Honey can you Yuki-taro the driveway?

by  • 

Always want to be of help, you know. So Mr. Snow Shoveller meet Yuki-taro, the Japanese robot built to quickly clear streets after heavy snows. He’s a cute little guy, about five feet long and two and a half feet high, who simply plows into snowbanks, taking in the snow, compressing it and neatly stacking it in two-foot-long bricks on his rear bed. The bricks can then be placed on the curb as convenient for later pick up.

Brilliant Sunday a great tonic

by  • 

Sunday’s brilliant sunshine was a great tonic in spite of the cold. South Bayviewites were busy at church, shopping and in the case of this gentleman on Rolph Road, cleaning the snow from the driveway. But, of course, he wasn’t too busy to stop and chat. Thanks. Down below, a sunny day always brings out many who want to wash their cars. This was the scene at the Toronto Auto Wash at Millwood and the CPR tracks.

Rykert Cres accused a wanderer

by  • 

A news item carried here December 1, 2010 now has additional details thanks to a story written by Tristan Carter in the January issue of the Town Crier. In the article, Carter provides some background on the man accused of breaking into a home on Rykert Cres. while the homeowner was outside. The 22-year-old man has the checkered background of a vagabond but at the time of the incident had a girlfriend in the area. He had argued with her and was looking for a place to sleep he said. He said he meant no harm, which from all appearances, would be the truth.

“Electric Avenue” is the street of change

by  • 

The North American International Auto Show has finished its preview and is now open to the public. The show runs until January 23, 2011. A sign of changing times is seen in the pictures above, where all things electrical are gathered on — where else — Electric Avenue. There are many manufacturers there, not just automakers. One is showing a charge station facility (centre). At right, is the Nissan Leaf.

Dollar store talk may be idle chat

by  • 

It’s merely idle talk, but some people on South Bayview are saying a dollar store will take the space now occupied by Shoppers Drug Mart. This story, being told in a couple of locations, is said to trace back to a party who might well know, but then again, could merely be talking. Time will tell if this large and suitable space goes discount.

All hands on deck for Bayview phones

by  • 

Merchants on the east side of South Bayview will know that Bell service has, over the years, been spotty. The servicemen are very nice but the phones frequently failed in the face of the ancient wire system. Now with the planned arrival of Shoppers Drug Mart at their new location its “All Hands on Deck” to shape up the service. Trucks, supervisors in groups up and down the utility holes, up and down ladders and of course in and out of the premises at 1605 Bayview where Shoppers will locate. We’re told the furious work resulted in a punctured water pipe yesterday. Messy but as with most things, it was repaired. Anyway, good luck to our hard working service friends at Bell at upgrading the phones.

We bid farewell to “thrifty store” Zeller’s

by  • 

The Hudson Bay company has provided a nice history of Zeller’s, the store chain which seems destined to disappear from Canadian streets after 80 years of business. Even though there is a plan to keep some Zeller’s stores operating, the writing seems to be on the wall about the end of the chain. Target stores of the U.S. has bought most of the leases and it seems likely the rest will go shortly. In 1931, a Waterloo County boy named Walter P. Zeller (left) bought the 14 Canadian stores of American retailer Schulte-United. And so was Zeller’s born. Zeller called his concept the Store for Thrifty Canadians and even during the depression his plan worked. All during WWII and into the 50s and 60s the Zeller’s concept thrived and Zeller expanded, And Zeller proved to be a good employer with an unknown at the time, a company pension plan and competitive pay..