Winding side streets are lined with sturdy brick bungalows, built during the suburban expansion after WWII. Major intersections anchor the plazas; the parking lots, strip malls and cavernous super markets that emerged as the fated corollary of suburbia. But there are also the concrete towers that rose from the ground to accommodate Canadian newcomers from around the world. And then there are cranes and sleek glass condominiums; the monuments of our present moment.But on Keele St., across from the imposing real-estate sales centre in Downsview Park, there is a red brick home with arched windows and sweeping gables. The “George Jackson House” represents another chapter in the history of Downsview.In 1827, newlywed Irish immigrants William and Jane Jackson purchased 200 acres of land for a £1 an acre. Immediately after their honeymoon, William and Jane packed their wooden carriage with tools, food and lumber. An oxen pulled them along a network of dirt trails that were woefully unsuited for their mode of travel. They got stuck in a ravine, just north of modern day Keele and Lawrence, and the newlyweds spent a restless night under the stars. The next morning a team of local farmers helped William and Jane complete their journey, launching them into their new lives.The land we now call Dowsnview was once a patchwork of enormous farms. The landscape was delineated not by concrete, glass and asphalt, but instead by potato, wheat and corn. The Jacksons’ diligently farmed their land. Despite setbacks – on one trek along the treacherous dirt trails, William toppled a wagon full of hay three times – the family prospered. For many years, William served as a Justice of the Peace and public school trustee.Near the end of the 19th century, William’s son George Jackson and his wife Sarah inherited the land, and they built the redbrick home with the sweeping gables. They parlayed the family fortunes and, like his father, George took up public service as both a school trustee and township Councillor.These are the biographical footnotes that invariably echo through time, but artifacts left behind by the Jackson family afford us a much more intimate glimpse into their lives. What is more, they leave us with impressions of family members who otherwise would have been lost in the fog of time.The daughters of the family, Alice and Bessie, kept a great deal of their school work. One essay, written during WW1, perhaps while they attended Weston High School, argues in favor of women’s’ right to vote. A passage reads “Woman’s property and person are protected by a man’s hand – but why is it necessary when she is able and willing to take her own share in the burden?” The essay continues, “[woman’s entitlement to vote] needs no further comment than the bravery, perseverance, enthusiasm and spirit shown in the present war”.The Jacksons’ lost control of the home in the 1960’s. It became a nursing home and then later an office building. In the 2000’s the flames of re-development threatened to engulf the red brick home, but in 2012 the structure was saved by a historic property designation. Today it still serves as office space, but the history of the Jackson family adorns the walls on the ground floor.Reading into this chapter of our community history raises more questions than answers. What was life like as a 19th century farmer in Downsview? What other chapters of our community history are missing, and how can we recover them? What will remain of our way of life in 120 years? There are no definitive answers to these questions, but one thing is certain. History is a lot like Downsview; the only certainty is change.
Toronto City Council approves traffic light at Sheppard Ave. and Bakersfield St.
When you are travelling north on the Allen Road and are headed for the Finch and Keele area most drivers avoid the journey around what I call the Sheppard Avenue hump by turning north on Bakersfield Street.Bakersfield Street is the first street just west of the railroad underpass on Sheppard Avenue. That route allows you to go due north and then cut across Toro Road in a straight line to Keele Street. It shaves your trip by about 3 kilometers. Unfortunately, the trip cannot be done in reverse because a concrete barrier across Sheppard Avenue prevents you from turning left. To return most drivers turn left at St. Regis Road and access Sheppard via Tuscan Gate.I am happy to report that Toronto Council at their December meeting approved a traffic signal for the intersection of Sheppard West and Bakersfield Street. A new street, called Viti Street will be created by extending Bakersfield Southward to establish the main vehicle entrance to the new subway Station. Bakersfield will be widened at the South End to accommodate the flow of Traffic. That’s good news for everyone except the used car dealership that parks cars for sale all over the street.Bakersfield Street. A new street, called Viti Street will be created by extending Bakersfield Southward to establish the main vehicle entrance to the new subway Station. Bakersfield will be widened at the South End to accommodate the flow of Traffic. That’s good news for everyone except the used car dealership that parks cars for sale all over the street. The new subway station will be an important hub because it will function as a dual TTC/Go transit crossover. The go station for the northwest commuter line from York Region is located just across the tracks on the east side. Now, Instead of having to travel all the way down to Union Station to access Toronto, commuters from the North will be able to disembark at the new Go Station and access the subway system in Downsview. This will take thousands of cars off Toronto streets when people who live north of the City discover that they can now more conveniently travel to work by TTC.For Downsview residents, it means less traffic congestion, better transit access and now they won’t have to travel to the Allen Road in order to drop someone at a subway kiss and ride.
This is called weeding with a wrench
Poetry:
This is called weeding with a wrench.
Bored between conflict here and diamond there,
I dug myself out of the trench;
This is my uprising, like the poor man’s revolt;
Against the hunger and these crooks, squeezing me in my right turns like bolts;
But I should slow down; Take a seat and relax my crown;
It seems-stress can sew fear and loathing;
Clothing for those who oppose;
I’ve been holding back, anger and tears that made my eyes glow;
In the dark I sat, with things on my mind like a hat;
I write it down to cure my frown;
One line at a time like a needle pulling thread;
Scribble scrabble;
Then the ink settles and they marvel;
Our trendy society, do you follow her singular thoughts that she breeds;
Swear to abide by them before I could proceed;
From truths to absolutes she had me crammed;
Sweet Plasma Jam!
I over flowed, grim to the brim;
So I write to take off some, like a trim;
On all five corners of my head;
Quietly hairs fall, and I don’t wait to drop my weight;
Not at all;
Spit it all out I say, it is bad what we ate;
Was it not my body’s need of bread, I would never bother with her dread;
Otherwise I would just be; and my words free;
Out on the sea, there; where no one censors or gets taxed;
But I am in on civilized land, where the majority is walked on like sand;
Careless steps repeated by only a few;
By morning dew and things look new;
This is my chance;
I’m open for a change to be;
Strange at first, the look of things in range;
Rover rolls over clover;
The envious greens;
All eyes on me, and mine on your money;
Rhymes in my sight are bright, all the time, not only when it is sunny;
Weeding through life’s humors, which are not always funny.
Discover the genius within your child
The UCMAS Mental Math Program is revolutionizing the way children are learning life skills through math. These days it isn’t easy to stimulate a child for a long period of time without them reaching for electronics. When children have fun learning while in an encouraging environment surrounded by peers, their brains are given the opportunity to grow and excel in a healthy way. If you are looking for an after school program that will stimulate or child and help them in school then keep reading.UCMAS is a unique program that was developed in Malaysia in 1993 and has been offered in Canada since 2004. It promotes whole brain development by stimulating both sides of the brain. Children are taught time management, memory, concentration, problem solving and how to multitask. Students range between the ages of four to 13 and they learn math with the use of an Abacus.“I grew up in the area so I know that such a program can improve scores in standardized testing, and will definitely have a massive impact on student success in this community,” said Mathan Thava who runs the only UCMAS program in North York (located right at Keele St.and Finch Ave.). “Programs fill up quickly and batches usually start around the beginning of a new school semester (September and January),” said Thava. Each level runs for four months, after completing a level there is a ceremony and children are presented with a certificate of completion and moved on to the next level. Children are encouraged to help one another which promotes self-confidence.“This mental math program teaches a child’s brain to problem solve at a high level using focus and concentration,” said Thava. UCMAS opens the door to a student’s proficiency and confidence in math while laying down the foundation for children to develop fundamental learning skills that will ensure success in school and in their daily lives. “We are teaching kids to utilize their full capacity and levels of concentration to become better at math and use those skills to lead a fulfilling life,” says Thava.Programs are developed by experts in child development as well as psychologists alongside carefully selected program specialists. UCMAS is an ISO 9001:2008 certified program.Contact the Aizen Academy to register for the UCMAS Program today!UCMAS North York @ Keele & FinchAizen Academy Inc. - Mathan Thava1290 Finch Ave West Unit 22Toronto , ON M3J 3K3Cell (647) 990-0864 - Office (416) 665-4756 Present this newspaper to receive a 35 Value Student Kit FREE.
Syrian refugees settling in Downsview at The Toronto Plaza Hotel
The lobby of the Toronto Plaza Hotel, located on Wilson Avenue near Downsview Arena, hums with laughter, conversation and the scampering of Syrian children running and exploring their temporary home. Women chat in groups, many of them holding their pregnant bellies, and the men converse separately; some smoke outside in clusters while five boys play soccer.The Toronto Plaza Hotel will be home to around 400 Syrian refugees until COSTI Immigrant Services can relocate them to permanent housing.As an active and passionate participant of NGO projects overseas, General Manager Rehan Chaudary welcomes the newly landed refugees and is happy to take part in his own NGO project right at home.The refugees arrived earlier this month over a four-day period, in accordance with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s promise to approve 25,000 refugees to live in Canada. The hotel has rented 100 rooms for its uncommon guests and expects 80 more by the end of this week.“It has really been affecting the business,” says Chaudary. “The tourists aren’t used to so many guests and local travelers are not always happy to see the Syrians. We still have walk-in traffic and our banquet halls are open, but right now we are fully catering to our Syrian guests.”The hotel is doing everything they can to accommodate the needs of the refugees.The hotel restaurant, Greenery Restaurant, has Muslim cooks who prepare halal meals for the Syrians three times a day, free of charge. The hotel also has a medical team on standby to assist the pregnant women –one who just gave birth –and tend to the children, which Chaudary describes some as “in pretty bad shape.”Chaudary has hired a few Arabic-speaking employees who communicate with the refugees and who have placed signs written in Arabic around the hotel. The language barrier has been extremely difficult for the staff as almost none of the Syrians currently residing in the hotel speak English.Recently, on January 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Clothing Drive [an initiative to collect winter clothes for Syrian refugees] and Let Them be Kids [an initiative to collect toys for Syrian refugee children] held a pop-up shop at the hotel. Volunteers gave the refugees donated winter clothes, toys and other necessities, while COSTI Immigrant Services works to fulfill the refugees’ necessities of permanent housing.COSTI has hired extra staff to speed up the housing process as they have never handled so many refugees in such a short period of time. The agency, however, strives to find the refugees homes, assist them in the employment process and offer them free English lessons.The Syrian refugees at Toronto Plaza Hotel have endured significant hardships these past few years, from losing their homes to watching bombs go off in front of them. It has been a difficult journey for them as they have fled their violence-stricken country to an unfamiliar place where they do not know the language or the culture. The Downsview community, however, has been displaying its generosity through donations, sponsorships and simply by welcoming the refugees into the community.
With a smile the Toronto Latino community says NO! to gender violence
On November 25, people around the world commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Violence against women is a complex cultural issue that can be examined from different angles. To be changed it needs the compromise of all social sectors to end it. This year the Latino community proposed to remember this day in a different way; with the proposal to examine violence against women in the form of songs, music and art from a variety of languages, cultures and artists.The event’s purpose was to examine art and culture and interpret what the lyrics in songs were really saying or what art was really expressing. The exercise unveiled what those apparently sweet songs or art pieces really mean to say, and how these words or art were the expression of violent men with aggressive intentions toward women. And in the process, discovering a hidden violent message in artistic expression, included looking for empathy for the aggressor and blaming the victims. Gender violence is not only physical, and it can take many other forms to devalue women, to instil fear, to limit their autonomy, to isolate them in the family and in the social wider context –as per example inequity at work. These different forms of violence have negative consequences on women’s physical and mental health, and have a negative impact on their children, who are witness of the violence against their mothers These are not issues usually examined in a fun and interactive manner, but this was the proposal of Latin@s en Toronto, (with the support of the Counsil of Spanish Heritage, Colectivo 65 and Ashtor). Using the tools given by music, sense of humour and poetry, the audience and organizers lost the fear of looking for new meanings in words and songs. The meeting was at 1265 St. Clair Ave. West (Evoke Gallery). The participants only needed to bring a good sense of humour and be willing to smile.
The separation is in the preparation
When the weather starts to turn and nights grow colder, you know it’s time to button down your coat and also time to button down the homestead. There are some very inexpensive and simple tasks that one can do to prepare for winter, and be better prepared for spring. Most people are under the impression that they need to spend large sums of money or devote several hours to their yard to achieve desired results, however this is not true.The first thing you do is get a rake and collect all leaves, sticks, and debris from your lawn and place all items in a bio-degradable yard bag. After placing said bag at the curb, and maybe taking a small break, start over by raking your entire lawn, don’t be afraid to pull up some of the grass. This process is called dethatching and its purpose is to let your lawn breathe by removing dead grass or weeds from your perennial ground cover. Rake all dead grass and whatever was uprooted into a pile and place in same or new yard bag. A 750 sq. ft. yard should not take more than 25 minutes to dethatch. The time it takes to rake leaves before dethatching will obviously vary based on the amount leaves or debris that has fallen onto your property.The next thing you’ll want to do is walk around your house to check your downspouts. Do this by examining the opening of the downspout and make sure there are no objects blocking where the water will come out. At around waist level, start to knock on the downspout and reaching upwards until you can’t reach any further. You are checking to see if there are any obstructions in the downspout. The other step of this involves ladder work so if you can afford to have your eaves trough cleaned professionally I would suggest that. It ranges in price averaging from $100-$200 which will include the cleaning of your eaves, and the clearing of any clogs your downspout may have. This part of fall/winter maintenance is very important because of the potential for flooding as well as icy walkways where water might freeze in the winter. Although the eaves are important to clean at least once a year (twice a year would be best) if you ensure your downspouts are clear and flowing you will not have any flooding issues and water will still be carried away from your house where you want it.Last is something I call basic practical planning. And all it entails when it comes to fall/winter maintenance is thinking about the worst case weather scenarios and how they may affect your home and property. What could you maybe do in order to prevent some or all of these things from happening? For example, if you have kids and those kids have lots of yard toys, basketball or hockey nets etc., on the property then those objects may present a problem if it gets really windy. Ask yourself if things I have outside get wet, or dirty, or covered in snow, will they survive? Are there any tripping hazards that will be made more dangerous if covered in snow? Basically you have a walk around your property and just look at what you have out there and weigh the pros and cons of bringing things inside or leaving them to brave the elements.There you have it! I’ve shown and explained a few basic things that you can do to prepare the outside of your home for winter, and the New Year. You’re ready to do some maintenance now, please remember to wear a pair of supportive shoes and gloves for protection while doing any work on your home. Be careful and enjoy your beautiful property.
William Baker Park: now open to the public
An area North of Downsview Park, the former site of military housing for the former Downsview Air Force Base is now open for the public to enjoy.The area, North of Sheppard Ave. W, and East of Keele St., and its beautiful woodlot had been off limits to the public since the military base closed in 1996, has been converted into William Baker Park.“I am proud to have worked in opening up the beautiful space to the community by taking down the fences and improving access,” said Councillor Anthony Perruzza.The former housing has now been taken down, leaving only the greenspace, the city has also created nature trails and has installed park benches for people to enjoy the space.Perruzza said the park will be available to the community for years to come as it has been designated as a natural habitat and the city’s secondary plan and thus will remain protected.“I would like to see Canada Lands recognize and preserve this beautiful park and to see the greater community regularly enjoy and explore it,” Perruzza said.Have you been to the new park? If so, tell us what you think, send in your pictures or post on our social media pages.
Student pulled out of class at Amesbury Middle School due to hairstyle
Do we need rules regulating hair styles in schools?A black female student in grade eight, who attends Amesbury Middle School in North York, was recently admonished by her principal for wearing her hair in a natural style. The student was pulled out of class and purportedly told that she looked unprofessional and would never get a job looking the way she did. The most surprising thing is that the principal is also black. This story went viral on social media when the students’ aunt, Kaysie Quansah, took to Facebook to express her outrage at what had happened to her niece. Her post was passionate, she seemed hurt by what her niece had gone through. She stated, that the Principal “told my niece that she needs to put her hair up, gave her a hair band/scrunchie/ponytail holder (whatever you'd like to call it) and repeatedly told her to do something about her hair.” A principal is an educator and should be a strong leader, someone who provides a positive environment for our children. When we drop our children off at school in the morning, we leave them there in hopes that they will be cared for by the best people in the community. Educators have a big responsibility; to impact our children’s’ lives in the most positive way possible. The Facebook statement contradicts this notion, “My sister was then called and told that my niece's hair was *too poofy*, *unprofessional*, that *no one would hire her with hair like that*, and if *she were working in a store, no one would buy anything from her*”.This story hit home for me, as a mother of mixed children (of Latino, black and white background) and as another social problem that we ignore on a daily basis. We must teach our children self-love not self-hate, we must teach them that what is most important is what is on the inside, how we treat people and how to be respectful of others and their situations.It is sad to see self-hate, because it demonstrates that there is a bigger issue at play here. The student’s aunt states it well, “I would like to know what gives you the authority to be the decision maker on stunting my nieces' dreams by telling her that she cannot achieve careers based off her looks. (Principal) why are you projecting your SELF HATE onto my niece? (Principal) love yourself, and allow my niece to do the same.”Kuddos to the family for making this story known to the media, which led to an outpour of support for the family.
Let us know what you think about this story. Do you think physical appearance should affect the education we receive in our schools or job opportunities later in life?
Giving up the Vote
It was great to see that our recent federal election had one of the highest voter turnouts since 1993, at 68%. It also had the highest amounts of visible minorities being elected as MPs. But what about the specific turnout of visible minority groups? How did minority vote fair up in this last election? The First Nations community increased their votes so much that two ridings ran out of ballots. Thanks to social media, the youth vote also increased in this year’s 42nd election where the Liberal party won a majority. However these advancements for minorities can distract from the plight of other marginalized groups, such as Black Canadians, very few of which have been elected to parliament, and none chosen for Trudeau’s “diverse” cabinet. After interviewing several minorities in our Humber River, Black Creek riding, many minorities claimed that they voted and encouraged their children to vote. The few that did not vote claimed that their vote did not matter so they did not bother voting. Some even claimed, “All politicians are the same”. Others claim our existing democracy is too shallow. However, have we taken the time to really learn about our political system? Who were the 5 candidates running in our riding and what were their platforms? Who are the major Canadian political parties and what do they represent? What does left wing and right wing even mean? If you have not had schooling in Canada, all of this may be unfamiliar and there is rarely a crash course in Canadian politics.
Though the current political structure may not benefit the majority of people, refusing to vote makes citizens compliant to the current system. It says I agree with the decisions our government makes. As citizens our vote matters and we have the opportunity to promote positive values. Our one vote can help to change systems and reform policies. Collectively, we can promote long-term change, one vote at a time. So whether it be another federal election, provincial or the municipal election, get out and make your opinion matter by casting your vote!