The South Etobicoke News

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

Long-awaited info session for New Toronto shelter set for Oct. 20

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South Etobicoke residents have waited a long time and will finally have a say into a proposed 95-bed New Toronto municipal shelter on October 20.

Councillor Mark Grimes, in his weekly update, wrote that a virtual (telephone and online) Information session will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“In an effort to practice physical distancing to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and promote collective well-being, this information session will be online and phone in,” Grimes said.

His office is urging residents to send in their questions 24-hours in advance to a Community Engagement Facilitator.

City Council at its meeting last July 28 authorized the City of Toronto to enter into an agreement to purchase 2950 and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W., for use as a municipal shelter, and possibly, affordable housing.

The closing date of the purchase is listed as December 2020, with construction to begin next year and with an opening date in 2023.

Council documents show that the buildings will be purchased for more than $13 million.

News of the proposed shelter has divided the community with those who want it relocated to another part of Ward 3 and not in a commercial area.

City officials said from 2018 to 2020 they looked at 49 property sites for a possible shelter in Ward 3.

They said activities are planned to ensure residents are informed including a community safety walk and a meeting with key stakeholders before the Information Session.

If you are not able to attend the meeting but have questions, you can get in touch with Community Engagement Facilitators Maria Crawford or Violet Ilkiw, of Barnes Management Group, at 416-800-2914 ext. 202.

They can be reached by email at 2950.70lakeshoreblvdwest@gmail.com

General enquiries to the City can be sent to ssha.homeless@toronto.ca

The call-in number for the Information Session is 416-915-6530 ext. The access code is 133 242 5334.

The link to the online session will be available one week before the session will begin. The website is    www.toronto.ca ∕ShelterExpansionSites

Some businesses close and restaurants end dining in to fight virus

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Local businesses will be crying the blues as tough new guidelines kick in at midnight to tackle the latest surge of COVID-19 in Toronto.

The measures, which will affect thousands of people, start on October 10 and will run for 28 days, and include an end of indoor dining at restaurants and bars, the closing of gyms, movie theatres, casinos, bingo halls, conference and convention centres, performance arts and racing venues.

After 28-days the measures will be reviewed by Ontario government health experts.

Schools, child-care centres and places of worship will remain open. Before-school and after-school programs will also be exempt from the new restrictions.

Personal care services where masks must be removed are prohibited, as are team sports games, scrimmages and interactive exhibits in places like galleries and museums.

Capacity limits are reduced to 10 people indoors for tours, real estate open houses and meeting and event spaces. Physical distancing must be maintained. Team sports will be limited to training sessions only.

Food courts in shopping centres can remain open but will be available for take-out only

Wedding receptions will be limited to 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors effective Oct. 13.

The government is also asking people to only leave their homes for essential purposes. Travel to other regions in the provinces should also be limited but there are no travel bans in place.

“All trends are going in the wrong direction,” Premier Doug Ford said at Queen’s Park on Friday. He said the pandemic has picked up speed at “an alarming rate.”

Ford added that if current trends continue, hospitals could be overwhelmed with intensive-care unit placements tripling in less than 30 days.

The new restrictions come as Ontario marked a record 939 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, most of them in Toronto, Ottawa and Peel Region. Those regions have consistently reported the majority of new cases in recent weeks.

Hospitalizations have increased by 250 per cent over the past three weeks, with a total of 225 people hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Thursday.

Ford has directed his finance minister to make $300 million available to support small businesses for 28 days, including waiving provincial and municipal property tax bills as well as hydro and natural gas bills.

The Ontario government said this month that they are also raising the pay of the province’s almost 150,000 personal support workers by $3 an hour until March due to their work fighting the virus.

Keeping busy with things to do in our community

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Here are some of the many things happening right here.

BOOST YOUR WELLNESS at 2 p.m. on Zoom as  LAMP is offering another free virtual wellness workshop to  help you during COVID. It in-cludes breath work, strengthening exercises, meditations and encouragement. Wellness specialist Mary Craig has been working in the mental health field for more than 20 years and is a certified instructor in Yoga and Qigong. Call or email Jasmin Dooh to register jasmind@lampchc.org or 416-252-6471

COACH CORIN IS BACK on Zoom every Wednesday at 3 p.m. with a series of virtual workshops on October 7, 14, 21 & 28. Facilitator Corin De Sousa is a graduate of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program and the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) program from the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI) at Women’s College. Call or email Jasmin Dooh to register jasmind@lampchc.org or call 416-252-6471.

EMERGENCY FOOD TAKE OUT meals continue to be offered Monday through Saturday from 9:30 am to 11:30 a.m. through LAMP’s adult drop-in program. Group programs are closed. Phone 416-252-6471. Located at 185 Fifth Street.

GOOD FOOD MARKET OPEN EVERY WEDNESDAY from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Lakeshore Village Park. Get fresh fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. The Gardens Lakeshore is hosting several workshops. Contact christianaz@lampchc.org

JEAN AUGUSTINE CENTRE FOOD TO TABLE PROJECT for young women in the area experiencing food insecurity due to COVID. You can qualify for a monthly $50 gift card. Registration opens the first Monday of the month and you will be notified of pick up date. Program runs until December. Email them at info@jeanaugustinecentre.ca or visit at jeanaugustinecentre.ca

HAVEN ON THE QUEENSWAY HAS SHUT MOST of its programs and services due to COVID but will continue to serve its food bank users by appointment and pick up at their 1533 The Queensway office. Call 416-640-2005 to make arrangements to access the Haven food bank.

MOST PROGRAMS AT STOREFRONT HUMBER, at 2445 Lake Shore Blvd. W., are cancelled with only essential services, like personal care, support or respite provided. Contact them at 416- 259-4207 or visit sfh@storefronthumber.ca

OCT. 7 COVID FOOD DRIVES Wednesday only from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., being held for “Youth Without Shelter” and “North York Harvest Food Bank.” Please drop off basic foods at Montgomery’s Inn or deliver to Dave Crack. Call 416-550-5145,  by Oct 6. Details at RotaryTorontoWest.ca

OCT 7, 14, 21, and 28 BOTTLE DRIVES on Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., being held to support our many local charity projects. Please drop off Beer Store or LCBO bottles or cans and deliver to Montgomery’s Inn or Dave Crack. Contact 416-550- 5145 by Oct 27. Details at RotaryTorontoWest.ca

OCT. 26 ETOBICOKE CAMERA CLUB AWARD Salon Winners for Photographers Choice competition will be awarded with presentations and Nature category critique. New guests welcome. See what we’re about and enjoy some fabulous photo entertainment. Free admission to this virtual session; to register email info@etobicokecameraclub.org.

FREE BOOKS AT CHRIST CHURCH St. James food pantry on the second Saturday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., or the last two Wednesdays of the month from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Parents can pick up a book and get tips on how to encourage a love of reading at the church at 194 Park Lawn Rd., near The Queensway.

OCT. 31 HALLOWEEN CORNER sponsored by the Lakeshore Village BIA at the corner of Lake Shore Blvd. W., and Sixth Street from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Lots of treats. Treat bags will be pre-packed by volunteers to hand off to children as they walk by due to COVID-19. Kids must be wearing face masks or other protective gear.

Police arrest women with booster bags accused of stealing batteries

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They are brave and are hooked on stealing.

Two young women have been arrested by police and booster bags, used for stealing were seized, after $2,500 worth of batteries were allegedly stolen from a South Etobicoke store.

Police say the women were arrested at a local hardware store “with a high-end bag.”

“These bags are known as booster bags which are insulated and lined with custom hand-rolled tin foil inside,” officers from 22 Division said on October 1 in a Tweet.

The foil is said to avert detection of the stolen goods from anti-theft devices inside the stores. They say the bags, which are used by organized theft rings, expand as more stolen goods are placed inside.

Police say a sharp eye security officer detected the thieves and called police. The women were arrested and charged accordingly, according to police.

Officers have not revealed the names of the women.

Police called the thefts ‘sophisticated and organized’ and that it costs Canadian retailers about $4.67 billion yearly.

It results in Canadian consumers paying 20 per cent more for goods as a result of retail theft, according to a social media campaign last year.

In Toronto last year, a joint investigation by loss-prevention officers and Toronto Police resulted in three arrests in connection with an elaborate and organized shoplifting ring targeting mall stores.

Nearly $390,000 in clothing had been stolen and $90,000 in personal items, including shampoo and hand cream, for a grand total of nearly $500,000.

The stolen goods were allegedly being sold from a semi-detached home North York, detectives say.

Much of the ‘hot’ goods are also sold at pop-up events, warehouse sales, flea markets and low-income malls in neighbourhoods where people do not ask many questions if the price is low, police say.

Stolen goods may also show up mixed among legitimate goods at convenience stores and discount stores owned by unscrupulous vendors.

Police say harsher penalties are required since retail theft is viewed as a low-risk, high-reward crime. The penalties are minimal.

Even people who offend multiple times are only held in jail for a couple of days before they are released. He says criminals know they won’t face serious jail time for stealing from a retailer, so they stick to it.

 

Police trying to return six prized war medals to rightful owner

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Members  of South Etobicoke’s  large veteran community are being asked to keep an eye out for six stolen war medals.

Police are trying the find the owner of the rare World War II medals that were recovered during a drug investigation.

Officers say members of 51 Division Major Crime Unit were conducting a drug probe last September 22 in downtown Toronto when they located the medals “that did not belong to the person they were investigating.”

Police say the medals were found near a large quantity of crystal met and other drugs in the Church and Wellesley Streets area.

Hard-working detectives would like to return the medals back to their owner.

The medals are described as a 1939-1945 Star, Burma Campaign Star, Italy Campaign Star, 1939-1945 Voluntary Service Medal and 1939-1945 War Medal (Merchant Marines).

“These medals represent a significant contribution for voluntary service during the Second World War, on three continents spanning the entirety of the war from 1939 to 1945,” said Det. Const. Paul Walker.

“Having myself served on two NATO deployments with the British Forces, the sacrifice given to earn these medals is not lost on me,” he reflects. “I hope to return these medals, as their loss is almost certainly devastating for the person who earned them.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5100, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, online on our Facebook Leave a Tip page, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637).

Support your favourite football team and raise funds for charity

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Cover up while you represent your favorite team with this popular Toronto Argonauts face covering.

Football fan Tom Wolfer, who operates a Humber Valley Village Argos blog and leads an Argos Grey Cup fan-based campaign, said proceeds from the sale of the licensed face coverings through Real Sports Apparel will be donated to Second Harvest Canada.

“Humber Valley Village supports the Toronto Argonauts and Canadian Football League in 2020 and beyond,” Wolfer says by email. “ Huddle…Break…Set…Hut!”

Second Harvest is the largest food rescue organization in Canada and a global leader in food recovery.

“Working across the supply chain – from farm to retail – they capture surplus food before it ends up in landfill and has a negative environmental impact,” he says.

The fashionable face covering is not a medical device and is not intended to be personal protective equipment nor used by healthcare professionals in a healthcare, clinical environment or setting, Wolfer writes.

They have elastic closures and are made of 88% polyester, 12% Spandex and 100% cotton.

“Due to the hygienic nature of this product all masks are non-refundable and non-exchangeable,” according to the product.

You can purchase a three-pack of the Toronto Argos youth cloth face covering for $34.99.

A whole range of Argos products are available and can be purchased at https://shop.realsports.ca/pages/toronto-argonauts

Grimes a no show at meeting with community leaders on planned shelter

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City officials expect to close the sale of 2950 and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W., for use as a 95-bed municipal shelter by mid to late December if all goes well.

“Assuming there is not request for extension of due diligence it will be closing in mid to late December,” Loretta Ramadin, a Project Director of the City’’s Support and Housing Administration (SSHA) told members of  the community. The “last back out date is early November.”

Ramadin was talking to members of the Board of the Lakeshore Village BIA, staff of Councillor’s Mark Grimes office, SSHA and Barnes Management Group, the community engagement facilitator, in a virtual meeting on September 28 in an update of the proposed shelter, to be located at Lake Shore Blvd., and Eighth Street.

BIA officials are upset that Councillor Grimes did not show up for the much-anticipated meeting on the proposed shelter that has sparked a major controversy in his riding. Grimes has been silent on the issue.

When asked by BIA Chair Chris Korwin Kuczynski why Grimes was not in attendance.

Grimes’ assistant Kim Edgar said “this is the first of many meetings that will be held,” according to minutes of the meeting that was made available to the South Etobicoke News.

When queried about the more than $13 million the City is paying for the property, Ramadin said “the City has appraisals completed for the fair market value based on assembled, combined developmental costs.”

She said a former condo project was cancelled “due to the height of the proposed building.”
Edgar said the property owner decided to appeal to Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) because the City had not reported back in a timely manner.

“Owner approached the city and the opportunity presented itself to the city,” Ramadin noted.

She said the City selects a shelter location based on ‘building characteristics, proximity to TTC, property being available and other services in the area.”

“Homelessness exists everywhere in Toronto, including Etobicoke,” she said.

The group heard restrictions were lifted so there are no distance issues between the proposed shelter and nearby Women’s Habitat, which they say is a provincial organization, not a shelter.

Carolyn Doyle, of SSHA Community Engagement, urged the community to think of this as ‘providing a spotlight on the area programming needs of the area.’

It is “improving the area, and a new customer base of 95 beds,” Doyle said. This is ‘an example of a positive integration.’

She recalled that a City representative talked to area businesses to see how they were affected after a men’s shelter was opened in the Junction Place.

The business owners reported they did not notice a change in theft, noticed more men in the area, more mental health issues and ‘wrap around services needed.’

She said a community liaison committee will be formed with stakeholders if the proposed shelter goes through.

Engagement Facilitators will be in the area in the next month seeking input, sending out surveys and meeting with the community.

The matter goes before City council on October 5. There is expected to be a report to council by the end of October and any decision to back out is delegated to City staff.

Lakeshore Santa Claus Parade may fall victim with others to COVID

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The long-awaited 30th annual Etobicoke Santa Claus Parade has become one of dozens of events being cancelled or going virtual this year due to COVID-19.

Dozens of iconic events like the 115th Toronto Santa Claus Parade, Beaches Santa Claus Parade, North Etobicoke Santa Claus Parade, Toronto Christmas Market and even New Years’s Eve on Nathan Phillips Square were cancelled this year.

A scaled- back Halloween Corner sponsored by the Lakeshore Village BIA takes place at Lake Shore Blvd. W., and Sixth Street on October 31 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Free treats!

Organizers of the Etobicoke Lakeshore Santa Claus Parade hope to have a virtual or other form of the event, where Santa may still make an appearance. Details are pending.

‘ It is with heavy hearts we announce that as per regulation and recommendation, there will be no physical parade this year,” organizers of the popular Etobicoke Lakeshore event said on social media. “… we reiterate that we will not be soliciting sponsorship this year, given the impossible year small businesses have faced.”

They say plans are being worked on so the thousands of children and parents who yearly line Lake Shore Blvd. W., in New Toronto and Long Branch can still see the jolly old man.

“We may be physically distant, but we can stay close with creativity, imagination, a little magic, and some help from our dedicated committee volunteers,” they wrote.

The parade attracts dozens of Christmas-related floats from area businesses and has been organized by an army of volunteers for the past three decades.

More than three dozen popular events that occur around in Toronto at this time of the year have been denied permits by the City due to the pandemic, which has surged in recent weeks.

Among the other events cancelled includes: Nuit Blanche, which will be altered or online, CIBC Run for the Cure (altered or online), cancelled outright are Ride to Defeat Diabetes for JDRF, 10th Annual Smoke Poutinerie World Poutine Eating Championship, Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Just for Laughs Toronto Street Festival, Halloween on Church and Festival of Lights.

The Cavalcade of Lights is also cancelled, Christmas in the Square with the Salvation Army is pending; so is KitzFest, Beaches Lions Christmas Tree Sale, Fairbank Village-Light Up the Holidays, 30th Annual Kensington Market Winter Solstice, Bloor Yorkville Holiday Magic, Riverside Halloween Fest, Heddington Halloween, Hanley Halloween 2020, Korean Week is cancelled, so is Himalayan Mela and the Canadian and Chinese Traditional Art Show.

Other high-profile summer events as Pride Toronto, Caribana, the CNE, Taste of the Danforth, the Honda Indy, Beaches International Jazz Festival and others were cancelled due to the virus.

Police warn of crooks preying on unsuspecting residents in a fake gold scam

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Police are warning area residents to be on the alert for unsavory crooks operating a fake gold scam that is ripping off people in our community.

Police from 22 Division have arrested a “group of individuals on the side of major streets scamming unsuspecting victims with false affection and compliments,” according to a Tweet.

Officers warn residents to create a physical distance if group members “try to hug you and stop accepting their fake gold rings or necklaces.”

The suspects usually embrace the victims in a show of false affection, according to police. They then offer fake rings or necklaces in exchange for cash, which they say they require for an emergency.

They may relate stories about being out of gas and need cash and are willing to part with their fake gold jewellery.

One woman told police a suspect pulled out her jewelry and said her family business made rings and necklaces out of gold. The woman showed her photos of the jewelry being made, she said.

“When I saw the 18-karat symbol on a ring I thought it was real gold,” the victim said.

She said the suspect told her that she would be doing a huge favour if she bought all the jewelry to help her fund her trip.

The suspect said she needed the cash and would give all the jewelry she had for $1,000.

The victim said she believed the suspect and went to an ATM and took out $1,000 cash and paid for the jewelry.

The woman, she said, hugged and kissed her and then fled the area.

Police say the suspects target victims in this crime of opportunity and may pick their wallets, steal their money, or real gold jewellery.

Another resident said she was approached outside a grocery store by suspects, who asked for gas money claiming he had to drive to Hamilton because his daughter was sick.

Police said to walk away and do not engage with the people offering jewellery for sale at low prices.

“If it is too good to be true, it probably is,” according to one detective.

The suspects can be be men or women and they operate in groups of two or more.

If you have any doubts call police at 416-808-2200.

Toronto mayor ‘Grassroots Bob’ helped to start the Elmer the Safety Elephant program

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Robert Hood Saunders was the 48th Mayor of Toronto who was best known for helping to start the wildly-popular  Elmer the Elephant Safety program almost 75-years ago.

Saunders was dubbed ‘Grassroots Bob’ by residents for his down-to-earth style when he was elected Mayor from 1945 to 1948.

He was first elected alderman for Ward 4 in 1935 and 1936 and served on the Toronto Board of Control. He was elected Mayor in January 1945 and was re-elected in 1946, 1947 and ’48. Ward 4 now includes large tracts of South Etobicoke.

A lawyer by trade, Grassroots Bob was at one time the President of the Canadian National Exhibition and Chairman of Ontario Hydro, where he went on to do great things and had a facility named after him. He was also a member of the Orange Order in Canada.

He helped to start the Elmer the Safety Elephant program to teach young children to remain safe after a trip to Detroit in 1946.

Grassroots Bob pitched the Elmer idea to an editor at The Toronto Evening Telegram newspaper, who agreed to sponsor the program with Toronto Police. They chose an elephant mascot because of the animal’s legendary memory.

Elmer the Safety Elephant was born in 1947. That year, his impact was dramatic. Traffic collisions among Toronto children dropped an astonishing 44 per cent, even though vehicle registrations increased by 10 per cent.

Back then accidental injuries were a leading cause of death and hospitalization for Canadian children up to age 19. The role of Elmer the Safety Elephant was to teach young children how to stay safe.

From the day Elmer appeared, he was an instant hit with kids. Over the years, his image has changed to maintain a positive impact on young children.

As the Safety Elephant’s fame grew, other Ontario communities asked for the program. Demand became so strong that the Telegram, owner of the copyright, authorized the Ontario Safety League to administer the program in Ontario outside Toronto. Elmer’s fame grew by leaps and bounds to encompass schools throughout that province.

By the 1960s, with requests for Elmer pouring in from other provinces, the Canadian Highway Safety Council was asked to assume administration of the program on a national level.

In 1968 that Council amalgamated with two other organizations to become the Canada Safety Council. When The Telegram ceased publication in 1971, the Canada Safety Council negotiated the transfer of all rights to the program. The Canada Safety Council currently holds the trademark and copyright for Elmer the Safety Elephant.

After his resignation as mayor, Saunders became chairman of the Ontario Hydro commission and one of his mandates was developing Ontario’s waterpower resources, especially the massive St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project, which he did successfully.

Grassroots Bob died in 1955 at the young age of 52. He was travelling on Ontario Hydro business when the ice-encrusted Grumman Mallard aircraft in which he was a passenger crashed while approaching the London, Ontario airport. He succumbed to his injuries.