The South Bayview Bulldog

Prime Minister Trudeau is hinting that he expects a settlement in the three-week old postal strike or else. He said Thursday that “all options” are on the table and that he is looking for a “significant resolution”

TRANSIT TSAR?

Mayor Tory says he is looking for a  “transit tsar” to  be a “point man” for all the many transit plans, issues and hiccups that beset Toronto. The notion of a highly-paid “tsar” added to the civic bureaucracy telling other well-paid bosses what to do may not be everyone’s dearest wish. At least it isn’t a highly-paid “night mayor” to preside over Toronto’s night life. That idea seems to be dormant for now.

STATSCAN SNOOPING PLAN CANCELLED

Statistics Canada’s has been told to stand down on its inflammatory plan to order the chartered banks to hand over the transaction records of 500,000 customers so it can somehow make use of information.  StatsCan recently caught nine financial institutions off guard by informing them they were required to provide the information. The ensuing public outrage has put a spotlight on Canada’s privacy laws, which critics have called outdated and inadequate in an era where privacy fears are deepening and data is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity. A national petition was started to stop the scheme.

.

Reports from Cabo San Lucas say that Leslie Sole and Terri Michael died in a head-on collision with a pickup truck. It was so violent that the driver of the truck died too. Mexican police who went to the couple’s retirement home there were met by Sole’s mother, Violet, who was visiting them from Vancouver. They had to break the news to her that both were dead. FYI Music News  Global News

 Bombardier is cutting 5,000 jobs over the next 12 to 18 months as part of a cost-cutting effort. Most of the layoffs, about 2,500, will be in Quebec but there is also concern in the UK where the firm employs people at 21 sites including Belfast, Brighton and Derby.

Mabel Elmore

Her advertised welfare breakfast

Real cost of food

The South Bayview Bulldog has advanced the knowledge of human behaviour over the years by documenting the use of Other People’s Money (OPM). This exercise is not about corruption or malfeasance but rather deals with the survival instinct that prompts us to avoid spending our own money when we can spend someone else’s. It seems rooted in primordial times although there was no money when we lived in trees. This time it’s BC NDP MLA Mabel Elmore who expensed $61 a day in food purchases during a $19 a day welfare challenge. Ms. Elmore is very upset with herself and has paid back the difference but in the end it was easy to do because she was using OPM. Instinct just kicked in. It’s a little appreciated human weakness that needs work.

There’s a possibility of snow across Southern Ontario Friday although the chances of a white Friday in South Bayview may be less likely. Next week may well see flurries here. Be ready.  Weather Network

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer ordered Tony Clement to leave the Conservative caucus late Wednesday as the second shoe dropped in the sexting debacle that saw the long-time MP send explicit pictures (whatever that means) to an unknown person online who just happened to be an extortionist. Scheer said Wednesday new evidence had come to light to suggest this incident was not isolated — and that Clement is alleged to have engaged in similar behaviour in the past. Earlier in the day the PC leader said that Clement was still a member of his caucus, despite the embarrassment he brought on himself and the party. But by mid-afternoon, shortly before question period, new developments had made Scheer’s previous position untenable. “I took him at his word that this was an isolated incident. Since then, there have been numerous reports of other incidents, allegations, so in that respect I’ve asked Tony to resign from caucus so that he can respond to these allegations,” Scheer said.

Posts to Leaside Chit Chat tell of an incident of so-called keying of parked cars last Saturday night.  It appears the vandalism was done to cars parked on Forman Ave near Manor Road United Church. Residents are inquiring among themselves if anyone has video from Saturday and early Sunday.

Dave Martin with one of his two daughters

New Standard

Promotional leaf bags

A Leaside man, Dave Martin, has created a new lower alcohol beer to fit a “parents lifestyle.”  His company is called New Standard and one of its promotional moves is the distribution of 6,000 New Standard leaf bags to homes in Leaside, Davisville and the Yonge and Eglinton area. As to the beer, it is described by Mr. Martin as being made with premium malts that produce brew that is golden in colour with a pleasant floral aroma. malty body and balanced smooth finish. Sounds nice. The pay-off for those to who get up in the morning is the 3.2% alcohol content. New Standard says: “Our focus is on ‘grown-ups’, parents, adults – people who want the reward of socializing and some drinks, but still have real-life responsibilities – jobs, kids, house-work.” New Standard can be ordered at the Leaside Pub, Originals and on a rotating basis at The Local and at the Leaside Curling Club. Martin says a full launch in December will see New Standard in LCBO and grocery stores.

Kraft Heinz Co has agreed to sell its Canadian natural cheese business to the dairy food company, Parmalat SpA, which in turn is a subsidiary of the Belgian food giant Lactalis. The price is said to be $1.62 billion US. Kraft Cheese has been a household name for a century and is currently known by names such as Cracker Barrel, P’tit Quebec and Amooza. The business generated about $560 million in net sales in 2017. The deal appears to be a result of new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) under which Canada partially opened its protected domestic market to the US. According to  Thomson-Reuters, Parmalat says the transaction followed a competitive bidding process. James L. Kraft began the business selling cheese from the back of a wagon in Chicago, Illinois. In 1914 the company started making its own cheese

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says Tony Clement had a terrible lapse of judgment when he sent explicit photos to someone he did not know online. The PC leader said there is a code of conduct in place for his MPs but that he doesn’t think anyone should need a code to know not to send such photos this way. Scheer said he is taking Clement at his word that he sent the photos to someone he thought had consented but said the behaviour is still extremely upsetting and unbecoming. Clement sent out a statement Tuesday evening saying the recipient attempted to extort him, threatening to release the photos if he didn’t pay a large sum of money in Euros. Such an act on the part of an MP is astonishing and would seem to end Mr. Clement’s capacity to assume responsibility for much of anything.

106 GlenRoad

Park Drive Ravine

Here’s a real estate listing to make almost anyone a little giggly. The landed residence on Rosedale’s Park Drive Reservation Trail at 106 Glen Rd. is listed for $12,000.000. That includes more than an acre of land. Much of it is going to be in the ravine however. Sotheby’s Canada