The National Hockey League (NHL) has adjusted its conferences for the 2013-2014 Season. The Conferences will now have two divisons each instead of the current three. However, due to how the alignment has been made, the ‘new’ Eastern Conference will have 16 teams while the ‘new’ Western Conference will only have 14 teams. The four divisions currently do not have any names, only letters.
The NHL Conferences will look as follows: Continue reading
Gerry Hyman has a new article for the Toronto Star. I would like to discuss some of the questions he responded to. Firstly, this one:
Q: Our board has been funding a social committee to the tune of $200 a month to finance assorted functions that are attended by fewer than five per cent of approximately 400 residents. Is it legitimate that all owners are required to contribute through their common expenses to events that the vast majority have no interest in attending?
A: The Condominium Act defines common expenses as “the expenses related to the performance of the objects and duties of a corporation and all expenses specified as common expenses in this Act or in a declaration.” The objects of a corporation are “to manage the property and assets, if any, of the corporation on behalf of the owners.” The duties of a corporation are “to control, manage and administer the common elements and assets of the corporation.” I am of the opinion that the social committee expenditures benefitting very few of the residents are not related to the performance of the objects or duties of the corporation.
The board, if it wishes to obligate all of the owners to provide such funding, should amend the declaration to specify that the expenditures are common expenses. The declaration amendment will require written approval of owners of 80 per cent of the units.
The person raising the question has not specified whether or not the Board has allowed the Social Committee to raise funds on their own through a donation box, 50/50 draws, etc. The Board should allow the Committee to do this in any case as it may help to either reduce, or eliminate the need for monthly amounts plus as long as it voluntary it allows those attending to decide whether or not they wish to give any money or not. Continue reading
The Toronto Wagner Society will be celebrating the 200th birth of composer Richard Wagner on Saturday May 25th, 2013.
The event takes place at the Arts and Letters Club (14 Elm Street) starting at 9:00 am. There will be two interviews in the morning with directors Francesca Zambello and Atom Egoyan, as well as a presentation by Bernard Gilbert – the production manager of the current Ring Cycle at the Met Opera directed by Rober Lepage.
In the afternoon, the Society presents a live performance of Act 1 of Die Walküre by Opera by Request.
The Society is accepting donations for this event, which are tax deductible. However, due to costs there will an entrance fee of $35 per member, $45 for non-members. People can reserve a seat by e-mailing the Society at torontowagner@yahoo.com.
For more information, please check out their website.
Now that April has come to an end, I’d like to examine how the Blue Jays are performing compared to the 2012 Season. This season was taunted as being a breakout year for the Toronto Blue Jays after the acquisition of a number of players in the offseason including NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, four time Gold Glove winner Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Maicer Izturis, Melky Cabrera, 2011 NL Batting Chmapion José Reyes, and Emilio Bonifacio.
After their April 30th game against division rival Boston Red Sox, the Blue Jays are 10-17 for .370 winning record. After their game on April 30th 2012, the Toronto Blue Jays were 12-11 for .522 winning record. Last year they were three games behind the division leader, while this year they are 8.5 games behind the division leading Boston Red Sox. They currently sit 6 games out of a wildcard spot. Continue reading
Now that the season has ended with the Ottawa Senators defeating Boston Bruins 4-2, the final Standings for the NHL are as follows:
Eastern Conference
#1 Pittsburgh Penguins 36-12-0 for 72 points
#2 Montreal Canadiens 29-14-5 for 63 points
#3 Washington Capitals 27-18-3 for 57 points
#4 Boston Bruins 28-14-6 for 62 points
#5 Toronto Maple Leafs 26-17-5 for 57 points
#6 New York Rangers 26-18-4 foe 56 pojnts
#7 Ottawa Senators 25-17-6 for 56 points
#8 New York Islanders 24-17-7 for 55 points Continue reading
It’s now the end of the National Hockey League (NHL) 2012-2013 regular season, with the Toronto Maple Leafs playing host to their arch rivals the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens would win 4-1, to finish the regular season with 29 wins, 14 losses, and five overtime losses, good enough for first place in the Northeast Division and second place overall in the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs finished with a record of 26 wins, 17 losses, and five overtime losses for 57 points, good for third place in the Northeast Divsion and fifth place overall in the Eastern Conference.
Let’s look at the greatest rivalry in sports:
The Maple Leafs and Habs have met 15 times in the post season, the last time being in 1979. Of those meetings, five have been for the Stanley Cup (1947, 1951, 1959, 1960, 1967) with the Leafs winning three of those finals. The two teams also played for the NHL Title (and the right to play for the Stanley Cup) in 1918, which Toronto also one. Overall, Montreal has won eight of the playoff meetings between the two teams with a record of 42-29. Continue reading
I want to raise the question of whether or not the title character of Lohengrin in Wagner’s opera is really a hero?
We know that in Act 1 of Lohengrin, the ‘unknown knight’ appears to save Elsa when she is accused of murdering her younger brother the Duke Gottfried of Brabant. In the Trial by Combat that occurs, Lohengrin defeats Elsa’s accusor, Count Friedrich von Telramund.
We know that Lohengrin offers to defend Elsa, and to marry her, only if she never asks him who he is or where he came from. Naturally, Elsa is in no position to refuse any help that she can get – she is being accused of murder after all. So right away, one has to question the situation – why should this man be willing to take advantage of a woman like this? Continue reading
Gerry Hyman has written a new article on condominiums. From that article, I would like to discuss a question that was posed by a reader:
Q: One of our directors, who is also the treasurer, takes inappropriate action on his own without authorization from the board. He calls and directs the corporation’s lawyer and contractors. He ignores instructions from the other directors that he must obtain board approval before taking these steps. Does the Condominium Act deal with such conduct by a director?
A: The Condominium Act specifies that the board of directors will manage the affairs of the corporation. No director has the authority to take any action on behalf of the board unless the action has been authorized by a board resolution.
If the board believes that the director’s role as treasurer is a factor in his conduct, it could remove him from that office. The board could pass a resolution that the corporation’s lawyer be advised that the director has no authority to instruct the lawyer. The lawyer’s opinion might be obtained as to available remedies. That will include removal of the director from the board before the end of his term by an affirmative vote of owners of more than 50 per cent of the units at an owners’ meeting called for that purpose.
I would like to specifically discuss the portion of Mr. Hyman’s response which is bolded: the requirement of the Condominium Act require a majority vote of all owners to remove a director. Continue reading
After playing 35 games of a 48 game shortened season, the Maple Leafs sit in 6th place in the Eastern Conference, and in 4th place in the Northeast Division with a record of 19 wins, 12 losses, and 4 overtime losses for 42 points. They are 5 points behind Montreal for the lead in their division, and 12 points behind Pittsburgh in the Conference.
Toronto’s offense has been lead by Nazem Kadri with 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists), James van Riemsdyk (14 goals), and Phil Kessel (24 assists.) Kadri has a plus/minus of +17, Mark Fraser is +15, and Cody Franson +9. Ben Scrivens has a GAA of 2.59 which is 26th overall. James Reimer has a GAA of 2.65 for 28th overall. Scrivens has a save percentage of .918, good for 16th overall, while Reimer has a save percentage of .916 for 22nd. Reimer has started 19 games and has a record of 12-4-4 good for 16th place, while Scrivens started 16 games with a record of 7-8-0 for 35th place. Continue reading
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