The South Bayview Bulldog

There’s just no telling how these nuts-behind-the-wheel would make out if they were jousting with the moving obstacles of the Crosstown LRT construction along Eglinton. Apparently everyone survived although it is a miracle. The bus is in Peru and the car (or what’s left of it) is in Poland.

Music consumers may well be tantalized by the imminent opening (April) of Sunrise Records across Canada. But the Ancaster-based firm seems to be playing a careful game even as it takes over leases for 70 HMV locations in the country’s malls. A news release as to where the stores might be located is light in details — Burnaby, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Square One in Mississauga, St Bruno, Quebec and the West Edmonton Mall. The news release says other locations will be known when “more details are finalized.” A clue to the retailer’s strategy may be gained by checking the location of its nine current stores. Only one is in Toronto and that’s at Cloverdale Mall in Etobicoke. Sunrise president Doug Putnam has made it a point to say all his stores make money. Perhaps the rent in places like the Cloverdale Mall is part of that plan for the youthful businessman. He is also the head of a long-time family firm, Everest Toys. It shares offices with Sunrise Records at 65 Bittern Street off Hwy 53 on the road to Brantford. So the question seems quite open as to whether consumers will see a Sunrise Record store in expensive-to-rent downtown or midtown Toronto.

 

The Financial Post reports the two big banks have improved earnings for the fiscal first quarter.

Mary Ann Turcke is off to the NFL. The engineer and Bell Media overseer (CTV and the rest) will become the head of digital media for the football league. Randy Lennox takes over at Bell Media. Many will ask if Turcke’s move involves a way to help her former boss, now an important customer, play Canadian commercials during the Super Bowl. Turcke assumed the top job at Bell Media when Kevin Crull stressed out and tried to censor criticism of Bell by the federal broadcast regulator, the CRTC, in 2015. The NFL and Bell Media, a division of Montreal-based telecommunications giant BCE Inc., have tried to fight a regulatory ruling that barred Bell from substituting its own television signal and Canadian ads over the U.S. signal during the Super Bowl.

A meeting of residents was fully engaged Monday evening at Manor Road United Church in a discussion of proposals for the two new parks to be created on Manor Road  The meeting was convened by Josh Matlow (Ward 22) and lasted about two hours.  It heard from and saw the work of landscape consultants Lori Philp and Shira Davis of the firm of Victor Ford and Associates Inc. The parks, located at 196 and 240 Manor, will be themed and equipped in “park west” as a passive green space for adults and at “park east” a place for children.

QUESTIONS BROAD AND NARROW

Those present asked many questions and offered suggestions broad in scope and narrow in detail. These included dogs (no off-leash runs) water (available from an installed main at 240 but not at 196) the style of benches and play structures  (in process)  flowers (perennials) trees and shrubs (yes) and fences (where needed for children). Someone suggested a bocci pitch at 196. A lively discussion was had on play structures at 240 Manor. Conventional playground equipment such as swings and see-saws have been set aside for communal climbing “jams”. One of these is a so-called Log Jam (see above) and another called a Log Tower and slide. Something named a water table in planned. It permits children to pump water onto a wooden table and play with it as it runs off.

PUBLIC-SPIRITED CHURCH

The budget for both parks is $700,000. In a closing note Mr. Matlow dealt with the need to name the parks in a way suitable to the public-spirited collaboration of the church in the plan to build the park at 240. The name Manor Road United Church Park seems inevitable. It has occupied this corner for nearly a century. Further meetings are planned.

It was a sold-out event again Friday night at Charlene Kalia’s benefit Laugh Out Loud in Leaside.. The event cleared all the tickets in record time in its eighth year. Some 200 guests enjoyed an evening of food comedy and music while supporting the Maddie project. The Maddie Project is a community effort in support of youth struggling with depression and other mental health related concerns.  Maddie’s Dad Chris Coultier thanked the guests for being there and Gwenyth Richardson. There was a live and silent auction as well as yuk yuck’s comedy followed by live music by The Indecision Band who had the  crowd up and dancing. Sponsors and contributors included Lexus On The Park, Neal Brothers Foods, Grill Time, De La Mer Fish Market, Chestnut Park Real Estate, Everlasting Moments Video and Photography, Amsterdam Brewery, RBC and Accurate Printing. Paul Constable was the MC (aka Canadian Tire Man).

CBC

HOCKEY HOODLUMS

A number of parents in Edmonton have been forbidden to attend their children’s games by the local hockey association after too many incidents of rink rage.  Parents, mostly men, threaten and confront referees and others when their emotional involvement causes them to behave like hoodlums. The Edmonton body sent a scolding email to the organization’s members about what it called “the stereotype of the worst hockey parent.”  It said the behaviour puts a black eye on the sport and parents in the spotlight. It also embarrasses young players that their parents are out of control.  President Mark Doram said several incidents have been reported in past weeks, including one particularly alarming event “when parents became so emotionally engaged in the game that the referees were afraid for their safety.” Doram said that parents of players from the novice division all the way up to midget have been disciplined. The most recent police incident was at a peewee division game. He said the sport continues to lose officials because they fear for their safety.

Video: PM Justin Trudeau meets with #Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey pic.twitter.com/2nmxc7Uy8H

— CityNews 680 (Inactive) (@680NEWS) February 27, 2017

The prime minster was in Brampton and Mississauga Monday morning. The tone of his welcome by civic employees was giddy pleasure. In Mississauga, balconies of people shouted like children. The PM replied like a teacher: “Aren’t any of you at work today?”

A reader has denied that the CRA paid an employee $538,000 to move from Richmond Hill to Belleville. This allegation was part of recent concerns about government waste presented by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Jason Andrus says the figure published includes the value of the home. The home was not paid for by the CRA but by a new buyer.  Mr. Andrus says the “actual sale of the house (was) approx. $522,960.” He says CTF knows better and says their “right-leaning partisanship is on full display here”

It was all really quite unbelievable — and still is.