An 81-year-old Long Branch widow will undergo less stress this Christmas after a City by-law infraction to pave her gravel driveway was quashed.

Zandra Forbes-Roberts , who lives on Walnut Crescent, received a hand-delivered  mail last August 15 from City officials ordering her to pave her gravel driveway as it is an alleged by-law infraction.

“I am glad it is over. It was a lot of stress that I do not wish on anyone,” she said. “Having to deal with the City is not easy.”

The alleged infraction was rescinded on December 9 by members at a Standing Committee Zoom hearing.

The long-time area resident has been living in the same house for about 50 years. The home is a former area cottage, with no basement, which was built in 1910 and still in good shape, she said.

“I am a senior living on a fixed income so the paving of the driveway will cause financial hardship, as it will cost between $6500.00 to $10,00,” Forbes-Roberts told a panel. “ I have always made every effort to maintain my property in good order.”

The case has generated a lot of attention with more than 430 people signing an online petition against the repavement.

She presented to City officials 38 photographs of homes in her area with gravel driveways.

“I am a senior living on a fixed income so the paving of the driveway will cause financial hardship, as it will cost between $6,500 to $10,00,” she told a panel. “ I have always made every effort to maintain my property in good order.”

Forbes-Roberts said the 110-year-old cottage home has had flooding issues and the gravel absorbs the excess water,

“I feel that I am being unfairly targeted, as there are approximately forty houses in my neighbourhood with gravel driveways,” she said.

By MEGAN RAMPERSAUD

The Etobicoke Community Concert Band held its much-anticipated 30^th annual holiday concert “To Much Tinsel” in the auditorium at the Etobicoke Collegiate Institute.

The December 12 concert was conducted by the Artistic Director John Edward Liddle and fans enjoyed classic Christmas songs as, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “Sleigh Ride” and many more. Attendees were invited to sing along to the Christmas songs and celebrated the season with treats during intermission.

The evening featured a special reading of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by former Etobicoke MP Jean Augustine, who was last year’s special guest.

“I’m always very happy to participate in any community events… I think it’s important for us to bring young people along so that they could participate, they could learn from, they could be mentored by some of the older musicians in the band,” Augustine said.

She said the songs brought a fresh cultural and religious spirit of Christmas over the years. “If you walk through the room I’m sure people here are all religions and all nationality, but we all gravitate around the Christmas spirit… these men and women who are a part of the community are bringing that joy to us.”

This year’s holiday concert was special to Liddle as the band is celebrating its 30^th anniversary. “It’s an honour to still be doing it… COVID-19 has destroyed a lot of bands and our audience was older, so there was a three-year spread where nothing was happening,” he said.

The band consists of about 40 volunteer musicians of all ages. “So now we’re in a rebuilding phase with regards to audiences and letting everybody know we still exist,” he said. Liddle explained that no person is left out and the goal is for ‘the community to feel life with music for a couple of hours.’

Band president Althea Robinson plays second clarinet in the band, which ‘holds a very special place personally and is very community focused.’ She looking forward to continued growth now that the band is in its third decade.

“It’s a privilege and honour to have Jean Augustine narrate for us, every year we try to have a special guest read but we were lucky to get her again … it’s a fan favourite because it’s something we do every year,” she said.

Robinson spotlights inclusivity, explaining that ‘any degree of musical talent is welcomed.’ Those who are interested in volunteering as a musician, can e-mail them by visiting its website.

Four Etobicoke teachers have been awarded the prestigious Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence for positively changing the lives of their students.

“Every year, educators spark curiosity, build confidence and change the lives of their students,” said awards spokesman Eric Dumoulin.

He said The Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence in STEM and Excellence in Early Childhood Education recognize their outstanding contributions.

This year 70 recipients from across the country were honoured with awards for their creativity and dedication.

The top Etobicoke educators teach at Beaumonde Heights Junior Middle School, Thistletown Collegiate Institute and Silver Creek Pre-School.

Teachers Chev Cheney and Pawanjit Kaur Wander, of Beaumonde Heights, in the Islington and Finch Aves. W. area, took top honours for teaching excellence.

“Cheney turns student voice into a tool for change,” according to a release. “Through podcasts and media projects, he teaches them to speak up and impact their world.”

Wander puts inclusion and social justice front and center as her students ‘speak up, express themselves, and engage in their community. She shows them their voices can transform society.’

Thistletown’s Keith Hoare is described as making science exciting and accessible to his students.

“His hands-on experiments push his students to think differently,” organizers noted. “His teaching turns curiosity into a driver of success.”

Nicholson was recognized for Excellence in Early Childhood Education, and awakening  scientific curiosity through hands-on experiments.

“Her students ask questions, tinker, and discover for themselves. Her classroom becomes a lab of wonder,” they noted.

The Prime Minister’s Awards recognize teachers and early childhood educators for their achievements in education.

Nominations for the 2026 Prime Minister’s Awards are now open and the deadline is January 14.

Treena Evans  and hubby Bob Carrol are working to keep at risk members of the community warm and safe this winter.

Evans has owned the Spin Me a Yarn store for eight years at 2855 Lake Shore Blvd. W., and is involved in a range of charities.

Her store is well-known to area crafters for helping residents stay out of the cold.
Outside the store are plastic bags containing home-made items as toques, gloves or scarves tied to a pole and available free for those who are suffering from the cold.

All the items in Project Warmth are knitted or crocheted with love by dozens of volunteers, some in a social room in the store.

“We have been doing this for three years,” Evans said. “Most of the items are gone overnight taken by those in need.”

She shows a “ thank you” note left by someone who took items to fight the deep freeze.

“Anyone in need can come and take one,” Evans said. “The items are placed in plastic bags and are for those who are cold.”

Bob said he got the idea from a social media post by another yarn shop years ago.

“People in the community know the items are here and take it to stay warm,” he said.

Evans said more younger people are getting into the craft since COVID.

“It is good for concentration and mindfulness,” she said. “There are many benefits to crocheting and knitting.”

The store is busy this holiday as people stock up with wool, yarn, needles and other accessories.

Customers like the social space for crafters to knit and crochet;  a place for people to learn new skills and where people can gather and share their projects.

“We carry a wide range of Indy dyed yarns from local and Canadian dyers and we focus on bringing in new yarns every month,” she said.

Today the couple are loading dozens of  boxes into a vehicle in a Shoebox Project, in which the boxes are filled with gifts for at-risk women in shelters.

They are also involved in a drive making blankets for pets in shelters.

You can visit the store at spinmeayarn.ca

A well-known community volunteer, former teacher, Rotarian and Caribana bandleader is being mourned by family and friends.
Former high school teacher Courtney Doldron passed away in mid November. He was 75.
Doldron was a member of the Lakeshore Charitable Foundation that works with students and has twinned Toronto schools with three schools in the Philippines.
He visited students at one of the schools there last February and was presented the Distinguished Service Cross at the International Assembly in Cebu.
An educator, he taught at the Toronto public and Catholic school boards for a number of years before retiring in 2009 as a Co-operative Education Facilitator.
There was no relaxation for Doldron as he gave a lot of time to charity work.

He was best-known for leading his own band of revellers for many years with Caribana, now known as the Caribbean Cultural Committee.
Doldron also received the Queen Elizabeth 11 Platinum Jubilee Medallion recently in Toronto for his years of service to the community.
He was active in the Rotary Club and was an Assistant Governor with Rotary District 7070 in Toronto.
The father of three grown daughters was a former president of the Ontario Multicultural Association, Bayview Village Association and founder of Afri-Americas Foundation.
He never lived to see a dream come true. He was booked on a 17-day cruise in December to Argentina, Antartica and Falkland Island.
“May the good Lord bless and keep me for this period of my life,” he wrote on social media.
His friend Paul Rampersaud said: .He has been a long standing friend and supporter who we have worked with for over 25+ years. Truly will be missed in the Caribbean scene and culture.”