Last week of February
Just look at the weather for the last few days of February
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Last week of February
Man shot dead in parking lot at 71 Thorncliffe Park Dr.
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Shot by Zia Zarawar
Rear of 71 Thorncliffe Park
Thorncliffe Park Dr. closed both ways
Toronto police named Shoaib Asakzai, 25, as the man shot dead Saturday about suppertime in the parking lot behind the apartment building at 71 Thorncliffe Park Dr. It is between Thorncliffe Park and the road down to the Lower.Recreation Trail. The ground picture above was tweeted by Zia Zarawar, of the Toronto Observer. It may show the scene. The man, in his 20s, was hit several times say police.
Saving UK’s red squirrels by sterilizing dominant greys
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Grey Squirrel from NA
Nutella contraceptive?
Retreat of the Red Squrrel
Prince Charles has backed a government plan to save the native red squirrel by sterilizing grey squirrels with contraceptive bait laced with Nutella. The process will involve baited boxes in trees that have a weight-operated hinge flap. Smaller creatures will be too light to open it.
Former Celestin to become Birch Bistro under new owner
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Birch Bistro
Laurie’s note
The well-known former bank building at Mt.Pleasant and Manor Rds. has a new tenant. The large premises will open soon as the Birch Bistro. Not too many details are known but the operator, Laurie, has posted her friendly hello on the door. This location was for many years Celestin and was purchased by the Bailey Brothers, Ivan and James, in 2009. They changed the name to Bar Mar in April in keeping with their Peruvian ancestry but in December announced they would close the restaurant. The little shop that adjoins it on Mt. Pleasant was a butcher and it is understood that Laurie intends to operate a cheese shop in this space. Hope so.
Retail soundings in department, grocery and dollar stores
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East York Town Cenbtre
The retail revolution goes on with department store J.C. Penney in the US saying this weekend it will close 130 to 140 stores. That’s said to be nearly 15 percent of its total. Macy’s and Sears are also faltering with the future unknown. Walmart’s boundless ambitions have been dampened by a chaotic in-store atmosphere some shoppers complain about. There is certainly no hurry to build the Walmart in the Wicksteed Ave. extension of the SmartCentre. The site has been still for more than a year. Walmart has recently begun a grocery home-delivery service in Toronto.
FOOD RETAIL
For its part, Loblaws seems to have no interest in following Walmart or global merchant Amazon into home delivery of food. Loblaws CEO Galen Weston likes what he sees so far in the so-called click and collect side of grocery sales. You choose items online and then come and get them. You can do that at the Redway Road store. Click and collect is less costly than home delivery, vital in the low-margin world of food retail. The most buoyant retail scene is the dollar-store phenomenon. It shows no sign of slowing. Dollarama is being joined on the streets and in the shopping malls of Canada by such contenders as Giant Tiger (in Ontario and Quebec) the Great Canadian Dollar Store in Atlantic Canada and the Japanese entry Ichiban, now open in the East York Town Centre.
IT’S 2017: Turkeys, pigs on jetliners for “emotional support”
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In the US, travelers can get medical certificates that permit them to fly with Emotional Support Animals. These might include turkeys, pigs and other creatures. Some practitioners are issuing ESA permits like movie tickets. But we must be sensitive. Steward, can I sit next to the dachshund instead of the turkey?
Halifax-Toronto flight blows tire and slides off runway
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Update @AirCanada #AC623 landing gear went off runway into grass after landing. Mud all over the plane. Busses on scene for pax. #Toronto pic.twitter.com/auCvZ6xXLy
— Tom Podolec Aviation (@TomPodolec) February 25, 2017
Air Canada #623 from Halifax blew a tire on landing at Toronto Friday. There was a scary moment or two as the plane slid off the runway. No one was hurt.
No service on TTC Line #1 between St. George, Downsview
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No train service on Line 1 from St George & Downsview. Extra service added to all east and westbound surface routes. #TTC pic.twitter.com/AJ8cweNDcU
— TTC Service Alerts (@TTCnotices) February 25, 2017
Sold out fun for charity at Laugh Out Loud in Leaside
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Laugh Out Loud In Leaside at William Lea Room
It was a sold-out event again Friday night at Charlene Kalia’s benefit Laugh Out Loud in Leaside. The William Lea Room was full as friends turned out to support the Maddie Project, a charity helping teens struggling with depression.
That yellow glow in sky is grass grow-lights at BMO field
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The glow in the west-end Toronto sky last night and early Saturday was caused by yellow grow-lights installed over the grass at BMO Field at Exhibition Place. They are on a lot but the misty skies seemed to accentuate the effect. Now you know.
Sinkhole shuts South Kingsway south of Bloor West Village
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A large sinkhole has shut down South Kingsway between Bloor St. West and The Queensway. The road opened up at South Kingsway and Morningside Avenue, a street with the same name as a thoroughfare on the other side of the City. The sinkhole may be caused by a water main break.