The attack is the fourth sexual assault in the area this summer.

By Andrew Schopp

A 27-year-old woman was sexually assaulted in the Kensington Market area early in the morning on Sunday, August 19.

A white male in his 30s was seen fleeing the scene in a taxi.

This incident is the fourth separate sexual assault in the Kensington Market area this summer.

Police do not believe that Sunday morning’s incident is linked to the previous attacks.

“This latest incident is a white guy and the previous press release was talking about a black guy. They are not the same guy,”  said Const. Victor Kwong.

The suspect is described as 5’7″ to 5’8″ with a slim-to-athletic build and as having fine, light-brown short hair and bad teeth.

He was last seen wearing a pink or salmon-coloured T-shirt with writing on it.

When asked what initiatives police have undertaken in light of this spate of attacks, Const. Kwong cited “increased police presence in the [Kensington] area,” as well as Project Summer Safety (PSS).

The aim of PSS is to enhance police presence in areas identified as “high risk,” which includes Kensington Market, as well as Parkdale, the Entertainment District, and Alexandra Park.

On Thursday, August 30 at 6:30 p.m., Councillor Adam Vaughan (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina), in cooperation with the Kensington Market BIA, St. Stephen’s Community House, and the Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children (METRAC), will host a community safety workshop on preventing sexual violence and assault. The workshop will take place at St. Stephen’s Community House (91 Bellevue Ave.).

According to Rebecca Hewitt, constituency assistant for Councillor Vaughan, they are working on securing a plainclothes female police officer to attend the workshop, although this has not yet been confirmed. Language services for the Chinese community will be available.

In order to ensure seating at the workshop, please RSVP to councillor_vaughan@toronto.ca.

Anyone with information on the attack is asked to contact police at 416-808-7474.

Despite the rain, roughly twenty artists came out to beautify the alley behind Ossington Avenue between Queen and Humbert streets. From Thursday Aug. 9 to Sunday Aug. 12, volunteers painted murals in the laneway, giving it a much-needed makeover.

The art-in-the-alley project is one of many  initiatives organized by the Well and Good creative collective. Their ongoing Brighten the Corners mural projects transform public spaces across Toronto. For this laneway, they partnered with the Academy of Lions, the City of Toronto and Toronto Police Services.

The full story will be out in the September issue of the Annex Gleaner.

All photos by Andrew Schopp/Gleaner News.

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School kids helps raise money for youth mentoring project.

Art drawn by local kids for a good cause. Credit: Richard Frankel/Gleaner News

By Richard Frankel

Local school students and youth from a local mentoring project recently participated in an art show for charity at the Seasons Family Centre (655 Davenport Rd.).

The art pieces, contributed by students of the Howlett Academy (15 Madison Ave.) and a number of other schools, including Donview Middle School, raised $250 for the Academy of Lions Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to teaching youth about healthy living.

“We work with youth in the community. Roots Canada approached us with a mentorship-based, entrepreneurial project focusing on athletics, health and fitness. Back in 2011, we partnered, and now we’re in our final week of the pilot project,” said Ashley Holland, a representative from Roots Canada.

The Seasons Family Centre has been part of the project since February, and Nikki Goldman-Stroh, the Centre’s director, along with the centre’s other staff, work with youth on a regular basis.

“I’ve done this four years in a row,” said Goldman-Stroh. “I used to do it at the Great Hall and every year we do a different charity. So Seasons is a brand new business, [and] we chose to do it here instead of at the Great Hall.”

Goldman-Stroh, who opened the centre in September 2011, was one of 50 people chosen from the wellness industry in Toronto to be a part of the project by Roots Village.

Seasons offers classes for all ages, from infant to adult, and puts on workshops, hosts birthday parties, runs March Break and summer camps in expressive art, baking and cooking, and delivers programs that include yoga and dance classes. “A part of what we pride ourselves with is that we have smaller class sizes so that’s really appealing to a lot of parents,” she said.

Goldman-Stroh had dreamed of opening a centre like this one. “I finished art therapy six years ago and felt I was at a stage in my career where I was ready to take the plunge.”

RioCan likely to appeal at Ontario Municipal Board

By Richard Frankel

Business Improvement Area (BIA) and residents’ association representatives, along with some vocal residents, exclaimed their relief with vigorous applause at City Hall on May 30.

A motion to refuse was read aloud by committee of adjustment staff to turn down a large retail development calling the application “excessive.”

As part of their application, RioCan, a retail real estate developer, intended to demolish three buildings to construct a new 139,000 square foot, three-storey commercial building with a three-level, below ground parking garage. Potential tenants for the site remain unknown.

“There are mixed-use areas, main streets throughout the city that have lots of three-storey buildings on them,” said Mark Noskiewicz, a representative for the developer to the committee. “The official plan says that mixed use areas are to absorb much of the anticipated increase in employment, retail, and residential. This isn’t the first three- or four- or five-storey building on Bathurst Street. There’s an existing four and five-storey building at the corner of Bathurst and College.”

RioCan purchased the properties between 410 and 444 Bathurst Street in spring 2011 for $8 million Canadian, but their plans have been met with vocal opposition from neighbourhood BIAs, residents associations, and outspoken local residents – some who are for and against the company’s project plans.

Councillor Mike Layton (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina) said residents are worried about the potential impact of traffic on Bathurst around the Toronto Western Hospital, particularly on the 511 Bathurst streetcar and increased traffic on nearby streets if the RioCan development is built.

“Residents and businesses are also worried about the impact on our main streets,” he said. “We know that larger format retail can impact smaller scale stores that bring diversity to our streets.”

Andrew Overholt, a local resident living on Markham Street said he supports development in the area, but not development that “harms the character of the neighbourhood.”

Overholt said height variances that block sunlight and the difficulty of navigating large delivery trucks is also a concern. “My garage is directly where these trucks will unload,” he said. “How am I supposed to access my garage when a large truck is basically touching it as it negotiates its way to the incredibly tight loading dock space?”

Ian McArthur, a Markham Street resident told the committee he is for the proposed redevelopment citing an increase in property values and greater employment.

“There will be more HST collected and I believe a development like this can enhance the property values,” he said. “You have buildings now there and they’re not derelict but they’re very tired and I think a [re-development] would be a great addition to the neighbourhood.”

Shamez Amlani, local resident a representative from the Kensington Market BIA, said his BIA feels the development will have a “huge negative effect on business in Kensington Market as well as Little Italy, Dundas, all the way down to Queen Street.”

Amlani told the committee that RioCan are asking for a variance to build two, 50,000 square foot spaces that may be occupied by a single large two-level general merchandiser or other large tenant.

He also said, in regards to zoning requirements, the applicant must ensure that the function and amenity of the area for business and residents, and the economic health of nearby shopping districts are not adversely affected.

“When we look at the scale of what’s going on here, the so called minor variance takes it into something that could be much bigger,” he said. “Something that could fit a Walmart and we know what that brings. Walmart currently has 41.7 per cent of its sales as food sales. This allows them to have more floor space than all the greengrocers, fishmongers, and butchers in Kensington market put together. It’s massive.”

Noskiewicz said he understands the neighbourhood’s concerns and that these concerns have been extensively reviewed by the planning department.

“Kensington Market is an important and unique neighbourhood in this city,” he said. “It is not an island. It is surrounded by mixed use areas. The BIA doesn’t have a marketing plan today, and with the greatest respect it should have one and hopefully will continue to prosper as it has for many, many years.”

RioCan is expected to file an appeal of the decision to the Ontario Municipal Board later this year.

Inventive project showcases excerpts from fictitious works in the real locations where they occur.

Project Bookmark Canada’s fourth bookmark, displaying the poem ‘Essentialist’ by Ken Babstock on St. George Street. Credit: Kristin Eliason/Gleaner News

By Kristin Eliason

There are two bookmarks in the Annex, but they are not of the paper variety.

One, on St. George Street, can be found just north of Bloor Street on the west side. The other can be found at the northwest corner of College and Manning Streets.

These bookmarks are green and white, ceramic, poster-sized plaques; and rather than mark a page, they mark the exact geographical location where an imaginary literary scene takes place.

The charity that installs these plaques, Project Bookmark Canada, began as a non-profit organization in 2007 before becoming a nationally-registered charity in 2008. It displays excerpts from fictitious works in the real locations where they occur.

The idea behind the project is that while “you can’t quite put yourself in the character’s shoes,” says Miranda Hill, founder and executive director of the project, “you put yourself in their footprints.”

Hill, a writer herself, won the Journey Prize in 2011. She will be publishing her first book of fiction, Sleeping Funny, this fall. Still, she also identifies herself equally as an avid reader, and it was this affinity for the written word that led her to the idea for Project Bookmark Canada.

While living in Toronto, she says she would stumble across scenes from books she just happened to be reading at the time.

Rather than having to bring the book in order to enjoy the experience of being in the presence of literary imagination, she thought to herself, “Wouldn’t it be great if you could encounter the scene right there in the place?”

In 2009, Project Bookmark Canada provided the public with its first opportunity to do just that. The first bookmark, a scene from In The Skin Of A Lion by Michael Ondaatje, was installed at the Bloor Viaduct on April 23. In 2010, five more were installed in Owen Sound, Kingston, Toronto and Ottawa. In 2011, four were added in Mississauga, Midland, Hamilton and Port Colborne. Now, it is the charity’s goal to build a nationwide network.

Its next bookmark will be its first out-of-province. It will honor Al Pitman, a local poet, when his poem The Sea Breeze Lounge is installed in Woody Point, Newfoundland on Aug. 23.

But, in order for Project Bookmark Canada to continue to flourish and grow, it relies on donations, grants and participation from the public.

There are many different ways to get involved. Annual memberships are available at varying costs, donations are welcome, and groups can get together to adopt a bookmark for their community, essentially funding it themselves.

And for those book lovers not able to invest money, they can still invest their time. Hill encourages readers to contact her via the website to suggest specific passages from books, in order to build their database.

“I get suggestions,” she says, “I’d love to get more.

“I think of Project Bookmark Canada as a project owned by Canadians for Canadians, the more people feel that they’re participating … the more potential it has for it to endure not just for the next 5 years, but for the next 50.”

Hill believes that Project Bookmark Canada is building a Canadian cultural icon. And if its growth over the past three years is any indication of how it will do in the future, it is well on its way to achieving its goal.

For more information on Project Bookmark Canada, please visit their website at www.projectbookmarkcanada.ca

This budget is not good for Canadians, nor is it good fiscal policy.

By Olivia Chow, Member of Parliament for Trinity-Spadina

Canadians have a right to expect reliable government services in return for our tax dollars. And for decades, our public priorities were clear—we built a public healthcare system that became the envy of many countries around the world, a peaceful country where fair wages were paid, and where the elderly could retire in dignity.

But something is changing. The Harper Conservatives are ignoring Canadian priorities and have rammed through a budget with devastating effects.

Millions of Canadians will lose $12,000 of their hard-earned retirement benefits. They will have to wait two additional years before finally getting back some of their tax money in the form of Old Age Security (OAS). More and more seniors will be pushed into poverty if they cannot bridge the gap before their pension benefits kick in.

Our health services will suffer from a shortfall in federal support that will amount to $31 billion over the coming years. People will likely have to pay more for their prescription medicine, and wait longer for vital medical procedures.

And why all this? Because of a Conservative Government with a misguided agenda based on redirecting our tax dollars to tax cuts for corporations, rather than investing in true Canadian priorities.

This budget is not good for Canadians, nor is it good fiscal policy.

In fact, the independent parliamentary budget officer found that our OAS system is stable and sustainable—ignored.

Government spending on healthcare is in line with average spending among G8 countries and the OECD. But, the Harper budget has ignored that as well.

At the same time, the Conservative budget does nothing to address the elephant in the room—our sputtering economy and unacceptable unemployment. 1.4 million Canadians are out of work—virtually unchanged from a year ago—and at a record high for young Canadians with a 14 per cent jobless rate. And now Employment Insurance will get slashed as well.

So what was this record-length, 425-page budget bill about? Two thirds of it was not about fiscal policy, but a sneak attack on environmental and labour policies and laws that have protected Canadians. Seventy pieces of legislation were repealed or changed without due diligence or committee oversight.

The message of the Harper’s Conservative budget is clear: if you are looking for employment, you are on your own. If you are about to retire, we just tricked you out of 12 grand. If you are sick and injured, don’t you dare think that federal government will help. Don’t dare think that our tax dollars will be reinvested in our priorities.

Together with my New Democrat colleagues, I am fighting for a different vision of Canada. A more equal society where prosperity is generated and shared. Where the helpless are not left to fend for themselves. Where we invest tax dollars in our priorities for building a better country. It is not a matter of affordability to create this better society, but a question of priorities. Canadian priorities.

Fundraiser brings out chefs and designers

By Richard Frankel

Inspired by night markets from around the world, Honest Ed’s alley (581 Bloor Street W.) was transformed with art and all-you-can-eat food as hundreds of people from around the city came out on June 20 to raise money for The Stop Community Food Centre.

“In less than 48 hours, we sold 700 tickets,” said Danielle Goldfinger, events coordinator at the food centre. “We have lots of people that have helped put this on. We have designers, and we have sponsors, and lots of chefs and volunteers, so in total we’re seeing about 1,100 people come through this space tonight.

Proceeds from this event help support The Stop’s anti-hunger programs. According to their website, the centre strives to increase access to healthy food in a manner that maintains dignity, builds health and community and challenges inequality.

Tickets sold for $50 a person and Goldfinger said the organization wanted to make this more accessible as other fundraisers tend to be more expensive.

Chefs from Brockton General and Delica Kitchen joined a slew of local designers including 3rd Uncle Design and Amy Markanda Studio to design a cart for each chef.

“We have over 115 designers and 27 design teams and we gave them a booklet with parameters and dimensions and let them run wild with it,” said Goldfinger.

Goldfinger said Honest Ed’s helped them by providing the venue and navigating the requirements to attain the permit for the street closure.

“It’s a great draw for a great cause and it will be an addition to the Mirvish Village BIA,” said Russell Lazar, the general manager at Honest Ed’s.

Projected new plaza redevelopment may change the iconic storefront at 420 Bathurst

Closing signs cover neighbourhood mainstay Kromer Radio. Credit: Richard Frankel/Gleaner News

By Richard Frankel

Another historic Toronto business is closing after more than five decades of operation.

Large black block letters on a yellow background read “Retirement Sale Everything Must Go.” Other signs read “Store Closing Sale” and cover the storefront windows facing Bathurst Street as Kromer Radio, a family owned company of car radio installation and electronic sales, sets to close indefinitely on June 30.

“It’s time. It’s better to go out on top,” said Mark Stoakes, Kromer’s general manager, who has been working there for more than 30 years.

Stoakes said the owner Paul Kromer, who is retiring, has been involved since the store’s inception.

“He’s getting a little older and he’s been doing it for 55 years and I’ve been doing it for 33,” he said. “We’re tired so we’re just going to take some time and take it easy.”

The Kromer Radio property, along with two auto body shops and a supply warehouse between 410 and 444 Bathurst Street, were purchased last year by real estate developer RioCan for $8 million Canadian. They plan to build a 139,000 square foot, three-storey retail development at the site. But the proposal been met with vocal opposition from nearby Business Improvement Areas, Residents Associations and outspoken local residents.

On May 30, a motion by the City’s Committee of Adjustment also refused the company the right to demolish the existing buildings for now. It is expected that RioCan will appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board.

Stoakes said many of the store’s regular customers are upset by the closing.

“I’ve been getting a lot of emails and phone calls,” he said. “A lot of people are pretty sad to hear that we’re closing and there’s a lot of customers that we’re dealing with that go three generations deep. It’s been a tradition. When they need their electronics, they come to Kromer.”

Paul Kromer opened the first store in 1957 on Harbord Street. Back then, the focus of the company was exclusively on car radio installation. Kromer’s reputation grew and by 1974, they moved to 420 Bathurst Street where they began selling electronics, including televisions and home audio equipment.

Making macaroons? Why not use the leftover yolks for pecan cookies?

By Susan Oppenheim

I love macaroons, especially in summer—no dairy, no flour, and low-calorie egg whites.

Here are two recipes—one for the whites, one for the yolks. Both recipes go into the oven at 325 degrees fahrenheit, and use parchment paper to line the cookie sheets. I find the paper wonderful as nothing sticks, my cookies cool better, and the paper can be used over and over again.

When buying eggs, choose recyclable cardboard boxes. In many countries, eggs are not refrigerated but I prefer to put mine in the fridge to avoid salmonella. Large or extra large eggs are always better in baking. Separate whites from yolks when eggs are cold, but use them at room temperature—especially for meringues or stiff whites.

Carefully separate them into individual bowls, one at a time, to avoid any yolk getting into the whites as it will not whip if compromised.If you separate them unsuccessfully into one bowl, you will have to toss it all and start over.

An extra egg yolk with a few tablespoons of water makes a warm golden egg wash to brush over otherwise bland whitish products like breads and cookies. That extra yolk can also find its way into your shampoo, your dog’s dish, an omelette or quiche, and any cake, pancake or muffin recipe. To use up an extra egg white, just make a great face mask. Paint it on and let it dry. Whites work great on blackheads and oily skin.

A cloudy egg white is a sign of freshness, not age: the cloudiness is from the high carbon dioxide content when the egg is laid. In a fresh egg, the yolk sits up high, and the white is thick and closely surrounds the yolk. An older egg has a flat yolk that breaks easily and a thin, watery white. The Best Before Date is an ideal way to determine the freshness of an egg. This indicates that the eggs are Grade A quality, as long as they have been properly handled and the date has not passed.

If you think you do not have access to farm eggs (obviously the best ones), more and more local produce markets and shops have ample fresh free-range eggs. Though they are more expensive, they are still very affordable.

Coconut macaroons, for the whites

3/4 cup white sugar

2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

2 large egg whites*

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients well. Next, dampen your hands with water, and take 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough, and place in mounds on sheet, about one inch apart. Bake in centre of oven about 16 to 17 minutes, cool completely before removing.

There are variations. Substitute almond extract for vanilla; place a piece of dry fruit, like pineapple, cherry or apricot, into centre before baking; or, dip tops in melted chocolate when cooled. You can also add a few tablespoons of chocolate powder to recipe, or stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, or nuts.

Buttery Pecan Rounds, for the yolks

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup sweet butter-room temperature

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg yolk*

2/3 cup toasted chopped pecans**

pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 325, and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Process or sift flour and salt. With a hand beater, blend butter and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg yolk, and reduce the beater speed while gradually adding in flour. Stir in, by hand, the chopped pecans.

Place the batter—about 4 tablespoons per cookie—three inches apart on cookie sheet. Place a pecan half on top of each. Bake on the centre rack of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely before removing from tray.

For variety, swap in walnuts, peanuts, or macadamia nuts instead of pecans.

*Eggs measured by weight not size

**To toast nuts (brings out flavour), spread on a cookie sheet at 300 degrees for 7 minutes in centre of oven.

What the industry doesn’t tell you is that plastic doesn’t get recycled very well.

By Terri Chu

An attempt by Toronto city council to dispense with the 5-cent fee on plastic bags has instead resulted in the outright ban of the bags.

Whether or not this will result in environmental gain is unclear, because sudden transitions are always rife with unintended consequences.  That said, it’s likely a better decision than simply scrapping the fee.

The recycling industry says that the decision was poorly thought out, and it’s tough to argue the point when the spontaneous nature of the decision is considered: Councillor David Shiner, who proposed the ban, told the Toronto Star he “came into the [council] meeting without the expectation to do that.“

The industry has emphasized the inconvenience consumers will face and the effect it will have on the economy. If people can’t carry their goods home in stable, reusable bags, they’ll stop making large purchases, which will in turn lead to less profit for retailers.

But what the industry doesn’t tell you is that plastic doesn’t get recycled very well. The best we can really do is “down-cycle”:  using the plastic we discard in a lower-quality product.

Coke bottles, for example, aren’t recycled into more coke bottles.  They go through a treatment process that pollutes the land and water and get a new lease on life as a cheap polyester sweater.  Meanwhile, anything living downstream from the treatment facility suffers from the pollutants created during processing.

As an enthusiastic supporter of the 5-cent fee, I’m also not against scrapping bags altogether, although I do worry that doing so too rapidly could have secondary effects. Will people start treating nylon bags (which use more resources to produce) as disposable in lieu of plastic?

And for all the noise that our politicians are making over the five cent fee, it’s little more than a blip on most peoples’ radars.

The more important things: reducing energy consumption, replacing cars with public transit and bicycles, and building walkable communities, seem to have been lost in the noise of trivialities.

Making lots of noise for minute environmental issues seems to help take our minds off the real problems that five cent fees won’t resolve.

Local businesses discuss the new discount store addition to the neighbourhood

By Kristin Eliason and Richard Frankel

The arrival of a Dollarama in the Bathurst and Bloor area is forcing local discount stores to brace for increased competition.

“Dollarama is opening 60 stores this year, and Toronto, as well as the GTA, continue to offer interesting growth opportunities,” said Lyla Radmanovich, a spokesperson for the dollar store chain. “Ultimately, Dollarama’s goal is to reach new customers, and this certainly applies to the location [at Bathurst and Bloor.]”

The new Dollarama store opened on June 16 at 512 Bloor St. W., just steps away from competitors that include Honest Ed’s and Payless For Everything.

According to Radmanovich, the level of retail activity, existing Dollarama locations, presence of competitors, population, and demographics of an area all factor into the decision of where to open new outlets.

But the decision to open the Bathurst and Bloor location is raising the hackles of some small business owners in the area.

“Their store kills everybody’s business,” said Julie Yue, the owner of Payless for Everything (807 Bathurst St.), a dollar store located just around the corner from the new Dollarama. “They never asked us [how we would feel about them moving in] … if they had asked us, we would have definitely said no.”

Yue, who has managed her store for nine years, believes it’s Dollarama’s ability to sell products below cost that seriously threatens the ability of small businesses like her own to survive. Her plan for change is simple: match Dollarama’s pricing, even if it means a loss in revenue, and continue to carry a variety of goods.

“Something we sell for $2, they sell for $1. We get them for $1.30. How can we sell them for $1?” she said. “We have to change our business now … if [Dollarama is] cheaper, they will still go over there.”

Yue hopes her business and merchandise will differ enough from Dollarama’s to keep her clients coming back. Many of her customers have already told her they will continue to patronize her store.

Honest Ed’s, a larger and better-established competitor of Dollarama, is not at all concerned about its new neighbour, according to Russell Lazar, the store’s general manager. Lazar said Honest Ed’s is unique and unusual, and it’s been that way since the store opened in 1948. However, he did add that it is important to always watch pricing and be competitive, no matter what competition there is.

“We’ve been here for 64 years,” he said. “And during those 64 years, we’ve had a lot of stores come and a lot of stores go. I don’t think it will have an effect on us whatsoever.”

Basketball players have been turning out for the Gamecocks tournament for the last 22 years.

Sean Loucks, the founder of the tournament, has a storied basketball career. Credit: Michael Radoslav/Gleaner News

By Michael Radoslav

Surveying the gymnasium at Royal St. George College (120 Howland Ave.) was like walking into an ageless basketball wonderland: teenagers squared off against middle-aged men, a 70-year-old warmed up for his game on the sidelines, and a referee called the shots in a chicken suit.

At the 22nd annual Gamecocks charity basketball tournament held in the school, player registrations and raffles helped raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society and the Thomas J. Webb Memorial Scholarship Trust.

The players played for a cause while having as much fun as possible along the way. “It’s hard to get too worked up when you turn around to argue with the referee, and you’re arguing with a chicken,” said Sean Loucks, founder of the tournament.

Loucks, a basketball coach at Royal St. George’s and co-founder of the Albany Avenue Basketball Association, was a former player at York University who played professionally in Europe. Loucks has a true passion for the game and claims to have played, “more than 200 games a year across five leagues” when he was younger.

Loucks is 47, but says his body feels much older. Though he regrets the toll basketball has had on his body, he plays out his enthusiasm for the game through the Gamecocks charity tournament.

The 3-on-3 tournament entered its 22nd year on June 16. The tournament “is very inclusive,” Loucks said, and emphasizes the social aspects and charitable causes over winning and losing.

“The goal is to bring people together for a positive reason.”

The tournament is split into a high school division, an open division for all ages, and a legends division for players over 40 years of age. “There aren’t many tournaments with an over 40 league,” Loucks said. “I have one guy playing that’s over 70.”

“Your jump shot may be a little rusty, but every year you know you have a place to play,” said

Lance Winn, Loucks former teammate at York who has been involved with this tournament since it started. “It’s more about [being] social, about the exercise and reconnecting with people you have known for a long time,” he said.

Although it was only men who took to the court this year, Loucks said the tournament previously had a women’s division; however “it was hard to find a sustained interest by female players.” He said the tournament is open to women, and he’d reinstate the women’s division if interest returned.

The tournament is also a way to help give back to the community. Loucks has a personal connection to the Thomas J. Webb Memorial Scholarship. Thomas Webb was a friend of Loucks, who relocated from Chicago to Toronto. Originally from Wisconsin, the two connected over their mutual love of basketball.

Loucks said Webb loved 3-on-3 basketball and had actually made it to the championship of a 3-on-3 tournament in Wisconsin that took place during the halftime of a Milwaukee Bucks NBA basketball game.

However, Webb lost a battle to cancer at the age of 35 in the late-1990s. When Loucks heard that Webb’s parents had set up a scholarship fund in memory of their son, Loucks added that to the causes benefiting from the event.

“We did it first for the Canadian Cancer Society, but then (Tom’s) parents told us about his scholarship and that was a lot closer to us,” Loucks said.

James Webb, Thomas’ father who still resides in Wisconsin, said they came to the game as recently as last year. The Webbs have family in Toronto and James Webb said they try their best to visit during tournament time.

“We’ve been there a number of years,” James Webb said. “Sean has done a wonderful, wonderful job.”

James Webb said the memorial scholarship for his son helps benefits three to four students graduating from the Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin high school. To be eligible, the students must be entering college to play varsity sport, have good grades and also show a commitment to helping their community.

“The cause is unbelievable,” said Winn. “Any time you can do something to get so many people together in one place with the same cause in mind is great. It’s very important.”

Winn said the tournament is great for basketball in Toronto and they are always looking to help it grow, especially with the younger players in the area. “The legends division always kind of stays the same, but it’s the teenagers we’re looking to build on,” he said.

Loucks said he believes this tournament means a lot to the Webb family and for the causes he’s helping. “Any day you can play basketball is a good day,” said Loucks. “Any day you can do something positive for someone else, that’s a great day.”