ww The TITANIC REDUX n Actors revisit Observer famous tragedy Page 2 Serving our community since 1972 Vol. 43, No. 1 www.torontoobserver.ca Friday, Feb. 7, 2014 Municipal candidates ready to roll

the former Metro Former councillor — Papadakis was a councillor John Papadakis for the old Borough of East York, from 1991 until 1994. returns to the fray He’s since run for office unsuccessfully several times, By JASUN SINGH including for an East York The Observer seat in the House of Three familiar faces are Commons among the first out of the as a Pro- gate in the 2014 munic- gressive ipal election campaign. Conser- East York incumbents Jan- vative in et Davis and Mary Frageda- n DAVIS 1993, for an kis both filed their candidacy East York papers with the city’s elec- seat on in tion office on Jan. 6. Davis 1998, for mayor of Fort Erie, has been the councillor for Ont., in 2006, and for Fort Erie Ward 31/Beaches-East York council in 2010. Papadakis was for 10 years, and Fragedakis living in Fort Erie at the time. has represented Ward 29/To- In Beaches-East York ronto-Danforth, since 2010. meanwhile, incumbent Da- But even with the election vis has two lower-profile more than eight months off, competitors: teacher Michael they both have competition in Sokovnin and Stephen Prince. their campaign for re-election. In Ward 26/Don Valley Perhaps most interestingly, West, there are no declared John Papadakis has returned candidates yet — not even to the East York political incumbent John Parker, who scene in Toronto-Danforth. has gained a new prominence Last Friday, Jan. 31, Papa- at city hall as a spokesper- dakis filed his papers to vie son for councillors trying to Jasun Singh /// Observer against Fragedakis in Ward carry on with city business 29. Prior to the creation of despite the scandals sur- Portrait of a program the “mega-city” — and East rounding Mayor Rob Ford. Centennial College’s East York campus held an open house on Jan. 25 to showcase its communi- York’s amalgamation with cations programs. At this session promoting the fine arts curriculum, Nicole Silvestri painted the the other municipalities of n See CANDIDATES, page 4 portrait of model Maria.

n HOUSING Woodbine station New plan is ‘border-line’ crazy: Parents set for renovation By BRITTANY DEMPSTER Family moves, finds “There’s a big issue there,” said According to Kennedy, St. minutes away from the school, The Observer Angela Kennedy, the Catholic Anselm Catholic School at but was still told that their chil- out child can’t attend school board representative from 182 Bessborough Drive, near dren can’t attend there. Improved accessibility will be the key feature Ward 11, encompassing East Millwood Road and Bayview “Most of the trustees were get- of the renovated Woodbine TTC station, accord- By SOLA DaSILVA the school it wants York. Avenue, is the only school in ting complaints from parents who ing to “liaison officer” Lito Romano, who hosted The Observer Kennedy is among the trustees East York that is going through thought the boundaries in the a community open house on Jan. 29 to discuss By DEIDRA BARTON and parents who recently met to this dilemma. schools were what they’ve been the coming construction. The Observer talk about the admission policy But, Kennedy said, that still for years and years,” Kennedy Romano says the station will have more acces- For at least one family living and borders changing in their means that “there’s three families said, “and because of the full-day sible features: two new elevators, a sliding door at the northwest corner of East neighbourhood. who live on a street called Balliol kindergarten, we changed some and a second exit are going to be added at the lo- York, it seems like the old bait- As the new year begins, parents who were previously within the of the boundaries.” cation. The project begins later this year and will and-switch. are already thinking of schools boundaries and were now told She said the board is trying to be completed by 2017, and according to Council- Their school trustee says that for their children to go to in the they can’t admit their children revert to pre-2012 boundaries. lor Janet Davis of Ward 31/Beaches-East York, it they moved to that neighbour- fall. New boundaries have been to the school anymore, and they “We amended, but the amend- will cost the city $20 million. hood in part for the neighbour- in place since 2012 because of the moved into the neighbourhood ments still have to come back. Married couple Brian Kurosky and Jane Welsh hood school. full-time kindergarten program. in order for them to go to that They’re not finalized. The policy are enthusiastic about the future changes. But full-time kindergarten These boundaries are frustrating school.” has to come back in its revised “We’re very excited about the project and has brought changes in school to some families because their Kennedy added that one of the form and we’re going to take a looking at the pictures, it kind of looks like it boundaries that now bar their children will have to go to a families bought a house in that look at it and see if it’s what we could fit into the neighbourhood,” Kurosky said. children. school further than their siblings. neighbourhood that was only five want.” n See TTC, page 4 2 NEWS The East York Observer /// Friday, Feb. 7, 2014

POLICE & Whas t’ FIRE up in e.y. Man arrested East York student’s work in stabbing showing at Betty’s pub Toronto police The St. Lawrence Market have arrested a area pub “Betty’s” will host man after a stab- an art show by art student bing at an apart- Matthew Rooney tomorrow, ment building at Feb. 8, from 2 until 8 p.m. 500 Dawes Rd. The show, called “Hey, We On Jan. 20, of- Here’s Good Art,” will be ficers from 54 upstairs at the pub, 240 Division found a King St. E., and is open to 40-year-old man anyone 19 years of age and on the fifth floor over. Rooney studies at the of the building Carlaw Avenue campus of with a stab wound Centennial College. to the chest. EMS rushed the victim to hospital with Maria Shipulina /// Observer Volunteers sought for life-threatening Laura Vincent’s character represents the pain of remembering tragedy. injuries. Andrew youth advisory group Peter Jackson, 39, of Toronto The S. Walter Stewart branch faces charges of of the Toronto Public Library’s Titanic mystery on stage “Youth Advisory Group” is attempted mur- looking for volunteers. The der, aggravated By MARIA SHIPULINA not an obstacle anymore. Titanic; she seems so cold inside — group next meets at the li- assault, and two The Observer The cast features West McDonald, like she was in the sea for years. And weapons-related Laura Vincent, Anne McDougall and the only word she says is: “Titanic.” brary, 170 Memorial Park Ave., charges in con- There’s still time to catch the unique Paulette St-Amour. Two souls, lonely and lost, each this Wednesday, Feb. 12 and nection with the mystery “The Scotland Road” on- John (McDonald) knows every- with a burning desire inside: one, to on Wednesday, March 12 from incident. Anyone stage at the Papermill Theatre on Pot- thing about the tragedy of Titanic. He finish her long journey; the other, to 5 until 6:30 p.m. Students with informa- tery Road. is familiar with every known passen- start it. looking to earn community tion is asked to But you’d better hurry: there are ger and knows the ship from top to There is also a third, the soul of the service hours are encouraged contact 416-808- only three performances left in the bottom like he built it himself. sunken ship, the soul filled with pain to come and pick up an appli- 5400 or Crime week-long run — today, Feb. 7, at 8 His only dream is “to be there when and tears. cation at the information desk. Stoppers anony- p.m., and tomorrow at 2 and 8. it comes,” to witness the horror and Titanic unites a woman and a man mously at 416- The play, directed by Victoria Shep- desperation, to look death straight in to help make their dreams come true 222-TIPS (8477). herd, picks up on the notion that dying the eyes and not to turn away. and take their last journey together. Dreaming of Tuscany misunderstood and alone is what peo- Destiny unites him with a woman All seating for “The Scotland Road” The Garden Society ple fear the most. But if you believe (Vincent) found in the open sea on top is reserved, so call 416-860-6176 or will meet this Thursday, Feb. Hotdogs lead in your dream, if you want it to come of a floating iceberg. go to www.amicusproductions.ca to 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lea- true with all your heart, then time is She is dressed like a passenger from book. side public library branch, to warning 165 McRae Dr. Speaker Two separate Donna Fenice will be show- discoveries of casing the natural beauty of hotdogs, spotted Ice storm repercussions continue Tuscany, Italy as she shares in areas where the history behind some of By XUETING ZHAO East York residents the most famous Renais- The Observer walk their dogs, sance and Baroque gardens. have prompted For 11 years, Olgica Tosic and her Refreshments will be avail- Toronto police family on Ferris Road enjoyed the able at 7 p.m. to issue a public cool shade in summertime under the safety alert. elm tree in their back yard. But this On Jan. 17, a man coming summer, they might have to Games galore at library walking his dog go without it, because almost half of in a park in the the tree was taken down by the ice The S. Walter Stewart library Linkwood Lane storm that slashed the GTA area just branch will host a game night and Spanbridge before Christmas. for teens on Friday, Feb. 21 area found The ice storm left more than and Friday, March 21 at 170 hotdogs in the 250,000 residents in Toronto living Memorial Park Ave. from 4 park. On Jan. 23, for days without power and heating. to 5 p.m. Teens between the a woman walking Many property owners suffered sig- ages of 11 and 18 are wel- her dog in the nificant losses — and some of them come to come out for some park at 90 Balfour are still recovering. Roxana Chiriac /// Observer friendly competition. Free Wii, Ave. also found “It looks pretty much like a war City trees fell and blocked the road at Cedarcrest Bou- 360 and Kinect systems are hotdogs. Police zone,” Daniel Murton said. “I was levard, near Ferris road. available for play. have collected unable to drive to the property be- the hotdogs for cause the tree debris was blocking cleanups, many landscaping com- block. He added that Toronto Hydro forensic testing. the road and there were electric panies got so busy that sometimes told him he’d have to pay $1,200 by Calling all tutors At this time, no wires falling on the ground.” it would take $500 to just get an himself to hire a contractor to re- one has reported Murton is the franchise owner at arborist to come to the house for a store the power — and it took two The East York Learning Ex- any animals eating Kutting Krew Mowing Service, a consultation. days before the power came back. perience, located at 266 the hotdogs or landscaping company based in East Leaside is among the most badly “It really depends on how fast you Donlands Ave., is looking falling ill. Police York and serving the eastern and hit areas in Toronto. More than one can find a contractor,” he said. for volunteers to help adults advise anyone who northern regions of the GTA. month later, branches and twigs are He said he was very disappointed build their reading, writing finds hotdogs, or He was outside cleaning the tree still buried under the snow in some with the city’s work on the recovery. and basic math skills. Train- any food out of debris for residents in the days fol- residents’ yards. Several properties “The city doesn’t trim the trees ing begins this Thursday, Feb. place in a park, lowing the snowstorm. The service still have cordons around the dam- before things like this happens. You 13. Anyone interested should not to handle it fee for cleaning up tree debris is aged trees. phone in, they just don’t do any- call the East York Learning and to call police based on the duration of working Alvin Ng lives on Rumsey Road. thing.” Experience at 416-425-2666 at 416-808-2222. hours, and could vary from $150 to He said a city-owned tree fell on Murton suggested that property for more information. ~ Nicholas Misketi $400. He said because of the soaring his neighbour’s property and took owners should check their trees regu- ~ Samantha Freeman demands from customers asking for out power from five houses in his larly and trim the branches if needed. The East York Observer /// Friday, Feb. 7, 2014 NEWS 3 n TRAFFIC PREDICAMENT Early fixes make for clean streets Last year’s road work Hector Moreno is the To- per day, giving each crew a ronto manager of road oper- quota of 25-50 repairs. keeping East York ations, and headed a major Sidewalks are also an is- effort to clean up the city sue. Darren Osmond lives running smoothly after it was chilled by dan- near Aldridge Avenue, By LOUIS PIN gerously low temperatures where walkways haven’t The Observer in January. been cleared or salted. “The potholes (were) a “You’re walking on the A stitch in time saves city-wide initiative,” More- sidewalk, and all of a sud- nine — or more directly, no said. “Starting with ex- den it’s like you’re wearing may have saved major East pressways and main streets; skates or something,” he York roads from one of the (for East York), this in- said. “(They are) really bad worst ice storms in the last cluded Pape, Danforth, and … just a giant sheet of ice. I decade. Woodbine.” don’t know who’s supposed Road repair along Pape According to Moreno, to clean them.” Avenue and the Danforth the warmer weather gave City rules state that it began early last fall. Now, Toronto management the falls upon property own- with much of Toronto reel- opportunity to utilize more ers, not the city, to clean ing from an early-January people in pothole repair ef- up sidewalks. On its web- ice storm, those same roads forts. site, the city stipulates that are some of the cleanest in A few days after the first homeowners have 72 hours Louis Pin /// Observer Toronto. storm, between 40 and 50 from the end of the weather Extreme changes in temperature can be devastating to smaller roads With total storm costs ris- road crews were tasked to event to make their side- like Carlaw Avenue, west of Pape Avenue. ing to around $171 million repair major roads in just walks safe. and the city unanimously the first two days. Failing to follow regula- and sidewalks aren’t as big off the major roads. Even 311, and are also invited asking both the provincial “Pothole fixing is a daily tion can result in a $125 an issue as they might seem. with the “pothole blitz” to fill out a form online at and federal governments for activity,” Moreno said. “We fine. “It’s still easy to get in effect a few weeks ago, www.toronto.ca/311. financial aid in early - Janu (were) just taking advantage Some residents remain around,” Voci said. “You smaller roads will have to East York seniors who ary, East York residents can of the warmer weather.” optimistic. Sara Voci works just have to be a bit more wait longer for repair. require assistance clearing rest easy knowing their ma- According to a Globe and part-time at the Serano Bak- careful.” Those who know of road- sidewalks can call (416) jor streets were fixed at just Mail report, crews aimed to ery on Pape Avenue. Ac- It’s the best advice she work in need of repair can 392-7768 for immediate as- the right time. fix a total of 1,200 potholes cording to her, the streets can give to people who live call city management at sistance. Taxi drivers in East York finally break through By JENNIFER LEE way things were, correcting The Observer the mistakes of the past and moving forward in the hopes Beck, Co-op, Royal and of a healthier industry,” she Crown are a few of the said. File image from Fotolia companies running taxis on These changes include pre- the highways and byways of payment for trips, changes East York. to licensing and perhaps the Commute or convenience? But the way East Yorkers most talked-about aspect: use their services is set to a $25 vomit cleanup fee. By ALI RAZA “We get folks that come from says. “It’s not far from downtown, change in the upcoming Hubbard doesn’t believe the The Observer the suburbs living in mom and there’s a lot of stuff around it, it’s a weeks. pre-payment reform will dad’s sprawling mini-mansions,” high demand area so houses that are On Jan. 23, the city’s be implemented because it As Toronto’s population grows, the Michaelidis says. “They come here listed go very quickly. There are people licensing and standards requires drivers to profile competition for property intensifies. and think, what is this? But, if you willing to pay for it.” committee considered the customers. East York is home to hundreds of de- grew up in the core then the old homes Several East York bungalows are final report on the “Taxicab Sajid Mughal, president of tached and semi-detached houses and have that charm. It really depends on being “topped up” to enhance property Industry Review” at city the iTaxiworkers Association, as the housing market becomes more people’s varied expectations.” value in a competitive market. council. The report outlined said it is one of the most competitive, the price of East York A house in the suburbs is more af- “Topping up means building a sec- changes that will not only important regulations that homes booms. fordable when comparing size, but To- ond story,” Michaelidis says. “Builders directly affect drivers and the have been discussed. “Every year is different,” says Darin ronto still attracts homebuyers because take a standard bungalow and they put industry, but passengers as “I’ve been a victim a few Bauer, a mortgage broker at Mortgage of overwhelming traffic when driving a second floor on it. It usually involves well. times of customers not paying. Intelligence Inc. on the Danforth. into the city. adding on top and/or extending from “The outcome of the LNS In a couple of circumstances “Houses that were five or six hundred “People want to live in East York the back.” Committee meeting last when I’ve called the police, thousand in 2008 are now eight or rather than Milton,” Bauer says. “Topping up” of East York bunga- week was positive. Nobody I’ve waited for two hours and nine hundred thousand, even a million “They’re selling tons of new homes out lows increases property value and can got everything they wanted, they didn’t show up,” said dollars.” there for four or five hundred thousand. address a buyer’s desire for a larger but there was a lot of risk Mughal. “So I lost money Many East York houses were built You get a bigger house, but you have house. that was on the table,” said because they customer didn’t 70 or 80 years ago. The size of the to live in Milton and deal with traffic Bauer insists East York is a hot spot Kristine Hubbard, the pay me and I lost more money houses, on average, is smaller than the every morning.” for the housing market in Toronto. operations manager at Beck for two hours waiting for the average detached or semi-detached Bauer argues that there are two mar- Besides local buyers, many houses are Taxi Limited. “I think that police.” house outside Toronto in cities like kets, one for buyers willing to put up sold to foreign buyers looking to invest everybody kind of ended up But to Mughal all of the Pickering, Brampton or Milton. with commuter traffic and the other for in Toronto’s real estate market. with something.” proposed changes are based These larger homes in the suburbs buyers that have regional preferences. “A lot of foreigners snap up those Hubbard said the taxi on two things he believes taxi offer a better value if size is the only Despite high costs, houses are still properties,” Bauer says. “They either industry has struggled to be drivers want above all others: thing the buyer is looking for. being sold at a quick rate. live or invest and rent it out with the heard at city council for years. equality and fairness. Still, East York realtor Anna Michae- “(We have) plenty of home buyers hope that in five to 10 years the price “It was made clear to us, I The report will be lidis argues that size isn’t everything. because it’s a desirable area,” Bauer has gone up 30 or 50 per cent.” would say in 2010, that there considered by city council on was interest in changing the Feb. 19. 4 FEATURES The East York Observer /// Friday, Feb. 7, 2014 Afghan women welcome savvy business tips that takes place twice a week. Speaker talks It is part of AFO’s new pro- gram in partnership with the about starting International Development and her enterprise Relief Foundation that teaches sewing, business and Eng- lish. The goal is to start small By SANA FATANI The Observer and maintain momentum for growth with the first sale of the It is never too late to start garments happening Thursday dreaming. This is what a group at the AFO offices. of Afghan women learned af- The talk was after the class ter gathering on Saturday to and Saeedi, who arranged the hear Centennial College jour- event, hoped that Mohyeddin nalism student (and Observer could be relatable and helpful reporter) Samira Mohyeddin, for the women. 38, tell the story of how she “She’s a successful business started her restaurant business. owner who has the same lin- The Af- guistic background,” Saeedi ghan Wom- said. “We really feel the need to en’s Or- motivate and build the self-es- ganization teem of the ladies here because is a gov- they’re all very smart and tal- ernment- ented people but there is a bit of funded fear with the risk involved with group with nMOHYEDDIN starting a business.” a history Fear and risk are not strang- of helping Afghan women es- ers to these women, who left tablish themselves in Canada. their homelands in search of a They invited Mohyeddin to better future. Yet these are not their offices at 747 the only challenges the women Rd. to give newcomer Af- face. Samira Mohyeddin /// Observer ghan women an inspirational “It’s difficult for them be- Sewing class is underway for members of the Afghan Women’s Organization in . talk about starting businesses. cause they all have families. The women meet twice a week to learn a trade and to share stories. However, it was soon clear that Most of them are mothers and most of the inspiration lay in so they have childcare issues,” very nice class. Everybody as she identified a difference Surely, the procedural pro- life experiences made them the women themselves. Saeedi said. comes here and they’re learn- in age and circumstances be- cess for an Afghan refugee practiced in the skill of resil- “I thought we’d get a poor Despite the obstacles, par- ing,” she said. tween her and the women. is different from a Canadian ience. turnout but look how dedicated ticipating women like Nadia, Certainly, everyone who “We’re not starting at the citizen with an Iranian back- Though the talk was success- they are,” Seema Saeedi, a co- 35, and her mother who live came on Feb. 1 learned some- same place so I can’t say to ground, yet there is a common ful, Mohyeddin was more im- ordinator at AFO, said. in Thorncliffe remain enthusi- thing, including Moheyddin, them just go and apply for this denominator. It took Mohey- pressed with the women there. The women were initially astic. who was a little nervous about loan. It’s not like that,” Mo- ddin seven years before she “I should be learning from gathering for a sewing class “We’re all learning. It’s a giving the talk in the beginning heyddin said. made a profit, and the women’s them instead,” she said. Candidates starting to emerge Cont’d. from page 1 having to face the dilemma of a low The mayor included Davis in his list income and childcare fees that were of councillors who are “two steps left of There are no declared candidates in astronomical.” Stalin.” In turn, Davis blames Ford for any of the East York wards for either She worked in childcare centres, people’s increasing cynicism towards public or separate school board. which she called “a politicizing experi- city hall. Potential candidates for council and ence — an underpaid and undervalued But Michael Sokovnin, who is run- school board have until Sept. 11 to file job.” She worked as an early childhood ning for Davis’s seat, said that Davis is with the city. educator at the Coalition for no better than other politicians. In an interview with the Observer, Better Child Care, where she eventually “That was unbelievable when I heard Ward 31 councillor and candidate Janet rose to the position of president. that,” he said about Davis cursing at Davis reflected on her renewed run. About childcare, she said, “I’ve lived Doug Ford. “C’mon, these are like kids “There are people who think there it and breathed it for over 30 years.” In — like kids playing.” Courtesy of TTC ought to be term limits,” Davis said, her role as councillor she helped expand Sokovnin says that councillors should “but I can tell you that every year I childcare facilities in the city by almost be allowed to serve a maximum of two TTC upgrades coming learn more about how to be a better a thousand spaces. terms. councillor.” Davis was on the cabinet-like execu- Meanwhile, Davis takes time to order Cont’d. from page 1 exterior treatments around the In the 2010 election, her popularity tive committee of then-mayor David at the Last Drop Café in East York, and windows, signage, bus bay re- won her 63 per cent of the vote, with Miller, and she has generally opposed greets the staff like friends. During her He also said the new eleva- surfacing and landscaping, ac- the second-place candidate coming in at Mayor Rob Ford and Ford’s right-hand interview, a man taps her on the shoul- tors would be an advantage to cording to Davis. Romano said a distant 11 per cent. man, brother and councillor der and flashes her a thumbs-up. them. According to the pre- the other exit is being added for When she’s out and about in East Doug Ford. She made city-wide news “You come to know every neighbour- sentation, the elevators will safety purposes. York, she said, almost everyone who most recently when, during a heated hood, every street,” Davis said, “and lead from street level to the “The second exit is required comes up to her has smiles or praise. council debate about an after-school quite often the individuals.” concourse and platforms. The to enhance the safety of em- Before first being elected to city recreation program, she walked up to “I am a neighbour,” she added. “I TTC’s second exits and acces- ployees and transit riders,” Ro- council in 2003, Davis helped develop Doug Ford and told him to shut his “f- live here. This is my community... and sibility programs were com- mano said. child care at the Toronto District School -king mouth.” In 2011 she was booted I walk around, I drive around. It drives bined to launch this project, It will be located at the north- Board and served as a senior policy from a committee meeting for allegedly my family crazy. I’ll stop and say ‘Hey, according to Councillor Davis. west corner of Strathmore and advisor to the Minister of Education. trying to intimidate the members. you know, look at that, that’s not quite “Both projects were put to- Woodbine streets, according to She became active in child care and “Certain councillors like to bully right.... That tree has died, needs to be gether, and then additional sta- the TTC diagram. children’s issues after her son was born councillors around,” said Georgio replaced.’ Or… someone stops me on tion improvements were added All stations will be accessible in 1979 in London, Ont. As a single par- Mammoliti, “and Janet Davis is one of the street and says the lights are out on on top [of the programs],” Da- in the future, because public ent, she lived in several cities in Ontario them.” whatever-whatever park, or the garbage vis said, “so this is part of the buildings must meet the AODA before finally settling inToronto. “I mean, yeah,” she said when asked bins are broken. Some people say TTC’s overall plan to upgrade (Accessibility for Ontarians “I never did intend on a career in about that. “I stand up and I speak out ‘Doesn’t that drive you crazy?’ It does the safety features and the ac- with Disabilities Act) standards politics,” she said, “but I think what and I’m hard-nosed and I’m tough, I not at all because I realize that I’m in a cessibility of its stations.” in the province of Ontario by politicized me more than anything was agree.... I do that in defence of what I position I can help and it’s incredibly Further improvements in- 2025, according to Davis. Cur- becoming a parent, a single parent, and think is right.” gratifying.” clude improving the interior rently, 32 out of 69 stations are of the station and the lighting, accessible. The East York Observer /// Friday, Feb. 7, 2014 FEATURES 5 Canine Wellness Centre cuts calories for dogs Woof Watchers program aims to keep dogs healthy

By ERICA RAE CHONG The Observer

Billy’s eyes eagerly follow the lime green squeaky toy waved in front of him. Panting heavily, the five-year-old takes one step after another as he runs on an underwater tread- mill. He quickly succumbs to fatigue and unceremoniously sits on the treadmill, but with a quick push by his trainer and a soft grunt, he picks up his tubby 55-kg body and keeps moving. Billy is an overweight choc- olate Labrador and part of the Canine Wellness Centre’s “Woof Watchers” program, a fitness initiative started by trainer Tania Costa tailored to help overweight dogs lose the kilograms. It is held at the 4,000 sq. ft. facility at 19 Wa- terman Ave., close to O’Con- nor Drive and St. Clair Avenue East. “I’ve been doing the ‘Woof Watchers’ for about six years Erica Rae Chong /// Observer and I started it because so Billy does a 20-minute underwater treadmill session with short breaks in between. He has lost three kilograms since many of the dogs coming in enrolling in the “Woof Watchers” program a month ago, and now weighs 55 kg. were fat and they have ortho- pedic issues,” Costa said in an both cats and dogs. Probably Statistics Canada estimates he ate 20 samosas in five be fairly significantly over- interview. “If they’d just lost over 60 per cent of the pets that two out of every three Ca- minutes! I have an SUV and weight without people realis- weight they wouldn’t have the we see are either overweight nadian adults between 18 and he ripped the bag open from ing it,” Berry said. issues that they have.” or obese,” said Dr. Jim Berry, 79 are overweight or obese. under the front seat where I “Again I think it is a reflec- Pudgy The program concentrates president of the Canadian Vet- That’s 60 per cent of the pop- hid it and he was way in the tion of our society. If you’re on helping dogs get fitter in- erinary Medical Association ulation. back of the car,” Craij said. looking at dogs on the street, pooch? stead of focusing solely on (CVMA). “I think the two are related “He only moves fast when overweight pets are so com- weight loss. Dogs like Billy The increasing obe- for exactly the same reasons. there’s food involved.” mon now, people start to n Place your hands are first assessed in terms sity levels in pets par- I think lack of exercise is the Berry said the most com- see them as normal,” he ex- on your dog’s sides. of their initial weight, allel that in humans. big culprit so pretty much by mon error he sees is people plained. You should be able heart rate and chest and According to a definition if you are not taking overfeeding their pets. “It has come to a point to feel the last two girth measurements, 2012 University of your dogs for a walk it means For example, some owners where it is not that common ribs very easily on after which they are British Columbia you’re not going out for a walk put food out and let their pets for people to bring their pets any dog, no matter put on a custom- study that tracked either,” Berry said. eat buffet-style. Others feed in because they think they the breed, age or ised exercise obesity in Cana- Berry cites a 2011 pet well- their adult pets inappropriate are obese but it is fairly size. routine. They da from 2000 to ness report conducted by the food such as food meant for common for people to bring go through 2011, obesity CVMA and Hill’s Pet Nutri- kittens or puppies, which are their pets in because they n Getting tired 20 minutes rates in Cana- tion, saying people spend three higher in fat, or table scraps. think they are too thin… easily, being less of interval da have stead- times as much time watching “That’s like us going to when in reality most of those willing to play or training at ily risen to television and almost twice as Tim Hortons and having do- ones are actually the ideal go for walks and a time with record heights much time online as they do nuts and coffee all day be- bodyweight.” exhibiting difficulty short breaks since 2002. playing or exercising with their cause we like it. It doesn’t Costa says she sees clients when standing in between. The resea pets. mean that it’s good for us,” who come in with pets that up are common Costa cranks chers in “If you were to take all of Berry said. have health issues, such as ar- signs your pet is up the inten- the study that time sitting in front of the This makes Costa’s job thritis or ligament problems, overweight. sity of the described TV and surfing the Internet and harder because not only does triggered or compounded by workout after the prob- walk, we would all be in bet- she have to create a diet plan the excess weight without re- n Know how active each break and lem as an ter shape and pets wouldn’t be for her clients but she has to alising that the weight is the a particular breed measures their “epidemic overweight,” Berry said. train owners not to give in to cause. is and understand heart rate again at in pro- “We have a sedentary society their dogs’ puppy eyes when Billy, too, has a knee issue. how much exercise the end. gress.” and our pets reflect that.” they beg for food. “I could see that he was it requires. Billy shows up Despite his weekly exer- “I always say to my weight getting a bit of a limp,” said once a week for his cises and daily walks, loss clients, ‘Dogs don’t Craij. n You don’t have 20-minute swim or Billy’s weight have thumbs.’ So there is no “So that was the whole to go for long treadmill session with loss is slowed way they can overfeed them- push to come,” Costa chimed walks. Even a 10- his owner Debbie down by his selves. They can’t get into in. “To try and avoid having 15 minute walk or Craij. After a month, diet. Craij ad- the container to get the food, surgery.” playtime before Billy steps onto the mits that it is they can’t open the fridge and Despite his aching knee work helps. scale three kilograms sometimes they can’t open the cupboard. and one samosa setback, Bil- lighter. The goal is for him problematic So it’s us that is overfeeding ly seems to remain optimis- n If you have a cat, to lose 10 kilograms. to keep tabs them,” she said. tic, smiling as he continues you can play with it Billy is not the only ani- on what Billy One surprising difficulty to run on the treadmill, his for 15 minutes with mal struggling to cut the eats. both Berry and Costa face are tail wagging with each step a felt mouse or toy fat. “Once, I owners in denial. and his eyes ever focused on while you’re having “Over the last 10 years, got out of “Pet owners are usual- the squeaky lime green toy your morning the number of overweight pets the car to ly quite surprised by it (the held in front of him by an en- coffee. has certainly increased (for) n CRAIJ get flowers and news) actually. The pet can couraging Craij. 6 OPINION The East York Observer /// Friday, Feb. 7, 2014 n editorials n COLUMNS S ports on the rise? n Sept. 24, officials of Maple Leafs Bon Jovi, who was just inducted into the OSports and Entertainment Air Canada Centre Hall of Fame, have (MLSE), alongside NBA Depu- expressed an interest in bringing the ty Commissioner Adam Silver, Buffalo Bills to Toronto. This is a long announced that the 2016 NBA shot, as Bills owner Ralph Wilson said All-Star festivities would take that he is “uninterested” in selling. place here in Toronto. MLSE is also prepared to revamp Months later, the Toronto FC the BMO field for the fans. major league soccer club an- His goal is to plant the seed nounces that Jermaine Defoe, for a potential future NFL a highly sought-after player, team in Toronto. has signed a deal with the “There’s no way the struggling team. NFL comes here with- These two occurrences out the CFL being un- Petition cools down are the fruits of new MLSE believably successful President and CEO Tim first,” Leiweke said. oronto can’t get its priorities straight — and East Yorkers will have to suffer Leiweke’s labour. Regardless of what Tthe consequences. Leiweke, a top sports ex- Toronto fans have been Late last year, it was decided that a fire truck would move this coming March from ecutive credited with bringing through over the years, it’s Station 224, at 1313 Woodbine Ave. in East York, to a station that’s under construc- English soccer star David Beck- clear that Tim Leiweke tion in Scarborough, on Eglinton Avenue East west of Midland Avenue. ham to Los Angeles, was hired wants to provide us with Moving the pumper, we’re told, will ultimately save money. But are emergency by MLSE last April and has not teams that will make the personnel and their vehicles really where the gravy has been hiding all along? wasted any time putting his fans proud. A petition to keep the truck in East York that garnered nearly 1,000 signatures on mark on the organization. With moves like the Change.org was presented to city council last week ... but despite the strong views of He has even enlisted the Toronto FC big-name Beaches-East York councillor Janet Davis (and 15 other councillors) to maintain the help of the homegrown celeb- signings, as well as the status quo, the motions to keep the truck where it is were ultimately defeated. rity Drake to serve as MLSE’s hiring of a top NBA ex- Moving the truck is part of the city’s 2014 budget, which includes taking four “global ambassador” and help ecutive for the Raptors, trucks out of service altogether, redeploying others, and reassigning 105 firefighters. lure big names to the city. it’s safe to say that Can- The city is actually spending over $9 million more on fire services this year, but With a new man in charge, To- ada’s top sports group is most of that money is going to locked-in salary increases. The Toronto Firefighters ronto’s teams are beginning to take finally dedicated to deliv- Association says the lack of investment beyond that could mean lives lost because of shape. The Maple Leafs clinched er a winning culture for delayed response times. their first playoff berth in nearly sports fans all over the They’re not complaining about the raises though. The final result will be fewer, but a decade last season and the Rap- city. higher-paid, firefighters with fewer tools. Yes, this city needs to operate economically tors are on track to do the same - but skimping on the safety of East Yorkers shouldn’t be an option. for the first time in six years. Leiweke also has an interest Marcus D. ~ Will Koblensky in bringing the NFL to Cana- Wilson da. He and his good friend Jon

Russia’s anti-gay law is a disturbing echo pics. That’s when the Nazi gov- the Holocaust with gas cham- In fact, Russian human rights organi- Hauntingly familiar ernment enacted the Nuremberg bers and death camps. It began zations have already reported a massive Laws. Among other things, the with exclusionary legisla- increase in the amount of violent crimes rules in Sochi should laws forbade Jewish people tion with the idea that a against the community. from participating on the group of people had to The mayor of Sochi, Anatoly Pakho- be a warning sign German Olympic team and be expelled from Ger- mov, even stated that there are no gays prohibited sexual rela- man society in order in his town. he Winter Olympics open today, tions between Jewish and to keep it “pure.” The denial of another person or TFriday, in Sochi, Russia — seven non-Jewish people. Now, ironically, group’s existence is the ultimate form months after Russia’s parliament unan- The new law barred Jew- the nation that was of exclusion. imously passed Article 6.21, a law ban- ish people from entering key to the defeat of It would be churlish to compare the ning “the propaganda of non-traditional all public parks and pools, Nazi Germany in the atrocities of the Nazi genocide against sexual relations.” This enactment has and it fired and banned all Second World War is the Jewish people to the recent prejudi- made possible the criminalization and Jewish teachers from public imitating it. cial anti-gay laws of Russia. persecution of Russia’s LGBTQ com- schools. By providing ammu- All things considered, it would be munity. A month later, it banned all nition for the most reac- wilfully ignorant to not map the many As a result, many human rights or- Jewish people from attending tionary and homophobic parallels between them and the process- ganizations and foreign heads of state any institutions of public learn- segments of Russian es involved in marginalizing and perse- have called for a political boycott of the ing society, Vladimir Pu- cuting certain groups of society. It’s not games. The Nuremberg laws effectively tin’s government has the same, but it’s pretty close. The President of the United States, stripped Jewish people of all civ- ensured the demise and As we move into Black History Barack Obama and Canadian Prime ic life in Germany, crippling them destruction of Russia’s Month, the words of Martin Luther Minister Steven Harper have publicly economically and robbing them LGBTQ community. King ring truer than ever: criticized the law and will not be in at- of their livelihood and citizenship “History will have to record that the tendance at the Sochi Games, starting rights. Calls for a political boycott of greatest tragedy of this period of social on Feb. 7. the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin Samira transition was not the strident clamour Flash back to Sept. 15, 1935, months went unanswered. Mohyeddin of the bad people, but the appalling si- before the 1936 Berlin Summer Olym- Nazi Germany did not begin lence of the good.”

The East York The East York Observer is published by Centen- Managing editor copy Editors Faculty Editors nial College journalism students at the East York William Alcopra Donston Wilson Lindy Oughtred campus, 951 Carlaw Ave., Rm. 149. P.O. Box Assignment editor Natalia Makarski Stephen Cogan 631, Stn. A, Scarborough, M1K 5E9. E-mail c/o Jelicia Sauter production editors Observer [email protected]. Telephone 416- photo editor Lou Pin 289-5107, Fax 416-289-5111 Dennis Gonzales Xuyun Zeng The East York Observer /// Friday, Feb. 7, 2014 FEATURES 7 n Community Unveiling the realities of mental illness Experts say success stories of mentally ill patients lack proper media exposure

By SHAWN FOURNIER The Observer From press accounts of the inquest into the shoot- ing of hospital patient Michael Eligon on an East York street through to celebrity gossip on evening television, it might seem that the media categorize those who are suffering mental illness in one of @ two ways: those to be feared and O those to be pitied. Few of us are strangers to stories about mental health, which l For sometimes tend to link terms like more East “mentally ill” with others such as York sto- ries, please “escapee” and even “deranged.” Natalia Makarski /// Observer visit us at How much is that kitty in the cage? But in reality, this only makes up torontoob- a fraction of the total cases involv- server.ca Lily Farmer helps her family pick out a new cat at Wag on the Danforth’s adopt-a-thon event, held ing mental illness. on Feb. 1 in conjunction with the Toronto Cat Rescue organization. (The cat brightened up right The world isn’t overcome with after this picture was taken.) a plethora of homeless folks attacking city dwellers and delusional people chasing down police officers. For Valery Belyanin, who works as a psychotherapist in East York, these negative stigmas are something he says he has to works to alter on a daily basis. ‘Murder and Mayhem’ in E.Y. “It’s much easier to get access to these kinds of negative stories. They are more public. When Crime writers share some scary stories at local cafe reading someone is happy and functioning, they are not going to tell everyone about it, they want to forget about By SANDRA D. SUKRAJ the experience,” Belyanin said, when asked why he The Observer thinks mental illness is portrayed so negatively in the media. On a cold, snowy winter “When a car is broken you pay attention to the day, a group of six gathers in issues, but when it is running, you don’t think about it a cozy East York café to share at all,” said Belyanin. stories of murder, mystery, He added that when it comes to people under pro- sensuality, romance, revenge fessional psychologists’ care, few pose any danger to and humour. others. They’re stories that grab “Almost 70 per cent of the clients in Canada and your attention, wrapping them- North America suffer from depression and anxiety,” selves around the crevices and he said. corners of your mind, leaving Many might fail to recognize the negative stigma your fingers anxiously waiting that attaches to mental illness, but a study conducted to turn the page — themes that in 1996 by Greg Philo sheds light on that topic. the Crime Writers of Canada Philo concluded in his work that the media’s are no strangers to. Sandra D. Sukraj /// Observer representation of mental illness is so influential to Eager patrons grab their From left to right: Catherine Dunphy, Madeleine Harris-Callway, Sharon its audience that it can even override their personal coffee and cookies and pull up A. Crawford, Karen Blake-Hall, café-owner Crystal Holmes, Rosemary experience. a chair at Du Café on O’Con- McCracken and Steve Shrott pose for a picture at Du Café for the Murder The media does have the power to shape what we nor Drive. and Mayhem event on Jan. 25. think. They listen attentive- However, despite what might be depicted through ly to live readings of ex- Nefarious North: A Collection in September with the idea of journalists have segued into the mainstream media, not all coverage of mental cerpts from seasoned writers, of Crime Short Stories; and hosting the events. mystery writing is because the illness is negative. many of whom are journal- Steve Shrott, an award-win- Mesdames of Mayhem is ultimate mystery is ‘who the Rebecca DiFilippo, publisher for Moods magazine, ists-turned-authors. ning comedy writer and author a group of 15 female Canadi- heck are we?’” Dunphy said. which provides educational information on mental Hosted by Sharon A. Craw- of Audition for Death. an crime writers. Founded by “It’s motivation. It’s character health, works to assist in helping others understand ford, author of Beyond the “I really hate reading out Harris-Callway in 2013, Thir- study.” what mental illness really is. Tripping Point, readers at a loud,” said romantic suspense teen is their first anthology, Shrott, who has written “For the most part, those struggling with mental recent session included Rose- author Blake-Hall. “It’s the consisting of the works of 13 jokes for comedians Phyllis illness are not harmful to others. They don’t do bad mary McCracken, a Toron- worst part of writing.” of the 15 authors. Diller and Joan Rivers, found things and they are not violent,” said DiFilippo. to-based freelance journalist Since opening its doors Harris-Callway said they his niche by combining come- So psychotic episodes like the one that led to and author of Safe Harbour; almost a year ago, Du Café have been working together dy with mystery. Michael Eligon being shot by police after he walked Catherine Dunphy, Ryerson has been involved in helping for a very long time. Crawford said one of the away from Toronto East General Hospital are the rare print journalism and maga- and providing a venue for the “When Madeleine had this greatest rewards of being a exception. zine professor and author of events put on by the Crime wonderful idea, I just thought, writer is having people read “I think there has to be a better understanding,” Morgentaler: A Difficult Hero; Writers of Canada, such as we have to support her,” Mc- your work. said DiFilippo. “There aren’t enough people who Madeleine Harris-Callway, Murder and Mayhem. Cracken said. “I love writing. Organized by Nate Hen- understand it so that there isn’t something sensation- award-winning mystery author “It’s a little community I always wanted to be a fiction ley, Crime Writers of Canada alized.” and contributor for Thirteen: within the community,” said writer.” Books and Beverages takes And conversely, she added: “I think there are an An Anthology of Crime Stories Crystal Holmes, owner of Du So, why are women in- place once a month, with the awful lot of positive stories to be told, success sto- by Mesdames of Mayhem; Café. trigued by mystery? exception of December, each ries.” Karen Blake-Hall, author of Crawford approached Holmes “I think the reason so many at a different venue. 8 FEATURES The East York Observer /// Friday, Feb. 7, 2014 A delightful blend of food and friends East Yorkers ready for meet-and-eat opportunities

By NICHOLAS MISKETI The Observer

The aroma of Italian-inspired food had cooking participants ea- ger to enjoy their meal at the East York Community Centre, on Pape Avenue near O’Connor Drive. Nicholas Misketi /// Observer Roberta Weisbrot was one of Snowy smiles 15 participants who helped to cook an Italian-themed menu, Nicholas Misketi /// Observer Ben Clancy, left, and Claire Byrne — from Ireland — keep warm by enjoy- which included cauliflower Jennifer Kim, centre, shares a laugh with ing a leisure skate at Dieppe Park. There seems to be no end in sight to soup with parsley, Tuscan pan- participants in this East York Kitchen East York’s cold (and snowy) ‘skating weather.’ zanella, baked penne with roast- cooking session on Jan. 26. ed vegetables and vanilla-roast- ed pears with chocolate sauce. a community kitchen came from the North “It’s hard to believe it’s free. It’s a won- of the Danforth (NODA) report, released derful way to get to know your community last year by the South Riverdale Community better,” Weisbrot said. Health Centre. The NODA report studied the The most delicious On Jan. 26, the East York Community accessibility of health and social services in Kitchen, a volunteer-run community group, the Pape Village neighbourhood. Research- wrapped up a series of five cooking sessions ers for South Riverdale consulted with resi- for community residents. The group hopes to dents of Pape Village in the study. Winterlicious yet? resume sessions next month. According to Susan Bender, community health promoter at South Riverdale, resi- They provide the food, ingredients and By CHRISTINE HOGG cooking equipment at these sessions free of dents wanted a community kitchen to help The Observer charge. All of the participants help to cook improve access to healthy food at a low cost. the meal and then sit down together to eat it. “It seemed like the community kitchen Jennifer Kim, one of the co-facilitators, was something that people were the most in- In a little restaurant at 516 Danforth Ave., said participants in each of the five sessions terested in,” Bender said. crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling and responded well to this concept. Thew group held the first of the cooking burning candles cast a warm glow across the “All the ideas for sessions on Nov. 3. Thanks to funding ob- bar. Diners chatter among themselves over the food come tained through South Riverdale, the group beautiful lunch dishes. from feedback also provided licensed daycare and TTC At Pan on the Danforth, Toronto’s annual from the par- tokens free of charge to participants at each Winterlicious festival is well underway. The ticipants,” Kim of the five sessions, in addition to the food. owner, Chris Christodoulou, is hurriedly said. “We have a The funding, however, only covered the taking reservations over the phone. really good group costs for five cooking sessions. “This is our eighth year doing it,” of people here and “We’ve applied for other funding,” Christodoulou said as he scribbled names on Christine Hogg /// Observer everyone loves Jennifer Kim said. “I’m hoping to start up a napkin. Chris Chrisodoulou owns Pan on it.” again in March but that really depends Although the cultural food festival the Danforth, on Danforth Avenue a The on the funding.” promotes business for many restaurant few blocks west of Pape Avenue. idea For more information call owners who participate, the creative vision for 416-532-7840 or email eyck- that Pan on the Danforth has always stood for Christodoulou said. “Some restaurants feel [email protected]. remains the same: to offer fine quality, Greek that they can lessen the quality of the food cuisine in a place that feels like home. because the price is so low, but at Pan we Winterlicious is a culinary festival that don’t cut corners. We even give doggy bags invites restaurants in the Toronto area to for those who are too full to finish their showcase some of their finest dishes on the plates.” menu, made by the city’s top chefs. Christodoulou runs the restaurant with his Now in its eleventh year, over 200 wife Soula, and because of their commitment restaurants all over the city have been to their guests, Pan remains a culinary partaking for a week already. The promotion success even during Winterlicious when the ends this coming Feb. 13. competition between Greek restaurants is At Pan on the Danforth, Winterlicious fierce. means something other than a marketing “You must remember to respect the tactic used to generate income during the customers,” Christodoulou said, noting the slower winter months. negative attention Winterlicious sometimes “When [you] come to your home, and I gets. “Unfortunately, there are restaurants treat this like my home, [you] are my guests,” who don’t normally participate and therefore Christodoulou said. “It’s not about money. they don’t respect the Winterlicious diners.” Money is good, you need it to pay the bills, “It’s a bad overall picture because it but it’s not just the money. It’s for [people] to gives Winterlicious a bad name,” he said. have a good time and to enjoy the night out.” “Restaurants who don’t give 100 per cent Pan on the Danforth offers a fine dining of their effort to please their diners, whether option right in the heart of Greek Town. It these people give $15 or $25, should be celebrates Winterlicious by promoting the eliminated, otherwise it gives everybody a lavish side of Greek food that does not exist bad name.” in the minds of some. Good prices are not the only reason why Nicholas Misketi /// Observer Like other participators, it provides a diners are visiting Pan on the Danforth Thea Andonoff cuts tomatoes for an entrée of baked penne with three-course price-fixed menu, where diners during Winterlicious. As part of the dining roasted vegetables. Andonoff, along with the other participants, choose an appetizer, entree, and dessert for experience, guests can enjoy performances hopes the community kitchen can start up again in a few weeks time. both lunch and dinner options. by belly dancers on Friday nights, and live “We don’t cheap out on our guests,” music every weekend.