A 21-year-old woman is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after being struck by a vehicle while crossing Brown’s Line on Friday.

The incident occurred near Browns Line and Jellicoe Avenue at around 3:45 p.m.

Police said a woman was crossing eastbound on Brown’s Line when she was hit by a Volkswagen Passat travelling north on Brown’s Line.

“The Volkswagen made contact with the pedestrian,” officers from Traffic Services said in a release. “The pedestrian was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries.”

A 36-year-old female driver of the Volkswagen remained at the scene.

Emergency crews arrived to find one person suffering from critical injuries, police said. The victim was taken to hospital via emergency run.

Brown’s Line was closed for several hours as police investigated.

Traffic Services are asking local residents, business or drivers, who have security or dash camera footage of the area or incident to contact investigators.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-1900, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.

 

New Toronto residents looking for deals are wondering the fate of a decades-old family-run Biway Zone discount shop that abruptly shut last month.
Locals said there are no signs on the door at the 2950 Lake Shore Blvd. W. discount store and have been trying to find out what happened.
The bargain store and an jointly owned office building at 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W. are slated for demolition to make way for a new condo development.

The discount store wasn’t an official Biway outpost, but it used to be. It is one of a few Biways left standing.
The store was taken over by a family in 2000 after the chain filed for bankruptcy. It was restocked and renamed Biway Zone.
“We have served the community for a long time, so leaving the community behind is sad and difficult,” Anish Chopra, the owner’s son told Blog TO. “But, at the same time, we are excited to finally retire and see where this new chapter in life will take us.”

The popular store was operating on a monthly rental basis and frequented by many residents looking for a deal on clothing, household, kitchen ware and other goods.
The sites were in 2020 the scene of many protests by community groups who fought against the City to prevent them from being converted into a 100-bed homeless shelter.
An application was submitted to the City of Toronto in 2019 to convert the 2950 and 2970 Lake Shore Blvd. W. properties into a nine storey mixed-use building that will contain 95 residential rental units and retail use.
The proposal would contain 27 studio units, 37 one-bedroom apartments, 15 two-bedroom units and 16 three-bedroom units.
The applicant proposes a total of 32 residential parking spaces in a one- storey underground garage.

Access to the underground garage would be from Eighth Street by an existing private laneway on the north side of the building.
The development would include a storage space for 73 bicycles, of which seven would be short-term and 66 would be long-term.
The proposal was turned down at the time by Etobicoke York Community Council, whose members were of the opinion that it did not conform to bylaws and the area’s Growth Plan.
“The proposal does not conform with the Toronto Official Plan, particularly regarding the avenues, built form and mixed use areas policies,” according to the community council.
“The proposal would establish an undesirable precedent, does not represent good planning and is not in the public interest in its current form,” they ruled.
The applicant was ordered to make some changes before the proposal can be approved.

This is a touching story between two love-struck Toronto pigeons who survived hardships in the wild and would fall in love and have a baby.

The female pigeon suffered burns and singed feathers after a Bathurst Street bridge explosion in downtown Toronto late last year, according to the Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC).

Toronto police said an explosion occurred last November 27 under a bridge on Bathurst Street and Fort York Boulevard. No one was injured in the explosion which occurred when some propane cylinders were exposed to heat from a fire.

A second bird, her male partner, had his white feathers dyed orange, and caused a flurry of activity from many residents sharing sightings of him on social media, the TWC said in a posting.

‘But just when we thought these two birds couldn’t become more iconic, they surprised us all by having a baby,” Centre officials said.

They said the ‘situation is extremely rare.”

“Although pigeons can lay eggs year-round, they aren’t normally in care long enough to form bonds with one another,” according to the TWC.

Apparently the birds became besties while in captivity.

“But with their lengthy stay, these two became quite close,” the wildlife workers said. “The stealthy lovers created a nest inside a hide box, out of sight from our team.”

They said by the time the well-concealed nest was discovered the baby had hatched from an egg.

”It is extremely rare for patients to lay eggs in care at all,” TWC workers said. “This little pigeon is a one in a million baby!”

A hide box is typically used by small owls and is located very high up in a large aviary,” the Centre said.

“ It is extremely rare for patients to lay eggs in care at all,” workers said. “The dutiful parents are taking good care of the new addition.”

As for the pigeon dyed orange, a TWC team is waiting for the bird to shed his dyed feathers and regrow ones that are in his natural colour through molting.

TWC is dedicated to providing care of the birds in captivity and hope to release the rehabilitated pigeons back into the wild.

How is that for a tender love story from pigeons who had undergone suffering to now have the love of their lives.

The TWC are seeking names of the baby pigeon. They can be reached by e-mail at  access@torontowildlifecentre.com.

The water quality and aquatic habitat conditions in the Etobicoke Creek is poor and contaminated with chlorides from road salt and phosphorous from fertilizers, according to a draft report by the Toronto and Region
Conservation Authority (TRCA).
The draft report states the contaminants include E. coli bacteria from sewage and animal wastes and copper and zinc from
industrial sources or roadways.
“Exceedances of chlorides and nitrates were also observed in groundwater,” the TRCA said in its Etobicoke Creek Watershed Plan that was the subject of two meetings last month.

The report follows outcry from residents over a heavy chemical fire retardant that covered, and is now mostly vacuumed, from watersheds as Humber River and Lake Ontario following a six-alarm factory fire in Rexdale.

The TRCA and GTA municipal governments are working to educate commercial and industrial partners to maintain chemical spills.
They are working “in collaboration with industrial landowners and the province to identify high-risk spill area and implement spill prevention an
contingency plans in accordance with provincial regulation,” the report states.
This will “educate commercial and industrial property owners on effective
maintenance of oil and grit separators, and other pollution control
infrastructure,” the authority wrote.

They are working “to identify sources of microplastics and emerging chemicals of concern, and to work with other levels of government to manage and remove these pollutants from the environment.”
The report said Etobicoke Creek’s “aquatic habitat conditions are poor, and the watershed has a high amount of runoff and in-stream barriers.”
The creek is second annually to the Don River in runoff in all
TRCA watersheds.
“The average habitat rating for fish is ‘fair’ and for benthic
communities is ‘poor,” they said.

Benthic communities are composed of macroinvertebrates, such
as annelids, mollusks, and crustaceans, which inhabit the bottom of estuaries and play a vital role in maintaining sediment
and water quality.
“With increasing urbanization, more sensitive fish species will be replaced
with species more tolerant of disturbance, and benthic communities will shift towards more pollution tolerant species.” the report warned.

Serving young women in the community for many years, the
Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment, has
received a financial boost.
A Resilient Communities Grant from the Ontario Trillium
Foundation (OTF) awarded $162,700 to former MP
Augustine on September 14 which was presented by MPP Christine
Hogarth.
“We are so fortunate to have The Jean Augustine Centre, which is
an invaluable resource for young girls located in our community,”
Hogarth said. “The Young Women’s Empowerment program
contributes every day to the goal of opening up opportunities for young women to achieve their true potential.”
The Resilient Communities Fund supports community-based organizations that deliver programs and services in Ontario and need funding to recover and build capacity, resilience and sustainability.
The grants support organizations as they develop new approaches to generate revenue, start new activities to meet community need, adjust strategies and plans or plan for future challenges.
The mission of the OTF is to build healthy and vibrant communities throughout Ontario by investing in community-based initiatives and strengthening the impact
of Ontario’s non-profit sector. Last year, the OTF invested more than $110 million in 1,022 community projects and services.

Young South Etobicoke entrepreneur Marley Alles is on top of the world after winning a $40,000 grant for her online clothing rental
company.
Alles, who developed a peer-to-peer wardrobe rental app, called rax,
was chosen by Coors Original Legacy Lift in a pitch event for the
prize in Toronto.
She got the idea after being invited to a wedding and thought
that instead of buying a dress and wearing it once she could borrow one from a friend to wear for the day.
“I was very surprised to win,” Alles said. “I was completely
shocked.”

She competed against four other Canadian start-ups, all which
had to submit a 60-second video made on an elevator. Alles
also won a mentorship with Coors family member David
Coors, a board member and vice-president of the international
brewing company.
She now rents items of clothing, shoes and bags to women on
the rax app, an idea that has caught on.
“As a startup, access to capital is one of the hardest things to
obtain and lack of funding is one of the main ways startups
fail,” Alles said “Winning this grant from Coors Original
enables rax to reach new heights that wouldn’t have been possible.”

The start-up consultant for small companies applied for the Coors grant last August and
it paid off after she was chosen as a winner last month.
“We all have a closet full of clothes we’d love to make money on and on the other hand, we often want to wear items once or for a couple of months,” she said.
“Consumer preferences are shifting with disposable income shrinking.”
Alles said the ‘horrible ethical and environmental impacts of the fast fashion industry,’ enabled her to make a difference by empowering individuals to become their own entrepreneurs.
“rax is a community-driven marketplace that redefines the way we consume fashion without hurting your wallet, while saving the planet,” she
said.
Alles said women can make money by lending out their wardrobe to others or save money borrowing other people’s closets.
“It’s a great way to reduce your carbon footprint while finally giving you
access to the closet of your dreams, without the cost associated,” she
asserted.

Her app displays photos of models wearing the fashionable, formal
clothing for women and lists a rental fee. The lender and borrower are then
hooked up and she receives a 20% commission on items being lent.
The company has a website with photos posted of some of the outfits
that can be rented for four days, 10 days, 20 days, a month, three months
or six months.
“We were honored to award the Legacy Lift grant to Marley Alles of
rax after learning more about how she took an inspiring career leap to build a lasting, sustainable business that would create a positive impact for the people of Canada,” said Leslie Malcolm, Senior Director
of Marketing for Molson Global Brands.
Borrowers fill out a form and can pick up or have the item shipped to them, which must be returned cleaned.
You can view some of her rental selection at
www.raxapp.ca

Popular longtime Etobicoke fire Captain Geoff Hoar has
retired after almost 32 years of fighting fires and tending
disasters.
Hoar spent almost 15 years at Etobicoke Fire Department
before serving the Town of Caledon Fire and Emergency Services, where he was past president of the Caledon Professional Fire Fighters’ Association.
“While a great career, it has not always been an easy career,” he said. “Were it not for the support of my family, I don’t know that I would have made it this far.”

He plans to “enjoy many, many years of the pension that I have worked so long for.”
Hoar during his distinguished career served as a fire fighter, Acting Captain, Captain and Certified Company Officer.
He was at one time an instructor at Seneca College where he taught a pre-service fire program.
“Lots of memories of the amazing people I have worked beside,” Hoar wrote on social media. “It is time to transfer to “R”(retirement) shift.”
He will miss his colleagues and called his last day on the job ‘bittersweet.’
“Once I walked through that door though the job is who I am I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” Hoar recalled. I love “never
knowing what is coming next.”

The veteran fireman has fought hundreds of blazes and tended as many emergencies and disasters during his more than three decades
in the service.
He said today’s fire fighters face “increasingly complex standards and training requirements on the one hand juxtaposed by the need to generate ‘value’ to the community on the other.”
“We can’t do everything with less than it took us to do some things,” the fireman said.
Word of the popular fire fighter retiring sparked a lot of feedback from colleagues on social media.
“Enjoy your well-deserved retirement,” wrote Cheri Mollison. “A new adventure begins for you.”
“Congratulations Geoff, I wish you many happy years of retirement,” said Bruce Bottum.
Rick Stella wrote “retirement is nice Geoff. Pleasure working with you.”
“Welcome to crew five,” joked Bruce Zimmerman

The Jamaican-style jerk chicken was spicy and the ox tail with rice and peas quite tasty.
Foods from all over the world were on the plate at the fourth annual
Relish the Foodie Event featuring 16 highly-visible food trucks in the
parking lot of Cloverdale Mall on September 16 and 17.
Hundreds of food lovers attended the two-day event to enjoy a smorgasbord of dishes; live music, artisanal market vendors selling their wares; to picnic on the grass or enjoy food-themed
workshops and activities.

The parking lot was filled with many residents who wanted to test their
taste buds and try the different international foods available.
“I really enjoyed myself, I really liked the variety of food truck choices,” said Alderwood resident Tracey Phillips. “There was something there for
everyone. I had the jerk chicken with rice and peas and coleslaw. I loved it.”
I had the oxtail and rice and peas, which was pricey at $20, but was quite good. The meat was well cooked, so was the rice and peas.
Trucks with names like the Jerk Brothers were busy serving foods
featuring hot Caribbean cuisine. There was Liko’s Hawaiian Barbecue featuring grilled mahi mahi, bbq chicken or beef short ribs.

There was also Los Vietnamita Taqueria that served a Vietnamese-Mexican fusion like bao sliders or banh mi tacos. Also doing brisk sales
was The Arepa Republic with ‘the best Venezuelan flavours that will surprise you bite by bite.’
“The event was nice what I really liked about was that it was accessible for wheelchair,” said first timer, Suzie. “It was very difficult to choose from all the different food trucks and I had a good time.”
Also doing well was the Tropical South truck that offered Cuban sandwiches and frita burgers.
The Alijandro’s Kitchen truck featured a Mediterranean-Mexican fusion as Taboon tacos and fawaffles. Beaver Tails with its flat doughnuts
was busy. So was Communal Eats with Canadian and Caribbean cuisine as rum cake waffle, Trinidad-style BBQ fried chicken and tasty roti shark taco.

Nearby was the Delight Bite truck with burritos, tacos,
quesadillas and poutine.
Not to forget vendors selling their wares like honey, hot pepper sauce, cotton candy, popsicles, soup mixes,
‘Toronto’s best fresh cannoli,’ gourmet candy nuts and
even Turkish coffee and baklava among others.

The foodie event has grown over the years. It attracted
more than 7,600 food lovers last year and more than
20,000 since 2018.

Things are flying at Toronto Police’s 22 Division.
A new innovative aviation program is headed by two police officers of
22 Division to teach kids about aviation and the passion for flying.

The unique program is the first of its kind by Toronto Police Service and is
gathering a lot of interest.
Consts. Jermaine Watt and Dave Evans, of the Division’s Community Officer Team, have begun a Take Flight Not Fight program that teaches youths between 10 to 16-years-old the basics on aerospace, aviation an
how to fly an aircraft.
‘It is the first of its kind within the Toronto Police Service,” Watt said. “It provides the youth participants with an opportunity to learn how to fly an airplane.”

The officers, with the sponsorship of ProAction Cops & Kids, developed the
program.

Watt is a licensed pilot and has flown planes for about 16 years while working as a cop. Evans was a former mechanical engineer.
“We have combined our skills and passion to teach these youths using Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) all about aviation,” he said.
The program runs from March to the end of August and the kids seem to love it. The teens are all interested in aviation and are recruited from local schools, through their teachers or principals.
“Some of the kids didn’t want to go home after a class because they were so interested,” Watt said. “Two of them want to be pilots and another a
mechanical engineer.”

The program has caught on and there is now interest from other police
forces who want to start a similar program. They have also formed
partnerships with Brampton Flying Club, Pearson International Airport
and other forces.

He said there are many jobs available in the aviation industry ranging
from pilots, flight attendants, navigation planners, aerospace
engineers and mechanics.
The sponsor ProAction Cops & Kids work to establish a positive
relationship between cops and kids to strengthen our community today and for the future.

The group helps to create an environment of mutual understanding and respect. Connections between police and kids are made with a view to
increasing community safety while supporting young people to reach their
full potential.
ProAction has been able to engage over 420,000 youth, 19,800 officers
and deliver 2,200 programs, that are funded solely due to the generosity of
individuals, corporations and family foundations.

If you are a student interested in the aviation field you can
get in touch with Watt by e-mail at jermaine.watt@torontopolice.on.ca
Students have to be aged from 10 to 16 and live in the 22
Division area.

The Rotary Etobicoke Peace Park in New Toronto was filled with
friends and supporters as they marked its 30th anniversary of serving
the community.
The 25 Eleventh Street Park was dedicated to the community on
September 21, 1993. Some 300 Rotarians and
members of the community last September 21 celebrated with the event with a large community BBQ attended by three Rotary clubs who brought
food and drinks to share with others.
“I was fortunate 30 years ago, along with then Mayor Bruce Sinclair, to dedicate this area as Rotary Park,” said Lynda Ryder, the Rotary Etobicoke president. “I was the Etobicoke club president then, first woman in Canada, and am now doing a repeat as president 30 years later.”

Ryder said “our aim this year is partnerships and to that end, we are
inviting our three Etobicoke clubs to celebrate together with our
community.”
The Etobicoke Rotary Club, Rotary Club of Toronto West and our newest the Rotary Club of Toronto Tibetan gathered for this
anniversary, she said.
The 2.8 hectare park features a lit ball diamond, two tennis courts, a splash pad, and a children’s playground. There is also a Rotary Peace Park Outdoor Pool, Toronto Lawn Bowling Club, bowling green and
pickle ball court.

The Etobicoke Rotary Club has a long history in the community. It was formed in 1930 at the beginning of the Depression. It was a time of massive unemployment and one of the first club projects was to help
unemployed people by providing more than 2,000 parcels of food and milk.

“The main thoughts and efforts were directed towards helping the children in need,” according to the Rotary website.
The Town of New Toronto made parkland available which the Rotary Club equipped with playground equipment. The property was named Rotary Park with picnics frequently provided for underprivileged children.

One of the picnics entertained 1,500 children. The club provided disabled
children with boots, braces, wheelchairs, and other equipment with funds raised by an annual “Theatre Nights and Draws”.
The Rotary Club of Etobicoke includes professionals and
volunteers who give their time and energy to make a positive difference
in the lives of thousands.