APRIL 2021
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS Shining a Light on Local Businesses Since 2015
JAMES MENZIES
of JEM Window Cleaning Helps us see the light!
page 16
www.EtobicokeLakeshorePress.com
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https://JamesMaloney.libparl.ca
MASTHEAD EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS KELLY FARRELL Founder and Director at Oak Learners; Private Alternative School in Mimico
MIKE WIXSON Producer of the Etobicoke Lakeshore Podcast & Owner of The Pod Plant
BRAD JONES HILIARY BREADNER Production Manager & Graphic Design; President & Owner of Ridley Funeral Home in New Toronto Owner of Hiliary Breadner Graphics DEREK STOCKLEY BILL ZUFELT Principal, Lakeshore Campus; Dean, Long Branch Resident and Chair of the Faculty of Social & Community Services History & Culture Committee, LBNA AMANDA KIRKLAND CHRISTINE HOGARTH Self-Care Coach helping busy people Member of Provincial Parliament, get organized and simplify their lives. Etobicoke-Lakeshore JONATHAN NHAN Pharmacist & Associate Owner at Shoppers Drug Mart in Long Branch
JAMES MALONEY Member of Parliamen for the riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore
DR. GURU KANDASAMY TARAS KOMARNYTSKI Family Physician & Director of Sports Certified Financial Planner at Medicine at Mimico Medical Moya Financial
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE PLANTING SEEDS IN EL Fostering More Love for Etobicoke Lakeshore
ROGER TUMMINIERI
Publisher, Etobicoke Lakeshore Press
etobicokelakeshorepress@gmail.com www.EtobicokeLakeshorePress.com @etobicokelakeshorepress Hello and thank you for reading our April edition. This month, we’re featuring James Menzies on the cover. James owns JEM Window Cleaning and he’s helping people across Etobicoke see the light, as it were. Read his story on page 16. This month’s theme is “Planting Seeds”. It’s the first time I’ve published an edition with a theme such as this, but I thought it was fitting given the time of year and the potential metaphoric implications thereof. May I also direct your attention to a wonderful article on page 24 written by Dr. Guru Kandasamy, Family Physician & Director of Sports Medicine at Mimico Medical. It’s a beautiful depiction of hope growing out of adversity.
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In a similar vein, the current state of life for us during this pandemic creates the soil in which to plant new seeds of optimism that will grow through perseverance and be nourished through love, patience, and kindness to yield a most resilient flower. Hope grows in EtobicokeLakeshore.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS APRIL 2021 JAMES MALONEY...p3
ART IS AN EXPRESSION...p26
We’re not out of the woods yet..
Check out what Long Branch’s own Matthew Douglas has been up to lately.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE...p6 Planting the seeds of community as we kick off our 2021 Spring editions.
I EL TRUCK EVENT...p8
The “Love Truck” rolls again in support Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke.
THANK YOU...p11 Shout-out to all the Sponsors for the latest “Love Truck” event.
LIFE’S UNDERTAKINGS...p14 Etobicoke’s favourite Undertaker, Brad Jones, recalls fond memories of days gone by.
COVER STORY...p16 James Menzies of JEM Window Cleaning helps us finally see the light!
COMMUNITY...p19 Long Branch rallies to save the Black Barn Maple
WELLNESS...p24
Dr. Guru Kandasamy of Mimico Medical writes about the importance of planting metaphoric seeds.
HUMBER COLLEGE UPDATE...p28 Derek Stockley writes about the Aesthetics of Mental Health and Nuit Blanche in his April address.
YOUR HEALTH...p30
Jonathan Nhan is keeping busy these days with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS is the only
free, monthly magazine that’s focused on life in South Etobicoke. It is mailed to houses in Long Branch, New Toronto & Mimico by Canada Post. Additional copies are available for pick-up at Shoppers Drug Mart in Long Branch and Espresso Bar Namaste in Alderwood. We capture life in South Etobicoke by highlighting the many positive contributions to our community by local business owners, elected officials, and residents. No part of this publication in any of its forms may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. 146 Thirtieth St, Suite 100, Unit 25, Etobicoke, ON M8W 2C4 Follow Us on Instagram @etobicokelakeshorepress #I EL www.etobicokelakeshorepress.com Published By
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COMMUNITY THE “LOVE TRUCK” ROLLS AGAIN
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Spreading love for community has never been easier. The “I Love Etobicoke-Lakeshore” Campaign continued with the ever-popular “Love Truck” rolling through the streets of South Etobicoke the weekend before Easter. Its goal: to foster more love for this great community. The latest “Love Truck” event was in support of Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke. It was designed to help build awareness for their annual fundraising campaign in April, called “Let’s Luau” - a Hawaiianthemed night of entertainment with a virtual auction. We had more sponsors on board who share in our vision to support local and spread good vibes around the ‘Hood. Thank you to everyone who participated in this event and I look forward to organizing more in the coming months. T-shirts and masks are available for sale at Ed’s Real Scoop in Mimico & Espresso Bar Namaste in Alderwood. We’re donating $5 from the sale of each mask to Women’s Habitat. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, please call or email me. etobicokelakeshorepress@gmail.com
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A Hawaiian Party for Women’s Habitat!! THURSDAY APRIL 22, 2021 7-8PM Our first virtual fundraising event A night of entertainment and unique silent auction items Registration opens March 22 Silent auction runs from April 8 to 22
To register visit https://givergy.ca/womenshabitat For details visit www.womenshabitat.ca/how-to-help/donate/letsluau For registration support email LetsLuau@womens-habitat.ca
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FINANCE BENFITS OF WEALTH MANAGEMENT More than investing Wealth management is much more than an investment tactic; it encompasses all aspects of your financial life. When you work with a certified financial planner, you’ll set specific financial goals, look for areas of potential growth, explore savings and investment opportunities and regularly review your finances and portfolio, helping you avoid any oversights and financial mishaps. Wealth management essentially combines all aspects of financial planning into one service, which can include such categories as: - Personal banking - Estate planning - Taxes - Wealth building - Charitable contributions - Investment management - Education and retirement saving
TARAS KOMARNYTSKI Certified Financial Planner Moya Financial Although it sounds simple, one of the key elements to meeting your long-term financial goals is understanding your entire financial situation and planning accordingly. While it might be somewhat easy to accumulate savings over time, what you choose to spend that money on can have a huge impact on your future. Wealth management takes a comprehensive approach to financial planning by giving you a big-picture overview of your finances. This type of planning, which is best accomplished with the help of a certified financial planner, is aimed at preserving your assets, growing your wealth and investments, and helping you save for retirement. Here are some ways wealth management can benefit you: Financial stability Financial planning can be stressful. When it comes to planning for your future, people often have one goal in mind: financial security. The term ‘wealth management’ is commonly used to describe the practice of increasing your personal wealth by adhering to a strategic plan that improves your finances. By creating a customized plan with a certified financial planner, you’ll be able to set specific financial objectives that work with your needs and wants. Wealth management accounts for your current financial situation while also planning for your future. Your certified financial planner is trained in forecasting potential setbacks, which will ultimately help you avoid unnecessary losses and reduce financial stress. Whether it’s a 5- or 10-year plan, wealth management helps achieve your goals while maintaining your current lifestyle with a realistic budget that improves your cash flow over time.
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How we can help Here at Moya Financial, we understand that a onesize-fits-all approach to banking doesn’t work for everyone, which is why we offer client-focused services. We strongly believe that financial planning is more than just crunching numbers; each client has their own unique needs and goals, and we aim to help maximize them. Our new Moya Wealth services will offer a holistic approach to financial planning by specializing in protecting your overall financial health with a plan customized to your unique situation. We’ll help create an individualized and sophisticated plan aimed at making your financial dreams become a reality. To help make the investing and management process a bit easier for you, contact one of our advisors at Moya Financial.
TARAS KOMARNYTSKI
Certified Financial Planner Tel: 416-255-1742 ext. 216 E-mail: taras.komarnytski@moyafinancial.ca This article is not intended to provide financial or financial planning advice. You can connect with Taras over the telephone, in person, through teleconferencing and e-mail. Become a member today! Start your application online at www.moyafinancial.ca. 747 Brown’s Line, Toronto ON M8W 3V7 Call: 416 255 1742 Email: main@moyafinancial.ca
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LIFE’S UNDERTAKINGS STEP INTO SPRING home videos (I was once so skinny!) through the lens of nostalgia and loss. Over the past few weeks, my “Mudville” perspective has shifted back to my childhood interpretation of spring: fun, play, friends, adventure. If I were forced to use adult language, I’d describe springtime as a season of rebirth, rejuvenation, and relaxation. Of course, many of us – millions and billions of us – are grieving multiple losses. A new season, even one of sunshine and warmth, may prove weak against the heaviness of deep loss. To you I say, please take this time to continue healing and growing stronger. Reach out to people and receive support as best as you can.
BRAD JONES
Owner, Ridley Funeral Home
My favourite springtime memory as a kid was the sound of a VW Camper coming up our street. The camper’s arrival meant that spring was finally here. My grandparents were returning from their winter home in Clear Water, Florida. The VW always appeared on a Sunday. It was always unpacked and parked by early afternoon. And my grandparents always stayed for dinner. If you’re smiling right now, I’m grateful. All of us could benefit from more sunshine around us and within us. Have you noticed this spring feels different? More lush and full. As if potentials we’ve never considered are finally showing themselves. A new season is emerging and imagine this: good news is starting to spread nationally and globally.If you’re an old-timer like me, you may have heard the expression “there’s no joy in Mudville;” a saying that denotes pervasive feelings of disappointment and doom. Indeed. If the pandemic ever needed a mailing address, “Mudville, Etobicoke” would be darkly perfect. But spring is all about mud. And what grows in mud? Just about everything. As we stumble beyond the one-year anniversary of the pandemic, I believe a lot of goodness is afoot. I’m not only pointing to the (delayed) rollout of vaccines or the lessening of restrictions against social connections and support, I am referring to how this past year has changed us fundamentally to the core. So many of us love new but hate change. And we’ve had to adapt to a lot of new, hateful changes that have forced us to slow down, look within and dig deep. I realized my mindset had shifted back to positive when I noticed I was no longer looking at old photographs and watching
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The rest of us, locked away at home and at work, let’s consider acting like disciples of springtime. To be a disciple is to love passionately, to dedicate oneself to our purpose and passion. Yes, this spring feels like a new beginning but it’s a season that has taken a long time to take root, grow and bear fruit. But then again, few of us felt particularly inspired New Year’s Eve; we just wanted 2020 gone, gone, baby get back, gone. But now with the First Day of Spring already behind us, can we not escape Mudville-thinking? Are we capable of adding more joy to our lives and the lives of others? Can we live and thrive beyond a lockdown-life mentality? Of course we can. Seeds of joy are planted in the gardens of our stories, our memories, our favourite people, and places. It’s true that we’re not allowed to visit all of our favourite people and places right now but soon, we will. In the meantime, let’s revisit the joy stored in our heads and hearts. Let’s reflect, remember and start planting rows of seeds containing our future hopes, dreams, and desires. I’ll never drive around my grandfather’s 1971 VW Camper hanging out with friends ever again (see photo and yes, it’s purple) but even as I write the words “VW Camper,” I smile. I actually feel the joy associated with the arrival of my grandparents, those renegade drivers behind that VW hippie wheel. The arrival of my grandparents from Florida signified the arrival of spring and the promise of summer. With one thought I am taken out of Mudville (which in my profession is often down in the morgue) and I am put above ground to enjoy the sunshine of memory and gratitude. One of the many gifts of grief and sorrow is the deepening of appreciation.
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
WITH JOY
My writing mentor, who I see has made a notation that I mention she’s very smart and very beautiful, is currently undergoing a blossoming of sorts that until recently was covered by the winter of grief. Two years ago her father died on the First Day of Spring. Last month she realized that her love of downhill skiing, her father’s favourite pastime, had ripened into a source of deep joy and healing. Skiing reunited her with her father and rather than cry she rejoiced; she knew how to ski and her dad had taught her. She was living his legacy and sharing his love for life. Grief is as transformative as springtime. My father also died in the spring. His lifelong tradition of attending every single family event, whether a baptism, wedding, funeral, or football game, was modelled to my sister and me. When my wife, and sometimes my kids, thank me for “always being there” I inwardly share that gratitude with Dad; he taught me how to be a man, brother, husband, father, and friend. And yes, I attribute my broad shoulders for carrying commitment, no matter how difficult or inconvenient, as a prerequisite for being a good, decent and kind funeral director.
differentiate between weeds and what and whom matters. This sense of discernment and optimism is what this spring can signify for all of us. We have suffered, we have deepened, and now we can emerge broken open to new possibilities and potentials. My wish this spring is we step forward with the intention of bringing more joy into our lives. Less focus on circumstance and negativity and a disciplined focus on the parts of life that make us come alive and feel joy. Right here, right now we are living the sacred gift of being alive. Let’s step into sunshine and plant seeds that help us all thrive and grow. Brad Jones is president of locally-owned, commission-free Ridley Funeral Home (3080 Lake Shore Blvd) in Etobicoke. By the time you’re reading this, Brad and his wife will have pitched summer holiday ideas to their six kids. Brad expects mutiny and mayhem. You’re always welcome to reach out to Brad by calling 416-2593705 or emailing him at bradjones@ridleyfuneralhome.com .
A heart-breaking springtime passing two years ago has strengthened my connection to those I love; this is my father’s final gift to me. My garden is well-tended and fruitful because I can
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COVER STORY JEM WINDOW CLEANING...
JAMES MENZIES
JEM Window Cleaning 3045 Southcreek Rd #11 (427 & Dundas) 416.410.5131 www.jemwindowcleaning.com There are three constants in life: death, taxes... and dirty windows. If you’ve been stuck at home for the greater part of a year, chances are you’re staring out into the wild, grayish-brown yonder through dirty windows. That foggy film through which you gaze isn’t a metaphor for pandemic life; it’s caused by weeks and months of unabated bombardment from interior and exterior sources of dirt - new dirt on top of old dirt. That is, unless, you’re one of the very few people who have their windows cleaned professionally on a regular basis. If you’re like most Canadians, you likely haven’t cleaned your windows (inside and out) for a while. Have you? Our east and west coast brothers and sisters tend to clean their windows more frequently because of their exposure to salty air. Did you know that living in South Etobicoke can be considered coastal if you count the proximity to Lake Ontario? Although it’s a freshwater lake, it brings with it a different set of issues for homes and condos. I’m talking about spiders. Spiders?!
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You betcha. And they spin their webs in windows all across our waterfront neighbourhoods with incredible efficiency and zeal. So how do we defend against the onslaught? That’s easy. Call James Menzies, owner of JEM Window Cleaning. James (as in the J in J-E-M) has been helping Etobicoke families see the light for 34 years. His window cleaning service specializes in regular, proactive cleaning so his clients can protect and preserve their greatest investment. James is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the science of cleaning. “The industry has changed so much over the past thirty-plus years,” he explains. “We used to use soap and harsh chemicals. Now our company uses deionized water; an aggressive, chemicalfree process that is safe and effective.” James has called Etobicoke home for 55 years and is very active in the community; raising awareness and funds for causes close to his heart, namely The Scott Mission and Covenant House.
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
IT’S TIME TO SEE THE LIGHT He’s earned accolades for his work in the form of the Spirit of Etobicoke Award as well as being recently nominated for a GEM of EtobicokeLakeshore Award. Leveraging the success of his window cleaning enterprise, James is launching a new business to focus on cleaning homes and condominiums. It’s called JEM Cleaning. Imagine a service that cleans your windows allowing fresh, emotionally-cleansing natural light to pour uninterruptedly into your home AND cleans the interior of your abode, as well. Exhale with me... “It goes without saying that your home is your most valuable investment,” explains James. “But most people put off cleaning their windows for some reason.” Did you know that glass degrades over time? No? Neither did I. But James does. And he knows how to help his clients stay on top of things to ensure their windows last and function to their fullest. “Windows need to be cleaned on a regular basis in order to maintain their integrity,” James says.
By: Roger Tumminieri
“If left too long without cleaning, the frames will be damaged and the windows themselves will be affected.” I suppose that makes sense. Why do you think property management companies and retail shops clean their windows so frequently? “Because clean windows also make for happier occupants and happier customers,” answers James. I’m not sure if clean windows will keep your toddler from making less of a mess, though. You’ll just be able to spot all those pesky crumbs and Lego pieces easier with all the extra light shining into your home. Did I say mess? If you cringe when I say words like mess or clutter, then you have another reason to call James. If you’ve been locked up (I mean pleasantly sequestered) with your spouse and children for over a year, it might be time to seek professional help - I mean for the mess.
JEM WINDOW CLEANING
does good for their community. Over the past year JEM has donated $1540 in September, 2020 to Covenant House (Right). And also donated $3000 and 705 hot meals to the Scott Mission in December (Below). Being a friendly neighbour, notable business owner and avid volunteer in his community is what makes James stand out in Etobicoke Lakeshore.
For more information on their full list of services contact them at:
JEM WINDOW CLEANING 3045 Southcreek Rd #11 (427 & Dundas) 416.410.5131 www.jemwindowcleaning.com www.jemcleaning.ca
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COMMUNITY MAKING MOVES TO OFFICE146
Last fall we moved our team out of my home office and into Office146, and I am so glad we did. The environment here is upbeat yet calming. We are even more productive, cohesive, and forward thinking with our bookkeeping practice now and I have a much-improved work-life balance. Freestone Associates has been providing bookkeeping and managerial accounting to small, growing businesses in the GTA for more than 10 years. We have a passion to see small businesses grow, so we always strive to add extra value at every engagement. Gain more insight on our background at www.freestoneassociates.ca and see Kim’s profile on LinkedIn. Call 416-6699255 for a free consultation on how we will add value to your business.
KIM FREESTONE
B Comm., Freestone Associates 146 Thirtieth St (South of Horner Ave) 416.669.9255 www.freestoneassociates.ca
COMMUNITY IF YOU GROW IT, THEY WILL COME plants for caterpillars. Your own “pollinator patch” can be part of an existing garden, lawn, balcony or windowsill. No size patch is too big or too small – it all helps!
How you can help build a Pollinator Corridor in Longbranch If you have kids of your own, you can likely remember going for a drive as a kid and your parents having to use the windshield wipers over and over to get rid of a graveyard of dead bugs. There didn’t seem to be enough windshield washer fluid back in those days. Nowadays, it’s not such a big problem for the windshields, but the loss of insects is jeopardizing our food supply. Flying insects have declined 76% in the last 27 years. A combination of habitat loss, climate change, and pesticide use have put more than 1/3 of our food crops at risk. Our butterflies and bees are in trouble. The question is – what can Longbranchers do to help? The David Suzuki Foundation’s (DSF) Butterflyway Project has arrived in Long Branch with the help of some excited local residents. This cross-country project helps bring neighbours and local groups together to create food and shelter for pollinators. DSF is even planning to map out the pollinator corridors on Google maps – lots of fun for the kids to follow!
Using native plants has many benefits. They’re adapted to local climate and require less care and watering. They are also adapted to local insects and soils and there is no need for fertilizers or pesticides. In Long Branch, some of the flowers on the hot list are Woodland Sunflower, Dense Blazing Star, Virginia Mountain Mint, Pearly Everlasting, Wild Geranium, Swamp Milkweed, Bee Balm, Culver’s Root, Anise Hyssop, Cardinal Flower, Evening Primrose. Some techniques you can try: • Floral bull’s eyes: Plant each species in clumps of at least one square metre. • All-season buffet: Choose combinations of species that bloom from spring to fall. • Host plants: Provide species local caterpillars eat. • Never treat pollinator patches with pesticides, insecticides or herbicides. For a full list of native plants, where to find them & how to get involved, contact your local David Suzuki Foundation volunteer, Cathy Thurston at cathychatterton@outlook.com
You can get involved with the project by planting native wildflowers and shrubs as well as host
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CATHY CHATTERTON
Long Branch Resident
COMMUNITY THE BLACK BARN MAPLE OF EASTWOOD Titled like a chapter out of a Stephen King or Ken Follett thriller novel, ‘The Black Barn Maple’ isn’t about a monstrous tree sweeping up people silently in the night but rather a Southern Etobicoke Belle ‘Zhelevo’, a gentle giant of historical and heritage significance, an environmental benefactor with tens of thousands of years of the noble ‘Acer Saccharinum’ in its roots. Although trees have been on this planet for at least four hundred million years, we mortal humans are still trying to figure it out and fit in, over only the last two and a half millions years; with, apparently, still a lot to learn. Case in point is our South Etobicoke beloved and enduring ‘older than Canada’ but still young Heritage nominated Black Barn Maple of Eastwood in West Long Branch. The majestic Black Barn Silver Maple has been contributing to cleaner air, mitigating rain water, sequestering carbon dioxide, providing habitat and protection to wild life, shade and comfort to domestic live stock (specifically the Eastwood prize short horn cattle and race horses) and providing tranquility, mental nourishment to everyone blessed by it’s presence and existence. In recent weeks, the Black Barn Maple became a national media ‘tree poster’ of our local residents to stop the unsustantiated, unwarranted, uncalled for gut-wrenching murder and destruction of this totally healthy (according to an arbor’s certified report) gentle giant. Make no mistake, the Black Barn Maple is not on trial here. It is doing what it does best and will continue to do so, which is what the Black Barn Maple Committee is mandating for. Indeed, the Black Barn Maple could provide a pivotable solution to an increasingly perplexing community issue, but it’s not the problem. The problem is that a developer bought the property at 95 James Street on speculation five years ago and now wants to build a structure that is almost twice the allowable square footage allowed in Long Branch, according to the City of Toronto’s adopted Official Plan. Should the speculator’s blatantly greedy oversized ‘profit pod’ be approved, the decimation of Black Barn Maple would be inevitable.
What really is on trial here is the human folly of greed and all the bamboozled accomplices that fall into its hollow caveats of intimidation, manipulation, envy, and excessiveness. Worse, is the speculator’s only goal for short turn gain, regardless of the community, the building guidelines, the environment, and rules and regulations of the City of Toronto’s Official Plan. The speculator knows no limits and will spend their energy and money looking for loopholes to outsmart the rules and regulations that have been put into place to protect the integrity, the architectural harmony, and beauty of Long Branch. Ok, I know not everyone is a ‘tree huger’ but you should be fully aware that being complacent on the bigger picture of allowing ‘oversized profit monolithic pods’ to be built in Long Branch or beside you, is your admission to falling into the hands of greedy developers. At time of print, the 95 James Street application is in litigation at the Toronto Local Appeal Body ( TLAB). The Black Barn Maple Committee is working on Provincial legislation that could prove to be pivotal and forbid the obliteration of our gentle giant and stop the 95 James build dead in its tracks. Save the Black Barn Maple by contacting Donna (416) 996-7587 or Sheila (416) 537-7984 Or visit www.savelongbranchtrees.ca The bottom line is this: if we are successful in saving the Black Barn Maple, it will be a ‘Masthead’ victory and will pave the road to saving many more majestic trees from the sounds and sights of ‘deadly snarling chainsaws’ of unscrupulous builders in the future. Don’t let the Black Barn Maple become a ‘Martyr’ Maple.
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SELF CARE THE POWER OF YOUR MIND and it will form an impression on your subconscious mind. Once there, it’s a done deal. Remember; if you believe it’s going to be hard, it will be. If you think that good things flow to you effortlessly and easily, they will also. So, both points manifest into reality. Who would not want to wake up to a feeling of peace and well-being daily? For now, signing off from a place of calm, joy, and love,
AMANDA KIRKLAND
Self-Care Coach amanda@bluconsulting.biz
Planting Seeds: The Power of Your Subconscious Mind “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” - Carl Jung
Amanda I am a Self-Care Coach. I help professionals get their sh*t together without hundreds of hours of therapy. I will guide and support you in creating a healthy mindset and habits that will bring a positive impact to your life, often using my own experiences as a reference point. If you would like to hop on a call and hear more, please reach out to me. amanda@bluconsulting.biz
Like a tree, our life depends on new growth. There are many ways to bring new ideas and growth into our lives. In the gardening world, we have a reasonably good idea of how things work. If a new seed is to survive, grow and ultimately thrive, we set up the conditions beforehand to ensure success. Planting your thoughts decisively, and mindfully results in you ultimately directing what your future garden will look like. Look at the conditions you want to experience and plant appropriate seeds (thoughts) to bring about a favourable outcome. You become what you think about. As you entrust your desires to your subconscious mind, you are planting the seeds of your desire and allowing the subconscious to take the lead and transmute your desires into reality. So, what’s the take-home message? You must feel the feeling of that which you want to make real. Do this consistently enough with certainty,
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WELLNESS PLANTING A SEED The simple act of planting a seed can be the beginning of a picturesque journey that yields more beauty than the flowers themselves. You cannot grow an entire garden or the life you dream of living overnight. It is this inaugural step of planting a seed that puts into motion a cascade of events that have the potential to create the life you desire. For me, this seed was taking a moment of anguish and realizing that I may be able to use it to ultimately help those around me and discover my life’s purpose. My fascination with health and wellness began in the most unlikely of places – the community basketball court. Sports are a significant part of my life. I enjoy the swift pace, quick thinking, and camaraderie. In my senior year of high school in Mississauga, a season-ending knee injury during a varsity basketball game shattered my world. I required surgery to reconstruct damaged tissues within the knee. In the midst of my distress, the genuine care I received from my doctor and rehabilitation experts made me appreciate how knowledgeable health professionals can inspire hope. I, too, wanted to help the community achieve optimal health. I wanted to help people overcome similar hardships in moments where their dreams seemed lost. My recovery sparked
DR. GURU KANDASAMY BSc, DC, MD, CCFP Family Physician & Director of Sports Medicine Mimico Medical
a desire to understand the biomechanics of the human body, leading me to pursue a career in physical rehabilitation.
Listen Now: www.etobicokelakeshorepress.com/podcast
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ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
A seed cannot remain a seed forever. When cared for with the appropriate nourishment, beams of sunlight, and hydrating showers, it changes shape. It patiently matures into what it is destined to be. After completing my undergraduate degree in Kinesiology, my professional career as a Sports Chiropractor and Acupuncturist inside Toronto’s SkyDome developed my confidence and hands-on dexterity as a musculoskeletal clinician. My thirst for lifelong learning and my commitment to using evidence-based medicine in the best interests of my patients, steered me toward my next phase of growth – pursuing my MD and training in Family and Sports Medicine. I saw the seeds begin to sprout out from the earth in the form of new opportunities. I was making progress in my journey to realize my life’s purpose. Today, I am a proud Family and Sports Medicine Physician at Mimico Medical and a Lecturer at the University of Toronto, paying-itforward and inspiring medical students to work hard and strive for greatness. As an ambassador of health, it is my honour to represent the medical community. My advice to all those within our South Etobicoke family is to go out there and start planting more seeds in your daily life. It doesn’t matter how difficult or unpredictable the result may seem at the moment. With time, patience, commitment and hard work, what seems like a tiny bud in a mound of dirt will erupt triumphantly and allow you, too, to realize a dream.
EXPERIENCE
QUALITY CARE AT
ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS FAMILY DOCTORS PHYSIOTHERAPY PSYCHOLOGY & PSYCHIATRY COSMETIC MEDICINE WWW.MIMICOMEDICAL.COM 398 ROYAL YORK RD. 416 ∙ 201 ∙ 0836
DR. GURU KANDASAMY BSc, DC, MD, CCFP Family Physician & Director of Sports Medicine Mimico Medical 416.201.0836 www.mimicomedical.com
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HUMBER COLLEGE COMMUNITY UPDATE
HUMBER GALLERIES
This month at the Humber Lakeshore campus, we’re hoping for change and doubling down on our efforts to protect students, staff and the community. With hard work, perseverance and a little luck, we will come together again soon. In order to reach our goal of welcoming everyone back to campus, Humber College continues to work within the guidelines and guidance of public health. We hope that the college’s compliance and careful planning will result in more students on campus this summer and fall. Most programs will still be run online and oncampus learning will only occur for courses where it is safe and necessary to do so. You’ll notice activity on campus from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week in order to meet physical distancing and class size caps. Something that won’t change is Humber’s commitment to offering a variety of ways for people to get involved via the Internet, geared towards both students and the community.
1890 as the Mimico Branch Asylum. During its operation, the Hospital grounds hosted picturesque gardens that were maintained by the patients as a form of therapy. The Hospital officially closed as the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital in 1979 due to the deinstitutionalization movement. Artists were challenged to focus on the importance placed on beautifying spaces and present works that look towards the evolving future of therapeutic design. The works of Alex Da Costa Furtado, Carla Sierra Suarez, Carmina Miana, Rashmeet Kaur and James McDowell will be displayed for three months on the Lakeshore Grounds Interpretive Centre’s website at Lakeshoregrounds.ca. Humber Galleries is also offering online exhibits and art viewing. In 2019, Humber Galleries started to work more closely with students and creatives at Humber and the “Campus as a Canvas” initiative was born.
This month, the Lakeshore Grounds Interpretive Centre launches a unique and powerful exhibit called “The Aesthetics of Mental Health.” I mentioned in our January update that the Centre was seeking artwork for a digital show curated by Samuel McGuire. The exhibit combines context and ideas from the past, present and future. The red brick buildings that today serve as the Lakeshore campus of Humber College were originally opened in
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ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
Arts and culture are a large part of the way we at Humber Lakeshore connect to you, our community. There is a long history of our campus supporting community through outreach and cultural projects. In fact, it’s a key pillar of the institution’s strategic plan.
The idea was to expand the galleries beyond four walls and integrate the entirety of Humber campuses as display spaces and canvases. In another, seemingly far-away time before COVID-19, Humber Galleries hosted PopUp-Spaces and championed public art and engagement with sculpture installations. Now that Humber College and the wider community are working remotely, the initiative has expanded even further with more public art installations coming throughout 2021. Humber Galleries is also gearing up for the 16th annual installment of Nuit Blanche Toronto. In 2020, Nuit Blanche recognized Humber as a major institution and the college hosted four projects on the Humber Galleries website. Lakeshore campus was originally supposed to be one of two primary Nuit Blanche locations in Etobicoke. The celebration typically changes locations every two years and 2020 focused on the city’s West end.
We continue to develop innovative partnerships and creative initiatives, recognizing the importance of engagement and community togetherness. Stay tuned for more opportunities to get involved and come together. Until then, I hope to see you out walking along the lakeshore or enjoying the spring sun as we move forward together.
For more information about the Call for Submissions, email info@lakeshoregrounds.ca. To learn more about what’s happening at Humber Lakeshore, visit humber.ca/lakeshorecampus or check out our social media accounts, @HumberLakeshore on Twitter and Instagram
Best wishes, Derek Stockley
The Humber Cultural Hub, though currently under construction at the Lakeshore campus, has the potential to host major future exhibitions like Nuit Blanche once construction is complete and the COVID-19 pandemic allows. Nuit Blanche is inviting submissions from the Humber community now but has specified that most artworks and installations should be digital, to be viewed on Humber’s own Nuit Blanche website, because of constraints brought on by the outbreak and uncertainty for what October will look like.
DEREK STOCKLEY
Principal, Lakeshore Campus Senior Dean, Faculty of Social and Community Services Follow on Twitter: @derek_stockley
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YOUR HEALTH COVID VACCINE For vaccination information, please visit shoppersdrugmart.ca/covid19 for the quickest route to register for a vaccine. I know that there are some limitations for people who cannot access online booking portals and have limits with technology. For those who fall into that category, please reach out to the team directly. Please connect with us and we’ll help in the best way that we can. We are on the cusp of a major positive change in all of this pandemic business and it is just a matter of time before we make our grand exit.
JONATHAN NHAN, RPh, CDE Pharmacist / @nhanjonathan903
As you may be aware, we have begun administration of the COVID-19 vaccine by AstraZeneca. As a result, we have seen unprecedented interest and volume of queries come into the store! I think that this is great to see so many people ready to move forward towards the end of what may seem like a very long tunnel. I’m writing this in hopes of reaching some of our customers and patients who may have had difficulty and frustration with getting in touch with the pharmacy team over the past few weeks. I hear your messages about phone lines not working and difficulty reaching the pharmacy team. I’m hoping that by the time you read this, there will be some return to a volume that the system was originally designed to handle. You may also be aware by now that there is an online portal to register for notification about when a vaccine appointment is available to you.
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Please be patient with us. Our team has been working constantly and consistently to provide the best care that we can while addressing the new programs, changes, processes, and tools to make it all happen. It might be a bit rocky right now, but at the end of the day, as a team, we care greatly for our patients. Some days, our individual situations may cause us to act in a less than optimal manner. I know many who come into the store needing our help may be less than optimal as well. A little patience and understanding from all sides will go a long way. I appreciate you.
I’ve seen and heard so many positive messages and excitement from people who have received their first dose of the vaccine. Thank you for that overwhelming positivity. It really is a positive lift for us and is the reason we do what we do. For all of you who are patiently waiting, thank you for your patience and understanding. We will be there soon. Please reach out directly to me if there’s anything that you may need. The email asdm903@shoppersdrugmart.ca goes directly to me and I will address it as soon as I can.
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
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