CAVELL Avenue was named after nurse Louisa Cavell. Archival photo.

NURSE and Hero Cavell with her prized pets.

One of Mimico’s top travelled roadway was named after English nurse, Edith Louisa Cavell, who was killed by a firing squad for saving the lives of hundreds of Allied soldiers by smuggling them out of Nazi-held Belgium.

Cavell, was 49, when she was killed by a German firing squad in October 1915 for saving the lives of some 200 Allied soldiers by helping them escape from Germany-occupied Belgium during the First World War.

She was arrested by the Germans and charged with treason, found guilty by a court-martial and sentenced to death.

Despite international pressure for mercy, Cavell was shot by a firing squad one early morning. Her execution received global condemnation and extensive press coverage.

The night before her execution, she said, “Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.” These words were later inscribed on a memorial to her near Trafalgar Square.

Cavell was already notable as a pioneer of modern nursing when killed.

Her bravery was admired by people worldwide and there are dozens of buildings, parks, statues and roads, like Cavell Avenue in Mimico, named after the valiant nurse. There are pages of events and things named after Cavell.

She became a nurse while taking care of her father at the age of 30. She worked as a travelling nurse and worked her way through a number of hospitals.

Cavell was sent to assist with the typhoid outbreak in Maidstone during 1897. Along with other staff she was awarded a Maidstone Medal.

She took a temporary post as matron in 1906 of the Manchester and Salford Sick and Poor and Private Nursing Institution and worked there for about nine months.

She then launched the nursing journal, L’infirmière” and within a year, she was training nurses for three hospitals, twenty-four schools, and thirteen kindergartens in Belgium.

By November 1914, after the German occupation of Brussels, Cavell began sheltering British soldiers and funneling them out of occupied Belgium to the neutral Netherlands.

Wounded British and French soldiers as well as Belgian and French civilians of military age were hidden from the Germans and provided with false papers and led by guides to hosts who would furnish them with money to reach the Dutch frontier.

The German officials began to suspect her movements and activity.

Cavell was arrested in August 1915 and charged with harbouring Allied soldiers. She admitted that she was instrumental in ‘conveying about 60 British and 15 French soldiers, as well as about 100 French and Belgian civilians to the frontier.”

Sixteen men, forming two firing squads, carried out the sentence on her and four Belgian men at the Tir national shooting range in Schaerbeek, at 7 a.m. on October 12.

Eyewitness accounts of the shooting said Cavell was shot by eight soldiers.

The nurse was at one time the best-known woman in the world. Her death by firing squad turned her into a propaganda icon, with her name gracing schools, bridges, parks and roads right here in Mimico.

Area residents are doing a double take after reading posters in the community and social media that a number of 7-Eleven convenience stores in South Etobicoke and elsewhere have applied to sell alcohol at some locations.

A Liquor Licence Application has been filed, and being proudly displayed, by 7-Eleven for its store at 3260 Lake Shore Blvd. W. , at Twenty Sixth Street, for an indoor area.

The deadline for submission was March 11, which has expired.

“All objections will be shared with the applicant,” the poster state. “Anonymous objections are not accepted.”

The massive company, with 70,200 stores worldwide, has confirmed they have applied to sell booze at some stores in Ontario.

“We are excited to announce that we have applied for a liquor licence for this store,” the company said. “We want to continue to be the neighbourhood store that our customers rely on for all their needs.”

They pledged safety and responsibility writing “SmartServe training combined with our rigorous age-verification program will keep our stores and customers safe.”

Some 61 of the stores have applied for liquor application licences in various municipalities, according to an Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario website.

The company plans to have a small selection of Ontario-made beer and wine for sale. The applications, according to 7-Eleven, were filed after the Ontario government decided to extend beer and wine retailing to convenience stores.

A 7-Eleven statement said the beer and wine would be offered during limited hours in designated consumption areas of some Ontario stores.

It said the alcoholic beverages would complement its push into fresh and hot food, and would build on the chain’s long history of controlling access to age-restricted products.

An Ontario government official said under the current regulations, a dedicated space must be created inside the store “for the sale, service and consumption of alcohol with food inside the store.”

The coming of booze to 7-Eleven has received mixed comments online as readers discussed the benefits.

“They’re basically applying to open a bar inside the store,’ Tamara Sinead writes on social media. “Unless they’re selling very cheap booze I don’t see many people stopping in at 7/11 for a glass of wine.”

Pierre Denis says no way.

“This place is already trouble as it is,” Denis states. “No need for boozehounds on top of this.”

“No one would care really if they were selling it, the issue here is they want to serve it, as in be a bar,” notes Sonya Lynn.

Katrina Carey says area residents have to get involved.

“The application process allows for neighbors to share their concerns,” Carey says. “If too many people object, they may be denied their licence.”

There has been a number of objections filed by local groups against some of the proposed locations that will sell liquor in South Etobicoke

Decisions are still pending.

COMMUNITY HEROES Awards winner David Lockett.

COMMUNITY HEROES Awards winners Constables Julie Rowe and Leanna Gill. Courtesy photo.

COMMUNITY HEROES Awards winner Dr. Eric Bouffet.

Toronto Police Constables Julie Rowe and Leanna Gill help mentor and keep in school some 60 high-risk elementary school students as part of 43 Division’s school liaison team.

The two, in addition to Rotarian and social entrepreneur David Lockett and Toronto SickKids Director of Neuro-oncology Dr. Eric Bouffet, are being honoured on April 23 for their volunteerism with Community Heroes Awards presented by The Rotary Club of Toronto West.

“The Rotary Community Heroes Awards is a continuation of the Rotary Club’s Rotary Youth Impact Awards event that was held for 20 years,” said Community Heroes Award chair, Stephen Thiele. “We are very proud to be able to honour the four recipients for their fantastic contributions to our community, especially youth and families that face incredible challenges.”

This year’s virtual event will be hosted by CTV Queen’s Park Reporter Colin D’Mello.

Dubbed the ‘dynamic duo,’ Officers Rowe and Gill for the past six years have delivered many presentations to those from Grades 1 and 8 on topics which include community helper, safety, bullying, peer pressure, youth and the law and Internet safety.

“They have delivered their presentations to parents and teachers and have become pillars within the school system,” according to the Rotary Club. “Through their mentoring, many youth have realized their potential and have been able to make positive decisions which ultimately, indirectly changed the course of their path toward a brighter future.”

The pair have conducted follow-up school checks and have made home visits, where necessary, to connect families with numerous agencies for assistance and referrals to the 43 Division FOCUS table.

FOCUS is a community safety and well-being initiative co-led by Toronto Police, United Way and City of Toronto that aims to reduce risk, harm, and victimization, and improve well-being with support from community resources and agencies.

Lockett, who is described as a visionary, leader and true social entrepreneur has spent half of his working life volunteering to identify, design, develop and fund innovative and cost effective programs to address issues that lead to family and domestic violence, poverty and youth crime in Toronto.

He co-founded The Redwood Shelter 30 years ago and was the driving force in the building of its crisis care centre. The Redwood offers safety, healing and opportunities for growth for women and their children escaping abusive and violent environments.

Lockett is a co-founder and President of PACT and its parent organization, the Canadian Foundation for the Prevention of Family Violence. His passion, dedication and perseverance has made it possible for the charity to continue to serve thousands of underserved and at-risk youth, as well as low income and vulnerable families, individuals and seniors each year.

Under PACT’s Urban Peace Program, Lockett has helped at-risk youth referred from the courts, schools and other partner agencies across Toronto to remain crime free, to reach their potential and engage productively with their communities.

In response to the COVID pandemic, he pivoted PACT’s Grow to Learn urban farming schoolyard program to continue to feed over 350 low income individuals, families and seniors-in-need in the Lawrence Heights community and deliver 3,400 bags of produce and ready-made meals weekly from May to October 2020.

Dr. Bouffet came to Toronto’s SickKids as Director of Neuro-oncology to develop and lead a multi-disciplinary neuro-oncology program. He is the Garron Family Chair in Childhood Cancer Research, a Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto and Chair of the Canadian Brain Tumour Consortium.

Dr. Bouffet is well-respected internationally and with colleagues from several countries around the world, including China, Ukraine, Malaysia-Singapore, Jordan and Pakistan, he is able to consult monthly regarding patients.

He is an avid and engaged supporter of Meagan’s Hug and its mission since 2001. As a volunteer, he is often a featured keynote speaker on behalf of the organization, and participates in its annual Walk & signature HUG, as well as other events, such as the Meagan’s Hug Crane Ceremony.

People can attend the event by making a minimum $50 donation per person. You will receive a tax receipt. You can also participate in the Club’s virtual silent auction. The donation can be made through the Rotary Club of Toronto Club website at www.rotarytorontowest.ca. The silent auction is accessible at www.biddingowl.com/RotaryClubofTorontoWest.

Proceeds from the event will be used to support paediatric brain tumour research through Meagan’s Hug, as well as programs targeting vulnerable youth to reduce harm and victimization. Funds will also help the Rotary Club of Toronto West to support local community organizations including food banks, shelters, mental health programs.

For more information, please contact Stephen Thiele at 416-559-3424.

HOTEL Sagamore in Mimico.

THE HOTEL Sagamore was the first cocktail bar, or lounge, in Mimico. City Archives.

The Hotel Sagamore in Mimico is still talked about in some circles as an iconic place of many years ago where friends met to lift a glass or two.

The landmark hotel made history when the owners in 1943, who is identified as a Mrs. Doughty, put in a petition to make the Hotel Sagamore the first cocktail bar in Mimico.

She received a license and the Sagamore was operated as a hotel and bar for more than 40 years, from 1943 until its final days about 1984.

For generations it was a popular spot where the community met and drank. Little is documented of the well-known hotel, and fewer people still are with us today who frequented the bar, which closed at least 36 years ago.

It was in the 1940s that the Hotel Sagamore made its name. Its owner was among the first to successfully apply for a cocktail bar or lounge in the community.

Under liquor laws brought in by the Ontario government in 1945, municipalities under 50,000 people can decide by plebiscite whether they want cocktail bars or lounges in their region.

The governing body of Mimico soon gave the thumbs up for booze at the hotel.

The establishment is located at 2472 Lake Shore Blvd. W., at Mimico Ave, for generations. In the early 1980s it was sold to the TD Bank, but remains in the same spot today, next to the Beer Store.

A Mimico realtor will literally be handing out beer to some community residents to mark St. Patrick’s Day on Wednesday, March 17.

Mike Majeski, or ‘Mimico Mike,’ of  Re/Max Specialists Majeski Group Inc., says he will be in the community on Wednesday wishing residents a happy St. Patrick’s day and presenting them with a four-pack of Guinness to celebrate.

“These are challenging times and I just want to wish people a happy St. Patrick’s Day,” Majeski says. “This is something that I look forward to.”

He and his helpers will be driving in the community and will select those who want to celebrate.

Majeski plans to purchase about 100 four-packs of Guinness, on his own dime, to distribute in the community to ‘cheer up’ residents.

He says he and his team are ‘embedded in the community.’ He not only lives in Mimico, but is president of the Mimico Resident’s Association.

“He loves this lake-side wonder of a town and … and is always giving back and putting Mimico first,” according to his website. “He is the most trusted listing salesperson for Mimico and holds several sales records throughout the area.”

He says motorists speeding through the area and the preservation of old homes are priority items.

Majeski also distributes pies and other goodies to residents during the year.

He can be reached at 416-988-3425 or mike@realestatelove.ca

Author Harvey Currell wrote a number of books about Etobicoke.

By DAVE KOSONIC

Harvey Currell had a thirst for gathering news and information and a knack for keeping South Etobicoke residents in the know about important local topics and issues.

Currell was well-known in the Mimico community where he lived most of his life with wife, Josephine. He was actively involved in the area and his contributions included serving as a member of the Mimico Public Library Board.

He was a reporter for The Daily Telegram newspaper and made a name covering the Etobicoke and  Lakeshore areas.

Currell was promoted to a Suburban Editor at The Tely and continued to promote coverage of South Etobicoke. It was quite an accomplishment considering that he was first hired as a young copy boy by the paper that shut down in October 1970, resulting in the loss of jobs of hundreds of newsfolk that resulted in the birth of The Toronto Sun.

Currell authored six books including, Where The Alders Grow, for the Mimico Conservation Authority. It was based on the Lakeshore watershed and this publication was also used as a text book in Etobicoke elementary schools.

He also wrote a 170-page book that was released in 1967 called The Mimico Story, which is filled with  information about Mimico dating back to the early days of the community. Historical topics include how Mimico got its name, the First Methodist Church and early families such as the Murrays and the Van Everys.

Currell authored DEDICATION, which at the beginning of this book stated: ‘To the men and women of Mimico who served King and Country in two world wars and Korea – in many instances giving their lives so that the democratic way of life might survive.’

He was also employed as information officer by the former Etobicoke Board of Education prior to the amalgamation of Toronto. Currell was right on track when he answered trustees’ questions during Board meetings held at the Etobicoke Civic Center. He always sat at the front of the room.

I was a part-time reporter for The Toronto Star at the time assigned to cover Board meetings.

Whenever I required additional information to dig deeper into a story and beat the deadline for next day’s paper Currell went out of his way to provide me with additional support because he understood ‘newspaper pressure’.

He cherished the outdoors and Currell was one of the founders of Ontario’s renowned Bruce Trail. To promote our province’s beauty he wrote a weekly newspaper column for 50 years titled Town And Country Trips.

Currell passed away in August 2020 at age 98 in Sault Ste. Marie. Josephine pre-deceased him and he is survived by his children Linda, and Robert, in addition to his five grand children and as many great grandchildren.

He was respected by all those who knew him as exemplified by condolences posted on his funeral notice and obituary site. When Bootsie Sammut recalled Currell she wrote: ’Harvey was a very warm kind cottage neighbor. I loved his stories and could listen to him for hours.’

THE TTC Long Branch Streetcar rolls on.

Some Long Branch businesses are calling for a major water main replacement project slated to begin in April to be deferred since it will restrict traffic and customer parking for struggling small firms just reopening from lockdown.

Construction of the water main replacement begins in late April and will run until the end of October affecting residents and businesses from Twenty Fourth to west of Thirty Second Streets, according to information from city contractor R.V. Anderson Associates.

Anderson Associates held a virtual meeting with some members of the Long Branch area in January.

The company said it anticipated impacts with roadway traffic, driveway access, curbside parking, pedestrian traffic, transit, water service and dust and noise.

Its officials said in a power-point presentation that lanes affected by construction will be closed to help ensure safety, and two-way traffic will ‘generally be maintained” and dedicated Traffic Control persons or paid Duty police will be required on site.

“Curbside parking on the north side of the street will be temporarily obstructed by the contractor’s equipment staging within their active work area,” according to Anderson Associates.  “Lake Shore streetcars will be out of service for the duration of the project.”

The contractor and City will coordinate with TTC for temporary relocation of transit stops impacted by construction, the company said.

Even though the main replacement is required, residents and members of the Long Branch Better Improvement Area (BIA) are seeking a one or two-year deferral of the project, which they say will force struggling businesses to close

“This will restrict access to the business all while in a pandemic and just when we are finally coming out of COVID-19 lockdown,” said Shelley Porritt, Broker of Record for Royal LePage Porritt Real Estate and member of the Long Branch BIA, in a letter to members. “If this project was to proceed, the only chance that these businesses may have to stay afloat will be taken away from them they may be forced to close down for good.”

She wrote to Mayor John Tory and other City officials warning them that businesses have suffered financially and will face more challenges from the water main  installation by losing their parking for customers, access to their retail spaces due to lane reduction, noise, dust and water shut offs to either run their business or for continued cleaning during the pandemic.

“If this project moves forward, we will create a ghost town as I believe many of our small businesses will not survive and close their doors permanent,” she said. “This project will be detrimental to the survivorship of many of our businesses along Lakeshore Blvd. W. in Long Branch.”

She was told the work will not be issued for tender until March.

“I, along with other business owners requested that the city defer this project one-two years to allow businesses to get up and running after such a devastating year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple lockdowns,” she told residents and the BIA.

“The concern is that we have already been gravely affected as businesses by the pandemic and the various lockdowns issued,” Porritt told Tory. “Most of our businesses here are barely hanging on from being closed and unable to pay their rent, salaries, mortgages, etc.”

The Mayor or other City officials have not replied to calls to defer the installation.

SOME of the many condos ranging up to 70 storeys to occupy the 11-hectare area. Courtesy photos.

THE ICONIC water tower will be placed in a high profile position.

People are already complaining online about the traffic congestion.

New plans and updates have been released about a mixed-using community coming to the site of the former Christie’s Cookies plant at Humber Bay Shores.

A resubmission of an Official Plan Amendment application for the 2150 Lake Shore Blvd. W., development was filed in February by landowners First Capital Realty and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

The Master Plan introduces a new local street network, a relief road to direct traffic away from Park Lawn and Lake Shor, and an integrated transit hub centred around a new GO station and the TTC.

The development provides a network of open public spaces anchored by squares, a ravine, large community parks and a year-round covered galleria. It includes a ‘diverse range’ of building types and architecture.

Park space and other public space have increased and plans for now includes two daycares, two schools, a community centre, library, a retail galleria and non-profit human agency space.

“The fundamental vision and features remain consistent: a transit-oriented urban mixed-use community complete with housing, jobs, retail, parks, public space and community facilities,” according to the Master Plan.

The six phase project will feature 15 towers, with heights ranging from 28 to 70 storeys, according to information from the company.

The first phase will include buildings located beside the new GO station and Park Lawn Road, as well as the construction of the GO Station itself, the loop road that will serve it, and the relocation of the ramps connecting Lake Shore Boulevard to the Gardiner Expressway at the east end of the site.

Two public spaces will also be completed during the first phase; Station Square and Park Lawn Gardens, linking the GO station with new bus service facilities on Park Lawn Road. Ground floor retail near the station is to be oriented towards commuter convenience.

There will be a one-hectare community park on the 11-hectare property and a 2,500 square-metre Boulevard Square.

The developers say access to sunlight in the proposed community park has been further enhanced by shifting height and density away from towers mostly to the south of the park.

The iconic water tower is now proposed to be relocated in high-profile ‘Station Square’ instead of the community park, due to concerns from the community.

First Capital announced in February they have retained Allies and Morrison, the architectural lead on the master plan design team, to be the design lead for buildings in the first phase.