The Beach Mirror, December 31, 2015 by The Beach Mirror

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Serving LESLIEVILLE, SOUTH RIVERDALE and RIVERSIDE Meet our lion Cubs! www.beachmirror.com thurs dec 31, 2015

Bidding on flags helps food bank

Our weekly events listing /5

JOANNA LAVOIE jlavoie@insidetoronto.com

A Beach home developed a crack this week during renovations / 7

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TORONTO MAYOR JOHN TORY

POLICE CHIEF MARK SAUNDERS

Traffic, transit and housing: The mayor’s priorities for 2016. What else is he thinking?

‘Does it concern me that people are using firearms as a decision maker? You bet it does.’

★

See our interview on page 8

See our interview on page 11

Photos that made the news in 2015 Check it out on page 2

Less than two weeks remain to place a bid or make a donation to a unique Advent-inspired community art installation in the Beach neighbourhood. The fifth annual edition of DailyFlag for DailyBread (DF4DB), which is put on by the residents of Leuty and Violet avenues to raise money for the Daily Bread Food Bank’s Holiday Drive, kicked off for the season Dec. 1. The campaign sees 25 homeowners from Leuty and Violet avenues design and create colourful flags unveiled daily throughout December to be auctioned off to the highest online bidder. The 2015 run concludes Saturday, Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. As of Tuesday, Dec. 28, afternoon, the bids on the flags had reached $3,696 combined with $12,727 in direct donations/business sponsorship for a total of $16,423, which is $10,527 short of this year’s fundraising target of $27,000. Last year, just over $26,000 was raised. One hundred per cent of the proceeds from the campaign are directed to the food bank. Donations over $10 will receive a charitable tax receipt. Nonperishable food donations are also part of the initiative. To date, >>>FUNDRAISER, page 6

FROM CONCEPT

to doorstep

door to door delivery drives revenue “We see thousands of customers come in holding flyers we run in metroland newspapers.” - Samko Miko Toys Warehouse

call today 416.493.4400

BEACH MIRROR | Thursday, December 31, 2015 |

2015 in photos 2

THROUGH THE LENS

A look back at the photos that made the news in 2015

1. Canadian athletes march into the Pan Am Dome at the Games opening ceremony July 10. Staff photo/Dan Pearce 2. Lucas Spencer and the rest of the East York Hockey Association’s Little Stanley Cup peewee division hoists the trophy as they celebrate their victory March 28. Photo/Allen Agostino 3. Residents gather Feb. 21 to remember Elijah Marsh, the toddler who died after wandering from his North York home. Staff photo/Nick Perry 4. A dancer performs as a peacock during the Scarborough Tamil Festival Aug. 29. Photo/Manny Rodrigues 5. Dylan Grisell, 20, leaps off the platform during Dive Ontario’s demonstration at Summerville Pool Aug. 13. Staff photo/Andrew Lahodynskyj 6. Canada’s Jerret Llewellyn competes in the opening round of the Pan Am Games men’s waterskiing tricks competition at Ontario Place July 20. Photo/ Peter C. McCusker 7. Dog owners venture out into the cold Feb. 13 for a walk near Lake Ontario in Etobicoke. Staff photo/Ian Kelso 8. Former Prime Minister Paul Martin, right, and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau (prior to his success in the federal election) visit Inspectech in Scarborough Aug. 25. Staff photo/Mike Adler

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Rookie MPs eager to get to work in 2016 JOANNA LAVOIE jlavoie@insidetoronto.com The year to come will be a busy one for Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and Julie Dabrusin, the newly elected members of parliament for Toronto-Danforth and Beaches-East York. Both first-time politicians, Erskine-Smith and Dabrusin have been busy learning the ropes of their new job as well as navigating their way around Parliament Hill since being elected Oct. 19. They’ve also been working to follow through on the promises they made to better both the lives of those who live in their ridings as well as all Canadians.

athaniel ErskineSmith, who grew up near Woodbine Avenue and Gerrard Street East but now lives in near Queen Street and Woodbine, said his work in 2016 will revolve around the three themes he campaigned on: smart government, fair government, and honest government. When it comes to smart government, Erskine-Smith – a commercial litigation lawyer by trade – said his government’s commitment to building a strong environment that would “intelligently” tackle climate change will be one of his main priorities. “It’s one thing to agree to targets,” he said, pointing to the recent agreement on climate change reached in at the United Nations conference on climate change in Paris, France. Erskine-Smith said establishing carbon pricing across Canada is one way to walk the walk, as is investing in new technologies and green infrastructure like home retrofits and improved wastewater systems. During a recent interview, he pointed to the importance of investing in infrastructure, especially with interest rates being at all-time lows. Erskine-Smith, who attended local schools and plays baseball on local fields, said federal investments in public transit and roadways would benefit all Torontonians, including those who call Beaches-East

Staff photo/DAN PEARCE

MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith.

York home. He said smart government also includes improving housing for everyone and he vowed to improve co-operative housing agreements as well as social housing. “I certainly plan to be an advocate on that front as well,” Erskine-Smith said. “I feel in Toronto, public transit and housing are at the top of the list.” He also pointed to datadriven versus politically driven decision making. “It’s all about making sure that in everything we do we make decisions based on the best evidence available,” he said, pointing to the Liberal government’s plan to reinstate the long-form census in 2016. Erskine-Smith also said a smart government is one that has a “willingness to change its mind based on evidence.” When it comes to fair government, he said the newly elected Liberal government would be implementing tax cuts and changes to the Canada child benefit based on families’ needs. “It properly targets the goal of ending child poverty,” he

meet and greet Beaches-East York MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith has recently opened up his local constituency office at 1902 Danforth Ave., just west of Woodbine Avenue. Julie Dabrusin, MP for Toronto-Danforth, doesn’t have a local office set up yet but has held a few pop-up constituency days to meet with the community.

‘I feel in Toronto, public transit and housing are at the top of the list. – Nathaniel Erskine-Smith

said. Erskine-Smith pointed to reforming the senate to appoint new members based on merit and not patronage, and strong community advocacy for local issues at the federal level as examples of honest government. “It’s all about being a strong voice for local issues in Ottawa,” he said, adding P r i m e M i n i s t e r Ju s t i n Trudeau has committed to giving his caucus members strong voices. “He’s not going to tell us what to say. He’s going to listen to us.” Erskine-Smith, who on Dec. 8 had the opportunity to give a 10-minute speech in the House of Commons that outlined his Top 5 priorities for the government, said transparency is key in all things he does as an MP as well as the decisions his government makes. This spring, he’ll have the opportunity to present a private member’s bill. And while Erskine-Smith has a few ideas in mind like preventative health care and the need for better nutrition labelling as well as the need to bring animal welfare standards into the 21st century, the BeachesEast York MP is reaching out to the community for input. “I encourage others to bring their ideas forward,” he said. Going into 2016, ErskineSmith said he’d like to lend his legal skills to the federal

Liberals, notably on the justice file as he studied constitutional law. He also said he’s looking forward to tackling some important issues such as death with dignity, the legalization/regulation of marijuana, the federal budget, the federal sponsorship of 25,000plus Syrian refugees by the end of 2016, and the previous government’s so-called tough-on-crime agenda. As the new local MP, Erskine-Smith said he’d continue to knock on doors over the next four years and said he’d also continue to attend and host town hall meetings. “I will continue to be as involved as I can be,” he vowed. “I want people to know that if they call or email me I’ll get back to them as soon as possible.”

ulie Dabr usin, who was born and raised in Montreal but has lived in the Toronto-Danforth riding since 1998, said going into 2016 she’ll focus her energy on a number of key issues, notably growing income inequality. “It’s something that has many different ways to tackle but very little is being done,” she said, adding she’d work to invest more in housing infrastructure and the renewal of co-operative housing agreements. A bilingual litigation lawyer who is taking a break from her career to raise her family as well as devote time to local issues she’s passionate about, Dabrusin also spoke about the need for the federal government to support affordable housing for seniors as well as more affordable rental housing options. “It’s something that can have a direct impact in Toronto-Danforth and across the country,” said Dabrusin, who spent as year as a commission counsel to the Toronto External Contracts Inquiry, which investigated government procurement of services and goods. Like Erskine-Smith, Dabrusin spoke about the benefits of gearing the Canada child benefit to families who need it most. She said this move would help lift 315,000

Canadians out of poverty. She also said a proposed increase in the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors is another way to address income inequality. Locally, Dabrusin said she’d work to ensure there’s federal support for flood protecting as well as naturalizing the mouth of the Don River. “It’s the key to opening

‘My job is to advocate for our community. Lots of urban issues are linked to rural ones. I’m able to address the big picture, how it affects everyone’s lives. – Julie Dabrusin

Staff photo/Dan Pearce

MP Julie Dabrusin at The Schmooz Cafe.

up the port lands for redevelopment,” she said. “It’s an important local issue but it also affects the quality of life for all Torontonians. It opens up a huge area of our waterfront.” On another local note, Dabrusin said she’s eager to work with all levels of government on the sponsorship of Syrian refugees to Canada. About 60 people recently attended a meeting she hosted in the riding for sponsors. Going into 2016, she said she’s hoping to serve on committees that would foster her community building skills as well as her strong beliefs in building diversity and eradicating income inequality. Dabrusin said her main role will be to serve as TorontoDanforth’s representative in Ottawa. “My job is to advocate for our community,” said Dabrusin. “Lots of urban issues are linked to rural ones. I’m able to address the big picture, how it affects everyone’s lives.” And while Dabrusin is far down the list of the 338 MPs drawn to present a private member’s bill, she said she’ll find other ways to push forward legislation on food policy, access to healthy food,

and affordable housing. “I’ll definitely be looking at food issues,” said Dabrusin, who founded the Friends of Withrow Park stewardship group as well as established and chaired the Frankland Community Advisory Committee to improve the use of the City of Toronto’s recreational resources. She was also instrumental in helping save seven local pools from closure in 2012. In 2013, Dabrusin was awarded a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for Community Service. Some of her work on food policy issues involved setting up a fresh food collection system from the Withrow Park Farmers’ Market for Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre as well as creating a Second Harvest Hunger Squad, which picked up food from Danforth Avenue restaurants and delivered it to Newcomer Women’s Services near Pape and Danforth avenues. Dabrusin, who also serves on the board of directors of Park People (a Toronto alliance for better parks), has also worked with the Ontario Local Food Association to come up with a tax credit for farmers who donate to food banks.

| BEACH MIRROR | Thursday, December 31, 2015

2016: a look ahead

BEACH MIRROR | Thursday, December 31, 2015 |

opinion

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Great things to be done in the coming year

Proudly serving the communities of The Beach • East End-Danforth Greenwood-Coxwell South Riverdale Woodbine Corridor Beach Hill

Write us The Beach Mirror welcomes letters of 400 words or less. All submissions must include name, address and a daytime telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Copyright in letters remains with the author but the publisher and affiliates may freely reproduce them in print, electronic or other forms. Letters can be sent to press@insidetoronto. com, or mailed to The Beach Mirror, 175 Gordon Baker Rd. Toronto, ON, M2H 0A2.

t’s the eve of 2016. We’re all a year older and hopefully a little wiser. From the moment we’re born we begin to age. We’re cradled, we crawl, we stand, we walk, we run; always driven by our curiosity to know more, do more and be more. But how much is too much? Are we experiencing real value in our lives living in this fast-paced culture of technology and responsibility? We resolve to make changes, but most times these changes don’t stick. New year’s resolutions seem to be destined to fail. Maybe it’s because vowing to lose weight isn’t the real goal. But rather to be healthy have more energy to take our view and care of your family. Instead of saying you’re going Aim for a to go on a financial diet, how reframing the thought. life of value about Resolve to spend money only on and balance the things that bring you the most joy. You’ll soon realize you’ll save more money and accumulate fewer things. No one is asking you to come up with a grandiose plan for your future. But, of course, you could if you like. But how about simply resolving to slow down your busy life a bit and reflect on what’s important to you. Live a life of value and balance. Unplug. Increase face time with your favourite people. Find time to exercise. Take in what you’ve learned in the last 12 months and build on the good and be grateful for the bad, because the adversarial experiences no doubt taught you the most. We’re wired, tired and on the go non-stop. At least that’s how it must have seemed for many in 2015. Let’s not say the same next New Year’s Eve. If there’s something you want to do in 2016, don’t think, just do. Push through toward your goals, one foot in front of the other, because baby steps count too. There’s lots of great things that can be done in the coming year, including becoming more involved in your community or volunteering to help others. The best way to make change is to be the change and that’s the best new year’s resolution you could ever make.

column

Tory must address SmartTrack concerns If 2015 was simply about righting the ship of state in Toronto and restoring civility to civic life – and for many it was, as I argued in this space last week – the coming year is going to be a challenge for our new and agreeable city council. Indeed, looking at the new calendar, everything contained in the promise (and promises) of Mayor John Tory and his new council is going to be put to the test. There was a certain luxury to be had in the first year of this mandate, being able to set up not just the tone for a debate, but the factual basis for it. So two of Tory’s signature issues – the SmartTrack heavy rail transit system linking Markham to Scarborough and the downtown, and then Liberty Village and Etobicoke and eventually Markham, and the continued construction of the Scarborough Subway – could move slowly and

david nickle the city inconclusively through committee and council, blessed by open questions for another day. The day to answer those questions will come in 2016, probably sooner than later. Media reports have indicated there are problems with the implementation of SmartTrack, particularly in the west end where considerable tunnelling might be necessary. The question, until now avoided, of whether it makes sense to have SmartTrack run so near the Scarborough Subway extension, will need to be addressed, definitively. Thanks to the new budget process, in which city finance staff don’t do the work of budget balancing but leave that to politicians, councillors will have to find ways to pay for $67 million worth of

programs that they cheerfully approved in 2015. The continuation of enhanced transit service, investment in poverty reduction strategies… something as simple as setting up safe ice-skating on Grenadier Pond… will all depend on the ability of councillors to make hard choices and take responsibility for their decisions. The city is going to need more money in any case, and councillors are going to have to have another look at that list of possible revenue tools they so neatly rejected during the Rob Ford mayoralty. In year-end interviews, Tory has made much of his indifference to ideology in his approach to governing the city and corralling council. It has served him well so far, and could serve him well this coming year. But it might be a terrifying time. Ideology, for good and for ill, can work as a kind of road map for a politician faced with making a

firm decision to deal with a complex problem. Without a notion of where one wants to be, it can be easy to confuse pragmatism with populism, to make a call that panders to a base rather than provides a solution. That’s not to say Tory should return to his Conservative roots or sign a New Democratic Party membership card – pick shirts or skins in an oldfashioned Toronto council mud fight. But he and the rest of council should remember that over the next year and the ones that follow, there are going to be debates and decisions that together will shape both the city and the legacy. Doing it right is going to require flexibility, and thoughtfulness – and in the end, a crystalline clarity of vision.

David Nickle is Metroland Media Toronto’s city hall reporter. His column runs every Thursday. Reach him on Twitter: @DavidNickle

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BEACH happening in

it’s happening

featured

w Friday, Jan. 1

w Sunday, Jan. 10

Hair of the Dog WHEN: 10 a.m. WHERE: Balmy Beach Club, at the foot of Beech Avenue CONTACT: Gaynor Reader, balmybeachcctreasurer@yahoo.ca, 416-693-1063 COST: $30 The 36th annual three-kilometre and 9-km fun run/walk on New Year’s Day. Registration begins at the Balmy Beach Club at 10 a.m. Walkers leave at 11:30 a.m. and runners at noon. Chili lunch included. Visit www.balmybeachcanoe.com to sign up online or download the registration form.

fun-filled story time.

w Tuesday, Jan. 5

w Tuesday, Jan. 19

Beach Balance Class for Seniors WHEN: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. WHERE: Waverley Road Baptist Church, 129 Waverley Rd. CONTACT: Eric Daw, 416-450-0892, daweric@gmail.com COST: First workout is complimentary Classes for seniors focus on balance, co-ordination, strength, flexibility and posture.

Jones Book Club WHEN: 6:30 to 8 p.m. WHERE: Jones Library, 118 Jones Ave. COST: Free Read ‘The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules’ by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg and join in the discussion.

Beaches-East York New Year’s Levee WHEN: 2 to 3 p.m. WHERE: Naval Club, 1910 Gerrard St. E. COST: Free East York residents are invited to welcome in the new year with their elected representatives: Ward 32 Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon, Beaches-East York MPP Arthur Potts, and Beaches-East York MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith.

w Saturday, Jan. 16

Winter Family Story Time WHEN: 11 to 11:30 a.m. WHERE: Jones Branch Public Library, 118 Jones Ave. COST: Free Beat the winter blues by enjoying a

get listed! The Beach Mirror wants your community listings. Sign up online at beachmirror.com to submit your events (click the Sign Up link in the top right corner of the page).

health New Year’s Resolution Add the gift of fitness to your life this year

w Friday, Jan. 29

Check out our complete online community calendar by visiting www. beachmirror.com. Read weeks of listings from your Beach neighbourhood as well as events from across Toronto.

Write Your Life Stories WHEN: 9:30 to 11 a.m. WHERE: Community Centre 55, 97 Main St. CONTACT: Evonne Hossack, evonne@centre55.com COST: $45 for six weeks

beachmirror.com

Practice writing positive life stories in a supportive, fun, relaxed atmosphere. This course is for beginner writers, the curious, those who are looking for a great hobby or those who want to create a collection of stories for family or friends. Just bring a pen and a notebook.

w Thursday, Jan. 21

Mental Wellness: Stress and Coping WHEN: 2 to 3 p.m. WHERE: Beaches Library, 2161 Queen St. E. CONTACT: 416-393-7703 COST: Free Join a representative from Toronto Public Health for a presentation on signs and symptoms of stress, the impact of stress on health, coping strategies and relaxation exercises.

Family Literacy Game Day WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Jones Library, 118 Jones Ave. COST: Free Celebrate Family Literacy Month by playing board games and taking part in the Scaredy Squirrel Scavenger Hunt.

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food The Ketchup Debate

Do you put ketchup on your sausage?

announcements

Mittens and Hats Collection WHEN: Through January WHERE: Janet’s Custom Sewing and Alterations, 986 Kingston Rd. Donate new mitten and hats in support of the Good Shepherd Ministries. iHelp WHERE: Jones Library, 118 Jones Ave. CONTACT: 416-393-7715 COST: Free One-on one help with any device: eReader, tablet or laptop. Learn how to download eBooks and magazines, music and movies. Call to register.

bit.ly/15m5kye

contest Enter for your chance to win:

Two movie tickets and a $100 dining gift card

www.insidetoronto. com/contests

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| BEACH MIRROR | Thursday, December 31, 2015

community calendar

BEACH MIRROR | Thursday, December 31, 2015 |

community

Fundraiser wraps up Jan. 9

Daily Flag 1 on Dec. 1 at 60 Leuty, by Benedict Hilliard and Michelynn Laflèche: an abstract interpretation of the city reflected on the lake at sunset seen from the island, suggesting a city divided.

Daily Flag 8 on Dec. 8 at 89 Leuty, by Norah, Jennifer, Kim and Henry: eight maple leaves during their transition from early autumn to winter (in no particular order). This flag reminds us of how change happens despite us, but also reinforces the power of people to make change happen.

Daily Flag 12 on Dec. 12 at 66 Leuty, by Don, Jane and Mia: ‘Windows on The Beach’ is inspired by a traditional 12-paned Georgian window, offering a view of the charms of The Beach in Toronto. The checkered, golden-brown backdrop brings us back to the purpose of our project: bread for the table.

Daily Flag 19 on Dec. 19 at 46 Leuty, by Colin and Natalie: ‘Tree of Peace’ depicts the mighty pine topped with a star, rendering it a Christmas tree. The symbolism of the pine includes creativity, wisdom, life, longevity and immortality.

Consumer Feature

Gerrard FreSHCO extendS tHankS tO Centre 55 & tHe COmmunity 2015 Gerrard FreSHCO would like to congratulate Community Centre 55 and all of the community and volunteers for their efforts in assisting families who are in need during the holiday season. Gerrard FreSHCO is thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this exceptional Share a Christmas event once again.

Photos/Courtesy

>>>from page 1 nearly 2,000 pounds have been donated to Fire Hall 227 at 1904 Queen St. E. and Waverly Road Baptist Church, 129 Waverly Rd. DailyFlag for DailyBread organizer Michelynn Laflèche said some “crazy elaborate” works of art are up for grabs this time around. “We’ve got multi-dimensional, multi-media pieces and even a few wood flags this year,” said the Leuty Avenue resident who co-founded the Beach edition of DF4DB with her partner Benedict Hilliard in 2011. “I think we can safely say all of the flag makers have really upped the ante. (The flags) are works of art that could be hung outside or even framed for inside.” This year’s offerings include a laser-cut steel plate piece as well as stained glass and a flag crafted by wood burning and another etched number. “These weren’t Saturday afternoon craft activities. People really put in a huge effort and every year

it gets more elaborate, which helps us raise more for the Daily Bread Food Bank.” Visit http://dailyflagfordailybread. com or email dailyflagfordailybread@ gmail.com for details. People can also visit the DailyFlag for DailyBread’s Facebook (facebook. com/DF4DB) and Twitter (twitter. com/DF4DB) pages for information.

TOUR OF FLAGS JAN. 2 Take the Tour of Flags this Saturday at 2 p.m. sharp. Anyone interested in attending the free, hour-anda-half-long event should meet at the top of Leuty Avenue at Queen Street East. Learn about the DailyFlag for DailyBread campaign, check out the flags and meet some of the flag makers. Visit www.facebook.com/ events/989808854398536 for more information. Those unable to attend the Tour of Flags can check out the flags on their own time until Jan. 9.

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House near Main and Kingston starts to crack Building inspectors and engineers are working to evaluate the safety of a significantly compromised residence under renovation. Shortly after noon on Monday, Dec. 28, a semidetached house at 77 Corley Ave. developed a large crack along its outer brick wall. Contractors were working in the basement of the home near Kingston Road and Main Street but got out safely. Ten fire vehicles and 45 firefighters responded to the call, which came in around 12:30 p.m. Emergency crews quickly deemed the structure unsafe and temporarily evacuated nearby residents as a precautionary measure in the event the structure collapsed. The residents of the other side of the semi – a family with three small children and a dog – are staying with relatives but. The family wasn’t home at the time of the emergency.

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Residents were evacuated from homes on Corley Avenue after a house that was under renovation developed a crack and appeared that it might collapse on Monday.

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BEACH MIRROR | Thursday, December 31, 2015 |

2016: a look ahead

Mayor’s 2016 priority: making Toronto run better DAVID NICKLE dnickle@insidetoronto.com It’s the day after the launch of the 2016 budget process – really, the first full budget of Mayor John Tory’s term – and it’s fair to say the mayor is feeling the sting of his critics. The budget is not quite balanced – councillors will have to find $23 million in savings to just hold the line at inflation for property taxes, and find another $67 million if they want to keep the promises of service enhancements that council and the mayor have made through 2015. As Tory sits down for his end-of-year interview with Metroland Media Toronto, the bristling is barely noticeable. “It is the beginning – I have been working on it for months and this is the beginning of the process that is continuing,” Tory says. “We have eight weeks of hard work ahead.” Indeed, as 2016 unfolds, fixing the city’s budget and dealing with the city’s finances will be the first of a series of big

Staff photo/DAVID NICKLE

Mayor John Tory’s priorities for 2016 are transit, traffic, housing and jobs.

jobs that Tory hopes to complete, to eventually make more sense of the mayoralty that Tory began just over a year ago on the heels of the tumultuous Rob Ford mayoralty. In many ways, Tory’s year in 2015 was about restoring calm to an office that had seen a bit too much tumult. Polling data may have told Tory that transportation and public transit are the biggest

issue, but he says that in conversation, Torontonians are most grateful for the simple stability of a mayor that if anything tacks to the dull side. “The number one thing they raise with me every day is how happy they are that I’m conducting the job in a responsible and balanced way,” Tory says. “It’s not just about not engaging in bad behaviour – but they also see that my comments on television are balanced. They see that I’m prepared to take into account the other side.” Tory would like to be understood in this way: as a balanced, evidence-based politician who steps outside of the world of partisan politics that he himself once inhabited. He offers up evidence to that, in talking about one of the major debates at Toronto council in 2015, over what to do with the eastern portion of the Gardiner Expressway. Tory advocated strongly against tearing that section of the highway down and instead

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building a ‘hybrid’ elevated highway – and in the end, he prevailed. “Once the vote was over I could have said I won that vote, that’s that, let’s get on with building it,” he says. “The first thing I did was to ask my staff to sit down with all the people that most vehemently opposed the position I took and ask them how we could make the so-called hybrid much better.” The result? Tory says the modified hybrid is an improvement on the original plan, and what had begun as a relatively narrow victory at council – he only won by 24-21 votes – has turned into a much broader consensus. He admits that consensus was not always the result of what he termed an honest approach to issues. Taxi and limo drivers took Tory’s name in vain in early December when they blocked thoroughfares to protest the city’s slow action in curbing Uber-X drivers who collect fares via the unregulated Uber app.

Tory has taken an agnostic approach to the issue – along with council directing staff to find a way to bring Uber-X under the city’s regulatory regime and acknowledging that apps like Uber will likely remain. “The truth is that when I said they’re here to stay it wasn’t a statement in favour of Uber – it was simply a statement of reality,” Tory says. “They may not like the truth.” Going forward, Tory is bracing himself for dealing with more reality. Early in the new year, he and council will be shown reports on the efficacy of two inter-related transit projects: the extension of the Bloor-Danforth subway into Scarborough, and Tory’s own SmartTrack. Tory has been steadfast in his support of both projects, despite questions being raised about both the expenditure and the engineering possibilities. O n S m a r t Tr a c k , h e acknowledges that there will be engineering problems, par-

ticularly in the western portion of the city-spanning project, where there are no existing rail lines. “The studies will come early in the winter, and why would I have bothered to go through the time and money, especially the time, of having those studies done if I didn’t want to pay attention to what was said?” he says. “We’ll see what the study says and make adjustments if necessary. But there will be a smart track that will run from the Mississauga Corporate Centre through downtown and out to Markham. Can I tell you how many stations? No I can’t. But I put forward a proposal and it’s going to be a transformative transit project.” On the Scarborough Subway, Tory refutes critics who maintain the ridership simply won’t be there to support a subway. Overall, says Tory, his priorities for 2016 are “traffic and transit and housing,” and also creating jobs.

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9 | BEACH MIRROR | Thursday, December 31, 2015

2015: a look back

Uber among top City Hall stories DAVID NICKLE dnickle@insidetoronto.com By the standards of the years before it, 2015 was not much of a year at Toronto City Hall. Mayor John Tory’s first year in office certainly had none of the high-stakes drama of his predecessor Rob Ford. That doesn’t mean that there weren’t stories to tell in 2015; far from it. Here are three major stories that came out of Toronto City Hall in the year that was 2015.

Budget Crisis:

The Gardiner Expressway:

One of the biggest debates was on what to do about the Gardiner Expressway. The debate was a carryover from 2014, when city staff and Waterfront Toronto presented engineering reports that it made the most sense economically and in terms of city building to tear down the eastern portion of the expressway and widen Lake Shore Boulevard there. In the middle of the year councillor voted to simply shift the elevated highway to allow for more development.

Uber vs. the Taxis

A convoluted story of disruptive technology and taxi drivers both, Uber-X’s incursion into Toronto’s livery marketplace sent shockwaves

from one end of the year to the other. Most of the drama played out at the city’s Licencing and Standards Committee, where Scarborough-Agincourt Councillor Jim Karygiannis campaigned hard on behalf of taxi plate owners. First up was a move to undo taxi licencing reforms that had been enacted by the previous council, that would have created a single owner-operated plate that could not be bought and sold. Council wrestled with that following boisterous marathon committee meetings where cabbies and councillors clashed. Eventually the issue collided with Uber X, the ridesharing app that city lawyers had tried and failed to shut down through the courts. By the fall, council had approved a process for establishing a bylaw to contain the freewheeling Uber app within city bylaws, but drivers accused the city of moving too slowly. This is one story that isn’t over at year’s end.

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In January, Tory’s first budget nearly fell off the rails, when the provincial government announced it would be phasing out a “pooling” subsidy for social housing that suddenly left an $86-million hole in the previously-balanced budget. The announcement set city staff and politicians scrambling looking for a solution. They considered borrowing from a financial institution to cover the costs, after talks with the provincial government to

help the city over the transition effectively broke down. Finally, city staff came up with a plan to effectively borrow the money from itself, pulling money from future capital funding that would have gone into road repairs.

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BEACH MIRROR | Thursday, December 31, 2015 |

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2015: a look back

Transit makes headlines in 2015 n The rise of Uber

Uber isn’t exactly new; it’s been operating here since 2012. But 2015 was the year local scrutiny of the tech rideshare company’s revolutionary business model reached a fever pitch. In September, there was a city briefing outlining proposed bylaw changes to regulate Uber’s operations. Earlier in the year, the city had failed to convince the courts to ban Uber’s UberX service, which operated a taxi service but with unregulated drivers using their personal vehicles. From hunger strikes to a full-out day of protest, city cabbies made their opposition to Uber and other would-be rideshares loud and clear. Read the story here: http:// bit.ly/1U0BtFd

n Queens Quay reopens

Nine years in the making, including three years of construction, the new-look Queens Quay re-opened mostly to raves – and some confusion as road users figured out to how to best traverse the

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n Spadina subway extension again delayed

In 2015 the TTC finally had to publicly admit what transit observers had suspected for several months: the completion of the Toronto York Spadina Subway Extension was in serious jeopardy of yet another delay. The six-stop extension into Vaughan was supposed to open a year later than anticipated in 2016. But in mid-March CEO Andy Byford announced the extension wouldn’t open until late 2017 at the earliest. What’s more, the delay would require an extra $150 million, bringing the project’s price tag to more than $2.6 billion. Read the story here: http:// bit.ly/1PgVzdd

n Davenport overpass opposition

In March , Metro linx announced plans to eliminate the Davenport Diamond rail crossing by building a train bridge. If approved, the project would allow GO Trains on the Barrie corridor to no longer have to share track with Canadian Pacific Ltd. heavy rail freight trains. Read the story here: http:// bit.ly/1U0Cb56

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Chief weighs in on challenges facing police in 2016 ANDREW PALAMARCHUK apalamarchuk@insidetoronto.com

espite a rise in global terrorism, Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders says there’s no credible threat against the city. But the chief stresses that doesn’t mean all is well. “It’s a different world right now,” he said in a year-end interview earlier this month. “We need to be more alert. We need to be more vigilant in our dayto-day processes if we want to keep the city safe.” According to the 2015 Global Terrorism Index, there has been a dramatic rise in terrorism over the last 15 years with nine times more people being killed in terrorist attacks today than in 2000. The report, released last month by the Institute for Economics and Peace, found that terrorism spread significantly in the past year, with attacks and fatalities in more countries than ever. “We work on a provincial, national and international level. We’re in constant communication with law enforcement agencies around the world and we are kept up to speed with information in real time,”

Staff photo/ANDREW PALAMARCHUK

Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders reflects on 2015, and looks ahead to challenges facing the Toronto Police Service in the coming year.

Saunders said. “We’ve got a very good machine when it comes to national security. ... I feel comfortable in knowing that if we do have to turn it on that we do have a good plan in place that will be effective.” According to a CNN report earlier this month, ISIS has conducted or inspired at least 50 terrorist attacks

in 18 countries that have killed 1,100 people and injured more than 1,700 others since June 2014. “It’s always on the back of my mind,” Saunders said of a terrorist threat. “It’s not like we sit and wait for something to happen. There are things that are in the works on a dayto-day basis, 24 hours a day when it comes to national security.” Saunders, a married father of four, was appointed chief in April, making history as the city’s first black top cop. “If it serves as a role model for any member of the community, then it’s a good thing,” he said. “I threw my hat in the ring because I was hoping to move the Toronto Police Service to the next level, the next generation of policing, and I have a particular vision in which I would like us to move in, so that’s the first and foremost reason why I was interested, and the history piece, I kind of stuck that more or less behind me, but I’m grateful that that’s how it has been considered.” At his swearing-in ceremony, Saunders called the cost of policing an “urgent” issue and vowed to “examine everything we do” in an effort to find efficiencies.

A recently formed task force, chaired by Saunders and Toronto Police Services Board chair Andy Pringle, will study ways to modernize the force, which has an annual budget of $1 billion. “This task force is going to look at what we can do to transform the existing model, what we can do to modernize the model of policing to make sure that we can be even more effective and efficient,” Saunders said. “Whether it’s looking at technology and using it to help us keep the city safe or it’s looking at the shift model in policing, how we can modify that to get the most out of the assets that we have, I think are some critical components.” A 2011 efficiency report found that $35 million could be saved with a schedule change. There are currently as many officers on duty in the early morning hours as there are during the busy evening hours. “It’s going to take a tremendous amount of research. It’s not a matter of making change for the sake of making change,” Saunders said of the task force. “We really have to be careful in the approach that we take to make sure that what we do is the

right thing to keep Toronto safe.” In May, Toronto police unveiled a body-worn camera pilot project involving nearly 100 officers. Saunders said the project, which ends in March, is “going well” but wouldn’t reveal whether he thinks it should be expanded. “I don’t want to promote too much of what my feelings are,” he said. “I’m going to look at the research and see what the research tells me.” As of Dec. 21, there were 243 shootings involving 381 victims in the city in 2015, compared to 174 shootings and 231 victims at this time last year. “We have to be careful because the connotation is that this is now a pattern and it’s on the rise. It’s only compared to one year, which is last year. Last year is a bit of an anomaly year,” Saunders said. “Does it concern me that people are using firearms as a decision maker? You bet it does. It concerns me tremendously. And then the question is: What do we need to do to deploy our officers in the right areas at the right times so we can reduce that from happening? And that’s the process that we’re moving towards right now.”

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| BEACH MIRROR | Thursday, December 31, 2015

2016: a look ahead

BEACH MIRROR | Thursday, December 31, 2015 |

community

Volunteers who speak both Arabic and setting up to skate English needed at refugee health clinic Training Monday; clinic on Tuesday Volunteers who speak Arabic and English are needed to help with a Jan. 5 health and wellness clinic in the Beach community for Syrian refugee families who have recently arrived

in Toronto. The workshop will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the East End Community Health Centre, 1619 Queen St. E. at Coxwell Avenue. At the clinic, volunteers are needed to help the centre’s doctors and nurses understand the

Jaimie Rodriguez, right, and Caiden Rodriguez work with other volunteers to build a skating rink in Fairmount Park earlier in December.

health issues Syrian refugee patients have so the correct treatment can be given. Volunteers are asked to attend a training/orientation session on Monday, Jan. 4 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Anyone interested in providing assistance is asked to call Naheed at 416-830-9246.

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Good food shared with good company is always an occasion to be savoured. Regrettably, for most the harried lifestyles of today don’t always allow for this luxury. In an ideal world all your meals would be joyful j y events; yyour taste buds teased and spoilt for choice with an abundance of l l iingredients, ingredients, di served fresh in a warm, local inviting atmosphere. Fortunately for the community minutes commu munit un ttyy of Carlisle le e (j (ju (just ((jus jju usstt a fe ffew ew m mi in nutes utes u utte ess north Waterdown) surrounding north th o th off W Waterdown r ) and d tthe h surro surround o ing area, local resident Angela Checchia, dreamed of creating a community based, Italian inspired bistro reminis reminiscent scent of old world ideals and philosophies. id d ls ls an a nd p philoso philo h hilo hil ilosophie phi p hie h hiies. ie es. es Related Rellated Re ed Stories Stories tor ries s Cascata Bistro C scata ata ta aB ist istro stro tro o Born an and industry, Angela orn o rrn n to oa n Italian Itttalia talian alian al alia a a family mily a mil nd d raised rais raise aised a ise ised ise sed ed in ed in th tthe he re rrestaurant esstaurant est estauran esta estaurant ura urant an ntt industry iindustr ndus ndustry dustry tr try, Ang An A ngela ((mother, mother, wife, triathlete entrepreneur) instinctively knew old landmark triathlet iathle athlet le ete et e and nd n de en ent nttrepreneur n repreneu epreneur preneur eneur neur neur urr) in ur) insti instinc instin iins inst nssstinc nstinc nsti nst n stin ttinc tin tiiinc ncttively nc tivel tiv ivve ive ively vely ely e lyy kn k ew w that tha th hat h ha at at the the e 1100 100 ye yyear arr o a ld la andmark building on corners Carlisle greater heights. One day, n the he e four ffo ourr cco corne corner o orn or rrn ne s off Carl Car C Ca ar arrllis arl issl isle sle le w le was wa as destine a destined dest destined desti de destin estin es e est sstined stine tiined ttined tine ine ined ffo for orr great o gr grea gre eat ate at er he height heig hei heigh e gh ghtss. O ne d ay, whilst eating ice-cream old watching the occurred ice ice-cre ic ce-crea ce-cream e-crea -cream -crea -cr ccream ream w with ith tth hh he 3 yyear her ye yea e o ld da an and nd n d wa w attc tchin tch tching ching chin cch chi h hi hin hing iing ng tth ng he cars rss g go b by, y,, it o ccurred tto ccur o her that the cars going bistro. long numbers goi go oing o iing in ng n gb by ccould ould ou o uld ld db be stopping stoppin stoppi to toppin topping toppi opping op ping in ng n ga att her he h er er b bi bist isstro stro. tro tr ttro. ro. rro o. 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Wheth Whether are planning two lively h her you ar e plann plannin planni plan lanni g an lannin an inti in int iintimate t mate ate te e din d dinn dinner di err ffor fo orr tw o or a li vely group event, the wonderfully designed Cascata Bistro delight llyy d de esigned ssiiig igne gned gn g ne ed dC Ca assc scata sca ca ca atta ta Bis tro in Carlisle, is an artisanal del light just waiting to

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There’s lots to see and do in Toronto The holiday season is here, and in a city the size of Toronto there’s plenty to see and do. Here’s a rundown: ■ ALLAN GARDENS & CENTENNIAL PARK Check out what’s blooming during Christmas Flower Shows taking place at two of the city’s conservatories. The shows take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Sunday, Jan. 10. There’s no admission and it’s suggested to give a donation to the Daily Bread Food Bank. www.toronto.ca/conservatories

■ RIVERDALE FARM Featuring ducks, goats, sheep and other barnyard creatures in the heart of Cabbagetown, the 7.5-acre farm is open year round from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. 416-392-6794, www.toronto.ca/ parks/featured-parks

■ FLEMINGDON PARK COMMUNITY CENTRE Playground Paradise, located within the centre,

at 150 Grenoble Dr., is running a drop-in holiday schedule for families with kids 12 years and under. There are plenty of activities for the little ones, from swings to a spiral slide, and a ball pit with thousands of colourful balls. Drop in until Sunday, Jan. 3. It costs $2.50 per child for two hours. Closed New Year’s Day. ■ DOWNTOWN DISCOVERY WALKS Want to know more about the city and get some exercise? Discovery Walks highlight notable downtown parks, historic sites and popular gathering spots by plotting out a walking route on your smartphone.

■ HISTORIC SITES Nine of the city’s historic destinations, including Fort York, Gibson House, Colborne Lodge, Mackenzie House and Market Gallery are offering special programs for the holidays. There’s a wide variety of activities from excursions with the family to more adult offerings. Holiday rates are in effect. The locations will be closed Jan. 1.

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■ NEW YEAR’S EVE Join the festivities at Nathan Phillips Square on Dec. 31, featuring fireworks, music and performances, and the countdown to midnight. Everything gets underway at 8 p.m.

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