It is a case of the blind helping the blind.

Mimico steelpan legend Patrick McNeilly, also known as Pan Man Pat, is staging a ‘Blind Birthday Telethon’ on April 28 to raise funds for a blind Trinidadian calypsonian with a stage name The Mighty Lingo to help purchase musical equipment.

Pan Man Pat is legally blind and so is The Mighty Lingo, whose real name is Jospeh La Placeliere, who was born blind due to a viral infection his mother suffered.

Lingo is well-known in the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago having gained fame for winning the National Extempo calypso title on four separate occasions. Extempo is a lyrically improvised form of calypso popular in the twin islands and Grenada.

“I realized that the world would simply attempt to limit me and I should not live by those limitations,” Lingo once said in an interview.

His followers claim his ‘success as an Extempo calypsonian is rooted in his refusal to let the world define or restrict his ability.’

Pan Man Pat, who is a long-time Mimico resident, hopes to raise enough funds from the ‘Blind Birthday Telethon’ to purchase for Lingo a keyboard and a couple of acoustic guitars, so he can teach others how to play.

It so happens that the musical event will be taking place on his 79^th birthday.

“I have known Lingo for a long time and we want to help him out,” the long-time steelpan player said. “Musical equipment is expensive in Trinidad and this way we can help him and he can help others.”

Pan Man Pat is one of the foremost steelpan players in Toronto, who was a 20-year teacher, who taught the instrument to students as part of a Toronto District School Board program. He also served as a Toronto Police officer for five years.

This is not his first fundraising telethon. In 1974 he and other dignitaries raised funds to help Toronto Police Inspector Arnim Mondesir who was behind with medical bills and required a kidney transplant. It so happened that a listener heard the show and donated the kidney of their son, who had recently died from a car accident in Hamilton.

Mondesir managed to live another six years, he said.

He also held a similar event that raised more than $1,200 to help victims who were left suffering after a volcano hit the Caribbean island of St. Vincent.

The telethon takes place at the Consulate General of Trinidad and Tobago, at 185 Sheppard Avenue W., on April 28 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Some of the dignitaries attending includes: former Parkdale head librarian and Citizenship court judge Dr. Rita Cox, Dr. Michael Lashley, a former Trinidad Consul General in Toronto, educator Dr, Itah Sadu, calypsonians Macomere Fifi, Fifi Princess Trinidad, Brown Sugar, Pannist Micky Maraj, Djembe drummer Keith Pascal, DJ Sookie and DJ Stretch.

Also in attendance will be the Robert Hughes Duo, Dr. Chris Wilson (Shak Shak) and La Petite Musicale’s Lindy Burgess.

Around 4 p.m. the telethon is hoping to go live on Facebook for an hour.

You can donate by calling 416-358-8621 or by e-transfer to panguru45@gmail.com

The City is moving ahead with the installation of a protective bicycle lane on The Queensway despite protests from small businesses on Bloor Street W., where a cycling lane was put in place.

The Queensway bike lane will run from Royal York Road east past the Ontario Food Terminal to just west of South Kingsway.

The proposed cycling lane can be seen online on a City 2022 to 2024 Cycling Program for the Etobicoke York District.

It shows The Queensway bike lane is part of a programmed cycling project of which work is underway.

The City is planning to add a raised, protected bikeway separated from car lanes with a concrete curb, new bike signals and protective corner islands at key signalized intersections.

It will be included in work along The Queensway to install new storm water management features including new sidewalks, with some being widened.

City crews will also be planting trees and new landscaping to beautify the area.

Cycling Toronto in a meeting called for more distance between the bikeway and the roadway for increased comfort and safety and an upgrading of the existing painted bikeway on The Queensway to provide a safe connection across the Humber River.

Many area residents are outraged by the plan claiming it will be bad for small businesses along The Queensway since the protected bike lanes will lead to less parking and traffic congestion.

Many small business people along Bloor Street W., where the lanes are installed claim their businesses have dropped dramatically as shoppers now have to pay to park several blocks away, which is bad for the elderly or those with mobility issues.

About 700 residents turned out to public meeting earlier this year to voice their concerns about the Bloor Street W. bike lane.

Ward 2 Councillor Stephen Holyday, who hosted the meeting, said many residents were opposed to the Bloor Street W. bike lane.

“We heard from many people who were opposed to the bike lane,” Holyday said. “We heard from many of the small business people who are suffering due to the bike lane.”

City staff said they are working to make travel by bike safer and more inviting, which helps ease congestion, creates a cleaner environment, and promotes physical activity.

The said one way to achieve this goal is by building bikeways, like physically separated cycle tracks, bike lanes, neighbourhood routes, and paved multi-use trails.

Cycling Toronto hopes that The Queensway lanes will take cyclists east to the Martin Goodman Trail and west so they can connect to Lake Shore Blvd. W. that runs to Mississauga.

Toronto City Council in 2012 adopted the Bikeway Trails Implementation Plan which was the basis of a new multi-use trail development within the City, which called for the installation of 77 kms of the City’s existing trail network and a program that supports future trail building.

The network and routes established through this plan were re-evaluated and either carried forward or revised as part of a 2016 Cycling Network 10 Year Plan.

Etobicoke Lakeshore Councillor Amber Morley must a soccer fan.

Morley, a Deputy Mayor, is among four City of Toronto councillors named by the Executive Committee to a FIFA World Cup 26 (FWC26) Financial Oversight Subcommittee, according to City Council.

The subcommittee will provide oversight of the City’s FWC26 budget, review and make recommendations on spending plans and expenditures ‘to ensure they meet the standards of the residents of Toronto.’

The group will also consider procurement matters and community benefits related to the FWC26, according to the Executive Committee.

The City has dished out more than $380 million to host six FIFA World Cup matches at Centennial Park and BMO Field in June and July 2026.

Officials said the games are expected to generate about $393 million for the city, create more than 3,600 jobs, and attract more than 300,000 out-of-town visitors. Millions of fans worldwide will watch the matches on TV.

“Hosting these matches is a once in a lifetime opportunity to deepen our connection to one another, to stand united in our diversity and make Toronto’s global beacon of hope shine that much brighter,” City officials said.

Staff said there will always be challenges and unexpected contingencies.

“That is why open, transparent oversight is essential in building our shared confidence that the games are being delivered to the standard Torontonians expect,” according to a summary.

To ensure oversight, the City’s Financial Planning Division has assigned FWC26 to an analyst, who will ensure World Cup finances are reported on separately from other City budgets.

Councillors on the FWC26 subcommittee includes Chair Shelley Carroll, Paul Ainslie, Ausma Malik and Morley, the rookie politician who represents Ward 3.

Morley is also the Deputy Mayor, who sits on the Executive Committee, Toronto Police Services Board, Toronto Public Library, Board of Health, Budget Committee, Infrastructure and Environment Committee, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Television and Digital Media Advisory Board,  Etobicoke York Community Council, Toronto Music Advisory Committee and Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation.

Two suspects are under arrest after being charged in connection with the stabbing of another man in Alderwood.

Police said they were called to the Valermo Drive and Brown’s Line area just before 8 p.m. on April 12 for three men fighting.

Officers from 22 Division found one man suffering from stab wounds and two others were arrested the scene.

The victim was sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The identities of the men have not been released.

Area residents said the area is pretty quiet and are wondering if the men were returning from a local bar.

 

City crews are busy removing dozens of old tires dumped on the bank of the Etobicoke Creek.

It is believed the tires were left under a bridge at the Royal Woodbine Golf Course near Skyway Avenue in the last two months.

A spokesperson with the City of Toronto told CityNews that hundreds of tires were illegally disposed of at the Mimico Creek site, and crews are working to remove them.

“Due to the volume of tires, this work will take several days. The tires will be stored by the city until they can be recycled,” Laura McQuillan told the station.

Anyone found dumping garbage or littering under the city’s by-law can face a $500 fine.

A large industrial fire last August at a plant in Rexdale led to a chemical spill  into the Etobicoke, Mimico Creeks and Humber killing wildlife and fish. The cleanup lasted several months.

The Etobicoke Creek is already plagued with poor water quality and aquatic life, according to a recent study by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

The study said the creek is heavily polluted due to water runoff from industrial activity near the watershed, including chemicals from Pearson Airport.

It said the Etobicoke Creek Watershed has ‘a low amount of natural cover and the habitat rate is generally poor.’

The report stated the Etobicoke Creek watershed is heavily urbanized with about 60 per cent of urban use; has very low amounts or about 12 per cent of natural cover and about 28 per cent of the area for rural land uses.

The plan warns that the watershed suffers from medium to high erosion sensitivity and has six flood prone areas including Long Branch, at the mouth of Etobicoke Creek north of Lakeshore Road, and West Mall in the vicinity of Dundas Street East surrounding Etobicoke Creek.

The City and other jurisdictions are working on a plan to help reduce flooding, improve conditions for biodiversity, and increase resiliency to the impacts of climate change across the watershed.

More jobs are coming to Pearson International Airport as a more than a billion dollar upgrade is underway to gear up Canada’s largest and busiest airport for future travel.

Officials of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) said the massive investment is ‘aimed at preparing Canada’s largest airport for the challenges and opportunities of the coming years and beyond.’

The GTAA said in a release on April 12 that passenger traffic is expected to grow to 65 million passengers in the 2030s, compared to 45 million last year.

“Toronto Pearson has been meeting passenger needs by deploying extraordinary resources to many of its aged assets and facilities,’ the authority stated.

“We will deliver a world-class passenger experience, integrate smart architecture, unlock the digital potential in air travel, and advance towards a net-zero future,” said Deborah Flint, the GTAA’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“These plans are anchored to our ambition to build an airport that will strengthen international competitiveness, leverage innovation, and advance sustainability, all which drive economic returns for Canada.”

The work will focus on modernizing airport assets, including high speed taxi lanes to improve airfield performance, modernized airfield electric lighting and control system, interim terminal facilities, and investments in power generation to advance towards net-zero targets.

The GTAA said the investment will generate billions of dollars in economic benefits and provide local jobs.

Chair Doug Allingham said the investments will strengthen the supply chain, open the door to new opportunities for Canadian businesses, and create good jobs right here in the GTA.

“Together, they will enable sustainable growth and competitiveness on a global scale,” Allingham said.

These enhancements will pave the way for Toronto Pearson to become one of the greenest, technologically advanced, and passenger-friendly airports in North America and globally.

Nearly 50,000 people work at Toronto Pearson, including Canadian Air Transport Security Authority employees who help passengers get to their gates safely and on time. Many of them live in the Etobicoke area.

Flights from the airport provide non-stop and same-plane service to more than 155 cities around the world.

The airport operations cover 4,600 acres.

It was a terrifying Ferris wheel ride for 10 people at the Etobicoke’s Woodbine Centre Fair.

The riders were left stranded on the 50-foot ride when it stalled on April 11 around 2:30 p.m.

They were left hanging for about an hour on the huge wheel until Toronto Fire could rescue them.

Fire officials said they had to turn off the power to the ride to rescue the riders.

They said in-house crews tried to fix it but were unsuccessful.

“We had four trucks attend and our crews were knowledgeable enough in the extrication and the usage of the elevating devices that we were able to extricate the people from the Ferris wheel,” Platoon Chief Chris Rowland said.

“The people that were trapped were never in any danger.”

There has been mixed reviews of the Woodbine Ferris wheel on social media.

A reviewer on Tripadvisor in 2015 claims the ride ‘is not a place I’d encourage anyone to visit as overall.’

“It’s run-down, not a “happy” place and I’d prefer to spend the money on a place such as Wonderland where the people are overall more happier,” the reviewer wrote. “There are more ride choices.”

The Woodbine Fair is described as the largest indoor amusement park in f Ontario with 12-full sized rides that includes a 50-foot Ferris wheel carousel.

Two Mimico restaurants are among a handful of businesses facing closure as a strip mall is being considered for redevelopment.

The businesses are located at 2491 Lake Shore Blvd. W., at Mimico Avenue, in which a zoning by-law amendment and site plan approval has been filed to demolish the strip mall to construct a nine-storey mixed use building.

A number of tenants, a West Indian and Mexican restaurants, variety store, hair salon and laundromat, will be forced to leave or shut their doors as the .67-acre site is redeveloped.

City of Toronto official Prabhat Dahal said the application is being considered and a decision will be made “in a matter of months.”

A City sign outside the strip mall shows a drawing of the proposed building, and states it will have nine storeys, 139 residences, with 419 square metres of retail space and have space for 141 cars and 136 bicycles.

Dahal said there has been a public meeting in regards to the development.

The proposal, submitted by MHBC Planning, is designed by architects BDP Quadrangle on behalf of owners 2491 Lakeshore Limited Partnership, and would replace an existing two-storey commercial/residential building.

The developers said the new building seeks to ‘improve the existing street scene with its contemporary architectural form and intricate mix of soft and hard landscaping.’

The proposed development of 139 residential units, will consist of 80 one-bedroom units, 36 two-bedroom units including eight rental replacement units and 23 three-bedroom units.

There will be three levels of underground parking that would provide 167 vehicle and 527 bicycle spaces. A covered driveway along the southwestern extent of the site would provide a vehicle turnaround and loading space which leads off Lake Shore.

The site is next to Amos Waites Park and a section of the building was originally a Studebaker Company car dealership. The property is considered as having potential cultural heritage value or interest and further evaluation was recommended.

The Toronto Fire Services (TFS) is reaching out to make the service more diversified to reflect the community.

The TFS in an Inclusion and Community Outreach Update to be presented to City Council on April 16 said they are ‘fostering a culture that is safe, inclusive, welcoming and supportive for members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.’

The Services has been criticized in the past for not having a diversified workforce that reflects the population of the city.

We are “continuing to prioritize equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) at all levels of TFS,” its officials told a City committee. We are “continuing top-down culture shift and leadership expectations.”

“Conduct and behaviour that is inconsistent with corporate policy is not tolerated,” the TFS said.

The TFS said its training for recruits will include equity and inclusion, understanding gender and sexual orientation, human rights and understanding allyship.

Recruits will undergo a formal training program focusing on the historical challenges faced by Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ persons, fostering 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion and human rights.

The report said a TFS Positive Space Committee (PSC) was established in 2016 and supports 2SLGBTQ+ members through various initiatives, as participating in the Pride parade with family members; and Pride Month visibility with decals placed on fire trucks and pride-specific uniform and clothing.

TFS members will also provide advice to management on new initiatives or supports, according to the Update.

We “directly support the strategic goal of building an increasingly diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities TFS serves,” the report stated.

It said 37 per cent of its Operations staff hired last year self-identify as members of an equity deserving group; 42 per cent of its January 2024 Operation recruits identified as being members of an equity deserving group and 14 per cent as a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

The report said of the 152 members who left the TFS last year, some 132 retired, 13 resigned, two were terminated and seven died.