September 25, 2020 Dear Neighbours, I want to thank everyone for your efforts during these difficult times. It is very important that we all follow the mandatory physical distancing bylaw and the mandatory mask or face covering bylaw! Please take a moment to complete my COVID-19 Information Survey. Today is Show Your Local Love Day in Toronto! Today we show our local love for our communities in support of the United Way and its network of 270 community partners. The United Way has already funded 340 projects across Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that no one is left behind. Be sure to Show Your Local Love today! New COVID-19 Public Health measures implemented provincewide to keep Ontarians safe To ensure the continued health and safety of Ontarians, reduce the risk of transmission, and limit future outbreaks of COVID-19, the Ontario government is implementing new province-wide restrictions effective 12:01 a.m. on Saturday September 26 and will: • Apply additional measures and restrictions to restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments (including nightclubs) by prohibiting the sale of alcohol after 11 p.m., and prohibiting the consumption of alcohol on the premises after 12:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. (including employees), and requiring establishments to close by 12:00 a.m. and remain closed until 5:00 a.m. except for takeout or delivery; • Close all strip clubs across the province; and • Require businesses or organizations to comply with any advice, recommendations, and instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health on screening for COVID-19. For more information please read the news release. COVID-19 Testing in Ontario Pharmacies The Ontario government is providing people with convenient free COVID-19 testing at up to 60 pharmacies in the province, starting today, September 25, 2020. This initiative will expand testing capacity well beyond the province’s 150 assessment centres. Scarborough Pharmacies offering COVID-19 Testing: - Village Square Pharmacy at 2941 Finch Ave E | 416-492-4167 - Rexall at 4459 Kingston Road Scarborough | 416-282-1978 - Shoppers Drug Mart at 2751 Eglinton Ave E | 416-267-8211 - Shoppers Drug Mart at 629 Markham Road | 416-439-2121 - Shoppers Drug Mart at 2301 Kingston Road | 416-269-2171 - Shoppers Drug Mart at Unit A-1780 Markham Road | 416-412-1780 A full list of pharmacies offering COVID-19 testing can be found here. COVID-19 Provincial Testing Guidance Update The Ministry of Health has revised their guidelines for those seeking a COVID-19 test at an assessment centre in order to prioritize resources for those who need them. Only those with symptoms, or asymptomatic individuals who have made close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, and those in other high-risk populations such as health care workers, should seek testing. For more information to testing guidelines please visit this link. ActiveTO major road closure reminder Residents are reminded that this weekend will be the final weekend of ActiveTO Major Weekend Road Closures. This weekend, closures will be in place from Saturday, September 26 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, September 27 at 11 p.m.: • Lake Shore Boulevard West (eastbound lanes only) from Windermere Avenue to Stadium Road. As a result, the eastbound Gardiner Expressway off ramp to Lake Shore Boulevard West (exit #146) will also be closed. • Bayview Avenue from Front Street East to Rosedale Valley Road, and River Street from Gerrard Street East to Bayview Avenue Updated data for ActiveTO weekend road closures Verified data counts from a variety of summer weekends in May, June, July and August show that ActiveTO Major Road Closures provided space for thousands of people to be physically active, contributing to overall wellbeing, along Toronto’s busiest and most popular trails to help stop virus spread. The following averages, taken over 15 hours on days without significant rainfall, were confirmed for weekends in June, July and August: • 18,000 cyclists and 4,000 pedestrians on Lake Shore Boulevard West • 6,300 cyclists and 5,700 pedestrians on Lake Shore Boulevard East • 2,000 cyclists and 300 pedestrians on Bayview Avenue. Plus 1,900 cyclists and 250 pedestrians on the adjacent Don Valley Trail (eight-hour counts). For more information please read the news release. Telecommunicators of the Year announced in Toronto Emergency Telecommunicators are the calm voice at the other end of every 9-1-1 call, the first of the first responders, and the hidden heroes of emergency services. Toronto Paramedic Services, Toronto Fire Services and the Toronto Police Service recently recognized outstanding Emergency Telecommunicators through the annual Telecommunicator of the Year Awards. This year, the ceremony was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and each service has chosen to recognize their own 2019 award recipients during Toronto Public Service Week. The award winners for 2019 are: - Toronto Paramedic Services o Courtney Poirier – Emergency Medical Dispatcher of the Year o Melissa Bender – Communication Training Officer Mentor Award o Greg Lees – Senior Emergency Medical Dispatcher Leadership Award - Toronto Fire Services o Shift 4 – Telecommunicators of the Year - Toronto Police Services o Paul Youngs – Telecommunicator of the Year For more information please read the news release. City of Toronto update on COVID-19 cases Data as of September 24, 2020: Through the pandemic City of the Toronto has seen a total of 18,363 cases of COVID-19, an increase of 236 cases from the day before. Of these, 15,725 cases have recovered, an increase of 105 cases from the day before. There are 41 people currently hospitalized. To this date, there have been 1,178 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto. Case status data can be found on the City’s reporting platform. As the virus continues to circulate in the community, it is vital that we are all reminded to adhere to Toronto Public Heath’s advice to practise physical distancing, stay within their social bubble of no more than 10 people, wash hands often and wear a mask or face covering where mandatory or when physical distancing cannot be maintained. City of Toronto Waste Wizard and Drop-Off Depots The City of Toronto’s Waste Wizard helps you find out what waste items go where! You can visit the Waste Wizard online or download the TOwaste app. The City of Toronto operates seven Transfer Stations which have drop-off depots used to collect, sort and transfer all the City’s waste. Residents can also use these depots to dispose of their unwanted items such as Household Hazardous Waste and Electronic Waste. Find more information on Drop-Off Depot locations, hours of service, list of accepted items HERE. COVID-19 One-time payment for persons with disabilities The Government of Canada announced a one-time $600 payment in recognition of the extraordinary expenses faced by persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The one-time payment will be automatically issued to: • holders of a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate, and • beneficiaries as at July 1, 2020 of: • Canada Pension Plan Disability • Quebec Pension Plan Disability Pension, or • one of the disability supports provided by Veterans Affairs Canada If you are eligible but never applied for the Disability Tax Credit, or your certificate expired in 2019, you must do so by September 25, 2020. For more information please call 1-800-622-6232. Toronto District School Board e-Learning/Virtual-School Contacts If you are a parent or staff member with questions or concerns about a child or student in Learning Centre 3: - Grades K-1, please contact Principal Zorina Alli ([email protected]) - Grades 2-4, please contact Principal Phyllis Jackson ([email protected]) - Grades 5-8, please contact Principal Laura Slater ([email protected]) More information on e-Learning/Virtual-School can be found at www.tdsb.on.ca/Virtual-School. Further questions can be directed to Ward 19’s TDSB Trustee Zakir Patel at [email protected] REMINDER: Scarborough Ribfest Drive Thru This year’s Scarborough Ribfest will be a Drive Thru event taking place on Saturday September 26 and Sunday September 27 from 11 am to 8 pm at the Centennial College Progress Campus. This is a drive-thru event only. No one will be allowed to exit their vehicles and no pedestrian traffic will be admitted. Donations to the Rotary Club of Scarborough are requested. Knights of Columbus Drive-Through Community Food Drive On Saturday October 3rd, 9AM to 12PM, a Community Pre-Thanksgiving Food Drive will be held in the Parking Lot of St. Martin de Porres Church, 4179 Lawrence Ave E. This will be a Drive-Through Food Drive hosted by the Knights of Columbus. Appropriate Covid- 19 protocols will be observed (masks, sanitizer, distancing). All community members are invited to bring non-perishable food items, much needed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The food items will then be delivered to our community Food Bank. Readers’ Choice Awards Now Open Voting for the Readers’ Choice Awards are NOW OPEN! There are many different categories to vote in for. Voting closes on October 4th, 2020. Visit this LINK to cast your votes. #iMissLiveTheatreTO Toronto’s Theatre, Dance & Opera Sectors Launch Weeklong Campaign to Celebrate the Live Performances That Would Have Been in 2020-21 until September 27th. At this time of year, the performing arts would typically be celebrating the launch of the 2020-21 season. Instead the industry continues to feel the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. More information can be found here. Help Your Toronto Zoo Name their Baby Red Panda! On Tuesday, July 14, 2020 your Toronto Zoo welcomed endangered female red panda cub, affectionately known as “Baby Red”, and they need YOUR help to give her a name! Vote on your favourite name by Tuesday September 29, 2020 at 11:59pm HERE.