Ford, GM keep drop-tops out of Canada

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The secret convertibles built by Ford and GM continue to be frozen out of the North American market for reasons that are vague. The German built Ford Focus drop top (left) and its similarly sleek GM counterpart, the Opel Astra (right) are non-gratis here. It’s doubly odd because the German owned auto makers (Mercedes, Audi, BMW and VW) all eagerly ship their cabriolet models to North America — and do very well with them thanks. But the magic advertising juice of “German Engineering” apparently has no sell in the corporate headquarters in Detroit. Why? It may have to do with GM and Ford being intent on selling their muscle convertibles, the Mustang and Darth Vader-like Camaro Remember the old saying: “You can sell an old man a young man’s car.” That’s what seems to be at work in Detroit. But, as sales of the German owned cabs show us, there is an incredibly large market for these types of vehicles.   

What’s the future of Best Buy now?

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Electronics retail chain Best Buy says it will close 50 stores this year and lay off 400 corporate and support workers as part of a plan to cut $800 million in costs and restructure its business.

“Budget spells the end of horses in Ontario”

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This letter to the editor in the Hamulton Spectator explains how the Ontario budget has effectively put an end to horse racing and horse breeding in Ontario: The recent provincial budget has moved the Ontario horse racing industry into history. The revenue sharing agreement with the slots at the tracks will end, so goodbye horses. This is no small potatoes. The move will have significant effects on the race industry and rural communities. Suddenly there is no work for Ontario horses. Breeding farms have three years worth of investment in horse stock — spring foals, fall yearlings, and pregnant mares to continue the cycle. Now all of these horses, over night, have switched from being an asset to a liability. This will bring financial ruin to most breeding farms across the province and for those who supply or are employed by the horse industry. The horse racing sector currently adds 60,000 jobs to Ontario’s rural economy. The racing expenditures for feed, supplies and services exceed $2 billion annually. The governments take their cut. Without consultation the budget ended all this. In 2008, the Quebec government closed racetracks in that province. The outcome was mass slaughter of horses.

Will Ford work against Parker’s re-election?

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In  the 2010 municipal election, the tight race in Ward 26 saw Councillor Parker come up the middle between Jon Burnside and  Mohammed  Dhanani to win a plurality victory.  Both Burnside and Dhanani ran strong races and it might be said they split the opposition vote in a crowded field of candidates. Now, as Mayor Ford ponders Mr. Parker’s vote in favor of LRTs over subways, the mayor is hinting he might oppose Mr. Parker’s re-election in the balloting of 2014. The Toronto Star notes this in a story in which it calls Mr. Parker an “impeccably credentialed conservative”. In the 2010 election the Star endorsed Mr. Dhanani over Mr Parker. Mr. Parker beat Mr Burnside by merely 415 votes. In a footnote, it may surprise many Leaside residents to  know that Ford himself actually won Ward 26 by a paper thin margin of 50 votes out of some 16,594 cast.

All your penny headlines and more

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It’s a journalism thing, for sure. “One-cent coin won’t come back like a bad penny” says the Edmonton Journal In Toronto the Metro Handout shouted “Penny Antics” (huh?) We could follow the sense of the CBC’s “Does getting rid of the penny make ‘cents’?”  The Winnipeg Free Press offered “Their two cents: Canadians share ample opinions on scrapping the penny”  Still out west “Budget pinches penny‎” says the Star Phoenix. The two cents strain runs strong along the east shore as well. “Your two cents’ worth is now worth nothing‎” opined the  Whig Standard. Very good gang.  Can we get in on the fun? How about “What’s it to you copper?” Or, “It costs us money, penny wise. And, yes, it’s laboured but “Penny just an unneeded ex-pence.” 

Sinkhole at Hillsdale and Bayview

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A large sinkhole has opened up at the intersection of Bayview and Hillsdale Ave. City and Enbridge people were digging things up and  mulling over just what was causing the collapse. In this picture, taken from the sidewalk just outside the Bank of Montreal, it appears that there has been a previous attempt to fill a depression in the road.  There is no access to Bayview from Hillsdale. 

Feds getting out of policing nutrition claims

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The federal government is getting out of the business of policing nutrition claims on food labels as part of cost-cutting at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The move, outlined in the budget, will help the agency cut $56.1 million from its overall budget by the next fiscal year. It will now be up to consumers to go to companies or industry associations “for resolution” if they suspect bogus health claims or exaggerated nutrition claims on food packaging. “The government will change how the Canadian Food Inspection Agency monitors and enforces non-health and non-safety food labelling regulations. The CFIA will introduce a web-based label verification tool that encourages consumers to bring validated concerns directly to companies and associations for resolution,” the budget document says.

Cookies recalled over milk and/or almonds

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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people with allergies to milk or almonds about certain cookies that could include either or both ingredients, without them being declared on the package. The federal agency said late Thursday evening that 400-gram packages of Crispy by TWI Foods cookies in the following flavours — Almond Cookies, Coconut Cookies and Almond Cake Rusk — could have undeclared milk. As well, Pistachio Cookies, in the same-sized packages and under that same brand, could have almonds and milk.The CFIA said TWI Foods Inc. is voluntarily recalling the products from the market.<

Pierre Poutine made 7,000 robocalls in Guelph

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Canada’s chief electoral officer has revealed around 7,000 illegal robocalls were made on election day from a phone number at the centre of the Pierre Poutine scandal in the riding of Guelph, Ont. In his first public appearance since the Ottawa Citizen and Postmedia News revealed ongoing Elections Canada investigations into misleading calls in Guelph and other ridings, Marc Mayrand said the fraudulent calls “should not be tolerated in a democracy.” National Post  

East York Concert Band performs April 30

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The East York Concert Band will carry on its tradition of offering the public fine music when it presents A Spring in Your Step. at its annual Spring Concert Monday, April 30 at 7.30 pm.  The event will take place at On The Park, formerly Inn On The Park, at 1095 Leslie Street. Tickets $15, children 12 and under Free. East York Concert Band. www.eastyorkconcertband.ca. The East York Concert Band was formed in 1948 and first was called the East York Citizens band. It was formed from a night school class at East York Collegiate to teach musical instruments to a class of some 15 people. The teacher was the Director of Music for the East York Board of Education, Norman Tuckwell

Elections sleuth closes in on “Pierre Poutine”

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Globe and Mail reporters Steven Chase and Tamara Beluias have produced an engrossing article detailing the search for election dirty-trickster “Pierrie Poutine.”  The key player is Elections Canada sleuth Allan Mathews. Read it.

“Cash stores” charge the poor 23% on loans

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The Cash Store and Instaloans have been ordered to pay back “several millions” of dollars in fees for charging customers in British Columbia for cash cards when they took out loans. Laws in B.C. in force since Nov. 1, 2009 limit the amount lenders can charge for payday loans – loans for a maximum of $1,500 that must be paid back within 62 days – to 23 per cent. But The Cash Store and Instaloans, which are both owned by Alberta-based Cash Store Financial Inc., were charging customers between $7 and $21 to put the money borrowed on a cash card, said Manjit Bains, vice-president of corporate relations with Consumer Protection BC, which issued the compliance order. “The law that was introduced [in 2009] says you can’t charge for cash cards and they were charging for cash cards,” Bains said.