The South Etobicoke News

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Back by demand: The rise and fall of Toronto’s first Black millionaire, James Mink

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LOU GOSSETT Jr. played the role of millionaire James Mink in movie based on his life. Courtesy photo.

Actor Lou Gossett Jr. as James Mink in movie on his life.

Toronto through its 187-year history has always been a city of equal opportunity where ambitious men and women can work hard to make, or easily lose, their amassed fortunes.
And it is not surprising that one of Toronto’s first Black millionaire was born the son of a freed U.S. slave before heading to our city to seek his fame and fortune more than 160-years-ago.
James Mink, in photo at right, worked hard and was earning lots of money in Toronto in the 1840s and 50s’, during a time when slavery was rampant in the U.S.
Mink was born in the U.S. in 1811 and was the youngest of 11 children of a slave known as “Mink.” His father and mother were owned by United Empire Loyalist Johan Herkimer.
Mink, who was smart and had business savvy, fled to Toronto which was then a busy and bustling city with many opportunities for Blacks. The city was incorporated in 1834.
He and his brother George started hotels, liveries and coach services, first in Kingston, Ont., and then in Toronto after Mink moved here.
The brothers knew how to drive a wagon and transported travellers between Toronto and Kingston, then the capital city of Upper Canada. They drove passengers to a halfway point in Brighton, where they exchanged passengers, procured fresh horses and returned with the passengers.
Their business prospered and soon James was a self-made millionaire, a distinction held by very few Blacks during those days when they could barely obtain a job.
In time the siblings had gained the respect of their fellow Canadians and were assigned much-desired mail delivery runs with Canada Post. George would take the mail from Kingston to Montreal, while James took the mail to Kingston and other towns surrounding Toronto.
As their prominence grew, James’ hotel was used as a voting station during the Toronto elections. The mayor even hired his coach service for his inauguration in the 1850s and farmers would stay at his hotel when they came to town to sell their produce at St. Lawrence Market.
By that time many Toronto residents were using their livery service, including high-profile citizens as the city Sheriff.
The brothers were even given credit for starting the first public transit systems in their cities. In Toronto, travellers were taken from the Town of Yorkville to the market by a Mink livery wagon.
A prosperous Mink went on to marry Elizabeth, who is described as “a white Irish immigrant.” It is reported that James gave a hefty $10,000 dowry to her family to obtain her hand.
U.S. businessman William Johnson married Mink’s daughter, Minnie, and took her on a honeymoon to the U.S., where it is reported, but hotly debated, that he apparently sold her into slavery to a Virginian tobacco plantation owner.
Mink, it is said, was stunned to learn of his daughter’s plight and went through a lot of red tape to get the British to buy her back on his behalf, which they did. Some researchers have concerns and question if Minnie was ever sold as a slave.
She did return to Toronto, where she mothered a son and lived on a Mink family farm on Don Rd. and Danforth Rds. area, according to Toronto census records from the 1860s.
The family enjoyed a fine life for many years, until one day an arsonist set fire to Mink’s livery and hotel and they lost everything since there were no insurance coverage then.
Eventually, trains began transporting people into the cities and George and James Mink’s business became redundant and eventually closed up.
Mink died in 1866 at the age of 55. He was living alone near today’s Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto, at the time. The former millionaire was buried in Riverdale Cemetery.
His story was told in the loosely-based autobiographical 1996 made for TV movie Captive Heart: The James Mink Story, starring Lou Gossett, Jr. as James Mink and Kate Nelligan as his wife.
It is very sad for us today since large sections of Mink’s life has been undocumented, nor can records be found to retrace his once-richly exploits.

Black History repeat; Fighter pilot Wally Peters helped to establish famed Snowbirds

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RETIRED JET fighter pilot Wally Peters in front one of his earlier rides with the world-famous Snowbirds. Courtesy photo.

Fighter jet pilot Wally Peters reached new heights by helping to establish the famed Snowbirds.
For those of us who yearly attend the Canadian International Air Show to see the iconic Snowbirds, it is comforting to learn that the world-famous flying team was partially established by the nation’s first Black fighter jet pilot.
The late Major Wally Peters was a trailblazer who retired after reaching heights never attained by a Black man in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
He didn’t let racism stop him from becoming Canada’s first Black fighter jet pilot, who worked as a flight instructor and who flew with the famed Snowbirds, the RCAF aerial performance team, which is a main attraction at the CNE air show every September.
Peters is listed in RCAF records as being a member of the aircrew servicing the Snowbirds in 1981 and 1982.
The native of Litchfield, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, was born in 1937, and was the youngest of six children. They were the only Black family in that county.
A gifted athlete, he won a scholarship to Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, where his presence on campus proved controversial. Some of his classmates refused to room with him because he was Black.
He soon earned a reputation, while completing his engineering degree, as the fastest running back on campus and won several awards for his skills on the football team, including rookie of the year and most valuable player.
While at the university, he met and married Nancy, a white woman from Sackville. The couple faced discrimination at the time due to their interracial marriage. But, Peters kept his head down and never publicly complained about the racism he faced at the time.
He enlisted in the RCAF to be a pilot in the early 1960s at the age of 24, thinking if he could drive a car, he can fly a plane, according to a Department of Veteran Affairs video.
“Up to that point, I had never known any Black pilots in the military and it was a feeling of accomplishment,” Walters told Veterans Affairs.
He recalled his graduation was tainted by racist comments made by the guest presenter. “What are you doing here?” the man asked Peters. When he replied that he was graduating, the man asked him as what. Peters told him that he was graduating as a pilot.
To which the man responded: “In my day … you would never had got past rear gunner,” Peters relived in the Canada Heroes Remember video.
He went on to a distinguished aviation career that included becoming the Canadian Armed Forces’ first human rights officer, as well as an adviser to the United Nations Security Council, offering advice on the tactical movement of troops by air.
At the UN, he was called on to analyze and brief a security council after the Soviet military shot down a Korean civilian jet in a controversial 1983 incident.
“I remember sitting on the 32nd floor of the United Nations, allowing myself to daydream, and say: ‘Boys, this is a long way from Litchfield, Nova Scotia,’ ” he recalled in the video series.
The RCAF never forgot Peters and in a memoriam credited him for being Canada’s first Black jet fighter pilot and A1 flying instructor.
“He was involved in the development of the Snowbirds and later flew with them,” the Air Force said on its website. “Mr. Peters also piloted Hercules cargo aircraft on assorted missions around the globe.”
Peters also played a role in the creation of the Canadian Aviation Safety Board (CASB), which investigated Air India Flight 182 that was brought down in the Atlantic Ocean in June, 1985, by a terrorist bomb.
That led to a job at Transport Canada, where he was promoted to director and director general with responsibility for systems safety before retiring in 1998.
The highly-respected Peters was also an adviser in the 1991 Nation Air accident investigation in Saudi Arabia, chaired the International Data Exchange Aviation Safety and developed and implemented risk management training programs.
Through his rise he never forgot his roots and was a founder and first president of the New Brunswick Association for the Advancement of Coloured People. The airman passed away in 2013 at the age of 76. He left behind a wife, three daughters and five grandchildren.

Back by demand; Toronto wrestling fans still love Sweet Daddy Siki and his antics

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Sweet Daddy Siki in his heyday when he filled the then Maple Leaf Gardens. Courtesy photo.

He was meaner than a ‘junk yard dog’, as singer Jim Croce would say.
Wrestler Reginald Siki was the dirt-poor son of a Texas sharecropper who moved to Toronto, where he dyed his hair blonde and changed his name to Sweet Daddy Siki to become a fan favourite who packed Maple Leaf Gardens for years.
Busloads of fans would jam the Gardens every weekend to moan over the latest antics of the popular and well-liked Siki, or to see him get pounded by an irate opponent. He was a main card attraction who made his debut in 1962 and wrestled at the Carlton St. shrine until 1980.
Siki, who was born in 1940 in Montgomery, Texas, began learning the ropes at Compton College in Los Angeles. By the 1950s, he was fighting in New Mexico.
He is called the “Jackie Robinson of professional wrestling” for facing intense discrimination in the U.S. south, where he was once forced to fight in front of the KKK.
Having suffered enough racism, he and his late long-time Canadian wife moved to Toronto in 1961. He fought in venues across the country and was a fixture at Stampede Wrestling for years.
A large man, with a soft voice, Siki was best-known for his unique moves that included the “coco butt, airplane spin and neck-breaker,” which had rivals in pain on the mat.
Siki was a pioneer, who had grown more popular than the headline fighters, as Whipper Billy Watson, Gene “Big Thunder” Kiniski, Abdullah The Butcher, Dick “The Bulldog” Brower and Lord Athol Layton.
‘Mr. Irresistible’, as he was dubbed by fans, Siki was then earning a whopping $3,000 a bout and was receiving bundles of mail from fans around the world.
He brought sizzle and glamour to the ring and many fans booed as Siki would take out his white hand-held mirrors and begin admiring his good looks and well-built body.
“He was a Black wrestler who had a gimmick that wasn’t rooted in his colour,” one magazine said. “He didn’t want you to hate him because he was Black. You were supposed to hate him because he was a vain, rude, arrogant prima donna.”
In a time when ring attire consisted of solid colour trunks and black boots, Siki’s were candy-striped. His boots were white, with the backs cut out to show off his calf muscles. With bleached hair and mustache, he wore sequined robes and Jackie Kennedy sunglasses on his way to the ring.
“I saw my first wrestling match at the age of 14, and I knew right then that is what I wanted to do,” recalled Siki, who was at one time a corporal in the U.S. Army.
He was a regular fixture in the Parkdale area, where he lived and for years drove around in a converted hearse. Along the way, Siki has earned six major wrestling belts, including the Austria-Asian championship, the North American championship, which he held for three years; the Texas championship and the tag-team heavyweight crown.
His body has suffered a tremendous toll from the sport. His injuries included two broken ribs, his hands were broken twice, his ankle and leg broken and half-his-face paralyzed, after being kicked in the face.
To this day fans still recall his signature phrases: “I’m the Women’s Pet and the Man’s Regret” and “A lot of people try to copy me, but there’s only one Niagara Falls and only one Mona Lisa. And there’s only one Mr. Irresistible”.
Siki has mentored and influenced today’s top stars, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Adam “Edge” Copeland, Bret “The Hitman” Hart and Trish Stratus.
Today, he remains secluded and friends say he isn’t feeling well these days to talk.

This fraud ring run by cabbies scammed $2 million from their passengers

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TWO PEEL officers receive award (above) for cracking cabbie fraud ring that scammed 200 plus passengers of $2 million. Police photos.

They cracked a fraud ring run by cabbies accused of ripping off more than 200 of their unsuspecting fares of more than $2 million.

Two Peel Regional Police officers are being recognized by their peers for shattering a ‘Bait and Switch’ scam operated by area taxi drivers.

The officers were presented with an Investigative Partnership of the Year Award 2000 by the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators for their outstanding work in an investigative project called ‘Switch.’

The lead investigators, who work undercover and are not identified, are both members of the force’s Fraud Bureau Credit Card and Organized Crime team.

The undercover project involved Peel and Toronto Police and various financial institutions.

Police said individuals posing as legitimate taxi drivers would defraud unsuspecting victims using a point of sale terminal designed to capture the victim’s PIN number.

“After the victim entered their PIN, the taxi driver would return a previously exploited debit card to the victim,” police said. It was “usually under the cover of darkness so the victim would not notice.”

Officers said “soon after” the taxi driver or accomplices would deplete the funds in the victim’s bank account.

“Victims often would not discover the switch until they attempted to use card later,” police said.

Detectives said these fraudsters were pretty good.

More than 200 people were allegedly defrauded of more than $2.1 million by the cabbies between January 2019 and March 2020, police said in a release.

Police arrested five culprits and laid 48 criminal charges, which included offences of fraud under $5,000, possession of credit card data and possession of property obtained by crime.

The officers were recognized for their dedication, thoroughness and collaboration in the field of financial crimes in a private event last month.

Toronto Police launches video for young people to know their rights

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TORONTO Police launches video so young people can know their rights. Police photo.

Its a first. Toronto Police have launched a video for young people so they can better learn and understand their rights.

The force said the video is the first in its Know Your Rights campaign. It was launched at the beginning of Black History Month in February.

The video, produced in partnership with Konvo Media, explains a person’s rights and a police officer’s responsibilities during various interactions.
“Positive interactions between the police and the public are critical to enhancing trust and accountability,” said Chief of Police Jim Ramer. “This is achieved when everybody feels they can speak to police officers but, for some, this is not part of their lived experience.”
The service have been working since 2012 on the Police and Community Engagement Review, also known as PACER, to review procedures and practices relating to interactions between police officers and members of the community.
In 2020, with the 81 recommendations contained in the Toronto Police Services Board report on police reform, Ramer reconstituted the committee into PACER 2.0, to provide advice, support, and hold the Service accountable throughout implementation.

“The street check regulation and the ban on carding were important first steps in addressing racial profiling but it is still so important for everyone, especially young people, to understand what their rights are when approached by police officers,” said committee member, Knia Singh. “These interactions work out better when both sides are informed and respectful.”

Under the leadership of co-chairs Inspector Kelly Skinner and Singh, a sub-committee was formed with a focus to deliver a Know Your Rights campaign.
The PACER 2.0 Committee, co-chaired by Superintendent Stacy Clarke and Audrey Campbell (Jamaican Canadian Association), is comprised of both officers and civilian members including Acting Deputy Chief Myron Demkiw, Superintendent Pauline Gray, Inspector Kelly Skinner, Yvette Blackburn (Global Jamaica Diaspora Council, GJDC – Canadian Representative), Jennifer Chambers (Executive Director, Empowerment Council), Dave D’Oyen, Stephen Linton, Stephen McCammon (Legal Counsel, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario), John O’Dell and Knia Singh (Principal Lawyer, Ma’at Legal Services).

The video is the first phase of the Service’s ongoing commitment to working with PACER 2.0, young people, and other community organizations on future campaigns that reflect community concerns and speak to a variety of lived experiences and interactions between the public and police officers.

For more news, visit TPSnews.ca.

OPP Sgt. Clarke wins top award for most impaired driving arrests

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In this OPP photo from left: Sgt. Dwight Young, Sgt. Brian Clarke, Insp. Laurie Taylor-Bolton, C/Supt. Rohan Thompson.

OPP Sgt. Brian Clarke wins MADD Award for most impaired arrests. Police photos.

Seems like the amount of impaired drivers hasn’t stopped.

As a result, the OPP’s Sgt. Brian Clarke is being hailed as a champion impaired driving enforcement cop.

Clarke, who is based at the force’s Aurora Detachment, was congratulated by OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique and colleagues for winning the York Region MADD Award for cracking down on impaired driving.

The officer is credited for charging a whopping 32 individuals with impaired driving in 2020. It is not known how many convictions resulted.

“This is an outstanding commitment to public safety and likely prevented the loss of life or serious injuries to others,” the OPP said.

This year the MADD ceremony to honour Clarke was held virtually due to COVID-19.

“His professionalism and leadership is especially impressive given the operational demands while working through the pandemic,” the force said in a release. “Sgt. Clarke certainly set the bar high and the award is well deserved.”

The OPP is one of North America’s largest deployed police services with more than 6,000 uniformed officers, 2,400 civilian employees and 750 Auxiliary officers.

MADD Canada’s mission is to stop impaired driving and to support victims of this violent crime.

 

Black History Month celebrations scaled back due to pandemic

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HON. Lincoln Alexander, a former MP, was commemorated on a Canadian stamp, and MP Jean Augustine (right) was one of the first black women in Parliament.

FORMER MP Jean Augustine is still active in the community.

There has been a number of cancellations of Black History Month events this year due to COVID-19.

In the past, there would literally be dozens of Black History celebrations taking place in Canada and the U.S. in February to honour outstanding Black Canadians and Americans.

The celebrations now are all Zoom events. Here at home, Lakeshore Arts is launching a Black History Month campaign called “Treasures of Ours.”

The campaign invites members of the Black community to “share an object of cultural and personal significance to them by submitting its picture or video.”

“We will share these treasures on our social media or celebrate Black Heritage throughout February, and at the end of the month in an online exhibit on our website,” says Sharon Zarita, the group’s Operations Manager.

You can visit them at operations@lakeshorearts.ca or call them at 416-201-7093.

Meanwhile, MPP Christine Hogarth is encouraging members of the community to support Black-owned businesses in the area during Black History Month and beyond.

This is a time that we can celebrate and learn about the achievements of Ontario’s vibrant Black communities who have contributed to the history, culture and social fabric of our province, Hogarth says in a release.

She said the creation of the Premier’s Council on Equality of Opportunity gives the government advice on how young people can overcome social and economic barriers.

Some other events include:

FEB. 8, Zoom event, 2021 Black History Symposium: Honoring the Diversity of Black, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Guests will explore anti-Black racism activism in diverse spaces and the role of post-secondary environments in transforming anti-Black racism advocacy.

FEB. 9 Ontario Black History Society presents a Zoom virtual Speaker Series with president Natasha Henry in conversation with Cheryl Foggo and author Lawrence Hill. Register at https://obhsblackhistorymonthspeakerseries.eventbrite.ca

FEB. 12 FILM SCREENING: Ninth Floor, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Zoom. Film examines the infamous Sir George Williams sit-in that took place in February 1969 that led to the most explosive student uprising Canada had ever known.

FEB. 18 at 7 p. m. – Black History Marks These Places. A Zoom discussion will examine history of Amherstburg Freedom Museum, Buxton Museum, Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site, and the Guelph Black Heritage Society and the important role these existing sites play in preserving and interpreting Black Canadian history.

FEB.  23 at 7 p.m.- Stories of the African Diaspora Storytellers Sandra Whiting and Kesha Christie share rich stories of the African diaspora. Register here https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/part-3-obhs-black-history-month-speaker-series-tickets-138321143263.

Plans submitted to tribunal for rental apartment on controversial shelter site

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RESIDENTS stage protest outside failed shelter. A nine-storey rental apartment is now proposed. Photo by Tom Godfrey.

First it was a shelter, now New Toronto residents may have a multi-storey rental apartment being built on a prime piece of commercial property.

A new proposal is underway to turn a failed and controversial shelter site into a nine-story apartment.

Documents have been filed before a Local Planning Appeal Tribunal by 2950 Lakeshore GP Inc., to request to amend the official zoning plan to permit a nine-storey mixed use building to allow 95 new rental units and retail use at 2950 and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

“The Council of the City of Toronto has not made a decision with respect to the application within the time frame prescribed in the Planning Act,” according to the application. “In order to facilitate the final decision, the applicant has appealed the applications to the tribunal.”

The .15 hectare site, which has a frontage of 45.72 metres along a prime Lake Shore Blvd. W. strip, is occupied by a four-storey commercial office building and a two floor retailer Bi Way, which is in the process of winding down the iconic business.

The proposed site will have a total gross floor area of 8,683 square metres, which includes 485 square metres for commercial and 8,198 square metres for residential use.

It will have 32 below grade parking spaces and seven spots for bicycles

No date has been set for a hearing.

There was a heated controversy surrounding the site last year when the City of Toronto expressed an interest in purchasing the property for use as a homeless shelter, but that plan fell apart.

There was a noisy protest in September, with residents taking a stand by talking to their neighbours.

Community residents also took their fight online, and in petitions, or flyers, to oppose the proposed shelter, which was cancelled after a review.

News of a proposed rental apartment has triggered a new round of complaints from residents on social media.

“No more affordable housing,” wrote Candy Kathleen.

Lucy Kroumova says “that’s a lot of units on nine floors.”

“I have been looking for a place going on four years and on a waiting list as well,” states Kitty Cca.

“Are they building government housing,” Zori Iordan asked. “Because that whole area is government building.”

Le Gourmand thanks community as The Cuban Thing and Q BBQ opens up

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Le Gourmand now with two locations in New Toronto.

The Cuban Thing food truck is hoping to shake up our taste buds.

RUDY is open with its good, juicy burgers on The Queensway.

Le Gourmand Bakery is thanking the community that has been “extremely welcoming’ to them as they expand to better serve residents with a second location in New Toronto.

“Many described how they wished us success and that they were happy we were adding to the quality retail/bakery options in the area,” says Davis Snider, Le Gourmand’s Director of Operations. “They also liked the fact that we have a takeout window during these socially distanced times.”

Snider says their success come down ‘to our amazing product and service,’ which is at the forefront of Le Gourmand Bakery Etobicoke, at 2897 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

‘We make our baked goods with the finest ingredients,” he says. “Always made by hand, we strive to maintain a focus on the details when welcoming and serving our guests in the storefront.”

The new location, Le Gourmand Bakery Humber, at 3180 Lake Shore Blvd. W., across from Humber College, is called a “Pocket Bakery & Café,” with a reduced menu that includes their famous cookies, coffee, croissants, and sandwiches.

The bakery is planning more locations in the future and will be taking their renowned cookies province-wide by setting up delivery with the Canada Post.

If you are looking for some heat in your life. Then you want to visit The Cuban Thing food truck that will be spicing up things at Square One, in Mississauga, on February 12.

Main chef Chuchi says their frita burger is a top seller, along with the Cuban sandwich and their flan.

“We hope to be cooking non-stop when April comes,” he writes. “I truly want to create buzz in Etobicoke with my cooking.”

He plans to be based in the Kipling Queensway Mall area with his appearances available on social media.

“It’s about serving and sharing for us. Food trucks have turned out to be essential now with COVID-19.”

Also recently opened is Q BBQ now grilling at 1633 The Queensway, across from Ikea. Already Q is proving to be popular. They claim their burgers are handcrafted, ground, grilled, served on a toasted bioche bun with lettuce, tomato, onion rings and all the fixings.

I tried the beef burger and it was nice and juicy. It wasn’t bad and I will return.

This couple’s dream come true with Tibetan MoMo take out in Mimico

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TC Tibetan MoMos are fresh and made with Ontario ingredients. Photos by Tom Godfrey.

TC Tibetan MoMo, at 182 Royal York
Rd.

It has been a long journey from Nepal and now we have authentic Tibetan-style MoMos cooking right here in South Etobicoke.

TC Tibetan MoMo, at 182 Royal York Rd., is home of one of the first MoMo take-outs in our community.

“My love for MoMo came from watching my father make, cook and serve them to family and friends,” says Llundup Gyatso, who with wife, Tsewang, had a dream to open their own restaurant. “Momos are not only a traditional Tibetan food, they are also symbols of festivities and celebrations.”

MoMos are a staple dish of Tibetans and the recipe as old as the Himalayan mountains. The MoMo is a Tibetan-style dumpling, are also known as perogies, gyoza or dim sum, which contains a meat or vegetable filling, that is dipped in a tasty sauce to achieve a sumptuous flavour.

“Traditional MoMo are a mix of simple dough-wrapped around fillings of a choice of meat or vegetables,” Gyatso explains in his clean and well-stocked store. “It is a very simple food, yet a tasty meal.”

The couple make their own sauces, which range from hot, to vegan or vegetables, in which the piping hot MoMos are dipped for a nice flavour. The prices are affordable and the MoMos quite good. I tried the beef.

The family arrived here in 2012 from Nepal, where Gyatso was born to Tibetan parents, who were forced to flee their homeland during the Chinese occupation.

“It was my wife’s dream to start our own business selling this delicious Tibetan food,” he insists.

They began working on their vision and regularly sell their home-made products at a farmer’s market at Wychwood Barn in Toronto.

“Slowly and steadily TC Tibetan MoMo became a part of life and has now spread its wings,” he says. “The take-out restaurant is now part of a bigger family with a flow of customers who continually show their support.”

They only use fresh produce and ingredients sourced from Ontario farmers, including organic white flour as wrapping.

TC Tibetan MoMo, at 182 Royal York Rd., can be reached by phone at 416-251-7887 or visit http://tctibetanmomo.com/