The South Etobicoke News

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

Great Mimico mail heist unsolved after 91-years

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The Great Mimico Mail Robbery some 91-years ago was like a scene from an old Al Capone Hollywood movie which still remains unsolved today.

The armed stick-up and police dragnet for three well-dressed, fedora-wearing robbers made major headlines back in March 1929.

It began when a truck rushing mail from the Mimico Post Office to the Canadian National Railways, on Judson St., was heisted by men who pulled a car in front of the truck as it turned left under the bridge from Royal York Rd.

“Come on, stick ’em up!” one bandit is said to have yelled.

The truck was driven by Harold Douglas, 19, whose dad Thomas, had been ferrying mail from Long Branch, New Toronto, Mimico Beach and Mimico to the train station for 17-years. The three men in the truck were ordered to lay on the floor of the car.

The robbers were in search of a mail bag containing gold bullions, which they were told would be in the truck. They opened a number of bags only to find about $5.

The victims had guns pointed at them, their hats drawn over their heads and driven around for several hours before being dropped off at High Park. They hurried to the Cowan Ave. police station to file a report.

Soon a massive manhunt was underway involving Mimico Police, Toronto Police, provincial cops and Post Office investigators.

“I don’t think they were foreigners. They spoke like Canadians or Americans; not like Polacks or Italians. But then you can’t tell,” one of the victims told police, describing the men as seasoned professionals.

It wasn’t long before police arrested John Miller and Fred Haight, both 28, in the U.S.

The career bandits had escaped from Toronto Brick and Tile Company, then the Mimico Reformatory and later Toronto South Detention Centre, on Horner Ave., while serving time for weapons charges and attempted murder of a Windsor cop.

Soon George Brown, 24, was arrested in Orillia, along with George Little, in Detroit.

Police learned the heist was hatched while the men were serving time with a former postal employee who had masterminded several large mail truck robberies.

A trial for the high-profile robbery and kidnapping began in mid-May and in two weeks a jury ruled they were not-guilty due to circumstantial evidence. Charges were dropped against the men and the incident remains unsolved in police blotters today.

 

Mimico lawyer built Canada’s first electric car

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The late Frederick Barnard Fetherstonhaugh was a top lawyer who lived in a huge Mimico waterfront home and is best known for owning the first electric car in Canada.

Known to his friends as ‘Fred’ or ‘FB,” he founded Fetherstonhaugh and Company, an international law firm specializing in patents that had offices in 10 Canadian and U.S. cities including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, New York and Washington.

FB lived large and by 1899, he with wife, Marion Arabella Rutledge, had purchased a large property on the Mimico waterfront and built a huge home, called Lynne Lodge, after his mother’s home in Ireland, which was designed in Queen Anne style, with an mix of towers, windows, dormers and cladding.

The couple on their estate at Royal York Rd., and Lake Shore Blvd., built a stone guest house called “The Tower,” or sometimes dubbed the ‘castle’ by area residents.

Fred is best remembered for his electric vehicle, the first that was built in this country. It was featured at the 1893 CNE and later commemorated in 1993 on a Canadian $100 gold coin.

“The car could go only 14 miles on one charge, with a top speed of 15 mph, and it frequently broke down, but nevertheless, Fred used the car for 15 years,” according to researcher and historian Denise Harris.
Harris wrote that after Fred moved to Mimico, power to recharge the battery was “stepped down” from the line used to power the Toronto and Mimico Electric Railway that ran past his home.

The vehicle came about in the early 1890s after William Still approached Fred to patent a lightweight, high-efficiency storage battery he had invented. A car lover, Fred loved the project and soon became a partner in developing the vehicle.

FB had rich friends and was a member of the Board of Trade, the Manufacturers’ Association, the Canadian Institute, the Masonic Order, St. James Cathedral, the Royal Canadian Yacht Club and the Argonaut Rowing Club.

He was presented to King Edward VII at Windsor Castle in 1905 for being a founding member of the Empire Club and represented the club at the coronation of King George V in 1911.

After wife died in 1930, Fred married Audrey Victoria Emaygh, who was 32 years younger who left him and took most of his fortune. He fell into debt and his law firm was seized.  He also lost some of his property and when Fred died in 1945, his estate was valued at only $13,000.

His waterfront property was sold in 1947 for use as a restaurant being shut in 1955. The house was demolished around 1957 and an apartment building erected on its site at 2667 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

Accountant Barker will be missed by residents

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Members of the Long Branch community are stunned by the passing of life-long area resident Phillip Barker, who loved children and spent a small fortune on equipping schools in the Philippines.

Barker, the owner of Lakeshore Accounting, passed away on the evening of May 6. He was 74.

The accountant was a friend and acquaintance of many Long Branch residents having served the community at his 3421 Lakeshore Blvd. W. office for about 45-years. He was also the long-time Treasurer for the Long Branch Business Improvement Association.

Barker was born and raised in Mimico, where, he attended Mimico High School and then Humber College to study accounting.

“His sometimes tough exterior masked a warm, charitable heart who loved helping people,” recalls Wayne Gibson, a friend for more than 30-years. “He helped many people and will be greatly missed by the community.”

Gibson says Barker had many loyal clients from his many years of business and always perked up when it came to helping children in the Philippines develop their potential.

He was a founder and director of the Lakeshore Charitable Foundation, which sponsored two schools in the Philippines. He visited that country about a dozen times and was responsible of collecting and shipping dozens of containers filled with books, clothes, food, computers, printers and other gear to help the children.

The foundation had sponsored the Rizal Public National High School and BayBay Central School for more than 12-years. He was in the process of travelling there for an awards celebration before COVID-19 halted the trip.

He will be sadly missed by hundreds of children at the schools and the families there who loved him.

“The children over there have very little or nothing,” Barker would always say. “They are so appreciative to get a book or other item that we throw out in this country.”

He is survived by brother Bill, four nieces and his daughter Katy; described as the love of his life. He did manage to see his wish of Katy graduating from Ryerson University.

A private funeral service was held for family at Ridley’s Funeral Home.

 

 

 

 

Royal Canadian Legions taking a hit from COVID-19

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It may be a long and dry summer for our veterans.

Members of two Royal Canadian Legions in our community say they are taking a financial beating due to the cancellation of many events booked to take place at their halls this summer.

Members of Long Branch #101 say this is the time of the year that they generate badly-needed funds through community activities and hall rentals.

Members of the Legion’s #101 and #643, on Jutland Rd., say they have had their facilities shut for about a month and are not sure when, like others, they will be able to reopen.

They say they stand to lose their two top days for fundraising, which falls on Canada Day on July 1 and Remembrance Day, on November 11, if COVID-19 drags on.

“The Legions are suffering financially,” says Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, chair of the Lakeshore Village BIA and a legion member. “This is a big time of the year for their fundraising activities.”

He says a major fundraiser for the legions will be planned once the pandemic has disappeared.

Legion officials say they are running low on funds and some programs for vets may be affected.

 

Timothy’s Pub raising funds for Salvation Army food bank

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Alderwood and area residents are being encouraged to take part in a fundraiser by Timothy’s Pub to help the Salvation Army food bank.

Tim Brem, owner of the popular pub at 344 Brown’s Line, says his restaurant and customers have a history of giving back to the community.

He says $1 from the sale of their customer favourite chippers goes directly to the Salvation Army, at 5 Thirtieth Street.

“In these difficult times anything we can do to help one another is so important,” Brem says. “These (chippers) make the perfect snack or add on to any purchase.”

Timothy’s Pub has helped many area non-profit agencies over the years. They have helped raise funds in the past to help the Royal Canadian Legion #101 Long Branch.

Salvation Army Major Sophie Gilbert says their food bank is still open and users will be seen by appointment only. Call 416-255-4381 for an appointment.

Gilbert said Wednesday’s sit down lunch will be served by take-out at the front entrance.

“These are challenging days for all of us and things are changing on a daily basis,” she wrote on their website. “Let me assure you that we will be here for you.”

Timothy’s Pub is open from 4 to 9 p.m. for takeout and delivery. Please call 416-201-9515 for pickup or use @doordash @skipthedishes or @ubereats for delivery. #strongertogether #supportoneanother #inthistogether #community #wecanmakeadifference @salvationarmycanada @myeveningout @mymississauga @spexontoronto @torontolife @dineintoronto

Proud to uphold the badge

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Congratulations Tiffany Lam and Kelvin Chu (in photo) on their last day of training to become officers of the Toronto Police Service. They were among a last class of 134 recruits who graduated last month from the Toronto Police College.

It was a quiet ceremony since their families or friends could not attend the graduation service due to COVID-19. They did hear an inspirational talk by Chief Mark Saunders.

Good luck in your dream jobs on the force, which was established in 1834, is the largest municipal police force in Canada with more than 5,200 police officers and about 2,000 civilians.

 

 

 

Happy 95 to Navy vet and TPS Staff-Supt. Reid

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Happy 95th birthday to retired Staff Supt. Jack Reid, who joined the City of Toronto Police Department at the age of 16.

He then joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1943, and took part in the Battle of the Atlantic in the North Atlantic Fleet in WW11, where he served as a depth charge operator on the HMCS Longuell.

Reid participated in numerous convoys of military and supply ships making the treacherous journey across the north Atlantic.

After the end of the war, and on one of the last convoys across the Atlantic, he returned home and resumed his role as a police officer, where he served for many decades until retiring.

He was active in the Toronto Military Police Veterans Association, in which he served as a former president.

Reid has had a successful career and made many significant contributions to the force along the way.

Still very active, he attends the Toronto Police Remembrance Day ceremony every November and is an inspiration to many on the force.

 

New TPS officers hit the streets

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Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders inspects the most recent class of 134 new officers graduating from the Toronto Police College, on Birmingham St.
The new officers will be deployed to serve the public when and where they are needed the most.
“Everyone here who has taught, trained, nurtured, listened and worked with you – they don’t do it because it’s their responsibility, they do it because they have tremendous pride in this organization and what it represents,” Chief Saunders said. “You are going to be our legacy when it comes to law enforcement and the public.”
There were no friends, family, sound of bagpipes or celebration to follow the ceremony. Covid-19 restrictions prevented the traditional graduation from taking place, but it has not prevented the excitement and eagerness to hit the streets in their respective divisions, to begin serving the citizens of Toronto, according to the Chief.
Be proud of yourself, the Chief said, you are wearing a Toronto Police Service uniform, one that hundreds of others dream of, but this is now your reality, congratulations! God be with you, watch over you and keep you safe.”

Police wear green epaulettes in support of mental health

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The green epaulettes you may see popping up on the uniforms of some Toronto Police officers signifies a show of support by the force for mental health programs and initiatives.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the force has partnered with Toronto Beyond the Blue charity to wear the green epaulettes to support each other during these trying times.

The charity works to strengthen and support the members of Toronto Police and their families.

‘We are proudly wearing green to show that we are advocates and that we are a safe person for mental health conversations,” according to a police Twitter feed.

The self-isolation from COVID-19 “has surfaced many feelings for some, and compounded those feeling for others,” police say. “Support and understanding mean so much to someone who is experiencing mental health issues.”

You are asked by police to raise awareness and show commitment to normalizing conversations around mental health.

The goal of Mental Health Awareness Month is to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public, and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families. It also aims to draw attention to suicide, which can be precipitated by some mental illnesses.

Information can be found on Twitter at hashtag#tbtb, hashag#mentalhealthmatters, hahtag#mentalhealthawareness or hashtag#torontopolice.

 

Black Dog Rescue making sure pets are fed

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Self-isolation it seems have brought out the best of many area residents.

Some kind people have left filled food pantries outside their homes to make sure those hungry and hit hard by COVID-19 will have something to eat.

Others are making face masks and other in-demand gear for healthcare workers; or making a run for the elderly or their neighbours to area stores for food, medicine or other necessities.

The folks at Black Dog Rescue are giving away free dog food (in photo) treats, toys, crates and other supplies to those hit financially by COVID-19 in the GTA.

Black Dog says “a person should never have to choose between feeding
themselves and their pets.”

The food is free. Send email to info@blackdogrescue.ca to organize secure no contact pick up or drop off.