An almost 50-year New Toronto sub shop has been selected as one of the Top 10 sandwich shops in Toronto, according to a survey by Toronto Life magazine.

The popular magazine named in its Top 10 Lakeshore Super Submarine, at 2939 Lake Shore Blvd. W., in its February 10 sub-hopping issue.

“For the platonic ideal of the submarine sandwich, head to Lakeshore Super Submarine, a South Etobicoke time warp (you’ll see when you get there) where owner George Kozaris has been manning the counter for more than four decades,” Toronto Life touted.

Writers Alex Baldinger and Rebecca Fleming described Kozaris’ sub as “a cloud-light bun comes stacked with cold cuts, cheese, tomato, white onion and shredded iceberg lettuce. Skip the mayo to let the tangy house vinaigrette shine.”

All that for less than $10 and the hockey one-liners are free.

Kozaris said he found out his shop had made it to the Top 10 list a couple days later from a customer.

“I was surprised,” he smiled as he sliced meat. “I am just being discovered after being here for 48 years in this same corner.”

He believes the secret to his success is the use of fresh meats, vegetables and keeping it affordable.

 

One are resident, Mike, said he has been living in the area for 15 and walked by the shop hundreds of times and never entered until he read the Toronto Life expose.

“I decided to give this place a try after reading the article,” Mike confessed. “I like it and have been back twice.”

Long-time customer Chris said he loves the hearty, meaty no-holds barred old-time sub.

“I want a sandwich that fills me up,” he said. “I have been coming here for maybe 20 years.”

The shop is straight out of the 1950s and you can get a huge sub for only $7, cash only please.

Lambo’s in Trinity Bellwoods was selected as the Number 1 sub shop in the city, followed by Mimico’s FBI Pizza, at 2336 Lake Shore Blvd. W., and in third position Good Behaviour sandwich shop, at 342 Westmoreland Ave. N.

Grandma Loves You, at 1084 Yonge St., was named number four, in fifth was Parkdale’s Chantecler Boucherie, at 1318 Queen St. W.,  and in sixth Elm Street Deli’s at  15 Elm St.

 

Some signs are being placed in the community asking residents to support war-torn Ukraine and for the banning of Russian products.

Chris Korwin Kuczynski, chair of the Lakeshore Village BIA, is calling upon community residents to boycott Russian goods being sold in stores.

“We have to take a stand,” Korwin Kuczynski said as he placed pro-Ukraine signs in the New Toronto area. “We all have to stand up or this war will never stop.”

He and a network of others are working to obtain donations and urgent medical supplies to send to help people in Ukraine.

You can take your donations of funds or goods to La Crema Café, at 821 Brown’s Line, at Alderwood Plaza. They are accepting financial, medical and other goods, which will go to the Canadian Ukrainian groups to help others in their homeland.

Residents are urged to Support Ukraine and can support financially, with food, medications, medical supplies or bullet proof vests at the Ivan Franko Home at 767 Royal York Road.

The Humber Bay Shores Condominium has also set up donation bins in number of condos where items much-needed in Ukraine can be dropped off.

Please note that donations of funds are preferred since it can be transferred immediately to Ukraine, where workers can purchase the required goods.

If you want to send goods, some of the items badly-needed by Ukrainians include: medical supplies, bandages, gloves, cotton wool, tourniquets; medicines including Benadryl, Tylenol and Baby Tylenol, Ibuprofen, aspirin, Pepto-Bismol; First Aid supplies and kits; food like canned food, dried fruits, nuts, instant noodles, energy bars, pasta, biscuits, coffee,

Also much sought after are female sanitary goods, baby formula, diapers, wet wipes, towels, hygenic products as soap bars, toothpaste, mouth wash, shampoo, hair combs or roll-on deodorants.

Also in demand are inflatable mattresses, sleeping bags, yoga mats, pillows, socks, underwear, warm almost new clothing, construction gloves, candles or flashlights, batteries.

All the goods will be picked up and distributed by organizations in Ukraine.

 

Chef Ushmeet Bhutani learned to cook from watching his mother as a child in the kitchen of their home in Bangalore, India.

Bhutani has since cooked for large hotel chains before founding Koshaa, at 2314 Lake Shore Blvd. W., near Burlington Street, which specializes in tasty North Indian cuisine.

“We wanted to open our restaurant in West Toronto,” Bhutani explains. “We have our own recipes and our food is traditional North Indian flavour.”

He previously worked at the Bangalore Hilton Hotel before arriving in Canada in 2016. Bhutani then worked at the Four Seasons before founding Koshaa.

“We use the freshest vegetables and spices,” he insists. “Everything is produced locally and made from scratch.”

The restaurant is licensed for alcohol, is clean and comfortable. A lot of effort and finances went into restoring the interior. It has a nice outdoor patio that faces Lake Shore Blvd.  W.

“I always liked cooking for people,” he says. “I get satisfaction from looking at peoples’ faces after they have had a nice home-cooked meal.”

He likes the area and has been getting support from Mimico residents.

“People like our food because it is healthy and a home-cooked style that is modern,” Bhutani says. “We use less oil and butter and extract more flavour from our ingredients.”

A graduate of the George Brown College Culinary program, the chef hopes to make his regulars return for more healthy home-inspired meals, just as his mom made in Bangalore.

Popular dishes include: Amritsar fish fry, North-Indian-style fried fish fritters marinated in tangy masala: Chicken 65, a Southern Indian style crispy chicken tempered with curry leaves and mustard seeds.

People also enjoy the sizzling chicken tikka; chicken morsels marinated overnight in Balkan yogurt with authentic Indian spices; Tandoori Shrimps, flavoured with ginger, garlic and grilled to perfection.

Or Seekh Kebab, made from a smooth minced lamb mixture and seasoned with onions, tomatoes, and a combination of spices and Classic Paneer Tikka, made from Indian cottage cheese cubes, pepper and onions marinated with tandoori masala and baked.

Koshaa can be reached by telephone at 647-349-8424 or visit www.koshaa.ca

 

 

Toronto Police say its Gender Diversity and Trans Inclusion (GDTI) project continues to make progress on several initiatives to ensure all areas of the force are updated with a gender diverse and trans inclusion lens.

The revised policies, procedures, orders, forms and training materials were presented at a virtual community consultation hosted by Chief James Ramer on January 19, police said.
This work has included a new Standard of Conduct requiring Toronto police members to show respect to trans and gender diverse people, new guidance on searches and housing trans and gender diverse people, guidance for news releases and expanding the definition of immediate family.

Officers will have to undergo a mandatory training on the changes.

The Service is  asking the community to provide feedback on how they would like police to be evaluated on the impact of this work. A survey is underway until April 20.
An essential part of the project involves gathering feedback from members of the community who are impacted the most, to ensure policy changes effectively meet their expectations, police say.

Members of the community are invited to participate in a second community consultation scheduled for March 23, with with more details to follow.

The catalyst for the Service’s Gender Diversity and Trans Inclusion Project is a settlement with Boyd Kodak and the Ontario Human Rights Commission, reached after allegations of discrimination based on gender and gender identity were made against the Service.

For more information about the Gender Diversity and Trans Inclusion Project, please visit www.tps.on.ca/trans-inclusion-project.

One of the oldest WWII veterans in Canada has passed away.

Private Ardwell “Art” Eyres, passed away on February 16. He would have been 98 in April.

Eyres loved Alderwood and lived most of his adult life there, where he raised his family. He lived independently in his home until a few months ago.

During the Second World War, Eyres served on a troopship that was responsible for bringing thousands of soldiers across the Atlantic to fight in Europe on D-Day.

Born in Cameron, Ontario, Eyres enlisted for the army on April 29, 1943—the same day he turned 19. When asked why he decided to join, his answer is simple. “That’s what you did.”

He was stationed in Halifax to serve on the troopship Ile de France as part of the Embarkation Transit Unit. “Troops would exit one train, do a roll call before loading onto the ship. Then another train would pull up and load more soldiers. This process continued until the boat was full.”

Eyres made 17 round trips across the Atlantic to transport thousands of troops, and at one point they were joined by performer Bing Crosby. Every trip was made without a convoy escort.

“We could go fast enough to outrun German subs,” Eyres recalled. “We had to change course every three minutes or so to help confuse the enemy.”

He was dubbed “Laddie” by his Regimental Sergeant Major while serving on a hospital ship called The Lady Nelson.

Eyres served for a year after the war ended. The Ile de France was responsible for bringing back 10,000 troops, which included wounded.

“People think that when the war was over, we just all left and went back to our previous lives, but there was a lot more to do,” he says.

On discharge from the army, Eyres settled in Alderwood, married and started a family.

He went to night school and eventually became an accountant. Eyres joined the Upper Canada Railway Society and would serve as club president.

He became interested in recording his family history and worked on his family tree, recording more than 1,000 names and going as far back as 1770.

Eyres returned to Halifax June to mark the 75th anniversary of D Day and the Battle of Normandy. “Canadians need to remember how important that day was” he said then. “For all the servicemen who landed on the beaches and flew over them. We had to honour the job they did.”

For his service, Eyres received the 1939 1945 Star, the Atlantic Star, the Victory Medal, and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Bar.

 

The installation of a lovely memorial to mark and remember hundreds of South Etobicoke residents who passed away from COVID-19 in our community is being looked at.

The memorial, which is in the early stage of development, will be placed in New Toronto at the south east corner of Lake Shore Blvd.  W., and Fifth Street, where a fountain previously stood.

Chris Korwin Kuczynski, Chair of the Board of the Lakeshore Village Business Improvement Area, said it will be simple memorial to remember those who died in our community.

“It is being looked at,” Korwin Kuczynski said. “We are trying to honour our dead.”

He expects the monument to be installed sometime next year if approved.

Members of St. Margaret’s Anglican Church New Toronto held a well-attended memorial service for those who passed from the pandemic last summer.

There are more than 500 members of our community who some officials say passed away due to COVID-19 related illness. The pandemic has killed more than 10,000 people in Ontario.

Some guidelines to fight the pandemic are finally being lifted as restaurant limits and vaccine passport.

 

 

 

Good-natured barber Jonathan Compton has trimmed so many area residents and their families that he is dubbed the unofficial “Mayor of Mimico.”

Compton owns and has been a main stylist at the popular Elevate Barber Shop, at 2383 Lake Shore Blvd. W., near Superior Avenue, for seven years and is well-known for his good deeds in the community.

Many residents stop by his salon for a trim or to say hello on their rounds.

The native of St. Lucia, worked for a number of years as a trucker when he arrived in Canada in 1994. He returned to his love of hair cutting and styling, a trade he learned at home. In time he opened his Mimico salon and hasn’t looked back.

“I was spending too much time on the road as a trucker,” Compton says. “I always wanted to own my own business and there was an opportunity.”

He, like many others, are seeing an uptick in business as some COVID-19 guidelines are lifted.

“I have been receiving a lot of support from the community,” Compton explains. “Mimico has been great to me and I am glad that I opened in this neighbourhood.”

“The business and styles have changed over the years,” he notes. “Most people know they will get a  great cut here and they always come back.”

He has customers from across the City who have been returning to his chair for years.

Opening a business these days can be a daunting and overwhelming task and he warns enterprising barbers to stay focused.

“Keep your eyes on your dream and don’t let anyone hold you back,” Compton offers.

His salon is comfortable, friendly and provides some good conversations. On this day the music of Jamaica reggae icon Bob Marley is jamming as the Compton’s celebrates the musician’s February 6 birthday.

He can be reached at 647-347-6008. Appointments are not required.

 

 

The tense situation in Ukraine has been a big topic of conversation at Mimico’s Barrel House Korchma family-owned restaurant.

Barrel House Korchma, at 2385 Lake Shore Blvd. W., at Superior Avenue, has been opened for about a year and prides itself in serving traditional and authentic Ukrainian dishes with high-quality ingredients.

“People love the food,” says Tetyana Barylko, whose parents own the business. “Visitors will experience the culture of our ancestors and what makes Ukraine special.”

The rustic restaurant, which features many pieces of cultural artwork, was founded by Mykhaylo Barylko and wife, Nadiya, after they arrived here in 2002  from the village of Verkhnia Lypytsia, Ukraine, to start a better life for their family.

“We are proud of our heritage and want to continue serving our history to our customers,” Barylko says. “Most of the recipes from our menu have been passed down in our family for many generations.”

A ‘Korchma’ is a Ukrainian tavern or pub where food, beer or ale can be consumed by travellers, many who were Cossacks, or soldiers who fought for Ukraine’s freedom.

She said the bright and comfortable eatery has ‘played a pivotal role in solidifying their Ukrainian roots in Canada.’

“We believe this is the first dine-in Ukrainian restaurant in Toronto,” Barylko says. “A large section of people in this area of Ukrainian, Polish or European descent.”

She says customers are concerned about the Russian military buildup on the borders of Ukraine since many have family members back at home.

“It is something that people are very concerned about and they talk about it,” Barylko agrees.

Their menu includes homemade pierogis, pelmeni, palushky, varenyky, cabbage rolls, dumpling filled with either chicken, pork or beef and topped with sour cream; along with potato pancakes and chicken and pork schnitzels.

“It warms my heart seeing people enjoy the food that I grew up with,” she explains. “I grew up with almost all the food on our menu, so to me, that’s what authentic Ukrainian food is.”

The Barrel House Korchma features a nice private patio and can be reached by phone at 647-797-5625 or visit them on Facebook @barrelhousekorchma.

 

Cast of Famous People Players with community awards presented by MPP Christine Hogarth. Photo by Val Kalimbet.

 

Members of Etobicoke’s Famous People Players who are known worldwide have now been recognized for their outstanding service as they reopen their stage for performances to the public with COVID-19 guidelines being lifted.

The cast of ‘Canada’s original blacklight theatre’ are among 300 workers of non-profit agencies presented with plaques of appreciation on February 18 by MPP Christine Hogarth for their work in the community.

The 343 Evans Avenue agency recently received a $300,000 grant from the Ontario government to carry out their work.

“We are showing our appreciation for the work that they and other non-profits do,” said Hogarth, the MPP for Etobicoke Lakeshore. “We are saying thank you to all the non-profit agencies for all their work in the community.”

Hogarth said she was ‘honoured’ to be on the famed stage to make the presentations.

The theatre, which has been staging shows for 47 years in Toronto, has framed photos of some of the biggest stars, who have graced their stage over the decades.

A Famous People Players’ Memory Lane contains dozens of photographs of some of Hollywood and Broadway’s most iconic stars who have performed there including Liberace, a long-time friend of the theatre; musician Phil Collins; whom the stage was named after he donated funds for a sound system and actor Paul Newman; after which a Newman’s Own kitchen was named, and many more.

Famous People was founded in 1994 by Diane Dupuy who said they are ‘dedicated to helping those who are developmentally challenged.”

The company, which moved to Etobicoke in 2009 after its Toronto building was demolished, employs

people with physical and intellectual disabilities, who share duties in dining room management, arts administration, and theatrical and visual arts performances.

“Our performances include exceptional achievements from those who have dared to believe in themselves,” said Dupuy, a member of the Order of Canada and recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Medal and Library of Congress Award.

She said this is the second time that Famous People has reopened its stage after being shut for years due to the pandemic.

“We were closed twice due to the virus,” Dupuy explained. “We offer inspirational education through a Broadway-class theatre extravaganza. We are glad to return.”

She said the theatre experience ‘teaches students of all ages to push beyond any limitations and to rise to the best of their true selves.’

Famous People Players board chair Chris Korwin-Kuczynski said the theatre has been a successful fixture in the community for 13 years and ‘people love the shows.’

School teacher Brittany Knight said ‘it was challenging to find an event that works for all of my class.’

“This one was awesome in every capacity,” Knight said of the theatre experience. “You made us laugh, think and taught us how to respond even better to the kids.”

Now playing is Shufflin’ on Broadway, which runs from January 15 to May 31.

The theatre offers a dinner performance in their dining room with Celebrity Chef Christopher Woods.
The Newman’s Own kitchen is a centre of their Culinary Dream Program.

Famous Players Theatre is located at 343 Evans Avenue and can be reached by phone at 416-532-1137 or visit www.FamousPeoplePlayers.com

 

A hit and run driver stopped his car to look at an injured senior he had just hit before fleeing the scene on The Queensway, police say.

The 75-year-old woman was hit as she was crossing to north side of The Queensway at Taymall Avenue around 6:08 a.m. on February 10, according to Traffic officers.

“She was struck by a west-bound vehicle and thrown into the westbound lanes,” police said in a release. “The driver of the vehicle stopped and exited the vehicle, but then returned to the vehicle and fled the scene of the collision.”

The woman was located and assisted by a citizen.

Police said she was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.

Detectives are seeking the public’s assistance in locating the involved vehicle and driver.
The vehicle is described as a silver SUV.

Traffic Services Investigators are asking local residents, businesses, and drivers, who may have security or dash-camera footage of the area or incident, to contact police.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-1900, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, online on our Facebook Leave a Tip page, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637).