T HE
BBLOORDALET IMES Neighbourhood news worth repeating
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DEC/JAN 2015 VOLUME 2 ISSUE 11
VENA’S RESTAURANT GIVES BACK BY JUSTIN MILLERSON
justin.bdp@gmail.com
NEW RUNNING TRACK UNVEILED AT PERTH JR PS BY JUSTIN MILLERSON
justin.bdp@gmail.com
On December 4, hundreds gathered at Perth Public PS to celebrate the opening of a brand new 150 metre clay running track, the main piece of schoolyard upgrade initiative now over two years in the making. Over two years ago, the schoolyard could be described in many ways, but none of which
could include the words “beautiful” or “functionable”. The desolate looking asphalt wonderland carried not much more than a couple hockey nets and painted lines. Parents and school officials sought out a solution in the fall of 2012 and after a grant application was sent to Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), the hope for change began to rise among the community.
The vigorous and spirited effort by everyone involved eventually lead to $200,000 in funding for Perth Public PS’s “field of dreams” project. The funds were not only awarded by MLSE, but also by the City of Toronto by way of section 37 in the City’s planning act. “The enthusiasm, the passion, the commitment that these parents showed to the project was something you couldn’t turn your back on,” said Ward 18 Councillor Ana Bailao. “Even if there was no way to do it, you had to find a way to bring something to the table.” On a mild and sunny Thursday afternoon, the centerpiece of the schoolyard upgrade was unveiled in ceremonial fashion as about 250 people congregated in the school’s gymnasium to listen to a group of speeches
commemorating the effort of all those involved. After the roughly half and hour long assembly, students, teachers, parents, political dignitaries and members of the community made way to the new unbeaten track for a ribbon cutting and an official “first run.” “It’s a huge thing for the school and the school community, I think we’ve come together now and do things together. It’s a track, yes, as part of a greening project, but it was a community effort which is amazing,” said Perth Public PS principal Janice Robinson. Next in store for the schoolyard upgrade is what Robinson called a “kinder playground”, which is to include a more aesthetically pleasing and safe environment for students. Robinson gave no timeline on the completion.
‘Tis the season to give, and that’s exactly what Mashud Siddique, owner of long standing Vena’s Restaurant (1263 Bloor St. W.) did on Christmas day. Dozens of free hot meals were prepared and handed out to those who are homeless and disadvantaged. In a letter sent to the Bloordale Times, Siddique offered thankful sentiments of how the Bloordale community has been supportive of his Indian cuisine restaurant just steps away from Lansdowne subway station. In return, he “would like to give something back”. Siddique did exactly that by serving meals from noon to 3 p.m. on Christmas day. The Indian chef of over 40 years first established Vena’s Restaurant in 1991 on Queen St. W.. Roughly seven years later, Siddique made the jump to Bloor St. W., the place he now proudly identifies as his home. Since, he’s been a mainstay in a neighbourhood that has seen many dramatic changes. From the change of the general demographic to the shift in social economic status, Vena’s Restaurant has persisted as a trusted neighbour in the Bloordale community.
INSIDE ASPIRING FILM MAKER LOOKS AHEAD TO UPCOMING FILMS Orhan Sumen offers his take on upcoming releases
Page 3
TOY DRIVE HELD IN MEMORIAM OF FALLEN HOLLY JONES Eleventh “Holly Drive” took to the Cowen Community Centre
Page 4
SEE BLOORDALE’S SKATING SCHEDULE For directions, skating hours and other details
Page 6
02 The Bloordale Times Dec/Jan 2015
Community Essay
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST TALKS POST ELECTION ACTIVITY BY MICHAEL KUSHNIR
michael@ensemblesocial.ca
What To Expect From City Council In Canada, our democratic tradition is one of our most cherished institutions, and Toronto has spent a significant part of 2014 determining who will lead our city forward. But democracy is much more than dropping a ballot in a box every few years: it is that special combination of liberties, deliberation, dissent and process that allows society to achieve its utmost potential. John Tory, our new mayor, was elected on a pledge to unite Toronto under a common purpose. In this regard, the Mayor’s first few weeks have been rocky – his executive committee largely neglects downtown voices and those from the political left – but the Mayor was elected with a certain mandate, and those councillors who oppose his agenda will have their hands full in opposition. Tory’s SmartTrack rapid transit plan – panned by experts during the election – will require a significant negotiations with the province to determine alignment, integration with GO Transit and funding, and will leave opposition councillors seeking alternatives. Watch for Cllrs. Joe Cressy (Trinity-Spadina) and Kristen Wong-Tam (Toronto Centre-Rosedale) to take on leadership roles. Here in Davenport, Ana Bailão was re-elected to her second term. One of the issues that came up repeatedly during the campaign was the rising cost of rental accommodations in Toronto. In November, Bailão was appointed to the
Mayor’s executive council, with responsibility for affordable City is reviewing the boundaries of our municipal wards to housing. This portfolio will be one of the most critical in the ensure that councillors all serve roughly the same number coming years at City Hall, and residents will be keen to see of people. However, political machines rarely like it when what strategies the City can employ to ease the burden on boundaries change, and with the high level of incumbency, renters, seniors, young people and families, in addition to this is likely to be politically contentious – which makes addressing the repair backlog at TCHC. your voice as a citizen all the more powerful. Consultations In March, TTC CEO Andy Byford will be marking his are happening around the city and online; visit http://www. third anniversary on the job and his approach to provide drawthelines.ca for more information. a more customer-oriented service has been working. In the past weeks, the TTC has announced all-door boarding to improve speed on the King streetcar – Toronto’s busiest surface route. Closer to home, route supervisors have been deployed along the 29 Dufferin bus route to reduce aggravating short-turns. Constraints on funding continue to hold up expansion of our system, but the past few years have proven that Toronto cares deeply about having a quality public transit system. As the TTC pushes for new funding to implement cost-effective “quick-fix” improvements recommended to Council in August, it will be important for residents to make their voices heard. In addition, 2015 is a federal election year, and with this comes fierce lobbying both for money and for votes in Canada’s cities. With the GTA a battleground for all three national parties, expect to see MPs Adam Vaughan and Matthew Kellway (urban affairs critics for the Liberals and NDP respectively) take on greater responsibilities, along with increased visits from Thomas Mulcair and Justin Trudeau, especially in the new battleground riding of Toronto-Centre. Michael Kushnir is a community engagement specialist who Finally, owing to large population shifts in Toronto, the calls Wallace-Emerson home. Photo courtesy Michael Kushnir
The Bloordale Times Dec/Jan 2015
03
Feature
LOCAL FILM WORKER GIVES TAKE ON UPCOMING HIT RELEASES BY ORHAN SUMEN
orhansumen@hotmail.com
Movies of Winter: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Winter is an interesting time for the moviegoers. As December kicks in and the outdoors lose all the remaining appeal of the fall, the silver screen finds new life and the lines become longer. The blockbusters make a comeback for the holidays, trying to grab your attention with their million dollar marketing campaigns. Their adventurous nature appeals to the escapists, using all that the modern technology has to offer to take you to worlds as far away as possible. Meanwhile, it is also the last bells before the Oscar nominations are announced; and most studios save their best for the last. There is always a good period piece, a thought provoking drama or a powerful political commentary to catch if you want your theatre salon to be free of screaming kids. December witnesses some of the dirtiest box office battles of the year, a race to get the biggest piece that becomes more intense towards the holiday season. However, it all dies once January hits. The first month of the year is statistically the least appealing time of the year to go see movies (my guess is everyone’s either at the gym for their new-year’s resolutions or coming out broke from holidays). Most big studios consider this month as a dumpster where they can release the movies that would not have a chance against the year’s biggest hits, hoping to make as much money as they can. We have all experienced how awful it can be when your precious time is wasted in something that is not what the trailers and reviews make it seem to be. That’s why we would like to provide some notes about some upcoming options. Although there is no way of knowing for sure how good or bad a movie will be, hopefully these pointers will help you make the best choice and have a great time. The Good: Imitation Game (December 25) Based on the real story of British mathematician and computer scientist Alan Tur-
ing, Imitation Game tells the story of the man who cracked Nazi Germany’s Enigma Code and helped the allies win the war during the Second World War. Benedict Cumberbatch, known for his amazing portrayal of a young, modern day Sherlock on BBC; is a name that we will hear more in the upcoming years. He delivers one of the year’s most intriguing performances in a movie that has been a big hit in worldwide film festivals, including TIFF, and been awarded with many prestigious awards. The film has already been released in UK and USA, and has received very positive reviews. Imitation Game is one of the biggest Oscar contenders of the year, and a great choice for anyone who is looking for an intellectual period adventure. However, if you want your dose of Cumberbatch in the form of a fire breathing dragon. The Bad: Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies (December 12) The follow up to Peter Jackson’s legendary Lord of The Rings trilogy received mixed reviews for its previous two entries, along with heated discussions about the choice to divide the story into three installments despite using a much smaller scale book as source. Diehard fans of the book and the franchise are excited with the amount of detail that was translated into the movies from the books, but even some of them seem to agree that with the additions of characters and plots that weren’t even in the books, everything feels a little bloated. Some critics praise the movies for their gorgeous renditions of the fantasy lands and characters of Middle Earth and the breath taking action, whereas some point out the problems with the thin plotlines and pacing problems. Director Peter Jackson’s time in Middle Earth finally comes to an end with this final installment (or does it? I can see them announcing Silmarillion a few years down the road). The movie has been released on December 12, and so far it has been one of the year’s biggest hits with over 90 million dollars in it’s first five days, to anyone’s surprise. This is usually the case for the final installments of highly popular trilogies; there is a sense of conclusion in the air that makes it
Sumen (left) on set during the making of indie film ‘Look Again’. Photo courtesy Orhan Sumen
all feel more epic. However, the reviewers don’t seem to agree. The movie has gotten the lowest ratings of both series, and is heavily criticised for being overfilled with action scenes with little to no story or character development. It opens with an action scene that should have been the ending of the second installment, and moves on to wrap secondary plots for the rest of it’s running time; more proof that the story being divided into three being a cash grab rather than an artistic decision. Hardcore fans of Middle Earth will surely cherish their last time there, but there doesn’t seem to be much for the rest of us. The Ugly: Taken 3 (January 9) “Taken” of 2008, starring Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills, a retired CIA agent who has to use his special blend of violence to retrieve
his kidnapped daughter, was a powerful action movie and a big hit, and the announcement of the sequels came in no time, despite the limitations of the concept (how many times can your relatives be kidnapped in a lifetime?). The second movie was not as well received as the first one, but made enough money at the box office to ensure a third, despite the protests of the fans and even Liam Neeson himself, who stated that he agreed to be in it “as long as no one gets taken.” This lead the producers to take a different route and write a concluding chapter rather than another installment to the series. Taken 3 will surely satisfy action fans and the fans of the first two movies, but don’t expect anything more than car chases and martial arts scenes attached to each other by an overused plot.
DOVERCOURT COMMUNITY PARK ASSOC. CALLS FOR INVOLVEMENT IN LOCAL RINK Happy holidays, Dovercourt Park! ‘Tis the season to be neighbourly in our community, and we’re off to a great start with our application into the city for another ice rink in the park. If you’re interested in joining our volunteer team, please email us at dovercourtpark@gmail.com. Last year, our rink was so successful that
it inspired community get togethers, election runs, and hockey games; this year, we’re looking for even more activities! Let the Dovercourt Park team know about your events in the park, and we’ll find a way to help! Once the snow falls (and sticks around) the city’s parks team will
plow out an area for our rink and our mighty volunteers will flood it, maintain it, and manage it. It’s up to you, members of the community, to use it; bring your skates, your hot cocoa, your warm blankets, and join us this winter, and help us celebrate our community! Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Christmas, and happy holidays!
04 The Bloordale Times Dec/Jan 2015
News
TOY DRIVE HELD IN FALLEN CHILD’S HONOUR FOR ELEVENTH STRAIGHT YEAR BY JUSTIN MILLERSON
justin.bdp@gmail.com
For most living in West Toronto and beyond, the memories of Holly Jones will not be forgotten. When the ten-year-old Junction Triangle dweller disappeared over 11 years ago, a community came together. They mourned, they commemorated and they remembered. On Sunday December 7, that same infectious spirit came to life when a toy drive was held in conjunction with the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club at the Cowan Community Centre in Jones’ honour. Over 100 spirited community members piled into the Cowen Community Centre gymnasium to not only drop off a proverbial piece of compassion, but to also participate in an aerobathon, a group activity that includes song and upbeat exercise. Maria Jones, Holly’s mother, said the aerobathon is a big part of the drive. Jones, who is maintains a healthy lifestyle by diet and exercise, said she would like to evoke the importance of fitness and fun through the drive expressing an active attitude can bring great joy in life. “Because I’m in the fitness field, I thought why not have two hours of fitness while people come and drop off gifts,” said Jones. This year marks the 11th anniversary of the drive and Jones couldn’t be happier with the mounting results of the cause. “Eleven years ago, we had our first Christmas without Holly and it was just unbearable to think about
not having presents under the tree for her,” said Jones. “I felt the need to buy her presents even though she wasn’t going to open them and it gave me the idea to give them to children who are in need. This idea lead to me starting a toy drive in her memory.” Each toy and donation collected goes back to the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club where the everything is accounted and distributed to local children in need. Club executives pound the pavement to find these children. “These kids are in our clubs, we find them in the local schools,” said Tony Palermo executive director of the Junction Triangle branch of the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club. “We go to the schools and we find some kids through the principals, they will let us know of the families in need.” For more information about the toy drive and the cause, please visit http://ww.dovercourtkids.com
(top) Mother of Holly Jones talks with City News about the cause. (left) Many volunteers were on hand to receive gifts from the public. (right) As part of the drive, an aerobathon was held. Photos by Justin Millerson
T HE
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The Bloordale Times Dec/Jan 2015 05
Letters from your political representatives
COUNCILLOR ANA BAILÃO
416-392-7012
At Toronto City Hall, there is new life and a growing sense that we are moving forward – building on our successes and tackling our shared challenges – towards the world-class city we deserve. Torontonians recently welcomed a new Mayor, Council and
vision for our city. As this vision is refined in the coming months, I look forward to working collaboratively with our new Mayor and Councillors to create a strong direction for our city’s future. We will need visionary thinking and decisive action; and I am ready to take up this challenge. Like you, I also have clear expectations for this Council: to eliminate the language of division we have heard in the past, to move away from a theme of austerity and towards a discussion of investment and renewal, and to unite the skills of Council in the best interest of our city. Together, we can welcome bolder visions of participation and support our continued growth and prosperity. Where do we look for these solutions? Some ideas will come from
the best-practices of other cities; many more will come from our very own communities. Initiatives such as the McCormick Park shipping container cafe project, the initiatives of the Junction Triangle Traffic Management Committee and the Queen Street bike parking pilot program are key examples where our community took a leadership role, deriving lessons and best-practices from which our entire city can benefit. Ward 18 has incredibly creative and engaged residents, we speak through our results. And what impressive results we have! I will continue our work to deliver the many local projects begun last term: including our new library, community centre, three new parks and so much more. In a continued effort to deliver better service to residents, I will be opening a new community office. Not only will this provide a permanent address for me in the
community but also a open meeting place for local residents and groups. I look forward to opening my office officially in the new year. I also look forward to delivering on our neighbourhood-byneighbourhood vision for Ward 18. From West Queen West to Dovercourt Park, I had the opportunity during my campaign to build a vision for the future growth of our neighbourhoods – each with its own projects and assets. Now, with a clear direction for the next four years, I can continue working closely with residents, businesses and community groups to implement this vision and strengthen our neighbourhoods. Equally important is the opportunity to apply my experience to the benefit of our city, and I am pleased and honoured to be able to continue my work on housing affordability as the re-appointed Chair of the Affordable Housing Committee.
In addition, I have accepted Mayor Tory’s offer to join the Executive Committee. This is a privileged role and I accept this position with only two aims; to better serve Ward 18 residents and to lend my experience to improving our city. As we move forward, there will be issues where the Mayor and I agree to respectfully disagree. I am confident that our mutual respect and shared desire to deliver the best for our city will yield many positive results. As always, should you have any community issues, concerns or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact my office at anytime. With our engaged neighbourhoods, my Council and community experience and new leadership for our City, there is no limit to what we can accomplish and I look forward to building these accomplishments with you. In Community, Ana Bailão
MP ANDREW CASH 416-654-8048
MPP CRISTINA MARTINS 416-535-3158
Best Wishes for the Holidays and Happy New Year Davenport! We’ve had a very successful 2014 both in Parliament and here in our community. My job is to listen to you and then find ways to bring your concerns and issues to Ottawa in order to make positive change. It has been an honour to serve as your voice in the House of Commons once again this year. Together we have worked really hard and we should all be very proud of the successes we have had. Here’s a list of just some of our accomplishments: • We have successfully campaigned to ban pay-to-pay fees on your monthly bills, saving Canadians up to $700 million a year; • A new full-service Canada Post outlet opened in our community as a direct result of our campaign to protect this vital service; • We have pressured the provincial government to end the use of dirty diesel trains on the Union-Pearson Express by 2017; • We have ensured that the GE-Hitachi facility vastly improves its public engagement program to keep local residents informed; • We have defended the arts and culture sector and the local business community by successfully forcing the government to roll back new fees on live music entrepreneurs; • We continue to be the only party in the House of Commons to consistently fight to restore lost funding to the CBC; • Through our campaign for urban workers, we have pressured the government to invest $40 million into paid internships; Folks, there is so much more to do. In the New Year we are bringing forward measures to protect interns, and create more supports for freelancers, contract and part-time workers who lack pensions, benefits or job security. We’ll also continue fighting for the things that matter to people in Toronto, including the creation of an affordable, accessible universal child care system; more affordable housing, public transit, the protection of our universal health care system; making life more affordable and building a sustainable, green economy, As Official Opposition Critic for Multiculturalism I will keep up the fight in Ottawa and hold the Conservative government to account on its failure to address the outrageously long wait times for citizenship and permanent residence and address the unfair immigration rules that make family reunification and refugee settlement more difficult. If you require any assistance with any issue, or you want to share your thoughts on any topic, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at 416-654-8048, send an email to andrew.cash@parl.gc.ca or drop by and see us at 1162 College St. Please note that my offices in Toronto and Ottawa will be closed for the holidays from December 20 to January 4, inclusive.
The fall session of the Legislature is over already, and just like that, the holidays are upon us. It’s an appropriate time to reflect on what has certainly been an eventful year, and to look ahead to the challenges awaiting us in the New Year. I’m pleased to report that a total of nine Government Bills were passed in the last session, and another eleven were introduced. It’s been hard work passing these Bills, but I’m proud of the important, progressive measures taken by our Government in 2014. Bill 18, the Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, takes important steps to make sure that every employee in Ontario is paid fairly and protected by our labour laws. More specifically, this bill ties the minimum wage to the rate of inflation, taking the politics out of setting the minimum wage and providing fairness to workers and predictability for business owners. Bill 18 also ensures that unpaid co-op students and unpaid learners are protected under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Finally, the bill removes the previous $10,000 cap on recovery of wages through the Ministry of Labour, meaning that employers can’t avoid paying their staff, regardless of the amount. Another important bill – Bill 45, the Making Healthier Choices Act – is currently before the House. This bill, if passed, will introduce a variety of measures to promote healthy living in our province. Bill 45 will require large chain food services – such as restaurants and convenience stores – to post caloric information on their menus to help Ontarians make well-informed choices about what they eat and feed their children. Another measure this bill takes is the regulation of Electronic Cigarettes. Under Bill 45, e-cigarettes will be regulated like the tobacco products that are currently available in the province; adults over the age of 19 will be able to purchase and use e-cigarettes in the same circumstances that they’re able to use tobacco cigarettes. The legislation is flexible, however, to respond to emerging research. In fact, the Ontario government is funding studies into the potential health effects of e-cigarettes, so that future changes to the legislation will be evidencebased. As the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade, I was humbled to lead off the second reading debate of Bill 49, the Ontario Immigration Act. Although immigration is a shared responsibility with the Federal government, Bill 49 legislates and formalizes Ontario’s role in the immigration system. As a province, we’re able to understand better the labour market needs here in Ontario, and this legislation allows us to act on that expertise. It also includes a robust accountability and compliance mechanism so that the province can crack down on unscrupulous immigration consultants and protect newcomers. These are just three of the important bills that our government has either passed or introduced since June. We’ve done a tremendous amount of work thus far, and I’m looking forward to continuing this hard work in 2015. Happy holidays and a Happy New Year to everyone! Cristina Martins; 1199 Bloor St West, Toronto, ON; 416-535-3158; cmartins.mpp.co@ liberal.ola.org; @CMartinsMPP
06 The Bloordale Times Dec/Jan 2015
Skating Schedule
CAMPBELL PARK Located at 255 Campbell Ave., Campbell park has one rink in which time is split between pleasure skating and hockey. Supervised pleasure skating hours Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and Mondays from 3:30 pm to 5:30 p.m. Hockey is played during all other hours. The rinkhouse offers a snack menu which includes items such as warm chili, mini pizzas and fresh baked cookies.
DUFFERIN PARK Located at 875 Dufferin St., just south of Dufferin and Bloor St., Dufferin Grove Park offers two rinks- one for pleasure skating and one for hockey. Pleasure skates run Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The rinkhouse offers an assortment of hot foods such as mini pizzas, soups, pancakes, cookies, hot chocolate, coffee and tea, all at reasonable prices.
WALLACE EMERSON Despite its name, Wallace Emerson’s rink is not located at Wallace and Emerson Avenues. Instead, its two rinks can be found at 1260 Dufferin St., which is just a few steps south of Dupont and Dufferin Streets. Pleasure skates run Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Shinny runs Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Wednesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
May the peace and blessings of Christmas be yours; and may the New Year be filled with happiness.
Merry Christmas! AFFORDABLE SENIOR LIVING IN THE HEART OF BLOORDALE VILLAGE
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Health & Wellness
LOCAL DOCTOR OFFERS SAFETY ADVICE FOR THOSE ON FOOT BY SONYA HAMILTON
sonyahamilton@gmail.com
Prevent Falls This Winter and Maintain Your Independence One in three Canadians over the age of 65 will fall at least once a year. For those with mobility concerns, winter can be a stressful and challenging time as slips and falls tend to increase, bringing a risk of long term disability and chronic pain. Getting outside and walking about is a great way to keep fit during the winter months, but you should be prepared so that you can avoid slips and falls. Preventing falls in the winter, and throughout the year, is an important way to maintain your independence and to continue participation in activities you enjoy. Before heading outside, consider your footwear and gear to ensure it’s appropriate for the conditions. Lightweight boots with low heels and good non-slip grip that enable you to walk safely along uneven ground are important. Make sure that your footwear is
well fitted, and that loose laces are secured to prevent tripping. Ensure you wear bright colours so that you will be seen clearly by motorists as you cross the road. At your home, make sure to keep your entry ways clear of ice and snow, and report any hazards you spot to your landlord or to the City of Toronto (311). If you are a senior who requires snow removal assistance, contact the City of Toronto for their snow removal program. When walking along the sidewalk, if you encounter an icy patch always remember to slow down, keep your knees loose and your feet hip-width apart as you walk to pass through it. One of the most important factors in avoiding slips and falls is regular exercise. You should aim to exercise for 20 minutes at least 3 times a week -or better yet build some activity in every day! Strength and balance work together to keep you steady and on your feet. It is important to have your eyesight and hearing checked every year to assess for impairments that may affect your balance. Balance keeps you on your feet, and so you should also consider having your
strength and balance tested by your chiropractor. Your chiropractor can complete a balance assessment, and help you to develop a strength and exercise plan. Strong legs are important for stability especially if you do slip you can in turn avoid a fall. Simple home exercises can help you to strengthen your legs, or if you prefer the group environment you can also participate in a class at the local community or seniors centre. Some great activities to help increase your leg strength and balance include: swimming, brisk walking, cycling, Tai Chi, yoga, golfing, and dancing. Anything that gets you moving and on your feet will help you to maintain strength and balance, and be more prepared to face the challenges our Canadian winters present. For more information on falls prevention, please visit http://www. chiropractic.on.ca
ASK YOUR BLOORDALE NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR - DR. JENNIFER BAER BY DR. JENNIFER BAER
Got a question? health@drjenniferbaer.com
Fats & Fish: What should I eat?! Before the low carb craze of the past decade or two, was the low fat and fat free diet trend. Unfortunately the results and misconceptions linger on, and many diets are lacking in sufficient good quality fats. Some of the most common questions I get from patients involve how much fat to eat and what fats to use for cooking. In fact, fat should make up approximately 20-30 per cent of our daily caloric intake, with saturated fats (butter, animal fat) making up no more than 5-10 per cent of calories, and deadly trans-fats avoided altogether. The only essential fatty acids or EFAs (read: we need to get them from our diet) are Omega 3 and 6. They are important for healthy hormone balance and cell replacement (most notably in the skin and mucous membranes) and myriad studies show improvements in psychological and neurological conditions with an increase in essential fatty acid consumption. EFAs may help bal-
ance cholesterol levels, improve circulation, decrease risk of coronary heart disease, decrease blood pressure and blood-fats, decrease the risk for heart attack and prevent the vascular complications of diabetes. Another very important function – especially of Omega 3 - is to counter inflammation (at the root of MANY diseases), whereas animal fats, and excessive Omega 6 create inflammatory compounds in the body. The more saturated a fat is, the more stable it is, and therefore resistant to light, heat, oxidation, and generation of free radicals (known for damage associated with disease and aging), making saturated fats like butter or coconut oil good for high heat cooking, and monounsaturates, like olive oil, useful for low-medium heat cooking. Olive Oil is also great to include raw (as salad dressing, etc). Saturates, however, should be minimized in the diet due to properties which make blood sticky and contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and inflammation. Monounsaturates like olive oil and avocado are also fairly stable, but increase healthy HDL cholesterol. Polyunsaturates (which include Omega 3
Dr. Sonya Hamilton, Chiropractor.
shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, grouper, sea trout, Chilean seabass, orange roughy and bluefish. Jennifer Baer, is your local Naturopathic Doctor, trained chef and Registered Holistic Nutritionist with a focus in digestive
and 6) largely come from vegetable oils (flax, walnut, hemp, safflower, sunflower, etc.) which are far less stable. That said, I prefer to get these oils from the food source itself (whole raw nuts and seeds, whole grains, leafy greens) and from fish oils – which are much more stable and are the best source of bioavailable Omega 3. Thus a healthy diet along with supplemental high quality fish oils is the best choice for most people. Healthy dietary sources of fats include: avocado, olives, nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens, flax meal, whole grains and especially fish. Fish are the BEST source of Omega 3, but stick with low mercury/minimally industrially polluted species with more Omega 3, like: wild salmon (best), herring, mackerel, sardines, wild caught trout, chunk light water-packed tuna (avoid or minimize albacore). Avoid farmed fish and high mercury fish like: tuna sushi/sashimi/steaks, Dr. Jennifer Baer, Naturopathic Doctor.
health. She enthusiastically promotes wellness and prevention through a nutritious diet, positive attitude and active lifestyle. For more information about her training, programs and services, please visit: http://www.drjenniferbaer.com
10 The Bloordale Times Dec/Jan 2015
Art Exhibitions
Daniel Faria Gallery
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NOV 13 - JANUARY 10, 2014/15 Kristine Moran: Affairs and Ceremonies
188 St Helens Avenue
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NOVEMBER 28 - JANUARY 24, 2014/15 Circles and Sequences: Lis Rhodes and Elisabeth Subrin Taking its starting point from the name of the Women’s film and video distribution organisation co-founded by Lis Rhodes in the 1970s, this sequence of screenings engages with questions of representation, politics, language and perception. Friday 28 November – Saturday 13 December 2014 Lis Rhodes Light Reading (1979) B &W, 16mm transferred to video, 20’ A key experimental feminist filmmaker, Lis Rhodes fuses political intent with material means to question the ideological underpinnings of the language of cinema, culture, society and politics. Breaking down formal cinematic structures, disconnecting sound and image, narrative and conclusion, and alluding to photography, writing, performance, collage and political analysis, she explores the authority of language.
“Like previous bodies of work, Kristine Moran’s latest, Affairs and Ceremonies, at Daniel Faria Gallery in Toronto, alludes to magical happenings, corporeal transformations and spectral beings arrayed in various states. The guise of story telling is essential to Moran’s approach to painting. An elaborate narrative ruse launches each work but her irrepressible deployment of style puts the stuff of paint at the center of the story. When one attempts to elicit a complete tale from the paintings, the viewer is confronted with what Winston Churchill coined ‘a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.’ “Moran’s hand gives equal weight to the dramatic chiaroscuro and voluptuous forms of Baroque painting and to Abstract Expressionism’s immediacy of gesture and unabashed piling on of the paint. Borrowing Hilma Af Klint’s sense of visual organization and Jasper Johns’ penchant for
repeating and reproducing imagery, Moran begins to give us some clues as to what she’s up to with her enigma machine: developing a highly personalized visual language for coding specific meaning.” - Anna Schachte Kristine Moran lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. She received her MFA from Hunter College in New York after attaining her BFA at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto. Moran has exhibited in solo shows at Nicelle Beauchene (New York) and Daniel Faria Gallery (Toronto). Her work has been exhibited in numerous group shows, including Rogue Element at RH+ (Istanbul), Power of Selections at Western Exhibitions (Chicago) and The Big Gift: Calgary Celebrates Contemporary Art at Glenbow Museum (Calgary). Moran’s work was featured in Phaidon’s Vitamin P2, and her work has been acquired by several international public collections, including the Saatchi Collection (London, U.K.).
LOOP GALLERY
1273 Dundas Street West
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JANUARY 03 – JANUARY 25, 2015 A Curious Assortment is loop Gallery is pleased to present Hieroglyphs, an exhibition by member artist Elizabeth Babyn, and equilibration, an exhibition by member artist P. Roch Smith. In the past several years, Elizabeth Babyn has been exploring the inter-relationship between sacred geometry and the Fibonacci number sequences; where each number within the sequence equals the sum of the two numbers before it. Babyn views the process of surrounding and enveloping gallery visitors
within these eloquent fundamental mathematical foundations as a metaphor for our connection to each other and to nature. In equilibration, P. Roch Smith explores scale, restructuring expectations and notions of play. He transforms plastic soldiers, skateboarders, Lego blocks, model bombs, tanks, planes and ships by casting them in bronze – a material traditionally used for monuments or grand sculptures. Smith challenges the medium’s historical prestige, casting at a scale that renders the bronze anti-heroic.
MERCER UNION
1286 BLOOR Street West
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The Bloordale Times Dec/Jan 2015 11
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