The South Bayview Bulldog

Patios busy

Never better

Gentleman offers cheese

Through the Garden Gate on Hudson Drive

De La Mer

Sure you must have got out today and maybe visited our favorite high street, South Bayview Ave. The patios were busy to jammed as evidenced by McSorley’s. Businesses like Alex Cheese were offering nibbles and De La Mer was selling yummy salmon burgers and wurts. The seafood hotdog. Yep. In Moore Park and north Rosedale dozens of homeowners opened their gardens to visitors on the Through the Garden Gate tour sponsored by the Toronto Botanical Garden.

$2 million damage

Abandoned food

Ryus Noodle Bar at 33 Baldwin

View from 26 Baldwin of Ryus Noodle Bar fire. @globalnewsto #Toronto pic.twitter.com/NFonQoUhhs

— 𝚂𝚎á𝚗 𝙾’𝚂𝚑𝚎𝚊 Global News (@ConsumerSOS) June 9, 2017

The sad aftermath of the fire at Ryus Noodle Bar at 33 Baldwin is seen in the photos and video above. The damage may well exceed $2 million according to the fire chief, keeping in mind the valuable land on which these century old properties sit. Chief Pegg said he concludes that the blaze started in the kitchen before spreading into the ceiling and walls. At one point, five alarms were rung and as many as 40 units  attended.

Hats off to these enterprising young people who were selling lemonade from their very own stand on Southvale Drive Friday. The cause helping ALS research. Well done guys.

This amusing shot of Yonge Street looking south from Merton shows the street in 1959 or 1960. It can’t be too much earlier because there’s a completed subway system on the right side of the shot. The train would surely be going to Dominion Coal at Mt. Pleasant and Merton. That corner is now home to the sunny residences at 319 Mt. Pleasant Rd. The picture was tweeted Friday by the @oldTOseries.

On Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. the Texas auction house of Heritage Auctions will begin accepting bids via EBay Live Auctions on these early 1990s Adidas Apple sneakers. The nearly mint condition shoes come from an era when the computer firm dabbled in making clothing. These were available exclusively to Apple employees. The bidding will start at $15,000 and many knowledgeable people are saying that $30,000 or more may be what’s needed to take them home.

Grasy Knoll vegetarian

Pizza makers

Pepperoni

Sign on door

Inside Conspiracy Pizza

Friday night four young men were at work at the former welding building at 176 Wicksteed Ave. in Leaside’s industrial district making pizzas. This is the same building that has housed Adam Skelly’s successful smoked meat restaurant since early last year. The pizza business is a coupe of months old. Skelly’s friend and business partner Alison Hunt seems to be in the forefront. Ms Hunt was posting on Leaside Community Facebook in recent hours about the overwhelming response to a post June 4 for the pizza place, which is called Conspiracy Pizza.  She says of the enterprise: ” We’re making really tasty pizzas with fun topping combinations. They are all $20-28 for 18″ pies (freakin’ huge).” And indeed, from the response on Leaside Community there is a lot of business to be done.

Currently at Baldwin & McCaul #Toronto @CityNews pic.twitter.com/8RpSb0Ui2y

— Cameron Bartlett (@snappedbycam) June 9, 2017

A fire in a small noodle bar at 33 Baldwin St. at the junction with Henry St., near Chinatown has been the scene of a smoky fire which eventually rang five alarms. It is now contained. Smoke was seen for miles from the fire which occurred during a busy lunch time. No one appears to have been hurt. The video above was tweeted on the account of @snappedbycam. As many as 40 units filled the narrow street of the old central downtown neighbourhood at the height of the fire.

Ultima Foods has recalled seven Iogo yogurt products because they may contain pieces of plastic. The products include six 93-millilitre Iogo Nano packs of strawberry, raspberry, vanilla and banana drinkable yogurt. They also include one-litre Iogo smoothie protein packs with mango, strawberry-raspberry and strawberry flavours. Ultima triggered the recall and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is now investigating.

Roads downtown and along the waterfront will be closed Saturday to accommodate the 25th annual Toronto Challenge Run and the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer. Check your route.

Badly weakened but with command of the House of Commons, Theresa May’s Convervatives will hold a voting majority of 328 seats to 308 seats against the combined opposition. Without the Democratic Unionist support, the HOC would be have a combined opposition of 328 against the Conservative caucus of 318.

TTC frontman Brad Ross has said something that rational thinkers know and have insisted on for decades. Buses make far more sense than streetcars. This blasphemy will deeply offend the high priests of Toronto’s state rail religion. It will not go down well with those whose lives revolve around the care and feeding of streetcars. But the TTC is removing trams from the long Queen Street line this summer and putting buses in their place. With buses there are many fewer detours and when they do occur they’re easier. There are no traffic backups, no stalled streetcars and the buses are air conditioned. Oh wait, what about the old chestnut that streetcars carry more people. Of course they do but so what. They are also less frequent because of it and their purchase and upkeep make the cost of buses look like pin money. Here’s what Ross had to say: “You know, it was a bit of a shock to everybody. ‘My goodness, you are removing all the streetcars from Queen. How could you do that?’ Well, frankly, I think this is probably the better option,” he said.