Hundreds of saddened Toronto Police officers attended a memorial service for Bingo, the first police dog killed in the line-of-duty in the 189-year history of the force.

Sgt. Brandon Smith, of the Canine Unit, who was Bingo’s partner credited his ‘best friend’ for saving his life last July 25.

“Bingo took the bullet before we were shot,” and emotional Smith told his colleagues at the Woodbine Banquet Hall on September 22. “He was my partner and hero. Bingo save the lives of others that day.”

He said a gunman, sought for a murder and possession of a gun, was hiding in a dark area of a Dixon Road backyard which officers were searching when Bingo was shot.

“Bingo never had a chance to bark before he was shot,” said Smith, with wife Heather at his side. “I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for Bingo.”

Chief Myron Demkiw presented Bingo’s police badge, his leash and a Canadian flag to the grieving officer and his family.

“Bingo served the residents of Toronto and he did it with pride,” Demkiw said. “He was always there when needed to serve and to protect our officers.”

 

The Chief said the canine ‘made the ultimate sacrifice’ and saved other officers that day.

“When Bingo was at a scene officers knew he was there to back them up,” he said. “Bingo was a beloved member of the Toronto Police Service and his legacy will live on in our hearts.”

Mayor Olivia Chow expressed condolence to Smith, who cared for Bingo since he was a pup and was his partner on many calls.

“Bingo was a hero with four legs and made the ultimate sacrifice,” Chow told the gathering. “He never wavered and had an unbreakable bond with his handler.”

Supt. Colin Greenway, the unit commander of specialized emergency response, said ‘it was the worst day of his life’ attending the scene and witnessing Bingo lying on the ground.

“It is heartbreaking that today we are celebrating his life,” Greenway said. “Sgt. Smith lost his partner and best friend to a cowardly act. He was truly man’s best friend.”

Bingo joined the Police Dog Services in July 2022 and was partnered with Smith. After completing extensive training together, the K9 graduated in December 2022.

Kenneth Grant, 44, of Toronto, has been charged with second-degree murder in The Queensway and Kipling Avenue shooting death of a man the previous day.

By Toronto Police Service

A memorial tree honouring the legacy of Constable John Zivcic who died in the line of duty was unveiled on September 15 alongside his police dog namesake.

The 22 Division officer succumbed to his injuries in early December 2013 just two days after he was involved in a collision on Bloor St. W. near Neilson Dr. The tree was planted last November at the collision site with a marker with his name and badge number.

22 Division Inspector Anthony Paoletta said Zivcic’s legacy lives on.

“This lilac tree planted in John’s honour is very significant and will have special meaning for many people,” he said, of the six year veteran who served on B platoon. “Most importantly, this tree will serve as a constant reminder of the ultimate sacrifice John made in protecting the citizens of Toronto. It will also provide some solace and comfort knowing that John’s legacy will continue to flourish and bloom.”

Paoletta said Zivcic’s friends and colleagues at the Division will cherish the memories they made with him.

“They will reflect on the times they had together with him, they will remember his love for his family, his commitment to policing and to the community here in South Etobicoke, his passion for fitness and his zest for life,” he said.

Zivcic’s friend, Constable Lydia Cesar, of Police Dog Services, conceived the idea for the memorial that was supported by Superintendent Kelly Skinner.

“The tree is big and in full bloom just like John’s personality,” she said. “This is the perfect match for him.”

Cesar knew Zivcic since age 14 when she met him and his brother, Tom, at a gym.

She named her canine partner, Zee, in Zivcic’s honour.

They are the Service’s only all-female K9 team

“When I got into the Canine unit, I knew I wanted John to have a namesake,” said Cesar. “Hopefully, Zee and I will be able to pick up where John left off and make him proud.”

Zee is an 18-month-old Belgian Malinois.

Hamilton Police Service Chief Frank Bergen was the 22 Division Unit Commander when Zivcic lost his life.

“What you don’t see with this tree is the significant root system that will absolutely grow and thrive and allow us all to have the beauty that it presents,” he noted. “The root system is what sustains us 10 years later as we memorialize John. Our uniform gives us authority, but it is our behaviuour that gets us our respect. John’s behaviour is a reminder that I carry on every day in my deployment. I still carry his memorial card in my hat.”

On behalf of his family, Zivcic’s brother thanked Toronto Police for the memorial.

“To all of you that have stayed in touch us over the last 10 years, we thank you and it means a ton to us,” said Tom Zivcic. “We thank Lydia for spearheading this, Superintendent Skinner for her support, Inspector Paoletta for the kind words and Frank Bergen who calls on John’s birthday, at Christmas and on other occasions.”

 

A Go Fund Me account has been set up to help a friendly and well-liked homeless man who died in South Etobicoke.

More than $2,000 has been raised by friends to send the body of Real Leclair, also affectionately known as Homeless Joe, to his native Quebec.

Scott Mills, a former Toronto police officer who befriended Leclair, said his friend died from a heart attack while gathering water from a river near his shack in South Etobicoke.

“Réal’s body was found by a mountain biker,” Mills wrote on social media. “22 Division Toronto Police led by Officer Rich Nimmo and team, as well as Coroner Dr. Kumar Gupta, have gone above and beyond to determine what happened and honour Réal.”

Street Nurse Anne Marie Batten and Mills are in touch with his family who will be travelling to Toronto from Quebec to take Leclair’s remains home for cremation and burial at a family cemetery.

“Réal’s family did all they could to help him, as did many people,” Mills wrote. “Mental illness is a bitch.”

Mills said any excess funds raised will be donated to agencies chosen by the family who help homeless people with mental illness.

A ceremony to honour Leclair and a number of homeless people who died recently was held on September 12 at the Toronto Homeless Memorial at Trinity Square outside Holy Trinity Church in downtown Toronto.

There were dozens of tributes on social media as people paid tribute to Leclairé.

“Real was an inspiration,” wrote Karen Reed, who has been following Leclair’s plight on social media.

“My condolences to his family and all who loved him.”

Darylene Foster said Leclair was a special person.

“May you rest in peace,” Foster wrote. “May you find the happiness that you could not in his world.”

Cal Millar, a former journalist, who also followed Leclair’s hard life expressed his condolence.

“Scott, sorry to hear that Réal has passed away,” Millar wrote. “You did so much through the years to help make his life better and he appreciated your friendship.”

“I’m so sorry to hear this Scotty. You’ve been a champion for the cause for as long as I can remember,” said Rebecca Boyd. “I know he meant something special to you.”

Emily McKiernan said she met Leclair briefly and it was sad to hear of his death.

“He was a very decent down to earth man,” she said. “My heart goes out to his family in this difficult time.”

 

Friends of the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital Cemetery will host a 50-minute memorial on October 22 to remember World War 1 Veterans, Indigenous people and others buried there.

The memorial will feature music, Indigenous smudging, drumming, poetry and a military remembrance service.

“This service commemorates the lives of individuals, including Indigenous persons and World War I Veterans; who faced immense challenges within the walls of what is now Humber College Lakeshore Campus,” said spokesman Hark Savinsky .

Many of the 1,511 buried at the cemetery were taken from small towns in northern Ontario and would often be institutionalized for the rest of their lives, he said.

Savinsky said the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital, formerly called the Mimico Asylum, had a storied history, bearing witness to the struggles of countless individuals who battled mental health challenges, and faced treatments and procedures which today would be deemed inhumane.

“This service seeks to pay homage to their unique stories which have shaped the progress Canada has made in defining mental illness, in recognizing the dignity, worth and rights of those struggling with mental health,” he said.

Among those being honored are World War I Veterans who perished at the hospital.

“These brave men returned from the trenches, scarred by the horrors of war and burdened by the invisible wounds of PTSD,” Savinsky said. ”In the early 20th century, understanding and support for mental health conditions were limited.”

Their trauma was interpreted as cowardice or lack of moral character.

“The wartime belief that they were exaggerating was never fully dispelled,” he explained. “We want to take time to stand with them and honour them and recognize the panic that gripped their young lives.”

Savinsky said it is important to recognize and honour the indigenous heritage of the land since ‘it reflects a commitment to reconciliation and respect for the rich cultural history that has deep roots in the region.’

“The anguish of separation and loss of identity experienced by First Nations and Metis residents added an additional dimension to the loneliness and anguish to people in their ‘home and native land,” he said.

The logistics and operations of the asylum experience mirrored that of Residential Schools from its architecture to the abuses within its walls and to the disposal of its dead.
“The service embodies the spirit of unity and respect for all who have been part of the institution’s history,” Savinsky said.

The service is open to those who wish to pay tribute to the Indigenous patients or World War I veterans, or simply want to show their support for the principles of reconciliation, remembrance, and mental health awareness.

“The service emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the past while looking towards a future that fosters compassion, understanding, and support for those facing mental health challenges,” Savinsky said.

The service takes place at the cemetery at 231 Evans Avenue, on October 22, at 10 a.m. All are welcome.

A petition has been started online by the group to plant more trees to beautify the cemetery grounds. It can be accessed at Gofundme.com.

Residents of the Long Branch community are facing a tough fight to save a historic Black Barn Maple tree that is estimated to be 160 years old from being cut.

An application to build two oversized houses and garden suite on two lots at 36 Ash Cres. was heard by the Committee of Adjustments last April and is being appealed.

The committee on September 14 deferred a decision on the application until the applicant obtained an arborist to develop a Tree Protection Plan.

More than a dozen residents have written letters opposing the build that they claim would injure and remove the Maple tree.

“This application results in an overbuild to what is permitted on the lot and if approved would be directly responsible for the removal of two significant trees,” Christine Mercado, chair of the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association (LBNA) wrote in a September 6 letter to Barbara Bartosik, Deputy Secretary Treasurer, of the Etobicoke York District Committee of Adjustment.

“ … There is significant doubt that the Applicant has any intention of upholding this TLAB decision and preserving the Silver Maple or a Spruce Tree on the abutting lot,” Mercado told Bartosik.

She said the Maple tree has the potential to be a heritage tree due to its health and size.

Max Dida, Supervisor of the Tree Protection and Plan Review – West District, wrote that “Urban Forestry requests that the Committee of Adjustment panel defer this application until the applicant/owner provides Urban Forestry with the necessary information to confirm whether the following bylaw protected tree can be adequately protected.”

Councillor Amber Morley in a letter said two trees would be impacted by the build and called for the application to be deferred “to allow the applicant to develop a suitable Tree Protection Plan and to provide Urban Forestry with the time necessary to conduct a site review, impact study, and submit their comments.”

Residents said the tree is close to a property line and if approved it will lose at least half its roots and tree canopy.

“The Black Barn Maple is protected as potential to be a Heritage Tree even though for it to formally go through the process it requires the owner to agree and sign off,” wrote Judy Gibson, chair of the Tree Canopy Preservation and Enhancement Committee, of the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association

“This will also set a precedent that no tree in Toronto is safe, no matter its size or even if it is a historical tree,” residents said. “The oversized house would require the Black Barn Maple of Long Branch to be destroyed.”

This Silver Maple is one of four trees in Long Branch recognized as a Historical Tree by Forest Ontario.

“This tree cannot be replaced by planting any number of new trees, not in this generation,” residents claim.

More than 600 people are losing their jobs after the parent company that owns the Toronto Star said it was getting out of the community newspaper and flyer businesses.

Nordstar, the company that owns the Toronto Star and other newspapers, said last month that it is seeking bankruptcy protection for the unit that owns more than 70 local newspapers and magazines and axing hundreds of jobs.

The Etobicoke Guardian, which has served the community dutifully for decades, is one of the many regional newspapers that will be shut. It and a number of other publications will only have an online presence.

Nordstar says it is putting its Metroland Media Group division into creditor protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act as part of a restructuring plan.

Metroland owns dozens of community newspapers and magazines which are delivered alongside advertising flyers. The company said it is getting out of the flyer business entirely.

“The decline of the print and flyer distribution business was significantly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and by the reduction of flyer usage both by readers and advertisers as a marketing vehicle,” the company said in a statement.

Only the company’s six daily newspapers will continue in print and online. Those publications include the Hamilton Spectator, Peterborough Examiner, St. Catharines Standard, Niagara Falls Review, Welland Tribune and the Waterloo Region Record.

Those being shuttered in print includes the Guardian and newspapers serving Mississauga, Brampton, North York, Scarborough, Vaughan, Pickering, Oshawa, Oakville and Burlington among others.

In February 1981, Metrospan Community Newspapers, a unit of Torstar and Inland Publishing Company, which was formerly owned by The Telegram Corporation, and the Eaton and Bassett families, merged to become Metroland.

At one time the company had as many as 20,000 delivery persons province-wide performing door-to-door delivery of flyers, papers and print materials.

Metroland at its peak owned four printing plants in Ontario. Its presses had the capacity of printing 250,000 newspapers in full-colour every hour.

The closures and layoffs followed failed talks between Postmedia and Metroland Media Group to merge to become a stronger company.

News outlets have been under pressure for years claiming online giants like Google and Facebook owner Meta have scooped up advertising dollars.

Area residents and businesses said they were saddened over the closures since it gives them less outlets to get their message and sales out to the community.

Mayor Olivia Chow speaks at LAMP General Meeting

MAYOR Chow’s office cancelled her speech to LAMP citing an emergency. She said that she will be back to deliver her speech.

JOIN US ONLINE! We’re excited to invite you to join us via live stream on SEPT 21ST @ 7:00 PM for @lampchc’s 46th Annual General Meeting!

Special thanks to everyone who has shown interest in attending and those who have pre-registered. Unfortunately, due to limited seating we will no longer be registering or admitting any other guests to join us in person.

Don’t miss this engaging conversation as we address “The Prescription for a Livable, Healthy, Thriving City: The Power of Community Working Together to Improve Well-Being”.

Keynote Speaker: Mayor of Toronto @oliviachow

Special Invitee: @cllrambermorley

You can stream the speech live.

To view online visit: bit.ly/lampagm2023-virtualpass

It’s a busy time of the year for local exterminator Erwin Darra as the weather turns colder.
Darra is on the road most of the time working as a pest controller helping
residents curb pests, rodent or bed bug infestations that come with the
changing season.
“At this time of the year we are busy with mice and rodent
infestations,” he said. “They are coming into homes through cracks in the wall for the heat and forage for food.”

Darra has been operating a company called Entom-X for about six years and has a list of regular customers.
If it is not rodents, then he is tackling bed bugs, a huge problem, which stick around year round.
“We get calls for bed bugs all the time,” he said. “They are constant and in some homes year round.”
The bed bugs are treated a number of ways which usually means getting rid of where they live. They prey on humans or pets, Darra said.
He will visit your home or office and conduct a free inspection. This allows him to examine the affected areas by bed bugs or other issues and come up with the right approach to tackle the problem.
They use advanced heating treatment to eliminate the bugs from your home or commercial locations. It is safe and effective unlike chemicals that can cause damage to your property or be harmful  to your health.

“I have a good success rate,” Darra said. “We usually start
off with an inspection and may have to conduct multiple visits.”
On any given day, he may get called to take care of cockroach, wasps, hornets, ticks, ants, spiders, beatles and other infestations.
Regardless of whether you encounter sow bugs,
silverfish, ants, centipedes, or spiders, an Entom-X
professional can take care of your pests.
“These pests tend to follow the general human population,” said the exterminator. “They get into the home through humans, baggage or through the walls or vents.”
Every day is different since customers have different issues or pests in their homes.
“There is never a dull minute,” Darra said. “Each case is different since everyone has different sorts of
infestations.”
It usually cost customers by the job and the number of visits required to get rid of the pests.
Darra can be reached at 647-883-2789 or e-mail entomx@tutanota.com

Volunteers are working to identify a number of
Indigenous people who were buried in unmarked
graves decades ago at the former Lakeshore
Psychiatric Hospital Cemetery.
Researchers are trying to identify how many rest at
the Horner and Evans Avenues site and the
communities they were taken from.
The cemetery was in operation for 84 years. It opened
in 1890 and was shut by the Ontario government in
1974. Some 1,511 people are buried there. Many of
them died at the Mimico Asylum Lakeshore Psychiatric
Hospital, at Lake Shore Blvd. W., and Kipling Ave.

Most of the burials were unmarked. The
placement of 154 small markers with the
name and year of birth and death of the
deceased only began in 1957.
“It is our sincere wish that these souls will
find peace and tranquility,” said Ed
Janiszewski, who has been working to
identify the graves for years. “The focus
was to give some dignity back to these
people who had been forgotten perhaps. To
have seen this place abandoned like that
was distressing to say the least.” he told
CityNews.
Janiszewski has confirmed about 10 of
those names as belonging to people from
Indigenous communities.
“The hospital back in the 30s and 40s had
been focused on northern Ontario,
servicing that area, before being a more
localized hospital. That gave a good clue
that there would be a lot of Indigenous
people who’d been brought here.”
Back then patients assisted in making coffins and
burying other patients at the asylum cemetery. The
treatment of the patients at the Lakeshore Psychiatric
Hospital was cruel, including forced labour, and violent
restraint methods.
Although Ministers and Priests performed burial
ceremonies for many patients, most of the graves were
left unmarked.
A list of Indigenous people buried at the cemetery,
includes a boy who is only listed as “Indian Boy,”
according to public archive materials.
Further investigation is needed to
determine how many of
the unmarked graves are of Indigenous children and
families and the communities they are from.