice and snow to join the action. Dr. Arenson, a radiologist at Sunnybrook,  said she tried a number of meters on the day in question. None of them produced a ticket that she could display. She went to lunch and came back to a $31 ticket on her windshield.   Full story.

Macpherson Avenue corner store robbery

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Toronto Police Service: A 50 year old female employee of Macpherson Convenience, 212 Macpherson Avenue, reports that on August 9, 2012 at approximately 1648 hours, a male suspect entered the premises and approached the counter. The suspect produced a handgun and made a demand for cash. The victim complied. The suspect then fled the scene eastbound on Macpherson Avenue. No injuries were sustained by the victim. Police are requesting the assistance of the public in identifying the following described person in connection with this offence. Description of Suspect: Male, black, 20 to 25 years, 6’0”, thin build, black eyes.

Can Starbucks help Eglinton East of Sutherland

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For lease signs pepper the street
The new Starbucks in what was the TD building at Laird Dr. and Eglinton Ave E  should be taken as a sign of gentrification.  Starbucks stands for nothing if not good coffee and an upwardly mobile neighborhood. The question is whether even Starbucks can help the strip of businesses along the north side of Eglinton between Sutherland and Laird. For years there has been a “for lease” sort of malaise along the strip, despite the arrival of some blue chip players like a Sherwin Williams franchise and Stephenson’s Rentals. These are not boutique dress shops but they are a draw. The recent addition of ServiceOntario would be more helpful if it didn’t seem like a welfare office. Ontario has a way of dispensing long lineups and “service” together. Parking is limited. Compare it to the successful shops in the Dawsco strip mall on Brentcliffe opposite Marshall’s where the parking is plentiful. Much will change when the LRT station is built. We hope for the best for Eglinton between Sutherland and Laird. 

Marion Johnston mourned by friends, family

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Marion Johnston

An institution in our area, Penrose Fish and Chips, has lost its founding member. And the shop at 600 Mt. Pleasant will be closed this week to mark the passing of Marion Johnston. A look at the company website tells the inspiring family-business story. “In 1950, Roly and Marion Johnston opened Penrose Fish and Chips. Their secret family recipe quickly became a Toronto favourite. Today, their son Dave and his wife Rosey proudly serve the same quality ingredients for the best fish and chips in town. They added the same care to a few more family recipes now on the menu, and proudly carry on this great family tradition”

Forzani fuels 26% leap in CTC profit

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While sales at its Canadian Tire stores were flat, CTC saw a nice jump in profit thanks to increases in sales at Sport Check and other Forzani branded stores.  Canadian Business

Break-in on Chudleigh Avenue

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Toronto Police Service: A resident of Chudleigh Avenue reports that between 0900 hours, August 5, 2012 and 1900 hours August 7, 2012, entry was gained into the premises by forcing a window. Removed was a quantity of cash, clothing and bicycles.