It’s almost fall and it’s a start of the pie making competitions.

A pie making competition is slated for August 25th outdoors at the Small Arms Inspection Building, 1352 Lakeshore Rd. E., Mississauga.

Pie makers are invited to drop off their pies the day of the contest before 11:30 a.m. and winners will be announced at 12:30 that day.

The three categories are Best Pie Sweet, Best Pie Savoury and Prettiest Pie.

There will also be a bookmaking craft with pie recipes from the Lakeview Farmers’ Market vendors and community members.

For more information you can email jo.yetter@creativehub1352.ca

Finally fans devoted to U.S. Krispy Kreme doughnuts can now get their fill.

The 16^th Krispy Kreme location and only “inner-city Doughnut Factory,” is opening on August 27 at 2458 Lake Shore Blvd. W., at Mimico Avenue.

“The doughnut shop is opening its first production site with a retail shop in Etobicoke later this month,” according to a release by the company.

Fans of the brand will get a chance to enjoy a bite or two of Krispy Kreme’s classic menu options while also getting a first-hand look at the doughnut-making process.

“We are delighted to expand with our newest location offering hot, freshly made doughnuts,” said Levi Hetrick, chief growth officer for Krispy Kreme Canada.

Those who visit on opening day will receive a free Original Glazed doughnut to enjoy. The new store will be open every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

 

Residents of the William Punnett Housing Co-op (WPHC) are holding a food and cash-raising drive on August 31 in support of the Daily Bread Food Bank to help those in need.

The Co-op, at 3077 Lake Shore Blvd. W., is where the Goodyear Tire plant once stood between Kipling and Islington Avenues.

The residents of the 99 apartment and 29 townhouse units, are rallying August 31 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. to raise 500 pounds of food and $500 to support the food bank, on New Toronto Street.

“One of our seven core principles is concern for community, and we are very concerned about our neighbours ability to eat regular healthy meals and keep a roof over their heads,” said Sue-Ellen Patcheson, an organizer, in a release.

She said housing affordability and rising grocery prices are having a very dire effect on food bank usage.

Patcheson said there were over 350,000 visits to a Toronto food bank in one month alone and record amounts of people are using them.

A local blues band “Blue Dog Rodeo” will be performing. There will be raffles for prizes provided by local merchants, and fresh corn on the cob will be available.

For more information email friendsofwilliampunnettcoop@gmail.com.

 

It was just a matter of time.

Three old detached homes on Royal York Road, at Queen Elizabeth Blvd., in Mimico, are being demolished soon to begin construction of a massive three high-rise condo complex.

Etobicoke York Community Council approved the demolition of 514, 520 and 522 Royal York Road, at the Gardiner Expressway overpass, to make way for a 35-storey, 17 storey and mixed use buildings seven and nine-storey podiums.

The item was considered by Community Council last July 15 and was adopted with amendments.

City Council has delegated authority for this matter to Community Council and therefore, the decision is final.

This development, which will be near a major highway, will have a combined 967 residential units along with commercial, retail uses.

It will offer a total of 1,000 square metres of non-residential floor area and 5,000 square metres of non- employment-industrial floor area.

The proposal includes 646.5 square metres of outdoor open space with frontage on Queen Elizabeth Boulevard. The development would have a total gross floor area of 86,602 square metres.

The City in 2023 received a Zoning By-law Amendment application for 2, 7 and 10 Queen Elizabeth Boulevard, 506, 514, 516, 520 and 522 Royal York Road and 3, 5 and 15 Sinclair Street to permit a mixed-use development.

The plan was first refused and appealed that led to the demolition of the homes for space.

Community residents have argued against the development claiming there will be too much noise and pollution as the site is near one of Canada’s busiest highway.

The developer has been ordered to install a fence around the demolition project, remove the garbage and plant grass after the project is completed.

One person in Mimico is dead after a home was burnt in a fatal fire.

Fire crews were called to a large two-storey home on Miles Road, south of Lake Shore Blvd. W., near Royal York Road, around 6:41 p.m. on August 17.

“There was visible flames through the front window. Crews managed to get the fire under control very quickly,” Deputy Fire Chief Paul Fitzgerald said.

Firefighters located one person inside the burning home and rescued them. Toronto police said the resident had no vital signs and was pronounced dead at the scene.

“We’ve notified the Ontario Fire Marshal, and they’ll work together with Toronto police to determine a cause and the circumstances and origin leading up to the fire,” Fitzgerald told CP24.

Ironically, Miles Road was named after Undertaker Arthur William Miles, who operated a public zoo on the grounds of his Mimico estate that took up most of the road.

He was the Undertaker of many of Canada’s top politicians and citizens including Prime Minister Mackenzie King, Sir William Muluck, Sir Joseph Flavelle, Sir Henry Pellatt and Sir William Hearst.

Miles also arranged the 1914 mass funeral of 109 Torontonians on the Empress of Ireland that sank in the St. Lawrence River, in what is considered Canada’s worst maritime disaster, which took the lives of an entire Salvation Army Band.

The animal lover travelled the world collecting animals for his collection that contained a beloved elephant named “Tootsie,” two camels, two giraffes, about 40 donkeys, several monkeys, ostriches, and other exotic birds.

His workers erected a large wooden pier in Lake Ontario which held a number of swans.

The zoo was eventually forced to move by the City following complaints from neighbours

Police are mystified over the third smash and grab theft targeting a Long Branch Filipino restaurant of its delicious and spicy pork belly meats.

B’s Sizzling Kitchen, on Horner Avenue, was back in business hours after the August 15 theft of two large pork bellies which were being seasoned in the kitchen area. The barbequed meat was to be sold the next day.

Security camera footage show a man entering the building and walking back to the kitchen area.

Employees of the popular restaurant said the thief knew exactly what he wanted and where to find the expensive meat, which they estimated as worth about $500 or more.

They said the damage to three window frames and smashed glass cost in the thousands of dollars.

One of the owners of the Kitchen said there have been no arrests in any of the pork belly thefts.

“We know our food was good but we didn’t know it was that good,” owner Benedict Lucido, better known as Chef B, wrote on social media.

The eatery is known for its signature Cebu Lechon and kamayan menu of fresh seafood and grilled meats.

“I know our food is good, but really, there’s no need to break in,” according to the chef. “You could save us the hassle and anxiety of cleaning up, replacing the door, etc., — just ask nicely next time.”

The place was busy with customers when we visited. The food does look and smelled tasty.

Also broken into recently was a hamburger restaurant on Brown’s Line, near Evans Avenue. There has been no arrests in that incident.

There were a similar rash of thefts last year when about a dozen small businesses were robbed in similar smash and grab type burglaries.

The thefts are similar since they usually involve the smashing of a glass door pane. A security camera obtained images of a suspect who is being tracked down by police.

Some area residents are whispering about the timing of the pork belly thefts and if the meat was possibly for resale at a Taste of Manila festival that wrapped up August 18 in the Bathurst Street and Wilson Avenue area.

A Mississauga fuel-supply company has been fined $100,000 for leaking diesel fuel into the fish-bearing Etobicoke Creek.

The firm, that has not been identified, was fined by the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton on August 16 after pleading guilty to an offence under the Fisheries Act.

The company plead guilty in relation to the unlawful deposit diesel fuel into fish-bearing waters from February 7 to March 5, 2019, according to a release from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

The fine will go to an Environmental Damages Fund.

The ECCC said on February 8, 2019, enforcement officers responded to complaints relating to a diesel fuel spill in Etobicoke Creek.

“Officers conducted an inspection at the company’s diesel fuel station on Dixie Road in Mississauga,” the release explained. “During the inspection, officers observed diesel fuel entering Etobicoke Creek, a body of water frequented by fish.”

Water samples were collected and an order issued to the company requiring them to stop the release and prevent any further deposits to Etobicoke Creek.

The agency through laboratory analysis determined the samples contained diesel, a ‘substance that is deleterious to fish.’

An investigation found that poor maintenance of the on-the-site-oil-water separator led to a system failure which allowed diesel fuel to be discharged through the storm sewer into Etobicoke Creek.

The court ordered the company’s name to be added to an Environmental Offenders Registry, which contains information on convictions of corporations registered for offences committed under certain federal environmental laws.

The federal government said it is committed to protecting the health, safety, and environment of Canadians. Environment and Climate Change Canada enforces the laws that protect the air, water, and natural environment in Canada.

The outraged owner of a Horner Avenue restaurant says his small business has broken into three times by thieves with no arrests and he has had enough.

Benedict Lucido, better known as Chef B, wrote that a robbery on August 15 was the third at his B’s Sizzling Kitchen, known for its signature Cebu Lechon and kamayan menu of fresh seafood and grilled meats.

“…broken into for the third time now,” the Filipino restaurant owner said on a social media post. “It’s disheartening and frustrating, to say the least.”

He said ‘we haven’t heard anything from the last two incidents, and we don’t expect to this time either, but we still went through the whole process.’

They said there has been no arrests by police for the heists, which have caused thousands of dollars in damages from smashed windows and frames.

Also broken into recently was a hamburger restaurant on Brown’s Line, near Evans Avenue. There has been no arrests in that incident.

There were a similar rash of thefts last year when about a dozen small businesses were robbed in similar smash and grab type burglaries.

The thefts are similar since they usually involve the smashing of a glass door pane. A security camera obtained images of a suspect who is being tracked down by police.

The chef said the thief headed straight for his food and stole ‘lots of it.’

“I know our food is good, but really, there’s no need to break in,” according to the post. “You could save us the hassle and anxiety of cleaning up, replacing the door, etc., — just ask nicely next time.”

The owner said things are tough for most people these days and they will not let the theft ‘break’ them.

“We’re choosing to move forward and find the good in the bad and hoping this will be the last time something like this happens,” he wrote. “We have faith that things will get better.”

The post stirred many feelings with many people in the community who showed support for the business.

“There’s no need to break in anywhere for food when there are tons of places that offer free hot meals three times a day,” wrote Lynn Stephanie.

Another reader said the break-ins seems to be a common occurrence for food places.

“The burger place on Brown’s Line was broken into last weekend in their second break-in,” she wrote.

Dawn Henri said she was ‘outraged indignant that someone did this to your store.’

“Police are paid to deal with this,” she said. “I’d like to know if the culprit Is found charged or punished.”

Chelcie Lumbao suggested the eatery place a metal cross across their windows to prevent the robbery from happening again.

The restaurant if popular with Filipinos for its Cebu Lechon, which is a boneless, pork-belly roll version of traditional Filipino Lechon.

The roasted pork belly originates from chef B’s home city in the Philippines, Cebu, and was revered even by chef Anthony Bourdain for its crunchy golden skin and flavourful meat.

Another day in the life of a busy Ward 3 city councillor.

Councillor Amber Morley in recent newsletter said her office swept into action following a recent bike lane-related complaint from an area resident.

Morley wrote that a local resident ‘noticed an issue and reported it to 311.’

Her office explained that ‘after roadwork was completed on Royal York Road, the painted bike lane was not restored – leaving them less safe for both cyclists and drivers.’

“My team reached out to staff to ensure the lines were repainted, and I am pleased to share that the lanes are now restored,” the Deputy Mayor agreed.

There you go, more lives of cyclists or motorists saved in Mimico.

The lane touch-up comes as the City works on a plan to install bike lanes along Parkside Drive from Bloor St. W., south to Lake Shore Blvd. W., according to a cycling committee.

Morley reminds constituents if they have issues with City programs or services to call 311.

The City of Toronto is actively hiring thousands of students and adults for part-time winter recreation positions.

The City is looking to fill employment opportunities in ski, skate, snowboard, indoor swim, fitness, sports, arts and after-school programs this winter.

Part-time winter recreation jobs help local students, adults and seniors build leadership skills, gain experience and prepare for future job skills and training.

The City is the largest employer of students in the city, with thousands of good jobs at fair wages available for anyone seeking part-time employment.

Each year, as Toronto’s largest recreation program provider, the City employs approximately 9,000 recreation workers.

Approximately 5,000 employees were needed during the Winter 2024 season to support community recreation programs. The City of Toronto is consistently one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers, as well as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.  .

To learn about available winter recreation positions and other after-school programs, visit jobs.toronto.ca/recreation

Additional job postings for winter recreation will continue to be added in the coming weeks! For tips on how to apply and get hired, visit the City’s Recreation Jobs webpage.