October 6, 2017 TTC’S New Bus Service Aimed at Seniors
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ww The East York BITE OF THE PAST n Apple Festival ushers OBSERVER in the fall Page 8 Serving our community since 1972 www.torontoobserver.ca Friday, October 6, 2017 TTC’s new bus service aimed at seniors By NICOLE REIS The Observer East York resident Del Hursey, 71, is a fan of the new Community Bus service. She says she likes it because she doesn’t have to take as many bus transfers to get to where she needs to go. “Not too many people know about this ser- vice,” said Hursey, who recently used the Com- munity Bus to get from No Frills on Victoria Park Avenue to Shoppers World on the Danforth. “It’s convenient.” The TTC began its nine-month Community Bus pilot program along two routes this month. It’s designed to connect senior citizens and Wheel-Trans customers along the Lawrence Manor 400 and East York 404 routes by offering door-to-door service to shopping centres, com- munity centres, hospitals and seniors’ centres. “The pilot is part of a 10-year Wheel-Trans strategy aimed at transforming the way acces- sible public-transit services are delivered,” TTC spokesperson Donna Harris said in an email. “The TTC’s goal is to provide customers with increased flexibility and spontaneity.” Seniors who have tried out the service have mixed reactions. Philomena Mcbolin, 94, uses a walker and says she doesn’t like the change in bus stop lo- cations that require her to walk to the opposite side of the plaza to catch her bus home. Janice Marshall, 79, says the Community Bus doesn’t allow her time to shop before its final 4 p.m. bus. The Community Bus program allows passen- gers to flag busses down along their route. Any- one can try out the new service. The TTC has reallocated $400,000 within its existing Wheel- Sarah Bhola/The Observer Trans budget for additional busses and to build awareness through posters, flyers and talking Wrestling takes flight in Greektown with riders. Channing Decker performs a modified diamond cutter on opponent Josh Alexander. See Page 5 for the story The pilot will determine whether the service and more photos. will continue or expand. Police looking for man who fled after Leaside crash a vehicle and police later tweeted one of the oc- they said is wanted for 12 offences including Suspect, 22, wanted for 12 cupants may have had a gun. The vehicle left possession of a loaded regulated firearm, pos- offences, including possession the scene and police followed. session of a firearm obtained by crime and dan- A minor collision occurred when the vehicle gerous operation of a motor vehicle. of loaded regulated firearm struck a streetlight near the intersection of Eg- Rouse has been described as six feet tall and linton Avenue East and Rumsey Road, accord- 150 pounds with a shaved head. He was last By OLIVIA BLACKMORE ing to a media release from the Special Investi- seen wearing a white T-shirt and grey pants. The Observer gations Unit. “The SIU is investigating the actions of po- A 60-year-old female passenger of the ve- lice in relation to the injury sustained by the Police are looking for a 22-year-old man who hicle was taken to hospital, another passenger 60-year-old woman,” said Monica Hudon, a is considered armed and dangerous after they was arrested at the scene, and the driver of the communications co-ordinator with SIU. attempted to make an arrest Sept. 21 in Leaside. vehicle fled, the release said. At about 12:40 p.m., Toronto police stopped Police are searching for Kyle Rouse, 22, who n See SIU, page 2 n KYLE ROUSE 2 NEWS The East York Observer Friday, October 6, 2017 POLICE & WHAT’S FIRE UP IN E.Y. Arrest made New exhibit following features investigation historic sites Members of 54 A new exhibit is Division Major coming to the Crime Unit have Todmorden Mills made an arrest in Papermill Gallery. an attempted mur- Daniel Rotzstain, der investigation. a Toronto artist On July 24, 2016, and urban geog- a man fired three rapher, will be shots at another showcasing his man, aged 29, in sketches of over the Main Street 100 of Toronto’s and Danforth Av- historic sites. The enue area. Police Connor Atkinson/The Observer drawings show say Astrit Shkurta, Over 400,000 bins have been delivered to residents across the city since April 2016. Most homeowners are key architectural 67, of Toronto was happy with the bins, according to the city. Those who aren’t are encouraged to call 311 with any complaints. features of the arrested Monday, landmarks, as well Oct. 2. Charges as some of their include attempted original artifacts. murder and unau- Green bins get thumbs-up Visitors can view thorized posses- Rotzstain’s draw- sion of a firearm. Feedback on ‘raccoon-proof’ vember, according to city officials. sively on our green bins for food,” she ings in a colouring When the new bins were first introduced said, as they only have access to them once book, A Colourful Medication bins has been very positive, in the spring of 2015, Mayor John Tory a week. That means they’re finding food History Toronto. claimed they were “raccoon-proof.” They elsewhere. The exhibit is free stolen Oct. 1 says spokesperson for city can only be opened by a latch, which the “Our raccoons are very large, and many of charge and will Police are warning raccoon’s hands are not large enough to of them could stand to lose a few pounds,” be available to the the public to be By CONNOR ATKINSON turn, or by force of gravity, such as being MacDonald said. “If they get slimmer, the public from now The Observer on the lookout for held upside down by a garbage truck. females will have fewer babies each year, until Oct. 15. medication that Enya Best’s green bin was stolen, and And while some residents say the bins and the raccoon population will naturally was stolen from an she wants it back. are not all they’re cracked up to be, over- decrease, which is good for the raccoons, Support a East York pharma- The East York resident says her house all feedback “has been very positive’” said and good for the humans.” cy on Sunday, Oct. was vacant for a few months before she Siobhan Ramsey, a communications spe- As for the latch that’s designed to make good cause, 1. They say a large moved in. During that time, someone ab- cialist for the City of Toronto. “We have the bins impenetrable, MacDonald says it’s get a haircut quantity of drugs sconded with the green bin and Best is now not had a lot of complaints regarding the hard to say how soon East York’s raccoons was taken from the left with a mess on her hands whenever the new bins,. will adapt to the obstacles. Get your hair done pharmacy, which neighbourhood raccoon chooses to dine “If residents are having issues with the The new bins are much bigger and heavi- this month at Ele- is located in the out at her home. bin, we encourage them to let us know by er than the old bins, which makes them dif- ments Hair Design O’Connor Drive “The city is trying to track (the bin calling 311. The city will send a team out ficult to climb and hard to knock over, she on 473 Cosburn and Curity Avenue down) before they give us a new one,” to investigate.” said. However, she added, the bins can be Ave. The salon area. The drugs she said. “It’s a hassle to be on your way, Meanwhile, those who are concerned opened by raccoons if other animals, such will be raising can be harmful walk out to your car and see garbage every- that raccoons will go hungry as a result as rats or squirrels, chew through the plas- money during the or fatal if ingest- where. Then you’re late because you had to of the new bins need not worry. Suzanne tic and make a hole large enough to admit month of October ed, especially by get down and dirty.” MacDonald, a professor at York Universi- raccoon fingers. for ISAND Ther- children. Anyone Once Best gets her bin, whether it’s the ty, is currently doing research into whether “If the bins are latched and stored prop- apy Centre, an finding the medi- original or a new one, she’ll join the rest the raccoon-proof bins will result in “skin- erly, the raccoons can’t get in,” MacDonald organization that cation is asked not of Toronto in its fight against hungry rac- ny raccoons.” So far, she sees little evi- said, “and at least from what I’ve seen with provides services to handle it, but to coons. The bins should be fully distributed dence of that. my motion-sensitive infrared cameras, the for young people contact police. to all homeowners before the end of No- “The raccoons can’t be relying exclu- raccoons soon give up.” with autism. The salon will donate $1 from every hair Man falls off service toward roof in East York Police identify car used in 2016 murder new programs. A worker is in By SARAH BHOLA headquarters last week, homicide Det. Hoping the vehicle is known to critical condition The Observer Leslie Dunkley explained that Farah and someone, Dunkley asks any witnesses Pop-up shop after falling off the two friends were refused entry into the to contact the homicide squad, celebrates art roof of a house in Toronto Police have released new café.