Malvern claims OFSAA bronze By Lara O’Keefe
Volume 46 No. 3
April 4, 2017
THE MALVERN Black Knights AAA hockey team skated their way to the top end of the provincial pack on March 24, winning the bronze medal at OFSAA. Although the competition was fierce, the 11th-seeded Black Knights upended the competition. First, the team tied the second seed team in pool play and then followed it up by knocking out the number one seed team in the quarter finals. Ultimately, the Black Knights lost only one game in a shootout goal. The team then went on to play Denis Morris Cath-
olic High School from St. Catharines in the bronze medal game winning 6-3. St. Denis had defeated them in double overtime earlier this year, making the win even sweeter. While seven of the Grade 12 boys on the team will be leaving after this season, the team still has “a good crop of returning players,” said coach Doug Underwood. Outstanding performances during the tournament went to Ty Chambers, Hunter Volden, Will Stewart, Morgan Williams and goaltender, Ryan Bird, he said. To see a photograph of the team, turn to Page 4
PHOTO: ANNA KILLEN
All smiles at 30th annual Spring Sprint Lane and Sidney Scott round the first corner of the 2017 Spring Sprint with enthusiasm April 2. The boys finished their race with times of 11:25 and 12:33, respectively, and were part of the Williamson Road team, which saw the highest number of participants in the school category. Like last year, the sun came out just in time for the children’s 2 km race. For more Spring Sprint, see Page 26.
East Toronto cycling network shows room for growth By Lara O’Keefe
FOR MANY, the arrival of spring – however soggy – means the arrival of cycling season. And in the East End, bicycles are on the brain with last year’s news of the Woodbine bike lane approval and, more recently, the planned installation of a bicycle rental concession at Ashbridges Bay. But when it comes to available biking services, the East End has remained largely behind its downtown and west end counterparts as the city moves towards becoming a more bike-friendly community. “I’ve always been a big fan of animating our waterfront and allowing the opportunity for anyone to come down and enjoy it,” said
ward 32 councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon of plans for a bike rental concession similar to the one on Toronto Island. After the demise of Bixi bikes, which at one time had committed to a three-year presence in the Beach, McMahon said it has been difficult to gain traction on the installation of bike shares in the Beach area again. Bike Share Toronto, which has been in the city since 2011, today has approximately 200 stations across the city – around 80 stations were added by the end of last summer – but none further east than Leslieville (near Carlaw Avenue), or south of the Danforth. According to Jared Kolb, executive director of CycleTO, “the ratio-
nale for including Danforth first as the kind of expansion further east beyond the Don [Valley] has to do
with the integration of the subway system. It’s kind of a start but it’s not near the concentration that we
need in the East End,” he said. However, the current lack of bike rentals in the East End hasn’t been lost on CycleTO. “I think from CycleTO’s perspective the expansion along the waterfront is a high priority and it’s certainly something we want to see happen,” he said, making note of the fact that in terms of transportation, cycling is an important part of the mix and bike shares are an essential ingredient, particularly because “Bike Share does a really good job of filling the gaps. Especially for diagonal trips or trips that are too long to walk but too short to take conventional transit.”
PHOTO: BIKESHARETORONTO.COM
While west of the Don is populated with bike rental stations, the area east has some catching up to do.
Continued on Page 2
Your non-profit community resource since 1972 www.beachmetro.com /BeachMetroNews
@beachmetronews
beachmetro
The Beach | Upper Beach | Beach Hill | Crescent Town | East Danforth | Birch Cliff | Cliffside | Gerrard India Bazaar