Scholarship winners pose with their plaques at the May 29th award ceremony in Chinatown. From left to right are Shanice Taylor, Danny Ampandu, Israel Ehimen, Zuberi Attard, and Angelina Pinto.

Police partner with community to make post-secondary education possible

By Gleaner Staff

Five local high school students received a scholarship last month from the Community Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) of the Toronto Police Service’s 14 Division.

Started in 2010, the CPLC Community Safety Scholarship awards each student $4,000 towards their post-secondary education, money that local universities, including the University of Toronto, York University, the Ontario College of Art and Design, George Brown College, as well Ryerson University, Humber College and Seneca College, will match in the second year of a recipient’s program.

“This is a life changing opportunity for these kids, who have faced real adversity and have rallied against that, and made real contributions to make their neighbourhoods safer places,” said CPLC scholarship coordinator Brian Burchell, who also publishes this paper.

The scholarship winners demonstrate financial need and an ability to succeed in a post-secondary academic environment. They have also volunteered in the community, and explain in their application how their contributions have made their community safer.

The scholarship is “a welcome opportunity to help young people who themselves are helping other young people,” said Staff Sergeant James Hogan of 14 Division. “Much of our work involves trying to repair damaged lives and communities, so to be able to assist the scholarship winners in building healthier communities is gratifying.”

No police budget monies contribute to the fund. Last year, donations from business improvement areas, the Canadian National Exhibition, foundations, individual businesses, and rank and file police officers brought in over $20,000.

An additional $20,000 was raised at a gala benefit at the Revival nightclub on College Street.

The scholarship is part of Investing in Our Diversity, a larger umbrella scholarship program that is administered by the Scadding Court Community Centre (SCCC), which Burchell credits for making everything possible.

The program is “unique in that it recognizes contributions of young people to their communities and supports their goals for academic and professional success,” said Areej Hasso, the SCCC’s director of development. “The matching scholarship opportunity through our academic partners is also integral, as financial supports are carried forward into the recipients’ second year of studies.”

This year’s winners, Shanice Taylor, Danny Ampandu, Israel Ehimen, Zuberi Attard and Angelina Pinto, were chosen from a large applicant pool evaluated by a committee consisting of police officers and volunteers.

A grade twelve student at Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School, Shanice Taylor hopes to enroll in the law clerk diploma program at the Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. An active and valued member of the community, she volunteers at the Macaulay Child Development Centre, and has organized a breakfast program for students. Shanice, who is inspired her mom’s strength in dealing with a disability brought on by a stroke, dreams of achieving a career in the field of law.

Similarly inspired to soar academically by a parent, Danny Ampadu attended Central Technical School where he improved his average grades by 20 per cent after his father passed away from cancer. Active in his school’s social justice groups, he has participated in the Me to We campaign, volunteered for Free the Children, and contributed to the revitalization of Lawrence Heights. The first person in his family to pursue a post-secondary degree, Danny will study law and business at Ryerson University.

Israel Ehimen is, like Danny, highly involved at his high school. Arriving on his own to Canada as a refugee from Nigeria in January 2012, Israel attends Central Commerce Collegiate. He supports himself, yet still gives to his community through his church. Israel wants to study engineering at university.

Also a student of Central Commerce Collegiate, Zuberi Attard organized clothing and food drives to create opportunities for diverse and marginalized students at his school, and joined the Policy Leadership Lab. He delivers harm reduction workshops for youth, and works as a peer educator at St. Stephen’s Community House. He plans to study political science when starts at Carleton University in the fall.

Angelina Pinto shares Zuberi’s leadership skills. As student council president at St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School, she worked with a team of students to stage the school’s biggest event, which was aimed at highlighting diversity and included Rebuilding the Philippines One Brick at a Time, which raised funds following Typhoon Haiyan. Angelina plans to study criminology at Ryerson University.

Essex Jr. and Sr. beloved by parents, teachers, and students

By Susan Stewart

Looking for a school for your children is always nerve-wracking. We wanted a well-rounded school, strong academically as well as in the arts, where leadership and good social skills are nurtured. We were surprised to find how much Essex Jr. and Sr. Public School offered. The school felt very friendly when we walked in. Ms. Hutchison, a grade seven teacher, agrees.  “Essex has a really warm feeling—the warmest feeling of any school I’ve been in. I think it is because we are small.”

The small size may be one reason why the academic scores are so good.  Ms. Hutchison claims that the smaller population allows staff to be aware of each student’s strengths and weaknesses, which is beneficial for their academic performance.  “With small classes everyone’s voice gets heard.  For the first time in my teaching career I can have discussion circles where each student can express their views.  This doesn’t always happen in larger classes.”

“Next year, Essex will be following a full rotary schedule for grades seven and eight, thus allowing teachers to specialize their instruction,” says Jim Stathopoulos, the principal, who was once a student at the school. “This is crucial. If a teacher is focusing solely on mathematics they have the time to hone their lessons and meet the needs of all learners.”

Education Quality and Accountability Office scores at Essex are higher than we thought. The school has two special education classrooms which participate in the EQAO assessment. These students have had amazing successes, of which the school is very proud, even though they are cognitively three to four years behind their peers. Scores are between 80 and 90 once their results are removed.

Jim Stathopoulos, became principal at Essex last year after winning one of Canada’s Outstanding Principal of the Year awards. He says: “We have amazing teachers who are passionate about kids. Teachers share best practice with one another at regular professional learning sessions throughout the year. They are encouraged to take risks and to do things differently to ensure student success.” My daughter came home laughing because the principal was wearing her classmate Thomas’s small T-shirt.  Thomas explains: “The principal is a Leafs fan and I am a huge Montreal Canadiens fan so we made a bet over who would win the first game of the year.  I won so he had to wear my Habs’ jersey for a whole day. It was very small on him and he looked silly. I thought it was brave of him.”  Mr. Stathopoulos remarked, “I do a lot of fun stuff with the kids because I don’t want them to worry about coming in to the principal’s office.”

Our daughter is thrilled about the tap dancing class, and there is also jazz, swing, drama, and music. Ms. da Costa, the drama and dance teacher, was a professional music theatre performer and actress. She says: “Tap dance lets students stomp and laugh and have a lot of fun. Essex is the only school in the city that offers tap.”  She leads the Essex Glee Team, which won four awards at the Show Choir Canada Competition.

We were delighted to see that students are exposed to a wide variety of performances, including Ballet Creole, and Second City with a piece on anti-bullying. And Essex has hired a new music teacher who brings a lot of excitement to the program.

I wish I had been taught the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that Essex students are learning.  Mr. Stathopoulos explains, “Ten years from now who knows what jobs are going to be out there. We want our kids to be thinkers.  So we give the students different types of problems and scenarios that provide them with the ability to solve problems. School is not just about academics. We want students to have the skills to be good people.”

Essex has a lot of sports including basketball, ultimate frisbee, track and field, cross country, badminton, and softball, as well as glee, chess, drama, tap, and knitting clubs.  There is also an active students council.

We are pleased that regular and special ed students share some non-academic activities such as music and phys ed. For our daughter, differences are normal. The principal says, “Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes is an extremely important skill that with practice kids learn. When children are comfortable with differences, which comes from the integration of the regular and special ed students, children have more empathy. Kids learn best from one another.”

For us, the school’s success is reflected in our daughter’s words: “I love the Essex. It is amazing. This is the best year of school ever.”

How to encourage reduced consumption of electricity

One of the best methods of learning about yourself is for sure to travel.

Given the intense carbon footprint of flying, air travel for me is restricted for work (for either myself or my partner, and the other sometimes goes along), or infrequent family gatherings.

This year’s only flight took place recently to Cuba where my partner does research with the University of Havana. The great thing about being away from the tourist beaches is that I get to spend a lot of time with locals learning about their culture.

I made a discovery about their electricity grid worth sharing and learning from.

I’ve been an advocate for higher electricity prices for a long time now.

I also realize this is pure political suicide—electricity pricing to reflect the true cost is a mere fantasy for those who don’t like downloading the cost of our lifestyle to our kids.

Increasing costs to decrease consumption also disproportionately affects lower income families. It seems Cuba might have an answer for us.

Relying on oil imports is a very expensive way to generate electricity, so in addition to the new solar farms, Cuba relies heavily on discouraging flippant consumption while making sure baseline needs are affordably met.

Before the much talked about Time of Use pricing strategy, Ontario had tiered pricing. For about 10 per cent of consumers, it still does. The first 600kwh are charged at 8.6 cents while anything above that is charged at 10.1 cents—hardly enough difference to worry about.

Contrast that to Havana’s electricity pricing starting at 9 Cuban cents per kwh from 0-100 kwh to 5 pesos for anything over 5,000 kwh with 9 tiers in between.

The increase in price is gradual in the lower brackets and increases exponentially in the upper ones.

One of the grad students spoke about keeping his electricity bill around 50 cents (Cdn), while another, a lover of air conditioning, forks out the equivalent of $12 Cdn each month. (Though this seems insignificant, I should probably mention that most Cubans earn a base salary that ranges from $20 to $30 each month.)

Given the necessity of electricity and the incredible cost to society to generate and distribute it (not to mention long-term health and climate considerations), it makes sense to have pricing increase as hogs use more power. Rather than a blanket rate increase that will hit low income families hard, aggressive tiered pricing allows basic needs to be met while luxuries (such as endless electronic devices, air conditioning, and big screen TVs) will be appropriately priced to operate. As much as I love my neighbours in the Annex, the constant hum of air conditioners on cool nights makes me wish we had a better mechanism to encourage people to open windows and turn those things off!

Although tiered pricing won’t do anything to change when electricity is used, a University of Waterloo study shows that our mere pennies price differential on our Time of Use scheme doesn’t either.

As Ontario’s electricity infrastructure faces the dual challenges of age and of reaching its capacity, I hope citizens like us will take a more conciliatory approach towards fixing it.

It’s no longer good enough to just keep generating stations out of our backyards, we have to put forth and accept solutions that might cost us more because at some point, something has to give.

We can no longer simply accept hollow promises of lower electricity prices without answering the question of how the new infrastructure will be paid for.

We are citizens, not just consumers. It’s time we acted accordingly when it comes to our electricity grid.

Terri Chu is an engineer committed to practical environmentalism. This column is dedicated to helping the community reduce energy use, and help distinguish environmental truths from myths. Send comments to Terri at terri. chu@whyshouldicare.ca.

Trinity Bellwoods Park is primary target

By Samina Esha

After a brutal winter we all look forward to the hot summer days with bright sun and chilled beers. In recent years, Trinity Bellwoods Park has become one of Toronto’s favourite warm weather drinking spots and it has taken on a life of its own.

A recent community meeting held at the Trinity Bellwoods Community Centre became an open forum for discussing strategies to stop alcohol use in the park along with the park preservation. Staff Sgt. James Hogan of 14 Division says the community meeting was meant to be about education and awareness.

“Drinking in a public park ultimately leads to selfish and uncontrollable behaviour, followed by noise and loitering, which is just disturbing others,” said Hogan. “This meeting was part of an ongoing effort to promote awareness and education before the summer. We wanted to start a discussion about what respectful park use looks like, along with listening to the output of the community.”

Located at the focal point of the inner city neighbourhood, this 14.6-hectare park on Queen Street West at Strachan Avenue was once home to Trinty College. The park sits above the now-buried Garrison Creek and contains eight tennis courts, two volleyball courts, an artificial ice rink, an off-leash area for dogs, a picnic area, a wading pool, and a children’s playground. The picturesque park area spans the entire length of the neighbourhood with Trinity Community Recreation Centre located on the southwest section of the park.

People sipping beer and wine are a common sight at the park in the summer among mothers walking with their children in strollers, cyclists, and dog walkers.

“It’s funny because some people think the city bylaws don’t apply in the park. I am not sure how they came to that conclusion. Some said social media implies that you can bring all the booze you want and drink in the park. Not true,” said Staff Sgt. Hogan.This is the second year that such a meeting has been held for public awareness. Although the numbers for public drinking have gone down, some people are still oblivious to the law.

“I was at the park last Tuesday and a young couple was out with a six pack of beer and they genuinely thought that they are legally allowed to drink in this park. So, to prevent such scenarios we are preparing pamphlets to make people aware of the situation,” added Hogan.

Last year’s meeting held by the park, community, police, and Ward 19 Councillor Mike Layton, became a huge discussion point and an example for park drinking.

Part of the story leading up to the meeting had been a fairly new strategy by police called “Project Green Glasses”, which was described as an upcoming crackdown on park drinking in the western half of downtown, particularly in Trinity Bellwoods, Christie Pits, Dufferin Grove, and Alexandra parks. In Toronto, drinking in public can earn one up to a $125 fine, which is part of the Liquor Licence Act (LLA). Staff Sgt. Hogan mentioned that, under the City of Toronto’s park by-law, consuming, serving, or selling liquor in a park without a permit can result in a steep fine of $360. More police and by-law officers will be patrolling the parks.

Thursday night’s meeting focused more on park conservation than on open drinking, with issues varying from public safety to noise control to tree preservation.

According to Eamon McGrath’s comment on Trinity Bellwoods Community Association’s website, “The notion of punishing people for consuming–and enjoying–alcohol in a public place, particularly in a city where most of its residents do not have the luxury of having a private outdoor area to consume it, is ridiculous and absurd.”

“Overall we want parks to be a welcoming place for everyone and hopefully not to be handing out tickets for drinking,” said Hogan.

Construction, pollution, and invasive species threaten urban forest

By Chantilly Post

The Harbord Village Residents’ Association (HVRA) is updating its neighbourhood tree inventory thanks to the help of environmental scientist James Steenberg.

In 2007, the HVRA implemented NeighbourWoods, a method of quantifying the location, health, and strength of the trees in the village.

“[So far] it’s been great,” said Steenberg. “I can do nothing but applaud the volunteers and the people who’ve worked with this inventory.”

This community-based urban forest program analyzes the species, size, age, and other characteristics of the trees in the community. The comprehensive program requires minimal training to be used effectively, and creates a better understating of the urban forest’s structure and benefits.

Steenberg will also evaluate why, how, and where the urban forestry is most vulnerable, and re-assess the stability of the tree inventory.

Currently pursuing his PhD at Ryerson University, Steenberg uses NeighbourWoods as it is an efficient method for observing the vulnerability of the forest’s ecosystem, as well as for tracking the growth and mortality rates of the area’s trees.

“[There’s] not tons of ice storm damage along the major streets, and people’s front lawns, [where] the trees are doing great,” said Steenberg.

But, according to Steenberg, there is a problem with what he terms the “accidental urban forest,” which is the trees that sprout up in alleyways, parking lots, and along fences. Typically Manitoba Maple or White Mulberry, such trees grow fast, and are often cut down.

“Because [trees] live so long and because they are all around us in the city we tend to think they’re permanent,” said Steenberg.

Unfortunately, that’s a misconception.

The biggest threats to the city’s urban forests are construction, pollution, and invasive species like the Asian long-horned beetle and ash borer. The latter is a green beetle that destroys upwards of 860,000 ash trees on private and public lands throughout Toronto.

Other threats include drought and drainage problems, which can reduce a tree’s life span from 100 to 30 years in an urban environment.

However, “people are becoming more aware of [such threats], and in many neighbourhoods, especially in downtown and older residential neighbourhoods, the urban forests are getting better,” explained Steenberg.

Although trees have a major impact on our ecosystem, they are a very vulnerable kingdom. It is said that a minimum coverage of 30 per cent forestry is required to maintain a sustainable, healthy ecosystem.

Toronto alone has an estimated 10.2 million trees, 4.1 million of which are located on public property, including 3.1 million in the city’s parks, and 600,000 on the city’s streets. In all, the City maintains approximately 40 per cent of its urban canopy.

Steenberg and his crew of volunteers will be maintaining the Harbord Village tree inventory until August.

To conduct a tree inventory in your neighbourhood, please visit www. forestry.utoronto.ca/neighbourwoods/web/.

City’s Executive Committee votes to delay island airport decision

By Annemarie Brissenden

The night before City Council’s Executive Committee met to consider Porter Airlines’ request to amend the Tripartite Agreement for Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, approximately 90 people gathered at the Duke of York pub on Prince Arthur Avenue to conduct a similar review. If passed, the amendment would allow Porter to extend Billy Bishop’s runways and fly jet-powered planes to and from the island airport in downtown Toronto.

Organized by Why Should I Care? (WSIC), a non-profit group that, according to its website, “provides a grassroots forum for discussing contentious issues in a non-partisan environment,” the event’s only speaker was City of Toronto’s former chief planner Paul Bedford.

“I’m told they couldn’t get anybody here to represent the positive side,” he joked to much laughter, before summarizing the views on both sides of the question. Although he highlighted convenience as the most positive attribute of the proposed amendment, he stands firmly against any changes to the current agreement.

Bedford, now an adjunct professor of city planning at the University of Toronto and Ryerson University and an urban mentor with Paul Bedford & Associates, characterized this as a watershed moment for Toronto.

“There are deep conflicts between the waterfront goals and the proposed expansion of the airport,” he said.

In his view, if the city allows Billy Bishop to expand, it will eventually dominate the waterfront, threatening the very balance city planners have worked so hard to develop.

“This whole thing is not about Porter, it’s about the waterfront. The fundamental question is what kind of waterfront do you want?” asked Bedford, as the crowd, including local notables Rosario Marchese (MPP, Trinity-Spadina), the provincial Liberal candidate for Trinity-Spadina, Han Dong, and mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson, loudly applauded.

Bedford also highlighted the conclusions of a [Review of Potential Future Safety Zones at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport with Bombardier CS100 Jets ITALICS], issued that morning by Transport Action Ontario, a non-profit organization that advocates for sustainable transportation. According to the report, the new jets and the extended runways would have a different classification from those currently in place at the island airport, thus having a greater impact on the obstacle imitation surfaces, runway approach lighting, and marine exclusion zone than had been previously recognized. Bedford wondered how such limitations would affect development in the Portlands, and suggested the eastern limitations on marine traffic might stretch as far as Bay Street.

After concluding that, “given all the unanswered questions, the risks, the downsides, it is irresponsible for council to give even conditional approval” to the proposed amendment, Bedford led a lively question and answer session.

The majority of the speakers appeared opposed to the island airport expansion, citing concerns that ranged from noise to safety to questioning whether Porter was even viable in the long term.

Many of the same questions were raised in a city staff report that’s before the Executive Committee. In the report dated March 19, 2014, city staff recommends delaying a decision until further information, including the results of an environmental assessment, is available. The report also recommends a staged approach for managing growth at Billy Bishop, as well as compelling Transport Canada and the Toronto Port Authority to address how they will manage increased noise and traffic and related infrastructure needs caused by larger island airport.

For Bedford, the answer is clear.

“Don’t put everyone through the pain [of further study], fix the mess on lower Bathurst Street, and just say no.”

Subsequent to this writing, City Council’s Executive Committee voted on March 25 to accept the recommendations of the staff report with some amendments. City Council will consider the matter at its April 1 meeting. For further information on Transport Action Ontario, or to read its report, please visit www.transport-action-ontario.com. For further information on WSIC and its upcoming events, please visit www.whyshouldIcare.ca.

Sergeant Leanne Jones on Major, and P.C. Shane Syms riding Viscount, of Toronto Police Mounted Unit made a surprise appearance at the launch of the Year of the Horse. Brian Burchell/Gleaner News

With red lanterns and dumplings 2014 welcomes the Year of the Horse

By Samina Esha

The CIBC Lunar Festival celebrates one of Asia’s most eminent holidays, the Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year, and 2014 is the Year of the Horse. The festival was held at the Harbourfront Centre on the weekend of Jan. 25 and 26 with colourful displays, workshops, theatrics, and even dumplings to corroborate Toronto’s diversity.

Toronto is famous for its cultural celebrations and for years the Harbourfront has been the setting for this cultural outlet.

“The core of this festival is to engage the community and Harbourfront is one cultural venue that engages communities of various different backgrounds,” said Charlie Wu, managing director of the Asian-Canadian Special Events Association, the organizer of CIBC Lunar Fest.

While the Lunar Fest is a means for the Asian community to bond with their heritage, it is also a way for other communities to get involved and explore a new culture.

“Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, we all celebrate Lunar New Year and this event brings everyone together as one. This is the Year of the Horse which not only connects us to one of the creatures most significant to mankind but also brings back childhood memories for many,” said Mr. Wu.

To acknowledge the Year of the Horse – a symbol of grace, beauty, and strength – this year’s festival showcased a 15-foot rocking horse. The festival incorporates different elements of arts such as the lantern theatre, which combines artistry of both Canadian and Taiwanese lantern artists.

“Lanterns have always been used as a visual display but we are combining theatrics and taking a trip to different parts of Asia with fascinating stories and history,” said Mr. Wu.

Lunar Fest was established during the 2009 Vancouver Winter Olympics as a Legacy event. According to the festival organization, “Lunar Fest is Canada’s premier presenter of contemporary expression in Asian arts and culture. It endeavours to reach new Canadians and those who have been here for many generations to share in the diversity of Canada.”

Celebrated on the first day of the year of the Chinese calendar, which is lunisolar, the Lunar New Year is also called the Spring Festival. A traditional Chinese holiday, it is celebrated in countries including China, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, to name a few.

The 15-day celebration not only includes family reunion but also collaborates everything that is red. The colour red is thought to be a symbol of good fortune, longevity, wealth, and happiness. A theme that can be seen in the traditional decorations from red lanterns, to red couplets and paper-cuts, along with fireworks.

The source of Chinese New Year itself goes back centuries and it gains its significance from several myths and traditions. Customarily, the festival was a time to honour deities and ancestors and to reconnect with family. According to folklore every New Year Nian, a mythical beast, would terrorize the villagers by eating their livestock, villagers, and especially little children. To stop Nian, villagers would put food on their doorsteps. However, one year they noticed the beast was scared of a little child wearing the colour red. From then on the villagers would decorate their houses, streets, and even themselves with red and a tradition was born.

For Zhang Li, a second-generation Asian, Lunar Fest is merely an instrument to reconnect with her roots.

“As an Asian-Canadian, events like Lunar Fest are not only important for our younger generation but also for our older ones. I am here today with my grandmother and although she does not speak English, these stories and foods take her back home,” said Li.

In its fourth year, Lunar Fest is part of the community building that fosters both culture and history with artistic components.

“Even eating dumplings plays a significant role in Asian culture and there is also the dumpling fest. We are just excited to bring an event that is truly for the entire family,” said Mr. Wu.

Park users face $125 fine for popping a cold one

By Samina Esha

After a brutal winter we all look forward to the hot summer days with bright sun and chilled beers. In recent years, Trinity Bellwoods Park has become one of Toronto’s favourite warm weather drinking spots and it has taken on a life of its own. A recent community meeting held on April 3 at the Trinity Bellwoods Community Centre became an open forum for discussing strategies to stop alcohol use in the park along with the park preservation. Staff Sgt. James Hogan of 14 Division says the community meeting was meant to be about education and awareness.

“Drinking in a public park ultimately leads to selfish and uncontrollable behaviour, followed by noise and loitering, which is just disturbing others,” said Hogan. “This meeting was part of an ongoing effort to promote awareness and education before the summer. We wanted to start a discussion about what respectful park use looks like along with listening to the output of the community.”

Located at the focal point of the inner city neighbourhood, this 14.6-hectare park on Queen Street West at Strachan Avenue was once home to Trinity College. The park sits above the now-buried Garrison Creek and contains eight tennis courts, two volleyball courts, an artificial ice rink, an off-leash area for dogs, a picnic area, a wading pool, and a children’s playground. The very picturesque park area spans the entire length of the neighbourhood with Trinity Community Recreation Centre located on the southwest section of the park.

People sipping beer and wine are a common sight at the park in the summer among mothers walking with their children in strollers, cyclists, and dog walkers.

“It’s funny because some people think the city bylaws don’t apply in the park. I am not sure how they came to that conclusion. Some said social media implies that you can bring all the booze you want and drink in the park. Not true,” said Staff Sgt. Hogan.

This is the second year that such a meeting has been held for public awareness. Although the numbers for public drinking have gone down, some people are still oblivious to the law.

“I was at the park last Tuesday and a young couple was out with a six pack of beer and they genuinely thought that they are legally allowed to drink in this park. So, to prevent such scenarios we are preparing pamphlets to make people aware of the situation,” added Hogan.

Last year’s meeting held by the park, community, police, and even Ward 19 Councillor Mike Layton, became a huge discussion point and an example for park drinking.

Part of the story leading up to the meeting had been a fairly new strategy by police called “Project Green Glasses”, which was described as an upcoming crackdown on park drinking in the western half of downtown, particularly in Trinity Bellwoods, Christie Pits, Dufferin Grove, and Alexandra parks. In Toronto, drinking in public can earn one up to a $125 fine, which is part of the Liquor Licence Act (LLA). Staff Sgt. Hogan mentioned that, under the City of Toronto’s park by-law, consuming, serving, or selling liquor in a park without a permit can result in a steep fine of $360. More police and bylaw officers will be patrolling the parks starting later this month.

“Overall we want parks to be a welcoming place for everyone and hopefully not to be handing out tickets for drinking,” said Hogan.

Thursday night’s meeting focused more on park conservation than on open drinking, with issues varying from public safety to noise control to tree preservation.

According to Eamon McGrath’s comment on Trinity Bellwoods Community Association’s website, “The notion of punishing people for consuming–and enjoying–alcohol in a public place, particularly in a city where most of its residents do not have the luxury of having a private outdoor area to consume it, is ridiculous and absurd.”

Imagining a green space in the heart of the city

By Samina Esha

The revitalization of Ontario Place is a step closer to reality. On March 19, in a public discussion, Infrastructure Ontario, Waterfront Toronto, and designers LANDInc spoke about the progress of the new urban park and waterfront trail, with the vision of forests, summits, rocky beaches, a fire pit, and a “romantic garden.” The three-hour public meeting was a brainstorming process for the design team to further their vision along with the vision of Ontarians.

In 2012 the Ontario government announced the partial closing and redevelopment of the site. With 18 key recommendations involving a small ecological footprint and future benefits, the revitalization was set in motion.

Aligning with the recommendations, the conceptual design of the park will occupy 7.5 acres on the far eastern end of Ontario Place. According to the collaborating teams LANDInc and West 8, the former staff parking lot and administration area will become accessible to the public. “For the first time in more than 40 years, the public will have access to the spectacular views the site offers of the cityscape and of Lake Ontario in this new green space,” said Morah Fenning, assistant deputy minister of tourism, culture, and sport.

Earlier this year, in a public feedback, the groups leading the development of the park (the province and Waterfront Toronto) were asked for the recognition of local First Nations heritage. The new rendering of the urban park reflects the connection between the people, the land, and native heritage.

At the north end visitors would enter the park through an artificial ravine, and on the rocky walls there will be carvings from traditional First Nations moccasins on a section of the looping park trail that crosses the ravine on a suspension bridge. These carvings would be part of a provincial moccasin identifier project, which marks First Nations sites in urban areas with moccasin symbols.

“We believe the experience and the landscape typologies should begin right there to draw people in,” said Patrick Morello of LANDInc, the company leading the design process.

Other new elements for boaters include a floating dock near the park’s entrance, along with a fire pit at the central beach.

The east end will have access to rocky beaches and benches carved out of stone to provide seating areas along the path.

“The lower park has more of a pastoral setting. This is an area where there are open lawns for passive recreation and activities on relaxation, and its also an area where we will find Rocky Pebble Beach, something reminiscent of some of the shores on Ontario lakes,” said Morello.

The 980-metre multi-use trail will pass through the heavily planted upper portion of the park which contains forests, hills, boardwalk, and public seating. It will offer unique topography to add character, shape, and sightlines.

The park’s central esplanade and programming space will be used for various activities, including festivals, food trucks, and farmers’ markets.

The park’s south end, known as the summit, would be an open space that could be used to host events such as kite festivals and outdoor film screenings. This area would also be the highest point in the park.

With ecology in mind, rare and varied trees would be planted across the park to mimic the panoramic view of the city’s skyline.

The project did have its hiccups; one occurred when an ongoing environmental assessment found minor levels of contamination in the soil a result as the site being built on landfill.

“Studies so far show low levels of contamination on the site, but they’re manageable,” said Serge Chuskeev of Infrastructure Ontario.

Also, parking and accessibility was one of the most talked about topics during the discussion.

“Right now it seems like a long distance to walk to Ontario Place, but with the creation of the park, the north end of the park is a close distance to those parking lots,” said Morello.

While the name of the park is still undecided and the cost of this urban landscape has yet to be revealed, the province is confident about the 2015 Pan Am Game deadline.

“This is an ambitious timeline, but we have a strong plan and we’re on track,” said Morah Fenning.

With numerous feedbacks from the recent meeting the final unveiling is set to take place later this year, in the summer.

Freeman finds support of community events a key success

By Chantilly Post

Located at 2 Vermont Ave., this is a very early Annex dwelling, the homestead of Patrick McGregor, who owned a large tract of land here in 1870. Learn more on the Annex Historical Walk on June 8. Brian Burchell/Gleaner News

Giving back to the community for 42 years has helped to make Freeman Reality a successful real estate company.

This locally owned family brokerage hosts and funds community events free of charge throughout the year, following the precedent of an earlier Freeman generation.

Barry Freeman opened Freeman Reality in 1972 when the act of giving back to the community first began. Today, the Annex family-owned brokerage is run by the brothers Elden and Daniel Freeman, who have learnt the importance of giving back to the community from their father, Barry. “In terms of community, my father was always involved,” Elden Freeman said. “He instilled in us this idea of giving back.”

Freeman Reality’s philosophy is to give back to the community that has always given back to them. “In this area, community is important,” Elden said. “They support us.”

One of the most popular events is the Historic Walk of Seaton Village, led by community history expert Marilyn Spearin. The tour starts at the Freeman Reality offices and then covers the unique history of homes located between Bloor Street West to Dupont, and Christie Street to Bathurst for an hour and a half. With approximately 1,200 Victorian homes dating back to 1860, the area holds much history and interesting sightseeing. For example, 699 and 701 Markham St. are the two oldest houses in the neighbourhood, built in 1860.

Two Vermont Ave. was the residence of Patrick McGregor, a Scottish-born lawyer who owned a bulk of land from Bathurst Street to Manning in 1870. The house is now divided into apartment suites, but still holds its unique character.

The next Historic Walk of Seaton Village will take place on the afternoon of June 8^th. For more information and a brief account of Toronto’s history visit www.freemanrealty.com/historical-tours.

Freeman Reality also hosts a Mystery Bat & Moth Night in the Park led by moth expert David Beadle and Bill-Bat-Boy, an expert on bats for over 20 years. This hands-on event, previously held in Vermont Square Park, explores the variety of species of moths and bats that engage children of all ages. “I think it’s extremely important for the kids to take the time to see the amazing world we live in,” Bill-Bat-Boy said. “To take the time to not only see nature, but understand certain behaviours.”

Moth expert David Beadle has been a part of the Bat and Moth Night for two years now.

“[This event] just creates more awareness, most people don’t know much about moths, or how important they are to our environment,” Beadle said.

Another popular event is the annual pumpkin sale held with St. Alban’s Boys and Girls Club, where all proceeds go to support the club. The previous pumpkin sale was held during St. Alban’s Fall Harvest Festival, just before Halloween. “[Freeman Reality] purchased all the pumpkins for us, delivered them, and had them dropped off,” said Anna Sturino, director of operations at St. Alban’s Boys and Girls Club.

Events like these are important for St. Alban’s because they allow the club to network with local businesses. “A lot of the local businesses are parents or users of the facility,” Sturino said.

The money raised from the pumpkin sales support art, music, aquatics, and physical creative programs at the club.

This year, Freeman Reality will be sponsoring pony rides at various schools in the downtown area. They will also be continuing past events such as the historic walks, Mystery Bat & Moth Night in the Park, and community skating.

All information about events can be found via social media at www.facebook.com/FreemanRealEstateltdbrokerage.