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Bluffer's Park Journal

Santa’s L’ll Elf; Five year old Beckett Lockwood and his mom Lillian enjoying the Beaches Santa Claus Parade on Sunday November 24th.

VOL. 37 NO. 12 December 2019

By Jim SandersonAs The Bluffs Monitor has re-

ported several times in the past, bigchanges appear to be coming toBluffer's Park. City hall and theToronto and Region ConservationAuthority have continued to moveforward with the Scarborough Wa-terfront Project , a redesign of ap-proximately 11 kilometres ofcoastline from the west end ofBluffer's Park to East Point Park andHighland Creek

While still in its preconstruc-tion stage, this project was movedcloser to implementation when itpassed another milestone this fall -an amendment to the EnvironmentalAssessment filed earlier this year bythe TRCA. Previous assessmentsand tweaks to the project have been

in the works for years.According to the TRCA web-

site, the project will "protect and en-hance terrestrial and aquatic habitat,improve the natural heritage system,and manage public safety" It willalso "provide an enjoyable water-front experience and address prob-lems identified during previousstudies of the region, includingshoreline erosion, limited water-front access and space for park vis-itors"

But as readers may rememberfrom previous articles in The Mon-itor, not everyone agrees with theseclaims. In the last round of consul-tations, local residents and peoplewho use the area like surfers NadiaBaer and Jeff Green had a lot to sayabout shoreline changes and the im-

pact of increased human use on thisunique wilderness. Writer and con-servationist Jane Fairburn, authorof Along the Shore, and the upcom-ing Longing for the Land, states"the loss of sand beach below theGrey Abbey Trail will lead to thedestruction of the natural web of lifeat the water’s edge. Many speciesthat exist there now like turtles, thethreatened bank swallows, snakes,salamanders, and muskrats, willlose their habitat. They are the col-lateral damage of this project."

Changes to the western sectionof the area between Bluffer’s Parkand Meadowcliffe include expan-sion of the existing beach on theheadland at the west end of the parkunder Cathedral Bluffs, and the...continued on Page 4

Scarborough Waterfront Project - Plans for Change Move Ahead

The Changing Shoreline; Toronto and Region Conservation Au-thority received approval on November 5, 2019 for the Final Scar-borough Waterfront Project Environmental Assessment.

Bluffs Monitor photo; John Smee

Page 2 - November 2019 www.bluffsmonitor.com

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By Derek PinderRegular readers will have no-

ticed that our series on road safetyin the Bluffs has been sputteringalong for many months. The re-cently-released revision to theCity’s Vision Zero plan hasprompted a re-think so we’re draw-ing the series to a close with thissummary of where we are.

Toronto’s original Vision ZeroRoad Safety Plan was approved inJuly 2016 with the goal of reducingtraffic deaths to zero by 2021.What has been achieved? The gen-eral opinion is, not very much.Toronto Police and Star statisticsindicate that pedestrian and cyclistdeaths have increased, althoughwithin the Bluffs they have de-creased. The City however claimssuccess and they cite targets thatwere met in such things as the im-plementation of senior safetyzones, lower speed limits and theinstallation of speed bumps.

Now we have the recently re-leased Vision Zero 2.0 which is ex-pected to cost $123 millionbetween 2020 and 2024. It isclaimed that this version recom-mends more extensive, proactive,targeted initiatives, informed bydata. The latter promises to bemore effective than the opinion andemotion driven initiatives that wehave seen to date. At the release ofVersion 2.0, John Tory said that itfollowed a study of pedestriandeaths in Scarborough which hasthe “highest ratio” of fatal pedes-trian collisions in the city. Of the41 city-wide pedestrian deaths in

2018, 16 were in Scarborough.The planned initiatives are lowerspeed limits on arterial roads, mid-block crosswalks, red-light cam-eras, photo radar, changes to roaddesign and pedestrian head-starts attraffic signals. These initiatives areseen as being particularly appropri-ate for Scarborough where thereare a lot of wide arterial roads withlong blocks between traffic signals.However, they really aren’t thatdifferent from the initiatives al-ready taken so are they likely to beany more effective? Throwingmoney at a problem is a commonapproach used by politicians whoare bereft of ideas but want to beseen to be doing something.

Three ideas from our readersare: traffic signals with built-inradar that bring speeding drivers toa halt (in use in Spain and Portu-gal); synchronised traffic signalswhich encourage drivers to stick tothe limit for an uninterrupted jour-ney while reducing pollution (inuse in Sarnia) and school-zonespeed limits which apply only dur-ing school hours instead of those inToronto which cry wolf all day (asdone in the USA).

The truth of the matter is thatsetting zero fatalities as a goal issetting ourselves up for failure un-less we take a more holistic ap-proach. The laudable efforts ofcitizens and their political repre-sentatives to turn Bluffs neighbour-hoods into idyllic places to live areat odds with a strong political willto make Toronto into a thrivingcentre for business. Commute

times in our city have become hor-rible and stressed drivers do notmake our roads safer. Things arenot being helped by low speed lim-its on arterial roads without the cre-ation of alternative routes or othermodes of transport. They are notbeing helped by the removal andinadequacies of parking lots at Goand TTC stations which only en-courages people to use their cars.

As long as we have motorisedvehicles sharing the same space aspedestrians and cyclists we aregoing to have accidents. Giventhat we live in a growing and flour-ishing city, the best we can aim foris minimising the number of vehi-cles on the road, and that meanstransit. The major transit providersin the Bluffs are Metrolinx and theTTC.

The Metrolinx GO train serv-ice has improved enormously in re-cent years. Service frequency isgenerally so good that one hardlyneeds a timetable. Just show upand a train will arrive soon. Plansfor the future indicate that thingswill only get better. The “first andlast mile” problem is getting worse.GO train parking is inadequate andthe police are ticketing cars parkedon surrounding streets. We hearmore and more stories of frustratedtravellers driving downtown in-stead of taking the train.

Although there has been sometinkering with bus routes andschedules, there has been no sub-stantial improvement to TTC serv-ices in the Bluffs for a long time.Once again, the “first and last

mile” situation is worsening withplans to eliminate or reduce theavailability of parking at subwaystations. Politicians are very goodat coming up with new ideas andspending buckets of money oncity-wide transit solutions. Theyare not so good at getting thingsdone. Why don’t they leave it tothe engineers? I grant that Shang-hai is an extreme comparison butthat city opened its first metro in1993 and now has the most exten-sive metro system in the world.

A hint of the recognition of theimportance of the “first and lastmile” came with the recent an-nouncement of the Rouge Hillshuttle. The shuttle will be a “dri-verless” bus with seating for eightto twelve passengers which willrun from the Rouge Hill GO stationfor a trial period of six to 12months, “hopefully” starting in thefall of 2020. That’s just a yearaway and neither funding nor pro-curement of a vehicle are yet inplace. Will it be successful? Onlytime will tell but there are somedrawbacks that may make it lessthan enticing. The route of theshuttle has not yet been decided butit is expected to serve the area be-tween Ridgewood Road and RougeHills Drive which is about a five-minute drive or 30 minute walkfrom the station. The service fre-quency will be 20 to 30 minutes. Ifyou were fortunate enough to ar-rive at the station just as a shuttle,with empty seats, was about toleave, you might get home in about15 minutes. But why won’t the

shuttle take each passenger’s ad-dress and work out the best route todrop those passengers at their frontdoors? If, however, you justmissed a shuttle, the journey homecould take nearly an hour. If youtravel outside peak hours, the shut-tle won’t even be there!

Perhaps the most encouragingnews was the October announce-ment of the preparation of an auto-mated vehicle plan which aims tomake Toronto “automated vehicleready by 2022”. Within this planis a more realistic opinion on whatit is going to take to achieve the Vi-sion Zero goals. “When automatedvehicles make up ¾ of the vehicleson the road, we could see an end tovirtually all traffic injuries and fa-talities.” This event is projected tooccur in 2050.

So, it seems that playingaround with painted lines andspeed limits might serve the pur-pose of keeping our attention onroad safety but the only way tomake serious inroads into thealarming rate of accidents and fa-talities, while keeping our cityfunctional, is to get private cars offthe road. And the only way to dothat is to make huge and expensiveinvestments in automated publictransit. Consider these amazingfigures from the Automated Vehi-cle Tactical Plan: given a singletransit lane, private vehicles canmove a maximum of 1,600 peopleper hour; buses can move 8,000and on-street transit 25,000 peopleper hour.

Road Safety in the Bluffs Part 6: Conclusion

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By Doug DurnoGeoffrey Grace lives in

the area around BlantyrePark in southwest Scarbor-ough. As a young parent, herepresents the changing de-mographic of the neigh-bourhood surrounded byKingston Road, VictoriaPark Avenue, Gerrard andWarden. Young familiessuch as Geoffrey's havegradually become the dom-inant demographic as olderresidents downsize.

So it seems only fittingthat, when the Parks Depart-ment announced that late2020 would see the Blantyrepool undergo the periodicwork needed to keep it in astate of good repair, they'dconsult the local communityon their changing needs forPark usage. They could thentry to update it in a similartime frame as the pool.

Based on a meetingheld earlier this year to getinput and establish prioritiesfor projects, the Parks De-partment recently set up dis-plays at Blantyre School,and presented three "ameni-ties layouts" for possible fu-ture development. Oneamenity (or facility) thathad the overwhelming sup-port of the crowd of aboutfifty was a splash pad. Thiswould fit perfectly for all

the young families. It wouldalso be another option forthose in lineups for theswimming pool on hot sum-mer days. The splash padwould likely be located be-side the pool, but not be apart of it. A picnic area wasalso thought to be an ideathat would fit in with suchfamily outings

Another popular optionfor those in attendance wasan off-leash dog park. AsPatrick Charterand, a regu-lar in the park with his dog,pointed out, dog ownerspresently use the park fromsix in the morning till ten atnight. Unfortunately, thereare a few wayward peoplewho don't pick up after theirdogs. This small minoritymakes it a bad situation forthe baseball players, horse-shoe pitchers, and those justout for a pleasant walk whofind the 'gifts' that the dogsand their owners have leftbehind for them. An off-leash area would be a greatsolution. Another argumentin favour is that some dogowners presently drive toother off-leash areas, emit-ting carbon dioxide all theway.

Residents were also infavour of walkways throughthe park. These would avoidthe baseball diamond as

much as possible except inleft field where a walkwaycould be installed along thebase of the hill. In regard tothe hill, a stairway could beinstalled from Clonmore.Tobogganers would cer-tainly be in favor.All of us are concernedabout kids crossing over tothe park amidst all the traf-fic on Clonmore, Falling-brook and Blantyre. Thesestreets are being increas-ingly used by drivers seek-ing a shortcut around theever-increasing traffic alongKingston Road and Gerrard.Residents would like to seesome calming measurestaken that would make itsafer for kids trying to reachthe park. The Parks Depart-ment's layouts included lo-cations where speed bumps,pinch points or raised pave-ment could be installed.

The overlaying of asoccer pitch on the baseballdiamond was one idea thatwasn't received favourably.As one resident pointed out,nearby Blantyre School hasa field that is well used.

Other ideas discussedwere a fitness pod, whichwould involve a circuit ofexercise options; an all-weather Ping-Pong table; askateboard dot; and a multi-purpose court for basket

ball, tennis and pickleball.It should be kept in mindthat all these ideas are onlyproposals. Alex Mut, theproject manager for capitalprojects in our area, saidthat the next step would beto hire a landscape-architectconsultant who, in conjunc-tion with Parks staff, wouldcome up with more refinedproposals based on the inputof these consultations aswell as more practical mat-ters like how much fundingis available.

Afterwards, attendeeswere generally positiveabout what they had justheard and seen. Kim Corby,a frequent Park user, waspleasantly surprised. She'dbeen expecting the same-old'this is why we can't do that'rhetoric. But she said theParks people and CouncillorCrawford and his advisorTamara, "were understand-ing and open to the thoughtsand concerns of the resi-dents". She's looking for-ward to seeing how thosethoughts and concerns areaddressed in more definitiveproposals in future meet-ings. She was particularlysurprised that they're hold-ing out an off-leash area asa distinct possibility whenthey have been quite nega-tive in the past. Karen Di-rekze, who is quite active incommunity affairs, was op-timistic about the repurpos-ing of the Park. She heardlots of good ideas. AnneMacDonald and JoanneO'Hagan, two other frequentPark visitors, were hopefulthat any projects that are un-dertaken be done in a timelyfashion. And to return to thebeginning, Geoffrey Gracesaid that Parks staff haddone a good job of listening,and he's hopeful that theycan do an equally good jobof blending all the differentamenities into a well-func-tioning park.

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By Bree-Ann GittensI can't afford to pay my rent

and provide food for my family ormyself. Many Canadian are facedwith a decision that causes people togo hungry. Also, food banks arestruggling to keep food on theshelves while the public demandkeeps growing.

Today food banks are availablefor any Canadian who is strugglingwith the high price of living. Cana-dians are using food banks at anyage now. The demographic haschanged due to today's economy.

It’s reported that 1 in 5 Canadi-ans have used a food bank in theirlife according to Business Wire.Many Canadians are using the ser-vices of local food banks as a solu-tion for tackling daily foodinsecurity.

"People are coming to the food

banks because they don't makeenough money or their income is in-efficient. The high price of rent andpeople don't have enough money tobuy groceries," said Gail Barkic,who is the president of Bluffs FoodBank (BFB) at Birchcliff BluffsUnited Church.

Food insecurity affects everyCanadian. According to Food BanksCanada; a national organizationmade up of 10 provincial associa-tions and over 500 local food banks.It's reported that 4 million Canadi-ans are facing food insecure andstruggling to put enough food on thetable weekly.

Many Canadians are livingbelow the poverty line. Food banksare the only way for some individu-als and families to access groceriesevery week. Many Canadians areunable to pay their rent and have

money left over for food. According to Food Banks

Canada; 1 in 4 households paysmore than it can afford for housing.People are depending on food banksto feed their families or themselves.

"People often think about thefood bank during Christmas orThanksgiving. People are hungry365 days a year. We kind of get in-undated during the Christmas time,"said Barkic. "During the summer,people are hungry. The need isgreater during summertime. That'swhen we use our financial dona-tions to make sure we have what we

need on the shelves to get peoplegroceries for three to five days."

Bluffs Food Bank is making adifference in their community. Fam-ilies or single people are gettingtheir groceries from Bluffs FoodBank weekly. Providing food is animportant resource for their clients.BFB is open every Thursday from1:00 to 3:30 pm and from 6:00 to7:00 pm.

Every week, BFB can expectup to 300 families representing1,200 individuals using their ser-vices. People continue to face toughdecisions about whether or not toeat. Canadians depend on weeklyfood bank services to get throughthe week. Food banks depend ondonations to provide services totheir clients.

Donations are providing a mealand also an investment in every sin-

gle Canadian struggling to providefood for themselves and their fami-lies. Donations are helping yourlocal food banks operate in today'seconomy. Bluffs Food Bank usesdonations to feed valuable Canadi-ans who are facing food security allyear around.

"Financial donations are mostimportant for us, we appreciate fooddrives. When we get a food drive,we get a variety of things we may ormay not need," said Barkic. "If peo-ple make a financial donation, theycan get an income tax receipt for thedonation. We can buy what weneed."

People are hungry 365 days a year.

Everyday Canadians Facing Food Insecurity Every Day

continued from Page 1creation of a small cobble beach.

Changes to the central seg-ment between Meadowcliffe andGrey Abbey include a new head-land and beach at the base of theDoris McCarthy Trail, two newheadlands, and the extension of an existing headland into the lake at the eastend of the Meadowcliffe shore-line.

Changes to the eastern sec-tion of the area area betweenGrey Abbey and Highland Creekinclude removal of the existingbreakwater under the GuildwoodParkway shoreline, and construc-tion of a headland and beach thatextends to the east side of GreyAbbey Ravine. A multi-use trailwill run through all three seg-ments.

While the stated goals of this

enormous undertaking: increasedaccess , preservation of naturalhabitat, and control of erosion,might seem commendable;changes to this wild shoreline,one of the most important naturallandscapes in Toronto, are not aforegone conclusion. If you havequestions or concerns about theproject you can still contributeyour opinion to your local Coun-cilor, the TRCA, The City of

Toronto, and The Ontario Min-istry of Environment.

Information about the planand its Environmental Assess-ment can be found online atwww.trca.ca

Hard copies can be obtainedor viewed at Ministry of the En-vironment, Conservation andParks, 135 St. Clair AvenueWest, 1st FloorToronto, OntarioM4V 1P5

Tel: 416-314-8001Toronto City Hall - Clerk's

Office TRCA Head Office, aswell as Cliffcrest, Guildwood,and Morningside libraries.~ Jim Sanderson is a local resi-dent, and the author of TorontoIsland Summers, and Life inBalmy Beach.

Risk Line Proposed Trail

“Not Many People Go To The Same Church That Long”; Says Anne Ellis Taylor, who’s been attending Scarborough Bluffs United Church for 88 Years. “ I cameas a child of 10 in 1931”. She celebrated her 98th birthday on November 11th. Pictured with Anne are (L) Dalton Moore Chairman of the Church Council, and (R)Rev. Meriel Simpson.

Santa Smiles; Pictured from left 3 year old Shepherd, Kristy and 5 year old PearsonDaley waiting for Santa to arrive at the Beaches Santa Claus Parade on Sun. Nov. 11th

www.bluffsmonitor.com Page 5 - December 2019

WINTER BLUES

Across the meadow I heard a cry.

Filled with sorrow, so poignant and sad.I listened and looked. And there it was.A feathered blue searching for love.

On the dainty twig, again it cried.

Lonely and desperate in the snowy land.No other blue

in the midst of white.Just fallen leaves. Dried up and brown.

Then suddenly, a tweet was heard.Behold! Rejoice! Another bluejay!

Their songs embraced in the winter wind.

Then, through the cold, Together . . . they flew

away!

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By Cathy AustinWhen I was a kid books were the

ultimate gift. One Christmas morn Santaleft 4 Nancy Drew books under the tree.I had them read by the end of BoxingDay! This year pop one of followingunder the tree for your child and begin alove of reading!

Sharon, Lois and Bram’s Skinna-marink (with Randi Hampson), a NEWCanadian book is a real delight. Coverblurb states this: a sing-aloud story thatcelebrates love, community and the joyof music. It is that and so much more!The happy illustrations on each page area treat for the eyes; there’s so much hap-pening on each page as the song unfolds,encouraging kids to make up storiesthemselves. Everybody knows thisiconic song and to have it so charminglyillustrated is timely, now even more chil-dren and families can enjoy it together.A great book for the 4-8 crowd, and thewhole family!

Pete the Cat-Storybook Favorites(2016) by James Dean includes stickers!Those of you with kiddos will knowabout Pete and his antics. Your kids willlove this collection of seven fave stories:Too Cool for School; Pete at the Beach;Pete’s Big Lunch, among others. Thegrade one’s I read with weekly at my

local public school get a real boost froma Pete story. Cavecat Pete features aDino band that totally rocks, too muchfun! There are lessons in a Pete tale:teamwork, sharing, playing nice, havingfun, being yourself. All good! Ages 4-8but us older ‘kids’ love Pete, too.Calvin bests the grade one bully; bulliesthe girl he likes and she him (what allkids do actually), apologizes, moves on;enjoys the outdoor life in all seasons, en-joys the Saturday morning cartoons andendless bowls of sugary cereal; adoreshis Hobbes. Calvin and Hobbes, whatadventures this duo has had and whatlaughter and happiness they have givenus. Perhaps for the older teen and mostdefinitely for adults.

I love anything by AnthonyHorowitz, author of numerous crimedramas and screenplays that are oftenimmensely quirky and always so wellwritten. In the last adult book of his,mention of Alex Rider, the series forboys he wrote came up a lot. So, ofcourse, I had to read it and was hookedright away with Stormbreaker. I am nowreading Eagle Strike, the fourth bookand it is a wild fast paced read with perilat every turn. Brave, clever and some-times impulsive, Alex Rider has so farbested any number of baddies in more

than a handful of frightening but exhila-rating chases, situations, a real live on-line game! (Yikes, but that one wasterribly nail-biting) The plot is a worldrenowned philanthropic British musi-cian has developed this awesome gamefor kids that will put all others to shame.But, Alex knows that Damian Kray is in-volved in something very bad as he is as-sociated with an arch enemy of M16,Yassen, who tried to kill Alex in BookOne. Cue the chases across France andthe Netherlands, gunplay, escapes, cap-tures, more escapes. All entirely plausi-ble as Alex has had good training eventhough he’s only 14; his uncle was a spyfor M16 as well. Alex has a good vibeand eye for danger. A superb series formiddle readers.

And since it’s winter, how aboutsome Hygge for making Christmas evencosier, especially for curling up with abook? You might have heard about thisDanish style, ‘about an atmosphere andexperience rather than about things.’ So,make your home snuggly, put out a cou-ple of warm plaid blankets, a bowl ofnuts (mind allergies!), some comfy fes-tive cushions and a hot cup of cocoa forthe kids, tea for yourselves. Snuggle upand into a good read for the season!

Kid’s Books for Christmas Gifting

By Bree-Ann Gittens Early in the morning, around

7:30 am on a Saturday, Natalie Mar-tin is getting ready to fly a planewithout a Canadian pilot license.Before she even gets into the plane,Martin has to communicate with thedispatcher on the scene, telling himtimes of her flight and gets docu-ments if needed.

Martin first conducts a walkaround the plane. She immediatelychecks fuel, oil, lights and makessure everything is working cor-rectly. She starts the radio andchecks that the engine is working.

After a final check, she startstalking to the air traffic controllerabout getting onto the runway. In amatter of seconds Martin takesflight and lets everything go.

Natalie Martin is an aspiringyouth pilot. She started training twoyears ago at the age of 14. She's notjust juggling grade 11 at RH KingAcademy and flying a Cessna 152;Martin is breaking the glass ceilingpursuing a career in aviation.

You would think piloting is ahard process to learn. Martin says

once you have aviation training, itbecomes second nature.

Martin is currently training atDurham Flight Centre three or fourtimes a week. Durham Flight Centrehas supported Natalie Martinthroughout the process. She creditsthem for giving her a safe place tolearn and personally grow. DurhamFlight Centre is helping young fe-male pilots dominate this industry.Martin has gone through the writtenexam process. Martin has access toone or two hours of solo time in thesky. She will be taking her pilot’s licence next year when she turns 17years-old. Martin's dedication toaviation has changed her life in thelast two years.

"It’s a milestone for me toshow myself. Now being able to dosomething on my own. Lookingback at day one when I got into aplane for the first time and I didn'tknow anything," Martin said. "Now,I know so much more and I’mknowledgeable enough to do some-thing on my own. I can be in controlof my own life and I don't get to ex-perience that on the ground. It's a

just milestone for me."Martin started pilot training as

a way to occupy her time while hermother was away on vacation. Herfather Ken deserves some of thecredit too. He insisted that she findsomething to do that summer andget off her cell phone. This is themoment that launched a young fe-male pilot career.

Martin describes flying in theCessna 152 as one of the most free-ing experiences because you are soclose to being a bird and everymovement affects the plane oneway or another.

It's no surprise to anyone thataviation is a male-dominated indus-try. Natalie is breaking barrierswithout realizing what she is doing.According to the Brampton FlightCentre, with a mere 6% of all pri-vate pilots in Canada being womenand only 4.5% of all airline trans-port pilot licence holders in Canadabeing women. Martin is breakinginto aviation on her terms.

"I find it a little bit unnerving attimes, being in a room with so manyolder people. Then I think about I

am the future in the career field ofwork," Martin said. "There are menin the room with me. I may be theonly girl in the room. I am the waveof the future. It helps me get throughit; I think hey I can do this. Therewill be more people like me in the

future and I could be helping topave the way for someone else."

Martin is breaking into a male-dominated career path unapologeti-cally. Her career goals are becominga commercial pilot, giving suppliesor helping with wildfires.

Taking Flight - Breaking Barriers

Natalie Martin; getting ready to take flight in a Cessna 152at Durham Flight Centre on Wednesday November 20th.

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Page 6 - December 2019 www.bluffsmonitor.com

Easy Hard

Puzzlers

ANSWERS Page 13

The list of words below are in disor-der. When they have been put backin order they should come together to form a new aphorism.It is your difficult task to order them.

A: bends dogma science breaksB: prejudice judgment condemn pardon

C: unlike minds think greatD: comprassion discrimination discrimination comprassion is all but is not all

E: without one clapping discern-ment is handed praise

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PUBLISHER / EDITOR: John & Glenda SmeeProduction: Greg GillisReporters: Derek PinderPhotographers: John Smee, Alan Burt,Writers: Cathy Austin, Ciara-LeeCrozier, Jules Delorme, Doug Durno,MaureenRose Everatt, Bree-Anne Gittens, HeatherAnne Hunter, Erin Jones, Anne Megahy,Derek Pinder, Larraine Roulston, Jim Sander-son, Trevon Smith, Bret Snider.ADVERTISING: ads@bluffsmonitor.comACCOUNTS: accounts@bluffsmonitor.comCirculation: Joyce Dolmer

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By Ciara-Lee CrozierScarborough Players is bringing the

magic of the season to life in their pro-duction of the holiday classic Miracle on34th Street, opening November 29 at theScarborough Village Theatre.

Directed by Jeff Burke, the storytakes place between Thanksgiving Dayand Christmas Day 1954 in New YorkCity, and centers on Macy's departmentstore employee Doris Walker (JanicePeters Gibson in her Scarborough Play-ers debut), a single mother, who has tohire a new Santa Claus for the famousMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Herchoice turns out to be the best Santa thestore has ever had. However,Doris has reservations when Mr. Kringle(Stephen Flett) insists that he actually isSanta Claus.

Even Doris' young daughter Susan(Apollonia Arpaia), who Doris hasraised to be a nonbeliever, starts to won-der if Mr. Kringle is in fact the real SantaClaus. When Kris gets thrown intoBellevue Hospital after a confrontationat the store, Doris’ friend and neighbourFred Gayley (Holm Bradwell) steps upto defend Kris.

Miracle on 34th Street features a

stellar cast of new and returning faces toScarborough Players and is rounded outby a talented group of young actors(many from Scarborough Music TheatreYouth) in the roles of the children andthe Elf Ensemble.

The original 1947 film won severalAcademy Awards for acting and writing,and was also nominated for Best Picture.It quickly became a“go-to holiday clas-sic”, spawning abook, televisionmovies, a Broad-way musical, anupdated featurefilm, and a play, allbased on the story.

ScarboroughVillage Theatre, a242-seat thruststage theatre lo-cated in the Scar-borough VillageCommunity Cen-tre. The complexhas free on-siteparking and iswheelchair accessi-ble. The theatre

also has a hearing assist system in-stalled.

Join us, Scarborough Players, tofind out if Christmas will be saved. Mir-acle on 34th Street is on stage at Scar-borough Village Theatre November 29th– December 14th, 2019. To order tick-ets, call the Box Office at 416-267-9292or visit www.theatrescarborough.com.

A Miracle is coming to Scarborough.

Do You Believe; Stephen Flett (Kris Kringle), ApolloniaArpaia (Susan Walker) in Scarborough Players produc-tion of Miracle on 34th Street

photo; Thomas Kowal

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By Bret SniderSeveral years ago, I be-

came a partner of a high-endrestaurant in downtownToronto. It was in an oldmansion that had been verywell maintained across fromthe Keg on Jarvis Street. Inever planned or desired toown a restaurant. It was oneof those things that, for a lotof reasons, just seemed likea good idea at the time.

Note to self – if owninga restaurant ever comes upin a conversation don’t bethe person who says, “heythat could work.” Be theperson running out the doorwith your hand on your wal-let. And even if it’s cold out-side or raining just keeprunning.

What I knew aboutrestaurants was what it waslike to eat in them. What Ilearned is that; profit mar-gins are thin, hours are longand that everyone seems tothink that you’re rich sohave no qualms about tak-ing advantage of you – staff,

suppliers, the governmentand customers. Put owninga restaurant very high onyour “Yuk-O-Meter”.

In our pre-openingplanning, which tookmonths, my restaurateurbusiness partner decidedthat we should include awine bar as part of the offer-ing. Because I was a restau-rant rookie, I also let mypartner do the hiring andmany of the servers he hiredwere wine snobs. After weopened, we started getting alot of wine connoisseurs fre-quenting the restaurant. Weeven had a part-time som-melier who brought in vin-tages from all over theworld. This attracted theOpimian Society (a wineclub) who started holdingregular events at the Restau-rant.

They would import se-lect wines from SouthAmerica, the United States,Australia, South Africa andeven mundane old Europeand then sample them anddiscuss their attributes atlength. The dinners in-volved elaborate pairingdiscussions with our chefsto make certain that thewines would complementthe food and vice versa. Be-

fore the meals one of theirwine experts would discussthe wine to be sampled thatnight followed by severaltastings. Most events in-cluded about four differentwines and a series of pre-sentations about the charac-ter of the wine, its history,the region it came from andthe various qualities of thewine that were important toconsider.

On one occasion wewere very busy with otherguests while the wine crowdwas doing their thing and Inoticed the reactions thatour non-wine fanatic pa-trons were having to the ex-planations of the “experts”and how intimidated theywere at some of the com-mentary. A wine society fel-low wearing a bow tie withvery large eye glasses thathe couldn’t seem to keep onhis nose was explainingthat, in his view, accordingto his pallet, the wine beingsampled was distinctive be-cause “it had a hint of lemongrass and gun powder.” Thenumber of eyes that rolledfrom the non-wine fanaticcrowd were considerable.

It was then that I de-cided on an interventionwith my partner. I explained

that the wine bar idea wasfine but that we had to makeit less difficult for patronswho weren’t familiar withwine varieties, wine regionsand the nuance of flavour tojust appreciate wine withtheir meals and if theydidn’t know what to chooseto turn them over to me.

I tried an approach in-tended to put people at easeand would explain that alldogs descend from wolvesyet there are many distinc-tive and discernable breadsand they all had differentcharacteristics and attrib-utes. Some were big, somesmall, some long haired,some short. And grape vari-eties are the same in that al-most all grapes stem (punintended) from VitisVinifera, a wine grape, andthen through cultivationtechniques, think dog breed-ing, we have different winevarieties. Our tastes are dif-ferent too. My Uncle likessweet wines. I prefer drywines. My wife prefers redwines like Merlot. I preferwhite wine like Pinot Grigioand Sauvignon Blanc. So, ifyou find a wine that tastesgood to you, regardless ofprice, brand or snob appeal– just enjoy it.

Of Wine and Wolves…

Page 8 - December 2019 www.bluffsmonitor.com

Zeta Buciuman; selling holiday wreaths and decorortions at the WestRouge Holiday Market on Nov. 9

A Spooky Spectacle; Ethan Hyde braves the SBCA Pumpkin Parade atSandown Park on Nov. 1st

Our Community

Salute to the Fallen; Jimmy B Royal Canadian Legion Bra during Remembrance Day cerem

Just For Kicks; Lance (blue) moves in for the attack againstIsaac at the Toronto Open Taekwondo Championships, heldon Nov. 9th at Variety Village

Cedar Ridge Studio Gallery Holiday Show and Sale ; was held SundayNovember 17th. Honorary Board member Joy Hughes (foreground) andVice Chairman of the Board Dayna McIsaac were thrilled with the turn outto this year’s show.

1st Place Smile; Katrin Taylor proudly shows off her awardwinning painting, “Sea Stretch”. Her art work was voted BestAcrylic in the Scarborough Art Guilds Anuual Fall Show.

In the Spirit; Madison Southwick and Micheline Mistruzziare all lit up for the Chester Village Christmas Bazaar held Nov.16th

“Open Mic” at theTara; Eloise Harrington was a hit at the second installment of themonthly jam sessions.

25 Years in Birch Cliff; 144th Toronto Brownies celebrating their 25th Anniversary on Tuesday Novem-ber 19, 2019, at Birch Cliff PS. Connie Miller (standing far right) has led the group for all 25 years andhas been involved with Brownies for over 50 years.

Fashionably Festive; (L to R) Elaine Simpson help raise funds the year at the Port Union Seniors

www.bluffsmonitor.com Page 9 - December 2019

Birtwell, Cadet Instruction Cadre, anch 614 stands at attention monies at the Cenotaph

Holy Roller; Fr. James of St Theresa's Parish -Shrine of the Little Flower, got into the spirit early- taking part in the church’s pie making bee backon October 26th so the goodies would be ready intime for the church’s bazaar on November 16th

bluffs monitor photo; Alan Burt

Bluffs Monitor’sOwn; Heather Hunter helpingout at the St.Paul’s United Church Bazaar on Saturday November 9th

Mary in-the-Pines; Mary Spiller helping out at the St. Margaret in-the-Pines annualbazaar on Saturday November 16th.

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Christmas at St. Paul’s United Church200 McIntosh Street 416-261-4222

stpauls.scarb@bellnet.ca www.stpaulsscarborough.org

St. Paul’s Presents…Christmas with Cadence A Capella HolidayConcert. Friday, December 6th at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:45p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for kids (10 and under). Tickets canbe purchased at our church office, at the door, or online at Eventbrite.ca.

Our 5TH ANNUAL COOKIE WALK will be on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7th at 10:00 a.m. Walk along and fill your box with cookies from dozens of trays of different homemade cookies. $12 a box. Call our church office for more information.

Our ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CAROL SING is happening onTHURSDAY DECEMBER 12th at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome to agood old-fashioned evening of traditional carols, hot chocolate andcookies. Free event.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA, SATURDAY DECEMBER 21ST 9:00 a.m,Bring your kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews and join us for a pan-cake breakfast, entertainment, and a visit with Santa. Tickets are $15 /child, $10 each additional sibling, and $7 for adults. Pre-register by contacting the church office by December 14th.

The Journey to Bethlehem: Every Sunday in December takes us a little closer to Christmas – Enjoy the journey with us. Services every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome.

Blue Christmas: Thursday, December 19th at 7:00 p.m. A quiet service of reflection and meditation for those having a hardtime getting into the ‘Christmas Spirit’ because of loss, loneliness, or per-

sonal struggles. All are welcome.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES: Join us at one of our two services onChristmas Eve. At 7:00 p.m. we will have our Family Christmas with St.Paul’s DIY Pageant service and then at 10:00 p.m. we will have a Traditional service of Lessons and Carols. All are welcome.

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s Christmas Bazaar on Nov. 16th

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Page 10 - December 2019 www.bluffsmonitor.com

We would like to invite you to lunch at the Scarboro Golf and Country Club

Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m.

Each Christmas, our Rotary Club helps Scarborough families with gifts and food to ensure that they have a Merry Christmas, or are

able to celebrate their holiday traditions.

Season's Greetings to All If you are interested in our many Rotary programs, and in helping others through our community and international humanitarian projects – consider The Rotary Club of Scarborough. For information – www.rotaryclubscarborough.org or Marcy Tomassani: 416-567-2318; marciano.tomassini@gmail.com

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By Heather Anne HunterA crumbling sign as old as the

store captures the spirit of the vin-tage shop at 2238 Queen St. East.

Passersby pause to inspect thewindow display which probablyhasn’t changed since the last timethey stopped. Christmas lights dan-gle year-round behind the hazyglass. In one window: speckledshoes, faux alligator boots, a lamp,sunglasses, hats, costume jewelry, alittle black dress and a Canadianflag crumpled in the corner; in theother window: a fascinator, a redtrench coat, a pearl necklace andone matching ear ring.

Mira has everything you canthink of stuffed in every nook andcranny of her shop. She knowswhere it all is in the organized con-fusion. She has a system; each itemis scrupulously recorded in a note-book and in her head.

Do you want to declutter yourcloset? What about those pantsyou’ve never worn and now can’tdue to a few extra pounds. Miraknows what will sell and for howmuch, not much, but better thannothing. If items don’t sell on con-signment in two months, you are ex-pected to retrieve them even thoughit looks like some things were for-gotten decades ago. Their next stop,Goodwill; last stop, a smolderingdump in Malaysia. Selling your oldstuff is the original form of recy-cling.

I enter the shop with an arm-

load of clothes and nearly trip on amangy little dog lying unperturbedin the doorway. A stout woman withpuffy blonde hair fixes me with riv-eting brown eyes and a dubiousfrown. “I only take 10 items. I sellfor less than I did twenty years ago;you get half; now, everybody buyon-line or go to Winners.” Sheshrugs. A single shoe dangles fromher hand, patent leather with a bigbuckle. “I look for mate all morn-ing. A lady from Hollywood wantsto buy.”

She coughs every few seconds,no doubt from the dust moots hang-ing in the air muting all colour. Sheshuffles along a narrow aisle, atrench zig-zagging between stuffedclothing racks, a piled high counter,a glass case and a curio cabinethousing possible treasures. Yel-lowed wedding dresses dangle likeghosts from the original copper ceil-ing, the pattern almost hidden underlayers of paint. High on the wallabove the door hangs a leatheretteshoulder bag with the face of aclock embedded in it. I chuckle andpoint to it. “I like your clock.”

“You want to buy it?”Everything is for sale, maybe

even the black chiffon dress she iswearing.

Suddenly, I get a flash of ex-citement. I tell her that I write for acommunity newspaper and wouldlove to do a story about her and hershop. She smiles with interest show-ing a gleaming row of large white

teeth. I follow her, still looking forthe shoe, asking questions. She vol-unteers that she is 74 years old andhas owned the shop for 23 years.She came to Canada in 1990 fromYugoslavia with her two sons.

“Why?” I ask. “Because of the civil war. I

don’t want my sons to be killed orbecome killers,” she says franklyand then tells me proudly about hergranddaughter, who has a Master’sDegree in Science and works for U.of T.

“Was it hard to leave yourhome?”

“Yes, leaving family, friends,culture, learning new rules like notto talk to people in elevator or theythink you want something, and mydiploma. I am civil engineer. I builtbridges. Here, I was cleaning lady.Then I go to George Brown Collegefor 7 months. For computers.”

A man leans in the doorway.He sees my trusty notebook and sur-mises what I am doing. “She’s anabsolute Beaches institution.” Agreat line. I jot it down.

Barely visible in a back corner,I make out a sewing machine. “Doyou do alterations?”

“I can sew anything. I make300 ballet costumes once.”

“Why did you open a store?”“In the 1990s there was a reces-

sion, no jobs.”“Do you own the shop?”“No, the business I own. I rent

store.” She shrugs. “Owner does no

repairs.”“How much does he charge?”“As much as possible.”Two women come in the door

and start scrutinizing the crammedlittle shop from top to bottom. Sheleaves me and they chat in loweredvoices while I try to listen. Theythank her and go.

“They want to buy my busi-ness. Lots of people come in andsay they want to buy. They probablywant to pick my brains and thenopen a shop two doors down,” shescoffs, unfazed, then carries onlooking for the missing shoe.

Nonchalantly, she turns to thepile of clothes I have almost forgot-ten on a rickety chair. She sortsthrough them and flings a couple ofitems aside. “Nobody has suchsmall waist.” Neither do I anymorewhich is why I’m here. Then sheopens a frayed notebook, draws aline under the last entry and asks my

name and phone number. Shemakes a column from 1 to 10 andstarts jotting down two-word de-scriptions of my items and, withouthesitation, two paltry prices besideeach, the lowest and highest I canhope for. I must look shocked. “Youdon’t want to take back?” I shakemy head no.

I hold up a pink sweater. Thelast owner wore nice perfume.

“How much?”“Ten dollars.” I nod okay. She writes up a bill

on a receipt pad, the kind waitressesused to use, while I look over mynotes. “This is great. Thanks a lot,Mira!”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”A dapper elderly man pokes his

head in the door. “How are youtoday, Mira?”

“I’m fabulous!”… which aboutsums it all up.

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www.bluffsmonitor.com Page 11 - December 2019

By Trevon SmithKeep an eye out for Chief of

Ophthalmology, Dr. Ying Lu, nexttime you see her. She’s just received the Ontario Service Awardfor her outstanding volunteer work.

Lu, an eye health expert, hasvolunteered at organizations aroundthe world but has called Scarbor-ough her home for the last 20 years.Working through the ScarboroughHealth Network (SHN) and itscommunity partners, she’s deliv-ered world-renowned healthcare tothe folks at Carefirst Seniors andCommunity Services Association.

“I believe it’s everyone’s

responsibility to make this world abetter place,” said Lu in a press release from SHN. “It’s my pleas-ure and I enjoy my work.”

Lu is currently an honorary advisor for the association’s Boardof Directors, as well as sitting onthe Board of the Action CanadianChinese Together Foundation. Thefoundation works to create a moreequitable society in Canada.

Internationally, Lu taught othereye experts in China while on atransformative trip to the country’smore remote communities. One patient, an elderly woman, showedLu the true value of her work.

“She was crawling on the floorto feel her surroundings,” Lu saidof her elderly patient, noting thatthe local doctors didn’t have thenecessary equipment or training.

“Helping her get her eyesightback was extremely touching, I knew I had changed someone’slife for the better.”

Back home, Lu’s volunteerwork caught the sight of severalbenefactors, securing a private donation of $500,000 to fund twosurgical microscopes and renova-tions for the Eye Center at SHN’sBirchmount Hospital.

We See You: Dr. Ying Lu’s Dedication to Quality Eye Care Earns Her the Ontario Service Award

Dr. Ying Lu; Chief of Ophthalmology delivers world-renownedcare through the Scarborough Health Network.

By Larraine RoulstonDuring this holiday season,

we strive to surprise our family andfriends with useful and memorablegifts. At the same time, it helps tohave a spending plan in mind toavoid the woes of receiving over-extended credit card bills.

To remain within your budget,make a list of family and friendswith the amount of money you canafford to spend on each. In the timeremaining until December the25th, keep an eye open for anysales. Although shopping onlinemay be convenient, try to shop locally so that the dollars youspend remain within your commu-nity. As well, if purchasing a bicy-cle or other sports equipment, for

example, local retailers are bestequipped to help you with selec-tion, accessories and any ongoingmaintenance issues.

Check out thrift stores forboard games, toys and unique gifts.Books in particular are popular andmany that can be found in thriftand used book stores are in mintcondition. See what is available onwebsites such as Craigslist or Kijijiwhere you’ll often find itemspriced as ‘best offer’ from peoplewho may simply want to declutter.In all these cases, you will be elim-inating excess packaging.

Buy in bulk! From a bulk foodstore or special area in your super-market, select nuts, dried fruits,candy or other holiday treats. Bulk

stores now weigh empty jars priorto filling them and may even offera discount for supplying your owncontainers.

DIY individuals with access toa kitchen, sewing machine, work-shop, fabrics, wool, art and craftsupplies, paints, paper, computeror a camera can design gifts thatare simple and inexpensive.

From the kitchen, Christmascheer can take the form of home-made liqueurs. To make Baileys,for example, crack 3 eggs into ablender and add 3 tablespoons ofchocolate powder mix. While thatis blending, include a few drops ofalmond extract, 1 pint of whippingcream, 1 can of Eagle Brand milk,then top with 1 cup of inexpensive

rye whiskey. Bottle, add a bow andrefrigerate. Family cooks can bakecookies, mincemeat pies, chocolatesquares and braided fruit breads.

Experienced knitters are ableto create doll clothes, stuffed toys,clothing, slippers, mitts and fingerpuppets. A novice knitter can makea scarf or hot pad.

Children can have fun crafting personalized stationery or creating word search puzzles for grandparents.

If sourcing scented herbs orother ingredients, one can findrecipes on how to make homemadelip balm, soaps, shampoos andother personal care products.

Your time can be a preciousgift also. Just as much thought and

effort can go into practicing afavourite song on a musical instru-ment. Library books can become agift when accompanied by an offerto do more household chores sothat your recipient has time to readthem before their due date. Giftsalso can include repairing or up-cycling.

Generally, eco-friendly giftswill allow people to stay withintheir budget. This year, have funmaking your holiday season evengreener.

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www.bluffsmonitor.com

Neighbourhood B&E’sWhere

Craggview Dr. & Silvertip Cres. Mon. November 18th 04:00 hrs

Meadowvale Rd. & Choiceland Blvd.

With incidents of gun violence on the rise, we have expanded ‘Police Beat’ tokeep you informed of recent shootings in the neighbourhood.

Wed. November 13th 13:00 hrs

Frank Faubert Dr. & Wuthering Heights Rd. Fri. November 8th 20:00 hrs

Sylvan Ave. & Bethune Blvd. Tue. November 5th 14:00 hrs

Baybrook Cres. & Faraday Dr. Thu. November 14th 16:00 hrs

Danforth Rd. & Carslake Cres. Thu. October 31st 19:00 hrs

Khartoum Ave. & Maretta Ave. Mon. November 4th 08:00 hrs

Brimley Rd. & Gully Dr. Fri. November 1st 13:00 hrs

Wonderland Dr. & Dalehurst Ave. Thu. November 14th 17:00 hrs

Dale Ave. & Pin Lane Tue. November 5th 16:00 hrs

Linden Ave. & Summer Dr. Fri. November 8th 07:00 hrs

When

Neighbourhood Shootings

Where

Warden Ave. & Cataraqui Cres. Mon. November 18th 18:00 hrs

McCowan Rd. & Thicketwood Dr. Sat. November 2nd 22:00 hrs

McCowan Rd. & Fred Bland Cres. Wed. November 6th 00:00 hrs

Lawrence Ave. E. & Crockford Blvd. Fri. November 15th 19:00 hrs

Glen Everest Rd. & Folcroft Ave. Thu. October. 24th 17:00 hrs

When

Police Beat

The 25th Annual Toronto Auxiliary Police Toy Drive; helps ensure over 3000 chil-dren have the kind of holiday season they deserve. New unwrapped toys can be droppedoff at 41 Division (2222 Eglinton Ave. E.), 42 Division (242 Milner Ave.) and 43 Division(4331 Lawrence Ave. E.). All toy donations are welcome, but there is always a high demandfor toys for boys and girls between the ages of 10-14. Donated gifts will be delivered toseveral community organizations in Scarborough on December 21st.

Page 12 - December 2019

By Erin JonesKarlos Griffith, a hidden talent within our

community, has agreed to chat with us abouthis love of community theatre and how he hasbrought his talents to numerous productionsacross the GTA for over thirty years. Karlosis working on multiple projects including EastSide Players’ recent production of The WildGuys located at the Papermill Theatre. Heshares with us his love of theatre, creativityand even magic!

What attracted you to community theatre?KG: When I was little my father was an actorand he used to bring me to rehearsals. I fellin love with theatre even then. I acted in a fewplays in Junior and High school. I also actedin a few plays in community theatre and Ieventually became a stage Magician.What interested you in work on the pro-duction of The Wild Guys?KG: The show is a Canadian comedy aboutfour men on a trip in the wilderness when theyadventure and bond. I've gone camping a fewtimes and portaging with friends. Also insome ways I relate to one of the characters,Stewart.What brings you back to work on showafter show?KG: I have worked on stages across the GTAinclude Scarborough Village Theatre, VillagePlayers, Alumnae, Papermill Theatre and theFairview Library Theatre. Plain and simple,I come back because of the people. We are agroup of individuals working toward a com-mon goal. What would you recommend to someonewho is interested in getting involved?KG: If you have a fascination and want tolearn about the inner workings of theatre; thenthere is a place for you. There are so manyways to get involved and learn. Plus you meetsome good people.What special talents have you developedover the years that you bring to productions?

KG: I've been working onstage lighting since 1992. Istarted with lighting crewsat East Side Players, andthen a Lighting Designerstarted training me, andover the next three years wetraveled around the GTA,Durham, and Markham.He taught me everything Ineeded to know to becomea Lighting Designer. What particularly attracts you to lighting design?KG: I get to work with thedirector to bring their visionto the stage. There aremany aspects to a play from

the actors, set design, costume design, tosound and lighting design. Stage lighting isimportant to bring all these elements togetherso that the actors have a tapestry of colour,texture and depth. This along with sound canset the mood for a play.Have you been recognized for your work?KG: I have been nominated twice for Act-CoThea Award for best Lighting Design once forEastside Players and Amicus Productions.Might you bring your acting or magiciantalents on stage again?KG: Well like Sean Connery's James Bondsaid 'Never say Never Again'.What is next on for your production projects?KG: I will be working on Shakespeare inLove. It is exciting because each productioninvolves a new team of talented creative peo-ple and a different script.

Check out Karlos’ lighting design andenjoy a night of comedy in support of localCanadian talent.

Shakespeare in Love is a period comedyabout a young William Shakespeare. YoungWill has writer's block and is desperatelysearching for a muse when he stumbles acrossViola. In true Shakespearean fashion, this de-lightful and witty play explores Will's journeywith mistaken identity, scheming, ridiculousantics and the usual blossoming love that tiesit all up and leaves its audience smiling all theway home.

This production will open in the new year from May 22 to June 6, 2020 at thePapermill Theatre at Todmorden Mills, 67 Pottery Road.

Want to get involved? See how atwww.eastsidepalyers.ca. Tickets can be ordered online at www.eastsideplayers.ca orthrough the Box Office: 416-425-0917.

Erin Jones is an actor, aspiring director andwriter of local theatre in Toronto.

Karlos Griffith: Brings His Talent to East Side Players

The Magic Touch; Karlos Griffith (top right) with the castand crew of The Wild Guys.

By Anne MegahyLong weekends tend to exhaust me. For

example, we just had one and it has thrown offmy entire week.

Today is Wednesday, isn't it? Or? It's not?Since it is usually a Monday that's granted

to us, then shouldn't that day be numbered andnamed? Give it a general name such as BonusDay (number 1,2,3, depending on the numberwe have in a year). Labour Day would be,maybe, number 9, since it's way off in Septem-ber.

The trouble is not directly with the Day butwhat we do with it. We tend to get all gung-howhen we see one coming up and excitedlyoverbook as though it was a rare find. We packevery minute full of activities like painting thehouse, running a marathon, driving through the

Rockies, building a bridge somewhere or get-ting our kids to quit saying 'like.' All of thismeans getting up early and rushing right to ourproject as it is timed to the minute AND it is thestart of some new way of life that is scheduledto another link that is to become our new familytogetherness regime.

Family unity is the new slogan. Typical example: "Be home for dinner. We

are going to eat together if it's the last thing wedo. Get it straight, we are all going to be to-gether in this house at the same time, to eat atthe same table together, enjoying each other'scompany, like it or lump it."

The day goes by in a blur of activity untilthe alarm reminds us it's back to earning a liv-ing. A five day work week. Rah! Routine.Thankfully.

The Trouble with Long Weekends

bluffs monitor photo: Cindy Alexander

www.bluffsmonitor.com Page 13 - December 2019

Easy Hard

AnswersA. Science bends dogma breaksB. Condemn prejudice pardon judgement

C. Great minds think unlike

D. All compassion is discriminationbut not all discrimination is compassionE. praise without discernment is onehanded clapping

By Gary CrawfordWinter has indeed arrived and

this reminds me of three things. First,to invite you to join Mayor Tory andme at my Community Tree Lightingand Skating Party at McCowan Parkon December 7th from 6 - 8pm.Enjoy music, hot chocolate, a bon-fire, food, a visit from Jolly Ol' St.Nick and more. Second, I hope thatyou will join me at my AnnualChristmas Craft Corner at VarietyVillage's World's Greatest ChristmasParty on Sunday, December 8th from11am - 2pm. Third, and somewhatless pleasant perhaps, it also remindsme that snow clearing season is uponus, but maybe there's comfort inknowing we're all in it together.

Exceptional snow storms some-times translate to exceptional pa-tience being required, and yourpatience and participation is muchappreciated. Toronto has over 5,600km of roads and 2.9 million residentsto serve. That's a whole lot of road-ways and people. You can be assuredthere is a comprehensive and highlycoordinated snow and ice plan thatprioritizes safety and movement.With that being said, there are chal-lenges at times in clearing sidewalks,and the City looks to anyone whocan assist. If you're able and can helpout neighbours who may not be ca-pable of clearing their driveways andwalkways leading to their homes,please consider doing so. Ward 20 isfortunate in that it receives sidewalkclearing by the City, but sometimesthis takes longer than we'd like, andit doesn't include private drivewaysand walkways. As we all have expe-rienced, snow clearing becomes verychallenging when there is a signifi-

cant snow event. When this happens,please remember not to push snowonto the road. It is unsafe and it alsohappens to be illegal. Technologynow helps us navigate where andwhen service is happening. You canvisit toronto.ca/snow starting De-cember 1st to see the PlowTO Mapwhich shows real-time tracking inyour neighbourhood and reports onthe level of snow clearing serviceyou can expect. Your safety is thepriority.Speed reduction and traffic calm-ing improvements also help to keepour streets safer. Some of thechanges implemented this year in-cluded traffic calming on FoxridgeDr. and a number of pending speedreductions including Midland Ave.between Kingston Rd. and St. ClairAve., Briar Dale Blvd., and Brook-lawn Ave. between Barkdene Hillsand Sunnypoint Cres. There are anumber of other speed limit reduc-tions that have been approved butnot yet implemented. All-way stop controls and trafficcontrol signals also improve safetyin our neighbourhoods. Installationof all-way stops this year include:Harris Park Dr. and Holswade Rd.,Park St. and Sharpe St., and Birch-mount Rd. and Hollis Ave. A reviewand installation for an all-way stop atFreeman St. and Eastwood Ave. wascompleted. A review for traffic con-trol signals at North Woodrow Blvd.and St Clair Ave. East was approved.There are also a number of newly in-stalled Accessible Pedestrian Signals(APS).Parking/Stopping/StandingAmendments and Turn Restric-tions completed this year include

stopping prohibitions on BroadmeadAve. between Neilson Ave. and theeast end of Broadmead Ave. Trafficand parking amendments have beenimplemented forKingston Road, BrimleyRoad and BarkdeneHills. No-Standing Pro-hibitions have been im-plemented for ThatcherAve., Larwood Blvd.,St.Quentin Ave., Grad-well Dr., and RedlandCres. Turn restrictionsnow prohibit northboundand southbound U-turnmovements at all timeson Brimley Road be-tween Kingston Rd. andBarkdene Hills. And fi-nally, a U-turn Prohibi-tion has been installed atPharmacy Ave. south ofDawes Rd.

School areas inWard 20 which re-ceived Vision Zero treat-ments to date includeSamuel Hearne MiddleSchool, Oakridge Jr PS,St. Dunstan CatholicSchool, St. TheresaShrine Catholic School,Blessed Cardinal New-man Catholic HighSchool, John A. LesliePS, Anson Park PS, andNorman Cook Jr. PS. Byyear's end Vision Zerotreatments will be com-pleted for Blantyre PS,Chine Dr. PS and Cliff-side PS.

All of these projectsmake a difference in

improving safety for our families.I wish you and yours a safe

holiday season and a happy NewYear!

I value your input. Please feelfree to contact my office and one ofmy team will set up a meeting so thatwe can chat. 416-392-4052.

Staying in Touch

3 1 1City Hall Of ce Constituency Of ce100 Queen Street W. Scarborough Civic CentreSuite A11 150 Borough Drive, 2nd FloorToronto, ON M5H 2N2 Scarborough, ON M1P 4N7

Community Drop-ins: Appointments are recommended to ensure time with the Councillor.• Birchmount CC – Lion’s Den – 93 Birchmount Rd. November 29th – 9:00 am to 12:00 pm• Oakridge CC – Craft Room 2 – 63 Pharmacy Ave. December 6th – 9:00 am to 12:00 pm• Don Montgomery CC – Multipurpose Room 2467 Eglinton Ave. E. December 13th – 9:00 am to 12:00 pm* Pleasecalloremailmyof cetocon rmyourattendance asdate,time&locationissometimessubjecttochange.

councillor_crawford@toronto.ca • www.councillorcrawford.ca • 416-392-4052

Join me & Mayor Tory at my annual Tree Lighting & Skating PartyFood, music, hot chocolate, a visit from Jolly Ol’ St. Nick and more!McCowan District Park - 150 McCowan Rd. at Bridlegrove Dr. Saturday December 7th – 6 pm to 8 pm

Councillor Crawford’s Christmas Craft Corner at Variety Village World’s Greatest Christmas Party Variety Village - 3701 Danforth Ave. Sunday, December 8th 11 am to 2 pm

WEEKLY EVENTS CONTINUING UNTIL CHRISTMAS

KNITTING GROUP: Meets every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. All are invited to drop-in for fellowship and crafting. Please bring your knitting or any craft projects you have to work on. All are welcome

SENIORS WELLNESS HOUR: Thursdays at 1:30 p.m.Gentle movement led by Donna Simpson. All are welcome.

Our next SENIORS LUNCH will be on Tuesday, December 17that noon in our Wanstead Hall room. Join us for a great meal andfellowship. Free event. Donations welcome. All are welcome.

Our SENIORS AWARE, TAKE CARE series seminar series will resume in the Spring 2020.

St. Paul’s United Church Upcoming Events for Seniors!200 McIntosh Street 416-261-4222

stpauls.scarb@bellnet.ca www.stpaulsscarborough.org

By Jules DelormeMany of us remember that

“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”commercial, with a little old ladylying on the floor calling out to thealarm company. Boy did we getmileage and laughs from that one.But the truth is that, young and old,falling down and injuring ourselvesis a real and often soul crushing experience. When we get injuredwe become our pain and our suffer-ing. We get off track with our lives and often never get back tobeing the person we were beforeour injury.

We can’t avoid falling downnow and again, but we can do

something about how badly we falland how badly we injure ourselveswhen we do fall down. This iswhere working on our ability tostabilize can make such a differ-ence. Particularly in a country thatincludes winter snow and ice aspart of our regular existence, beingable to stabilize and catch yourselfcan be the difference between severe injury and little or no injuryat all.

There are plenty of workoutsystems and devices that focus onstability nowadays, from stabilityball workouts to strap based work-outs. They’re all good and they allshould be done with proper super-

vision and knowledge. But there’splenty you can do that does not require special equipment, justimagination and a little dedication.

Try just lifting one foot a littleway off the ground and holding itfor a few deep breaths. Try liftingthe foot to the front, the side or theback. If you haven’t done anythinglike this before don’t lift that footmore than a centimeter off theground and realize that you won’tbe able to hold it for very long atfirst. The more that you stick to it,the longer you’ll be able to do itand the better you’ll get at it.

You can do the same for yourupper body by supporting yourself

on one side of a doorway. Again,be cautious and have the otherhand ready to catch you, especiallyif you’ve never done it before.

This type of exercise becomeseven more useful and important aswe get older. It can be the differ-ence between being able to catchyourself when you begin to fall ona patch of ice and a big ugly, bonebreaking spill. It can be the differ-ence between knee or hip surgeryand staying relatively healthy. Itcan be the difference between qual-ity of life and pain and/or injurydefining your life.

Use your imagination. Any-thing that requires you to balance

safely is a good thing. You caneven do it, within limits, if youhave already suffered an injury.You can do it standing up, lyingdown or leaning against a wall.And you definitely should do it asyou get older.

It’s never too late to work onstability. And it’s never too late toavoid having to utter the words“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” Because it’s not so funny when ithappens to you.

~ Jules Delorme is a Personal Trainer & MMA Coach, julesfdelorme@gmail.com

Balance Your Health

Page 14 - December 2019

Bluffs Monitorwould like to thankall our advertisers and contributers for supporting your

community newspaper.Glenda and I

would also like to wish all our readers a Merry Christmas& Happy Holidays

however you celebrate

TRADES & SERVICES DIRECTORY

Over 100 Years of Service

• Granite Monuments• Bronze & Granite Markers• Bronze Lanterns & Vases• Statues & Photos

• Lettering in All Languages• Memorial Cleaning• In-Home Service• Custom Designs

Large Indoor ShowroomServicing All Cemeteries and Nationalities

110 Anaconda Ave. (Birchmount Rd., 2 Blocks North of St. Clair)

Est. 1897

Creber Son & Co. Monuments

416-261-9393 • 416-261-6200crebermonuments@rogers.com

Send us your Community Calendar Listings

VISIT: www.bluffsmonitor.com to fill out the online form

OR phone: 416-691-4085, OR email: accounts@bluffsmonitor.com

don’t forget to advertise your event here...

Community Calendar

Springboard to Music has openings for students 5 - 18 inpiano, guitar, voice and drumming. Affordable lessons onTuesdays and Wednesdays from 4:00pm - 8:00pm. Located atScarborough Bluffs United Church, 3739 Kingston Rd (at Scar-borough Golf Club Rd.) Call 647 687 6356 to start right away.

Stage Coach Singing, Dancing & Acting Classes: for 4 to 16year olds. Contact: 416-844-2162, torontoeast@stagecoach-schools.ca. Ask about their 2 week trial. See ad in this issue.

Annual Community Christmas Bazaar: Saturday, November 30th, 10:00am to 3:00pm, Retirement Suites By theLake, 2121 Kingston Road. There will be lots of wonderful giftsfor your holiday shopping: clothing, jewellery, crafts, bakedgoods, one of a kind gifts...the list is endless. Don’t miss ourholiday basket raffles! 416-267-2121.

Pointsetta Bazaar: Saturday, December 7th, 10:00am to12:00 noon, Clairlea Park Presbyterian Church, 3236 St ClairAvenue East (1 block East of Pharmacy) Bake Table, Jewellery, Christmas Table and more!

Craft and Gift Sale: hosted by West Hill-Highland CreekLions Club: Saturday, December 7th, 10:00am - 3:00pm,Heron Park Community Centre, 292 Manse Road, Scarborough. Artist and crafters offering a variety of items. For information: sale@lionsclub.ca

Annual Cookie Walk: Saturday, December 7th, 10:00am. See St. Paul’s United Church ad in this issue for details.

Annual Christmas Pet Portraits with Santa: Sat., December14th, 1:00pm to 4:00pm, Muddy Paws, 123 Guildwood Pkwy.Appointment or Walk-in. See ad in this issue for details.

St. Paul’s Seniors Lunch: Tuesday, December 17th, 12noon.See “Events for Seniors” ad in this issue of Bluffs Monitor.

Breakfast With Santa: Saturday, December 21st, 9:00am, St Paul’s United. Pre-register. See ad on page 9 for details.

Wingporium’s 1st Annual Holiday Party: Sat., December14th, 9:00pm, 3490 Kingston Rd. Reservations. For moreinformation see the ad in this issue of Bluffs Monitor.

Scarborough Players Presents: “Miracle on 34th Street”:Nov. 29, 30, Dec. 5 ,6, 7, 12 & 13 @ 8:00pm, Dec. 1, 6, & 14 @2:00pm. Get into the spirit of Christmas with this classic tale ofthe magic of the season. See ad in this issue of Bluffs Monitor.

“Christmas Miracles” Seasonal stories, music. Guest readers: Lloyd Robertson, Doly Begum, Avis Favaro, DonGray. Saturday, December 14th. 7:30pm. Supports BluffsFood Bank. Birchcliff Bluffs United Church. Details & ticketsat www.bbuc.ca

Acoustic Harvest presents: Tony Quarrington’s for King andCountry,A Remembrance Day musical drama.Saturday, December 7th, 8:00pm, St. Paul’s United Church,200 McIntosh St. Wheelchair access. Free Parking.

Toronto Beaches Children and Youth Choir presents:Winter Melodies Concert, Saturday, December 14th, 2:00pmat St. James Catherdral, 106 King Street East. Order tickets inadvance at tbcc@gmail .com or purchase at door. Under 2: free,children: $5., youth 13 -17: $10. & adults: $15.00

ENTERTAINMENT • ENTERTAINMENT • ENTERTAINMENT • ENTERTAINMENT

EVENTS • EVENTS • EVENTS • EVENTS • EVENTS • EVENTS

Bel Canto Singers Holiday Concerts: “Tidings of Comfortand Joy”: Saturday, December 7th, 2:30pm & 7:30pm, Scarborough Bluffs United Church, 3739 Kingston Road, Admission: $20 for adults/teens, $5 for children under 12.For more information, visit us: www.belcantosingers.caCadence: A Christmas Concert: Fri., November 6th, 7:30pm,St. Paul’s United Church. See ad on this page for details.

A Christmas Concert Celebration: Saturday, December 14that 7:00pm, Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church, 140Guildwood Pkwy, 416-261-4037, www.guildwoodchurch.ca

Fun Afternoon of a cappella singing: Join us on Saturday,December 14th at 2:00 p.m., for a fun afternoon of a cappellasinging, as we share the seasonal favourites, old and new! Featuring our special guest performers, The Ben Happner VocalAcademy. Doors open at 1:00 p.m. for the an extensive bakeand craft sale, and there will also be a 50/50 draw. Contactscarboroughharmonychorus.com for ticket information.

416-693-5998

Heating • Air Conditioning • Refrigeration Ventilation • Electrical • Humidification

Installation • Service

Residential / CommercialHEATING& AIR CONDITIONING

Christmas Services CalendarChrist Church - Scarborough Village Anglican 155 Markham Rd., 416-261-4169 (Handicap Accessible)

Dec. 21 07:00pm The Longest Night Service “Blue Christmas”Dec. 22 10:00am Lessons & Carols ServiceDec. 24 07:00pm Christmas Eve Family Eucharist Service & Christmas Pagent 10:00pm Christmas Eve Candlelit, Sung, EucharistDec. 25 10:00am Christmas Day Communion ServiceDec. 31 05:00pm *Reflective Candlelight Service *(confirm with church)

Church of the Holy Trinity Guildwood, Anglican85 Livingston Rd. at Guildwood Parkway, 416-261-9503Dec. 08 10:30am St. Nicholas Visit, Family Service & PotluckDec. 15 08:00am Quiet, Traditional Advent Prayer Service 10:30am Modern Advent Worship Service 04:00pm The Wonder of Christmas Showcase: Joining Robert Graham is George Masswohl (Come from Away), Sarah Strange, Paula Wolfson, Barb Scheffler, Randy & Loralie Vancourt, Brant Garratt, The Holy Trinity Guildwood Choir & more. Dec. 24 07:00pm Christmas Eve Family Service 11:00pm Christmas Eve Candlelight ServiceDec. 25 10:30am Christmas Day Service

Fallingbrook Heights Baptist - Church at the CentreBirchmount Community Centre, 93 Birchmount Rd.(betweenKingston & Danforth), 647-504-3285 contact: www.churchatthecentre.com for more information. “An Original Family Christmas”Dec. 14 06:00pm Enjoy crafts for kids & treats for all. Then songs & selfies in an uthentic Stable.Dec. 15 10:30am “Angels on Duty” - A Christmas Pagent

Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church140 Guildwood Parkway, 416-261-4037, www.guildwoodchurch.caDec. 21 07:30pm Longest Night Service - A quiet service of prayer and healing on the longest night of the year.Dec. 24 07:00pm Christmas Eve Service -Readings & Carols

Kingston Road United Church975 Kingston Rd. (at Scarborough Rd.), 416-699-6091Dec. 08 10:30am White Gift Sunday and Children’s Play. Please bring a Christmas gift for a needy child wrapped in white paper with age marked on the top corner.Dec. 15 10:30am Choir Service - Lessons & Carols Dec. 24 07:00pm Family Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with Children’s Pageant. 09:30pm Christmas Music Recital and Communion.

Scarborough Bluffs United Church3739 Kingston Rd. (at Scar. Golf Club Rd.), 416-267-8265Dec. 01 10:30am 1st of Advent - Service & Advent LunchDec. 08 10:30am 2nd of Advent - White Gift ServiceDec. 15 10:30am 3rd of Advent - Choir ServiceDec. 18 07:00pm Blue Christmas ServiceDec. 22 10:30am 4th of Advent - Service with CommunionDec. 24 07:30pm Christmas Eve - Family Service

St. Paul’s United Church200 McIntosh Street 416-261-4222Dec. 12 07:00pm Annual Christmas Carol SingDec. 19 07:00pm Blue Christmas Service Dec. 24 07:00pm Christmas Eve - St. Paul’s DIY Pageant Family Service 10:00pm Traditional Lessons & Carols

TUTORING“Unlock your child's true potential!”Affordable Tuitions

for 8 one-hour classesper month see below:

Contact Hema Jagesha 647-530-3060 or

jia_jagesha@yahoo.com

Grade KG 1-4 5-6 7-8

Fee C$90100125150

Page 15 - November 2019

TRADES & SERVICES DIRECTORY

• Full and Partial Kitchen and Bathroom Renovations• Custom Cabinets and Vanities• Tile, Marble and Granite installations• Custom Glass and Shower Installations

Avonlea Kitchen &

Bathroom Conceptswww.avonlearenovations.com

Visit Our Beautiful Showroom1980 Danforth Avenue at Woodbine

416-422-5276

HAMMERSMITHCONTRACTING

Repairs up to full renova-tions. Carpentry, Plumbing,Painting, Drywall, Flooring,Tiles, Bathroom, Basement,Kitchen, Fences & Decks.Call Jim 647-669-9053.

Lic #B19247.

DON’T RELOCATE RENOVATE!

Architectural residential design and drawings for building permits.

For additions, renovations,decks, porches, garages, etc. WMDesigns 416-261-9679.

TREE CAREExpert small tree, shrubbery and fancy ornamental pruning also removals.

Retired City Arborist.40 years experience.

Cheap rates. Wayne 416-691-2395.

J.B. BARTONCommercial/residential

Snow Removal.647-679-3282

www.beachbuilds.ca

BLUFFS BUILDSAll purpose

outdoor landscaping.647-679-3282

www.beachbuilds.ca

B.L.C.BLUFFS LAWN CARE

Weekly/Bi-weekly LawncareFall Clean-up 647-679-3282

www.beachbuilds.ca

ELECTRICAL WORK100/200 AMP

Service Upgrades, New Wiring,

New Homes/Additions,Lighting Installations, Troubleshooting(416) 694-6673hrcelectrical.ca

ESA/ECRA 7002084

HOME IMPROVEMENTSFences & Decks

New & Repairs to existing**References available.No deposit required.

In Business for 30+ years.Contact Jeff at 647-274-6555

RC TREE CARESmall or Large jobs. Pruning, Limbing and Removal. Careful Cleanup. Affordable, Insured.

Call Ron 416-704-8550.TNT PAINTING & REPAIR

Free EstimatesReasonable Rates

Plaster & Drywall RepairsWindow Cleaning25 years Experience416-266-1431 416-797-9322

terrancepatrick@hotmail.com

CANADIAN CONTRACTOR

Roofing Professionals, Shingles& Flatroofing, Eavestroughing& Siding, Soffit & Fascia, Chimneys, Brickwork,

Concrete Work, Waterproofing,Carpentry Work, Garbage Removal.

Metro License B-16964 Est 1984. Birchcliff Resident.416-285-0440, 416-605-9510

ARCHITECTURAL

DESIGN

PETE THE PAINTERUK Craftsman. Interior painting. Reasonable rates. Senior discounts.Free estimates.

Call Pete Steele at 416-491-3934

ALUMINUM & VINYLSiding, windows, soffit, fascia, eavestrough,downpipes, Expertly

installed. Established 1979Metro license B372. Insured, WSIB,

Homecraftaluminum.ca416-931-5979

HEALTH  &

WELLNESS

PROPERTY

MANAGEMENT

LANDSCAPINGTRADES TRADES

CLEANING

LET’S TALK & make sense of it together

Barbara is a Therapist-in-Training,completing a program recognized by the

College of Psychotherapists

of OntarioBeaches location on QueenStreet east, just west of

Woodbinetherapy@barbsaunders.comor call 416-655-9546

HARDING & KINGREAL ESTATE SERVICES

INCORPORATED. For Investors who do notwish to deal with some orall aspects of operating aninvestment property.

For homeowners who havebeen transfered out oftown and would like to

keep their home. For peace of mind.

Call: 416-699-9714, emailinfo@hardingandking.com

or visit: www.hardingandking.com.

Rental inquiries, 416-699-1144.

An Independent Brokerage

CLASSICALOSTEOPATH

Classical Osteopathic ManualPractitioner, M.OMSc., coveredby extended health benefits,Improves body alignment &

Alleviates pain. Located at 3093 Kingston Rd.(& Fenwood Heights). Call Sara Pukal

647-235-0832 or email:sarasmanualtherapy@gmail.comwww.sarasmanualtherapy.com

GOLD-LINE MOVING & STORAGE

BBB Member A+ RatedSince 2005.416-431-2920

www.goldlinemovingandstorage.com

MOVING

SERVICES

WINDOW CLEANINGWindows cleaned by a reliable Professional. Competitive Prices!

Book your Cleaning now.Free Estimates.

Call Steve 416-464-7196

MP INTERIOR PAINTING• Quality Work• References

•Free Estimates. Call Peter Wiench 416-269-0470 or Cell 416-301-4601

CARPETS BUCKLED?DAMAGED? Experienced pro,

“semi-retired” will restretchor repair your carpet at reasonable rates.

Phone Al 416-266-2200.

POL-CLEANGreat Christmas Gift!

Including: After party clean-up,Moving in or out & Professional carpet & Upholstery cleaning.

Call 416-836-5797.Cleaning services since 1995.

PAINTING &DECORATINGInterior, Exterior. Wall repairs,

Seniors discounts. Quality, clean work to your satisfaction! Free estimates.

Please call 416-261-0197.

MUSICEXPERIENCE

THE PLEASUREOF PLAYING

YOUR FAVOURITEMUSICAL

INSTRUMENTQualified Teachers

Scarboro MusicKingston Rd./Victoria Pk.

416-699-8333

Home improvements, Flooring,bathrooms, finish basement.

Free estimates 416-768-8460

Falanga INC

INSTANT TAX REFUND,Payroll

Personal & CorporateTax, Bookkeeping,

GST/PST 2481 Kingston Roadmanoj@actfinance.ca

EXACT TAX SERVICESTim O’Meara, Tax Accountant

416-601-7556, Personal, Small Business,

Corporate, E-File, Seniors Discount, Free Pickup

REG’S APPLIANCESERVICE

www.regsappliance.com

416-691-6893• In Home Service• Reasonable Rates

Our40thYear!

SONPLUMBING

Master Plumber

416-567-4535Call Matthew

• Full Plumbing Service• Faucets & Toilet Repairs• Licenced and Insured• Fast Friendly Service• Seniors Discount• Free Estimates

416-567-4535Call Matthew

• Free In-Home Estimates• Seniors Rates• Fast Friendly Service• Locally Owned/Operated• Licenced and InsuredBathroom

Grab Bars- INSTALLED -

HIRE LOCAL

Foot, heel & ankle painNails, corns, callus, wartsPaediatric/Diabetic care

Custom-made Orthotics

Sports Injuries

Anne Solowey, B.Sc, D.Ch3630 Lawrence Avenue East

416-282-2884Call Today

Over 25 Years’

Experience

PROFESSIONAL FOOTCARE

Volunteers - January Issue Delivery Date is: THURSDAY, JANUARY 2nd, 2020

Please advise the office now, if you cannot deliver for that issue, so we can make other arrangements.

To show ourthanks we allow

our volunteers onefree community

calendar ad everysix months

We couldn’t do it without you.

Our Thanks to December’s Volunteer of the Month,

Delivering 100 Papers on West Hill Dr. in Highland Creek since 2011 She receives a $30 Gift Certificate to use at their choice of any one of the businesses advertising in Bluffs Monitor.

We are always looking for volunteers to help spread the newsIf you can spare approx. 30-60 mins once per month

OFFICE TO SHARE

PROFESSIONAL Near Kingston Road andVictoria Park. Used by

psychotherapist. Availableseveral days per week. Reasonable rent.

Please contact Lynda 647-812-0495

lmolleken@gmail.com

EUROPEAN CLEANING LADY

Reliable, experienced withreferences for weekly,bi-weekly, monthly or

one-time cleaning of yourcondo, house or small office. Please call 416-289-1430

ADVERTISELOCAL

A Woman’s Touch Landscaping

SNOW REMOVALPlease see our website

Seasonal Planters, LandscapeDesign, Spring Cleanup

SONPLUMBING

Founded in 1983, The annual Toronto Sun Christmas Fund aims to bring hope to kids with disabilities and families struggling through the holiday season. Former Toronto Sun columnist, Mike Strobel carries on the tradition each Christmas to help champion our kids, our athletes, our staff and our mission. To learn more about the Sun Fund or Variety Ontario visit www.varietyontario.ca

sunchristmasfund.caGIVE A GIFT!

Tis’ the seasonThis holiday season, give a gift that keeps on giving. Your giftwill help kids with disabilities gainaccess to inclusive programs that promote participation, independence and healthy active lives.

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PEACE OF MIND

for you and your loved ones.

THE COST OF LIVINGKEEPS GOING UP.

The cost of your funeraldoesn’ t have to.

WHY PRE-PLAN YOUR MEMORIAL? Like many things, costswill continue to increase, so locking in now is a wise decision.Yes, perhaps it’s a long way away, but all the more reason

to get your plan together now. Contact your localDignity Memorial® provider for the best value.

Giffen Mack Funeral Home4115 Lawrence Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario, M1E 2S2

416-281-6800