Santa’s Back on SaturdayBring your puppies, cats, budgies, hamsters and even your fish for your annual photo opportunity with Santa. This year, there are two stops: Pet Valu (240 Carlton) from 11 am to 2 pm and Menagerie Pet Shop (549 Parliament) from 3 pm to 6 pm. It only costs $10 for a wonderful souvenir of a snowy Christmas. 
Five instruments and a scintillating singer perform Christmas carols for you on Sunday afternoon, December 21, at the Ben Wicks (424 Parliament). Don’t miss this annual performance – back again by popular demand.
Christmas Day
Once again, Cranberries (601 Parliament) is hosting its annual Christmas feast. A three course dinner with appetizers, turkey and trimmings and dessert will be offered in two sittings (at 5 pm and 8 pm). $24.99 per person. Reservations are needed since the restaurant sells out each year (416-925-6330).
Find out a lot more about the menu, hours and restaurant by clicking on our new link: .
http://cranberriesincabbagetown.blogspot.com/
Food shop news
St Jamestown Steak & Chops (516 Parliament) now has two new offerings from Quebec for your Christmas feast - foie gras from La Ferme and fresh duck breasts. Check with Mark as well about your Christmas turkey.
Patty at The Epicure Shop (473 Parliament) is offering a Canadian Christmas for you. She’s got Rain Coast Crisps (2 for $11.99, save $2), Kicking Horse Coffee (at $12.99, again for a $2 savings) and Greaves Jams (2 for $6.99) . There’s no tax on her Gift Baskets and she has a nice selection of homemade mincemeat pies, short bread and gingerbread.
At Daniel et Daniel (248 Carlton), Christmas Yule Logs are highlighted. You can pick one up in either mocha, chocolate or hazelnut. They’re priced by weight. These aren’t their only offerings, of course. You can make it a lot easier to buy all their goodies by using their Gift Card – with optional values.
Movies at the Library
Parliament Library (269 Gerrard) is hosting a screening of the fabulous film, “Detective Jones and the Case of the Missing…” Bumbling detective Jim Jones and his photographer sidekick are called upon to solve the mystery of a building that suddenly disappears from Regent Park. Saturday, December 20, 3 pm.
Last Minute Shoppers
We can flock to the Farm – the Riverdale Farm Shop that is. They have plenty of goodies left for you and this year, they’re providing gift certificates as well. (Winchester & Sumach)
Santa's return brings back memories of a great friend, Wendy, who didn't quite make it for a second photo. 
Sterling Brass at the Ben Wicks
Sterling Brass at the Ben Wicks
Five instruments and a scintillating singer perform Christmas carols for you on Sunday afternoon, December 21, at the Ben Wicks (424 Parliament). Don’t miss this annual performance – back again by popular demand.Christmas Day
Once again, Cranberries (601 Parliament) is hosting its annual Christmas feast. A three course dinner with appetizers, turkey and trimmings and dessert will be offered in two sittings (at 5 pm and 8 pm). $24.99 per person. Reservations are needed since the restaurant sells out each year (416-925-6330).Find out a lot more about the menu, hours and restaurant by clicking on our new link: .
http://cranberriesincabbagetown.blogspot.com/
Food shop news
St Jamestown Steak & Chops (516 Parliament) now has two new offerings from Quebec for your Christmas feast - foie gras from La Ferme and fresh duck breasts. Check with Mark as well about your Christmas turkey.Patty at The Epicure Shop (473 Parliament) is offering a Canadian Christmas for you. She’s got Rain Coast Crisps (2 for $11.99, save $2), Kicking Horse Coffee (at $12.99, again for a $2 savings) and Greaves Jams (2 for $6.99) . There’s no tax on her Gift Baskets and she has a nice selection of homemade mincemeat pies, short bread and gingerbread.At Daniel et Daniel (248 Carlton), Christmas Yule Logs are highlighted. You can pick one up in either mocha, chocolate or hazelnut. They’re priced by weight. These aren’t their only offerings, of course. You can make it a lot easier to buy all their goodies by using their Gift Card – with optional values.
Movies at the LibraryParliament Library (269 Gerrard) is hosting a screening of the fabulous film, “Detective Jones and the Case of the Missing…” Bumbling detective Jim Jones and his photographer sidekick are called upon to solve the mystery of a building that suddenly disappears from Regent Park. Saturday, December 20, 3 pm.
Last Minute Shoppers
We can flock to the Farm – the Riverdale Farm Shop that is. They have plenty of goodies left for you and this year, they’re providing gift certificates as well. (Winchester & Sumach)
Carlton & Parliament 
The Committee of Adjustment of the City of Toronto will be holding a meeting to consider the plans and applications by George Foulides who owns the old JavaVille site at Carlton and Parliament (493 Parliament). The meeting will be in Committee Room 2, Second Floor at City Hall at 9 am on Wednesday, January 7. The file number is A0988/08TEY.
George is asking for permission to demolish the current structure and put up a three-storey non-residential building in its place. He is seeking approval for two variances: to increase the non-residential density from 1.0 to 2.90 times the area of the lot and to be exempted from the required eleven parking spaces.
This meeting serves two purposes. The Committee will consider George’s plans and requests. In addition, it will consider any public comments that it receives either by letter, by fax or by a personal appearance during the meeting.
If you want further information, you can contact either Doug Fisher at the BIA (416-921-0857) or Sean MacIntyre at Pam McConnell’s office (416-392-0207).
Scam report…
If It’s Too Good To Be True…then don’t believe it. Ruth at Cranberries reports that she ran into one of these crazy scams.
She got a phone call from a man in the USA, in Delaware. He asked about catering for a group of students visiting Toronto for four days. They would need lunch and dinner for each day. He then emailed her with his request and she gave him a full run-down on their menu, services and prices. Everything was credible and explained in detail.
Suddenly, a cheque for $4800 arrived in the mail. Two days later, she got a panicky phone call from this guy, telling her that 11 students had cancelled. Could she send back a refund for $2200 to cover their costs? Of course, the scam is simple – it takes about two weeks for a cheque written in the United States to clear in Canada and by the time it’s proven to be a dud, the guy would be long gone.
Ruth isn’t dumb. She didn’t try to cash the first cheque, didn’t send a refund and called the police.
The Committee of Adjustment of the City of Toronto will be holding a meeting to consider the plans and applications by George Foulides who owns the old JavaVille site at Carlton and Parliament (493 Parliament). The meeting will be in Committee Room 2, Second Floor at City Hall at 9 am on Wednesday, January 7. The file number is A0988/08TEY.George is asking for permission to demolish the current structure and put up a three-storey non-residential building in its place. He is seeking approval for two variances: to increase the non-residential density from 1.0 to 2.90 times the area of the lot and to be exempted from the required eleven parking spaces.
This meeting serves two purposes. The Committee will consider George’s plans and requests. In addition, it will consider any public comments that it receives either by letter, by fax or by a personal appearance during the meeting.
If you want further information, you can contact either Doug Fisher at the BIA (416-921-0857) or Sean MacIntyre at Pam McConnell’s office (416-392-0207).
Scam report…
If It’s Too Good To Be True…then don’t believe it. Ruth at Cranberries reports that she ran into one of these crazy scams.
She got a phone call from a man in the USA, in Delaware. He asked about catering for a group of students visiting Toronto for four days. They would need lunch and dinner for each day. He then emailed her with his request and she gave him a full run-down on their menu, services and prices. Everything was credible and explained in detail.
Suddenly, a cheque for $4800 arrived in the mail. Two days later, she got a panicky phone call from this guy, telling her that 11 students had cancelled. Could she send back a refund for $2200 to cover their costs? Of course, the scam is simple – it takes about two weeks for a cheque written in the United States to clear in Canada and by the time it’s proven to be a dud, the guy would be long gone.
Ruth isn’t dumb. She didn’t try to cash the first cheque, didn’t send a refund and called the police.
