A long-awaited community meeting to give input into the massive Park Lawn Lake Shore Transportation Master Plan (TMP) was called off last month due to the COVID-19 virus.
The meeting, which was slated for March 24 at Trident Banquet Hall, on Evans Ave., was the second being held to examine the multi-year TMP process to evaluate options to improve the area’s transportation network.
A proposed Park Lawn GO station slated for the Parklawn Rd. and Lake Shore Blvd. W. area is in the early planning stage. An initial business case was completed in February 2018, showing the location has positive benefits.
City planners say service at Mimico station will continue to improve as the GO Expansion Program is delivered to provide all-day two-way service every 15 minutes, or better, along the Lakeshore West Corridor.
The plan includes dedicated transit priority lanes for Park Lawn Rd. and Lake Shore Blvd. W., which will have integrated TTC streetcar and bus service with the GO Station to create a new transit hub.
A widening of the bridge at Mimico Creek to handle more traffic is also proposed, including improved pedestrian and cycling facilities.
The plan will also add two new roads to help traffic flow in the area, include a new connection from Brookers Lane to the Lake Shore Blvd. eastbound off-ramp.
The Park Lawn Road and Lake Shore Boulevard West area has grown significantly over the past 20 years. During this time, the area’s transportation network has remained relatively unchanged. Limited options to connect to destinations has resulted in increased traffic congestion. With additional growth anticipated in the future, transportation improvements are needed to support better travel options for walking, cycling, taking transit and driving.
The TMP provides the first step in a multi-year process to evaluate options to improve the area’s transportation network, including: better access to street, transit and active transportation networks,
additional safe and convenient transportation connections across major physical barriers, planning for future investment in public transit, pedestrian and cycling networks and high-quality streetscape design.
The study area where potential improvements are being considered is bound by Ellis Ave. to the east, Legion Rd. to the west, The Queensway to the north and Lake Ontario to the south.
No date has been set for another meeting. For more information visit toronto.ca/parklawnlakeshore
Fly your flag in support of COVID-19 heroes
Members of the community are being encouraged to proudly display their Canadian flags to show their support for frontline emergency, police and healthcare workers fighting to save lives in the war against COVID-19.
Area residents are urged by some other residents and community leaders to adorn their windows or outside of their homes with our glorious flag to show their appreciation for the frontline workers who show up work every day under challenging conditions.
Children at home from school can make their own Canadian flags rather than going outside to purchase one and risk exposure to the deadly virus.
Appreciative people the world over are taking to their balconies to clap, sing or make noise to honour the many doctors, nurses and hospital staff toiling to stem the tides of the pandemic to keep others safe.
Thieves preying on seniors in COVID scams
By TOM GODFREY
They are the lowest of the low.
Police are warning residents to be on the alert for scammers going online and door-to-door peddling a range of fake COVID-19 test kits, face masks, hand sanitizers and miracle cures to try and defraud members of our community.
The conmen may advertise on what appear to be government programs or fake charity appeals to try and steal money from residents. They usually target seniors.
“Beware of unsolicited calls, texts and emails offering ‘free’ medical or health products, and those with links or attachments,” police say, adding residents should not respond to suspicious messages.
“Clicking on the link will take you to a scam website and that’s where the hack begins,” officers say.
There have been warnings about the scam issued by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), the Better Business Bureau (BBB), City of Toronto and a list of police forces.
The CAFC say people should be wary of private companies offering face masks or COVID-19 tests, which are currently only available at hospitals.
“Fraudsters are creative and want to profit from consumers’ fears, uncertainties and misinformation,” the CAFC said in a release.
They say people going door-to-door offering de-contamination services should be avoided.
Police say one hacker even went as far as creating a fake Public Health Agency of Canada website to try and defraud residents.
The BBB have received complaints about alleged scam websites selling masks and other goods online.
They are urging residents to be vigilant and avoid “fake cures, phony prevention measures and other coronavirus cons.”
“The best way to avoid getting scammed is to buy the goods directly from a seller you know and trust,” the BBB stated.
Even Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, General Manager for Emergency Management for the City of Toronto, is warning of the crooks preying on residents by selling COVID-19 test kits.
‘This is a total scam,” Pegg says, noting that residents can obtain accurate information by visiting City websites.
“This is terrible news,” warns resident Helen Filipe. “This is an all-time low. Yikes.”
City officials can be reached by dialling 311, or at toronto.ca. The number for Toronto Public Health is 416-338-7600 and their email is publichealth@toronto.ca
February is Black History Month
February is Black History Month and there are a number of interesting events taking place in the community to commemorate the annual event.
The St. Margaret Church, New Toronto, is hosting a forum on February 9 to mark the occasion.
The forum is called ‘From Harriet Tubman to Black Panther; Afro-Futurism and Prophetic Imagination’ and takes place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the 156 Sixth Street church.
The speakers include Carol B. Duncan, of the Dept. of Religion and Culture, of Wilfred Laurier University.
Gideon Strauss, the Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Worldview Studies, at the Institute for Christian Studies, will also be addressing residents.
The Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment, 101 Portland St., is also staging a forum to mark the event.
Emma Asiedu-Akrofi, the Centre’s Executive Director, says the annual Black History Month Celebration and Fundraiser will take place on February 22 at the Assembly Hall, 1 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr.
“It promises to be great event as in previous years,” Asiedu-Akrofi says. “We’re in the process of finalizing details of the event.”
A Black History Month Cultural Celebration also takes place on February 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall.
Deputy Mayor Stephen Holyday will speak and the International Decade for People of African Descent from 2015 to 2024 will be celebrated.
The City of Toronto is staging a Black History photo display and events for the public. The City last month marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day with events and speeches. January 20 is declared Martin Luther King Jr. Day and is a public holiday in the U.S.
Known for his “I Have A Dream” speech King was gunned down in Memphis on April 4, 1968. The famed American civil rights leader was assassinated at the age of 39 while on the balcony of the famed Lorraine Motel.