The South Bayview Bulldog

Here is the classic furniture sale that gave as much meaning to the word “awesome” as the scriptures. Wait. Can we say that? Let’s hope for absolution somewhere along the way as we add that it begins Friday at 4 p.m. (til 7 p.m.) and comes back to life for two hours Saturday between 10 a.m. and noon.

Tomorrow!! #Leaside United Awesome Sale #furniture #books #toys #linens #china #crystal #jewelry #housewares #clothes #appliances #baking pic.twitter.com/J50xB2CgFI

— Leaside United Church (@LeasideUnited) October 13, 2016

Developer Diamond Corp. has outlined how discussions with an ad hoc group of 12 Leaside residents changed the proposed “Big Daddy” scheme on the site known as 939 Eglinton Ave E. This explanation took place at a public meeting Thursday night in the William Lea Room of Leaside Arena sponsored by Councillor Jon Burnside (Ward 26)  The 939 project is a two-block mammoth which would rise on land occupied by the Dawsco Plaza at the southwest corner of Eglinton and Brentcliffe Road. The original scheme saw a 1,500 unit “City” with four towers of 19, 24, 31 and 34 storeys plus a six-storey office building. That has been scaled back to a development of fewer than a 1,000 housing units, 43 of which will be townhomes. Two towers would start at midrise heights on Eglinton and step back at a 45-degree angle.

TOWERS 14, 20 AND 31 FLOORS

They would begin at seven and nine storeys and rise to 14 and 20 storeys. A third tower on the southwest corner of the parcel will also be angled at 45 degrees away from Eglinton but this time to a height of 31 storeys. The proposal has a new public roadway down the west side of the property, separating the development from the Mercedes dealership to the west. There will also be a wide pedestrian mall between the two towers on Eglinton extending back to the third tower. There is an emphasis of retail development, trees and sidewalks. The treed public pavement on the south side of Eglinton is specified to be 40-feet deep from curb to wall. A large park will occupy the southeast corner of Brentcliffe and Vanderhoof Ave.

DOWNSIZED BUT STILL HUGE

These changes were conceived in discussion with the volunteer residents known as the working group. Participation in this group was solicited by Mr. Burnside who spoke proudly of efforts to make it representative. Discussion with the Diamond planners ranged across many aspects of the development including building finishes suitable to Leaside. In end however, there were questions from the large audience revealing concerns similar to those about the original plan. The development had been downsized but it was still huge. Burnside spoke candidly about the City planning concerns which he did not necessarily share, and the limited authority of the municipality when it is brought before the Ontario Municipal Board. He said it was very much a case of making the best deal possible.

Do the feds have a handle on the money? There’s every reason to ask as a TD Economics report suggests fiscal deficit over the next five years will be $16.5 billion more than what the government forecast  in its March budget. Finance Minister Bill Morneau projected a deficit of $29.4 billion in the current fiscal year, followed by a $29-billion shortfall the next year and a $22.8-billion deficit in 2018-19. But TD says a weakened outlook for Canadian economic growth in the medium term will hit the federal piggybank more seriously. BNN

Metrolinx will hold another of its open house gatherings on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at Eglinton Junior Public School at Eglinton Ave and Mt. Pleasant Rd. These informal gatherings permit the public to look at story-board presentations and talk individually with Metrolinx staff. The topic on Oct. 19 will be LRT station construction which is mostly underway all along the Midtown part of the line. The news release mentions in particular the Mount Pleasant Station which is a re-build of the nearly 87-year-old Imperial Bank building on the northwest corner. The meeting begins at 6.30.

Bob Dylan, 75, has won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature (and the nearly $1,000,000 prize) but there is a lively debate worldwide about whether he deserves it. It is the first time the prestigious award has gone to someone known primarily as a musician. The Swedish Academy cited Dylan for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” Below, a Nobel person justifies the concept of lyrics as literature by citing Homer and Sappho.

"He can be read and should be read, and is a great poet in the English tradition" https://t.co/g7CnFBlkNB

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 13, 2016

I'm a Dylan fan, but this is an ill conceived nostalgia award wrenched from the rancid prostates of senile, gibbering hippies.

— Irvine Welsh (@IrvineWelsh) October 13, 2016

Highway 401 was closed at Whites Road in Pickering Thursday when a transport truck loaded with fish struck a concrete median and burst into flames. The accident happened at around 4 a.m. in the westbound express lanes.

Leaside Wildcats fell to the Oakville Hornets 5-2 at home Wednesday night. The game saw two goals scored when the teams were shorthanded.  The Leaside four-on-five goal came from the Olivia Reid-Emma Pye line. But the league-leading Hornets are undefeated in eight games. They have taken two ties, one against Leaside. An eye-popping statistic reveals that Leaside heavily outshot Oakville. Maddy McArthur in the Oakville net faced 34 shots, stopping 32. Katie Mowbray faced 23 shots and made 18 saves.

Eastbound Brewing has announced it will open a brewpub in 2017 at 700 Queen St East in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood. Husband-wife team Dave Lee, brewmaster, and Tara Lee, head chef, are heading up the new 3,500 sq-ft facility, host to a 11 hectolitre brewhouse with five fermenters, an open-concept 80-seat kitchen, and a retail beer store. Ontario’s beer, cider and spirits news

ServiceOntario has been unable to process driver and vehicle services at any its centres across the province on Wednesday because of technical issues. The government services continues to tweet this evening that it still trying to get back online.

The technical issues with the driver and vehicle services at our centres have been resolved. Thanks for your patience.

— ServiceOntario (@ServiceOntario) October 13, 2016

The Ten Spot Beauty Bar at 1657 Bayview Ave. intends to live up to the “bar” part of its name as it applies for a liquor license. If approved, and the owners say several Toronto locations of Ten Spot have been licensed already, the Bayview nail and pedicure storefront will serve wine and beer. It may also serve more. The manager says the intention is to offer wine with routine services and to provide an attractive extra for women who want to organize private evenings at the bar. This seems like a newer concept and departs from former standards of the LCBO where an entrepreneur had to be primarily in the eating and/or drinking business. The conditions set by the government regarding minors, hours of operation and the keeping of a kitchen, for example, all seem problematic. But presumably operators of other Ten Spots already know the drill. Ten Spot is a Canadian chain with locations in B.C. PEI and Ontario.

A meeting will be held Wednesday, October 19, 2016 in the Briton House auditorium at 720 Mt. Pleasant Rd. to hear details of the proposed Streetscape MasterPlan for the BIA between Davisville and Eglinton. Doors open at 6.30 and the presentation begins at 7 p.m. Sounds interesting. Meeting hears of streetscape masterplan for Mt. Pleasant