The South Etobicoke News

Serving Humber * Mimico * Lakeshore Village * Long Branch * Alderwood

COVID suspends mail delivery to South Etobicoke

by

Hundreds of South Etobicoke residents will not be receiving mail or packages this week after two Canada Post employees contracted COVID-19 forcing a local depot to close.

More than 100 posties work at the Etobicoke Delivery Centre, at 145 The West Mall, and it is not known how many are in quarantine from the virus.

Officials at the busy delivery depot found out one employee tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, and found out a second also contracted the virus on Tuesday, according to workers and a statement from Canada Post.

The depot closed for a deep clean on Tuesday, and as a result mail delivery has been temporarily suspended to residents with postal codes beginning with the following digits: M8V, M8W, M8X, M8Y, M8Z, M9A, M9B and M9C.

Most of the postal codes are for residences in the South Etobicoke area.

Canada Post plans to re-open the Etobicoke depot and resume regular mail service after a deep cleaning later this week.

A number of posties during the last few months have contracted the virus at Canada Post’s massive Gateway sorting plant in Mississauga.

“We are putting safety first and we have been in contact with Toronto Public Health and are following their direction and guidance,” according to a Canada Post official.

“We will continue to evaluate the situation, work with public health officials and our local joint health and safety committee and keep our employees and the public informed.”

Canada Post says a post office attached to this facility is also closed today.

Price of New Toronto Shelter tops $13.25 million, residents fuming

by

The purchase price of a proposed New Toronto shelter will be close to $14 million and more than three times the going market price, according to a memo from the City of Toronto.

The June 5 Authorization Memo states “purchase of ‘The Property” that includes 2950 Lake Shore Blvd. W. and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W. is for use as a municipal shelter.”

The purchase price of the property is $13,250,000 with additional costs estimated to be $594,169, making it almost $14 million, it states under the memo’ s ‘Agreements and Key Terms’.

Sales documents for the property show that it was sold to the current owner — 2970 Lake Shore Group Inc. — for just slightly more than $4-million in 2017.The assessed value of the property in 2020 is $5.3-million.

Documents show the city is paying 3.5 times what the property was purchased for three years ago, 2.6 times its assessed value and $140,000 per client simply to purchase the property.

The memo, which was signed by Shelter, Support and Housing General Manager Mary-Anne Bedard, Director of Infrastructure Justin Lewis and Deputy City Manager Giuliana Carbone, states that the funding has been set aside as part of a 2018 directive to open 1,000 new shelter beds in Toronto.

“It’s appalling, who’s going to pay for this?” Vashti King, of the New Toronto Ratepayers Association, asks of the purchase price. “People are up in arms in our neighbourhood.”

King says a year ago the same owners proposed a zoning amendment to build a nine-storey building with 95-rental units and two floor of commercial space. That plan was rejected by the City.

Area councillor Mark Grimes, who was first briefed on the acquisitions last February 24, has been silent on the issue. He only mentioned the shelter in a recent posting on social media stating that he expects the deal to be closed by December or January.

Grimes is calling for the facility be used as a women’s shelter.

More than 1,500 people have signed an online petition against the proposed shelter, with more than 1,000 giving their support in a rival petition.

Grimes office has received hundreds and phone calls and emails from residents about the shelter.

“The opening of the property will follow the council-directed community engagement process,” according to the document. “This includes hiring a third party facilitator, working with the councillor’s office to identify key stakeholders and developing a site specific community engagement plan.”

The memo states the property has a high shelter service rating and ‘will be able to accommodate at least 100 beds while meeting shelter standards.”

Residents argue there are already a number of shelters and schools in the area.

A working group was created to determine the renovations required for living, office, dining and programming space to ensure the site meet all requirements as a shelter.

If approved, the building will be brought up to standards and begin accepting the homeless by early next year.

The City says there are some 8,715 people in Toronto who are homeless, with some 533 sleeping outdoors, according to a 2018 assessment.

This is compounded by the opiod crisis with the highest recorded deaths in July and ‘pressures on the shelter system exacerbated due to COVID-19.’

 

Ducky’s Roti serving spicy dishes in our community for 19 years

by

Ducky’s Roti is a well-known neighbourhood restaurant which for the last 19 years has garnered quite a following for those who love spicy food.

The popular Long Branch restaurant is one on the longest-serving roti shops in the south Etobicoke community.

Boodnarine ‘Ducky” Heerasingh, and his wife, Chandra, started the eatery in 2002 and customers swear that the food is as good today as it was back then.
“People love our fresh and good-quality food and many have been coming back since Day One,” Ducky says. “Our food is consistent since we focus on authentic Trinidad-style dishes.”

Everything from the soft rotis, creamy rice, to the curry goat, chicken, beef, shrimp, fish and vegetable dishes are cooked with fresh spices and ingredients daily, Ducky explains.

Many residents love a popular island delicacy called ‘doubles’, which is basically two patties containing a bed of  tasty split peas topped with a dash of home-made pepper sauce.

“People love our doubles,” he boasts. “They come from all over to try our tasty doubles.”

Also popular is their brand of jerk chicken served with rice or on a roti, which is mouth-watering.

The food here has remained unchanged over time and Ducky credits the consistency to his staff, many who have been with him for years.

The couple have been married for 44-years and have grown children. They admit that things weren’t always so rosy and it took hard work.

“COVID-19 was the biggest challenge that we have had to face,” he shakes his head. “It took a toll. We were closed for more than four months due to the pandemic.”

Thankfully, most of their customers have returned along with some new ones.

“Most of our customers returned immediately,” Ducky says. “We have scaled back a little and are now working less hours.”

Chandra started the business in 2002 because she loved cooking. Area residents loved her food and the restaurant took off.

“I learned to cook from my mom and all our dishes taste like back home (Trinidad),” Chandra explains. “We stick to fresh foods and everything is cooked fresh daily.”

The restaurant also bakes a tasty pastry called currants roll, which is filled with currants, that they supply to West Indian food stores in the City.

Ducky’s Roti receives many good reviews on social media from area foodies.

Resident Kevin S. “I decided to go check it (Ducky’s) out because it had great reviews. Thank God I wasn’t disappointed! I got the goat roti and it was delicious, the meat was juicy, flavourful and the skin held everything together.”

Sam A., from Brampton, wrote the food had “good curry flavour, good chicken. Nothing to complain about. If you’re in the area, it’s worth a try.”

“I love this place and keep on coming back, the vegetarian roti are really tasty, decent portions and flavour,” says Irina Y.

Ducky’s Roti is located at 3296 Lake Shore Blvd. W., just west of Kipling Ave. They can be reached by phone at 416-253-5858.

 

 

Go Fund Me page created to help family of local firefighter

by

Family, friends and firefighters are still mourning the loss of 20-year south Etobicoke fireman, Duncan Gibson, who passed away two months ago leaving behind his wife and two young daughters.

Duncan was a son of Etobicoke and one of the youngest firefighter recruits ever called for duty. He followed in his dad Blair’s footsteps by working as a firefighter with the City of Toronto for two decades.

Having reached the rank of Acting Captain, Duncan most recently worked at Station 433D, at 615 Royal York Rd., where he was a valuable part of the crew.

Duncan was an upbeat and hardworking firefighter, who respected the role he played in his community, viewing his career as a firefighter, a privilege more than a job; just like his father did before him.
He and his wife, Kate, were the parents of two beautiful girls; Willow, 8, and Marigold, 4, who were the love of their lives.

Along the way, Duncan earned his Ontario Fire College Certificate of Achievement completing fireground operations and specialized in firefighter in the community modules by 2002.
He earned his Honours Bachelor of Science, Psychology and English double major, in 2005 at the University of Toronto.
And, in June 2007 earned a Certificate in Fire Leadership from Dalhousie University.

Like many, he was living a joyful and hectic life, balancing work and family.

Suddenly in the summer of 2018,  Duncan began experiencing relentless heartburn type sensations and difficulty swallowing. After medical examinations, he was given the shocking news that he had stage-four gastro-esophageal cancer.
He immediately began treatment and for the past two years had been battling the fight of his life. He would pop into the fire hall between chemo treatments to make sure his other “family” knew he was well and fighting with everything he had.

Unfortunately, while Duncan was fighting his own battle, he lost his dad, Blair, a 34-year Toronto firefighter, who succumbed to prostate cancer in January 2019.
Sadly Duncan lost his own battle with cancer last July at the young age of 40.
And even though Duncan dedicated his career to firefighting and as a first responder in his community, he has fallen short of the presumptive cancer legislation for firefighters by five years. The coverage  would have ensured his wife and children be taken care of financially when he died.

His friends and family members say the second-generation firefighter is being overlooked when it comes to the protecting and caring for his own family.
“We will never comprehend the amount of pain and loss that the Gibson family has experienced and will continue to face,” firefighters say. “We can step up when the governing bodies won’t and raise funds and let Duncan’s family know that his girls’ future education will be taken care of.”

A Go Fund Me page has been created by his friends and fellow firefighters to help raise money to pay for the education of his girls.

So far more than $115,000 has been donated by community members. If you can help please visit GoFundMe with a donation at the link below.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/firefighter-duncan-gibson?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=m_pd%20share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link-tip&fbclid=IwAR3uoc5G2MuPHrnY3hC2-j0-jTmZpeVkwmZ84QW9Pm96luor6UzEgQm_in8

 

Police tips to secure your home or business at this time of the year

by

Here are some tips from Toronto Police for the owners of stores or small businesses to keep their companies and homes safe from thieves as the days get shorter at this time of the year.

Officers from 11 Division Crime Prevention Unit are warning business owners to ensure their alarms and Closed Circuit TVs are operational and to leave their lights on inside and outside of their premises.

Police are encouraging owners to keep track of their inventory and update their insurance coverage, should anything occur.

Post emergency contact key holder information inside the store and remove high value goods from store window view, according to police.

Back up all business documentation and when visually checking your business, do so during the day for better visibility, officers warn.

Owners should also display their empty cash drawer by the window or door and get to know their  business neighbours.

They should also keep their store windows clear and without clutter so people passing by outside can view inside the store and possibly report trouble.

Residents are also urged to reinforce their homes and properties and may want to add extra lighting, update locks, alarm systems, video monitoring, reinforce entry points or remove overgrown bush or structures to allow proper sight lines.

Police say some giveaways that a homeowner may be away for a period of time includes: newspapers piled up on the driveway, overflowing mail box, porch lights left on all day and night and an overgrown lawn.

Officers say homeowners can take precautions if going away by placing their mail delivery on hold, install timed lighting on the premises, ask a neighbour to regularly check on their property and by scheduling the landscapers to come.

Police are encouraging residents to use a heavy-duty deadbolt on their front door, keep a light with a timer when no one is at home, keep their car locked even in the garage, double check that doors and windows are locked prior to leaving home and open windows should be no more than four-inches to prevent intrusion.

All jewellery and valuables should be stored in a safe place before leaving the house and if anyone breaks in the home do not engage, call 911.

Once again police say exterior lighting is very important around the home and backyard at this time of the year.

Police also warn never to leave your car keys near the front door of their home since thieves can steal their vehicle without the keys by cloning a victim’s fob. Keep your car keys in a secure part of the home.

At this time of the year home owners should be wary of anyone knocking on their door suggesting that their roof, shingles, snow removal, windows or eavestrough needs repair or to be changed.

Home owners are urged when hiring a contractor to check their references, do not provide full payment, get a contract and research the company.

Call police at 416-808-2222 to report suspicious activities or report activities online at www.torontopolice.on.ca

 

 

 

Community meetings next month for New Toronto shelter

by

City of Toronto staff are slated to meet with New Toronto residents next month to address concerns about a proposed shelter for homeless people.

Community Engagement Facilitators will meet with residents, groups and businesses during the  third week of October to allay fears about a planned shelter, which will contain about 100 beds, at 2950 and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd W.

The Facilitators are planning an information session and will also be talking to local organizations and the Lakeshore Village Business Improvement Area (BIA), says Ward 3 Councillor Mark Grimes.

Grimes after weeks broke his silence on the shelter in a message on social media. He wrote the City is in the process of purchasing the properties and a deal is scheduled to be closed by December or January, unless there are issues that arise during due diligence.

“Financial details of the transaction, including the purchase price, will be made public after closing,” he wrote.

The site was among four Etobicoke properties looked at by City officials for a shelter. The others were discounted due to size or obligations with tenant contracts.

He stressed that City staff have delegated authority when selecting potential locations for shelters.

“This means, once a site has been identified as meeting the City’s requirements, staff have authority to move forward,” Grimes noted.

City staff say they selected the New Toronto site based on existing by-laws, proximity to services, transit, accessibility and size of the space.

Grimes said he would like to see a women’s shelter on the site, since there are a number of service providers in the area dedicated to assisting women, such as Women’s Habitat, the Jean Tweed Centre and the Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment.

“What has become increasingly clear through the COVID-19 pandemic, is the City’s inability to provide adequate shelter for some of our most vulnerable community members,” he warned. “We’ve been saying for months that we’re in this together and that includes the City’s homeless population.”

His office receives dozens of calls and emails from residents about people sleeping in tents in parks and on the streets and ‘we need to find housing for them’.

Justin Lewis, of the City’s Shelter, Support & Housing Administration (SSHA), says “our engagement process aims to help the local community understand what services will be added to meet community needs, and to identify possibilities for the community to collaborate and participate in the shelter’s success.”

There will be ‘community walk-throughs,’  along with email updates to keep residents informed.

Third-party Community Engagement Facilitators, Maria Crawford and Violetta Ilkiw, of Barnes Management Group, who are assigned to the project, can be reached at clc.2950.70lakeshoreblvdwest@gmail.com or at (416) 800-2914 ext. 202.

A website has been created for the shelter at https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/community-partners/emergency-shelter-operators/about-torontos-shelter-system/new-shelter-locations/1000-beds-george-street-revitalization-shelter-expansion-projects/2950-70-lake-shore-blvd-w/

SSHA will present a report to a City Council General Government and Licensing Committee meeting on October 5.

 

 

For Grandpa Ribber it is a long way from Boston Beach

by

Its been a long way for Reuben Riley, aka ‘Grandpa Ribber,’ from Jamaica’s Boston Beach to Brickyard BBQ at 120 North Queen St., in South Etobicoke.

Riley was in charge of cooking for his siblings as a boy and over the years developed his hometown’s ‘pit slow cooking,’ while working to become a master ribber, now with a loyal following.

“Using wood for fuel, we dug deep holes in the sand, and cooked in this manner,” the long-time chef recalls. “This was essentially the same approach as the pit barbecue style of the American South.”

Riley and his crew, are proud of their trade; love their customers and are always friendly and smiling.

Fans love their ‘Stout Drunken’ BBQ sauce dripping over the steaming soft pork side ribs. They also feature smoked jerk riblets on rice, a unique side dish favoured by Riley since his days of cooking for his family.

“This a special combination of my early childhood cooking experience and my later learning of BBQ mastery, which has proven to be a popular addition,” he says proudly.

The secret many rib-lovers think is due to their specially-brewed dark stout sauce.

“I originated this sauce style, when I was chef at The Granite Brewery,” Riley says proudly. “The customers liked it so much that we bottled it and sold it in our retail beer section.”

But it wasn’t always smooth smoking as he developed his skills and taste for homestyle ribs.

After arriving in Toronto in 1975, Riley held a number of cooking jobs in commercial kitchens before obtaining his chef qualifications at Niagara College in 1986 and began working in Toronto.

It was while he was a chef at a large restaurant that they began featuring slow-smoked barbeque on the menu. It was such a success that they formed a ribfest team and took part in a number of festivals.

“I was the pit master and head sauce maker for this team and was fortunate to win a few trophies,” the chef recalls. He won best ribs at St. Lawrence Market, the CNE and best sauce at festivals in Etobicoke and Burlington.

Riley always knew that he wanted to cook and there was no looking back.

“For me there’s really nothing like the large-scale production thrill of rib fests,” he smiles. “I put together a rig, put together a team from my restaurant employees and did the North Scarborough Rotary Ribfest, Brantford Kinsmen Ribfest as well as a booth at the Caribana festival.”

“These events were successful for us and were greatly enjoyed by my team who were happy to be learning a lot of new skills and seeing a lot of new faces,” he vows.

He and his staff of five now have ribfest experience and plan to keep on the summertime circuit.

“We pride ourselves in our attention to customer service,” Riley explains. “They (my team) are trained in the ways of ribfesting and have gained such knowledge and the same love for it that I have.”

“My appetite for ribfesting was whetted mightily; after the first event, it felt like I had never left,” he adds. You can visit Riley and check out his ribs at 120 North Queen St. , phone him a 41-252-5882, 416- 953-2142 or by email at: info@brickyardcatering.ca

Mimico Square is alive with the sounds of music and dance

by

By BOB SUMMERS

Mimico Square is alive with drawings, music and dance.

Artists used spray chalk to lay down a giant dance map, including a large cat and then the dancers took over.

It is part of the Toronto Arts in the Parks @dancetogetherfestival event at Mimico Square, located in Amos Waites Park, 2445 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

It started with an organized dance event September 13 and then turned into a “participate as you want” event with dancers invited to use the dance map to do whatever dances they would like into the first days of October.

It would have been a larger event if it hadn’t been for COVID restrictions.

The Dance Together Festival is co-produced by Toronto-based dance artists Kate Nankervis and Katya Kuznetsova. The outdoor neighbourhood event is made possible through the Toronto Arts Council Animating Toronto Parks grant and is part of the Arts in the Parks programming.

Local dance artists will lead dance workshops in diverse styles, including Swing, Salsa, Kizomba, Contemporary, Street Dance, and more.

The festival is free and open to all levels, ages and abilities.

Dance Together Project is all about fun and accessible partner dance lessons for beginners. Far from strictly ballroom, the genres include anything from Slow Dance 101 to Salsa, as well as Wedding Dance instruction and composition, tailored to the song(s) of your choice.

You can share your dance or pose on Instagram to be entered in a draw for prizes in dance and art classes, art prints and more. Check out the prizes on @dancetogetherfestival Instagram.

All classes and events are beginner-friendly.

The event wraps up October 4 but the map will stay until rain washes it away. Those who want to dance are urged to dress comfortably for moving.

Club that was scene of a shootout in New Toronto temporarily shut

by

An alleged afterhours club associated with recent early-morning gunplay that sparked outrage among New Toronto residents has been shut for now.

The venue, at Lakeshore Blvd. W., and Ninth Street, has been under the microscope since a horrific September 8 shootout in which more than 80 bullet casings were found in the aftermath of an alleged gender-reveal bash.

Area Councillor Mark Grimes, in an update, said eight officers from 22 Division, four agents from Municipal Licensing & Standards, and another from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission, visited the ‘event-space’ on September 12 to conduct a check.

‘We attended the space to find out if it was operating in compliance with established bylaws,” Grimes wrote on social media.

“The venue was found to be operating without the proper business license and Toronto Fire found violations contrary to the Ontario Fire Code,” he noted. “The business cannot operate until they bring these matters into compliance, which likely won’t be for approximately two months.”

The City will be working with Toronto Public Health to confirm if the space is compliant with Public Health regulations.

“They’re going to go over everything with a fine-tooth comb,” Grimes said.

City officials said the business hasn’t applied for a permanent liquor license.

Grimes said with event spaces, those who are renting the space are responsible for securing their own Special Occasion Permit (SOP) to allow for the temporary sale of liquor. These permits are administered by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission.

City officials are to be notified of any indoor SOP applications that are submitted at the address.

Irate residents have been calling without luck for a meeting with local police and politicians to talk about the shootout in which more than 80 shots were fired by rival groups. Shots damaged about a dozen vehicles and burst a gas pipe.

The Toronto Police Centralized Shooting Response Team are investigating the incident and anyone with information are asked to contact 22 Division at 416-808-2200, or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477.

 

Plans being drawn to move Civic Centre to Westwood Theatre Lands

by

Plans are underway to move the ailing Etobicoke Civic Centre to the newly-developed and up-and-coming Westwood Theatre Lands.

The move of the historic centre came up at an Etobicoke York Community Council meeting on September 9. A motion was adopted without any amendments. A photo of the new Civic Centre is opposite.

Councillor Mark Grimes had requested that City Planning officials ‘initiate and bring forward a zoning by-law amendment for the new Etobicoke Civic Centre to facilitate the development that is emerging on the former Six Points lands.’

“The establishment of this new civic centre will provide much-needed services for a growing West District and act as a catalyst for revitalization of the Etobicoke City Centre,” community council was told.

The social, economic and financial benefits of the move includes: a new civic and community infrastructure; including a recreation centre, library, childcare and public square.

The “existing old, functionally obsolete and costly Etobicoke Civic Centre will be replaced,’ the positioning of municipal services at a transit hub will improve access for residents, staff and visitors.

The move will support ModernTO with efficient municipal office spaces and redistribution of jobs in Etobicoke; support TransformTO by building a Net-Zero community and incorporation of district energy systems and mean prudent financial gain with funding contributed from unlocking underutilized City-owned land in the West District.

The Civic Centre was built in 1958 to replace the single storey brick Township of Etobicoke Municipal Hall at 4946 Dundas St. W.  The original building also features a clock tower with a non-numeric clock face.

Its history contains the Etobicoke Municipal Centre War Memorial, which was constructed in 1968 in memory of those who gave their lives in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.

Next to the Cenotaph is a provincial plaque commemorating Corporal Frederick George Topham, V.C., an Etobicoke war hero that was erected in 1980.