The South Etobicoke News

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

Turtle hit by a car now freed back in the wilds

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Born free to swim again!

This female snapping turtle was hit by a car and admitted to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre for treatment and is now healthy and has been released into friendly surroundings.

The turtle was admitted to the Centre one year ago due to injuries sustained while trying to cross a busy road, according to officials of the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC).

“She was still gravid with eggs,” the OTCC says in a post on Facebook. “Here she is being released back to her habitat!”

Centre workers say 11 eggs that the turtle was carrying were successfully hatched and the hatchlings were released in the area with ‘a coverage of aquatic vegetation that will provide safety from predators.’

The release of the turtle, which was shared by Friends of Sam Smith Park, had many area residents cheering for the animal as she settled in her new surroundings.

“That’s so great,” wrote Elizabeth Jones. “Thanks to all involved. This beauty was bathing at my dock yesterday.”

“Yeah! Happy dance for this awesome turtle,” says an excited Liz Burroughs. “Thank you for all you do each and every one of you.”

“That is a good ending story,” says Gary Hrystak. “Thank you Drew for making this photo and outcome possible.”

“Excellent story bless you all,” posts Alan Allen.

If you have an injured turtle please call the OTCC at 705-741-5000.
If you are inquiring about eggs, nest protectors, or anything else please email them at info@ontarioturtle.ca or volunteer@ontarioturtle.ca

The hospital is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. They are open during the Covid-19 pandemic and will admit injured turtle and have procedures to ensure no human to human contact.

OTCC is the only wildlife rehabilitation centre dedicated to providing medical and rehabilitative care to Ontario turtles. Once healed these turtles are released back into their natural habitat where they can continue to reproduce for many decades. In 2017 the hospital admitted 920 turtles, in 2018 the number was 938, and in 2019 they saw a record number of 1498 admissions.

Parade for our military personnel fighting COVID-19

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Police, fire and other emergency services staged a Gratitude Parade in support of the Canadian Armed Forces and frontline healthcare workers at Eatonville Care Centre.

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces have been deployed at several critical, worst hit long-term care centers in Ontario including Eatonville, at 420 The East Mall area in Etobicoke, since April 27. A number of seniors have passed away from the virus at the centre.

Since their deployment the military personnel have embraced all roles in looking after seniors to contain the deadly COVID-19 outbreak. A number of them have contracted the virus.

“Members of the CAF have done a fantastic job in saving lives and containing the spread of the COVID-19 deadly virus at these nursing homes,” police say.

“We are in historically unprecedented times, battling with a deadly coronavirus that is disproportionately targeting the most vulnerable seniors, along with those with compromised immune systems and underlying medical conditions,” officials say.

The agencies came out to support the valiant efforts of the military in saving lives and fight against the spread of the coronavirus.

Taking part in the parade were officers from 22 Division and partner agencies including: Toronto Fire Service, Toronto Paramedic Service, Peel Regional Police Services, Canadian Border Services Agency, Toronto Transit Commission Special Constables and TTC Queensway Division, Toronto Community Housing Authority, Toronto Municipal Licensing Standard and Blue Knights, who all came together to pay tribute to their military brothers and sisers.

Members of the different agencies with emergency lights flashing drove to the Centre, where seniors were able to see them from their windows.

Finding love on the dance floor of the famed Palais Royale

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As recalled by their loving son Dave Kosonic.

My parents Edward and Winnifred were among the countless military romances which blossomed at the legendary Palais Royale ballroom particularly during WW11.

My father met my mom at the iconic live music club in 1944 while he was on leave as a crew member stationed on the Royal Canadian Navy warship HMCS Buckingham that operated out of Halifax.

The Palais Royale, which still stands at 1601 Lake Shore Blvd W., is best remembered as a dance hall that featured high-profile entertainers from the Big Band era including Duke Ellington, Count Basie and the Dorsey Brothers. Even Canada’s King of Swing Bert Niosi graced the stage.

My mom Winnifred McConkey was born in 1922 in the small town of Priceville, just west of Flesherton. After completing high school she moved to Toronto and worked as a mail sorter for Canada Post.

My father Edward Kosonic was born in 1924 in La Vallee, in western Ontario near the Manitoba border. Dad joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1942. He underwent intensive training for one-year in New Brunswick where he became an expert on the use of a new anti-German submarine locating radar called Asdic.

He was the radar supervisor on his ship and was on call 24 hours a day in the event his ship or other ships in in his convoy detected nearby German U-boats. He used the Asdic radar to pinpoint the location and depth of enemy U-boats.

The convoy of Navy warships that included the Buckingham attacked many German submarines and was credited for the destruction of a number of deadly U-boats.

While on R&R my dad came to Toronto and decided to check out the Palais Royale. Dad looked dapper when he arrived in his official off-duty Navy uniform. A short time later, he spotted a pretty young girl, Winnifred, at a table with some other ladies.

Dad got his nerve up to ask her for a dance. She accepted and they danced the evening away. You can say the rest is history.

Mom left her job at Canada Post and accompanied dad to Halifax, where she lived in a tiny flat while waiting for dad to return when the war ended in 1945. Dad was honourably discharged from the Navy and the happy young couple moved to Toronto, got married and in time established a very successful home electronics business in the Six Points area of Etobicoke.

They both lived long lives with my mom passing away in 2006 at 84, and dad in 2011 at 85.

To this day, whenever I drive by the Palais Royale, I think about my mom and dad and say: “ That is where it all began.”

 

 

Ontario expanding services for young victims of sex trafficking

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More funds are promised to help victims of sex trafficking.

The Ontario government is promising to invest up to $46 million over the next five

years to increase community-based and Indigenous-specific supports for child and

youth victims of sex trafficking.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Community Supports Fund and Indigenous-led Initiatives Fund will prioritize early intervention and increased protection for victims of sexual exploitation and dedicated survivor supports.

“Every day, human traffickers are preying on children and youth across Ontario,” says

Christine Hogarth, MPP Etobicoke Lakeshore “We are focusing on increasing supports to help and protect these young victims.”

Funding will be available to partners and agencies and focus on areas such as:

trauma-informed programming developed and delivered by survivor-led

organizations, dedicated services for victims under age 18, including residential placements

and treatment, peer mentoring, as well as education and employment training

programs.

Help is also available to culturally-appropriate, Indigenous-designed supports for First Nations, Inuit and

Métis victims, families and communities, targeted supports for sexually exploited boys, individuals with developmental disabilities, LGBTQ2S individuals, and racialized and newcomer populations.

“Over the last year, we heard from our frontline agencies, survivors, and Indigenous

communities and organizations that there is a critical need to increase available

supports for children and youth affected by sex trafficking,” said Jill Dunlop, Associate

Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. “Our goal is to build a more comprehensive

network of anti-human trafficking services across Ontario, so more victims have access

to the supports they need.”

Announced in March 2020, the strategy will invest $307 million over the next five years

on a comprehensive plan to raise awareness of human trafficking, protect victims,

intervene early, support survivors and hold offenders accountable.

Plaque marks Long Branch as a popular summer resort

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A plaque celebrating Long Branch as a popular summer resort has been placed at Lake Shore Blvd. W. and Thirty-First Street to help mark our history.

‘These days people head north to what is now cottage country, but in the late 1800’s Long Branch was the choice summer destination for many,” organizers say.

The plaque commemorates how the ‘Long Branch Summer Resort’ became the Village of Long Branch. Many Toronto residents were attracted to the resort, which was 45-minutes by steamship from Yonge St., and featured a fountain, hotel, carousel, games, picnic grounds, dance pavilion waterslide and pier.

The resort was a must-visit and by 1888 ships as the White Star and Greyhound were bringing 50,000 visitors to the Long Branch community.

“The resort quickly became synonymous with all that a summer resort should be,” according to promotional materials.

The success of the resort attracted the electric railway system here in 1895. And, in 1930 the community was incorporated as the Village of Long Branch.

“Many changes have taken place to Long Branch over the years, but today’s residents maintain a strong sense of community,” the plaque says.

Long Branch is the home of the lovely lakefront Marie Curtis Park and was among the places hit hard by Hurricane Hazel in October 1954 which killed more than 80 people in Canada.

The plaque was made in partnership with the City of Toronto, the Long Branch BIA, Long Branch Neighbourhood Association and local historian Ray Cole.

Toronto Foodie Festival in a Box offers great taste

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Some top community restaurants have joined forces to bring you their best dishes.

The Toronto Foodie Festival in a Box is being presented by easypeasy Grocery Delivery and features 10 area restaurants and 10 delicious entrees that can feed up to eight people.

The event takes place from June 26 to 30, with pre-sale beginning on June 8.

Each virtual guest will be able to select their delivery day from the available dates. A full list of food vendors and summer-inspired festival delicacies will be announced soon.

It is “a new and unique summer experience created in light of the current cancellations of typical outdoor summer food events and festivals,” the organizer says.

easypeasy says restaurants and food providers have to reach out to new customers in these uncertain times.

The Royal York Rd. company writes that they are providing “a little taste of the usually summer foodie experience at home, in the back yard or in the park with their family.”

They say food items will arrive in oven-ready packaging for re-heating, with all food being prepared fresh each morning of the order delivery and chilled for transportation. All non-reheat items are packed separately.

Restaurants taking part includes: Kitchen on Sixth, Mooring Eats, Heavenly Perogy, Lakeshore Food Co., Mnandi Pies, The Pie Commission, Revolver Pizza Co., The Carbon Bar at Kitchen Hub, Tita’s Mexican Food and T.J. O’Shea’s Irish Snug.

Orders placed Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday by 8 PM will be delivered on Tuesday. Orders placed Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday by 8 p.m. will be delivered Friday. Visit www.eateasypeasy.com

 

Young girls told to remain focused in these trying times

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It is a stressful time for young girls having to watch racial inequality and police brutality protests on TV every day.

“Many parents have been confronted with troublesome questions from their children based on what they have seen or heard from a variety of sources,” says officials of The Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment, who are reminding young girls that they have rights, skill and can think critically.

“They can contribute mightily to the fabric of society, according to their interests,” the Centre says.

“Many parents have a hard time explaining to their kids that a Black man was killed by a white police officer,” they explained. “How to explain that this was not unusual, but rather the last straw that propelled first the city where it happened, then many cities in the U.S.”

How does a parent explain to a child who asks about the violence occurring at these peaceful demonstrations, the statement asks.

The Centre, which has programs online and has launched a Go Fund Me page after losing a sponsor, says young girls are having a tough time due to the COVID-19 and a lack of school, sports, cultural activities or maybe parents having lost jobs.

“The prevalence of racism is more than an imbalance between individuals,” the Centre warns. “It is like a virus that has spread through layers of society.”

Systemic racism, they say, can only be overcome with knowledge of history, understanding of social dynamics, respect and empathy for others.

“This is a time for us to have the uncomfortable conversations with our friends, neighbours and colleagues,” they told the young women. “We commit to the ongoing work this requires because Black Lives Matter.”

The Centre offers a variety of free after-school programs for girls ages 7-17 living in South Etobicoke. Programs run between September to June.

Jean Augustine served as the Liberal MP for the Etobicoke Lakeshore area from 1993 to 2006.

The Centre can be reached at jeanaugustinecentre.ca

Looking after your money and savings with Rattan

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In my experience doing business consulting, one piece of advice I stress to my business clients is “Plan your business and work your Plan”. 

Now during these unprecedent times my advice to the readers at large is “ Plan for the worst and hope for the best”. The challenges ahead are significant ranging from the complications of the Covid crisis, trade wars, inflationary pressures and increasing household debt. 

I would strongly encourage my readers to adopt a frugal living lifestyle going forward. If one was to Google “frugal living” there is a vast array of information which one can avail and adopt to their own situation. If you are a renter, making a change to down- size should be relatively easy, it will not be so easy for the homeowner. 

The homeowner may want to consider using their home as location for creating income, possibly in the form of renting and/or starting a small business depending upon the skills one has.  Be creative at the same time do not go overboard in laying out big money, start small and work your way up.

One of the ways to manage one’s spending is to record all your expenses manually or download a software. This will give you a hard look at where your money is being spent, you can use this data to develop a Budget by month and record the actual spending. Now you can look at ways to reduce or realign your spending. There is an old saying “penny saved is penny earned” in today’s world this saying could be upgraded to “dollar saved is dollar earned”.

Use this dollar saved to reduce your debt level or mortgage or build up your retirement nest egg. Debt is a big-killer, governments can print money and/or borrow but these options are not always readily available to the tax payer.

This virus has forced lots of individuals to work from home, use this opportunity to create a Tax Deduction for 2020 and ongoing by asking your employer to provide you with a Declaration of Employment Form T2200. This will allow you to claim home expenses in relation to the Square footage used for work (including utilities, property taxes and mortgage interest)

Rattan Gandhi is owner of Quick Refund Tax, 133 Sixth St. His opinions stem from 15 years of experience in helping clients in the tax area. If you have questions, he can be reached at 905-616-5253 or rattangandhi@gmail.com.

Popular Alderwood restaurant shut down in dispute with landlord

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Almost $5,000 has been raised to help an Alderwood restaurant which was forced to shut following a dispute with its landlord.

The family-owned Trius + Aim Restaurant, formerly at 270 Brown’s Line, was forced to shut on June 7 in what they claim stemmed from “unfair demands from their landlord due to the outcome of COVID-19.”

Betty Ansuh, who is helping the family to raise funds, alleged the landlord showed no remorse on how the pandemic negatively affected their business and locked the doors.

“This was an extremely emotional day for the owners, their workers, family, friends and the many customers and the neighbourhood,” Ansuh says.

The Fund Me Page has raised more than $4,600 from family and friends since going live on June 11.

The bistro, catering and events company was established by Daniel, and his wife, Irina, about two years ago.

“They both put a lot of hard work, sacrifice, struggle, passion and love into renovating, transforming and building this restaurant into what it is today,” she wrote. “The restaurant offered many delicious and healthy meals and a warm, fun and welcoming environment. “

Ansuh says the couple had used all their resources and labour to start the eatery, which had caught on with Alderwood residents.
“They were so passionate about creating this restaurant that they could call their own and could pass down to their children,” she says. “Their passion and love for what they were doing was so radiant that anybody that stepped foot inside this gem felt it.”

The family is looking for a new location and they plan to use the funds raised to help them save their business.

Donations can be made to www.gofundme.com

Susan Nagy to retire from Lakeshore Arts after 20-years

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A search is underway to find a new executive director of Lakeshore Arts after long-time member Susan Nagy announced her retirement.

Lakeshore Arts officials say applications are being reviewed and interviews will take place this month to find a successor.

Nagy, who has served Lakeshore Arts and the community for the past 20-years, says she is stepping down on July 31.

“I have been so fortunate to work in the neighbourhood where I live and contribute to its vibrancy and the arts community at large,” she says. “It has been my privilege to collaborate with passionate arts administrators, creative minds and invested stakeholders, many who have become friends.”

She says changes can be challenging.

“I will miss everyone very much, but I am ready and excited to start the next phase of my life,” Nagy reflects. “Leaving is very bittersweet but Lakeshore Arts has a talented and committed team of staff members and an active Board and I leave in confidence.”

She thanked the many volunteers who have helped and supported the program over the years.

“Under Susan’s leadership, Lakeshore Arts has grown in size and strength; from a small grassroots organization to a Local Arts Service Organization that is known as a key player in the community arts sector in the City of Toronto,” according to the group’s website.

They say Lakeshore Arts’ budget in two decades jumped from $27,000 to more than $500,000, enabling them to provide accessible programming for all ages and invest in the cultural framework of the South Etobicoke community.

The organization, which started in the basement of St. Margaret’s Church, is now focusing on stronger community engagement: finding ways to make art more accessible, which was achieved by reframing the storefront as the Community Project Space.

“Susan will leave an indelible mark on the Toronto Arts community,” says current Arts President Marijana Cuvalo. “Her legacy will include her commitment to working collaboratively on projects that highlight the important role that Art plays in building healthy and vibrant communities.”

The program is proud to have launched Shazaam, an in-school arts program that benefited 2,000 children over 12 years, supported by six years of funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation; the co-production of the Lakeshorts International Short Film Festival celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2020.