Geoff Kettel has written to invite readers to attend on May 1 at one of two Laird in Focus presentations and workshops. These are efforts by the City to involve the community in planning as the impact of transit and growth occur. The events are being held at the William Lea Room at the Leaside Arena. Check for times on the Toronto Planing pdf: Laird in Focus presentations and workshops
How did she do it? Rescuers say they just don’t know
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She’s back on the ground and apparently okay. She’s charged with mischief but that’s better than falling 20 storeys to her death. The question remains why and especially how did she do it. The man who rescued the still unnamed young woman, Rob Wonfor, says he doesn’t know. It is a stunningly dangerous thing to have climbed the crane. But did she then perilously grasp greasy steel cable and slide down to the pulley assembly where she sat totally stranded? That’s the speculation offered in this CBC story barring any other scenario. CBC Previous
Top sailor part of plan to make Libs honour contract: RCMP
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Canadian Press reports on what the RCMP found to be nefarious efforts by Vice Admiral Mark Norman to pressure the new Liberal government into fulfilling a contract with the firm of Chantier Davie to provide the navy with a new supply ship. The Mounties said in their request for a search warrant of Norman’s home that he had leaked information to Davie and others in the media that the Trudeau cabinet was about to kill or delay the contract. This was a violation of cabinet secrecy punishable by imprisonment. In the end, the Liberals went ahead with the contract because there was an $89 million penalty attached to cancellation. Admiral Norman is defended by Toronto criminal lawyer Marie Henein. CP
FIRST LOOK: Grand opening of Whole Foods – Leaside
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The South Bayview Bulldog visited the shiny new Whole Foods located at 1860 Bayview Avenue, at Broadway this morning.
LCBO confirms Bonnie Brooks has resigned chair’s position
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The LCBO has confirmed that Bonne Brooks has resigned from the chair’s position. Mail from Christine Bujold of the board to The Bulldog says: “We were disappointed to receive Bonnie’s resignation yesterday but wish her well in her future endeavours. We are pleased that Penny Lipsett, the current Vice Chair of the LCBO has agreed to serve as the Acting Chair as the government determines next steps in this process.” The story, first broadcast late Tuesday on CP24 seemed to drop out of the news Wednesday morning.The story was broadcast concurrent with news about the strike vote by LCBO workers. Union president Warren Smokey Thomas was asked about it. He said he had never met Ms. Brooks. Workers voted 93 percent in favour of a strike.
Board to decide if Your Ward News is hate propaganda
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A public federal hearing underway in Toronto to decide whether the publication Your Ward News is in fact hate propaganda or something more like simple rubbish. The offensive and wildly confusing printed material has been distributed by private delivery occasionally in South Bayview since it was banned from the mail pouches of Canada Post by MP Judy Foote, the minister responsible for Canada Post. The Board of Review Hearing hearing is being held at Yonge and Sheppard. Lawyers for Your Ward News will argue that while the content of the publication may be “crap” that doesn’t make it hateful propaganda and they suggest they will test the constitutionality of the decision in court
https://twitter.com/ebalgord/status/856889167267147776
Peel police want to know what these men did to this dog?
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Staff at a McDonald’s in Brampton found a gravely injured Yorkshire Terrier abandoned in a patio after having been in the hands of two men for several hours. The dog was taken to an animal hospital but its injuries were so serious that it to be euthanized. Peel Regional Police and the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals launched an animal cruelty investigation on April 19 four days after the incident. One suspect is described as a male with a medium complexion and short, dark hair. He also had a full beard and was wearing a grey sweater, black pants and red and black Nike shoes. Police do not have a detailed description of the second suspect but say he is a male with a medium complexion. Peel police are asking the public to help them identify the men.
Sidewalk taped off after holdup at Bayview pot dispensary
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Woman is helped to bypass the tape outside Eden pot shop
A holdup at Eden marijuana dispensary at 1625 Bayview led to the early closing of the pot shop as well as the closing of the Merchant of Tennis next door. The yellow crime scene tape to protect the locale was strung an extra doorway to south, for reasons unknown, blocking access to the tennis shop. This holdup was reported to police and there was a heavy presence on the street early in the afternoon. Police have complained that some such holdups are not reported by the pot shop operators. It is the first robbery for the shop, which used to house Whatever Lola Wants, but it has been raided once by police.
SERRA posts compromise on deal for 1600 block of Bayview
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Depiction of seven-story revision
South Eglinton Ratepayers and Residents Association has posted details of the compromise in the design of the commercial and residential building on the 1600 block of Bayview Ave between Hillsdale and Soudan Aves. The City’s resistance to the nine-storey plan offered by the owner, the Brown Group, led to negotiations which have yielded a seven-story plan which has been accepted by Council. Two residential properties at 701 Soudan and 720 Hillsdale East owned by Brown and intended for inclusion in the construction are now removed from the application for Official Plan Amendment. The height of the proposed development is limited to a maximum of seven storeys and 25.1 metres plus a maximum 4.0 metre mechanical penthouse. On floors three to six of the proposed development, on the Bayview frontage, the balconies will be recessed and not extend beyond the required setbacks.
STREETWALL EFFECT AND AGM PLANNED
One or more landscaped planters will be added and maintained on the terraces and balconies on the portions of the west facade of the building that extend beyond the 45-degree angular plane. Additional architectural treatment of the Bayview frontage of the proposed building is to emphasize the existing “streetwall character” of the Midtown Village character area of Bayview Avenue. These latter terms may befuddle laymen but it seems the idea is to make the building seem lower to those walking the street. SERRA thanks Councillor Josh Matlow (Ward 22) and the City’s planning staff, especially Giulio Cescato and David Driedger, for their work. The SERRA Annual General Meeting is Monday May 8, 2017, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Greenwood College School, 443 Mount Pleasant Rd., Toronto, ON, M4S 2L8. Doors open at 6 p.m. for attendees to register, renew memberships, enjoy refreshments and browse a number of information booths. The AGM will start at 7 p.m. and end at 9 p.m.
Davisville PS parents meeting set for 6.30 Tuesday evening
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Family games night March 19
A meeting for parents Tuesday night at Davisville Public School will hear from Jeff Latto, senior manager of major capital projects and building partnership for the Toronto District School Board. One of his interests in recent times has been the prospect of placing classrooms in taller buildings. An outline was shared by the school’s Twitter account suggesting the meeting will focus on reviewing the design of the New Replacement School and operations during construction. The proposed replacement for DPS is expected to go to at least a third story in order to maximize use of the costly land at Yonge St and Millwood Rd.
Salut to Leaside Men’s Winter Tennis winner Phil Parsons
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Phil Parsons flanked by Jamie Procunier and Bill Pashby
The Leaside Men’s Winter League tennis group recently held their year-end celebration. The men play Sunday nights and have been doing this since 1984 when some residents of Donlea Dr got together to form the League. This year’s winner as shown above is Phil Parsons with last years winner Jamie Procunier and MC Bill Pashby. Thanks to reader Bob Chapman who sent this along.
Shoppers abandon carts at Loblaws as debit process crashes
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Loblaws was struck Monday with a failure of debit — no transactions were possible with the popular form of payment. Some reports said that only cash was being accepted, but others said some credit cards were working. (Bulldog co-publisher successfully purchased groceries at Valumart on Bayview using an RBC Credit Card during the outage.) These unexpected foul-ups caught many converts to the cashless society flat-footed. As seen above, shopping carts full of groceries were abandoned at the checkout. Nothing like having 10 or 15 green $20 images of her majesty in your purse or pocket when the tap and pay goes down. One wag said that soon we will be able to tell our phone to print some paper money. “Don’t waste your time @LoblawsON tonight — been to 2 stores and CC and Debit are down… does anybody even carry cash anymore?” said one tweet. “Just in case I’m not the last to know this, all debit and credit machines for Loblaws are down in Atlantic Canada. Dominion is cash only,” tweeted another shopper. Customers are notified by in-store announcements over the PA system. On Mar. 22, Shopper’s Drug Mart had a computer outage affecting 1,300 locations that lasted more than two days.
https://twitter.com/Michael_KaneBNN/status/856638837958815751
6:00 and still not fixed. Lines are brutal at St Clair store
— LeMule (@TimLeMule) April 24, 2017