More than 1,000 Mimico area residents have signed a petition calling on City Council to crack down on the use of fireworks which they say affects their quality of life, causes injury, stress, pollution, pet and wildlife safety,

A group called the Etobicoke Fireworks Remediation Committee (EFRC) started the petition last September which was sent to Mayor John Tory, Councillor Mark Grimes, whom they met with, and others. There are two online petitions calling for the enforcement of fireworks by laws.

A motion by Grimes directs the Municipal Licensing and Standards and the Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services, in consultation with relevant City divisions, to report to the General Government and Licensing Committee on the outcome of a review of Chapter 466, which governs the use of fireworks.

The City will be looking at increased education, enhanced environmental protections and other regulations on the sales and discharge of fireworks.

Also sought are restrictions on fireworks sales both in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, in advance of the 2021 warm weather seasons.

Fireworks vendors are required to obtain a fireworks vendor’s permit, issued by Municipal Licensing and Standards, according to the City.

“Family fireworks are regulated through permits, conditions, and inspections and are enforced by Toronto Fire Services,” according to the agenda.

It states that without a permit, discharge of fireworks is only permitted on “designated holidays” such as Victoria and Canada day.

“We are receiving more reports of people purchasing and discharging fireworks throughout the year,” according to the document. “This is problematic in waterfront parks with their abundance of wildlife, aquatic habitats, and in some areas with a dense residential population.”

The EFRC petition states that Toronto public spaces have become ‘a free-for-all for year-round fireworks.’

They note parks like Humber Bay Shores and Ashbridges Bay have suffered from individuals with disregard for the needs of wildlife or neighbourhood peace shooting fireworks almost nightly as late at 3 or 4 am.

“The disruption to a peaceful environment, loss of sleep and overall harm to quality of life for residents speaks for itself,” the group wrote. “Geese, ducks, swans and grebes all consume fireworks debris left over in the water. Shoreline birds may experience panic during nesting.”

The EFRC warn the noise can lead nocturnal birds to become disoriented and fly into windows of nearby condos and chronic exposure from fireworks increases the risk to animal health.

“Species like the nocturnal Eastern Whip-poor-will are now designated as threatened, urbanization contributing to their diminishing numbers,” they warned. “We certainly don’t need to exacerbate the environmental threat to wildlife so carelessly.”

Next month will mark the 60^th year that Gloria Isadora Bartley broke barriers and tradition by becoming the first Black woman to be sworn in and serve with the then Metropolitan Toronto Police Force.

Bartley was quiet and reserved and served the City of Toronto from November 1960 to 1967, when she was mandated to retire after giving birth.

Prior to 1972, female Toronto officers had to resign after giving birth.

Bartley arrived in Toronto from Trinidad and Tobago in 1958 and worked hard and long hours to realize her dream.

“There was a buzz in the Service when Bartley broke the female colour line,” Larry McLarty, the force’s first Black male cop said then.

Insp. Sonia Thomas, who is now retired, said Bartley ‘was an inspiration to those who would follow.’

“I can only imagine how difficult it was for her joining at that time in a predominantly white male organization,” said Thomas.

Bartley died in April 2018 at the age of 84. A funeral service was held without much fanfare.

Her funeral was attended by several retired and active officers, including Thomas who was at one time the highest ranking Black female Toronto police officer.

The mother of one was remembered as a humble trailblazer whose legacy lives on today.

“She broke barriers so future generations don’t have to worry about those things,” her son Alonzo, recalled after his mom’s death.

She was “very quiet and reserved, even though she was a trailblazer,” Alonzo said. “She didn’t go out of her way to tell people. That wasn’t her style. She was very humble.”

He said his mom lived a full life and was always willing to give sound advice.

Her death is not forgotten by Toronto and other police and her anniversary on the force was Tweeted out by Ontario Women in Law Enforcement (OWLE).

“Being the first is often the toughest and most challenging. This lady paved the way,” wrote OWLE Canada officials. “Her light has shone brightly. Well done Madam.”

 

The more we know about how cybercrime works, the better we can protect ourselves and our assets from cyberattacks. Here are some common cyberattack tactics, courtesy of the OPP.

Typosquatting: The attacker buys domain names very similar to legitimate sites (usually a character or two difference) and squats on them, matching a brand’s look and feel. When a user fills out a form, the attacker harvests the user’s login credentials.

Clickjacking: The attacker conceals malicious hyperlinks beneath legitimate clickable content.

Baiting: The target is given a USB or other portable device preloaded with malware.

Doxing: The attacker publicly releases a person’s sensitive, identifying information (typically obtained from social media profiles).

Pharming: The attacker re-directs users from legitimate websites to fraudulent ones for the purpose of extracting confidential data.

Spoofing: The attacker deceives computers or users by faking their identity.

Phishing: The attacker sends an email or text message that appears to be from a legitimate person or organization but contains malicious links or attachments.

Social Engineering: The attacker extracts information from people without them being aware of or feeling interrogated.

Cross-site scripting: The attacker injects malicious code into a trusted website.

Device Drop: The attacker leaves a USB drive, CD-RW, phone or other storage device around an office and writes a tempting label on it, to encourage the finder to connect it to their device. Once accessed, the malicious code is launched.

How to Protect Yourself. Follow these quick tips to help defend yourself against cyberattacks.

Always use strong, hard to guess passwords and don’t use the same password for multiple accounts, enable multi-factor authentication whenever possible, make sure to use secure https connections when browsing the internet, only download files and apps from reputable websites, do not open files or links in emails or texts from suspicious or unknown senders.

Users should also keep their systems and applications up to date, review your security settings on all devices, keep your computer backed up, do not plug any unknown devices into your computer and limit the information you share on social media and only accept friend requests from people you know.

Please visit getcybersafe.gc.ca/en/home or cyber.gc.ca for more information.

 

An environmental study and another to assess noise and vibration are underway at the former Mr. Christie cookie factory lands in preparation for a proposed Park Lawn GO station.

The work is part of a Pre-Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP) that is studying the noise levels of the Lakeshore West Rail Corridor and other sources of noise and compare it to what is predicted, according to an October 9 letter sent to the Humber Bay Shores Residence Association (HBSRA) by the 2150 Lake Shore Transit EA.

The letter follows comments last summer from area residents on the Park Lawn Go Station Transit Project Assessment Process.

“The noise level will be compared to provincial standards for noise limits within populated areas and any necessary mitigation will be implemented if required,” according the letter.

They said a Natural Environment Report is also being undertaken to study the impacts of the station on the natural environment in the area.

The study will assess the existing conditions on the site including wildlife and species at risk habitat, aquatic habitat, watercourses, tree inventories and other natural features.

“The technical study will identify any impacts to the natural environment as a result of the proposed GO Station and mitigation, in retaining the function of the ravine system,” residents were assured.

The transit company said parking at the station will be non-existent to encourage residents to walk, cycle or take transit to the new station.

“Commuter parking is not planned for the Park Lawn Go Station,” the letter stated. “Area resident parking areas would be separate from the general parking area with access controlled through the use of security measures to prevent errant use of parking by potential customers.”

The letter stressed that mitigation measures are being incorporated in which long-term commuter parking usage of retail and visitor parking can be ‘controlled and prevented.’

“The need and range of measures and controls will be advanced as part of the planning process as new development proceeds,” residents were told.

They said a new relief road is planned north of the GO Station that will connect Park Lawn Rd., and Lake Shore Blvd. W.

“Other intersection improvements and realignments of the accesses to the Gardiner Expressway are proposed in addition to a series of internal roads on the 2150 Lake Shore site,” according to the document.

Members of the HBSRA said they raised five points during community meetings including little or no commuter parking to encourage active means of getting to the station and that drop-off areas take into consideration new street designs.

“This is an early stage of consultation so we have to wait and see what the study will recommend to ensure our concerns are adequately addressed,” the group said on social media.

First Capital REIT (FCR) has proposed to build the GO Station in partnership with Metrolinx that will be located at the north end of the 11-hectare site, known as 2150 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

The proposed station is anticipated to evolve into a transportation hub that would provide improved local and regional transit access and connectivity. GO Transit currently operates train service along the Lakeshore West Corridor, from Union Station in Toronto to West Harbour, in Hamilton and Niagara Falls.

The station is estimated to cost about $96 million to build and when operational around 2024 is estimated to service about 5,000 passengers daily.

First Capital intends to build a 655,000 square metre mixed-use development on the site, including 15 towers ranging in height from 22 to 71 storeys, according to a plan submitted to the city. There will also be schools and parks for residents.

Area resident Jean Augustine is being recognized for being a national trailblazer.

Augustine, the former four-term MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, is being presented on October 25 in an online event at 2 p.m. with a Key to the City of Vaughan as well as having a building and park named the Jean Augustine Complex and the Jean Augustine District Park.

“Ms. Augustine is a passionate educator, lifelong public servant and a national trailblazer,” says Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua. “She is Canada’s first female African Canadian Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister.”

Bevilacqua announced in a Council meeting last June that Augustine would be receiving the Key to the City and the complex and park will be named in her honour.

The former politician and school principal immigrated to Canada in 1960 from her native Grenada. She earned a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Toronto.

“Jean Augustine is certainly most deserving of this recognition,” he said. “Her story is one of courage, hope and perseverance, and I am blessed to bear witness to her outstanding achievements.”

Augustine was elected Member of Parliament in 1993 for the constituency of Etobicoke-Lakeshore, serving four terms until 2006.

In 2002, she was appointed Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Status of Women), and in 2003, she became Minister of State (Multiculturalism and Status of Women), later serving as assistant deputy speaker of Parliament until her retirement in 2006.

Augustine was nominated by the Government of Ontario in 2007 to become the first Fairness Commissioner, a position created to advocate for Canadians with foreign professional credentials. She retired from the position in March 2015.

In 2008, the Jean Augustine Chair in Education was established in the Faculty of Education at York University. Augustine also served as the National President of the Congress of Black Women of Canada. She has received multiple awards and recognitions for her work.

The tireless community worker is a Member of the Order of Canada and a recipient of multiple honorary doctorates. In 2014, she was the keynote speaker at the City of Vaughan’s International Women’s Day event, and, in 2019, met with her former seatmate in the House of Commons, Mayor Bevilacqua, to discuss issues of diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism.

Augustine is also involved in the Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment, on Portland St., and has had a fundraising beer named after her by Great Lakes Brewery, with funds going to help the girls.

The event can be seen October 25 at 2 p.m. on vaughan.ca/live.

The Ontario government is in the process of hiring 500 recruits to provide COVID-19 surge support for contact tracing this fall and winter.

The recruits are expected to be hired by mid-November, according to an October 14 press release from the Ontario government. The province has already 100 new contact tracers, many of whom are starting work now.

The position pays up to $20 an hour, which isn’t bad for working from at home.

“With rising COVID-19 cases and outbreaks, we need more contact tracers to ensure the province is able to identify and isolate new cases to limit and stop the spread of the virus,” said Health Minister Christine Elliott.

A lack of tracers has led to members of the Ontario Public Service volunteering for redeployment to provide surge support for contact tracing this fall and winter. More than 600 Statistics Canada employees have been helping since last July with contact follow-up.

There are currently more than 2,750 case and contact management staff active across all public health units, tracing and managing COVID-19 cases. These 600 new recruits and 600 personnel from Statistics Canada brings the total number of case and contact management staff to nearly 4,000, government officials said.

Recently the province has seen a dramatic rise in the number of people with COVID-19, especially in hotspots like Toronto, Ottawa, and Peel, the release states.

The surge has in Toronto and elsewhere led to the closure of gyms and other businesses and non-dining in restaurants.

“Hiring additional contact tracers and case managers and deploying them across Ontario will significantly boost the province’s response to the surge in cases and keep the most vulnerable safe and schools open,” the release says.

Hiring additional contact tracers and case managers and deploying them across Ontario will significantly boost the province’s response to the surge in cases and keep the most vulnerable safe and schools open.

These new positions are part the province’s fall preparedness plan, Keeping Ontarians Safe: Preparing for Future Waves of COVID-19, which dedicates $1.376 billion to enhance and expand testing and contact tracing in the province.

For more information visit www.publichealthontario.ca