Are you one of the thousands of cars that battles the traffic up and down Bathurst street at anytime of the day, not just rush hour times?

If you drive north and south on Bathurst, the Liberty Sales centre office just north of Centre Street has been a permenant fixture since early 2003. It has been the home to the sales of 50-60 Disera, 7-15 North Park Road , 20-30 North Park and the townhomes, and now the Foutains at the southwest corner of North Park Road and New Westminister drive.

There has been tremendous growth in this community since the mid 2000’s. HUGE growth along Disera drive with a Walmart (eyesore) to the numerous restuarants, shops, banks, and other community necessities. There is now a Russian Jewish Centre under construction at North Park Road and Bathurst.

Where that sales centre stands, was originally zoned for a 2 story commercial space to occupy the land. Last September there was a change to the city plan to have that area zoned for a mixed commercial – mid rise residential mix. Liberty developement has made a proposal to the city to change the zoning to a high density condo complex mixed with commercial on that exact site.

They are proposing two high rise towers – 1 32 story and 1 1story buidling on that property, bringing close to 600 more units to our bustling community.

Not to mention, the land just north of there (where the green fence is) is owned by a developer who is just waiting to build what is also zoned for high density condo developement.

I attended a condo board meeting tonight and the head people at Liberty where at the meeting trying to convince us “what a great thing” this is for the community. Sure, from a builder’s perspective, it is a great thing. But from a resident, who already sees the issues of traffic and safety, I am not so sure.

There is a public hearing at Vaughan City hall this coming Tuesday night at city hall. This application to ammend the city’s official plan is being put forth. Our buildings are trying to rally as many people to come to this meeting as possible.

If you live in this area, and have a view or opinion, or know someone who does, I encourage you to pass this information on. Maybe in the grand scheme of things, we cannot fight the big corporate machine, but at least we can try.

Here are the details about the meeting:

Committee of the whole (public hearing)
November 15th, 2011 @ 7pm
Vaughan City Hall, council chambers
2141 Major Mackenzie Drive

Application: to ammend the city’s Official Plan and Zoning by-law 1-88 to redesignate the subject lands from “Town Centre Commercial” to “High Density Residential/Commercial” and rezone the subject lands from C2 General Commercial Zone to RA3 Apartment Residential Zone with specific provisions.

Should be an interesting night next week – I hope there is a good turnout. Anyone want to come with me?

It may seem kind of funny to you that until I turned 40 that I actually started to enjoy coffee. I mean, I have had coffee off and on for years, but never really liked it unless it had a lot of milk in it, more latte style.

Crazy….considering meeting people at Starbucks is a natural meeting place for me, and I meet people there all the time. I usually order a skinny vanilla bean latte, so not really a “coffee” per se, but you know what I mean.

This summer I have to admit to enjoying my iced coffees. Afterall, they were $1 at McD’s and after many many many attempts I was able to enjoy one that didn’t have 1000 calories. It was a crazy process. They have the McCafe machines, that will make drinks using 1% milk….but the Iced Cofees that they make they either use cream or 2%. How hard was it to go to the other machine and pump out the 1% milk? Well, for most staff at McD’s….it was very hard. Once I knew how to order it, I was on my way.

Now, I make it at my house….which is a good thing because I can enjoy a drink on the way to work, but as I found out today, a bad thing for my teeth.

I had to get a filling done today…and when my dentist came into the room to freeze me, he looked at my teeth and said, “why are they so stained?” YIKES! When I told him what I had been drinking this summer and now, he told me to stop. Well….I guess I could…I mean, I don’t HAVE to have iced coffees at home, I haven’t had them for this long, why start now?

I will try not to have coffee starting today. However, I did notice on the way out of his office he had one of those commercial “tassimo” type machines in his office. I went into his private office and suggested that if he is going to recommend to his patience they give up coffee, that he should not have it available in his office. Very good point he replied….

Good thing I didn’t put the Keuring on my list for Hannukah Harry!~

After my post yesterday I was thinking more about different food we ate as kids and do we still enjoy them as much as adults. I think that everyone has a special meal that their mother made or that that grandmother made when they would go to visit. I know that I have mine. My mother is a good cook, and my grandmother was a good cook.

One of my favourite dishes that my grandmother used to make was pineapple chicken. It was always there for the holidays, and even when I would go to Montreal to visit, it was always waiting for me. It was warm, and sweet and comforting. It was made with love, and you could taste it.

She never really taught me how to make it, and the recipe is a bit sketchy (as I am sure a lot of your grandparent’s recipes were). Who really needed to know “EXACTLY” what to do, they were the ones making it each time, so they knew what to do.

I tried to make it this year. I had the chicken cut up the way she used to do it. I had the bag of flour and seasoning mixed, and I followed the best I could. I liked it when it came out of the oven (of course I had to eat a piece), but wasn’t sure how the rest of the family would feel.

On Rosh Hashanah night, Mark sits down at the table and says, “Pineapple chicken, who made this?” He then proceeded to eat a few pieces. That made me feel good. My family did enjoy it, but it wasn’t THE pineapple chicken from my childhood. Or maybe that is exactly how it was supposed to taste, and the memory of the anticipation of my grandmother making it for me is what made it taste so incredible.

I know it wasn’t as good as my grandmothers….practice makes perfect as they say. I don’t know if there will every be such as thing as perfect when you already had what you remember to be the best, but I will try again and see if I can make it like hers.