Gold necklace theft on Thorncliffe Park Drive

Toronto Police Service report: A 31 year old female reports that on September 9, 2012 at approximately 1600 hours she was in the area of Thorncliffe Park Drive and Overlea Boulevard when she was approached from behind by a male suspect. The suspect removed a gold necklace from the victim’s person and fled the scene northbound on Thorncliffe Park Drive. 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, 22 to 26 years, 5’9”, medium build

Moms To Be and More theft reported

The owner of Moms To Be And More has reported that over the period stretching from February to September , 2012, cash has been removed from the store. It’s not clear from this brief police report that the disappearance is the result of occasional pilfering or the removal of a sum of money that was seldom checked.  The sum was not given and may not in fact be known. 

Amsterdam Brewery moves to Esandar Drive

Amsterdam Brewery has announced that it will move to Leaside Industrial Park east of Laird Drive.  The address will be 45 Esandar Road down the way and around the corner a little bit from the newly-opened Leaside Village. The premises is now a large multi-tenant warehouse building (inset) which seems quite suitable for the Amsterdam business. The transfer date is November 1, 2012. The new shop will feature a “sampling facility” with more than ten beers on tap as well as a retail store with a 400 square foot glass wall so shoppers can look into the brewery. There will also be a 2000 squre foot event space for dinners, brewing seminars (of course) and other weekly events.

Corner stores over-regulated lobby says

Remember Bayview Express?

A report to the Canadian Convenience Store Association says over-regulation is crippling the convenience store industry in Canada. This is especially true for independent stores, the report maintains. Corner store owners are said to be dealing with 517 federal and provincial laws and regulations at an estimated annual cost of $225-million.  The report is being presented today at a meeting of Canadian retailers, distributors and manufacturers in Toronto. A report in the Financial Post says that for every dollar of profit the industry generates, governments collect $16 in revenue. The story does not say it but it would appear much of the government’s take on corner store business comes from the large tax on cigarettes. Profits in the industry are about $1-billion a year, and revenue generated by the convenience store industry for government exceeds $16-billion.

Swarming on Laird near Eglinton (knife shown)

Toronto Police Service report: Two male victims and a female victim, ages 15 to 17 years, report that on (Friday) September 7, 2012 between 2245 hours and 2320 hours, they were in the area of Laird Avenue and Eglinton Avenue East when they were surrounded by 10 male suspects. Two suspects were armed with knives. The suspects made a demand for the victims’ cellular phones. The victims complied. The suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction. No injuries were sustained by the victims. Police are requesting the assistance of the public in identifying the following described persons in connection with this offence. Description of Suspect #1 and #2: Male, 18 to 21 years, 5’7” to 5’8”, 119 to 130 pounds, thin build, short black hair. Suspect #3: Male, black, 18 to 21 years. Suspects #4-#10: Male, 

Great Expectations (2012) to premiere at TIFF

Holliday Grainger
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will show a new adaption of a Charles Dickens towering classic this week. Great Expectations will premiere on Tuesday, September 11, 2012. This is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Dickens,  the world’s best-known Victorian author, This time the two star-crossed lovers, playing Pip and Estella, are Jeremy Irvine and Holliday Grainger. And it’s worth noting that durable Helena Bonham-Carter portrays the nasty Miss Havisham, a bitter old woman who teaches Estella how  to break hearts.  Over the years Estella’s role has been played by actresses such as Jane Wyatt (1932) and Jean Simmons (1946).   Take a look at the trailer.

“Calendar Girls” revived by Yorkshire players

The original Calendar Girls 
There’s nothing so British it seems as a group of nice middle-aged ladies stripping on stage for charity. The women above, the original Calendar Girls,  are responsible for this. It’s 13 years since their Women’s Institute group in a small North Yorkshire village bared all in that famous calendar to raise millions of pounds for charity. They became a legend in the process.  Now a Yorkshire theatrical troupe, the Grassington Players are performing naked for the world amateur premiere of the stage version of the incredible story.  It was back in 1999 when the ladies of Rylstone WI came up with an idea to raise money for charity. Their nude calendar and the story behind it sparked international interest, an award winning film and stage play. Video

Pink parade crosses Mt. Pleasant at Moore

Thousands of happy warriors clad in pink marched through South Bayview today on their way to Downsview Park. It was the wild crazy and joyful Weekend to End Women’s Cancer, a fundraiser for Princess Margaret Hospital’s cancer wing. A South Bayview Bulldog correspondent grabbed some pictures as he was treated to this wonderful sight at Moore Ave and Mt. Pleasant Rd while the marchers made their way east.  The two-day, 60-kilometre walk kicked off at the Direct Energy Centre. At Downsview Park tonight  they’ll see performances from Glass Tiger, Disco Nation and Michael Burgess before heading back downtown on Sunday morning. The walk raises money for the Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute at Princess Margaret, including cancer awareness, treatment and prevention. Above,  in the main picture pink plastic poncho paraders say hello. Inset left, you’ve got to love this lady’s headgear. Inset right, these two must be part of the 1 percent. They were in a pink stretch limo. Love you all.