High school teacher Farheen Alim says she decided to run for the Ontario New Democrats after watching the Premier refuse to give paid sick days to parents of her students.

If elected on June 2 as MPP of Etobicoke Lakeshore, the English as a Second Language teacher hopes to secure more funding for Ontario schools and increase affordable housing.

Alim opened her constituency office in Mimico at 5491 Lake Shore Blvd. W. on April 9 and it was attended by supporters and well-wishers.

“As a school teacher I care about our schools and the future of our children,” Alim said. “I will an advocate for our public school system.”

She plans to provide “financial support to first-time home buyers and renters who need it the most.”

The party also plans to close loopholes driving renovations and strengthen rent control.

“Farheen is the only candidate in Etobicoke-Lakeshore positioned to stop the Conservatives,” one pamphlet boasted.

She faces an uphill fight against incumbent PC MPP Christine Hogarth, who has held the riding four years, and has good name recognition.

Hogarth is a valued member of the Doug Ford team.

Also running is Liberal Lee Fairclough, a 22-year Etobicoke resident, who was nominated as the Ontario Liberal Party (OLP) candidate in the upcoming elections.

“As a Hospital President, Lee saw the Ford Conservative failures in health care firsthand, she’s running to make sure those mistakes never happen again,” said Ontario Liberal Leader, Steven Del Duca. Fairclough has served as President of St. Mary’s Hospital since January 2020, leading the hospital for the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She is an Adjunct Professor in Health Policy at the University of Toronto, where she earned her Master of Health Science in Health Policy, Management and Evaluation.

Fairclough started her career providing cancer treatment to patients at Princess Margaret Hospital as a Medical Radiation Technologist Therapist (MRT(T)).

“I am thrilled to be the Ontario Liberal Candidate for my home community in the next provincial election,” said Fairclough.

 

The life of iconic former teacher and politician Jean Augustine has now been documented in film.

There was a red carpet premiere at the Scotiabank Theatre on April 2 for the documentary ‘Steadfast: The Messenger and the Message,’ based on the life and exploits of Augustine.

The film by Fahim Hamid Ali tells the heartwarming story of the Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine, the first Black Canadian woman to serve as a federal Minister of the Crown and Member of Parliament.

She is noted for bringing forward a motion in Parliament to recognize February as Black History Month.

The House of Commons officially recognized February as Black History Month in Canada in December 1995.  Augustine introduced the motion that the House of Commons carried unanimously.

“We continue to use this opportunity to recognize and amplify the achievements and importance of Black Canadians and their communities,” according to a release.

Augustine has long ties to South Etobicoke and is founder of the Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment, which runs many programs for teenage girls.

The former MP was born in Grenada and arrived in Canada in 1960 through an immigration program that brought 3,000 women from the Caribbean to Canada to work as domestics.

She later pursued a career in education, eventually becoming an elementary-school principal.

Augustine said people suggested she consider a career in politics but she was reluctant at first: ‘politics was often portrayed as a corrupt old-boys’ club, and as a Black woman, the idea of running seemed almost unimaginable to her and others then.

“We didn’t have people who were conscious of the fact that [Black women] needed to be there,” she said in an interview. “There were people in the community at the time saying, ‘What do you think you’re doing? Can you see anybody out there that looks like you?’ We did not, as a community, have the confidence that the system was ready for us.”

In 1993, Augustine made history as the first Black woman to be elected to Parliament. She served as an MP for Etobicoke Lakeshore for 13 years.

She was appointed as Ontario’s first-ever fairness commissioner in 2007 and held that role until retiring in 2015. Her career inspired Black women across the country to get involved in politics.

 

One of Mimico’s favourite barber shop is all boarded up for now following a deadly car crash that left three people dead.

A speeding Cadillac SUV on March 31 fatally hit two pedestrians legally crossing a traffic light at Lake Shore Blvd. W., and Superior Avenue, and then crashed into a truck trailer involved in roadwork killing the driver.

The driver was banned from driving in Canada due to crimes. He was prohibited from driving in Ontario due to medical reasons. He was earlier involved in a minor crash at Eighth Street.

The popular Elevate Barber Shop, at 2383 Lake Shore Blvd. W., near Superior Avenue, had its large plate glass window smashed after a pylon hit by a vehicle flew through the glass injuring a customer inside.

Shop owner Jonathan Compton said the waiting customer suffered minor injuries to his hand after being hit by shards of broken glass.

“The customer saw the accident and pylon flying through the air,” a disappointed Compton said. “He had little cuts on his hand from the flying glass.”

He said the fatal crash was the worst experience he’s experienced in Mimico. The barber saw the SUV driver die before him.

“I saw the entire thing and was one of the first to arrive at the crash scene to help,” Compton said. “That heavy trailer was pushed about six feet from the impact of the hit.”

He said it will take a couple days for him to recover and for the plate glass to be repaired.

“It was a very tragic accident and I was the only business in the area affected,” Compton pointed out. “Everyone else is open. I am the only business damaged.”

He said the pylon was one of many being used to close off sections of the road.

Still he is open for business and is accepting customers.

Elevate Barber Shop can be reached at 647-347-6008. Appointments not required.

 

 

Mimico residents are mourning the deaths of two long-time residents and a third person who drove through a red light and plowed into people crossing lawfully at an intersection.

The white Cadillac SUV after hitting the victims then smashed into the side of a parked tractor trailer that was involved in construction work on the roadway.

The driver Omar Sinclair Frederick Downey, 36, died on the spot.

Police said Downey was banned due to crimes from driving in Canada. He was not allowed to drive in Ontario due to medical issues, members of Traffic Services said.

The March 31 crash killed Kelly Hamilton, 43, and Ken Arkley, 75, who were legally crossing at the intersection of Lake Shore Blvd. W., and Superior Avenue around 5:30 p.m.

Both were struck in front a number of people who were outside during the supper hour.

Arkley was said to be on his way home after visiting a local Valumart grocery store. Hamilton was also on her way home when fatally hit.

The SUV did not apply any brakes and instead drove in the middle lane on the TTC streetcar tracks, barreled through a red light and slammed into a parked flatbed truck, according to witnesses.

“It was a horrific crash,” said Carl, an area resident. “People were running to help and some were crying. It was terrible.”

Police said the Cadillac had earlier sideswiped a parked van near Lake Shore Blvd. W., and Eighth Street.

Ray Qalawi, the owner of Kabob House, heard the crash and ran to Toronto Fire Station 435, on Eighth Street, to get help. He had smashed the driver’s window of the vehicle so the man could breathe.

“The man looked like he was having a medical incident,” Qalawi said. “There were a number of people who had gathered to help him.”

He said fire fighters, along with an ambulance, soon arrived but the man got back into his vehicle and sped off east on Lakeshore Blvd. W.

“About four minutes later we heard of the tragic accident in Mimico,” he said. “If someone had detained this man then we would not have anyone dead today.”

Mimico resident Nesren Haso lives near the crash site and heard the sirens from police and paramedics arriving at the scene.

“I saw the bodies on the ground,” Haso recalled. “I haven’t been able to sleep for days.”

A Go Fund Me campaign has raised almost $5,000 to help with the Hamilton’s funeral and raise her children.

“Kelly was a young beautiful, smart, funny woman whose smile lit up the room,” wrote friend Sabrina Szuszwalak. “She was loved by many and is leaving behind her three children and countless family and friends who will miss her dearly.”

Area residents, some who do not even know the victims, have been leaving flowers at the scene to say their goodbyes.

Tearful witnesses say they’ve never seen a violent crash like this.

Three people, including two Mimico-area residents, have been pronounced dead in a motor vehicle crash that occurred in the Lake Shore Blvd. W. area and Superior Ave.

First responders were called to the area just after 5:30 p.m. on March 31.

When police arrived several people had no vital signs present.

Police say two pedestrians were struck and killed after a car hit a flatbed truck at what appeared to be a fast speed.

Traffic officers Police passengers may have been ejected from a vehicle after a fast-moving car struck a parked flatbed truck.

In a tweet, police said that three people were without vital signs at the scene. Paramedics have confirmed three people died following the collision.

“It was terrible,” said long-time Mimico resident Carl. “I have never seen a crash like this before.”

Carl said one man was hit and believed to be killed after he left a nearby Valumart grocery store.

“All he was doing was buying milk or bread or something and he was killed,” he mourned.

Witnesses said a woman was sent flying over a flatbed truck that had blocked part of Lake Shore Blvd. W. for construction work.

“People who saw this as I did will not be able to sleep tonight,” he said. “All this happened right in front of me.”

Witnesses said the car seemed to have lost control at the intersection and slammed into the trailer, which was involved in construction work.

Police said they are in the early stages of their investigation. The names of the victims have not been released.

The Toronto Police Service are thanking the public for their assistance in locating missing Aveda Polsinelli.

Aveda Polsinelli, 13, was last seen on Saturday, March 5, 2022, in the Royal York Road and Evans Avenue area.

She was located on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, at 7 p.m. and is said to be in good health.

Members of Ukrainian Youth Association were making a flag of coloured plastic strips to bring attention to the deadly war in their homeland.

The youths gathered at the T. Shevchenko Ukrainian Community Centre, on Horner Avenue, to highlight the suffering and deaths of people there.

“We are raising awareness of the war in Ukraine,” said Natalie Tchoryk, of the association. “Most people have friends and family back at home.”

The bright yellow and blue strips were placed in the shape of the Ukrainian flag, which pleased many motorists as they drove by.

The youths are among many Ukrainian students in Canada who have to cope with financial and social impacts of raging war, in which almost four million people have fled the country.

The thousands of Ukrainian foreign students are concerned about how to afford living here as their families at home are displaced and lose access to their earnings. That and the constant concern for their loved ones, has made daily life difficult.

The University of Toronto is offering financial assistance to students affected by the war in Ukraine, saying graduate and undergraduate students are able to apply for emergency grants program and ask for tuition deferrals for the summer and fall semester.

The university recently launched a $1-million matching fund for donations supporting displaced students from Ukraine, along with emergency grants to Ukrainian students affected by the war.

Humber has the highest number of Ukrainian students of all colleges in Ontario, with a total of 183 students, with some 138 students in Canada and 45 in Ukraine learning remotely, officials said.

The school has been acting quickly to provide academic accommodation and mental health counselling, but also connect with student groups to spread the word on what supports are available.

Humber has released a package of financial supports that includes tuition and housing aid as well as bursaries for living expenses. Humber’s student federation has agreed to donate $370,000 to that effort for Ukrainian and Russian students.

Schools like Centennial College and George Brown College are also giving emergency funding to Ukrainian students. George Brown made an additional $250,000 available to students affected by conflict in Ukraine, Russia and Eastern Europe.

Many Ukrainian students are not sure if they will be returning home after they graduate due to the war and bombings.

Since January 1, more than 6,100 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada. All immigrants, refugees and visitors, including temporary foreign workers and students, undergo screening.

 

 

The love of his mom and daughter drives Chef Hudson Bernard to cook the best hamburger in Etobicoke.

Bernard is the owner of Supreme Burgers, one of the newest and most flavourable burger shops based out of a ghost kitchen in the area, rather than a physical location.

Bernard, who was born in Sri Lanka, moved to Canada at about the age of 10 and grew up in Montreal and Etobicoke.

He always loved burgers even while working as an executive chef, who specializes in French cooking, having worked in Montreal, France and Panama.

“I have been cooking for 20 years,” Bernard says. “I lived in South Etobicoke while attending college in the area.”
He says his burgers are based on the different countries in which he has cooked. They are loved for the use of fresh, high-quality ingredients, in which everything is made by hand.

His hamburgers, which are all under $10, have names like ‘The Godfather, The Chicken’s Godfather, Nashville Fried Chicken Burger and Butter Chicken Burger.’

The Butter Chicken Burger for $8.50 was tasty and juicy, with onion, cilantro and special Supreme sauce. It sticks to your tummy and is filling.

His skills are inspired by his mom, Juliette, from whom he learned to cook; and his daughter Zoey.

Juliette passed away from COVID-19 last year before she could meet Zoey. A fading framed photo of the two women provides the chef with daily inspiration.

“My mom never got to meet my daughter,” he says. “My wife pasted Zoey’s picture next to a photo of my mom so I could get them both in a shot.”

It seems that burger lovers are enjoying Supreme from the comments left online. “You can tell by the taste that the food is made from high quality ingredients,” one person wrote.

“You can count on me as a regular customer,” another burger lover said.

Orders can be made online using Door Dash or Skip the Dishes. The food can be picked up at Lockport Take Out at 20 Lockport Avenue.

Supreme Burgers can be reached by phone at 437-238-4347.  No dine-in available.

 

Some New Toronto residents are lobbying to stop the development of large shipping centres being built at the former Campbell’s Soup and three other sites in the community.

A group called No Shipping Terminals has distributed hundreds of brochures called ‘Stop the Convoy’ in area mailboxes and created an online website and petition to halt the projects.

“New trucking terminals are coming to our community,” said Alexander Ladouceur, an area teacher and co-founder of the non-profit group. “This would mean hundreds of trucks in residential areas where our kids learn and play.”

He said at least four huge distribution centres, or trucking terminals, have been approved for the former Campbell’s lands, at 60 Birmingham Street, also at 260 Eighth Street, 121 Thirtieth Street and 450 Evans Avenue.

“It’s not late to stop these terminals,” the brochures warned. “We want local employers that support our community, not automated terminals that serve other parts of the GTA.”

The group claims “hundreds of 18-wheelers will cause gridlock on Dwight, Evans, Islington and Kipling Avenues” if the plan goes through. It already has been approved by City Council.

Ladouceur and No Shipping Terminals have filed a lawsuit in Ontario Superior Court of Justice against 60 Birmingham property owner BCIMC Realty Corp., and developer Quadreal Property Group to try and have the work stopped.

Documents filed in court shows the owner plans to build a 398,000 square foot industrial space, made up of three separate one-storey industrial buildings that will have 86 loading docks, including 80 truck level doors and 6 drive-in doors.

“…it will simply be a space to ship goods by moving them from one vehicle to the next all day long,” according to the claim. “This will result in hundreds of transport trucks on the surrounding roads, all day long, which will never be compatible with the neighbourhood.”

He alleges the ‘last mile distribution centre’ will pose a safety risk to the 500 students attending nearby schools, homeowners and users of the Waterfront Trail System.

“The Birmingham Shipping Terminals will also increase traffic on our already congested main roads and will likely increase traffic on our side roads,” according to the legal action. “The safety of students and staff of the nearby middle school is at risk.”

“As a teacher, and someone who is hoping to raise children in the South Etobicoke Community. I am very concerned about the proximity of the Birmingham Shipping Terminals to the middle school,”  Ladouceur said.

He said a distribution centre will leave a trail of pollution from trucks, including noise, dust and lack of enjoyment of property.

Company officials couldn’t be reached for a comment.

Councillor Mark Grimes has declared a conflict of interest in the case which is being handled by Councillor Stephen Holyday.

You can reach No Shipping Terminals at 647-787-8624 or sign the petition at www.noshippingterminals@gmail.com

 

 

Toronto Police are warning residents of a suspicious incident in which a teenage girl was followed by a motorist in the Brown’s Line and Lake Shore Blvd. W. area.

Police were called on March 9 at 8:30 p.m. to investigate after a 15-year-old girl was approached by a man in a car.

“He asked her to get inside, offering her drugs and money,” police said in a release. “The teen refused and walked away.”

“He approached her again with the same offer,” according to police. “She became fearful and fled.”

The man is described as black, in his 30s, 6’0″, with a dark complexion, large build, and dread locks. He was wearing a grey hoodie, black jeans, and white ‘Air Force One” sneakers. He was driving a black 4-door sedan.

Investigators have canvassed the area and have recovered CCTV and videos. Anyone in the area who may have dash-cam or CCTV video is urged to contact investigators.
Police are also searching for a 13-year-old girl Aveda Polsinelli, who has been missing for a month.

Polsinelli was last seen on March 5 in the Royal York Road and Evans Avenue area.
She is described as 5’1″, with a slim build, brown and blonde hair, and brown eyes.
There is no clothing description available and police are concerned for her safety.
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.