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Volume 49 No. 22
BEACHMETRO.COM
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416-690-1032 • beyrima.ca RBerns-McGown-CO@ndp.on.ca
February 9, 2021
Four lives lost in Gainsborough fire remembered THE EAST Toronto community continues to mourn the loss of four lives in a tragic house fire on Gainsborough Road at the end of last month. The fire at 95 Gainsborough Rd., between Coxwell Avenue and Eastwood Road, started at approximately 4:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 29 and quickly spread through the twostorey home. Six people were inside the house at the time of the fire, and four of them died. Killed in the fire were Jana Jansons, her seven-year-old grandson Kai, Amanda Freimanis, 33, and Matthew Zdybal, 31. Injured were Kai’s mother Arija and Jade Jacobis. Arija had suffered smoke inhalation and had been on a ventilator, but was released from hospital on Feb. 2 and is staying with loved ones. Jacobis was able to escape from the house and had minor injuries. A large floral tribute has been set up in front of 95 Gainsborough in memory of those who lost their lives. The fire also caused extensive damage to the neighbouring house at 93 Gainsborough Rd., and some damage to the house at 91 Gainsborough Rd. Community members have started a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for the victims of the fire including the neighbouring residents. The family at 93 Gainsborough consists of two adults and two children. The house at 91 is occupied by a senior citizen. Organizers of the fundraiser said neither of those residents wish to speak to the media at this time about the fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Ontario Fire
Marshal’s Office. A planned update on the investigation slated for last Thursday, Feb. 4, was abruptly cancelled and there is no indication of the cause of the fire available as of Beach Metro News’ press deadline. Jana Jansons was a longtime resident of East Toronto, living in the house on Gainsborough Road her entire life. She attended Monarch Park Collegiate and had worked at the University of Toronto. Kai was a Grade 1 student at Bowmore Road Junior Public School. He lived in the house on Gainsborough Road with his mother Arija and grandmother Jana. Zdybal is being remembered as a hero for rushing back into the burning house to try and save Kai. A Facebook tribute to Zdybal said he was a man with a “heart of gold” that was obvious to everyone who met him. “It was hard to find a time where he didn’t have a smile on his face and he will be remembered for his infectious personality. He was a great family member and friend and will be sorely missed by everyone,” said the tribute. Freimanis, a longtime friend of Arija, is remembered as a successful and talented DJ. “Everyone who knew her was touched by her amazing spirit and energy right away. She embodied kindness, self expression and love. She truly was our unicorn…Panda was a selfless woman. She loved her friends and family with every ounce of her being. Panda loved to dance and share the energy of the dancefloor with her tribe. When she started to DJ everyone knew she was going to rock it, and she absolutely did,” said her friend Kimberley in a GoFundMe page post. Continued on Page 2
PHOTO: ALAN SHACKLETON
Sapphira Charles in front of the Leuty Lifeguard Station in the Beach last week. Charles is the founder of #BeachersForBlackLives Facebook group.
Beachers For Black Lives group confronts racism in community By Ali Raza, Local Initiative Reporter
T
Journalism
he year 2020 will be remembered for the global upheaval caused by an infectious virus - but this last year has also brought a sobering and tragic reminder that racism is alive and well in our communities, and it’s just as infectious. To celebrate Black History Month, Beach Metro News reached out to a Beach resident who has spent the last year fighting the much older virus of racism within the community, and it’s given her a renewed sense of hope, purpose, and optimism for the Beach. Sapphira Charles is an architect, an artist, performer, and an activ-
ist. She’s lived in the Beach for a number of years now, and is active in the community. It was the racist incidents - both globally and locally - this past year that prompted her into action. She has organized and led several anti-racism protests and marches in response to racist incidents in the community to raise awareness and offer support. “Last year was a catalyst,” Charles said. “It started spiralling, the movement became reactivated, but it also empowered a lot of racism.” It began with the viral video of the murder of African American man George Floyd, where a Minneapolis police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and
46 seconds, causing his death. That incident led to widespread protests against police brutality and racism across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Western Europe. Soon after, more and more racist incidents kept leaving Charles in a state of confusion, anger, and trauma. In Manhattan’s Central Park, a Black man named Christian Cooper had the police called on him for birdwatching, the incident was recorded on video and became viral. While those two known incidents took place in the United States, here in East Toronto there was no shortage of racism. Continued on Page 5