YYZ 2014

YYZ ISSUE 1 • VOLUME 6

WorldPride 2014 “Rise Up” with Toronto’s LGBTQ+ Community Bringing Back Vinyl • The Regent Park Project • Mayoral Elections

Editor’s Note

They say change is the only constant in life – that it’s inevitable.

That is exactly what Toronto is: constant change. As one of the most multicultural cities in the world, it only makes sense for it to be constantly growing, evolving.

Whether it’s something as small as implementing internet access into the busiest subway stations or something large like gentrification of one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods. There’s never a dull moment in Toronto and YYZ is capturing all of the subtle and not so subtle bits of change in this issue.

While the structural parts of a neighbourhood are important, what most forget are the essential elements that make up a community. More than anything, people and relationships shape a community and Toronto’s people are changing and evolving too. Toronto will be hosting World Pride week for the first time and that speaks volumes. Toronto is setting the tone for cities across the globe on issues of diversity. We have come to a time when equal rights aren’t just accepted, they’re celebrated.

Whatever change is, it never stops… especially not here.

Vanessa Campbell Editor-in-Chief YYZ 2014

YYZ

MASTHEAD Editor-In-Chief Vanessa Campbell Executive Editor Ari Perlin-Bain Managing Editors Jamie-Lyn Baggs (Words) Comfort Obeng (Production) Shai Williamson (Online) Section Editors Mario Belan Shaneza Subhan Ryan Poirier Jordan Burton Sidebar Editor Maria-Josée Martinez Copy Editors Mark Shannon Rebecca Hamill Chelsea Howard Fact Checkers Issey Abraha Emily Maloney Art Director Donna Marie Sevilla Online Art Director Alejandra Fretes Art Assistants Tiara Samosir (Print) Jordan Finkelstein (Online) Photo Editors Abdikarim Hashi Mackenzie Wood Faculty Advisors Priya Ramanujam Terri Arnott Publisher Guillermo Acosta Humber College 205 Humber College Blvd.

School of Media Studies & Information Technology lara.king@humber.ca (416) 675-3111 EXT. 4513 YYZmagazine.ca Cover Photo Credit: Alejandra Fretes

CHANGING NEIGHBOURHOODS 3

stories of

CHANGE Changing Transportation

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Rocky Roads Ahead?

Is the crumbling and congested Gardiner Expressway worth the millions of dollars in repairs?

Timed Transfers

A necessity for TTC riders, but how will they benefit from it?

Tap and Go Transit

A noteworthy addition to transit in the GTA may soon make its way to the TTC.

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The Ontario Music Fund

Toronto is planning on improving the city’s music industry, but are the plans certified for success?

More Spins Please

Vinyl record stores are a booming business, especially on Queen Street West.

ON THE COVER: World Pride 2014

Why this major international event will be historic for the city.

Underground Connections How WiFi at the TTC’s busiest stations is working out.

Changing Scene

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Lighting Up Downtown

Examining how the TIFF Bell Lightbox Theatre impacts surrounding businesses in Toronto’s entertainment district.

Success: One Post Away Why local business owners are starting to “like” local social media too.

Photo by Ryan Poirier

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Changing Faces

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Shaping the Community

How one fitness trainer is changing the face of fitness in the city.

Humanitarian at Heart

John River is working to create bright futures for those struggling to make it in the city.

Eritrean Youth Collective

How this organization is helping the youth of Toronto’s Eritrean community.

Driftwood Centre

An organization in the Jane-Finch neighbourhood is working to keep youth off the streets and active.

Changing Life

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Bridging the Gap

A North York animal shelter works to unite community residents with animals in care.

State-of-the-Art Homes

BONE Structure Homes are coming to the GTA, but how will they do in the market?

Moving On In

A supermarket is slated to be built near Kensington Market. Neighbourhood businesses and residents are not happy.

Photo by Vanessa Campbell

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The Regent Park Project Is revitalization the right word?

The 2014 Elections

After the Rob Ford era, who will Torontonians put their trust in for the 2014 fall elections?

CHANGING NEIGHBOURHOODS  5

A ROCKY ROAD

To repair, or not to repair? Chaos and commotion will continue on the Gardiner Expressway, and it’s about to get a lot more hectic with the upcoming construction Written and photographed by Chelsea Howard

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orking on repairing various parts of the Gardiner has become an ongoing issue in the city of Toronto for quite some time.

The Gardiner Expressway is considered a challenging drive, with the amount of traffic, accidents and backups it has daily.

This causes a lot of frustration and headaches for commuters travelling on the expressway just east of Jarvis Street stretching almost two-and-a-half kilometres west. More than 120,000

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cars use this section of road each day according to the Toronto Star.

Typically between the hours of 7 and 10 a.m., as well as anywhere between 3:30 and 7 p.m., the commuter experience is ridiculously slow according to many commuters.

Director of Engineering and Construction Services for the City of Toronto, Frank Clarizio, says the Gardiner is an essential piece of transportation infrastructure. “Keeping

Toronto moving is important and that is why more than $500 million has been approved by Toronto Council for maintenance work for the years 2013 through 2022.” Clarizio says that there are a number of rehabilitation projects currently underway.

With such a big project, it’s difficult to assess if all costs are considered reasonable. According to a recent report done by Global, $626 million has already been spent on repairs to the expressway.

The estimated cost to remove the expressway comes up to a staggering $1.2 billion for the entire elevated section.

According to a recent statement by Metro News, it will cost $870 million to repair and maintain the Expressway over the next 100 years.

Freelance reporter and journalist for The Grid magazine, David Topping says, “We’re at the point now where you can’t keep doing nothing. Toronto loves doing nothing, we love to wait and not do anything. We’ve waited so long to do anything with it, we’re at this point now where you have to do something and no matter what you choose to do, it’s going to cost you hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Commuting from St. Catharines to Toronto can be quite the task, explains Kait Macdonald, 24. “The concrete is rusting from the poor maintenance and the overpass is practically crumbling onto the streets below in some sections,” she says. Macdonald adds that it always seems to be under construction or shut

down for repairs, but she never sees any major improvements.

Pieces of the roadway ranging from the size of a toonie to a baseball have been reported to have fallen off, according to a statement from the Toronto Star.

Toronto mayoral candidate, Karen Stintz, told Metro News Canada she would like to construct a downtown relief subway line. Stintz says this would be a “hybrid” solution for the Expressway.

School bus driver and commuter, Mark Aston, 49, says it isn’t easy driving a school bus on the Gardiner. “The detours and road closures make it almost impossible to maneuver a bus through.

He says that driving from Thorold to Toronto is hectic. “Driving with one other person in the car is chaotic, let alone with a bus full of high school students.”

Redirecting some of the traffic from the Gardiner would be a welcome change, but imagining the planning involved in that is difficult.

Daily commuter and downtown Toronto resident, 24-year-old Anthony Zhura, says, “My experience on the Gardiner is limited to just about a year. It seems like the Gardiner is a bit of a bottleneck and is expected to accommodate far more cars than it possibly can.”

Keeping Toronto moving is important and that is why more than $500 million has been approved by Toronto Council for maintenance work for the years 2013 through 2022.

– Frank Clarizio The Expressway has the worst congestion possible says third-year Mohawk College TV Broadcasting student, 20-year-old Kayla Bernacci.

“Most highways are congested, but with the millions of people who live in Toronto going home, the drive is almost impossible.” Bernacci travels from Stoney Creek to the eTalk studio in Toronto sometimes up to five days a week.

What the City of Toronto has in mind to make the Gardiner Expressway a less frustrating and difficult commute may not come to fruition for quite some time. In order to prevent panic and chaos, a solution must be created before the situation gets worse. Clarizio says, “The City is taking various measures to minimize disruptions to the commuters.”

Working with contractors to determine if work can be accelerated is one of these measures.

There are several options being considered for the Gardiner construction, including maintaining the elevated expressway and removing it completely to make a new boulevard. On the contrary, there are some commuters who are opposed to the construction on the Expressway. Twenty-four-year-old Orest Omeliukh commutes on a weekly basis on the Gardiner, but has few complaints.

“The state of the Gardiner is fine, I can’t complain because there aren’t many holes, cracks, or hazards to be aware of. If we’re talking about downtown underneath the Gardiner, it looks creepy, but it’s fine.”

Many commuters say that the state of the Gardiner hasn’t changed much over the years. “The City of Toronto did get rid of a ramp and jump cars would get air from in front of Palace Pier. It has been said that a Corvette once flew over to oncoming traffic and the road had to be reconstructed,” says Omeliukh. That fun was quickly over.

In regards to the future of the Expressway, it’s difficult to predict what will happen. “There’s a certain point where building more roads doesn’t actually get you any benefit because you build more roads, they’ll just fill up with cars,” says Topping.

Travelling on the Expressway when there is no traffic allows commuters to see how beautiful the City of Toronto really is, especially at night. Having construction workers and equipment blocking these views won’t be the as welcoming of a view. A statement in the Toronto Sun says for now, the future of the Gardiner will be unknown until after the 2014 election.

CHANGING TRANSPORTATION 7

Time-Based Transfers New system will allow for easier commuting around Toronto

Written and photographed by Shai Williamson

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wenty-year-old Harmony Babstock moved to Toronto in September to attend Ryerson University. Up until then, she had lived in Mississauga for most of her life, except for one year when she lived in Ottawa. Although Babstock has her license, a car is only readily available to her when she goes back to see her parents in Mississauga, so busing has become a way of life for her.

Some of her classes are later in the evening, offering leeway for Babstock to get other things done before the school day begins. Although Babstock now has a monthly metropass, a bus pass that allows her to take the bus as frequently as desired, she remembers a time when she was still learning the ropes of Toronto transit.

And then the month ran out, and she needed a new pass.

She meant to get it the first day of the new month, but being in school and working part-time, she says that it simply slipped her mind.

“My roommates and I sometimes go to this restaurant in Kensington Market called The Grilled Cheese,” says Babstock.

“It’s the opposite way from our school, but it was never a problem.”

“It’s only $3,” she would tell herself.

So, she paid her fare, got on the bus, and paid it little to no mind.

“And then one day that week,” she remembers, “my roommates wanted to go to the same restaurant again. We went, had a good time, but then when we were going to head back to school, I had to pay the fare again.”

“It wasn’t that big of a deal, but being from Mississauga I didn’t realize that this was a thing.”

In surrounding Toronto cities, timebased transfers are used. That means customers who have been issued a trans-

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fer from the bus driver have a limited amount of time, usually two hours, to board any bus that they please. Since Babstock and her roommates’ lunch was less than two hours long, she assumed that it would be the same thing. But in Toronto, when a customer is issued a transfer, it is only one-way. So when Babstock tried to board the bus that was going the opposite direction using the transfer that she received earlier, she was denied.

Luckily for those like her, bus laws may be changing in Toronto. In due time, paying for the bus out-of-pocket won’t be such the money sucker it was for Babstock back then. So far, according to the official TTC website, the only bus route that has time-based transfers in effect is the 512 St. Clair route. The page reads: “You can board a 512 St. Clair streetcar or bus at any stop, in any direction, until the expiry time is shown.”

City councillor and former chair of the TTC, Karen Stintz, says the introduction of the PRESTO Pass influenced this change. “[PRESTO] would be too hard to implement without [time-based transfers],” says Stintz. A PRESTO Pass is a green card that resembles a debit card that users load with money. When boarding, they tap the pass on a machine to pay, and it shows them the money deducted from the card, how much money they have left, and how much travel time they still have. PRESTO has been implemented in some cities surrounding Toronto, including Mississauga and Brampton, and has also become the primary method to pay on GO transit.

“We’re aiming for it to come to Toronto in 2016,” says Stintz, adding before that happens, the system needs to be tweaked a bit. Stintz says that right now the TTC is

looking to making it a 90-minute transfer, which is 30 minutes less than Brampton’s and Mississauga’s.

Either way, Sara Raymond is excited for this change. During her first year at Humber College, she was often left to take the bus to school. Living along Lakeshore in Mississauga meant switching from a Mississauga bus to a Toronto bus was her

PRESTO would be too hard to implement without time-based transfers.

– Karen Stintz only means of getting to and from school.

“Since I had PRESTO I would have to pay two fares when I went to Toronto.

It was really frustrating. In the summer leading up to school I had to do a CPR course for my [practical nursing] program in Brampton. Although it was way out of my way, I only had to pay once so it was never that big of a burden honestly.”

According to the city of Brampton’s official website, the weekly GTA Pass, which would work for all modes of transportation in Toronto’s surrounding cities, is $55. Brampton phased out the paper weekly passes last year, but the same thing is still available on PRESTO for $27.

Raymond drives now, but admits that she still needs to take the bus sometimes.

She shares a car with her mom and sometimes driving is not an option if she wants to stay out and drink with her friends.

She says that it will also mean people who make mistakes when traveling, for instance getting on the wrong bus or going the wrong direction, will not necessarily be penalized by paying extra cash fares.

PRESTO PASS MAKING ITS WAY TO TTC

Written and photographed by Mackenzie Wood

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rying to get around the GTA using public transportation can be a nightmare; going from system to system can become expensive and be extremely confusing, but thanks to a fare card, which is working to unite transit systems across the GTA, commuter life will be made a little easier.

The PRESTO Pass is a fare card that allows transit users to pay for their fare using their card, which they tap against one of the toll stations set up. The fare card has already been introduced on GO transit in certain areas of the GTA and the Hamilton area, and will be installed in a majority of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) stations. The pass allows for transit users to seamlessly use most transit systems in the GTA, like GO, and soon TTC, but also Mississauga transit, Brampton, York Region and even Oakville transit systems.

So far, the PRESTO Pass has been installed at Union Station and another 13 subway stations, but the hope for the pass is to be introduced across the Toronto transit system. The first wave of PRESTO terminals are to be introduced in October/November of this year at about 23 subway stations and 50 streetcars will be equipped with them throughout the TTC in time for the Pan-Am Games here in Toronto. Eventually the fare card will be introduced at all subway terminals, buses,

and streetcars across the TTC. PRESTO was designed by Metrolinx, an agency created by the government of Ontario in 2006 to manage and to strengthen transportation in the GTA and Hamilton area. The agency works to enhance the transit systems in the area.

In 2011, after merging with GO transit, Metrolinx unveiled the PRESTO fare card to, “allow riders to transfer seamlessly across multiple transit systems.”

According to Vanessa Thomas, Media Relations and Issues Team Leader at Metrolinx, when PRESTO is fully deployed, there will be more than 10,000 PRESTO devices in streetcars, buses, subway stations and self-service kiosks for the 1.7 million customers who rely on the TTC every day.

The partnership with the TTC has been a work in progress going back two years.

“Metrolinx and the TTC signed a master agreement at the end of 2012, and we have been working together to deliver an effective implementation,” Thomas says.

“This is a complicated process given the system will need to accommodate subways, LRTs, streetcars and buses, as well as the fact that the TTC has never had an electronic payment system in the past.”

After the next phase, due to be finished in the fall, where the partnership goes from there is anyone’s guess. “Metrolinx and the TTC have not yet finalized the

complete deployment program, but we appreciate the interest to complete the program as soon as possible,” shares Thomas.

Many are embracing the card, as it will unite the various transit systems, allowing for passengers to move across the GTA easily.

“PRESTO to the TTC will make it much easier and more convenient to travel on, not only the TTC, but other transit properties in the GTA as well,” explains Danny Nicholson of the TTC Media Relations team.

The PRESTO Pass card has become extremely popular, he says. “PRESTO has surpassed 1 million activated cards in circulation in Ontario – another major milestone for the system. Recent successes include full Ottawa implementation in 2013 on all buses, at all train stations, with PRESTO cards rolled out to all customer segments,” Thomas says.

With the success of the fare card it could extend past the Ottawa region and the GTA, and could move into other areas, connecting other transit systems in surrounding areas, according to Nicholson.

“PRESTO will also be deployed on the Union Pearson Express when it launches in 2015, and the Eglinton Crosstown,” Thomas says.

CHANGING TRANSPORTATION 9

WiFi TTC MEETS MEETS

With free WiFi access set up in Bloor-Yonge and St. George stations, there’s a demand to connect across the rest of the underground subway stops Written and photographed by Shaneza Subhan

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t’s evening rush hour at the BloorYonge subway station in the downtown core. The platform is full of riders, all anxious to board the next train.

To the left, is a young man typing on his black iPhone as fast as he can before the train arrives. To the right, a young woman is looking down at her phone as the train starts to approach. As the train enters the station, commuters slowly inch forward to the yellow line, many with their heads down, entirely glued to the screens of their mobile devices.

Up until recently, this would not have been possible, but in December 2013, The Toronto Transit Commission, in partnership with BAI Canada, launched free WiFi at its two busiest subway stations, St. George and Bloor-Yonge.

Times have certainly changed as now commuters will be able to access the internet, free of charge, while waiting for their ride underground. It has not yet been stated if cell service and reception will be provided, but WiFi is just a stepping-stone towards creating a new experience for TTC commuters.

Brad Ross, Executive Director of the TTC, says the Toronto transit is just testing the service at these two stations.

“We are planning on having WiFi and cellular capabilities at all of our underground stations within the next few years,” Ross explains.

There are several benefits of having WiFi on the lines, according to Ross.

He says from the TTC’s perspective, it is the ability to communicate more with commuters who have their device right at their fingertips.

“We can get information to our customers about service disruptions for example, through our e-alert service and through Twitter, however people choose to get information from us,” Ross says.

From the customer’s perspective, Ross

says, they can stay connected with friends and family, and conduct business.

“It’s a benefit to the riders who can connect and do what they need to do via their smart phone or tablet,” Ross says.

This WiFi service provides riders with the ability to browse the Internet, access social media and send e-mails simply by watching a 10-second video and accepting the terms and conditions.

While this may seem like a good idea due to the convenience of being able to interact with friends and family, there are negative outcomes with having WiFi on the subway lines. For one, safety concerns can be an issue if passengers are too into what they are doing on their devices as opposed to what is going on around them.

Also, some commuters may want to get away from technology and retain peace and quiet, a change of pace from their busy lives during work and school.

Yanish Jutton, University of Waterloo Engineering student, says having WiFi on subways would possibly be a way to increase ridership, as most people would be able to take advantage of continuing business while commuting.While working for TD Canada, Jutton was taking the subway for a period of about 45 minutes daily. He could not access his e-mail or any information on the web pertaining to projects he was working on.

“One of the reasons many people choose to commute by car is shorter commute time, but commutes by car also require a stoppage of business,” Jutton says. “People can use their transit time to keep doing business and not have to drive.”

While this is true, commuters do not have much time to browse the net, as the wait time for upcoming trains is very short.

Within actually five to seven minutes, if not sooner, the train arrives and the connection gets weaker and weaker. Those

who are riding the subway try to quickly connect to the WiFi at these stations, but are unable to accomplish much by the time the door opens and closes.

Fourth year York University student Ibadah Shahid-Iqbal, 21, says that having WiFi on the subway lines could be a safety concern.

“I do see that it would be convenient, but I don’t think it’s that important to risk your safety,” she says.

It’s very easy for commuters to get distracted in the moment and not pay attention to how close they are standing to the yellow line. Also, keeping their heads down while listening to music or watching a YouTube video can affect their ability to pay attention to their surroundings. If commuters are entirely plugged into their devices and not what is around them, someone could approach them and they may find themselves in a dangerous situation.

Third-year Ryerson student Sharmila Uruthiranandasivam says she sees both positive and negative sides to having WiFi on the lines.

“People can use it to connect to maps or communicate with people they are meeting up with since there is no phone service at these stations,” she says.

However, when it comes to the Toronto transit providing WiFi to other stations in the future, Uruthiranandasivam says it isn’t a good idea due to safety risks for commuters.

“People will be walking around while looking down at their phones as opposed to paying attention to what they are walking towards and narrow subway platforms can make this concerning,” she says. “Platforms like Yonge and St. George are wide enough and safety shouldn’t be considered a big issue.”

We are planning on having WiFi and cellular capabilities at all of our underground stations within the next few years.

– Brad Ross

CHANGING TRANSPORTATION 11

TIFF Lightbox C

elebrities.

Red carpets.

Flashing lights. A Hollywood experience in the middle of downtown Toronto, amongst local restaurants and cafés. TIFF has been bringing this experience to Toronto every September since 1970.

“When I come to work at that time of the year, there is just electricity in the air.

You can feel it,” says Sean Alfanso, manager of the Hilton Garden Inn on Peter Street.

TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) showcases films from around the world to an international audience. In 2010, the organization expanded beyond the annual festival and opened up the Bell Lightbox Theatre. Not only does the Lightbox screen short films, many of which are created by local Toronto residents, but it also offers workshops and features many different educational exhibits. While the festival only runs for about two weeks, the theatre operates year round. Overall however, it provides something greater.

Located at King and John, there is access to local shops, restaurants and cafés. How about an Italian dinner after your movie at the Lightbox, or perhaps a latte to bring with you?

The Lightbox gives Torontonians something totally different.

Albert Chan, manager of Hey Lucy Pizza & Wine Bar on King Street West, says

Theatre shines in the Entertainment District Written and photographed

by Rebecca Hamill

When I come to work at that time of the year, there is just electricity in the air.

– Sean Alfanso

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that traffic is steady throughout the year even with the theatre just a couple feet from his spot. However, it is in September when the film festival is taking place that business booms.

“Essentially, we sell out for those two weeks, we’ll have line ups, waiting lists and full reservations,” he says.

Chan says that the Lightbox has a major impact on the neighbourhood as it, “draws people in, it attracts a different kind of people… different from the ones that attend the musicals or plays.”

Second Cup café sits on the corner of King and John Street, adjacent to the Lightbox and provides a cozy environment for guests to enjoy coffee and warm treats. Night manager, Charles Hanlon, says that the screenings at TIFF are “amazing” and generates traffic from all parts of the city. “Our business is more driven from Princess of Wales and the Royal Alexandra.”

Hanlon says that his store has a theatre special where a customer can try two types of hot brewed coffees and a slice of cake, but the promotion does not receive a huge response. Being located beside TIFF does not “make or break” his business, Hanlon says.

Manager of Le Saint Tropez and Marcel’s Bistro, Merium Sabeghi, agrees with Hanlon when it comes to the Lightbox’s effect on business. In fact, she says more could be done by the venue to promote local area businesses like her own.

Sabeghi says that the Bell Lightbox

theatre assists with business, but not drastically. “As a business, it’s just another theatre next to the other ones here. I think that the impact from the live theatres impacts business far more than TIFF does,” Sabeghi says.

Marcel’s had a partnership with TIFF, where both businesses would promote each other, but found that only the restaurant was only doing its share.

“Being Canadian, it should maintain its prosperity in promoting not only local talent, but its fellow local shops, restaurants and businesses around it,” says Sabeghi.

Sabeghi does see the positives offered from the Lightbox though. She notes it attracts people from abroad and all over the city and says it’s the best place to go to see an independent movie. “The TIFF Lightbox theatre stands for something great and impacts the community greatly,” she says.

For the Hilton Garden Inn, the Lightbox has made a positive impact on business, particularly during festival season, says Alfanso, who has been working there since before the theatre opened.

The film festival is one of the hotel’s peak seasons, impacting businesses greatly, he says.

“It has given us the option to promote it because it’s a nice place to send people, but it does not necessarily influence the people that we get for the rest of the year.”

During the film festival, the hotel generates 85 per cent of its clientele from the festival. “In order to reserve a room, a guest has to call months in advance for the month of September as we book out.”

“We’re involved with serving the festival and the people involved, so it’s a busy time for us,” says Alfanso.

The concept of TIFF encourages the neighbourhood to unite as one and celebrate the premier screenings of upcoming filmmakers. Throughout the year, anyone is welcome to attend and embrace the short films or documentaries shown.

However, it is those two weeks of September that sparks go off.

The entertainment district of Toronto is enriched with local talents, which shine through businesses, restaurants, coffee shops, and the film makers themselves.

Since the opening of the Lightbox theatre, it’s provided a haven for people to appreciate the independence that is produced within their city, but its impact on local business has yet to be realized.

The TIFF New Wave Film Festival Offers Opportunity to Rising Filmmakers

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rogrammed for youth aged 14 to 18, the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival offers interactive workshops, a broad range of special guests, and a 24-Hour Film Challenge for young filmmakers. Youth compete against each other on all genres of film. This event works from a “theatrical basis to an appreciation basis.”

The foundation of the 24-Hour Challenge is that all teams are given a prop, a challenge shot and a dialogue that must be merged into the film.

Scarborough-based program Studio2 was created by East Metro Youth Services to offer youth an opportunity to use multimedia to speak about their lives.

The program’s youth have created many sets for the competition, one being a princess’ bedroom.

“That was a really excellent activity” says Studio2 program worker Colin Scheyen. He and his youth participants got to work with set design.

“TIFF provides innovative ways to engage young people,” says Scheyen. TIFF and Studio2 work together to educate youth.

They connect young people together and create films about issues. Studio2 opens the door to the youth so they can see what TIFF offers.

Studio2 is structured on a mentorship model. Scarborough lacks many resources and the program, “shows young people how to use cameras, impose a shot, edit films, record in a studio and engineer for other youth,” says Scheyen.

“Having TIFF around has allowed them to embrace and provide community programs,” says Scheyen. Though location can be a challenge, as Scarborough is by nowhere near King Street, TIFF is mobile.

It goes to schools to do workshops. The Lightbox has also provided free tickets to the Studio2 program for youth to attend screenings, which helps further the partnership between both organizations.

CHANGING SCENE 13

One Post Away From Success:

Why Local Businesses Are Now Really Depending on Social Media Written and photographed by Tiara Samosir

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he moment the word “tweet” was put in the dictionary, it became evident that social media would shake up daily life. Social media isn’t used just for fun anymore. Beneath the growing glory of memes and GIFs, it has proved its service as not just a way to help individuals stay in touch with friends, but also as an effective and powerful tool for business.

Business owners are now using social media to promote their products, communicate with current customers and attract new ones. Social media has helped businesses market themselves at no cost.

Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are utilized to help businesses reach broader audiences.

Take Toronto’s Dundas Street West community for example. From Dundas West and Ossington all the way to Keele St. features pretty little cafés, shops

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and restaurants that are all operated by owners who market through social media.

Two months ago Randal So opened an urban, industrial-themed take-out restaurant called Cut The Cheese. He says he’s been using social media, mainly Twitter, to reach out to the people in the neighbourhood and the number of people he’s reached continues growing constantly.

In fact, he says, he has yet to spend a dollar for any marketing of the restaurant.

Since social media is working so well for him, he intends to continue using it.

“It’s free, it’s very effective and people have it,” says So. “It’s a great way to reach massive numbers of people with no cost.”

Gagan Bassi, owner of the vintage boutique Bridge + Bardot says she has been in business for a year now. Being new in the business, and not the only shop of her kind on the strip, means she

has to step out of her comfort zone to compete, she says.

An artsy official site isn’t the only avenue she uses to represent the brand.

She’s taking advantage of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr to keep her customers up to date with the collections, but admits she prefers Instagram because of its ability to show her new vintage collections.

“It’s easier to upload a photo right away and write the price down. It’s the fastest and easiest way to get to the customer-consumer base,” Bassi says.

“Social media definitely [benefits] more, because you can outreach further. One photo can reach more people than word of mouth.”

According to Bassi, it’s important to update social media pages every day. Not only because fashion changes rapidly, but she says she believes in the importance

of making everything new: new day, new posts and new collections. That’s one way to keep the customers happy.

Brian Cheuk, owner of the clothing store Blue Button Shop says social media platforms have been really helpful for the clothing line industry. Although like Bassi, he prefers Instagram as the store’s main and most updated platform. “[Instagram] gives us a direct access to the customers for them to see the pictures,” Cheuk says. “We are really picture-oriented, so if they see pictures and they like it, they’ll buy it.”

For some business owners along Dundas Street West though, like Janet DiBernardo, who has been running Latitude 44 Gallery Framing Decor for 11 years, social media is not at the top of the list for promotional tools. DiBernardo has not been using it since starting out her business. So far, DiBernardo says she feels more comfortable using the old methods for marketing: handing out posters and flyers and using word of mouth.

“Social media doesn’t necessarily generate business per se, but it is [a way] to reach out to the community, in a good way,” DiBernardo says, adding it takes all methods to keep the business running, considering each method has its own advantage.

Dani Gagnon, CEO of social media marketing firm Dani G Inc., has taken part in helping businesses’ build marketing systems through social media across North America for four years. She says social media has become an important part of marketing. Gagnon says putting an ad on TV, on walls and in papers doesn’t allow people to interact with the company being very different than social media where people can post on a wall or tweet a comment to the company.

She says she believes social media is a whole new world that is untapped and unexplored, but it’s really important for small business owners to be on there.

Gagnon says it’s not only marketing that people will miss out if they’re not on social media, but they will also miss out on opportunity.

“If you’re not on Facebook and Twitter in the next few years, you’re not going to

have a viable business,” Gagnon says Randall Craig, president of web and social media strategy firm 108 Ideaspace, agrees with Gagnon, saying it’s essential for businesses to have social media accounts. Craig has been in media and financial services for over 25 years. His experience includes being in online public relations and the social media industry.

He says social media is an application of technology to help people do what they have always done in the real world: a way to connect with friends and others, a way to collaborate with people professionally and a way for companies to connect to their customers.

A company is taking a risk missing an entire generation of people who feel comfortable with social media if not participating. Through social media, companies can listen to conversations between their customers about their products or services, and that’s important for a company in order for it to learn from its mistakes, find out what the customers want and improve. He also says social media is a two-way conversation, which is why he suggests organizations to be on it or at least familiar with it.

Craig does warn though that social media can be really harsh. People say anything they want to say and there’s no filter to stop them from saying what they really feel. These comments might go viral. If people have a really bad experience, they will tell everybody, and those negative comments are what business owners need to be prepared for, Craig adds.

“People don’t care about you,” Craig says. “They only care about how you’re going to solve their problems.”

Despite this, social media is still very helpful for businesses and, at the end of the day, it’s still a tool for people to get their voices out there. It’s not just for business owners, but everybody. For that reason, it is important for business owners to sort and filter what they want to put out there. It’s important to be honest, but it’s important to remember that at times people don’t care about honesty.

As Craig says, they only care about how a product looks, sounds or feels and how social media will benefit them overall.

Tips for

Online Success Dani Gagnon, CEO of social media marketing firm, Dani G Inc., offers advice to small business owners on how to reach their customers:

#1

Make sure your page looks appealing. This is one way to attract new customers. If your page is interesting, different and fresh, people will take their time to explore what you sell.

#2

Respond to comments. If they post a complimentary comment, say thank you. If they ask questions, answer. This is to show that you care.

#3

Update.

Update. Update.

No one wants to come to a page where the last update is a month ago. It’s a turn off for both new and old customers, and they will likely close the page if this happens.

#4

Remember: “The customer is king.”

You want to make sure they are happy with what they get. You are happy... when they are happy.

CHANGING SCENE 15

Hitting the Right Note?

The Ontario Music Fund is ready to pump more money into Toronto’s music scene, but critics question whether it will be enough

Written and photographed by Ari Perlin-Bain

T

ake a stroll along Toronto’s Queen Street West on any given weekend night and within a five-block radius you will pass by at least four music venues bumping live music from a varied range of genres. The city, across the grid, has a vibrant live music scene, but Queen Street West most definitely stands out from the rest. That said, due to reasons ranging from harsh municipal by-laws to a lack of financial infrastructure in the city’s music industry, it’s difficult to keep a burgeoning live music scene afloat. It’s possible though that change is on the way.

This past October, the provincial government announced the start of the Ontario Music Fund. Created by the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and Culture, the Fund’s primary goals are to create more jobs in the province as well as fund the services that allow an increase in production jobs in the industry.

From financing more live music events to providing more music training and financial support to artists, it’s meant to signify the beginning of an improved music industry. The $45 million the provincial government is putting into the fund will be divided up and given to help finance some of the music businesses applying to each stream; Live Music, Music Industry Development, Music Company Development and Music Futures.

The deadlines to apply to all four streams have passed for 2014. However, with the Live Music stream, owners of various venues along the Queen West corridor, (generally between University Avenue and Dufferin), have the opportunity, if eligible for funding, to finance more live music events. This means not just more jobs and production in the live music scene, but the possibility of more revenue to be generated for venues on this street.

Queen Street West has been a hotspot for live music events in the city through-

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out its history. It’s the reason Chris Jackson, creative director of local entertainment company EasPark Productions, chose two different venues on Queen West to house a monthly hip-hop event called #BigTicket, which he started in 2012. While the event began at The Velvet Underground just east of Bathurst, Jackson recently moved it to Wrongbar, in the Parkdale neighbourhood, around Queen West and Dufferin Street. He says he is taking advantage of the fact there is growing interest towards that area in terms of the future of the city’s live music scene.

“I moved it to not only keep things fresh and new, but also because Wrongbar and Parkdale is where our music scene is seeing growth and change,” he says. “I want #BigTicket to be a part of that.”

Many historic venues on Queen such as the Horseshoe Tavern have experienced successful boosts in their business, but as times change, other venues have somewhat fallen short. Pat Biolio is the owner of the Velvet Underground and says a change in the norm of the events at music venues on Queen West created a divide in whether businesses were successful or not.

“The Velvet Underground has always been a venue doing shows exclusively with DJs, and a lot of venues in the past were the same way except they went to doing live music and we kept on with doing mostly DJ shows,” says Biolio. “At the end of the day, it has affected the turnout of people, meaning our revenue is smaller than other venues.”

While venues will likely see more live music production at the hands of the Ontario Music Fund and increased action from the City of Toronto, there are issues preventing the live music scene in our city’s industry from having the potential impact it could. Mike Tanner is the

Communications Operator for North by Northeast (NXNE), a premier music festival held in June in various venues in the downtown core. While he welcomes the plans from the city and province, he says municipal regulations could affect the financial outcome of these events.

“What the Fund will do is increase employment for those in the production aspects of live music, but issues can come up with some city by-laws,” Tanner says.

“If noise complaints in the city are received from, for example, a live outdoor event, it only takes one complaint to shut an entire event down. Then if that trend continues, it could affect the amount of people that come out to these live events and from there the revenue stream that comes from that part of the industry.”

While venues on Queen West are indoors, noise can flood out onto the streets and tenants in the surrounding area, as municipal by-laws state, have the power to shut down any live music event.

Under the Toronto Municipal Code, according to the city website, noise curfews are set in effect from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. for outdoor venues, but due to many venues being in residential areas, none in the city can be excluded from this.

Tanner says if the city begins to take action, the results will highly benefit the local economy.

“Toronto’s music scene is larger and more prominent than some major U.S. cities. For it to be more popular and successful, the city has to recognize what’s going on and be a ‘can-do’ culture,” he says. “They don’t want to do anything that bends boundaries, but if a couple by-laws change, it could benefit everybody.”

Queen West doesn’t just heavily contribute to the city’s live music scene, but it’s an area home to a number of prominent recording studios as well. One such facility is Noble Street Studios, located off Queen near Dufferin Street. With past clients including Justin Bieber and Drake, it has built a name for itself in the last few years as one of the most notable recording facilities in the city.

Owner Donny DaSilva says the increase of studios in the downtown core can greatly benefit the city’s recording industry. “The studios that have been com-

ing up downtown are great because so much of the city’s music scene is located in this area, so to have a majority of them here makes everything more connected and money-wise will likely do a lot of good for the industry.” While DaSilva seems content about the boost in the number of recording facilities, he’s at a standstill as to whether funding will work in the industry’s favour. “It still has to be shown in the books whether the Ontario Music Fund can prove successful, but I think it can definitely bring more revenue into the local economy and there are things I’d definitely like to see done if my studio could receive money from it,” says DaSilva. However, according to the Ministry of Tourism, recording facilities are not directly eligible to receive finances from the Fund. It would be up to the music companies and artists receiving the funds to use the finances on the province’s recording

facilities to accommodate their needs.

The city’s music scene is receiving attention on a municipal level as well. It is the focus of different initiatives being created by the municipal government such as the Toronto Music Advisory Council, formed in December, which oversees various economic developments being made in the city’s music industry. Yet, increased government input is creating concern for some involved in the industry. With the amount of businesses and venues hoping to get something from the Fund and the tight rules in regards to eligibility, the realistic outcome is that many businesses will come up empty-handed and those outside of the downtown core may lose out the most.

This is something Jackson is also concerned with, because of the specific music scene his production company

focuses on.

“Since urban music isn’t as well represented in the city’s music industry, it will be difficult for those in that scene, like myself, to fulfill some of the financial requirements needed for eligibility.”

While the Fund may have flaws in its eligibility and possible long-term structure, Noah Mintz, a local mastering engineer and owner of the North York-based studio, The Lacquer Channel, points out another major flaw. There aren’t legal stipulations stating that money given to these music businesses needs to be spent on facilities and events taking place in Ontario.

“Where in the paperwork does it say that companies receiving funds from the Ministry of Tourism have to spend it on services within the provincial borders?” he asks. “I know an artist that, their record label received $10, 000 from the Ontario Music Fund, and the label that artist is signed to took the money and used it to record their next project in the U.S.” Mintz questions the Fund’s success if situations like this can legally take place. “In the end, if our province’s studios aren’t going to be used, we won’t see an increase in revenue and with the money in the recording industry being as bad as it is, the Fund could actually worsen the economic outcome,” he says.

The Fund is arranged to continue for the next three years until 2016 meaning companies eligible for funding may have the possibility of receiving in the future.

Now analyze that word; future. The city’s music industry has seen progression in recent years with more venues, live events, recording studios, altogether more business, which could mean more revenue to stimulate the economy. With the municipal government beginning to increase its efforts to boost live music and music industry activities, the idea it will do some good for the local economy is there. Success and effectiveness, however, are never guaranteed and in both the city and province’s music industry, the next two years could make the landscape of its future a positive one or do what many plans before it have done - fizzle and flop in front of our very eyes.

CHANGING SCENE 17

Toronto Demands Vinyl The retro record store is back in style

Written and photographed by Jordan Finkelstein

T

here’s something nostalgic about listening to old vinyls that engages your senses unlike anything else.

And it’s not necessarily the music itself.

It’s the raw clicks and cracks that echo behind the treble and bass. It’s the warm sensation of putting pin to plastic and hearing the built-in speakers send out a shock-burst of sound. It’s the feeling of having what sounds like a live orchestra playing in the corner of the room.

This is the full body involvement of listening to a vinyl record.

Over the past year, there has been a popularity surge in the downtown Toronto core for music on vinyl, specifically on Queen Street West.

“The amount of new customers we have coming to the store is out of control,” says 28-year-old Jennifer Maniz, general manager of Toronto’s oldest independent record store, Kops Records, located at 229 Queen St. W. “It’s not just the older people who come in to shop. People of all ages are finding an interest in vinyl again.

There are people coming from outside the city just to see authentic record stores.”

The vinyl craze has taken the downtown arts village toward a modern day ’70s groove and has hipsters hailing for Hall & Oates. Toronto has historically always been a music hotbed, producing international-selling artists such as Rush, Triumph and Metric. The record stores in the city have managed to survive the downfall of discs and the rise of digital; many of the original music shops down-

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town never closed their doors, even as vinyl sales hit a null in the 1990s and new technology succeeded their stock.

“It used to be all about garage rock, indie rock and electro that was popular,” says Matt Dee, 30, a disc jockey, record producer and longtime employee of Grasshopper Records in Toronto. “Now the people in Toronto seem to enjoy house music and hip-hop. The hipsters have evolved around the city. Now people are willing to listen to any kind of music on vinyl.”

Moniz attributes the recent popularity to the diverse cultures of downtown Toronto, and what she calls, “the city’s attempt to always be hip.”

“People in Toronto are always trying to stay cool,” she says. “Especially in the downtown and Queen Street area. When something becomes a fad, everyone wants it. It’s like someone decided that records are cool again and now everyone wants them.”

Toronto is considered a musical trendsetter because there is such a wide array of original record shops and live music clubs. Considering the city is home to Canada’s largest and most diverse population, it is understandable why so many genres of music are still in demand.

“Music thrives here because we have diversity,” says Ian Lagarde, 43, a daily visitor to Toronto’s Amoroso Music and a self-labeled fanatic of classical music.

“Along the way of the city growing over the last couple of years, someone sensationalized vinyl. People think

something is cool because they’re told that it’s cool. It’s such a trendy place that people latch onto things. With a population this size, even indie music has been able to survive.”

Some of the most famous record shops in Toronto are Kops Records and Rotate This, located on Queen Street West, in the centre of the arts community. Both have a wide array of avant-garde music and carry rare ’50s and ’60s-era records. June Records, a new and used record shop at 662 College St. E., has almost all genres of music dating back to the early ‘70s. There is also Vortex Records, one of the city’s oldest shops, located at 2309 Yonge St. There are always different sounds packing the shelves there, because the business operates a buy-sell-trade system of inventory; that means new styles and new beats are recycled by the people who listen to them.

Adam Nadler, 24, a freelance music teacher in Toronto and ’70s rock enthusiast, says the credit is owed to these stores for rejuvenating the retro music scene in Toronto.

“They’re the ones who are spearheading this movement,” he says. “Through all the years that CDs and MP3s were becoming popular, these guys at the record stores were still telling everyone that vinyl is the coolest. And you know what? It took everyone awhile to catch on, but [the record stores] were right. And now they look like the gurus of all music.”

Steve Dalrymple, a downtown Toronto resident and freelance music recorder,

says the entire arts community is responsible for popularizing vinyl again in the city.

“The record shops in Toronto are all making each other more popular,” he says. “It’s not as much a competition to sell more records or steal customers from each other. We’re all growing the scene together.

Every store is different, so if one store doesn’t have an album, another store nearby probably does. That’s the best part of the record shops in this city. It’s the sense of community.”

As demand increases, so does the crowd at Toronto’s staple record shops.

“We were able to open a second Kops Records location in the Annex in September [2013] because business has been so good the past few years,” says Moniz. “The flow of customers is really great. Even the new store constantly has people walking through. The original [Kops Records] has historically been an in-and-out store, but now people come just to hear records and hang out like they did in the ’70s.”

“The music scene is different wher-

ever you go,” says Kasho Chualan, 19, an employee of Kops Records. “Every record store is different. The feeling of having a vinyl community comes from each store bringing something different to the table.

That’s why this city’s music scene is constantly changing and so complex. There are all kinds of music being popularized at all the record stores.”

Record companies are already starting to act on the comeback of analog. Producers are set to make more copies of new vinyl records this year than were created in 1997, when analog was at its previous high in sales as a $166 million per year industry (that’s when Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind” was released). Sales of vinyl worldwide had a Global Trade Value of $87 million (US) in 2010. Over the following year, sales increased to $113 million, and in 2012 sales increased to $171 million, nearly doubling the total from two years before. That caps a 250 per cent increase over the past decade. Clearly, if there’s any time to dust off the old turntable, catch the subway to Queen Street West and get some new 45s, it’s now.

Where to Find Vinyl Records in Toronto Sonic Boom 782 Bathurst St. 416-532-0334 sonicboommusic.com 201 Augusta Ave. 416-901-8854 Has a wide selection of all genres and known to occasionally have live music.

Rotate This 801 Queen St. W. 416-504-8447 rotate.com One of the only places in the city to find indie records, with lots of alternative music.

Kops Records 229 Queen St. W. 416-593-8523 kopsrecords.ca Known for carrying extremely rare records and dollar bargains. It’s the oldest independent record shop in the city.

June Records 662 College St. W. 416-516-5863 junerecords.ca A new Toronto record shop. Contains a mix of all genres and prices for new and used albums.

Play De Record 357A Yonge St. 416-586-0380 playderecord.com Specializes in hip-hop and techno music. It has a large selection of bargain buys.

Amoroso Records 4 Saint Patrick St. 416-591-1313 amorosomusic.com A haven for classical music lovers. Everything from Bach to Mozart.

Grasshopper Records 1167 Dundas St. W. 416-534-0180 grasshopperrecords.ca A newer Toronto record store. Known to have wellcurated albums.

Cosmos Records 607A Queen St W 416-603-0254 cosmosrecords.ca A boutique that carries everything from oldies to today’s biggest hits.

CHANGING SCENE 19

WorldPride

to make Toronto History

The city welcomes its first 10-day festival for the LGBTQ+ community Written and photographed by Mario Belan

I

n 1969, in the final weeks of June, drag queens and queer kids took over the streets and rioted at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. This riot marked the start of the gay liberation movement.

Forty-five years later, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community is still fighting. But in places like Toronto, progress is being made. Case in point: this summer the city will host a 10day international festival that will discuss the history and culture of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer/Questioning, 2 Spirited, Allies (LGBTTIQQ2SA) community.

This WorldPride event is the first celebration of its kind held in North America and is the 4th festival overall. The festival offers opening and closing ceremonies, an international human rights conference, street fairs and arts and entertainment that feature outdoor stages, music and fun for the kids. These events won’t be restricted to the Church-Wellesley Village either; they will engage communities across the Greater Toronto Area.

This event is just another example of how much the city is growing rich with culture and diversity, says the Co-Chair of WorldPride’s Board of Directors, Sean Hillier.

“This event is about acceptance and growing knowledge for people,” says Hillier. Hillier says that Toronto is showing just how diverse it is and how generally accepting it is as a community. The theme for WorldPride is “Rise Up” and Hillier stresses that it is about people speaking about their experiences and showing who they are. “This is why Toronto is an attractive city to live in,” he says, “because of events like WorldPride and the people who live here.”

This WorldPride event will be different than the annual Pride Parade. Instead of the glamorous costumes, condom throwing and water-gun squirting that

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the parade is known for, this WorldPride event will speak to many of the challenges members of the LGBTQ+ community face in the world that are not often discussed.

For example, same-sex marriage has been frowned upon all around the world and recently a new law was even passed in Arizona stating business owners can deny services to people who are in the LGBTQ+ community. Protestors were fighting the law at hand, gathering, uniting and fighting for what is right. These protesters made signs and chants trying to gain attention of lawmakers. Hillier says WorldPride will help recognize a community that is struggling.

“We want to raise awareness on an international level,” he says.

Nineteen-year-old Olivia Dziwak says it’s about being accepting of others.

Dziwak says her family has always been accepting of same-sex marriage, to the point where they would say, “your husband or wife,” when talking to her at the dinner table. She came out to her family at the age of 15.

“I have never felt threatened in Toronto,” explains Dziwak. She is not afraid to hold her partner’s hand or be herself in this city, but not all communities around the world are this open and accepting.

Currently in Russia there has been an enormous international outcry and the government still won’t change the country’s anti-gay law. The Olympic games were held in Sochi, Russia this year and there had been talks of boycotting the event due to Russia’s laws, but the Olympic games still went on.

“Canada in general is very accepting of gays,” says Dziwak.

“You can get away with being gay in the city,” she says. Those other places she is talking about are areas outside of the big city, maybe a town or a country that isn’t used to two people of the same sex that love each other. Dziwak attributes

this to the lack of education available about someone loving the same gender.

“It might be an uncomfortable topic to a lot of people,” explains Dziwak, but it needs to be taught, she says. Someone might be in a questioning phase and may like both genders. LGBTQ+ should be part of the curriculum, she adds.

Even with events like WorldPride and the Pride Parade, Dziwak says it has to be more than just a parade. There has to be more things done.

“It (WorldPride) can be a sign that a city or country is moving forward,” she says. “Having allies that aren’t part of the LGBTQ+ community is very important.

Knowing that others are doing something is of great importance,” she says.

Sergio Sandino, 22, says events like WorldPride really raise awareness for people who are coming out and allow people more opportunities to express who they are sexually. Sandino started expressing his sexuality at the age of 20.

Sandino would like to help out in this year’s WorldPride event. He says that he wants to be more involved in the commu-

nity and help make a change.

Sandino says this is a human rights issue. “It’s crazy to think that it’s 2014 and countries can’t accept the fact that someone may like the same gender,” says Sandino. “All humans are born free and equal.” But there are over 80 countries where homosexuality is illegal and in some countries punishable by jail time and the death penalty. In America only 17 states allow same-sex marriage. “This is why schools should be teaching same sex education and having LGBTQ+ clubs,” explains Sandino.

This event is about acceptance and growing knowledge for people.

-Sean Hillier He says that just because someone is gay doesn’t mean you should treat them differently.

“If we aren’t treating them the same, then we are going back in time,” he says.

There are 196 countries in the world. The first country to legalize gay marriage was the Netherlands in 2001 and there are only 14 countries where gay marriage is fully legal. Canada has done its part by allowing same-sex marriage.

Brandon Anthony, 22, a member of the Church and Wellesley neighbourhood says that WorldPride will impact the community greatly.

“This event will make citizens understand what is happening with the LGBTQ+ community and what they go through.”

He says that in a lot of communities, people don’t accept the fact that someone is queer and WorldPride can engage people to have a better understanding of this and it should help members of the community become more accepting.

Anthony says that there are a lot of people that belong to the LGBTQ+ community in the Church Wellesley area and WorldPride means a lot to them because they can come and be who they are.

“WorldPride will let everyone be themselves and that’s a big impact,” he says.

The Gay Pride flag is intertwined with Canada’s flag, pictured here, in downtown Toronto.

“We should take the time to embrace this and learn new things and become a stronger community.”

Karlee Babb and Alex Vaillancourt have been together for two years and are just one of the many happy LGBTQ+ couples living in Toronto.

CHANGING SCENE 21

New Movement in Toronto Fitness

Personal trainer Jesse Bruce is changing the outlook of the city’s exercise community through his facility Alpha Obstacle Training Written by Jamie-Lyn Baggs

“I think therefore I am.”

At the turn of the 17th century, Rene Descartes said these wise words about the power of the human mind. But more often than not, in the 21st century people forget about this power. Many people tend to make a decision that something isn’t possible before they even give it a try.

In reality, having that mindset is the very thing that restricts people from achieving their full potential and getting the most out of their life. Jesse Bruce, co-founder and owner of Alpha, a new downtown Toronto gym on Polson Street, was once that person who thought that he wasn’t good enough.

Alpha is about watching visions come to life. It’s about creating something more than just a work-out facility. It’s a community of people coming together who all want the same things. It’s a place where

22 YYZ

everyone is welcome. Bruce not only believes in people, but through his facility and classes he is making people believe in themselves too. Alpha is about increasing quality of life; both physically as well as mentally. All the Torontonians who are a part of Alpha agree on one thing; they are stronger for having met Bruce and being a part of his Alpha community. Bruce knows the potential that lies within people and he encourages them to see it too.

Jenna Whittam, a 26-year-old who recently moved to Toronto, says that being a part of the Alpha community has made the adjustment that comes along with moving easier. “I moved here without knowing anyone. It was a very scary and difficult time for me, but now I have had the opportunity to meet so many new people as well as be a part of a gym that is so easily accessible.”

Alpha is filled with monkey bars, Tarzan ropes, skipping ropes, dumb bells, stability balls, medicine balls and chin up bars to name a few. At the beginning, trainers take clients through a 25-minute warm-up that leaves them dripping sweat, wondering how in the world this is only a warm-up. From there it’s on to circuit training, which usually involves up to eight exercises for a minute each. The work-out isn’t over yet though. The team heads outside for a 5km run. Rain, shine, snow it doesn’t matter. These warriors fight. After the run, the class ends with an obstacle race similar to ones seen at events such as Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash. The classes are high intensity and involve a lot of reps and a lot of sets.

Twenty-year-old Oakville, Ont. native, Alex Gavito, says he loves coming to Alpha each week because of the environ-

ment and the people. He says that Bruce is the best trainer around. “Everyone is super supportive and no two classes are the same.”

Once Bruce decided what he wanted to do, it didn’t take him long to turn his dreams into a reality. There wasn’t a lot of time between when he got the keys to the Toronto facility, located by the Docks, and when he opened the doors in January.

The Alpha Obstacle Training consists of people who share Bruce’s goal which is to help inspire people and change their lives. Zach Schieck, a semi-pro boxer who spent three years in the army is now a

and made fun of frequently. The constant bullying made him hate school, hate life, hate himself and caused him sleepless nights where he would pray to God to let him switch lives with anyone else. “I felt inferior to those around me. I felt like I was never good enough.” At a young age Bruce was diagnosed with clinical depression. The depression caused him to go down a dark path where he found peace and comfort for many years in drugs and alcohol.

“There was a point in my life when I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror while brushing my teeth. When I got to that point, I knew I needed to change

Photos courtesy of Alpha Torontonians attend and take part in Alpha Obstacle Training classes in Downtown Toronto. trainer at Alpha. He explains that what makes Alpha different than all of the other gyms is its training method. It’s one of the first gyms to design a facility that is strictly obstacle racing themed that can cater to anyone’s athletic ability; that’s actually why Torontonian Marek Deziedic, 32, loves Alpha classes. “I started coming to Alpha because it has the equipment that no other gym has. I see progress each week. I have really started to feel good about myself. It’s a great feeling.”

Growing up, life wasn’t the easiest for the 32-year-old university grad and personal trainer. He was short, skinny and very weak, both mentally and physically back then. The weakness made him a target at school where he was picked on

something.”

When Bruce was 19, he was introduced to his first set of weights. He started lifting and began to put on a significant amount of weight and strength all within a short period of time. “I just remember feeling good about myself for the first time in my life.” He still struggled with life, but always had working out to help him cope.

Bruce began to interact with a group of people with whom he shared the common interest of fitness. He started to work out with them and developed a strong passion for the rewarding feeling that came along with hard work and helping others reach their goals. It was then he realized that maybe this was his purpose. During this time Bruce finished high school and

then went to Niagara College where he graduated from the Fitness and Health Promotion program. He went on and continued his studies at the University of Guelph-Humber and received his degree in Kinesiology before deciding that he wanted to dedicate his life to fitness and becoming a personal trainer. “I believe that I can help people change their lives. I want to help people feel good about themselves and teach them to believe in their abilities. I know first hand what it’s like to look in the mirror and despise what they see. I don’t want anyone to ever have to go through what I did.”

That is why Bruce started Alpha Obstacle Training. He chose the name Alpha for its Greek meaning, “beginning; the start of something new.” He got the business idea while he was competing in the ever so popular Warrior Dash race. Bruce wanted to think of something that would keep people interested and motivated to work out and while competing in Warrior Dash it came to him: obstacle training.

“There were people of all fitness levels competing in the race. I could see everyone was having fun and everyone was giving it their best effort.” Bruce won 19 of these obstacle races and realized that not only could he run similar fitness classes, but he could also prove to people through his experience that hard work really does pay off. “I kept hearing about people training for these obstacle race events and it just hit me that this was it. This is how I am going to get people fit and help change their lives.”

The trainers expect people to train hard, but encourage them to push their limits. Alpha stresses the point of everyone working out together as a team. The team is a community of people who have come together to achieve goals.

In just a few months, the downtown location has proven to be a success and he is constructing a second location in the Niagara region. Bruce has 15 scheduled Saturday events this summer in Toronto where people will compete in the obstacle race, then come together for a rooftop party on top of Alpha’s facility to celebrate their accomplishments. “I want people to associate working out with fun and excitement.”

CHANGING FACES 23

I want to make business and sports the new drug dealing and gang banging.

-John River

Humanitarian at Heart

Rapper John River guides youth through Hope City Written By Jordan Burton

A

s modern culture continues to become increasingly egocentric through the propagation of individuality, feelings of isolation and seclusion from one another are more existent than ever before. It isn’t to say that today’s society is incapable of selflessness, but more so that the majority of our thoughts surrounding generosity and philanthropy far too often remain as thoughts. However, every once in a while someone crosses our path that is the exception to the rule, invigorating us and giving us hope.

Nineteen-year-old Toronto rapper, John River, is one of these people. A young Toronto native, who’s ahead of his years, is trying to make a difference in society through his own foundation: Hope City.

Like millions of children on this earth, River was an aspiring athlete that saw his dream end far sooner than he would have liked. However, instead of letting a depressing “what could have been” attitude take over, River chose a different path.

“When I came back from Europe where I was playing sports (soccer), I said to myself, a lot of my friends and family members, they’re in positions that they

24 YYZ

really shouldn’t be in,” said River. “Their futures are bright, but aren’t looking bright based on the decisions that they’re making. So I started to think of ways to elevate them from the position that they’re in.”

Like other humanitarians at heart, River understands the collective responsibility we have to one another. He is a soldier of change, refusing to let any obstacle in his path obstruct his dream for a brighter future. It’s through this mentality that John River first created Hope City, the brand behind the artist.

Within the initial moments of speaking with the wunderkind artist, it becomes clear he is an extremely focused individual. His ability to articulate his goals for the future and how he plans to achieve them is well beyond his years.

“He’s very smart, mature and extremely down to earth,” says River’s publicist, Natasha Paolini. “He wants to create a movement, something that people can grab onto and use for their futures as well.

It’s to help others and create something not just for himself, but for everybody.”

The mandate of Hope City is in the name

itself: to inspire hope throughout neighbourhoods and cities around the globe.

There needed to be a forum for kids to express themselves and get involved with things that they actually care about,” says River. “I wanted to be instrumental in starting that.”

Aspiring toward a career in the music industry is a dream few have the courage to undertake. Since his debut mixtape The Calm dropped in 2012, it’s received over 65,000 views and almost 5,000 downloads. His success so far in the music industry seems inevitable taking into consideration the magnitude of River’s work ethic. However, what’s most impressive is he is able to achieve this musical success while simultaneously making waves in the community through Hope City.

“Coming out of sports and going into rap, I wanted to make sure that John River was more than just a rapper and that I could offer something that would be impactful to people,” he says.

From the time Hope City was put into motion, it has collaborated with leaders in the music and athletic community to help

create change in our neighbourhoods. In October of 2013, Hope City joined forces with CIA Bounce; a Canadian basketball development program that mentors young players as they play against the best competition North America has to offer. The two partners teamed up to create a scholarship that would provide assistance to two high school players whose families face financial instability.

“I wanted the scholarship to be a public thing but not the recipient,” says River. “People don’t want to have it known that they’re struggling financially, that their kids are the only kids who needed to take money to go on a trip. So we give the money to CIA Bounce and they do a great job of using discretion. more of a scholarship partnership. More them allowing us to help them to help people. That way, families can get help without losing their pride.”

Through this scholarship, Hope City is providing young athletes the opportunity to chase their dreams and display their talents on CIA Bounce’s platform, a platform that has already helped 45 young Canadians including Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins, Syracuse’s Tyler Ennis and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson and Anthony Bennett obtain free university educations south of the border.

One of River’s other endeavours through Hope City is his work with R.I.S.E. Poetry; a weekly open mic event held in Scarborough, where artists come together to discuss society’s issues, empowering community members through creative arts like rap and spoken word poetry.

Photos by Hip Hop Canada

“It’s one of the most phenomenal experiences you’ll ever have in your life,” says River. “It’s 300 people in one room, it’s very intimate and it’s for anybody.”

River acts as a consultant of sorts, connecting R.I.S.E. (Reaching Intelligent Souls Everywhere) with people it needs to get in touch with, and in turn helping strengthen the event’s effect within the community.

“John’s a connector and he knows how to put people together,” says R.I.S.E. founder Randell Adjei. “We have something called the Edutainment Convention which gathers resources together to support emerging artists, and John was the face of the event. His work is amazing and he’s bridging the gap between emerging and professional artists.”

R.I.S.E.’s first event was held in April of 2012 with only 23 people in attendance. Since then, the inspirational happening has embedded itself as a staple deep within the roots of Toronto’s arts community.

“John is a very inspirational individual and we need more artists like him,” says Adjei. “He is someone who inspires me because if he wants something he’s going to go get it. He’s reassured me that if you focus on something it’s more than attainable, it’s already yours, and you just have to go get it.”

So far in 2014, River has produced a trailer for Hope City’s new project titled The Journey, a documentary that follows the lives, families, goals and struggles of six young Canadian basketball players.

“It was a rewarding experience and I had no idea what it was like trying to be-

come a basketball player coming out of Canada,” says River.

Spending so many years in sports, River came to the conclusion that nobody cared about what athletes have to say outside of their world and felt an inclination to help change that. He wanted to document their story, helping people understand where athletes come from, why they act the way they do and what they go through, before they make it big.

“I had heard about him (River) but I didn’t know him, so when he first came to me with the idea I was like ‘who is this guy?’” says David Tyndale, one of the players involved with The Journey. “But John’s a spokesman, so he grabbed my attention right away. The whole Hope City movement he has is so good because it’s going to get kids off the street. He’s giving people hope and a vision that there’s opportunity out there.”

Through Hope City, River is creating a variety of positive options for youth in the city. He is establishing his music career and his brand while at the same time laying the groundwork for a better tomorrow.

“I want to make business and sports the new drug dealing and gang banging,” said River. “People want to be rich and they tend to do what their friends do. Young kids who are in troubled areas want to be successful, but how they go about doing so is where the problem comes up.”

If we want our vision of a brighter future to be realized, then no longer can ideas be a sufficient substitute for action.

During his 2008 presidential campaign, now President Barack Obama was quoted as saying: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

One of the most beautiful things about humanity is our ability to choose, to make choices not only in regards to our own lives, but also how we can positively or negatively affect the lives of others.

Armed with optimism, positivity and hope, John River is choosing to fight for that change.

CHANGING FACES 25

Photos Courtesy of EYC East African communities come together to engage in the Eritrean Youth Collective, an organization which assists youth with job opportunities and influences their involvement in arts.

A Brighter Tomorrow

East end organization provides leadership, employment and creative arts opportunities for Eritrean youth Written by Issey Abraha

A

s Thomas Tewoldemedhin walks into his prospective employer’s office in a black suit, looking sharp and spiffy, only one thing clouds his mind. Tewoldemedhin says underneath his breath, “How long will my English accent be my Achilles heel.” As his interview ends he says, “Sir, I have the qualities for this job. I am a hard worker and that is all that matters.”

This is a scene from Other, a film which screened last year at the Eritrean Scarborough Community Festival and Christmas Gala. Created by a group of Eritrean youth, the film is based on the challenges East African youth face when seeking employment in Canada, such as problems with their accents and a lack of relevant skills. The film addresses issues many youth of colour or who speak English as a second language face. Young adults like Tewoldemedhin, the lead male actor in the film, demonstrate how to beat

26 YYZ

stereotypes through education and not be let down by the system.

“EYC is a great organization and I was very humbled to be part of the movie that reflects the challenges that immigrants face when coming to Canada,” says Tewoldemedhin.

Other is one of many projects put together by the Eritrean Youth Collective (EYC). The organization helps youth from East African communities in Toronto find employment and get involved in the arts.

Its main participants come from the Scarborough and North York communities.

EYC caters to more than 5,000 Eritrean youth who live in Toronto providing them with opportunities to succeed. EYC is a great organization and does a lot of great work to influence the community.

“The film really showed what the people are going through on a daily basis,” says Tewoldemedhin. In 2010, EYC launched Get Nakfa or Die Trying, an

arts and musical showcase. The success of the event propelled the organization to further heights. It began to acquire government grants and grow the organization.

Michael Tsada, President of EYC’s board says, “Our motto is to learn, build and empower. We put in mentorship programs in the community for Eritreans to connect and build the future generation.”

Today EYC is responsible for organizing youth orientated programs on a bi-monthly basis, ranging from artist showcases and employment workshops to inviting guest speakers. There are also employment and leadership opportunities for youth. “There is an individual who has a played an integral role in our organization who at one point was going down the wrong path but really rebounded through the mentorships our program put in place,” shares Tsada.

When EYC started its work in 2006 it

had to overcome many challenges. Funds were slow and the organization was not sure what direction it planned on going in. The EYC leaders’ main goal was to create programs for young people to excel in. They used their knowledge by seeing the development of other successful community programs and applied it to their initiatives.

“EYC gives the youth an opportunity to connect with one another and allows them to build connections for the future.

It also empowers them and gives them the tools necessary to be productive citizens in the coming years,” adds Tsada.

George Brown student, Temesgen Hagos, first heard about the program when his sister started working with EYC and told him about the innovative ideas it had planned. Hagos was not sure if it was a good idea until an experience changed his perception of the organization and made him want to get involved.

EYC gives the youth an opportunity to connect with one another and allows them to build connections for the future also.

-Michael Tsada

“When I hosted Get Nakfa or Die Trying, I was so nervous as it was my first time hosting an event,” remembers Hagos. To see the turnout from the community alongside people enjoying their time it made the event much more fun and its success gratifying.”

Photo by EYC On top of successful events like Get Nakfa or Die Trying, in the last four years EYC ran a weekend retreat program with great success. The purpose of the retreat was to bring youth together so that they could form long lasting friendships and more importantly participate in workshops teaching them how to become successful in life. “The whole retreat was a great experience,” says EYC participant Ariam Kidane.

“One thing that could be improved is having the retreat on a yearly basis.”

Guest speakers from the East African communities attend the retreat, providing the youth with wisdom and courage to succeed in what they want to pursue. In one of the workshops world-renowned dance choreographer Luam Kiflezghi gave her insight on teaching the biggest names in the industry, such as Alicia Keys, Beyoncé and many more artists.

Humber College student, Simon Yohannes, attended one of the EYC events when he heard Kiflezghi was going to be speaking. Yohannes is a big hiphop fan and decided to check out what Kiflezghi would be teaching. His love for the program resulted in him becoming an

active participant.

“I never once thought I would be so active in a community and love to be part of something so great,” he says. “Seeing young teens coming here and being happy is such an incredible feeling. Growing up I didn’t have opportunities like this and to be able to help youth is phenomenal.”

EYC is in the process of setting up more workshops, working on a new film project and creating more sports programs in which youth can flourish. This will mark the eighth year since its inception and Tsada says the best is yet to come. Abraha Tekie, Business Administrator of the Scarborough East African Community says, “EYC has done an incredible job in sticking to its focus and being very productive in keeping up with its agenda.”

Tekie adds, “I only see the organization improving and continuing to have an impact on many Eritrean youths’ lives. The organization has programs available that kids can look forward to and want to be a part of. The programs undertaken by EYC are very helpful to our youth in our community and to see their achievements has been phenomenal.”

Members of the East African community listen in on a discussion panel for the Eritrean Youth Collective workshop.

CHANGING FACES 27

A Community Mecca Driftwood Centre makes real impact on youth in the Jane-Finch area Written and photographed by Abdikarim Hashi

28  YYZ

S

hoes squeaking and balls bouncing assault the ears of all who enter the Driftwood Community Centre. In the gym, teenagers, from 16 and up, are getting changed and picking teammates.

One young man is telling another that he should put his friend on their team because he can shoot very well, while others are ready to go head-to-head against rivals. Although there are many other days that the gym is packed, whether it’s for volleyball, floor hockey or soccer, Tuesday nights are as big as it gets.

Ameer Ally, 16, a regular at the community centre during its nights of ball, likes the atmosphere of the gym during those nights.

“It’s fun, going against friends and other guys that are really good at ball. We mostly play against each other with the best from each area, like the guys from the Aves and Courts try to rep their area.

But it’s all fun.”

Driftwood Community Centre, located at the corner of Jane Street and Driftwood Avenue, is what many people in the JaneFinch area call home. Known around Toronto and Canada as a notoriously bad neighbourhood, its culture is highly overlooked. The community has been a part of Toronto for more than 30 years now, and its reputation has never really been good. And over the past decade or so the crime in the area has had major publicity building up to make it well known territory. But there are many, many cultural events that take place in Jane and Finch, which don’t receive half as much publicity due to where they are taking place.

The most important aspect of the centre is the comfort it gives to those that go there daily. It is a second home for some and makes for an ideal place for after school activities. The main purpose of the recreational facility is to offer an open environment for the people of Jane and Finch, specifically the Driftwood area.

The space, which is a 75,000 square foot priority centre, is down the street from Brookview Middle School, Driftwood Public School and near Shoreham and Gosford public schools as well.

Aside from the many programs that are offered at the centre, one of the best parts is the ability for students and nonstudents to just take part in the many programs that it offers. One of the most popular days in the centre is Tuesdays from 7 to 10 p.m. This is when teenagers from all over the neighbourhood showcase their basketball talents.

Ilyas Wardere is a regular at Driftwood Centre and has been since he went to Shoreham PS. During his time at middle school he would come to the centre

straight after school to hang out with his friends. He would also go there for after school help on homework and to play in the gym.

“Back when I was in Brookview the only thing me and my friends knew to do after school was hang out. And during the winter there was no hanging out at the park outside, so rather than going to meet at someone’s house we would just meet there and chill,” he remembers.

“I really liked that we got another place to play sp0rts other than school. I mean at school you would only have gym for a maximum of one hour and most of the time it isn’t even the activity of your choice. So at the centre we would go to the gym where we would be allowed to play basketball, soccer and all the other sports during different days,” he says, while pointing at the field near the community centre.

Wardere says the centre contributes to the area because it allows everyone of all ages to get something from it since there is no specific age target.

We are the hub for mostly all of the recreation programs that take place around the community, so I think we have a positive impact on the majority of people.

-Jasmine Surkari

For the neighbourhood’s elementary school students, there is a morning program, which allows students to attend the center before school starts and have a nutritional breakfast. The community members then walk the students to their school on time. During this time the students also get a few minutes of exercise to start off the day. This program is available to students of every grade in three public schools, and the best thing about it is that it’s free. It also runs side by side with the after school programs that the centre offers. One of the best advantages for the parents of the kids enrolled in the program is that it could be considered a substitute for daycare. The kids are at the program after school until 7 p.m. which allows most parents to come home by then and not have to spend so much money on daycare.

Omar Diere, 10, is a Grade 5 student at Gosford Public School and is in his second year at the program. “I really like it and it’s fun,” he says, admitting the only problem he has with it is the early wake up and walking the distance in the cold mornings.

However, he appreciates the extra time he

gets to spend with his friends.

Activities vary from after school programs to crafts for adults, crafts for children, children’s hip-hop and youth guitar lessons. There are also registered camps during the summer vacation.

Driftwood resident Roach Harris has lived in the area his whole life and likes what the community centre has done over the years.

“I once used to go into the centre to play sports and stuff. It was also a good place to sit around with friends after a long day at school. I see kids going into it now and hanging out.”

What he likes most about the centre extends beyond the activities, it is the warmth of the centre’s staff.

“If I were to point out the best thing about the centre, it would have to be the workers. They are really nice to you and offer as much help as possible. The front counter will help you with any problems that you have involving the community.

And they will tell you where to best get the help you need. I really appreciate that.”

This recreational centre is multipurposed. It has six multi-purpose rooms, two dedicated computer labs, two recreation staff offices, one maintenance staff office, a full-size gymnasium, a kitchen, two washrooms, two change rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, parking lot, outdoor basketball pad and playground. During the winter season it opens its doors to kids and adults of all ages. It not only allows people to find a place to hang out, but also a place to learn. The ESL classes for adults are open to everyone and are free. The classes run every day, with both morning and afternoon sessions.

Jasmine Surkari, the community recreation programmer of the Driftwood Centre says that the organization is extremely important and plays a major role in the community.

“I think it affects it in a positive way. We are the hub for mostly all of the recreation programs that take place around the community, so I think we have a positive impact on the majority of people. We run programs for children so we take the burden off of a parent who’s looking for after school care and that sort of thing and we keep youth occupied.”

Aside from these activities that the centre holds every day, the centre puts on a wide range of special events that take place during the year.

“We run the annual Driftwood festival, which runs in September,” Surkari says.

“We have groups that radiate out of the space here, we have the bike race, we have various other job fairs and talent shows, and all kinds of other things, through other organizations.”

CHANGING FACES 29

BARKING UP THE RIGHT TREE

The North York animal organization is working towards changing the community’s misconceptions of animal shelters

Written and photographed by Comfort Obeng

B

eyond the large steel doors, all that can be heard is the erratic barking of stray dogs. Inside a dimly lit room sit rows of cages. The atmosphere is gloomy and the smell awful. The wild look in the dog’s eye is enough to send shivers down just about anyone’s spine. Many people might avoid an animal shelter altogether because there is a preconceived idea of this experience.

But walking into the North York Shelter does away with any scary images of animals in jail-like cells. The city’s animal shelter in North York is working hard to break this misconception and build with the community. The first sight is a front desk and a warm welcoming vet tech named Sheila, with a fairly large parrot named Jack sitting on her shoulder.

Apparently Jack was found in the parking lot of a Jane and Finch location not too far away, just hanging. Then there is Clarence who, at 9 years old, is still an extremely good looking Malamute. Not only that, but he was also found as a stray.

“The community benefits from the animal shelter in many ways. We hold people’s animals as a safe haven and wait for them to claim back the animal. The owner has to claim protective custody,” says Sheila Fazekas. If the owner doesn’t claim the animal the shelter keeps it.

Josie Ampuero lives in the community and has adopted from the North York animal shelter.“I wanted to adopt rather

30 YYZ

than buy from a pet store or from a breeder because I wanted to help an animal in need,” Ampuero says. “Every animal has their own story and it’s sad to think that they were left abandoned because they were no longer wanted.”

Spending the afternoon at the shelter can be both rewarding and heartbreaking. For example, a puppy’s being adopted by an older couple looking very excited to be going home with them. Others are bringing in their dogs to surrender them. A woman brings in her dog with her daughter. One of the vet techs brings the dog to the back. Apparently the dog was biting. Seeing the dog for the first few minutes, he doesn’t seem violent at all. He is very energetic. Over and over, the daughter asks her mom where he is and what’s going to happen to him. The dog has to go through observation to ensure that he won’t bite anyone else. If that doesn’t work, he has to be put down.

Aside from these heartbreaking moments, the shelter provides several beneficial services to the North York community. One of the programs the North region animal shelter wishes it had is a coop program to allow students to achieve their 40 hours of community service in order to graduate. Robert Meerburg says he gets a lot of requests for that, but he can’t allow it because no one will be able to track the times.

“Back in 1985 you would walk in the

door and you would adopt a cat from an animal shelter and that’s what you got, a cat,” Meerburg explains. “Whereas today when you come in and you adopt, you’re getting so much more value for your dollar in microchipping, sterilization, health check, deworming cat carriers you’re going to walk away with, that would be some of the big advancements over a period of years.”

For example the shelter has a cat-cuddling program where people come in to pet the cats and stimulate them to chase after toys. Anyone 16 years and up can come in and set up a time to be with the cats.

Another program the shelter offers is the dog program which is more structured, Meerburg says. People are scheduled to come in if they don’t have time to walk their dog; they need to notify the shelter so that its staff have time to find a replacement walker. Dogs depend on going for walks and exercising whereas cats can sit around for an entire day and not be bothered. The dog program is for people 18 years and up. Meerburg says that they get a lot of young families that would come in and walk the dogs on the weekend. The shelter has retired people that come in as well.

The shelter started a program last year called Best Friends Forever. The program involves Toronto Police resource officers from two schools that have at-risk youth.

Because the officer was involved it would allow students 18 and under to participate in the dog walking process and gets them involved in the community.

The animal shelter also offers a program called Trap, Neuter, Release. It benefits people who have cat colonies.

They trap the animal and make an appointment with the shelter to bring in the cat, typically free roaming cats. The cats caught are sterilized and brought back to the area they came from. Trap neuter and release means the cats can’t reproduce anymore.

The shelter is currently working with four adult learning group homes. Adults go into the cat enrichment room and experience basic human/animal bond; for those working at the shelter it gives the cats a better environment and something to look forward to.

This year, Meerburg says he is trying to work with men’s hostels that have individuals who’ve gone through rehab and are looking to go back into the community. They can come and be dog walkers to form a human to animal bond. On the flip side, he plans on introducing treadmills into the animal shelter. People can now have the option to exercise the dogs on treadmills. If the weather isn’t great, they can put a dog on it and also get them to run on it as well. That’s just another enrichment program that is on the way to benefit the community this year.

The lost and found pet program is open to the community. It’s basically free advertisement for those who have lost pet.

“We go on there as well and check if we have who they are looking for,” says Fazekas.

The animal shelter also neuters and spays the animals in order to control the population of pets in the community. In addition, the shelter microchips the animals to keep track of how many animals are in the North York region.

The chip truck, which is a new service, has been around for two years now. This truck goes to parks in Toronto twice every month and provides implant chips for dogs that cost $10 if licensed and $35 if the dog isn’t licensed. This year the animal shelter is looking forward to another 16 events throughout the city.

Carley Lay, another dedicated vet tech, says that the price of a check up can range anywhere from $60 to $150 for cats and $90 to $180 for dogs. These prices, however, depend on the clinic your animal is taken to and what their specific needs are.

The animal shelter, which has a park directly behind the facility, offers it to a kids’ summer camp devoted to dog training. The day camp is also a place where kids get to learn animal safety and animal care. They also learn things like clicker

training, which is an activity where they tell the dog to do something and when it obeys they click the device. The dog hears the sound and gets a treat. This helps the dog associate the clicking sound with good behaviour. The purpose of the program is to inform people on how to approach dogs, bite education and bite prevention. In addition the shelter also provides relief for some people.

“We get a lot of people who don’t want to interact with people so they come in and pet the cats and play with the animals,” says Fazekas.

The animal shelter gets a lot of volunteers, as well as donations, sometimes when people adopt or when people come in to get licensing. The shelter is also benefitting from Feed the Deed, which is when people get nominated to record themselves doing a good deed which turns into a cycle of people doing amazing things for each other.

It’s easy to see how people can underestimate or fear the animal shelter.

But after seeing some of the things they have to deal with behind the scenes you can’t deny that the people who work there are heroes when it comes to looking out for animals and pet owners in the community.

CHANGING LIFE 31

REVOLUTIONARY

HOMES BONE Structure Homes are changing the way that houses are being built with a fascinating new method

Written and photographed by Alejandra Fretes

Q

uebec-based company BONE Structure Homes has developed, designed and patented an ingenious new way to build custom, ecofriendly, contemporary style homes.

Caledon Building & Design, situated in the Caledon/Erin area, has been given the go-ahead to start construction on Ontario’s very first BONE Structure Home, which is located just under an hour away from downtown Toronto. With minimal prep time involved, builders are able to piece together the Lego-inspired home with very little room for human error. Because the pieces are fabricated to fit together seamlessly, it makes it easy for a team of five construction workers to have a home built in as little as five days.

These homes are constructed without the use of a single nail, no need of cutting wood and absolutely no waste in materials. The pieces fit together just like the pieces of a Lego set. The steel beams, along with the rest of the pieces that make up this cubed home are prefabricated in a factory, then shipped off to their respective job sites, and are then assembled together step by step. Each piece in the home is five foot by five foot, which makes it easier for construction workers to not only piece the home together efficiently, but also ensure perfect measurements and levels in the home.

Charlie Skuce is the project manager for Caledon Building & Design and is responsible for the Caledon BONE Structure Home and the upcoming contracts in Toronto. “I really think for you to understand the system, you have to come and see it, touch it, look at it, and then you can understand,” Skuce says. “If someone tells you on the phone it’s steel, you don’t really get a feel for how cool it is. It’s quite neat.” Although Caledon is settled with traditional style homes, BONE is also very capable of building a more conventional style home should the homeowner decide to modify their own.

“They do have an assembly team, which they can send from Montreal, if you wanted to assemble it yourself… But we do the whole package,” says Skuce.

“You can pick about 30 different models, or you can give them your drawings…

They can convert them into the BONE Structure system.” With only a few small changes from their dream home drawings, homeowners can inhabit the home of their dreams.

David Lieberman, an architect and professor at the University of Toronto, is highly interested in the project yet raises some valuable thoughts about the form of the BONE Structure Homes. “For the most part, they’re contemporary design homes.” But he says he is always amazed

that innovative residential designs are accepted more readily outside Toronto.

Lieberman is highly educated in architecture, sculpture, and industrial design, and is very accomplished with his creative works. His latest efforts include being a technical consultant to millwork and steel fabricators, along with several residences in Toronto and a fourplex in Manhattan, and one of his most recent published pieces is about sustainable architecture.

He went on to describe a few other prefabricated home experiments that have been carried out in the past, such as Steve Glenn from LivingHomes in California. Prefabricated homes have been in existence from as early as 1910 in North America and are definitely nothing new in the architecture or building industry. “What becomes interesting about the BONE Homes is the idea of prefabrication, which allows for not only economies in construction, but precision in construction,” says Lieberman.

It has been described as foolproof, leaving very little room for technical or measuring errors. For example, step four of construction cannot be started unless the previous step three has been completed to its entirety. Its walls are also impenetrable to mold and decay. Most homes’ inner workings are susceptible

to decompose after a number of years making it quite difficult to repair without gutting the home entirely, not to mention expensive. BONE Homes are thoroughly insulated and sprayed with insulation foam, which is not only the most environmentally friendly insulator on the market, but can also save homeowners 20 to 30 per cent on their energy bills.

Currently there are over 150 BONE Structure Homes located in Quebec and they are quickly being built all over Ontario and Western Canada. Caledon Building & Design is responsible for the development of these custom homes in Toronto as well. Its first information seminar and open house in Toronto happened in March. Homeowners are able to design their own homes with slight modifications in regards to measurements due to the fact that all the pieces are five feet by five feet, meaning that measurements that are 42-feet long, would have to be modified to 40-feet or 45-feet.

Toronto Star’s New in Homes blog writer Penny Munoz, writes weekly informative and spirited articles regarding Toronto’s bustling and ever-changing real estate market. “You could call it simple, because it’s not as complicated or messy as most construction sites would be, but at the same time, it’s very technologically advanced, which is why it’s so interesting in this field.”

Munoz wrote an article recently about the latest construction phenomenon in Europe involving 3D printing, however she says BONE Structure Homes are by

far the most exciting thing happening in Canada so far. She believes Caledon is a great place to commence this modern style of housing because of Caledon’s forward-thinking approach to homes. A lot of the town’s residents are fortunate enough to have expendable incomes which leads them to being slightly more extravagant with the construction of their homes.

“It’s more environmentally sustainable, it reduces waste on the job site,” says Munoz.

“It’s moving forward in construction. I definitely think it’s moving closer towards what the future of construction is going to look like. It’s really exciting when you look at it from that perspective, because what we’re doing now isn’t obviously going to be effective in the future.”

It’s more environmentally sustainable, it reduces waste on the job site.

It’s moving forward in construction.

– Penny Munoz But how will that translate over to metropolitan Toronto? Munoz believes once the first home is completed in Caledon, it will further emphasize not only how cost-efficient it is, but how customizable these homes are. Plus it has already proven great interest amongst potential homebuyers from not only Toronto but also from cities as far as Newmarket.

However, Michael Steele, the director of technical standards for RESCON,

believes there might be some market resistance to the prefab homes. “Some architects will embrace it, as will one or two specialized contractors. We’ll just have to see what happens,” says Steele.

RESCON is a mixed trade association, which focuses primarily on the builders’ perspective and any issues they might face while working on a project.

Although Steele states how the BONE Structure system appears to be very well advanced, the usage of steel homes in Ontario is something that has never quite caught on. “Wood products certainly have always taken the lead, and are easier to use,” says Steele. And he also said it generally is more expensive than timber.

The price of one of these homes depends on the size and what the homeowner puts inside the home. BONE Structure Home brochure indicates that there is a very little price difference between this and a traditionally built home, but the comparison isn’t exactly fair. It would be the same as comparing a luxury vehicle to a regularly built car, it isn’t the same; the luxury vehicle is built with superior design and quality in mind, much like the BONE Structure Homes and the other isn’t.

BONE Structure designs are not only limited to building custom homes, but also commercial buildings as well. In the last year BONE has built four buildings and has plans to construct more in the future.

Described by the home’s designers as “a house without nails,” BONE is looking to achieve a revolutionary way in the home building industry within Canada, and eventually beyond.

CHANGING LIFE 33

Moving On In

The possibility of the supermarket near Kensington Market could spell bad news for local small business owners Written and photographed by Donna Marie Sevilla

I

t’s the colour of the striped canopy, the colour of the sign above it and the colour of the meat sitting in the glass display after it’s been cut fresh from the backroom.

The sweet and salty aroma of bacon wafts towards the doors, enticing every person that opens the door to walk in.

To the right, a young woman is wearing rubber gloves and a maroon apron behind the take-out counter, wielding a knife to cut lettuce in preparation for the lunch rush. It’s past 11 a.m. and customers could be stopping by at any moment. Settled behind her is a large rotisserie grill, turning at least six chickens to a crisp golden brown colour, while a matching toasty scent lifts up to mix with the bacon.

Neither smells are meant to mask the smell of the deli sitting next to it and facing the front door. A male employee steps up behind the counter and asks the customer how he can help them. But the selection behind the deli is far from the selection in the counter to the left of the store, full of every cut of meat that could come from an animal. Jerk chicken,

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Sanagan’s burger patties and stew beef are just a few.

Just behind this counter is a woman with years of experience and her grey hair tucked under a pink hat.

“Sixty-five,” she calls to the small crowd of five people before the butcher’s counter. Her attention turns to a man with grey hair and she asks how certain people in his life are doing. A point of interest is that he talks about a recipe and she asks him how he would like his meat done. Helen Franko may have been a retail store manager for more than eight months at Sanagan’s Meat Locker, but she’s been a lover of food and a cook since the 1970s.

“All of the people who work here are cooking professionally, so we know our meats,” says Franko. She’s one of the many making a living off a small business in Kensington Market. She says that the relationship with customers is close-knit and this leads to a close-knit, familyoriented spirit inside the meat shop.

However, this may be at risk when a Loblaw moves in nearby at 297 College

St. The development plans have garnered more than 7,000 signatures on a petition on Change.org but the deal has already been approved and construction has begun. The commercial grocer will be an estimated 20,000 square feet, which is a quarter of its standard size. How this may affect more than 15 small grocery businesses is still uncertain, but shop owners and frequent Kensington Market customers say it’s not a good idea.

“It could be people’s shopping patterns. People get used to shopping at certain places. That’ll be more for the neighbourhood people. I think for the people who come outside from the neighbourhood who shop here have a Loblaw in their own area,” says Franko.

Just ask Kelly Galou, a fourth-year student at Ryerson University. She visits the market once a week to eat at the vegan restaurant on Nassau Street.

“I guess it depends on the location, but I worry for these small little shops.

I just want to keep the atmosphere of Kensington the same and it may get lost,” she says.

She finds that Kensington Market has many options for her to eat since there are not many places that offer food she can eat without getting sick, as she is also lactose-intolerant and this means she doesn’t have many options. She also frequents the Essence of Life Organic Foods market to get her multivitamins.

That store’s owner, Frank Lu, says he’s afraid of having a Loblaw nearby, because it may not be good for business.

“A lot of the people who work here, they’re students. If [Loblaw]… comes here, then everyone will go there and businesses will shut down,” says Lu, carrying a box of the latest goods to be stocked up on the shelves.

However, Loblaw’s Vice-President of Corporate Affairs and Communications, Kevin Groh, says although he understands the situation, he thinks it will be more positive.

“This will be a unique store, a smaller-than-usual footprint and a creative second-story location. It will be part of a mixed-use development, which is – by definition – designed to support the healthy combination of high-density living with various services and retail nearby,” says Groh, in an emailed statement.

“We understand, but do not share the concern about the impact a new grocery store will have on community vitality.

Our stores are proven to support local customers and local communities,” he writes.

The store will become fully functional and integrated into the building plan of a condominium, built by Tribute Communities.

Vice-President of Land Development at Tribute Communities, Stephen Deveaux, says he doesn’t see it as negative.

A previous condominium with a Loblaw integrated in its building plan was built on Queen and Portland. Deveaux says he heard about a business seeing an increase in sales because of the Loblaw store nearby. He says that the future Loblaw and Kensington Market will be complimentary to each other, and that while Loblaw may offer the household necessities, Kensington Market offers many of the specialty goods.

“Kensington Market provides a very

different and unique shopping experience to people from the area and people from all around. This is a community store that sees the emerging, growing population,” says Deveaux. “I don’t think they’re competing at all.”

On the other hand, Martin Zimmerman doesn’t agree with the idea. He says a number of small grocers share the same kinds of products as the commercial grocer, but a smaller quantity.

It could be people’s shopping patterns.

People get used to shopping at certain places.

-Helen Franko

His business is on the corner of Augusta Avenue and Baldwin Street, just two blocks away from College Street.

Zimmerman’s Freshmart has sold household necessities, snacks, meat and other general groceries in Kensington for 60 years, and he says he’s afraid of major supermarkets moving into the area, because the merchants of Kensington expect a 40 per cent decrease in business.

He says it would be a large competition, because major supermarkets would be selling the same thing.

“If you come to Kensington Market, you can get fresh meat, organic meat. You can get fresh products, organic products; you can get groceries, dairy products. A grocery store does the exact same thing,” he says.

Petitions have been sent to Councillors Mike Layton and Adam Vaughn through Change.org, though Loblaw wasn’t the only major supermarket to receive protests from the Kensington Market community.

Walmart had proposed to move into Bathurst and College where Kromer Radio once operated, with a plan to build a seven-story shopping mall. This would include three floors of retail and a smaller than normal Walmart. This brought on a petition for more than 92,000 people fighting to maintain the Kensington Market community. But commercial developer RioCan changed the plans, which left Walmart unable to continue with the specific location. The new plan called for a smaller retail space while the rest of the structure would be office space. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t more opportunities for other commercial grocers to continue moving into the area.

Toronto City Councillor Mike Layton says he’s glad to see that Walmart’s development didn’t push through. Loblaw, on the other hand, has a right to build in the area because the location has been zoned as an “As-Of-Right” development area, he explains.

“They didn’t need our approval to build that size of Loblaw there. The application process was for the entire building.

The site is zoned for retail use. We can’t, after the fact, say we don’t like that. We can’t tell them who their tenant is,” says Layton. “All we can say is you can or can’t build this size of a building. So we can’t actually dictate how big their retail space is until they rent it out.”

The building will be fully functional as a 15-storey condominium by 2016, which Deveaux says may be a trend in future building developments. While Spadina Avenue is lined with small businesses, it’ll be a complete contrast to new development projects formed around the area to cater to the growing population.

CHANGING LIFE 35

OR

REVITALIZATION GENTRIFICATION?

With the second phase of the Regent Park revitalization plan nearly complete residents are questioning its future impact Written and photographed by Vanessa Campbell

A

t the age of 18, Vu NguyenTran and his family were moved out of their Regent Park home and into another unit a street over. His family was just one of the many who were relocated when the Regent Park Revitalization began. Some (like Vu) were able to stay in the neighbourhood, while others were placed in random Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) units across Toronto.

The City of Toronto, TCHC and other government partners in 2005 developed the Regent Park Revitalization plan. The objective was to turn what was once solely a social housing community – the city’s oldest and largest – into a mixed-income, self-sufficient community. The plan was broken up into three phases: relocating residents and breaking ground, replacing the old units with newer models, building market value condos for potential homeowners and creating retail spaces and new amenities. Now towards the end of the second phase, some residents that

36 YYZ

were once optimistic about the plan are slowly losing faith.

Prior to the revitalization, Regent Park was a very isolated community in Toronto. It was designed to keep a strong sense of community between those who lived in it but that also created a window of opportunity for negative things. Because of its isolated island-like design, Regent Park had little to no access to public transportation. The community was made up of footpaths and small roads that made it virtually inaccessible to non-residents.

The first phase of this 15-year plan was to relocate the residents of Regent Park to other TCHC areas across the city so they could start tearing the old units down.

According to NguyenTran - who is now 24 and the Executive Assistant at Central Neighbourhood House - that is when the problems began.

“I was about 12 [when the revitalization began] and at the time I thought it was great just because we were going to get new houses and then we could invite

people over for once.”

“When TCHC told you that you could leave, the time between you leaving and the time between you coming back was a long period. The stress of moving prevented a lot of people from wanting to come back.”

Aside from the general stress of moving, NguyenTran says that families with small kids were hesitant to keep moving back and forth as well. TCHC allowed all residents who were temporarily moved out of Regent Park the opportunity to come back to a new unit. What they failed to mention initially was that there was an allotted time during which residents could return.

Whether the miscommunication was intentional or not is unknown, but NguyenTran says that there was a lot of confusion and language barriers had a lot to do with it.

“A lot of people didn’t understand what the process was,” he says.

“TCHC relocated everyone first so they

could break down the buildings. So that was like a four-year process and then they took another four years to finish building the first set. So the person that you first relocated is out for eight years at a different house now and when you ask them to come back, that’s eight years of their lives and when you have small kids are you really going to pull a kid out of school to relocate them back into this school?”

The youth is what makes up a large part of the Regent Park community’s demographic. Because of how isolated the area was, Regent Park usually got the least attention or support; whether it was for the youth or those suffering from mental illness. As a result, the crime rate was hysterically higher than other TCHC neighbourhoods.

Programs like Pathways to Education were created to help the youth of low-income communities. Pathways offers tutoring, academic and financial advice, scholarship opportunities and other services for parents. With locations across Canada, Pathways has reduced high school drop out rates by 70 per cent.

Jason Creed, Youth Support Worker at the Regent Park Pathways location, says he was initially excited about the revitalization, but has become less optimistic with time. Both NguyenTran and Creed say that what they’re worried most about with the revitalization is the loss of the

strong sense of community Regent Park once had – especially with the youth.

“In this phase now, which I think it’s the biggest phase that they have, and I also think it’s the biggest phase in regards to us losing youth from the community, their options aren’t to move into something nicer with the opportunity of coming back. Their options are now Parma Court, Chester Le Boulevard, or anywhere on the Jane [Street] strip,” says Creed.

According to Creed, initially the revitalization was to keep the majority of the population TCHC residents and add a small portion of market value condo/ homeowners. As of a few months ago, that changed and the demographic has become 70 to 75 percent market value condo owners and 25 to 30 percent TCHC residents.

To avoid issues like classism – a very common issue among Toronto neighbourhoods – the builders of the new units designed the market value homes to look similar, if not identical, to the TCHC units.

“That big community feel is going.

My biggest issue too with losing a lot of youth at the same time was with some of the planning that was done. For instance last year, there were no parks available in the community for youth or kids to play in because of all the construction around.

The one park that they were promising to

build, which was supposed to be built last summer, will now be open this summer, when a huge chunk of the community has been moved out.”

Many residents of Regent Park share concerns about the real intentions behind the revitalization. One major issue being that TCHC isn’t taking into consideration where it is relocating the youth. Violence between TCHC neighbourhoods is a real concern.

Some youth of families that were either able to stick around during the first two phases or who were able to return to Regent Park have managed to stay positive though. One of them being Mustafa Ahmed, a 17-year-old spoken word poet and Regent Park native, who has made quite the name for himself and his community.

“I try to stay optimistic because whether or not I do, change will happen. I think there’s pros and cons to this revitalization,” says Ahmed.

“The change has definitely affected my writing. It started to really make me think about community and what it actually means to have one.

“Regent Park needed change and at first nothing was really changing. The process in the beginning stages was very rough. There was a lack of communication between the housing corporation and the Regent Park residents.”

CHANGING LIFE 37

In order for this to work, everyone has to feel heard.

– Haroldene ‘Deany’ Peters

While youth, like Ahmed, are doing their best to stay positive and take advantage of the opportunities the revitalization has provided them with – Daniel’s Spectrum, for example – there’s still another section of Regent Park residents that need a bigger and more powerful advocate.

Haroldene ‘Deany’ Peters, Regent Park native and Community Development Worker at the Regent Park Community Health Centre, is pleased with some parts of the revitalization and unimpressed with others.

“The story is different for everybody.

The community has so many different visions and views. There’s folks that think this is the best thing that’s ever happened, there’s people that think it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened and then there’s some people that are kinda in-between and they’re still kinda waiting to see what happens before they make a call.”

As someone who works in an environment with people who depend heavily on the system for mental, psychological and financial support, Peters says that it’s crucial that people who suffer from mental illness don’t get misplaced during the revitalization.

Bruce Voogd, Fund Development Manager of The Christian Resource Centre (CRC), is dedicated to ensuring those who suffer from addiction and mental illness from the Regent Park area are looked after. CRC provides permanent housing, meals, showers, clothes, gardening and cooking skills classes. CRC’s new location, 40 Oak Street, was opened in 2012; prior to that the 50-year-old organization was operating out of an old church.

38 YYZ

“The people that live here are what we would consider hard to house. People that live on the margins – either because they suffer from some kind of severe mental health issues that they’re dealing with, they might be living with an addiction or they may have lived on the street prior to moving into a stable place.”

The tenants that live in the CRC building have support systems from other social service agencies as well.

“What we’re trying to do is house people that are hard to house and keep them housed, because we know that if you keep a person housed who’s hard to house, it’s better for their lives in so many different ways. They have a stable place to live and so they can start to address the other issues in their life.”

Though CRC is doing a lot of work to support the vulnerable residents of Regent Park, it isn’t nearly enough. Lack of funding is one of its main challenges.

When the revitalization is complete, one of the hopes is that with improving the economy by building more businesses and condos (with property taxpayers), there will be more money to support those less fortunate. Whether or not it’ll go that way is still unknown.

It isn’t all negative for Regent Park though. The first and second phases have brought opportunities and services (or improvements of existing ones) that the community needed. Stores like FreshCO and even the Scotia Bank are a huge deal for Regent Park. Daniels Spectrum is a community cultural hub that runs a number of programs for both adults and youth. There’s almost always a show or exhibit going on. The Paintbox Bistro is also an addition that came along with

the revitalization. The restaurant serves healthy, sustainable food to the community and it also has its own catering service. The majority of the new businesses’ employees are Regent Park residents so the first two phases have brought job opportunities.

Allison Gibson, manager of the Paintbox Bistro & Catering, says that overall she is optimistic about the revitalization and finds that most people she interacts with are as well. The one thing she says would be helpful to make the revitalization a success is an effort from TCHC and those involved to eliminate the stigma surrounding Regent Park’s old reputation.

“They need to start including Regent Park as part of the city. We have the space to host Caribana or Pride week events.

“This area is definitely on the right track but what I think it does need though is to be treated like any other area in Toronto. It’d be awesome if the city could start to do stuff here. Companies need to start investing their money in events that are here so that the rest of Toronto can see it and the people can see that the rest of Toronto isn’t afraid of Regent Park or something.”

Peters says that what the majority of Regent Park residents want is to be included and to maintain the sense of community. Working on eliminating the stigma around Regent Park would be extremely beneficial to making the revitalization a successful one.

“I think the biggest issue with the people of Regent Park is that they feel like the change is happening to them and not with them,” says Peters. “In order for this to work, everyone has to feel heard.”

A TURNING POINT FOR TORONTO

With all of the drama that’s unfolded in city council, expect nothing less in the lead up to this year’s mayoral election

Written by Ryan Poirier | Photo: Courtesy of David Soknacki CHANGING LIFE 39

I

t started with rumours of a video.

Then the rumours turned to evidence.

The city, known for its pleasant multicultural atmosphere and a relentless burning passion for its hockey team, had no idea what 2013 would bring. It was nearly five months since the country’s largest city watched the epic collapse of its Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 losing to the Boston Bruins after being up by three goals and with 10 minutes left in the game. Before November 5, ask almost any Torontonian what the most embarrassing moment was for the city and the answer would be the Maple Leafs losing 5-4 in overtime to the Bruins.

It was a cold day on November 5, but it wasn’t anything unusual for Toronto. What was unusual would be the events that would transpire that day and the events that would continue to play the rest of the year. “Have I tried it [crack-cocaine]?”, the incumbent mayor asked rhetorically that day during a media scrum outside his office. “Yes, probably in one of my drunken stupors.”

The announcement immediately turned Toronto into a media frenzy. The story of Toronto’s crack-smoking mayor, Rob Ford, became the hit subject on late night television shows and he not only became a star throughout Canada and the United States, but he became famous across the world. For the rest of the year, it’s safe to say that Torontonians were able to forget what happened to their Maple Leafs back in June.

On October 27, residents will have the chance to decide which direction they want their city to go. The expected prominent contenders that will be vying for votes are the incumbent Rob Ford, former TTC chair Karen Stintz, former Scarborough councillor David Soknacki, former leader of the PC party John Tory and former MP Olivia Chow.

Of all the issues that the candidates will be bringing to the table, the one who can have an impact on improving public transit may be the one that many Toronto citizens will be checking off on their ballots. So far, four of five of the prominent contenders have agreed to the creation of the downtown relief subway line. The new subway line will give

40 YYZ

residents a more efficient way of getting downtown so they will be able to avoid the large volume of people entering the Yonge-University-Spadina lines.

Though most candidates seem to agree that the line should be made, the process of its creation will be up for dispute.

KAREN STINTZ

Mayoral candidate Karen Stintz took a huge risk when she decided to step down from her previous role as the TTC chair.

The decision came when she decided to run in this year’s 2014 election and while she was already serving on council, the wife and parent of two children knew that she wouldn’t be able to run a successful campaign while juggling all of those other roles. When it comes to the relief subway line, Stintz is on board.

She wants to emulate a similar plan to the subway line used in London, England.

“I think the real solution lies in a similar model to what London utilized which is transport for London,” Stintz says. “So we need to bring together transit and roads and traffic lights and cabs and all users of the road and the network and bring it under one organization so that we can break down the barriers and get traffic moving. The downtown relief line is the next subway line that needs to get constructed but while we do that we still need to tackle congestion.”

Transport for London is the name of the transit system used in London, England. Much of the city’s success in controlling congestion has been made through congestion charges. It’s a fee that drivers must pay when entering some of the busiest streets in the city. Many people choose different ways to commute so they can avoid the road fines.

The plan for controlling the amount of traffic congestion in the city of Toronto goes a lot further than just creating a new subway line for Stintz.

“I think Toronto is at a turning point.

We need a mayor who can move the city forward and get things done,” she says. “I have been on council for 10 years working with colleagues to get decisions made and I can see the opportunities and some of the solutions to the problems we have.”

Stintz’ plan includes selling and leas-

ing 10 per cent of Toronto Hydro in order to get the funds for its creation.

DAVID SOKNACKI

Fellow candidate David Soknacki commends Stintz for being one of the only candidates actually trying to create a revenue source for the downtown relief line, however he doesn’t trust that her plan will be efficient enough.

“Her revenue source will only generate maybe $300 million out of a project that will take billions,” Soknacki says. “What I’m saying is take the money that you don’t need to spend on Scarborough LRT and put it into a downtown relief line. Put in the federal and provincial money that you don’t need to spend there and while you don’t have all of the billions you’ve got a significant start that is unlike the others.”

The LRT discussion in Scarborough is an issue that has angered Soknacki and is the motivation for his decision to join the mayoral race.

“I’ve certainly been watching the nonsense that goes on and the inability to govern, in my mind bad decisions regarding Light Rail Transit versus the subway,” he says. “So I’ve spoken with a number of friends and at the end I’ve decided to put my name forward.”

Soknacki’s big disagreement with the city is about the decision to build a subway line in Scarborough opposed to LRTs. He says that by building the LRT, the city can save time and most importantly, residents’ tax dollars.

JOHN TORY

It was 11 years ago and candidate John Tory lost the 2003 mayoral election with 38 per cent of the overall vote. Former Toronto Mayor, David Miller, won the election with 43 per cent of the overall vote and 299,000 votes in total (Tory had 263,000).

Since the loss, Tory has been a leader of the PC party in Ontario, tasting another defeat to Dalton McGuinty in 2007, later stepping down as party leader in 2009.

In the past five years, Tory has been the chairman of the Civic Action Alliance, a non-profit organization that addresses economical and environmental challeng-

es in the Greater Toronto Area. But on Feb. 23, Tory stepped down as chair in order to join the mayoral race.

“I felt that as 2014 approached, that the city was in need of a change in leadership and the type of leadership that it has,” Tory says. “And by all particular blends of experience and skills that best produce a city that is affordable, liveable and functional and I can talk about those issues so I put my name forward.”

Liveable, affordable and functional is a big part of Tory’s campaign and are three words Torontonians will hear a lot throughout the campaign period. It’s not only just a slogan, but it’s what Tory wants to bring about in the city of Toronto.

“Functional means that the government has to work, the council has to work with each other and not against each other,” Tory says. “If you look under liveable, what do I place as my top priority under that heading? Building transit, particularly the Yonge Street relief line and those kinds of things are getting done at a snail’s pace and sometimes just not getting done at all. If you look under affordable, I talk about keeping taxes low, especially property taxes, but also attracting jobs and investments. There’s been some progress made there but it’s been halted because of all the distractions that have come about.

I see the need to really focus hard on running the government effectively. I think the way that the council seems to operate from time to time, it stands in the way of getting results in all of these things.”

OLIVIA CHOW

Though many Torontonians would benefit from a mayor that plans to implement big changes to the subway system, the biggest possible threat to dethrone Ford is the only top five contender that disagrees with the introduction to the downtown relief line: Olivia Chow. According to the recent polls, Chow has been the candidate that is at the top of the list. So if the majority of Toronto is in favour of the new subway line, why does Chow disagree with it? Well, as of right now she says there is no clear, realistic way to fund the relief line so she is offering another idea to fight off congestion. If elected mayor, she plans on investing $15

million to the TTC to pay for extra drivers to increase service and speed up the times in between waiting for buses.

I see the need to really focus hard on running the government effectively and on attracting jobs and investments and on the functional side itself.

– John Tory

Chow has received tremendous amounts of support coming into this year’s election. Her supporters pleaded for her to run against Ford and they got their wish on March 12 when Chow arrived to City Hall and put her name down as a candidate for mayor. Chow is somebody they feel that can relate to them. She never grew up in royalty and her life has been far from easy. She is a tireless spokesperson who, back in 2007, sponsored a motion calling for Japan to apologize for using 200,000 women as “wartime sex slaves”. A year later she was honoured with a top 25 Canadian Immigration Award. Through all of this, there is still one major reason that Chow’s supporters are so relentless across Toronto.

Her late husband, Jack Layton, was not just liked across Toronto, he was adored.

Several of Chow’s supporters consist of people who want to see the Layton legacy live on and they believe that Chow will be the one to continue it.

Through all of the drama that will unfold in the coming months with the mayor candidates arguing and fighting tooth and nail, it will be citizens of Toronto who will decide what they want in their mayor. Their stories are the ones that will be listened to and will ultimately impact the selection of the mayor.

Oscar Lee is a 19-year-old resident of Toronto and he is not exactly sure who he wants to be mayor, but he’s certain that he doesn’t want another four years of Ford.

After shining up his frame and inserting a new set of tires, the first year University of Toronto student walks his bicycle down the staircase of his St. Michael’s College

dorm. Lee has been an avid biker for several years. He often makes bike trips from his downtown Toronto residence to his hometown of Markham. “Because I bike and I’ve lived in the Toronto area my whole life, I personally think there has to be some improvement with the transit system,” Lee says. “One of the biggest disappointments in our current mayor, is that I find that there is a lack of interest in the bike lanes. In fact, I think it’s actually kind of dangerous. I think biking is a great way to fight gridlock so in the future I would love to see and I would love to vote for a mayor with an interest specifically in improving that.”

Back in October 2012, Mayor Ford ripped out all of the bike lanes on Jarvis Street, one of the busiest commuting streets in downtown Toronto. The project cost taxpayers nearly $300,000 and aimed to save drivers an average of two minutes commuting time. Though bike lanes were added to Sherbourne Street back in the summer, many argue Ford is still very much against the advancement of creating more bike lanes throughout Toronto. Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, who played a large role in the building of the bike lanes on Sherbourne said that under the Ford administration, a total of $90 million has been cut from cycling projects over the next decade.

Even with a population of approximately 2.5 million, Toronto is expected to continue growing. If this is in fact what the mayor calls, “the greatest city in the world,” then Toronto is going to need a mayor who can move the city forward. A mayor must recognize that the city is not about him or her, but it’s about the people. For a city to be considered great, it’s going to need a mayor who is just as great.

If voters can look past the ‘war on cars’, the drug scandals and the embarrassing drunk videos and have faith that the incumbent can in fact lead the city into tomorrow, then Rob Ford is the mayor for them. If voters feel that Toronto is in need of a refreshment, there are plenty of options to choose from.

This is your hometown, you can decide where you want it to go. But remember, if you choose not to vote, your problems won’t be heard.

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2014 Mayoral Candidates Mayor Rob Ford “The Stubborn Incumbent” There’s no doubt that he put Toronto on the map. Back in November when he admitted to the crack-cocaine allegations being true, he became the most talked about mayor in all of North America and possibly the entire world. The crack allegations, however, were not the only thing that made the incumbent a controversial figure. Ford was involved in a conflict of interest case after he donated money to the Don Bosco Catholic high school football team he had coached before becoming mayor and also coached for a time when he was mayor. Ford has become the subject to several YouTube videos that have hit the net of him walking around the town drunk; there’s even a video of him threatening to kill somebody. In recent news, the mayor has been linked to drug trafficking. Yes, the mayor has been giving the Toronto media great stories throughout his 4-year term. So why is he such a threat in the upcoming election? His loyal supporters not only love him, they adore him. Ford’s supporters come from Scarborough, North York and most notably his home area of Etobicoke. He certainly doesn’t hide from the public either; he gives his personal phone number away to the public and vows to return your call.

Olivia Chow “The People’s Champ” According to recent polls, Olivia Chow will be the one candidate who is expected to square off against Rob Ford come October. The two nominees are battling for your vote and the race is expected to be skintight. Chow served on Toronto council for 15 years before gaining herself a seat in parliament as an MP for the Trinity-Spadina district within the NDP. Her character is a large part of the reason that she makes for a great candidate to so many; she bikes to work every day, she is the widow to perhaps the greatest leader the NDP has ever had and she is the only left-wing candidate out of the top 5 front-

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runners. Chow has received a tremendous amount of support from Torontonians who want the Layton legacy to live on.

finally he wants the council to be more functional by working together rather than working against each other.

Karen Stintz “The Average Torontonian” The former TTC chair made a big decision when she decided to step down from her role in February to run for mayor. Serving on council for the Eglinton-West ward since 2003, Stintz says it is her experience that is her best asset. During her tenure as chair, TTC partnered with Bell Canada and Distress Centres of Toronto to implement a suicide prevention program to help prevent subway suicides, she oversaw the introduction of Presto cards and free WiFi service was put into subway stations. A wife and a parent of two children, Stintz vows that she is just a regular Torontonian. The problems that citizens of the nation’s largest city face with traffic congestion are her problems too. She wants to become mayor so she can tackle the problems that everyday citizens are faced with.

John Tory “The Fighter” He’s certainly felt defeat before. In 2003 it was the mayoral loss to David Miller. In 2007 during his run for premier, Tory was defeated by former Liberal premier, Dalton McGuinty. Since resigning from his role as PC leader of Ontario, Tory returned to broadcasting and has been the chairman of Civic Action, a non-profit organization that addresses environmental and economical issues across the GTA. Tory has learned from his experience and his time away from politics and it is emulated in his slogan: liveable, affordable and functional. This slogan will be heard everywhere Tory goes and will be repeated all the way up until Oct. 27. To sum up its meaning, he wants to give Torontonians an easier living by getting the downtown relief subway line built, he wants to keep the city affordable by keeping taxes low and

David Soknacki “The Businessman” It should go without saying; David Soknacki is good with his numbers. He enjoys math, the guy makes spices for crying out loud! Soknacki believes that his knowledge with numbers and math can play a big role while serving as mayor.

The Scarborough native served on council from 1997 to 2006 before retiring so he could return to his job as a small business owner of a spice making business in Markham. Soknacki has been particularly vocal about his displeasure for Rob Ford’s Scarborough subway line. Soknacki is a strong believer in the LRTs, as he believes they are a cheaper and a more affordable transit option to run along his hometown of Scarborough. As far as the downtown relief line goes, Soknacki is on board and he claims other candidates are trying to “draw their own lines on the map.” If elected, Soknacki will “defer to professionals who decide that the most number of people are served by lines drawn in a certain way by certain routes.”