TTC volunteers for their 17^th year were outside Walmart at Sherway Gardens collecting toys in a bus for needy children.

The annual TTC toy and gift collection drive, called Stuff-the-Bus, has supported thousands of children and families in need.

It was brisk as shoppers filled the bus with goodies. There were also buses collecting items at Agincourt and Sheridan Malls.

“I am so proud of all of our employees who embody our core values and volunteer their time to help the communities we serve every day,” said TTC CEO Rick Leary. “Stuff-the-Bus is an annual employee-led initiative that has been going strong for 16 years.”

“I want to thank the TTC employees who volunteer their time every year to organize this event,” said TTC Chair Jamaal Myers. “I encourage everyone to help the TTC make the holidays a little brighter for children and teens.”

Mayor Olivia Chow thanked the TTC volunteers who were out helping children.

“I encourage all Torontonians to donate to Stuff-the-Bus and help to bring joy to children and families this holiday season,” said Chow. “Thank you to the TTC employees who give their time and energy to this initiative that gives so much to children and teens across our city.”

The toys, gifts and money collected will be distributed to several local organizations including Parkdale Peace Project, SickKids, Abuse Hurts, Community Place Hub, Dovercourt Boys & Girls Club, and Progress Place.

TTC employees last year collected more than 2000 toys and gifts for families with kids.

A plan by the City of Toronto to establish a ‘Night Time Economy’ in Long Branch and other areas to make it a night club area is sparking concerns in the community.

The plan has been in the works for years and will be debated before an Economic and Community Development Committee on November 28 and the Planning and Housing Committee on November 30.

A Night Time Economy will deem Long Branch and the Dundas Strip in Etobicoke, and other areas of Toronto to allow bars and live music clubs to remain open 24-hours.

Judy Gibson, of the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association, in an e-mail said there has been no local consultation to seek input into the matter.

“There are no noise restrictions in place for this,” she wrote. “Not sure whose idea this was but we need to send a response to this.”

Gibson said it may not be a good idea for all-night clubs in the quiet community.

“Think about a night club operating with DJ’s light and music outside to all hours of the night on top of one of the newly constructed buildings on Lake Shore in a few years,” she wrote.

A letter is being drafted to send to the committees to outline the concerns of the community.

The city has sent an e-mail to update community groups on ‘licensing and zoning regulations for restaurants, bars and entertainment venues’ and in support of the Night Time Economy.

Three separate city staff reports are to be considered by the Economic and Community Development Committee and the Planning and Housing Committee.

The by-law amendments if approved are expected take effect on January 1.

The recommendations include the modernization of regulations for bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues, with the aims of reducing administrative burden on operators and providing flexibility for establishments.

They ensure an ‘appropriate level of regulatory oversight to mitigate community nuisance and public safety concerns.’

Bars with live music are expected to remain open longer, with more space for entertainment. The TTC is also expected to operate longer hoursand provide more frequent service for night-time patrons.

A consultation with clubs, local and diverse groups and those in the arts was held to seek input. The review involved local groups like Arts Etobicoke and the Lake Shore Village BIA.

A city report said the zoning by-law regime for bars, restaurants and entertainment venues originated in 1960s to the early 2000s and does not reflect ‘contemporary and forward focussed expectations around these activities and land uses.’

It stated the proposed amendments seek to support live music, align zoning and business licensing regulations, support emerging entertainment areas outside the downtown core, modernize licensing and zoning regulations for restaurants, bars and entertainment venues, and address impacts of problematic establishments.

City officials said most to the night-life now exists in downtown with less than 10 per cent taking place in outside areas like Etobicoke, Scarborough and North York.

Some Etobicoke participants said there are a very few options for nightlife and entertainment after 10 p.m.

“This participant needs to travel 15 minutes by car to reach nightlife options,” the review noted. “Etobicoke is missing walkable access to lounges, cafés, cultural spaces and other establishments.”

Another Etobicoke resident noted there is much high-density housing with a lack of nighttime or community spaces.

“We are swamped with more proposals for more towers, but nothing for cultural life, art, music.”

Some councillors said the Night Time Economy exists in Antwerp, Bangkok, Belfast, Berlin, Durban, Johannesburg, Mälmo, Montreal, New York, São Paulo, and Singapore.

 

 

 

 

We will have to wait longer as this is the time of the year when many of us like to visit our local library to find a good book or use its services.

The Toronto Public Library say its branches in South Etobicoke and elsewhere will not have its computer systems up and running until next year due to a cyberattack.

Some 100 branches citywide, including those in New Toronto, Long Branch, Alderwood and Park Lawn area, will be down until January as technicians try to get them back online.

“Given the complexity and magnitude of this task involving our data centre and computers across 100 library branches, and the interconnectivity of our systems, we anticipate the restoration of library services will take several more weeks,” library officials said in a statement.

The library’s website, as well as its public computers and printers at their branches, have been down since the system was targeted by a ransomware attack on October 28.

It is believed that private data of current and former employees, including social insurance numbers and copies of government-issued identification, were likely stolen.

“We appreciate your patience and understanding while we do everything we can to restore our services as quickly as possible.”

Cardholder and donor databases are unaffected, officials said, however some data on the server may have been exposed.

Library officials said cards cannot be renewed and library and digital access cards will not expire.

“All cards will be automatically extended when we resume regular service,” they said on their website.

Library officials said that staff are working with third-party experts to restore the systems and enhance its network security before bringing everything back online.

Library branches remain open for browsing and use of other services.

“We recognize that this is a long period of time without full library services, but this is considered an aggressive timeframe,” according the website. “We also understand the frustration and disruption caused by this prolonged delay and are grateful for the support we’ve received.”

The library said access to services will be restored gradually and a priority will be given to the library’s computer systems and the reinstatement of its website.

The deadly war in the Middle East has led to a spike of hate crimes in Toronto with more than 300 incidents so far this year, police say.

“The impacts of the events in the Middle East on Toronto are ongoing, including a concerning rise in reported hate crimes,” Chief Myron Demkiw said at a Police Services Board meeting on November 23.

He said between January 1 and November 23, there were 323 reported hate crimes in Toronto, compared to 224 during the same time last year.

Included in those numbers were 129 reported anti-Semitic hate crimes and 34 reported anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab hate crimes.

Demkiw said in the last month, from October 7 to November 20, there were 78 hate crimes reported, as compared to 22 last year. This included 38 reported anti-Semitic hate crimes, versus 13 during the same period last year, and 17 reported anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab hate crimes compared to one during the same period last year.

“There has also been a marked increase in reported hate crimes targeting LGBTQ2S+ communities during this period,” he said, adding there were nine incidents compared to five the same time last year.

Among all of the hate crimes reported between October 7 and November 20, some 49 per cent have been anti-Semitic.

The expanded Hate Crime Unit since October 7 has been responsible for 25 arrests and 64 charges laid in relation to reported hate incidents.

In early November, police increased the size of its Hate Crime Unit from six officers to 21 investigators and eight Special Constables, along with an analyst and researcher.

“This is being done by temporarily re-assigning members from other areas of the Service in order to prioritize the response to these crimes and expand investigative capacity,” the Chief said.

The Service also launched a new web form on TPS.ca to provide an avenue for the public to alert police to hate-motivated graffiti.

The website allows officers to attend, gather evidence and arrange for the hate-motivated graffiti to be removed as quickly as possible.

The site is monitored 24 hours and police have received 90 web submissions so far.

He said in the last month there has been ‘a significant spike in reported hate-related graffiti,’ with 63 occurrences that were anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab, compared to two the same period last year.

There have been 217 hate graffiti occurrences that were anti-Semitic since October 7.  Last year, there were 19 reported at the same time period.

The Service has stepped up their presence in communities across the city to ensure safety and provide residents with a sense of security.

“The impact of crime motivated by hate is far-reaching, and extends beyond the physical and emotional trauma suffered by the victim,” Demkiw told the Board. It affects “all members of the targeted community.”

He warned that police will not allow the people of our city to be intimated.

“Violence and hateful acts will not be tolerated,” he said. “The Service and our Hate Crime Unit will aggressively pursue any suspected incidents of hate motivated behaviour.”

By TANYA VIVIDLY

Exploring the sights and sounds of socialist Moldova with a stroke of a paint brush on canvas,

I observed the artist shaping of rural traditions and influences with mysticism.

Moldovan artist Vladimir Topal has quite a body of wide-ranging work called ‘Susak,’ now on display at the Lakeshore Village Artists Co-op, at 115 Birmingham Street, in New Toronto.

Topal 56, was born in Kazayak, a small town in the autonomous region of Gagauz Eri, Republic of Moldova, and his works display much of inanimate or natural objects.

His art explores the subtle beauty of brush techniques that are rich in textures, warm shapes and in-depth imagery. The artist’s admiration for his culture and wanting to share it with other communities is enlightening.

“I believe that the major challenge of any artist, in the wake of the twenty first century, is to insert themselves in the brutal market economy, without losing cultural identity and artistic spirit,” Topal said on his website.

His work includes beautiful portraits, still life, landscape, drawings and mystical folklore from Gagauz, where he grew up studying from other artists in the region.  His art captures the spirit and the feeling of what many think rural Moldova should have looked like.

An art lover outside the gallery described his show as “within its consequence it succeeds in its independence.”

Topal had his first one man show in 1995 at the Taksim Art Gallery of Istanbul. He then lived in London, England, for two years before moving to Canada in 1998.

“…nothing prepared me for the experience in Canada,” he wrote. “Toronto was not as interesting as most European cities but it was young and vibrant, and full of ambitious people, always busy and extremely expensive”

He started life here by selling his art at a booth on the street.

“I find it particularly hard to survive as an artist in this time of economic contraction,” the artist said. “I firmly believe that art is as ointment for the pains of the crisis.”

He made ends meet by working as an interior decorator and selling his art work.

Topal said he is inspired by his homeland and the people there.

“My memories, my imagination, and my dreams, all converge in their primeval source in Gagauz Eri,” he explained. “I am a member of this globalized society, but my heart remains forever in my town, Kazayak.”

I recommend checking out Topal’s art as it depicts a perspective of still life that is surrounded by hope, culture and beauty.

Every year there are hundreds of complaints from residents about the use and abuse of fireworks at all hours, with some aimed at and injuring people, causing fires and scaring pets.

There are many stories about fireworks in the Humber Bay Shores area being fired from balconies, which send pets scurrying and narrowly missing people and vehicles on the ground.

Last month videos surfaced of crowds of people setting off fireworks for Diwali in the parking lot of Westwood Square Mall, in Mississauga, both in the air and on the ground.

By the time Peel Police arrived, most of the culprits had disappeared leaving bags of used fireworks and other debris for others to clean up.

In another case, fireworks were even fired from moving vehicles and tossed on the road.

At a Mississauga city council meeting, officials voted to support a motion that would impose a maximum fine of $100,000 to individuals convicted of improperly setting off fireworks on public property or property that is not their own.

Fireworks are allowed without a Special Occasions Permit (SOP) only on Canada Day, Victoria Day, Lunar New Year, and Diwali – at least until midnight.

The City of Toronto has been looking at getting tougher on the use of fireworks and a November 14 report called Outstanding Directives on the Public Use and Retail Sale of Consumer Fireworks from top brass of Toronto Fire Services (TFS), and Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS), asked for the sales of fireworks to only be allowed for the specific dates, training on the use of fireworks and an increase of fines for misuse.

The executives also recommended the proposals to the Ontario government for changes to the Ontario Fire Code but there has been no response.

The TFS said requests were made in August 2022 and September 2023 for changes to be made to regulate fireworks by enhancing public safety and more enforcement of its use. They are seeking a centralized user education program to increase the safe and compliant use of fireworks.

MLS officials have also consulted with vendors about restricting the sale of fireworks year-round and recommend they work to educate them on the safe use.

The report noted fireworks are used by many nationalities for celebrations, including cultural, religious and special events during the year.

The groups called on the province to ban the possession of fireworks in Toronto parks, fund more Enforcement Officers to enforce fireworks laws after midnight, to double the fines for fireworks offences, install signage in parks and launch an information campaign, which they will next year.

Fireworks may only be discharged on privately owned property where a SOP is obtained, and the property owner consents to the discharge. Similarly, fireworks cannot be discharged after 11 p.m. in a park, street or other public property unless a permit is obtained.

TFS responded from 2019 to 2022 to 499 incidents involving fireworks. Firefighters were called to an increased number of fires as a result of fireworks, with 10 in 2022, and seven so far in 2023, compared to eight between 2019 and 2020.

Fire officials from 2017 to 2021 responded to 527 incidents involving fireworks, and MLS enforcement officers responded to 570 complaints over the same period.

They said fines now range from $400 to $1,000 and they want it increased to $5,000.

Fire Services said in the last five years, from 2019 to 2023, some 51% of the incidents, including 70% of fires related to fireworks.

Toronto Police are cracking down on scammers who fleece Etobicoke and other homeowners in expensive renovation rackets.

Two more men have been arrested in a police fraud investigation targeting the shady home repairmen.

Detectives from 12 Division allege that the suspects went door to door from March to September this year soliciting homeowners for renovation services.

Police allege the suspects used deceptive and high pressure tactics to obtain roofing and masonry jobs.

The renovations were never completed and the suspects often caused damage to the victim’s property, according to a release.

In most cases the scammers ask for money up front and disappear after doing little work, which was left to the owners to repair afterwards.

William Quilligan, 53, and Dermot Quilligan, 43, both of Mississauga was have been charged with about 28 counts of fraud, possess proceeds of property or thing obtained by crime exceeding $5,000, mischief and damage to property offences.

They were slated to appear in court at Ontario Court of Justice on November 15.

Two Milton brothers were also arrested in the last month for similar offences, in which their targeted elderly Etobicoke residents.

Police are reminding the public to be wary of unsolicited contractors going door to door, especially those using pressure tactics and demanding advance payment in cash.

The said to avoid impulse decisions to hire a contractor, do your research and select a reputable company and obtain a detailed written contract.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact police at 416-808-1200, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.