New power tunnel under Moore Park, Rosedale

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Work will begin on the Midtown Power Corridor Tunnel in September. It will snake its way under Moore Park and Rosedale from Bayview Ave over to Yonge Street. The tunnel will be part of a critical link in the way Toronto is able to get electricity. An overland portion of the corridor runs from the Leaside Transformer Station on Millwood Road to the Bayview Extension. The tunnel will connect up with an older part of the corridor which stretches to the transformer station near Casa Loma.  A specialized 120 tonne boring machine will start tunnelling to make room for six high voltage cables that will carry an additional 100 megawatts of power, enough electricity to power 25,000 homes. The project will create 30 jobs and will help make Ontario’s current energy infrastructure more efficient. Construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2014. Pictures show ribbon cutting yesterday. L to r. Peter Gregg, executive VP of Hydro One, Chris Bentley, energy minister and Anthony Hains, president of Hydro One. Previous post.

Odd car-jacking attempt at Bayview/Sheppard

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Toronto  Police Service report: A 49 year old female reports that on August 29, 2012 at approximately 1905 hours she had just exited her vehicle in an underground parking garage in the area of Bayview Avenue and Sheppard Avenue East when a male suspect and a female suspect in a vehicle stopped in front of her. The male suspect exited the vehicle and pointed a black handgun at the victim and ordered her to drop her keys. The victim complied. The female suspect in the vehicle fled the scene while the male suspect attempted to start the victim’s vehicle. The suspect demanded the victim to start the vehicle. It was at that time the victim was able to make good her escape. The male suspect fled the scene on foot with the victim’s keys in an unknown direction

Rumah Tangga to close on lease expiry

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The home accessories and design business known as Rumah Tangga on Fleming Crescent will close soon on expiry of the lease. This is the small premises that sits at the rear  of the corner store on the southeast corner of Bayview and Fleming. The owner, Roland Tan, says he will concentrate on serving his clientele, many of whom he found through his present shop.  Mr. Tan has been an energetic and positive influence on South Bayview and his departure will be a loss. 

Big red “S” eats the orange lion for $3.13 billion

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The small bank that for some time has been urging people to “Save Your Money” and avoid the big banking guys, has been purchased by one of the biggest.  Bank of Nova Scotia will assume ownership of ING (Internationale Nederlanden Groep) for $3.13 billion. Scotia officials did a little crowing today by pointing iut that the bank  had identified a niche that’s growing. They noted ING had become the country’s eight largest bank in 15 years. First blush analysis suggests ING will be re-branded but will continue to offer saving rates that are higher than the big banks, including its parent. 

Glebe Presbyterian set for re-development

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Glebe Presbyterian Church at the pleasant corner of Thurloe Avenue and DeSavery Crescent seems set for re-development after a summer on the real estate market. Asking price for the 1913 church was $2.85 million.  Church officials have said they hope the buyer will “respect the legacy of the church” although just what that might mean seems an open question. Important to the neighborhood’s history as it is, Glebe Presbyterian is not architecturally outstanding. The 13,000 square-foot property is officially 124 Belsize Drive even though the building does not face that street. The church has had declining attendance and plans to join Leaside Presbyterian at Eglinton Ave. E and Hanna Road. 

Mayor’s removal not justifiable: Globe and Mail

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The Globe and Mail editorial. in which the paper argues that Toronto’s rather willful and careless mayor nonetheless does not deserve to be removed from office for the so-called conflict of interest matter that will be heard next month. In addition to the arguments made by the Globe, we would repeat the salient point that this matter, unlike any other such complaint, has proceeded in absolute public and with total transparency. The Mayor has shown no intent to deceive or surreptitiously get away with anything. It would be yet another reason, as the Globe and Mail says, not to offend democracy by removing a public official for this small matter. We believe the mayor was wrong to act as he did.  Others may think he should be voted out at the next election.  But regardless of whether Mr.Ford is defeated, either outcome will be the true one because it will have been made by the people, not by a judge.

Northern Secondary is film location for horror epic Carrie

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Chloe Moretz

Kids returning to Northern Secondary School this fall will have stories to tell, but few will be as interesting as that of the school itself. Since June, the venerable old high school has been the scene of filming for the re-make of the 1976 horror movie Carrie. Sissy Spacek played the first blood-soaked Carrie, a shy girl who gets back at her bullying classmates by, well, supernaturally whacking them until she is covered in blood. That shot of Carrie dripping red is the trademark picture of the Carrie film. This time it’s Chloe Moretz who plays Carrie. The Gothic and slightly sinister Northern (built 1930) was a good location for this creepy tale. Shooting was still going on a few days ago although it may be over by now since there is that back-to-school thing. On an interesting note, 14 student-athletes from St. Michael’s College School were cast as extras. They are members of the Varsity Lacrosse team, cast specifically for high school lacrosse practice/game scenes that are in the script. Student Joe French was hired as a consultant to work with the lead actors on sport-specific technique and authenticity. The cast members of the re-make are Julianne Moore (Magnolia, Children of Men), Chloe Moretz (Hugo, Dark Shadows), and Alex Russell (Chronicle).

Playing hooky at the USS Enterprise museum

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One of many places to play hooky from business when you are in New York is the space museum on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (1943). As everyone will know, this museum is home to the Space Shuttle Enterprise, commissioned in 1976. It is a very popular tourist attraction. Above left, hundreds crowd the walkways around the spaceship which is housed in a large inflatable building on the aircraft deck. It is little known that the space shuttle was named Enterprise only because thousands of fans of the televison series Star Trek petitioned the government of the day to do so.  A ceremony was held at which actors and members of the crew of the fictional USS Starship Enterprise were present. Left to right, George Takei  (Mr. Sulu, Helm Officer), James Noonan (Mr Scott, Chief Engineer), Michelle Nicholls (Lieutenant Uhuru), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock) Gene Roddenberry, creator, unknown party and Walter Koenig  (Pavel Chekov, Russian Starfleet officer). A notable abense on that day was William Shatner who played Captain Kirk. News video from 1976.  Note at the end that military band is playing the theme from Star Trek.

Industry Canada clears way for in-flight Wi-Fi

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Industry Canada has issued a U.S.-based wireless provider a license to provide airline passengers with in-flight Internet access. The air-to-ground (ATG) radio frequency spectrum subordinate access will allow Gogo to serve passengers on commercial and business aircraft flying over Canada. Gogo uses its own network of broadband terrestrial ground-to-air cellular towers to connect aircraft flying overhead to the Internet. It has also released an iOS app for mobile devices which supports sign-in to the company’s Wi-Fi services in the sky. Mediacaster

Highest ranking black officer honoured

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Canada’s highest-ranking black police officer is to be recognized with a prestigious community award. Toronto Police Service Deputy Chief Peter Sloly will receive a “Changing Lives” Diversity Award at the annual Planet Africa Awards. Patricia Bebia-Mawa who, along with her husband, Moses Mawa, established the award program, said Sloly has used his position as a senior police officer to affect lives. For many young blacks, policing was not an attractive career choice until he came along and steadily climbed up the ranks,” Bebia-Mawa said. “He has also played a huge role in transforming the police service into one of the most diverse organizations.” Sloly who, in 2001, became the first and only senior Toronto police officer to take part in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, will be presented with the award on October 27 at Roy Thomson Hall. “The award represents validation by the African-Canadian community of my work in crime prevention through social development,” Sloly said. TPS

Don Valley West would be eliminated

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The riding of Don Valley West is merged into a new riding of Toronto North in proposed changes announced yesterday by the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission. Here are the new boundaries as given on the commission’s website. Map

 Official description of boundaries
Toronto North — Consisting of that part of the City of Toronto described as follows: commencing at the intersection of Highway No. 401 with Leslie Street; thence generally southerly along said street to Eglinton Avenue East; thence southwesterly along said avenue to the Don River West Branch; thence generally southeasterly along said branch to Overlea Boulevard; thence southwesterly along said boulevard to Thorncliffe Park Drive; thence southeasterly along said drive to a point at latitude 43°42’15″N and longitude 79°20’28″W; thence easterly in a straight line to the intersection of the Don River West Branch and the Don River; thence generally southwesterly along the Don River to Pottery Road; thence northwesterly and southwesterly along said road to Bayview Avenue; thence generally northwesterly and northerly along said avenue to Broadway Avenue; thence westerly along said avenue to Yonge Street; thence northerly along said street to Lawrence Avenue West; thence westerly along said avenue to Avenue Road; thence northerly along said road to Highway No. 401; thence northeasterly and easterly along said highway to the point of commencement.