The South Etobicoke News

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

Surplus Centre is longest serving business in New Toronto with 68 years

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THE FAMILY OF Dave Shankman has owned The New Toronto Surplus Centre for 68-years.

Surplus dealer Dave Shankman has pretty well seen most military insignia items in the last 68-years his family has been operating The New Toronto Surplus Centre Ltd.

The centre, at 2938 Lake Shore Blvd. W., at the corner of Lake Shore Blvd. W., and Islington Ave., is viewed by some as iconic, or historic, since it is in the middle of New Toronto.

It is the building on which a RCMP, with a horse, is painted in a popular mural with a large Canadian flag.

Shankman says the business was started by his father, after he returned home from WW11.

“My father served in the Korean War,” Shankman says proudly in honour of his dad. “He founded and ran the business until about 2010.”

The business is now said to be the oldest in New Toronto and it features roof and building architecture of an earlier era in Toronto.

“We are still busy in this line of work,” he says. “The weather is getting colder and people are coming in for winter gear.”

They carry a large range of military style winter shoes, jackets, gloves and other gear to keep you warm.

The interior of the store is from the 1950s and 60s with gear, clothing and other items everywhere, including military insignia like crests or badges, which are still popular in some circles.

There are hats, caps, vests, shoes and countless items hunters or anglers may require.

Shankman is proud that many films and TV productions have been shot in his store over the years, including Police Academy and Kung Fu; which are the ones he recall.

He loves the community and the people who have supported his family for the almost seven decades in business in the center of New Toronto.

The New Toronto Surplus Centre Ltd., can be reached at 416-251-3821.

 

Go Fund Me raises funds to replace $7,000 stolen from The Old Sod Restaurant

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MORE THAN $13,000 has been raised by Go Fund Me supporters to help The Old Sod stay alive.

More than $13,000 has been raised by supporters of The Old Sod Restaurant to help restore fate in humanity  after the popular bar was robbed of $7,000 earned from the sales of Christmas trees.

The local Bloor St. W. and Royal York Rd., pub was robbed on December 14 in what appears to be a ‘cash and grab’ incident that was captured by the bar’s security cameras.

The video shows a man, wearing a hoodie and mask, smashing the glass door with what appears to be a large rock. He then walks inside the bar and is seen calmly walking out with what looks like a drawer of the register that contains cash.

The pub had been hit hard, along with others in the area, by the COVID-19 lockdowns, and was earning extra income to stay afloat from tree sales, which has been brisk as residents made purchases to support their local pub.

“It was a smash and grab,” restaurant owner Ty Owens told reporters. “They broke our front windows, smashed our point-of-sale machines and stole one cash till and an empty cash till. That was our Christmas campaign cash. “

He said the brazen thief stole about $7,000.

Owens heard glass in the front door shattering and rushed downstairs around 1:15 a.m., only to have missed the thief by seconds.

“I had just missed them,” he said. “The Christmas trees are locked up in front of the door that leads into my residence, so if it wasn’t for those trees, I would have bumped directly into the criminal.”

He believes the crook bolted east on Bloor St. W., and may have had a getaway driver.

Owens is wondering if his pub was targeted because a Christmas tree campaign that was highly publicized on social media and by people in the community.

The bar has released security footage of the incident in hopes that someone from the public can identify the burglar.

Officers at nearby 22 Division said a report has been filed and the theft is being investigated.

Supporters of the pub’s Go Fund Me campaign have donated more than the $12,000, which the bar was expecting to raise to help with their loss.

“As a member of Old Fort York vintage motorcycle club we have spent many monthly social get togethers at The Sod and hope to spend many more,” wrote Robert Stevenson on a Go Fund Me post as he made a donation.

Carol and Moe Wicklander said the Old Sod has been trying to stay open in recent times.

‘Sorry to hear about your break-in,” they wrote. “You have been working so hard to keep afloat, hope this will help.”

Donations are still being accepted on Go Fund Me.

Spread of COVID-19 a fear and concern for correctional officers

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LINE UP OUTSIDE the Toronto South Detention Centre, where there are at least 25 COVID-19 cases.

Correctional officers say they are concerned over the spread of COVID-19 in area jails.

Officers working at the Toronto South Detention Center say they worry about their health after 25 cases of COVID-19 were reported at the massive jail.

They are now taking all precautions available at work to avert a spread of the virus.

The Ministry of Solicitor General has confirmed that more than two dozen inmates at the Horner Ave. detention centre have tested positive for the virus.

There were seven cases at the maximum security jail the previous day.

“Those inmates are under droplet precautions and isolated from the rest of the inmate population while they receive appropriate medical care,” Ministry officials said in a statement.

They are working with Toronto Public Health to support contact tracing.

Meanwhile, it is reported that three inmates at the Toronto East Detention Centre have contracted the virus.

The ministry said it made operational changes across all provincial correctional facilities in the past few months.

Three inmates at the Toronto East Detention Centre have also contracted the virus. It is not known how many staff are affected by the pandemic.

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.

 

 

Family and loved ones making appeal to locate missing man Mitch Beauvais

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FAMILY AND FRIENDS seeking to find missing man Mitch Beauvais, who may be in the area.

Family and friends are making an emotional appeal to locate Michel Beauvais before it starts freezing outside.

Family members say Mitch, as he is known, has not been seen since September 21, which is approaching three months.

“He is homeless and may be either on the streets or in a shelter,” his sister, Noella, wrote in an appeal on social media.
Beauvais, 56, usually hangs out around the Royal York Rd., Mimico Ave. and Lake Shore Blvd. W. in Etobicoke.
 “The family and I are very worried since he regularly kept in touch,” his family pleaded. “We would really appreciate if you could share this post.”
They said Toronto Police have been contacted to help in their search for Beauvais. Police at 22 Division can be reached at 416-808-2200.
The family said their loved one may be missing in Toronto or Peel Region, more precisely Etobicoke. He is described as a small-built man, who is about 5-foot-1 and weighs about 110 pounds.

Adamson Barbeque ordered to get licence before they can reopen

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Santa was one of the many protestors outside Adamson last month. He was rallying for his freedom. Photo by Tom Godfrey.

The fencing has been removed by Toronto Police from around Adamson Barbeque in Mimico and the controversial owner is being allowed to reopen.

Owner Adam Skelly has been allowed by the City to reopen the Queen Elizabeth Blvd. eatery, but only after he obtains a proper business licence.

Officers from 22 Division were dispatched on December 14 to remove the fencing from around the restaurant.

“We returned the premises to the landlord,” one Toronto Police officer said.

Skelly was charged last month after opening to customers for indoor dining, despite a provincial order banning the service.

Indoor dining has been prohibited in Toronto since Oct. 10 and in-person service on outdoor patios was banned when the city went into lockdown on Nov. 20.

A day after Toronto officials closed the restaurant, a crowd of supporters allegedly broke through a cordoned-off section of the building in an effort to reopen the establishment. Skelly and another person were arrested by police.

Skelly, 33, is now charged with multiple offences, including one count of attempting to obstruct police, one count of mischief under, one count of failing to comply with a continued order under the Reopening Ontario Act, and one count of failing to leave when directed under the Trespass to Property Act.

He was released under numerous conditions, including that he stay away from the restaurant.

Toronto officials this week said that the medical officer of health has lifted the requirement under the Health Protection and Promotion Act that ordered the closure of Adamson Barbecue.

“Should that location defy the restraining order and the lockdown regulation and open for indoor and/or outdoor dining, the owner, the business, or its employees and agents could face contempt of court findings.”

The city said that operating without a business licence can result in a maximum penalty of $25,000 for an individual and $50,000 for a corporation.

Toronto Mayor John Tory said he supports the action taken against the restaurant by the city and that if future rules are broken, there could be severe consequences.

There were hundreds of people outside the restaurant for days last month protesting the closure.

 

Shootout at the Rainbow Motel was one of the worst in Toronto’s history

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THE RAINBOW MOTEL was a scene of the most horrific shootout with Toronto Police 30-years ago. More than 400 shots were fired in a seven-hour seige. Courtesy photo. 

This 1991 gunplay will remain one of the worst shootouts in the 187-year history of Toronto Police.

It will be 30-years next month when 413 shots were fired in a seven-hour shootout between two gunmen and officers at the then notorious Rainbow Motel, one of 18 then-thriving establishments in the so-called Motel Strip area, near Lake shore Blvd. W., and Park Lawn Rd.

Luckily, no one was killed in the standoff which saw volleys of shots being exchanged between the gunmen, who were held up inside the motel and officers outside.

The early-morning incident began when officers saw an expensive Porsche, with B.C. plates, parked in front of the Rainbow. Officers routinely patrolled the Motel Strip to curb prostitution, robberies and other street crimes.

Now retired Toronto Police Sgt. Jack West, who worked out of 22 Division, Traffic Office, Fraud Squad, the Youth Bureau, Two Traffic, before going to 21 Division (now part of 22 Division) was walking the beat along Lake Shore Blvd. W. that eventful day.

“My job was to walk the Lake Shore Motel Strip area,” West recalled before he retired. “There were 18 motels there, which were my responsibility. That was an interesting part of my career because there were disputes, drugs, prostitution and removing hold-up men from rooms.”

That morning Wests’ men noticed the Porsche in the parking lot, which piqued their interest.

When the officers went to talk to the car owner, in the motel room, they were greeted with gunfire.

“The door swung open and there were two individuals shooting at the officers,” recounted the retired West. “They (officers) went for cover and called assistance. I wasn’t that far away. There were 413 bullets fired from that room at the police and the ordeal lasted a day and a half.”

With the help of the heavily-armed Emergency Task Force, the men were arrested and taken into custody.

While searching one of the suspects, they found a key to a motel room that tied the shooters to a double murder in Nanaimo, B.C.

West would get lucky again a few years later when there was another shooting on the Strip.

This time he and his partner were in plainclothes and followed a van that turned into a dark parking lot. The driver took a shot at the officers and bolted into the woods.  A woman was found in the van and she had a key to a motel room, where the man was believed to be hiding.

The motel became the scene of another shooting. Inside, police opened fire on a suspect shooting him with a 12-guage shotgun. West then jumped on the suspect to subdue him.

“He was yelling at me,” West recalled. “I discovered that he had a stolen bulletproof vest and was wearing two coats. This experience taught me that you do not judge a book by the cover. I never think he had the capabilities he had.”

He would later be awarded with a Toronto Police Merit Mark Award for helping with the capture of that man, who was involved in a series of armed robberies.

 

New Kipling GO Station to open in weeks to improve travel times

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NEW KIPLING GO Station to open January 4 will soon be filled with passengers hoping to save time on their trip home. Courtesy of MPP Christine Hogarth.

After years of construction work, it finally looks like commuter users can the use long-awaited Kipling GO Station.

The new station is opening on January 4, 2021 and will connect MiWay bus service to Kipling GO Station, says the area’s MPP.

“This is part of Ontario’s larger project to transform Kipling GO Station into a major transit hub, providing people with a more seamless transit experience,” said Christine Hogarth, who represents Etobicoke Lakeshore.

“We are one step closer to fully opening the Kipling Transit Hub, an entirely connected transit experience that will support commuters here in Etobicoke,” Hogarth said in a release on December 14.

She said MiWay buses are temporarily using the Islington TTC subway station during the construction at Kipling GO Station.

With the completion of the new bus terminal, MiWay customers can access Kipling stations’ new bus terminal.

“Transforming Kipling Station into a single integrated mobility hub means people will spend less time commuting and have more time for the things that matter,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation.

Phil Verster, CEO of Metrolinx, said “our riders will have one convenient location to transfer between GO rail, GO bus in the new year, and MiWay bus service, along with access to the TTC subway and bus.”

“I am thrilled the province is committed to building a reliable, regionally-connected transit system that will improve the commuter experience for residents of Mississauga,” said Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie.

This new Kipling bus terminal will offer thousands of MiWay customers access to a modern facility and “I look forward to the official opening of the completed transit hub.”

Ontario is committed to enhancing transportation in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, investing in transportation infrastructure and providing two-way, all-day service on core segments of the GO rail network.

“Supporting enhanced transit infrastructure is part of the government’s plan to drive the economy and support families, businesses and communities,” she said.

 

Minute Muffler longest serving auto shop in area with 35 years

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Peter Laski is the owner of Minute Muffler & Brake, which has been serving the community for 35 years.

Electrical engineer Peter Laski opened his shop in New Toronto in 1985 and his is now the longest-serving auto mechanic shop having served the community for 35-years.

Laski has seen changes in technology over the decades that helped to revolutionize vehicles and make them more efficient, cleaner and complex to repair.

“I have taken hundreds of different courses over the years to keep up,” he says. “Many cars now are controlled by computers.”

His Minute Muffler & Brake Shop has been located for more than three decades at 3090 Lake Shore Blvd. W., near Fourteenth Street.

He remembers the simpler pre-virus days when the community was busy from manufacturing activity taking place at the former Goodyear Tire plant, Anaconda Steel, Campbell Soup and others now gone.

“We were busy back in those days,” Laski recalls. “All those people were our customers and they all had cars.”

He says there was a lot of work back then and housing and other items were affordable.

Many businesses suffered after the plants closed. He is glad that he stuck it out and says the area is on a rebound.

“Right now the area is improving,” he says. “We have more construction taking place and more people moving in.”

His busy shop is thriving with regular customers who keep returning because of the good and affordable service he provides in repairing their vehicles.

It has been a long and satisfying journey for Laski, a father of one, who was sponsored to Canada from Poland by a Mississauga church in 1982.

He pretty well arrived with the clothes on his back, his trade as an engineer and willingness to work long and hard.

His busy Minute Muffler & Brake shop, provides top service and can be reached at 416-251-2203 or minuteautoservices.com

 

Merchants call on BIA to stop those stealing from Christmas trees

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Security footage made available to the Lake Shore Village BIA shows woman allegedly stealing Christmas tree decorations.

Some merchants along the Lake Shore Village BIA have complained of the thefts of decorations from the Christmas trees outside their businesses.

One business owner arrived at work on December 11 to find the expensive decorations that were put up by another person, in a nearby business, were stolen.

The owner provided BIA officials with a photo of the suspected thief from her security camera.

“This is the reason why I choose not to partake in decorating the tree,” the area resident said. “Last year my costly decorations were stolen as well.”

BIA Chair Chris Korwin-Kuczynski says there has been some complaints of thefts and appropriate action will be taken against those videotaped stealing from the Christmas trees.

The BIA only last week awarded first, second and third prizes for businesses who decorated the top three Christmas trees.

The top tree went to Hearing Life Canada, second place tree won by MiBody Health and Fitness and third place went to C.U.E.S. Children’s Urban Enrichment Studio. They won beautiful trophies for their businesses.

If you see or know someone who is stealing Christmas decorations you are urged to send an email with the information to the BIA at lakeshorebia@gmail.com.