The Bloor West Villager, March 2, 2017

THURSDAY MARCH 2, 2017

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Family of Adam Abu-Hewaydi need to raise $30k to finish reno, $45k for van AARON D’ANDREA adandrea@metroland.com

Learn about our country through articles, interactive quizzes and more. www.insidetoronto.com/Canada150

The saying "never give up" means a lot to brothers Adam and Omar AbuHewaydi.

The boys started a fundraising campaign in August 2016 to make their Warren Park home accessible for Adam, 15, who lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare disease that affects the muscles and eventually leads to muscle loss.

They raised close to $100,000 from donations and lemonade sales at their local Loblaws, located near Jane and Dundas streets, for a renovation - but the boys are approximately $30,000 short.

That $30,000 would go toward installing an elevator, according to 10year-old Omar.

He told The Bloor West Villager they also need to raise close to $45,000 for a new accessible van so that Adam can be transported around the city. l See BROTHER, page 12

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Adam Abu-Hewaydi, a Humber Valley-area resident, started selling lemonade to help raise funds to retrofit his family’s house.

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MONEY MATTERS

3

Residents struggle to stay afloat as income disparity in Toronto grows JOANNA LAVOIE jlavoie@insidetoronto.com North York resident Cathleen Trinh, mom to three-year-old Charlie, keeps a fairly tight rein on her finances.

Trinh, who works in Richmond Hill, directs a notable portion of her earnings to child care.

"It is manageable with my income. I’m pretty lucky, but it could be better," said Trinh, who is on a waiting list for a child care subsidy. "The Canada Child Tax Benefit helps me a lot."

Since becoming a single mom a year ago, Trinh said she’s learned a lot more about how to access government resources and tax breaks. She’s currently working to save up enough money to purchase a property in the city.

"One of the major financial challenges is trying to own something. It’s basically impossible," admitted Trinh, who came to Canada from Germany 14 years ago. "I have not given up hope on home ownership, but I’m not ready for it yet. Maybe in the next year if the prices aren’t crazy."

Trinh’s situation is a common one for people in Toronto who earn between $40,000 and $90,000 annually.

Danielle C., a mother of young two sons from East

MIDDLE CLASS CHALLENGES ANDREA GASCA A Beach resident for 16 years, Andreea Gasca is prepared to make sacrifices so that her 12-year-old daughter Nikita can reap the benefits of growing up in a diverse, multicultural city.

"I’m staying in Toronto because of what it can teach my child. I want my daughter to have an open mind. From an arts and culture standpoint, Toronto offers so much," shared Gasca, who works for the Attorney General’s office.

Originally from Montreal, Gasca said to stay afloat she’s had to find creative ways to stretch a dollar.

"We’ve developed an addiction to Value Village and the Facebook (buy and sell) groups. You have to find ways to make it work," said Gasca, who has only taken one vacation in 12 years. "It’s tough to get ahead, to make ends meet."

Gasca said inflation is a key reason why she struggles to get ahead even if her income has increased in recent years.

ALICIA PENNY Scarborough resident Alicia Penny, her partner, and their two-year-old son, Elijah, are also working hard to stay afloat.

Toronto is home and she feels her family has the right to live here.

"Our roots are here. It’s just too much to up and move somewhere else where you don’t know anybody," she told Metroland Media Toronto.

Penny, who has lived in the city for the majority of her life, said one of the challenges her young family faces is the cost of housing.

"It requires a lot of juggling," she admitted.

Both Penny, who works in landscaping, and her partner, a mechanic by trade, are both currently receiving disability benefits. She said the challenge is that any extra income earned or any savings or assets they had are counted against them.

"It’s tough to get ahead," she said.

which still ring true today, also show that the average income is rising significantly in downtown and the north end, essentially pushing out those who earn less.

Sean Meagher, executive director of Social Planning Toronto, spends his days advocating for affordability for Toronto’s roughly one million households.

Together with his team, he works to build a Toronto where everyone has the "means to participate" in society.

"We don’t want people pushed into pockets. We want people to be able to live everywhere in the city and afford to do so," he said. "I think it’s valuable (to the city) and an investment we have to make."

Recently, the council has been pushing Toronto to do better in a campaign of the same name. Part of "Toronto Can Do Better" includes lobbying the city to look at the bigger picture and invest in transit, good jobs, and affordable housing in its 2017 budget.

"Our view is, let’s budget smart. We want a plan that makes sense. It’s about making choices that meet our needs versus the numbers we like," he said, pointing to the importance of considering interconnections like the health benefits of providing people with affordable, quality housing when it comes to city budgeting.

Social Planning Toronto has also been working

Submitted photo

Cathleen Trinh and her son Charlie, 3, are feeling the financial pressures of living in Toronto.

York, would love to own her own home in the city but realizes it’s just not possible with her family’s $80,000 annual income and their current monthly expenditures, which includes $2,000 for daycare.

"We could afford the mortgage payment but the challenge is to pay down our consumer debt and save for the down payment," said Danielle, who asked to not use her full name for privacy reasons.

"Five years would be the earliest my partner and I could consider a house, if all things fall into place."

Regardless, she said the benefits of city life, notably its diversity, walka-

bility, and access to public transit, outweigh the dream of home ownership.

A decade ago, University of Toronto professor David Hulchanski published a groundbreaking report, Three Cities Within Toronto, which looked at income polarization in Toronto by neighbourhood from 1970 to 2005.

In early 2015, Hulchanski and his team of researchers provided an update to that initial report.

They found that the city’s wealth is becoming even more concentrated in the central part of the city with less affluent areas growing in Toronto’s outer limits. The findings,

to help politicians better understand how budget cuts directly impact real people’s lives and how adding to the city’s coffers through a small property tax increase can be beneficial for all.

WoodGreen Community Services, a long-standing social service agency in east Toronto, is one of many organizations across the city helping Torontonians find ways to afford their lives and thrive.

"Income stress affects all income levels. You don’t have to be in the lowest income bracket to feel the stress of affordability," said Diane Dyson, director of research and public policy. "We help people who are trying to find resources."

Dyson and her colleagues work to better understand how decisions made by the government directly affect people’s lives, and identify and improve the "missing pieces" in the system. A major part of their work is addressing the lack of affordable housing in Toronto.

For Steven Vanderherberg, the agency’s director of strategic initiatives, it’s all about helping people living with less find the right balance of income and expenses, and to help them be autonomous and better "afford their lives."

WoodGreen runs yearlong income tax clinics as well as a host of Financial Empowerment Services to help people increase their financial literacy, manage their debt, create a budget, access government income sources.

-with files from Torstar News

| Bloor West Villager | Thursday, March 2, 2017

Middle class Torontonians feeling the squeeze

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EDITORIAL | OPINION

• OUR VIEW •

ABOUT US

Let’s not shoot the messengers There’s a troubling trend taking place in the political discourse of late.

The news media is in the crosshairs and coming under increasing fire by those who would prefer to be the subject of propaganda instead of public scrutiny.

The latest salvo came Friday when U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a double whammy, with White House press secretary Sean Spicer barring a number of news agencies, including the New York Times and CNN, from the daily briefing and the commander-inchief himself again referring to the media as "the enemy of the American people" in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

It’s an escalation of a campaign intended to sow distrust in the media that’s been ongoing since Trump’s election campaign, with Orwellian terms such as "alternative facts" and "fake news" now entering the lexicon.

A free press is an institution so integral to a functioning democracy that Thomas Jefferson is famously quoted as having said: "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." That’s among the reasons why many academics and experts have expressed concern with the Trump administration’s repeatedly adversarial stance toward the media with retired Navy Admiral William McRaven, leader of the 2011 operation that killed Osama bin Laden, calling it "the greatest threat to democracy in my lifetime" and Republican Senator John McCain cautioning that suppressing the press is "how dictators get started."

While the hostility toward the media is not as prevalent here in Canada, it’s becoming more common to see eerily similar rhetoric dotting the comments sections of news websites and social media feeds.

A big part of the news media’s role is holding elected officials, at all levels of government, to account for their actions and the decisions they make and to protect your right to know.

At the same time, we’re accountable for our coverage to you, the public.

It’s OK for politicians and the public to disagree with the manner in which a story is covered or offer additional information that can make the narrative more clear but there’s a massive difference between that and allegations of fabrication and deliberate falsehood.

By all means, don’t hesitate to critique and question news stories, we welcome it but let’s also be careful not to shoot the messenger.

The Bloor West Villager, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 100 community publications across Ontario.

The Bloor West Villager is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca

newsroom@insidetoronto.com facebook.com/InsideToronto @InsideTOnews

Serving universities, living in poverty They serve meals on Toronto campuses, but can they afford meat for their families?

They deal with hundreds of customers a day, and are expected to smile.

Until now. Food servers at York University and University of Toronto Scarborough are on strike.

Keisha Latty, on the job at York for 11 years, says the pay is insulting.

She needs $1,200 for rent, plus babysitting money and food for her three kids. Last week, she hadn’t paid her February rent, and March was just days away.

"You can’t afford to buy food in the city anymore.

There’s no affordable rent in the city anymore," Latty says. And TTC fares go

MIKE ADLER Edges of Toronto up, "so when you go home, you go home with nothing."

Latty actually has one of the highest salaries in her unit, $15.41 an hour.

Most of the 220 people represented by UNITE Here, Local 75 on York’s Downsview campus, and 60 at UTSC, get $11.50 to $12.21.

After 10 years, Maddelena Funarolo’s pay is

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CONTACT US Bloor West Villager 175 Gordon Baker Road Toronto, ON M2H 0A2 Phone: 416-493-4400 Fax: 416-774-2070 Web: www.insidetoronto.com

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$12.21, not up even by $2.

"How do you feed a family?" she asks. "How?" Their contracts are not with the universities but Aramark, a U.S. company.

Meanwhile, servers at U of T’s St. George campus, working for U of T directly, get $18 or $20 an hour.

Servers at the suburban campuses deserve those same wages, wages they can live on.

Darrell and Maureen Jansen have served UTSC students and staff for 10 years.

Maureen gets $11.50, Darrell $12.66; he was promoted recently but Aramark didn’t increase his pay.

Their two children are in college. The Jansens rent a north Scarborough house for $1,000 a month, have no savings, and while

on strike, no income.

Like other servers, they say their fight isn’t just for money but the next generation. They also want more respect from an employer constantly pushing more work on them.

"We are strong. We will fight to our last," Maureen says.

Growing fast and planning big things, York and UTSC say they’re "anchor institutions" committed to raising up the communities around them. That’s a lie if full-time employees on those campuses don’t make a living wage.

Edges of Toronto is a column about how people see life in Toronto differently, depending on where they live. Reach Mike Adler at madler@insidetoronto.com

WHO WE ARE Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail customersupport@metroland. com or call 1-855-853-5613.

Publisher Dana Robbins General Manager John Willems Director of Advertising Cheryl Phillips

Editor-in-Chief Metroland Central Joanne Burghardt Editor-in-Chief Toronto Grace Peacock Managing Editor Georgia Balogiannis

Director Distribution Mike Banville Director Creative Services Katherine Porcheron Advertising Manager Alison Fauquier

NEWS

5

Toronto Council approves $32.4-million centre HILARY CATON hcaton@insidetoronto.com The Sorauren Park community in Parkdale is one step closer to getting a longawaited community centre on Wabash Avenue.

The $32.4-million Wabash Community Centre project was approved at city council Feb. 15 in the Parks, Forestry and Recreations capital budget plan and overall city budget.

"The community has been looking forward to having a community centre like this within walking distance for a really long time and with the increased population and density in our neighbourhood, it’s something that we really need," said Joel Campbell, chair of the

Friends of Sorauren Park, formerly the Wabash Building Society.

The project will enter a pre-engineering phase with a budget of $50,000 and then move to the design portion from 2018 to 2019.

Construction is projected to begin the following year with the finished community centre projected to be built by 2022 or 2023.

Once completed, the centre, located at 40 Wabash Ave., will be a cityowned and operated community centre.

"It just feels like it’s the missing piece of the puzzle.

It’s the crown jewel of Sorauren Park," Campbell added "It’s been about 17 years in the making."

The Wabash CC is one of a five community centres to be built under the City of Toronto’s 10-year capital plan for 2015-2025 with the funding of $234.4 million.

The community has a list of ideas for the centre which include a communi-

COMPLIMENTARY

Metroland

An artist’s concept of the future Wabash Community Centre, housed in the old linseed oil mill property, is one piece of the Sorauren Park vision. ty kitchen, multipurpose rooms, a fitness centre, a pool, gymnasium and talks of a daycare centre.

In 2009 the community group also conducted a Wabash Green Feasibility

WITH

EXTERIOR CAR WASH INTERIOR

VACUUM

Study, with Oleson Worland_Taylor Smyth Architects. The study looked at the renovation, retrofitting and redevelopment of the vacant industrial building.

The purpose of the study

was to address the potential redesign of the existing building and adjacent parkland, examining the potential reuse of the building as a community centre / cultural hub and integrat-

FREE

ing sustainable, ’green’ building features into the design.

Eight years later, keeping the building is still a desired outcome by the Friends of Sorauren Park.

"We really like the building . as a group we like the look of the building and it fits into Wabash Street very well and is a nice tip of the hat to what Wabash used to be," Campbell explained.

"We have our fingers crossed that the site visits determine that the building is still salvageable and can be repurposed. We’re really looking forward to finding out more about that because it is an iconic look for the neighbourhood."

Moving forward, the Friends of Sorauren Park are aiming to act as a liaison between the community and the city, with community meetings, discussion and a possible survey to get a sense of what the community is looking for in the centre in the future.

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| Bloor West Villager | Thursday, March 2, 2017

Wabash Community Centre project gets green light

Bloor West Villager | Thursday, March 2, 2017 |

6

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MILLENNIAL MISSION

Millennial Mission: everything you need to know Employment.

Education. Entrepreneurship.

These are the three pillars upon which the Millennial Mission is built.

Metroland Media has embarked on a conversation with a generation of people who are currently finding their niche in a competitive world.

Through this conversation our journalists will investigate if students currently enrolled in post-secondary education in Ontario are being adequately prepared for the constantly changing workforce.

We ask students in colleges and universities to answer the question:, "Why are I here?" And their answers, on video, are as unique as should be expected from a demographic that won’t be pigeonholed.

We look at the job market from all sides and ask

those in the know to predict where savvy wage earners should place their hopes, dreams and aspirations for a rewarding career.

We also talk to employers about their expectations from the education system, from workers and where they are placing their bets for a secure economic future.

This is a demographic that defies description and

for many individuals in their 20s and early 30s, a job just won’t cut it. Entrepreneurship is as likely a path to a successful future as a job or handful of degrees and Millennials are creating their own future through creativity, daring, hard work and sheer will.

Our conversation focuses on their journey as well.

The Millennial Mission is now live on our website at insidetoronto.com/millennialmission Visit us and see what young people are saying now about the future. And then visit us again because we’re not done yet. This conversation is lively, pointed, and informative and it will go on for as long as you have questions to be answered about possible future paths.

Come talk with us. We’re listening.

CONSUMER FEATURE

Famous PEOPLE Players’ Mary Thornton celebrates 101 birthday with famous guests

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Famous PEOPLE Players has a rich history in Canada. The theatre company broke down barriers and inspired inclusion across the country. In February, the company celebrated the 101st birthday of matriarch Mary Thornton.

Mary was the original costume designer and prop-maker for the company, and was the Director of the Visual Effects Department.

Her stunning creations have been seen on Broadway, Radio City Music Hall and around the world.

To celebrate her centennial, Famous PEOPLE Players held a special lunch hosted by Alex Trebek where Mary received a message from Queen Elizabeth II. Later that year, Mary suffered a shoulder injury that kept her from the theatre for nearly half a year.

She returned to Famous PEOPLE players in time for the Christmas season, where she resumed her role washing and pressing more than 4000 tablecloths.

“That’s just the kind of woman she is,” says Diane, extremely

Photo by Bill Wittman

proud of her tireless mother. In January this year Mary was hospitalized with pneumonia, Diane was unsure if her mother would make it. “It was a very last minute event, we weren’t even going to do anything, but we started getting calls about Mary’s birthday.”

For her birthday, Mary dedicated a seat in the theatre to each musician in the Chris Ellis Trio for their 3 year commitment & dedication to playing music every other Saturday evening.

Mary also had a star dedicated to Greg Kozak, the first performer at

the company, and after all these years, he returned to the theatre to see it.

Etobicoke MP James Maloney presented an award, and Councillor Mark Grimes and Senator Don Meredith were in attendance, along with Juno winner Patti Janetta, singer Adrian Luces and Jackie Richardson. The Cheese Boutique provided a spread of cheese from around the world.

For more information on Famous PEOPLE Players visit www. famouspeopleplayers.com

FOOD

7

Canned food, juice needed for drive March 19 to 29 More than 2,000 food boxes will be assembled and delivered as part of this year’s Passover Food Drive to help Jewish families in need celebrate the holiday.

Each of the 2,500 boxes will contain most of the essentials needed for two meals for up to three Greater Toronto Area (GTA) residents who may be living in poverty, are recent immigrants, have disabilities or are in financial dire straits.

The Passover Food Drive, organized by the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada, Toronto Section (NCJWC-TS), will run Sunday, March 19 to Wednesday, March 29, with delivery day set for Sunday, April 2.

Of the estimated 200,000 Jewish people living in Toronto, some 26,000 live below the poverty line, according to NCJWC-TS. The boxes, filled with traditional Passover food, will be packed and delivered to those in need in Toronto and the GTA. Volunteer drivers are needed April 2 to deliver boxes between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. starting from 4700 Bathurst St. Along with volunteers, the food drive is also looking for monetary donations, with cash going toward purchasing perishable items, such as chicken.

Passover, which celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, begins the evening of Monday, April 10 and ends the evening of Tuesday, April 18.

Food items, including apple juice, apple sauce, cake mix, canned fruit, canned tuna, cereal, sweets, farfel, grape juice, jam, and vegetable soup mix can be dropped off in Toronto and York Region at Sobeys, 9200 Bathurst St. at Rutherford Road; Longo’s, 9306 Bathurst St. at Rutherford Road; Loblaws, 396 St. Clair Avenue, east of Bathurst Street;

SAMKO & MIKO

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Canned tuna and juice, are needed for this year’s drive.

Submitted photo

Longo’s, 808 York Mills Rd., east of Leslie Street; Pat’s No Frills, 270 Wilson Ave. at Bathurst Street; Metro in Lawrence Plaza, 3090 Bathurst St. at Lawrence Avenue; and Metro, 600 Sheppard Ave. at Bathurst Street.

The Passover Food Drive began in 1983 when members of the NCJWC-TS noted there were some members of their community in need of food during Passover. That year, 25 kosher for Passover food boxes were packed and delivered.

For information, to donate, or for driver volunteer information email pfd@ncjwctoronto.org or call 416-633-5100.

CORRECTION In the Michaels ad starting on February 24, 2017, the below offers were stated in error.

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• “Everyday Value $8-$25 for Belmont Frames & Shadow Boxes by Studio Décor®” was stated in error on page 4. The statement should have read “Everyday Value $7.99-$24.99 for Belmont Frames & Shadow Boxes by Studio Décor®”.

• “Everyday Value $15 for Value Packs by Craft Smart®” was stated in error on page 4. The statement should have read “Everyday Value $14.99 for Value Packs by Craft Smart®”.

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Tell us what you think Visit toronto.ca/stormwatercharge to: • Learn more about the proposed stormwater charge • Get a complete list of the public consultation dates and locations • Complete the survey What is stormwater?

Stormwater is rain and melted snow.

When not absorbed into the ground, it runs off properties onto streets, down storm drains and through a complex network of pipes that carry it into local waterways or, in some cases, wastewater treatment facilities. Generally, the more hard surfaces a property has the more stormwater it adds to the stormwater system.

RESIDENTIAL Assumes annual water use of 265 cubic metres and a lot size of 0.037 ha (approx. 4,000 sq ft)

What is the challenge?

An increase in extreme storms, combined with more hard surfaces in the city is resulting in more water making its way into the stormwater system. Too much water can overwhelm the system leading to flooded basements and poor water quality in local waterways, including Lake Ontario.

How is stormwater managed?

Making infrastructure improvements is necessary to manage the impacts of stormwater. To help manage stormwater, the City is creating new holding ponds, tanks and tunnels, and overhauling some sewer infrastructure that is more than 100 years old.

How will a stormwater charge affect water bills?

The proposal is to remove the portion paid for stormwater – currently embedded in the water rate – and show it as a separate charge on the bill. The water rate will decrease and a stormwater charge will be added. The amount paid for stormwater will be based on property size and the average amount of hard surfaces on properties of a similar size. Some bills will go up and some will go down.

The examples on the right use proposed 2019 water rates. They are examples only, because water use and lot size differ for all properties.

Why is a stormwater charge being considered?

There is a growing need for new and upgraded stormwater infrastructure.

Toronto City Council will be considering the stormwater charge in the spring of 2017.

PROPOSAL: LOWER WATER RATE + STORMWATER CHARGE Water rate charge: Water rate charge: $805 $1,038 Stormwater charge: $225 Total annual bill: $1,038 Total annual bill: $1,030 Per day: $2.84 Per day: $2.82 Annual difference: -$8 -0.8% CURRENT

APARTMENT & CONDO BUILDINGS Assumes annual water use of 2,557 cubic metres and a lot size of 0.088 ha (approx. 9,500 sq ft) PROPOSAL: CURRENT LOWER WATER RATE + STORMWATER CHARGE Water rate charge: Water rate charge: $7,771 $10,018 Stormwater charge: $860 Total annual bill: Total annual bill: $8,631 $10,018 Per day: $27.45 Per day: $23.65 Annual difference: -$1,387 -13.8% INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL & INSTITUTIONAL Assumes annual water use of 532 cubic metres and a lot size of 0.052 ha (approx. 5,600 sq ft) PROPOSAL: CURRENT LOWER WATER RATE + STORMWATER CHARGE Water rate charge: Water rate charge: $1,617 $2,084 Stormwater charge: $530 Total annual bill: $2,084 Total annual bill: $2,147 Per day: $5.71 Per day: $5.88 Annual difference: $62 3.0%

Meet with City re presentatives by attending one of our formal presentations* • Scarborough Civic Centre Tu esday, March 7 • East York Civi c Centre Monda y, March 20 • Etobicoke Civi c Centre Thursd ay, March 23 • York Civic Ce ntre Tuesday, M ar ch 28 • Metro Hall Th ursday, March 30 (4 p.m. to 9 p.m.)

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Bloor West Villager | Thursday, March 2, 2017 |

12 WELLNESS

Brother seeks ’freedom’ for sibling in wheelchair l Continued from front

In August, Adam Abu-Hewaydi, a Humber Valley-area resident, started selling lemonade at his local grocery store to help raise funds to retrofit the bathroom and install an elevator in the house he shares with his grandmother Garfa and younger brother Omar.

Dan Pearce/Metroland

"It’s not like any ordinary van," he said. "It has to have a ramp so he can get in and it has to have special seat-belts so he is locked in for safety."

When Adam was six years old, his mother passed away from brain cancer at the age of 27. Since then, the boys have been raised by their grandparents.

As his conditions worsened, it became harder for him to get around the house. He relies on a motorized wheelchair to get around, which weighs almost 300 pounds, Omar said.

Since renovations began in January, the boys and their grandmother, Gafra, 66, have been temporarily living at Emily’s House, a pediatric residential hospice in Riverdale.

Gafra said they cannot live at their home because the dust will hurt Adam’s lungs, so she said she’s trying to find a place to live so that Emily’s House has room to bring in other families.

"They (Emily’s House) really helped us," she said. "But, there are other children that need help."

The roughly $220,000 renovation is being done by Accessible Daily Living (ADL), a contracting company that specializes in

modifying and creating accessible homes.

ADL has covered the majority of the costs for the bathroom, which they have since completed according to managing partner John Groe.

"We have to still install the ceiling lift that will help transport Adam from his bedroom into the bathroom," he told The Villager.

"We’re going to be connecting all relative environments for him and that would be his bedroom, his bathroom and his access throughout the home which would be provided through a four-stop elevator that we have just started creating."

Groe added ADL is expected to finish in the spring, and Omar said it feels good to know construction is being done.

"I want him to get the same things I get," Omar said. "I want him to have freedom in the house."

Looking back at their journey and the challenges that face them, Adam said he just wants it to be over so he can go back home.

"I want it to be done soon," he said. "I want it to be done so I get back to doing stuff I love to do at home."

For more information about the campaign, visit www.gofundme.com/adamwantshelp.

– with files from Lisa Rainford

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Bloor West Villager | Thursday, March 2, 2017 |

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Large crowd converges on meeting about Bloor West’s future City of Toronto hoping to complete it by the end of the year

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AARON D’ANDREA adandrea@metroland.com Close to 100 residents packed the gym at St. Pius X Catholic School to learn more and weigh in on the Bloor West Village Avenue Study.

The first community consultation meeting was held at the school on Feb. 27.

The study, which started earlier this year, will assess land uses, transportation, servicing infrastructure, community services, facilities, built form character and redevelopment potential for Bloor Street West between Keele Street and the Humber River, the City of Toronto said on its website.

They added the study will evaluate existing conditions, develop a vision for the study area and establish recommendations for future development and infrastructure improvements.

Resident Susan Zalepa told the Bloor West Villager she hopes the guidelines the study produces will have future developments respect the character and history of the area.

"We need history to see

Justin Greaves/Metroland

The City of Toronto held it’s first Community Consultation Meeting and Public Open House for the Bloor West Village Avenue Study on Monday, Feb. 27, at St. Pius X Catholic School. where we’ve been," she said. "If the whole city just dumps history, than what good is it?"

Zalepa added the area’s highrise developments have limited Bloor West’s small retail shops.

"The highrises are my main concern," she said. "I mean, eight-storeys are fine, but I don’t want anything to go past that."

The study is being done by the city’s consulting team, which is led by landscape architects DTAH and includes R.E. Millward + Associates Ltd., WSP | MMM Group Limited, Swerhun, Taylor Hazell Architects and J.C. Williams Group.

Rita Bijons, co-chair of Green 13, told the Villager the consulting team needs to look at the area’s natural heritage when conducting

the study.

"What I’m most concerned about is how are we going to protect our natural heritage?" she said. "What is our connection with nature going to look like if we continue to intensify the area?"

Parkdale-High Park Coun. Sarah Doucette said she was impressed with the turnout at the meeting.

"This is a very important community," she said.

"Bloor Street runs through one end of our ward (Ward 13) to the other."

The study has four phases, and is currently in Phase 1: existing conditions assessment.

The city is hoping to complete it by the end of the year.

For more information about the study, visit: bit.ly/bwvavenuestudy

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Bloor West Villager | Thursday, March 2, 2017 |

16 EVENTS

l Saturday, March 4 Progressive Euchre WHEN: 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. WHERE: Mount Dennis Legion, 1050 Weston Rd, Toronto CONTACT: 416-767-0231 COST: $6 Progressive euchre takes place on first Saturday monthly November to April. Registration at 7 p.m. 10 games. Cash prizes, cash bar. l Monday, March 6 Education Forum: How Choices in High School Affect Your Future WHEN: 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. WHERE: York Civic Centre, 2700 Eglinton Ave. West, Toronto CONTACT: 416-351-0095 COST: A community conversation on high school course selection and the role of public educationwith impressive panel. Visit website to register and for more info.

Income Tax Clinic WHEN: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. WHERE: Evelyn Gregory Library, 120 Trowell Ave., Toronto CONTACT: 416-394-1006 COST: Certified Professional Accountants provide a free service to help those on low income fill out income tax returns. Appointment only.

Work your finances like a boss WHEN: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. WHERE:

l GET

CONNECTED

Visit insidetoronto.com/events to submit your own community events for online publishing.

Oakwood Village Library and Arts Centre, 341 Oakwood Ave, Toronto CONTACT: 416-394-1040 COST: Learn how to budget, pay down debt efficiently and leverage your TFSA and RRSP. The New School of Finance will make it fun and show you how. l Wednesday, March 8 International Women’s Day WHEN: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. WHERE: North York Women’s Centre (Industry Street), 116 Industry Street, Toronto CONTACT: 416781-0479, info@nywc.org COST: Annual International Women’s Day celebration. This year’s theme is #Be Bold for Change.

Meet women taking bold steps big and small. l Thursday, March 9 Adult Colouring Club WHEN: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. WHERE: Evelyn Gregory Library, 120 Trowell Ave., Toronto CONTACT: 416-394-1006 COST: Colouring can reduce stress, improve focus, and strengthen fine motor skills. All materials

provided. Drop-in. Every other Thursday to June 29. l Friday, March 10 Karaoke WHEN: 8 p.m. - 1 a.m. WHERE: Mount Dennis Legion, 1050 Weston Rd, Toronto CONTACT: 416-767-0231 COST: Karaoke with host Peter DeBruin.

Cash bar. Come out and sing! l Monday, March 13 Movie Mania WHEN: 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. WHERE: Evelyn Gregory Library, 120 Trowell Ave., Toronto CONTACT: 416-394-1006 COST: Join in for some afternoon fun with a family-friendly flick l Tuesday, March 14 Fast Forward with Vincent Pang WHEN: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. WHERE: Jane/Dundas Library, 620 Jane St., Toronto CONTACT: Green 13, http://www.green13toronto.org/ event/fast-forward-free-screeningand-discussion COST: Fast Forward with Vincent Pang: Free screening followed by discussion).

SEEKING NEW BOARD MEMBERS The Swansea Town Hall is the former Village of Swansea Municipal Building owned and funded by the City of Toronto. It is managed by a Board of Management appointed by the City of Toronto from the community. The Town Hall is a community resource providing a broad range of community and recreation programs for the benefit of the Swansea catchment area and the greater Toronto community.

We are currently seeking persons to fill vacant positions on the Board of Directors of the Swansea Town Hall Association and on the Board of Management of the Swansea Town Hall Community Centre.

We are seeking applicants who: • Have an understanding of and commitment to the neighbourhood and community within the Swansea catchment area; • Reflect the cultural and social diversity of the community; • Have knowledge and understanding of community and public service; • Are team players who possess good communication and decision making skills and • Are willing to serve on Board committees dealing with matters such as governance, finance, community engagement, capital projects and human resources.

As of Thursday, February 23rd, 2017, an application package will be available on our website or may be picked up at:

insidetoronto.com

Swansea Town Hall 95 Lavinia Avenue, Toronto M6S 3H9 Phone (416) 392-1954 Email: app@swanseatownhall.ca Website: www.swanseatownhall.ca Please submit your applications to the attention of the Nominating Committee, Swansea Town Hall, at the above address. The deadline for submission of applications is 12:00 pm Monday, March 20th, 2017.

5 things to do this weekend l Friday, March 3 Curious Minds Weekend WHEN: 12 p.m. - 11 p.m. WHERE: Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, 506 Bloor St W., Toronto CONTACT: 416-637-3123 COST: Various packages In-depth on-stage discussions, meet innovative thinkers and explore the most urgent and exciting issues of our time.

Toronto Light Festival WHEN: 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. WHERE: The Historic Distillery District, 55 Mill St., Toronto CONTACT: Kathleen Stelmach, kathleen@torchiacom.com, http://www.torontolightfest.com/ The Toronto Light Festival is on until March 12. Hours: Sunday to Wednesday, sundown to 10 p.m.

Thursday to Saturday, sundown to 11 p.m. l Saturday, March 4 TMC hymn sing WHEN: 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. WHERE: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St., Toronto CONTACT: 416-598-0422 COST: $35 (general seating); VOXTIX (30 & under) $20

Justin Greaves/Metroland

The Toronto Light Festival at The Historic Distillery District.

Join in a stirring hymn sing with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, all accompanied by the great Yorkminster Park organ. l Sunday, March 5 SingONtario!

WHEN: 1 p.m. - 9 p.m. WHERE: Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge Street, Toronto CONTACT: info@choirsontario.org COST: Various prices Ontario’s premiere choral event including non-competitive adjudicated choir performances, clinics,

workshops and massed festival choir.

ORIANA Women’s Choir Concert WHEN: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. WHERE: Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd., Toronto CONTACT: Laura Inostroza, 416-526-6257, info@orianachoir.com, http:// orianachoir.com/ COST: Adults $25. Seniors $20. FT Student $10 Two major works for women’s voices, from the 20th and 18th centuries.

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17 | Bloor West Villager | Thursday, March 2, 2017

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Bloor West Villager | Thursday, March 2, 2017 |

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| Bloor West Villager | Thursday, March 2, 2017

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Bloor West Villager | Thursday, March 2, 2017 |

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