Chatham’s Walter Chant Floody was a fighter pilot and prisoner of war in the Second World War who was instrumental in the Hollywood movie ‘The Great Escape’ for his cave-digging skills.

Floody, who died in September 1989 at the age of 71, played the fictional ‘Tunnel King,’ Danny Velinski, played by Charles Bronson in the blockbuster movie.

The pilot acted as the technical adviser of the 1963 award-winning feature film.

He at one time worked in a mine in Timmins as a mucker, shovelling the rock and mud into carts to be hauled up to the surface.

Floody was living in Toronto when he applied to join the military. In 1940 he was sent to an air station in Manitoba and became an operational pilot with No. 401 Squadron.

His Spitfire was shot down in October 1941 over France and two German soldiers were waiting for him on the ground.

He was imprisoned at the prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft III  at Sagan, now Zagan, Poland. There, he joined the “X-Organization”, headed by Roger Bushell codenamed “Big-X”), who put Floody in charge of digging tunnels and their camouflage for the upcoming escape attempts.

By March 1944, suspicious German guards found the tell-tale sign of sand being dropped by one of the ‘penguins’ out of the bottom of his pant legs and immediately rounded up Floody and 19 others and transferred them to another camp in Belaria.

The escape of 76 men went ahead on the moonless night of March 1944. Eventually the Germans caught all but three prisoners, and to make an example of them to all the other prisoners, Hitler ordered the execution of 50 of the recaptured Allied officers under the pretext that they were shot while attempting escape.

Floody at the end of the war gave evidence about conditions in prisoner of war camps at the Nuremberg Trials.

He was made a Member of the British Empire in September 1946 by King George VI two days after his first son, Brian, was born.

The veteran was asked to work as a technical adviser in the high-profile 1962 film based on a book by Paul Brickhill, an Australian flyer and writer who, like Floody, had spent time at Stalag Luft III.

Returning to civilian life, Floody became a businessman and co-founder of the Royal Canadian Air Force Prisoners of War Association.

The film starred top actors as Steve McQueen, James Garner, James Coburn and Charles Bronson among others.

 

 

 

The friendly staff at Delicia bakery were voted to have the best decorated Christmas tree this year by the Lakeshore Village Business Improvement Area (BIA).

A trophy for best Christmas tree was presented to Delicia’s Viviana Ruben By BIA chair Chris Korwin Kuczynski on December 4.

“It feels good to win this nice award,” Ruben said. “It took us almost three hours to decorate our tree.”

The staff at the 2864 Lake Shore Blvd. W., store were happy with to win the award.

“We are 100 per cent happy,” she said. “We will put in on a shelf inside the store.”

The second place winner for having the second-best decorated tree went to Pharmasave, Lake Shore Village Pharmacy, near Lake Shore Blvd. W., and Fourth Street.

“It feels great to win for second place tree,” said store official Christopher. “We are new here and have been getting a great welcome from area residents.”

Christopher said it took store staff about six hours to decorate their tree.

Third place went to the popular Village Vinyl Music Emporium and Café, at 2925 Lake Shore Blvd. W.,

“We didn’t expect to win this award,’ said owner Keith Pope. “We are honoured to have placed third in the best decorated Christmas tree contest.”

The winners get to keep their nice looking awards and bragging rights.

Korwin-Kuczynski said the competition was tough this year for the judges and more than 30 businesses entered the contest.

 

More than 1,500 people have voted in an online survey to save a row of 12 healthy trees on Dwight Avenue from being cut down to install a sidewalk.

A City of Toronto Infrastructure and Environment Committee on December 2 voted to adopt a staff recommendation to remove a dozen  Norway Maples from Dwight for a walkway.

Councillor Mark Grimes was noticeably absent from the meeting.

The trees scheduled for removal run along the fence of Second Street Junior Middle School and provide shade, exposure to nature, and separation from a busy street to the young children who play there, area residents said.

“These trees play a vital role in local ecosystems and water management, and help to mitigate climate change,” they argued.

The City of Toronto Transportation Services department scheduled installation this year of a sidewalk on the west side of Dwight Avenue between Birmingham Street and Maple Boulevard. The timing of the sidewalk installation was based on the opportunity for the work to be bundled with adjacent state-of-good-repair work on surrounding streets, which saves the city money.

However, the sidewalk installation plan included in the subcontracted work calls for the removal of 12 trees, most of which are large, healthy, mature trees.

“This is of special concern in this location, since new last mile logistics warehouses are being built directly adjacent to Second Street Junior Middle School, and can be expected to bring more traffic along Dwight Avenue,” officials heard.

City staff discard the option of narrowing the road because it is “beyond the scope of the existing contract” and further expenditure is not programmed in the near-term.

One year ago Mayor John Tory accepted the Champion of  Trees Award from the Arbor Day Foundation on behalf of the City of Toronto.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee on December 2 will reaffirm Toronto’s longstanding target of 40 percent tree canover cover by 2050 to align with the City of Toronto’s Transform TO Net Zero Strategy. In the same meeting, it was proposed that the committee destroy an entire block of mature trees to install a sidewalk.

Seven of the trees to be removed are healthy, mature maples, which are located along an urban street from which they cannot spread to any forest or ravine.

The recommendation will be considered by Toronto City Council on 15 December before the trees can be removed.

 

Many Long Branch residents are stunned to learn that their favourite pizzeria has been destroyed by fire.

A fundraiser has been launched on Go Fund Me to help rebuild Adriano’s Pizza and Pasta, at 3329 Lake Shore Blvd. W. at Twenty-Seventh Street.

So far almost $3,000 has been raised by pizza lovers of a $7,500 goal that has been set.

Members of the community are saddened by the loss and are rallying online to help Adriano Stolay, the well-loved and respected owner of the parlour, get back on his feet.

Adriano, dubbed a “pizza maker with a heart of dough,” is very generous and is known to gladly feed with a slice those homeless, hungry or donate his tasty pies to area charities.

Organizers of the fundraiser, Jackie Goodman and Lisa Davis, said Adrian is “ensuring no one goes hungry because they can’t afford a slice, and offering lollipops to every child who enters his pizzeria, there isn’t a single person who walks out of Adriano’s without a smile on their face.”

“Adriano and his family need our help to get back to business,” they wrote. “Let’s show Adriano what he means to this community and show our appreciation for all that he has given to us.”

The family-owned and operated pizza parlour suffered major damage in what seems to have been a roof fire about 2 a.m. on December 2.

The business was closed and no one was there at that time. There were no reported injuries.

Toronto Fire arrived at the scene at 2:21 a.m. to put out the fire, which was upgraded to a two-alarmer after firefighters arrived.

“It was a bit of a stubborn fire. It took a little while to knock down,” a Platoon Chief said.

He said the fire was contained to the roof, but neighbouring buildings may have some smoke damage.

You can make a donation to help with the return of the parlour on Go Fund Me.

Pizza lovers took to social media to vent their frustration and loss of a good pizza place.

“Yes that is true Adriano has a heart of gold. This is heartbreaking, I’m hoping he can rebuild it fast,” wrote Monika Tabak.

“We just ordered from him last night,” Sue Clevely said. ‘Our go to pizza place. So sorry to hear.”

“We finally had Adriano’s amazing food just last week, and declared it our new go-to pizza,” noted  Carolyn Buchanan. “I hope the damage is not extensive and that he can reopen his wonderful business soon.”

 

Women are being warned of a night prowler lurking in the Mimico area.

Police have stepped up patrols in the area as they search for a brazen attacker.

A suspect is on the lam after he tried to grab a woman through her bathroom window in her home on December 1, police said.

Detectives in a release said they responded to a call for a break-and-enter in the Melrose Street and Grand Avenue area just after 12 a.m.

It is reported that “a man opened the window to a basement apartment,” according to police.

“He reached in and tried to grab a woman in the washroom taking a shower,” police said. “She screamed and he fled.”

The suspect is described as white and aged between 18 and 35 years old.

Investigators are aware of other suspicious behaviour including prowling by night in the area.
Police said officers continue to patrol the area and would encourage anyone who sees anything suspicious to report it to police.

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, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637), or Leave A Tip on Facebook. Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes or Google Play.

 

The Ontario government is making the largest single hospital infrastructure investment in the province’s history by investing more than $1 billion dollars to renovate and expand the Mississauga Hospital and  Queensway Health Centre in South Etobicoke.

As Etobicoke and Peel continue to grow, and over the next 20 years, the demand for health care services offered by Trillium Health Partners is expected to increase by nearly seven fold.

The province said the investment will add more than 150 new beds and a new inpatient care tower to centralize continuing care and rehabilitation services for patients.

The money will be used to build a “new, state-of-the-art Mississauga Hospital” and expand Queensway Health Centre, according to the Ontario government.

“This is the single largest hospital infrastructure plan in Canadian history,” Premier Doug Ford said.

“Investments in Ontario’s health care reaffirms the government’s commitment to put people first,” said Christine Hogarth, MPP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore. “This unprecedented funding will support our communities by increasing health care capacity and addressing growth demands and future needs.”

The redevelopment of the Queensway Health Centre will help meet the health care needs of patients and families in Etobicoke-Lakeshore by reducing wait times and providing a safe and comfortable environment for patients to receive high-quality care, according to officials.

“We are working hard to ensure all Ontarians have access to the high-quality services and supports they need most in their daily lives,” said Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure.

Suma said to support growing demands on the health care system, Ontario is investing $30.2 billion over the next 10 years to build, expand and enhance hospitals.

The 2021 Budget outlined $1.8 billion in additional investments for hospitals in 2021-22, bringing the additional investment in hospitals since the start of the pandemic to more than $5.1 billion.

“The redevelopment and expansion projects at Trillium Health Partners (THP) will ensure we have the modern facilities and much-needed capacity to deliver high quality, exceptional care to this community for generations to come,” said Karli Farrow, President and CEO of Trillium.

THP is one of the largest community hospital systems in Canada, serving over 1.7 million patients yearly in Mississauga, West Toronto and surrounding communities across its three sites: Credit Valley Hospital, the Mississauga Hospital and the Queensway Health Centre.

 

 

After more than 37 years of feeding the community, the Dundas Street Grille may soon be gone.

The Dundas Street Grille, a popular restaurant known for its breakfasts, has been a mainstay of the neighbourhood around Kipling subway station since the mid-1980s.

The family-run eatery has been an Etobicoke landmark for generations.

Now there are plans to turn it into a 40-storey mixed use condo.

Documents filed by a developer show an Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application to permit the redevelopment of the lands with a 40 storey high-rise mixed-use residential building, comprised of 475 residential units, at-grade commercial space and proposed parkland dedication area.

A lone single-family bungalow directly to the north at 28 Jopling Street South would also be demolished to make way for the new tower. A 340 square-metre park, buffering the enormous tower, is also proposed.

Designed by architects IBI Group for developer main+main, the new tower would soar almost 131 metres above Dundas Street West.

The building will feature a sloped roof terminating with a dramatic knife-edge point.

The condo will create 380 square metres of retail space on Dundas at the base of the development.

Parking is tight in the area and 177 parking spots are proposed for underground.

The matter is under consideration by Etobicoke York Community Council.

 

 

 

Some 205 Toronto Police officers and civilians have been sent home without pay for not being vaccinated or disclosing their status.

The 117 officers and 88 civilian staff were sent home on November 30 after being placed on an unpaid absence for being unvaccinated or not disclosing their vaccination status, according to police officials.

Chief James Ramer said almost 98% of the 7,415 Toronto Police Service members have disclosed their vaccination status and 98% are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Members are continuing to update their vaccination status every day,” Ramer said. “Our objective remains ensuring the health and safety of our members, our workplaces, and the public we serve.”

The chief said ‘if and when members are fully vaccinated and have disclosed their updated vaccination status, they will be able to return to work.’

“The Service is prioritizing frontline and priority response to ensure public safety is not impacted during this period,”’ he said. ”The Service is doing its part to protect the communities we serve and thank our members who have been vaccinated.”

The Service’s vaccination requirement was developed under the Board’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy and in consultation with the Board. Since its development, the Service has consulted with the Board on a regular basis on this important issue, providing the Board with timely updates and opportunity for meaningful dialogue.

The requirement is also consistent with the approach of the City of Toronto and its agencies, boards and commissions, and many public and private sector workplaces. It protects the health and safety of Service Members, as well as the members of the public with whom they interact on a regular basis and is consistent with Toronto Public Health advice.

The City of Toronto also has a separate vaccine mandate for its employees and has so far placed more than 500 individuals on unpaid leaves with the intention of terminating them with cause in the New Year should they remain non-compliant with the policy.

The Queensmen male chorus wants the community to know that their members have been entertaining Etobicoke residents for 68 years and have sung for generations of fans.

The male singing group began life as The Chorus in 1949 and became The Queensmen in 1953 “in recognition of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth 11,” says group member Einer Voldner.

“We continue as a strong organization and meet weekly from September through May,” Voldner says. “Before Covid we performed  six or more times annually, including joining five other male choruses at “Ontario Sings” every May.”’

The group, due to the pandemic, meet regularly on Zoom and has produced four virtual videos which can be seen on their website www.Queensmen.net.

The singers will be returning to the stage in their first post-pandemic concert at Parkland On the Glen Retirement Home in Mississauga on December 18.

They will be singing while wearing a special type of mask.

The group sings popular light songs or music ‘you like to hear.’ If you are missing musical camaraderie, you are asked to contact Einar at 905-876-1477 or einar.voldner@gmail.com

 

Irate Mimico Village residents have taken to social media to blast a plan to build a 10-storey mixed use condo directly across from San Remo Bakery that will lead to the removal of eight homes.

A zoning by-law amendment application has been filed by Tonlu Properties to redevelop 351 through 365 Royal York Road, which residents say is already congested with traffic and will get worst as hundreds of new condo-buyers move in.

Planner Bousfields is seeking rezoning for increased height and density for the construction of a 10-storey, mid-rise, mixed-use building, combining eight properties; now detached single storey houses in Mimico Village.

The proposal calls for 282 dwelling units, consisting of 6 studios, 52 one-bedrooms, 126 one-bedroom-plus-dens, 43 two-bedrooms, 28 two-bedroom-plus-dens, and 27 three-bedroom units.

The building is “U-shaped” as it wraps around a courtyard facing east in the centre-back of the building. The ground floor is set back five metres from the front property line and the building include terracing on the west, north, and south faces, according to documents filed.

The Mimico Village area has been designated for mixed use in the City’s Official Plan. With Mimico GO station a short walk away, multiple high-rise residential building developments as high as 37 storeys have been approved for the area, or in the process of seeking approval.

This “will intensity this under-utilized area in Etobicoke,” according to planners.

The proposal includes 288 bicycle parking spaces and 206 parking spots in an underground garage.

It did not take long before social media lit up with complaints from local residents.

“It’s going to be a disaster, it’s already chaotic trying to drive around that area can you only imagine condos going in sad, sad, sad,” Adriana Cofone wrote.

Long-time resident Hope Farrugia said the developer has expressed interest in building nine condos in the area ranging from 12 to 39 stories.

“This has pushed us out,” she complained. “As much as we love this neighborhood, we won’t be here much longer.”

“This is a drop in the bucket,” cited Shauna Currie. “That whole area has close to 3,600 units coming to it. The location on Royal York is awful.”

“The 10-year plan is to move out of city,” wrote Alyssa Dickey. “Won’t be anything left but condos and traffic. The local schools are old crowded and no way can accommodate hundreds of new students when all these go station condos are occupied.”

The proposal is being considered by Etobicoke York Community Council and will then go to a City Council vote.