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ww The East York STILL YOUNG AT HEART n Seniors keep fit at Chinese OBSERVER Logos Baptist Church. Page 3 Our 40th anniversary year... Serving our community since 1972 Vol. 41, No. 2 www.torontoobserver.ca Friday, February 17, 2012 Thorncliffe tenants air complaints Tory, Wynne tour three apartment buildings By TEONA BAETU The Observer Depending on whom you talk to, con- ditions in three big apartment buildings on Thorncliffe Park Drive are getting worse — or better. Last week, the Thorncliffe Park Ten- ants Association invited Newstalk 1010 radio host John Tory and MPP Kathleen Wynne to visit the buildings at 71, 75 and 79 Thorncliffe Park Dr. “Cockroaches are there, mice are there, @ bed bugs are there,” said Abbas Kolia, president O of the tenants associa- Coriandré Lawrence /// Observer l For more tion. He called the build- Have a heart... East York ing “filthy,” and added, stories, Shannon Mandel (left), Joseph Laflamme and Pamela Valerio run a Valentine’s Day fundraiser at Centennial “It’s getting worse and visit worse every day.” College’s East York campus on Carlaw Avenue. The three are raising money for Leave Out Violence Everywhere toronto (LOVE), which seeks to reduce violence in the lives of youth in the community. observer.ca And the association says that despite previ- ous rallies and involve- ment by local politicians, Q Residential, the building’s management, isn’t heeding tenants’ concerns. Tory said he would talk to Q Residen- tial, after touring the apartment buildings Grits pick candidate and speaking with tenants. “I’m going to talk to these landlords to announce the date for the byelection to replace voters that he values the community’s diversity. myself, because I know some of the people Matilda Miranda /// Observer Leader Bob Rae on hand Layton, the prime minister’s office said on Feb. 5 “I want my children to grow up in the most involved,” he said, “and just say ‘How can that the vote would take place on March 12. The diverse community possible,” Gordon said. “To- you put up with this sort of thing?’ and see for nomination meeting following day — citing an “administrative error” ronto-Danforth is extraordinarily diverse — cul- what they have to say for themselves.” By NICHOLAS PROSPERO — that was revised to March 19. turally, socially and economically. I won’t stop He also requested a list of outstanding The Observer At the Liberals’ nomination meeting three days until every person in this riding remembers that work orders, and promised that if nothing after the election was set, Gordon, president and this country was built on the Liberal values of is done, he will invite tenants onto his After confusion over the date and a flurry of creative director of Key fairness and equality.” radio show to tell their stories. party nominations, the byelection race in To- Gordon Communications The New Democrats, Gordon said, “seem to ronto-Danforth is clearer. Inc., was chosen over the speak out of both sides of their mouth. I have n See THORNCLIFFE, page 8 It’s widely expected that the real contest lead- only other Liberal in the some hard questions for the Rhodes Scholar ing up to next month’s vote will be between law running, Trifon Haitas. The (Scott) who’s running for the NDP.” professor Craig Scott, whom the NDP nomi- Liberals’ interim leader, Meanwhile, the Conservatives — who gar- nated almost six weeks ago, and the man the Bob Rae, visited Riverdale nered 14 per cent of the votes in Toronto- Liberals selected as their candidate last week: n Grant Gordon Collegiate for the nomi- Danforth in the 2011 election — nominated communications executive Grant Gordon. nation vote, along with communications consultant Andrew Keyes at a On Feb. 9, the Liberals met at Riverdale Col- deputy leader Ralph Goodale. Dennis Mills, who closed meeting on Jan. 27. legiate Institute to choose Gordon as their con- represented Toronto-Danforth on behalf of the Besides him, and Green Party candidate tender to replace Jack Layton, following the Liberals for 16 years before Layton, also attend- Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu, there are also two death of the MP and NDP leader last August. ed, and placed Gordon’s name in nomination. independent candidates so far: Leslie Bory and After waiting until almost the last legal moment Gordon, a resident of the riding, explained to Bahman Yazdanfar. Greens choose climate-change crusader By SHAUN THOMPSON at the Riverdale library on Feb. 5, she defeated Beyond her commitment to global issues, she The Observer Emma Richardson and Ann Peel to earn the is also concerned with issues affecting Toronto- party’s candidacy in the March 19 byelection. Danforth on a daily basis. Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu is reprising her role Mugnatto-Hamu, born in Brazil, is fluent in “There are longstanding concerns in the rid- Teona Baetu /// Observer as Green party candidate in Toronto-Danforth. Ukrainian, Portuguese and English, and has a ing,” she said. “Our riding has one of the highest Mugnatto-Hamu has been a member of the degree in anthropology. She lives with her fam- asthma rates in the country. Toronto-Danforth is John Tory addressing tenants’ party since 2005, and got seven per cent of the ily in Riverdale and is outspoken on issues of home to the largest number of organic and lo- complaints at 71 Thorncliffe vote as the Green candidate in last year’s fed- human rights, climate change and energy sus- cal food products and people here want fair and Park Dr. eral election. At a riding association meeting tainability. honest labelling of all foods.” O 2 NEWS The East York Observer /// Friday, Feb. 17, 2012 POLICE WHAS T’ BRIEFS UP IN E.Y. Loaded gun The East York Agnes Macphail seized Recognition Com- mittee is holding The Toronto its annual public Police Service’s speaking con- Guns and Gangs test this coming Task Force found Wednesday, Feb. a loaded pistol 22, at 7 p.m. at at an apartment the East York building near Civic Centre, 850 Eglinton Avenue Coxwell Ave. and the Don The public is Valley Parkway, invited to the first after executing a Dylan C. Robertson /// Observer of 2012’s series search warrant on of public com- Feb. 6. Police also Second World War-era bungalows are being dwarfed by built-up homes as people seek the memorations of seized a quantity location and space of East York. this illustrious of cocaine, two East York politi- sets of weigh cian and social scales and cash. activist — when Calvin Prosser, Real estate prices climbing speeches written 18, is facing 11 by East York-area counts of firearm- By DYLAN C. ROBERTSON has been under “constant Two bungalows with a lot of neighbourhood you chose to students will be and drug-related The Observer renovation” over the last 10 space. That can be hard to find.” live in.” delivered in the charges. years. While she’s enjoyed While some people choose Ing-Gilbert agrees that a council chambers Linda Reid loves living on meeting new neighbours, she bungalows to accommodate community’s feel is important of the civic cen- the western edge of East York. knows house prices – as well reduced mobility, many for homeowners and suggests tre. Free parking “It’s a fabulous as her own taxes – are going homeowners add and extend concerned residents form will be in the staff neighbourhood,” she said, up drastically from when she floors at a lower price than preservation groups. parking lot lo- citing its diversity, good moved in three decades ago. buying a large house. “I think that history’s cated off of Mor- schools and nearby transit. “I could afford to move here Madeline MacKay lives in a important for our timer Avenue. Reid likes exploring local then; I couldn’t now,” Reid three-storey build-up, down the neighbourhoods,” she said. For more infor- shops and catching up with said. “I’m one of the few that street from Reid. Pitfield remembers mation, contact Police seek neighbours. This sense of are left.” “You’d never know you were pioneering real estate committee chair community, along with recent Like the rest of the city, downtown,” she said. “It feels guidelines for Leaside when Lorna Krawchuk burglar trends in the real estate market, East York house prices have like a real community. You get she was councillor for Ward at 416-425-4431 is what’s attracting people to recently been on the rise one-of-a-kind businesses and 26/Don Valley West. The or e-mail ltkraw- Police are looking East York. because of a shortage of lots to see. My son loves the community’s suggestions [email protected] for a burglar This month the National homes on the market. Last parks and the attractions.” included maintaining most of Meanwhile, the after several Post reported on a neglected week, the Canadian Real MacKay says she hears the houses’ height, materials East York His- break-ins of two-storey house next door Estate Association announced streetcars rolling by her house and distance from street. The torical Society is apartments and to Reid that fell into disrepair the average cost of a single- from her third floor on quiet guideline was “consulted like a asking for dona- office buildings after its owners took ill. family home in Toronto Sundays. bible” by the city’s adjustment tions for a plaque in East York, Though potential buyers who hit $606,600 as of January, “It’s magical,” she said. committee and promoted to on the Macphail Scarborough toured the house encountered a 50-per-cent jump in six Jane Pitfield, head of the East residents.