Padmore sisters help team win silver medal

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Two East York women, Clare and Kathryn Padmore (left and right) have played with distinction on the Canadian Women’s Ball Hockey Team in Bratislava, Slovakia. Kathryn, the goalie and younger sister Clare, a forward, helped the team win Silver in the World Finals late last week. Both girls have played for Leaside teams earlier in their careers with ball hockey coach Christine Pellerin. The team was matched up against Slovakia for the Gold, with both teams owning a 0-0-4 record. The Canadian girls lost 1-0. It was a heart breaker but the whole of Canada can be proud of these world class players from Canada, and the Padmore girls from right around home.

15 assailents in Bayview-Eglinton mugging

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A mugging incident involving as many as 15 assailants has been reported by a 16 year old boy who was walking near the corner of Bayview Ave. and Eglinton Ave. It happened in the early hours of Saturday morning (1.10 am) and the complainant was accompanied by another person who the police report calls “a friend”. The complainant reports that he was punched about the face by a lead suspect. One suspect removed the victim’s I-Phone. The suspect produced a hand-gun and threatened the victim’s friend. The suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction. Victim sustained minor injuries and, say police, will seek his own medical attention. Police are requesting the assistance of the public in identifying the following described person in connection with this offence. The police description is: “Suspect #1: Male, black, 15-19 years, short black curly hair Mohawk style, stocky build. Suspect #2-#15: Male. NO FURTHER DESCRIPTION AVAILABLE.”

New Shoppers a cosmetics showplace

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The new Shoppers Drug Mart on South Bayview is a great asset to the street. But it also throws into sharp relief the amazing battle for the cosmetic dollar. This knock down drag ’em out fight has been underway for a few years. The main combatants are The Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart, Holt Renfrew and Sears, not necessarily in that order when it comes to getting an upper hand. The new Shoppers has a wonderful array of cosmetics and scents ranging through Lancome, Clinique, Clarins, Shishedo, Lise Watier, Guerlain, Biotherm, Stila and Chanel and Prada Fragrances. For the young there are hot lines like Smashbox, Anna Sui, Stila and Benefit. In a drugstore, mind you. We’ll never know just how much money Shoppers, or any other retailer, makes from cosmetics. The results are well buried in general revenues. But it’s widely known that the margins are very generous. Some say huge. And this is what fuels the competition.

HMV Canadian stores go to business fixer

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HMV is selling its Canadian stores to a British restructuring specialist Valco Capital Partners. There is much discussion but not many answers about where Valco, or anyone for that matter, can take HMV as it faces the digital onslaught on its music and movies business. Do we see the Blockbuster Syndrome? Globe and Mail.

Latest Canada Post outlook

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Canada Post latest: Labour Minister Lisa Raitt, who introduced the back to work bill Monday, said postal workers will be back on the job 24 hours after Bill C-6 becomes law, which will happen shortly after it passes the Senate — a process the federal government has said can be accomplished by the end of Sunday. This would mean mail would flowing by no later than Tuesday.

1860 Bayview meeting set for Oct.19, 2011

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A meeting which will decide the fate of the old Brennan Pontiac location at 1860 Bayview is to be held Wednesday October 19, 2011. It is, of course, a hearing before the Ontario Municipal Board. Most members of the neighborhood and the Sherwood Park Residents’ Association are well aware of this. But the matter is of general concern. Many people may wish to have additional commercial activity in this area but the homeowners seem to have a point with respect to the present plan. Starbank Development Corp. has put forward a plan which appears to greatly overload the capacity of the land in question. Starbank is seeking to build on 88% of the site versus the allowable 33%, according to the residents. In a post to the Byford’s Blog they say “the current proposal for a two-storey retail with underground parking will allow a building mass with inadequate transition to the adjacent neighbourhood with no set-backs and a lack of streetscaping and landscaping. It promises to significantly increase the volume of trailers, trucks and cars on our streets. Streets that you use. Streets that your children use.” It’s interest to note that the posting also says that mediation is also being considered by both parties.

Make sure your door is on the street

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As the Moore Ave. Loblaws goes to 24 hour service (post below) a time-honoured bit of advice to retailers comes to mind. It’s this: Make sure your door is on the street. One wonders whether Sobeys was thinking about this when it moved into the SmartCentres location on Laird Drive. Actually, “on Laird Drive” is a bit misleading. Sobeys is so far away from Laird Drive it might as well be in the Don River. We’re sure they do business there but there must be thousands of potential customers for that store who don’t know it exists. And little signs near the street don’t cut it. Your door is either on the street, or it isn’t. It’s almost as bad as Loblaws decision to build a superstore on Redway Drive. It must be a deeply regretted decision at the big grocery chain. Hidden away off Millwood Rd., this store is clearly under used by shoppers.