The South Etobicoke News

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

22 Division Station Duty Operator Samler retires after 37-years

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One of the longest-serving Station Duty Operator for Toronto Police has answered her last call after 37-years of service on the force.

Dianne Samler was given a great send off last week by friends and colleagues of 22 Division, where she has worked for many years.

“It is a well-deserved retirement,” one senior officer said. “On behalf of the Command, all sworn and civilian officers at the 22 Division, Toronto Police Service, thank you for your service. “

Many officers and civilian employees were sad but happy at the same time to see her go.

“Wishing you the best retirement ever!” another officer said. “Enjoy the new chapter of your life and enjoy being your own boss.”

“Thank you for your work and dedication to keep our families safe! God Bless you,” co-worker Sandy Savo wrote on social media.

Lynn Gardner Perani thanked Dianner for a job well done.

“Time for you to relax a bit and enjoy your retirement,” Perani wished. “Best wishes for a happy future coming your way.”

“Happy retirement Dianne,” echoed Christine Page. “Thank you so much for being so devoted to serve the community with integrity.”

“Congratulations partner,” wrote Stephanie Lariviere. “I will miss “everything” about the times we shared. See you soon.”

Sylive Guay said Dianne was a very hard and dedicated worker.

“Indeed one of the hardest working SDOs I have ever known,” Guay wrote. “You’ll love it and you will be missed.”

Elaine Jacqueline Tweedie touted that Dianne now belongs to the best club ever.

“It has been the greatest pleasure knowing you,” Nicole and Michael wrote. “So much love for you.”

Happy Retirement Dianne!

 

 

New Toronto groups outraged over new City shelter being opened

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Residents and members of the Lakeshore Village BIA are up in arms after learning the City of Toronto plans to open a massive multi-bed municipal shelter in a prime location at 2950 and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W., at Eight St.

Talks have been underway since last November for the City to obtain the high-traffic location that was occupied for decades by a now vacant four-storey office building and former Bi Way store.

The acquisition was adopted on July 7 by the General Government and Licensing Committee and will be considered by City Council on July 28.

The financial information was not provided in Council documents since they claim the info can affect their bidding position.

BIA Chair Chris Korwin-Kuczynski says his members are furious since no one, including the City Councillor, notified the community about the pending acquisition.

“This was very sneaky,” he fumed. “This is a very important decision for the BIA and residents and no one told us it was in the works.”

The BIA will try to defer the July 28 meeting until public consultations are held by the community.

The City has deemed the property “as the only available viable option, with a willing seller, that is strategically located in the southwest area of Etobicoke.”

“The use of the property as a municipal shelter will support City Council’s direction to expand the number of permanent new shelter beds by 1,000,” according to documents filed.

The City said the two properties ‘create a large-sized property that allows flexibility in responding to changes in shelter standards and demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.’

Officials with the City’s Shelter, Support and Housing Administration say in response to the virus more space will be required with a two-metre separation between beds and other distance requirements.

“All new shelters, including the property, are being designed so that they may be converted into housing in the future,” according to the City. “As demand for municipal shelters changes, the property can be partly or wholly transitioned into supportive or transitional housing.”

Preliminary site investigations have been completed and sufficient funds for renovation and remediation have been made available.

If City Council approves the acquisition of the properties, renovation to shelter standards will commence in 2021 for the shelter to begin operations in 2022. It is estimated that it will contain about 100 beds.

The shelter will serve equity-seeking groups such as seniors, people with disabilities, individuals with mental health issues, the working poor, Indigenous people, people who identify as LGBTQ2S and other vulnerable groups.

The motion before City Council can be viewed here http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.GL14.11

 

 

Area women urged to apply for climate change mentorship program

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Women in the community can win a cash prize of $20,000 for their work with climate change.

They have until July 31 to apply for a Women4Climate Toronto Programme, which will contribute to the next generation of climate leaders, through a mentorship dedicated to women who are working to address the climate crisis.

Twelve women will be selected to join Toronto’s first cohort. Through a combination of mentoring, training and networking opportunities, participants will be supported and empowered to bring their climate-related project, idea, or business start-up to life.

Following the mentorship programme, the City of Toronto and partners will host a pitch competition, to reward the best women-led climate idea to create a healthier, more sustainable and resilient urban future.

The winner will receive additional support to advance her project, along with a $20,000 cash prize.

Women4Climate mentorship programme aims to support 500 women across the world to accelerate their climate projects.

Women leaders played a critical role in negotiating the Paris Agreement and continue to drive ambitious climate action in cities, businesses and NGOs around the world. Women also make up more than half the world’s population and are often disproportionately impacted by climate change.

Candidates must be a woman, live, study or work in Toronto and have a current climate action project, start-up business or idea for a future project.

Toronto is one of three cities in Canada and 16 cities globally participating in C40 Cities

For more information visit w4c.org.

 

Five family members arrested for gun offences

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Toronto Police have laid 53 charges after executing two warrants on July 14, leading to the recovery of 11 guns, 11,000 rounds of ammunition, 110 grams of crack cocaine, 400 grams of heroin and 672 grams of crystal meth.

Five people from the same Toronto household face a total of 53 charges after Toronto Police executed two warrants and recovered a stash of firearms, ammunition and drugs.

Officers from 11 Division Major Crime Unit, Community Response Unit and the Emergency Task Force recovered 11 firearms, 11,000 rounds of ammunition, 110 grams of crack cocaine, 400 grams of heroin, and 672 grams of crystal meth.

Samuel Morris, 34, faces 12 charges relating to drug possession and possessing prohibited firearms, unlicensed person possessing prohibited/restricted firearm, and possessing firearm obtained by crime.

Emily Morris, 25, faces five charges, including possession of schedule I substance, possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of schedule III substance, and possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000.

David Morris, 48, Rachel Morris, 19, and William Morris, 22, all of Toronto, are charged with possession of schedule I substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking schedule I substance.

 

 

Super baker Ruben chose New Toronto over 33 spots for business

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Master baker Ruben Pires loves New Toronto so much that he decided to buy and open a bakery and pastry shop here on his first visit to the area.

The Argentinian-born pastry chef had visited more than 30-bakeries in the GTA while searching for a shop to purchase.

He was at first interested in buying in the Niagara Falls area, before someone brought him to south Etobicoke and he fell in love at first sight with Delicia Bakery and Pastry, at 2854 Lake Shore Blvd. W., at Fifth St.

“We had seen about 33 bakeries by then and loved this area right away,” recalls Pires. “We loved the people and the sense of community that exist in the area.”

It has been just over a year since Pires, and his brother-in-law Leandro, purchased Delicia which has been doing well. They also own two other bakeries in Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina.

He proudly shows on his phone about six cameras installed at the stores in Argentina, which he monitors from here in real time.

“It was quite a challenge operating the business during the height of the pandemic,” he says. “The people here stood behind us and have supported us.”

At that time the bakery was operating on reduced hours and take-out service.

The airy store, which has the beautiful aroma of freshly-made breads, cakes and other goodies, is busy these days as area residents try to return to normal lives.

“People love our fresh, hand-made goods,” Pires says. “Our customers tell us every day that they cannot wait to come back and sit down with a cup of coffee.”

His secret is the use of fresh ingredients for all his goods, which are baked with a European and Latin American flair.

There is also a hot table, deli, delicious empanadas and cakes for all occasions. The coffee is also tasty and full-bodied.

The bakery can be reached at 416-503-0555 and they deliver to residents in the community.

 

 

Condo construction edges closer at vacant Mr. Christie site

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High-density sky condos are slowly moving closer to construction at the former Mr. Christie cookie site.

Another round of public engagement wrapped up on July 20 as developers fine-tune a mixed-use sky-rise community coming to 2150 Lake Shore Blvd. W., the vacant cookie plant site.

An Official Plan Amendment application for the 11-hectare property was submitted by landowners First Capital Realty and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in October 2019. It features a new community of 15 high-rises ranging from 16 to 70 storeys tall by London-based Allies and Morrison and Toronto’s Urban Strategies.

The neighbourhood will be home for more than 30,000 residents when completed, officials say.

Following feedback from the public and City staff, rezoning and Draft Plan of Subdivision applications have also now been formally submitted, with several revisions made to the multi-faceted development.

The main focus is a transit hub centres around a new Park Lawn GO Station, which remains a signature element of the proposal, and will be built by Metrolinx.

The revised master plan doubles the size of the proposed public park, tweaks the heights of several buildings, and makes accommodations for two new elementary schools.

A half-hectare public park, to be located near the northern edge of the property, has been enlarged to one hectare.

Buildings positioned to the north will shield the park from the noise and pollution of the Gardiner Expressway.

“Envisioned as an all-season area hosting a diversity of open spaces, the park will be complemented by a number of other green spaces on adjacent blocks,” according to the plan.

Enlarging the public park required reconfiguration of a central ‘loop road’ linked to Lake Shore Blvd. W. and a corresponding reduction in the size of the central galleria block, where a covered retail-lined pedestrian street is planned.

‘To ensure space for TTC bus bays along Park Lawn at the northwest corner, the proposed street connecting Park Lawn to the loop road will now be pedestrianized,” officials say.

In regards to potential shadowing on the proposed public park, the massing of the buildings fronting Park Lawn Rd. and Lake Shore Blvd. W. has been adjusted, shifting residential floor space to other areas of the site by enlarging the average residential tower floor plate.

While the applications are assessed by City staff, First Capital had invited the public to participate and submit questions by July 20 in a virtual open house for the proposed Park Lawn GO Station, which is expected to serve about 5,000 riders daily.

 

Welcoming NHL hockey stars to the area for season

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A campaign has been launched by the Lake Shore Village BIA to welcome NHL players arriving in town this weekend for the start of a shortened season of hockey.

BIA officials say as many as 12 National Hockey League (NHL) teams from the Eastern Conference will be Toronto for games. The Leafs usually practice at the Ford Performance Centre, on Kipling Ave.

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association have announced return-to-play protocols, which features  Toronto and Edmonton acting as hub cities for players to better fight COVID-19.

The teams are to touch down on July 26 and will play their games without fans at the Air Canada Centre. Some of the exhibition games start on July 28.

Chris Korwin Kuczynski, Chair of the Lake Shore Village BIA, says two large banners are being made to welcome the Eastern Conference Players.

He said dozens of smaller posters will be circulated to businesses and other BIA members.

“We want to welcome all the players on behalf of the Lake Shore Village BIA,” he says. “We want them to have an excellent season.”

The teams will be isolated and confined to ‘bubbles’ to avert the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The NHL playoffs this year is slated to begin on July 30 after two weeks training camp.

The league consists of 31 teams, 24 of which are based in the U.S. and seven in Canada.

 

 

Starting tomorrow face masks required on all GO Transit vehicles

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Area residents will require a face mask starting tomorrow if they’re using GO Transit vehicles.

Metrolinx says starting on Tuesday July 21 GO Transit staff will be on board trains, buses and in stations informing customers that they need to wear a face covering.

The masks are also required for those using UP Express, officials say.

The agency said there will be riders who, due to pre-existing conditions, will not be able to wear a face mask and said no customer will be “left behind.”

The move comes as more regions across the Greater Toronto Area implement the mandatory use of a facial covering for those attending indoor public spaces.

“In terms of our enforcement, of our requirement of people to wear face coverings, we will focus on education rather than enforcement,” says Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster. “Our employees will help customers on buses and trains if they haven’t got face coverings and we will ensure that no one will be left behind.”

“As the GTA starts to prepare itself for Stage 3 of the recovery, we are seeing many more customers return to our GO and UP services,” he admits.

The drivers of their transit vehicles have been wearing face masks for the last several months.

The transit agency has begun installing clear plastic dividers between seats on some of its buses and trains as part of 40 steps to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Facial coverings have been mandatory onboard all TTC vehicles since July 1.

 

 

Fraudsters claim to be from Service Ontario & preying on seniors

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Police are warning the public of an ongoing fraud in which a person claiming to be from Service Ontario may get in touch by phone or email.

The caller claims the person’s SIN number has been compromised and “used in fraudulent criminal activity.”

The caller asks the victim for the local police number. A short time a person claiming to be from police calls back continuing the story of the fraudulent activity and advises the victim to deposit money to a specific Bitcoin ATM.

Police say the scammers are able to spoof the police phone number on the victim’s caller ID telephone. Many of those targeted are seniors or the vulnerable.

“Toronto Police Service is reminding the public to be vigilant, especially in these times of uncertainty,” detectives said in a statement. “Government agencies will not ask the public to deposit money using Bitcoin machines.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5500, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.222tips.com

Police warn that some cabbies targeting riders’ credit cards

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Residents are being warned by police of an ongoing scam targeting people on the move using taxi services.

Toronto Police say the scheme unfolds after a person waves down a taxi cab and requests a ride to a destination.

“Once at the destination, the victim is asked to pay with a debit card,” according to a release from detectives in 14 Division. “The driver advises they do not have change and do not accept credit payment.”

Police say the driver then provides the fare with a debit card payment machine.

During the transaction, the driver switches the victim’s card with another person’s credit card, police warn.

Fraud officers say people should not give their cards to anyone and it should always be kept in their possession and never return  a debit card machine with your card still inserted.

People should also inspect their card after each transaction to ensure it is their proper card.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-1400 or anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).