250 Sutherland to be re-built shortly

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A backhoe was clearing the burned rubble from the one-time basement of 250 Sutherland Drive north of Lea Ave. Friday. Workmen say the lot will soon be the site of a new residential structure. Work is expected to begin in as soon as a week or two. The house at this address burned to an empty hulk in freezing weather on January 23, 2011. It was under construction and no cause has been published. All posts on this subject.

Vincente Trius will lead Loblaws

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Galen Weston and Vincente Trius

Galen Weston has appointed Vincente Trius, 53, a man of considerable world experience to lead Loblaws stores. The new president of Loblaw Companies is a proven retail executive, says Canadian Grocer. But his last two postings, at Walmart and France’s Carrefour, were remarkable for how brief they lasted. Mr.Trius, a Spaniard, was named president of Canada’s largest grocer on Thursday. He won’t take over the job until the second half of this year, however.
Trius replaces Allan Leighton, the British retail executive who executed a mass reorganization of Loblaw over the past four years that saw the company slash costs and spend heavily to update its supply chain. Analysts called the hire a smart one since Trius will bring much-needed retail operational expertise to Loblaw. “We have said for some time, this is an area where Loblaw needs to fill the gaps,” Scotia Capital analyst Patricia Baker said in a research note. There is a hint of skepticsm in the account by Marketing: “Having held top positions for Walmart in Asia and in Latin America, and for Carrefour in Europe, Trius does arrive with impressive global retail credentials. But his last two stops were short. He only joined Carrefour in May of last year and he spent just five months as president and chief executive of Walmart Latin America before that.”

Committee approves Laird Drive site

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North York Committee has approved the development of the Leaside property known as 85 and 115 Laird Drive (at Esandar). If this decision is approved by Council, the large space will become a commercial and shopping complex. As reported, there were a variety of sentiments expressed at the meeting. Some were concerned about traffic and the prospect of a three metre wide median on Laird. Council is scheduled to meet March 8 and 9, 2011.

Please comment on our posts — here’s how

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Part of the fun of publishing the South Bayview Bulldog is hearing what you say about our posts. Please make a comment. To comment click on the word comments at the bottom of the post. This will take you to a text box for your comment. If you wish to remain anonymous, click the button for annonyous and send. It’s fast and easy. If you wish to leave a nickname or real name, click the third button. All comments are moderated and should appear within a few hours at a maximum.

Car makers need a new service concept

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Too many residents of South Bayview land know how difficult it is to get a car conveniently serviced. Brennan Pontiac, Lawrence-Yonge Toyota — the carcasses of mid-town auto dealers litter the area. Affluent drivers from Lawrence Park, Leaside, Bennington Heights, Moore Park and Rosedale are forced to drive their cars to Scarborough or down to the waterfront perhaps, to get service from an authorized dealer Why is this so? In previous decades car companies understood the need to have authorized service located in smaller locations like service stations. But then they figured they could consolidate service at their dealers and force owners to drive whatever the distance. It’s time for a change. As we noted some days ago Hyundai Canada is trying to get a location on Laird Drive. If it does, we will see just how smart this is. Potential buyers will be placed miles closer to an authorized dealer.

Student survey says no to cells in class

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A survey of Ontario High School students has found that most of them (27.9% to 72.03%) are against the idea of using cells phone as a resource in class. Leaside High School student Zane Schwartz (inset) helped create and run the survey in his capacity as a Toronto District School Board student trustee. It is the first ever Ontario wide survey of high school students. It found a thoroughly reasonable understanding of how cell phones distract from concentrated work. Of course there’s still that 27.9% — actually closer to 32% in Toronto. The survey ranged across a spectrum of topics including sex education (kids want more) to bullying and the value of starting school at 10 a.m. There was a split decision here. This story from the Spectator is quite good. See also The South Bayview Bulldog post from last September when the Premier was ruminating about cell phones in class.

Scenic on Eglinton a massive development

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The mid-rise condo project in the post below is of course the Scenic on Eglinton, a project that has been many years in the works. Scenic on Eglinton will contain both condos and townhouses. The project is by Aspen Ridge Homes. It will stand near Eglinton Ave E and Brentcliffe Road at an address set to be 35 Brian Peck Cres. The project is scheduled for completion in 2012. One of the towers will rise 16 storeys, the other 12 storeys with what is being called a “pod” connecting them. It looks like a tower too.

Loblaw confirms Joe Fresh expansion

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As reported last month by the South Bayview Bulldog, Loblaw will open a Joe Fresh store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. And the retailer confirmed today, it will open 20 stand alone Joe stores across Canada. See all our posts on these stories.

Thorncliffe Park incident reported

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From the Toronto Police Service major news reports: A 20 year old male reports that on February 17, 2011 at approximately 2200 hours he was sitting in a vehicle in the area of Thorncliffe Park Drive and Overlea Blvd when he was approached by two male suspects. One suspect produced a firearm, held it to the victim’s head and made a demand for his vehicle. The victim did not comply. A struggle ensued, and the suspects fled the scene empty handed in an unknown direction. The victim sustained minor injuries but declined treatment. Police are requesting the assistance of the public in identifying the following described persons in connection with this offence. Description of Suspect #1: Male, black, long brown hair. Suspect #2: Male, black, short black afro.

Venture firm acquires Wm Ashley Ltd

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William Ashley Ltd. has been acquired by the Toronto venture capital firm McLean Watson Investments. Terms were not released but McLean Watson said in a news release that it now has a controlling interest in Ashleys, which has been family owned since its inception.

Molson, Coors ink $375 M deal with NHL

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I’ll drink to that!

The National Hockey League reached a new seven-year endorsement agreement with SABMiller Plc’s MillerCoors and Molson Coors of Canada, marking the largest corporate sponsorship in league history. The agreement, which begins with the 2011-12 season, is said to be worth $375 million. Financial terms weren’t disclosed by the NHL in a news release announcing the partnership. Molson Canadian will replace Labatt as the official beer of the NHL in both the U.S. and Canada, the NHL said. Coors will share some of the sponsorship in the U.S., according to the league.

Sightseeing east of Laird Drive

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Sightseeing east of Laird Drive is an adventure. Dotted among successful businesses in the old industrial district are abandoned and decaying cars, trucks and other oddments. These are a couple of what appear to be Series III Land Rovers from the 70s. One of them is still plated but they are both out of service for good.