The South Bayview Bulldog

For those, if any, who doubted the impending gas main replacement work, take a look at Exhibit A piled beside the Behar building on Belsize at Bayview. Digging to replace the old cast iron mains was said to be scheduled for last Monday. It didn’t happen but the arrival of these babies means the actual work can’t be far off. Colour them yellow.

The Olde Yorke Fish and Chips restaurant at Laird Drive and Lea Ave is converting its covered deck into an all-weather solarium room. The conversion comes just in time for the better weather. The new solarium features a glass roof (right) and all round windows below that open to permit ventilation.

Canada will produce two coins to commemorate the Royal Wedding. The two collectibles are a $20 pure silver coin and a coloured 25-cent piece. They will be sold through the mint and at postal outlets across the country. Neither coin will sell for near face value, however. The limited-edition $20 coin, for example, featuring a portrait of the couple created by Guelph, Ont., artist Laurie McGaw, will sell for $104.95. More.

Prime Minister Harper has toured Toronto and late Wednesday he made a visit to Leaside Arena. A particularly good job for a man running for office was to tie the skates of figure skater Elizabeth Bazal. Good move. Picture here. Election campaigns are for getting your picture taken as much as anything else. Above the PM poses with Charlene Kalia and Don Valley West Conservative candidate John Carmichael. Mr. Carmichael is up against Liberal MP Rob Oliphant. Nicole Yovanoff is the NDP candidate.

People are calling it the first convertible SUV but the maker, Nissan, is calling it the Murano CrossCabriolet. Nice name and fascinating concept. All through 2010 rumours abounded and Nissan squelched them. Now, here it is. It was debuted at the L.A. Auto Show late in November and got lost in the holiday madness. Available in the U.S. only for the time being. Which is odd since it’s Canadians who drive more AWD per capita.

What is believed to be approximately the site of the Laird (Don Avon) stop for the planned LRT is undergoing extensive soil testing similar to the work going on all along the route. These men are working on the south side of Eglinton Ave E just east of Laird in front of the (RIOCAN) Leaside Centre.

Margaret Atwood will be honoured by Bennington Heights Public School May 4, 2011 when the school library is named after the author at the bi-annual Best of Bennington fundraising event. Ms Atwood will be in attendance as will many alumni and members of the current Bennington PS community. The Committee is seeking support by way of donations or gifts for the Silent Auction which will be held. Questions may be addressed to Best of Bennington. Margaret Atwood grew up in Bennington Heights.

Michael, the genial keeper of Horticultural Design is showing some charming items for Easter. Upper left, he lifts the top from a Moss Garden. Right, a Robin’s egg blue wreath is nice. Lower left, fascinating driftwood fishes and right, marching Easter chicks. Horticultural Design is at 1610 South Bayview.

Good morning. The Metro Toronto Convention Centre Complex is for sale. The 1.95 million square foot universal meeting place has been put on the market by Canada Lands Company, a federal agency which will transfer the receipts from the sale to the government. The convention centre is home to auto shows, thousands of trade conventions and job fairs, political leadership conventions and banquets that raised money to run a city and a nation. Situated on the complex is the 586-room Intercontinental Toronto Centre Hotel, the north building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, a 265,000 square foot office tower and a 1,200 stall multi-level above-ground parking facility. Globe and Mail