For the first time, the Ontario Police Memorial Ceremony of Remembrance honouring officers who have died in the line of duty was held online.

A virtual ceremony was held on May 3 to honour 267 Ontario police officers who have died in the line of duty.

Instead of the usual crowds, five lone pipers played Amazing Grace, which was streamed live. Viewers were encouraged to stay home and tune in online.

“Today and everyday throughout the year we remember and honour those brave men and women who have died in the line of duty,” says Mike Adair, president of the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation.

Adair said the 11 a.m. ceremony gave viewers a moment of silence “to reflect and remember all of our brothers and sisters from police services close to home and across Canada.”

He said the ceremony is in memory of the valiant Ontario officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.

If it weren’t for restrictions placed upon the province as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual ceremony would have attracted hundreds of people as it does yearly to the Ontario Police Memorial site, located on Queen’s Park Crescent.

The flag was lowered to half-mast to acknowledge fallen officers, including Const. Heidi Stevenson of the Nova Scotia RCMP, who was killed last month in the country’s worst mass killing spree that left 22 people dead.

“Recent tragic events in Nova Scotia earlier bring into sharp focus the need to recognize and honour those officers who have given their lives in service to their communities,” says Timmins Police Chief John Gauthier.

 

It will be quieter in the community this summer as many of our local events are cancelled due to COVID-19.

Organizers of the annual New Toronto Grill Cheese Challenge say the June event has been postponed to a later date due to the pandemic, which requires social distancing and people to remain indoors.

Chris Korwin-Kuczinski, chair of the Lakeshore Village BIA, says the health and safety of the community is their number one priority.

“It is one of our more popular festivals and people understand,” he says.

Many stores are closed, or workers laid off, until the situation improves.

Also cancelled or scale back this summer are high-profiled City events as Pride parade, Toronto Caribbean Carnival, hockey, baseball, basketball and most sports.

Residents say the Humber Bay Shores Farmers’ Market is also on hold since the City has stopped issuing permits due to COVID-19.

Organizers, it is reported, are looking at other venues to stage the popular market, or a virtual market or to postpone it until the situation improves. No decision has been made if the market will begin on May 30 as planned.

The popular market is has been a mainstay at Humber Bay Park West for many year with dozens of farmer and artisans selling their goods such as fresh produce, meat, herbs, cheeses, preserves and arts and crafts.

Happy social distancing birthday to Canadian Armed Forces vets Ardie and Les.

Jubilant Toronto Police, Firefighters and Alderwood residents lined up outside the homes of the two veterans on Wednesday to bring them birthday greetings. A police officer brought ballons for them.

A spry Ardwell Eyres, of Gair Dr., turned 96 while about a block away his neighbour Les Baldock, of Delma Dr., turned 97.

Friends had posted their birthdays on Facebook and asked residents to stop outside, or drive by, their homes to wave and wish them long lives with many more years to come.

A drive by of police cars with lights flashing wished the men happy birthday as a line of fire fighters  outside their homes together with residents belted out happy birthday.

Each smiling vet was serenaded with happy birthday, as a violinist played; then there was a loud hi-hip hooray and they were presented a senior’s calendar about fire safety as well as a poppy, thanking them for their service.
“I know he is feeling lonely with all this social distancing so if you are walking by Delma, he is usually sitting in his chair in front of the window and will see you wave,” the online post says of Baldock.

Many residents took to social media due to COVID-19 to thank the men for their services.

“My son and I had the pleasure of meeting both of these wonderful men early this evening,” says Sharon Hamilton. “Thank you both for your service.”

“Congrats to the Toronto Fire Service for doing this and happy birthday to our two Alderwood veterans,” wrote Sheila McKinnon.

“My son and I made a sign and drove by Mr. Baldock’s home,” says Barb Gardhouse. “He came out to wave and looks amazing.”

Former gold prospector Rex Wesley Heslop didn’t strike his fortune until he began building affordable housing developments in Alderwoood, Rexdale and Georgetown.

Heslop, who died in 1973 at the age of 68, was a top Etobicoke real estate developer, who was one of a few persons to have a phone in his Cadillac back in the day before they gained widespread use.

The father of two worked with in the family construction business before moving to Detroit, where for a time he drove a cab and worked as a car salesman.

He left ‘Motor City’ for Northern Ontario, where he worked as a prospector in the mines. He was injured in a rock slide and moved back to Toronto to work in construction.

Toronto at the time was facing a major housing shortage with many veterans returning home after WW11.

Local historian Denise Harris wrote that around 1947-48, Heslop acquired land on the southeast corner of Foch St. and Horner Ave., across from Sir Adam Beck Public School, where he built three houses using a precast and concrete wall system which sold immediately.

A year later he purchased more land on the north side of Horner that was subdivided in large lots and L-shaped streets. The so-called ‘army homes’ were mostly identical to each other and were on streets with names of English locations like Chelsea Dr., Fulham Dr., Norfolk Dr., and a Heslop Dr., named after him.

The Alderwood development with 400 homes was a success and Heslop purchased more farm land in the area and repeated his home-building sales.

Heslop by 1955 had purchased farmland in Thistletown, on which he built hundreds of homes. Soon, there were soon 330 families living in a development called ‘Rexdale,’ where Heslop opened the Rexdale Shopping Centre, now Rexdale Mall.

His homes were popular with working folks since were well-built and affordable selling for up to $10,000 then. They made Heslop a very rich man.

Heslop after building the Delrex subdivision in Georgetown, sold his interest in the firm and retired at the age of 61.

They are our unsung heroes who work long hours.

National Volunteer Week wrapped up after being celebrated from April 19 to 25. Members of the community applaud the works of Lynda Ryder, and Paul, of the Rotary Club of Etobicoke, (in photo) who this weekend dropped off 45 healthy lunches that they prepared to be handed out by LAMP Health Centre’s Adult Drop-in Program.

The centre, on Fifth Street, offers lunches and prepared meals five days a week.

National Volunteer Weed recognizes the work of volunteers from coast to coast who contribute long hours to help others in these trying times of COVID-19.

LAMP official Jasmin Dooh say for those in their Adult Drop-in/Harm Reduction program, take away meals will be provided Monday to Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Harm reduction supplies are available upon request.

To try and prevent spread of this virus, LAMP has cancelled all routine or non-essential visits and changing the clinic operating hours to 8:30 a.m. to  5 p.m. Monday to Friday.  This will be in effect until further notice, she says.

Some medications will require a visit and it will be up to your provider whether or not you will need an appointment prior to renewal. If you need a renewal you can also call your pharmacy and have them send a request to our office via fax, LAMP says.

Photo by Jasmin Dooh-LAMP Health Centre

 

The boardwalk at Sunnyside Amusement Park was packed at its opening in 1922, as Toronto residents swam in Lake Ontario, and later dive into a new swimming pool, called the tank.

Called ‘the poor man’s Riviera,’ Sunnyside was this City’s most popular bathing and amusement spot from 1922 until 1955, when it was shut down due to the motor car.

The park was a carnival from the May 24 weekend until Labour Day, with crowds of people strolling the boardwalk or enjoying the many amusement rides while chowing down on oily fast foods; similar to what the CNE is today.

Sunnyside was approved by City Council in 1912 and built at a cost of $19-million. Construction work stopped in 1914 due to World War 1. It resumed on 1,400 acres of reclaimed land.

The iconic Bathing Pavilion was designed to hold 7,700 bathers and had a roof garden where 400 guests could purchase refreshments.

Popular features were the amusement park, concession stands, dance pavilion, and an open-air theatre called the Band Stand. The annual Easter Parade took place on the boardwalk, along with The Miss Toronto beauty contests and women’s softball games.

Fans also packed the Palais Royale dance hall which attracted famous big bands as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Paul Whiteman and the Dorsey Brothers. The admission was 10-cents and 5-cents a dance.

Thousands of people descended on the park to visit the beach or concession stands; which rented beach chairs, boats, or sold root beer, popcorn and hotdogs.

There was also a drug store, guess-your-weight scales, high-powered telescopes, souvenir stands, a delicatessen, sight-seeing services and a shoe-shine shop.

People loved rides as the Whip, Aero Swing, Dodgem, the Frolic and a merry-go-round. The games of chance included: Monkey Racer, Coney Racer, a shooting gallery, Kentucky Derby, Torpedo Race, Balloon Race and Figure 8.

Families would leave home early to spend all day at the beach to catch the dog races, diving horses, fireworks displays and burning of old sailing vessels to attract crowds.

But in the late-1940s and early-1950s, automobiles became more affordable and families began travelling north to Muskoka or Georgian Bay to escape the summer heat.

The Toronto Harbour Commission ordered the demolition of Sunnyside and by late 1956, the retreat that generations had known and loved, became a memory, with the land buried under the Gardiner Expressway and widened Lakeshore Blvd.

With files by Mike Filey.