The South Etobicoke News

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

Top Indigenous performer who is best known for Indie drama ‘Bella Ciao’ passes

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MANY are mourning the death of ‘up-and-coming’ Indigenous actor Taran Kootenyahoo. Courtesy photos.

Many Canadians today are mourning the death of an up-and-coming Indigenous actor and artist Taran Kootenhayoo who has passed away.

Kootenyahoo, who was based in Vancouver, died on December 31, on New Year’s Eve, with no cause of death given. He was 27.

The actor was on the verge of “breaking out” and had developed a loyal following in South Etobicoke.

Born in Cold Lake, Alberta and a member of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, Kootenhayoo attended acting school at Capilano College in Vancouver and graduated in 2015.

He was best known as Niki, a young homeless man looking for his missing sister, in Bella Ciao!, the 2018 indie feature by Director Carolyn Combs about intersecting characters in an east Vancouver multicultural community.

“Our loss is immeasurable. He was a gifted and disciplined collaborator, a warm and generous friend,” the Bella Ciao website mourned in the death of a talented actor.

“Words don’t capture our deep respect and affection for him,” the post stated. “We wish him well on his journey.”

In a 2018 profile for Hollywood North Magazine, Kootenhayoo said he hoped the role of Niki would encourage other Indigenous youth to follow his lead into acting.

“It means that I get to have representation as an Indigenous person in a story that isn’t stereotypical for an Indigenous actor,” he told the magazine. “I’m very glad to be part of it and hopefully inspire other Indigenous youth or anybody else that aspires to do whatever they want and have fun with it.”

Besides a number of screenplays and live theater roles in western Canada, Kootenhayoo also played the character of Remy in the 2018 Canadian TV series Literally, and voiced the role of Randall in the animated fantasy series Molly of Denali.

Section 35, an Indigenous streetwear maker, for which Kootenhayoo modeled its latest fashions, grieved on Instagram. “Creator called a legend home. We love you and you will be missed. Rest in Power Brother.”

The actor was named as a Star to Watch at the Whistler Film Festival in 2018 and earned the Most Promising Newcomer trophy at the Jessie Theatre Awards a year later

“I want him to be remembered for his care for people, the environment and passion for his work,” said his older sister, Cheyanna Kootenhayoo, who performs under the name DJ Kookum.

She has been overwhelmed with the amount of support and tributes for her brother, including a graffiti mural that was painted at a Vancouver skatepark. “I’m just seeing all of the social media stuff and people are sending their condolences. The community is hurt all across the country,” she said.

 

 

SHOPPING – South Etobicoke Shopping Guide of Where to Shop Locally in 2021

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SOUTH ETOBICOKE SHOPPING GUIDE – WHERE TO SHOP LOCALLY IN 2021.

Why fight for a parking spot at Sherway Gardens Mall.

Check out more than 30 locally owned stores in the community where you can find all your needs.

By shopping locally you are also helping your neighbours and helping to make a stronger community, in which funds stay in the community and are not sent abroad.

This advertising is Supported by the Lakeshore Village BIA. It is made possible through a full-page Ad that was donated by Custodia Seniors Support.
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Mysterious monolith placed at Humber Bay Shores tagged with graffiti

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MYSTERIOUS MONUMENT placed at Humber Bay Shores has been sprayed with graffiti angering residents.

Total disappointment.

Many residents of Humber Bay Shores are disappointed and frustrated today after a mysterious monument that appeared on the shores of Lake Ontario was sprayed with graffiti by culprits.

The monolith, which only appeared a couple of days ago, was gaining popularity and gaining followers on social media after recent media coverage.

Photos of the once-gleaming monolith, now posted online shows the monument  scarred with red graffiti and markings.

Area residents said the structure mysteriously appeared some time on December 31.

Photos show the picturesque 12-foot tall structure standing over the water’s edge, with the CN tower in the distance.

The monolith appears to be made of metal and is buried in the ground.

Humber Bay residents are proud and delighted after learning of the structure, with some calling it “rogue art” and others wondering if there is a higher form of life involved.

Many are disappointed that the structure was a target for graffiti by someone.

“We were just getting warmed up to this and this is what happens,” one woman said.

Monoliths, most made of metal, have been popping up around the world, with some disappearing just as fast as they appeared.

In the Utah desert, hundreds flocked to see the structure amid a global pandemic before it was removed by athletes worried about the damage to the landscape.

The structures have been found in Manitoba and British Columbia in Canada.

New Toronto billiard hall owner followed his acting dreams to Hollywood movies

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By DAVE KOSONIC

John ‘Doc’ Cassidy is a former New Toronto billiard hall owner who went on to live his dream by acting in Hollywood movies.

Cassidy became an actor and consultant in a popular 1980 Hollywood movie ‘Carny,’ which was a big-office hit starring Gary Busey and Jodie Foster, who were making a name for themselves.

“I saw myself on six or seven occasions during the movie.” Cassidy said in 1980. “It just hit me like a bolt of lightning and I didn’t know what to say. “

‘The Doc,’ as he was dubbed, was 59-years-old in 1980, operating Cassidy’s School of Billiards, on Lake Shore Blvd. W., in New Toronto, where he taught his students the art of pool playing.

The former billiard ace and carnival game hustler, who lived in South Etobicoke, spent 15 years on the CNE Midway from the mid-1940s until the early 1960s, where he said he learned “every corner of the carnival.”

‘Carny,’ which also starred Canadian Robbie Robertson, is a movie that portrays the rough-and-tumble lives of carnival workers or carnies who travelled through the U.S. putting on shows.

He said carnies had their own lingo. Those who operated the rides were known as ‘ride girls and ride boys’ and others who hustled the midway game, were known as ’game girls and game boys.’

The Doc explained that the chances of winning a big stuffed panda were slim.

Carny was a major production that was filmed in 1980 in Savannah, Georgia.  The storyline is about a carnival comes to a small town.

In the flick “Donna, 18, meets Frankie and Patch, two carnival hustlers. They earn their living by mercilessly taunting spectators to try to dump one of them into the water by throwing balls. Donna is tired of her work as a waitress and follows them through the South.”’

The movie is written by Mattias Thuresson and directed by Robert Kaylor. Cassidy played ‘Harry the Hat’ in the 107-minute drama.

He explained that it was easy for him to portray the fast-talking Harry because it what was natural for him as a former midway barker.

The Doc recalled that one of his most memorable moments on the movie set occurred when the entire cast and crew gave him a standing ovation when a big scene that included him was shot in “one take.”

He had spent about ten-weeks at the Lorimar Production set at Savannah, doing consulting and acting for the movie.

The Doc, who had never acted previously, said he first viewed Carny at the Imperial Six theatre in downtown Toronto in 1980. After the movie he said he sat down in a café near Yonge Street had a couple of beers and spilled a few tears of joy.

“It might be the start of quite a future for me,“ he said later. If still alive the Doc would be age 99 but his fate is unknown.

The former New Toronto business owner went on to make other films, which included: Hangmen, Yanks, Matilda, Yanks and Bob Martin.

Hearing Life Canada this year wins popular Top Christmas Tree tourney

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LAKE SHORE VILLAGE BIA chair Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, (left) boardmember Danuta Gumienik and Treasurer Rattan Gandhi with awards for the Top decorated Christmas Trees. They are in front of winning tree by Hearing Life Canada. Second place MiBody in cover image. Photo by Tom Godfrey.

Members of the Lake Shore Village Business Improvement Area (BIA) are pleased with the entries for best Christmas trees decorated by area businesses this year and were up and down the Strip examining trees and judging the contest.

More than a dozen entries for best Christmas trees were received by the BIA and awards were presented last week for the top three decorated trees.

“The caliber of decorations this year was very high,” says Rattan Gandhi, the BIA’s treasurer. “There were some very good entries.”

Boardmember Danuta Gumienik says people spent time and put in the work to decorate their trees.

“Some of the trees were decorated with pride and joy,” she says.

The first place award was presented to Hearing Life Canada; Second place to MiBody Health and Fitness and the Third award presented to C.U.E.S. Children’s Urban Enrichment Studio.

 

 

Police, TTC and Toys R Us Stuff the Bus with toys and food for those in need

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It was a brisk day that was made warm by all the toys, food and other items donated in a Toronto Police, TTC and Toys R Us “Stuff the Bus” drive to help the needy in our community.

Officers of 22 Division teamed up with the TTC, Toys R Us, 22 Division Community Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) on December 13 to fill a bus that was parked across from the Sherway Garden Mall with stuffed toys, games, some food and other items.

The bus was packed in hours with toys from generous members of the community during the daylong event, which saw a constant stream of residents brave the cold bearing gifts.

Police and donors were wearing masks and practicing social distance for the COVID-19 free event.

“People in the community were very generous with their time and donations,” says Sgt.  Lhawang Jongdong, of the Division’s Community Response Unit. “We did very well with donations considering the challenges we face.”

Jongdong says the items will sit for two days to avoid a possible spread of COVID-19 before it is distributed to social agencies and the needy in the area.

TTC driver Jessica Caramanico, who has been organizing the drive for years, is encouraged by the generosity of the community.

“All the toys will be going to deserving kids in the community,” she says. “They will be handed out at the local hospitals, social agencies and other places.”

Const. Julie-Anne Walker says the drive brings the community, police and the TTC together to help children during this time of the year.

“This is a great cause that help others in our community,” Walker says. “It is good for police as well.”

CPLC member Michael Georgopoulis says there were eight pellets of food items donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank and clothing and other items for the Salvation Army.

“Many of our supporters like the TD Bank were there to help us,” Georgopoulis says. “Our donors really came through.”

The annual toy drive by Toronto Police and the TTC has been taking place for a number of years and has helped hundreds of families. Police say anyone with new, unopened toys to donate can drop them off outside of 22 Division, at 3699 Bloor St. W.

 

 

Local mystery writer leaving for fans signed copies of her books

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MYSTERY WRITER Elizabeth J. Duncan is leaving signed copies of her books in a small free mailbox outside her home. Courtesy Photo.

A leading Canadian mystery writer is leaving signed copies of her popular who-done-its for book lovers in the Mimico area.

Elizabeth J. Duncan has left a copy of her first book in the Penny Brannigan mystery series in a small free library in front of her Second Street home, in the Lake Shore Blvd. W. area.

Duncan says if the book is picked up by December 18 she will leave a signed copy of another book in the series for mystery-loving fans.

“I’ll leave a copy of a Brush with Death, the second book in the series,” she wrote in a post on social media.

The long-time area resident is a two-time winner of the Blood Words Award for Canada’s best light mystery.

“I hope someone in our community will enjoy this book, which is set in North Wales,” she says.

She has written nine volumes in the Penny Brannigan Mystery series. The latest The Marmalade Murders, is also set in North Wales which is celebrated for its small-town charm and picturesque settings.

Duncan has a loyal following who love her books worldwide.

“I just reserved a copy,” wrote Susanna Smith.

Caroline Godin says “I read the whole series and they’re lovely.”

Ruth Snowden says she has put the book on hold in the library and is “looking forward to a good read by a local author.”

“I loved this series,” wrote Brenda Siddall. “If you haven’t read it you are due for a treat and when you start you can’t stop.”

Duncan is also a winner of the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition for The Cold Light of Mourning. She was shortlisted for the Agatha and Arthur Ellis Awards.

Her books can be ordered online.

 

Annual police, TTC Stuff the Bus drive helps others in our community

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Help cheer up others in the community during these challenging times.

Toronto police 22 Division and partners are hosting a Stuff the Bus holiday toy drive at the Sherway Gardens Toy R Us, 690 Evans Ave., on Sunday, December 13.

You can help brighten the Christmas of a child in need by helping to stuff a bus full of toys outside the Toys R Us location at Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke.

The annual and much-anticipated Stuff the Bus event is taking place between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

The event is put on by Toronto police’s 22 Division, the 22 Division Community Police Liaison Committee, the TTC’s Queensway Division and Toys R Us.

The charity has been helping to uplift and serve the community for more almost 20-years.

The Stuff the Bus event was established in 2003, as a police and TTC initiative to raise gifts of new unwrapped toys, electronics, personal hygiene, new clothing and monetary donations benefitting the Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness among others.

An earlier drive by 22 Division officers helped to raise much-needed food and toys that went to help St. Margaret’s Church, on Sixth Street, in its work in helping the needy.

 

 

FOOD: Dope As Duck brings food truck taste to Long Branch storefront

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Chef Julius (right) at Dope As Duck at 125-Twenty Seventh Street. A former food truckie, he cooks tasty food that you will like. Photo by Tom Godfrey.

Chef Julius Danihel says the COVID-19 has forced him to park his food truck and rent a storefront takeout location to sell his popular duck and Mac and cheese meals.

There is no doubt that Danihel loves duck meat, since it forms many of his dishes, which includes duck and Mac and cheese, he sells at Dope As Duck storefront location in Long Branch.

Danihel, who is from the Parkdale area, has been using his truck to sell his tasty food at shows and festivals around town for three years, before the business dried up due to the virus.

The truck is now parked.

“We knew some people in the area and that is how we found this place,” he says of his location at 125 Twenty Seventh Street, close to the Beer Store in Long Branch. “We are new and have been welcomed with open arms by people in the community.”

He and his staff have been sharing their food with the neighbours so they can get a taste.

His take out business does not have sit down service and is classified as a pick up and delivery. They can remain open and are not required to be closed as part of the 28-day anti-COVID lockdown ordered by the province.

The food was quite good and better than you would expect from a now parked food truck. The duck and Mac was tasty and quite mouth-wateringly good.

They were an award winner at the 2019 North America’s largest Mac and Cheese Festival that brings together hundreds of fans under one roof to try signature dishes and ooey-gooey cheesy menus.

Also served are pork Mac and cheese, pulled pork sandwich, Mocha Macchiato Churro Donut, very tasty 14-hour Slow Braised Beef Brisket, Chicken Tinga Taco Topped with Pickled Shallots Salsa Verde and Chipotle Lime Crema and Mountain Gold Wildflower Honey Garlic Ginger Wings.

Their takeout store is at 125 Twenty Seventh Street.

You can reach Dope Ad Duck at 647-939-5719 or dopeasduckfoodtruck@gmail.com

 

Brian can now hear the lovely singing of birds with new hearing aid

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AREA RESIDENT Brian Fortner received a new hearing aid in a Hearing Life Hearing Campaign and now loves to listen to the singing of songbirds. Photo by Tom Godfrey.

Life-long area resident Brian Fortner had forgotten of one of life’s pleasures, the singing of songbirds, until he recently received a new hearing aid.

Fortner, 70, is a recipient of a Campaign for Better Hearing, contributed by Hearing Life, at 2905 Lake Shore Blvd. W., which sponsored the event and donated his tiny hearing aid, which is valued around $6,000.

“I received a flyer in the mail advertising a free hearing test,” he says. “I obtained a test and didn’t realize that my hearing was failing.”

Fortner at that time could not fully hear or appreciated the singing birds.

“I can now hear the birds chirping in the trees for the first time in years and didn’t realize how loud they are and how nice they sing,” he smiles. “I can even hear the neighbours complaining and talking. Before I couldn’t hear that.”

The deluxe Oticon OPN S hearing fits in the palm of a hand and is barely detectable when worn.

“It is light, comfortable and has changed my life,” Fortner insists. “Before the sounds were muffled and distant.”

The area resident, who at one time worked on the Motel Strip, near Park Lawn Rd., and Lake Shore  Blvd. W.,  didn’t realize how loud he tuned his television and can now hear instruments he never heard being played in his favourite tunes.

Hearing Instrument Specialist Sandra Przepiorka, a clinician, nominated Fortner for a Campaign for Better Hearing, contributed by Hearing Life, which meant he stood to obtain a free hearing aid if he was selected.

“He is very lucky and was the recipient of the free devices,” Przepiorka says. “Hearing Life Canada offers free hearing tests to anyone who requests them.”

The company says nearly half of all Canadians over 60-years-old suffer from hearing loss and are urged to obtain free hearing tests and risk-free hearing aid trials nationwide.

They point to a recent report by The Lancet, one of the world’s most prestigious medical journals, which found that people in midlife, ages 45 to 65, have nearly twice the risk of developing dementia due to hearing loss, relative to those without hearing loss.

Their research shows connections between hearing loss and other serious health problems like social withdrawal and isolation, depression, and mental fatigue

Most of the nearly 250 HearingLife centres are open with COVID-19 safety measures in place and you can book a free hearing test by calling 1-888-927-0548 or visit www.hearinglife.ca.