15,000 will attend Microsoft meeting here

David Whitaker, CEO of Tourism Toronto and venues
NEWS RELEASE — (edited) — Next July will see a huge convention arriving in Toronto. Microsoft Corporation has announced that its Worldwide Partner Conference will meet in Toronto in 2012. Precise dates are Monday July 9 to Friday 13. 2012. More than 15,000 people are expected to attend the Toronto conference, representing technology companies in 130 countries. While the main hubs of the action will be the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and the Air Canada Centre, many other venues will be involved as 500+ events take place during the conference and at least 32 hotels across the Toronto region will host delegates. “Winning a prestigious meeting, for such a widely admired company, is not only a boost to the local economy but a testament to Toronto’s ability to host major events,” said David Whitaker, President and CEO of Tourism Toronto, which submitted the winning bid along with provincial and local partners. Microsoft Corporation’s annual Worldwide Partner Conference attracts more than 15,000 delegates,” said Eric Gales, General Manager, Microsoft Canada.

Will that be slow sales or no sales?

We note that Reuters has reported that the annual sales growth at major South Korean department stores in June eased to the slowest pace in four months. It might have been the weather. Things however were much, much slower in North Korea where there are no stores. Period. As a result sales were worse than slow. Non-existent in fact.

Cell donor found for Cathy Anagnostopoulos

Flashback picture from April, 2011, will recall for readers the really heart-rending case of Cathy Anagnostopoulos, a Leaside mom who needed a stem cell donor to help her battle Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Where to find help? There were thousands in the search and the four young ladies above got out on South Bayview to assist their friend’s mom one Sunday. Now comes word that a matching donor has been found and treatments have begun to try to restore Cathy to good health. She has been interviewed by InsideToronto.com with some interesting thoughts on the news of a match and her ongoing challenge. Here.

City Council kills Jarvis Street bike lanes

City Council has voted to eliminate the bicycle lanes on Jarvis Street. The lanes were a source of resentment by drivers who lost the centre “turn” lane to accommodate the cyclists. The lane was also used to speed traffic during rush hour. Bike lanes downtown are available on Sherbourne Street. Toronto Sun also a blow by blow at council from the National Post

Break-in at Canadian Fine Arts

From Toronto Police Reports: The owner of Canadian Fine Arts, 577 Mount Pleasant Road, reports that between 2215 hours on July 10, 2011 and 0113 hours on July 11, 2011 entry was gained into the premises by forcing a door. Removed was a quantity of paintings. Here is the Toronto Sun story on the local heist of these valuable paintings.

Couche Tard says you’re penny pinching

Couche Tard (the Night Owl) is that enterprising corner store chain based in Quebec which seems to operate just about everywhere. Most notably for those in South Bayview-land, you patronize Couche Tard when you dash into the On the Run store in the Esso Self Serve at Mount Pleasant and Millwood. Yesterday Couche Tard released it results and predicted gloomily that Canadians are becoming penny-pinchers when they shop.

They’re making the TTC super cool

Our story of yesterday about the Nextbus.com GPS tracking of TTC vehicles will have been old news for some. And yet this newly adapted technology has caught many tech-savvy people both young and old by surprise. Even with 25-year-olds, it’s made the TTC cool. Nextbus doesn’t do a thing that’s really new but its functionality is so useful. Our friends quickly checked to see if there was a Nextbus app. There was — already on their iPhones. When activated it located the phone and automatically downloaded relevant stops and bus times. So, the lady above would be outside the Sunnybrook Plaza on Eglinton at Bayview. The picture on her phone tells her that the westbound Eglinton East bus is Due. It’s sitting there with doors open.

Joe Fresh will open in Maple Leaf Gardens

Loblaws will open four more stand-alone Joe Fresh stores, one of which will be in the renovated Maple Leaf Gardens at 60 Carleton Street. The Gardens are at present being entirely re-made to house a Loblaws market, with two upper levels assigned to a skating/hockey rink and recreational space for Ryerson University. It will no doubt be a source of great excitement and pride to Joe Fresh creator Joe Mimran that his store will be located in this historic space. Two other Toronto area stores will open in the Golden Mile, Scarborough, and on the Queensway in Etobicoke. One new Joe Fresh will open in Montreal.

Alicia of the Second Cup going to college

A busy personality on the street, Alicia of the Second Cup, is on her way to Montreal to go to school. August 7, 2011, will mark Ally’s last day on South Bayview, at least for a while. She will attend classes at LaSalle College in Fashion Marketing and will take a minor in Psychology. Good luck Ally. That will leave Matt in the mornings with a new helper. Ally has been the Second Cup Opener which means she arrives in the middle of the night.