Etobicoke Apartments March 23, 2017

THURSDAY MARCH 23, 2017

SO MANY PEOPLE CAME JUST TO SAY GOOD-BYE.

It was so fitting, as Mom always went out of her way to say hello.

Celebrate a loved one’s life in a way that would reflect their tastes, their interests, their personality, the way they lived their life. Create a service that’s exactly how they would have wanted it.

416-259-3705

3080 Lake Shore Blvd. West.

RidleyFuneralHome.com

LIGHTS

North American Body Shop of the Year Proudly Serving Etobicoke for over 40 years

After struggling with sky-high hydro bills, Ontario residents like Sheryl Oldfield are going to see some relief with the government’s rate cut this summer. But she’s not celebrating and neither are critics who say the system is still broken /p3

395 Evans Avenue • 416-259-6344

ONLINE at insidetoronto.com News, events and information on your desktop, laptop or mobile device

Events Calendar

See what’s happening by visiting our online community calendar. www.insidetoronto.com/events

uReport the news newsroom@insidetoronto.com www.facebook.com/InsideToronto @InsideTOnews insidetoronto.com/ureport Justin Greaves/Metroland

Begin this NEW YEAR WITH GIVING YOUR BODY

what it DESERVES

VISIT US IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD 1000 Islington Avenue, Unit 3 416-259-5197 Etobicoke, ON M8Z 4P8

Choose from 100s of body cleansing, detox & weight loss products.

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Etobicoke Guardian | Thursday, March 23, 2017 |

2

GET A SUPER DEAL FROM THE SUPER FAN!

Rexdale Hyundai Inventory Clearout Sale!

Open Sunday March 26th from 11am - 4pm for your convenience (only at Rexdale Hyundai)

0% $5,000

Lease & Finance Rates on

select modelsנ

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In price adjustments on select modelsΩ

The All-New

2017 Elantra L Man al When equipped with Autonomous Emergency Braking and HID headlights with Adaptive Cornering System (built after March 2016)

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2016 Veloster Ba 6Mt • H a d fron a • R mo k yl n ry

20,445 -$5,450 Now

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2017 Santa Fe Sport

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For 96 Months† with $995 down or equivalent trade-in

in price ce adjustments tmentsΩ excluding ding 2.4L FWD

D al r may harg addi ional f for admini ra ion of p o $499. charg may vary by d al r.

5-YEAR/100,000 KM Comprehensive Limited Warranty

5-YEAR/100,000 KM Powertrain Warranty

5-YEAR/100,000 KM Emission Warranty

5-year/Unlimited km 24h Roadside Assistance

insidetoronto.com

SERVICE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK!

®/™The Hyundai names, logos, product names, feature names, images and slogans are trademarks owned by Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ‡Cash price of $10,995 available on all remaining new in stock 2017 Accent L Manual 5 Door models. Price includes Delivery and Destination charge of $1,595, fees, levies and all applicable charges (excluding HST). Price excludes registration, insurance, PPSA, license fees and dealer admin. fees of up to $499. Fees may vary by dealer. ◊Leasing offers available O.A.C. from Hyundai Financial Services based on a new 2017 Elantra L Manual/2017 Tucson 2.0L FWD with an annual lease rate of 0%/0%. Weekly lease payment of $39/$59 for a 39/39-month walk-away lease. Down payment of $0/$995 and first monthly payment required. Trade-in value may be applied to down payment amount. Total lease obligation is $6,633/$10,983. Lease offers include Delivery and Destination charges of $1,695/$1,795, levies, and all applicable charges (excluding HST). Lease offer excludes registration, insurance, PPSA, license fees and dealer admin. Fees of up to $499. Fees may vary by dealer. $0 security deposit on all models. 16,000 km allowance per year applies. Additional charge of $0.12/km. †Finance offers available O.A.C. from Hyundai Financial Services based on the 2017 Elantra L Manual/2017 Tucson 2.0L FWD / 2017 Santa Fe Sport 2.4L FWD models with an annual finance rate of 0%/0%/0%. Weekly payments are $44/$72/$69 for 84/84/96 months. $0/ $0/$995 down payment required. Trade-in value may be applied to down payment amount. Cash price is $15,727/$26,177/ $29,827. Cost of borrowing is $0/$0/$0. $750 price adjustment for 2017 Tucson 2.0L FWD on finance and cash offers only. Finance offer includes Delivery and Destination charge of $1,695/$1,795/$1,895, levies and all applicable charges (excluding HST). Finance offer excludes registration, insurance, PPSA, license fees, and dealer admin. fees of up to $499. Fees may vary by dealer. ΩPrice adjustments are calculated against the vehicle’s starting price. Price adjustments of $5,000 available on all 2016 Sonata models and price adjustment of up to $3,000 on all Santa Fe Sport trims, excluding the 2.4L FWD and available only on cash purchase.

Price adjustments applied before taxes. Offer cannot be combined or used in conjunction with any other available offers. Offer is non-transferable and cannot be assigned. No vehicle trade-in required. ♦Price of models shown: 2017 Elantra Ultimate/2017 Accent GLS Auto/2017 Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate/2017 Tucson 1.6T Ultimate are $30,627/ $21,727/$46,627/$40,627. Prices include Delivery and Destination charges of $1,695/$1,595/$1,895/$1,795, levies and all applicable charges (excluding HST). Prices exclude registration, insurance, PPSA, license fees and dealer admin. fees of up to $499. Fees may vary by dealer. ‡◊†ΩOffers available for a limited time and subject to change or cancellation without notice. Dealer may sell for less. Inventory is limited, dealer order may be required. Visit www.hyundaicanada.com or see dealer for complete details. ††Hyundai’s Comprehensive Limited Warranty coverage covers most vehicle components against defects in workmanship under normal use and maintenance conditions. 2016 Veloster available while quantities last. $2000 manufacturer’s incentive 0.0% financing upto 96 months o.a.c. available on all trim levels.

3

Caught in a power struggle

MORE ONLINE www.insidetoronto.com/hydro

Residents, critics wary of hydro rate cut that defers costs onto future generations

Sheryl feels the premier is “buying votes.”

“It’s a shell game,” he said, adding the province is deferring debt charges and he believes these fees will be charged to JUSTIN SKINNER Ontarians through their income JOHN EDWARDS tax. The government needs to SIMON MARTIN come clean on the real costs of producing hydro and then develThis summer we’ll see a break op a plan to adjust rates, he said. on hydro bill costs, but some The government’s new residents particularly hard hit measures also include helpby high rates and delivery fees, ing low-income residents and aren’t buying it. broadening the rural and remote Erin couple Sheryl and John rate protection program by subOldfield received a $1,406 hydro sidizing rural homeowners who bill in January for their home have unusually high distribuand hobby farm. The delivery tion rates. The savings could be charge was $463. between $12 and $75 depending They’ve replaced all light on consumption and rate plan. bulbs with LEDs at a cost of Those subsidies will cost the more than $1,000, and the house government’s treasury, and taxincludes a geo-thermal heating payers, about $2.5 billion over the system as well as wood firenext three years. places.

Critics say lowering the cost “We’re saving the environof hydro artificially without ment but we’re not saving addressing broader strucany money,” Sheryl tural issues is a missaid. “If this contake. tinues, we have to “Nothing in the ‘Nothing in the move.” government’s new government’s new Premier plan changes the plan changes the Kathleen Wynne underlying costs announced of the power sysunderlying costs March 2 that tem,” said energy of the power the government consultant Tom would reduce Adams. system.” hydro rates by He challenged 25 per cent, which the notion that Wyn– Tom Adams, includes the eight ne’s plan was like refienergy per cent rebate on the nancing a mortgage. consultant Ontario portion of the “Not true. Her plan is HST. In order to do this, like refinancing monthly the plan refinances the rental costs. The monthly payments to private power rent payments will go providers who signed on down, but after the next for 20-year contracts. election the renter will be Under the new plan, in much worse trouble.” the province has increased Adams says Ontario is the payment term from 20 to 30 actually enjoying something of years, which will incur $25 bila “power cost sweet spot” at the lion in interest charges over that moment, with relatively affordtime. able nuclear power. But that’s John doesn’t believe Wynne’s about to change, he said, with plan is a genuine reduction and some of the province’s nuclear

The Ontario premier, the PC and NDP energy critics offer their take on making hydro more affordable for consumers

Duelling commentary: Energy analysts go head to head on whether renewable energy is to blame for rising hydro rates

Quiz: can you guess which device in your home is the bigger energy hog?

Justin Greaves/Metroland

Sheryl Oldfield, a resident of Erin, Ont. walks inside her riding arena. Oldfield was astonished to find out her January hydro bill was $463 for delivery alone. generating units up for refurbishment in the near future.

“A decline in nuclear production and a sharp increase in cost is about to happen,” Adams said.

Keith Brooks, programs director at Environmental Defence, is pleased the government’s plan includes conservation initiatives like the $200 million Affordability Fund, which helps people make their homes more energy efficient.

But he said the government’s reforms make no changes to the supply mix – the amount of power we get from nuclear versus gas versus wind. “… To keep costs low, we need to see more renewables in Ontario’s future,” he wrote in an opinion piece for Metroland Media.

“Wind and solar power costs are plummeting, while costs for nuclear power are rising. Renewable energy has created a solid foundation for a clean economy – one that Ontario now needs to

WHO WE ARE Dana Robbins John Willems Cheryl Phillips Joanne Burghardt Grace Peacock Georgia Balogiannis Mike Banville Katherine Porcheron Alison Fauquier

build upon.”

Ontario’s NDP and PC energy critics both say halting the sale of public electric companies is priority Number 1. The cost to consumers is being hijacked by the drive for profit. “…Because of the way these new private power contracts are written, we are stuck paying guaranteed profit for power plants whether we need them or not,” said Peter Tabuns, NDP energy critic. “Right now, Ontario generates more power than we can use, about $2 billion a year worth of surplus power that we sell to Quebec and New York at a deep — 75 per cent — discount.

In fact, many times we have to pay them to take our power.”

Transparency on the government’s current energy contracts is also lacking, said Todd Smith, PC energy critic.

“In my own riding of Prince Edward-Hastings, I’ve watched power companies ask for and get

10 ways you can make changes to your energy consumption and save some cash

extensions from the government that drag the project out years beyond what was envisioned by the original deal,” he said.

“That’s not something you do if you’re on the side of the people paying hydro bills.”

Mark Rodger, a lawyer with Borden Ladner Gervais and an expert in the utility sector, meanwhile, said delivery charges are a necessary hit. Simply being hooked up to hydro costs money even when energy is not being used.

Those costs could be cut, however, should some of Ontario’s 60-plus utility companies merge.

By having different companies running their own distribution systems, he said, it adds $1 billion in costs.

“Through consolidation, you can remove those costs through efficiency gains,” he said.

– with files from David Nickle

The Etobicoke Guardian 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 verification purposes. We National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON reserve the right to edit, M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca

CONTACT US Etobicoke Guardian 175 Gordon Baker Road, Toronto, ON M2H 0A2 Phone: 416-493-4400 Fax: 416-774-2070 Web: insidetoronto.com Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 200 words and include your name and telephone number for

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Publisher General Manager Director of Advertising Editor-in-Chief Metroland Central The Etobicoke Guardian, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Editor-in-Chief Toronto Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is com- Managing Editor prised of more than 100 community publications across Ontario. Director Distribution Director Creative Services Advertising Manager

| Etobicoke Guardian | Thursday, March 23, 2017

LIGHTS OUT: ONTARIO’S ELECTRICITY PROBLEM

EVENTS

Etobicoke Guardian | Thursday, March 23, 2017 |

4

Dr. Christina H. Dhillon & Associates

Tel: 416 619 0937

l Friday, March 24 Flea Market WHEN: 11 a.m. - 7 a.m. WHERE: St. Demetrius Church Hall, 135 La Rose Ave., Toronto CONTACT: 416-244-5333 Sale continues Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

l GET

l Saturday, March 25 Community Bird Walk WHEN: 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. WHERE: Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Colonel Samuel Smith Park Drive and Lake Shore Blvd. W., Toronto CONTACT: brian@ccfew.org COST: Monthly community bird walks in Etobicoke waterfront parks. Rain or shine. Meet in the south parking lot for this walk.

l Sunday, March 26 Rustin’ Oree Walk WHEN: 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. WHERE: Esther Lorrie Park, 50 Westhumber Blvd, Toronto CONTACT: 416-743-1331 COST: Weekly walking group for adults Sundays. It is not competitive and open to all walking styles.

Crafty Saturday WHEN: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

WHERE: Humber Bay Library, 200 Park Lawn Road, Toronto CONTACT: 416-394-5300 COST: Join in for a craft filled morning.

Make something special to take home. No registration required for this free drop in program.

Spring Euchre Party WHEN: 1 p.m. - 11 p.m. WHERE: Martin Grove United Church, 75 Pergola Road, Toronto CONTACT: 416-745-6252 COST: $10 Come on out to the friendliest

Accepting New Patients Call 416 619 0937 NOW! Start with a No Charge Consultation. Get to meet our team. Talk about your concerns and smile goals. Then decide if we are right for you and your family.

At your dental office our primary focus is your oral health. Being a general practice we are children friendly, oriented to families and seniors.

(Traditional Braces, Invisalign & MTM) for Your Smile.

Call 416 619 0937 to book your free consultation!

insidetoronto.com

Monday - Thursday

9am - 6pm

Friday

9am - 6pm

Saturday

9am - 1pm

Sun & Holidays

closed

Free Parking Payment Plans Available

577 Burnhamthorpe Road, Unit # 5 Etobicoke, ON M9C 2Y3 Tel: 416-622-9305 | Fax: 416-622-3216 E: frontdesk@yourdentaloffice.ca

www.yourdentaloffice.ca

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

Euchre Party in town. You don’t have to bring a partner - there will be a hall full of partners!

An Evening Honouring Ukraine’s Heroes WHEN: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. WHERE: The Golden Lion, 15 Canmotor Ave., Toronto CONTACT: 416894-5518 COST: $75 League of Ukrainian Canadian Women national executive honours Oksana Bilozir, Vadym Svyrydenko, Oksana Mazur and Dr. Olena Burlaka in support of Guardian Angels of Ukraine humanitarian fund.

Tri-City Gospel Chorus WHEN: 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. WHERE: Humber Valley United Church, 76 Anglesey Blvd., Toronto CONTACT:

416-239-5319 COST: A concert of gospel music by an 80 male voice a cappela chorus and barbershop quartet. l Monday, March 27 New Toronto - Lakeshore Village Residents Association WHEN: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. WHERE: Humber College - Lakeshore Campus, 3199 LakeShore Boulevard West, Toronto CONTACT: newtolvra@gmail.com COST: Get together with your neighbours at the New Toronto - Lakeshore Village Residents’ Association to have input into local issues.Location: Humber College, A170 in theA Building. l Tuesday, March 28 Humberwood Book Club WHEN: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. WHERE: Humberwood Library, 850 Humberwood Blvd, Toronto CONTACT: 416-394-5210, hwstaff@torontopubliclibrary.ca COST: Discuss, debate and dissect an exciting read every month! To register and to find out each monthly book please call 416394-5210.

EVENTS

5 things to do this weekend l Friday, March 24 Winter Stations 2017 WHEN: 8 a.m. - 11 p.m. WHERE: The Beaches, - From Woodbine to Victoria Park along the Waterfront, Toronto CONTACT: info@winterstations.com COST: Winter Stations 2017 closes March 27, temporary public art installations in The Beaches.

Orthodontic Treatment

Working Hours

CONNECTED

*

*O.A.C. some conditions apply. Check In Office for details.

Diagnosis requires X-rays to be taken and an examination, patient will be informed about the charges before commencing and we will proceed only with consent.

Patient is responsible for insurance deductible and copayment fees. Specialty treatment may be performed by dentists who are not certified as specialists, according to provincial law and administrative rules.

Toronto Storytelling Festival WHEN: 12 p.m. - 11 p.m. WHERE: Various venues, Toronto CONTACT: torontostorytellingfestival.ca/2017/ COST: Some ticketed events The Toronto Storytelling Festival has grown into one of the world’s biggest celebrations of the arts of voice and story. Until April 2.

Toronto Winter Brewfest WHEN: 6 p.m. - 1 a.m. WHERE: Heritage Court, Enercare Centre, 100 Princes’ Blvd #1, Toronto CONTACT: info@brewfest.ca COST: $30 plus tax Sample more than 150 beers crafted from brewers from across Ontario and Quebec, nibble on delicious gourmet food from Toronto’s best food trucks. March

,

Sandra Whiting is again in the lineup for this year’s Toronto Storytelling Festival.

24, 25.

of Centennial Park. Meet at arena.

l Saturday, March 25 Our Place Initiative - Centennial Park Earth Hour Walk WHEN: 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. WHERE: Centennial Park Arena, 256 Centennial Park Rd., Toronto CONTACT: info@ourplaceinitiative.com COST: Walk leaders: Matthew Siwiec and Johnathan Robertson. Dress for the weather and bring a source of light. Organized by OPI - Friends

l Sunday, March 26 The Old Book and Paper Show WHEN: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. WHERE: Artscape Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie Street, Toronto CONTACT: gadsden@antiqueshowscanada.com COST: $10, 12/under free Collectors and dealers in old paper, ephemera and vintage books get together for the biggest one-day vintage print sale of the year.

COMMUNITY

5 | Etobicoke Guardian | Thursday, March 23, 2017

Youth Without Shelter fundraiser taps urban flavour Agency supports homeless youth ages 16 to 24 From Rexdale to Centre Island, the music, food, drink and fashion of Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods will once again be celebrated at the fourth annual Cover Me Urban.

This year’s event, presented by Tangerine, will take place on Wednesday, April 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Maison Mercer, 15 Mercer St. A street-inspired fundraiser benefiting Etobicoke’s Youth Without Shelter (YWS), Cover Me Urban features the local mouth-watering flavours of more than 15 food and drink vendors, plus a variety of urbanthemed entertainment from a freestyling violinist, to carnival games, to a spring fashion show featuring ur-

ban wear from Saks Fifth Avenue.

Cover Me Urban’s 2017 lineup of food and drink vendors includes: Aura by Cashew & Clive, AROMA Espresso Bar, Big House Pizza, Mill Street Brewery, CHASKA Indian Street, Brickworks Ciderhouse, Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport, Oyster Bay Wines, More Than Pies, Thistletown CI culinary students, and Team YWS, among others.

Tickets to Cover Me Urban are on sale now for $125 at http://bit.ly/2lEUJBz All proceeds support YWS - Etobicoke’s singular emergency residence and referral agency serving homeless youth ages 16-24 - and the more than 1,000 homeless youth who seek refuge under its roof every year.

For more information about Youth Without Shelter, go to http:// www.yws.on.ca/

Mariola, Loida, Martha, Dr. Bishai, Lina, Karla & Karen.

Early morning & evening appointments • Ample parking • Emergencies seen the same day • Friendly, relaxed environment

Services Offered General Dentistry

Submitted photo

Youth Without Shelter’s Richelle Hamilton showcases Team YWS’s signature dish for the upcoming Cover Me Urban fundraiser, jerk chicken on a plantain chip, topped with mango and red pepper salsa.

*Dentistry for children *Hygiene *Crown & Bridge *Fillings *Dentures

Cosmetics *Implants *Veneers *Whitening (Zoom 2) *White Fillings

Dr. Amy Bishai • 416.622.1917 • www.amybishai.com

4335 Bloor Street West In the Markland Woods Plaza (Southwest corner of Bloor & Mill)

Royal York

Meat Market OPEN NOW Ontario Spring Lamb from Mennonite Farms * Leg of Lamb * Frenched Rack of Lamb * Boneless Leg of Lamb * Honey Glazed Spiral Ham * Dry aged Prime Rib Roast * Free Ranged Air Chilled Turkey’s from Mennonite Farms * Whole Boneless Breast

416-255-MEAT (6328)

insidetoronto.com

392 Royal York rk Road, Toronto, ON, M8Y 2R3

Etobicoke Guardian | Thursday, March 23, 2017 |

6

HISTORY

Outreach project seeks stories of First World War veterans Stories of T. Eaton Co. enlistees sought for Do You Know My Story? initiative CYNTHIA REASON creason@insidetoronto.com

insidetoronto.com

When Pte. Henry Agassiz signed up to serve in The Great War in 1916, his proud portrait joined those of more than 2,200 of his fellow enlistees from T. Eaton Company’s Toronto store on the flagship’s walls.

Sadly, the next time Agassiz’s name was inscribed was on the Eaton’s Memorial Plaque as one of 315 company men killed overseas.

Still, his story - like those of each and every one of the everyday working men and women who signed to serve in the First World War - is an integral part of Canada’s history, said Nancy Reynolds, curator of Mackenzie House museum.

"It’s often hard to tell the stories of individuals unless they’re famous or they’ve done something, but that’s what we’re trying to do," she said of Do You Know My Story? - an outreach project being undertaken in partnership between the City of Toronto’s Museums & Heritage Services and the Archives of Ontario.

The goal of the project is to tell the personal stories of those T. Eaton Co. Limited employees like Agassiz who, perhaps enticed by company owner John Craig Eaton’s offer to pay wages to his employee enlistees on top of their military pay, signed up to fight

Dan Pearce/Metroland

Historical interpreter Bruce Beaton holds photos of John Craig Eaton, son of Timothy Eaton, founder of T. Eaton Company Ltd., left, and Henry Agassiz and his family at Mackenzie House for their Do You Know My Story project. overseas.

"We want to tell the stories of ordinary people: how they came to Canada, why they came to Canada, how they ended up at Eaton’s, what happened to them and their families during and after the war," Reynolds said. She noted that, in total, Eaton paid out $2.2 million in wages to his 3,327 Eaton’s employees from across Canada who enlisted.

"It’s those ordinary stories that are so often left untold."

The starting point for the project was compiling

the old portraits - more than 2,000 of which survived to be displayed in Eaton’s Goes to War, an online exhibit created by the Archives of Ontario in 2014.

The next step is outreach, said Bruce Beaton, who’s leading the Do You Know My Story? project.

"This is a history that lives in the families of these men," said Beaton, a historical interpreter at Mackenzie House, calling on the relatives of First World War veterans from Eaton’s to come forward with information.

"One of the questions I

always ask the families is, what does this person mean to you in your life?

And they always have some answer - be it how they sacrificed, or their duty to commit to public service, or perhaps something more personal. Whatever it is, this means something to people; the lives of these people still have meaning within their families - and that’s what I’m trying to access."

So far, however, Beaton said he’s been able to collect life stories to match just 18 of the more than 2,000 Eaton’s portraits - Pri-

vate Agassiz’s among them.

Agassiz’s family history is one Beaton has been able to piece together via a combination of family accounts, his military records, and an expenditure ledger from City of Toronto Archives.

A Nova Scotia native, Agassiz was a 37-year-old husband and father of four - with another baby on the way - when he enlisted on April 3, 1916. Earning just $15 a month as a trimmer at Eaton’s at the time, Agassiz was older than most other enlistees at the time, and

was perhaps enticed to do so by Eaton’s full-wage offer to married enlistees in order to provide for his growing family.

His tragic death in France at the Battle of the Somme less than six months after his enlistment, however, left his wife Eugenie, son Alfred, and daughters Vaudine, Muriel, and Dorothy in such extreme poverty that newborn son Claude died because they were unable to feed him, according his granddaughter.

At 14, Agassiz’s only surviving son Alfred was forced to drop out of high school to support the family.

The Agassiz family story is a valuable piece of Canada’s history, Reynolds said, because it demonstrates the sacrifices made by so many ordinary people in extraordinary times.

"His is an important story of World War I, because that was the first time that you saw such a large domestic army," she said.

"These were not all (career) soldiers, so when they got home, there was that feeling for the first time that the government owed them something; that it owed the families of those killed. And that marked a real change in the way people looked at government and what its responsibilities were."

Beaton is still seeking further story contributions to the Do You Know My Story? project, which will be on exhibit at Mackenzie House starting on Sept. 29.

The names and photos of First World War veterans from Eaton’s can be found at http://bit.ly/2jwvPyE To submit a story, go to www.toronto.ca/mackenziehouse

COMMUNITY

7

Mimico Lakeshore Community Network members Harry Oussoren (left), John Cary, Judith Rutledge, Martin Gerwin and Mimico Residents Association president Chris Moore are fighting against increased development adjacent to the lakefront trail in Mimico Waterfront Park.

Residents association hosts AGM TAMARA SHEPHARD tshephard@insidetoronto.com Mimico Residents Association hosts its Annual General Meeting at the end of March.

Join the south Etobicoke residents’ group for its AGM on Thursday, March 30 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at Mimico Centennial Library, 47 Station Rd. Etobicoke-Lakeshore MPP Peter Milczyn will speak about Ontario Municipal Board reform following the AGM. MRA focuses on keeping residents informed of the issues

and various opportunities to get involved, as volunteers, in public meetings about developments and parks, and more.

New and returning MRA members welcome. Join or renew your membership at the meeting.

Membership is open to anyone who lives within Mimico, bounded by the QEW to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, Park Lawn Road to the east and Ourland and Dwight avenues to the west.

Email info@mimicoresidents.ca for more information.

Passion Play features rescripted storyline al attendees, The Toronto Passion Play has become a tradition - with most shows experiencing capacity crowds from various religious backgrounds.

This year’s production includes five shows running over Easter weekend: • Friday, April 14 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

• Saturday, April 15 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

• Sunday, April 16 at 4 p.m.

Doors open one hour prior to performance times.

Tickets are just $5 each and includes free nursery care for kids aged three and under, and parking.

For more information or to buy tickets, go to www.cpacentre.org or call 1-877-700-3130 ext.

4.

Residents inspired by messages at Master Mechanic High Park AARON D’ANDREA adandrea@metroland.com When you pass by Master Mechanic High Park, you won’t see the usual sales pitch on its billboard.

Instead, you’ll find messages that are meant to make your day a little bit better.

"To me, it’s more important to help other people feel good about themselves," said Josie Candito, 44, the shop’s owner. "To me, it’s all about what you do for other people to make them feel good."

She’s been running the mechanic shop, which is located at the corner of Dundas Street and Howard Park Avenue, for 18 years.

She told The Bloor West Villager she started using the sign to promote good messages roughly two and a half years ago.

"I search a lot online, or somebody will say something and I’ll manoeuvre the words around," the north Etobicoke resident said of how she gets her ideas for sayings. "There’s also a lot of dog messages because I love animals."

Regardless of what the messages are, Cathy Katrib-Reyes, who lives nearby the shop, told The Villager it’s great to see them after a long day.

"It just kind of makes you feel like the neighbourhood is more welcoming," she said. "It’s like this warm hug around the neighbourhood."

Parkdale resident Michelle Polak told The Villager she first discovered the messages when she was driving by.

"I believe that any little boost is helpful along the way," she said. "If you’re driving, walking or biking, now you know there’s this touchstone there and you can count on a little pick-me-up."

Candito’s sign gained popularity in December 2016 after she taped scarves to its base for anyone to take.

Dan Pearce/Metroland

Josie Candito, 44, has owned Master Mechanic High Park for 18 years. Two-and-half-years ago, she began using her billboard to promote good messages within the community. The north Etobicoke resident has become a figure in the area for her use of the billboard.

"It (the saying) was something like, ’I’m not lost, please take me if you’re cold,’" she said. "We gave close to 1,000 scarves away."

Candito added she never expected her sign to gain popularity, but she’s glad that it has a positive effect on people’s days.

"In the world we live in right now, just remember that some kind words, a smile or a hug can make a difference in somebody’s day," she said. "We need it in these times and there are good people out there, and just keep paying it forward."

insidetoronto.com

The Christian Performing Arts Centre is gearing up for its 26th Annual Toronto Passion Play - one of the longest-running Easter theatrical productions in the GTA. This year’s powerful portrayal of the life of Christ will feature an incredible cast of more than 80 actors, singers and dancers, dazzling lights, sensational scenery, special effects and a live orchestra.

A brand new storyline for this year’s 26th Annual Toronto Passion Play will depict the events from the points of view of the thief and an audacious young woman who are forever changed by encountering the mysterious man from Galilee.

With more than 16,000 annu-

| Etobicoke Guardian | Thursday, March 23, 2017

Staff/Metroland

Auto shop owner finds different use for billboard

insidetoronto.com

Etobicoke Guardian | Thursday, March 23, 2017 |

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