The South Etobicoke News

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

Frontline heroes get pandemic pay raise

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They deserve every dime.

We have the most long-term care, retirement and supportive housing in our community and now area residents working in them are receiving a pandemic pay increase.

The Ontario government is raising the pay of frontline healthcare workers by $4 hourly on top of their existing hourly wages.

Employees working over 100 hours monthly would receive lump sum payments of $250 per month for each of the next four months, and can earn up to $3,560 in additional compensation, the province says.

Those eligible to receive the payment will be staff working in long-term care homes, retirement homes, emergency shelters, supportive housing, social services congregate care settings, corrections institutions and youth justice facilities, as well as those providing home and community care and some staff in hospitals.

The announcement was made by Premier Doug Ford on April 25 at Queen’s Park.

“These people put themselves in harm’s way to care for our sick and vulnerable citizens,” Ford said. “It’s time we give something back to those who sacrifice so much day in and day out.”

Staff providing frontline clinical services, along with those providing support services, such as cleaning and meal preparation, will be eligible to receive the pandemic payment. The additional compensation is temporary and would begin flowing immediately and continue for 16 weeks

The Ontario government have strongly supported frontline workers, including providing free emergency child care and securing necessary medical equipment and supplies.

The announcement was met with applause by appreciative front-line workers, many who have been working overtime battling the coronavirus. For more see news.ontario.ca

COVID-19 relief for small businesses, landlords

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The Ontario government is providing relief for small businesses and landlords in the community that are suffering from COVID-19.

The province has partnered with the federal government and has committed $241 million in a new $900 million Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program (OCECRA).

“Small businesses in Ontario are experiencing real financial pressures during the COVID-19 outbreak and are struggling to pay rent,” warns Christine Hogarth, the MPP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore “We moved quickly to provide support so our small businesses are able to succeed once it’s safe to reopen Ontario.”

She says OCECRA will provide forgivable loans to eligible commercial property owners experiencing potential rent shortfalls because their small business tenants have been heavily impacted by COVID-19.

Property owners to obtain a loan are required to reduce the rental costs of small business tenants for April to June 2020 by at least 75% and commit to stop evictions for three months.

The province to help the downturn has also doubled the Employer Health Tax exemption for 2020 and cut taxes by $355 million that benefitted roughly 57,000 employers, according to an April 24 release.

They also eliminated penalties and interest to businesses who miss filing or remittance deadlines for various provincially administered taxes for five months starting in April and added up to $6 billion in cashflow for about 100,000 Ontario businesses.

“By subsidizing rent payments, reducing taxes, extending deadlines, and eliminating penalties and interest, we’re helping to ensure businesses can start up quickly when the time is right,” Finance Minister Rod Phillips says.

“This package of supports will help them get through these difficult days and resume normal operations as soon as possible,” promises Vic Fedeli, the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Visit news.ontario.ca for more information.

Fundraiser to save girls’ centre hit by COVID-19

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Young girls in the community will suffer the most.

A badly-needed program to educate and empower young girls has shut its doors after falling victim to COVID-19.

A GoFundMe page has been launched to raise funds for the Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment after 95% of its funding was lost due to financial setbacks suffered by a major donor as a result of the pandemic, says Executive Director Emma Asiedu-Akrofi.

“The organization is being faced with the gut-wrenching decision to close its doors,” Asiedu-Akrofi says in a release. “Help us keep the Centre open to provide the necessary and essential services to girls and young women during COVID-19 and beyond.”

The Portland St., centre was founded by former MP Jean Augustine in 2014 to help girls between 7-17-years-old with after-school programs, workshops, life skills, academics and leadership skills. It also offered public speaking, resume building, tutor training, and courses in the sciences and technology.

“As a result of the impact of COVID-19, we have unfortunately lost our primary source of funding,” Asiedu-Akrofi told residents on April 17. “Programs are being suspended immediately as we make necessary adjustments.”

The popular Centre has been a pillar of strength in the community in helping to educate and empower more than 200 girls, young women and families in the last six years, she wrote.

Augustine, a former teacher and high school principal, was the first African-Canadian woman elected to the House of Commons. She was elected in the riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore in 1993 and sat in Parliament until 2006. She served as the Fairness Commissioner for the Government of Ontario advocating for Canadians with foreign credentials from 2007 to 2015.

Donations can be made to ‘Help Save the Jean Augustine Centre’ at gofundme.com to help keep the Centre open to provide the essential services for girls and young women during COVID-19. So far almost $2,000 of a $100,000 goal has been raised.

Mimico’s Loblaw started Canada’s largest food chain

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It was 92-years ago that Loblaw Groceteria opened its New Toronto store on the south side of Lake Shore Blvd. W., between Fifth and Sixth Streets.

The firm was established in 1919 and quickly became a hit due to the unheard of concept of self-shopping, self-serve and cash and carry. The New Toronto store hired many local people when it was opened in 1928.

Many residents at the time vowed self-shopping would never work, but by 1928 there were 70 stores in Ontario. The company had a state-of-the-art head office and warehouse at Bathurst and Fleet Streets that had its own electric trams, giant ovens and employee bowling lanes and auditorium.

Today, Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is the largest Canadian food retailer in 22 markets with some 2,000 stores and 135,000 employees. The company owns No Frills with 200 franchise stores and the Shoppers Drug Mart chain with 1,300 stores from coast-to-coast.

The grocery chain was founded by Theodore Loblaw, who was born near Alliston, and moved to Toronto in 1890 and later settled in Mimico.

At 17, he found a job as a grocery store clerk, and used the experience to open his own store in 1919 which grew to become today’s chain of Loblaws grocery stores.

T.P., as he was called, and his wife Isabella Adam, built a large estate home on the Lakeshore in Mimico and named it Bonnyview. After she died in 1930, the house was sold and later demolished.

 

Auto insurance rebate underway for COVID-19

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If you are a driver, you may have an insurance rebate awaiting you due to COVID-19.

Many motorists are claiming rebates from their insurance companies since they are driving less these days due to a spread of the virus.

A number of Toronto auto insurance companies earlier this month began offering rebates to customers who are working from at home, in quarantine, lost their jobs or staying indoors as ordered and only going out for essential trips.

It is easy to apply. All you do is contact your insurance agent, or send them an email, requesting a COVID-19 rebate for driving less.

The agent will send you by email an application form which asks for your name, policy number and other information. It takes less than 10-minutes to fill, then you can send back electronically. The form says you will receive a rebate by mail, or by direct deposit, in 10-days.

It is not a huge chunk of change and works out to up to one monthly payment, or more, depending on the amount of driving you do.

Don Forgeron, CEO of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, says “insurers understand that many drivers are no longer commuting or using their vehicle as regularly, which could result in savings.”

“This is an incredibly challenging and uncertain time for many Canadians, and insurers want to help alleviate some of the financial burden for the most vulnerable,” he says.

Some drivers can also save money on their car insurance by dropping a few coverages they do not need, says the Bureau.

Some of the auto insurance providers offering discounts because of COVID-19 include Allstate Canada, Aviva Canada, Desjardins Insurance, belairdirect, CAA, Co-operators, Intact Financial Corporation, Travelers Canada, Wawanesa Canada, SSQ Insurance and La Capitale Insurance and Financial Services.

LAMP feeding the needy in our community

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The tireless workers and volunteers at LAMP Community Health Centre are proud to be serving the community during these challenging times.

The long-established organization is giving away free food boxes and gift certificates for food to needy residents in the community.

Many people in the area are struggling and don’t have enough food at home, LAMP officials say. Some of these families rely on the healthy food, snacks and supper offered by LAMP programs, schools and other centres.

With all the programs closed that support is no longer available, so LAMP is boosting its efforts with the aid of a generous grant from Community Food Centres Canada and partners as Etobicoke Services for Seniors, the Rotary Club of Etobicoke, FoodShare and others.

LAMP is giving away Good Food Boxes and small gift certificates for food on a weekly basis to people needing help due to COVID-19. They are also giving out free lunch meal takeaway bags to residents five days a week.

The LAMP office at 185 Fifth Street has cancelled all routine, non-essential visits due to the virus and changed clinic hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday until further notice.

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

Please note that LAMP does not conduct tests for the coronavirus. There is a COVID-19 Assessment Centre in the Sunnyside Building, of St. Joe’s Health Care Centre, at 30 The Queensway.

If you do have to visit LAMP, you are asked to wait outside until your appointment and not in the waiting room to help with social distancing.

Donations can be made to LAMP’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund at https://lampchc.org/get-involved/donate/ or phone 416-252-6471.

Work to finally continue at Mimico Go Station

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Big changes are planned for the Mimico area with some major condo developments on the horizon.

Work will once again continue at a construction pit which was to have been the high-profile On The GO Mimico condo that has been sitting idle for about three years.

The site has languishing since 2017 when the 327 Royal York Rd. project was placed in court receivership after the developer ran out of money.

A rezoning application was submitted for the property and that of the GO Station at 315 Royal York Rd., last October by Vandyk Group of Companies which is hoping to build a 29 and 44-storey residential towers and commercial space with a reconstructed Mimico GO Station integrated into the podium.

Vandyk purchased the property in 2017 and is the largest landowner in the area with proposed high-density developments at 23 Buckingham Street and 39 Newcastle.

Metrolinx said in a 2018 deal they had partnered with the developer who would pay for the construction costs of a revamped Mimico GO Station in exchange for the air rights above the transit hub.

Mimico Station was built in 1967, the same year GO Transit began operation. It serves about 1,200 riders daily and ridership at the station is expected to triple by 2031.

Vandyk says the condo will feature 499 one-bedroom units, 121 two-bedroom units and 67 three-bedroom units for a total of 687 residences. There would be total 514 parking spaces for residential, visitor, office and retail users, with 103 of these spaces reserved for commuters.

The new Mimico GO Station would include direct connectivity to Royal York Rd., pick-up and drop-off spaces, a west tunnel providing platform access, a transit plaza and bicycle facilities.

Metrolinx has said a temporary station will be in place by 2023 while the new building is constructed. The rezoning application is currently being reviewed by the City.

Plans for another GO Station has also been given a green light for the former Christie Cookie site, which is in the planning stages. A similar upgrade is also planned for the Long Branch GO station.

 

Making noise for our healthcare workers

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Sing, ring a bell or clang an old pot.

South Etobicoke residents are joining others in banging pots and making noise in a show of support to our stressed-out frontline healthcare and emergency workers battling COVID-19.

There are noise-making activities that are taking place in Long Branch and Humber Bay Shores that needs the support of the community.

Humber Bay Shores resident Shawn Griffiths is reminding everyone of a ‘Shake the Shores’ event that takes place every Saturday from the balconies of the Lakeshore Blvd. W. and Parklawn Rd. area condo towers.

Griffiths say the next ‘Lets turn it up’ noisemaker is on Saturday April 25, from 7:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., for those in quarantine of self-isolation to ring bells, sing and make noise from their balconies to support our nurses, doctors and other emergency workers.

The last Shake the Shores attracted more than 100 people who tuned in to an i-Phone “community speaker sync” for three-songs. You will feel better after letting it all out.

“We are trying to help flatten the curve,” he says. “This Saturday will be amazing if we get the same level of participation.”

We saw a lot of people on their balconies cheering, dancing and singing along despite technical difficulties, Griffiths says.

Other balcony events are planned for May 2, 9, 16 and every Saturday during the quarantine. For more details www.shaketheshores.com

Similar noise-making events are also taking place nightly in Long Branch at  7:30 p.m., in which residents are asked to step out to their porches to ‘bang a pot, cheer or sing a song’ to thank our front-line workers battling COVID-19.

Contact Bill Zufelt, of the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association, by email for further information at longbranchnato@gmail.com

There are also reports of residents belting out the Canadian anthem every morning in the Long Branch area. Let us know if you have similar events in your community at thesouthetobicokenews@gmail.com

 

TTC lays off 1,200 workers due to COVID-19 fears

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TTC workers first began complaining of suspected COVID-19 cases at their Queensway Division, where eight staffers had gotten sick.

Today the transit company said in a release they were laying off 1,200  employees over the coming weeks in response to a dramatic decline in ridership due to the virus and a loss of $90 million in monthly revenue.

Earlier in the day the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), which represents TTC workers, had called on Toronto Public Health (TPH) to conduct COVID-19 tests on employees at the Evans and Kipling Aves. Division, where it said four workers have contracted the virus and four others had symptoms.

“Our concerns are that this is an outbreak in this garage,” ATU Canada President John Di Nino says.

Earlier this month, some 33 bus drivers walked off the job refusing to work at Queensway, demanding more personal protective equipment (PPE) to shield them from the novel coronavirus.

“We do not want to lose a member in the line of duty or any of the public who could be potentially affected by COVID-19,” Di Nino vows.

TTC officials say  1,000 transit operators and 200 non-unionized employees will be affected by the temporary lay offs.

The TTC plans to introduce a salary freeze for non-unionized employees, reduce the use of overtime across the organization, forgo seasonal hires and “delay all non-essential capital projects.”

Good deeds by area residents as we all fight COVID

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This food pantry is a sign of the times.

The good deeds by members of our community are continuing to shine proudly as those in self-isolation try to help their neighbours in these challenging times as we fight COVID-19.

Residents are stepping up to the plate by posting online countless ways to help others whether it is making masks, PPEs, collecting and distributing food or helping out as a volunteer.

“It is amazing to see our communities come together so much,” says Sabrina Viva, of New Toronto.

Her family has added a small pantry outside their home to help feed neighbours or those in the community who are hungry.

“Please help yourself if you need anything immediately and if you have more than enough at home feel free to add some items to the pantry,” Viva writes.

The pantry is on Sixth Street, a few houses north of Lake Shore Blvd., on the west side.

Long-time resident Daniel Lauzon, of Food for Now, is driving around the city distributing food and water to the homeless.

Daniel is seeking prepared and individually-wrapped food, like sandwiches, fruit cups, apple sauce, bottled water, granola or protein bars. No nuts please since many of the homeless have bad teeth.

Call him if you have any items of food to donate. He can be reached at 416-333-6763 and will be do a porch pick-up.

And the folks at Oxygen Bike Company have offered to refurbish up to five kids’ bikes and pass them along to local families in the area.

Oxygen will tune the bikes up, replace tires, seats and brakes if needed up to a value of $100 per bike. Donated bikes must be complete and in reasonable condition, with no structural damage, and be either a 20-inch or 24-inch wheel size suitable for 6 to 10-year-olds.

Oxygen will work with local organizations such as schools, churches and food banks to find suitable homes for the bicycles.

Donated bikes can be dropped off at 3267 Lake Shore Blvd West, near 25th Street, from April 22 to April 30. For more info contact 416-259-2453.