Volume 222222 --- ### 444

OCTOBER~NOVEMBER~DECEMBER 2017 Volume 222222 --- ### 444

NNNEXT DEADLINE ::: DECEMBER 15, 2017

COCOCO-CO ---OPOP HOUSING CHAMPICHAMPIONONONON PAMELA MARGARET McCONNELL ––– February 14, 1946 ––– July 7, 2017

Pamela Margaret McConnell was a municipal politiciapoliticiann in Ontario, Canada. She served on Metro Toronto Council from 1994 to 1998, and on Toronto City Council from 1998 until her death this year.

City Park Co-operative Apartments Inc. ~ 484 Church St., Suite 115, Toronto M4Y 2C7 416-924-6294

always advocated for the well-being LINK is published quarterly as of January 2017. of housing co-ops and their The next LINK deadline for submissions members, and for affordable housing is December 15, 2017. for all. To her husband Jim, and her daughters Heather Ann and Madelyn, we offer the thoughts and prayers of Pam’s co-op housing

friends across Canada. “Pam is a true hero – a co-op activist long before becoming a politician. She is Your LINK Team: a champion of the people.” Tom Editor/Coordinator: Bob Harrison Drue Contributors: Tom Maunder, Clement, Executive Director, CHFT John Fowler, Karin Williams and “Pam tirelessly advocated to ensure

Ursula Carter everyone has a decent affordable Distribution/Events Photographer: Mitch Lambert place to call home. She served as a role model to us all.” Harvey Cooper, Managing Director, CHF Canada Ontario Region

www.chfcanada.coop

COCOCO-CO ---OPOP HOUSING SECTOR MOURNS THE FIRST MODERN APARTMENT THE LOSS OF COCO----OPOP CHAMPION COMPLEX IN TORONTO PAM McCONNELL

(An article by Chris Bateman that was The Co-op Housing Federation of posted in August on www.spacing.ca ) Canada (CHF Canada) and the Co-op Housing Federation of Toronto The three towers of the City Park co- (CHFT) mourn the loss of our Deputy op apartments on Wood Street Mayor, our co-op housing champion, behind Maple Leaf Gardens don’t our friend. Pam McConnell has been really stand out among the numerous a force for good in thousands of high rises of the Church-Wellesley people’s lives. She was admired and Village. respected by multiple communities and organizations. But for the co-op But the anonymity of the trio of 14- housing sector, she was one of us. storey towers belies an important We have lost one of our own, and our piece of Toronto history because this hearts are broken. Pam raised her was the first modern, multi-building family in the Spruce Court Housing apartment complex in the city and, at Co-op. She has served as President the time of its construction in 1954, of CHFT. And as a Toronto Councillor the biggest residential project in the and as Deputy Mayor, she has country.

City Park was conceived in 1952, but the company continued to own when Toronto city council the land it had assembled, selling it formally identified the land in pieces for Maple Leaf Gardens enclosed by Wellesley Street, Jarvis and the Toronto Hydro headquarters Street, Wood Street, and the future in 1931. subway line as a target for redevelopment. By the 1950s, the department store was leasing the homes on the land it The Yonge line, under owned between Wood and Alexander construction along the western flank Streets, allowing many to fall into of the area, was expected to disrepair and subletting to get out of drive prosperity and force out slum control. conditions that had developed among the mostly Victorian housing Toronto alderman William Dennison stock. Many of the homes close to called it “a civic disgrace, an Carlton Street were in particularly eyesore of the worst kind.” bad shape due to years of neglect by the landlord, the T. Eaton Co. To remedy the situation in the department store chain. Carlton Street area, the city offered to expropriate parcels of land and Eaton’s wound up lease them to owning the future developers willing site of City Park in to put up high-rise the 1910s following buildings in a style a dizzying and “similar to the east unprecedented side of New York”. three-day land acquisition spree. At the same time, In just 72 hours, the the city was company bought up planning the 75 percent of the second phase of land in the two the Regent Park blocks north of Carlton between housing project Yonge and Church Streets. south of Dundas and had also identified the houses east of Trinity The haste was necessary to avoid Bellwood Park between Queen and news leaking that Eaton’s was Dundas as substandard and in need planning a new midtown store in the of redevelopment. area. A group of citizens calling As it happened, Eaton’s College themselves the Bloor-Carlton Street was built on the southwest Ratepayers’ Association formed to corner of College and Yonge in 1928, oppose some aspects of the College

Street-area redevelopment plan, The $8 million project was financed particularly the city’s unusual offer by Swiss building company, Hubert to expropriate the land. Buildings Ltd. Instead of asking the city to expropriate (as had first been “Why isn’t some other district of suggested), the developers bought Toronto named for redevelopment,” the land from International Realty wondered John Downes of Maitland Co., an Eaton’s subsidiary, for Street to the Globe and Mail . “If $500,000 in February 1954. people want to redevelop the town why don’t they do it somewhere By the start of construction, the else?” original City Park plans had been scaled back slightly. Instead of four The ratepayers’ group agreed, towers, the complex would consist of however, that the future site of the three, 14-storey towers. City Park complex was suitable for renewal of some kind. “The switch to three buildings allowed better light use The plan for City Park revealed to the and larger landscaped areas public in 1952 was designed by Peter between the buildings than would Caspari, a Jewish, German-born otherwise have been possible,” architect who fled his home country architect Caspari wrote in the Royal during the build-up to the Second Architectural Institute of Canada World War, eventually settling in Journal in 1957. London, England where he designed several Streamline Moderne Caspari also simplified his towers, apartment buildings. creating three geometric blocks made almost entirely of reinforced Caspari arrived in Toronto in the concrete. Even the walls between early 1950s and he designed the the individual units were made of Vincent Court and Buckingham poured concrete “to eliminate all Court apartment buildings on noise transmission between Eglinton Avenue and several apartments and public corridors,” others during his first few years in Caspari wrote. the country. Caspari was extremely concerned When it was announced, City Park about noise transmission. In addition was Caspari’s largest commission to to the thick concrete walls between date. In fact, it was also the largest units, “special acoustic plaster” was private development proposal in sprayed in the public passages and Canada, with an anticipated 1,000 the units were arranged so the middle-income units spread between bedrooms were separated from the four, 15-storey towers. entryways by at least one internal door.

Double-glazed windows made in There were sun gardens on the roof Switzerland reduced outside noise of each tower and the lobbies were and noisy boiler equipment was decorated with marble floors and separated from living areas by the polished terrazzo walls. communal laundry rooms. Bachelor apartments started at $90 The city gave Caspari special ($830 in 2017 dollars) a month, one- permission to include one parking bedrooms were $155 ($1430, 2017), space for every three units, rather and the most expensive units—two- than the one-for-one ratio stipulated bedrooms on the top floor—were in the planning bylaw. In total, there priced at $195 ($1,800, 2017). would 774 suites with 578 parking spaces underground and on the City Park was noticed around the surface between the towers. world when it was completed. The Swiss financial backing of the towers Construction began with the generated front-page newspaper demolition of the homes on the coverage Der Bund , a national Wood-Church-Alexander-Yonge German-language newspaper based block in 1954 and the project was in Bern. completed approximately a year and a half later in 1956. The UK Sunday Times also noticed the development. In a full-page story The crisp International Style on the benefits of emigrating to apartment towers were “as modern Canada written by former Chancellor as tomorrow,” according to the of the Exchequer Peter complex’s promotional pamphlet. Thorneycroft, the crisp white Church Each unit opened into a “continental Street towers appeared beside a style” hallway off which the various photograph of the Rocky Mountains rooms and closets were located. as symbols of this country.

The living areas came with The towers were “an outstanding hardwood parquet floors, built-in TV example of Modern Canadian outlets, and French windows that architecture,” the piece noted. opened onto a full-length balcony. The kitchens came fitted with In an attempt to build on the success General Electric appliances in a of City Park, Toronto began seeking range of pastel colours—turquoise bidders willing to develop the next green, canary yellow, or satin block north, between Maitland and white—and a milk box connected Alexander Streets. As a sweetener, directly to the hallway for easy the city pledged to expropriate the deliveries. land and lease it to a developer of its choosing.

The eventual winner, Ridout Real It would be almost 10 years before Estate, proposed 1,500 residential the block was privately developed as units spread across eight 17-storey the Village Green complex. towers. Caspari went on to design the CIBC As part of the deal hammered tower at 2 Bloor Street West, which out during an all-night city council was completed in 1974 and was his session, the city would buy the land last major work in Toronto before at a cost of $5 million and lease it to retirement. Ridout, allowing it to build its $17- million complex. He died in 1999 having introduced Toronto to the post-war high-rise. The financial arrangement proved controversial, so Ridout agreed to OUR GORGEOUS GARDENS withdraw its plans and resubmit with other developers in 1956, but the We are so fortunate to be project soon became mired in surrounded by such beautiful and problems. Firstly, only a handful of lush gardens. Each garden has a developers submitted acceptable story to tell. Over the years, many proposals (one contained a heliport), Members have donated their time, then the city was denied federal skill and vision to our gardens. As money that would have covered the well, many people have donated cost of expropriation. trees, shrubs and rose bushes in memory of loved ones. All the In January 1957, Ridout went gardens hold a special place in our bankrupt, further jeopardizing the hearts and minds. redevelopment. In February, the Globe and Mail described the Over the last two years we have city’s attempt at a public-private faced some challenges due to development partnership as “an construction, but many people have object lesson in how not to handle said the gardens at 31 Alexander redevelopment.” have never looked better!

Peter Caspari and the developers of We look forward to re-designing the City Park made an offer that would gardens at 51 Alexander and at the have mostly covered the cost of west side of 484 Church St. This year expropriation in exchange for the we were able to keep all plant right to put up four buildings on the material on site, thereby saving on site, but were unsuccessful. The city transportation and staging costs. repealed the development bylaw in Moving forward, we want to plant June 1957, ending the experiment. responsibly and encourage sustainability. We would like to

provide bees and butterflies food average 1970's user of 25. and shelter in our gardens. Safety, security and clear sight lines Upon closer inspection, this makes a have, and continue to be, of great lot of sense. As a generation, baby concern. One of our goals as a boomers are becoming older, often Project is to make the gardens safe experiencing multiple chronic age- and inviting for us all, but we need related conditions with symptoms your help. Call it a work-garden normally treated with party! pharmaceuticals. Medical cannabis offers a new option for patients who We do need volunteers! Please join are not finding relief with us every Saturday in October pharmaceuticals. Cannabis use can @10:00 a.m. in front of 51 Alexander also reduce side effects and limit the Street. number of medications a patient has to take. Many thanks to Herb Losch for providing such beautiful Once seniors become aware that photographs of our gardens in the cannabis can be used medicinally display cases in each lobby. After without needing to smoke or many years, we will be putting in new experience a high, they often find photographs by professional marijuana is an appealing option. photographer Burke Campbell. We Cannabis can replace multiple are so grateful to all the people who existing drugs with the potential for help us continue to care for our fewer side-effects. Patients can gardens and all the Members of the benefit from more natural Co-op who stop to say a kind word or treatments, and even reduce compliment us on a job well done! medical and pharmacy bills. For seniors on a fixed income Suzanne Geddes – 51 Alexander this leaves more money for

essentials like food and housing, MEDICAL MARIJUANA USUSEE RISING resulting in greater peace of mind. AMONG OLDER CANADIANCANADIANSSSS (This article appeared on Medical marijuana use is rising http://cmclinic.ca/ - The fastest among one demographic you Cannabinoid Medical Clinic website). might not expect: seniors.

Since 1996, cannabis users aged 50 years or older have quadrupled, from 2% up to 23% in 2015. The average 21st century cannabis user is now closer to 35 than in the

MY NEW ZEALAND ADVENADVENTURETURE wet all day, making cars they could never in those days dream of owning. ooking back to those years, 1947 was a fabulous time for As I had already completed a couple Lme as a teenager. Other young of other voyages, I was rated guys were working in factories, or ‘Ordinary Seaman’. Amongst the offices, or a store; some still at crew was another young guy about school even, and here was I, working my age, a first tripper, who had the on a tramp steamer sailing to rating of ‘Deck Boy’, and owned the destinations which can only be status of a ‘nobody’ which was described as ‘exotic’. bestowed upon boys of that rank. Deck boy, steward’s boy, We sailed from London in galley boy, all nobodies on an England which was still a ship. But…fiercely engulfed in the drab and protected by the men dreary early post war regardless. years, bound for the ports and bright lights of the In the pecking order, I was USA, then through the about second to lowest Panama Canal, lazily among the deck crew steaming across the whose duties and work Pacific Ocean to was totally separate from Australia. Then on from cooks, stewards, engine there to New Zealand, New Guinea room crew and of course, Officers. I and eventually to many of the South was ranked just above the galley boy Pacific Islands, which up until then and deck boy. Above us were the only existed in most people’s seasoned seamen, men in their (including my own), imagination, or twenties, thirties, forties and older to from brief glimpses seen in movies. whom war on the oceans was still very fresh in their minds. Some of Tahiti, Bora Bora, Fiji, Rotuma, them had been torpedoed and Makatea, Nauru, Tarawa, most of bombed, swam for their lives in fiery them with no harbour as we know oil covered waters, spent days-on- ports to be. The ship would lay at end in open lifeboats and watched anchor in a lagoon or bay, and with their shipmates die in agony nothing to do in one’s spare time but until rescue came for those still alive. to swim and fish in the warm, deep All of them great seamen who taught blue, crystal clear water whilst my me the seamanship craft that stood brothers and those other boys I had me in good stead over the many left behind in England were riding future years that I spent at sea. their bikes in the cold, pouring rain to get to a factory, only to stand soaking New Zealand in those days was a young country populated by

aboriginal Maoris. The Europeans, Oh, jump we did. Hide out we did not. being mostly of British stock, added a We actually watched the ship sail very British olde-world flavour to the away, us being bold as brass and our country, so it was a very comfortable teenager plans being kept with a and friendly country to visit, determination of a pair of chocolate welcoming not just for Brits, but also soldiers. What we didn’t know for folks of any nationality. though, was the alarm was already raised. The Captain had put out our It was a country that was a magnet for description to the Authorities in this seamen to ‘jump ship’ as it was small New Zealand port town where almost like being at home, with the everybody knew just about English language, and employers everybody else, and the police were crying out for help and offering already alerted for two young guys, wages that many could just not resist. one with copper coloured hair and This did result in numerous seamen one with blonde hair, both with adding themselves to the country’s seamen’s kitbags on their shoulders. population, knowing that the Seamen didn’t use suitcases in those Department of Immigration would days. turn a blind eye to their presence . By now we were quite hungry and we Actually, in stark reality, jumping ship decided then to go and get breakfast was classed no less than desertion , and plan which one of the high paying and punishable by imprisonment. jobs we would go after. Piece ‘a cake, right? No, not right, not right at all. Myself and the deck boy who went by Oh, we got the breakfast ok and were the name of ‘Ginger’ (due to his mop halfway through, when a uniformed of copper coloured curly hair), policeman came in and just sat decided it was about time we had a go himself down at our table and said, all at this jumping ship lark, after all, friendly like, as if he’d known us all what harm could befall us? Aren’t we our lives, “When you’ve finished in a country almost like home and eating lads, you’re coming with me”. both of us with the over ‘ome accents. Just like that! That was it. That was What could go wrong? It’ll be a piece the extent of our jumping ship. That of cake. Our plan was to jump the was as far as we got. Not even 24- night before sailing, hide out hours into our new life in a new somewhere until we were sure the country . We were not ship jumpers ship had gone, resurface, and get one now, we were ship deserters, and of those high paying jobs that are were about to take the abounding here. Piece o’cake it’ll be. consequences.

It didn’t quite work out that way for us The policeman who had detained us though. was quite an affable chap, having nonchalantly sat drinking a cup of tea

while we finished our breakfast, or The jail we were put in was a local jail, tried to finish it more likely. Appetites not a big prison. It held about twenty suddenly disappeared with this bolt small time offenders, thieves, out of the blue. Our first day in the burglars and a couple of drunk new land was instantly shattered. drivers, most of them guilty of petty What will they do to us now? “Oh, nuisance stuff. One guy I remember nothing much, you’ll be detained until was doing six months for breaking your ship either comes back here or into a railway station booking office to some other New Zealand port, and and stealing train tickets. His excuse then you’ll be put back aboard her, to the magistrate was that he was that’s all”. Put back aboard? Oh no! waiting for a train when he heard the We’ll be the laughing stock of the office phone ringing, and as it kept on crew, not to mention what ringing, he thought it might be an punishment the Captain will dole out emergency, so he broke the window to us. to go in and answer the phone, that’s all. And that’s when he was caught “Can’t you just let us and arrested. The go? We can find a cops must have put job and not be the tickets in his trouble to anybody. pocket to frame You’ll see we can him. This is the make good. Just story he told give us the chance anybody who would and we’ll prove it”. listen, including “It doesn’t work that way lad” said the me. policeman. “You’re too young to go wandering around on your own, and We heard that our ship would be away you’ve got to be taken care of until for about a month, and wherever she you get back on your ship”. came back to is where we would be sent, under escort, return fare for our We were up before a Magistrate, who escorts and a night in a hotel for them ordered us to be detained until such at our expense yet! And while we are times as we could be returned to our in jail, we’re not earning anything. ship. We weren’t looked upon, or We’ll be working forever to pay this treated as criminals in the real sense. ship jumping caper off. I made 12 It was an Immigration offence that we English pounds per month and Ginger were guilty of, as far as the New made 7 pounds per month. In those Zealand authorities were concerned, days, the dollar rate of exchange was with our desertion from the ship around 4$C. I made $48 and Ginger being a matter for the ship’s Captain made $28 a month , his salary not to decide upon. even a dollar a day.

The worst thing about daily life in that Sid, the chief jailer and a kindly man jail was getting locked in a cell from to Ginger and me, sent for me one 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. We did not morning and put a proposition to me share a cell. We had our own cells, that was mine to choose or not. which were not intended to be “Nick” he said. In a couple of days, a comfortable in the least. Wooden man will be coming in here to stay for boards and a straw mattress, no a while until he may be sent to pillow, no sheets, just two rough, another prison to serve a long-term filthy blankets. When I complained to sentence. While he is here, he will another guy that half the straw was wear his own clothes, smoke tailor- missing in my mattress he said to me made cigarettes, have books and “Yeah, the guy that had that cell magazines, and food sent in from before you smoked the other half”. outside. He can have chocolates, One bare light bulb went off at about sweets, candy and fruit as long as he 9:00 p.m. and there you were with is here, and during that time we’d like your thoughts until the next morning. you to keep him company. Not share There was no toilet in the cell. At the his cell, but just play cards with him, 4:00 p.m. lock-up you lined up and talk with him, and generally keep him took a chamber pot, of course company. Also, he doesn’t get locked referred to as a ‘piss-pot’, and took it up with the rest of the guys, and you into your cell for any personal needs won’t either, as long as you’re with you might have during the night, and him. You’ll only get locked up when he that was it. wants to go to sleep - how does that sound to you?” Daily routine for Ginger and I was hum-drum and boring as we had no How does that sound? Chocolate, tasks. Unlike the other cons who had sweets, tailor made cigarettes? mopping out, kitchen duties, and Books and magazines! Suits me Sid. other tasks assigned them during the Bring him in! Wait a minute day, we had nothing, except to play though. “Err… Sid, what’s this guy in cards or read the whole day long, for? What’s he done?” This is a waiting to get locked up again at 4:00 question that one soon learns in jail p.m. No radio (television, whilst it may not to ask. “What are you in for?” is a have been invented in those days, question that’s a no-no. You will be was certainly not widespread) and told if the con wants to tell you, if he certainly not available to convicts. doesn’t, don’t ask. This was different though. Here’s a guy going away for This boredom was soon to end for me a long time. He can have, more or though, and I was offered and less, anything he wants, so he had to accepted a task that relieved my have been up to something serious, boredom and led to an experience and I want to know who and what I’ll that stays in my mind until this very be keeping company with. “He’ll be day. going to court for trial every day and

coming back every afternoon until laundry for him. They made sure the his trial is over”. “Yeah, OK Sid, but guy with haircutting talents would what’s he going to be on trial for ?”. trim the few hairs he had left over his ears, and give Jack a good clean “Oh, didn’t I tell you? Ah… well… shave. They seemed to have a Murder! He killed his wife’s lover.” mistaken idea, that if Jack appeared in front of the Judge, with an always Murder! Yikes! Instant visions of a 6’ neat and tidy appearance, it would 6” thug entered my head. A murderer somehow have an influence over the and I’ve got to play cards or checkers length of sentence he would hand with him? That means I’ll have to let down to Jack. him win. Ah well… the chocolate and good outside grub will make up for At first Jack would not have much to that. say about the trial when he returned in the afternoon, but as time passed, But Jack was far from what I he would let on a few things that went imagined he was going to be. I was on in court that day. I do remember myself at that time a little shrimp of a one time he came back and said to me kid. Skinny, and weighed about 125 “That brother-in-law of mine has pounds soaking wet. This ‘murdering really dropped me in it. That’s going thug’ was even smaller than me. In his to get me a few extra years.” He was mid-fifties I would think, bald-head resigned to doing about a twelve-year and a hearing aid stuck in his ear with sentence which is what you did if wires leading to a battery in his shirt you’re sentenced to life in New pocket. Very soft spoken too, as well Zealand in those days. as being very mild mannered. Altogether different, even the Gradually, Jack opened up to me. opposite, from what I had always Opened up about the actual murder, imagined to be the stereotype describing to me in detail how he murderer. Ah well, at least I won’t killed the guy. It was if he was just have to deliberately let him win any telling me a story. “Oh, I did it alright” games we play. he told me. “And d’you know what made me laugh? He said, “They was Jack and I got along quite well, very out hunting for me and all the time I well in fact. In retrospect, I think that was home in bed”. “Made you laugh he thought he was playing a part in Jack?” I thought. “You just blew a guy rehabilitating a juvenile delinquent, a in two, gave him both barrels you told budding criminal so to speak. Each me, went home and went to bed, and day he would go to court for his trial. it made you laugh because they were Young as I was, I had to smile at the looking for you everywhere but the cons making book on what length of right place. Hmm… sentence Jack was going to get. They would press his pants in the prison

Getting on towards the end of his The following day was the day that trial, we had a nice meal, and I said to Jack was going to be sentenced. All him after him telling me of events at the cons were making themselves that day’s trial, I said “Jack, busy to ensure that Jack looked his something doesn’t make sense to me best for the Judge, and I was in fact and it’s this. Look, really, a person hoping that he would get a lighter doesn’t have to kill anybody. You sentence than they were forecasting, don’t kill at all. But let’s suppose you but I wasn’t too optimistic. do, surely you make sure you kill the right one”. The waiting for Jack to come back was nail-bite time and the time “What do you mean? kill the right dragged slowly until the bell sounded one.” “Well, look at it this way. That that somebody was coming in from guy you done in, how do you know outside. As soon as I saw Jack’s face what your wife had told him, how do I knew it was bad news for him. It you know that she could have said couldn’t have been worse. He looked she was a widow, couldn’t she? She at me and said two words, “Natural could have told him she was life”, then burst into tears. divorced. She even could have told him she was a single woman, in fact He was only given time to change into she could have told him anything.” prison garb from his street clothes, gather up his personal belongings, “So? They was still carrying on, and be hustled out to journey to the wasn’t they?” place to begin the sentence that would last until the day he died. “Yeah Jack, but the difference was it was her that was stitching you up, not The last words he said to me were “I him. After all, he never made any think you were right boy, I killed the wedding vows with you, did he? It was wrong one” That’s what he said to her that made the promises, not him. me. You told me yourself that you didn’t know the guy, and you only found out I was told that if they had the death about the affair by gossip, then you sentence in New Zealand, Jack would found out where he lived and went have got it. I asked the other cons and gave him both barrels of your what kind of life would Jack have in shotgun. That’s why I think you killed Mount Eden, the prison he went to. the wrong one”. “He’ll have everything he wants except the key to the front gate” they Then I hastened to add “Not that you told me. should kill anyone”.

“Nah, he had it coming” said Jack.

Our own time in that jail eventually Reduce our carbon footprint, as came to an end for Ginger and me and organic farming uses less energy. we did go back to the ship with our tails between our legs to complete the voyage that lasted fifteen months. The Captain Protect soil quality, a clean water was kind to us supply, and biodiversity. and told us that he was thinking of our THINGS TO THINK ABOUT…. parents when he alerted the If you attempt to rob a bank, you authorities won't have any trouble with rent/food that we were bills for the next 10 years, whether or missing, and if not you are successful. we had been * Do twins ever realize that one of over 21 years them is unplanned? old, instead of * What if my dog only brings back my 17, he would ball because he thinks I like throwing have left us there. it? * If poison expires, is it more Peter Nicholson ~ 31 Alexander poisonous or is it no longer poisonous? WHY CHOOSE ORGANIC? * Which letter is silent in the word ‘Scent’ - the S or the C? There are myriad reasons to choose * Why is the letter W, in English, organic products if you can afford called double U? Shouldn't it be them. When we support organics, we called double V? reduce the use of toxic chemicals * Maybe oxygen is slowly killing you that can be harmful for human and it just takes 75-100 years to fully health, as well as the environment. work. * Every time you clean something, you just make something else dirty. * The word "swims" upside-down is Avoid genetically modified products still "swims". and ingredients. * Intentionally losing a game of rock, paper, scissors is just as hard as trying to win. * 100 years ago everyone owned a Support animal welfare and humane horse and only the rich had cars. livestock practices. Today everyone has cars and only the rich own horses. * Your future self is watching you

right now through memories. Biking with BJ --- * The doctors that told Stephen FALL COLOURS Hawking he had two years to live in RIDE 1953 are probably dead. * If you replace ‘W’ with ‘T’ in ‘What, Now that summer is Where and When’, you get the winding down and answer to each of them. the fall colours are * Many animals probably need taking over, it’s time glasses, but nobody knows it. to relax and enjoy * If you rip a hole in a net, there are the sights along our ride before actually fewer holes in it than there they disappear for the winter. This were before. trip has a couple of hills, but with a * If 2/2/22 falls on a Tuesday, we'll summer of riding you should have just call it "2's Day". little trouble managing them. Bring a camera as you will want to take (It does fall on a Tuesday)Tuesday). pictures of the trees turning colour, and I’ve personally seen deer, Thanks to Ken MacKeracher of 31 foxes, hawks, blue herons, coyotes, for forwarding this to us at LINK beavers and even a wolf once.

Take Alexander and turn left at WHEN TO SEE YOUR DOCDOCTORTOR FOR Church St, go north to Park Road A COLD OR FLU (2 nd north of Bloor St.) and turn If you have any, or all of the right: following: > go down the hill to Rosedale Valley Road and turn right onto the -difficulty breathing dedicated recreational trail, -difficulty keeping food or fluids > follow the trail as it winds through down the valley to the Bayview Extension -difficulties swallowing and turn left onto another -fever higher dedicated bike trail than 100 F (38C) > follow this trail up the valley (The lasting more Brickworks is part way up and has than three (3) lots to see and do along with a days coffee shop) to Pottery Road and turn right across the newly -cough or nasal installed trail bridge congestion that > once across the bridge you use doesn’t the Zig Zag trail crossing of Potter improve, or Road and proceed north along worsens over the course of fourteen another dedicated bike trail (the (14) days. next 4 km is known for many deer and hawk sightings)

> when you pass under Don Mills you came and ride all the way back Road (underpass with Canoe Art on down to Pottery Road the far wall) you will come to > proceed down the Don Valley trail roadway to the Pedestrian Bridge at > turn left and you can explore Riverdale Park either 1) or 2) as follows: > climb up the stairs > turn left and down into the 1) - take the road to the left to baseball field and to the right Sunnybrook Park. This route has > walk up the hill to Riverdale Park / one long hill and you have to share Farm, a good rest stop and visit the the roadway with vehicles for about animals half the trip, but the > make your way to rewards are nice. This Sumac St (west side of route provides deep park / farm) and go north wide valley to Wellesley St and turn surroundings, parks / left and head for home. picnic areas, rivers, It’s also nice to explore washroom / water Riverdale area with all fountains and at the end, the old homes and lovely the Sunnybrook Stables gardens. for horse and equestrian watching. (Total 5 km each way) This route can range from 20 km (just going to Don Mills Road) to 40 2) - take the road to the right to km (by doing both options to Taylor Creek. This route becomes a Sunnybrook and Taylor Creek). It’s trail with no vehicles, and the a nice afternoon outing of 3 to 4 rewards are somewhat different. hours with lots of stops to enjoy the This route provides a narrow but sights and day. Take lots of water deep valley setting with numerous and maybe a picnic to enjoy. bridges / water crossings, parks and picnic areas, washroom/water Remember - a quick wave, a fountains and at the end is a lush ‘thumbs-up’ or a nod of the head to wetland for bird and turtle say, ‘Thank You’ goes a long way. watching. This route also has a dirt ride portion on the far side of the Bill Janes ~ 51 Alexander river which can be accessed by one of numerous bridges along the way. SEPTEMBER IN CITY PARK: The (Total of 4km each way). People, The Places, The Things.

In either case, once at the end of I am an autumn kind of guy. By the each option you can rest, then turn time September rolls around, around and proceed back the way (except for this year) the heat and

humidity of summer have lessened projects with dust, drilling and and the city is beginning to bounce disputes among Members and back into life as Torontonians construction workers. Rising above forsake cottages and campsites to all this cacophony has been the face the harsh realities of returning unflappable Nigel Aplin, the clerk of to work. City Park, on the other the works. hand, follows its own idiosyncratic, wandering path as it welcomes 6. Most mornings Nigel, notebook in autumn. Here are some people, hand, can be seen scuttling across places, and things you might the gardens on his way to valve recognize. installations, leaks and anxious Members. A beacon of serenity 1. If you are lucky enough to face amidst the waves of City Park. east, the sunrise at 7:30 a.m. references the start of a science 7. September brings the famous fiction movie. A tight, round, red ball Labour Day Barbecue with a flipping climbs through parting night clouds. Bob Fisher. One can almost hear the film music, ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra from 8. With customary bloodletting, the Space Odyssey, 2001’ . AGM elects a new Board to steer the ship of state for one more year. 2. Alas, Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece music is forgotten as 9. Strange animals are seen late at dumpsters are dumped on Wood night wearing flashlights. Additions Street. Is more garbage produced in to the Security Team? September? 10. This past September brought 3. Roses, planted by the much sightings of the wandering crucifix. maligned Wildrose, provide sharp Has City Park become a rival for pops of colour against a background Lourdes? of other plants and bushes whose leaves are browning and dying. Who So, Mother Nature may be going to ever said the rose was delicate? sleep in September, but not City Park. 4. The green grass still demands cutting and the wandering leaves Tom Maunder ~ 51 Alexander demand attention of a raucous leaf blower. Just think, climate warming FUN FACTS and Donald Trump may keep Wildrose gardening all year. Studies have shown that people handle insults better when they’re 5. This autumn City Park has lying down. endured a number of multifaceted

Hallmark sells a line of respectively. Both organizations are unemployment sympathy cards you very appreciative of the support can send to people who have lost from City Park Co-Op. This would be their job. a great opportunity to clean/organize those cupboards, both in the kitchen Liechtenstein is the world’s largest and bedroom. Please be aware that producer of sausage casings and food that is beyond the expiration false teeth. date cannot be donated.

In Tokyo, they sell toupees for dogs. We also have an upcoming bottle drive. Please start saving your wine The smell of freshly cut grass is or liquor bottles. Our bottle drive is actually the scent that plants release in support of ‘Nellies Women’s when they’re in distress. Shelter’. CDC has collected over It would take about 1,200,000 $150.00 so far, this year. If anyone mosquitoes to completely drain the wants to start donating their bottles average human being. before the bottle drive in December and January, they can call 416-967- A man once wore 70 items of 3849 or 416-928-0162 after clothing in a Chinese airport to avoid Thanksgiving weekend for early pick paying the airline’s extra baggage up. fee. Our annual balcony Christmas And now you know! decorating contest will once again take place this year. Our judges will be looking for the most creative CDC NEWS AND UPDATES balconies (and window displays for those located on the ground floor). Well after a bit of a break and two All Members are encouraged to successful Lawn Sales and BBQ’s, participate. Cash prizes awarded! the summer is finally over. I wanted to reach out to all City Park Members We will once again have a ‘Pub to thank-you for all your support of, Night’ called ‘February Blahs’. Our and attendance, at the many Pub night was a great success last functions that the CDC has arranged year and was well attended. Many over the last year. The following had fun singing their favorite events are planned for our Members karaoke tunes. CDC is looking this year. forward to having many more Members at this event. Come on out An upcoming event is our annual and let your talent shine. food and clothing drive. The food and clothing drive benefits both PWA The Committee is always looking for and the Yonge Street Mission new committee members and

volunteers. We meet every third neighbouring units as well as the Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in common areas. the 51 Meeting Room on the ground Health Effects floor at the south end next to the Most people understand that second laundry rooms. Please feel free to hand smoke (SHS) is not healthy but come out. Our next meeting will be what many are not aware of is that it on October 19, 2017. is extremely toxic. In fact, after many

years of study, the best science All our upcoming events will be points to the fact that there is no posted. known safe level of exposure. In

addition to causing cancer and heart Warren Ewart ~ CDC Chair conditions, SHS exacerbates asthma

and other respiratory diseases and

is associated with Sudden Infant

Death Syndrome (SIDS).

The effect on seniors and children is especially worth noting. The risk for seniors is heightened because they are more likely to have heart and respiratory conditions. Children breathe more frequently and are developing; this puts them at greater risk of exposure to the dangers of tobacco smoke. Even with proper ventilation, the smoke does not stay within residents’ units. It moves to common areas and other units through a AAANDREW NNNOBLE variety of means including: electric PPPROGRAM MMMANAGER ,,, OOOUTREACH AND sockets, vents, plumbing, and EEEDUCATION differences in air pressure. As a SSSMOKING AND HHHEALTH AAACTION result, according to the American FFFOUNDATION Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Note: A version of this article originally Air-Conditioning Engineers appeared in CondoContact ... (ASHREA) “the only means of effectively eliminating the health risk Exposure to second hand smoke is a associated with indoor exposure is daily reality for many Co-op to ban smoking activity.” Members and Property Staff. The smoke comes from inside units with Co-op Boards and Property smoking occupants into the Managers regularly receive written and verbal complaints about second

hand smoke. Often these complaints In addition, many Co-ops are prompted because the residents implementing a smoke-free bylaw suffer from health issues including could benefit from a solid asthma and COPD. Other times, communications plan. It is complaints are made because there tremendously important the is a growing awareness about residents understand the reasons exposure to toxic substances such behind the policy as well as the as second-hand smoke and a desire timing. Letters, newsletter articles to reduce exposure. and visible signage can play a key Reducing exposure in multi-unit role in ensuring the right message is housing complexes, like a Co-op, is received. Also, it is helpful to remind especially important. When a people that the policy is not about neighbour is smoking, the exposure banning smokers; people can to second hand smoke is an ongoing continue to be smokers, but after the issue. Residents spend a policy is in-force, they will no longer considerable amount of time in their be able to smoke in areas restricted unit living, sleeping, and by the policy (e.g. their units, increasingly, working from home. including balconies). Finally, if the policy is being grandfathered (i.e. Going SmokeSmoke----FreeFree only affecting new members), it is Because of the above-noted health critical that everyone, including concerns and other issues prospective Members and associated with smoking in contractors are fully aware of the condominiums, some Co-ops are situation. creating smoke-free policies. For Our organization provides support example, this year ‘Bread and Roses for housing co-operatives who want Co-operative Homes’ in Kitchener to find out more about going smoke- voted to go smoke-free. free. We offer guides, success The legal ability to create and stories, videos, and sample policies enforce a smoke-free policy exists on our website at and is clear, but to ensure the policy smokefreehousingon.ca/housing-co- is effective, it is important to take ops. Thanks to support from other steps. In creating the policy, Ontario's Ministry of Health and Boards need to be conscious of Long-Term Care, our services and keeping Members informed and information are available free of aware. If the policy is seen as charge. coming out of 'nowhere', it is likely that several people will be upset. This will make it more difficult to (Article submitted by Andrew Lesk ~ make the change and will impede 51 Alexander) implementation efforts.

THE ANGEL LADY was needed, and that was our Clothing Drive which takes place eticia Cruz from 31 Alexander each fall. She sat for many hours in has chosen to leave City Park the lobby of 31 encouraging Land be cared for at Seven Members to give clothing, food and Oaks, a retirement/nursing home. money. Thanks to her, it was always She came from a success. the Philippines. When her mother I called her the Angel Lady. Leticia, passed away, it being of strong faith, loved angels. was left to her to That word spread and she was given care for five angels of all different types: carved siblings. She out of wood, made of porcelain, moved from her stone and even glass. At Christmas homeland to the time, her balcony was decorated United States with white wood lattice and looked and eventually found her way to like a manger with the Star of Canada and then to City Park. One Bethlehem and many shimmering brother became a doctor and one a lights. Leticia knows how to live dentist. Leticia never married joyfully, make people welcome and because of her responsibility toward always have food and drink ready for her family. any guest visiting her. Her colourful figure will be badly missed. I intend During her many years here, she to visit her at gave joyfully of herself and her Seven Oaks cooking talents. She became a and would volunteer for the CDC. At many not be picnics and gatherings, she took surprised to care of the desserts. In my mind, I find her there see her standing over a large cake at a function and cutting it into portions for the cutting a waiting Members. Many actually cake and as called her the ‘Cake Lady’. At an always earlier stage, she persuaded the surrounded Board and Management to set up a by community kitchen in 484. But as angels…even Management changed, so did that though they plan. It would have been a place might not be visible to the naked eye. where Members would learn how to cook and bake (Philippine style). Karin Williams ~ 51 Alexander

That did not hold Leticia back. She found another area where her help

FASCINATED BY CEMETERIES ––– PART II

In the last issue of LINK, I talked about some interesting cemeteries I visited locally and abroad. I’d like you to join me now on another episode of fascinating cemeteries and burial sites around the world. I’ll start locally again with the largest cemetery in Toronto – one that I’ve traipsed through many times.

Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario

Originally a 200-acre farm on what were the far outskirts of Toronto,

Mount Pleasant Cemetery opened in 1876 with more than twelve miles of carriage drives along rolling hills and ponds. Today it still has many miles of walking paths, interspersed with

fountains, sculptures, large flower

gardens and rare and distinct trees. prime minister of Canada; Sir Birds and other wildlife also enhance Frederick Banting & Charles Best – its natural beauty. The Mount co-discoverers of insulin; Northrop Pleasant Mausoleum is a classic Frye – educator & literary critic and example of Georgian architecture Glenn Gould – musician & composer with granite exteriors and finely detailed bronze and marble interiors. Granary Burying GroundGround,, Boston, Massachusetts

Established in 1660, this small patch of ground which barely covers two acres, has approximately 5,000 corpses. One source estimates that as many as 20 bodies lie beneath each tombstone.

As the final resting place of more than 168,000 persons and containing an abundance of remarkable architecture and monuments, Mount Pleasant Cemetery was designated a National Historic site of Canada in the year 2000.

Here are a few of the interesting The cemetery is the final home of sites to seek out while wandering many of Boston’s Revolutionary War through the grounds: patriots, including Robert Paine, • A memorial commemorating signer of the Declaration of the 118 lives lost in the fire that Independence. In the centre of the destroyed the Great Lakes graveyard stands a granite obelisk luxury cruise liner SS Noronic labeled FRANKLIN – marking the on September 17, 1949. grave of Benjamin Franklin’s • A Children's Garden Memorial parents. Near it is the Children’s created to remember stillborn Tomb where hundreds of children and orphans. are interred. Visitors line up to be • A memorial erected in honor of photographed beside the the war dead in the South monuments of Paul Revere, Samuel African War of 1912. Adams and John Hancock.

Among the many well-known Toronto Ornamentation on early gravestones personalities interred here are Sir features a grim death’s head, the William Lyon MacKenzie – former

later preference was for cherubs. I. Protestant Elizabeth’s tomb lies These ‘soul effigies’ indicate a huge atop Catholic Mary’s, beneath which shift in Christian philosophy, from an epitaph reads “Consorts both in the Puritan belief that only the ‘elect’ throne and grave, here rest we two would enter heaven, to a general sisters – in the hope of one sense that heaven was available to resurrection”. Elizabeth’s effigy is all. In the late 1700’s, epitaphs that the only one visible. record how survivors felt about their losses came into fashion. One such Commoners such as Geoffrey epitaph read “To this sad shrine who Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Rudyard ‘ere thou are drawn near, lies the Kipling, Charles Darwin and Sir friend most joy’d, the son most dear; Isaac Newton were honored with who ne’er gave his father grief, but burial in the Abbey. George Frederic when he died”. Handel is here, as well as composer Henry Purcell who is buried near the In 1879 the last body sank into the organ that he played. Explorer David dirt of the Granary Burying Ground. Livingstone’s body was unearthed It is now a place where visitors can from his grave in Africa and interred be in touch with history. here. During the 20 th century, coffins were no longer buried here, folks Westminster Abbey, London, were cremated and their ashes England interred in the Abbey.

Originally Many famous Britons are founded in 960, commemorated in the Abbey with Westminster memorial plaques, although their Abbey is one of remains lie elsewhere. Among them the UK’s most are Shakespeare, Jane Austen, notable religious William Blake, Lewis Carrol, Sir buildings and the Winston Churchill, Keats and traditional place Shelley. Lord Byron’s memorial was of coronation placed here in 1969; Oscar Wilde and burial sites was recognized on a stained-glass for British monarchs. It contains window in 1995. about 500 interments and memorials. Edward the Confessor At the west end of the nave lies the was the first king to be buried here in tomb of The Unknown Warrior. The 1066. chosen unknown from WWI was The Abbey is stuffed with mortuary reburied in the Abbey floor on sculpture – 17 British monarchs Armistice Day on November 11, reside permanently here, including 1920. Of all the graves in the Abbey, Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth

this is the only one you’re not to remember him and his allowed to step on. Flowers or contribution to the parish and to wreaths often surround it. England.

Shakespeare’s GraveGrave,, Holy Trinity Ursula Carter ~ 51 Alexander Churchyard, Stratford upon Avon, England LIVING IN A HIGHHIGH----RISRISRISEE

Over the years I’ve heard complaints about second hand tobacco smoke, second-hand marijuana smoke, cooking smells, incense, scented candles, chemical cleaners, unchanged kitty litter, etc. What is no problem for some is toxic or noxious for others. Holy Trinity Church dates back from 1210. One of the loveliest parish This is not ‘someone else’s’ churches in England, it’s visited by responsibility. We share a collective an estimated 200,000 people each responsibility to ensure that we year. Shakespeare was buried in the aren’t poisoning or creating chancel on April 25 th , 1616. The problems for a neighbour. What am I cause of his death remains a doing to contain any smoke or mystery. His epitaph, which he aromas to my unit? What can the Co- himself dictated reads “good friend op do to contain the smoke and for Jesus sake forbear to dig the aromas? What types of solvents and dust enclosed here. Blessed be the cleaners being used by staff or man that spares these stones, and contractors? If the answer circles cursed be he that moves my bones”. back to “It’s not my problem” or Such curses were common at the “Just live with it”, then nothing will time. His wife and daughter are happen other than continued buried alongside him in the chancel. complaining and people getting sick.

A memorial to Shakespeare was I’m an ex-smoker. I can’t tolerate the erected during Anne’s lifetime and is smell of tobacco and am well-aware believed to be a good likeness. Each when a neighbour is smoking. The year on April 23 – Shakespeare’s second-hand smoke wafts in through presumed birthday – Holy Trinity my windows. I am very allergic to hosts a flower-laying ceremony. marijuana. I did inhale in my far-off Thousands file through the church youth and never got high. I while the bells ring and the organ developed sinusitis instead. The plays. A Shakespeare Service is held smell of liver cooking sets off my gag

reflex. The carpet shampoo used in SO, DO I ACTUALLY HAHAVEVE SLEEP the hallways is noxious. The list goes APNEA? on. In the last issue of LINK, I wrote I’m no paragon. I cook fish. I light about my nascent struggles in the candles or make coffee to mask the murky fields of sleep apnea. Since cooking smell. My windows are then, many Members have open. My neighbours are good cooks approached me during my Zen and the aromas in the hallway are moments in the garden between 484 delicious. The second-hand and 51 to discuss the issue. Some marijuana smells are not. stated that they felt sleep apnea was Recreational or medical, it gets a meaningless, self-indulgent musky and skunk-like very quickly. boondoggle designed to promote There is little second-hand tobacco sales of machines that were quickly smoke on my floor. Unless each unit forgotten. Others felt that the sleep has a self-contained ventilation apnea machine had changed their system, which we can’t afford, lives with nights of restful slumber, smells and smoke will bleed to other increased energy and improved love units. The exhaust fans were lives. The machine costs replaced around the same time as approximately nine hundred dollars the fridges and stoves. The endless and its purchase is partially construction reduces efficiency. subsidized by OHIP. Even with a Maintenance of the fans is obviously benefit package, it is a considerable needed on an ongoing basis. That expense. The question is ‘Do I have will help but not cure. Sealing unit sleep apnea and will the machine vents and blocking the bottom of the help?’ unit doors impedes efficiency and stops the air convection. It will not Let’s start with do I have sleep stop bugs from entering a unit either. apnea? There are a number of Bugs can be carried in on your shoe. questions to ask yourself which might give you answers. The I have many questions and not a lot questions are gleaned from a slew of of answers at this point. I would like questionnaires which can be to see a committee, not a project, obtained online. look at this issue. Please no cute names. Here are some examples: 1. Do I generally feel tired/sleepy all Over to the Board of Directors! day? 2. How quickly do I fall asleep? Bob Fisher ~ 51 Alexander 3. Do I nap during the day? 4. Do I have hypertension? 5. Do I exercise on a regular basis?

6. What is my caffeine and alcohol Several Members were fed up with consumption? having to breathe cigarette and 7. Do I snore or drool? marijuana smoke in their own units 8. Do I doze off watching television and in the corridors and other or reading? common areas in the Co-op, so they 9. Do I sleep walk? decided to form a member 10. Do I have frequent nightmares? committee dedicated to installing some kind of prohibition on smoking. Please do not self-diagnose but check with your doctor. The sleep Did you initially meet with a lot of apnea machine seems to work for resistance from Co-op Members? me, but what is crucial is sleep hygiene. My sleep hygiene leaves a Most of the resistance came later, great deal to be desired. I go to bed after the process had gathered a lot at 12:30 a.m., I watch television or of steam. The resistance was work on the computer, I eat, I read. I entirely from the 20% of the am a bad sleep bro’. Members who smoke and was very vehement. However, even from the I believe the sleep apnea machine beginning, some of the smokers has helped me, but so much depends infiltrated the committee, meaning on my mental framework before I go that they joined the committee with to bed. My focus has now shifted to the intention of persuading elevated blood sugar. Getting old is committee members to water down SUCH fun. any proposals that might be produced and to spread Tom Maunder ~ 51 Alexander disinformation, particularly about certain non-existent rights, such as SMOKESMOKE----FREEFREE LIVING: TTHEHE COCO----OPOP the non-existent right to be EXPERIENCE grandfathered.

Other co-ops, condos, and Did you survey the Membership, and apartment buildings have gone if so, how? What was the result? smoke-free. Sharon Gigliotti interviews Wayne Sawtell, of the The Smoke-Free Building Committee Conservation Co-op Homes in conducted a written survey of the Ottawa, about that co-op’s entire Membership. It was an experience. anonymous survey, which was distributed to every household. The You're the first non-smoking co-op in office compiled the results. Over half Ontario. What was the spark that of the Membership responded. The started it all? results were almost entirely in favour of restricting smoking in the Co-op in

some way. Members were Several General Members’ Meetings specifically asked what kind of were held on the issue. Two restriction they might be in favour of. professional CHF facilitators were Many favoured a total ban. hired to facilitate the final meeting, in which the vote was taken. Many You must have translated the survey amendments were proposed, none results into a by-law. How was that of which were adopted by the achieved? Membership. None of the votes on Based on the survey results, and on the amendments were close. information provided by Ottawa However, the final vote on the by-law Public Health and by the Non- itself was fairly close. It required Smokers’ Rights Association, the 67% approval, and received 72%. committee outlined what kind of provisions it was in favour of. The How satisfied is the Membership with committee then drafted a by-law the bylaw now? containing a total ban on smoking anywhere in the building, on patios Enforcement of the by-law has been or balconies, and on the grounds. sluggish. The smokers’ group There was a grandfathering clause persisted for a few years after the of six months in order to allow enactment of the by-law, seemingly smoking Members either to quit with the intent to stymie efforts to smoking, get in the habit of smoking enforce it. Anti-by-law Members only outdoors on the sidewalk, or to continued to run for and get elected find another place to live. There was to the Board. Our management at the also a provision for three designated time was not in favour of the by-law, smoking areas on the Co-op and it is questionable how grounds, with a one-year sunset thoroughly our coordinator tried to clause on those areas. These implement it. The idea was that not measures were aimed at softening every single complaint would initiate the transition to a totally smoke-free an eviction process. Therefore, most building and grounds. Members’ complaints did not make it to the Board. It has been up to Was the vote at the General Meeting Management to decide when a given close? Members’ smoking has become a repeated violation of the by-law. At The smokers in the Co-op formed an Conservation Co-op, Members must informal group dedicated to complain in writing about a problem opposing the proposed Smoke-Free in order for action to be taken by Building By-Law. They organized management or the Board. We do their own strategy meetings and ran not accept anonymous written their own candidates in Board complaints. Members must sign it elections, with some success. and their name is kept confidential.

What would you say are some of the What lies ahead? myths and dissembling you had to face in the process? Recently, the Board of Conservation Co-operative has been stricter about The biggest myth we had to confront enforcing the Smoke-Free Building was the myth that Members of a By-Law. There have been a couple of housing co-operative enjoy all the evictions of particularly stubborn rights provided to tenants of members, whose smoking habits, landlord-owned buildings under the both cigarettes and marijuana, Residential Tenancies Act. The RTA regularly filled the corridors and the specifically guarantees tenants the units neighboring theirs. The Board right to indefinite grandfathering. hopes to continue on this path and However, Members of a housing co- show the Membership that it is operative are not covered by the serious about enforcing the by-law. RTA. Housing co-operatives are covered by the Ontario Co-operative LONELY? VOLUNTEERING JUST Corporations Act, which does not TWO HOURS A WEEK MAY HELP contain any grandfathering provision because co-ops are democratically (Reuters Health) - Volunteering at run. We also confronted the myth least two hours a week may go a that smokers have a right to smoke long way toward helping to ease under the federal Charter of Rights feelings of loneliness and social and Freedoms. No such right exists, isolation, a study of recent widows either in the Charter (federally) nor suggests. in the Ontario Human Rights Code (provincially). Also, some Members Loneliness is a serious medical have purveyed the myth that they problem for many older adults; have the right to do whatever they previous research links it to declines want in the privacy of their own in physical and mental health as well home. There is no legal statute that as premature death, researchers guarantees any such thing, not the note in the Journals of Gerontology: Charter, not the Human Rights Code, Social Sciences. Because strong not the Co-operative Corporations marriages, friendships and social Act, not the Ontario Housing networks can keep loneliness at bay, Services Act. The notion is silly on researchers wanted to see if the face of it. One simply has to think becoming more involved in the about municipal by-laws against community through volunteer work noise, or the Criminal Code, for might make loneliness less common example, to know that one cannot do for an especially vulnerable group: whatever one likes in one’s home no recent widows. matter what the effects are on They found, as expected, that people around you. feelings of loneliness were much

more intense among recent widows At the start of the study, roughly half than married people. But the recent of the participants did some widows who started volunteering at volunteer work. People were more least two hours a week developed likely to start volunteering during the lower levels of loneliness on par with study if they became widows than if married people who spend similar they remained married, and widows amounts of time giving back to their were also more likely to devote lots communities. of hours to volunteer work.

This offers fresh insight into “how During the study, about 1.5 percent much of a ‘dose’ of volunteering of the participants started might be needed to offset loneliness volunteering at least 100 hours a at widowhood,” said lead study year, and another 6.3 percent began author Dawn Carr of the Pepper volunteering, but less often. Institute on Aging and Public Policy at Florida State University in To assess loneliness, researchers Tallahassee. examined data from questionnaires that asked how often people felt “We do not know exactly how isolated, left out, or that they lacked volunteering `gets under our skin,’ companionship. but there is some speculation that it is beneficial because it tends to One limitation is the possibility that require us to use our mind, it less lonely people might be more apt requires us to be more physically to venture out to volunteer, rather active, and it almost always requires than volunteering being responsible us to interact with others,” Carr said for any reduction in loneliness, the by email. authors note.

For the study, researchers examined Even so, the findings offer fresh data collected from 2006 to 2014 on evidence of the health benefits of 5,882 adults aged 51 and older. All regular social interactions, said Dr. the participants were married at the Guohua Li, director of the Center for start of the study, but 667 had Injury Epidemiology and Prevention become widows by the end. at Columbia University in New York City. People widowed during the study were more likely to be women, black, “Volunteering in particular is an older, sicker, depressed, and activity that facilitates older adults’ experiencing cognitive decline. They social engagement and the were also more likely to have had a formation of meaningful spouse who was disabled or relationships with others,” Li, who suffering from memory loss. wasn’t involved in the study, said by email. “Volunteering may also

increase older persons’ self-esteem on September 24 th . We were very and give them a sense of community, lucky here at City Park, because, for decreasing their feelings of the first time, our heat was not loneliness after the loss of a turned on September 15 th … because spouse.” it didn’t need to be. It seems our new Management, finally does To get these benefits from understand the bylaw as it is written. volunteering, though, people need to Here’s hoping they remember this keep showing up, said Dr. Carla next springspring! Perissinotto, a researcher at the University of California, San Councillors said tenants across the Francisco, who wasn’t involved in city were living in ‘intolerable’ the study. conditions, with some residents reporting temperatures in their units “For some people, volunteering as high as 30 C. At a press regularly can actually help decrease conference September 20 th , tenant feelings of loneliness and this is issues committee chair Councillor important because loneliness is Josh Matlow and board of health linked to many health outcomes such chair Councillor Joe Mihevc urged as increased risk of heart disease, landlords of buildings with air dementia, functional decline and conditioning to keep it on through death,” Perissinotto said by email . the heat wave. “There are a significant number of people who “But the volunteering were baking in their homes right must be regular - not now,” said Matlow (Ward 22 St. just twice a year - to Paul’s). He called on landlords to have the benefit,” “use common sense.” Perissinotto added. “Similarly, to Landlords genuinely wanting to be exercise, you need to compliant with a city bylaw have a certain governing rented units are amount on a weekly basis for it to be misunderstanding the rules, the beneficial.” councillors said.

The bylaw dictates a minimum FINALLY, SOMEONE IS LISTENING!!! temperature of 21 C between Sept. 15 and June 1st. BUTBUT,,,, the BYLAW Regarding our recent heatwave the DOES NOT SAY that the heating end of September…warm and humid system must be turned on starting temperatures, and a misunderstood Sept. 15, Matlow said. city bylaw, left some residents “There’s nothing in there that says baking in their units, city councillors flip the switch,” he said. “So, if said according to the Toronto Star Mother Nature isn’t taking care of it,

yes, flip the switch, get the boiler ON A BALCONY GARDEN, going, get the heat on. But in this SSSUMMERSUMMER OF ‘17 case, everyone in Toronto knew that

Mother Nature was working overtime. So, she was taking care of the heat. I wanted landlords to take care of their tenants.” Mihevc said his Ward 21 (St. Paul’s) office had been “inundated” with calls from those in hot buildings.

“One of the residents actually had to be hospitalized because of the lack of ventilation,” Mihevc said. The councillors said landlords worried about the time it takes to switch over from air conditioning to heating if temperatures drop quickly (Courtesy of Grazyna Karp ~ 31 Alexander) won’t be prosecuted by the city’s bylaw enforcement for using their best judgment and doing their due SUBMISSIONS TOTOTO LINK diligence to comply with the rules. All Members are encouraged to In the long-term, submit material of interest to the Matlow said Mayor Membership for consideration in John Tory is LINK. All submissions should be supportive of a TYPED or CLEARLY PRINTED and review of the bylaw include your full name, building and to allow for greater apartment number. Articles can be clarity and nuance dropped off to our Office or sent by to better protect email to CityParkLINKCityParkLINK@gmail@[email protected] tenants’ health. Matlow said he hopes changes will come this spring . ~ ed. for reading this issue of LINK. If you are about to throw it away, kindly take it back to the rack at the front door so another Member can read it. Much appreciated from your friends at LINK.