Toronto Police are warning homeowners to lock their doors to avert thieves as darkness falls earlier these days.

Police say they have seen an increase of residential break and enters in some parts of the city as crooks make the rounds to homes taking advantage of unlocked doors.

Officers say some of the thefts took place in 13 Division and 53 Division while the occupants were home. The targeted dwellings are in the Lawrence Ave. W. and Bathurst St. area.

Police warn that the thefts can take place anywhere in the city, where doors maybe inadvertently be left open and as it gets dark about 4:30 p.m.

In most of the cases the occupants were not unaware they were being robbed and only realized in the morning, police say.

No one was hurt in any of the incidents but property stolen included purses, wallets and clothing, police allege.

Residents are asked to remain vigilant and make sure their doors are locked at all times. It is also encouraged to leave some lights on, or have them come on automatically, in your home to deter crooks.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-2200, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com.

Toronto Police have charged an Oshawa dump truck driver in connection with the death of a retired school teacher who was riding his bicycle in the Royal York Rd., and Judson St. area.

The 48-year-old man, who has not been identified, was charged by Traffic Services on December 10 with not making a safety turn and careless driving causing death under the Highway Traffic Act.

The incident occurred on November 20 around 4:43 p.m. involving a cyclist and a green cement truck at the busy Mimico intersection.

John Offutt, 59, a recently retired teacher, received high praise for his work in the classroom by former students on social media.

“He was a teacher who quit his real estate job to help kids succeed in a low income neighbourhood,” former student A. Hafeez wrote on social media. “It is truly amazing that someone would do that.”

Hafeez says Offutt was a good man who loved his students and wanted them to succeed.

Police allege Offutt was travelling southbound on Royal York Rd., when the cement truck made a right turn from southbound Royal York Rd. to westbound Judson St.

“The cement truck made contact with the cyclist,” investigators wrote in a press release. “The cyclist succumbed to his injuries at the scene.”

Officers said following their investigation and consultation with the Prosecutor’s Office, it was determined that charges should be laid.

The driver is slated to appear at Old City Hall Court on April 29, 2021, in Room C.

Offutt’s death has angered area residents and members of the Judson Street community, who have been complaining to the City for years that ML Ready Mix is an uncooperative neighbour.

Residents have been complaining about the dust, noise and pollution from a steady stream of cement trucks that daily frequent the ML Ready Mix yard, on Judson St.

“The tragic loss of life was made all the worse by the certain knowledge that it was entirely preventable,” a citizens advocacy group wrote after placing a ghost bicycle at the scene of his death.

Mimico area residents are being urged to sign an online petition to request the concrete plant be developed into green space.

South Etobicoke residents are being warned to stay away from Mississauga’s Trillium Health Partners Network after 36 staff at three of its sites are in self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.

Many area residents are urged to attend Toronto hospitals for treatment rather than making a quick trip for now to hospitals in the Mississauga area. Many area residents attend Mississauga hospitals to avoid driving downtown for medical help.

The network in a statement said the three dozen affected employees have been off from work since December 8 after they tested positive for the virus.

The cases are linked to both hospital and community transmission, officials said.

“All contact tracing has been conducted and infection prevention and control measures are in place to ensure our hospital remains a safe place to receive care,” the network stated.

Officials said four units at Credit Valley Hospital and Mississauga Hospital are dealing with an outbreak.

Trillium Health Partners (THP) has two sites in Mississauga, including Credit Valley Hospital and Mississauga Hospital. Its third site, Queensway Health Centre, is across from Sherway Gardens.

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said she is concerned about the situation in the hospitals as it is not getting any better.

“Trillium Health Partners is currently well above capacity and is dealing with 88 COVID patients, 20 patients in the ICU and a great number of patients awaiting their results,” Crombie said.

She noted that patients are being transferred to other hospitals and some elective surgeries are in danger of being cancelled.

“I’ve been told that the next three to six weeks will be extremely challenging for our hospitals as they continue to deal with the surge of COVID patients,” Crombie noted.

Peel region is under the province’s lockdown zone and has been for the past 17 days. No indoor gatherings are permitted unless people are members of the same household, with some exceptions, including support for seniors living alone.

Peel region last week reported an average of 459 daily cases, with Mississauga averaging 152 daily cases.

Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel Region’s medical officer of health, said cases continue to rise and still heading in the wrong direction.

“We are not yet seeing a plateau or a decrease,” Loh said. “And if we remember how the first wave in the spring worked, we don’t start going down right away.”

Although a vaccine has been approved in Canada, the doctor said residents must stay the course with wearing masks, hand washing and physical distancing to curb the spread of COVID-19.

 

More major changes and construction work is coming to Humber Bay Shores, which is already a pretty busy stretch of road for motorists.

The Esso Gas station at Park Lawn Rd. and Lake Shore Blvd. W., is said to have been conditionally sold and the .67-acre site is slated to be redeveloped with a suggested 50-tower condo, according to a study.

The station has been listed for sale for a while and news on social media is that it has been conditionally sold. The price was not listed.

The gas bar has been at 2189 Lake Shore Blvd. W., for decades and contains a gas station, car wash, Tim Hortons and convenience store.

Listing firm Cushman & Wakefield said on its website the site “can potentially accommodate a 50-storey tower with a total gross building area of 425,957 square feet.”

The site states the South Etobicoke area “has been a target for significant intensification, including many high-density projects.”

They said developments in the area range from six to 66 storeys mostly in the form of mixed-use residential towers with retail and commercial uses in their podiums.

The Esso site is located next to the 66-storey Eau du Soleil property.

The realtors said the redevelopment of the Mr. Christie cookie site at 2150 Lake Shore Blvd. W. site will bring transformational change to this node including the potential for a new GO Train Station at Park Lawn Rd.

Cushman & Wakefield noted the site has a waterfront location with unobstructed lake views and good access to major roads and highways.

There is also the Mimico Go Train station, 501 all-day TTC streetcar and public greenspaces as Humber Bay Park and the Martin Goodman Trail.
“The Vendor’s objective is to maximize upfront cash sale proceeds and preference will be given to offers with limited (or no) conditionality and a timely closing,” according to the realtors.

Residents of the area are passing by ongoing construction with the building of an upscale 13-storey Stay Inn Hospitality luxury hotel at 2157 Lake Shore Blvd. W., which is about half built and going up fast.

Then next year construction is slated to get underway at the former Mr. Christie site where as many as 15 high-rise condos, parks and a schools will be built in a massive mega-year project.

 

 

Local illustrator Kerry Viggiani is supporting her community and 1st Lakeshore Scouts this year.

The area artist is making hand-painted ornaments for sale, of which $5 from each sold will go to her ‘favourite neighbourhood group,’ 1st  Lakeshore Scouts.

Viggiani says the designs were inspired by her favourite animal sightings at Col. Samuel Smith Park.

The ornaments are hand painted in oil paints, and the front will feature one of the designs you choose.

She says each is dated because ‘each is hand painted, each will also be unique in its own way.’

She is offering free local delivery for her cards, ornaments and stickers.

Last year she was painting a float and working with the Beavers and Cubs to make ornaments for holiday trees on the Lakeshore. This year she is busy making ornaments with the hope of funding some adventures for some incredible neighborhood kids.

Viggiani is an Etobicoke-based artist who first picked up a paintbrush as a means to cope with a brain injury. She is inspired by the nature along the Lakeshore. Her watercolors have appeared on packaging, paper products and in children’s publications.

The 1st Lakeshore Scout group established in 1919 celebrated its 95th year of service in 2014, the Group runs four youth sections; Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scouts, and Venturer Scouts. It has a dedicated volunteer leadership team and Group Committee and meets at the Seventh Street School.
Scouts Canada is the country’s leading co-ed, multi-faith, youth organization. For more than 100 years, we have brought a world of adventure, outdoor experience and friendship to 17 million Canadian youth.

You can contact Viggiani on Facebook.

 

Over the past couple of weeks, with all the lockdowns and challenges I am
currently facing as a small business owner in the middle of a pandemic, a
small dark cloud seemed to form over my head.

It would follow me around and sprinkle me with tears every once in a
while, when it would over overflow.

Finally, this week, as we said goodbye to our members for another 28 days , I told
the cloud it was time to go.

In times like this when I seem to be resonating at a lower frequency, I must take
a step back and check myself to see what I need to do to raise my frequency.

When our frequency is low, we attract negative energy, which tends to come with
a whole world of problems. For some, it can feel like carrying the weight of the
world on your shoulders.

If you are trying to change your course in life, it is very difficult to do so when you resonate at a lower frequency than happy and successful people. One of things I like to do to help
me raise my frequency is laugh therapy.

When you laugh heartily for a good several minutes, your heart and lungs get a great
workout and your core muscles get stimulated. You may even find yourself
tired and out of breath after a good laugh session. Laughter also activates the brain to
release endorphins (the feel-good hormone), which promotes a homeostatic
effect in the body, in turn helping the body heal itself.

Frequent rolling laughter can help lower the body’s stress response by
lowering blood pressure and heart rate and has the power to make you forget about
what is getting your down and stressed. The best part is, you don’t need a prescription for laughter.

It can be done anywhere, at anytime (except maybe in church or at the library).
Incorporating laugh therapy into your daily routine can also help to boost your
immune system through the regular release of endorphins and the calming
effect it has on the body.

It raises the body’s overall frequency to help block out lower resonating frequencies
associated with depression and disease. It will also improve your overall mood
and outlook on life, and has anti-aging effects to boot. Who knew that laughing
daily would take years off your face!

So, as we head into the colder darker days of winter, consider setting a daily
appointment in your calendar to spend some time laughing. Five or ten minutes
should do it. Set a laugh date via Zoom with a few friends when you share funny
stories or your favourite jokes.

Remember that laughing is contagious – probably the only good thing to catch these days, so you just need one person to get started and it won’t take long before the whole group is
on the floor laughing.

To help you get started, I leave you with a joke: Instead of “the John,” I call my toilet “the
Jim.” That way it sounds better when I say I go to the Jim first thing every
morning.

Reach Adrianne @monkeytreefitness on Facebook;
#monkeytreefitnesswellness on Instagram or
www.monkeytreewellness.com