March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on NEWS: Value Village Boutique takes over former Brunswick House site (Feb. 2023)
Boutique version of brand tailored to Annex
Second hand clothing boutique honours a storied past. (BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS)
By Fox Oliver
In September, Value Village opened a new location in the former Brunswick House (481 Bloor St. W.), adding one more to their more than 20 stores in the GTA. This new boutique store carries a more limited variety of goods than a regular Value Village, making it able to fit into the iconic space known as a site of debauchery for Toronto youth for over a century.
Built in 1876, The Brunswick House was a bar until 2016. Rexall Drugstore completely renovated the building and rebuilt many historic elements.
This leaves Value Village with some rather opulent digs for the sale of secondhand clothing, accessories, and shoes.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in December, the Gleaner stood outside the new Value Village Boutique and asked customers what they knew about the store.
One customer was under the impression that a Value Village Boutique is more “chic and expensive” than its counterparts, while another shopper assumed the store’s contents are “curated differently, so the clothes are more expensive.”
However, Sara Gaugl, a representative of Value Village, confirmed that “pricing at Value Village and Value Village Boutique locations is the same,” and that these are just common misconceptions.
A first-time customer commended the boutique style of the store, saying that this makes the store’s contents “more streamlined, when it seems like clothing is already their biggest draw.” This seems to fit with Gaugl’s comment that “customer feedback [regarding the boutique business model] has been very positive.”
A common misconception among customers is that Value Village is a nonprofit organization. Value Village is a for-profit organization, but they source their products by purchasing them from local nonprofits.
Gaugl added that between 2017 and 2021, Value Village paid Canadian nonprofits nearly $390 million for secondhand goods and currently partners with more than 50 nonprofits across Canada.
A customer shared that she was still happy to shop at Value Village even after learning they weren’t a nonprofit.
She believes that buying from Value Village is still “more ethical than shopping at other thrift stores” because money will still end up in the pockets of nonprofit organizations. Value Village also makes shopping for secondhand clothing more accessible to communities across the city, ultimately reducing the waste created from manufacturing new clothing and discarding used garments.
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on NEWS: PenguinPickUp once site of gambling bust (Feb. 2023)
In 1928, police arrested 74 men in a surprise raid
527 Bloor St. was the site of a major gambling bust in 1928. (COURTESY TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY)
By Hailey Alexander
On July 24, 1928, the police arrested 74 men at the Prospector’s Club which was on the upper floor of 527 Bloor St. W. The main floor was Prince & Co. Hardware (now PenguinPickUp.) According to the Toronto Daily Star, police broke up a bank dice game with “thousands of dollars in play” shortly before 3:00 a.m.
The keeper of the alleged betting house, William Kidd, was released on $500 bail until August 8 of that year and the other 73 men were fined $10.
The raiding party was organized by Chief of Police General Draper and supervised by Inspector Mitchell of Court Street police station, Inspector Johnson of Dundas Street West police station, and Acting Inspector Marshall of Belmont Street police station. Assisted by many others, police found $4,170 in bills and a “large sugar bag” containing silver and cheques which were later brought to court among other evidence. In the Star’s detailed description of the events, police seized a revolver, ammunition, dice cups which had been thrown into a piano when the men heard constables climbing the stairs, and other paraphernalia.
“The police acted with the utmost secrecy in laying the plans for the raid,” stated the Star, further mentioning that most plainclothesmen were under sealed orders until they arrived at the building. Associates professed not to have known of the raid until the two vans were being “filled with prisoners” who were brought to the police station. In addition to being the “smoothest and most successful gambling raid ever conducted in the city,” as an officer put it, this was the largest raid in terms of numbers and alleged gambling money within the club as of that date.
Comments Off on NEWS: PenguinPickUp once site of gambling bust (Feb. 2023)Tags:Annex · News
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on LETTER TO THE EDITOR (Feb. 2023)
St. Stephen’s Community House at 260 Augusta Ave. is looking for volunteers. (BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS)
RE: Volunteers needed!
I would like to thank you for your article on St. Stephen’s yard and for drawing attention to the challenges those facing homelessness experience.
It is my belief that many in our community see the struggles and feel helpless because the problem is widespread and complicated and they don’t know how to help.
The reality is, we can all lend a hand. St. Stephen’s Community House on Augusta has a corner drop-in where they provide hot meals, showers, laundry, etc. to our community’s vulnerable population.
They also have programs and services for mental health, addiction, harm reduction and housing.
They do incredible work, but sadly, they are underfunded and rely on volunteers across the organization.
An easy way to get involved and help with the immediate need is to help prepare meals in the kitchen.
For anyone interested in lending a hand, please contact the main line at 416-925-2103 x1255 or via email at info@tngcs.org and ask to be connected to Chef Mike.
—Thank you Mary Lepage
Comments Off on LETTER TO THE EDITOR (Feb. 2023)Tags:Annex · Letters
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Freedom Ford-style (Feb. 2023)
Doug Ford abandoned us. That’s what a 200-page decision reviewing Ottawa’s invocation of the Emergencies Act says. Written by Commissioner Justice Paul Rouleau and published by the Public Order Emergency Commission, this report points the finger for last year’s Freedom Convoy riots squarely at the premier, whose failure to act, it says, led to some members of the public feeling emboldened.
Rouleau also laments that both Ford and Sylvia Jones, the former Ontario solicitor general, refused to participate in the commission’s review citing their “parliamentary privilege.” These two have a lot to answer for, and they clearly did their best to avoid any opportunity to face questions under oath about their conduct at the time of the Freedom Convoy protest.
The commissioner pulls no punches in his commentary on Ford and his government for inaction during the protest and for refusing to testify at the inquiry held last fall.
“Given that the city and its police services were clearly overwhelmed, it was incumbent on the province to become visibly, publicly and wholeheartedly engaged from the outset,” Rouleau wrote. “I find the Province of Ontario’s reluctance to become fully engaged in such efforts directed at resolving the situation troubling.”
Had Jones attended the inquiry, she would have no doubt been asked about her claim during the protest that Ontario had sent 1500 OPP officers to the scene. The mayor of Ottawa said while under oath that 35 officers was more accurate. According to the report, even Thomas Carrique, OPP commissioner, and Mario Di Tommaso, deputy solicitor general, characterized Jones’s comments “as unhelpful and unwise.”
The report reveals tensions between the federal and provincial governments during the protest. Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino’s staff recalled an interaction with the solicitor general where he urged the Ontario government to come up with a plan to do its job since policing is a provincial responsibility. Jones’s response according to the staffer: “I don’t take edicts from you, you’re not my f—king boss.” Like Doug Ford, Jones apparently felt that dealing with the Freedom Convoy was her job not to do.
The commission concluded that the federal cabinet received “credible and compelling information supporting a reasonable belief that the definition of a threat to the security of Canada was met,” and that “the bigger picture reveals that the situation was unsafe and chaotic.”
Di Tommaso, to his credit, did testify, and his contribution included comments that Ontario should create protocols around compelling a municipal police force to accept a unified and integrated command model with national standards for policing a major event. That approach was needed here, because the Ottawa Police Service was overwhelmed but unwilling to cede control of the situation to others. The report endorses Di Tommaso’s recommendations.
In his conclusions, Justice Rouleau states that “the ‘Freedom Convoy’ was a singular moment in history, in which simmering, political, and economic grievances were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, shaped by a complex online landscape rife with misinformation and disinformation, and unleashed in a torrent of political protest and social unrest.”
Rouleau astutely observes that the Freedom Convoy was more than a movement of people protesting in Ottawa about vaccine mandates largely created by provincial governments. These were not just ignorant individuals in need of a civics lesson. It runs deeper than that; Doug Ford recognizes that these are his people and his brand of populism. They hate the government and they are angry, but they are not sure about what; they just want to tear it down.
What is clear is that Doug Ford turned his back on residents of Ottawa in their hour of need. By his inaction, Doug Ford forced the federal government to needlessly bring down a heavy hammer upon our democratic freedoms.
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on FORUM: Bike lanes made permanent, more warming centres open (Feb. 2023)
Budget process reveals Toronto’s financial house not in order
By Dianne Saxe
The first month of the new year has been an eventful one at city hall. I am pleased to report that two crucial issues have successfully moved forward.
Councillors on the infrastructure and environment committee unanimously supported my requests to make permanent the Yonge Street bike lanes from Bloor to Davisville, while doing everything practicable to increase safety for nearby residents. This includes preventing illegal and dangerous behaviour by reckless drivers, like driving on sidewalks.
While community opinion about the bike lanes remains mixed, two-thirds of deputants passionately supported the bike lanes, as did extensive expert evidence.
The medical officer of health explained the substantial health benefits of complete streets.
Paramedic and fire services confirmed that the bike lanes do not interfere with their ability to provide emergency services. TTC confirmed that the bike lanes do not interfere with their shuttle buses.
Bike lanes are good for local businesses while decreasing crashes and the cost of getting around. Other evidence showed that there has been no disproportionate increase in traffic in the area compared to the city as a whole.
Another key achievement was doubling the number of downtown warming centre spaces for the most vulnerable during cold weather alerts.
In mere weeks, we pulled off Toronto’s fourth warming centre at the Cecil Street Community Centre, where I sit on the board. It opened for the first night on Jan. 30.
Congratulations and deepest thanks to the staff and board members of Cecil Street, and to city staff at shelter, support & housing administration.
This month was also dominated by the city budget, the first under the “strong mayor” powers imposed by Doug Ford. Thank you to everyone who has written in about this, or deputed to the budget committee.
The city is in very deep financial trouble, and the consequences are becoming obvious.
The provincial government has downloaded unmanageably expensive responsibilities onto the city, while hamstringing our ability to raise funds, and immiserating the most vulnerable with inadequate housing, mental health, and addiction support.
Toronto hasn’t done enough either to keep its financial house in order.
Keeping property tax increases below the rate of inflation for 13 years has starved the city of essential funds for daily operations and repairs, much less preparing for the future.
Bottom line: the city cannot operate effectively without more funds. We must loudly and consistently demand that the province give us significant revenue-generation tools, such as road tolls and a share of income taxes. I plan to keep this demand front and centre whenever council sits.
In the meantime, I am working with my colleagues to have the city adopt parking levies, which could raise hundreds of millions of dollars to reverse TTC cuts and improve service, while helping with climate goals.
This campaign has gained so much momentum that I hope to see parking levies introduced as early as next year.
The first step, a thorough study by city staff, should begin shortly.
For more updates, please sign up for our newsletter at DianneSaxe.ca.
Dianne Saxe is city councillor for Ward 11, University-Rosedale.
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on FORUM: Toronto’s budget built on a false premise (Feb. 2023)
Where is Ford in Toronto’s time of need?
By Jessica Bell
The first official Toronto budget under the new strong mayor reign has revealed an unpleasant truth. This is a fantasy budget built on a house of cards. Even with a seven per cent planned property tax hike, the federal and provincial governments need to hand over $1.4 billion to the city for the budget to balance in 2023. And even if they say yes to Toronto’s official funding request, the city will still cut services.
You and I will be paying more for less. Off-peak TTC bus and subway service is facing big cuts, and adult fares are going up. Road maintenance and road safety programs are being cut. Recreation fees are going up. The city’s official climate action plan is underfunded and falls well short of our bold climate targets.
This is not the time for austerity. Our city is falling into disrepair. Commuting times are getting longer. Our parks and sidewalks are dirty and neglected. The high cost of food has driven more and more people into chronic hunger. Housing prices and rent are at record levels of unaffordability. Our city’s escalating mental health, opioid, and homelessness crises are a moral shame.
This is not a new problem. The mayor has failed to maintain and upgrade services and infrastructure throughout his eight-year reign. You’re not imagining things when you notice there’s more garbage on the street or the roads have more potholes than usual. That said, the woes of our city are also very clearly the responsibility of the Ford government who is not only underfunding municipalities and our needs, but sabotaging municipalities’ efforts to fund services as well.
I’m talking about Bill 23, which freezes, eliminates, and reduces the development fees Toronto can collect from new homes to partially pay for city infrastructure, from parks to affordable housing.
In University-Rosedale, about 80 per cent of residents live in buildings of five storeys or more, and that percentage is on the rise. Since more of us are living in apartments with no access to a backyard, it is doubly important for governments to invest in not just essential infrastructure, like transit and sewerage, but the community centers, parks, libraries, and free open spaces needed for urban residents to play, enjoy themselves, learn, and appreciate their city and neighborhood.
I support reducing and waiving development fees for permanently affordable housing, co-ops, non-market housing and to build housing for those in need.
I see no good value in giving a tax cut to developers and downloading even more infrastructure costs onto residents. Developers have a responsibility to contribute their fair share to our city.
This is a province-wide problem. Facing massive shortfalls in development fee revenue, municipalities across southern Ontario are considering cuts to services and big property tax increases ranging from five to 100 per cent. This is a Ford tax.
We are returning to the provincial legislature on Feb. 21. We expect a housing bill, a health care bill to privatize surgery delivery, and the next annual budget.
As your MPP, my goal is to organize with you to increase funding for municipalities, mental health, health care, education, housing, and public transit—all the things that make our city great.
We are not alone, Toronto. Municipalities across Ontario are furious with the funding cuts, and it’s having an effect.
Already the minister for Municipal Housing and Affairs has signaled their intention to help municipalities with the loss of funding as a result of Bill 23. We’ll have to hold their feet to the fire to get them to deliver.
Jessica Bell is the MPP for University-Rosedale and the Official Opposition’s Housing Critic. She can be reached at jbell@ndp.on.ca 416-535-7206.
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on GREENINGS: Our trees are in crisis (Feb. 2023)
ARA to resurvey all the trees in the Annex
By Terri Chu
There’s a lot to love about the Annex: cultural vibrancy, a wide variety of local independent businesses, walkability and trees.
Can you imagine this place without the big, beautiful maples? The streets would feel empty and dystopian.
No one wants to imagine this future, but with the latest Annex Residents’ Association (ARA) tree survey and its preliminary results, it has become all too clear that we can no longer afford to take local trees for granted.
This 400 year old oak tree off Spadina Avenue is one of the oldest trees in the city. GLEANER FILE PHOTO/COURTESY MICHAEL LOW
The ARA just completed the first tranche of the 10-year resurvey of its trees.
Thanks to two students from the University of Toronto’s forestry program, the trees were redone. The students did a fantastic job.
The results were less so. It is in fact, devastating.
In 2011, there were 2139 trees on Bathurst, Albany, and Howland streets. Of those trees, only 1603 of them still exist.
With a full 25 per cent of the trees missing, it’s fair to say we are in a crisis situation.
We are down over one in four trees and we can’t even blame this on construction. There hasn’t been very much development in this area over the last four years other than the Bianca; however, that was previously the Wing’s factory and there were not many trees lost to construction.
Many local trees are now nearing the end of life, however, many more are finding it hard to survive under very stressful conditions.
Pollution in the area is high, and tree roots are often covered with asphalt.
Trees are so important for a liveable community.
Researchers have found that residents who live in heavily treed areas have lower instances of heart attacks and other heart health risks.
Trees absorb excess rainwater and reduce the chances of flooding.
Trees also provide evaporative cooling (in addition to shade.) This means in the urban heat island that is this concrete jungle, trees help keep us cool—a critical function as climate change ravages our cities.
Instead of protecting the liveability of this city, the leadership has been making it worse. Trees are little more than an afterthought in planning and development. Mayor Tory has given priority to cars at the expense of all else.
For a song, a car owner can get highly subsidized parking and leave their vehicles all over the city cheaply.
Meanwhile, a family of four pays over $20 to use public transit two ways. No wonder families are choosing cars over transit.
Every unnecessary vehicle trip is another pointless stress on our tree canopy, a stress on our lungs, and congestion in this city.
Study after study has shown economic upticks when car space is given over to people, yet our old school leadership can’t get their minds out of the 70s and are actively holding us back.
There’s absolutely no reason why it should cost more to use public transit than it does to park a car. Our subsidies are going the wrong way to the detriment of all of us.
We need to take a hard look and ask ourselves why we want to put more congestion on our streets, more nitrous oxide in our air, and more sulphuric oxide in our children’s lungs.
If this isn’t the kind of city we want, we need to ask ourselves why we let corporate-led municipal leadership create these policy failures for us.
We absolutely cannot afford to lose our urban forest. The city promised that it would increase the urban canopy to 40 per cent by 2050; instead, we see a drop in canopy coverage of around 22 per cent.
We need the city to step up its efforts and keep its commitment. Residents cannot be left to do this alone. Some homeowners already spend thousands a year to maintain trees and not every neighbourhood is lucky enough to afford this.
Without the data that the ARA and other similar organizations collect, it will be nearly impossible to hold the city to account and have any hope of forcing the city to live up to its commitments to protect and enhance our tree canopy.
The ARA is raising money to hire this summer’s forestry students to continue this work.
If you can, please be generous. We have a $15,000 goal to get two students working this summer.
To make a donation go to theara.org.
Terri Chu is an engineer committed to practical environmentalism. This column is dedicated to helping the community reduce energy and distinguish environmental truths from myths.
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on FROM THE ARCHIVES (Feb. 2023)
BEFORE: 527 Bloor St. in 1928. (COURTESY TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY, THE BALDWIN COLLECTION)NOW: 527 Bloor St. 95 years later. (NEILAND BRISSENDEN/GLEANER NEWS)
January 24th, 2023 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER: New mural in the Annex (Jan. 2023)
BIA sponsors art on frequently tagged space
Local artist Talie Shalmon stands proud with her new City of the Future mural. COURTESY MELANIE RAMSAY/BLOOR ANNEX BIA
By Hailey Alexander
In the mural, City of the Future, the city is held lovingly by a blue hand. It is rich with green space and flowers bloom above it. This image, gracing the brick wall at 378 Bloor St. W., is the latest touch of artistic flare to hit the Annex and was designed by local artist Talie Shalmon. The mural was installed on Nov. 30.
“This concept expresses the idea that we, as a community, are responsible for building and shaping our community and have the power to grow it in positive ways,” wrote Shalmon in her mural proposal, adding that, being “holders” of the city, it is society’s joint responsibility to keep things beautiful. Accordingly, Shalmon has used bright colours to reflect the creativity, vibrancy, and values of the Annex. It includes an array of local landmarks like the Hot Docs Cinema and Trinity-St. Paul’s Church. “It presents an optimistic view of the future and emphasizes the importance of our connection to nature,” Shalmon says. She hopes that her mural will “catch the eyes of passersby,” and bring both joy and inspiration to their day.
Shalmon drew inspiration from her desire to make the city more human-centred, inclusive, and sustainable. Being a longtime resident of the Annex, she expresses her familiarity with the community and says she is honoured to contribute her artwork to the area in which she was raised. Shalmon describes her vision for the future as “a city that is built for growing community, fostering creativity, and that is affordable and livable for everyone who wishes to reside here.” Alongside those values, Shalmon cares deeply about the environment and encourages efforts to protect it. With these two themes in mind she produced a cheerful work of art that adds life to a formerly under-utilized alleyway.
Melanie Ramsay, project coordinator of the Bloor-Annex BIA, says she is proud of this new addition to the community. The BIA seeks grant support every year from the City of Toronto’s Outdoor Mural and Street Art Grant to develop a new piece. “We found it has a positive effect on reducing the amount of graffiti on the main street,” says Ramsay about the annual contribution of art to the neighbourhoods walls. The wall where this latest mural was painted, on the side of Vietnam Lovely Noodle, was the “most graffitied wall in the Annex” as of 2021.
2022’s street art project called for “a lot of problem-solving” around the materials used.
The team worked with a new application known as vinyl mural printing in order to overcome logistical issues they faced when getting paint on the wall. As Ramsay describes, Shalmon painted her mural by hand before digitizing it, then the team printed her design on vinyl and heat-bonded it to the wall which helped the vinyl take on the building’s brick texture.
Shalmon says that this method of mural creation did not allow for her to interact with the public as much as traditional mural paint would, so she is keen to hear feedback from the community.
January 24th, 2023 · Comments Off on NEWS: Women’s shinny takes off at Christie Pits (Jan. 2023)
Popularity has grown immensely
Last month’s cover of the Gleaner featured organized women’s hockey from the 1890s at the University of Toronto. Today, women are continuing the tradition pictured here in Christie Pits. FOX OLIVER/GLEANER NEWS
By Fox Oliver
Bring your sticks! Women’s shinny is back this winter at Sid Smith Ice Rink and more than 20 other public rinks around the city.
Christie Pits’ Sid Smith Rink, built in 1978, opened along with most of Toronto’s other public ice rinks on Nov. 26. The time slots for free skating and shinny include games specifically for women and transgender folk (aged 18 or older) on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m to 12 p.m. and on Monday nights from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Liz Dewdney, an advocate for women’s shinny on Toronto’s rinks, says she remembers when she first started playing shinny nine years ago. At the time, she says, there were three rinks in the area near Christie Pits that held weekly women’s shinny games. They all hosted games on the same night of the week, creating a situation where the number of players at any given game tended to be low.
Nine years later, Dewdney says the number of players attending these games has grown immensely, and so has the number of rinks that support these games. Women increasingly start playing hockey at younger ages, so these games are showing a greater diversity of age and skill level on the ice.
This community is open to shinny players of all skill levels and is welcoming to beginner and intermediate players.
Dewdney runs the Facebook group Toronto Women and Trans Shinny which facilitates player communication and the coordination of games. This group encourages people of a variety of genders, including those who identify as nonbinary, to participate.
Mackenzie Saliani, a staff member at Sid Smith, says he has also noticed a change in the popularity of the women’s shinny sessions and a very positive response from the players.
“In 2018, there were a maximum of 10 players [attending a shinny game] at once. Now, I see 30 to 40 people on some days,” says Saliani.
Dewdney says the marketing for these shinny games isn’t deliberate enough when welcoming transgender people. “The banner [above the rink] is good for letting people know that the shinny games are happening, but could be more inclusive,” she says.
A full schedule of activities at local rinks is the City of Toronto’s website.
Now that the winter has kicked off, the shinny games in Christie Pits are bustling, and the community is looking for more players. Why don’t you join them?
Comments Off on NEWS: Women’s shinny takes off at Christie Pits (Jan. 2023)Tags:Annex · News
January 24th, 2023 · Comments Off on NEWS: Awards recognize volunteers (Jan. 2023)
MPP Bell lauds community achievers in University-Rosedale
Personal support workers from the St George Care Community worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to ensure quality care for each of their residents. These PSWs were some of the real heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic and stand beside MPP Jessica Bell (at right). COURTESY MPP JESSICA BELL’S OFFICE
By Fox Oliver
Cecil Community Centre hosted nearly 80 guests on Nov. 22 to honour community advocates who make the University-Rosedale riding a better place to live. MPP Jessica Bell (University-Rosedale) lead the award dinner for the first time since 2019 alongside Norm Di Pasquale, an outgoing TCDSB trustee, and offered awards to many individuals and groups including a movie planner, a lawyer, and a cycling advocate.
Emily Reid, founder of the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show (TOPS), was one of the winners. Reid founded TOPS 12 years ago with the goal of creating “a unique experience within the city to appreciate cinema.” TOPS’s most well-known program is the Christie Pits Film Festival, an event where movies are screened on a large outdoor screen in the park. This event has seen attendance of up to 2000 people in a single night.
In response to receiving the award, Reid said she was “truly honoured and touched to be included with other important members of the community, such as health care and cycling safety workers.” Operating a charitable organization that runs only through grants and pay-what-you-can donations can be a difficult task, she said, but receiving this award was “refreshing,” and has motivated her to keep doing what she’s been doing for the enjoyment of those around her.
The health care workers from the St. George Care Community (225 St. George St.) were recognized for being COVID-19 heroes. The Avenue Road Food Bank was recognized for community leadership. Their mission isn’t just about “helping with food, but helping people get a leg up to feed themselves.”
The Kensington Market Community Land Trust was recognized for housing advocacy. The Chinatown Business Improvement Area was recognized for community leadership, including their work to keep small businesses alive during the pandemic by installing surveillance cameras for community safety. Helen Lee was awarded for being a seniors’ advocate, and the Palmerston Green Committee and its members for being environmental advocates. Samantha Van Clieaf advocated for safe streets, and Ada Chan for legal justice. The Toronto Community for Better Child Care was recognized for being an education advocate and community members were thanked for their work that is “essential in achieving $10 per day child care.” Cycle Toronto was recognized for being an advocate for safe streets, and Liz Zuz for newcomer inclusion.
The last attendee to receive an award was Sally McLean. She gave some simple advice from her time spent volunteering while in retirement: “Pick a place you wish to spend time and work there.” With these words of wisdom, she has enjoyed working in her community at the organization Sistering. Her work proves there is no age limit to helping those in need.
