Residents are asked to rally around the Canadian flag as it turns 60 and Canada-U.S. tariff talks escalate.

Community residents are asked to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the Canadian flag on February 15.

At noon on that day there will be a celebration of the flag at the flagpole at Eighth Street and Lake Shore Blvd. W.

Organizers said it is a good time to rally around the Canadian flag especially with political leadership vacuum in Ottawa, elections in Ontario and a U.S. tariff fight on our hands.

“We have to rally and show how proud we are to be Canadian,”’ said area resident Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, who has been spearheading the flag drive for years. “We have to rally around our flag.”

He and other are calling for a Canadian National Flag Day for people to pay respect to our flag to be established on February 15.

This flag day there will be a birthday cake to be shared, some words by MP James Maloney, music by the Royal Canadian Navy Band and more.

“It’s the Maple Leaf forever,” Korwin-Kuczynski said. “The flag is a symbol of our country.”

The Canadian National Flag was officially adopted on February 15, 1965. The flag was designed by historian George Stanley and approved by Parliament in 1964. Queen Elizabeth II signed a royal proclamation ratifying the flag on January 28, 1965.

The flag was showcased at Expo ’67 in 1967, Canada’s 100th birthday year.

The National Flag of Canada, though simple with its red and white colours and a single maple leaf, is respected around the world and symbolizes pride and strength throughout Canadian history.

Those wishing to vote early for the February 27 Ontario election can do so at an Evans Avenue banquet hall.

The early votes can be cast at the Trident Banquet Hall, enter through doors under YHO sign, at 145 Evans Avenue.

The candidates vying for the Etobicoke Lakeshore provincial riding are PC Christine Hogarth, health care worker Lee Fairclough running for the Liberal Party, Rozhen Asrani of the Ontario NDP and Sean NcClocklin, of the Green Party.

Asrani said on her website that after moving to Mimico with her wife in 2021, she became President of the Mimico Residents Association, advocating for local issues like responsible development and infrastructure improvements.

Motivated by the lack of effective leadership on key community challenges, Rozhen believes the area deserves strong leadership and real change.

Many Hogarth and some Fairclough signs are visible in the community.

“I am working hard to earn the trust and vote of the people in Etobicoke-Lakeshore,” Fairclough said.

 She has more than 27 years of experience working in health care in a variety of roles related to the delivery of care in hospitals, leadership, and policy, 18 years in a leadership capacity.

She was also President of St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener leading a team through the pandemic.

McClocklin has been a long-time Green Party organizer and former riding president.

The polling station will remain open until February 26 and the hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. They are open until 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Voters can also vote by mail by visiting elections.on.ca

To be eligible to vote you must be 18 years of age or older, a Canadian citizen and resident of Ontario. ID is required to vote in a provincial election.

Photo ID is not required when you go to vote and you do not need to provide any information about your sex or gender expression.

ID can be shown on a mobile device. International ID or permanent resident cards are not accepted.

To be eligible to vote, you must be: 18 years of age older, a Canadian citizen and a resident of Ontario. A list of polling day stations will be released on February 14.

The City is looking at opening up more warming centres following repeated calls from social workers for more places for the homeless to remain warm in South Etobicoke.

The move comes as City officials plan to build an 80-bed shelter for the homeless on Third Street which has been met with mixed feelings in the community.

A drop-in meeting to discuss the Third Street shelter will take place on February 10, at Humber College Building G, at 17 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Drive. It runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

City staff have launched a study into warming centres and winter respite sites in a bid to open up more beds or warming spaces for the homeless.

An audit was conducted by Toronto Shelter and Support Services (TSSS) into our winter warming centres and respite sites and the findings will be considered by City Council on February 12.

The audit calls for data to determine how many winter program spaces are needed, and how many people are turned away every night, directed elsewhere, or leave without accessing a bed or warm space.

City officials also want to know how many people are able to stay inside a site to keep warm but are not able to access a bed.

The study calls for a review of the procedure involved in deactivation of warming centres and respites.

Workers have complained that homeless people in South Etobicoke have to travel downtown to find a bed or place to warm up due to a lack of facilities.

The TSSS is looking at ways to maximize the beds made available by the winter respite sites, warming centres, and surge sites during the cold weather.

City agencies have been asked to be on the lookout for possible sites for warming centres or respites.

“People experiencing homelessness are particularly vulnerable to illness and injury as a result of exposure to cold temperatures,” the audit warns.

The audit calls for TSSS to and secure temporary sites and come up with a contingency plan as to where to send people when shelters are filled.

Nine City of Toronto employees were disciplined and action taken against 23 affiliated vendors last year for ripping off taxpayers.

Almost 700 complaints were received from the public last year citing 1,050 allegations of wrongdoing by City staff or its vendors in a Fraud and Waste Hotline.

The complaints were investigated by a forensic team of the Toronto Auditor General’s Office to determine if credible. More than 120 complaints led to further investigation by the City’s agencies and divisions.

Some 17 of 32 investigations were substantiated in whole or in part. Most of the allegations were left as tips on the hotline anonymously.

The probes led to nine City employees being disciplined, 23 cases in which action were taken against vendors, employees or members of the public who were part of a scheme.

The study said there are about 1,250 allegations filed yearly to City officials and the program has saved the City $2 million in losses and $1.1 million in potential losses from 2020 to 2024, during which more than 14,500 complaints were filed by City staff and residents.

It said the report helps reduce waste and deters wrongdoing and abuse by City staff, detects emerging trends, strengthens guidelines and keeps workers honest.

Since the program launch in 2020 some 19 City employees have been disciplined and actions have been taken against 52 City employees, vendors or members of the public.

The disciplinary action against employees can include suspension to dismissal if the allegation against them is substantiated.

The complaints include fraud by employees or vendors, theft or waste of City assets or subsidies, breaching public trust of conflict of interest provisions.

All City employees who are aware that wrongdoing has occurred are required to notify their manager, their Division Head, or the Auditor General’s Office;

If you suspect a fraud or other wrongdoing by City employees or vendors you can e-mail your complaint to AuditorGeneral@toronto.ca or visit torontoauditor.ca.

Here is a chance to hear your candidates in a much-anticipated debate just weeks before the September 27 provincial elections.

The Ontario Election 2025 Etobicoke-Lakeshore Candidate Debate will take place on February 12 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Daily Bread Food Bank, at 191 New Toronto Street.

The upcoming debate is a valuable opportunity for residents to hear directly from candidates about how they plan to address core challenges affecting local residents and Ontarians, the Food Bank said.

The candidates for the Etobicoke-Lakeshore provincial riding are incumbent PC candidate Christine Hogarth, Liberal health care worker Lee Fairclough and New Democrat community advocate Rozhen Asrani, president of the Mimico Residents Association.

You are asked to register for the free event to confirm your attendance as space is limited. The website for the food bank is dailybread.ca

At 16-years he should be in school studying, instead his parents are making plans to bury him.
Police are hunting for the gunmen who killed a local 16-year old boy and wounded another teen in the City’s second murder of the year.
The teen has been identified as Isiah Fogah, 16, who was shot and killed on February 4 at about 5:28 p.m. at a 7 Capri Road highrise in the East Mall and Rathburn Road area.
A 19-year-old is in hospital in serious condition suffering from gunshot wounds. Both teens lived in the building.
“Life-saving measures were commenced,” according to police. “The victims were both transported to hospital where one male succumbed to his injuries.”

“At this time, we do understand this is a very concerning incident for the residents of the building, those affected, and the rest of the community in the area,” said Duty Insp. Phillip Sinclair.
“We do want to ensure the public at this time that we’re putting all the necessary resources in place to help to identify those responsible to solve this homicide.”
Witnesses said the shooting took place in the common areas of the building.
“I have never seen anything like this in my life,” one stunned resident. “It was terrible.”
Police said men wearing masks were seen running away.
There are no motive at this time for the gunplay but Toronto Police Homicide Squad is investigating.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.

City officials on the verge of Black History Month say their workforce and services are more inclusive and diversified that ever even though women in senior positions have decreased.

The first Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Annual Performance Report was presented to City Council on January 28 for consideration. It is a progress report of City departments and services provided to the public.

The report stated the amount of senior racialized decision makers in the Toronto Public Service (TPS) at a Division Head or above rose to 27 per cent from 18 per cent.

At the same time the number of women in senior management decreased to 35 per cent, compared to 44 per cent the prior year. There was no reason for the dip.

The report said the number of under-represented persons in the TPS increased in 2023, so did the amount of racialized people from 47.3 per cent to 49.2 per cent. The amount of employees with disabilities rose along with those identifying as LGBTQ2S.

City staff said 375 new “For Indigenous, By Indigenous” homes have been approved since 2020.

The report said about 3,000 people are on a waiting list for homes, and 1,622 grants were provided through Toronto Rent Bank to low income residents in need of help.

Almost 650 tenants were spared from eviction through a City Eviction Prevention program that helps low-income marginalized renters facing the boot.

Staff said the City’s Shelter and Support Services (TSSS) provided emergency shelter to more than 22,000 people experiencing homelessness and helped about 6,000 move from a shelter to permanent housing.

They also provided emergency shelter and wrap-around supports to 8,500 refugee claimants.

In addition, more than 1,000 people were referred into the shelter system from the streets, of which 350 were successfully housed.

The report said $1.16 billion is embedded in the budget for social outcome. It includes for $659.7 million for Shelter and Support Services; $394.8 million for Social and Affordable housing initiatives and $105.7 million for Children’s Services.

The Toronto Public Service has around 42,000 employees, who provide services and programs to residents, as well as to visitors and businesses.