The Toronto Fire Services (TFS) is reaching out to make the service more diversified to reflect the community.

The TFS in an Inclusion and Community Outreach Update to be presented to City Council on April 16 said they are ‘fostering a culture that is safe, inclusive, welcoming and supportive for members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.’

The Services has been criticized in the past for not having a diversified workforce that reflects the population of the city.

We are “continuing to prioritize equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) at all levels of TFS,” its officials told a City committee. We are “continuing top-down culture shift and leadership expectations.”

“Conduct and behaviour that is inconsistent with corporate policy is not tolerated,” the TFS said.

The TFS said its training for recruits will include equity and inclusion, understanding gender and sexual orientation, human rights and understanding allyship.

Recruits will undergo a formal training program focusing on the historical challenges faced by Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ persons, fostering 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion and human rights.

The report said a TFS Positive Space Committee (PSC) was established in 2016 and supports 2SLGBTQ+ members through various initiatives, as participating in the Pride parade with family members; and Pride Month visibility with decals placed on fire trucks and pride-specific uniform and clothing.

TFS members will also provide advice to management on new initiatives or supports, according to the Update.

We “directly support the strategic goal of building an increasingly diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities TFS serves,” the report stated.

It said 37 per cent of its Operations staff hired last year self-identify as members of an equity deserving group; 42 per cent of its January 2024 Operation recruits identified as being members of an equity deserving group and 14 per cent as a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

The report said of the 152 members who left the TFS last year, some 132 retired, 13 resigned, two were terminated and seven died.

South Etobicoke residents will receive more convenient care with a new state-of-the-art health care centre now under construction.

Premier Doug Ford and other dignitaries took part in an April 9 ground-breaking for Trillium Health Partner’s (THP) new Gilgan Family Queensway Health Centre, opposite Sherway Gardens.

Construction began last month and the centre is expected to open in late 2029.

A $1.3 billion contract has been awarded to EllisDon for the construction work, which officials said will represent Canada’s largest health infrastructure renewal project.

The 600,000-square-feet hospital will include a new patient tower, including a modern nine-story facility with over 350 beds and fully private patient rooms to ensure privacy and enhance infection prevention control.

A new 800-space parking structure was completed in February.

The expanded space will also allow TPH to connect more people to specialized care, including continuing care and rehabilitation services, according to Ontario government officials.

“We are thrilled to break ground on the new Gilgan Family Queensway Health Centre, a critical step in making care more connected and convenient in Etobicoke and neighbouring communities,” said Premier Ford.

“With our government’s support for this project and more than 50 hospital projects across the province, we’re building a strong and resilient health care system for all Ontarians.”

TPH is one of the largest community hospital systems in Canada, serving over 1.7 million patients yearly in Mississauga, West Toronto and surrounding communities across its three sites: Credit Valley Hospital, the Mississauga Hospital and the Queensway Health Centre.

“With this new hospital expansion, our government is ensuring the needs of Peel Region and Etobicoke will be met for decades to come,” said Health Minister Sylvia Jones.

TPH President and CEO Karli Farrow said once completed the Centre will have space for more than 350 beds, allowing the hospital’s to provide quality health care from Milton to Toronto.

“This milestone brings us one step closer to more beds, shorter wait times, and greater specialization closer to home,” Farrow said.

She said demand for specialized care in the community is expected to grow significantly over the next two decades, and more specifically in the areas of rehabilitation and complex continuing care as our community ages.

The TPH will remove barriers to health and support changes for the community that address inequities and leaves no one behind, hospital officials said.

Mayor Olivia Chow and other city councillors on April 10 took part in a ground-breaking launch for the long-awaited Etobicoke Civic Centre.

Construction of the mixed-use centre is underway at City-owned lands at 3755 Bloor Street W., in the Kipling Avenue and Bloor Street W. area. It is expected to be completed in 2028, with staff moving in by December.

“The new Etobicoke Civic Centre is a landmark project that is part of a bigger vision to create a city centre in Toronto’s west end,” said Mayor Chow. “I am excited to see this development that allows residents to live, work and play in one place come to life and support our goal of getting our city back on track.”

The new civic hub will feature more than 508,000 square feet of accessible public-facing space. It will include four office towers, a podium-level multi-purpose council chamber, a child care centre, a new Toronto Public Library branch, a public health clinic for dental services and breastfeeding.

There will also be a recreation centre, ceremonial rooms, public meeting rooms, an art gallery and retail spaces, all leading out to an open civic square with a Sacred Fire Vessel.

The recreation facility is proposed to have a gymnasium, aquatic centre, multi-purpose rooms and fitness rooms, according to plans.

“This is a monumental day for the residents of Etobicoke, who have long needed a civic space that meets the growing needs of this community,” said Councillor Stephen Holyday. “With the Council Chamber and municipal offices co-located with many public facilities, the new Etobicoke Civic Centre will truly be a people-oriented development.”

The Centre will be the cornerstone of a community on six hectares of former Westwood Theatre Lands. It will anchor a new residential and retail area with as many as 2,700 homes, 900 of which will meet Toronto’s affordable housing criteria.

The Six Points area was originally a web of roads until the city began work on a new intersection in 2017. This work cost $77 million and involved the demolition of bridges and creation of regular intersections between Kipling Avenue, Bloor Street W., and Dundas Street West.

The civic square will have various types of landscaping like large erratic (boulders) landscape elements, including a water feature, garden area, event plaza, a sacred fire vessel and outdoor seating areas.

It will have 427 parking spots in two floors of underground parking. The ground floor bike storage area will have 72 short-term and 67 long-term bicycle parking spaces, and a bicycle repair area.

The spacious Civic Centre which will cost about $526 million to build.

The basement level of the centre will house a district energy plant managed by Enwave Energy Corporation which will provide energy to the entire Bloor-Kipling precinct – making this Toronto’s first near-zero emissions community.

The City of Toronto is planning to offer free Wi-Fi internet service at public building, parks and access zones.

Public discussions will begin virtually on May 30 and June 18 and in person on June 4 at the Driftwood Community Centre and June 13 at the Heron Park Community Centre.

City officials in a ConnectTO Wi-Fi Strategy said the free service is now provided at 100 Toronto public libraries, community and recreation centres, which serves 7,000 users daily.

They plan to expand the service to all City buildings, parks and so-called Wi-Fi zones ‘where users can access the internet comfortably.’

“The gap that exists between those who have affordable internet access and the skills to use modern information and communication technology and those who do not is called the digital divide,” according to ConnectTO.

“It is widely understood socio-economic inequalities like disparities in income, age, education, race, Indigeneity and ability sustain the divide,” City officials said.

They said ‘by offering free Wi-Fi in publicly accessible spaces owned or operated by the City, we’re working towards a digitally equitable Toronto.’

The City plans to provide information on the free Wi-Fi service in resource packages like services for seniors, newcomers, and MyAccesstoHousingTO applicants. They also intend to provide the service in warming and cooling centres.

The service will also be available when people seek City services, which will be listed. The City will also partner with local organizations to identify and address the needs of underserved communities.

Staff will also enhance user experience and encourage usage by providing couches, tables or privacy features so users are comfortable.

The City will display signage with information on how to connect and troubleshooting at all locations, through pamphlets,  brochures or cards and create a webpage linking all low-cost internet service provider plans including eligibility requirements.

Also proposed is the partnering with local Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) to enhance experiences by offering free Wi-Fi, connecting people to more information.

They will also create and display QR codes at public locations like monuments and discovery walks, to provide more information to users. Also planned is the installation of secure charging ports painted by local artists in outdoor spaces so users may leave devices to charge without fear of theft.

Water in the Etobicoke Creek Watershed is poor, so is its aquatic life partially due to a large amount of runoffs and erosion rate, according to a conservation report.

The Etobicoke Creek Watershed Plan states ‘there is a low amount of natural cover and the habitat rate is generally poor.’

“The remaining natural cover is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change,” according to a report released in March by the Toronto and Regional Conservation Authority (TRCA) for approval by Toronto, Peel, Mississauga, Brampton and other jurisdictions.

The implementation of the plan will help reduce flooding, improve conditions for biodiversity, and increase resiliency to the impacts of climate change across the watershed.

The Etobicoke Creek watershed is about 22,404 hectares in size and represents the south-western border of the City of Toronto. It is bordered by the Credit River watershed to the west and the Mimico Creek and Humber River watersheds to the east.

The City represents 9.2% of the Etobicoke Creek watershed area, including portions of Etobicoke-Lakeshore and Etobicoke Centre. The watershed begins in the Greenbelt in the Town of Caledon and flows south through the Cities of Brampton and Mississauga, before entering Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Etobicoke Creek in Marie Curtis Park.

The plan was developed to reflect the latest data and science, provincial policies, and best management practices. It can be refined as needed and includes regular monitoring and evaluation.

Its vision is to ensure the “Etobicoke Creek watershed is protected and restored to a cleaner, healthier, and more natural state, to sustain its waterways, ecosystems, and human communities.”

The plan in 2019 stated the Etobicoke Creek watershed is heavily urbanized with about 60 per cent of urban use; has very low amounts or about 12 per cent of natural cover and about 28 per cent of the area for rural land uses.

“The general trend indicates increasing urbanization and loss of rural and natural cover over the past two decades,” according to the report.

The plan warns that the watershed suffers from medium to high erosion sensitivity and has six flood prone areas including Long Branch, at the mouth of Etobicoke Creek north of Lakeshore Road, and West Mall in the vicinity of Dundas Street East surrounding Etobicoke Creek.

The Long Branch flood plain was hit hard during Hurricane Hazel in which the creek flooded it banks washing away homes and leading to the deaths of a number of residents.

“As urbanization increases and the climate changes, there will be negative impacts to all the watershed components,” according to the TRCA. “By increasing levels of enhancements the overall ecological health and the ability of the natural environment to adapt and respond to climate change increases.”

The report ‘provides the process for implementation, tracking and reporting of the plan and provides information on the inventory, monitoring and evaluation that will take place to evaluate watershed health, and the adaptive management plan.’

The Etobicoke Creek Watershed Plan will continue to inform land use and infrastructure planning decisions and other municipal initiatives, help identify opportunities to protect, enhance and restore the health of the watershed including important natural features and areas.

“As a downstream municipality, it is vital to acknowledge how the overall ecological health of Toronto is influenced by land use and urbanization patterns upstream,” the report stated.

Residents were stunned by all the activity from an early morning fire at a Dundas Street West and Mabelle Avenue highrise.

Two men were taken to hospital in critical condition following a high-rise fire that started in an apartment, near Kipling Avenue.

Fire fighters said the fire occurred around 9:42 a.m. on the fourth floor of the building.

They said there was thick smoke in the hallway of the building as crews gained access to unit and the men were rescued from the apartment.

The fire was contained to one unit.

A TTC bus sheltered occupants who were evacuated as a result of the fire.

Officials are unsure of the source of the fire.

One woman said the men were known to other residents of the building.

Social media is buzzing in ecstasy about a new Krispy Kreme Donuts moving to the Mimico area.

The popular donut store will reportedly open in May at the former Beer Store site at 2458 Lake Shore Blvd. W., at Mimico Avenue.

It will one of the first Krispy Kreme to serve the coffee-thirsty South Etobicoke area. There are stores in Toronto, Scarborough and Mississauga.

A plan to convert the former Beer Store was approved by the Etobicoke Committee of Adjustment in June last year.

About 100 area residents have taken to social media mostly to welcome the 87-year-old U.S. based donut shop to the area.

“They are sinfully yummy,” wrote Rita Snow. “So close to home might be a problem.”

Many Krispy Kreme lovers said they had to drive to Mississauga and endure long lineups to get their favourite snacks.

“Oh boy! This won’t be good for my diet,” noted Christy Kachur-Plaitis.

Tania Henderson Kroman said the upcoming store “can’t compete with San Remo!”

“I can’t freaking wait,” cheered an ecstatic Eimile McLennon.

Nader El Hammi wrote he may need help from a detox centre.

“If you see me in the near future wandering Lakeshore with a ring of icing around my mouth call for help I need detox,” El Hammi warned.

Amanda Mills said here weight-watching plans are out the window.

“So much for trying to diet, it’s all I will smell as I live above it,” Mills piped in.

“There’s the Krispy Kreme cafe on Jane and Bloor and I thought that was close enough but this,” noted Dayna Mainprize.

Krispy Kreme began making the world famous original glazed doughnut over 80 years ago. It was in  2001 that their first store opened in Mississauga.

The company opened its first doughnut café in downtown Toronto in 2010. There are now six locations in Toronto plus one in Scarborough and another in Mississauga.

“Our cafés bring the fresh experience to our loyal customers in neighbourhoods across the city,” Krispy Crème said on its website. “We want our cafés to be convenient and comfortable spot to enjoy a doughnut, sip a coffee, and savour one of our freshly baked muffins.”

The coffee and donut shop has 13 locations in Canada.

The changing landscape of South Etobicoke.

Four large towers are planned in a redevelopment of the Islington bus terminal site at Bloor Street W., and Islington Avenue.

The City has approved a plan to build a new community with new dwelling units including affordable housing at its properties at 3326 and 3330 Bloor Street W., and 1240 and 1226 Islington Avenue.

There was a public hearing for input into the project on April 4 at City Hall.

There will be towers 32, 35, 41 and 55 storeys and three buildings that will have 1,415 residential units and almost 10,000 square metres of non-residential space.

“Bloor-Islington will become the heart of the Etobicoke Centre creating a community for both city and local residents to enjoy,” according to a report.

The existing bus terminal will be demolished and a new one relocated to the northern portion of the property to accommodate the redevelopment.

“Publicly accessible spaces will provide pedestrian through-block connections, forecourts and courtyards to improve access to the Islington Subway station,” the report said. “Emphasis will be placed on well-defined streetwalls, varying base building heights, well-articulated buildings and active uses at the ground level.”

The Islington subway station redevelopment will include a new fully accessible bus terminal as well as a new west entrance and modify the existing underground subway station to be accessible. A new driveway and circulation area around the bus terminal will have access to Islington Avenue.

One of the new towers at the southeast corner of the site will have a pedestrian entrance connecting pedestrians to the TTC subway via the underground concourse, where there will be stores.

About 471 new affordable housing units will be included in the homes being built, according to plans approved by the Planning and Housing Committee on March 18.

“The development concept supports a complete community in this part of Etobicoke Centre, providing approximately 9,946 square metres of non-residential space, which will be programmed for community, commercial, and retail uses,” according to a report.

There will be a public street linking Bloor Street West and Islington Avenue. The plan called for four development blocks, two for mixed use housing, one for the relocated bus terminal and another for publicly accessible space.

The Bloor Street West frontage will feature two rows of trees, with additional bicycle parking spaces and street furniture, contributing towards a safe and attractive pedestrian environment.

Due to the residential growth, sufficient accommodation may not be available for all students, with some accommodated in schools outside this area until space in local schools becomes available.

The City will acquire from the province a portion of the hydro corridor lands for a future public road to facilitate the development.

There are plans to curb the electromagnetic field from the hydro corridor near the project.

This is one of 22 sites approved by City Council for redevelopment through the Housing Now Initiative.

Easy going centenarian Bernice Robinson has lived in Long Branch her entire life and remembers when the area was farm country with dirt roads.

Robinson, who turned 100 last March 25, was presented with a bouquet of flowers by members of the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association to mark the special day.

She says her secret to a long life is to keep mentally active, live a clean lifestyle and remain busy with church activities.

Robinson is mentally alert and has a great memory, so much so she remembers when the trolleys (now streetcars) that ran along Lake Shore Blvd. W., cost about 10-cents and had pot-belly stoves that were continually filled with coal to keep passengers warm.

“There was a lot of heat but many times we were cold,” she recalls. “On cold days the conductor had to keep filling it with coal.”

Back then the trolleys frequently came off the tracks, the streets weren’t numbered as they are today and most people knew each other.

“There were four movie theatres and it was a country village,” the active church-goer remembered. “The theatres used to give us bowls or plates every time we went to a movie and after time you would have a whole set.”

The people walked everywhere since ‘you were considered rich if you had a car.’

“We went swimming three times a day in the lake and took part in church activities and that would be our main entertainment.”

Back then Marie Curtis Park area was busy with wartime activities with the Small Arms building and a shooting range for soldiers to practice.

The Lake Shore strip was a collection of small stores with fields, dirt roads and empty spaces between the businesses.

The area was alive and most people held jobs working at Goodyear Tire, Campbell Soup, Anaconda American Brass, W. & A. Gilbey’s Distillery, Reg N. Boxer; later called  Canadian Wallpaper Manufacturing Limited, Ritchie and Ramsey Paper Mills, DuPont’s Fabrikoid, George Williams Shoes and Continental Can.

“Those companies opened up the area at that time,” Robinson explains. “It was a good time for the community.”

Robinson said the boom took a dive after WW11 ended.

She recalls the Great Depression in the 1930s when as many as 2,168 Etobicoke men were unemployed and receiving relief benefits in cash or in vouchers that could be used to buy food and other necessities.

“After the war things picked up a bit but got worst,” she says. “There was little money and no jobs.”

The men in exchange were expected to work on road maintenance or other types of unskilled public work. Rotating strikes and public protests were common.

Robinson said the community has drastically changed for the worst since then.

“Everywhere you go now is tall condos where people do not know each other,” she complains. “People today have no history or don’t know their history.”

Robinson still lives in the same Twenty Seventh Street home that her dad built and was forced to change church after St. Paul United Church was sold.

Canada’s largest casino resort in Rexdale has been good for many in the community.

Hundreds of Etobicoke residents have been hired and millions of dollars in gaming revenue dished out to the City of Toronto in the time the Great Canadian Casino Resort has been operating.

More than $26 million in revenue was dished to the City last year; and more than $100 million went to City coffers since the casino was opened.

The casino in a required update to Toronto City Council said of its 1,734 employees, almost 1,100 employees have full time jobs and 638 are working part time at the sprawling facility at 1133 Queens Plate Dr., which includes a 400-room hotel and entertainment complex.

More than 230 local and 1,200 diversified residents are among the almost 3,000 hired at the former Casino Woodbine since its opening in June 2023, according to the report.

“There are remaining opportunities to continue connecting the local Rexdale community to employment at the casino,” the report said. “Community benefits aim to create inclusive workforce development and other economic opportunities for Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving communities.”

It said $88 million has been spent on 14 suppliers, and $4.6 million to 10 diversified suppliers providing goods or services for the casino.

The casino has taken part in monthly hiring events, conducted community outreach to promote casino hiring opportunities, and participated in quarterly casino hiring information sessions.

It “also made strong efforts to administer equity-focused forms for data tracking purposes,” the report to City Hall said.  “Despite these efforts, the local employment hiring target is not currently being achieved.”

In 2023, Casino Woodbine was rebranded as Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto.

The casino provided a Letter of Credit for a $5 million contribution to the City’s Children’s Services Division in 2018 for a future child care centre. It will be connected to a Toronto Community Housing Corporation building unit near the casino and is accessible by public transit.

The child care centre will be a three-level space over 10,000 square feet, including 2,265 square feet playground space located on two levels with separate playgrounds for each age group.

The casino plans to make Woodbine Entertainment Complex among the top three urban casino/entertainment resorts in North America. It features top acts including a boxing world championship this month and singers Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani in May.

They plan to lure visitors to extend average stays and increase visitor spending in Toronto, accelerating job and revenue growth across Toronto’s tourism sector.

The Casino Resort will continue this year to seek community input on the policy, including outreach with North Etobicoke-based community organizations.

Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto has reported that while the majority of the casino’s mass hiring efforts took place in 2023, there are remaining opportunities to continue connecting the local Rexdale community to employment at the casino.

The casino, is billed as Canada’s largest casino resort, which includes the hotel-resort, 5,000-person entertainment venue, 3,000 slot machines, parkade with 3,800 covered parking spaces and multiple on-site dining options.

The casino is required to work with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto Responsible Gambling Oversight Committee, and the City of Toronto to identify any negative impacts of expanded gaming and implement mitigating measures.