Saturday morning branch collapse Mc Murray & Vine Ave

At about 1:30 am this Morning - Sat the 30th 08  08 a part of a widely overhanging branch fell onto the roadway at Mc Murray Ave & Vine Ave. Bringing down the power line to one house and catch on numerous telephone and cable wires.



Most of the branch still is up there overhanging the street, hopefully they can balance out this tree without taking it down.

Posted by Robert

Junction's railway industry do for a rise in volume?

Train passing through the Junction as this post is being written.

Rail freight (CPR and CN in the Junction) providers may be ramping up for the increased service demand of shippers due to the high cost of fuel, as the cost of transporting a shipping container by truck becomes prohibitive.

As fuel is international in price, and has been a problem for the CPR this year, Will fuel pass a level where trucking is more expensive?  The example below from a American railroad can thoughtfully be applied to the railroads operating in the Junction. So expect to see and hear a few more trains passing though the Junction.

"Michael L. Rennicke, vice president and general manager for Pioneer Valley Railroad, says he expects to handle 5,000 to 6,000 railroad cars loaded with freight this year. That's compared with 4,200 the year before and 3,300 railroad cars in 2006."

"'We're getting back to the way the world looked before 1970 or so,' Rennicke said recently. That's back in the days when trains handled most long-haul freight, he said. Trucks did the local deliveries, bringing goods to and from the rail lines.

It costs $3,000 to $3,500 to move a shipping container loaded with plastic trim boards from Westfield to Oregon on a train, according to Philip J. Cameron, director of order fulfillment for Kleer Lumber in Westfield.

That's with a fuel surcharge imposed by the railroad, Cameron said.

Shipping the same 48,000 pounds of finished product by truck could cost as much as $5,500, he said."

Full Story: Railroads feel economic pinch

Source: The Republican, August 26, 2008

Posted by Robert

Dundas & Jane beside the liquior store NIMBYism needed?

st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }



/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0pt;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

For many years a closed a gas station has sat beside the LCBO store on Dundas St. West by Jane St. The property and spouted pipes and grew pumps and quietly hummed with the operation of pumps for many years as what was ever in the soil was removed. Now it appears to be clean. The owner of the property is attempting to lease a building he wants to build on the site now, as for the lease sign indicates.

The question is just what does this strip of Dundas St West need in terms of retail stores now, or does it need anything at all? Surely it will end up being a car centric retail operation as everything else around the site is and walking traffic is nil. Or are we starting a new retail NIMBYism for WTO?

Posted By Robert

Amongst the condos and gov. buildings the city changes

st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }





/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0pt;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}





st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }





/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0pt;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

Amongst the condos that are going to rival the hospitals and government offices in number of buildings around what once was simply the hospital and government office district in the area of College St – University Ave and Dundas St. West, the Ontario Government is renewing the top parapet of the facade of one its buildings.

This renewal offers a unique chance to see the complete difference in the current building techniques and those of the near past of the last 30 years. The building’s being repaired has a brick core which supports the sleeves of stone that are the buildings outside facing. With a straight line shouting view is the new two towers Burano Condo development. (link to the condo developer site re sizes your browser window) The facade on the condo building is glass windows made to appear as a monotone surface hung from a concrete caucus.

Think about that for a second. Let it really sink in.  Not only are West Toronto's core areas usually separated by streets and avenues - now melding, but buildings of vastly different building types are being glued together in the sight lines of the city. These are strange times- for a city that prides itself on maintaining its distinct neighbourhoods as the prime building method for the development and character of the city.

Posted by Robert

MIMICOFEST grass roots community - starts

"A Community Celebration conceived and directed by Arturo Fresolone" with arts and crafts exhibit and sale, yard sale, live music, dance and theatre. Children's activities include: interactive storytelling for parents and children and book colouring facilitated by the artist.

Amos Waites Park (Lakeshore Blvd. W. at Mimico Ave.) on Sunday, August 31st, 2008 from 3pm to 8:30pm.

For more information call: 416-503-4129

Posted By David

a sign to ponder

This contractor's sign, with its artist rendering of the "new world discovery" reflects the increased dependence on and desire for real estate as a vehicle for investment or financial security that we often associate with our continents history of frontier rushing. Now we pay dearly to, in a sense, stake our claim, but there is a frontier quality to that rush for land because we know (at least in the city, where our jobs are) that affordable land is running out.

Posted By David

CAMH help to integrate its grounds with the area

With the public's attitude toward mental health issues and its stone walls and foreboding stature, the mental health complex at Queen and Ossington has long been a landmark of some infamy. Now seeing CAMH help to integrate its grounds with the area using something as innocuous and simple as this small market helps make its presence a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. One hopes CAMH will continue to use their abundance of street accessible green space towards a mutually valued relationship with the surrounding community.

Posted By David

TTC Jane St service by electrically-powered light rail vehicles?

A reader sent in this link Proposed Jane Street Light Rail Transit (LRT) which details a City of Toronto and the Toronto Transit Commission proposal to replace  the bus service on Jane Street, from Bloor Street West to Steeles Avenue West with fully accessible, modern electrically-powered light rail vehicles operating in dedicated transit lanes, separated from the normal traffic.

This city question and answer PDF has a lot of details answers to questions about this great proposal, such as- what local benefits will there be?... and more.

Two  Open Houses are planned  (one for tonight).

• Tuesday, August 26, 2008
  6:30pm to 9:00pm
  Jane Finch Mall
  1911 Finch Avenue West (SE corner of Finch Ave and Jane St)


• Thursday, August 28, 2008
  6:30pm to 9:00pm
  Syme Woolner Community School - Gymnasium
  69 Pritchard Ave (north of Jane and St. Clair intersection, east of Jane)

Thanks to the reader for sending this in, we would have missed it.

Lakeshore west old old summer residences

Many beautiful old summer residences of Toronto's elite were pulled down and replaced with apartment buildings mid last century but a few remain still.

Two homes in this short stretch of prime real estate sit empty and one wonder who owns them and what they have planned. One sits fenced in with temporary construction barriers but with nothing happening. The other sits available for what may be called a self-guided tour. It is not renovated but is nevertheless in good shape for its age with original  marquetry inlaid floors, large formal rooms (the dining room clad in floor to ceiling gum wood paneling), a family room with an upright piano and a conservatory of Victorian influence among the many beautiful original details.

Posted By David