Since this paper last wrote an article on electoral reform there have been several developments on the issue.Firstly, Justin Trudeau apologized to the House of Commons for comments he made during Question Period alleging that the opposition was not cooperating on electoral reform. When questioned about the lack of progress, Trudeau said that his government has put forward several ways to address the issue, including a parliamentary committee, direct engagement by the Minister of Democratic Institutions, and a public consultation. Trudeau implied that the delays arose because the opposition Conservatives and NDP were imposing unreasonable conditions in exchange for taking part. Conservative MP Scott Reid challenged this statement, calling it “invented and patently false”, forcing the Prime Minister to issue a formal apology through the Speaker.In addition, the Prime Minister altered the structure of the parliamentary committee looking at electoral reform. Initially, the committee had a government majority but after the NDP put forward a motion for a a committee that gave a majority to the opposition parties the Liberals abandoned their plans and supported this motion. Prime Minister Trudeau said that he feared they were acting too much like the Conservatives under Stephen Harper and that his government is trying to work better with the opposition. The initial proposal would also have denied a vote to the Bloc and the Green Party but the NDP committee contains five Liberals, three Conservatives, two NDP, and one Bloc and one Green Party. The motion also called for all MPs to conduct town hall consultations with constituents and to file results by October 14th. There have not yet been many scheduled town hall meetings, in fact, only a handful have taken place so far. Local MP Judy Sgro has yet to set a date for consultations in her riding but this information will be added to the Downsview Advocate’s website event listing when it becomes available.The consultations will discuss what form electoral reform will take. There are two major proposals: Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) and Single Transferable Vote (STV). MMP involves making two votes: one for a local MP and one for a regional representative. The regional MP would be used to “top up” the votes to ensure that the number of MPs that the party receives is proportional to the number of votes it receives. The Law Commission of Canada recommended this system in 2004. STV involves larger ridings that would receive a number of MPs based on its population. Voters rank candidates on their order of preference. The number of votes needed to elect an MP would be calculated by dividing the number of voters by the number of seats. Candidates who receive more than this will have their surplus votes transferred to voters’ second choice. The BC Citizens Assembly recommended this system in 2004.Leadnow is an organization concerned with this issue and will be conducting a detailed presentation on proportional representation in the coming months. The time and location will also be posted on the Advocate’s website.Stay tuned for more information!
Your TTC Fare Will Go Up in Downsview
Metrolinx, the Provincial body in charge of building transit in the GTA, is considering a number of changes on how we pay for transit. This conversation will result in the average trip being more expensive for residents in Downsview.Metrolinx is doing this, because of budget pressures and because different modes of transit (buses vs. trains) and the distance of each trip (1km vs. 10km) need to be factors in calculating the price of each trip.Currently, a trip from Downsview to the downtown core, which normally requires a bus and a subway ride, costs the same as a trip from Bay St. and Queen St. to Bay St. and Bloor St. -one bus ride. This means that people in inner suburbs benefit from a system that understands that the distances traveled in the suburbs are greater than they are in the downtown core.Metrolinx is considering changing this. Their rationale for questioning the current system is that it is not fair to charge the same price for someone that rides a train versus a bus, or takes a short trip versus a long trip. What this misses is that the accountant's methodology to building transit will create a dysfunctional system.If we want more people riding transit, we need to figure out a transit system that caters to the needs of riders, not the other way around. Metrolinx seems to be coming to the decision that the riders need to meet the demands of the transit system -they've done this before.Leading up to the PanAm games, Metrolinx built the UP Express from Union Station to Pearson International Airport. Their business model assumed that there would be a wealthy market of transit riders that would pay a premium fee for the convenience of the service they created. What they missed, is that most of the transit trips to the airport were made by the 10,000 employees who are employed by the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA). Since the service was not practical, or affordable for most of the employees, the trains ride mostly empty -even a reduction in fares has not changed ridership.The UP Express experience should have taught Metrolinx that its focus on market based transit building is not a viable model. For Downsview, this could mean a more expensive transit fare in the next couple of years. Let us not forget where the decision are being made: the Province is not investing in the operating costs of transit, so Metrolinx is trying to come up with the money by raising the price of transit.
LRT Transit: A Modern Route for Public Transportation
In a growing community, such as Downsview, getting around can be a hurdle -to say the least. We have to account for traffic jams, congested highways, and public transit delays and an increase in cars on the road has contributed to our city’s growing pollution problems.A new transit model has been proposed and it is expected to eliminate a gigantic portion of the above mentioned issues. The Light Rail Transit (LRT) is an innovative model on route to take over public transit in Toronto. This environmentally friendly approach, high passenger capacity and cost efficient blueprint will give passengers a better experience.Metrolinx along with the Toronto Transit Commission have come together to build the Eglinton Crosstown, Finch West LRT and Sheppard East LRT. The LRT will tackle a very congested portion of the city making public transportation much more accessible without having to build expensive and outdated subways stations.The LRT is not only a luxurious mode of public transportation but it is also eco-friendly as it runs on wind and solar energy. Besides, LRT vehicles can carry 255 passengers per train which is triple the amount compared to buses that only have the capacity to carry 55 passengers on board. The average speed of LRT’s is 27 kilometers per hour; making it slower compared to subway train (39 km/hr) but much faster than a bus (17 km/hr). Another perk about this modern vehicle is that it has multiple door where it facilitates the entrance and exiting of passengers; including those with disabilities.Furthermore, many residents will benefit from using the LRT’s in a timely and efficient manner as several will run on existing streetcars lines without being affected by other traffic.Symone Walters, who is actively involved in the community through the Community Action Planning Group, has expressed other benefits for the betterment of the community that will surround these transit projects. Walters hopes “employment opportunities will be implemented through these transit lines as the demand for more transit grows.” She anticipates people in the community will be “enticed to use public transportation”, specifically because the LRT as an easier and faster form of transportation. Lastly she expressed that “having LRT vehicles above ground can attract passengers to discover our growing community.”Although the overall project is estimated to take 25 years, the first phase has already begun with construction along Eglington Ave. There will be 25 stops from Mount Dennis to Kennedy Ave., this portion is expected to be completed by 2021.The execution of Toronto’s new transit plan is expected to exceed everyone’s expectations. From its ability to transport more passengers at once to its eco-friendly technology and the thousands of job opportunities it will create. We are moving towards world class public transportation –something all transit takers in Toronto deserve!
Urgent Care Closed at Jane and Finch Hospital
July 2016 marked the end of urgent care at the Humber River Hospital site located at Jane and Finch. The location will continue to provide CT, MRI and general x-rays.The news may be bitter sweet for many residents who are watching the sun set on the community's old York Finch Hospital, while services are being redirected to the new hospital located near Keele and Wilson.Joe Astrella, President of the Grandravine Homeowners Assocation, says the old York Finch Hospital played a large role in his life.When Joe moved into the community in the late 1960's he immediately took up the call to help in fundraising for the York Finch Hospital that was under construction. In 1970, his daughter Grace was born there and over the years, his family would drop by when the need arose. In 1994, Joe credits the hospital for saving his life following a heart attack.When talk began of expanding the Humber River Hospital network a decade ago, Joe joined a coalition of local residents who favoured expansion of the Jane and Finch site rather than moving it to a new location.Joe learned of the urgent care closure through this interview and believed residents should have been better notified since the news came as a surprise to him.Without proper notification, some residents might seek medical assistance at the hospital only to find out through a sign that they will have to seek help elsewhere."I am disappointed." said Joe, "When I was active with the coalition, we were told that the Humber River Hospital site on Church Street would be closing, but that emergency services would still be provided at our Jane and Finch location."As services continue to be cut back at the Jane and Finch hospital location, the time may well come when the government decides to pull the plug on our local hospital once and for all. A disappointing outcome indeed.For more information on the new Humber River Hospital or the urgent care closure, residents can visit www.hrh.ca or call 416-242-1000.
Should the Federal Government be allowed to do whatever it wants?
If you built a deck without a building permit the city inspectors would stomp all over your back with hob nailed boots. But the Federal government can build anything it wants, however it wants without one. It’s a legal principle called ‘paramountcy’. It’s based on the idea that one order of government can’t tell the one above it what to do and it makes some kind of sense. You wouldn’t want the province of Prince Edward Island declaring war on North Korea, or the city of Vaughan deciding what OHIP should pay a doctor.You can imagine my surprise then, when I notice a 33,000 sq. ft., $45M building being constructed in my ward and it had no building permit or any city approvals. In 1996 the Department of National Defence decided to consolidate their ten buildings in Toronto into a single structure which they built on Downsview base land on the north side of Sheppard Ave., just west of the Allen Road. As far as new buildings were concerned the Federal Government had until now, always respected the municipal planning and building process and had applied for building permits even though they didn’t have to. The city was the expert here. Toronto’s official plan laid out standards that protected public interest. The re-zoning process allowed for public input and the city design standards were some of the highest in Canada. This was the first time the military had evoked paramountcy in Toronto. It resulted in a very ugly building.Art Eggleton was the minister of defence. As a former mayor of Toronto he should have known better. Art and I shared the riding and had always worked co-operatively. My annoyance prompted me to give the building an award. It was a prize that I invented for the occasion; the “Toronto’s Ugliest New Building Award”. I invited Art to receive the honour in a ceremony at the County Style Doughnut shop at Wilson Heights and Sheppard. Alas, Art did not show up so the girl behind the counter accepted it on his behalf as we mugged for the Camera. Fortunately, I was able to present the award formally the next night at the annual “Toronto’s Best Building Award Gala” at the design exchange on Bay Street. Art wasn’t there either.I next took the issue to council and convinced them to establish a committee that would review any matter, no matter how trivial or routine, related to the Downsview Lands. Council appointed me to chair the committee.A few months later I received a call from someone who identified himself as a Colonel.“We need to have a municipal address. I thought that this was a routine matter”, he said. “Now I am told that I have to appear before the Downsview Lands Operational Protocol Committee. The delay in receiving a municipal number is causing a major headache for the armed forces. The building is the centre for all land forces in Ontario and unless we have a municipal address Canada Post will not deliver our mail.”“We don’t seem to have a record of your building in our files.” I said.”Can you put us on the agenda?” "I’d be happy to do that,” I replied"“When will the Committee be meeting?” “I’m not sure. It hasn’t had its first meeting yet. Perhaps it will meet in three or maybe six months. It would be helpful in the interim if you paid us the half million in building permit fees that you owe.” “As to postal delivery,” I said. “Tell them to send the mail to Art Eggleton’s constituency office. His staff will be happy to bring it over.”It took them a year but they finally solved their problem by having Canada Post give them their own postal code. Since that time they have further ‘uglified’ the building. Instead of flowers they’ve landscaped it with tanks and other military equipment. These, of course, are appropriate decorations for a military structure. You wouldn’t expect the military to display flowers. Only peaceniks do that.The military hardware is adorned by beautiful brass plaques that trumpet their historical significance. But there is just one problem. During the 3 day G-20 and G-7summit in Toronto when the Harper government blew $1.1 billion on security somebody threw barbed wire fences around the armories. This was obviously to protect the military from attacks by the protesters that never came north of Bloor Street. Now, because of the barbed wire fences, nobody is able to get close enough to read the plaques. Barbed wire, by the way, is illegal in Toronto but then again the Federal government doesn’t have to abide by our bylaws. They have paramountcy.
“Public service should never be a chore” Erica Shiner joins the political arena
Part of what makes up the Canadian identity, is that everyone comes from families who came to this country to rebuild, buck traditions and start fresh. We all come from people, or are people, who have given their all to build up their communities to make a better life for their families.One such Canadian is Erica Shiner, a nominee in the upcoming School Board Trustee by-election. Shiner is the granddaughter of former North York Alderman and deputy mayor, Esther Shiner. Esther Shiner was often known for her passionate work on the GTA transportation system and now has a boulevard and a stadium named in her memory.When Erica Shiner’s great grandparents first came to Canada around the turn of the 20th century, they settled with many other Ashkenazi Jews, around Kensington Market. It was not until around the 1950s that her grandparents, Esther and Sol Shiner, moved up to North York and began establishing their family in our community. Shiner describes her grandparents as being active and concerned neighbors who worked hard to become “pillars of the community”.When speaking of her grandmother, Shiner states, “I'm so proud of everything my grandmother accomplished, especially as there were so few women in politics when she first threw her hat in the ring in the 1970s… I'm really inspired by her. She was so warm and so tough at the same time, and I'm often told that I've inherited her chutzpah”Esther Shiner’s example and passion seems to have been passed down through the generations, with her son (and Erica’s uncle) becoming a city councillor for ward 24 as well. While Shiner has inherited a civic passion and a compassionate personality type from her relatives, she has different plans for how to bring that into the community, by focusing in on the school board to start her political career. When asked about her future plans for the community, Shiner explains her desire to encourage the development of community hubs.Shiner explains, “Connecting children, as well as families, to their neighbourhoods by developing community hubs is a wonderful way to increase community engagement. Creating spaces where we get to know our neighbours and connect educational and recreational resources is a great way to develop our communities to serve the needs of children, seniors, families, and everyone in between.”The Shiner family is an excellent example of what it means to be Canadian, by working to create a better future for our children. Shiner is working hard to carry on that tradition by trying to contribute to our education system here in Downsview.And who knows, the passion and excitement passed down through her Grandmother may yet make it to another generation of Shiners with Erica’s son. When asked about his future Shiner says, “He’s just shy of 5, so it’s a little early to predict his life path” but “My son is the friendliest person I know, so.. It would be no surprise if he carries on the tradition”For more information on Erica Shiner’s campaign, please visit www.ericashiner.com
Parents rally against changes to Ontario autism services
A mother holds back tears while speaking to the large crowd at a rally outside of Queen’s Park.“We are mourning the loss of the life we thought our child would have. We had a plan,” said Brianne Brown, whose son Chase was diagnosed with autism at the age of two.Like so many other families of children with autism, her plan was cut short by the Liberal government’s changes to autism services.Children over the age of five no longer qualify for Intensive Behaviour Intervention (IBI), even though many of them have been on the waiting list, to access the service, for years. Instead, the government is offering a one-time payment of $8,000 to families (this will not even come close to covering the cost of private treatment).“$8,000 for what? A couple months of service? It’s nothing.” Said Brown.Families and those who work with children who have autism agree that this one-time payment just isn’t enough.“I've worked with kids on the autistic spectrum and I've seen the progress they can make with IBI therapy,” said Erica Shiner, candidate in the upcoming TDSB Ward 5 by-election.“Offering parents a lump sum that is one sixth of the cost of a year's worth of IBI leaves children and their families high and dry. It's not right to take this crucial therapy away. We can all empathize with the challenges of having a child with special needs, even if that's not our experience. We need to stand together as parents, as educators, and as public servants to make sure that the government does the right thing and reverses these cuts,” she added.Experts have weighed in on the issue to say that there is no evidence to suggest children over the age of five won’t benefit from IBI. It’s the personal stories, like Brianne’s, that are fuelling the movement to stop cuts to these life changing services.Parents, David and Linda Galvao, held signs at the rally with pictures of their two children that read, “Started at 6 and began to speak” and “2nd child waited 3 years for IBI, now what?”With plans to return to Queens Park for a fourth time, the movement by parents’ groups and coalitions shows no signs of stopping.For information on upcoming rallies and events visit www.ontarioautismcoalition.com
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?”
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.