The South Etobicoke News

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

Some top patios and meeting spots in our community

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Darlene Simpson is doing a lot better these days.
The owner of Dakota’s Sports Bar & Grill, at 2814 Lake Shore Blvd. W., is applauding Stage 3 and the return of inside dining.
But on this hot day customers want the sun and she is welcoming them to her large roadside patio she shares with Halibut House Fish and Chips, which is part of the City’s CafeTO program, which is credited with helping
many area companies stay afloat.
More people were ducking under the tents for a cold
drink to escape from today’s heat.
“It has been a long time since we have had this many
people in here,” Simpson says. “The outdoor patio has
made a tremendous difference for us.”
At hers, and all the outdoor patios along Lake Shore Blvd. W., people are ordering meals and glad to be outside again with their friends.
At The Big Guy’s Little Coffee Shop, at 2861 Lake Shore Blvd. W., the patio has helped the ‘Big Guy’ stay in business as the outdoor area always has customers.

Ruben Pires, of Delicia Bakery and Pastry, at 2864 Lake
Shore Blvd. W., is bustling as his side patio is always filled
with coffee and snack lovers.“We had seen about 33 bakeries and loved this area right away,” recalls Pires. “We loved the people and the sense of community that exists in the area.”
In Long Branch residents love T.J. O’Shea’s Irish Snug, at
3481 Lake Shore Blvd. W., which boasts a large back patio
and a loyal following due to the good food and vibes.
Also rocking is Southside Johnny’s Bar & Grill, at 3653
Lake Shore Blvd. W., which features a great side patio that is
popular with locals.
Just west at the Pulcinella Ristorante and Wine Bar, at
3687 Lake Shore Blvd. W. Staff say their business has
picked up in Stage 3 and with the opening of inside dining and their street patio that seems to be always packed.

Many local residents love Sloppy Joe’s Bar & Grill, at 3527 Lake Shore Blvd. W., which has developed quite a loyal following who love the chicken wings and other pub eats. The
bar which has its popular outdoor patio in front of the building, has installed another that runs along its side on Thirty Third St.

Another area favourite is Timothy’s Pub, at 344 Brown’s Line, which is known for its live music and loyal Alderwood following, who love the food and atmosphere.

The Westwood Theatre showed first-run flicks for 50-plus years

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By DAVE KOSONIC

The long-gone Westwood Theatre went down like the Titanic, the last movie shown at the storied south Etobicoke movie house.

Development was expected to be completed this Spring on the 13.8-acre site that is soon to be home of a new Etobicoke Civic Centre, public square, recreation centre, library, office space and child care facility.

Many moviegoers like to recall the good old days when they could enjoy first-run movies at the Westwood while munching on candy floss, hot dogs and popcorn.

The Westwood was located at the southeast corner of Six Points, or spaghetti junction, where Bloor and Dundas Sts. and Kipling Ave. met.  This location was highly accessible, there was plenty of free parking and theatre seated about 1,000 fans.

The popular cinema opened in February 1952 and the featured flicks as Laughter in Paradise and You Never Can Tell. Dudley Dumont was the first manager whose success included screening good movies at discount prices so that the seats were always filled. By 1996 it cost $3 to see the thriller Mars Attacks.

The Westwood opened with one screen. In 1968 an addition was built on the east side of the building that included a second screen.  In 1980 the large original screen was divided in half creating three theatres.  Movie buffs were overjoyed with more and more movies to view.

The Saturday afternoon matinees were packed with school kids who were dropped off at the front door of the show.  Many of these youngsters were more interested in the snack bar rather than the movies being screened.  Groups of young guys would often sit in the back rows and get noisy.  The ushers, who wore dapper tailored uniforms, would shine their flashlights on the youths and order them to sit still.

Sadly, for countless Westwood fans the theatre was closed in 1998, and ironically the last movie shown was Titanic.  The facility was shut because some politicians at the time thought that the theatre land could be better used for other purposes.  But that vision is taking a long time.

Before the Etobicoke landmark was demolished in 2013, it served as a shelter for homeless cats and In 2003 was used for the filming of the movie Resident Evil.

Some Westwood lovers wanted the old and bold Westwood sign saved and displayed to mark the theatre’s more than 50-years of operation, but that did not occur.

 

 

Emancipation Day celebrated here and across the world

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People took to the streets of Toronto and around the world to commemorate Emancipation Day and raise awareness about anti-Black racism in government institutions.

Emancipation Day is held every year on August 1 to mark the abolition of slavery across the British Empire and its colonies.

It is a solemn day for many to take time and reflect.

Demonstrators were calling for action to end systemic anti-Black racism in key systems including child welfare, policing, the justice system, healthcare, education, arts and culture.

“The bonds and chains are no longer holding us, however, we are still bridled by the fact of racism that exists in the institutions and the systems. We have to break those,” Yvette Blackburn with the Global Jamaican Diaspora Council said.

The demonstration started in front of the Children’s Aids Society of Toronto and made stops at Toronto Police Headquarters, Old City Hall, the Ministry of Education and Mount Sinai Hospital before ending at Queen’s Park.

The march was organized by Not Another Black Life with other organizations, including the Toronto Prisoner’s Rights Project, Palestinian Youth Movement, Keep Your Rent Toronto and Climate Justice Toronto.

Emancipation Day commemorates the Abolition of Slavery Act, which became law on August 1, 1834. This act freed more than 800,000 people of African descent throughout the British Empire.

Only slaves below the age of six were freed. Enslaved people older than six years of age were re-designated as “apprentices” and required to work, 40 hours per week without pay, as part of compensation payment to their former owners. Full emancipation was finally achieved at midnight on 31 July, 1838.

The first Emancipation Day Parade was held in 1932 in Windsor and would come to be known as the ‘Greatest Freedom Show on Earth.’ The parade and festival boasted famous guests like Martin Luther King Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, Stevie Wonder, Benjamin Mays, Fred Shuttlesworth, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

It ended in 1968 following fears of the Detroit Riot in 1967 when city councillors denied permits to stage the celebration.

 

How safe are your kids schools when open in September

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The Ontario government has released its plan for the safe reopening of schools.

A news release sent out by MPP Christine Hogarth on July 30 said schools for in-class instruction will begin in September and students from Grades 4 – 12 will be required to wear masks.

Education officials say Kindergarten to Grade 8 will reopen with in-class instruction five days a week. Secondary schools with lower risk will reopen with a normal daily schedule, five days a week, while most secondary schools will start the year in an adapted model of part-time attendance with class cohorts of up to 15 students alternating between attending in-person and online.

Details on the safe restart of the school year were released by Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, and Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health.

They said parents will continue to have the option to enroll their children in ‘remote delivery, which respects their fundamental role in making the final determination of whether they feel safe with their children returning to school.’

The government said they will be spending $300 million in targeted public health protocols to keep staff safe when they return to school.

Some $60 million will be spent to procure medical and cloth masks for students and staff; $30 million for teacher staffing to support supervision in keeping classes small; $50 million to hire up to 500 additional and school-focused nurses in public health units to provide rapid-response to schools and boards.

About $75 million will be spent to hire 500 additional custodians and purchase cleaning supplies; $23 million for testing: $40 million to clean buses; $10 million for health and safety training for occasional teachers: $10 million for support special needs students and $10 million to support student mental health.

Some $15 million in technology funding to support the procurement of over 35,000 devices for Ontario’s students to support their synchronous learning in-school and beyond.

“We are seeing that overall instances of COVID-19 are declining in Ontario,” said Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health. “We believe that with the appropriate measures and strategies in place to handle potential outbreaks and prevent spread, schools are expected to be a safe place for Ontario’s students and staff who attend.”

Officials said there are protocols in place for school officials to deal with the positive cases of COVID-19 among students, parents, teachers or staff.

About two million students attend public schools in Ontario.

Five top Lakeshore community students selected for scholarships

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Five up-and-coming top south Etobicoke students have been awarded scholarships to continue their studies next semester.

The students were selected as 2020 Penny Bethke Scholarship recipients, which is part of the of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto (CHFT) Diversity Scholarship Program that was founded in 2004. Some 30 students are selected for scholarships providing they live in CHFT member co-ops.

Congratulations to the five high-achieving students from the Lakeshore community.

Madhumitha Ramamurthy, (in photo) of Mimico Co-operative Homes, volunteered at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in the summers and at Lakeshore Lodge on weekends. At the hospital, she welcomed and directed visitors. At Lakeshore Lodge, she planned and assisted in recreation activities in arts and music for the residents. She is starting a second year of a life sciences program at the University of Toronto this fall.

Alia Omar-Bujak is graduating from Richview Collegiate Institute. She is a First Aider with MedVents Canada and a youth leader and mentor at her church, who has helped with a teen drop-in night. She plans to attend the University of Toronto to study paramedicine.

Raquelle Johnson is graduating from Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts, where helped with fundraisers and events at the school’s Antilleans Culture Club. She was a Healthy Schools representative at Wexford, promoting good nutrition. She will be starting a forensic science program at the University of Toronto.

Makeda Kafele-Green is graduating this year from Oakwood Collegiate Institute. She has been active at Oakwood as an Ambassador. As a member of Afro-Can, she started the Black Youth Book Club, aiming to break stereotypes about black students and literacy. She will attend Wilfrid Laurier University to study Community Music.

Taylor Seichter is graduating this year from Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute, where she has been involved in a range of social justice activities. She has provided 400-hours of service over two years to Rosalie Hall, an agency that assists young parents and children. She will enter Centennial College this fall to study child and youth care.

The scholarships are for students who are graduating from high school, or are currently enrolled in a post-secondary program or are returning to school after a break to complete an undergraduate program. It has awarded over 380 scholarships equalling more than $2 million to students in nine areas of Canada.

The scholarships are $5,000 distributed over four years.

Alterna Savings, in partnership CHFT, has awarded five Penny Bethke Scholarships to young community leaders who help strengthen cooperatives and their communities.

Area women urged to apply for climate change mentorship program

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Women in the community can win a cash prize of $20,000 for their work with climate change.

They have until July 31 to apply for a Women4Climate Toronto Programme, which will contribute to the next generation of climate leaders, through a mentorship dedicated to women who are working to address the climate crisis.

Twelve women will be selected to join Toronto’s first cohort. Through a combination of mentoring, training and networking opportunities, participants will be supported and empowered to bring their climate-related project, idea, or business start-up to life.

Following the mentorship programme, the City of Toronto and partners will host a pitch competition, to reward the best women-led climate idea to create a healthier, more sustainable and resilient urban future.

The winner will receive additional support to advance her project, along with a $20,000 cash prize.

Women4Climate mentorship programme aims to support 500 women across the world to accelerate their climate projects.

Women leaders played a critical role in negotiating the Paris Agreement and continue to drive ambitious climate action in cities, businesses and NGOs around the world. Women also make up more than half the world’s population and are often disproportionately impacted by climate change.

Candidates must be a woman, live, study or work in Toronto and have a current climate action project, start-up business or idea for a future project.

Toronto is one of three cities in Canada and 16 cities globally participating in C40 Cities

For more information visit w4c.org.

 

Live music Saturday at a Twenty Seventh Street Jam

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Enjoy live music by the lake.

Members of the community are invited to a Twenty Seventh Street Jam taking place July 25 and featuring some top area musicians.

The physically distanced jam will take place on Saturday between 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the foot of Twenty Seventh Street, near the lake, according to a posting on social media.

Hosted by musicians Ed Ho and Christopher Plock, the band will feature Eric St-Laurent on guitar, Mark Dunn on bass and vocals, Joe Cullen on drums, Peter BonGiovanni on percussion and Plock on sax and vocals.

The band will be accepting donations for MasksForMeals.org, in support of community food banks.

MasksforMeals is a local initiative inspired by friends in the Mississauga and Oakville area who were moved to help during COVID 19.  Three women began sewing masks for friends and families after Dr. Theresa Tam suggested they may help limit the spread of infection.  At the same time, they were struck by the growing need for food banks as people lost their jobs and food supply diminished.

Rather than charging for the masks, they asked for a donation to local food banks.  Word soon spread through social media and the goal is to expand the effort across Mississauga and Oakville.

Music lovers are urged to bring a chair, face mask and respect physical distancing rules.

Residents band together to save Van Dusen bridge

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A petition with more than 400 names is being circulated online by some residents to Save the Van Dusen Pedestrian Bridge.

Irate residents of the Norseman Heights, Sunnylea, Kingsway and Thompson Orchard areas say they regularly use the popular pedestrian bridge that crosses Mimico Creek at Van Dusen, which has been closed indefinitely.

“This bridge is always very, very busy with pedestrians and cyclists at all times of the year,” the residents say in a petition to Mayor John Tory and Councillor Mark Grimes. “This bridge connects our community and gives an alternative to walking or biking along busy Bloor Road bridge or Royal York bridge.”

Residents say there has been no communication from the City or Grimes. They were told by a local parent group that the bridge ‘has been condemned and maybe closed for a year or two.’
“We have heard nothing from the city nor has any signage been erected,” they claim.

They say the bridge should be a part of ActiveTO, which was developed as part of the pandemic response.

The residents are seeking that the City notify the community about the repair and when it will be completed, for the repair to be expedited and proper maintenance to ensure the bridge remains in order.

The closure also impacts cyclists, pedestrians and families during this time of social distancing, and increase walks by children to their local schools.

An official at Grimes’ office says the Councillor had a call scheduled with the staff responsible for the bridge closure, during which he will request measures be taken to inform the community about the bridge.

“We have been in constant contact with staff since the closure and, like the community, have been eagerly awaiting details,” Grimes office said.

“This bridge is a main artery for our neighborhood,” Michelle wrote on social media. “There is no indication or information as to why the bridge was closed and two years is an insane time to get this done.”

Diana says ‘the bridge has been a main focal point of getting to the shops at Royal York Rd. and Bloor St. W.’

The petition is accessible on you.leadnow.ca

 

Detective Olszevski is as tough as they get in fighting crime

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Meet Michelle Olszevski, a Toronto Police detective with nerves of steel.

Olszevski is a 27-year police veteran and a 2020 Ontario Women in Law Enforcement (OWLE) recipient.

A sharp detective, she has been leading a team, with the high-profile Gun and Gang Task Force since 2014.

Her team is responsible for the arrests of armed persons, and their investigations often entails lots of surveillance and the execution of search warrants.

The team has been directly responsible for the arrest of hundreds of violent offenders, and the seizure of more than 100 firearms and multiple kilograms of various controlled substances.

“These types of investigations are often dynamic in nature and present dangerous situations to both officers and the community,” according to police. ”On two separate occasions, her team has been involved in police-involved shootings.”

Olszevski is pivotal in ensuring all members sought and received the help needed to heal emotionally. She prioritized those under her command before her own wellness as she was also involved in the shootings.

“Her leadership and selflessness were recognized by all of her supervisors,” police say, adding she is well-known for a superior work ethic and difficult career path.

A detective in the task force works long hours due to the job and the court hours required.

She takes on this responsibility balancing her family life and her work life with no complaints, even though she is the only female detective in a male dominated unit.

Det. Olszevski not only ‘holds her own’ but she has become the ‘go to’ detective for complex investigations.

She is a role model for all investigators, specifically the next generation of female officer and is well respected and admired by her colleagues.

Olszevski is being recognized for her outstanding work and true leadership in a very difficult role.

 

 

Humane Society seeks cat lovers to help with their adoptions

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The Etobicoke Humane Society is seeking your help after 150 cats were rescued from a home in one of worst cases of hoarding.

Toronto Cat Rescue said it recovered the cats from inside a filthy Toronto home on July 17 and many had significant health issues, including upper respiratory infections and ear mites.

The group a day before found another 50 cats in another hoarding situation in North Bay, Ont.

“These cats are in desperate need of the kind of care that we are best at, and that our foster homes excel at,” the organization said. “Time is of the essence to get these sweeties into our loving foster homes.”

The organization said it will take months of medical and dental care to get the cats back to good health. All cats will have to undergo vaccinations, antibiotics for infections, as well as being spayed and neutered.

The group noted that it takes many hands to respond to these kinds of situations and thanked foster homes in Kitchener-Waterloo for coming forward and taking the first 50 cats.

Hoarding cats is illegal in Toronto. Only six cats are allowed in a single household under City of Toronto bylaws.

Members of the EHS say they are caring for about 15 of the cats being placed for adoption.

“EHS is able to help with approximately 15 or so cats,” the Society says on its website. “This is in the midst of dealing with another hoarding which is an ongoing situation.”

They say fosters and donations are badly-needed to nurse the cats back to health.

Volunteers say their number one item in demand is clumping litter, which they have little of since the shelter has been closed.

All items being donated can be left in the yellow bins outside the shelter, at 67 Six Point Rd.

They are urging others to spay and neuter their pets since it takes one unneutered male and unspayed female to create a situation like this.

Donations to help the cats can be made to https://etobicokehumanesociety.com/donate/