Halloween is just around the corner and you have probably already started to pick out costumes with the kids. This is a fun time of year to play dress up and get creative. Here are a few tips to help you and your little ones stay safe and have fun this Halloween.1. Always make sure visibility is a priority Seeing through costumes is important to avoid tripping hazards, cars and other trick or treaters. Make sure you and/or the kids are also visible to others. Reflective or bright clothing is helpful to drivers and other patrons2. Map out your routeHaving a plan ahead of time helps track each other down in case of separation. This also helps you determine the most efficient route to hit the most number of homes and maximize your haul!3. Travel in groups Especially in the case of pre-teens possibly going out without supervision, there is safety and security in numbers. For parents, this is a great way to socialize and hang back with fellow parents while the kids approach the doors4. Dress for the weather Canadian weather can be unpredictable at this time of year. Dressing for the weather will help you stay out as long as you can- when it comes to costumes and cold weather, layering underneath is best so the costume is front and centre5. Watch what you eat After collecting, sort through the goodies with your kids. Make sure to remove anything that is not sealed or appears to have been tampered with. These tips may seem like a no-brainer but it never hurts to have a refresh. Halloween is a great community building opportunity to socialize with neighbours and get into the spirit of fun and sharing. If your household is not partaking in shelling out, it is always good to keep your porch or front lights out so kids know to skip you. If you are going with the kids, or sending them out with a group of friends, take lots of photos! Halloween is always a fun time of year to look back on as we get too old to trick or treat ourselves.Above all- have fun, stay safe and have a Happy Halloween!By: Amber Morley
Hundreds of people lined up for the famous annual Turkey Giveaway at Downsview Park
Thanksgiving is the time of year when we reflect on our blessings and show gratitude for the little things. It is a great time to get together with friends and family to share food, drinks and laughs. For the ninth year in a row the Downsview Park Merchant’s Market gave away hundreds of frozen turkeys, bags of potatoes, cranberry sauce and/or pasta at their annual event on the thanksgiving long weekend. This event gives families, who normally wouldn’t be able to afford a big turkey dinner, the chance to enjoy this holiday stress free. It builds the community and ensures the inclusion of all during this time of year. The Merchant Market fully funds and oversees all costs associated with the giveaway and vendors from the Farmer’s Market donate hundreds of pounds of potatoes. Thousands of visitors stopped by the market on Sunday, October 11 to participate in the successful event. MPP Judy Sgro and Liberal candidate Michael Levitt participated in the lineups. There was fantastic entertainment by Naomi that sang while people waiting in line for their turkey. “It was truly wonderful to see so many smiles on so many faces as residents picked up their turkeys. We love the opportunity to give back to the community every year.”For more information on this event contact: bobborielly@gmail.com or dpmarket@msn.com.By: Maria Solis
Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients:Pumpkin Pie Filling1.75 cups of canned pumpkin puree3/4 cup of brown sugar1/4 of white sugar3/4 cup evaporated milk2 eggs1 tsp cinnamon1/2 tsp nutmeg1/2 tsp cardammon1/4 tsp lemon zest1/4 tsp saltPie Crust1 cup all purpose flour1/3 cup butter1/2 tsp salt3 -4 tbs of water1 pie tinWhipped Cream1/4 cup of 35% cream3-4 tbs of confectioner sugarDirectionsPumpkin Pie Filling1. Beat the eggs in a bowl2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl with the eggs3. Stir in the pumpkin puree, followed by the evaporated milk.4. Stir until everything is combined well. Pie Crust5. Cut the chilled butter into small cubes and break it down in the flour6. Continue to break the butter down in the flour until no cubes remains7. Add salt and water.8. Knead well until pie crust is smooth (add more water as needed)9. Roll your pie crust flat and place it in your pie tin10. Crimp the edges neatly.11. Fill the pie shell with your pumpkin pie mixture and place it in the oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 for an additional 30 minutes (or the inside is baked)12. Allow pie to cool for 2 hoursWhipped Cream13. Add your cream and confectioner sugar into a bowl.14. Whisk until a hard peak is formed.15. Serve whipped cream on top of the pumpkin pie.By: Vincent Polsinelli
An aspiring, 11 year-old, goalie with over 30 silver and gold medals
“Determined would be the best word to describe him, he believes this is what he’s going to do for the rest of his life.” Joseph Macri is not your average 11 year old boy; he’s an aspiring goalie with over 30 silver and gold medals. Since age four he’s been on the ice and loving every moment. He’s now a “top goalie, every year at every level” says his proud father, Pino Macri. From a young age he demonstrated passion for the game. Most kids don’t wake up in the morning wanting to get on the ice and learn to play hockey, but Joseph loves it. Although he’s had several Triple A offers, his father decided to hold off so that Joseph could focus more on his skill building. He is now playing Double A and also plays with the Toronto GT Capitols and on his school hockey team. Joseph takes hockey “very seriously” says his dad. “He’s on the ice 13 times a week; gets up at 6:00 a.m. every morning to practice and does an hour and a half of dry land training in the afternoon.” This past September, Joseph received a scholarship to attend PEAC, an elite school for athletes that specializes in hockey, lacrosse, figure skating, soccer, rugby and baseball. The schools mission is to further the development of student-athletes and to help them become respectful individuals, top level performers in their sport, and life-long learners who are career-oriented. When asked how he felt to be attending PEAC, Joseph said: “Good! I feel proud of myself.” Every kid in the school trains specifically to their sport. Goalie training includes an hour and a half Monday to Thursday and one hour of strength training per week. Fridays are used to catch up academically and for tournaments that also go through the weekend. The school has the highest ratio for athlete to coach and Joseph is the youngest goalie, training alongside two 16 year old goalies that have been drafted to the OHL. To Joseph, the hardest part of being a goalie is “the concentration in the game, it’s hard to stay in the game.” But when asked how he prepares for a game he says: “I think about it in my head and visualize the game and focus really hard.” His training includes a lot of learning to control the ice and speed intolerance. Robb Nelson, Managing Director at PEAC described Joseph as “hardworking, ambitious and hungry to get better and wants to be the best.” Joseph’s determination, dedication and passion for hockey has impressed many people he’s come to know. His coaches have nothing but great things to say about him and are so proud of his ability to take direction and defend the game as a goalie. "In all my years in hockey development... even at the NHL level... I have never met an individual with more courage than Joseph! As a net minder his passion to stop a puck is second to none. I would recommend Joseph to any coach looking for a goalie with a great attitude and willingness to battle every shot he faces!” Tim Turk, Goalie Coach Joseph and Pino Macri would like to give a very special thank you to: Tim Turk, goalie coach; Joe Venuto & Trisha Kalezic, of Impact Hockey; Robb Nelson from PEAC; and to Todd Miller of the OHL Barrie Colts and all coaches for their years of hard work with Joseph. Joseph’s favourite NHL team is the Montreal Canadians and his favourite player is Perry Price, goalie for Montreal Canadians. Watch out for this kid, his proven potential and good work ethic will likely get him into the NHL one day!By: Maria Solis
Dufferin Finch BIA well on its way to new prosperity
The Keele Street and Finch Avenue West intersection is fast being transformed to a vibrant, exciting hub of economic and urban activity. We know about the new, to-be-opened-in-2017 Finch West Subway Station, as well and the upcoming Finch West LRT, to start construction in 2017 with completion in 2021. This intersection is a main gateway to the Finch Dufferin Business Improvement Area (BIA). The ground-breaking on September 17, 2015 of the attractive, 8-storey 165,000 sq. ft. professional and medical centre, the University Heights Professional and Medical Centre, at 35 Tangiers Road at the south-east corner with Finch Avenue West demonstrates that the Dufferin Finch BIA is well on the way to revitalization and new prosperity. It shows how private investors are betting on Finch Avenue. It is worth noting that 35 Tangiers Road will be a nice place to work, get medical and other help, or shop (there will be retail on the ground floor). The building will have the latest in environmental sustainability and efficiencies (including a green roof). Its 89 units will have an AAA office space designation with a 250 spaces underground garage. This is a change to the type of development that we have seen in the area, and perhaps the first of many new things to come. The fact that Keele and Finch is destined to be an exciting mixed use, urban hub should not be surprising though. The public transit improvements are complemented by Canada’s 3rd largest post-secondary institution at York University to the north and Canada’s first completely digital Humber River Regional Hospital to the South. There is also the massive changes that will be made to the Downsview Park once that takes final shape. The 2,500 businesses and 32,000 workers of Dufferin Finch BIA district will be affected by these changes and so will the neighbouring communities. It is an exciting opportunity to build a better community.By: Joe Pantalone
The future of the busway corridor near York University
We opened the York University Busway in 2009 when I was Chair of the TTC. It is a bus only roadway linking the Downsview station to York University and was constructed to address over- crowding and reliability issues on route 196, the York University Rocket. The busway is used by the TTC, York Region and Go Transit busses. There are some 1.400 busses a day servicing York University. The busway increased the average speed of route 196 by 41% making it the third fastest TTC route at rush hour and it is now faster than any of the subway lines. Due to the savings in time from using the busway, service frequency on route 196 was increased while at the same time we were able to lower the operating costs by reducing the number of buses needed to service the route from 20 to 16. Negotiating land for the route with York University was difficult. The University did not want to give up an inch of their land to accommodate the busway. In the end, they only agreed to allow access to their lands on a temporary basis; until such time as the subway was built. Now that the subway is nearing completion and the section northward onto the campus is scheduled to be removed, the city has to decide what to do with the balance of the busway through the hydro corridor. This road cost $37M to construct. $18.4M was contributed by the City of Toronto and the balance paid in equal shares by the Governments of Canada and Ontario. Now that we are constructing the Finch West LRT, expected to be completed by 2021, it appears that the busway will become redundant. I am proposing an alternative to closing it; convert the Busway to an Oil Tanker Route. The busway should be retained, converted to an oil tanker only route and extended westward to connect directly with highway 400. This would provide a unique opportunity to keep the oil trucks away from the Subway stations, reduce wear and tear on the pavement, and relieve some of the traffic congestion in the Finch corridor. In fact, it might be a good way to remove all heavy trucks from Keele Street. So, who will pay for this? Well, the oil companies of course. Before you shed a tear for the big oil companies, as most of the politicians in this election seem to be, consider that the price of a barrel of oil has dropped by half but the price of gas at the pump hasn’t. You can be sure that the oil companies will continue to register even higher profits this year. I would bring back the David Miller Vehicle Tax but this time, instead of putting it on passenger cars, I would put the tax on trucks over 20 tonnes and use that money to extend the busway. I would pass a bylaw that prohibits heavy trucks from using Finch Avenue and Cheeswood Rd, forcing them onto the Busway (now a truck corridor). The city could instead levy a highway 407 type toll on oil trucks. In any case, it could all be done without spending a dime of public funds. It would provide a safe, direct route for trucks into and out of the tank farms without compromising subway safety. Otherwise it’s only a matter of time before we have an oil spill into the subway that would make the Murray Road propane explosion look like a Canada Day firecracker.
Hand Sewing 101
