Be a Tourist in Your Own City, for free!

By Howard Moscoe

The cost of admission for a family of four to the Toronto Zoo is $92.00. Likewise, entry to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) will set you back $58.00, and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) $61.00, but you can visit all these facilities for free thanks to an innovative program called MAP (Museum and Arts Pass), operated by the Toronto Public Library System, and financially sponsored by Sun Life Financial.The MAP program was instituted in 2007, inspired by a similar program in Chicago. It was designed to open up Toronto’s wealth of cultural attractions to families of modest means. It allows two adults and up to five children to explore the best of Toronto’s arts and culture attractions, the ones that tourist seek out but locals seldom do; all for free.As library doors open on Saturday morning across the city of Toronto, a line forms at the checkout desk where patrons can sign out passes from a list of Toronto attractions.You are entitled to get a pass for one attraction that will admit your family for free. The pass is signed out on your library card, and can be used for three months. All you require when you show up at say the Ontario Science Centre is the pass, your library card, and a photo ID.The list of attractions include: AGO - Art Gallery of Ontario, Bata Shoe Museum, Colborne Lodge in High Park, Fort York National Historic Site, Gibson House Museum, Mackenzie House, Montgomery’s Inn, Scarborough Museum, Spadina Museum: Historic House and Gardens, Todmorden Mills Heritage Site, Gardiner Ceramics Museum, Museum of Inuit Art, Ontario Science Centre, ROM - Royal Ontario Museum, and the Textile Musem of Canada. The most recent addition to the pass list is the fabulous Aga Khan museum which recently opened near Don Mills and Eglington. It is important to note that not all attractions are available at all libraries.At some library branches the passes are so popular that they are distributed by lottery, and at other libraries they are offered on a first come first serve basis.The trick is to find a branch in a neighbourhood where few people know about them. In some parts of town that’s hard to do, but we are lucky here in Downsview. I visited the Downsview Branch at Keele and Wilson on a Wednesday night, and was informed that the library had received 25 passes on Saturday, yet on Wednesday night there were still 14 available.               I found similar results at most of the Downsview Area Branches. The trick is to get there early because the most popular passes go quickly.Now families who have very little in their entertainment budgets can enjoy Toronto attractions for only the cost of TTC fare.The MAP pass program has been so successful that the library is currently negotiating its expansion to include a range of performance venues.Here is the list of passes available at our local libraries, Enjoy!

Winifred’s Story: A Twenty-Year Old Family Secret

By Tom Rakocevic

In this month’s My Story column I speak to Winifred Flesar about her family’s struggle with poverty in Guyana, and her mothers endless resilience.Even into adulthood, Winifred used to love watching her mother go about her daily tasks, “When I hugged my mom close, she always smelled so sweet. The trick was the bars of soap she would place in her drawers.”Today, her mother Janny lives on only in the memories of those who remember her.Winifred remembers a particular warm afternoon in Little Diamond, Guyana during the late seventies.At the time, Winifred was in her early twenties and recently married. Her mother lived with the young couple. That afternoon, Janny was going through her drawers and packing a suitcase for a trip to see her brother. Winifred sat smiling on the bed in Janny’s room, watching her mother just as she would in her youth.Suddenly, Janny stiffened.From the bed, Winifred could see that her mom was staring at something she had picked out of the drawer. Janny’s back was to her daughter.“Mom? What’s wrong?”No answer.Winifred got up and moved closer. Her mother was frozen looking at an old, crinkled newspaper clipping. The faces looked familiar to Winifred.“Mom, who are they?” Startled out of her daydream, Janny crushed the paper into her fist and began tearing it apart. Tears began to stream down her face.Winifred was shocked, “What’s wrong, mom!? What was on that paper?”It was a while before her mother responded, “History, Baby. Bad History.”“You might still call me ‘Baby’, but I am big now. I want to know. Please mom, it’s ok. Tell me.”And so, with great difficulty Janny spoke about Winifred’s childhood. The challenges their family faced; the poverty.The clipping was a picture taken in the summer of 1954.Winifred was only a couple of months old and lived with her mother, aunt, and brother in a tiny rented basement apartment with mud floors. The landlord lived in the large house and shop above.Elsie, Winifred’s aunt, worked 7 days a week from morning until night in the shop as well as in the landlord’s house as a cleaner and cook.  She was paid $9 a month and rent was $7.50.Janny worked at the marketplace from morning to night and brought home the food for them to eat.  Both Janny and Elsie’s husbands had left them, and so the two sisters moved together to share expenses and raise their children. Janny and Elsie’s parents were deceased.At the time, Elsie was pregnant with her second child. She continued working as hard as she could, but one day fell very ill and was unable to work the full day.  A few days later, she took a long break during the morning to visit the doctor regarding her pregnancy.After returning, she quickly prepared lunch for the children before resuming work. The landlord came into the apartment. His arms were crossed, and his voice was stern, “I’ve thought about it Elsie, and this can’t go on.  First you were sick and missed work, and now you miss work to go to the doctor.  What’s going to happen when you have the baby?”And so, he threw them all out onto the street.The story came to the attention of a local newspaper and a picture was taken of the family. Thanks to the article, a relative learned of their plight and picked them up since they had nobody else.Winifred listened respectfully and when her mother finished, she hugged her close, “There is nothing to be ashamed of, mom. Lift your face up.”Until that day, Winifred and her mother never really discussed their hardships. Her mother had never expressed the shame she felt about their poverty. Winifred knew that her mother had tried her best for the family, but in the system they lived in, it was hard to climb up from the bottom. There is far more to her story, enough to easily fill a book.She has many reflections of her past. “Life was tough but I still found happiness. My family struggled but we were content with what we had. All good things were a blessing.”Winifred believes life today is needlessly complicated, and many don’t appreciate what they have. She has plenty of advice for today’s youth, “My poverty growing up limited me in many ways, especially my [lack of] education. That was a wall I faced my entire life. I see many youth who take school for granted, and spend too much time on fancy things that lead to nothing.”Today, Winifred speaks glowingly about the opportunity she was given here in Canada. She worked as a seamstress and is now retired, and a proud owner of a condominium apartment in our community. She is truly a proud Canadian.But with all the opportunity Canada has, Winifred fears we are headed in the wrong direction, “My mother and aunt spent almost all of their money on rent. After food, clothes and the rest we were left with nothing.  We were trapped. Today, the average apartment rent is over a thousand dollars. At a minimum wage salary, how can you live?”Winifred was eventually able to track down another copy of that newspaper article. Her mother held onto it for twenty years only to rip it apart in shame in her daughter’s presence. To Winifred, it is a profound reminder of her own history.To us, it may serve as a sobering warning of the future.

Community Profile: Mentoring Arts Tutoring Athletics

By Dani Kwan-Lafond

The notion of ‘youth helping youth’ is easier said than done. While many young people aspire to make their communities better places, few have the time, energy or organizational skills to make it happen. The Downsview community is home to several successful initiatives that are making real positive differences in people’s lives. The Downsview Advocate will feature one of these per month, beginning with M.A.T.A. (Mentoring Arts Tutoring Athletics), a youth organization that partners students at CW Jefferys with former students who are now attending nearby York University“I made it to university, but I could see that many of my peers were struggling, and I wanted to help. My first year in university was certainly difficult and I thought about how important it is for youth to not only get into post-secondary, but also to have resources and support once they achieve that goal. This is what encouraged me to start M.A.T.A. In order for an organization to be truly democratic and comprise of youth voice, I think it is important for people to be able to step away and let others step in. I am glad that Troy Budhu and Monica Patel, whom are C.W.J. and MATA graduates are now running the program in a remarkable way.” Janelle Brady, Founder, M.A.T.A.M.A.T.A.’s founder, Janelle Brady, is a busy Master’s student in Education at York University. On any given day, she can be found rushing around the neighbourhood to meet with community members, answering the phones at the local city Councillor’s office, doing community research, or attending classes at York University. She is articulate, friendly, and serious about making post-secondary schooling less intimidating and more accessible to youth. Full disclosure: she is also the brains behind the Downsview Advocate, another initiative she’s recently started to bring more voices to the table on community issues.M.A.T.A. was founded in 2010 and its core activities consist of after-school tutoring programs, and a mentorship program where high school students are paired with York University students, in order to get an insider’s view on what university is like.“The MATA program has been really wonderful in terms of mentoring me and helping me decide for post-secondary. What I love most about the program are the wonderful mentors who are always free to talk not just about school, but also about more personal things that relate to teen life. The mentors are definitely what make this program”. Nuradin, M.Mentors and students meet up monthly for social events that often double as community volunteering events: visiting a soup kitchen or home for the elderly to help out, or joining with other community groups to help at seasonal events. The group also gets together for recreational activities, so that mentors and students can get to know each other.Many of the students involved have limited financial means, and limited knowledge of what’s out there in the city to do.MATA connects them with exemplary mentors, and also builds a sense of belonging in the community when they take part in larger events together.All the participants, mentors and youth alike, become better connected to each other and to neighbourhood groups who have similar goals of improving community life.Next month, several youth, mentors and staff are joining a partner organization on a trip to one of Tim Horton’s camps, for a free weekend of bonding, outdoor education, and lots of fun!The organization has also set up an ongoing scholarship fund at York for new incoming students. For more information about M.A.T.A.’s activities or to get involved, go to http://matayouth.com/ 

Celebrate Earth Day with this Delicious Vegetarian Meal

by Vincent Polsinelli

 

Description 

With Earth Day coming up on April 22^nd, this vegetarian meal is an ideal way to celebrate. Not only is this dish nutritious, but also light, and a perfect way to welcome the warm spring weather with bright and vibrant colours.

Ingredients

 Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa3 bell peppers1 cup of quinoa2 cups of water½ cup of frozen peas1 small onion½ cup of tomato sauce2 cloves of garlic¼ of olive oilSalt and pepper to tasteSautéed Asparagus1 bunch of asparagus2 tablespoons of butterSalt and pepper to tasteBeet Salad6 medium beets¼ cup of walnuts¼ cup of goat cheese½ head of Nappa cabbage25 ml of honey50 ml of lemon juice25 ml of rice wine vinegar300 ml of olive oilSalt and pepper to taste

Directions

Beet Salad

1. Lightly wash the beets and place them in a deep tray covering the beets halfway with water seasoned with salt and pepper.
2. Cover the tray with aluminum foil and place it in a 425 C oven for 45-60 minutes, or until a knife can pass through the beets easily.
3. While the beets are cooking, combine honey, lemon juice and rice wine vinegar ina bowl, and slowly add olive oil while whisking to create an emulsification.
4. Season your dressing with salt and pepper, and set aside.
5. Remove the beets from the oven, and allow them to cool down in cold water.
6. Cut off the ends of the beets, and peel the skin off with a knife before cutting the beets into quarters. ***Wearing latex gloves is recommended as preparing beets can leave a temporary stain on your hands.***
7. Toss the beets in the dressing and allow them to marinate for 30-45 minutes.
8. Place the beets on top of a small bed of shredded cabbage, and top it off with crumbled walnuts and crumbled goat cheese before serving.

 Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa

1. Place 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in apot of boiling water (2 cups) with a lid for 15 minutes.
2. When all of the water is gone transfer the quinoa to a bowl and mix it with the tomato sauce, minced garlic, onion, frozen peas, salt and pepper.
3. Cutbell peppers in half horizontally and remove seeds from them.
4. Oil the outer skin of the bell peppers with olive oil, and place them on parchment paper on top of a sheet tray.
5. Stuff the peppers tightly and place them in the oven at 425 C for 15-20 minutes or when you notice that peppers are slightly charred.
6. Remove from oven and allow them to cool for 2-3 minutes before serving.

 Sautéed Asparagus

1. Snap off dry ends of asparagus and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds.
2. Place asparagus in an ice water bath and dry them off when cool.
3. Melt butter in a pan on medium heat and toss the asparagus in the butter while adding salt and pepper to taste.
4. Continue to toss until preferred doneness is reached and serve.

Perfect, Well Almost Downsview’s Best Kept Secret

by Howard Moscoe

This can of Heinz beans was made in Canada and tastes just the same as the beans that your mother spoon fed you when you were a child. So what’s wrong with them? Well nothing other than the fact that instead of French the backside of the can is printed in Hebrew. I bought them for 79 cents at my all-time favourite store, ALMOST PERFECT. The same beans without the Hebrew label were priced for $1.59 at the nearby No Frills.ALMOST PERFECT is a gem of a discount store tucked away in a plaza on the north side of Sheppard Avenue, about half way between Keele Street and Dufferin Street. (1150 Sheppard Ave. W). It is a food clearance outlet that is the best kept secret in Downsview.This is where you can pick up an endless variety of products that you either won’t, or can’t find in other retail outlets. There you’ll pick up brands that you recognize like Kellogg’s, Betty Crocker, McCain, Hershey, and Lay’s; as well as, brands that you may never have heard of like, Super Slim, Chris Formly, Great Canadian Meat Co., Fairmarket, and Tangy Zangy. How do products end up at ALMOST PERFECT? Often times manufacturers overestimate sales, or launch products that just don’t catch on. For example, have you have heard of Heinz Red Thai Sauce? Fortunately, for ALMOST PERFECT shoppers, the goods end up on their shelves at a discounted price.The best part of the fun of shopping here is that you never know what surprise you can expect to find. What my daughter who lives in New York loves best about the store is she can get a range of organic and vegetarian products at bargain prices. (Yves vegetarian patties, $1.77) In fact, some of the products come up from the US because American manufacturers don’t want their products to appear at discount prices in local markets. Long before TARGET came to Canada ALMOST PERFECT was selling ‘Archer Farms’, TARGET’S private brand products, not only because TARGET didn’t want their discounted products to be sold in the US, but also because they were made in Canada. ALMOST PERFECT also has a huge variety of frozen food products. 50% of the store is filled with freezer cases. Wondering what the story behind Almost Perfect is? The company was founded in Whitby in 1998 by two Sisters, Carolyne Boiani and Pamela McGibney. In 1999 they took over a Sara Lee factory outlet at the Downsview location. From two outlet stores the company has since expanded into the largest ‘food only’ surplus retailer in Canada with ten stores, and an eleventh scheduled to be opened in Cobourg in the Spring of 2015. So why haven’t you heard about ALMOST PERFECT? As Carolyne explained; “We don’t advertise because our manufacturers expect us to be discrete. We don’t want to undercut their retail sales.” That’s probably why ALMOST PERFECT has largely stayed out of the Toronto Market, so we are lucky to have their only Toronto store right here in our community. I learned how to be an almost perfect shopper, and want to share a few tips with you. When you see a new product buy one, take it home and try it. If you like it return to the store and stock up because it might not ever be there again. Also, try visiting the store on a regular basis to get the best selection, and make sure you keep an eye on the product dates. The beans I bought had a January 2015 “best before” date, but I still bought two cases because how often does a can of beans go bad?You’ll love it as much as I do!

Manny’s Story: A Young Man Faces Cancer

By Tom Rakocevic

Emmanuel "Manny" Adwarkah is one of 50,000 students who attend York University here in our community. In 2012, while most students his age were worrying about their futures, Manny was worrying about whether he would even have a future. Manny's story is about a young man who took no chances with his health and stayed strong while battling illness.

On June 6, 2012, Manny sat on the ground at a TTC stop, his head buried in his arms. On that warm and sunny Thursday afternoon, Manny received a terrible diagnosis: he had cancer.Manny had reacted quickly in seeking answers to the cause of a strange new discomfort. Being only 19 years old, he figured it couldn’t be anything serious. He kept his concerns from his family and friends to avoid needless worry and went to the doctor’s alone.The diagnosis came as a shock.He described the news as surreal, “Have you ever noticed a scene in the movies when someone hears tragic news? It gets completely quiet. The camera zooms right into their face and everything around is out of focus. Hearing the doctor tell me I had cancer…the world around me vanished. It was just my thoughts and I. Until I experienced it myself, I always thought those scenes were too dramatic.”Despite the prognosis, Manny was told his chances were very good. Early detection was crucial in fighting cancer, and Manny had reacted quickly.Manny is blessed with a loving and supportive family. It was hard to keep his concerns from them, and it was even harder to tell them he had cancer. Upon hearing the news, his family was encouraging and very optimistic, but Manny could see the hidden fear in their eyes.Surgery was scheduled for July 8^th, a month after diagnosis. Although the time dragged on, Manny was optimistic about his chances to beat the cancer, the alternative was simply not an option for him. In fact, it was simply inconceivable; he would not allow himself to give in to despair.The operation was quick and successful, and Manny was sent home the same day. He was told that there would be follow-up, but by the end of August, almost two months later, the follow-up call never came. Manny decided to take matters into his own hands, and in late August he went to Princess Margaret Hospital to check his condition.The result of that visit revealed that his battle with cancer wasn’t over.A CT scan was taken, and a secondary cancer mass was discovered; one that would require chemotherapy treatment to deal with.That same week, Manny met with his best friend at York University and confided in her. “It was the look on her face; until that moment, everything seemed so unreal. Somehow right there seeing her reaction, I faced the truth of my situation.”He began chemotherapy in early September, and withdrew from his university courses in order to focus on his recovery. Completely exhausted, he spent a lot of time reflecting on his life. He realized that he had been in a big worrisome rush, but without a real destination.“Back then, I was easily stressed about the little things. School deadlines, my part-time job, friendships, the usual stuff. Fighting cancer put everything else into perspective.”Within the first cycle of treatment, Manny already began showing signs of improvement. Even the doctors were surprised by how well it was going. Little by little, Manny began to envision a future where he would appreciate every day, and do the things he wanted in life.On December 7, 2012 Manny learned he had beaten cancer.He was given a second chance at life, and since then has been making the most of it since. Today he is working towards a Business degree at York University, which he hopes to combine with his love of photography. You can see some of Manny's work at blog.mannydark.com or on Instagram: @mannydark.