The South Bayview Bulldog

Wilmar Korleever has posted to Leaside Community that Starbucks at 878 Eglinton East at Laird Drive will close permanently. A sign in the shop’s window says the last day will be Sunday, October 25.  Starbucks moved into the elegant 1940s former TD Bank building in 2012. Many thought the company was getting a jump on prosperous days to come when the LRT is finished. The interior continues to hold the former bank vault and employees joked about storing coffee there. Starbucks closed another location at Laird and Kenrae Rd. in 2016. In recent years, Starbucks has moved into franchise coffee bars like those in Longo’s on Laird and the Loblaws on Redway Rd. In Leaside, busy shops at 1543 Bayview and in the SmartCentre on Wicksteed Ave remain. FB

• Have guitar, will sing on Friday at Eg and Laird Starbucks

Three teens, all 19, four minors between 14 and 16 and a man of 40 were scooped up in a 2 a.m. raid in Don Mills Wednesday. But the surprise raid didn’t prevent occupants of the location at the Donway and Lawrence Ave East from firing “multiple rounds of gunfire” at the cops. Release

A large landslide behind homes on Thursfield Cres. Tuesday has brought a warning from Metrolinx for homeowners to stay out of their backyards until damage has been assessed. One resident, Daniel Unruh, has sent pictures that show the seriousness of the fall. Metrolinx says an investigation is underway into the collapse. The work is part of LRT construction that requires a retaining wall on the much widened Eglinton Ave. where trains will exit the underground portion of the transit line. An appeal from the owner of 99 Thursfield has been issued as follows:

Metrolinx, MPP Kathleen Wynne, Mayor Tory and Councillor Robinson,

I would like to bring to your attention the massive amount of soil that has slid away on the excavation site behind our entire backyard (#99) and a portion of 97 Thursfield as a result of the Eglinton Crosstown. I have concerns that the construction for this project is not being carried out in accordance with Ontario Provincial Standards and Guidelines. Please provide your plan to rectify the situation for the duration of construction and to ensure stability of the slope for our homes post-construction.

Metrolinx Team, I am hoping you can address each of my four main concerns:
The current excavated slope does not comply with standards that we had received from Metrolinx on April 7 indicating that the slope should be 1H:1V (45°). It is easy to see that the slope is nowhere near 45°. It is practically a sheer cliff from our back fence.

Question: Does the temporary slope that will be created during construction (ie when the existing earth is removed/cut back and prior to the wall being built and the backfill placed) conform to the recommendations of a qualified Geotechnical Consultant? And will the temporary slope be stable during construction?
Response: The slope of the excavation is at 1H:1V (45°). This slope is stable and it has been signed-off by geotechnical and structural engineers. During the construction of the wall, the slope will also be monitored. The slope excavation will be in accordance with the Occupational Health & Safety Act and Regulations and the Ontario Provincial Standards guidelines.

Negligence re: the safety of Thursfield Residents. We were only advised at 6:30 p.m. that we should not enter our backyard until a safety assessment has taken place. We should have been notified immediately at the time of occurrence (sometime in the afternoon). My young child enjoys running around outdoors and it chills me to think that something could have happened to him.

Ongoing safety and stability of our property: The complete removal of mature trees behind our homes from 97 to 101 Thursfield has led to the loss of tree roots that had been keeping the slope stable for so many years. We had continually raised concerns around the stability of the excavation site, during & after construction. However, I believe this incident highlights further the need to revive the network of tree roots behind our fences in order to ensure long-term soil stability. Please advise on final restoration plans.

• Metrolinx rips up trees, shafts Thursfield Cres. homeowners

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A revised schedule for work at McSorley’s Saloon will see the local gathering spot re-open on Friday rather than Wednesday as previously planned. Here is a statement from the McSorley “BigWigs.”

If you didn’t know already, the government sent us back into a modified Stage 2. We thought this was the right time to try and spruce up the place a bit and we finally got the go-ahead to renovate the patio.

Brand new windows and doors are being installed as we speak. Much larger than before, running almost floor to ceiling. It will let in a lot more natural light and (we) will no longer have to fight to open and close the windows each day. Not to cut any corners, we decided to also do some re-framing outside and inside the front of the restaurant.

Like most projects at McSorley’s, once you open up a wall in here, you find three new problems you didn’t know existed. Because of this, our renovations will proceed until Thursday evening. We hope to re-open the patio for service this Friday at 11 a.m.

We are excited to bring you back with working heaters at all tables and possibly a rental tent with open sides to keep you warm and dry throughout the next few weeks/months.

We appreciate your patience and hope to see you again soon.

Stayed tuned for more as the minority Liberal government threatens to call an election if the opposition pursues the WE charity improprieties. Can we vote in a mask?

Kathleen Wynne will end her career as an MPP for Don Valley West at the next election scheduled in 2022. Ms Wynne, 67, surprised many by staying on in the Legislature after the catastrophic defeat of the Ontario Liberal Party in the summer of 2018. Her intention was revealed by reporter Robert Benzie in the Toronto Star. Toronto Star

Toronto has embarked on what’s called an action plan to combat very high rates of C-19 in some neighbourhoods, many of which are in the City’s northwest. But there is not much analysis of causes. Is it lifestyle, cramped high-rise living or indifference? Or is it something else? The action plan calls for more information, community agency support, increased testing and, perhaps importantly, supporting effective isolation.

Halloween at home

Elsewhere, the government is telling parents to plan Halloween at home. The enormously popular day is tough to cancel, but it has the potential for danger.

C-19 curve may be flattening

Ontario reported 704 new cases of C-19 infection Monday. The Ministry of Health says there may now be some “evidence of plateauing” in the daily counts. It is a slight increase on the 658 cases confirmed one day prior but comes on about 9,000 fewer tests, pointing to a much higher positivity rate of 2.2 per cent.

New Yorker reporter Jeffrey Toobin has been suspended from his job, after he apparently inadvertently exposed himself during a Zoom call between staff belonging to the magazine and staff at WNYC radio. Toobin has apologized after complaints that his private parts were seen but some say his judgment in attending the conference naked is questionable. National Post

Blood thrown onto sidewalk at Premier’s home

Premier Ford has complained publically that protestors who appear outside his home every Saturday are intimidating neighbours who have been forced to keep their kids inside. Recently the protesters, who have a multitude of issues, have thrown blood on the sidewalk. Many of them believe their rights are being violated by C-19 rules. CTV

Asteroid to “buzz-cut” Earth November 2

A car-sized asteroid will pass Earth in what some are calling a “buzz-cut” miss on the Monday before US election day Tuesday, November 3. Toronto Sun

Police at 11 Division in west-central Toronto are urgently trying to learn the identity of this man. He is alleged to have made threats to commit a shooting at an unnamed school. This occurred Friday during an exchange in an online chatroom. He was seen to possess a firearm. Please call if you know this man or his whereabouts. (416) 808-1100.

McSorley’s Saloon at 1544 Bayview Ave. is closed for patio renovations Monday and Tuesday this week. They hope to re-open at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. A new awning is in the works. The local hangout is much loved for its amusing signs. Perhaps the most famous is its boast of “Service, Quality, Price — Pick any two.”

A worker has suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries after falling into a subway construction hole at Bathurst Street and Eglinton Avenue West on Monday morning. Rescue crews were called to the scene just after 6 a.m. The worker, a man in his 30s, reportedly fell about 15 feet and had to be extracted from the hole.