The South Etobicoke News

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

Police warning seniors of new COVID texting scam

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Just when you think you’ve heard them all.

Canadian and U.S. police are warning seniors and cell phone users of the latest text message scam that is starting to make the rounds to take advantage of COVID-19.

The Thomaston Police Department in Maine posted on Facebook a photo of the alert being sent to people in a text message, which should not be opened.

The message was sent to someone in Maine from an Indiana area code telling them they need to self-isolate because they came in contact with someone who tested positive or has shown symptoms for coronavirus.

The alert also tells you to get tested.

“If you receive a text message like the one pictured, do not click the link!” police wrote on Facebook. “It is not a message from any official agency. It is however a gateway for bad actors to find their way into your world.”

Police said it could be a phishing scam to get your personal information.

“The virus is not the only invisible enemy,” police said. “Be vigilant against all threats!”

Officers say scammers are also targeting seniors with text messages posing as U.S. and Canadian Health officials telling them they need to take a mandatory online COVID-19 test in order to receive the recently approved government stimulus payment.

Police are warning If you receive a similar text message, do not open the link because it is not from an official agency. It is a gateway for criminals to find their way into your wallet, detectives say.

 

From making fun costumes to face masks

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Designs By Gen is a small upholstery shop in New Toronto that has switched over to making masks during these challenging times.

Enterprising Owner and Master Seamstress Geneveene Louwe says she’s busy these days selling her masks to residents, non-profit agencies and taking part in some giveaways.

Louwe prior to COVID-19 used to work with costumes and as a result uses ’fun fabrics,’ which are a ‘little edgy.’

“I like to be honest when I promote sewing masks,” she says. “I am doing this to help people and save the business.”

Her masks are well-designed, colourful and are popular.  She has quite an assortment of masks available.

Louwe can be reached at 647-765-4828 or you can order from www.bespokeoriginal.com or

www.facebook.com/bespokeoriginaldesign

 

Frequent fox, coyote sightings in the area

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This fox was last seen being chased by an angry dog.

There has been a number of sightings and complaints by area residents in regards to foxes, coyotes and other wild animals running through the neighbourhood at all hours.

This fox was seen on May 21 being chased by a dog along an Alderwood street. Residents watched as the animal crossed Brown’s Line and was heading west to nearby parklands.

“This is crazy,” one resident said. “This fox was fearless.”

City workers point to a family of high-profile foxes living under the Boardwalk near Cherry Beach. The family had garnered so much social media attention that barriers had to be erected near their nest to keep people away.

City of Toronto officials say there were more than 1,250 sightings of coyotes last year.

Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC) workers the wild animals usually hang out near ravine systems, large grassy fields, and “large parks where small mammals — a main staple in their diet — are plentiful.”

A coyote trotting up and down a residential street is an unusual occurrence, which has been increasing in frequency to the point where some residents are posting signs around dog parks to warn pet owners of potential coyote attacks.

The City will not remove coyotes, in accordance with Ontario’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, but Toronto Animal Services may take sick or injured coyotes to a wildlife rehabilitation facility where they can recover before going back to where they were first captured.

“Coyotes may approach pets that are not supervised, especially cats and small dogs. It is always a good idea to keep an eye on your pet while they are outside,” warns the city.

They are also reminding residents to never feed a coyote or any wild animal, since it is detrimental to the community and the animals themselves.”

Long and proud history of Fire Station 435 on Eighth St.

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This is a story of ‘The Lone Wolf.’

Local firefighters and residents are proud of the distinguished history of Station 435 at 130 Eighth Street which was built in 1929 and turns 91-years-old this year.

Dubbed ‘R435: The Lone Wolf,’ the station was  part of the New Toronto Fire Dept., (NTFD) which served Mimico and Long Branch, before it was absorbed by the Etobicoke Fire Dept. (EFD) in 1967 and later Toronto Fire Services under amalgamation in 1998.

The first volunteer fire brigade was organized in the area around 1914, according to records, which described the equipment as “rudimentary’ and consisted of two lengthy pieces of hose, a wheelbarrow and axes placed at Fourth and Twenty Second Streets.

A hand-drawn hose cart was later obtained to make life a little easier for the volunteer firemen.

It wasn’t until 1918 that The Lone Wolf obtained its first motorized apparatus; a pumper built on a McLaughlin-Buick chassis.

Built in 1929, the two-bay fire hall and living quarters is pretty much the same today. The facility was manned by two paid fire fighters of a then 24-man strong EFD. It originally housed both the New Toronto municipal offices and volunteer fire department.

With the area undergoing rapid industrial growth during WW11, the NTFD became the first in Etobicoke to purchase an aerial truck, an American LaFrance 85′ mid-mount with a steel ladder that was delivered in 1954.

Proud fire fighters bragged about their state-of-the-art truck that could pump 850 gallons per minute at a raging blaze. The station would handle about 200 calls yearly.

By the 1950s the department had expanded to 26 paid men and by 1965 the use of volunteers was discontinued.

New Toronto amalgamated with neighbouring municipalities in 1967 to form the Borough of Etobicoke. The NTFD was no more and re-designated Etobicoke Fire Department Station 9.

Perhaps their busiest night on record was in 1954 when Hurricane Hazel struck killing dozens of people, including five volunteer fire fighters from the Kingsway-Lambton station. Dozens of residents were rescued along the Lakeshore that night, including several that had been swept into the Etobicoke Creek.

The station was re-numbered Station 435 in 1998 with amalgamation. Fire fighter Jon Lasiuk recalled their new patch says, the “Lone Wolf” remains “On Shore Patrol, protecting the south-west corner of Toronto.”

Tibetans giving back in these troubled times

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Members of the Tibetan Canadian Culture Center (TCCC) in partnership with Himalayan Kitchen, at 1526 Queen St. W., were handing out 233 hot lunch boxes on May 19 to those in need at the E.W. Bickle Centre for Complex Continuing Care, on 130 Dunn Ave., in the City’s west end.

“This is a small way by our community to thank our frontline Healthcare Heroes for their commitment and hardwork during these unprecedented times,” says TCCC president Tsering Wangyal. “We are all in this together and we all have to come together to show our kindness.”

The group thanked the frontline staff and were appreciative of the work they do to help the community.

The Bickle Centre provides palliative care for patients and have an interdisciplinary team that addresses areas as pain management, symptom control, physical comfort and emotional, psychological and spiritual needs.

Members of the TCCC plan to deliver on May 22 some 150 hot meals to the Eatonville Care Centre, with almost 250 residents; and 275 meals on May 24 to residents of Kensington Gardens, a non-profit, long-term care home in the heart of Kensington Market, which offers 24-hour care, programs and services for the 350 residents and their families.

The TCCC has also been raising funds to make more food, dozens of masks and headgear, which are available at their 40 Titan Rd. centre. Donations can also be made online at tcccgc.org.

Alicia’s world as a successful coach and bodybuilder

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Local bodybuilder Alicia Bell is a certified personal trainer and high-level coach who spends a lot of time in area gyms working out.

A busy Bell fell in love with South Etobicoke and moved here about three years ago from her native Plaster Rock, New Brunswick.

“I chose Etobicoke because I love how beautiful the area is,” Bell says. “One of my favourite gyms is here and I love how close it is to the city.”

The former track and field athlete and online coach is an International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Figure Pro, which means she has earned a Pro Card from winning a regional contest weight class.

She is an accredited kinesiologist and works as a strength coach, fitness model and competitive figure athlete, who coaches sprint, hurdles and track and field.

“Alicia has devoted her life to helping people reach their goals in fitness and sport,” her biography explains. “She is a well-known Canadian health and fitness Influencer and blogger.”

Bell writes for numerous fitness websites and publications and has been featured in three commercials; which includes endorsing products for New Balance Canada and Fuel Foods.

“I always tell young people never give up on their dreams,” she stresses. “You never know which lap will be your victory lap so keep going.

The athlete is a recognized track and field coach, who is well-known for coaching Team Canada at the Maccabi games in Israel in July of 2013. She led the team to 13 medals.

Now a head Track and Field Coach at Ryerson University, she also runs her own firm, Train It Right, a personal training and track and field club. She is also a content creator for Fitness Republic and Corus Entertainment.

“Who would have thought that someone like me from Plaster Rock could be a leader in health and fitness, shoot commercials and be in magazine,” she asks.

Bell has worked with National Basketball Association (NBA) clients as Dwight Howard and Rashad McCants; Olympic 800-metre runner Geoff Harris; U.S. rapper Lil Jon; author, actor Hill Harper and even rapper Drake’s mom, Sandi Graham.

She can be reached at her website www.trainitright.com

 

Hall of Famer Walls was a Canadian boxing champ

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Earl Walls was a top Etobicoke boxer who was dubbed the “Hooded Terror” as the fought his way to become Canada’s Heavyweight Boxing Champion in the early 1950s.

Walls, who went on to become a successful realtor in the Kingsway area, is one of a few Blacks in the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame, at the Ford Performance Centre, which lists hundreds of hockey, lacrosse, football players, jockeys, golfers, some politicians and media personalities.

Dubbed the “Hooded Terror” in the ring, Walls began boxing at age 19 and quickly won the Ontario Amateur Heavyweight Championship. The native of Puce, near Windsor, started his professional career with a knockout victory in a fight in New York City.

After losing his next three bouts, he set up training in Alberta and by June of 1952 had won the Canadian Heavyweight title. In his pro career, Walls knocked out 27 opponents, including 14 in the first round.

“His boxing career was brief but extremely successful,” sports writers said of Walls.

By 1955, he was on his way to becoming the second Canadian, behind Tommy Burns, to take the  World Heavyweight Championship.

Walls was a contender then ranked fifth in the world and a title shot against the champ Rocky Marciano was in the works.

But in June of that year, at the age of 27, Walls stunned the boxing world by announcing his retirement.

Then married and with a young family, Walls no longer wanted to step into the ring.

“Boxing is a business. Strictly a career with me,” he explained in a newspaper article. “I don’t go for violence. And I don’t like the wrong impression people get of fighters – that we’re all gorillas, social bums.”

He gained enormous success in real estate while raising his family in Etobicoke, where he was involved with a number of charities, including Variety Village’s Sunshine Games. He is also a member of the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame and the Afro-American Sports Hall of Fame in Detroit. He died in 1996.

 

Local funeral home takes part in Canadian military service

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Local funeral home owner Brad Jones says it was a repatriation service he will never forget.

Jones, of Ridley Funeral Home, at 3080 Lake Shore Blvd. W., was among the companies that helped the Canadian military to transport the body of Sub-Lt. Abbigail Cowbrough and honour five of her colleagues who died in a helicopter crash off the coast of Greece.

A Cyclone helicopter carrying six Armed Forces members crashed into the Ionian Sea on April 29. Defence officials have said it was returning to HMCS Fredericton at the end of a NATO training mission.

The remains of Cowbrough were recovered while the other five service members on board are missing and presumed dead. The remains of one other person have been recovered but not yet identified.

Cowbrough’s casket, which was draped in the Canadian flag, was slowly carried out of a CC-177 Globemaster at CFB Trenton by fellow military members while the mournful sound of bagpipes played. Her family then gathered next to a hearse after the casket was placed inside.

“It was a life-changing experience,” Jones recalls. “It was very somber seeing the many people lining up on bridges and overpasses along the Highway of Heroes as we made our way downtown.”

Jones, whose home is celebrating 100-years this year, says the crowds were very somber, respectful and “people braved the virus to be out on the bridges and along the highway to catch a glimpse of our heroes.”

The Canadian Armed Forces in a statement said “despite the challenges presented by the current COVID-19 environment … we are committed to a dignified and respectful repatriation for our fallen aviators and sailors.”

The other fallen members are Capt. Brenden Ian MacDonald, from New Glasgow, N.S.; Sub-Lt. Matthew Pyke, from Truro, N.S.; Capt. Kevin Hagen, of Nanaimo, B.C.; Capt. Maxime Miron-Morin, from Quebec; and Master Cpl. Matthew Cousins, from Guelph, Ont.

Cowbrough is the second female Canadian military officer to have lost her life in a month. Capt. Jennifer Casey, from Halifax, was killed after a Snowbirds famed Tutor jet crashed shortly after takeoff in Kamloops, B.C., on May 17, while in the midst of a cross-country tour to boost morale during the pandemic.

Steaming Pickin’ Chicken still sorely missed by many residents

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Many area residents are still licking their fingers with delight as they recall from yesteryear a busy fleet of VW Beetles that shuttled steaming barbequed chicken to mouth-watering households.

The popular Pickin’ Chicken BBQ restaurant opened in 1953 and had developed quite a poulet-loving following in its 17-years of operation in a time before take-out food would become as widespread as it is today with Uber Eats, DoorDash and other apps.

The company, aside its chicken, is best remembered for its fleet of colourful Volkswagen Beetles that delivered thousands of chicken legs and breasts dinners and assortments to awaiting Etobicoke and Toronto residents.

The cars were painted in bright colours with the Pickin’ Chicken name, phone number and address.

The beloved restaurant, which would later be copied by eateries as Swiss Chalet and others, stood at the site of Marina del Ray Condominiums, at 2261 Lake Shore Blvd. W., in Mimico.

The business was owned by Saul and Jerry Goldberg, who copied the success and soon opened two other thriving locations on Queen Street W., at Roncesvalles, and on Kingston Road.

Before long there were seven takeout franchise locations and Pickin’ Chicken was one of the favourite order-in meals at the time.

Hungry residents could have their choice of barbecued chicken as eat in, takeout, or delivered to their front door while the meal was still steaming hot.

Many in the community still remember licking their fingers after ordering Pickin’ Chicken on a Friday night.

“It was a great place,” agrees one long-time resident. “The chicken was always good and it was well-ahead of its time.”

But like many fast food outlets over the years, the business went bankrupt in 1970.

The property was sold to a developer who was planning to build a large world class hotel, but due to political pressure those plans were dropped. The property would change ownership more than once before it was finally purchased by corporation.

The 46-floor Palace Pier North Tower was completed in 1978 and the South Tower was finished in 1991. They were at one time the tallest, and one of the most expensive, residential complexes in Canada.

 

Three New Toronto brothers sent to WW1 and only one return

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By TOM GODFREY

These three courageous brothers from Fourth Street would set out for war, but only one would return home.

It’s almost like the movie Saving Private Ryan, but it took place right here in New Toronto more than a century ago.

It will be 105-years in September when the three valiant brothers enlisted in the Canadian military to fight for their country, but only one survived to return home as his siblings were killed in action overseas.

In the award-winning movie, U.S. officials learn that three of the four sons of the Ryan family were killed in action and frantic efforts were underway to return home a fourth son, James.

Victor, John and Thomas Arding, were born in Berkshire, England, but moved to Canada with their parents, William and Emily, who brought them up with lots of love in a small house on Fourth St.

Close brothers Victor and John enlisted into the Canadian military on the same day in October 1915 and were members of the 75th Battalion, as members of the 9th Mississauga Horse, of the Canadian Infantry.

They were both killed in action just more than a year later on November 18, 1916.

Their youngest brother, Thomas, had enlisted in the Canadian navy.

John, at 32, a Corporal, had worked as a fireman at Ritchie’s paper mills, was a member of a militia and had eight-years with the Queen’s Own Royal Lancers, a cavalry regiment of the British Army.

The father of three young children had also served in the Imperial Army of India, along with Victor.

He was injured in France in September 1916 and killed two months later.

His wife, Florence, was devastated and almost collapsed when told of her husband’s death, according to the Toronto Daily Star.

Brother Victor, a sergeant, was killed in a bomb explosion in the Desire Trench at the Somme. His remains were never found and he is listed on the Vimy Memorial in France.

A devastated Thomas completed his term with the navy and returned home.

News of the deaths spread like wildfire in New Toronto rocking the tight and closely-knit community.

Community leaders decided to honour the Arding brothers, and other slain soldiers from the area, by constructing The New Toronto War Memorial, which was designed as a fountain and opened in 1919 before hundreds of residents.

The 626-pound memorial now sits deserted outside the former Royal Canadian Legion Hall on Eight St.. A new home has been found for the monument on the grounds of Humber College.

The fountain was a brainchild of the ladies of Soldiers’ Comforts Association, which sent thousands of parcels overseas to troops during the war. The group had $800 cash left over and the fountain was constructed. Engraved on it are the names of the 19 area soldiers who had lost their lives in war.

The names included: John Arding, Victor Arding, Reginald Barron, Ernest Clark, Frank Clark, William Cooper, Fred Critchley, Joseph Hodges, Canton Gordon, Vincent Leaghey, Neil McFadyen, Arthur Millard, Joseph Mullineaux, John Neil, Richard Saunders and Joseph Staples.