SCARBOROUGH VOTES 2010 NO BOYS ALLOWED The old boys are back in Scarborough Sharks drop town for another 4 years the first puck of the season See page 4 & 5 See page 8 THE EAST TORONTO OBSERVEROBSERVER • Friday • OctOber 29 • 2010 • • PUBLISHED BY UTSC/CENTENNIAL COLLEGE JOURNALISM STUDENTS AND SERVING MALVERN, HIGHLAND CREEK AND WEST HILL • •TORONTOOBSERVER.CA• Job one for Ford: Transit The new mayor’s subway plans are likely to stir opposition in Scarborough EMILY HUNTER KIRSTEN PARUCHA The huge time investment JOSH UNGAR required to design, imple- The Observer ment and complete Ford’s transit project is not propor- Rob Ford’s west end mental- tional to the 2015 deadline, ity may have worked for his Wiseman said. Etobicoke constituents, but it “There’s still a lot to be certainly isn’t commuting to done before any decision can Scarborough in the aftermath be made,” Carrington said. of his election. “Ford needs to be sworn in Ford’s plans to scrap Tran- and that won’t be happening sit City may be leaving Scar- until December.” borough residents feeling He added the TTC will stranded. continue building Transit “The Transit City plan City and will discuss changes didn’t just come off the back with the new council as they of an envelope,” said Dr. Nel- come up. son Wiseman, political pro- fessor at the University of To- TTC alienation ronto. “My impression is that Ford’s plan on transportation “Somebody like Ford did come off the back of an doesn’t care for transit, and is envelope.” only appealing to people who drive their cars and he has no Changes loom interest in investing in Tran- sit City,” Scarborough resi- After receiving 47 per cent dent Indira Balkissoon said. of the vote, the former coun- JOSH UNGAR/The Observer While Ford’s plan is lim- ited, the plans of his van- cillor was declared the city’s An exuberant Rob Ford celebrates his election as Toronto’s 64th mayor, taking 47 per cent of the vote on Oct. 25. new mayor and says changes quished foes, George Smi- are coming. politician on city council — Ford wants to build 10 new track by the same year. not address that the city has therman and Joe Pantalone, However, a closer look he can’t scrap the transit plan subway stations, extending “Everything is continuing already invested hundreds were more extensive and as- at Ford’s platform shows it at his own whim.” the Sheppard subway line to to go forward as planned,” of millions of dollars in new pired to connect all four cor- seems to ignore the needs of Transit City was initial- Scarborough Centre Station. said Kevin Carrington, TTC streetcars and planning for ners of the city. Scarborough residents, and is ly promised to connect the The current transit plan that communications advisor. Transit City. Any changes in “There is a real sense of unrealistic for transit needs of rest of the city to Scarbor- will extend the Sheppard line “If Ford wants to make any the existing plan would re- alienation in places like Scar- the 2015 Pan Am Games, ac- ough, where the majority of by eight kilometres by 2015 changes to the transit plan, quire renegotiations with the borough, and that has to be cording to Wiseman. the Pan Am facilities are set has already started. Mean- he’ll have to work through province and a large finan- addressed,” Smitherman’s “His transit plan is fanta- to be built. while, Ford expects to build city hall and Ottawa first.” cial penalty for cancelling the spokesman, Stefan Buransky sy,” he said. “He’s only one Instead of Transit City, 18.4 kilometres of subway In his platform, Ford does binding contract. said. Residents are ticketed-off New bedbug infestation BILLY COURTICE The Observer said. “There is a sense of and Sheppard Avenues. finds city unprepared compliance.” “There is no alternative JOSH UNGAR Drivers in Morningside Many Ward 42 candidates to parking on the road,” said The Observer that did the hotel finally take Heights say they are be- in the Oct. 25 electionvowed Shamoon Poonawala, former action. ing ticketed outside of their to ease parking restrictions in president of the Rougeville After multiple reports of This example from two homes unfairly. the area. Community Association. bedbug infestations at an years ago just scratches the “Residents are complain- “They’re being ticketed “The city should take charge unnamed hotel in his ward, surface of the bigger issue: ing parking officers are com- for parking everywhere, even and initiate discussion on this Howard Moscoe had seen the unprecedented infestation ing at night, and when they though there’s no space to issue.” enough. The wWard 15 coun- of bedbugs that has taken a come out they’re finding tick- park in their driveways,” said Poonawala said the reces- cillor decided to ask hotel completely unprepared To- ets all the time,” said Chris candidate Namu Ponnam- sion saw more people move management to deal with the ronto by storm, and policies Balsingh, president of Morn- balam. into their parents’ houses, and problem and have the infesta- still haven’t improved. ingside Heights Residents’ Ponnambalam said resi- that the number of cars per tion taken care of discreetly “Bedbugs have been pretty Association. “It’s almost like dents are still being ham- house is increasing. and efficiently. prevalent in this city for the the tag officer is sitting in the BILLY COURTICE/The Observer pered by old Scarborough “Some four-bedroom, After several weeks of be- past 10 years at least,” said neighbourhood and targeting Ashman Patel tries to fight bylaws, rather than City of two-bathroom houses might ing ignored, Moscoe took Mark Joseph, owner of Mag- the area.” his parking ticket. Toronto bylaws, even after have four cars,” he said. direct action by threatening ical Pest Control. “However, Despite the housing devel- amalgamation in 1998. Residents are being fur- hotel management with the in the past year the increase opment being nearly seven and cannot park. The lack of proper parking ther aggravated by a new To- prospect of placing large in cases has been tremen- years old, the city has yet to “I think if people saw signs areas is mirrored in another ronto bylaw which prohibits signs out front of the hotel dous.” put up signs in the area advis- at least they could agree with new development, Rou- parking more cars in a drive- saying “This hotel is infested ing residents where they can the tag officer,” Balsingh geville, near Morningside way than can fit in the garage. with bedbugs.” Only after See BEDBUGS, Page 2 PAGE 2 - The East Toronto Observer, October 29, 2010 NEWS Garden scheduled to shut down Bedbug Toronto District School Board hopes selling community greenery will create revenue dilemma EMILY HUNTER From Page 1 The Observer Toronto Health Media Relations Coordinator Susan After 13 years, Scarbor- Sperling claims they keep ough’s Always Growing Gar- no specific statistics or den may be shutting down information about bedbugs after all. in Scarborough. Rather, they The Toronto Catholic Dis- treat Scarborough cases in trict School Board is sell- the same fashion as anywhere ing the community garden in the city. to generate revenue for its Joseph claims the biggest schools. outbreaks are in apartments “We’re seeing a loss of where they are most difficult enrolment across the GTA,” to treat. In his experience, said Angelo Sangiorgio, as- Scarborough has some of the sociate director of planning most severe cases. facilities for the board. “As “One of the worst pockets students decline, so does the in the city is the apartments funding from the govern- around Victoria Park and ment.” Danforth — they are simply Staff at the school board infested,” Joseph said. His confirmed this month that pest control company is they are selling four closed based in Toronto but services schools and three vacant lots, most of Southern Ontario. including the garden at Mc- EMILY HUNTER /The Observer While the media has only Cowan Road and Eglinton Pastor Margarite Alaske, co-founder of The Always Growing Garden, will be one of many to miss the local garden. caught on to the bedbug Avenue East. frenzy over the past year, The board will invest tens yet, but the board is accepting and built over for a town- small piece of property.” 47 families. The food gener- Moscoe says it has always of million of dollars in prop- offers from private bodies. house complex. Drum was not informed ated at the garden feeds lo- been an issue. erty income in operating costs The property will likely “We knew this was eventu- that the property was up for cal families and goes to food and school improvement. In be sold and paved over by ally going to happen, but we sale. He says he’s not upset, banks. Between 230 to 450 Bug hazard ignored Scarborough, the board will next summer, according to had hoped it wasn’t for a few but very appreciative, as the kilograms of vegetables are replace Saint Nicholas Cath- Pastor Margarite Alaske, a more years,” Alaske said. board gave the space for free produced each season. “The problem we have is olic School and build a new co-founder of The Always “It will be missed,” said to the community since 1997. Drum said he’s unsure if that Toronto Health won’t school in the Morningside Growing Garden, Dennis Drum, garden coor- The Always Growing Gar- the garden will be relocating declare bedbugs a health Heights community.