Parliament Street News - Fall 2021 Edition by Sumach Designs

OCTOBER 2021 - Issue 54

BIA REPORT OUTDOOR EXHIBITS OPINION MOSS PARK NECROPOLIS STAR SEEDS

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All 2500 copies get delivered by Canada Post to every house in the area. On top of that, another 500 copies will be delivered to street level locations throughout the region.

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Every giving guide insertions will also include distribution through our social media channels and repost of your initiatives.

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Pete Lovering Publisher, Parliament Street News

This special section in the paper is a great way to remind people of the excellent work you do while augmenting your local fundraising initiatives and asking for support.

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Also, get ready for the Parliament Street Giving Guide. This November in advance of the holidays we will be running the Giving guide. A special insert in the paper to give charities in the area to promote themselves to over 2500 homeowners in the area for the Holiday giving season.

The Parliament Street News Giving Guide is a new section added to our holiday edition (deadline November 12th). It is an opportunity for local charities and not-for-profits to target the community in the holiday fundraising season targeting the local homeowner.

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In this issue, we have some great stuff from the Gallery Arcturus, The Bridge Newspaper, astrological items, Cabbagetownpeople. ca, the BIA, live theatre, logging, opinion and more. Be sure to share articles let the advertisers and contributors know you saw their article or advertisement.

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If you are reading this, you get the point. The whole premise of the Parliament Street News is to give anybody and everybody the chance to share a story. In the ever fractured concept of community, the idea of a local paper with almost no editorial bias is unheard of. Sometimes we get more articles and cut images, sometimes we get less and have to make pictures bigger. One thing has been true for over ten years, you never quite know what you will get in every edition of the PSN.

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CONTRIBUTORS We obviously can’t do it without our contributors. Thanks to all of you and if you are reading an article please let them know you saw it, share it. Cabbagetown BIA...8 Enzo Dimatteo...pg 4 Don Valley Art Club..pg 6 Heart 2 Heart CPR...pg3 Cabbagetown People...pg5 Cabbagetown BIA...pg 11

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Kathy Flaxman ...pg 9

Anita Bostok / Norm Hathaway...pg 12

Ed Drass...pg 7 Samantha Peck ...pg 10 Chris McNutt...pg 13 Ari Korkodilos Lenkalife.com ...pg16 Avery Florence...pg 15 Green Thumbs...pg 15 J...pg 14 Andre Bermon...pg 11 Cabbagetown People...pg 4

SEPTEMBER PSN Advertisers Montcrest School Gardener Don Weenen General Contracting Cabbagetown Massage therapy Cabbagetown BIA Laird and Son Momentum Montessori Richard Silver Menagerie Double Take Fair Trade Jewellry Co Bostok Hathaway Silver Birch Flooring Tony Lafazanis Law Haddad Hudson Law Offices Gallery Arcturus Epicure Shop Cabbagetown Arts & Crafts Buro Klaus Hepburn Landscaping Cabbagetown Carpentry Ron Reaman MHC Vintage Genuine Auto Imports Brando 416 Parliament Animal Hospital

GROUNDBREAKING DATA IN OVERDOSE RESPONSE BY HEART2HEART CPR Contributed by Nick Rondinelli - Owner of Heart2Heart CPR nick@heart2heartcpr.com

MOSS PARK pg.11

I am excited to share with my community some data that we collected from our overdose response training called Peer Support Responder. The training took place between June 1 to July 17th, 2021, and was conducted at our head office at 216 Carlton St. We have self-funded free training and supplies to 75 community responders and workers who are at high risk of witnessing or experiencing opioid poisoning. 66 participated in a pre-course survey and 62 participated in a post-course survey. Over 50% of our responders identified themselves as a visible minority. We were also surprised to see that 41% were from my community (2SLGBTQ+). 22% Black (ACB) and 22% were Indigenous. These vulnerable groups and workers are seeking various ways to become empowered and prepared to deal with the current opioid crisis and Heart to Heart First Aid CPR Services Inc. wants to support them.

STAR SEEDS pg.11

94% are associated in the field of harm reduction and 60% took our course for work related purposes. We are calling upon the Ministry of Labour to create a standardization in overdose response across all sectors. There is an urgent need amidst the opioid crisis. 70% of participants said they have witnessed an overdose. 48% said they witnessed one in the last 3 months. 62% responded to an overdose and only 8 percent provided oxygen. This was very interesting to see considering that 97% of our responders believe that receiving oxygen to survive an overdose is a health right of a person.

MIRAGE pg.11

We dug deeper to find out why there was a low number of people providing oxygen and our data regarding the participants’ previous training was shocking. 74% never learned how to use a Bag-Valve Mask (BVM) and 69% never learned how to use a oneway valve mask. The use of these breathing barriers alongside proper PPE is essential when providing care considering that opioid poisoning is a respiratory illness. We asked about the participants’ previous training in PPE and the data was equally shocking. 50% never learned about “full PPE” and 60% never learned how to “put on” or “take off” PPE.

We clearly identified a gap in overdose response. Current training recommendations for lay rescuer CPR exclude important components like “pulse check”, how to use a BVM, two-rescuer CPR, and the option to provide an essential lifesaving “ventilationsonly” technique known as Assisted Breathing (also known as Rescue Breathing). This “ventilation-only” technique is often the critical component to preventing an opioidrelated fatality.

NECROPOLIS pg.3

We created a program called Overdose Prevention & Resuscitation (CPR-OPR) in order to properly cover these critical skills. It uses a combination of current guidelines from “lay rescuer” and Basic Life Support (BLS). Using a collection of evidence-based practices, the training provides learners with a toolkit of options to safely provide the person with what they need. We compared the mean confidence level to manage an overdose before and after our training (rating out of 5): Before: 2.2. After: 4.1. The confidence level almost doubled after our training. The impact of the training was statistically significant. We are continuing our training in Downtown Toronto East with new dates to be announced shortly for November. On Oct. 21st and 22nd we are providing our training in Thunder Bay, ON (my hometown) which sits as the 3rd city in Ontario with the highest opioid-related fatalities per 100,000 people. Wish us luck. For more information about our training visit us at www.heart2heartcpr.com/peersupport.

HALLOWEEN STYLE pg.16

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Because both fatal and non-fatal overdoses in the Toronto Shelter System are expected to exceed 2020, we need to re-evaluate current training standards among these workers and all workers associated with opioid overdoses.

NECROPOLIS CEMETERY Cabbagetown’s Necropolis Cemetery makes a ghostly wandering ground for a treacherous time in Victorian Toronto’s history Contributed by Enzo Dimatteo, Originally published in Now Magazine The gravestones of the more than 50,000 people buried at Necropolis Cemetery are literally everywhere – scattered in tiny vales here and there, hidden behind trees and perched precariously on what were once the banks of the Don. Row upon haphazard row, they occupy corners overgrown with grass. Visitors must watch their step lest they inadvertently trip over the markers and stir the souls of the dead. Toronto’s second non-sectarian cemetery, which takes its name from the Greek meaning “city of the dead”, also rates as the city’s spookiest resting place for those no longer with us, which makes it a favourite wandering ground for historians and for haunted Halloween walks.

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The Gothic Revival archway makes for a foreboding entrance into a treacherous time in Victorian Toronto history when mortality among infants under the age of one accounted for 40 per cent of all deaths in the city. Poor nutrition, sanitation and the absence of immunization from childhood diseases like diphtheria, whooping cough, polio and scarlet fever were among the leading causes. To be sure, at the Necropolis the gravestones of children who died too young lie alongside the resting places of Toronto’s most famous citizenry: world-champion rower Ed Hanlan; Anderson Ruffin Abbott, the first Black surgeon born in Canada; and Peter Matthews and Samuel Lount, the rebels hanged for their part in the Mackenzie rebellion of 1837. The bodies of those used in research at the University of Toronto are also kept here. More recent additions include the headstone of former NDP leader Jack Layton and a scattering area featuring a sculpture of Depression-era Cabbagetown by Canadian artist Juliet Jancso.

When it was opened in 1850, 984 of Toronto’s earliest settlers were moved from Potter’s Field at Bay and Bloor to Necropolis. At the time, the 15-acre site was 4 on the outskirts of a growing

city. The area surrounding the site east of Sumach was largely undeveloped. Only a few houses existed on the west side of the nearby Don River. A “plank road” led to a crossing over the river where John Scadding’s farm occupied the east bank between Danforth and Queen. Care was taken to preserve the area’s natural surroundings when Necropolis was laid out. The first person to be buried there was Andrew Porteous. The cemetery’s registry says that his body was stored in the “Dead House” until it was buried on May 22, 1850, in Section R, Lot 20. Unlike the famous inhabitants that would later take up residence at Necropolis, Porteous, who was “likely” born in Montreal in 1781, was said to have had his share of “financial difficulties” as a trader in “spirits, wine, gunpowder, wax and glass.” But he would eventually rise to the position of post master before he died in 1849 “by the bursting of one of the great arteries of the heart.” He was 69. Only the base is what’s left of his gravestone at a spot overlooking the Bayview Extension. Erosion has claimed the rest on what used to be the bank of Castle Frank Brook.

STEP INSIDE, IT’S BEAUTIFUL IN HERE

The chapel at the entrance to the cemetery was erected in 1872 and designed by Henry Langley, the first chair of the department of architecture at the University of Toronto and an architect known for his Gothic Revival churches – among them St. Stephen-in-the-Fields and St. Michael’s Cathedral. He was interred at Necropolis in 1907. In 1888, the Riverdale Zoo was built immediately to the south. It is said that visitors to the cemetery back then could sometimes hear the roar of lions and screeching of monkeys, which would eventually be closed and replaced by Riverdale Farm in 1974. Now visitors to Necropolis are more likely to hear the chirping of birds and hum of traffic from the nearby Don Valley Parkway.

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NECROPOLIS STORIES Five sisters perish in Lake Ontario Ward Family 1847-1912 Courtesy of Cabbagetownpeople.ca David Ward was one of the first settlers on the Toronto Islands in the 1830s. He settled at the east end of the islands – which was still a peninsula at the time (it became an island after a storm in 1858) – and ran a hotel. He had seven children. The eldest of the children, William, was an accomplished sailor despite his young 15 years. On Sunday May 11, 1862, he took his five sisters out for a sail – Rose, 5; Jane, 7: Cecilia, almost 9, Phoebe, 11, and Mary Ann, who was 12. They were in an open dinghy with a single sail and steered by an oar. The group sailed up and down the shore for about an hour when the craft was struck by a heavy gust of wind. William fell off the stern; then the boat filled with water and capsized throwing all the children into the freezing water. With great exertion he was able to right the dinghy and get three of the girls into it, where they died. One of the others managed to get back into the boat through her own efforts and the remaining one held on to the gunwale. Another gust of wind filled the sail capsizing the boat a second time. The three dead bodies were washed away. Phoebe held on to the boat as long as she could and then went down. All five girls perished.

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Fortunately for William a man on shore saw the accident and ran to find a boat, arriving at the scene just in time to rescue the exhausted boy. Naturally, the experience was traumatic for William who subsequently became famous for his lifesaving activities in the area saving many doomed sailors from ships which fell victim to Lake Ontario’s infamous storms. The five sisters are buried in the Toronto Necropolis, just by the Rose Scattering Garden near the entrance. William died at age 65 and is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

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Please see pg 12 for a list of other notable Torontonians at the Necropolis. Courtesy of CabbagetownPeople.ca

DON VALLEY ART CLUB: “THE SHOW MUST GO ON!” Contributed by: Don Valley Art Club Show Committee

The Don Valley Art Club (DVAC) is one of Toronto’s oldest and most vibrant art clubs, established in the mid 1940’s. The original clubhouse was a small cabin in the Don Valley, with their first Art Show held there in 1949. It is a volunteer run organization begun by a small group of artists that has grown to about 200 active members today. The original founders had a passion for painting outdoors (en plein air) and that tradition has carried forward to this day. You may have seen members on the streets capturing the uniqueness of Cabbagetown and adjacent neighbourhoods. DVAC was invited to relocate to Todmorden Mills Heritage Site in 1975 and remained until 2000. The club then moved to the newly renovated Brick Works, with increasing membership of artists from all areas of Toronto. Here program activities were expanded to include longer painting field trips, social activities, weekend workshops and Friday evening art lectures and presentations. In 2011, the move to a larger studio space allowed for activities available seven days a week for a growing active membership. The club’s two annual Art Shows are usually held at the nearby Papermill Gallery at Todmorden Mills Heritage Site, Pottery Road and Bayview. Unfortunately, the pandemic has made it impossible for indoor exhibits. But the show must go on! For the benefit of both the artists and art lovers, a “VIRTUAL GALLERY” was created for the past three shows, making it possible to connect and share a diverse group of artworks. The general public can look forward to seeing the “Don Valley Art Club Holiday Art Show & Sale” online from November 15th to December 5th. Watch for details on the DVAC website https:// donvalleyartclub.com/ . In the meantime, you can scroll through the artwork galleries of current members, and also learn more about the club. Parliament Street News will have more information about the Art Show in the November publication.

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Never before have small class sizes been so important.

WHAT’S YOUR NEXT MOVE? As your local Cabbagetown realtors and neighbours, we’re here to help you create a plan that will fulfill your real estate dreams. The present market offers exciting opportunities in every segment. Perhaps you’re looking to buy an investment property or want to up-size, you can take advantage of historically low interest rates. For those looking to sell, this hot sellers’ market is breaking record-high prices. If you’re looking to invest in a condo, downtown condos are a specialty. The current high level of inventory has created a rare buying opportunity for the savvy investor. Whatever your dreams, our thirtyplus years of experience will help guide you toward the right move.

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GENTLE TREASURE HUNT: Joseph Lammirato’s outdoor exhibitions Contributed by Ed Drass, Gallery Arcturus Montana. Gallery Arcturus (where I work) has mounted a show of thirty pieces -- which then made their way out into the world. He puts up work along main streets where few object; although the material does come in for a beating. Lammirato has had to rejuvenate quite a few works since lockdowns eased; one amazing sculpture at Church and Gerrard has had two nose jobs so far – the penguin’s proboscis keeps being knocked off. Now that you’ve been alerted, look out for other shapes: the outline of a tree, a house, comet or even a snake. Most of the metal shapes are made in a simple backyard forge; the artist uses about 15 pop cans to form each one. If you are lucky, and walking down the right street, an entire human figure may appear up ahead – see if you can locate “King Hipster” on a north-south street a few blocks west of Cabbagetown. There are vestiges of some early works on Parliament Street -- you may see a few near the Menagerie pet emporium.

Who puts art on telephone poles? I mean, seriously. These columns on art walks are about what’s possible to see from the sidewalk – but when is that the last time you expected to find public artwork attached to a utility pole? In our area there are two outdoor “exhibitions” making use of these most overlooked of street fixtures, the wood or concrete poles designed to keep wires above us.

His series “One Sixty-fourth On Gerrard” refers to the number of pieces he originally put up (some seem to have disappeared) and to the scale of Matchbox toy cars. His latest postcard flip-book is available at Gallery Arcturus. Find Joseph Lammirato on Instagram. Ed Drass works in communications at Gallery Arcturus, a not-for-profit public art museum on Gerrard Street East. You can reach him at info@ arcturus.ca

Broadview Avenue is far more suited for a promenade than Gerrard, particularly along Riverdale Park East. If you can take your eyes off the amazing profile of downtown across the valley, look for more of those bright wood panels -- this time with crude yet friendly metal stars and other shapes. So again, just who does that? In the east end of Toronto, the answer may be Joseph Lammirato. By day, he’s project technician at Ryerson University’s Image Arts department. On his own time and for the last several years he’s been affixing art right where we can see it. Lammirato has exhibited in traditional art venues – meaning indoors – but far more people have been surprised and hopefully a little delighted to discover his unsigned work on poles as far afield as Key West, London, UK and Butte,

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Travelling along Gerrard Street through Cabbagetown you may have spied wooden panels, about eye level and brightly painted, with miniature toy cars stuck in the centre. There are dozens of them, spaced along the north side of the roadway. You can follow these very public art offerings westbound all the way to Yonge Street.

GREETINGS CABBAGETOWN Contributed by Virginia Gallop, Executive Director, Cabbagetown BIA It’s difficult to believe summer has come and gone; fleetingly, as it always does. Lucky for us Canadians, we are gifted with fresh days, crisp nights, stunning autumn colours, and the opportunity to be appreciative of the endless gifts that come our way. We are free to live as we please, free to speak with or socialize with whomever we choose. Each and every one of us has access to some of the best health care on the planet. Very few of us ever go hungry or without. But, there are those that do. If you can, take a moment to extend a hand of genuine kindness and compassion to someone who may need it. Cabbagetown is chocka-block with a plethora of variety and abundance. Virtually everything we would care to eat, drink, or partake of is within walking distance. Get out and support your local businesses and community. Extend your thanks to the shopkeepers, the restaurant servers, the street cleaners, the public transportation operators and the committed neighbour who goes out of his or her way to bring a ray of sunshine to the “patch”. Consider adding an item or two to the Community Fridge outside Cabbagetown Organics. So, what have we been up to lately, you ask? Read on. ~ The Cabbagetown BIA is collaborating with the Yonge Street Mission Double Take Thrift store. We’ll be helping to transform what was once the vintage and speciality items windows into a mini gallery of upcycled items from local artisans. Keep watching for the Double Take Studio! ~

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November 10th is your BIA Annual General Meeting, presented virtually. All members of the Cabbagetown BIA are invited to attend and vote on the upcoming year of planned events, and the

2022 budget. ~ “Deck The Holidays” returns to bring you beautification of windows and to inspire you to shop local and to support local charities. Stay tuned to the Cabbagetown BIA for more information on this! We are excited to announce a collaboration between indigenous artist Philip Cote and street art wall muralist Jarus Young. Plans are underway to implement a wall mural to commemorate the life of Dr. O, one of Canada’s first indigenous MDs. Stay tuned and keep your eyes on the entranceway to Dr. O laneway for the stunning results in the spring of 2022. The Cabbagetown BIA welcomes donations towards this remarkable project. Drop us a line to find out how you may contribute. ~ A Cabbagetown Streetscape Masterplan is well underway and after several months of consultation and input, we shall be preparing to host a community consultation on the plan later this autumn. This will be both virtually presented as well as through print media throughout the community.

OVER 25 YEARS

Finally, the Cabbagetown BIA has invested time, energy and funds into improving the garden beds at the corner of Spruce and Parliament. To keep that momentum going, we invite you to donate to a Daffodil-”patch” initiative. Sponsor the daffodils by donating to the Cabbagetown BIA, or lend a hand to us later in the autumn during our bulb planting event. It’ll be fun, community building, and will have a stunning effect we may all enjoy in the springtime. Be well!

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It’s time to celebrate fall! Harvest festivals begin at home, with the weekly farmers market in Riverdale Park right by the Farm. There are great ways to maximize home life even if your personal fall harvest is merely a single stalk of Brussels sprouts. 1) Stunning fall colours bring leaves to rake and bags to fill: outdoor exercise that’s perfect for the whole family. Use some of the leaves to cover your flowerbeds and to keep the tulips warm once the snow arrives. Suggestion: tuck some aside for décor options like stuffing orange plastic ‘pumpkin’ bags at Halloween. 2) Cozy up your home décor. Consider switching those spring toned cushions and accents for some items that say home, hearth and snuggle. Deep fall options like rusts, bronzes and greens work well. 3) Outside again, eaves troughs need to be cleaned once leaves have fallen and before they get soaked and sodden. 4) Make sure walkways are in good shape: remove or fix any trip and fall hazards before the weather changes. 5) Furnace inspection and cleaning is a must. Sub zero weather isn’t the time to have a heating interruption! 6) Take care of important work such as roofing, waterproofing, brickwork, fencing, windows and doors now while the weather won’t get in the way. Good news is that a lot of outdoor construction work can continue right into November! 7) In the kitchen, a deep clean before the serous cooking starts is a good idea. Meanwhile get your favourite recipes ready for use. Whether you’re a tofu turkey with veggie sides or cookies fresh from the oven person, fall is the start of a tasty time.

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THE RIGHT TIME TO SELL. As a long time Cabbagetown Resident and your Local Neighbourhood Realtor, I am honoured to have helped so many of my wonderful neighbours and friends Buy and Sell their beautiful Cabbagetown homes over the years. It’s been an extraordinary year by any measure and Cabbagetown continues to attract increasing attention as one of the most sought after neighbourhoods in the city! I live in Cabbagetown, I am passionate about our neighbourhood and I am always happy to help you achieve the very best results! Thinking about buying or selling in this strong Real Estate market?

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TIME FOR JOBS AROUND THE HOUSE.

LIVE THEATRE IS BACK! Be a part of the audience for the workshop performance of Transit, a play written by Alumnae member, Susan Brown.

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Is one man’s known universe big enough for the rest of us? October is Islamic History Month, and just in time, there’s a play that examines what happens in smalltown neighborhoods where cultural transformation exposes the fault lines in the privileged bedrock of majority worldviews and expectations. Curious about this changing cultural landscape of how it might affect locals in her neighborhood coffee-shop, local playwright Susan Brown, imagined a pair of “old regulars”, Frank and Ernie, and how they would navigate this new terrain. “Thematically, the transformation of ‘familiar’ public spaces into something unfamiliar made me wonder about how we all engage with and adapt to cultural change and, for individuals like Frank, the cost of racial intolerance and corrosive nostalgia”, said Susan.

knew, the one that reflected his comfortable and automated existence, is disappearing. In anger and ignorance, he lashes out at Mohammad and Lyra and then must try to find a way to make amends to the people he has offended, his friend and ultimately, himself. This play should dispel any illusions that we, the audience, are free of the smallminded, discriminatory thoughts that we see in Frank. His struggles should be seen as reflective of our own ignorance and fear toward change and difference. You are invited to come and be part of this important cultural event. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite here. Two Workshop performances of this play will take place on October 30 th , 2021, at the Alumnae Theatre inToronto, 70 Berkeley St, Toronto, ON M5A 2W6. Come and be a part of

We Save Lives, So Can you.

Next Issue Deadline Nov 12 Writers welcome

With an incredible local director, Irena Huljak, and a cast of talented performers, this transformative play invites the audience to engage with the very real issue of cultural discrimination and recognize the harm that is endured by those who are the targets of this corrosive behavior. A lifelong friendship is tested when Frank’s bigotry threatens the dignity and rights of immigrant newcomers, Mo and his sister Lyra, who are trying to find peace and prosperity in their new home. For Frank, the world he once

the art as the actors and director mold the play into a story that creates community connections by asking questions like “Who am I?” and “Who are we together?”. Eventbrite Visit our Facebook Group at https://www. facebook.com/groups/442344903733986/ for more information and to post any questions you might have about this locally developed creative cultural production!

NOTABLE TORONTONIANS AT THE NECROPOLIS Continued from pg 3, courtesy of Cabbagetownpeople.ca

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• Anderson Ruffin Abbott, First Canadian Black Doctor • Thornton and Lucie Blackburn, Former Slaves and Early Toronto • George Brown, Founder of the Globe and Mail • Arthur Roy Brown, WWI Flying Ace • Kay Christie, Nursing Sister • Dora de Pédery-Hunt, Hungarian-Canadian Sculptor and Medallist • Corporal Ainsworth Dyer, Soldier, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, 10 Killed in Afghanistan

• Alice Eastwood, Renowned Canadian-American Botanist • Kosso Eloul, Canadian Sculptor • Marian Engel, Canadian Novelist • John Ewart, Canadian Architect, Builder, and Businessman • Ned Hanlan, Champion Oarsman • William Peyton Hubbard, First Black City of Toronto Alderman • Albert Jackson, First Black Letter Carrier in Toronfication of Cabbagetown

• Ivaan Kotulsky, Sculptor, Jeweller, Photographer • Henry Langley, Prolific Canadian Architect • Jack Layton, Canadian Politician • Carol Anne Letheren, Canadian Olympian • William Lyon Mackenzie, First Mayor of Toronto and Leader of the Upper • Janet Hamilton Neilson, Pioneering Nurse Who Took Care of Tuberculosis Patients • Hugh Neilson, Telephone Pioneer

• Andrew Porteous, Businessman, Postmaster, First Person Buried in the Necropolis • The Ridgeway Nine – Heroes of the Battle of Ridgeway, A Defining Canadian Moment • John Ross Robertson, Newspaper publisher, politician, historian, and philanthropist • Samuel Lount and Peter Matthews, Hanged Following the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837 • Josef Škvorecký, CzechCanadian Literary Giant

• Bill Stapleton, Artist, Activist, Teacher • Joseph Burr Tyrrell, Surveyor and Geologist, Explorer of the Canadian North, and Discoverer of Dinosaur Bones in Alberta • The Tragedy of the Ward Children, Five sisters perish in Lake Ontario • Joseph Workman, Mental Health Pioneer • J. L. (Allen) Yen, A Leading Figure in Canadian Radio Astronomy

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ONTARIO LINE SPARKS LAND GRAB IN MOSS PARK Andre Bermon, Publisher of the bridge community newspaper

584 Parliament St.Toronto, ON, M4X1P8 Tel: 647-347-3300 Website: www.Parliamentanimalhospital.ca

The past six months have seen a flurry of land purchases in Moss Park as developers try to capitalize on the province’s $10.9 billion plan by building high-rises near downtown rapid transit. Added density is accepted by the City as the solution to the community’s longstanding social ills. High-rise development has crept eastward from Jarvis Street along Dundas Street, with a 41-storey condominium soon to gobble up the adult entertainment club Filmore’s, for example. Whether such an aggressive approach to gentrification will pay long-term dividends remains to be seen, but the City continues to greenlight development projects around Queen and Sherbourne. The Tricon-One Properties proposal between McFarren Lane and Ontario Street, two-thirds of which Tricon purchased for $129 million in April, will add three mixed-use structures of 24, 25 and 33 storeys. Construction is likely to begin next spring. Across the street from the proposed Moss Park station box, the abandoned but once lively Canada House Tavern has now exchanged hands. According to Ontario Land Registry documents, the property management company Dash Inc. bought the building listed as 134 Sherbourne, which includes the Moss Park safe injection site, for $12,125,000 in July.

296 King St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1K4 www.buroklaus.com 416 362 3434

Dash’s summer shopping spree also included neighbouring Anishnawbe Health Centre building, bought for $6,887,000, and the building housing 1922, a marijuana dispensary and Famo

sandwiches. No development proposal has yet been submitted. At Queen and Parliament, the infamous WE buildings – empty since last year’s WE Charity scandal involving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, members of his family and resigned finance minister Bill Morneau – have been purchased for another mixed-use development. According to the CoStar News commercial real estate media, eight-properties that included 135 and 139 Berkeley Street, 329, 331, 333, 335-337 and 339 Queen East (the former WE headquarters), was transferred to Generation Capital for $36 million. The deal closed Aug 23. The current status of a long-time Moss Park staple, Alfie’s Bar & Grill, like the Canada House Tavern a living testament to the neighbourhood’s rough-and-tumble blue collar days, confirms that the Ontario Line is expected to usher in change to the community. The Realtor.ca website lists Alfie’s building at 222 Queen East for $2.28 – million with a description that reads “With Ontario Line Coming; Lots Of Developments In Area”. While those who know the infamous bar will likely be shocked by the sticker price, the listing reveals how significant proximity to proposed subway plans is. Inflationary speculation has made the Moss Park dive bar worth millions. As more details emerge, the province’s transit project will add to development pressures in Toronto’s remaining inner-city ghetto, while accelerating land values may raise questions about the long-term viability of the area’s concentrated social housing. The Moss Park Complex owned by Toronto Community Housing, built in the early 1960s, comprises six 16-storey buildings on approximately seven acres of prime downtown real estate. Its sister site, Alexandra Park, has been approved for revitalization and construction has already begun. The threshold has been crossed. Moss Park is bound for a dramatic transformation.

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Parliament Animal Hospital

Moss Park, a Downtown East community long impervious to change, is on the precipice of gentrification. The historically marginalized district, nestled between several high-priced neighbourhoods, is seeing lucrative real estate deals thanks in part to the planned Ontario Line subway project. The 15.6-kilometre transit line is set to run from Exhibition Place to Ontario Science Centre with a planned station on the northwest corner of Queen and Sherbourne Streets.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU Cabbagetown is a neighbourhood of beauty, heritage, cultural diversity and inclusion. We are Anita Bostok and Norman Hathaway and we’re proud to contribute this regular feature where you get to know the people and businesses that make Cabbagetown so special. If you’d like to be featured or would like to nominate someone please get in touch.

Dr Behrooz Tamjidi aka Dr. T

Dr T’s passion in caring for small animals led him to study veterinary medicine in his native Iran. He came to Canada 17 years ago with his wife, who he met at university and their two children. Here he was able to realize the dream of owning an animal hospital, Parliament Animal Hospital at 584 Parliament St. Since 2018 Dr T has worked alongside colleague Dr. Reza Hamdizadeh, compassionately offering a full array of veterinary services including exceptional surgical and dental work at reasonable prices. He appreciates the support of the Cabbagetown community and local BIA. Dr T enjoys fishing, travelling, and dancing Baba Karam, a traditional Persian dance.

Haddad Hudson Law Office Barristers & Solicitors

Michael Peter Haddad michael@haddadhudsonlaw.ca

Anne Hudson

anne@haddadhudsonlaw.ca 548 Parliament Street t: 416-926-8151 f: 416-927-9005

Estelle Hechanova

In 2007 Estelle, her sister and 3 brothers immigrated to Canada from the Philippines settling in Toronto. She attended Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Josephs College, York U and Seneca College. At 23 years of age the pandemic opened the opportunity for Estelle to fulfill her dream of establishing a unique café in an artful space. Estelle feels her “art Café” lends itself perfectly to the welcoming, innovation friendly vibe of Cabbagetown. NomNomNom at 492 Parliament St. Locally roasted coffee and pastries in a space that is re-set featuring a different artist every month. 647-616-7388 Instagram: nom.nomnom_

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Edwin Dumont Raised in Sudbury of indigenous Ojibwe and Mohawk descent, Edwin came to Toronto aged 25 in pursuit of a career as a hair stylist. Edwin came to work with a colleague in the current location and never left, eventually opening House of Dumont, 200A Carlton 21 years ago. A lover of dogs, European travel and cycling, Edwin has completed numerous Toronto to Montreal and Niagara Rides for Cancer. Offering cutting, colouring and highlighting, he features Master of Hair Extensions Dianne Mendonca from San Francisco in the salon 2 days a week. Open Tues to Sat. 416-324-9022

Munaver Gulamhusein Munaver is a As proud residents of caring man who feels great kindness and empathy toward the Cabbagetown community. Originally from Cabbagetown, we have a fond Kenya, the registered optician received his training appreciation for our great in the UK. He first came to Canada in 1980 to attend neighbours and businesses that the University of Waterloo. He returned home for a make it so special. while then immigrated to Canada in 2002. He worked as an optician at five locations to gain experience We hope to get to know you. before becoming the owner of Parliament Optical 418 Feel free to drop us a line Parliament St. The shop offers full optical services and eyewear, and accepts welfare patients. Munaver if you have any questions is married with and son and daughter. He is thrilled to have become a newReal grandfather last March! regarding Estate.

SOLVING YOUR BUSINESS, FINANCIAL AND TAX NEEDS DONALD J. GERRIOR BBA, CA, CPA TORONTO, ON, +1 416 939 9754 DGERRIOR@CA4.BIZ WWW. CA4.BIZ

PAM McCONNELL KNEW BETTER OPINION, Contributed by Pete Lovering

When the Shelter Support and Housing SSHA can’t do what they want because zoning does not allow it, the councillors step in and change the zoning. Then the SSHA can now fulfil their mandate without consultation or input from the community. “we were not consulted,” the councillors say, or “we don’t have any say in the matter”, and the best is we “expressed our concern”. Don’t believe me? Here is the response to a local residents association from the city councillor office that stated, “the Councillor has absolutely no say on where these shelters are placed and whether or not the leases get extended.” Really? You did have a say and you changed the zoning. Our very own Pam McConnell moved a bill in back in the day stating that shelters and crisis centres should not be built within 250 meters of a similar property. Smart, really smart, and it passed. She obviously knew that if left unchecked, there would be a consolidation, some say over-concentration, of said services in one area. It read like this “(iii) the lot on which the municipal shelter is located is at least 250 metres from any other lot with a municipal shelter or emergency shelter, hostel or crisis care facility; and (iv) the municipal shelter, including its location, has been approved by City Council.”

It seems like a game of hiding the blame being played at city hall. As we know, the councillors can’t challenge the “staff decisions of SSHA” with their delegated authority. So what leads to a zoning change? Why on earth would they remove a restriction that removed their own ability to approve a decision? Clearly, because they wanted to add more. Don’t fall for the “I was blindsided by the news” and “I have expressed my concerns” because the apparent outcome of voting to create more availability and limiting oversight for shelters will obviously be more shelters with less oversight. This is not ancient news...it was this current council, pre-pandemic, that relinquished their own power and lifted very modest distancing restrictions. What is becoming evidently clear is that as more services are “placed” in the Parliament Street corridor and not equitably distributed throughout the entire City there will be more significant challenges. As the retail and commercial environment erodes, businesses will fail. The building owners will become easy marks for SSHA to swoop in and gobble up the properties without having to make them 250 meters apart, with no community consultation and only “raised concerns” and “no say in the matter” from the council. Maybe we should express our concerns with city council as it appears we don’t have Pam McConnell to watch our back.

LOCAL PHENOM

STAR SEEDS

Contributed by Chris McNutt, Host of the McNuttiest Dimension Posdcast

Calling all starseeds, come in starseeds. The Galactic Federation would like to remind you of your mission here on earth. Uh, sure buddy. What the hell’s a starseed? Well you are human and I’m human and all the other humans you know are also human – but not everyone comes from the same lineage so to speak. In fact, if you could look at the various possibilities of soul patterning pre-incarnation, like as in before any of us were born, then you’d discover that we all originate from a wide bandwidth of vibrational possibilities and lifeform lineages. That’s tricky from this human perspective given the amnesia wipe we get coming in, but you can still gather clues to your deeper origin during this human lifetime. And in that exploration, some of you would discover your journey here as a “starseed”. The starseed story starts that following the detonation and use of the first atomic bombs as weapons in World War II, when many of our galactic neighbors and relatives took notice and started to intervene in a way they hadn’t so recently. Yes, humans and all lifeforms should be left alone to develop as they see fit but this was a massive sign of immature consciousness that could not only blow the shit out of this entire planet, but the destruction would have ripple effects in the space-time fabric and other dimensions as well (physics too complicated to explain much less understand). So the call went out to advanced souls throughout the galaxy and beyond, asking for volunteers to come incarnate on earth as humans and help raise the vibration of human consciousness. Now wait a second, you might say – our consciousness level is just fine, thank you very much, you galactic busy-bodies can just stay home. Sure, but I think a planet consumed with violence, corruption, greed, wealth-distribution issues, poverty, and now environmental destruction could maybe use a bit of a consciousness upgrade if you know what I mean.

Local racing superstar Ari Korkodiloshas done it again. Winning the 2021 Briggs Senior Championships as Mosport. This is no small feet Infact in doing so and overcoming overwhelming challenges as it pertains to competing on less than perfect equipment it speaks to Ari’sachievement and ability. This is a big deal. Way to go Ari

So starting after World War II “higher-vibrational” beings started to incarnate into human form and have been coming in regularly ever since. That first generation reached adulthood and started promoting love and peace and an end to the Vietnam War. The subsequent “starseed” waves have been fostering all kinds of new awareness and understanding about reality, science, health, consciousness, compassion, care for the planet and more ever since.

If you are interested in getting in on the ground floor of F1 racing please get in touch as soon as possible. Lets send Ari to Europe to be the next Lewis Hamilton.

So if that galactic path resonates with you somehow, then maybe some deeper exploration into your own lineage and mission is in order. Welcome starseed. Happy Googling!

Get in touch to help https://arikorkodilos.net

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So in pre-pandemic 2019, just after the last election city council voted and changed the 250-meter rule and thier ability to approve locations. And what happened? New shelters and crisis centres start popping up everywhere. “nothing we can do”, as councillors say. At the time of the 2019 decision, the same report stated, “Ward 13, which has similar boundaries to the east, encompasses 41% of the City’s shelter beds, excluding those located in hotels and motels. The three wards that comprise the downtown core, Wards 10, 11, and 13, are home to 65% of the City’s permanent shelter beds.” 41 Percent in Ward 13!!! The smallest ward by land size! 35% of shelter beds in the City were being shouldered by 22 wards. In other words, Ward 13 had 41% and 22 of the 25 wards had an average of 1.6%.

GREAT HAIR CUTS AWESOME PRICE

MIRAGE

Artist: Paul Raff, Date: 2012 Address: 29 Lower River Street, Underpass Park, Photo Courtesy of @PaulRaffStudio and hashtag #MiragePublicArt.

Professional Barber 647-720-4899

416 Parliament Street (just South of Spruce)

THE HONEST MECHANIC Genuine Import Auto Service Servicing all makes and models for over 20 Years Ask for Goldie You’ll be glad you did.

843 Gerrard Street East - 416-778-8330

OREGON PINOT Contributed by Issbel Wai Brand Associate, Rogers & Company

This Pinot works hard for working people. Telling a truly Oregon story, the wine draws from vineyards across the state. Each site adds its unique mark to the final Underwood blend, which highlights the rich juicy flavors of Oregon Pinot at an extraordinary price. Vegan and gluten-free! The perfect wine to enjoy anywhere, any day of the week.

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Underwood’s Pinot Noir is fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged for eight months, 15% in new French oak. The wine is generous and bright, with black cherry, currant, and baking spice on the palate and an underlying earthy, savoury base note. The current vintage at LCBO is priced at $22.95 (LCBO#421198). It received 90 point score from both James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast. Wine Enthusiast also rated it as a “Best Buy” wine: "Aromas of redcurrants, wild strawberries, smoke and mushrooms. It’s medium-bodied with plush tannins and bright acidity. Juicy and spicy. Drink now. Screw cap." – James Suckling "Grapes for this humble Pinot are sourced from all over the state. Such diversity is unheard of in a budget wine, as is aging in 15% new French oak, also part of the process. Pretty cherry and brambly blackberry fruit shines most of all, with an elegant transparency. It’s a light and almost delicate wine, but offers sensational value and plenty of flavour." – Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast

Pair the Underwood Pinot Noir with roast beef or roast turkey. Just 14 in time for Thanksgiving or after.

This installation of 57 octagonal mirror-polished stainless steel shapes applied to the underside of the Richmond/Adelaide overpasses draws inspiration from a mirage: an optical illusion created by atmospheric conditions. Suspended overhead of pedestrians, large scale mirror-like surfaces create an illusory appearance, which bends light rays to produce a displaced image much like a mirage. Each of the panels is slightly different in size and spacing to create a subtle sense of movement as their mirror polished surfaces bounce light around the space.

THE SPOKEN WORD CAFÉ AND THE MAGICAL POWER OF WCC WORKSHOPS Contributed by María Cristina Sabourin-Jovel (Queen María)

September 21st 2021, lights on! Last mic check! The Spoken Word Café was live on Zoom. Nerves, expectations, butterflies! Writers from the eight groups that the WCC runs in Ottawa delighted the audience with their brave creations. Some spoke about the intergenerational trauma of residential schools; others discussed the challenges of living with mental illness. Scars, childhood memories, staying grounded, a love letter to one’s skin, changes in seasons, a tale of love and loss, and playful dreams, all were part of this amazing night. An amazing dance choreography was inspired in one of the francophone pieces of the evening. I started writing as a way to survive the deep loneliness I was experiencing after a self-imposed isolation, trying to stay safe and out of COVID’s path. A painful separation from the only support system I had, resulted from speaking about my experiences as a brown person, the nightmares, the countless sleepless nights, after seeing people who look like me, being killed in broad daylight with total impunity. Many, who had always welcomed me, refused to hear what I had to say. Writing came to my rescue giving me hope, when I lost mine, and showing me what gratitude is. I felt heard and accepted in all WCC workshops. That is what the magic of WCC is, giving a safe place to all, an oasis in which I could be myself. After participating in almost every open workshop for more than a year, I decided it was time to share my gift with others, becoming a facilitator and establishing the first BIPOC group of WCC, in combination with the Centretown Community Centre. Nowadays, I cannot make it through a couple of days without sharing my thoughts in writing. I am hooked for life. Writing and the WCC, became my new, unconventional lover. The café was the culmination of a year of hard work.

FAIRY CREEK Contributed by Avery Florence —

TREES FROM SEEDS Green Thumbs has been growing urban trees from seed since 2017 has engaged thousands of school children, who have planted hundreds of successful seedlings. The species we grow most is the Kentucky Coffee Tree for its ease of germination. Its Anishaabemowin name is Biizhou-aatig, or Big Cat Tree. One theory is that the name comes from the pod which looks like a big cat claw! It’s one of the more successful urban native trees. Other trees we planted from seed include PawPaw, the native fruiting tree that will produce fruit that “tastes like a cross between banana and mango”! We planted Cedar/Nookomis Giizhik. Eric Davies, our tree-seed friend from University of Toronto, helped us plant acorns from mature Toronto trees, and now we have many Red, White and Bur Oak seedlings to care for, known as Mitigomizh in Anishnaabemowin. Ohemaa Boateng, our Program Manager, developed an online program so that students learning from home in 2020/21 could plant the seeds and grow trees. A popular program because teachers needed hands-on activities for at home learning. Kits were picked up curbside, and distributed to students! The pandemic has shown the importance of both outdoor and hands-on learning. As a result the Toronto District School Board produced new resources for school-ground outdoor education. Trees provide shade and oxygen to urban environment. Many fail because they are in the wrong place, and some are simply reaching the end of their lives. Some are victims of poor maintenance, pests or disease. The City and school board require trees to be a certain maturity to be planted. Only plants grown from seed have a wider set of genes, making them more pest or disease-resistant. The City and school board require trees to be school board require trees to be a certain maturity to be planted. So they need nursery care for a few years to meet size requirements. We have tree nurseries in three partner schools where we are planting a mix of tree species. But we have more tree seedlings than space and need good homes for them, So please contact us if you are able to provide a good location and the care they require. Email info@greenthumbsto.org, “Trees” in subject line. Green Thumbs Growing Kids (GTGK) is a local charity actively creating and managing school food gardens in order to connect children to food and their environment. Gardens at Sprucecourt Jr. PS, Winchester Jr. & Sr. PS and Rose Avenue PS are managed by Green Thumbs. No funding is received from the Toronto District School Board so GTGK depends on funding from members of the community and friends of the gardens. Look us up and learn more about what we do. Please support our work by donating at www. greenthumbsto.org. Special thanks to the City of Toronto Urban Forestry Division and Eric Davies of Big Tree.≠≠

When newcomers enter Fairy Creek’s headquarters, stark realities come to the fore. In the “real world”, we all ruminate from a distance on police violence, nonsensical government spending and reconciliation with our Indigenous people. But here, in this microcosm of our world, these issues are not fodder for thoughts. They are calls to action, beckoning humans to put their bodies on the line for something bigger than themselves. Apart from the 24-hour media tent, there is no cell service at Fairy Creek, isolating this situation into a world of its own, making it feel that this world is more real than that “real world” itself. During each evening, the new batch of daily recruits meet in a gravel pit, forming a semicircle around whoever is in the leadership role at that camp at that time. (Fairy Creek is organized in the fashion of “de-centralized leadership”- if it needs doing, get it done; if you need help, ask for it). As two strong women approached the middle of the circle to lead the meeting, the feeling dawns that this is the presentday apocalypse & we are the freedom fighters – because it is & we are. The meeting informed us of what was happening at the other camps within Fairy Creek (to the best of our knowledge) and assigned people (only on a volunteer-basis) to roles such as night-watch, cooking, building and heading up to the front-line. I did not know what to expect before arriving but I did not expect this height of organization. It is a level of organization unexpected amidst such chaos. This is not merely a gathering of tree-huggers–this is militant, peaceful warfare. Before going, people had given words of caution, but I threw caution to the wind knowing that the people protecting these trees, our earth, our future, would be incredible people. And that is how you know you are on the right side of things. What is happening at Fairy Creek is not just a fight for nature. It is a fight for humanity. Fairy Creek is a call for community as much as it is a yearning for environmental security. Fairy Creek is a call for community as much as environmental

security. It is a call that keeps people there, and it is the belief that keeps them coming back. Scattered around the grounds are signs that read, “Respect your Elders”, “Power to the Peaceful”, “Enough is Enough” & “Worth More Standing.” Phrases we all know in passing, but here, baked into the tension of this fight, they carry an unshakeable weight. “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Hundreds if not thousands of forest fires are burning all throughout Canada, and still, every day, we are cutting down ecosystems that have taken 2000 years to grow. As you drive past these signs and into the hills, the scenery unfolds into a live version of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax. Massive hills littered with tree stumps in memory of a diverse forest that once gave life. Now, only the birds sing over empty plains. The land of Fairy Creek is unceded territory of the Pacheedaht tribe. Though we use the term “land back,” in Indigenous culture humans can never own the land; we are only responsible for it, ensuring its prosperity for 7 generations b e y o n d ourselves. In most Indigenous nations, the chief is hereditary and functions under a Matriarch. Elected band councils were put in place by the Canadian government as a way to infiltrate these nations from the inside. The band leaders have signed this land away to be logged by the logging company Teal Jones. In Indigenous cultures the running joke is, would you rather the RCMP or the band leader? Though every situation is nuanced, this one is simple. Enough is enough. For the Indigenous, these trees represent a world of culture. Cutting down these trees is cutting down beautiful peoples, many of which have only started to rediscover themselves by their roots. Elder Bill epitomizes this redemption. Once a logger himself, the 81-year-old member of the Pacheedaht nation now invites the forestdefenders on this land to help undo the damage of the years. Yes. We, the forest defenders of Fairy Creek, are illegally protesting on Pacheedaht land against the old-growth logging industry, the police & government. But when all of us live within a system that consistently chooses short-term greed at the expense of the air our children need to breathe, what choice do we have but to put our bodies on the line?

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After introductions, the second question often asked upon arrival at Fairy Creek is “Are you arrestable?” These questions, always asked with a smile, are your welcome package. They are your initiation to a world of resistance, community, decentralized leadership to a suffocating reality of police presence, and to the certainty of daily arrests. It represents like-minded people finally joining forces and making the decision to face our environmental crisis head on.

HALLOWEEN STYLE Contributed by fashion photographer Lenka lenkalife.com

Find your next treasure at

Double Take Thrift Store! Visit us online to check out our curated selection of thrifted merchandise! www.thrift.so/store/doubletake

| PSTREETNEWS.COM -- OCT. 2021

Kids can enjoy trick-or-treating this year, according to Ontario Public Health guidance. For those of us that wait until the last minute to find a costume, it’s time to visit the Yonge Street Mission’s Double Take Thrift Store on 306 Gerrard St E. We searched through the store’s Halloween section and found these fun, second-hand costumes that local kids (and mom) were happy to try on. It took only a few minutes to gather the hats and other accessories then they were photo-shoot ready. Some of them even walked home in their costumes. Have a fun and safe Halloween! About YSM Yonge Street Mission works to respond to the community’s immediate needs and to help people move from surviving to thriving.