The South Bayview Bulldog

L’Avenue

Closed

Avenue Bistro, the successor to L’Avenue at 1568 Bayview Ave., has closed for good. The departure sees the end for now of a busy and well-liked place for a full French cuisine menu. Fattening but appetizing dishes like roasted bone marrow found a clientele. But the end began last year when L’Avenue’s founder Otta Zapotocki departed and his wife continued. Then a second owner (Avenue Bistro) was found and produced similar fare. The operation seemed busy and the management energetic. Recently however, signs have appeared that it was difficult to find personnel. On May 17, the City’s Dine Safe program issued a Conditional Pass to the establishment citing significant infractions. Soon after, patrons were turned away with a handwritten note on the door saying that the restaurant was under renovation. They never re-opened. 1568 Bayview is now available for rent. Fans of southern European cooking may like Florentia on Mt. Pleasant or go next door to Verdi.

There’s much excitement at CNN about “escaping traffic” as one of their reporters tries out an experimental machine that its makers hope will become like your Toyota. That’s fine, but there will be no escaping traffic when everyone has a “flying car” and the merest bumper bender will mean instant death as you crash to earth. Not to be morbid. Then, the FIFA World Cup begins in Russia this month and everyone is hoping it will make the world feel better about so many of the Kremlin’s thuggish flaws. Below, two videos from the artistic side of life. Enjoy

Earl Grey introduced election reforms

William Lyon Mackenzie fought for broader voting

Stalin: Laughed at “voting”

The post below appeared in the South Bayview Bulldog before the 2014 provincial election. It still applies: You may be certain that democracy’s great reformers, every single one of them from Lord Grey (Reform Act 1832) to Canadian rebel democrat William Lyon Mackenzie (Upper Canada Rebellion) would snort in derision at the idea that voters might actually go to the polls and elaborately refuse to cast their ballots. Only this cosseted and self-involved society could conceive of an idea so stupid, so arrogant. It’s the idea that those who are “unconvinced and unimpressed” should vote “none of the above.”  Really. This option raises fecklessness to a new level. Democracy isn’t about liking the people who are running or getting your issues all fulfilled on a platter. It isn’t about sulking because the political process isn’t neat. People died to create the democratic way. Stalin and Hitler laughed at “none of the above.”  Are you stamping your feet about the gas plants? Pouting because that silly Tim Hudak can’t count? Well suck it up baby. Get busy and meet the candidates. Maybe you want to vote for a one-issue candidate. Fine. That can be your protest. After the election, you’ll have the right to complain. “None of the above” is the first turn on the road to Hell.

CTV News reports that the Zakki family of Toronto, wife, husband and two young children, have been cut off by the TD Bank. CTV says Saadia Zakki was saying that the bank arbitrarily and without explanation cancelled all accounts, investments and credit cards. They have been with TD for 10 years and say their accounts were in good standing. CTV quotes a law firm bulletin of 2011 that banks are required to close accounts if they suspect fraudulent activity or ties to terrorism. But in other cases, the reasons are not as clear. It does not explain further. Nor does CTV take up with the Zakki family the ominous reasons cited in the legal bulletin it quotes. Saadia Zakki says she has no idea why TD took the action it did. CTV

Cause of tariffs on steel and aluminium?

Battle of York prompted British retaliation

CNN and other US media are saying that Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau had a testy phone call on May 25 over new tariffs imposed by the US on steel and aluminum imports. Trump has used the improbable excuse for this penalty that Canada is a security threat to the US. CNN says Trudeau pressed Trump on this position and Trump is said to have quipped: “Didn’t you guys burn down the White House?” referring to the War of 1812. Apart from the elapsed time (205 years) this 1813 attack occurred during the aftermath of the Revolutionary War and was in retaliation for an American attack on York (now Toronto) then a British outpost in Upper Canada, established in 1791.

Anna Postill wins STEM scholarship to UNB (Twitter @DiscoverUNB)

Flowers at Passion Fruit

Creeds has “factory houses” exhibit

Banff Rd. Street Sale Saturday

Going to market/Parkside Elementary School

Leaside and Presteign United Church birthday

Coming July 14

Upper left, Leaside High graduate Anna Postill has reason to smile as she looks forward to her first year at New Brunswick University. Anna earned a Schulich Leader Scholarship in Engineering at UNB. Hat’s off to you Anna. Upper right, celebratory flowers on Bayview Ave. at Passion Fruit. Centre left is the scene at Creeds, 1595 Bayview, where the exhibit of architectural portraits of the so-called factory homes built by Canada Wire and Cable Company will reside until June 11. The pictures are illuminated in the wall screens that are a permanent fixture at Creeds. The exhibit is created by Leaside Matters, in association with architectural photographer Vik Pahwa. Beside that, a reminder of the enduring Banff Rd. Street Sale this Saturday. They really get into it over there. Further down on the left, a charming picture of Room Six kids at Parkside Elementary School on an excursion to the East York Farmers Market Tuesday. It’s weekly in the summer at 850 Coxwell Ave. Lower left, a reminder of this weekend’s celebration at Leaside United Church on the first anniversary of its amalgamation with Presteign-Woodbine United Church. Looks like fun. Finally, at right is the first word of the Bayview-Leaside BIA Sidewalk Sale on Saturday, July 14. South Bayview Bulletin Board

Nicky Ward

Gretchen Carlson

Candace Bergen

Left, the face of Nicky Ward, LGBTQ advocate who feels the police were less than candid last year when they said they had no evidence of a serial killer. Nicky makes the cop’s job sound so simple. At centre is Gretchen Carlson, Miss America 1989 and former Fox News personality. Today she’s the new boss of the Miss America Pageant. Her first act was to end the swimsuit competition. Then at the right, Candace Bergen, older and no doubt funny as ever. She will reprise her enormously popular portrayal of Murphy Brown on CBS this fall. Wags are saying she will be much better on Twitter than Roseanne Barr.

Cantilevered amenity level with pool

The E Condo towers at Yonge and Eglinton boast newly revealed cantilevered, red-coloured “amenity levels” which in one case will have a pool in which swimmers will be able to look down at the street through the transparent floor. Do you believe it! Urban Toronto

Legendary fashion designer Kate Spade was found dead hanging in her Park Avenue apartment in New York Tuesday in an apparent suicide, police said. She was 55. Spade’s body was found by a housekeeper not long after 10 a.m., police said at an afternoon news conference. Her husband and business partner, Andy Spade, was in the apartment at the time. The couple’s 13-year-old daughter was at school. Fox News says it has heard that Spade was not going to see any money from the sale of her company last year, although it had no details of why. CBC

Coca-Cola Canada has announced it will build a new factory in Peterborough to produce Fairlife brand lactose-free milk. It will cost $85 million and will employ about 35 people. It will operate in conjunction with the Minute Maid juice factory in Peterborough. Minute Maid is owned by Coca Cola The company says the facility is scheduled to begin operations in the first quarter of 2020. The plant will be supplied with milk from local dairy farmers in Ontario.

The Toronto Public Health Department has confirmed a case of measles and issued information for anyone who may have been in contact with the subject party. Members of the public are alerted about the following settings:

• May 30 Ukraine International Airlines flight PS423 that departed from Boryspil International Airport in Kiev, Ukraine at 9:25 a.m. and arrived at Tegel International Airport in Berlin, Germany at 10:35 a.m.
• May 30 Icelandair flight FI529 that departed from Berlin at 2:05 p.m. and arrived at Reykjavik International Airport at 3:40 p.m.
• May 30 Icelandair flight FI603 that departed from Reykjavik at 5 p.m. and arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto at 7:15 p.m.

Good afternoon #Toronto. I’m back from an awesome extended weekend in Ohio🇺🇸 & there was no shortage of #bikeTO offenders today. Some verbal abusive drivers after receiving a ticket & some clueless drivers. 👀 for signs before parking, it may save you $150 😯@UPS 🚲 pic.twitter.com/mTVTTf0duS

— PEO Erin Urquhart (@TPS_BikeHart) June 5, 2018

The exploits of chirpy PEO Erin are tweeted frequently and whererin she recounts motorist and trucker bad behavior in a light-hearted style. Nobody here but us chickens Officer Erin.

Erin is watching you