Tag: Scarborough

City of Toronto Flood Risk at Houston 2017 Increased Water Levels

City of Toronto potential flood area, for a 50 foot or 15.25m rise in water level from Lake Ontario, which occurred in Houston 2017 hurricane Harvey. Map changes by Don Tai

City of Toronto potential flood area, for a 50 foot or 15.25m rise in water level from Lake Ontario, which occurred in Houston 2017 hurricane Harvey. Map changes by Don Tai

I was wondering, I am sure like many others, what would happen if the City of Toronto had a flood similar in height to Houston 2017 caused by Hurricane Harvey. Who would get flooded and who would remain dry? Is the City of Toronto largely at risk? Are we ready? Unlike Houston, Toronto is not flat. We also do not have hurricanes or tropical storms. That being said, let us try to analyze a topological map of Toronto and see how we would fare. As I live in Scarborough note that Scarborough has the Scarborough bluffs. My area of Scarborough is 235m above sea level. As Lake Ontario is 75m above sea level, we have a buffer of 160m or 525′. I think we are safe from a flood risk.

Ontario Online Drivers License Renewal: Failure

My librarian, it was, that brought the issue to my attention: Your driver’s license needs renewal. This occurs every 5 years, so not very top of mind. But hey, it is 5 years later, and there is a Government of Ontario, Canada, web site that I can use to renew my drivers license, print a temporary one, and the valid license will be mailed to me in 4 to 6 weeks. Unfortunately for me all did not go so well. The Service Ontario server seemed to have some problem, leaving me with no temporary drivers license, and unsure if my credit card transaction actually went through. In the end I had to personally go to the local Service Ontario office in order to get my temporary drivers license. Service Ontario’s web service really does not work.

Price Chopper Canada Honours Scanner Price Accuracy Code

Price Chopper at Brimley/Huntingwood, Toronto, Ontario,Canada, now closed but not forgotten

Price Chopper at Brimley/Huntingwood, Toronto, Ontario,Canada, now closed but not forgotten

There is a marked difference between a company policy and their practice. Companies love to post their policies touting their honesty. Fair enough, but more importantly, when a customer wishes to exercise the policy, does the store truly stand behind the propaganda? Today I am happy to say that Price Chopper Canada, part of the Sobey’s chain, did uphold their Scanner Price Accuracy Code, at the cost of $4.99CAD, or the price of a 500 sheet of paper napkins. I thank Price Chopper Canada for their honesty.

Freezing Rain, 2017 Feb 07, Toronto, Canada

Freezing rain in Toronto, Canada, 2017 Feb 07, 13:02. Photo by Don Tai

Freezing rain in Toronto, Canada, 2017 Feb 07, 13:02. Photo by Don Tai

We are getting a good bout of freezing rain, as two storm fronts merge over the Greater Toronto Area. The first is warm and moist, from the Gulf of Mexico. The second is cold from the north-west. As they merge the warm one rises, dropping its rain. The rain goes through the cold front, which is lower than the warm front, chilling the rain. As it is below zero C the rain hits the ground and freezes. Freezing rain is very hazardous to walking, riding bicycles and driving cars.

Viking Auto Dryer: Heating Element Replacement

Viking Auto Dryer by the T. Eaton Company, 1995, front control panel. Photo by Don Tai

Viking Auto Dryer by the T. Eaton Company, 1995, front control panel. Photo by Don Tai

Dead it was, our dryer, a Viking Auto Dryer, from the T. Eaton Company, circa 1995, model number EDX22RW1181, front load, Toronto, Canada, hopelessly turning and turning, all without heat. Of course our clothes were not dry after an hour. Wife was not impressed and put the dryer at the top of my “to do” list. A solution was required before the next weekend load. Nothing stops for laundry or cooking.

Trying Rona Canada Price Match Policy: Not Smooth

Rare, is my visits to Rona Home and Garden Store, here in Scarborough, Toronto, Canada, at Midland near Steeles. While they are pretty clean and almost all the sales associates speak Mandarin, close by there is also the Home Depot Head Office store, as well as Lowes.

Starfrit Spriralizer cuts veg into long and thin spaghetti, on sale at Cantire for $20, Walmart regular price $26, Rona regular price $23. Rona grudgingly price matched Cantire and then beat them by an additional 10 percent. Yay, but laborious to remind Rona staff of their online policy.

Starfrit Spriralizer cuts veg into long and thin spaghetti, on sale at Cantire for $20, Walmart regular price $26, Rona regular price $23. Rona grudgingly price matched Cantire and then beat them by an additional 10 percent. Yay, but laborious to remind Rona staff of their online policy.

2016 Crab Apple Tree and Blossoms, Toronto, Canada

This year, 2016, is a an excellent year for my crab apple tree. The blossoms are really pretty, and the weather has cooperated. They will stay fresh for only 5 days max, and then will die. For now we can enjoy them, as they splash their pink hue from outside into our house. The tree is male, so bears no apples.

2016 Crab Apple Tree, male, a couple of days before full bloom. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Photo by Don Tai

2016 Crab Apple Tree, male, a couple of days before full bloom. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Photo by Don Tai

2016 Crab Apple Tree bloom, a couple of days before full bloom.  Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Photo 1 by Don Tai

2016 Crab Apple Tree bloom, a couple of days before full bloom. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Photo 1 by Don Tai

TDSB Gifted Program: My Experience

Little Weed has been in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Gifted Program for elementary school for a couple of years now. Overall it has been a great experience, though not without the occasional bumps on the road. I thought I’d write down some of my impressions, from one who is in the middle of the journey, to those who may be thinking about starting the journey.

TDSB Public School Excess Capacity: Close Schools

Difficult as it may be, hard decisions often need to be made. The Toronto District School Board, Toronto, Canada, has seen an average of 4% falling enrollment for their students for a good decade or more. This is a well known problem, but has been highlighted recently because of funding shortfalls and possible scandal at the school board. The under utilization problem is very well known. There was even a Queen’s University study on the subject.Yet there is no political will to close schools, even in the face of an obvious decline in students and therefore, government funding. Elected school trustees seem to not be able to do their jobs.