The South Bayview Bulldog

Family members have revealed that actor Bill Paxton, 61, was undergoing heart surgery at the time of his death. While Paxton appeared to be active, healthy and busier than ever, prepping for new movie roles and starring in the new CBS cop drama “Training Day,” the affable 61-year-old actor was apparently dealing with some kind of heart problem that required surgery.

Design concepts will be unveiled Monday night for two new parks to be created on Manor Road in coming months. These are parcels of lands at the former Glebe Manor Lawn Bowling Club (156 Manor) and at Forman Ave and Manor (purchased from Manor Road United Church). Right now they are muddy tracts but design consultants have been busy since December using feedback from earlier meetings. The public meeting set for Monday, February 27, 2017 is under the auspices of Josh Matlow (Ward 22) at Manor Road United, 240 Manor. It will begin at 6.30 p.m.

A report from the Changing Workplaces Review is said to be coming due at Queen’s Park and the reportage is filled with foreboding about what it may mean for business. Some of the freebies to workers suggested are shown below. And while it is true the government can apply all or any of these changes, it cannot make businesses stay in business. A place like Dollarama is famous for its part-time pay regime by which it avoids much pension payment cost. Many small businesses might find it necessary to close if they are required to stream another $5 or $10,000 into sick pay, higher overtime or “human resources” to deal with union membership. CBC

• Making paid sick days mandatory.
• Boosting the minimum required paid vacation to three weeks per year from the current two weeks.
• Lowering the threshold at which overtime pay must kick in to 40 hours, down from the current 44 hours.
• Abolishing the lower minimum wage for students under 18 and people who serve alcohol.
• Requiring employers to pay their part-time workers the same as full-time workers doing similar jobs.

https://twitter.com/shirleybee123/status/835890189545443328

Um, this team means business. Shirley Breen, Meridian CU manager, tweets about the new branch at 690 Mt. Pleasant and the team that plays together, stays together and hurls a mean axe together. (Only after hours). This new outpost of the credit union that vows to be a bank someday will open March 27. Looking forward. Ambitious Meridian CU to spark business on Mt. Pleasant

Sunrise Records of Toronto has agreed to take over 70 stores now leased by HMV in shopping malls all across Canada. Sunrise, a music and video throwback of sorts, sells recorded music including vinyl plus entertainment video. It’s motto is “Rockin Canada since 1977”.  The CBC quotes Sunrise president Doug Putnam as saying: “With HMV leaving, it leaves a big hole in the marketplace, so we just thought it was a good opportunity and the timing was right. So we are going to jump on it and do what we can.” Putman says Sunrise is making a seven-figure investment, and he hopes to turn a profit by next year. He says that with lower head office costs, renegotiated leases and more depth in the record catalogue, Sunrise can succeed where HMV and so many others have failed. Sunrise now has nine stores in southern Ontario. It’s gutsy and deserving of support

BASED IN ANCASTER

Putman told CTV he isn’t convinced digital music signals the end of physical media. “A lot of the younger consumers still love having something tangible,” he said. Putman saidhe has has long believed in buying merchandise you can hold in your hands. He grew up working at the family business, Everest Toys, a manufacturer and distributor based in Ancaster, Ont. He bought the Sunrise chain from Malcolm Perlman in October 2014 just as streaming was going mainstream. Perlman had spent the previous few years shutting down most of the Sunrise stores in the Toronto area, often blaming higher rent. When Putman gained control of the company, there were five Sunrise Records stores left. He’s since doubled the number by opening in Ontario cities like Ottawa and North Bay. He said all of those stores are profitable. HMV in bankruptcy, remaining stores to close April 30

The Leaside Junior Wildcats gave up two games on the weekend to the Stoney Creek Sabres to face an uphill task to advance from the preliminary round in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League playoffs. The Cats lost a two-goal lead Saturday in Stoney Creek to lose the game 4-2. Sunday they dropped game two in the best-of-five series by a score of 2-0. The second Stoney Creek goal was scored at 14.51 of the second period. That was two seconds after one Leaside penalty ended and seven seconds after another began. The net effect was five Sabres on three Cats. To stay in the playoffs, Leaside will have to win all three of the remaining games against Stoney Creek scheduled for next weekend.  Leaside and Stoney Creek finished 9th and 8th respectively in the 20-team conference.

Depiction to save edifice

Yonge and Roselawn now gone

Yonge and Millwod to fall soon

Josh Matlow (Ward 22) comments on the imminent demolition of the elegant former TD Bank structure at Yonge St. and Millwood Rd. in his current newsletter. He notes that a “previous council” approved the demolition of the building. He has been told there is “nothing we can do to save the building”  All this is yet more sadness after the surprise demolition of the CIBC branch at Yonge and Roselawn Ave. in January. There had been high hopes that a forward-thinking builder would save the edifice of the bank in a new project as shown in a  depiction above from last year. Now, as  Mr. Matlow says, City Planning is conducting a heritage audit of our community as part of the Midtown in Focus review of the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan Area he requested. The results of this review are expected this year. He has also made an interactive map of all heritage properties located in Ward 22. Last hurrah for classic old bank at Yonge and Millwood 

Prolific and charismatic actor Bill Paxton, who played an astronaut in Apollo 13 and a treasure hunter in Titanic, has died from complications due to surgery, a family representative says. He is interviewed in 2005 by Larry King. CBC

Meeting at Cork’s over Longo’s

A social meeting of the Don Valley West Progressive Conservative Association attracted an estimated 75 people Sunday morning at Cork’s restaurant over Longo’s in the Leaside Village shopping centre. The declared candidates for the nomination are Dean Baxendale, Jon Kieran and Jeff Silverstein. All three spoke briefly about their ability to defeat the incumbent Liberal, Premier Kathleen Wynne. She has held the riding since 2003. There were no questions taken by a decision of the association. The nomination meeting has not yet been scheduled.  Ontario Liberals poised to fall to third party status in next election: Poll

Dean Baxendale

Jeff Silverstein

Jon Kieran

Several people hurt (two seriously) during a two vehicle crash at Danforth Rd & Eglinton Av in Scarborough. Debris spread across a block. pic.twitter.com/Ltii57Ac8A

— Jeremy Cohn (@JeremyCohnTV) February 26, 2017

A nasty rear-end collision has sent a person to hospital with critical injuries and left two others recovering Sunday. It happened at Eglinton Ave.East near Danforth Road just after 3 a.m. Someone wasn’t paying attention