Kids help the Anglican food bank

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These young volunteers are busy delivering the left over bread and buns from COBS on South Bayview to the Anglican Church Flemingdon Park Food Bank. Elizabeth 7, Sarah 13 and Kamal 12 are part of a large group from St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church who regularly pick up food from COBS and Epi Breads and with their parents, deliver it to the food bank. On this occasion, Steve and Diane were at the wheels of their SUVs for the job. They are the parents of Sarah and Elizabeth. Sarah and Kamal are students at Hodgson Senior Public School. Diane Goldie is Co-Chair with Indra Prashad of the school council.

Loud commercials — have your say

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The government regulator has picked up the challenge of loud TV commercials again. It’s a perennial complaint but, unlike in the U.S., has never resulted in legislation in Canada. For decades broadcasters have fudged the issue by saying the peak loudness of programming and commercials was the same. It was merely that the commercials had more peaks. Uh-huh. Anyway, you can have your say by gong to the CRTC online. Read about how.
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CMHC calls for moderate house market

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Another forecaster has called for a moderate housing market in 20011, as the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) calls for prices to remain in line with inflation over the next two years. In its first quarter market outlook CMHC says existing home sales will be in the range of 398,500 to 485,500 units in 2011, with a point forecast of 441,500 units. In 2012, MLS sales will move up and are expected to be in the range of 406,300 to 519,700 units, with a point forecast of 462,900 units. “Modest economic growth will continue to push employment levels higher this year and next. This, in conjunction with relatively low mortgage rates, will continue to support demand for new homes. Housing starts will remain in line with long term demographic fundamentals over the course of 2011 and 2012,” said Bob Dugan, chief economist for CMHC. Housing starts will be in the range of 157,300 to 192,900 units in 2011, with a point forecast of 177,600 units. In 2012, housing starts will be in the range of 154,600 to 211,200 units, with a point forecast of 183,800 units. BrokerNews.ca

Zellers Thorncliffe on tenterhooks as Target makes plans

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Employees of Zellers in the Thorncliffe Park Shopping Mall are hanging on for any bit of information which will tell them of their fate and that of their store. Zellers parent Hudson Bay, has sold rights to the leases of as many as 220 Zellers stores to the U.S. retailer Target. It will spend more than $1-billion to convert 100 to 150 of them to its own banner within the next two to three years. In the meantime, employees wait and wonder. They do know that as part of the deal, the store will continue to operate through 2011. A Bay spokesperson said: “During this time, Target will be determining which locations will open as a Target store, which locations may be sold to another retailer and which will remain as Zellers. We will continue to operate a portfolio of Zellers stores in some communities in Canada. No decisions have been made on specific locations at this time.” In other words, the Zellers name may live on in cut down form. The Thorncliffe store is a sad reflection of its former self. The coming months are not likely to see any upgrades.

Recall of Hoover WindTunnel vacuums

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Sears Canada says it has been advised by Hoover Inc. of a potential safety hazard relating to certain WindTunnel Bagless Canister Vacuums. It has been discovered that the power cord between the powered nozzle and the wand can short-circuit posing a fire and shock hazard. This can occur even if the vacuum has been turned off but left plugged in. The silver coloured vacuums were sold through Sears Canada retail stores, online at www.sears.ca, and through the Sears Canada catalogue between January 2007 and December 2010. The affected model number is S3755. CNW Release