This library shutdown comes as students wonder when they may return to classes again.

The Toronto Public Library (TPS) has shut 44 branches, including all the ones in South Etobicoke, as of January 10 due to COVID-19.

“Fifty-two of TPL’s largest and most-used library branches will remain open and staff from closed locations will be reassigned to these branches,” according to a notice from the TPL.

“These operational changes will enable TPL’s branches to continue to offer consistent and equitable library services across the city,” the library said.

The closures mean all south Etobicoke branches including:  Alderwood, Long Branch, New Toronto, Mimico Centennial Branch, Eatonville and Humber Bay will shut until further notice.

Open branches are operating at a 50 per cent capacity limit and masks are required for entry

Online services will remain available and can be accessed from anywhere including access to digital collections, online programs and Answerline.

Toronto residents 13 and over who live in Toronto and don’t have a library card can register for a Digital Access Card online and get instant access to thousands of e-books, audiobooks, streaming video, e-Learning resources and more.

The TPL has a network of 100 branches including 81 neighbourhood libraries, 17 district libraries and two research and reference libraries. The TPL was created  in 1884 and is 138 years old.

The owner of Lakeshore Village Pharmasave says Moderna brand  first and second vaccination shots, including booster shots, are now available at his New Toronto pharmacy.

Christopher Mikhail said no appointments are required for the Moderna shots at his Lakeshore Village Pharmacy, at 2835 Lake Shore Blvd., near Fourth Street.

The pharmacy is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and can be reached by phone at 416-255-6999 or email pharmacy@lakeshorepharmasave.com

Residents have to show some identification like their health card.

 

Call for Artists

STARTING IN JANUARY 2022 community wellness series, the power of positivity on Zoom at 2 p.m. every Tuesday on January 4, 11, 18 and 25, for good vibes only and to reduce stress. To register contact jasmind@lampchc.org or call 416 252 6471 ext. 308.

STARTS JANUARY 6 TO FEBRUARY 24, BABY TIME LAMP Early On. Come join us for songs and rhymes while you get to connect with other parents. This program is great for babies up to 6 months. Every Tuesday 9:30 am -11:30 am. At Second Street school. To register, please contact kimt@lampchc.org  Proof of double vaccination is required.

BUSY BABIES THURSDAY Starts January 6 TO FEBRUARY 24 for four weeks. Join us for our Busy Babies Thursday program for children age 12 months and over. A fun filled adventure with crafts, stories and lots of songs. The program runs every Thursday from 9:30 am – 11:30 am. Pre-register using this link https://forms.gle/iU5wswXTeTKssmW59. For more information email: ishrats@lampchc.org

FREE EMERGENCY FOOD TAKEOUT MEALS offered Monday to Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. through LAMP’s adult drop-in program. Thursday harm reduction supports from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

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.

JANUARY 26 WEST TORONTO DIABETES EDUCATION PROGRAM (Virtual Workshop) An online introduction to diabetes program runs from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. It is important to understand the cause of diabetes, the symptoms and how to manage it. The program is subdivided into two parts: The Intro to Diabetes and Healthy Eating. To register call 416-252-1928 ext. 100.

 LAMP’s COMMUNITY CHIROPODIST is now taking new patients for foot care services for people who are prediabetic or diabetic. For more information on call 416-252-6471 ext. 264.

EVERY WEDNESDAY from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Stonegate Community Health Centre presents Everything Baby Discussion with Barbara and Larissa to discuss prenatal, post-natal and parenting topics on Facebook Live on the Stonegate CHC Family Program Facebook page at facebook.com

EVERY THURSDAY The Good Food Market from 12 to 4 p.m. at Stonegate CHC at 10 Neighbourhood Lane for affordable produce, outdoor market and bring your own bags. COVID-19 protocols are in place. For more information call 416-231-7070 ext 307.

FOR SALE NEW TORONTO COOKBOOK in support of St. Margaret’s New Toronto Church. Buy one for $25 or two for $20 each. Pick up at St. Margaret’s New Toronto, at 156 Sixth Street. To pre-order call Linda at 416-251-1682 or text 647-787-8946.

STARTING IN JANUARY 2022 craving change, a how-to workshop for changing your relationship with food. Understand why you eat the way you do; change your thinking and change your eating. Six 15-hour sessions over Zoom in six weeks. Contact Calla at Calla@lampchc.org or phone 416-252-9701 ext. 271.

THE SNYP TRUCK a mobile clinic of Toronto Animal Services will be at LAMP Community Health Centre, at 185 Fifth Street, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on January 18, February 8 and March 8 to spay or neuter your pets. Free or low cost pet services to LAMP clients, staff, community and family members. Contact 416-338-6281.

SUMMER YOUTH JOB CONNECTION for students aged 15 to 18 to obtain 20-hours of paid pre-employment training, free certification, training and work-related supports. Must be eligible to work in Ontario and be ready and willing to work during COVID-19, March Break and Summer 2022. Contact Sheroni at 416-405-5259 or email schristian@woodgreen.org

PHYSIOTHERAPY-BACK TO MOVEMENT (Virtual Program) Are you experiencing chronic low back pain? Join our online Back to Movement Physiotherapy program. The program is designed to help you reduce your lower back pain and keep you in shape!  Runs Wednesdays from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.  until the end of March 2022. To register, call 416-252-6471 ext. 264.

PHYSIOTHERAPY-STRONG AND STEADY FALLS PREVENTION (Virtual Program) Winter weather means slippery sidewalks and falls. LAMP’s physiotherapy department is offering a free program to help prevent falls. Register for our upcoming Strong & Steady physiotherapy program online runs Tuesdays at 10:30 am through the end of March 2022. Improve your balance through simple exercises. To register, call 416-252-6471 ext. 264.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO help plan a community leadership program. The purpose is to build community capacity and involvement. Need your ideas! For more information contact jasmind@lampchc.org or call 416 252 6471 ext. 308

STARTING JANUARY 12 TO FEBRUARY 23 MINDFUL PARENTS AND BABIES YOGA for parents with babies up to six months old. There will be yoga stretches, baby rhymes and mindful strategies in every session. The program runs from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. To join seven week program fill out the sign-in form at  https://forms.gle/oNJR8cA3tqFu2BEo9

Sydney Reginald Cole was a valiant, fearless and true Etobicoke war hero.

Cole was born in 1923 and grew up in the Lake Promenade area in Long Branch, where decades later his exploits were celebrated by hundreds of residents on his return home from fighting overseas.

He died in 1991 at the age of 68.

Cole enlisted in the war effort and became a Flight Sergeant and Wireless Operator in the 192  Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II.

The pilot of the PBY Canso, Flight

He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Medal for “great devotion to duty and exceptional courage.”

On June 24 1944, Cole was on duty during an attack from a German U-Boat in the North Atlantic in which he and his crew faced intense anti-aircraft fire and engine failure.

Records show the aircraft was being ‘pelted with intense anti-aircraft fire and was repeatedly hit on its starboard engine which had failed and was on fire,’ soon thereafter falling off. Lieutenant David “Bud” Hornell managed to drop two depth charges on the U-boat and was able to land his stricken aircraft in the choppy north Atlantic.

Cole was wounded by shrapnel and abandoned the aircraft and escaped in a dinghy, where he spent the next 21 hours in freezing waters, assisting others. He was ultimately able to save the Flight Navigator’s life, but the famed pilot, Hornell did not survive.

Hornell, who was from Mimico and attended Mimico High School, was captain of the aircraft and was blinded and weak from exposure and cold when rescued 21 hours later. He died shortly after being picked up.

Hornell was a recipient of a posthumous Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

“Flight Sergeant Cole coolly and courageously continued sending a sighting report until he was wounded by shrapnel and stunned momentarily,” according his memoir, War and Innocence, a Time Remembered, by H.J. Cole, which is available online.

“He collected a tin of water and rations at the time when the petrol tanks were in danger of exploding and even when in the dingy leaving the aircraft had to be restrained from going back to get a dinghy radio,” the book explains.

There were hundreds of area residents who showed up to meet him on his return home in July 1944. He was placed on a fire truck as people waved and shouted and driven home on Lake Promenade Avenue to meet his family.

A local park in 2017 was named ‘Syd Cole Park,’ in honour of the local war hero, near his home at 60 Eastwood park Park Gardens, at the corner of Long Branch Avenue.

The 162 Squadron lost 14 Canadian airmen and three aircraft in that fight with the enemy. Cole was later made a Canadian recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Flying Medal Award.

 

The families of two young Mississauga men who were shot dead in a double murder on Thirtieth Street are today planning their funerals.

Police said a young woman was also shot and is recovering from non-life threatening injuries.

Toronto Homicide Squad officers have identified the slain men as Minyali Wur, 24, and Chudier Reat, 20, both of Mississauga.

Detectives in a media release said they responded to a radio call for the shooting on January 3 at 8:45 p.m. at 150 Thirtieth Street, just south of Horner Avenue.

“Police arrived on scene and located two men suffering from gunshot wounds, and a woman nearby with injuries,” according to the release.
The two men succumbed to their injuries in hospital and were pronounced deceased, police said.

Investigators would like to speak with anyone who may have information concerning the investigation, or have dash camera or video surveillance of the area.
Witnesses said the shooting took place in a rental recording studio in the building.

A photo of Reat has been issued by police.

The investigation is ongoing.

The men were the third to die from gunplay in South Etobicoke during the first week of 2022.

Giovanni Raimondi, 39, was shot and killed on January 3 at a Lake Shore Blvd. W. residence near Palace Pier Court.

The shooting took place at 9:35 p.m. near Lake Shore and Palace Pier Court, according to a police release.

Raimondi was among seven men charged by the OPP in June 2020 in connection with tobacco related offences.

There have been no arrests.

 

 

It was a deadly night in Long Branch.

Two men are dead and one woman suffering from gunshot wounds after a brazen multiple shooting that took place at a popular office share company in Long Branch.

Police had the parking lot and area surrounding Office 146, at 146 Thirtieth Street, just north of Lake Shore Blvd. W., taped off as officers of the force’s Homicide Squad searched for clues.

The sounds of gunfire erupted on January 3 around 9 p.m. at the building, which houses dozens of small offices that are rented by small firms and business people.

The facility is busy at that time of the evening and witnesses said the incident could have been much worst.

Once officers arrived at the scene they located three victims suffering from gunshot wounds. There were two males and a female, police said. Their names and ages have not been released.

Police are trying to determine what happened prior to the fatal shooting or if the shooting happened inside a building or outside.

Shell casings were found in the area.

Roads nearby were closed as officers investigated. No description of a suspect or suspects has been released.

The large two-storey building is often used by gig workers, people with small businesses and entrepreneurs.  There were a number of studios, or underground radio stations, many which streams music, that at times broadcasted from the building.

There has been no reports of past trouble at that address.

Office manager Kam S. said on social media that Office 146 helps businesses, start-ups,  artists and others realize their dreams.

“Flexible contracts and many options allows for scaling of your operations while maintaining the ease of living a modern workplace needs,” she wrote.

Kam said the spaces “are designed to provide a sense of community while being able to maintain optimum productivity.”

Police said more information will be released as the investigation progress.

 

 

 

 

Premier Doug Ford has outlined some tough guidelines to fight the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

He announced all publicly funded and private schools will move to remote learning starting January 5 until at least January 17.

All the new measures to take effect on January 5 at 12:01 a.m.

All indoor dining at restaurants and bars are gone and the capacity limit has been reduced to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors.

There will only be outdoor dining, takeout, drive through and delivery allowed.

Retail stores, malls, public libraries and personal care services limited to 50 per cent capacity.

Saunas, steam rooms and oxygen bars closed.

Capacity at weddings, funerals and religious services limited to 50 per cent capacity per room.

Outdoor services must have two-metre distancing between all attendees.

Employees must work remotely unless their work requires them to be on site.

Gyms and other indoor recreational sport facilities closed, except athletes training for the Olympics and Paralympics and certain professional and elite sports leagues.

Outdoor facilities are permitted but with a 50 per cent capacity limit on spectators.

Museums, galleries, zoos, science centres, historic sites, amusement parks, festivals and other attractions closed.

Outdoor establishments allowed with restrictions and capacity limits.

Indoor meeting and event spaces closed with limited exceptions, except those with outdoor spaces, which can operate with restrictions.

Non-urgent surgeries paused

In Ontario on January 2 there were  another 13,578 new cases of COVID-19. That followed 16,714 cases on Sunday and a pandemic-high 18,445 cases on Saturday.

 

 

 

A thief is still on the run from Toronto Police for ripping off a man using an ATM machine in The Queensway and Kipling Ave. mall area.

Police said on December 6 about 9:10 a.m. they responded to the theft.

“A man was using the ATM,“ according to police. “The suspect approached the man and tapped him on the shoulder.”

Detectives said “when the man turned to face the suspect, the suspect took the man’s scarf and wallet.”

The culprit sped away on foot.

A security camera photograph has been released.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-1100, 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).

 

The former Six Points Plaza is remembered by many today for the iconic Westwood Theatre that showed top movies for almost 50 years and saw many glory days.

Six Points intersection where Kipling Avenue meets both Bloor and Dundas Street W.

The famed movie house, where a number of movies were filmed, shut its doors in 1998 and sat vacant until 2013. It is now the site of a new development hub that will feature an upcoming Etobicoke Civic Hall, public library branch, gym and health centre.

Many residents have great memories watching movies at the olden and comfortable theatre back in the day with family and friends. It was a more laid back time.

An application is now underway for a zoning by-law amendment from the City of Toronto to permit the redevelopment of the Six Points Plaza to include four mixed-use blocks of land for high-density and medium-density buildings and parkland.

The park will be located on the south side of Bloor Street West, between Jopling Avenue South and Beamish Drive, and north of Dundas Street West.

Liberty Development has proposed seven towers ranging from 10 to 45 storeys, of mostly residential space on the 13.8 acres (5.6 hectare) site.

Block 1 is east of Jopling and when completed will consist of a 45–storey and 42-storey condo towers that would provide 918 residential units, of which 572 would be one-bedrooms, 175 would be two-bedrooms and 127 three-bedrooms.

Block 2 consists of a 30–storey residential tower and 10-storey building with 451 residential units, 287 one-bedrooms and 93 two-bedrooms.

Block 3 is south of Bloor Street and consists of a 10-storey mixed use building and 25-storey tower that would provide 333 units. Block 4 consists of a 35-storey residential building with 428 units.

Some 914 parking spaces are proposed for the redevelopment of which 645 are for residents, 53 for non-residential uses and 216 for visitors. Also planned are 1,652 bicycle parking spaces.

The site is about 300 metres from Kipling subway and GO stations, including the Kipling Metrolinx Transit Hub, from where trains and buses across the Greater Toronto Area can be accessed.

The application is going through the hearings process.