The York Guardian, April 21, 2016 by The York Guardian

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Murder rate doubles from same time last year Police investigator suggests end of carding is the cause ANDREW PALAMARCHUK apalamarchuk@insidetoronto.com Homicides in Toronto are up 100 per cent from this time last year, and a veteran police investigator believes the end of carding has “definitely contributed” to that. “Especially in our at-risk neighbourEDITORIAL: 4 hoods where Read our view there’s been on the matter a lot of violence, we’re not having the same amount of contact,” said the investigator, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The community contacts or interactions are probably down 90-plus per cent citywide, and you’ve almost seen that same correlation with the amount of shootings, and homicides have increased as a result as well, so I think they go hand in hand.” Carding involved officers stopping citizens in high-crime areas and storing their details in a police database. “When you looked at 200,000 police interaction contacts, that was a real preventative thing,” said the investigator, who has been with Toronto police for more than 15 years. “If you go >>>DON’T, page 6

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Families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder are petitioning the province to change course on its newly released treatment program. See story page 10

Jennifer Majer holds her daughter Lila in their Etobicoke home on Saturday, as she reviews a petition to keep government-funded IBI therapy intact for children with autism. Lila has been on the waiting list for two years, and may now be ineligible.

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With the beautiful weather last weekend you couldn’t go more than a few steps in my neighbourhood without running into a dog on a leash out for a stroll – and the accompanying poop du jour, of course. I get a kick out of seeing adorable pooches everywhere. They really brighten up the atmosphere around here. It’s fun to have the adorable owners around, needless to say. And yes, they help liven up the landscape, too. Though I can do without having to catch any glimpses of their poop. But that’s a column for another day. I always make it a point to mingle equally with each. But not having a dog myself, I’m not sure of the proper protocol when you bump into this ubiquitous cast of characters. So, all these years I’ve just being winging it whenever we

jamie wayne BUT SERIOUSLY cross paths. I have to ask, are you supposed to say hello to the dog first? As in, for example, “Hey Creampuff.” Or is the correct procedure to greet the owner first? As in, for example, “Hey Creampuff.” Plus, is it enough to just say, ‘hi’? Or is something additional required? Given that we’re talking regular acquaintances here, should you be more elaborate with your opening remark and offer up something like, “Hey Creampuff. You’re a good doggie. Yes you are.” Conversely, if you’re addressing the one on the other end of the leash, should you say, “Hey Creampuff. You’re a good owner. Yes you are.” What if you run into a

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Jamie Wayne is a lifelong columnist who takes writing very seriously. The topics? Not so much. His column appears every Thursday. Contact him at jamie.wayne@sympatico.ca

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group of people all with dogs, then what? Do you connect with the dogs initially? Or in this case do you start with the owners? If it’s dogs first, are you supposed to say hello to the female dogs before the male dogs? If so, what if you can’t tell them apart? Or should you say hi to the female dogs, followed by the female owners? Or vice versa? Or versa vice? And what if... Hang on, there was a knock on my door, followed by a bark and a voice. Looks like I’m being enlisted to head out for a walk. Got to go. Don’t want to keep them waiting. “Race you to the park Creampuff. You too, Creampuff.”

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Province investigates two companies in building collapse FANNIE SUNSHINE fsunshine@insidetoronto.com The Ministry of Labour is investigating two companies following the partial collapse of a Bathurst Street and Eglinton Avenue building and scaffolding that injured several people Monday. Ministry spokesperson Janet Deline said the investigation is focused on Crosslinx Transit Solutions Constructors, a consortium comprised of EllisDon, SNC-Lavalin, Aecon and ACS, and demolition and recycling company Delsan-AIM Environmental Services Inc. The ministry issued three investigation requirements, including a do not disturb order for Crosslinx Transit Solutions Constructors, and document requests for both companies, Deline said. “The documents could be for training, equipment, maintenance (compliance),” she said, adding she didn’t have specific information relating to the document requests. She said a stop work order would be up to the inspector to implement, adding the investigation could take up to one year to complete. “Work is probably not taking place (Tuesday), but could go ahead in the next few days,” she said. The collapse occurred where three storefronts on Eglinton Avenue’s north side were being demolished to create a secondary entrance to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT station. The former House of Chan, Israel’s Judaica and the Halleluia Restaurant

Staff photos/DAN PEARCE

Several people, including a baby, were injured when a building collapsed Monday afternoon on Eglinton Avenue just west of Bathurst Street where demolition work was taking place.

were scheduled to be torn down for the entranceway. Metrolinx spokesperson Vanessa Barassa said the front wall of 876 Eglinton Ave. W., the former House of Chan, collapsed just before 2:30 p.m. as the building was being prepared for demolition. The wall took the scaffolding with it, and collapsed a covered walkway in front of the building on passing pedestrians. A male, female, and their sevenmonth-old baby, along with another male, were taken to hospital with

minor injuries, while two people were treated in a trauma centre for serious but non-life threatening injuries, said Toronto Paramedic Services spokesperson Kim McKinnon. A third person with minor injuries was also taken to the trauma centre. “The infant was in a stroller and the stroller was all twisted and bent,” said Toronto Fire Services division commander Bob O’Halloran. “But fortunately the infant is not injured at all so the stroller possibly saved that baby.”

Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins said site demolition began several weeks ago and the Forest Hill stop is one of 25 stations being built. All demolition work along the line was temporarily suspended immediately following the collapse, but fully resumed Tuesday. “When the collapse occurred, due to an abundance of caution, Crosslinx temporarily stopped demolition at the other site to review plans,” Aikins said. “Safety is always

a first priority.” In a Facebook post Monday, Metrolinx said the company will fully co-operate with the Ministry of Labour’s investigation. “As with all serious incidents, there will be a full investigation,” the post said. “As the investigation into this incident is ongoing, we cannot comment further at this time. Metrolinx is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation.” - with files from Metroland Media Toronto staff

Former Canadian Idol judge tells Ebony Toastmasters to distinguish themselves LISA RAINFORD lrainford@insidetoronto.com Elaine Robinson, a native of the Caribbean, says she has always been more than comfortable speaking in front her family, friends, and peers, and doesn’t hesitate to wisecrack knowing they share her sense of humour. She is no stranger to making presentations in her career having worked in community service for the past three decades, yet Robinson says she is apprehensive when it comes to injecting funny anecdotes into her speeches. “Will they get the joke if they aren’t from the Caribbean?” Robinson said. That’s one of the reasons why she joined Toastmasters, billed as ‘a world leader in helping people to develop their public speaking and leadership skills.’ “It’s helped me in my professional career. I don’t have a problem speak-

ing to people, but it’s the structure. At Toastmasters, you learn about timing. You learn how to develop context that would grab an audience,” Robinson said. Robinson, who is in her second year with Toastmasters and has competed and won several competitions at the district level, attended the Ebony Toastmasters meeting Monday, April 18 to hear motivational speaker, talent executive and former Canadian Idol judge Farley Flex talk about building a professional speaking career. Ebony Toastmasters meets at St. Matthew’s Bracondale House on St. Clair Avenue West at Christie Street is a chapter of Toastmasters International, which has been serving a diverse community, helping its members gain self-confidence, for more than a decade. As she socialized before the presentation, Carmelita Dela Cruz said she used to read in front of her

“

You have to have something to offer. You’ve got to distinguish yourself from the marketplace, you’ve got to have unique selling properties. – Farley Flex, motivational speaker

congregation at church, but the priest told her she read too quickly. That’s when a friend suggested she try Toastmasters. Now, her priest wants her to facilitate a workshop for parishioners on how to connect with audiences. “It’s one of the best organizations because it teaches you how to be an effective communicator. The environment is really encouraging,” said Dela Cruz, who works for Royal Bank. “It’s the best platform to

practice – at work, you can’t screw up your presentation.” Assata McKenzie has been a member of Ebony Toastmasters for the past two-and-a-half years after belonging to a different club previously. “Here, we have the professionalism, support and camaraderie,” she said. “I have the gift of the gab, but I need structure.” A capacity crowd gathered to listen to Flex, an internationally recognized professional speaker talk about such topics as ‘how to monetize speeches,’ personal growth, and entrepreneurship. It seemed Flex was destined to become a professional speaker having grown up in a family of “orators.” He and his three siblings were encouraged to express, to be confident and go out and see the world. Every Sunday after church, he and his siblings had to make a presentation to the family. It was “standard protocol,”

Flex said. “There was no food until you stepped up to the plate,” he said. Speaking of his career and what motivates him, Flex said, “Love, for me, defines my thought process – what do I love about myself, about others? What do I love to do? You have to have definition of self,” Flex told his audience. Business is as simple as two children sitting in a sandbox; one has a shovel and the other a bucket. “You have to have something to offer. You’ve got to distinguish yourself from the marketplace, you’ve got to have unique selling properties,” Flex said. “What makes you different? What do you have to offer others?” Passion is also key to success. “Don’t ever ration your passion,” he said.

If you would like more information about Ebony Toastmasters, visit www.ebonytoastmasters.org

| YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, April 21, 2016

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YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, April 21, 2016 |

opinion Dana Robbins John Willems Joanne Burghardt Georgia Balogiannis Cheryl Phillips Braden Simmonds Mike Banville

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Rising murder rate a cause for concern, not fear

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e are 112 days into 2016. In those 112 days, the homicide rate in Toronto has doubled from the same time last year according to the Toronto Police Service. That’s alarming any way you look at it. As of Monday, 26 people have been murdered in the city. Some in broad daylight, others in the middle of the night. Residents awoken by gunshots, alerting them to another funeral, another cordoned off community, another family grieving. But these crimes in the early part of the year, are not an indicator Toronto is embarking on a murderous rampage of vendettas. A Toronto police investigator (who spoke on condition of anonymity) interviewed by The Guardian addressing this spate of violence the city, directly connects the our view in increase in murders to the abanof the controversial Public needed donment carding practice by officers. Police advocates say that cardto help ing is the thin line between those solve crime who obey the law and those who do not. But the fact is, carding is a relatively recent innovation and Toronto police have been solving and preventing crimes for decades before such a program existed. One thing that hasn’t changed in that time is us: people who are willing to keep an eye on the streets, and who help police investigate when a crime occurs. Crime Stoppers has been an effective way for the public to help keep Toronto safe for a long time. The tip line is anonymous. Use it. The carding debate is actually a distraction from the real matter at hand. What we should be talking about is the state of our city and how we can ensure it remains safe for everyone - no matter your race, age or gender. Toronto has a population of 2.6 million people, numbers from 2011 show. Twenty-six murders among 2.6 million people is not a very high ratio, but each one has a devastating impact on those who knew and loved the victim. These numbers, though, are not indicative of a city where people are shuttering themselves away, afraid to leave their homes. What is needed is more active participation from the public to help prevent crime and bring criminals to justice. The more active we are in reporting crimes and suspicious behaviour, the safer we will be. And hopefully by next year this time, 26 lives will be saved.

@YorkGuardian

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Drums of city’s cycling war seem to be silenced It is springtime and even in this slow, hesitant, let’sbe-honest-way-too-chilly springtime, it’s hard not to think about bicycles. Now that is not to say we all think the same thing about bicycles. Alongside light rail, UberX, the Gardiner Expressway and subways, subways, subways, the place of two-wheeled locomotion divides opinion in this town better than a curbseparated bikeway. It was only six years ago that an entire election was fought over bicycles, after over-reaching cycling advocates managed to convince council to paint bike lanes on Jarvis Street. That was it: the ‘war on the car,’ and everybody was in: the motorists from Don Mills and Leaside and Rosedale, who favoured Jarvis as a fast route downtown; the bicyclists who favoured Jarvis Street as a less bumpy alternative to the cracked and heaving lanes on Sherbourne a few

david nickle the city streets over. And of course politicians and newspaper editorialists, who found the controversy to be an effective delineation of the left and the right in matters of urban planning. The lanes didn’t last long after the 2010 election. Bizarrely, that removal led to a kind of truce. Councillor Denzil MinnanWong, who chaired the Public Works and Environment Committee, created a Berlin Wall of sorts on Toronto’s roads, pushing the creation of fully separated cycle tracks: first on a no-longer-bumpy Sherbourne, and then through the downtown on Wellesley, Richmond and Adelaide Streets. Bicycles and cars on these streets have their own separate but parallel routes. It seems to be working out well. Now here we are, in

the spring of 2016, and on Monday, April 25, the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee is taking another step towards what might be a permanent armistice. The committee will be looking at a half-million dollar pilot project, to put cycle paths on Bloor Street West. It’s a short stretch, two and a half kilometres long, between Shaw Street and Avenue Road. If council goes along with the plan, it will go in in September. Oh, what a difference six years and a few cycle tracks make! In 2010, the city’s cycling office might have been proposing a pilot to cross the Rubicon. Bloor Street has long been the prize in the eye of cycling advocates, because of its city-spanning scope. One could take Bloor Street and the Danforth all the way from Scarborough to Etobicoke, in a single notvery-sweaty ride (Bloor and Danforth don’t have any challenging hills to speak of). The late former mayor

Rob Ford would have printed up a whole new batch of fridge magnets to rally the troops. These days? John Tory took care when asked about it this week to explain this was only a pilot project and would be assessed without bias when it was finished. But the drums of war seem largely silent. At the same committee meeting, councillors will be considering a few other bike lane projects – these ones, the old-fashioned paint-on-pavement kind. There are 11 of these, and they’re all over the place: most, it’s true, a quick pedal from the downtown, but one up on Sheppard West crossing the Addington Greenbelt. These kinds of lanes used to be big fights too, and maybe they still will be. But in these early days of the season...Hope springs eternal.

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

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Greek Orthodox church hosts dinner for working-class families WILL KOBLENSKY wkoblensky@gmail.com It’s the season of giving for Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church parishioners observing the lenten fast leading up to Orthodox Easter, and Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos said he felt it was time to start a new tradition at his parish. Members of the Black Creek and Trethewey drives church hosted their first free dinner for working-class families last Saturday. “Too many Christians in the world are not doing their job,” said Fr. Theodore, who initiated the dinner but prefers the moniker Fr. Ted. “Until people realize they need to take care of their fellow human beings all the time, everyday, I don’t think anything is going to change.” Most of the donated chicken, rice and vegetables, however, didn’t end up on as many plates as intended that evening. After enough food to feed 600 was donated, only 123 people made their

Staff photo/BENJAMIN PRIEBE

Fr. Ted Paraskevopoulos, left, checks in with diners, during a free drop-in meal at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church on Saturday.

way to the basement dining area by the end of the day. Church organizers were told to expect upwards of 260 people.

“The most important thing it (the dinner) does is raise awareness among our own people,” Fr. Ted said. “More than it helps the families that

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Sgro (York West), arrived commending the church for its generosity. “When I was new to Canada I used a lot of community services given by church groups and others,” Hussen said. “Those support systems and community resources were very important to me.” Sgro said she wanted to see more churches hold free dinners. “Many people that are living alone or are on a limited budget, it’s macaroni and cheese three times a week,” Sgro said. “When you have an opportunity because the community has prepared a meal for you, boy that tastes so much better.” Frieda Kanaris, one of the key organizers of the community meal, said the church was planning to hold the same event in November. “S o m e t i m e s p e o p l e, through illness, through loss of job, through circumstances that are beyond their control, fall victim,” she said. “It’s not always their fault.”

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are coming for one meal. In the Weston area, we see that there is a lot of lower income households here. It’s just part of the demographics of the

area. We have a lot of subsidized housing right here, next door to our church.” Those who did come were reached by Our Expressions Trethewey Club, a neighbourhood group going door-todoor offering arts platforms for Weston’s youth Misia Branford, who’s been part of the club for 10 years, embraced the turnout. “It’s essential for people to know there are other things out there in the community, even if it’s a few people, you still get to socialize,” Branford said. “Anywhere there’s youth and children and there’s no programs, there’s always something that can be implemented.” The remaining meals will fill the pantry of St. John the Compassionate Mission, which feeds people at the Broadview Avenue and Queen Street East church on a daily basis. Despite the lower than expected turnout, area Liberal MPs Ahmed Hussen (York South-Weston) and Judy

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| YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, April 21, 2016

community

YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, April 21, 2016 |

community

Mayor, chief to hold closed-door meeting with leaders in Toronto’s black community Black Lives Matter insists on public meeting with mayor, Tory says offer open for private talk DAVID NICKLE dnickle@insidetoronto.com Mayor John Tory will be meeting in private with leaders in the black community – but not the leadership of Black Lives Matter – to deal with issues of accusations of systemic racism in the wake of the deaths of Andrew Loku and Alex Weittlaufer last year. Tory told reporters that Black Livers Matter Toronto’s organizers are welcome to meet with him, but he rejected demands to meet in public. “I have repeatedly asked for a meeting with Black Lives Matter in privacy and they have refused that offer. We emailed them three or four times,” he said. “That offer stands. I will wait until I hear further from them.” In the meantime, Tory

File photo/ANDREW LAHODYNSKYJ

A woman helps a child light a candle during a vigil held near the home of Andrew Loku last July. Toronto Mayor John Tory and police Chief Mark Saunders will hold a meeting with leaders of the black community to discuss accusations of systemic racism.

said he would join Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders in meeting with leaders in the black community to “see how we can constructively and meaningfully address

the issues that are in our community.” He continued: “I will be inviting Chief Saunders because one thing that is a level of concern is the level of

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trust between the community and the police service. He and I will be there to listen to the concerns. Racial discrimination affects people in many different ways.” Tory said that he also wants to explore ways to help black youth stay in school and find meaningful employment. Tory has been on the receiving end of protests and what he termed “mockery” by Black Lives Matter during protests about SIU investigations into the death of 45-year-old Andrew Loku, shot and killed in July 2015 by police. The protesters camped outside of Toronto Police Headquarters and in early April met with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. Nine days later, Toronto’s Coroner Jim Edwards announced an inquest into Loku’s death.

Don’t speculate on cause: TPS >>>from page 1 back to when carding became a hot-button issue and stopped, you could probably almost see the correlation with the shootings and the violence and the homicides.” As of Monday, April 18, there were 26 murders in Toronto this year compared to 13 at that point in 2015. There were also a total of 108 shooting occurrences so far this year, a 58.8 per cent increase over this time last year. “This is only going to get worse,” the investigator warned. Jooyoung Lee, assistant professor of sociology at University of Toronto, said it’s not clear what is causing the spike in crime but said it was too early to directly link it to the end of carding. “Changes in policies in the criminal justice system and in policing do have an impact on crime rates and also where crimes happen, but I think it’s way too early to say that the change in carding policies has resulted in this spike,” he said. “This spike could be caused

by any number of factors. It could be the result of a back and forth situation between gangs where there’s an emerging conflict between two groups and there’s retaliation violence.” Lee also noted year-to-date statistics are hard to interpret. “There is so much variation within a year,” he said. “People worr y that a spike in one month or in a few months means that that ratio will hold for the rest of the year. But what we see in Toronto is that over the last five to 10 years the homicide rate has been pretty consistent, so these things tend to average out by the end of the year.” Toronto police spokesman Mark Pugash said there’s no “single explanation” for the spike in homicides. “I don’t intend this to sound flippant, but the people who have the best idea why it’s happening are the people who are doing it themselves, so I think it’s unwise to speculate about what might be motivating them.”

Building collapse could delay LRT A construction accident this week in Forest Hill could have repercussions for the completion of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. The light rail project is delayed to 2021. Now, there’s a possibility Monday’s collapse of a front-facing wall belonging to the former House of Chan restaurant, where a secondary entrance is under construction for an LRT station at Bathurst Street and Eglinton Avenue West, could mean even further delays. The incident could result in a workplace investigation by the Ministry of Labour, requiring a suspension of work at the site. However long the investigation takes could determine how much longer Toronto has to wait for its very first LRT line. street BIKE LANEs IN WORKS wBLOOR

Bloor Street could have bike lanes by late summer. The city’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWIC) is expected to approve a pilot project to establish lanes from Shaw Street to Avenue Road, the first such

rahul gupta TO in TRANSIT cycle-first infrastructure for the street. It’s not yet clear what form the lanes will resemble. City staff has suggested a range of options for the $500,000 project, from bollards to simple painted lanes. If the PWIC committee approves the plan at its meeting April 25, city staff would likely report back on the lanes’ effectiveness in the latter half of 2017. SWIMSUIT MODEL TTC IN LINGERIE wSIRIDES

Her fans call her Queen, and now Ashley Graham may have another handle to answer by: straphanger. Last week, photos and video were posted of the American model and activist cavorting on board a TTC subway train in nothing but lingerie. The photo shoot was a promotion for Graham’s new collection for Canadian plus-size retailer Addition Elle, which debuts in July. In addition to becom-

ing the first ever “my-sized” model to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s annual Swimsuit issue, Graham has gained legions of fans for her advocacy work for positive body image. HOSTS DAVENPORT MEETING wMETROLINX

It will likely be another charged atmosphere next week when Metrolinx hosts a public meeting for the Davenport Diamond train bridge. The provincial planning agency is completing an Environmental Assessment as part of final approvals for the project. Metrolinx hopes to eliminate the Davenport Diamond rail crossing to improve GO train traffic by building the bridge, but resident groups have voiced strong opposition. The meeting takes place Wednesday, April 27 at St. Sebastian Elementary School, 717 Brock Ave., from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

BASEMENT FLOODS ARE ON THE RISE. DON’T LET YOUR BASEMENT BE NEXT. Together we can stop heavy rainfall, melting snow and runoff from ending up in your basement. At the City, we’re doing our part by continually continually updating updating and maintaining Toronto’s Toronto’s complex underground underground pipes, sewers and catch catch basins. Now it’s it’s your turn. Here are some tips to help you ﬂood-proof ﬂood-proof your home.

Rahul Gupta is Metroland Media Toronto’s transportation and infrastructure reporter. His column runs every Thursday. Reach him on Twitter: @TOinTRANSIT

Real Estate

Fix cracks in your foundation.

Ensure the ground slopes away from your house.

Clear debris from eavestroughs and downspouts.

Install a sump pump to remove excess water.

Install a backwater valve to prevent water and sewage from backing up.

Divert your downspouts away from the foundation.

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| YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, April 21, 2016

transit

YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, April 21, 2016 |

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| YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, April 21, 2016

Home SellinG SyStem

YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, April 21, 2016 |

special report

Parents fight to save the ‘lost generation’ Hundreds of petitions circulating to fight changes to the Ontario Autism Program

CYNTHIA REASON creason@insidetoronto.com

f you listen carefully to coverage of last week’s Question Period from Queen’s Park, you might just hear a sweetly sung rendition of ‘Five Little Pandas’ amidst the heated debate over recent changes to the Ontario Autism Program. While protestors like her mom vocally shamed Premier Kathleen Wynne for a program shift they charge will rob a “lost generation” of autistic children of the long-awaited therapy they so desperately need, little Lila Majer sang through the protests unruffled – at one point even trying to get members of Wynne’s Liberal government to sing along with her as the debate raged on. The Etobicoke four year old, who was first diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at age two, is just one of thousands of autistic children anticipated to be negatively impacted by the changes, which will essentially cut off funding for “lifechanging” Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) therapy – which comes with a estimated price tag of about $50,000 a year – at age five. Among that lost generation are the 1,377 autistic children in Ontario currently aged five and older already receiving IBI who will now be transitioned out of the therapy, another 835 children over the age of five who are still on the IBI wait list and will now be deemed ineligible to receive the therapy, and a further 1,331 kids just under five who are expected to “age out” of the funding while waiting their turn on the IBI list. Then there are the kids like Lila, who will likely have her governmentfunded IBI therapy cut short under the new strategy. “Lila will receive some therapy, but once she turns five this therapy, which she so desperately needs, will no longer be available to her,” said Lila’s mom Jennifer Majer, who There are an estimated

40,000

children and youth in Ontario with ASD.

Staff photo/BENJAMIN PRIEBE

Lila, left, Jennifer, Shaun and Weston Majer inside their Etobicoke home on Saturday. Lila has been on the waitlist to recieve governmentfunded IBI therapy, but my not get the chance.

was among more than 200 parents and children on hand at the Ontario Legislature on April 12 to protest the changes. Lila, who is currently enrolled in costly private Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) and speech therapy, is finally nearing the top of the IBI list after nearly two years of anxiously awaiting her turn for the intensive one-on-one training, Majer said. “So, when I read about the changes, I just started to cry. It feels like a slap in the face; like this wait has been for nothing,” she added, noting that the family had even forgone registering Lila in kindergarten for next fall, because they expected her to be enrolled in IBI for about two years come October. “Had we known that there was a plan to change the program, we would have done things differently – we would have made more sacrifices in order to get Lila the (IBI) therapy that she needs and deserves Prevalence rates have

risen

123%

sooner.” The Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS) announced the rollout of the new Ontario Autism Program on March 29. The $333-million investment over five years attached to the new program, the ministry asserts, will “provide children and youth with critical interventions faster.” While the average wait time for autistic children across Ontario to access IBI services is more than two years, here in the Greater Toronto Area, the wait list ranged from 25 to 39 months as of September 2015, the MCYS confirmed in an email statement to Metroland Media. “This is unacceptable and why we’re taking steps to help (families) get the support and services they need in a timely manner,” the statement reads, noting extensive research has shown IBI has the greatest impact on children between the ages of two and four. “Wait times for intensive

programs are increasing and children are waiting too long for services that can have the highest impact on their needs.” Also quoting IBI’s lengthy wait times under the old Ontario Autism Program, the premier herself argued change was needed lest children continue to “languish” while waiting for treatment. “Children need intensive therapy... and we need to make sure that children come off the waiting list and get immediate support,” Wynne said in defending the controversial changes to the Ontario Autism Program during last week’s Question Period. To those ends, she said the new Autism Program will strive to cut wait times in half over the next two years and ultimately down to just six months by 2021. To do so, however, the program caps government-funded access to IBI services at five, at which age children will be gradually transitioned to ABA therapy, which uses scientific principles of learning and behaviour to increase functional life skills such as communication, social, emotional and daily living skills. To help with that transition, MCYS has also pledged one-time funding in the amount of $8,000 for each of those families with children five years and older – who, under the new strategy, will now be ineligible for IBI – toward the purchase of community services or supports based on their children’s specific needs as they transition off the waitlist. Critics, however, argue that the positive strides of the new program do not have to come on the backs of that “lost generation” of five, six, seven and eight year olds who will no longer have access to IBI. Parents of such children and their supporters have rallied together to form the Alliance Against the Ontario Autism Program – a Facebook group that now boasts more than 2,230 members like the

By 2010, that number had risen to

1 in 68 children

in the last decade. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, in 2002,

1 in 150 children

was diagnosed with autism.

On average, children

wait more than

2 years

to receive IBI services and more than one year for ABA-based services and supports.

Majers’, who have gone on to stage #AutismDoesntEndAt5 protests in cities including Ottawa, Toronto, Mississauga, Barrie, Hamilton, Burlington, Durham Region, Niagara, Kingston, Belleville, St. Catharines, Kitchener, London, Sudbury and beyond. Monique Taylor, the NDP critic for Children and Youth Services, was more scathing in her review of the new program. “The facts are very clear. The government is abandoning kids with ASD over the age of five,” the Hamilton Mountain MPP said during a recent press conference at Queen’s Park. Taylor has since spearheaded a petition asking the government “to immediately ensure that all children currently on the waiting list for IBI therapy are grandfathered into the new program so they do not become a lost generation.” While signatures continue to mount, Taylor’s office confirmed this week they have so far received petitions numbering “well into the hundreds.” The Majers’ are among those helping to collect petition signatures on behalf of families, like theirs, devastated by the impact changes to the Ontario Autism Program will have on their children’s future development. “It’s just like if you were on a list for a heart transplant or a lung transplant and you waited and waited, and just when you finally got close to the top of the list, they said ‘actually, now we’re going to only give transplants to people under the age of 30, because they have a better chance of living a longer life,’ You’d be pretty appalled and disgusted,” Majer said. “It might not be life or death, but IBI is life-changing therapy and these kids have been waiting years and years for it. And now, it’s just being taken away. It’s not fair and it’s not right – and we’re not going to stop fighting for it.”

Because of the increasing numbers of children and youth in Ontario with ASD, there are more children waiting for autism services than receiving services in Ontario.

Information courtesy: Ministry of Children and Youth Services

Metroland Toronto papers record strong readership in report If you’ve heard that people don’t read newspapers anymore, think again. Readership of weekly community newspapers in Ontario is very strong, according to the Community Newspaper Readership Report released by BrandSpark International. The report, conducted in partnership with Metroland Media, found that 73 per cent of Ontarians surveyed have read at least one of the last four issues of their Metroland Media community newspaper. In Toronto, Metroland Media publishes nine community newspapers – The Beach Mirror, The Bloor West Villager, The City Centre Mirror, The East York Mirror, The Etobicoke Guardian, The North York Mirror, The Parkdale-Liberty Villager, The Scarborough Mirror and The York Guardian. Most notably, just under nine in 10 (87 per cent) younger adults surveyed between the ages of 18 and‐35 are reading their community newspaper as much or more

Top 10 Metroland Media Research Results 1

73% of people within metroland’s entire footprint Read at least one of the last four metroland community newspapers Readership is particularly STRONG SURROUNDING TORONTO (including durham, halton, peel, and york) with 84% readership

84%

metroland community newspapers are most commonly

read by two adults in each household

Readers are spending An average of

22 minutes reading the newspaper including over 6 minutes reading the inserted flyers.

22 mins

93% of readers are reading at the same level or more often compared to last year

often this year than last year. That number jumps to 92 per cent for all adults surveyed. “I think it’s fair to say that we were surprised at the

strength of community newspapers in light of how print in general is perceived,” said Mark Baltazar, vice-president and partner at BrandSpark

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International. “These findings reinforce how much local information matters to Ontarians. Community newspapers are playing a

Compared to last year, 13 per cent of the people surveyed indicate that they are reading Metroland newspapers more often while almost 80 per cent have not changed their readership habits. Only 6 per cent of the people indicate they are reading it less. “This news certainly reinforces the feedback that we’ve heard from our readers across the province,” said Michelle Digulla, vice‐president of marketing at Metroland Media. “There is a strong appetite for the community‐ level, hyper-local news that community newspapers, in print and online, are uniquely set up to deliver.” More than 13,000 adults across Ontario were surveyed online and by phone for the study, which was completed from Nov. 24, 2015 to Jan. 31, 2016. The study focused on readership for the more than 100 local websites and community newspapers (including flyers) published across Ontario by Metroland Media. The margin of error is +/‐ 0.94 per cent.

A publication of

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| YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, April 21, 2016

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Lunch Program WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: York West Active Living Centre, 1901 Weston Rd. CONTACT: Danna McBride, 416-2454395, ext. 223, www.ywalc.ca, danna@ ywalc.ca COST: $6.50 Daily nutritious and delicious lunches. Soups, hot entrées, desserts, coffee or tea. Open to non-members. Pedestrian Safety WHEN: 2 to 3 p.m. WHERE: Mount Dennis Library, 1123 Weston Rd. CONTACT: 416394-1008 COST: Free Presented by Toronto Public Health. Lambton-Astoria Clean-Up WHEN: 10 a.m. to noon WHERE: Lambton and Jane, 250 Lambton Ave. CONTACT: 416-614-3371, cleanups@mountdennis.ca COST: Free Volunteer hours, supercoffee vouchers, gloves, bags provided.

w Monday, April 25

How to Change the World WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. WHERE: Maria A. Shchuka Library, 1745 Eglinton Ave. W. CONTACT: 416-394-1000, masstaff@ torontopubliclibrary.ca COST: Free How to Change the World, a new documentary exploring the origins of Greenpeace and growth of the modern environmental movement, through archival footage and contemporary interviews. Greenpeece founding member Bill Darnell will introduce it and answer questions. Stress Management Thru Restorative Meditation WHEN: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Oakwood Village Library, 341 Oakwood Ave. CONTACT: 416-394-1040 COST: Free A relaxing meditation session and tension relieving stretches. Please bring a yoga mat or a non-slip surface mat to the class. Call to register.

w Wednesday, April 27

770 Don Mills Road

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Family Time WHEN: 10:30 to 11 a.m. WHERE: Mount Dennis Library, 1123 Weston Rd. CONTACT: 416-394-1008 COST: Free Stories for children under 5.

Niagara Falls Casino Day Trip WHEN: 9:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Mount Dennis Legion, 1050 Weston Rd. CONTACT: 416-766-0231, legionbr31@ yahoo.com COST: $10 Casino bus trip to Niagara Falls. Board the bus in branch parking lot at 9:45 a.m. Bus estimated return to branch is 6:30 p.m.

THE

w Saturday, April 23

w Sunday, April 24

Come to the show and get the help you need!

VISIT:

happening in

YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, April 21, 2016 |