The South Bayview Bulldog

Danforth Dash bed race kicks off Taste of the Danforth festival https://t.co/IOtKq9mHGv

— Jeffrey s borreson (@jeffreymadwisc) August 12, 2017

It’s here again. By noon hour Saturday, the traditional Greek food and world-wide delectables cornucopia will be underway along the Danforth from Broadview to Pape Aves. Yesterday saw the hospital bed dashes that always precede Taste of the Danforth. The event raises money for Michael Garron Hospital. Taste of the Danforth runs until 10 p.m. Sunday.

Cornucopia, yum/archives

What we get up to

Music Saturday like tonight

Bit of rain Friday says David Chiu/Instagram

The seemingly odd power failure at two downtown condo buildings has a temporary fix Saturday from a mobile generator which has been employed to provide power to buildings at 126 Simcoe and 21 Nelson Street. It will service the complex until the buildings can be returned to the Toronto Hydro grid. According to the condo management, repairs to that equipment may not be done until Tuesday or even later.

UNUSUAL PROBLEM

Toronto Hydro has said that the failure of power to  the building, about 30 and 15 storeys, is being caused by equipment owned by the condo. The utility has no responsiblity to repair it. This seldom reported upon and perhaps rare event represents evidence of the complex nature of the electrical delivery system in Toronto. Even more curious, it is said that the failure of the equipment on Thursday at Simcoe and Adelaide had a domino effect that shut off power at the  Ripley’s Aquarium. six blocks away on Bremner Blvd. Power there is now restored. .

Visitors to Leaside Village at Laird and Esandar Drives are living with a somewhat abandoned sewer replacement project on Esandar on the approach to Longo’s. The eastbound half of the road is just the way the contractor left it weeks ago. It causes inbound drivers to sneak their cars over onto the westbound side where there is asphalt. Maybe there’s more work to be done here but either way it’s been a rocky unattended mess for too long.

Lights and elevators have been out at the high-rise condominiums at 126 Simcoe Street and 21 Nelson St. since 5 a.m. Thursday but Toronto Hydro is saying, more or less, it’s not our fault. Hydro says equipment belonging to the condo failed yesterday and knocked out power not just to the residences, but to Ripley’s Aquarium. The aquarium now has lights again and is open. The condo property manager says he’s working on the repair but has no predictions as to when power will be restored. CBC

Jon Burnside (Ward 26)  will hold the  Ward 26 Community Environment Day to be held on Saturday, August 12  at Leaside Memorial Gardens from 10 to 2 p.m.  Small electronics, household hazardous waste, fluorescent bulbs, unused medications, oils, solvents, pesticides, propane tanks, and batteries will be accepted.  The following items will not be accepted: construction waste, gasoline, garbage, wood, cassette and videotapes, commercial/industrial hazardous waste and scrap metal.

A new agent, Commercial Development Group (CDG), is now a handling the leasing at 1560 Bayview Ave at Belsize Drive. The sign went up in recent hours after those of the Behar Group were taken down. Behar had this account for decades. The walk-down properties in this building are chronically vacant, a function many say of the reluctance of people to walk down to a retail business. The CDG phone is 416 223-1606.

1560 Bayview (with vacant basement) in 2007

The construction zone on Bayview Ave. north of Eglinton Ave. is the scene of an accident in which a person was reported to be trapped Friday morning. This occurred at Roehampton where traffic both ways is squeezed into a single lane. Traffic turning left onto Roehampton or left onto Bayview from Roehampton must navigate traffic and construction obstacles.

Road closures begin Friday morning for the Taste of the Danforth event. It lasts to Sunday night.

• Danforth Avenue will be closed from Broadview Avenue to Jones Avenue from Friday at 10 a.m. to Monday at 3 a.m.
• Pape Avenue will be closed from Lipton Avenue to Hazelwood Avenue from Friday at 6 p.m. to Monday, at 3 a.m.
• Logan Avenue will be closed from Garnock Avenue to the north side of the laneway north of Danforth Avenue from Thursday at 3 p.m. to Monday at 3 a.m.

A woman driver is dead after he car drove into the rear of a TTC bus Thursday about 6 p.m. at Sheppard Avenue East and Water Tower Gate, police say. They are investigating. The woman, 50, suffered “catastrophic injuries” and was pronounced dead at the scene, Toronto paramedics told CP24. The force of the impact is quite apparent from the photo below

CP24/Twitter

68 Alpha Romeo prop

Scene shot inside Alex Cheese

Sorry sir, no openings

Busy street

Commissary

Officer knows his cars

Outside Mayrik

Byford’s

Pizza table

There were no openings to be had for those wishing to be discovered at the TD Bank advertising commercial shoot on South Bayview Thursday evening. But there was lots to see for patio goers and pedestrians. The commercial was shot inside Alex Cheese. Police on the scene revealed the ad will have more than one venue and a superb 68 Alpha Romeo will appear at more than one locale in the finished spot.

Music

Food

Click poster

This Saturday, August 12, will see the first of a series of family events at R.V. Burgess Park, 48 Thorncliffe Park Drive, to which the whole community is invited. The first of three remaining 21st Century Village Square events will unfold Saturday. These are collaborations of a government supported group known as Diaspora Genius and the Thorncliffe Neighborhood Office (TNO) promoting local entrepreneurs and providing advice on how  to grow a small business. The goal is to provide real-time training for any who are able, and help with branding and marketing. The venue is designed to mimic a small-town square and will feature entertainment (with some Juno nominated artists) as well as arts and crafts for children. Other family activities include a reading circle. The “village” will be decorated in a festive way with “store fronts” and a Village Street. It looks great. Other village dates are August 26 and Sept 9. On Saturday, September 23, Burgess Park will see a Diasporic Festival featuring music of food. More later.