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wilderness adventures Volume 52 No. 19
BEACHMETRO.COM
December 12, 2023
Local
FOR MONTHS, faith groups and community leaders have been calling upon the federal government to increase their assistance for asylum seekers who have travelled to Canada for a better life but found themselves sleeping on the streets. On Nov. 24, in the aftermath of the death of a Nigerian refugee in a Brampton encampment, the federal government announced $7 million in funding for a reception centre near Pearson airport that will streamline essential services for refugees – something the Canadian immigration system was missing. The centre, which will also serve as a temporary shelter, “will be operated in partnership with community organizations who possess the experience, skills and capacity needed to serve this population,” according to a news release. Although the funding announcement has been received with open
arms, many, like East End United Church’s Reverend Bri-anne Swan, believe that the tragic death could have been avoided. “I think that that death was entirely foreseeable,” said Swan. “Those who have been trying to raise the alarm about this particular crisis have been warning that this was a foreseeable consequence of inadequate care for months now.” Davenport Councillor Alejandra Bravo was another one of those warning the federal government about the potential consequences of their inaction. In an Oct. 31 meeting of Toronto Council’s executive committee, in which she invited United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative to Canada Rema Jamous Imseis to speak about the urgent need of a reception centre, Bravo highlighted the fact that many of the asylum seekers stuck on Toronto’s cold streets Continued on Page 2
PHOTO: ALAN SHACKLETON
Malcolm, 5, and Vanessa, 7, visited with Black Santa when he stopped by at Old’s Cool General Store in East York on Sunday afternoon.
Beaches-East York MP Erskine-Smith will not run in next federal election
Annual Hair of the Dog Run planned for New Year’s Day THE BALMY Beach Canoe Club’s annual Hair of the Dog Run is slated to welcome 2024 on the morning of Monday, Jan. 1. Start time to register on site is 11 a.m. on the Boardwalk at the south side of the Balmy Beach Club, 360 Lake Front. The 2024 run will mark the 42nd time the Hair of the Dog Run has taken place locally. The run began in 1980 but had to miss a couple of years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The run made its return on Jan. 1 of 2023 after having been unable to hold the event on New Year’s Day in both 2021 and 2022. The run traditionally welcomes the New Year for many of its participants.
All funds raised at the Hair of the Dog Run go to support programs at the Balmy Beach Canoe Club. The event is open to serious runners, walkers, adults, children and entire families. Participants in the Hair of the Dog event have the option of doing either a three-kilometre walk or a nine-kilometre run. The walk portion of the Hair of the Dog begins at 11:30 a.m., and the run begins at noon. The run/walk is traditionally followed by a hot lunch at the Balmy Beach Club. To register for the Hair of the Dog Run, or the lunch afterwards, please go to https://www. b a l myb e a c h c a n o e . c o m / eve n t details/2024-hair-of-the-dog-run
By Alan Shackleton
AFTER FINISHING a close second in the race to become the new leader of the Ontario Liberal Party (OLP) on Dec. 2, Beaches-East York MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith is evaluating his future political plans. And that future will not include him continuing on as the MP for Beaches-East York once the next federal election is called. “Being the MP for Beaches-East York is the best job that I will ever have, as it’s given me the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of so many people, to show that politics can be done differently, and to serve my home com-
munity,” Erskine-Smith told Beach Metro Community News in a statement on Thursday, Dec. 7. “I will be forever thankful to everyone who put their trust in me and helped to make change with me. All of that being true, I also love my family more than anything and I plan to stay closer to home after this final parliamentary session,” he said. “It will be time for someone else to step up and serve our community after the next federal election. I’m not sure what the future holds for me beyond that, and I will be looking for new opportunities to make a difference.” Erskine-Smith was the secondplace finisher to Bonnie Crombie,
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A visit with Black Santa
Local churches step up to help refugees needing shelter, food By Amarachi Amadike, Journalism Initiative Reporter
“Our family helping your family”
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who was named OLP leader at the party’s gathering on Saturday, Dec. 2 in Toronto. Four candidates were running to become the leader of the party and Crombie, the current Mayor of Mississauga and a former Liberal MP, won on the third ballot. Votes were cast in a ranked ballot election on Saturday, Nov. 25, in which memContinued on Page 7
Parthi Kandavel is ready to take on the challenges facing the community and city as the new councillor for Scarborough Southwest. See our story on Page 4.