On June 1st , 2016, Driftwood Public School hosted a celebration for their 50th Anniversary in our community. This celebration was an opportunity for people to share both past and current experiences with an institution that has helped to shape and develop the very spirit of the surrounding community.Since it’s opening in 1965, Driftwood Public School has been the source of many stories from city wide news outlets for their revolutionary educational initiatives. These stories have ranged from discussion about new innovative programs for conflict resolution to kicking off the trend for environmentally friendly programs in the 90s. Programs like these are the work of engaged and concerned teachers, aiming to be on the leading edge of education initiatives. Indeed, as recently as 2012, teacher Sheri Alcordo, was awarded the Premier’s Award for Teaching Excellence.But teachers can only do so much, part of what makes a school like Driftwood successful, is the involvement and support of the children and parents. Driftwood is part of an extremely diverse community whose intent is to ensure that their children can have the best education possible. The hard work of teachers’ means nothing if children are not encouraged and supported by their families to put everything they can into their school experience.We will be sure to bring you more pictures and updates about the event in our next edition, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
Better Regulations of Predatory Lenders Needed
When Joseph’s car broke down a week before his paycheque he needed fast money to pay the $1000 repair bill. Without savings, available credit or a network of family and friends who could help him financially, he decided to go to a payday advance loan agency (think Money Mart, Cash Money, etc.).Like using a credit card, Joseph figured there would be little to no interest if he paid back the loan on time. When he went to pay back the $1000 loan two weeks later, he was charged $300 (30%) in interest.Based on his experience Joseph expressed concern for others, “It’s a vicious cycle. A person could easily end up needing a payday loan to pay back a payday loan. I would never go back.”Enter Rohan. Living with a disability and in his fifties, Rohan felt reborn when he fell in love and was happily planning a wedding. Without available funds to pay for even a small celebration, a friend suggested he get a payday advance loan.Rohan ended up borrowing from three different lenders to pay the minimum payment for his growing debt. After borrowing from friends and scraping by for two years, Rohan was able to pay back what he owed.Such experiences are common for many residents in our community where the number of payday advance lenders roughly equal the number of Tim Horton’s. In desperation, individuals and families often turn to them for help, only to make their financial situation far worse.Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has taken a lead role in the fight against ‘predatory lenders’.ACORN’s spokesperson on this campaign, Donna Borden, has personally experienced the bottomless pit of high interest debt when she took out a $10,000 installment loan. Five years later, Donna had paid back $15,000 and still had to pay $8,000 to clear the debt.“The loan never gets paid off because there are additional charges and then at the end you are still paying the cost of the initial loan.” said Donna. ”The terms were changed several times without my consent.”The provincial government is currently reviewing legislation around payday advance and other forms of high interest lending, but organizations like ACORN want to ensure that any changes will prioritize the needs of the public rather than the lenders.ACORN (www.acorncanada.org) demands include reducing the criminal rate of interest, instituting a minimal distance between such lenders, an enforceable complaint process for consumers, public banking (through Canada Post) as an alternative (visit www.cupw.ca), and the creation of an independent loan database to prevent different payday lenders to loan to the same borrower (called concurrent loans).Quickcheck Canada, a company that provides software to payday lenders agrees with ACORN on the need for an independent loan database.“If we do not adequately address the issue (of concurrent payday loans) we will have a lot of desperate people taking out multiple payday loans on the strength of a single paycheque.” says Roy Toker, Executive Vice President of Quickcheck Canada.Presently, concurrent payday loans are illegal however, lenders ask desperate borrowers to simply sign a waiver stating they have no other payday loans. Roy says that this loophole could be closed by requiring payday lenders to register each payday loan with the proposed database. Lenders would then see if a borrower had an outstanding payday loan and therefore have no excuse to lend.In March 2016, City of Toronto Council voted to ask the province for better regulation of predatory lenders. Local Councillors Maria Augimeri and Anthony Perruzza were in favour of better legislation.Both Donna and Joseph hope the government will act quickly in strengthening laws to protect individuals from predatory lending while Rohan’s focus is elsewhere. “As long as struggling families have to pay more than half of their salary on rent and other basic needs, people will always be in a desperate situation.” he concluded.
Veterans graves flooded at the Mount Sinai Memorial Park
I’m familiar with Mount Sinai Memorial Park. Most members of my family are buried there and it will be my final resting place. It is located on Wilson Avenue west of Keele Street south of Downsview Park.In the rear section of the cemetery is the burial ground of Canadian Jewish War Veterans, the graves of some 300 service men and women who fought and died for their country in both the first and second world wars. The war vets are buried at the north side of the cemetery abutting the Downsview lands.Downsview Park resulted from an election promise of the Liberal government during the Federal election of 1999 -Liberals like to promise parks. It was the land from the decommissioned CFB Downsview. Of the some 295 acres of land released, only about 65 acres are actually park. The balance will be sold off for redevelopment under the supervision of Canada Lands, a federal agency.The first area to be re-developed was Stanley Greene, an area of what used to be base housing for enlisted men and their families. It was just next to the Veterans’ graves. Stanley Greene was to be replaced with a massive town house developmentPhil Grenfell, the manager of the Mount Sinai Cemetery told me. “The trouble began when they tore out the base housing and the sewage system was ripped out.”Water began to seep southward, filling the graves. The level of the land for construction had been raised about 4 feet and that added to the drainage problem. “I’ve been here for twenty six years. Our cemetery has a sweeping tile system. We’ve never had a drainage problem before,” he said.Al Rubin, president of the Jewish Canadian Veterans’ Memorial Park Association told me that they discovered the problem when they dug a grave and the water rose to above the level of a coffin. The cemetery now has to pump out a grave before the funeral arrives and return the soil to the grave quickly before the water is visible. Several open graves have collapsed. The Association has had a number of meetings with Canada Lands and there are two City of Toronto Inspectors directly involved who are not going to approve the subdivision until the drainage is fixed. In the end Canada Lands as a Federal Agency can ignore the city inspectors if they so choose. In Canada, a government has no jurisdiction over an order of government above it.“I can assure you that we are not taking this lightly,” said Al RubenMy Uncle Joe Moscoe is buried in Mt Sinai Memorial Park. He was captured in the Dieppe Raid and spent four years in a German prisoner of war camp, Stalag VIIIB. Joe was president of the General Wingate Branch of the Canadian Legion. Every year in late August just before Yom Kippur, the legion would lead a grand parade of veterans to a memorial service at the Jewish Veterans’ War Memorial. Each year the parade would get just a little smaller as the veterans aged and died off. On August 10th, 2008, a week before the parade and memorial service, the Sunrise propane explosion occurred on Murray Road just to the west of the cemetery. The parade was cancelled. It never happened again. It’s as if the vets moved off the parade route into their graves.Maria Augimeri, the local councillor, is dismayed about the Canada Lands handling of the situation. “They’ve shown a real contempt,” she said. “The veterans deserve better than a watery grave. Where’s the respect?”
The Signs they are a Changing
Having just gone through a large move in life I’ve been sorting through some old boxes. One very important box marked “DAD’S SIGNS” was put in a special place for safe keeping. It contained hundreds of slides, one for nearly every sign my dad, George Morris, of Kramer and Morris Signs (later changed to George Morris Signs) painted by hand and erected throughout Toronto from the 1930’s up to the late 1980’s when he finally retired. Looking through the box I came across 2 slides labelled Bathurst Manor. It brought back wonderful memories of my childhood when he would take me to his sign shop, dressed in my “let her get dirty clothes,” where I enjoyed some of my happiest days with my dad, watching him create the next big sign.When I was older, I would drive my dad to the sites to make sure his staff erected each sign according to municipal regulations. Those were days I will treasure forever. It is well known as the “Manor Plaza” is soon to be no more.Having just moved into the Bathurst Manor I wanted to share a piece of Toronto history in the hopes it may rekindle old memories for those who have lived through so many changes.
The Repair Cafe is coming to Downsview
What is a Repair Cafe? A Repair Cafe is an event where people with experience in repairing things, or ‘fixers’, help people repair their broken items, for free. They gain this experience either as a hobby or from their work (e.g. as a bike mechanic).Repair Cafe fixers work on anything that needs repairs, such as books whose bindings have fallen apart, socks with holes, non-working toasters, laptops that won’t start, cracked vases, and other formerly working items.Started in Amsterdam in 2009, the Repair Cafe movement quickly spread all over the Netherlands and to more than 20 countries. The Repair Cafe Toronto was founded by a small group of volunteer fixers and have helped thousands of people with their broken items. Their goal is not to fix things for people but to teach them how to fix things for themselves.In our existing culture, we are encouraged to throw away our broken things, even things which require only minor repairs. In fact, many things are designed to break down easily and are even designed to be difficult for regular people to repair. Apple, for example, has designed their brand of popular phones such that they can only be opened with specially made tools which no one who isn’t an Apple technician would have. Many people with a damaged Apple phone are often told that the repairs would cost almost as much as a new phone so why don’t they just get a newer model? Or perhaps a $10 skirt from H&M develops a small hole – easily repaired by someone with the knowledge and tools, but since it’s so cheap anyway the owner decides to throw it away and just buy a new one.Corporations have encouraged the growth of this throwaway culture because it leads to greater profits for them. Many people have either forgotten that they can repair things themselves or they have forgotten how. Many older people still have the knowledge to fix things, knowledge that younger generations have lost. The Repair Cafe movement is trying to change that. Fixers take peoples’ broken items and try to fix them. However, the point is not just to fix things for people but to teach them how to fix it themselves. Fixers will take people through the repairs that they are doing so that the owners can learn how to do it. Not every item can be fixed but many can still be diverted from the landfill.The Repair Cafe Toronto is in a different neighbourhood each month; on June 18th, it will be at the Driftwood Community Centre (4401 Jane St) from 12 to 4 pm. People are encouraged to come early as it can become busy. There will be free, donated refreshments available so attendees can wait, chat with their neighbours and fixers, and find out how fun it is to repair things.
Looking to Buy or Sell in Bathurst Manor? Anat Papp is the Real Estate agent for you!
The price for a home around Bathurst Manor has risen drastically. The average price for a detached home, in the last 12 months, is over one million dollars and a condo is over $357 000. The difference is pretty big if we compare to the previous year where the average price for a detached home was about $855 000 and $341 000 for a condo.This is an increase of 18% for detached homes and 5% for condos making Bathurst Manor one of the highest growing real estate markets in Toronto. Property values are growing at the fastest rate in the city, which means if you purchase in this community you will have a fantastic return on your investment.Part of buying or selling means hiring a real estate agent and one that is trustworthy is often hard to find. It is important to keep in mind that the money you saved, in your largest asset (your home), needs to be put in the right hands. Whether you are looking to buy or sell in Bathurst Manor, Anat Papp can help you sell your home at top dollar or help you find your dream home!Papp has over 10 years of experience in real estate and in addition is part of the outstanding Greenfield Real Estate Toronto team.She began her career in the corporate world soon after she graduated from Wilfred Laurier University with a degree in Honours Bachelor of Business Administration. Her career focus was in Marketing and Sales while she worked at Dupont Canada and Kraft Canada. During this time she also acquired an MBA at York University, Schulich School of Business.Papp’s extensive customer service skills ensure that the client always comes first. After acquiring her Real-Estate License she began to work closely with her husband who owns Greenfield Quality Builders. She quickly recognized the need for a realtor that not only understood and respected their clients’ needs but one that has knowledge in home finishing to a higher level of detail.“What I love most about real-estate is the ability to help a family or an individual find a perfect home. It’s about helping the client -without the pressure” said Papp.Papp’s approach is to work in collaboration with the buyer and sellers to meet their real estate objectives. “We will work together to make sure once you are ready to purchase, you are doing it with knowledge of the market, and you will feel 100% comfortable with the investment you are choosing to make. If selling, you will know you are getting the best value for your asset." she said.Her style is simple. “It’s all about you, the client,” she said. The client’s goals are met based on building a solid relationship. Her unique experience with custom home building gives her a different perspective on knowledge of the property, safety, quality of finish and repairs (if any are needed).Why choose Anat Papp? Her honest and straight forward approach makes it easy for buyers and sellers to trust her. “People like to work with me because I treat their money as if it were my own. I treat each client based on their needs and objectives, and will never close a sale to make a quick buck. What’s important is for the family to be happy.”Are you looking to sell your home or purchase a home? Do you have real estate questions specific to the Bathurst Manor community? Contact Anat Papp with your questions today and get a quick reply!For more information or to see some listings visit: http://www.anatpapp.com Email: anat.papp@gmail.comOffice: 416-226-1020.
Introducing the Toronto Tool Library to Downsview
Have you ever wanted to build a cabinet from scratch? How about doing some minor repairs around the house? Some of us have had thoughts like this but quickly dismissed them as idle fantasy when we realized how much the tools would cost. Or worse, we actually bought the tools, used them once, and then put them in the garage with all the other things we’ve only ever used once or twice.Perhaps if we’re lucky a neighbour will ask to borrow our tools when they have a project themselves. However, the tool is still sitting unused in our garage for the majority of its existence. This is an extremely wasteful way to live but the Toronto Tool Library (TTL) can change all that.A tool library is a library that lends out tools instead of books. Since opening in Parkdale in 2013, the Toronto Tool Library has lent out over 25 000 tools to it’s over 2 300 members. It soon opened a second location in the Danforth, which includes a wood shop, 3D printer, laser cutter, and a weekly community night, where non-members can use any of the on-site tools for free (including the 3D printer and laser cutter). Last April, the Tool Library opened its first location in a branch of the Toronto Public Library, at the Downsview Library (2793 Keele St). For the first time ever, a Torontonian could now borrow books and tools under the same roof (and also pick up some free seeds courtesy of the Toronto Seed Library).“Tool Libraries not only save money from the high cost of buying or renting tools, they also reduce clutter in the home and reduce environmental impact by using fewer resources” said Ryan Dyment, Executive Director of the TTLFor $50 a year, one can purchase a basic membership and borrow any of the over 1200 tools, in the Downsview Library branch, for one week. These include hand tools like screwdrivers and hammers, power tools such as band saws and angle grinders, and gardening tools like branch cutters and lawn mowers, with additional borrowing fees for some power tools (the $100/year membership removes these fees and also allows access to the other locations).There are no limits on the number of tools a member is allowed to borrow at any given time but members are asked to take no more tools than they actually need, with reasonable late fees of $1/day for hand tools and $2/day for power tools. The Tool Library is open three days a week: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 8 pm, and on Saturdays from 10 am to 3 pm. However, as membership numbers increase they hope to be open for an additional day, ensuring that the local community has access to the library for the majority of the week.Perhaps now you can get started on that home project you’ve always had an interest in, and now you don’t have to worry about exorbitant purchasing fees or being stuck with a tool you’ll never need again. As the Toronto Tool Library says, “Nobody actually needs a power drill – what they need is a hole in the wall”.
Construction Progress at York University Station
Since the conception of the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension, I have worked together with the community, the city, and the TTC on fulfilling the objectives of the project to ensure transit in our community is improved. To date, the tunnelling for the six new subway stations is complete and the remaining construction involves the station infrastructure and subway tracks which are well underway.Today, the York University Station is a visible part of the campus and the construction of the station's interior is moving along steadily. The station's six escalators have been installed, and the electrical and mechanical infrastructure work have started. At the centre of the station is a light well, a glass curtain wall that provides natural light and a view of the York University campus for transit users. Additionally, the glass surfaces of the station will be glazed to ensure that it is bird-friendly. The distinctive shape of the roof will be finished with solar reflective material and is intended to keep the station cooler.As construction of the station nears completion, the work to re-open the roads for transit on York Boulevard will begin later this summer. I share the community's enthusiasm to inaugurate the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension in late 2017.
Toronto Sports Fans Rejoice –Prizes and Giveaways at Yorkgate Mall
With the 2016 basketball season well underway, the Toronto Raptors sit in second place in the Eastern Conference breaking their franchise record of .675, marking the seventh time the franchise record has been above .500 in 21 years. As the only Canadian team in the NBA the Raptors have grown as a dominant force with powerhouse players like Kyle Lawry, DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas.Fortunately, Downsview residents can celebrate their Raptors pride close to home at the official mall of the Toronto Raptors: Yorkgate Mall.The mall is located at the northwest corner of Jane and Finch (1 Yorkgate Blvd.) and has been a popular centre for over 25 years featuring a unique blend of services including retail stores, medical offices, a grocery store and even a Seneca College campus.“The mall encourages community spirit and fun while fostering opportunities and partnerships within Downsview,” says Kimberley Loftus, Marketing Manager for Yorkgate Mall.The mall works in partnership with Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), who has been a partner for three years. With this partnership, the mall hosts “Raptors Days” which features guest appearances and giveaways from the Toronto Raptors Dance Pak, players, coaches and the Raptors’ mascot.During March break, Jonas Valanciunas, centre for the Raptors, paid a visit to the mall to sign autographs and take photos with fans. In the past, Yorkgate Mall has also hosted Jamaal Magloire, the Raptors’ assistant coach, team consultant, team ambassador and former professional basketball player.During Raptors Days, Yorkgate Mall gives away Raptors jerseys, hats and water bottles and holds raffles where fans can win tickets to see a game.On April 18, Yorkgate Mall launched their SHOP MORE WIN BIG contest. Visitors to the mall could enter to win a weekend getaway to Orlando, Florida to watch a TFC soccer match. The prize includes the flight, hotel, transportation and tickets to the Major League Soccer match. To enter the contest, visitors must shop at their favourite stores in the mall and get a weekly password that they can enter online on the SHOP MORE WIN BIG website. “The more you shop the more chances you have to win!” said Loftus.Other upcoming SHOP MORE WIN BIG promotions include a getaway to San Jose for Father’s Day, a getaway to Toronto for Canada Day and a getaway to Montreal for back to school.Yorkgate Mall is also looking forward to launching their Mall Walker program in May, which helps promote an active and healthy lifestyle. This program features one stretch class a week and a group walk around on the second floor of the mall. It is a great way to meet members of the Downsview community and to get exclusive discounts from stores in the mall.For more information visit their website: http://www.yorkgatemall.com/Check out Yorkgate Malls social media pages to learn more about how to win tickets to see the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Marlies, the Raptors and Toronto FC.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YorkgateMallTwitter: https://twitter.com/yorkgate_mallInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yorkgatemall/
After school tennis program brightens the lives of children in Downsview
In its third year of operation, the Sunshine Project offers subsidized, professional tennis lessons to children in low-income neighbourhoods who may otherwise not have access to this sport.Each year, 300 kids ages 6 -12 receive high quality tennis lessons twice a week over the course of 10 weeks and receive their own take-home tennis racquet.”By making use of public tennis sites located adjacent to our schools, this project succeeds in breaking down the biggest barriers to tennis: proximity, price, and required equipment to play”, the website explains.“The project will move to new neighbourhoods every year, giving different children a chance to play”, said Founder and Program Director Carolynna Gabriel.This year, programs will be running at Chalkfarm Park, Gracedale Park, Maple Leaf Park and St. Conrad Catholic School.“It’s been going really well! We had our first registration day in February and we now have over 200 kids with about 90 spots left” said Gabriel. She confirmed there is still availability at St. Conrad and Maple Leaf Park and a rolling registration will continue until all 300 spots have been filled with students.“Parents have a willingness to try the program as a new sport. We love to hear that because it shows there’s some openness in the community to try something different”, said Gabriel.The Sunshine Project is also hiring youth for paid positions for the 2016 program.“We hire two local youth for each park and integrate them into the staff team. They help with warm ups, taking attendance, supervising participants, and other responsibilities that are similar to an intro training to being a camp counselor. They get paid and develop leadership through sport”, said Gabriel.In addition to the application process, youth are required to submit a bi-weekly invoice stating the work they completed. It exposes them to a new form of work experience which helps to prepare them for the real world.If you’re interested in the job, don’t worry- no need to have extensive knowledge of tennis! “We just need eager athletes who wants to eventually work in sports. We want anyone to apply until spots are filled”, said Gabriel.The Sunshine Project is meant to maximize the use of existing tennis facilities in the city reaching into areas where tennis courts are commonly empty and transforming those spaces.Participants work towards preparing for a showcase event at the end of 10 weeks. Scheduled for Saturday, June 18, 2016, participants can expect to celebrate their accomplishment at a fun competitive event where students from all four locations come together to play in a tournament where an ultimate champion in each age category is crowned.Last year, the celebration included a dunk tank, a bouncy castle, face painting, musical chairs, play station areas and a big community barbeque.At the end of the program, happy and fulfilled participants will get to take home their tennis racquet, a yearbook, a t-shirt, and most importantly, a new skill that will help them enjoy the game of tennis for life.For more information on how to register visit: www.sunshinetennisproject.comFacebook: Wilmington TennisTwitter: @wilmingtontg