Health Canada has announced a recall of two models of wooden bunk beds because there is a risk they could collapse. Dorel Asia models WM1848R2 and WM1848R2C are affected by the joint recall between Health Canada, Dorel Distribution Canada, Dorel Asia, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Health Canada said the recalled models pose a “fall hazard” because the wooden side rails that hold the bunk bed’s mattress can split and cause the bunk bed to collapse.
Royal LePage sale for abused women
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Next Saturday, May 14, 2011, will see this year’s edition of the giant garage sale in the Royal LePage parking lot at 1391 Bayview Ave and Macrae Drive. It’s part of a national endeavor to support women mpacted by family violence. The project is known as the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation (RLSF). Household articles are welcome for donation to the sale. Call 416-424-4900. This picture is from last year’s event. South Bayview Blockbuster facing end
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A shadow hangs over tbne Blockbuster location on South Bayview south of Millwood today after the national chain was placed in receivership. The ominous turn for Blockbuster Canada comes some six momnths after its U.S. parent filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice appointed consulting and accounting firm Grant Thornton Ltd. as receiver, according to documents empowering it to “take possession of and exercise control over” Blockbuster Canada’s assets, Grant Thornton has effectively been given control over the film and video game rental chain’s more than 400 locations across Canada. Those with jobs at the Leaside branch will keep them “until such time as the receiver, on the debtor’s behalf, may terminate the employment of such employees.”
Will Ford march in Pride event — or not?
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Mayor Rob Ford has said he will not commit to marching in the Pride parade this summer. There appears to be continuing suspicion at City Hall about the anti-Israel group whose presence stunned many people last year. There was considerable concern about the judgement used to permit a previously non-political event to be exploited this way. Councillors are expected to discuss forcing Pride to promise it won’t let the group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid participate in the parade or any part of the festival as a condition of receiving city funding
Girls, Candies and Comics needs translation
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Vienna — Until you remember that you’re outside the Albertina Museum in Vienna, the pin-up, pop art poster might throw you. For those who know, and those who don’t, it isn’t a Calvin Klein type ad for Del Monte Catsup. It’s an example of the work of California-born pop artist Mel Ramos. His show is called Girls, Candies and Comics. Inside are many more pieces, familiar no doubt to his followers. Here’s the Wikipedia skinny on Ramos, 76. “Along with other artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg and James Rosenquist, Ramos produced art works that celebrated aspects of popular culture as represented in mass media. His paintings have been shown in major exhibitions of Pop Art in the U.S. and in Europe, and reproduced in books, catalogs, and periodicals throughout the world.” Carmichael a long time waiting to be elected
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This is a slightly delayed link to an election night assessment of the Don Valley West victory by Conservative John Carmichael. It was a very tight race and the outcome awaits a further look at a breakdown of polling station results to see where the support for each party sourced.
South Bayview is not Austria (duh)
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Don’t say you heard it here, but this story can’t be told wihout using the word Eskimo. As we know, it doesn’t exist in the Toronto dictionary anymore, the Edmonton CFL team notwithstanding. So unlike Austria (lower right) and most of Europe ice cream bars and other such treats are no longer Eskimo Pies etc. Top, exotic ads for a cigarette brand decorate storefronts. Memphis Blue ciggies seem to have something to do with a low-flying Mustang. Lower left, is an ad for a chocolate bar from the Zotter company. It certainly seems to compare the high you get from the chocolate to an injection of something. Zotter in fact has ads dealing with skin colour which aren”t going to be shown. Not surprising perhaps. but proof again that South Bayview standards are very much a hometown thing.Don Valley key to Toronto win
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Don Valley West has proven a key win for the Conservatives in their suceess in recreating “Tory Toronto” as it was known in previous decades. In fact, it has been decades since the Conseratives held more seats in Toronto proper than the Liberals. They now have six, compared to the Liberal five. Two key reasons for this are the win of John Carmichael over Rob Oliphant in Don Valley West. It was an exceptioanlly narrow win. Less than 2,000 votes. The second key was of course the defeat of Michael Ignatieff in Etobike Lakeshore, a rather unexpected development. The Conservatives will face the larger presence of the NDP inside Toronto — they have seven seats. Graceful Glebe a residential grab bag
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South of Manor Road betwewen Yonge Street and Mount Pleasant Road is the Glebe, an area of quaintly curving streets and homes ranging from stately to frankly kind of tatty. And soime of the architecture, while showing its age, has an enduring charm. The Gracewood Apartments (top) on De-Savory Crescent are distinctly this way. High set homes, as seen in the frame below, seem somehow untouched by the years that separate them from their construction. Much love and repairs, no doubt. At bottom is the Glebe Presbyterian Church, venerable and unadorned, as might please its founders. Harper majority, NDP opposition
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South Bayview-land has seen a change in the poltical landscape and will wake up to a Conservative majority government. The NDP “surge” has pushed that party up to a new status never held by the federal NDP, Official Opposition. For the Liberals, the day will begin a gloomy time of trying to figure out what went wrong. For all of us, the prospect of seeing a more confident and secure Conservative Government facing off against the irrepressible Jack Layton NDP will be good sport. Long live Democracy!
Carmichael wins Don Valley West
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According to results taken from the CBC, the 41st General Election has resulted in a change in the riding of Don Valley West. John Carmichael, the Conservative, appears to have narrowly defeated Rob Oliphant, the Liberal incumbent. In other South Bayview area ridings, Bob Rae has held Toronto Centre with challenges from the Green Party and the Conservative. In St Paul’s, long-standing Liberal member Carolyn Bennett has been re-elected with a plurality. She faced challenges from the Conservative and NDP.
A Day Worth Remembering
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If September 11, 2001 was a Day We Will Never Forget, this must surely be a Day Worth Remembering. On 9-11 many people understood that the homicidal slaughter in New York would make the world do things that it did not want to do. But there has been no alteratiive. Today some are saying there will be reprisals. Perhaps. But those who would commit reprisals need no provocation. They hate us and are dedicated to killing us just because of who we are. May we put away our fear. Let us defend ourselves and the way we live.