December 27

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YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 27, 2012 |

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Carrierof the

JOSEPH

My name is Joseph and I am twelve years old. I have been delivering the newspaper for just over a year. My biggest hobby is playing hockey and my biggest fans are my Mom and Dad and my three sisters. I like saving the money that I earn and spending it on things that I really want. I enjoy my job as a newspaper carrier but my dream is to become the next NHL player.

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Community

St. Fidelis CES backdrop for McGuinty’s locked-door policy LISA QUEEN lqueen@insidetoronto.com

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Just days after a gunman killed 20 children and six staff members at a school in Connecticut, Premier Dalton McGuinty was at a North York school to announce a lockeddoor policy for elementary schools in Ontario.

“In the aftermath of that tragic event that unfolded in the U.S., I think there is an important question we have to ask ourselves. Are we taking all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of our kids at school?”

McGuinty told a press conference last Thursday in the library of St. Fidelis Catholic Elementary school in the area of Keele Street and Hwy. 401.

The province will spend $10 million for elementary schools to install security devices such as video cameras and buzzers to let visitors in.

All elementary schools in the province must have in place by next September a locked-door policy that will mean doors to schools are locked while children are in class, McGuinty said.

“Now, we can’t, neither would we attempt to, turn our elementary schools into fortresses. We are not going to brick up these windows.

That would be unreasonable,” he said.

“I think it (the locked door policy) is an appropriate and reasonable response in keeping with what weighs heavily on the minds of parents.” In 2005, the province provided similar $3 million in funding for elementary schools to install security measures if the front doors could not be seen from the office. About

Staff photo/Dan Pearce

Premier Dalton McGuinty helps Wesley Leonardo with a craft before a school safety announcement at St. Fidelis Catholic Elementary school last Thursday.

850 schools took advantage of the program.

There are about 4,000 elementary schools in Ontario and McGuinty said he now wants all of them to be eligible for funding.

McGuinty said the government is in a constant process of improving safety measures at schools.

But he was clearly moved to beef up security measures following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut on Dec. 14.

“What that event south of the border did was raise the question in our own minds as a government. Have we, in fact, taken all reasonable steps to protect the safety and well-

being or our kids in school?”

McGuinty said.

Before the press conference, McGuinty visited teacher Luciana Di Nizio’s Grade 2 class, where he joined the children in making tinfoil Christmas tree ornaments.

He asked the youngsters what they do to be nice during the year.

“Help my sister get dressed,” one student said.

“Help my mom,” said another.

“Roast a chicken,” a third chimed.

Student Mike Tesi then asked McGuinty if he has been naughty or nice this year.

“Mostly nice. Depends who you ask,” a smiling McGuinty answered.

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News

3

Columbus Centre, Dante Alighieri Academy will unite under one roof in redevelopment project $50-million initiative considered to be the first of its kind in Canada

‘The neighbourhood is changing and we have to reinvent ourselves.

We’ve been here for two generations and we’ve done good, decent work.’

– Pal Di Iulio

FANNIE SUNSHINE fsunshine@insidetoronto.com

H

ousing the Columbus Centre and Dante Alighieri Academy under one roof is one step closer to fruition after an official signing ceremony last Wednesday.

The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) and Villa Charities, which operates the Columbus Centre, joined forces to launch a project that will see culture and education come together in the Dufferin Street and Lawrence Avenue area.

The $50-million redevelopment project is considered to be the first of its kind in Canada and will accommodate a new school for Dante Alighieri Academy, Columbus Centre, Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery, a daycare and other services currently provided by both organizations. It will also provide much needed capacity to service Toronto’s growing performing and fine arts community.

The project, which includes construction of the new school, is targeted for completion in September 2016. The building, which will allow for Dante Alighieri’s 1,300 students to be in one location, will include shared use of a theatre, dance studios, and expanded fitness and music facilities. Currently, Grade 9 students are housed on Ameer Avenue near Allen Road and Hwy. 401, while programs for other grades are situated on

Above, Villa Charities president and CEO Pal Di Iulio, left, signs a document commemorating a joint development project between the Toronto Catholic District School Board and Villa Charities during a ceremony at the Columbus Centre Dec. 19. Left, the Dufferin Street and Lawrence Avenue area will be home to the $50 million redevelopment project.

Staff photos/Nick Perry

Playfair Avenue near Dufferin Street and Lawrence Avenue.

Plans call for the new structure, which will be linked by a walkway, to be situated just south of the current Columbus Centre location. The old Dante Alighieri site on Playfair Avenue

will be refurbished to house Regina Mundi Catholic School, also currently located on Playfair Avenue. It’s not clear what would happen to the old Regina Mundi school, but that’s years down the road, said Pal Di Iulio, president and CEO of Villa Charities.

“Today officializes what we’ve been talking about for years,” he said.

“We will carry on with a number of activities and Italian programming, but in a more modern facility. The neighbourhood is changing and we have to

reinvent ourselves. We’ve been here for two generations and we’ve done good, decent work.”

Villa Charities has “mechanisms in place” for its share of the funding, which comes in at $18 million. The school board’s portion is $32 million.

“We’re hoping to get started soon,” said Angelo Sangiorgio, assistant director of planning and development for the TCDSB. “If we’re lucky we’ll get the City to approve plans within the next 12 to 15 months. Today is the project’s kick-off.”

Bruce Rodrigues, director of education for the TCDSB, said the project marks the first of its kind in the country.

“Villa Charities has been a long standing supporter of Catholic education,” he said. “It’s no secret this community is in desperate need of a secondary school. Enrollment continues to grow. We’ve long advocated for a new school.”

Dante Alighieri Academy student Jessica Mohanlall said students’ prayers have been answered.

“Not only will it bring students and staff together, but dreams will continue to unfold,” she said.

The event was capped off with an official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two project partners.

Toronto Public Health warning of increased flu cases Toronto Public Health ( TPH) is advising Torontonians of an increase in influenza cases over the last few weeks.

TPH says the flu is expected to reach a peak in Toronto over the next couple of weeks.

As of Dec. 15, eight institutional outbreaks and 135 lab-confirmed

cases have been reported to TPH. Hospitals can expect an increased pressure in emergency departments and emergency admissions over the next three weeks and may expect to experience flow issues when elective surgery re-opens in January.

Family physicians and walkin clinics can also expect to see

increased volumes of patients presenting with influenza-like illness (ILI). Many emergency departments and clinic settings will be implementing additional procedures for preventing influenza transmission, such as additional signage regarding hand hygiene and masking of symptomatic patients in waiting

areas, additional personal protective equipment for triage nurses, and segregated waiting areas.

TPH recommends that people get their influenza immunization if they have not already done so.

Vaccine is available from family physicians, Occupational Health Services and some pharmacies.

Practise frequent hand hygiene and cough etiquette to avoid transmitting influenza to others.

For the most current weekly information on influenza activity in Toronto and other resources for the prevention of influenza, visit www.toronto.ca/health/professionals/

| YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 27, 2012

ykg@insidetoronto.com

YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 27, 2012 |

4

Opinion Ian Proudfoot Marg Middleton Peter Haggert Paul Futhey Warren Elder Alison Fauquier Debra Weller Mike Banville

ykg@insidetoronto.com

Your View

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Improving our communities

T

here is an infinite number ways to improve and progress our communities.

The secret is to actually get out and do it.

Your actions don’t have to be big. They don’t have to be time our view consuming. They don’t need to command a spotlight – although some are very public. To borrow a Make 2013 the phrase, just do it.

Year of the York In today’s paper we’ve compiled a simple list of possibilities. Community A few meetings. Some great phone conversations with community members – it wasn’t hard to find 50 ways to improve our community.

These thoughts of course are only a sample. If you visit bit.ly/TCN_50ways, you’ll see the 50 ways as expressed in each of our nine community newspaper neighbourhoods throughout Toronto.

We think the more information you have about your community the better.

Your York Guardian reaches into more than 28,000 York homes. Our www.yorkguardian.com website reaches many more community members. It’s been a year where our Facebook and Twitter feeds have had a more prominent role in our quest to provide you news and information about your community in a format you desire.

We are dedicated to the betterment of York and we sponsor many community events.

It’s all meant to give you increased access to community information and to grow community involvement and commitment.

And by the way, York isn’t Scarborough. It isn’t East York. It isn’t Parkdale. There is of course common interest of all communities that make up Toronto. But there’s also a deep richness of community life and spirit that is uniquely York in flavour.

We encourage everyone to become deeply involved in your community. And share your stories, thoughts, projects and objectives with us. We love to share them with our readers.

The sheer act of being a resident means you are a community owner. That means you are responsible for the upkeep, the health and wellness and the profile of where you live. We are all community builders.

Thanks to all those community groups who participated in this project. We look forward to your feedback and future ideas on building a better York.

And we wish you all a safe and festive weekend as we inch closer to 2013.

Together, let’s make 2013 The Year of the York Community. newsroom

Write us The York Guardian welcomes letters of 400 words or less. All submissions must include name, address and a daytime telephone number for verification purposes.

We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Copyright in letters remains with the author but the publisher and affiliates may freely reproduce them in print,

electronic or other forms. Letters can be sent to letters@insidetoronto.com, or mailed to The York Guardian, 175 Gordon Baker Rd., Toronto, ON, M2H 0A2.

The city has begun to install electronic water meters, which will transmit water use data wireless every few hours through some type of antennae installed for the purpose.

Why not transmit such data once a month or every three months?

Such convenience for the city bureaucracy brings a convenient but intrusive use of technology right into our homes.

I am worried about the health and safety aspects of ever-growing electromagnetic radiation.

There are pregnant moms and babies in the households.

They are exposed to such radiation all for the convenience of city bureaucracy.

We have heard enough about radiation from cellphones and now we add more of it to the ever growing load of harmful radiation that we are being exposed to in our daily living environment.

This kind of pollution is not welcome.

K. Chandra

Local tourneys worthy of time and attention

F

or those of you used to being immersed in NHL hockey and the world juniors over the holidays, ‘tis not exactly a season to be jolly.

The only NHL games being played at the moment are off the ice. And with the junior tourney taking place in Russia, if you want to catch Team Canada you have to get up at 4:30 a.m. which is too early for even an early bird.

So what’s a fan to do to take care of his hockey fix?

Go cold turkey?

Heavens no. Just the opposite.

Go double double.

Pick up a coffee and head to the nearest arena and go see the kids play.

That’s what I do this time of year, even when the NHL is on and the World Juniors lace ‘em up in this time zone.

but seriously

jamie wayne

For my money the most entertaining hockey right around now are the annual minor hockey Christmas holiday tournaments in and around Toronto. And there are plenty to choose from between now and Dec. 30.

One I go to year after year is the Toronto Marlboros International Holiday Classic held at four complexes in the city, Canlan Ice Sports Etobicoke, Canlan Ice Sports York, Chesswood Arena in Downsview and Westwood Arena in Rexdale.

You’re immersed in the game from the moment you arrive.

The cars in the parking lots are always packed in like sardines. You’re greeted by the de rigueur colour collage of vintage team jackets and jerseys inside.

There are long line-ups for the skate sharpener.

Line-ups just as long at the snack bar. It’s elbow to elbow in the pro shop.

You’ll likely catch a glimpse of the ubiquitous Don Cherry. You’ll no doubt also see a familiar former NHL player or two behind the bench coaching teams from all corners of the globe.

And to show that you’re a real team player you’ll probably buy a ticket for a raffle or a 50-50 draw.

Then you’ll settle in next to nervous parents and friends in the stands on the edges of their seats.

Or stand beside rink rats hanging over the railings

watching games from dawn till dusk.

And best of all?

During the entire time, wherever you go, people will be talking hockey.

Not lockouts. Hockey.

Not collective bargaining.

Hockey. Not lawsuits. Not disclaimers of interest. Not decertification, not a bunch of legalese you can’t understand. Just hockey. Strictly hockey. It doesn’t get any better than that sports fans.

And now if you’ll excuse me, I see a slight break in the snack bar line. There’s a double double waiting there with my name on it, baby.

If I don’t see you at the rink, have a happy New Year.

We’ll talk again in 2013. n 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

416-493-4400 | distribution ph: 416-493-4400 fax: 416-495-6524 | display advertising ph: 416-493-4400 fax: 416-675-5665 | classifieds ph: 416-493-4660 fax: 416-495-6629 | administration ph: 416-493-4400 fax: 416-495-6629

n Friday, Dec. 28

Casino Rama Day Trip WHEN: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. WHERE: York West Active Living Centre, 1901 Weston Rd. CONTACT: info@yorkwestactivelivingcentre.ca COST: Free A fun way to spend some time over the holidays. Invite your family and friends to join us.

n Monday, Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Dinner/Dance WHEN: 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. WHERE: Mount Dennis Legion, 1050 Weston Rd. CONTACT: 416-767-0231, www. facebook.com/mountdennislegion, legionbr31@yahoo.com COST: $40 Buffet meal at 6:30 p.m. followed by music provided by DJ Tom O’Rourke.

Party favours, dance prizes and door prizes included. Cash bar.

New Years Eve at Silverthorn Legion WHEN: 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. WHERE: Silverthorn Legion Branch 57, 605 Rogers Rd. CONTACT: 416-653-6757, branch57@ gmail.com COST: $25 Bring in the new year celebrating with us. Everyone welcome. There will be a roast beef dinner, party favours, bubbly at midnight. Door prizes, spot dances and DJ Rob Martin spinning his tunes Tickets available after 9 p.m. for $15, excludes dinner.

n Tuesday, Jan. 1

Silverthorn Legion’s Levee WHEN: 1 to 6 p.m. WHERE: Silverthorn

Legion Branch 57, 605 Rogers Rd. CONTACT: 416-653-6757, branch57@gmail. com COST: Free Meet your executive. Make and possibly break a few new year’s resolutions.

n Tuesday, Jan. 8

New Year’s Resolution: Get Out of Debt.

WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. WHERE: Maria A. Shchuka Library, 1745 Eglinton Ave. W. CONTACT: 416-394-1000 COST: Free JVS Toronto will lead a workshop on how to get out of debt by providing strategies and addressing the common reasons why we get into debt in the first place. Call to register.

n Tuesday, Jan. 15

Lunch Out at Mandarin Restaurant WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: York West Active Living Centre, 1901 Weston Rd. CONTACT: 416-2454395, info@yorkwestactivelivingcentre. ca COST: $8 plus cost of food Trip to the Rexdale location. Price is $12.99 (seniors 65 plus will receive 20 per cent discount with a valid ID).

New Year’s Resolution: Stress Less WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. WHERE: Maria A. Shchuka Library, 1745 Eglinton Ave. W. CONTACT: 416-394-1000 COST: Free Certified laughter yoga facilitator and trainer Nicole Constant will teach us how to relax and stress less through a lesser known form of yoga. Laughter yoga is appropriate for all fitness levels.

Two Sessions are available: today and Tuesday, Jan. 22. Call to register.

n Wednesday, Jan. 16

Casino Rama Day Trip WHEN: 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. WHERE: Mount Dennis Legion, 1050 Weston Rd. CONTACT: 416-767-0231, legionbr31@ yahoo.com COST: $5 Your $5 ticket includes your transportation and a $15 credit on your Rama Players card. All 19 years and older are welcome.

insidetoronto.com

n Saturday, Jan. 26

Family Literacy Day with Patricia Storms WHEN: 2 to 3 p.m. WHERE: Maria A. Shchuka Library, 1745 Eglinton Ave. W. CONTACT: 416-394-1000 COST: Free Enjoy the antics of author/illustrator Patricia Storms, with a play based on ‘The Pirate and the Penguin’ and a cartooning workshop. Drop-in.

n Tuesday, Jan. 29

Van Trip to Eaton Centre WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. WHERE: York West Active Living Centre, 1901 Weston Rd. CONTACT: 416-245-4395, info@yorkwestactivelivingcentre.ca COST: $15 Book by Wednesday, Jan. 16.

New Year’s Resolution: Exploring Self-Employment WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. WHERE: Maria A. Shchuka Library, 1745 Eglinton Ave. W. CONTACT: 416-394-1000 COST: Free Danielle Botterell and Amy Ballon, authors of the book ‘Mom Inc.,’ discuss self-employment and the challenge of balancing work and family. Call to register.

n Saturday, Jan. 19

n Thursday, Feb. 7

n Friday, Jan. 18

Robbie Burns Supper and Dance WHEN: 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. WHERE: Mount Dennis Legion, 1050 Weston Rd. CONTACT: 416-767-0231, www. facebook.com/mountdennislegion, legionbr31@yahoo.com COST: $25 Enjoy a traditional Scottish supper with ‘optional’ haggis and a piper. Performance by highland dancers a Toronto Police pipe and drum band, followed by music provided by DJ Rick Gimza.

Cash bar. Door prizes. Tickets must be purchased by Jan. 12.

MARINO’S FINE CARS

The Meeting: A Play by Jeff Stetson WHEN: 7 to 8 p.m. WHERE: Maria A. Shchuka Library, 1745 Eglinton Ave. W. CONTACT: 416-394-1000 COST: Free Imagine a meeting between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. What would they say to each other? Join the African Theatre Ensemble for a riveting examination of two powerful philosophies.

Call to register.

n Volunteers

York West Active Living Centre WHEN: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: York

West Active Living Centre, 1901 Weston Rd. CONTACT: Monica Sanmiguel, 416-245-4395, ext. 233, monica@yorkwestactivelivingcentre.ca COST: Free Help older adults to improve their lives.

No need to sign up for long term commitments.

n Ongoing

Weekly Barbecue WHEN: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Fridays WHERE: Mount Dennis Legion, 1050 Weston Rd. CONTACT: 416-767-0231, legionbr31@ yahoo.com Good food at reasonable prices. Come out and meet some new friends. All 19 and older are welcome. Cash bar.

Weekly Seniors Club WHEN: Noon to 3 p.m. Tuesdays WHERE: Mount Dennis Legion, 1050 Weston Rd. CONTACT: 416-767-0231, legionbr31@yahoo.com Enjoy a light lunch ($2) and meet new friends. We have snooker, pool, darts, euchre, cribbage, dominoes, table shuffleboard or just good conversation.

n Submit Your Event

The York Guardian wants your community listings. Whether it’s a church knitting group or a music night or a non-profit group’s program for kids, The Guardian wants to know about it so others can attend. Sign up online at insidetoronto.com to submit your events (click the Sign Up link in the top right corner of the page).

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5 | YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 27, 2012

It’s Happening in York

YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 27, 2012 |

6

Opinion

Jan. 7 looms large in the coming year Make sure the holidays are safe ones for pets F

or city hall columnists, the late-December spot in the paper is customarily reserved for a look forward at the coming year at council.

And if this were more ordinary times, it would be fairly easy to predict some things.

One might write about how council will make a decision on whether to invite a casino resort complex into the city’s downtown, or how the city will come to terms with the need to fund transit infrastructure at the expense of funding services to the community, or vice versa.

For 2013, though, much of what comes to pass will hinge on what happens in the days following Jan. 7, in the matter of Mayor Rob Ford’s appeal of a judicial order demanding he be removed from office. If the decision is upheld, the repercussions are seismic.

They are also unpredictable.

Council will have an immediate decision to make within two months of the decision: whether to hold a byelection for the office of mayor, or appoint a new mayor for the remainder of the term.

Should council appoint, it will have to decide what direction it actually intends to take. Mayor

THE CITY

DAVID NICKLE

Ford has spent the past two years attempting to fulfill a right-wing agenda at city hall – and has had some success in doing so.

But council has not consistently shared that view, frequently rebuffing Ford’s more controversial initiatives.

Usually when council considers appointing for a vacancy, there is some effort to make sure the appointee reflects the politics of the person they’re replacing.

Under this council, that rule of thumb may or may not apply. It is up in the air.

And that goes double for the public. Ford was elected as a clear leader of the pack, and in the past, voters have been notably forgiving of the mayor’s many personal foibles.

If there’s a byelection, Ford has every right to run in it and at least as of late this month, every intention of doing so, and given history

– a very good possibility, all things considered, of being elected.

As does federal New Democrat MP and former city councillor Olivia Chow if she decides to run for mayor.

So once again: in 2013, anything goes.

One thing we can predict, or at least observe, about 2013: in the next year, Toronto Council is going to have to finish the messy process of growing up and learning how to govern itself.

It’s done well enough so far, coalescing around what its members deemed unacceptable cuts in the 2012 budget, and solidifying around a consensus in favour of light rail compared to the mayor’s vision of a Scarborough subway.

But next year, the challenges will be big: council will have the city of the future in its hands like it never has before. Alternatively, if things go differently on Jan. 7, council will have to learn to work with this mayor again.

Either way – 2013 is a great big unknown.

■ David Nickle is The Guardian’s City Hall columnist. His column appears every Thursday. He can be reached at dnickle@insidetoronto. com

I

offer a few holiday safety tips (adapted from Petfinder. com) that bring awareness/ reminders that may save you and your pet a trip to the emergency clinic this holiday season.

Don’t throw your dog a bone.

Bones are brittle and sharp pieces can get lodged in your pet’s esophagus or intestine.

Because poultry bones are hollow, they can break especially easily.

Keep chocolate out of reach.

Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which can be toxic to dogs. Make sure chocolate candies left out for guests are kept away from your dog.

Keep a lid on the garbage can. During the holiday season, there is a lot of activity in the kitchen and several new, tasty smells flowing from the garbage can. Ensure your garbage can is covered because goodies found in the trash can present a significant risk for gastritis for pets and can also be a choking hazard for dogs and cats.

Watch out for holiday plants.

Popular plants including poin-

GUEST COLUMN

LORRAINE HOUSTON

settia, mistletoe and holly can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Play it safe and contact your veterinarian if you believe your pet has been nibbling on one of these plants.

Store wrapping supplies away from pets. Pets who ingest ribbon or tinsel can develop a foreign body obstruction.

Foreign body surgery can be traumatic and expensive. Keep ribbon and other string and tinsel stored safely and pick up loose wrappings quickly.

■ Guest columnist Lorraine Houston is director of Speaking of Dogs, an organization devoted to education, outreach and rescue.

Contact her at lhh4dogs@rogers. com

7 | YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 27, 2012

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| YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 27, 2012

SELL Your Home FASTER and for MORE MONEY!

9

YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 27, 2012 |

10

Skate at community rinks, such as the newly opened outdoor rink at Cedarvale Park, 443 Arlington Ave.For a list of rinks in your neighbourhood, visit http://bit.ly/ Yorkarenas

Attend Etobicoke-York community council on Jan. 22 at 9:30 a.m. at the Etobicoke Civic Centre at 399 The West Mall.

Support local markets, such as the Weston Village Farmers’ Market, 19 John St., 416-249-0691.

Explore local conservation areas or parks in York, such as Eglinton Flats.

Help a senior shovel her driveway or carry groceries.

Get involved in your community and meet your neighbours by attending meetings and events hosted by your local residents association.

WE OFFER 50 WAYS

Donate your time or cash to a breakfast program at an area school.

Support your local business community by shopping local for gifts throughout the year.

Give blood: visit www.blood. ca to find a clinic.

COMMUNITY, YOUR

Find out what your community is doing for Earth Day and how to get involved.

Check out an art gallery or a play and support homegrown talent and neighbourhood venues that foster it.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Get to know your local police station: 11 Division at 2054 Davenport Rd. at 416-808-1100, 12 Division at 200 Trethewey Dr. at 416-808-1200 or 13 Division at 1435 Eglinton Ave. W. at 416-808-3300.

Volunteer at an Out of the Cold program at Holy Blossom Temple at 1950 Bathurst St. from Nov. 1 to March 21, 6:30 p.m. to 7 a.m.; at Beth Shalom at 1445 Eglinton Ave. from Jan. 8 to March 19, 5:15 p.m. to 7 a.m.; or First Interfaith at St. Matthew’s at 729 St. Clair Ave. W. from Nov. 1 to March 28, 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. Visit www.ootc.ca

Contribute to a local food bank such as the York Memorial Church Food Bank at 1695 Keele St. at 416-6537756 or the Weston Food Bank at 1844 Weston Rd. at 416-247-3737.

Help youth in your community at Horizons for Youth at 422 Gilbert Ave. at 416-7819898 or through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto at www. bbbst.com or call 416-925-8981.

Volunteer at Humber River Regional Hospital at 416-747-3768 or by visiting www.hrrh.ca/BecomeaHumberRiverVolunteer or emailing volunteers@hrrh.on.ca

Donate to local charities.

Visit www.221Toronto.ca to find organizations to support.

Support neighbourhood theatre groups like Threshold Theatre, 416-658-8146.

Protect your watershed by joining the Humber Watershed Alliance. Visit www.trca.on.ca/watershedchampion

50

Make your community a cleaner place by picking up after your pet and throwing garbage in trash bin.

Donate to an animal in need.

Toronto Animal Services is looking for items like dog biscuits, leashes and collars, cat treats, scratching posts and cat harnesses. Visit www. toronto.ca/animal_services/ pet_donations.htm

YOUR CITY, YOUR

Participate in a Terry Fox walk/run in September. Visit http://www.terryfox.org/ Run/Ontario.html for details.

Organize a bottle drive to support local sport teams.

Contact LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests www.yourleaf.org/) and arrange to get a free tree planted in your back yard.

TO TAKE CHARGE IN

Explore Toronto’s past with a visit to Lambton House at 4066 Old Dundas St. at 416767-5472.

Become a volunteer coach or sponsor a team in one of the many youth sports leagues in the community.

Change a child’s life by becoming a foster parent.

Call the Homes for Kids hotline at 1-877-567-KIDS.

Start a walking or running club in your neighbourhood

Make a difference in your community through St. Clair Services for Seniors at 2562 Eglinton Ave. W at 416-7872114.

Properly dispose of cigarette butts.

Host a Yard Sale for The Cure at your home. The annual event, which raises funds for breast cancer research, takes place every May across Canada. Visit www.yardsaleforthecure.com

Start a Neighbourhood Watch in your community: contact the Crime Prevention Association of Toronto (CPAT) at www.cpatoronto.org or 416-225-1102.

Protect, regenerate and celebrate your local watershed.

Visit http://trca.on.ca/watershed-champion

Share the road with cyclists.

11

Hold the door open for people behind you.

Organize a block party to meet neighbours.

Support or start a local community garden.

Buy coffee for the next person in line.

Help students with their homework at an after school newcomer hub at your local library branch. Email afterschool@torontopubliclibrary. ca to find out more.

Donate books/toys/clothes to Anduhyaun Emergency Women’s Shelter at 416920-1492 ext. 221 or to the North York Women’s Centre at 2446 Dufferin St. at 416-781-0479.

Volunteer for Meals on Wheels at Humber Community Seniors Services at 1167 Weston Rd. at 2497946 or visit www.humberseniors.org

Give up your seat on the transit system for someone who needs it.

Lend a hand with Habitat for Humanity Toronto at a build site or at a ReStore location. Visit www.torontohabitat.ca/volunteer.html

Honour Canada’s veterans at a Remembrance Day service in November. Visit www.toronto.ca/ lestweforget/ remembrancecity.htm for a service near you.

Swap plastic forks and paper plates for reusable cutlery and food containers.

Contact your local school to become a volunteer mentor.

Use the Weston Public Library at 2 King St. 416-394-1016 or visit www. torontopubliclibrary. ca to find a branch near you.

Fill out an online form at www.salvationarmy.ca/volunteer to connect with the Salvation Army volunteer coordinator in your area.

Support literacy by tutoring in basic reading, writing and math at your local library. Call 416-395-5555.

■ What are your ideas for making York a great place to live? Let us know at ykg@insidetoronto.com

‘Talk to neighbours, get to know people in your neighbourhood.

People don’t realize what’s going on.’

David McBride is the chair of the Weston Village Residents’ Association.

Photo/PETER C. MCCUSKER

Know your neighbours... ...and community improvements will follow FANNIE SUNSHINE fsunshine@insidetoronto.com

F

rom a young age, Amy Procope-Shaw wanted to make a difference in her neighbourhood.

By her own admission, the long-time York resident was “that person” who wanted to talk to everyone and make things work for the betterment of her community.

“I believe we all have a duty to our community,” she said.

“We can’t really complain until we tried to make it better. We have a duty to each other and to be there for one another. I find it very fulfilling.”

A For Youth Initiative (FYI) executive board member, Procope-Shaw has seen her community go through many changes, the majority of them positive, such as a reduction in crime and increases in social services and youth involvement, she said.

Those looking to contribute positively in their communities in the coming year can go about it in many ways, she said.

“It starts very simple,” she said. “Get to know who’s in your community. If you attend different street festivals or small functions, it’s the first step in order to really help the community. To do anything effectively you need to know who’s your neighbour. When you build those types of relationships everything comes after that.”

If someone is interested in beautifying their neighbourhood, Procope-Shaw suggests getting a small group of friends together and pick a street to focus on, instead of tackling a more daunting project like a park.

“Some people are nervous and shy so they can attend something like Slam Jam (community festival) to see who are the people in your

community,” she said. “Your first encounter at a community event can be a simple conversation. Those relationships are all part of community engagement.”

Cherri Hurst, archivist with the Weston Historical Society and past president and a founding member of the Weston Heritage Conservation District, said a good place to find out what organizations are in your community to become involved with is to start with offices of local councillors, MPs and MPPs. “Look at your local newspaper or if you have kids, help out at their school or at your church,” she said.

“Go to meetings, see how you can help. I would hate to see someone not become involved because they can’t find a place to help. Sometimes you have to be the leader. I find people will come out to support what you do even if they can’t help.”

For the past six years, Hurst has participated in the neighbours’ night out event on Elm Street in June, which sees large crowds of mingling residents, which also serves as a fundraiser for Frontlines, a youth organization in Weston.

Another bonus of being actively involved in your community is added security, Hurst said.

“The more people you know, the safer the place is to live,” she said. “Volunteering gives you a good appreciation of the neighbourhood. I love my neighbourhood even more since I started volunteering.”

The more you give, the more you get back is what Marion Newrick believes.

“We forget how lucky we are to live in this country,” said the executive director of Community Action Resource Centre. “Everyone has something to offer. Everyone will find something that interests

them, that challenges them.”

Newrick advises those wishing to get involved in their neighbourhoods to first find out where their interest lies, then find organizations fitting it.

“In our organization, we have people volunteering their time to help newcomers learn English, to help children with homework, to help with garden work or to help a specific family with a specific need,” she said.

“The commitment can be very short or many hours.

You need to figure out how much time you have and don’t overextend yourself. You can look around your community to see what’s being done or do something on your own without going through a social organization.”

Newrick also suggested becoming politically aware and to stay on top of city hall happenings.

“See how your elected official is voting and what they are supporting,” she said. “Find your voice and use it.”

The best thing people can do is become involved and engaged in some way, said David McBride, chair of the Weston Village Residents’ Association.

“It doesn’t have to be hard or time consuming,” he said.

“Talk to neighbours, get to know people in your neighbourhood. People don’t realize what’s going on. Check The York Guardian, go to community events. It helps you to feel part of the community.”

One of the first places to seek information on active community groups is the local councillor’s office, McBride said, adding organizations such as food banks and hospitals are always looking for volunteers.

“It’s easy for people to write a cheque, but volunteers make it happen,” he said.

| YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 27, 2012

Carpool.

YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 27, 2012 |

12

City News

A note of optimism on next year’s budget TTC citizen appointees

I

t’s a time of year when we all want to believe. It’s not only children who were hoping that Santa and his reindeer paid a visit. And come New Year’s Eve, many of us will have perhaps an optimistic belief in our ability to change, leading us to make resolutions. In our private lives this delightful suspension of reality fades after a couple of weeks.

But when we consider our public institutions, wishful thinking seems to last all year round.

No fairy tale is more deeply ingrained than the belief in a pot of gold at city hall large enough to make wishes come true without any sacrifice. Whether this fantasy is called a gravy train, efficiencies or waste, the first two years of the Mayor Rob Ford administration ought to have put this belief to rest.

As a candidate, his “Taxpayer Protection Plan” promised more than $100 million in savings with no loss of services. Once elected, outside accountants, motivated politicians

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

DAVID SOKNACKI

and city staff looked under every plant, only to recommend proposals so unpalatable that council either delayed or reversed most of the ideas.

To be fair, the administration’s opposition is equally responsible for the problem, happily living in a past of unsustainable services, unachievable expectations and unmet promises.

In the middle of this unreality is budget chief Mike Del Grande who, in the closing month of 2012, made significant strides in reconciling these two fantasy worlds.

No City of Toronto budget will ever be manageable unless a firm hand is taken to the city’s largest budgets: police, emergency services and transit.

For the first time in living

memory, our police budget does not have an increase.

To assure the maintenance of financial discipline, Del Grande was appointed to sit on the Toronto Police Services Board. Similar rigour was applied to the city’s fire and ambulance services, to the extent of closing a fire station.

And the Toronto Transit Commission presented a budget on target, thanks in part to a fare increase.

In addition to these significant measures on the cost side, Del Grande made practical concessions to get his budget through council.

Just over $1 million was added for services to lubricate his budget’s passage, including funds for public health, student nutrition, the arts and, to reflect the reality on the floor of council, a small but unallocated sum.

That this budget stands a good chance of clearing hurdles at council could be seen in the shorter deputation list and, compared to the last two years, muted public reaction. For the most part,

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outrage was limited to the usual activists and interest groups.

As examples, the Toronto Real Estate Board released a poll showing that two-thirds of Torontonians support the elimination of the Land Transfer Tax, a revenue tool that generates about $300 million annually. On the other side, the Toronto Arts Council organized a campaign to advocate for increased arts grants.

Sensibly, the budget committee steered a middle course. In addressing the aspirations of the administration, the needs of Canada’s largest urban area and the politics of a polarized council, this budget contains enough financial and political reality to give it a decent chance of passage.

Should this budget be approved, Del Grande will have presented us with a package that will keep giving all year long.

■ David Soknacki is a former City of Toronto councillor and budget chief. Contact him at www.soknacki.com

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Maureen Adamson is excited about her new roles as both a citizen appointee as well as the new vice-chair of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).

“It is a very exciting opportunity and needless to say I am energized. I’m delighted to be elected,” said Adamson, who applied to serve on the now 11-member TTC board at the end of the summer.

“I think it’s great to have citizens on the panel. It’s a real progressive move.”

One of four new citizen board members selected from a field of nearly 500 applicants, Adamson learned she’d been chosen in late October after an interview process and reference checks.

She was officially sworn in as a citizen appointee as well as elected as the Commission’s new vice-chair on Nov. 21.

Adamson’s citizen counterparts include Nick Di Donato, president and CEO of Liberty

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Entertainment Group; Alan Heisey, managing partner at Papazian, Heisey and Myers Barristers & Solicitors; and Anju Virmani, CIO of Cargojet Canada Ltd. Equally accomplished in her own right, the regular transit user who lives in Toronto’s Beach area is the CEO of Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

TTC Chair Karen Stintz said she’s looking forward to working with the TTC board’s new citizen members. “ I t ’s e a r l y d a y s b u t Maureen, Anju, Alan and Nick, the new ‘citizen commissioners’, are welcome additions to the TTC and the city,” she wrote in an email to The Guardian.

Stintz, who represents Ward 16 (Eglinton-Lawrence), said she’s confident Adamson will do a fine job as the board’s new vice-chair.

The TTC’s new citizen commissioners will serve the balance of the current City Council term, which is slated to come to a close in 2014.

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YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 27, 2012 |

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| YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 27, 2012

YORK GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 27, 2012 |

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