Homefront open Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009

Homefront will be open Boxing Day, Saturday, December 26, and on Sunday December 27, 2009. We will all be here with a great sale on many selected items.

Move to develop Brennan location

A note from Cliff Jenkins, who represents Ward 25, on efforts to deveop the old Brennan GM dealershop, now closed for business. "Further to my email below, I am informing an ever larger list of residents (in Wards 25 and 26) near the Brennan site of the most recent activity with respect to the application to redevelop the site.I met with a group of about a dozen residents on Wednesday, December 16 - 1. to review briefly the application; 2. to further define a common position of residents; 3. to discuss strategy options; and 4. to seek to establish a Residents Working Group (RWG).The fourth item above was dealt with after I left the meeting and I understand will be considered again at a larger meeting to be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 7, 2010 at the Church of St. Augustine of Canterbury (north-east corner Bayview and Broadway). This email will serve to invite everyone on my contact list. And residents will also distribute a notice for hand delivery in the area. The contact for this meeting is Judie Arrowood - 416-423-4813.The applicant continues to seek approval for the development via a minor variance application to the Committee of Adjustment (COA) and wishes to have a hearing date of January 13, 2010. While I believe that date is not likely, it would result in notice by the COA to residents with 60 meters of the site on or about January 5, 2010.I have sought and obtained the agreement of the applicant to meet with the Residents Working Group when/if it is formed. Consequently, it would be very helpful to establish the RWG as soon as possible in the new year. I will inform the applicant, by separate note, that no meeting with the RWG can occur until sometime in January."

Shoppers throng South Bayview

Saturday was clear and snowless as Christmas shoppers thronged South Bayview. Thousands did their holiday purchasing along the street, keeping stores busy until closing time.

Blackout slows Christmas business

A blackout stopped pretty much all business on South Bayview for an hour today, beginning shortly before 4 pm. Here Laura Li serves a customer by candlelight at Homefront. Residents of McRae Drive reported hearing an explosion,. Some guessed that came from the Hydro substation on Millwood east of the CPR main line. Store staff stayed around as daylight began to wane hoping for a restoration of power. They were rewarded when the lights came on shortly before 5 pm and the essential Christmas business began again.

Bright, cold, snowless Christmas shopping

South Bayview is being treated to a bright, cold and snowless pre-Christmas. Retailers fighting the economy are glad to see clear sidewalks. It's a happy contrast to last year when it seemed to snow every day in the month. Hope to see you on South Bayview!

Jake's sign makes way for the Mad Italian

A cold but sunny Saturday saw workmen labouring to take down the old Jake's sign at 1581 South Bayview. The front of the little restaurant, which will be re-opened after extensive renovations, is slowly being changed. The new restaurant will be called The Mad Italian. It's the brain child of Allesandro, the new tenant. We look forward.

LCBO headed for Eglinton West at Braemar

This dispatch comes from Homefront at 371 Eglinton Ave W where it's widely believed that the LCBO will soon move into a long vacant space on the south-east corner of Eglinton and Braemar Ave. We on South Bayview could only hope for such a sensible neighborhood-oriented approach from the LCBO.