St. John Ambulance officials warn that if you are driving or taking trips in this frigid wintry weather an emergency can strike at a moment’s notice and you should be prepared.

The group has circulated a list of items that you need, or should carry in your car, to help if an emergency occurs.

Founded in 1877, they said you have at least two litres of bottled water per person per day in an emergency kit, which should be outfitted with supplies for 72 hours.

You should take enough canned or perishable foods to last three days and take some cooking supplies as kitchenware, cookware and a small stove or BBQ.

Motorists also need a flashlight, candles or waterproof matches, a portable battery powered radio with extra batteries.

For shelter, make sure you have a tent or tarp along with a sleeping bag. Also take extra clothing, sturdy boots or shoes, rain jacket and warm blankets.

Don’t forget for hygiene take some toilet paper, garbage bags, hand sanitizer or soap, feminine hygiene products, a toothbrush and toothpaste.

The St. John Ambulance advise you to take some tools like a can opener, Swiss army knife, hammer and duct tape. Also bring along a fully stocked First Aid kit.

Your kit should also include personal items like your identification, medical records, extra medication and toys to keep the children entertained.

Lastly walk with cash, in case electronic payment is not available. Don’t forget extra containers of gasoline in case of heavy traffic or terrible road conditions.

St John Ambulance is the name of a number of affiliated organisations in different countries which teach and provide first aid and emergency medical services, and are primarily staffed by some 500,000 volunteers.

Former Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke has made an $11,300 donation to help purchase a new horse for the Toronto Police Mounted Unit.

The donation was considered by the Toronto Police Services Board at a meeting on January 11.

The donation “will allow the Service to replace retiring horses,” according to the Toronto Police Services Board agenda. “The Service expects two horses to retire within the near future, and the Mounted Unit requires a specified number of healthy horses to meet operational demands.”

The funds will ensure the continued viability of the unit while allowing for a donation that is purposeful and meaningful to the Service and donor, the board heard.

“This donor has previously donated a horse to the Service and wishes to do so again,” according to the agenda. “Both to help maintain a healthy complement for the Mounted Unit, and to continue the legacy of having a specified horse to represent and support the LGBTQ2S+ community.”

The horse Burke previously donated is named ‘Moose,’ the nickname of his late son, Brendan.

Brendan, 21, was Brian’s youngest son who died in 2010 following a car crash in Indiana.

He had just come out to the hockey world as a gay man and died in hospital from injuries sustained in a two-vehicle accident on treacherous, snowy roads. Another man in Burke’s vehicle also died.

Brendan wanted to have a career in hockey after college and had even talked of possibly working in a management role in the NHL.

“Gay rights have also been named a “priority” by the Toronto Police Service, and they want to use Moose to show support and inclusion,” Brian said.

Brendan had decided to come out to help end homophobia in hockey circles across North America.

The elder Burke said he would work to help his son bring awareness to the stigma so many gay hockey players face.

He was hired as the president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team in November 2008 and was let go in January 2013.

The Toronto Police Mounted Unit was established in 1886 and is one of the oldest in North America. It now consists of about 40 officers and 25 horses.

The mounted unit’s annual budget of $5.5 million is just a sliver of the services’ total 2020 budget of $1.076 billion. The overwhelming majority of the unit’s costs go to officers’ salaries.

The horses live at the unit’s stables at Exhibition Place and are taken out every day for exercise.

Another police horse ‘Picard’ died days before Christmas after experiencing ‘serious’ complications during a surgical procedure.

“We are mourning the loss of Picard,” Chief Myron Demkiw told the board. “Picard was a kind, gentle horse that was well-loved.’

Police tweeted they were “very sad to share the news of the passing of Police Horse Picard,” who died last December 20.

Mounted officers are responsible for patrolling city streets in a crime prevention and enforcement role as well as responding for crowd management.

The go karts and batting cages maybe gone from Centennial Park, but new and exciting fun changes are on their way.

An online survey is underway for residents to share their feelings on an updated Centennial Park Master Plan that will feature a new skate trail, baseball hub, cricket pitches and pickle ball courts.

The first phase of improved park projects includes a new playground and water play area; hubs for soccer, baseball and cricket that will include new fields and supporting facilities; which includes the new skate trail with an updated chalet; and improvements to the trail network.

“The skate trail is not only a safe, accessible, and enjoyable outdoor area for skating, but also an open public space for various cultural and recreational activities in the warmer months,” according to Centennial Park information.

The skating trail will be 270 metres long and will be the longest outdoor skating trail in Toronto. It is proposed to have lights that change colours and a speaker system that plays music for skaters.

There will also be a large public plaza where family and friends can gather.

During the summer long benches and temporary fencing will be removed from the public plaza for summer festivals and other public events and activities, park officials said. The trail will be accessible for skateboarders, roller skaters or walkers in the warm months.

The new baseball hub will include four diamonds which can be used for both softball and baseball, as well as batting cages. There will be eight beach volleyball and 12 pickleball courts as well as new parking lots and pedestrian amenities.

The hub will have a new year-round washroom and construction for most of the updates will begin this year.

A new soccer hub is planned that will include six new soccer fields, a bubbled training site and a new fieldhouse with a year-round washroom.

The Master Plan includes the creation of an expanded cricket hub to be located in the hydro corridor, with two new cricket pitches being added to the existing two, as well as a new field house with a year-round washroom.

The pathways in the park will be upgraded with new surfacing and lighting to improve circulation and accessibility.

The playground and wading pool are being replaced with a new large playground and water play area with the help of community feedback.

Also planned are eight full-sized beach volleyball courts with lighting, new parking lot with drop-off area, gathering area with shelter, seating and water fountain and bottle filling station.

There will also be multi-use pathways, asphalt pathway realignment and two model airplane flying circles.

The survey will be open until January 29 and can be accessed at www.toronto.ca

More rental housing is coming to our community.

Some 494 rental apartments are being built at 300 The East Mall, the Valhalla Village Phase 1 project, which will be a two-tower development providing rental housing for individuals and middle class families.

An announcement was made by Etobicoke Centre MP Yvan Baker, on behalf of Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, and by MP James Maloney, the MP for Etobicoke Lakeshore.

Valhalla Village is a mixed-use complex in which is proposed a 37, 30,21 and 11-storey buildings designed by BDP Quadrangle for KingSett Capital and located at the northwest corner of The East Mall and Bloor Street West.

The project is expected to be completed by May 2027.

“Too many Canadians are struggling to find somewhere to rent and call home, especially here in Toronto,” said Baker. “The federal government is reversing this trend, and through the Apartment Construction Loan Program, incentivizing the development of much-needed rental units in the whole country.”

He said the project will help to increase the supply of housing and create a huge difference in strengthening our communities.

“This investment from the federal government demonstrates our strong commitment to working with all communities to meet the challenge of building more rental housing,” Maloney said.

He said the housing will create thousands of safe, well-built homes for hardworking Canadians and add much needed supply to the rental market in Toronto.

“The 172 affordable rental housing opportunities are a testament to what can be achieved when different orders of government and developers work together,” Mayor Olivia Chow said.

“I am determined to create more affordable housing options so more people can continue to call Toronto home,” she said.

One building will feature community agency space and retail at ground level, and office space on the second floor.

Council approved about $10 million in financial incentives through a City Open-Door program including property tax and development charge exemptions and permit fee waivers to support the Valhalla Village project.

As of last September, Ottawa has committed over $38.89 billion to support the creation of over 151,803 units and the repair of over 241,133 units. These measures prioritize those in greatest need, including seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and women and children fleeing violence.

The Apartment Construction Loan Program provides fully repayable low-interest loans to encourage the construction of more rentals for middle class Canadians.

Through the program, the federal government is encouraging the construction of more than 71,000 rentals.

The federal government announced last December an agreement of over $471 million with the City of Toronto, to fast-track nearly 12,000 new housing units over the next three years through the Housing Accelerator Fund. The work will also help spur the construction of 53,000 homes over the next decade.

For those who want to give an earful to City officials on the proposed budget that will raise taxes 10.5 per cent.

The public hearings here will take place on January 23 at the Council Chamber of Etobicoke Civic Centre, at 399 The Wast Mall.

The hearings will also take place by video conference and will start at 1:30 p.m. and run until 4:30 p.m. Another meeting will take place at 6 p.m.

You can register to speak to the Budget Subcommittee by emailing buc@toronto.ca or calling 416-392-4666.

Individuals may only make one presentation at meetings that will also take place at Toronto City Hall, North York and Scarborough Civic Centres.

You are asked to register to speak by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, January 19. Registered public speakers will be provided with instructions on how to appear at the Subcommittee meeting.

The meeting will be streamed live online at toronto.ca/council.

City of Toronto Budget Chief Shelley Carroll has said that council has a $1.8 billion deficit and is looking at a property tax hike of nine per cent for its 2024 budget.

The budget also includes an additional 1.5 per cent increase to the city building fund, which is a levy that supports critical projects such as transit and housing, bringing the hike to 10.5 per cent.

Another 6 per cent is planned on top of that if the federal government does not cough up $250 million to provide more shelter beds nightly for refugees and asylum claimants. A decision on that levy will be  made on February 26.

City financial staff were able to find over $600 million in cost savings for the 2024 budget.

Mayor Olivia Chow will bring forward the final budget to City Council on February 14 for a vote.

The budget proposes $182 million for shelter and housing; like 5,000 new beds for refugee claimants and a winter warming plan: $20 million for community initiatives as direct care for long-term care homes and funds for the Toronto Public Library.

Some $30 million is slated for transit services and security and implementation emission performing standards and another $19 million for community safety like expanding the Toronto Crisis Service and staffing plan for Toronto Fire and paramedic services.

 

As of January 12 there were 72 COVID-19, some 15 influenza and nine RSV active outbreaks in the City’s healthcare institutions, says Toronto Public Health (TPH) officials.

The amount of influenza has decreased as the number of COVID-19 positivity has levelled off from December 31 to January 6 this year, TPH officials said in a report on January 15.

The report state that the number of emergency room visits for respiratory illnesses decreased from December 31 to January 6, and the number of respiratory-related emergency room visits are still at moderate to elevated level.

It said there were 3.266 respiratory viral visits to emergency rooms in January 2024 for seven days or more.

The report said there were about 30 COVID-19 outbreaks in December 2023 and 35 outbreaks of respiratory syncytial virus.

It said those aged from 50 to 69 high-risk Toronto residents lead the COVID-19 vaccine group in the last six months, with some 160,000 people.

“Higher risk age groups received a large share of recently administered COVID-19 doses in Toronto,” according to the report.

TPH supports outbreak responses in long-term care, shelters and health care settings by: distributing outbreak preparedness tool kits, supporting adherence to best practices in settings like long-term care and group homes.

They also support and provide guidance for outbreak management and provide health care with information to protect themselves and their patients.

The TPH took its final step last December 13 in winding down its COVID-19 pandemic response as provincial funding ended and fixed-site vaccination clinics permanently shut down.

The City said everyone has a role to play to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses such as COVID-19, RSV and the flu. They warn anyone who is sick to remain at home and advise to wear a mask if in crowded areas.

If you want to get vaccinate and have a valid OHIP card, you can call and find out if the flu or COVID-19 vaccines are being offered at a local pharmacy or walk-in clinic. You can also find a doctor who is accepting new patients.

People who are not insured can reach out to a Community Health Centre to receive health services.

We do live in a caring community.

A plea to help a homeless man who lives in a car in a parking lot led to about 100 South Etobicoke residents reaching out to help on one of the coldest nights of the year.

“His battery died and I am trying to find booster cables near Lakeshore and Fifth Street,” one good Samaritan posted two days ago on a local social media page. “Can anyone lend me a cable asap.”

Within minutes dozens of residents had reached out to help the man, who was getting cold inside the car.

“I will come by with cable and a car in 10 minutes,” resident Thomas Crosby replied.

Natalia Outkina said ‘I am crying reading this post.’

“I can around 10:00 if you don’t find anyone sooner,” offered Kim Shaw.

A generous Pena Carmela Baldassi said she was on her way.

“I’m gonna bring some hot, homemade lasagna with homemade sauce and a sleeping bag and I’m coming with my battery pack,” she wrote. “See you in about 10 minutes.”

Baldassi said she was just down the street and able to assist.

“Anything else he needs?” asked Patricia Trish Penner.

“These are the things that make me stay in Facebook,” wrote Darlene Gardner. “Not the stupid scams or the stupid ads or even the dumb videos.”

“It is the true heart of the city sometimes,” Gardner said.

“Very nice of you to help him out especially in this cold weather,” echoed Cindy Clark.

“Wow. The generosity in our group is so heartwarming,” said Krista Langille. “I’m so happy there are still people in the world like you all!”

Namita Sharma said people in the community are so kind.

“Bless you all whoever helped this man out today,” Sharma replied. “You are amazing!”

Within an hour the man who posted the message said ‘it was solved,’ in that residents were able to get the car of the homeless man running again and generating heat.

Thanks to the many people with big hearts in our community.

An elderly cyclist who is accused of sexually assaulting women in The Queensway and The West Mall area has been arrested by police.

The 79-year-old man was arrested on January 11 and charged with six counts of sexual assault.

The accused is alleged to have sexually assaulted four women in The Queensway and The West Mall on October 24 and on January 9.

Another woman is alleged to have been assaulted on November 5 in The Queensway and Islington Avenue area, according to police.

Police said in all the cases the suspect would approach the victim and request a translator application to speak to him.

The man would be close to the victim and then extend his hand for a handshake.

“As they were shaking hands, the suspect pulled the victim closer to him and sexually assault her,” 22 Division officers said in a release.

The suspect would flee the area on a grey Raleigh mountain bike, which police had issued a photograph of, along with the accused.

Officers have been searching for the man for more than three months.

He is suspected in another case that occurred in the Kipling Avenue and Bloor Street W. area last summer after a woman allegedly suffered a similar assault.

Akshata Ahmetaj, 79, of Toronto, is charged with six counts of sexual assault.

He was slated to appear at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on January 12.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-2200, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.

It was a terrifying ordeal for these homeowners.

A man and two young offenders have been arrested after breaking into two dwellings during the early morning and threatening the homeowners with a gun in a bid to steal their car keys.

Toronto Police said on January 8 around 3:39 a.m. the three smashed a rear kitchen glass door in a home in The South Kingsway and The Queensway area. One of the suspects threatened the homeowners with a gun.

“One person inside the house began to call police and the three suspects fled the scene,” police said in a release.

Officers said about half hour later, around 4:07 a.m., they were called to another home invasion and attempted robbery at another dwelling in the Royal York and The Queensway area.

Again the culprits broke into a home but were this time confronted by the homeowner.

Two of the suspects had firearms and the victim heard one of the weapons being discharged, police said.

The suspects fled the scene but officers said shell casings and bullet holes were found in the walls of the home.

Police believe the suspects were after the keys to steal their cars, which are shipped overseas or used to commit crimes.

Jonathan Khan, 19, of Brampton, and a 16 and 15-year-old young offenders, are charged with 42 offences relating to attempted robberies, weapons, wearing a disguise and a slew of other crimes.

The three were nabbed by members of a recently-formed Provincial Carjacking Joint Task Force (PCJTF) that was created to target violent car thefts. The Task Force has been fighting networks responsible for violent and high-risk auto thefts by criminal organizations.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7350, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.