City officials are moving ahead with a wide-ranging Mimico Neighbourhood Mobility Plan (NMP) to slow down speeders and ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists using local roadways.

The NMP will change the face of the area and identify, prioritize and recommend short and long-term improvements to traffic operations in the Mimico area.

There will be a meeting to update the community on December 11 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Mimico Centennial Public Library, at 47 Station Road. A survey is being conducted for residents to provide input.

The NMP is meant to improve road design to support road safety for all modes of transportation including vulnerable road users as seniors, school children, people walking and cycling in Mimico, according to city officials.

It is designed to reduce traffic fatalities, reduce speeding and excessive traffic on local roads, enforce non-compliance with traffic regulations and signage and improve road and intersection designs that pose concerns.

The city is recommending new cycle tracks with physical separation from vehicles and connections to existing bikeways on Stanley Avenue and the Martin Goodman trail.

Also being considered are reduced lane widths to reduce speeds and encourage driver alertness and the removal of three-hour free street parking on Superior Avenue between Stanley Avenue and Lake Shore Blvd. W.

Speed bumps on a number of local streets are also being looked at.

Officials said there will be no changes to the number of vehicle travel lanes and Green P parking on the streets and lots will not be affected.

The City is planning to replace the existing shared lane markings and install uni-directional cycle tracks  and safety enhancements on Superior Avenue from Stanley Avenue to Lake Shore  Boulevard West. These changes will address excessive speeding, aggressive driving, and may also discourage non-local traffic on local streets.

“These were key concerns identified by the community in the first phase of engagement for the Mimico NMP,” according to a release.

Changes will include cycle tracks on each side of the street for safety, a painted median with planters which reduces lane width to help prevent aggressive passing, and introduces additional green space to the street

Lanes will also be narrowed to reduce speeding without the need for many speed humps.

There will also be intersection improvements like high visibility crosswalks, tactile walking surface indicators and corner radius reductions.

The Mimico NMP project area is located between Royal York Road to the west, Manchester Street, Burlington Street, Victoria Street to the north, Louisa Street to the east and Lake Shore Boulevard West to the south.

The area also includes Judson Street, Royal York Road intersection and the Newcastle Street, Royal York Road intersection, and will take into account dynamics from a broader context area.

One of the highest-ranking female officers serving with Toronto Police has been honoured for her 34 years of experience while working in a variety of roles with the force.

Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue was honoured by the Royal Canadian Military Institute (RCMI) in a sold-out appreciation dinner held in partnership with Ontario Women in Law Enforcement (OWLE) for her support of inclusive policing throughout her career.

“We have had the incredible opportunity to honour Lauren Pogue as a long-time supporter of women in law enforcement, an advocate for equity, diversity, and mentoring,” said Superintendent Kim O’Toole, who is also the President of OWLE.

“She really pushed the boundaries and she set the stage for so many people to come behind her,” O’Toole said. “I wish I had a Lauren Pogue as a mentor for me 29 years ago.”

She is the second TPS member honoured by the group in two years. Former Chief James Ramer was honoured in 2022.

Adrienne McLennan, a member of the RCMI Board of Directors, said Pogue was nominated for the honour by the Toronto Police Military Veterans Association.

Calling her “a wonderful example of women in policing,” McLennan said “she is a shining example of leadership and I have seen her display the compassionate side of herself.”

While the RCMI had been hosting Police Appreciation nights pre-COVID, it was last year that it decided to honour officers who have created a large impact throughout their careers.

Although the event celebrated Pogue’s achievements and journey in policing, she reiterated the importance of her own mentors in providing her with career growth opportunities.

“It was truly an incredible honour to be recognized, and given the opportunity to share how progressive, inclusive leaders helped shape my career,” the heralded officer said.

Pogue was appointed Deputy Chief of Police of Community Safety Command more than nine months ago.

She oversees 12 districts consisting of 16 Divisions, plus Field Services, which includes the Toronto Police Operations Centre, Communications Services, Traffic Services, Parking Enforcement, the Public Safety Response Team and the Community Partnerships & Engagement Unit.

Previously as Staff Superintendent, she was responsible for Detective Operations, which includes Intelligence Services, Organized Crime Enforcement and Specialized Criminal Investigations.

These units include high-profile investigative units such as the Homicide and Missing Persons Unit, the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force, the Hold-Up Squad and Forensic Identification Services.

She previously served as the Unit Commander of Central District, as Unit Commander of the Hold-Up Squad, and as second-in-command of Intelligence Services.

Pogue fulfilled a number of supervisory roles and was an investigator in various units of the force, including Intelligence Services, the Drug Squad, the Fugitive Squad and the Firearms Enforcement Unit.

The career officer led security teams during the Pan Am Games and was the Ceremonies Chair for the Special Olympics Ontario Invitational Youth Games.

She served as an Incident Commander during many large demonstrations, including the Raptor’s NBA playoff games and the Championship Parade.

The Deputy Chief is also an executive sponsor of the Aboriginal Internal Support Network and Co-Chair of the Chief’s Aboriginal Consultative Committee, working closely with Indigenous Peoples to continue building meaningful partnerships.

 

 

 

Just in time for Christmas!

The  newest mural in the community has been completed on a wall outside Mimico Home Hardware and it signifies Mimico and its nature.

The large wall of art on the outside of the Superior Avenue store is the handicraft of Etobicoke artist Jessica Hiemstra, who is also a writer and designer.

“Jessica works in a variety of mediums on many kinds of surfaces – from watercolour and thread on paper to acrylic on acetate to plastic bags sewn into canvas,” according to her website.

”The Mimico waterfront is home to many animals who have lived here for thousands of years,” she says. “This mural is a portrait of the animals and trees who call Etobicoke home.”

She says the mural brings to life the flora and fauna of our neighbourhood, and the beautiful home we inhabit together on the shore of Lake Ontario.

The mural includes the beaver, which resides among the rocks along the water way; the mink, often seen fishing and darting along stones on the lakefront and the red-necked grebe; whose nests and mating rituals are part of the spring and summer landscape.

It also features the hooded merganser, whose spiked crown cuts into the skyline along the lake in cold months. There is also the bufflehead, whose compact black and white body bobs on top of the water; a garter snake; which flits in the underbrush along the trails and the skunk; that digs for grubs during the night along the shore and in the parks.

There is also the mallard, that every spring brings much joy to the neighborhood with trails of ducklings bouncing like corks in the water.

“Many people have enjoyed the abundance of the waterfront in Mimico over the centuries,” Hiemstra writes. “Algonquin-speaking Mississauga people settled here in the 1600s and named the stretch of shore between the Etobicoke Creek and the Humber River “wadoopikaang” which means “where the alders grow.”

This word was transcribed by a settler surveyor as “ato-be-coake,” which became the word Etobicoke.

The background colours in the mural are reminiscent of the blues, greens and greys that are characteristic of the lake and sky throughout the seasons.

You can see more of her work at www.jessicahiemstra.ca

TTC volunteers for their 17^th year were outside Walmart at Sherway Gardens collecting toys in a bus for needy children.

The annual TTC toy and gift collection drive, called Stuff-the-Bus, has supported thousands of children and families in need.

It was brisk as shoppers filled the bus with goodies. There were also buses collecting items at Agincourt and Sheridan Malls.

“I am so proud of all of our employees who embody our core values and volunteer their time to help the communities we serve every day,” said TTC CEO Rick Leary. “Stuff-the-Bus is an annual employee-led initiative that has been going strong for 16 years.”

“I want to thank the TTC employees who volunteer their time every year to organize this event,” said TTC Chair Jamaal Myers. “I encourage everyone to help the TTC make the holidays a little brighter for children and teens.”

Mayor Olivia Chow thanked the TTC volunteers who were out helping children.

“I encourage all Torontonians to donate to Stuff-the-Bus and help to bring joy to children and families this holiday season,” said Chow. “Thank you to the TTC employees who give their time and energy to this initiative that gives so much to children and teens across our city.”

The toys, gifts and money collected will be distributed to several local organizations including Parkdale Peace Project, SickKids, Abuse Hurts, Community Place Hub, Dovercourt Boys & Girls Club, and Progress Place.

TTC employees last year collected more than 2000 toys and gifts for families with kids.

A plan by the City of Toronto to establish a ‘Night Time Economy’ in Long Branch and other areas to make it a night club area is sparking concerns in the community.

The plan has been in the works for years and will be debated before an Economic and Community Development Committee on November 28 and the Planning and Housing Committee on November 30.

A Night Time Economy will deem Long Branch and the Dundas Strip in Etobicoke, and other areas of Toronto to allow bars and live music clubs to remain open 24-hours.

Judy Gibson, of the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association, in an e-mail said there has been no local consultation to seek input into the matter.

“There are no noise restrictions in place for this,” she wrote. “Not sure whose idea this was but we need to send a response to this.”

Gibson said it may not be a good idea for all-night clubs in the quiet community.

“Think about a night club operating with DJ’s light and music outside to all hours of the night on top of one of the newly constructed buildings on Lake Shore in a few years,” she wrote.

A letter is being drafted to send to the committees to outline the concerns of the community.

The city has sent an e-mail to update community groups on ‘licensing and zoning regulations for restaurants, bars and entertainment venues’ and in support of the Night Time Economy.

Three separate city staff reports are to be considered by the Economic and Community Development Committee and the Planning and Housing Committee.

The by-law amendments if approved are expected take effect on January 1.

The recommendations include the modernization of regulations for bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues, with the aims of reducing administrative burden on operators and providing flexibility for establishments.

They ensure an ‘appropriate level of regulatory oversight to mitigate community nuisance and public safety concerns.’

Bars with live music are expected to remain open longer, with more space for entertainment. The TTC is also expected to operate longer hoursand provide more frequent service for night-time patrons.

A consultation with clubs, local and diverse groups and those in the arts was held to seek input. The review involved local groups like Arts Etobicoke and the Lake Shore Village BIA.

A city report said the zoning by-law regime for bars, restaurants and entertainment venues originated in 1960s to the early 2000s and does not reflect ‘contemporary and forward focussed expectations around these activities and land uses.’

It stated the proposed amendments seek to support live music, align zoning and business licensing regulations, support emerging entertainment areas outside the downtown core, modernize licensing and zoning regulations for restaurants, bars and entertainment venues, and address impacts of problematic establishments.

City officials said most to the night-life now exists in downtown with less than 10 per cent taking place in outside areas like Etobicoke, Scarborough and North York.

Some Etobicoke participants said there are a very few options for nightlife and entertainment after 10 p.m.

“This participant needs to travel 15 minutes by car to reach nightlife options,” the review noted. “Etobicoke is missing walkable access to lounges, cafés, cultural spaces and other establishments.”

Another Etobicoke resident noted there is much high-density housing with a lack of nighttime or community spaces.

“We are swamped with more proposals for more towers, but nothing for cultural life, art, music.”

Some councillors said the Night Time Economy exists in Antwerp, Bangkok, Belfast, Berlin, Durban, Johannesburg, Mälmo, Montreal, New York, São Paulo, and Singapore.

 

 

 

 

We will have to wait longer as this is the time of the year when many of us like to visit our local library to find a good book or use its services.

The Toronto Public Library say its branches in South Etobicoke and elsewhere will not have its computer systems up and running until next year due to a cyberattack.

Some 100 branches citywide, including those in New Toronto, Long Branch, Alderwood and Park Lawn area, will be down until January as technicians try to get them back online.

“Given the complexity and magnitude of this task involving our data centre and computers across 100 library branches, and the interconnectivity of our systems, we anticipate the restoration of library services will take several more weeks,” library officials said in a statement.

The library’s website, as well as its public computers and printers at their branches, have been down since the system was targeted by a ransomware attack on October 28.

It is believed that private data of current and former employees, including social insurance numbers and copies of government-issued identification, were likely stolen.

“We appreciate your patience and understanding while we do everything we can to restore our services as quickly as possible.”

Cardholder and donor databases are unaffected, officials said, however some data on the server may have been exposed.

Library officials said cards cannot be renewed and library and digital access cards will not expire.

“All cards will be automatically extended when we resume regular service,” they said on their website.

Library officials said that staff are working with third-party experts to restore the systems and enhance its network security before bringing everything back online.

Library branches remain open for browsing and use of other services.

“We recognize that this is a long period of time without full library services, but this is considered an aggressive timeframe,” according the website. “We also understand the frustration and disruption caused by this prolonged delay and are grateful for the support we’ve received.”

The library said access to services will be restored gradually and a priority will be given to the library’s computer systems and the reinstatement of its website.