ww The East York ‘MAYOR MUST GO’ n Editorial Page 6 OBSERVER n East Yorkers react Page 8 Serving our community since 1972 Vol. 42, No. 10 www.torontoobserver.ca Friday, November 8, 2013 E.Y. councillors line up against Ford Mayor has ‘discredited the office,’ says Davis By MARK CADIZ The Observer The mayor remains in the spotlight, but for all the wrong reasons. “What matters is the conduct of a person who holds the office of mayor,” said John Parker, the city councillor for Ward 26/Don Valley West and once an ally of Ford. “And for the city of Toronto, in my view, the conduct we have seen has been woefully inappropriate.” Councillors Janet Davis of Ward 31/Beach- es-East York and Mary Fragedakis of Ward 29/ Toronto-Danforth have been equally damning. Davis, breaking a long silence on Ford’s be- haviour, told a group of reporters this week that Ford “has lost the legitimacy of the mayor’s of- fice. He has discredited himself, the office, this city.” For her part, Fragedakis has been quoted in published reports as saying that the mayor “should take a leave of absence or resign. He should get help.” But so far, the three councillors haven’t spe- cifically indicated to what extent they’ll join others’ efforts to circumvent Ford’s mayoral authority if he refuses to leave office. Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair announced on Oct. 31 that police have recovered a video that appears to show Ford smoking crack cocaine and making racist and homophobic remarks. Then, on Tuesday, Ford admitted that he has Madalyn Hamann /// Observer smoked crack — but he said he won’t resign. Hours after Mayor Rob Ford admitted to smoking crack cocaine, protesters gathered at city hall, calling on him to resign. East York’s three representatives on city council have all harshly criticized Ford’s behaviour. n See FORD, page 8 n ENVIRONMENT Green-friendly worm composting not for faint of heart By AROOJ YAQUB poster at Foodshare, says creating The Observer a vermicompost is easy, however, daily maintenance of the compost COMPOSTABLE Slimy, wiggly and squirming are is difficult. all words that describe vermicom- “You need a guiding hand on it, posting, an alternative way to fertil- it could be teachers or even a par- OR NOT? ize your crops. ents’ committee or a volunteer like 4 Vermicomposting uses red wig- myself,” Nevin said. “The trouble is YES gler worms. The worms eat organic you can set up a compost bin, but n Bread matter or waste at a fast pace and if nobody takes care of it, it will n Coffee grounds and filter produce a nutrient-rich secretion tend to attract litter and debris by n Egg shells (crushed) called worm castings. The feces passersby and even people onsite n Fruits produced can then be used to fertil- because it’s a place to dump stuff.” n Vegetables ize gardens and crops. On Oct. 30, Jennifer Franklin, a family stud- n Grains Torontonians shopped and learned ies teacher at Earl Grey Senior n Pasta (plain and cooked) about vermicomposting at the Ever- Public School, is all for vermicom- n Peanut hulls (no nuts) green Brick Works WormShare. posting. She says it was easy to im- Arooj Yaqub /// Observer n Tea leaves and bags “They’re absolutely pivotal for plement vermicomposting into her Volunteers prepare a vermi-composting bin at Ever- the gardening and the earth, be- curriculum. Earl Grey teaches eco green Brick Works’ Wormshare on Oct. 30. 8 NO cause they break everything down. literacy and is ranked as a Gold Eco By doing this we’re just mimicking School. They maintain their waste ing for fertilizer that we could use is getting lost. Without worms we n Dairy products nature’s system, recreating it for our by composting, recycling, energy in the spring again. This is a way of couldn’t grow anything, they com- n Fats own use,” said Karen McMillan, a conservation and waste reduction. keeping connection with how things plete the cycle.” n Feces (animal or human) volunteer with the Riverdale Food The school hopes to achieve plati- grow and what we eat,” Franklin For now, vermicomposting is still n Meats Working Group. “Clean is a very num status in the future. said. “We’re turning into a society making its way into the mainstream n Oils Western way of looking at things “My students create waste when that goes to supermarkets and buys of compost options. You can find n Peanut butter and not the natural system.” they’re cooking. I wanted them to everything. The joy we get in learn- more information at http://ebw.ev- n Twigs Mike Nevin, a part-time com- see an alternative way of compost- ing and that you get from growing ergreen.ca/cal/event/wormshare. 2 NEWS The East York Observer /// Friday, Nov. 8, 2013 POLICE & FIRE Vice-principal under arrest Timothy Fisher, a 49-year-old vice-principal at Danforth Colle- giate and Techni- cal Institute, has been suspended with pay after be- ing charged with obstructing po- Alissa Heidman /// Observer lice. They allege Red Mulberry natural health store (left) now takes the place of what was Leaside’s first store and telephone exchange over that a student 90 years ago. The 19th-century Thomas G. Elgie house (right) at 262 Bessborough Dr. is the oldest home in Leaside. was wanted on outstanding war- rants and that a school staffer was aware of the mat- ter and allowed Lights, camera, Leaside the student to leave the school Leaside documentary grew and grew,” Regan said. before they could Bill Pashby, a Toronto lawyer, is a arrest him. a labour of love for well-known third-generation Leaside resident. He chose to stay in the com- East York filmmakers munity to raise his family. Elderly woman “One of the most interesting things struck by car By ALISSA HEIDMAN is that my two granddaughters live in The Observer the house I grew up in,” he said. An elderly East Pashby has many neighbours in York resident was Anthony Regan and Barry Samuel their 50s that grew up in the houses taken to hospital step into the Leaside library with their they currently live in. with life-threaten- filming equipment and ideas. According to Regan, this seems to ing injuries after The love they share for their com- be a trend. being struck by munity has inspired them to produce a “More and more it’s happening in a car on Sun- documentary titled “100 Years Inside Leaside. People want to stay inside day. The victim Leaside.” the community and (so) they give was hit around The documentary is aimed at their home to their children,” Regan The Lea family moved into this oddly slanted home in the 4:30 p.m.by a chronicling the last century in Leaside said. early 1900s. It was once facing James Lea Lane, which dis- car backing out through interviews with influential, Pashby recalls going tobogganing appeared when the modern road system was built. of a driveway longtime residents. at High Park as a child. It is the same in the area of 100 Years Inside Leaside will be hill where he took his children and Longspur Road woven around the life of Walter David now his granddaughters. and Parkview Hill Newel, a man who paid the ultimate “Some of my best memories are in Crescent. price for Canada’s freedom. He was Leaside,” he said. killed during a training run in the Sec- “I think there’s been a lot of chang- ~Kaitlin Clubley ond World War es but not any more than any other Newel was born and raised in Lea- place.” side, and there are memorials of him Regan and Samuel have released a throughout the community. sneak peak of their production. WHAS T’ Regan says this was not their initial With growing interest in the proj- plan, but he and Samuel found their ect and more interviews to conduct, UP IN E.Y. story through Newel. they don’t have an exact release date “We thought it would maybe be of yet. ‘Tis the season... interest to people in the business com- In the meantime, the historical munity, or to even show people what’s community of Leaside excitedly A Christmas fair around the community and it grew and awaits the documentary’s debut. will take place tomorrow, Nov. 9, from 11 a.m. For more stories and photos related to East to 2 p.m. at St. York news, features and events, please visit our website at torontoobserver.ca St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church is the oldest of five churches Cuthbert’s Angli- @ in Leaside. can Church, 1399 Bayview Ave. Get O the ‘best lunch in town’ for $7.50. Meeting reviews bylaws for street food vendors ...for bazaars a public consultation meeting at the to change something,” Alexopoulos review the bylaws for mainly two On Saturday, Nov. Local vendors seeking East York Civic Centre on Tuesday. said. reasons — permitting vendors to 30, True David- fair and co-operative Baugadis, who has been selling She expects a good business offer a wider range of food items son Acres Long ice cream for more than 50 years, environment in which everyone and assessing how food carts can be Term Care Facil- work environments urged the city to take the concerns would work together and respect made more mobile. ity will host its and expectations of the public, each other. “The proposed bylaw changes By AMIRUL ISLAM annual Holiday BIAs and vendors into account.