Police Const. Alexander Yuanidis is really Toronto’s top cop for now.

Yuanidis was named winner of the 54 Annual Police Officer of the Year Award on September 29 for rescuing two people trapped in a home during a three-alarm blaze in Scarborough.

The 16-year veteran, who is based in 43 Division, was called to a fire call in May 2020 where residents were trapped inside a home. He saw a ‘fireball explode” on the north side of the home when he arrived.

“He went to the rear of the house where he found two people trapped on the elevated rear deck,” police said. “He took immediate action, locating a ladder from a neighbour and placed it on the raised deck.”

“He then reached over the railing and brought one of the people down the ladder,” according to police. “The older resident was unable to climb over the railing so Constable Yuanidis broke through the railing with his fists and helped the resident escape to safety.”

“He also recognized the risk to neighbouring homes and worked to evacuate all nearby residents from their homes,” said Master of Ceremony Catherine McDonald, of Global News.

Yuanidis was awarded for taking a calculated risk, acting decisively and bravely, while putting his personal safety at risk in order to save others.

“I think that night was a set of very fortunate circumstances, that I was so close, I knew the area, but anyone in my situation would have done the same thing,” he told a police appreciation dinner.

“It’s a huge honour,” said Yuanidis, who was quick to point out his fellow officers perform acts of heroism on a daily basis in the city.

“Our family owes Officer Alex a great debt because he saved the patriarch of the family with three children, their partners and eight grandchildren,” said a family member who was part of the fire ordeal.

Created in 1967, the purpose of the event is to recognize officers of the Toronto Police Service who have made significant contributions to making Toronto one of the safest big cities in the world. An average of 12 officers, or a group of officers, are selected for the Police Officer Excellence Awards, based on the criteria of bravery, humanitarianism, superior investigative work and outstanding police skills.

The Police Officer of the Year Award is selected from these groups.

Mimico artist Fernando Ferreira has more than 400 beautiful pieces of art that he painted to enlighten hard-hit seniors sitting in stacks in his apartment.

He is having a hard time obtaining help from area politicians to help distribute his abstract artworks to the more than 700 homes for seniors in Ontario.

The former 30-year TTC driver is still out in his lakeside studio on most days trying to complete 1,001 pieces of art for the 721 long term homes in Ontario.

The art is painted on two feet square boards, is original and contains a heart and love. They come in bright, upbeat colours that helps people celebrate. He hopes to be finished by next June.

“This is a project of love to help lift our seniors,” Ferreira said. “All the paintings are bright, upbeat and are meant to help them in these challenging times.”

He has not received replies for requests for help from most area politicians, except for the office of PC Christine Hogarth.

“I still have a couple more hundred pieces to create for the seniors,” Ferreira said. “Every long care home will have one.”

He is receiving support from the community and requests to sell some of his works has been refused. The artist estimates it has cost him about $1,000 so far on wood, paints and other materials.

“This art is meant to brighten the lives of our seniors. It is free and not to be sold to anyone,” he vowed.

He hopes to have the pieces of art hanging proudly in all seniors’ residences, many which have been hit hard with COVID-19.

The artist has four stacks of his works in his one bedroom Mimico Estates apartment and needs a hand to get them into long term care homes across Ontario.

His work is described as “simple and upbeat.”

“Every painting has a heart and they contain so much love,” according to reviews.

Ferreira, who is from the Azores, loves painting and artwork. His father was a noted paint chemist and at home “is where I learned to mix paints.”

In the 1960s when he first arrived in Canada he sold similar paintings to people in Toronto’s upscale Yorkville area and was able to save $5,000 in three years to make a deposit on a house.

He has been living in Mimico for about 17 years and moved here for the lake, fresh air and beautiful trip by TTC to downtown Toronto.

Ferreira can be reached for artwork or donations at 647-855-0721.

 

 

More than 1,000 nature lovers have signed a petition to save 12 trees on Dwight Avenue from being chopped down to install a new sidewalk.

City crews have been kept busy by complaints from area residents about the trees.

The trees slated to be axed 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, according to residents and an online petition.

“The city has made these plans without consultation with the school, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) or local residents,” according to the petition. We ‘call upon the city to narrow Dwight Avenue to achieve this goal, rather than remove twelve trees.”

An outraged Christina Murie, whose tree in front her historic Birmingham Business Centre was initially slated for removal, wants the city to come up with a plan to save the mature trees.

“There is no need to chop down the Dwight Street trees for a new sidewalk,” Murie explained. “Tree roots are deep and sidewalk excavation is shallow.”

She and others believe Dwight Avenue is being “widened for left turn lane and an anticipated 4,000 vehicles a day for the new occupant of the Campbell’s Soup property, rumoured to be Amazon.”

The community believes a 24-hour Amazon distribution centre is being developed with warehouses and extra road space for trucks at the former Campbell’s site.

“Local parents are upset that the trees are being cut down for Amazon,” Murie said. “Who can believe that healthy trees are getting chopped for more trucks?”

City staff told residents at a September 23 virtual information session narrowing Dwight would be costly and complicated; a left-turn lane onto Birmingham Street is half the block and catch basins would need relocated.

City crews said they receive their orders from Councillor Mark Grimes, who has declared a conflict of interest since he has property in the area.

Grimes said school parents requested the sidewalk several years ago. A large infrastructure project reconstructing and surfacing roads, replacing water mains and installing missing sidewalks presented the opportunity, he said.

Students and adults looking for work are invited to a virtual job fair taking place on September 30 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Some 15 companies will be at the fair searching for new hires. The fair is open for those aged from 16 to 29.

Pre-registration is required and there is an option to download your resume.

 

A plaque of Etobicoke war hero and Victoria Cross recipient George Topham stood for many years outside the former Etobicoke Civic Centre.

Corporal Topham, 27, was a Medical Orderly in the Canadian Army’s 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion from 1942 to 1945 during the Second World War when he watched two colleagues shot to death by enemy fire while saving a man in the battlefield. He promptly jumped in to save the soldiers.

Topham’s battalion gained the distinction of being the only Canadian Army unit to fight in the battle. During Operation Varsity, the Western Allies’ attempted to cross the River Rhine on March 24, 1945, and encountered heavy enemy fire as they took casualties.

“Corporal Topham went forward through intense fire to replace the orderlies who had been killed before his eyes,” according to military records. “As he worked on the wounded man, he was himself shot through the nose.”

Despite ‘severe bleeding and intense pain, he never faltered in his task,” the military wrote. “He carried the wounded man steadily and slowly back through continuous fire.”

As if that was not enough. While returning to his company, he saved three men by rescuing them from a burning carrier that was in danger of exploding.

The carrier had taken a direct hit and enemy mortar bombs were still dropping. The vehicle was burning fiercely and its own mortar ammunition was exploding. An experienced officer on the spot had warned all not to approach the carrier.

Topham went out alone in spite of the blasting ammunition and enemy fire, and rescued the three occupants of the carrier. One man died. He brought them back and arranged for their evacuation.

For six hours Topham refused medical help for his wound and worked hard to bring in wounded, showing complete disregard for the heavy and accurate enemy fire. It was only when all casualties had been cleared that he consented to his own wound being treated.

For his exceptional and courageous deeds, Topham was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for valor in the British Commonwealth.

“This N.C.O. showed sustained gallantry of the highest order,” according to the Victoria Cross. “For six hours, most of the time in great pain, he performed a series of acts of outstanding bravery and his magnificent and selfless courage inspired all those who witnessed it.”

Topham’s heroism was celebrated with a parade and civic reception in Toronto on August 8, 1945; one hundred members of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion served as a guard of honour.

After the war in November 10, 1945, the war hero laid the cornerstone of the new Sunnybrook Memorial Hospital for Veterans. He served briefly as a Constable with the Toronto Police Department before a career with Toronto Hydro.

He died on May 31, 1974 from a heart attack, and is buried at Etobicoke’s Sanctuary Park Cemetery.

The Ontario Heritage Foundation erected a plaque at the Civic Centre in 1980 commemorating Corporal Topham, V.C. This plaque has since been erected outside Runnymede College Institute.

A park near St. Clair Avenue East and O’Connor Drive was named for Topham. It features three ball diamonds, two lit tennis courts, a wading pool, a children’s playground and the Topham Park Community Centre and Clubhouse.

Family and friends mourning the death of New Toronto man Adrian Hurley now have a little more closure in their search for answers.

Toronto Police on September 24 arrested Zachary Barton, 36, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the gun killing.

Hurley was found with no vital signs on August 27 in the Thirty Ninth Street and James Street area, of Long Branch.

More than $8,000 has been raised to help his grieving family, who describe him as the ‘best brother, loving father and beloved son.’

Hurley, 23, who grew up in New Toronto, was remembered as an ‘adoring boyfriend and precious grandson,” in a Go Fund Me post that was created on August 28.

“Anyone who knew him knew he had the best spirit, he was always smiling no matter what was going on,” Chantelle wrote “He was the strongest person we knew.”

She said “Adrian just recently had a son who he adored more than anything I’ve ever seen.”

He would help anyone he could without hesitation because his heart was just that big, Chantelle wrote.

“We are heartbroken that we couldn’t help him when he needed us most,” she said.

The funds raised will go to help pay his funeral expenses and to help his son.

He was well-liked and touched many people in the community, residents said.

“My deepest condolences to you and your family,” wrote Dynonz Hermiz on social media.  “My heart goes out to you. Sending you strength, love and peace during this hard time.”

Krista Langille wrote “rest in paradise Adrian, your smile and spirit will always live on.”

And now a message from the Royal Canadian Air Force.

They RCAF, in a public service announcement, said a  CF-18 military jet will conduct a flyby over BMO Field for the Toronto Argonauts Canadian Armed Forces Appreciation game today, on September 24, at approximately 7:30 pm

The aircraft will fly over at an altitude no lower than 500 feet above the highest point of its route before resuming a higher flying altitude, the RCAF warned.

Flybys are done at the request of event organizers and are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure public safety at all times and are subject to operational considerations and weather.

The Toronto Argonauts will be playing against long-time rival Montreal Alouettes as the jet fly over.

 

 

Someone in our community is rich and don’t know it.

A lottery player who bought a winning Lotto Max ticket worth $10,000 in Toronto last year has two weeks left to claim their prize.

Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) officials said the winner lives in Etobicoke.

The OLG, in a news release, said the ticket sold in Etobicoke with the numbers 7-1-4-9-2-7-6 won the prize following the Lotto Max draw on October 6, 2020.

The first six of the seven Encore numbers must match in the exact order to win the $10,000 prize.

Players have exactly one year from the draw date to claim their prize, LG said.

“The owner(s) of this ticket should fill in the back portion, sign it and contact the OLG Support Centre,” OLG said.

Check your ticket. You could be a winner.

 

 

Toronto Police have arrested a local man who was sought on a Canada-wide warrant in connection with the death of his sister.

The body of a woman was discovered on September 4 after police attended a medical complaint call at 18 Stanmills Road, in The Queensway and Islington Ave. area.

Police said the body of Rose Di Pinto, 60, was found at the bottom of a set of stairs without vital signs.

“The woman was pronounced deceased,” officers said in a news release.

An autopsy was conducted and the Homicide Unit has taken over the investigation.
A warrant was issued for the suspect, who was arrested on September 22.

John Di Pinto, 55, of Toronto, has been charged with second degree murder.

He appeared at a Finch Avenue West court on September 23.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400, 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 Ontario government is warning businesses and organizations that its proof of vaccination policy for customers entering their facilities take affect on September 22.

South Etobicoke business owners say they are not looking forward to screening their customers for a proof of vaccination policy or in turning others away from their businesses.

Business owners said they’ve suffered long enough from COVID-19 and cannot afford to turn away business from a customer who may not return.

The province of Ontario has released regulations and guidance for businesses and organizations to support them in implementing proof of vaccination requirements that take effect on  September 22.

The requirements focus on higher-risk indoor public settings where patrons must provide proof of identification and proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Customer have to show their proof of vaccination to attend: restaurant, bars, excluding outdoor patios, nightclubs, meeting and even spaces, sports and recreational fitness activities as gyms, casinos, bingo halls, concert venues, theatres and cinemas.

Also affected are strip clubs, bathhouses, sex clubs and racing venues, as horse racing facilities, according to the province.

The City of Toronto will be working with businesses to educate them on the Province of Ontario’s proof of vaccine requirements under the Reopening Ontario Act. Staff from Toronto Public Health and Municipal Licensing and Standards will continue to conduct inspections to ensure businesses are following the requirements under the Act.

Individuals who cannot receive the vaccine due to medical exemptions will be permitted entry with a doctor’s or registered (extended class) nurses’ note until recognized medical exemptions can be integrated as part of an Ontario digital vaccine certificate.

The Ontario government is developing an enhanced electronic vaccine certificate with a unique QR code and a verification app for businesses, which will be available by October 22.