A popular Mimico pharmacist who served generations of families in our community has died.

Bill Kassel, died on February 22 surrounded by his family. He was 74.

Kassel, was the owner of the Kassel’s Pharmacy, on Royal York Rd., for 46 years, according to his family.

The pharmacy has been a fixture in Mimico since 1948 when Max Kassel opened its doors. Bill joined his father’s business in 1970 after graduating from the University of Toronto.

Max’s dream was to ‘create a closely-knit store that really cared about the health and well-being of their customers.’ And he did since he was once named Druggist of the Year, for his outstanding work.

“Back then it was a neighbourhood pharmacy that provided the necessities needed for everyday life,” according to the Kassel’s Pharmacy website.

They said then deliveries were made by bicycle and people came from miles around to obtain their prescriptions and advice on health and wellness issues.

“As the neighbourhood grew, so did the pharmacy,” according to the family, adding they never forget that they are there to serve their customers.

Kassel’s daughter, Dana Bookman, shared the news of her dad’s death to his many customers and friends on social media.

Bookman said her dad had been battling cancer for a year.

“Our family lost its heart today,” she wrote.

His family said Kassel was ‘beloved by all who knew him for his sense of humour, joy and kindness.’

He was also a noted sailor, philanthropist and ‘friend to everyone he met,’ they said.

“Bill was beloved by all who knew him for his sense of humour, joy and kindness.”

He was the beloved husband of Carol, father and father-in-law of Adam and Jennifer Bookman, and Dana Bookman and Conor O’Neil.

A family graveside service will be held on February 23. For a Zoom shiva visit https://calendar.x.ai/billkassel-shiva/15minutevisit. Memorial donations may be made to Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, Temmy Latner Palliative Care, or The Kassel Family Endowment Fund c/o United Jewish Appeal.

The community is already grieving the death of Natale Bozzo, founder of San Remo’s Bakery and Cafe, a block away from Kessel’s Pharmacy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The federal government is finally cracking down on those travelling to, or from, Canada by air or land to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.

Non-essential travellers as of February 22 crossing the border by land will be required to take a COVID-19 molecular test on arrival, as well as toward the end of their 14-day quarantine, federal officials say.

Passengers arriving by air are already required to take a negative COVID-19 test three days before they travel to Canada, according to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). They are now required to book a hotel room on your own dime for three days in Canada to await the result of their COVID-19 test on return.

Those travelling from Canada have to provide a negative COVID-19 test to leave the country.

The government have provided a list of 11 accredited ‘isolation’ hotels in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary or Montreal. Those are the only cities in which international passengers can land at this time.

Starting on February 22 all travellers returning from non-essential international trips, like holidays or visiting family, will have to isolate in one of the approved hotels, at their own expense for 72 hours as they await their results. They can only leave if their results are negative.

The four Toronto hotels where passengers can isolate are the Alt Hotel Pearson Airport, Four Points by Sheraton and Element Toronto Airport, Holiday Inn Toronto International Airport and the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Toronto International Airport.

The rooms can range up to $400 nightly and those there ‘cannot just pick up and leave.’ All costs are to be picked up by the traveller.

The government will operate 16 testing sites at ports of entries across Canada and provide test kits and other needs.

The CBSA said on their website that toward the end of a person’s quarantine, they will be required to take another COVID-19 test. Passengers are required to stay at their place of quarantine until they receive a negative test result.

“If you receive a positive test result, you will be required to isolate for an additional 14-day period that begins on the day the test was taken,” health officials said.

The government also extended the Canada-U.S. border closure for non-essential travel until March 21.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu said the new travel measures will help prevent the importation of additional COVID-19 cases and improve health officials’ understanding of the virus.

“The quarantine is in place for a very important purpose. It allows for a person to be tested for COVID and for Canada to receive the results of that test prior to any onward travels,” said Hajdu.

All visitors and returning residents must quarantine for 14 days after driving across the border by land.

Officials said non-essential travellers have to check in with border officials and an app, called ArriveCAN, can be downloaded to help report test results, quarantine plans for assessments, where you will be staying and provide other information.

A COVID-19 test is not required to fly within Canada, and officials said, proof of having a vaccine does not replace a valid test result. If in doubt check the Government of Canada website at Canada.ca

 

 

They may sound like the police, and your phone may show a local police number; but it is not the cops.

They are crooks.

Halton Regional Police are warning residents about a scam that is occurring in theirs, and possibly other areas of the province.

Officers said a victim receives a phone call from an unknown number and the caller claims to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and advises them that they owe money.

“The victim may also receive a phone call from a telephone number assigned to the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS),” officers said in a release.

“The caller will claim to be a police officer and advise the victim there is a warrant for their arrest,” detectives said. “The caller will then demand a monetary payment from the victim in the form of Bitcoin in order to avoid arrest.“

Halton police said phone calls are ‘being routed fraudulently through a Halton Regional Police phone number,” in a process known as ‘spoofing.’

Police warn the CRA, or HRPS, will never demand payment in Bitcoin, or any payment, over the phone.

Officers are asking people to safeguard themselves and their loved ones by discussing these scams and what to do when a call like this is received. If you suspect you have been contacted by a scam, hang up immediately.

Contact your local police at 22 Division, if you need help. They are available at 4160-808-2200.

 

 

Seems like someone may be spying on the police.

Toronto Police have laid further charges against one of their own, and arrested 11 others, as a deepening investigation into anti-corruption in the tow truck industry widens.

The Service’s Professionals Standards Unit laid charges last week against 12 individuals, including suspended 22 Division Const. Ronald Joseph and employees from a number of tow truck companies.

At concern is an investigation conducted in August 2019 that identified the alleged theft of police radios and that several tow truck employees were in possession of them, police said in a release.

The 11-year officer was initially charged in June 2020 and suspended from duty under the Police Services Act.

“It is alleged that the suspects carried out fraudulent insurance claims for false or staged collisions,” police alleged. “The fake collisions would then be reported to fraudulently claim on insurance for money.”

Detectives allege several false claims were made from April 2018 to May 2020.

Police have said the radio was stolen and cloned, and the copy was returned to the force. The stolen radio was then allegedly used to intercept encrypted police transmissions to learn about collisions more quickly and that information was shared with tow truck drivers for a monthly fee, according to police.

The officer is accused of receiving money for collision tips, helping operate a subscription-based police radio streaming service, and owning a car rental agency and two tow trucks operated by consortium members.

He was charged for a second time on February 19 with further charges including; two counts of attempted fraud over $5,000; counselling an indictable offence not committed, four counts of fraud over $5,000, forgery, and four other offences.

The alleged thefts came to light after a key player was charged after his tow truck was pulled over for an unrelated traffic offence last May.

That radio’s ID number matched an in-service 22 Division radio, which investigators determined was actually an illicit ‘clone’ of the genuine radio, in which police calls could be heard.

Subsequent search warrants in Toronto, Barrie and Brampton uncovered another stolen police radio, two-way radio programming equipment and parts.

A third stolen radio was found last June and three drivers arrested.

Search warrants have netted police cash and six tow trucks belonging to three different companies.

 

Residents of the Mabelle Avenue community are being credited for banding together to help feed and look after their vulnerable neighbours as COVID-19 rages on.

Food security had become a critical issue for residents of the Central Etobicoke area, according to MABELLEarts, an award-winning community arts organization that works closely with residents.

MABELLEarts created a MABELLE Pantry last July, which began as a COVID-19 emergency response grocery delivery service to help 10 vulnerable households on Mabelle Avenue.

The Pantry has grown to serve almost 400 households on Mabelle Avenue, which is a high-density block of apartments in the Islington and Dundas Sts. W. area, where there is limited access to fresh food and nearby supermarkets.

MABELLEarts prior to COVID-19 worked with more than 100 professional artists and 4,000 community members of all ages and backgrounds to create performances, workshops and events that unlock the creative potential of neglected public spaces.

The virus forced them to use their artistic connections to obtain food to help feed those in need in their community.

“Our first step was to listen to the most vulnerable members of the community and learn what they were struggling with,” said Leah Houston, artistic director of MABELLEarts. “We didn’t have a strategy for what would happen in the phone calls.”

The group conducted a wellness check at the start of the pandemic and found residents were in need of food since the local food bank had shut down due to the virus.

Local residents facing food insecurity are able to access free groceries and fresh local produce at the MABELLE Pantry. They are welcomed by friendly and responsible Safety Monitors who ensure the pantry experience stays COVID-safe while offering a stress-free experience to participants.

“The evolution of the Mabelle Pantry is a testament to Mabelle Avenue’s resilience during COVID-19,’ according to MABELLEarts information. “Connections forged through artistic collaboration empowered our community to mobilize.”

The Mabelle Avenue community is home to more than 4,000 residents, many who are low-income, who live in a less-than-a-kilometre block of high density apartment buildings.

Pantry volunteers now make three deliveries weekly to about 80 households in their area. They have made more than 3,000 food deliveries so far.

They are receiving support from Toronto Community Housing, Foodshare Toronto, Haven on the Queensway, The Storefront Humber, Daily Bread Food Bank and other agencies.

MABELLE Pantry was launched to provide residents a safe market-style food access experience.

 

Dr. Rita Cox was a popular, long-time head librarian of Parkdale Public Library who tried to encourage young people to read a book or stay in school.

Friends and colleagues of the former head librarian will be remembering her work and the many aspiring young Black students she guided to success in a virtual tribute on February 21.

The event is part of the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) 40^th Anniversary celebrations.

Cox, who was born in Trinidad, joined the Toronto public library as a children’s librarian in 1960 and, in 1972, became the head of the Parkdale branch. It was an amazing feat for a Black woman then as she launched literacy programs and initiatives that promoted multiculturalism in Toronto.

Cox pioneered the ‘Black Heritage and West Indian Resource Collection’ at her Queen St. W., branch. Readers loved her books and the collection was renamed the ‘Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection,’ which contains more than 16,000 books, DVDs, CDs, newspapers and magazines, with a focus on the Black and Caribbean experience in Canada.

She would stage Black History Month celebrations at the branch yearly.

Always encouraging young people to learn, she retired from the library in 1995. Soon after she was appointed a citizenship court judge by the government of Canada.

Cox established “Cumbayah,” a successful festival of Black heritage and storytelling. She was a renowned storyteller who entertained audiences across North America, in Europe, Brazil and the Caribbean. She even authored a children’s book entitled “How Trouble Made the Monkey Eat Pepper.”

Cox ensured the Toronto public library’s storytelling legacy by training a new generation of storytellers, many of whom are current library staff.

She has won numerous awards, including the 1996 Canadian Library Association Public Service Award and the Black Achievement Award. In 1997, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for her outstanding work in storytelling and literacy and was the recipient of Honourary Degrees from York and Wilfrid Laurier universities.

Cox has even had a city park named after her. The Rita Cox Park is on Machells Ave, just north of Lamport Stadium.

The virtual tribute will take place from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will feature former CityTV weatherman Harold ‘Hurricane’ Hossein, Dr. Paul Keens Douglas, former MP Jean Augustine, six time Calypso Monarch winner Macomere Fifi, Wendy Jones, Entertainer Itah Sadu and Dr. Michael Ashley.

For more information contact Panman Pat at 416-358-8621 or visit facebook@calypsoca4u

 

The Ontario government is investing up to $2.6 million over two years to help communities fight hate-motivated crime.

The funds are made available through a Safer and Vital Communities (SVC) grant, which provides funds to community-based, not-for-profit organizations, First Nations Chiefs and Band Councils to address local risks to safety and well-being in the community.

Christine Hogarth, the MPP for Etobicoke Lakeshore, said the funding will help 26 community-based, not-for-profit organizations and First Nations Chiefs and Band Councils, in collaboration with their police partners.

The groups will implement local projects that tackle discrimination, foster greater inclusiveness and address the increase of police-reported hate crime, according to Hogarth.

Grant recipient The Neighbourhood Organization, will receive $110,000 to work with Toronto Police to develop community specific responses to hate motivated crime and related issues.

The Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre will receive $104,200 to work with police to deliver a two-part Indigenous Safer and Vital community project.

And the Kiever Synagogue Security Upgrade will obtain $63,000 to upgrade their security systems and Security Access and Public Announcement Systems Upgrades will receive $110,000 to update their systems.

“Our government has zero tolerance for hate and racism in any form,” says Hogarth, the Parliamentary Assistant for Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. “We continue to be focused on advancing community-based solutions to ensure Ontarians can overcome these real-life barriers.”

She said the initiatives are important to protect people from ‘being victimized because of their race or religious beliefs.’

Hogarth said the grant  will complement Ontario’s new $1.6 million Anti- Racism and Anti-Hate Grant, which is being designed with community groups to create solutions based on lived experiences and local needs.

In 2017, police-reported criminal incidents in Canada motivated by hate jumped by 47 per cent over 2016, according to Statistics Canada. The largest provincial increase occurred in Ontario at 67 per cent.

 

 

An Etobicoke man is behind bars after the RCMP smashed a ring that used Canada Post to move and sell cocaine across Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador.

A probe dubbed Project Barnacle has been underway since January 18, when the RCMP in Newfoundland executed search warrants against five homes in Etobicoke, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Cpl. Jolene Garland said in a release.

One man was arrested and three kilograms of cocaine were seized at the Etobicoke home, the Mounties said.

In St. John’s a man and woman were arrested and a kilogram of cocaine was seized by police, along with some cash and electronic devices.

Cpl. Jolene Garland said the investigation “has significantly disrupted a highly organized group of individuals involved in inter-provincial drug trafficking and money laundering.”

Garland said police on February 11 served another five search warrants to residences, including homes in Etobicoke and Mississauga.

“With drugs come violence and other criminal activities that are a threat to our communities,” said Inspector Stefan Thoms, Officer in Charge of RCMP Newfoundland Federal Serious and Organized Crime.

“Project Barnacle reflects our priority to combat this threat through the disruption of the organized crime groups responsible for the distribution of illegal drugs into this province,” Thoms said.

He said the force will continue to work to stop criminals and lay charges wherever appropriate.

The RCMP in Ontario arrested two men and a woman in Project Barnacle, who were charged with drug related crimes.

They also seized from the Etobicoke home about $10,000 in cash, a vehicle, financial documents, electronic devices and other items of the drug trade.

Police in Newfoundland and Labrador seized a stolen Glock handgun, five long guns, semi-automatic rifle, 10,000 rounds of ammunition, 12 pounds of MDMA (ecstasy), one of the largest such seizures in the province, $250,000 in cash, nine vehicles: including a five-ton truck, pick ups and ATVS, two credit card readers, high-end jewellery and financial documents.

 

Many South Etobicoke parents have to change their plans after learning that March Break for students and teachers has been pushed back a month.

The week-long break, which was originally scheduled for March 15 to 19, will now take place on the week of April 12 to 16 due to the virus.

This “is postponing March Break, not cancelling it,” Education Minister Stephen Lecce said at Queen’s Park on February 18. It is ‘an important way that schools can help to limit of community transmission” of COVID-19, Lecce said.

Lecce added that the decision was based on the advice of medical experts, with the understanding that “congregation is a key driver of the spread of COVID-19.”

“This postponement also limits any further disruption to students as they could return to in-person learning during a time that has been challenging,” he told reporters.

“The decision to postpone March Break has not been an easy one, but necessary to keep Ontario families safe from this variant,” Lecce said.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams said when kids and teachers do go on March Break in April, they should still remain within their region and avoid travelling.

Government officials said the decision to defer March Break was “all the more important” as the province sees an emergence of new COVID-19 variants of concern.

Williams said students and teachers should stay at home as much as possible and continue following the direction of public health officials during their break.

Mimico has sadly lost its top baker, Natale Bozzo, whose sweet treats are loved by generations of food lovers, who travel from across the city to Royal York Road to get their fill.

The loving Bozzo family patriarch is father of three sons and was married to Nicoletta for 49 years.

His mourning family said he passed away on February 18 after a devastating six-week battle with COVID-19. He was 75.

“He fought very hard, he was in good health prior to this,” his family shared in a statement on social media. “We learned of his failing health through very difficult phone calls from the hospital and thankfully we were able to say goodbye.”

Natale was a hard worker who came to Canada from Italy at the age of 15. He began working at a bakery in Little Italy and opened SanRemo Bakery and Café Inc., at 374 Royal York Road in 1969, with his brothers Santo, Gilda, Giuseppe, Josephine, Peter and Giancarlo.

He became sole owner of the popular bakery in the 1990s with his sons, Rob, Nick and Eddie.

“He eventually retired but he would still come to help out around the bakery as it was his passion,” family members recalled.

They describe him as an ‘incredible baker, who was hardworking, resilient and resourceful.’

“He was kind and a friend to all. He loved to go to Florida, he loved to fish and garden, he loved food, and he loved his family,” they said.

The family said Natale’s secret to baking was to put a ‘pinch of love into everything, and we’ll be missing that pinch in ways we can’t describe.’

“We thank you all for your support and wishes during this time,” they told area residents.

The bakery, which has been open for more than 50 years, is an institution in South Etobicoke and people pre-COVID-19 drove from across the city to get their fill of Italian sandwiches, cakes, pasta, coffee and mostly to meet their friends.

The small dining room they once had was always filled with area residents or those working nearby enjoying a break.

There are many comments being left on social media by residents expressing their love and support for the Bozzo family.

“This is devastating,” wrote Christine Ashley.

“My deepest condolences,” said Deuces Royal.

Funeral plans are being finalized.