CRICKET ON THE RISE Malvern needs more pitches See page 7
M-ARRR-CH BREAK Kids unwind on their week off See page 5
THE EAST TORONTO
• Friday • March 26 • 2010 •
OBSERVER
• PUBLISHED BY UTSC/CENTENNIAL COLLEGE JOURNALISM STUDENTS AND SERVING MALVERN, HIGHLAND CREEK AND WEST HILL •
No charges for ex-politician
So what more am I supposed to say?” Jakobek, who retired from politics in 2000, claims the After a four-year investiscandal ruined his chances of gation, the Ontario Provincial becoming mayor of Toronto. Police announced on March But he has remained a 15 no criminal charges will community leader in West be laid as a result of the ToHill. ronto Computer Leasing InJakobek is currently the quiry. landlord of the Highland The inquiry, established in Creek Plaza, among other 2002 by Toronto City Counareas. cil, suggested an improper fi“I don’t live here, but I nancial relationship between have a business here,” he former city councilor Tom said. “Because of the busiJakobek and MFP Finanness I have here, I participate. cial Services salesman Dash Why do I parDomi. ticipate? Because The inquiry’s I’m a community report showed that leader.” Domi withdrew Jakobek said he $25,000 from his has done plenty of bank account on good deeds in the Nov. 1, 1999. Two community, such days later, Jakoas cleaning grafftbek made a payied walls, funding ment of $21,000 an annual heritage using his credit tom jakobek parade and sponcard. soring local hockDash testified the ey and baseball teams. $25,000 withdrawal was Tenants and workers at used for a birthday gift for the plaza say he is an imporhis brother, Tie Domi, former tant asset to the community, Toronto Maple Leafs player. despite what has been said Jakobek testified the $21,000 about him in the media. payment came from his “For us, it’s what Tom father-in-law, former Metro does for this plaza,” said Toronto councillor Ken MorAliscia Razack, a worker at rish, to help pay for a family Benjamin Moore in the plaza. trip to Disney World. “We don’t care about his Jakobek said now that the personal life. The tenants are scandal is over, he has nothhappy here...so we don’t care ing else to say about it. about anything else.” “I’m not an open target,” he said. “People made an accusation that was really bad, Listen to Jakobek’s and the police have said there statement on was no evidence to support it. torontoobserver.ca kirsten parucha
•TORONTOOBSERVER.CA•
The Lone Coywolf
The Observer
BRADLEY FEATHERSTONE/The Observer
Combining the hunting skills of wolves with the cunning of coyotoes, coywolfs are invading Scarborough Bluffs.
Danger in the Bluf fs BRADLEY FEATHERSTONE The Observer
A coyote has attacked another dog along the lakeside trail at the bottom of the Scarborough Bluffs near Guildwood Park. This is the second reported attack on the trail this year. The attack happened while a reporter was in the area investigating the coyote situation and he photographed the wild animal just minutes afterwards, as it stood in nearby
brush watching people. Guildwood resident Barb Rashotte said she was walking her two Golden retrievers along the trail around 4 p.m. on March 20, when a coyote went after her dog, Tess. “It was kind of scary,” Rashotte said. “[The dogs] were out in the bush, then I saw it chase [Tess] right out.” Tess escaped without serious injury, but not all dogs may be as lucky. Most reported coyote attacks have been on small animals that are similar size to
coyotes’ natural prey, like rabbits. But Tess weighs about 40 kilograms. This disrecpancy has locals concerned. “I think there needs to be signs warning people about coyotes,” said Kaely Grace, a Guildwood resident and parttime vet technician with the Humane Society. Grace has lived on the Scarborough Bluffs for the past three years and has walked her dogs along its trails many times. But last Sunday she decided it was
not worth the risk. Grace said she feared the four small dogs she was walking would be tempting prey for the coyotes. Grace, who has been researching the coyotes in the area, said their population has grown over the past two years. “[Coyotes] are down there and I think it’s only a matter of time before they come up here in search of more food,” she said. See GUILDWOOD, Page 2
Inspectors struggle to enforce living standards: Moeser JOSH UNGAR The Observer
JOSH UNGAR/The Observer
A trash-filled stairwell at 217 Morningside Ave.
Five years later, residents at 217 Morningside Ave. are still waiting for city inspectors to return and enforce their complaints. Throughout Scarborough many apartment buildings have multiple unsolved standard-of-living complaints. “Residents shouldn’t have to put up with this nonsense,” said Ward 44 councillor Ron Moeser. According to Moeser, the
problem is due to a lack of appropriate legislation and the power of landlords to deny city by-law inspectors entry. The city is forced to take property owners to court, which can take years and keep tenants living in impoverished and sometimes dangerous conditions. “It breaks my heart when we can’t do our job, ” Moeser said. “By-law officers have to tell property managers that they don’t have to let them in, even after we receive complaints.”
Angelo Swampillai, property manager at 205 Morningside Ave., said they are doing the best they can with their budget to fix the building. He says they deal with the serious safety complaints first and claims the city doesn’t do much of a job of enforcement. “City inspectors show up maybe once in a blue moon,” Swampillai said. “They just give an extension anyway — safety issues are the only thing they really care about.” Moeser says the landlords
are simply taking advantage of a flawed system and doing all they can to avoid or prolong dealing with complaints. “These guys know how to use the courts,” Moeser said. “Even if we are victorious the courts just give them a slap on the wrist anyway.” He said new legislation is needed from the province to really solve the problem. “We need to be able to give them a fine right away if they don’t comply with our orders — and a significant fine that will hit them where it hurts.”
PAGE 2 - The East Toronto Observer, March 26, 2010
NEWS
Library pass program extends to zoo Sun Life Financial program provides wild family fun FIONA PERSAUD The Observer In parts of Scarborough you can borrow more than books with a library card. You can also take out a pass for the Toronto Zoo. The zoo recently joined the Toronto Public Library’s Sun Life Financial Museum + Arts Pass program. The program serves 32 branches in the city’s priority neighborhoods, including Malvern, and the Kingston/Galloway and Orton Park community. Each pass grants free access for two adults and two children to the Toronto Zoo and can be borrowed from the library using an adult library card. Because of their passion for reading, one of the first things the Teshaev family did when they arrived in Canada was get a library card. Zafar Teshaev moved to
Toronto from Tajikistan with his wife and three children last July. Teshaev said he’s thankful the library has given his children opportunities to visit interesting places in Toronto. “We still need to complete our roaming of the Royal Ontario Museum,” he said. “Thanks to the passes, we’ve gone a few times but we still haven’t seen everything.” The program offers admission to Toronto attractions, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, Black Creek Pioneer Village and Casa Loma. The Toronto Zoo will join this lineup this coming weekend. “The 32 branches serve priority neighborhoods where people otherwise might not have the opportunity to visit institutions like this,“ said Jane Pyper, a city librarian. Since its 2007 launch, the program has grown in
FIONA PERSAUD/The Observer
An excited child hugs a dragon mascot which promoted the Sun Life Financial Museum + Art Pass program. popularity. Nearly 10,000 passes are borrowed every month. “I’ve had a number of families come to me and tell me how much they’ve enjoyed
using the MAP program,” said Councillor Paul Ainslie, whose ward includes the priority area of Kingston/Galloway and Orton Park. He said he enjoys the
Toronto Public Library because it is one of the best community resources in Canada. Some program passes are offered at all 99 Toronto
Public Library branches. Teshaev said he is waiting for the summer weather to take his family to the zoo. “Target number 1 is the Toronto Zoo,” Teshaev said.
S.O.S. signs gone Local schools above the curve: EQAO report with the wind MEGAN HARRIS The Observer
are purchased by residents or dropped off by Toronto Wind Action activists, for display on their front lawns. Guildwood residents are The signs have been vital upset over anti-turbine signs in raising awareness. that have been stolen from “Similar disappearanctheir front lawns. es happened before Christ“This is the second time mas,” said Timo Puhakka, this has happened,” said LauGuildwood Village Commura Ricci, who lives on Sylvan nity Association Avenue. Led by the It’s a display president. No arrests Toronto Wind of vandalism. were made in Action group, several resiOver 40 signs connection with the earlier thefts dents of Guildhave gone A photowood have been missing graph of the opposing the alleged thief, provincial gov- John Laforet taken from ernment’s plan a resident’s to construct security camera footage, wind turbines in the Scarwas given to police after the borough Bluffs, citing the Christmas thefts. amount of land needed for Guildwood community wind farms. members speculate these reThe signs, featuring the cent thefts are the work of the slogan “Save our Shoresame person. line”, were reportedly stolen Other residents have been at night on March 16 from looking through their securihomes on Prince Phillip Bouty camera feeds to catch the levard, Catalina Drive and culprit, said Ricci. Sylvan Avenue. The supporters of Toronto A resident reported a sign Wind Action say they are not missing from their front going to let the thefts get in lawn, and reported more the way of expressing their empty front lawns in the opposition to the government neighbourhood. plan. “It’s a display of vandal“My next-door neighbour ism,” said John Laforet, a replaced their sign the next candidate for Toronto city day,” Ricci said, adding that councillor in Ward 43. “Over she has seen the signs return40 signs for [Toronto Wind ing to front lawns. Action] have gone missing.” The 31-by-61 cm signs CAITLIN STOJANOVSKI The Observer
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Several Scarborough schools have received high rankings on the annual standardized tests given by the Education Quality and Accountability Office, according to the annual report card released by the Fraser Institute on March 7. The report card ranks 2,735 schools across Ontario based on the standardized tests. Toronto public elementary school students are improving their grades, but they’re still falling behind the GTA average. Though GTA schools averaged 6.6 out of 10, the Toronto District School Board scored just below at 6.5. Still,
Toronto’s average has gone up 0.3 per cent from last year, and not all areas of the city follow the same pattern. In fact, three Toronto schools rated at 10. Scarborough schools with high rankings include Golf Road Public School (9.4), Agincourt Junior Public School (8.9), and West Hill Public School (8.8). The EQAO tests grades 3 and 6 students in reading, writing, and math each spring. The Fraser report uses the data to rate schools on a scale of 0 to 10. The report also includes an actual-versus-predicted rating. The average income for a school is provided and given either a positive or negative rating, which shows how far
off that school’s score is from other schools in the same income bracket.
Overachieving Malvern Public School has an average parental income of $40,400. While it’s considerably lower than the average income for Toronto schools, Malvern scored 6.2, above the provincial average. Fraser spokesman Michael Thomas said this means they’re overachieving by almost one full point above other schools in the $40,000 income bracket. “They’re overcoming these socio-economic disadvantages that are typically reasons that a school board might cite for a school not performing
well,” said Thomas. “It gives parents more information about the school.” Thomas added that the report card is an important tool for parents who are comparing schools for their children. “We’d never tell a parent to pick up our report card and choose a school based on the report card alone, but to use it as a starting point, to talk to a principal at a school they may be interested in,” he said. The complete 2010 Fraser Institute Report Card on Ontario Elementary Schools can be viewed at fraserinstitute.org.
View a chart of local EQAO results at torontoobserver.ca
Guildwood resident spots coyote in park From Page 1 Bruce Barron, who lives close to the Scarborough Bluffs on Guildcrest Drive, said he has seen coyotes many times, both in Sylvan Park and in his backyard. He is not worried about the coyotes attacking his 70-kg Leonberger dog. “I’ll just pick up a stick when I see them. They’ll usually just stare. I’ve never had one approach me,” Barron said. Coyotes normally grow to an average size of 18 kg. But the coyote that attacked Tess was much larger, looking to be 32-36 kg.
BRADLEY FEATHERSTONE/The Observer
Possible coyote footprint on Guildwood Park trail. This suggests it was not a typical coyote but rather a coywolf, a hybrid mix of coyote and wolf. Trent University geneticist Bradley White, who has
studied coywolves for 12 years, told the Toronto Star in August that coywolves have the wolf characteristics of pack hunting and aggression and the coyote characteristics
of not fearing urban areas. The coywolf also has a stronger jaw than a normal coyote, which allows it to take down larger prey, according to a Scientific American article. The Toronto Animal Services website says it is not unusual to see coyotes in residential backyards close to a ravine. But residents are advised to call the city to report all coyote attacks or if they see a coyote approaching humans or pets. See a first person account of the coyote attack at torontoobserver.ca
The East Toronto Observer, March 26, 2010 - PAGE 3
NEWS
Community Briefs
Pay for subways with tolls: Candidate
Health workshop offered for seniors
Local mayoral hopeful proposes $5 rush hour fee for using Don Valley and Gardiner highways
The Centre for Information and Community Services is holding a free workshop on seniors’ health benefits, including topics such as OHIP coverage, extended health benefits, and the Federal Interim Health and Trillium Drug programs. The workshop is to be held at Morningside Library on April 8 from 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. For registration or questions, contact a library settlement worker by calling 416-707-8259 or Morningside Library at 416396-8881.
rishma lucknauth The Observer
A $5 toll should be charged on Toronto’s two highways to pay for a proposed expansion of the subway system, says Ward 44 resident Sarah Thompson, who is running for Toronto mayor. Thompson’s $13-billionplan would replace the proposed light rail system and place a levy on drivers on the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway during rush hours for the duration of subway
construction. Up to $8 billion of required funds would come from the province and the remaining $5 billion would come from the city, largely through the road toll, Thompson told a press conference on March 17. “Once the tolls have paid for their own infrastructure and ongoing maintenance, 100% of the funds will be devoted to our subway construction and expansion priorities,” she said. Based on 2006 traffic
counts, Thompson estimates the toll will generate $400– $500 million per year. An automatic sunset clause would take effect, eliminating the toll once the subway expansion is completed. “If this project were to run over 10 years the percentage of funding that might possibly come from the rush hour tolls would be 28.5 – 35.7%,” Thompson said in an interview. “Everyone who uses all modes of transportation would be investing in the subway expansion, not just
drivers.” The 58-km subway expansion would add a line along Eglinton Avenue stretching from Pearson International Airport to Kingston Road in Scarborough, a relief line on Queen Street that connects Pape Avenue and Dundas Street West and an extension to the Yonge-University line to Steeles Avenue and York University. A subway system, with a 90-year lifespan, is a better investment than the proposed light rail transit system,
Shoeless Joe’ s closes after fire
Be cautious with movers: Police Be cautious when hiring movers, Toronto police are warning. Police recently have responded to several complaints about fraudulent moving companies that cite low quotes before the job but increase costs and demand deposits partway through the job. The company then threatens to hold the items or leave them in the street if the client refuses to pay the full costs.
Alice hoang The Observer
Schools expand summer activities Activity space will be free this summer in 77 schools as part of the Toronto public school board’s Priority Schools Initiative. Community groups that offer programs within priority neighbourhoods can use gymnasiums and community green space for free during the summer months. Access to the schools is available seven days a week from July 5 to Aug. 20. Groups must be registered with the board before April 1. For application details, call 416-394-7249 for schools in Scarborough.
Massages to benefit charity Centennial College’s massage therapy clinic, located at 755 Morningside Ave., will be offering the public one-hour massages on March 27 and April 11 to benefit charity. The first will benefit the Stephen Lewis Foundation which works to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa.The second will benefit Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) to go towards relief efforts in Haiti. Fee is $30 for an hour. For information, call 416-289-5353.
with a 30-year lifespan, says Thompson. She is urging construction be halted on the LRT and funds diverted to subway expansion. Thompson said she is hopeful drivers will not be opposed to the toll to help alleviate the cost of the subway expansion for taxpayers. “An expanded subway system will have a positive long-term economic impact on Toronto encouraging job growth and a stable future for our city and for those who work here.”
sarah moore/The Observer
If the plan to expedite the expansion of the light rail transit system passes, the Scarborough RT station will be empty to train commuters.
LRT to extend Toronto transit TTC plans to accelerate Scarborough-Malvern project for 2015 Pan Am Games Sarah moore The Observer
With the Pan Am games set to roll through Scarborough in 2015, plans are in the works to accelerate construction on the light rail transit project to complete it in time for the games. Originally, construction of the line was to be completed by 2016, but because the Pan Am games are being hosted in Scarborough, a study is underway to determine whether it is possible to have Phase I of the line completed a year early. Phase I will extend the current SRT to Sheppard. Phase II, which will run the line between Sheppard and Malvern Town Centre, will begin once funding becomes available. Completing the line will
for up to three years. be good for the city, espeBissonnette said commutcially during the games when ers should not think of it as Scarborough will see more closing the SRT but rather visitors than usual, says Ryan taking preempBissonnette with tive measures to public affairs for The prevent it from the TTC’s Transit Scaborough having to close City department. “We’re actu- RT has come permanently. “The Scarally doing a great to the end borough RT has thing for Scarof its useful come to the end borough because of its useful life,” we’re extendlife. Bissonnette said. ing transit (as - Ryan “People underwell as) making Bissonnette stand that it has transit more relito be redevelable,” Bissonnette oped and the resaid. “The new sponse to that has been posivehicles have either two or tive.” four trains coupled together, The RT has been open which increases capacity and since 1915, and due to wear reliability.” and tear, renovations and reConversion of the SRT to developments need to be a LRT line will mean all stamade, according to Bissontions between Kennedy and nette, to make the system McCowan could be closed
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more efficient. “There are no replacement vehicles so we cannot purchase new vehicles to replace the old ones,” Bissonnette said. “The LRT is the next generation.” There will be express shuttle bus service between Kennedy and McCowan stations and increased service on other routes while the line is closed. The Toronto Transit Commission is also working on strategies to ensure commuters can reach their destinations quickly and efficiently during the construction phase. To read more articles and find more information on the upcoming 2015 Pan Am Games, see torontoobserver.ca
Shoeless Joe’s, a popular Scarborough eatery, is closed following a March 19 fire. “The goal is to have the restaurant open in the next three weeks or so,” said Chris Fusis, manager of the Shoeless Joe’s at Morningside and Lawrence Avenues. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but “negligence has been ruled out,” Fusis said. The investigation is ongoing. The blaze occurred around 5:30 a.m., when the building was empty. The business was shut down all day, as two security guards stood outside denying customers entry. A notice on Shoeless Joe’s Restaurant’s door directed customers to another location at 20 Milner Business Crt. More than 30 firefighters responded to the call, Toronto Fire Capt. David Eckerman said. “The fire was in the back corner of the kitchen,” Eckerman said. There were no injuries, and the fire was relatively small, while minimal repairs are needed, Fusis said. Nearby Taco Bell and KFC were also affected by the fire, but reopened in the evening after approval from Toronto Public Health. Manager of the joint restaurants, Syed Nasaruddin, says he lost sales and products as thick smoke filled the kitchen. “The foods in the freezer were fine, but the health department said we had to throw out everything else – the lettuce, the chicken,” Nasaruddin said He says they’re still cleaning the place, including the ceiling and vents, while damage costs are still unknown.
PAGE 4 - The East Toronto Observer, March 26, 2010
SPECIAL REPORT
Americas, meet Scarborough
U of T students vote yes on new swim facility for the 2015 Pan Am games alice hoang
Left: The proposed Pan Am Aquatics Centre located at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus. This is a collaboration between the university and the City of Toronto.
The Observer
Students clapped and cheered when Mayor David Miller asked if they had watched the Olympic hockey gold-medal game, as he spoke at the University of Toronto Scarborough on March 3 to promote the “I Deserve World Class” campaign. During a referendum held March 17–19, UTSC students voted 62% in favour of financing a new athletics and recreation centre that will be used in the 2015 Pan Am Games. Miller says there’s an “incredible spirit” present in an athletic competition like the Olympics, and the UTSC wll be getting an elite training facility.
Bottom left: Students at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus casting their ballots. The referendum drew the highest number of eligible voters yet. Bottom right: The Scarborough-Malvern LRT will look similar to this LRT in Houston. The new line will make the campus more accessible.
Olympians show support “When we host our friends from the Caribbean and Latin America in 2015, it will be extraordinary,” Miller said. “And I so much want Scarborough to be at the heart of that.” On the last day of voting, campus grounds were filled with commotion as walls were plastered with posters and people sported “Yes!” pins and T-shirts in support of the new athletics centre. Scarborough Campus Students’ Union acting president Amir Bashir says UTSC had its highest number of eligible voters partake in the student referendum, 23% of them casting a ballot. The vote was overwhelming in support of the new athletics centre, with 1,454 ballots for the centre while there were 748 against. Someone who understands the importance of an athletic training centre is Olympic silver medalist Liz Warden. Warden, a U of T graduate and silver medalist in swimming in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, says she grew up in Scarborough, where she didn’t have access to training facilities and had to wake up at 4:30 a.m. to go to practices downtown. “As a high school student, I was busy and had to find time to train,” Warden said. “It would’ve been amazing if there was a facility closer to home.” She says she wants the state-of-the-art complex as it will provide young athletes with a chance she didn’t have. “I was very, very excited because I knew that it would mean so much opportunity for young athletes to develop and train, and hopefully become Olympians like myself,” Warden said. While the campaign created
To see a map of the expansion, visit torontoobserver.ca Courtesy of yllus.com
Courtesy of utsc.utoronto.ca
alice hoang/The Observer
an atmosphere of anticipation and excitement, the controversial referendum sparked debate among students. Those who voted “no” say the money should be put toward improving existing campus facilities.
Student controversy A second-year student, who asked to remain anonymous, says not all students can afford increased fees. “Future students, specifically my cousins who will want to come to UTSC, will have to suffer the burden of paying those extra hundred dollars.” She says although students who contribute to the levy will receive a full credit through an athletics membership card, students living out of the city won’t profit from this. Lee, an international student from China, says he voted
“yes” but notes other interna- students. Emily Kakouris, a UTSC tional students didn’t vote since they won’t be affected by student who works at the campus’ Aththe develletics and opments. Recreation He says Centre, they’re says she is paying happy with around the results. $36,000 in “I’m tuition and looking residence forward fees for to stutwo semesdents beters. - David Miller ing much “It’s more conhard to jusnected and tify paying an extra sum of money, for involved with Scarborough something that you won’t see, campus [life], as well as Scarsomething you won’t be us- borough itself,” Kakouris said. She says the new facility ing,” Lee said. Those students who vot- will also create more jobs for ed “yes” think the centre will students, as the existing UTSC create more activities and athletics centre is the largest clubs, and improve the expe- area for employment on camriences of future international pus. It is one of the three U of
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When we host our friends from the Caribbean and Latin America in 2015, it will be extraordinary
T campuses with an athletics centre that hires only students. Kakouris says she’ll likely return after she graduates, as alumni will have access to the facilities.
Centre expectations The world-class athletics facility will include two Olympic-sized swimming pools, a diving tank, a 200-metre indoor running track, a multipurpose gymnasia and teaching studios. The 91,440-square-metre complex, due to open in 2014, will be a part of the “North Campus” expansion at Military Trail and Morningside Avenue. Franco Vaccarino, UTSC principal, says students have been advocating for a pool since 1976. The centre will continue to serve the students and community after the games making this a “transformative moment.” “It will raise the University of Toronto’s international profile, it will open up lands on
the north side of Military Trail for exciting and long-term developments at [UTSC],” Vaccarino said. The expansion will also enhance transit, as the Scarborough-Malvern LRT line will connect to the north campus, with construction slated to start in 2014. Construction began last fall on the Instructional Centre at Military Trail and Ellesmere Road, which will be the first building in the “Campus Core,” with plans to complete by summer 2011, according to the “UTSC Campus Vision.” UTSC students will contribute $30 million, or 18% of the $171-million project, over 25 years, and the university will pay $8 million, while the municipal, provincial and federal governments will cover the remaining costs. Starting in September, $40 will be added to incidental fees per semester for full-time students and $8 for part-timers, increasing to $140 and $28 in 2014, with an annual inflation rate of 4%.
The East Toronto Observer, March 26, 2009 - PAGE 5
ARTS & LIFE
Cast of 12 bring 60 characters to life fiona persaud The Observer
Drama students at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus finished their production last week of the comedic play Departures and Arrivals written by the late Canadian writer Carol Shields. The play, performed at the Leigha Lee Brown theatre, is structured around multiple stories. Set in a busy international airport, it allows the audience to eavesdrop on the lives of these average, yet intriguing, characters.
Act one
The play begins with the movement of an airport conveyor belt. The rotating prop changes in each scene, later becoming a bench, a waiting area, and even a telephone booth. This interpretation of the play takes place in 1989 when the script was published. This was before 9/11, during a time when going through the airport was a simpler process uninterrupted by today’s more invasive security measures,
said director Paula Sperdakos. The cast of 12 members brought to life some 60 characters with diverse roles ranging from grandparents to young children to athletes. This diversity has made the play popular among university and college productions, Sperdakos said. “It gives everybody in the show the opportunity to play several roles,” she said. “Every person in the play had a few meaty, juicy, roles and most plays don’t offer that sort of opportunity to the actors.” Each cast member had at least three characters. Briana Doble, a drama student, played four distinct characters, including a British matron, an outspoken woman, and a divorcé. “The cool thing about playing different characters is that you have a whole bunch of opportunities to engage with the audience in a whole bunch of different ways,” she said. “And because you’re only on stage for a few minutes with that character, you really have to work hard to win over the audience.” Sperdakos said the comedic
tone of the play made it hard for the cast to keep a straight face during practice but the actors knew if they laughed during a performance, the audience wouldn’t. “The audience has to believe that whatever they [the characters] are going through, they are going through for real. That’s the rule that all actors learn,“ she said.
New and improved This year’s production was the most expensive and elaborate set the school has ever had, Doble said. “A lot of people don’t know we have a theatre so I think that performances like these definitely bring awareness to the fact that our campus has a theatre,” she said. “It’s great to be able to bring your work forward in a way that exposes the theatre.” Departures and Arrivals was first produced at the university of Manitoba’s Black Hole Theatre in 1984. Carol Shields was best known as a novelist, poet and short story writer. Departures and Arrivals was her first full-length play.
fiona persaud/The Observer
UTSC drama students strike a pose after a performance of Departures and Arrivals.
Toronto tomatoes in trouble Reading kits soften Local markets forced to go Canadian after price skyrockets bradley featherstone The Observer
Local restaurants are in a stew over a tomato shortage, after frigid weather destroyed over 70% of Florida’s tomato crops. The state had its coldest winter in 30 years, with temperatures dropping below freezing, according to the Florida Climate Center. Tomato prices have skyrocketed, forcing local businesses to cut back. A box of tomatoes that used to cost $16 to $20 is now $45 to $50, according to Subway franchise owner Hamid Ebtekali. The quality is also an issue, Ebtekali said. “Before we could have kept the tomato for 24 hours. Now they’re suggesting cutting the tomato two hours [before serving]. So that puts a strain on the labour in here.” Subway stores have been instructed to put no more than four tomatoes on a footlong sandwich, Ebtekali said. If a customer asks him for more tomatoes, he is to deny the request and explain the shortage. Local Wendy’s restaurants are posting signs telling customers they are no longer serving tomatoes
on hamburgers, unless shortage of tomatoes, he said. When the crops in Florida specifically asked for. The freezing temperatures were ruined, the only other country to in Florida have buy tomatoes also affected the [Valu-Mart has] from was export of green switched to Mexico, said peppers, which Patrick Mika, have almost Canadian a produce tripled in price [tomatoes] worker at for one box, which should Guildwood’s Ebtekali said. Valu-Mart. But because be cheaper But the there is less -Hamid Ebtekali t o m a t o demand for shortage may green peppers outside the food industry, that actually be helping Canadian shortage is less dire then the farmers who grow tomatoes
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indoors. “Now [Valu-Mart has] switched to Canadian which should be cheaper because it’s less transportation,” Mika said. “And the tomatoes usually come in better. It’s good for Canada.” The shortage is expected to last another six weeks, according to the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange website. The supply and price of tomatoes should return to normal around the end of April or beginning of May.
bradley featherstone/The Observer
Patrick Mika stocks the few tomatoes Valu-Mart recieved in their latest produce shipment. The price of tomatoes has more than doubled since their last order.
language barrier Megan Harris The Observer
Reading is not always an easy skill for children to learn. For many immigrant families, helping their children learn to read becomes even more difficult. That’s where the Family Literacy Collection can help, according to Enir Bassani, community relations officer with the Toronto Catholic District School Board. The program, designed by the board, distributes family reading kits to grade one schools across Toronto. Families in Malvern are among 5,000 Toronto families this year to receive the kits, which include stories, worksheets, and CDs. The CDs contain audio of a teacher demonstrating the correct pronunciation of words, and two children repeating. This comes in especially handy for families who face language barriers, especially those with parents who are recent immigrants. Bassani says that the CDs allow parents to learn along with their children. “With the reading kits, the children become our ambassadors,” said Bassani. “They can prove to their parents that they’re able to read, and that they understand
the story.” The kits are currently being used in schools the board have deemed high need, where parents aren’t always able to provide academic help, and where dropout rates are high. Many parents are unable to properly coach their children at home. The program aims to level the playing field with these families, so their children can have the same advantage of those with more affluent, educated parents. The program also gives parents the tools to be able to read with their children, and show them it’s important. According to Bassani, the program has been successful in this area so far. “Children are reading, and children are responding, and they’re so anxious to get to the next level [of the program]”, Bassani said. The kits cost about $100 per collection, with funding from the Ministry of Education. If a parent whose child does not attend a school that’s part of the program wishes to purchase one, they can do so from the TCDSB, at $20 per kit. Bassani says that the program has been widely successful so far, and with more funding, the program could be extended to other schools and boards.
PAGE 6 - The East Toronto Observer, March 26, 2010
COMMENT
The East Toronto
OBSERVER
Death of an unsung hero H
e didn’t get front-page news coverage. No 21-gun salute or public eulogy. Just another construction worker dead and buried, already forgotten by the city and public he served daily. To the wife and daughter he left behind, Hilit Mutlu was much more than an immigrant worker toiling daily to build a new instructional facility for University of Toronto Scarborough Campus students. He was a father and husband, a provider and a hero. For this city that relies so heavily on the constant work done by construction workers, Mutlu is just another statistic. He is the seventh worker to be killed by a fall in the past seven weeks. This is not a new trend; workers have been dying disproportionately in falls for many years now. The city claims to be aggressively working towards construction safety, yet the rate of construction worker deaths has not improved since 1998. When they die in the line of the duty, they are lucky to get a single-column story in the paper. Meanwhile, when police officers or firefighters are killed, they are given a front-page spread and the entire city seems to rise up in arms. While it is a difficult comparison to make, there is no doubting the danger or importance of construction work in the city. They keep our buildings standing and roads usable, indirectly saving the lives of people all throughout the city. While they may not run into burning buildings to save lives, it is easy to forget the blood, sweat and tears that workers put into making these buildings. Or the injuries and lives lost along the way. Often portrayed as a dirty, lower-class job, it’s about time construction workers got some respect and admiration. As the winter closes and the warm weather brings many more workers out of their winter layoff, take a closer look at the bright-vested men and women labouring away at the side of the road. They are real people with families too, not to be so easily forgotten. -Josh Ungar
The coywolf threat
C
oyotes aren’t supposed to be in Scarborough, but they are. And this has to surprise some people. If you just recently moved to the area, would you think wild canines would be in your backyard? If you come from an area like Keele Street and St. Clair Avenue West, the worst critter enemies were the few ants trying to enter the crack through the back door or maybe a nasty scorpion that made its way in to the bathtub. At least those attacks could be fended off with a big book or newspaper. That’s not the only surprising thing about the wildlife in the area. Don’t get on the bad side of the raccoons in the neighbourhood. They’ll feud with you. They’ll knock over trash cans and spill garbage everywhere. Then, you’ll be stuck picking up their leftovers. As exciting as that is, that’s not the most surprising thing to be found. Also in Scarborough, your neighbours may even have their own horses. These are the suburbs. Shouldn’t you be out on a ranch somewhere? Now, it’s become known in the area that hybrids between coyotes and wolves exist; they’re called coywolves. When moving to this area, you could handle the extra mosquito bites, a difference noticed between Scarborough and neighborhoods near the core. Now, it looks like residents are going to have to make note of these super beasts that are half-coyote and half-wolf. These things travel in packs, which means it’s one of us versus at least three of them. The sales agent for the house doesn’t warn potential homebuyers about the coyotes or the wolves. But apparently, these animals are always here, according to Toronto Animal Services. Thanks for the heads up, agent. All joking aside, it’d be useful to have some signs up in areas where coyotes are known to hang around. This would serve dog owners in the area tremendously, because coyotes and wolves have attacked small dogs being walked. In the meantime, become like 100-metre world record holder Usain Bolt. Just be ready to run when a pack of coywolves are chasing you down. -Ryan Jhagroo
KAITLYnn FORD/The Observer
News Item: Progressive Conservative MPP Bill Murdoch proposed Toronto to be its own province
Vive le Scarborough libre!
P
eople of Scarborough, cast aside the shackles of oppression. Demand autonomy from Queen’s
Park. Last week, Ontario MPP Bill Murdoch proposed that Toronto become its own province. Murdoch, who represents the rural riding of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, is speaking on behalf of communities outside the metropolis. He says their needs are not being met because the Ontario Legislature favours the capital city. Alas, Scarborough feels the same neglect. We in Scarborough must stand up for our own rights. Because of Scarborough’s limited representation in the halls of government, our concerns are not taken seriously. Our ancient transit system is in decline, but Queen’s Park will do nothing to help us. The Scarborough RT has been the central mode of transportation in the region since 1978. However, the aging system has never been modified to accommodate changing transit demands. Toronto proposed in 2007 to expand light rail transit in Scarborough as part of the Transit City program. This plan will not do. Car traffic will be obstructed and traffic patterns be changed to suit Toronto bureaucrats. Over the next 12 years, this city-wide plan will cost taxpayers over $17 billion. The only way our unique demands can be met is if we have an autonomous gov-
Josef JACOBSON
“
The fight for freedom will not be easy, but the alternatives are too dire.
ernment. Only 10 of the 44 Toronto city councillors speak for the needs of the people of Scarborough. The Scarborough Community Council, which includes our councillors, still meets in the old City of Scarborough buildings to discuss the community, but their discussions are meaningless. The City of Toronto must approve its motions for any progress to go forward. We must take action into our own hands. Our economy is based on manufacturing. If we work for ourselves, instead of for Toronto, we are capable of creating the greatest manufacturing hub in southern Ontario. Agriculture will be another key component of an independent Scarbor-
ough. The farmland to the northeast will feed and nurture us. Scarborough has a long history of independence and it thrived on its own for more than 150 years. From its incorporation as a township in 1850 to the 1998 amalgamation, Scarborough grew from a suburban backwater to an integral part of the metropolitan Toronto area. But why should our growth stop there? Scarborough annexed West Rouge from Pickering in 1973. It is clear we must continue our eastward march. There is much fertile farmland beyond the zoo. We must claim it in the name of Scarborough if we are to sustain our self reliance in the food sector. Energy will not be a problem. Wind farming off the Scarborough Bluffs could power 50,000 Scarborough homes with renewable, emissions-free energy. The shallow Scarborough shoreline is the only area in the GTA where wind farming is possible. We will sell our surplus energy to the surrounding area to supplement our economy. Unfortunately, my dreams are only dreams and they cannot come to fruition unless you, the people of Scarborough, dream with me. The fight for freedom will not be easy, but the alternatives are too dire. We must march to the capital, united, our banners streaming in the air and our heads held high. They can take our light rail, but they can never take our freedom!
THE EAST TORONTO
OBSERVER
Managing Editor: Ryan Jhagroo Online Editor: Emily Hunter Assignment Editor: Saeda Raghe Copy Editors: Angela Rotundo, Amanda Kwan, Patrycja Klucznic Photo Editor: Alina Smirnova Production Editor: Sarina Adamo Faculty Editors: Eric McMillan and Andrew Mair
The East Toronto Observer Serving Malvern, West Hill and Highland Creek is published by University of Toronto/Centennial College journalism students under faculty supervision. We are located at the Centennial HP Science and Technology Centre. Please address correspondence to The East Toronto Observer, c/o Centennial College, 755 Morningside Ave., Toronto, ON M1C 5J9, 416-289-5000, ext. 8306, fax 416-289-5168. Email: HPObserver@centennialcollege.ca The opinions expressed in The Observer do not necessarily reflect the views of the college. The Toronto Observer, a companion website, is at torontoobserver.ca
The East Toronto Observer, March 26, 2010 - PAGE 7
SPORTS
Nine teams break ice in citywide league Scarborough Hockey Association retools structure and releases teams amid declining enrolment billy courtice The Observer
The Scarborough Hockey Association may be caught up in the final games before playoffs, but its players and parents are more concerned with where they will play next year. Last month, The Observer reported SHA teams might be forced to merge with the Greater Toronto Hockey League. After issuing a newsletter, it is official. Next season, nine Scarborough teams will find themselves trying out for the GTHL in April. “You’re looking at about 150 kids [affected],” said Ed Wahl, who takes over as SHA president next season. Wahl said the change was bound to happen. “We’ve been draining the system for the last 10 years,” Wahl said. “We have virtually no hockey players left.” Since the 1970s, enrolment has dropped from over 10,000 to under 1,000. Much of the problem has to do with the changing demographic in Scarborough. According to a 2006 survey, 57 % of Scarborough residents were foreign born. Wahl said first- and second-generation immigrants are more engaged with sports from their ancestry than with Canadian hockey. “Everyone keeps saying that new Canadians will play,”
Coaches too will be forced to Wahl said. “They will once adapt to the structure. they grow up and have their “Our hopes are that all the own kids, and they’ve grown coaches that are being disup with the game.” placed, the majority of them In addition to sending teams will step up and want to help from the community-based in the MD program,” Wahl SHA to the much broader said. Greater Toronto system, the “I may be old fashioned, SHA has created a minor debut my thoughts are that it velopment (MD) league to shouldn’t really matter who continue facilitating competiyou’re coaching, it should be tive hockey. The MD league is to help kids in general,” he intended to house players who added. are looking for competition, Wahl said that despite but are not yet ready financlosing down its competitive cially, or skill-wise, to play in league, the SHA would not be the GTHL’s “A” Division. folding entirely. “It’s basically a bridge “We’re hopfrom house league ing we can make to competitive,” We’re this into someWahl said. “They hoping we thing that the will get their two SHA used to be, games a week, can make and that was a they will have this into viable option their contact hocksomething [compared with] ey. The only thing they do lose is try- that the SHA the ‘A’ Division outs.” used to be inWahlthe GTHL,” said. Instead of try- Ed Wahl “We’re not closouts, the MD ing our doors, league will host we’re trying to preseason skates reinvent ourselves under the in September. Wahl said ascircumstances.” signing individuals to teams, Costs to play in the SHA are similar to house league, will roughly $900 yearly, as comensure that the league is compared to Scarborough teams petitive. In recent years, each moving to the GTHL, where division has had a team that they will be about $1,200. struggled to win a single game The SHA was created in during the regular season. 1956. “You want kids coming to the game not knowing if they are going to win or lose,” For photos of the Wahl said. Malvern Coyotes’ Players are not the only Monday nighter, ones being shifted around. torontoobserver.ca
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billy courtice/The Observer
The Agincourt Canadians faced off against the Malvern Coyotes in SHA action Monday night. The SHA will restructure next season, sending nine teams to the GTHL.
Cricketers play on despite no outside funds Billy courtice The Observer
In the northwest corner of Malvern lies a discreet industrial sector. But this area — with no sign or clearly marked entrance, on a chilly Saturday afternoon — is a hotbed for young talent in a game that is steadily growing in popularity. “You wouldn’t believe how many youths are playing here until midnight,” said Morris Joseph, manager of the Canadian Cricket Academy. Joseph opened the academy’s doors last year and has drawn youths and teenagers who have nowhere else to learn the game of cricket. In Malvern, there are virtually no cricket pitches, and the academy is the first and only to be built to International Cricket Council standards. At the academy, cricket has become more than just another sport to youth in the community. “I look at how many kids
were in trouble, and now they’re not leaving this place,” Joseph said. “And they stay afterward. They hang and talk about cricket.” There is no shortage of talent or dedication to the sport locally. The academy is consistently filled with practising cricketers. A number of clubs exist in Scarborough, including the Malvern and Victoria Park cricket clubs which practise out of Joseph’s academy. Unfortunately, it’s not easy for the clubs to get residents engaged in a sport with practically no funding and minimal space to play.
Terrible pitch conditions “The city spends all kinds of money on correctional services when they could spend it on this for kids,” Joseph said. Ronald Silva, a rugby player who uses cricket to stay fit, said money provided by the cricket council and the government is being mismanaged. The Canadian Cricket
billy courtice/The Observer
A player training with North Star Cricket practises bowling at the Canadian Cricket Academy in Malvern. Academy is funded privately. “Funds are coming in, but we don’t know where they’re going,” Silva said. “The city has to take responsibility.”
The level of promotion for cricket in Toronto, or Canada for that matter, is laughable, Silva said. To discuss the matter fur-
ther, Ward 42 councillor Raymond Cho was unavailable for comment. Cricketer Mustafa Qamar said not only is there a lack of pitches, but the pitches that are available are in a terrible state. The pitch he plays at is constantly abused and ruined by people playing other sports, like golf. “If you try to run on the ground you could twist your ankle,” Qamar said. He added that cricket pitches in Toronto are often found in undesirable locations, such as in hydro fields under power lines. Former Canadian national cricketer Balaji Rao has seen firsthand the rise in popularity of the game in Scarborough, but he agreed that supply is not close to meeting demand. “Cricket is a religion back home,” said Rao of his native India. “I came seven years back, and there has been a huge difference because of immigration, but we have a long way to go.”
Local Cricket Superstars come to Toronto Former test players Rodney Marsh and Mudassa Nazar will be hosting a training event at the Canadian Cricket Academy at 130 Melford Dr. March 31.
Trainers offer free tryout North Star Cricket will be offering a free coaching session every Saturday and Sunday during April. The sessions will take place at the Canadian Cricket Academy 4-- 6 p.m. Saturdays, and 3 -- 5 p.m. Sundays.
PAGE 8 - The East Toronto Observer, March 26, 2010
FEATURE
Great takes from March Break! Kids around the area made the most of their March Break last week. One of the most popular destinations was the Toronto Zoo. At bottom right, holding guitar, Jim Parker performs folk music for kids at the Malvern Public LIbrary. Watch a video of Jim Parker’s performance at torontoobserver.ca.
Photos by Sarah Moore