Retired former Campbell Soup employee Jim O’Brien is one of many chicken wing lovers who have been returning for many years to their favourite Maple Leaf House Grill & Lounge to enjoy a tasty meal.

“I’ve been coming here for wings for more than 10 years,” said O’Brien, who retired from the soup company after 23 years. “I think the wings here is just as good, or better than other places.”

He said working at Campbell was the best job he has had and then more than 500 employees worked at the now gone Birmingham Street plant making soup for all of Canada.

Mimico resident Mark Potter said has been stopping by the Maple Leaf House Grill just about every week or two for the last 14 years to get his fill of wings.

“They are big and juicy,” Potter explained. “There is only two places that I go for wings and this is one of them.”

He said the large wings are always fresh, spicy “and go well with beer and the hockey game.”

The sports bar is busy for the many televised hockey games, baseball playoffs and football.

Sports fan and former New Toronto resident Dave Cole has owned the pub for the last 14 years. He managed to survive the challenges from COVID due to support from the community.

“Business is coming back slowly,” Cole said. “People come back here regularly for the wings, which are large ‘jumbo roasters’ that are never frozen.”

He believes regulars love his wings because they are locally sourced and are eaten in a week.

“Our wings are obtained from local farmers and are never frozen,” Cole said. “Our wings are not purchased overseas and brought here.”

The pub makes its own sauces from natural ingredients and customers know they are getting real chicken wings.

“Our wings are fresh and that’s why they are the best,” he vowed. “People come from all over Ontario for our wings.”

He has many customers from Mississauga and some from Barrie, who formerly lived in the area and stop by for a meal when in the area.

While there one customer had arrived early and eagerly waited for a fast-selling Philly Cheese Steak that is only available on Fridays.

Cole will be bringing back live bands this month and reminds customers that his huge covered patio remains open all winter. A large private banquet hall that holds about 100 is available for rental.

The Maple Leaf House Grill is located at 2749 Lake Shore Blvd. W., near First Street, and can be reached at 416-255-2558. You can visit them at www.mapleleafhouse.ca or e-mail mapleleafhouse@live.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 LUNCHES at LAMP CHC on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the community room at 150 Sixth Street from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Saturdays at Street Level 10 am until noon.

NOVEMBER 1 to DECEMBER 13 Ukrainian Weekly Social Group gather every Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Stonegate Community Health Centre, 10 Neighbourhood Lane, Unit 201, to meet new friends, socialize and participate in activities as art and craft, cooking or walking. To register e-mail olena.yatsura@stonegatechc.org or call 416-231-7070 ext. 379.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT CENTRE operating from St. Margaret’s Church on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meals, snacks, washrooms, showers, and laundry available for folks who are unhoused.

NOVEMBER 7 ETOBICOKE CAMERA CLUB presents freelance photographer Ethan Meleg who specializes in landscapes, ecosystems, birds and wildlife. He is represented by major stock agencies and has been published by National Geographic, Canadian Geographic, Forbes, Ontario Tourism, Lonely Planet and Popular Photography.  Ethan will present Just Winging It: his approach to bird photography. To purchase tickets go to https://www.facebook.com/etobcc.

 NOVEMBER 26 St. MARGARET NEW TORONTO is hosting a Christmas Market-Bazaar fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m, at the church at 156 Sixth Street. After 115 years St. Margaret still provides a welcoming and accessible space in the community by offering free meals, personal care support, showers and laundry to those in need. The church is seeking donations as raffle items, gift cards, food or beverages for the event. Contact Rev. Jacqueline Daley at 416-259-2659.

ADULT DROP IN PROGRAM MOVED – If you are hungry and in need of food LAMP’s Adult Drop-In program has moved to St. Margaret’s Anglican Church 156 Sixth Street. Meals are take away and dine-in from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Services Available:  Meals (take away and dine-in), access to laundry and showers, referral and case management, harm reduction supplies, hygiene kits, period bags and pet food.

EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT at St. Margaret New Toronto, at 156 Sixth Street, is Maggie’s Family Friday, where families with school-aged children can enjoy a free meal, programming, free laundry services, groceries and care packages or donations from the community. Contact Rev. Jacqueline Daley at 416-259-2659.

NOVEMBER 18 TASTE OF THE LAKESHORE FUNDRAISER by Youth Unlimited GTA, at The Assembly Hall, 1 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Drive, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. for a seated coffee-house experience, with intimate performances, food tastings from the community and stories of Youth Unlimited’s work. Funds raised will go to Etobicoke Young Moms, Youth Leaders in Training Program, Lakeshore Soccer League and more. Tickets are $50 and available by e-mail aironside@yugta.ca

NOVEMBER 22 NATIONAL HOUSING DAY- LAMP Community Health Centre: interested in action and advocacy surrounding affordable housing in our community? We are looking for volunteers from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 185 5th Street to assist in supporting the National Housing Day initiatives! We are also looking for volunteers for prep-and-outreach leading up to the day of the event! E-mail: jasmind@lampchc.org or call 416 252 6471 ext. 309 for more.

NOVEMBER 22 LOOKING FOR LOW COST spay and neuter services for your pet?  The City of Toronto SYNP Truck will be at LAMP CHC on November 22 and December 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is required in advance. Contact 416-338.6281 or visit www.toronto.ca/snyptruck

EVERY SUNDAY UNTIL NOVEMBER 27 THE LAKEVIEW FARMERS’ Market takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Small Arms Inspection Building 1352 Lakeshore Rd. E., Mississauga. Get fresh foods, flowers, microgreens, butcher shop and fresh and tasty maple syrup.

NOVEMBER 29 FALL WELLNESS SERIES Pillars of Resilence every Tuesday. LAMP CHC is pleased to offer this free workshop featuring Mary Craig, RVT both online and in person from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. until November 29. This series includes mindful movement, meditation and breath work strengthening our resilience strategies. E-mail: jasmind@lampchc.org or call: 416-252-6471 Ext. 308 for registration.

NOVEMBER 30 ‘Tis the Season Children’s Art Show and Community Open House’ from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Assembly Hall, 1 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Drive, to vote for your favourite artworks created by students from area schools, while enjoying diverse family friendly activities. Exhibition runs from November 15 to December 14. For more call 416-338-7255 or E-mail assembly@toronto.ca. Sponsored by Long Branch BIA, Mimico by the Lake BIA and Mimico Village BIA.

IMPROVE YOUR READING, WRITING AND Computer skills by using an iPad? Adult Learning at LAMP Community Health Centre is offering free small group, in-person learning Tuesday afternoons at 185 Fifth Street. Participants must be Ontario residents, 19-years of age and up, speak English and have a valid SIN number. Please email anitad@lampchc.org or call: 416-252-9701 EXT. 242 or 243 for details.

EVERY THURSDAY FROM 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. the Cooper Mills-Gooch Community Food Bank provides fresh groceries and essential food items every Thursday in the Jane St. and Dundas St. W. area. Contact 416-358-0031 for more information.

AFFORDABLE FOOD EVERY THURSDAY from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. The Good Food Market at Stonegate Community Health Centre, Second Floor, 10 Neighbourhood Lane. Affordable produce. Bring your own bag. For more information call 416-231-7070 ext. 307.

NOVEMBER 16 COMMUNITY BENEFITS meeting. Join us for our general meeting at 7 p.m. We are moving into the next steps of mobilization bringing equity in policy decisions to South Etobicoke. We will discuss the upcoming National Housing Day.  Online registration is available at https://CommunityBenefitsSouthEtobicokeNovemberMeeting.eventbrite.ca or E-mail: info@cbasouthetobicoke.ca

REMEMBRANCE DAY CEREMONIES –

Here are some Remembrance Day ceremonies taking place on November 11 so we can remember those who gave their lives for us. The first is a sunrise ceremony that takes place at 7 a.m. at the New Toronto Monument, Col. Samuel Smith Park, at Kipling Ave. and Lake Shore Blvd. W.

The memorial service takes about an hour and is well-attended and you are advised to get there a bit earlier.

Other memorial services will take place at 11 a.m. at Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 101, 3850 Lake Shore Blvd. W., Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 643, 110 Jutland Road and the Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall.

The Etobicoke Cenotaph, at the Civic Centre, was constructed in 1968 in memory of those brave men  who gave their lives in World War I (1914 – 1918), World War II (1939 – 1945), and Korean War (1950 – 1953).

 

 

 

Dissatisfied voters of Ward 3 Etobicoke Lakeshore have called for change and tossed out veteran councillor Mark Grimes.

Rookie politician Amber Morley crushed Grimes in a heated tough campaign, which had plenty of name calling and sign-stealing by supporters.

The upset by Morley is what many describe as the biggest upset in Toronto’s municipal election on October 24.

She managed to defeat the incumbent who was endorsed by Mayor elect John Tory, who is still popular with voters, while Grimes is not.

“We did it. Change is possible,” Morley told her excited campaign supporters and staff.

The young social worker and community health promoter with LAMP Community Health Centre, won 46.6 per cent share of the vote to Grimes’ 40.4 per cent with 81 of 86 polls reporting.

In 2018, Grimes won 40.9 per cent of the vote to Morley’s 27.19 per cent.

Her priorities, once sworn in, will be working on affordable housing, safe streets, accessible transportation and resilient and vibrant neighbourhoods.

Morley defeated the long-time councillor by an embarrassing 2,012 votes, despite him holding office for 19 years.

“As someone who’s grown up as a low-income person, as a racialized person, often, we don’t see ourselves reflected in those systems,” Morley told the CBC. “I hope that my participation helps people like me see themselves in the [political] process.”

Many residents complained during the campaign that Grimes was seldom at City Hall and was too friendly with developers with the many high-rise condos popping up in every empty space in the ward.

Candidates touted that Grimes had the worst attendance of all councillors and was once cited in a possible conflict of interest with developers in the area.

“I am thrilled our campaign for change at Toronto City Hall is drawing support from a wide cross section of voices from across Toronto,” Morley said in a release.

High profile pizza maker candidate Zeynel (Dino) Ari captured 467 votes.

Morley was endorsed by politicians as Councillor Josh Matlow, MPPs Kristyn Wong-Tam, Jill Andrew and Bhutila Karpoche, MP Peggy Nash, former Trustee Pamela Gough, Toronto and York Labour Council and the Toronto Community Bikeways Coalition.

Two people were injured – one severely – in separate crashes last Friday on a busy stretch of The Queensway.

Police said around 6:30 p.m. on October 22 they were called to respond to a two-vehicle crash at Royal York Road and The Queenway after a motorcycle hit a car.

The motorcycle rider was transported to hospital by emergency run with life-threatening injuries.

Several hours later another man was taken to a trauma centre after he was struck by a vehicle several blocks away.

Toronto Police tweeted they were called to the area of Kipling Avenue and The Queensway at around 9:28 p.m. for reports a pedestrian had been struck.

A man was taken to a trauma centre by paramedics, police said. Officers said the man’s injuries were non-life-threatening.

The driver remained at the scene, police said.

 

A Go Fund Me campaign has been launched to try and obtain a motorized scooter for an ailing Mimico senior.

Rod Flynn says he has been working for more than 50 years and paying his taxes and now he is not receiving help from government officials at the age of 77.

Flynn, who has lived in Mimico and New Toronto for 58 years, suffers from a chronic lung disease, which makes it hard to breathe and he now requires a walker.

He, with the help of some concerned residents, has been trying for more than year to obtain a motorized scooter to get around. He now uses a walker but has to make frequent stops to breathe and frequently misses his bus and trips can take a long time.

Many members of the community are more than willing to help Flynn obtain his electric scooter, which can cost from $3,000 to $6,000.

“My lungs are gone and I have problems breathing and getting around with my walker,” Flynn explained. “I need help and the social workers have forgotten about me.”

The transplanted Newfoundland native said he visited a social worker at a local hospital to seek help.

“She called back to say she couldn’t help me get a scooter,” Flynn said. “The hospital didn’t have that program anymore.”

The father of two grown children formerly worked at a Mississauga factory, where he paid taxes, for more than 20 years.

“I am a senior citizen and I cannot get help in my own country,” he pleaded. “I cannot go shopping or get around and all I want is a better life.”

Area residents describe Flynn as a “polite, responsible and honourable” senior who helps others in the community.

You are asked to make a donation on Go Fund Me at https://www.gofundme.com/f/scooter-for-rod-flynn?member=22842101&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&utm_medium=sms&utm_source=customer

Etobicoke Lakeshore candidate for councillor Amber Morley says she’s gaining more support from voters and her momentum is building with days left before the October 24 elections.

Her campaign team in a press release said Morley is receiving strong support from elected officials, community groups and local businesses who want her to become the next Councillor for Ward 3.

“These endorsements are a sign that people are looking for change and our community message is resonating across the ward,” Morley said.

She quotes a Toronto Star columnist that “(Amber Morley) holds the lead in total number of endorsements” city-wide for all council candidates as of October 7.

“I am thrilled our campaign for change at Toronto City Hall is drawing support from a wide cross section of voices from across Toronto,” she said in the release.

Her endorsements includes those from politicians as Councillor Josh Matlow, MPPs Kristyn Wong-Tam, Jill Andrew and Bhutila Karpoche, MP Peggy Nash, former Trustee Pamela Gough, Toronto and York Labour Council and the Toronto Community Bikeways Coalition.

In the 2018 municipal election, Morley’s first candidacy proved there is a strong desire for change in Ward 3. In the 2022 election, she realized there is a strong base of support as she looks to improve on her first-time run in 2018 and take a seat at City Hall.

Morley writes that she has worked on behalf of Etobicoke residents since 2002. Her advocacy and local action began at LAMP Community Health Centre, where she was the Director of the youth-led South Etobicoke Youth Assembly.

She graduated from the Public Relations program at Humber College, after which she went to City Hall to work for Councillor Peter Milczyn. Following the 2014 Election, Morley transitioned to become the Constituency Assistant for Ward 4 – Etobicoke Centre.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she returned to LAMP CHC in the position of Community Health Worker, coordinating the South and Central Etobicoke Vaccine Engagement Team (SEVET) in collaboration with the City of Toronto.

She is now a Health Promoter focusing on the issues of food security and health equity.

Ward 3 residents can reach out to the campaign via email at amber@ambermorley.com.

The riding has been held for 19 years by incumbent Mark Grimes.

 

 

 

A Go Fund Me campaign has been launched to save the popular Etobicoke Lakeshore Santa Claus Parade that is danger of grounding Santa, Rudolph and hundreds of volunteers.

Members of the Etobicoke Lakeshore Santa Claus Parade 2022 launched an online Facebook fundraiser on October 10. Only about $100 had been raised by October 20.

Parade organizers said they have been “bringing the magic of the holidays to Etobicoke Lakeshore and beyond,” as one of the largest non-profit community parades in the country since 1991. It is now in its 31st year.

The popular 2022 parade takes place on December 3 at 10 a.m.

“At this point, the future of the parade is in danger. We are 100% volunteer-run and are working hard to make this a success, but we really need your help to raise $30,000 to run the parade,” according to the post.

They said it cost $30,000 to run the parade in 2019 “and we know that figure will be higher this year.”

Organizers said the funds are usually raised from community donations and business partnerships.

“Unfortunately, this year some of our community partners will be unable to support us as much as in the past,” the post warned.

“Two years of COVID has seriously depleted our resources. Our fixed expenses include float storage and utilities that still needed to be paid.”

Area residents love the parade and organizers estimate up to 70,000 people attend the event yearly.

“Santa’s elves are looking forward to bringing back the sounds of the bands, schools and community groups walking, colourful characters and of course the floats,” a poster said.

“We are even planning for a new float this year if funds can be raised to complete it. Please help bring the smiles back to everyone’s faces.”

The parade which attracted thousands of residents yearly was created by the late long-time New Toronto businessman and volunteer Peter Ramos.

You are asked to donate at a Go Fund Me page today: https://gofund.me/28cdfa03

There will be a meeting with top city officials soon to discuss the fate of incoming Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw.

Mayor John Tory and Toronto Police Services Board Chair Jim Hart, have asked that Chief-designate Demkiw attend a meeting with Chanelle Gallant and JP Hornick, who are 2SLGBTQ+ advocates opposed to Demkiw being appointed as Chief.

The long-time cop was appointed last month to replace Interim Chief James Ramer. He is scheduled to assume the role on December 19.

“Given Mr. Demkiw’s record of misconduct and his willingness to silence city councillors, we must raise serious questions about how this appointment could have taken place, and what it signals for historically over-policed communities in Toronto,” Gallant and Hornick wrote in an open letter to city officials.

They claimed to be original members of the Toronto Women’s Bathhouse Committee and Demkiw was one of the officers responsible for the planning and execution of a raid on a queer event at the Pussy Palace, a women’s bathhouse, in September 2000.

They wrote that Demkiw had been involved in task forces that conducted surveillance and raids in predominantly Black neighbourhoods.

In 2002, his actions were found to violate the Charter rights of attendees, and resulted in a settlement at the Ontario Human Rights Commission, police reforms, and a public apology from the Toronto Police Service (TPS) in 2016.

In 2005, a class-action lawsuit and complaint to the Ontario Human Rights Commission resulted in a $350,000 settlement, part of which covered legal fees with some donated to charities of the complainants’ choice.

In the court case that followed, Justice Peter Hryn described the officers’ conduct as “bringing the administration of justice into disrepute.”

The judge dismissed the charges, arguing male officers should never have gone into the Pussy Palace, because it amounted to a strip search of the women and that violated their Charter rights.

The settlement included a formal apology in writing from the male officers involved in the raid to the Toronto Women’s Bathhouse Committee, and also required the force to establish sensitivity training for all members regarding the LGBT community.

Demkiw was among the officers who then sued a sitting city councillor for speaking for the defence, and was involved in a series of additional raids on queer spaces that same year.

“In your two year hiring process, the communities you consulted told you that they have significant concerns about police accountability,” according to the letter. “ What message does the appointment of an officer who has been directly involved in a breach of civil liberties send to those communities?”

JP Hornick was arrested and charged with liquor violations at the time of the raid.

“The police really tore through the place top to bottom asking questions, pulling signs off walls…interrogating us for a fair bit of the night,” she said.

 

Toronto seems to be a car theft capital and auto thieves no longer require a tool kit to rip off a vehicle in the middle of the night.

A video posted on social media on October 11 shows security camera footage of how car thieves now steal expensive vehicles as we sleep.

The video captured a thief using a relay method of capturing the Radio-frequency identification (RFID) of a vehicle’s fob.

The thief points the RFID device through a front window to pick up the frequency of a fob left lying without a pouch inside the home. It can take the thief a few minutes to scan the information and the snoring residents never detect a thing.

“To thwart this method of heft, place the fob in an RFID protective pouch or other shielding device,” police said.

The said the pouch should always be with you even when you visit public parking lots or other areas.

Police said almost 6,000 vehicles have been stolen in Toronto so far this year. Carjackings in the city has risen 209 per cent from 2021 to 179 so far this year.

The RFID uses electromagnetic fields  to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder, a radio receiver and transmitter. When triggered by an electromagnetic interrogation pulse from a nearby RFID reader device, the tag transmits digital data, usually an identifying inventory number, back to the reader.

 

 

Some alert pharmacies in Mimico and South Etobicoke have taken to locking their doors which are only opened from inside by staff for legitimate customers to avoid robberies.

Customers are ordered to knock on the locked front glass door of the pharmacies and are allowed inside by a worker.

Opening their door is not something that the merchants want to do in that many of the customers have been shopping there for decades.

Toronto Police said the number of pharmacy robberies have more than doubled this year. There were 49 of the robberies in 2021, according to police. There are more than 140 so far this year.

Pharmacists in South Etobicoke say they are seeing robberies take place almost daily or multiple times a day. One Toronto pharmacy was robbed more than 14 times.

In some cases pharmacists or their staff are shot, stabbed or beaten by gun-toting thugs looking for drugs to sell. The gangs are becoming more brazen and violent.

Etobicoke pharmacy owner Michael Malak used to enjoy the job and followed his parents footsteps.

“It’s now scary coming to work,” said Malak, who has been an pharmacist for 10 years.

Malak is considering another trade after his store was robbed in early October by a group of masked men who beat him up and demanded narcotics.

“He (robber) put me in a headlock and started punching me,” Malak said.

Days later four teenage boys around 16-years-old were arrested following three armed carjackings and eight pharmacy robberies in Toronto and York Region.

Police allege one or two boys would approach vehicles pointing a handgun at the occupant while demanding their keys, vehicle and property.

Another group of boys, often travelling in these stolen vehicles, would enter pharmacies in a takeover-style robbery, police say. They would then escape in an awaiting vehicle.

Police and business owners are tracking more thieves with security cameras, installing bullet proof glass or a buzzer system and now having their doors opened by staff.

They worry that turning pharmacies into fortresses will deter patients making it harder to care for them, which is why many got into the business in the first place.