theBLOORDALE press Community News from Ward 18
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The Bloordale Press AUGUST 2011 03
the initial plans could be changed to reflect what the developers be“Plus I’m losing sun and I’m going lieve would suit the community. MARCH 2012 volume 2/issue 2 http://www.thebloordalepress.com to have this this big box every“We had a whole bunch of where I look.” schemes and we went through the Indeed, Otto felt the meeting was city, had lots of discussions with nothing more than a show. them to try to understand what “They were willing to listen, they want to see and what they but not willing to really listen,” don’t want to see so this is a culmishe said. “People who had more nation of a lot of matters,” he said. to say, they did not want to hear Greg Dell, a planning consultant from them and it’s not like they on the project, said that the conresponded, they just listened and cerns raised in the meeting were said that they were taking notes. legitimate and expected. “NothingBYsurprised ” Dell JUSTINme, MILLERSON “The look, the price, said. “I look at every project and justin.bdp@gmail.com the height of the struc- think if I lived in that area, ‘What BY JUSTIN MILLERSON ture, those three aspects would I be worried about?” are nothing at all like Despite The some angry neighours, Perth/Dupont Library justin.bdp@gmail.com what already exists.” Bailao said the meeting wasSt.) a suc(1589 Dupont is slated for cess. an upgrade and to help decide For community enthusiasts, Micheala Otto “The people next door were conrom Wallace the future of and thesuglibrary, comit Ave. was a two for one evening on neighbour cerned about the height gested that they step back a little, munity members are discussing Feb. 21. “If they really wanted our input there were some parking concerns, what they would like to see hapBack-to-back community conDiagrams for 362 Wallace Ave. from the initial meeting in September. Left-why viewdidn’t fromthis Wallace Rightbut - I think overall what they’re gomeetingAve. happen pen to the branch. sultation meetings were held at before they put in all that money to ing to beNews doing with the church is a aerial view. The proposal’s view from Perth Av. BloordalePress Archives The Perth Public School (14 Ruskin make the plans?” Otto asked. “We good thing, ” shefirst said. of many community could have told them right off the The councillor saidwas she held didn’tat the Walworkshops Ave.) to discuss the property from page 1 bat that we didn’t want a building see too many things she didn’t like CHURCH, lace Emerson Community Cendevelopments at 243 Perth Ave. that tall and dense.” about the plans, and that overall,“Plus it I’m losing sun and I’m tre on Feb. 15 to discuss three and 362 Wallace Ave. Bailao said the meeting was a would be great for the community, tofor have expanthis this big box possible scenarios The evening started with discourtesy for area residents and but some small changes would betwhere I look.” sion. cussions about the proposal to to find some agreement over the ter suit the area’s needs. Indeed, Otto felt the meeti plans. “I would“We really like to see have anmore opportunity, add 169 residential units and 25 nothing more than a show. The meeting was an act of good- two bedroom units,” she said.“They were willing to pending our good fortune, to light industrial units at 362 Walwill that most developers don’t do, “This is a family-oriented commubut not willing to really our library,” said lace Ave. Community members she said. nity andtotally I wouldchange love to see more she said. “People who had Kevin Putnam, co-founder ofnot want t started with concerns about ve“He could have walked straight family units.” to say, they did into city hall and put in an applicaBailao said the developers are from them and it’s not lik the Junction Triangle Library hicle congestion in the area. tion,” Bailao said of the developer. now going to take the comments responded, they just listene Expansion committee. “People are concerned with the He agreed to listen to the commu- and concerns into consideration, said that they were taking no number of cars that will be comnity before putting it in. and then The contactfirst her forscenario another includes look, the p elevators washing in and out of the parking ga“So, we’re doing all this work possibleadding meeting with the commu-and “The inbetweenrage,” the unitssaid Sarah Phipps, a senior thebranch height of the s before he puts it in, because the nity before filingtohisthe application rooms existing Aerial View ture, those three asp last thing we want is to lose control into City Hall. as well as improving theare façade planner for the City of Toronto. nothing at al of these kinds of things,” she said. Bailao expects the next meeting on the front of the building at already a Topage alleviate those worries, the what ex the HOMES, from develop “We don’t want it to go straight in early June, but no date has been ers to build 1 a tunnel and more residents disagreed that community that a lot of people are similar to a numbe price of $1 million. parking garage directly ramp to was pror of into City Hall. We want to neighb know ourset yet. Dunda s Street West. this would be a sufficient amount. talking ” Charlesworth hoods believe he has the community wants. ” in prior. information can suggests Micheala the church on 243 Perth Ave. Left about. - conceptual drawings.what Right -that View from Perth Ave.For more that worked His Summerset neighbour, VitorDiagrams The second you scenario posed byd developer, Ferreira, forHearin g the same feedback over neig Bailao said that a steering com- Bailao ets would be hard to saide the plans are not fivisit the developers’ site at http:// Fordyc said CHURCH, from page 1
News
T WO-FOR-ONE COMMUNITY
WORKSHOPS AIM TO SET FUTURE OF PERTH/DUPONT LIBRARY BRANCH
DEVELOPMENT MEETING NIGHT
navithat it will take shared similar Archives views andBloordalePress said that and over, tearing down the current buildHomes, to move from Ruskin councilor Ana Bailao felt mittee will be formed and dialogu nal and everything said would be www.symmetrydevelopments.ca/ ing peak hours. e a while for all these things the parking to shortag e in the area that a commu they really wanted our ing and rebuilding a “If two... Ave. to Wallace Ave. to relieve nity meeting solely between them, the community taken into consideration for the and of course, check back at www. looking at 200 people who would get much worse. straighten out and predicted that why to discuss traffic was in order. the traffic worries dur-diagrams existing church at the site into the developer willengine likelyershave design because it’s so suband traffic next set of drafts. thebloordalepress.com for an up- didn’t this meeting h fromto citylike eave whensome constru everybof ction proposal’s ody would probab else “I go The ly behome and I have before they put in all that mo to park far seenextPERTH “There is a concer The proposal’s view from Perth Av. n with the enAfter the meeting, Caricari said meeting.LIBRARY page 3 hall will take place thegoing consultation. residential units and build a come down on their over proposed saidmePhipps in on the things likejective,” Right now, ing gin someti they’re in 2014.who wasdate to from my house,” said 22 make the plans?” Otto aske the retired trance of the garage,” said Bailao, prohib ition to to turnplease right atthe certainattendance dwin [avenuA Anyone who new community new apartment building number, not only during both meete]. Edwin could have told them right was isn’t Ferreira,centre not at the “Then aton midnig ht I4-storey have “I’m going to see what the engi- times, turning two way streets intoings. ough for three bat that we didn’t want a bu meetin g really and would and it’s tocorner still the lanes Northeast of park themy car holding city, but also the people in atten“We can’t change that like go out and their in front12 residential neers [at Cityunits. Hall] say, but aside one ways and speed bumps. that tall and dense.” car lengthssite opinion longon s heard untilRuskin is you of Ave. advised to my house. conI am an was also already Phipps community dance the meeting. aspect.” an old said frommany this develop ment, there is forFordyc Bailao said the meeting e said he was not surprised tact Fred Ruth of Somerset homes Dupont, which is already man and this is no good for me.” felt a clear proposed, along with new con- members the parking lot traffic was in The new low-rise, A traffic plan is in the works for issue about courtesy for area resident the by the concer ns and it4-storey was all very at fred@somersethome.ca. treet in the morning,” he PERTH JUNIORtoSCHOOL find some agreement ov
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nections to the West Toronto too large for such a small loca- building is also anticipated to “[Ruskin Avenue] is have a contemporary design, o said thatRailpath. his own street, very lousy in thetion. morn To- advertise in the Bloordale Press or to Later in the concerns Caricari Lee Architects, the however Avenue, which would be evening, ing when school starts . get more information on how to:Phipps said many were an artery about to Dupon a t and 20-space You parking developer have lot cars lined up for the site, proposed not able to warm up to the idea eets for those please (647) 9635 residen ts, is for fifteen arose upon discussion aboutminu the tes. theMininew building to call: be 15.5 me-292of placing a modern building ight for space, especially van, after miniv an, or email thebloordalepress@gmail.com after neighbouring site, 243 Perth Ave. ters high, three and a half meters alongside a “historic building” Luigi’s Catholic School is an not movin The parking lot is tominiv accommotaller g.” than city regulations for such as the church. . the lousy proposal to convert the the area. According to Phipps, “It’s hard to address something n Avenuedate ] is very
rning when school starts. cars lined up for fifteen Minivan, after minivan, van not moving.” worth said it would make the development to conh-rise units, which would more money and allow
Adam Charlesworth Ruskin Avenue Resident
The development plans did include 271 parking spots (179 spaces underground, 17 spaces on street and 50 spaces underground and 25 spaces in driveway for the FOR FOUR industrial DINNER units) howeve r, Basil more Pad thai regular, Beef Ginger Chicken, Mixed Vegetable Vege Spring Roll (4) Green Mango salad Jasmine Rice (2) reg. $60.01
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the immediate area and details about it will be released soon. For more information about the sites and when the next consultation will take place contact Sarah Phipps at (416) 392-762, or by email at sphipps1@toronto. ca.
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reg. $50, no cash value. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Expires September 15th, 2011. Must be presented at time of bike drop off. The proposal’s diagrams
plans.YARD CLOSER TO NEW
The meeting was an act of
School’s proposal willfor thatnew most developers do said. one schoolyard passesshestage “He could have walked s of voting for $50k grant into city hall and put in an ap
” Bailao said of the dev Page 3tion, He agreed to listen to the co
nity before putting it in. all this before he puts it in, becau Innovative last online thing we want is to lose c of thesein kinds of things,” sh application made “We don’t want it to go s Bloordale readyinto to take off We want to City Hall. what the community wants.” Bailao said the plans are nal and everything said wo taken into consideration f PRINCESS TIGER DANCE next set of drafts. New dance production to meeting, take Carica After the we’re doing iBROADCAST.TV“So, LAUNCH
Page 6
the stage after starting out almost four years ago
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Page 11
02 The Bloordale Press MARCH 2012
News low turnout and said she would continue trying to get a patio. “What am I supposed to tell my customers? They keep on asking me about the patio,” she said. Luckily, for her and her customers, Bailão said a few days later that the low turnout at the meeting, paired with the low turnout from the poll was put up against the original petition and the situation had to be reconsidered. “We guessed that the people who didn’t respond (to the poll) might not have because they didn’t see a problem with it,” she said. The proposal was then presented and passed in a Toronto East-York Council meeting on Feb. 14 with the following conditions:
Paris Bakery has gotten the go ahead to add a patio that flows onto Wallace Ave. //Photo by Gurpreet Ghag
PARIS BAKERY TAKES PATIO PERMIT ROLLER COASTER RIDE BY GURPREET GHAG
les.gurp@gmail.com
Now all that Paris Bakery needs is an accordion player. After being turned down for a patio, the bakery at 645 Lansdowne Ave. at Wallace Ave. was granted a permit for an outdoor patio by Toronto council. In a November poll of the immediate area around the bakery, 73 tenants, residents and businesses were asked to vote on whether the bakery should be
allowed to have a patio. Of the 73 ballots sent out, only 32 were returned with 9 people in favor and 23 against. Despite the low poll responsel, Councillor Ana Bailão took into account a petition put together by the owner with 300 signatures in favour of the patio. Then, on Feb. 8, about 10 people, including the owners of the bakery, showed up for a consultation meeting at St. Sebastian Catholic School’s music room at 717 Brock Ave., and heard both
sides of the fence. On one side, the owners and a few supporters argued the patio would be beneficial to the business and the community. On the other side, neighbours spoke of fears of being awakened in the middle of the night by drunks, less street parking and the possibility of more garbage being whipped around by the wind. The councillor’s constituency assistant, Michael Vieira, who hosted the meeting, said the
hope was to reach a compromise between the bakery’s owners and the skeptical neighbours Compromises proposed included early closure of the patio and alcohol restrictions. However, neither side was willing to budge enough to reach an agreement. At the end of the meeting, Vieira thought it would be highly unlikely the patio would go through. The owner of the Bakery, Jacqueline Beites, was furious at the
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The patio is to be closed by 9 p.m. with all food, drinks, tables and chairs cleared
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The maximum capacity for the patio will be 36 patrons, with a maximum of three patrons per table
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Customers ordering alcohol must order food
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No music will be permitted on the patio
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The doors must be closed when music is being played from inside the bakery
Failure to meet these conditions would see the license being withdrawn. Paris Bakery will be allowed to set up the patio as soon as they receive their license and are expected to have it set up by midSpring.
The Bloordale Press MARCH 2012 03
News News
PERTH AVENUE JUNIOR PUBLIC SCHOOL ON TO SECOND STAGE OF 50K GRANT VOTING BY GURPREET GHAG
les.gurp@gmail.com
Perth Avenue Junior Public School’s chances of winning a $50,000 grant for its schoolyard are still alive. After the initial round of online voting for one of four Maple Leaf Sport’s and Entertainment’s Team Up Foundation grants, roughly 80 hopeful organizations were cut down to 20 with the Ruskin Ave. school being one of them. On March 2, the Team Up Foundation Committee will begin narrowing those 20 down to a final 10. In this phase, judges determine how important projects are to community, youth sports and programs and if they will be accessible to children. They will also determine if the $50,000 covers the costs of the proposed project. After this phase, 10 finalists will be sent back to the online polls to elect the four organizations who will each receive $50,000.
The school will be notified by March 5 as to whether it succeeded to the final round of voting and then ballots will be cast between March 7 to 16, with four winners being announced on March 20. Whether or not it makes it to the final, Principal Janice Robinson said the school has already been promised $100,000 from Councillor Ana Bailão. Robinson said they have begun studying older concept drawings for the area with a site planner. The total cost of construction has been estimated at roughly $250,000. About $50,000 of that will be used for a track, $100,000 for the field, $25,000 for an outdoor learning garden, $25,000 for other landscaping and smaller athletic stations and $50,000 for a junior play structure. For more information, visit http://www. tinyurl.com/6uophc2 and stay tuned to http://www.thebloordalepress.com and our twitter feed @bloordalepress for the latest.
mer school, located at Davenport The currentMILLERSON Perth/Dupont Library. //Photo by Gurpreet Ghag O By JUSTIN Toronto to authorize increases in per-
LIBRARY cont’d from page1 ThePERTH current, smallish Perth/Dupont mitted height and density through the zoning bylaw in return for community branch. PHOTO By GURPREET GHAG storey, 6,000-square foot library costing benefit funds.”
over $3 million. A cry for more space from many in The final and most expensive scenario, attendance put the second scenario of at a cost of over million, is buildingPHOTO a a building tear down and rebuild to the ont Library is that of $4 a small storefront. By GURPREET GHAG 10,000 to 15,000-square foot branch at a forefront, however at a cost of over $3 different location. million, fundraising dollars are needed It was agreed upon by the roughly 15 to cover the total cost of the project. people in attendance that a library reA big help could come from the Tomaining in the same location would be ronto Public Library Foundation, which best for community growth. Many said has committed to help fund the Perth/ the building is a “landmark” in the area Dupont project. The foundation has exand they want to keep it that way. perience raising big dollars for Toronto’s “I want a place that will start a transfor- public libraries raising roughly $47 milmation on Dupont St.,” said Putnam. lion since its inception in 1997. The expansion project has already reNo future workshop dates have been ceived $1.1 million in section 37 money set. from the Neudorfer Corporation, a local For more information about the Perth/ condominium developer. Dupont expansion project and how you According to the City of Toronto Plan- can get involved, visit http://www.juncning Act, section 37 “permits the City of tiontriangle.ca/libraryproject
PERTH LIBRARY from page 1
New NDP MPP Jonah Schein. COURTESY JONAH SCHEIN
Baião said she was able to collect $1.1 million of “Section 37”money– money abedeveloper, (in case Neudorfer Corporations) is obligated toa place not from coming fromthistaxpayers, St., but she has yet to find out how to promote language and SCHEIN page 1 quick to credit his win to Davto benefit community increase the density of their project. ndpay but rather afrom section in37order fees, toenport much money developers will ex- toliteracy,” said Lee-Anne. residents who want total raised onetheofproject. the expansion sup- The couple favoured the idea of helf Despite which the developers agreesotofar, payScott in Dobson, actly pay for make a difference andtoassured ..restructuring of the riding’s suggested public donations viable route take inbuilding an improvd two-story en’sporters, exchange for permission to exceed could Markbe anda Lee-Anne Macdonald, lot of them. He boarders intherestrictions 1999. ers. zoning the height us reaching target.TonyonRuprecht whothere have are beenausing the branch branch at the same location. trick ishave getting them lito Alison Urquhart, a resident who heldToronto the riding’s title for theKaren previ-Von said not or densities projects. sincethe 1980 and practically Star ofcolumnist Hahn, who specializes in public participate in the community’s ous three terms former NDP ghIn spoke order about towith make it more rea- libraries raised are twobecoming. daughters there, said has been using the library weekly braries, what Toronto’s overhaul. area“Libraries candidates Peter Ferreira, sonable inarethe eyesofofculture, City Hall, thatduring the branch is a vital spot for for 8 years and more frequenly tools ” she said her presentation. ble Putnam said and the plan would to many andusing to a in va“Weofchildren have a lot ofhome people Jordan Burger Tony Silipo Her presentation showed thebeevolution libraries, some of this To-while in school, said that the idea ere proceeds fromMPP. section community riety of programs needed by such who care, the a bigof more resources for younger usosingmatch to thethose former Liberal
Putnam said that the nex would be the formation of a tion Triangle Library-Expa Committee’ to go throu consultation process to see people like about the library and how they use the c space, what they would like in the new, bigger branch an to raise some money.
04 The Bloordale Press MARCH 2012
General Info, Cartoon, Short Story
the BLOORDALE press 231 Wallace Avenue, Toronto, ON., M6H 1V5 http://www.thebloordalepress.com General Inquiries: (647) 869-2531 Advertising: (647) 961-4516 thebloordalepress@gmail.com twitter@bloordalepress EDITOR-IN-CHIEF GURPREET GHAG EXECUTIVE EDITOR JUSTIN MILLERSON CHIEF COPY EDITOR ED OLIVEIRA COPY EDITOR/ADVISOR ROB LAMBERTI ADVERTISING SALES BRYAN MILLERSON ART DIRECTORS GURPREET GHAG ALICIA CONDARCURI CARTOONIST KYLA SERGEJEW CONTRIBUTORS JORDAN MAXWELL
‘Green Apple Is So Not your Colour’ by R. Bee There comes time in every Asian youth’s life where he or she will celebrate the high holiday of Eid. Eid in retrospect is the Jewish equivalent of Hanukah for Muslims. Every year my family goes to this social gathering at an unidentified location in Scarborough. As expected, the atmosphere is always nostalgic because of all the older adults who suddenly feel a longing for the motherland. Little did I know that this year was to be different. On the day of Eid, my stepfather suggested that the entire family go to a party that was being hosted by a friend of his. “He’s invited over 100 people, and its all PG-13,” he added. I’m rather opposed to his suggestion because frankly I do not wish to witness my parental units getting a groove on. But since there is no democracy in my household, my objection is sadly overruled. About 10 p.m., I find myself in a puke green Arabian night’s getup with enough glitter on to light up a Christmas tree. I sit at an elaborately decorated lounge waving hellos to passing aunties and uncles. South Asians pride themselves in calling other South Asian people “Aunty” or “Uncle.” This is a very efficient tactic as it proves useful in situations where you do not remember whom you are related to any more because of the many arranged marriages that have taken place within the extended family. The small of curry and spices coupled with the stench of Axe and Calgon created the resulting combustion of what I summed up as chemical warfare. In other words, it smelled a lot like brown spirit. As I sat shamelessly playing my fifth game of solitaire on my cell phone, my mother waltzed over to inform me in an accent dripping of samosa that there is someone that she would like me to meet. I start to hear alarms ringing in my head. It was then that I realized my mother’s true motive for bringing me to this party. I was going to meet THE BOY! “The Boy” is a term that I often use to describe the person who could potentially be my future spouse. My mother lunges forward to greet him and for a moment I was worried that she would tackle him, pin him to the ground and make him promise never to leave us. She restrained herself at the last moment, like a car suddenly braking, extending her hand in greeting. “This is my daughter Raisa, the one I was telling you about. Good conversation you both will be having”, she says. “Hey” I say awkwardly. “Many Salutations,” he replies. Upon further investigation, I see that he has the most gigantic, hairy mole on his upper cheek cavity. There is an uneasy pause. I’ll just be you two alone. Take as much time as you need. We have all night” My mother makes her exit, emphasizing the bit about us having all night. We are left watching the congested dance floor. I take this time to ponder how long it’ll take for my cuticles to grow to sizeable length. “The name’s Amor,” says the boy. For some reason I mentally start comprising a marital newspaper ad for him. Strikingly average man seeks average woman. Average height, average weight, average features and average style sense - except for his Nikes that looked furturesque. The Nikes were on the cooler side of average but I wrote that off as trying too hard. I shook his hand.
AMBER DAUGHERTY
“Quite a grip you have,” he says. What a dork I think to myself. I confirm his stats. He’s a fourth year student at York University, majoring in environmental studies. At this point my mother makes a swift return to check up on us on the pretext of locating the bar.
R. BEE
“So I understand that your field of study is the computers?” asks my mother.
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Amor nodded in response confirming his status as striking average guy who is also computer geek. “Is it the software that you are doing?” my mother asks, venturing into unknown territory. “I do 3D animation and graphics. Its fun but doesn’t interest me. I’m looking for a steady focus in my life at the moment,” he says. “Did you hear that Raisa? Steady focus he is looking!” my mother says in a pitch so high only the canine ear could possibly pick it up. “Yes, I heard you ma,” I reply. “You know Raisa used to dance professionally?” adds my mother. Amor raises an eyebrow. “Really? Let’s see her in action.” “No its fine, I’d rather just sit.” Amor seemed interested much to my disappointment. “Let’s Boogie,” he said with a smirk. Did he just use the word Boogie? I felt terror crawl up the hole in my spine as Amor whisked me off onto the dance floor. I initiate my good old reliable safety bubble dance. The safety bubble dance is where I spread my arms and legs out and start flapping them like a wounded bird attempting to fly. This circular motion ensures that no unwanted attention comes within a two metre radius of me. Despite all this, Amor manages to break through. “I it hot in here? Or is it just you?” he asks. I do no reply. “You now if I’d be a candy, I’d be CHERRYBLASTER! Ha! Ha! Ha! Get it?” Oh, the mutinous horror. Suddenly the DJ stops the music and directs everyone’s attention towards the club promotions. I seize this opportunity to make my getaway. In a beeline, I head directly towards the women’s rest room. I take a deep sigh of relief as I enter. Dodged quite a bullet there, I think to myself. As I emerge, I find that my suitor is awaiting me. It is then that I make the decision to drop the f-bomb. “Listen it’s just that I’m not interested in you in the way that you think. Let’s just be friends,” I say reminiscent of the dozens of teen chick’lit actresses. Looking like a child who just dropped the ice cream scoop he mutters, “No hard feelings.” But before he turns the hallway corner, he utters “Green Apple is so not your colour.” Hell hath no fury like a young man rejected. And so the evening concluded with my Stepfather and me finishing the remainder of an unattended Bacardi Breezer, making fun of the not-so-cute-kids and of course swiping the complimentary butterballs.
The Bloordale Press MARCH 2012 05
The Bloordale Press DECEMBER 2011 05
Letters from your The Councillor’s Corner
Representatives
BY ANA BAILÃO BY ANA BAILÃO WARDDear 18 Neighbours, COUNCILLOR 416-392-7012
have the interests of Davenport of government, and also strongly currently estimated at over $750 million. This better manage our housing assets in a compasresidents at its heart while never believe that we must seek to do backlog,theinneed combination withmore the with corporation’s neglecting for a global the resources atsionate hand byand more financially sustainable way. debt of over $2 for billion, is a addressing significant threatconcerns Only transportation vision the City efficiency likewith an understanding of the broader With cooling weather, rosy of Toronto. overcrowding and vehiclehousing bunch- landscape can we maintain and reafto the continued service delivery of affordable and arriving home from Inhousing order toinpay for improved ing. Dearcheeks, Neighbours, Toronto firm Toronto’s stake in providing affordable work in the dark, the signs of the transit infrastructure, and meet For example, I have requested For this reason, a proposal was brought forhousing by keeping this invaluable social asset season are upon us. Yet, despite spending reduction targets, the that City staff investigate solutions Afterthese transit, I strongly believe the TTC ward that would nearlyto700 stand-alone viabletheand effective. As both a Councillor and weather grievances, Ward 18 has proposed routesell changes the bunching of buses along alive with activity and colour. is across Ward 18, the across 29 Dufferin route and theChair TTC of is the Affordable Housing Committee, I biggestisissue facing Torontonians unitstheofCity.In housing scattered the City. This Whether it is the beautifully 506 Carleton, 29 Dufferin, 505 now closely examining this matter. affordable housing. The need for safe, would result in over $250 million to be injected will continue to meet with tenant groups and wrapped packages in the arms of Dundas, 26 Dupont are among the The Queen Street car is a further well-kept affordable housing is a criti- directly into repairs to existing TCHC units. ownership assistance organizations to have a residents walking out of Queen routes experiencing reduction in high-ridership route that suffers cal aspect a caring and cohesive While I recognize that the TCHC facesEspecially a stronger Streetof shops, the beautiful lighting service. In each case these reducfrom bunching. with vision for Toronto’s affordable houssociety,along andDundas provides dignity to the tions growing backlog, the sale ofthethese buildings future. Street, or the shouts mean riders will have to wait increased populationing that is and sounds of Torontonians skates on ice at our cases thanaddress 50 predicted with80,000 upcoming developmany low-income that longer will(in notmost help ourless City the over It is also critical that the Province and Federal manyreadily outdoor rinks - the holidays betweencurrently vehicles. I on am the ment opportunities Queen contribute to our social and seconds) households waiting list foralonggovernment share in this commitment and recare here. pleased, however, that we will ac- Street, it is necessary that we take economic health. affordable housing; nor does it address the ognize their responsibility to the many thouThe holidays are also a busy time tually see service increases to the a proactive approach now in order Toronto’s biggest for af- 501shortage family housing units - thethelarge sands to of Canadians who need housing support to move aroundlandlord our neighbourQueen, 168ofSymington and 40 to guarantee infrastructure fordable housing is also proportion units.the Additionby investing in this issue through long-term, hood. While good publicCanada’s, transit Junction routes. of the stand-alone support future. is vital for aCommunity well planned HousCity, These cutsprosperous raise seriousneighbourhoods, Regardless of the I will with the Toronto ally, service for truly weseason, sustainable funding of affordable housing. the increased ridership during the concerns about how transit will continue to advocate for affording Corporation providing accom- must value and maintain a mix of incomes and Toronto’s current housing situation is too winter months - when many driv- effectively serve Ward 18 residents. able, accessible and sustainable modation for cyclists 154,000 Since It ishousing types in ourand communities. critical ers and findtenants. refuge from critical that affordable ac- transit for our neighbourhood andto wait for solutions; we must begin the amalgamation, TCHC has strug- cessible Recently, wasfocus pleased support of the work to create them, and we must begin today. the salt andthe snow - is an important transit beI the of anyto receive would like to wish all residents time to reflectunder on our the current tran- transit in our Ward and weto delay of Ward a safe and happy gled significantly responsithechanges Executive Committee the18proposed We holimust move forward with a vision that treats priorities. look atuntil a variety day. bility ofsitcaring for the aging housing must sell-off afterof amethods Special Working Group is people respectfully and provides for the future As a candidate, I campaigned on of accomplishing this goal without Best wishes to you and your stock that was downloaded from the created and able to report back on innovative needs of our City. This will continue to be my the principles of fast, efficient and compromising transit routes. loved ones and I look forward to Province. Since public then, transportation. the organiza- I ways of the improving theweshape of many our of TCHC affordable support notion that seeing you over priority the holi- as these important discussions, and the tion has been unable to keep up any with must housing. Group With those principles in mind, demandThis our Working fair share of days.will reach out work of the Special Working Committee, take transit decisions that I support will is transit funding from other levelsand public sectors to place. the growing repair backlog, which to the non-profit, private
MPP’s Corner I held aThe townhall discussion of this bill in Davenport and knocked on BY JONAH SCHEIN committed to the environment doors inand several neighbourhoods to social justice. As residents we all discuss it. Overwhelmingly you had Greetings Davenport! This is my contribute a lot to our community concerns. Well so does both first article submission for the Bloor- but we also know thatserious government the Ontario dale Press. I’m really grateful to the has to do its part too. We need and the Federal Privacy editors for offering me this space government to help people when Commissioners. But what does Vic to connect with you readers each they are vulnerable, to Toews, steward our our Public Safety Minister month. environment, and to make life more say a couple weeks ago? If you don’t In many ways the Bloordale Press affordable. We need government to stand with the government on this does more than tell the news in our invest in public transit and childcare, bill then you stand with child porneighbourhood – it’s part of the good and to support senior citizens. And news in our neighbourhood. we know we can’t continue on the Ya, he really said that. nographers! Bloordale Press is an example of a same old path. In toughWhich economic leads us to the topic of growing spirit of community engage- times, we need our governments to government’s ment our riding. stop giving billions of dollars away crime bill C-10. Billionsinvesting for super jails and nothing to I feel so lucky to represent this rid- to corporations and start ing where many people are making in our communities. This is the mesaddress the roots of most crime— huge contributions to our neigh- sage that the NDP andmental I have been illness, drug addiction and bourhoods. Whether that’s the bringing to the legislature this fall. poverty. But it will divert precious good folks at Bloordale Press, young I’m deeply honoured to have earned financial resources away from what people at City View Alternative your support and I’ll work everyday we DO need—comprehensive and School, organizers at Dufferin Grove to serve our riding and bring your Park, activists with The Clean Trains voices to Queens Park. affordable childcare, more recreation Coalition, or my old colleagues at I look forward to hearing fromand you programs for our youth, centres The Stop Community Food Centre; and working together to make this a BY ANDREW CASH better public transit and much, much people in Davenport are passionate better riding and province to live in. DAVENPORT’S MP about making our community a betI am currently more in theaffordable process ofhousing. Conservatives have run out of plans, ter place416-654-8048 to live. setting up my officeThe at 1674 St. Clair I know that the NDP reflects the West, and am available at 416-535and the ones they have don’t work for values of Davenport. We all know 3158 or jschein-co@ndp.on.ca At Well it has been a wild ride in Ottawa Toronto. It is one of many reasons why what it means to work hard to pay the Queen’s Park I can be reached at 416these days.and TheweConservative government I was proud, as one of the NDP Official bills each month, are deeply 325-0014 or jschein-qp@ndp.on.ca of Stephen Harper has been intent not Opposition’s housing critics, to introduce only on ramming laws through Parliament a National Housing Strategy recently. without sufficient debate or oversight, but Affordable housing is one of the biggest of using outrageous rhetoric to divide Ca- issues facing people in Toronto and Canadians and silence debate. For folks in To- nadians right across the country. Over the ronto this is particularly disturbing since next several months we’ll be pressuring so much of what Harper is doing is toxic the government to adopt this plan. And here. For example the vote to axe the long boy do they need one. Recently I asked the gun registry and destroy all the records will Human Resources Minister Diane Findlay weaken gun control in big cities like Toron- about the lack of affordable rental accomto. Their proposed Lawful Access legisla- modations in Toronto. She said it wasn’t a tion will permit law enforcement agencies problem since interest rates were so low to access your private online information people were simply buying houses. What?! without a warrant from a judge. That’s bad! Ya, she really said that too.
BY JONAH SCHEIN DAVENPORT’S MPP 416-535-3158 It won’t be easy, but I’m determined to change politics in Davenport. After working on three election campaigns in Davenport in less than two years, and listening to thousands of residents, I’ve heard repeatedly that people have lost faith in politicians and the political process. I understand why. The political process often seems unclear and doesn’t seem to make sense, and many times it is unclear and doesn’t make sense. Too many people hear promises that never come true. They hear politicians talking but not listening. They feel like they are paying more to get by and getting less service and support in return. It’s easy to become discouraged, but we cannot
afford to give up on government. Without an effort to renew and repair our democratic process, we stand no chance to meet the challenges that face us. We need government to work for us, to help us steward our environment, to educate our young people, to create good jobs and to care for the sick and vulnerable people in our community. We are constantly told that government is “inefficient” and ineffective, yet recent and proposed cuts to programs and services make our government less effective and less efficient. We need to reverse this from the ground up. For us that has to start right here in Davenport. Earlier this year, I opened my community office to better serve our riding. My fantastic and dedicated staff is working to serve you in our new office on St. Clair Ave. W. I’ve worked hard to create a team that is passionate and skilled and build an office that is accessible and welcoming. In addition to providing information, advocacy, and assistance to constituents who need help accessing programs, our office will also be a meeting place for our community to discuss provincial issues that matter to Davenport, for educationals, coffeehouses, and to provide services like tax clinics for low income community members. We often feel like government is working against us and not for us. If we’re going to turn this around, we need you be part of a new politics in Davenport. My office wants to hear from you. We want to be in conversation with you. We want to work with you to make this province work better for all of us. We’re on your side and we’re here to help. Please drop by our office at 1674 St. Clair Ave. W. and see a great exhibit of local artists. You can contact our community office by email at jschein-co@ndp.on.ca, by phone at 416-5353158. To stay connected online, email and ask to join our mailing list.
06 The Bloordale Press MARCH 2012
New in the Neighbourhood
Jorge Machado keeping busy at his new restuarant. //Photos by Amber Daugherty
NEW EATERY AT BLOOR AND BARTLETT BY AMBER DAUGHERTY
amberdaugherty07@hotmail.com
Ti Lim m i e te Of d fe r
The recently opened Cilantro Mediterranean restaurant at 1056 Bloor St. W is hoping its healthy choices of Portuguese cuisine will
translate into a robust business. Owner Sandra Marques is originally from Portugal and has lived in the area since she was a child, but it was just recently that she and her husband, Jorge Machado, decided to open the restaurant.
“It was mostly a fluke. It wasn’t something that we had planned,” she said. The two were looking into opening a bakery when they stumbled across the future spot of their restaurant and decided it was what the neighbourhood really needed.
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“In this area, we’ve noticed that there’s not a lot of all-day breakfast which is something that we’re featuring...regular all day breakfast with bacon and eggs plus the Latin empanada, arepa (a type of cornbread), things like that,” Marques said. The two have made it their mission to serve familiar, comforting Portuguese food including cozido Portuguesa, which is boiled meat, potatoes, carrots and green cabbage, as well as feijoada, a black bean stew with salted meat. A different special is available each day, but staples including all-day breakfast, as well as Marques’ barbecue chicken, are always available. “I’ll promise you that anybody that comes in here has never tried chicken (like ours),” Marques said, “because we don’t use a recipe that any other place uses.” Food is cooked fresh every morning, and then throughout the day as needed. “One thing that Portuguese don’t have is microwaves,” Manques said. The two often come in between 7 and 8 a.m. to start cooking fairly
priced meals that range between $5.99 to $10. The couple hopes to attract families to the restaurant. Having two children of their own, they understand the importance of a convenient and inexpensive place to eat a good meal. “That’s our major goal - healthy and family oriented,” Marques said. “We wouldn’t like to have a bar. We would like to have ... a family place because we have kids. We’re a family, so that’s what we’re trying to cater to.” Previously, a Mexican restaurant called El Jacalito had been in the storefront. Machado and Marques spent a few months cleaning, renovating the kitchen, and building a brand new take-out station for the front of the restaurant before opening Cilantro on Jan. 28. The repsonse from the community has been good so far, Marques said and she hopes that it will continue. “Hopefully we’ll make it a familyoriented business that any family can walk into and feel happy to be in,” she said.
A NEW WAY TO SHOP FOR REAL ESTATE BY JUSTIN MILLERSON
justin.bdp@gmail.com
A new realty service at 1058 Bloor St. W., just East of Dufferin and Bloor Streets, is offering a new exclusive way of finding the right home. Called VOW (Virtual Office Website), users will be able to drop in and receive a temporary password that will allow them to access information that is usually only accessible by real estate agents. “[The public] can only go on MLS.ca and see regular properties, there is no other information,” said Matteo Damaso, head sales representative at the office. “[VOW] has a lot more statistical data and it’s easier to navigate.” On top of that, the office will always have an agent ready to as-
sist anyone with any issues or concerns. The office, open just a few weeks, is one the first of its kind, said Damaso. To be as welcoming as possible, it boasts a fully furnished space, a kitchenette with ready to use free Wi-Fi. “We want to get the word out, that people can come in, hang out and have a coffee and they need some help, we will be there,” said Damaso. Aside from just being a reality presence in the area, Damaso said his office has full intentions to be active in many of the community’s events, including the annual Big on Boor festival. “This is a growing neighbourhood and we want to be the community office here on Bloor St.,” he said.
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The Bloordale Press MARCH 2012 07
New in the Neighbourhood
BLOORDALE’S NEWEST GROCERY OPTION BY JUSTIN MILLERSON
justin.bdp@gmail.com
The D-Mart at St. Clarens Ave. and Bloor St. //Photo by Justin Millerson
News
Bloordale’s newest convenience store will try to establish itself as a mainstay among storefront shops across Toronto. The new shop which looks to marry convenience and grocery store qualities opened up about a month ago, at 1284 Bloor St. W. (just at the corner of St. Clarens Ave.). The space – formally two businesses now merged together, Royal Fish and Chips and Golden Burma – is now called D-Mart, the ‘D’ standing for “daily fresh, daily savings,” said store owner, Ding Liu. The store offers an assortment of fruits and vegetables, including organic choices and stocks a full dairy shelf, things Liu said is not normally seen in convenience stores in this area. Liu is an MBA accountant graduate from Dalhousie University in Halifax. He initially never had plans to be a store owner, but said he always found the business world “very interesting”. This D-Mart is the first of many hopeful locations in Toronto said Liu. The 26-year-old has plans to open his second location a little south of this one. “There is going to be more and more D-Marts,” he said. For each location, Liu said he plans to tailor the store to the community’s needs. At Bloor St. and Lansdowne Ave., Liu said, people like to shop on the street. In the summer, he plans to have a welcoming outdoor display, selling his fruits and vegetables as well as exotic flowers. “Each location is going to have a different style,” said Liu. “We need to find out what people want and adjust.” The store’s exterior is now just plywood painted black, but Liu has plans to install a stucco façade to the storefront in the summer.
We are changing the face of New Horizons
SPRING FORWARD WITH FREE BIKE CLINIC
Photo courtesy flickr/khomkrit
As the threat of slippery streets, cold winds, and dangerous riding conditions thaws away, you may want to tune up your bike repair knowledge and get your bike back into riding form. There’s no better way to do that than with a few free repair information workshops. The Davenport West Bike Project is holding a series of free training workshops to help riders learn basic bike repairs and gain other
valuable maintenance knowledge. The events will take place in part with staff from do-it-yourself, pay-what-you-can, bike repair shop Bike Pirates, which has its shop at 1292 Bloor St. W. near Lansdowne Ave. The workshops will all take place at the Davenport Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre at 1900 Davenport Rd. and the following three sessions have been scheduled: • • •
March 7, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., focusing on repairs to brakes and cables; March 14 will be a repeat of brakes and cables; March 21 will focus on bike chains and derailleurs.
To sign up for the workshops, email glanglois@dpnchc.ca or call the Davenport Perth Community Centre at 416-656-8025.
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There is new life at New Horizons Tower. Since 1974 New Horizons Tower has been serving seniors in the Bloordale Village. Today along with the Bloor Street West neighbourhood New Horizons Tower is undergoing significant updates. We invite you to join this vibrant community in the heart of the City. Call us today. We will be delighted to serve you.
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08 The Bloordale Press MARCH 2012
News
NEW WEBSITE WELL ON ITS WAY TO HUGE ONLINE SUCCESS BY GURPREET GHAG
les.gurp@gmail.com
Nestled up in a shared office at 231 Wallace Ave., a small group
of innovators hopes their new online broadcasting application will be the biggest thing in online video since YouTube. Sam Rahimi, the application’s
Representative
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founder, believes his broadcasting site ibroadcast.tv takes the online social and video watching experiences to the next level. “It goes beyond sharing content
Many years ago, I was fishing, and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realized, “I am killing him—all for the passing pleasure it brings me.” And something inside me clicked. I realized, as I watched him fight for breath, that his life was as important to him as mine is to me.
will allow users to use and live stream from sites like justin.tv or ustream.tv as part of their own broadcasts as well as launching their own live streaming service that will enable users to broadcast themselves from their webcams.
I
“It goes beyond sharing content to interacting with your friends from real life to the next step of actually making new friends in a virtual world environment and sharing experiences through the broadcast.” - Sam Rahimi, Founder, CEO
“The other focus is making ibroadcast a place where you can discover great content really easily and the only place you go for entertainment,” he said. The site is currently growing at an enormous speed, with the number of users multiplying fivefold so far this year. Photo: © 2007 MPL Communications Ltd./Max Vadukul
iBroadcast.tv from Left to Right: Tammy Manor, Lorin Halpert, Alex Adams and Sam Rahimi. //Photo by Gurpreet Ghag
to interacting with your friends from real life to the next step of actually making new friends in a virtual world environment and sharing experiences through the broadcast,” Rahimi said. About a year ago, Rahimi said he was listening to his friend complain about being quite annoyed about the playlist functionality on YouTube and listeners couldn’t just sit back and enjoy a continuous stream of music. He also said Mark Zuckerberg’s launch of Timeline on Facebook inspired the idea to link sharing personal experiences in an online environment. By logging into his site through Facebook, you are informed whenever your contacts are online and what they are currently watching, so you can meet them virtually, watch the same video in real time and chat. Alternatively, you can put together your own broadcast where your friends and others can tune in. Currently, Rahimi and his team are working on a live feature that
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This page is a joint effort between the Bloordale Press and the Bloordale BIA to showcase local businesses.
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10 The Bloordale Press MARCH 2012
Art Gallery Guide
Daniel Faria Gallery
26 January - 7 April, 2012 The Daniel Faria Gallery is pleased to present “ Welcome to the Twenty-First Century”, an exhibition of new work by Douglas Coupland. The work analyses sensations created by information technology that are
nearly universal in the western mind. At the same time it discusses our yearnings that are eternal to all of humanity, couched in the form of imprecations and pieties addressed to people living at this century’s beginning.
p/m GALLERY
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March 31 – May 5, 2012
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Tomorrow gallery x
February 23 - March 21, 201 2 Solo Exhibition Opend Thursday, February 23
x x x
Reception opened: Saturday, February 18 After several years shuttling between Berlin and Paris, Michel de Broin has established a studio in his native Montreal. We are pleased to present his first solo exhibition in Toronto since 2007 when
Tobias Madison presents Tomorrow, his first Canadian solo show at the gallery by the same name. Tomorrow brings together ephemeral props built from bamboo poles, lanterns, mylar prints and brica-brac to create the setting for an improvised
performance. Members of Tomorrow, as well as their friends, adopt several characters and music devices to create this live-animation with improvised use of props and lights. Dissolving the traditional hierarchy of film production, this collaborative temporal project allows the characters as well as the participants to act and react to each other
FEBRUARY 18, 2012 - MARCH 17 2012 his notorious Shared Propulsion Car was pulled over by Toronto police as he and fellow artists took to the road peddling the stripped down ’86 Buick Regal along Queen St. West. Over the past decade de Broin has produced several major pieces in Europe, including a towering disco ball for Nuit Blanche in Paris and a forthcoming commission for the Reichstag in Berlin. Majestic, a spectacular assemblage of historic street lamps salvaged after being felled by Katrina was recently created as a satellite project for the international Contact biennial Prospect.2 in New Or(647)962-1308 leans.
3 1518 Dundas Street West Opening: Saturday, March 31 Artist: Amanda Reeves Amanda Reeves, an artist of great subtlety and control, has an abiding interest in the act of looking and seeing. Reeves places great emphasis on movement in her newest body of work. Shape elements spring from imagined foci, colliding and veering, defining the structure of the painting as they compete for territory on the picture plane. An illusion of space is created by Reeves’ innova-
tive selection of colour and tone. Informed by colour theory, Reeves uses simple shapes and restrained colours in her paintings to connect the viewer with the invisible act of perception. The resulting chromatic nuances give the paintings an intangible optical quality similar to “after images”, challenging the viewer to take pleasure in the physical act of seeing. The precise rendering of each shape belies her free-hand technique; each painting offers a pristine surface unmarked by brush or hand.
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The Bloordale Press MARCH 2012 11
News
TIGER DANCE PRODUCTION TO TAKE STAGE IN MARCH BY GURPREET GHAG
les.gurp@gnail.com
The Dovercourt House is home to a variety of dance companies and schools and most recently hosted rehearsals for Tiger Princess Dance Productions’ upcoming show ‘Frequency’. Dancers Mairéad Filgate said the new production is an abstract, non-linear piece that is left up to the viewer to perceive. But from her perspective, Filgate feels the theme of ‘relationships’ is definitely touched upon. “It has the feeling of a solo journey in the beginning,” Filgate said during a Feb. 23 rehearsal at the 805 Dovercourt Rd. facility, “but, at the end, there is definitely a sense of togetherness.” Meredith Thompson, another dancer, had similar takes on the theme of the piece and liked that there was a lot of room for improvisation. “Not everything is set. Some of it is structured improvisation, which is becoming more and more common in dance,” Thompson said. The production’s choreographer, Yvonne Ng, who has worked on many well-received productions during the past two
Yvonne Ng (centre) giving her dancers a run down during rehearsals. //Photo by Gurpreet Ghag
decades, said this piece’s process has been a very enjoyable one, but at the same time, it could have went a lot more smoothly. Ng said the entire production from initial idea to the present took a lot longer than it should have because of funding. Ng said the process began in
late 2008 when she and fellow dancers began writing the piece, but after running into funding problems, the time intervals between when they could work together became further and further apart. “The advantage was we had more time to absorb, but it wasn’t
more effective or efficient,” she said. Ng, who is very modest about the piece wouldn’t say about much about her expectations for it, but both Filgate and Thompson agree that Ng’s production will be a moving one performed on a beautiful set.
The 50-minute ‘Frequency’ previews on March 7 and with its officially premiere the following day at 8 p.m. at Citadel Theatre at 304 Parliament St. For full details and other show times, visit http://princessproductions.ca/tpdp/FrequencyMedia.
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