Flower power - The Toronto Observer

More documents

Recommendations

Info

4TheARTS&LIFEEast York Observer /// Friday, April 20, 2012n 2012 n 1937Jodee Brown /// ObserverPhoto courtesy /// Scotiabank GroupBanking on 100 years of historyBy JODEE BROWNThe ObserverA landmark institution in theheart of the Danforth communityis using its centennial observanceto help launch a revamp of itsfacilities.Scotiabank celebrated the 100thanniversary of its Danforth-Papebranch’s location at 649 DanforthAve. a few weeks ago with acommemorative event attendedby customers and even some citydignitaries.But while looking to the past,branch management is also lookingto the future, with renovation plansto improve the banking experiencefor customers. Part of those plansis a merger with the neighbouringbranch at 661 Danforth, formerlyknown as the National Bank ofGreece until Scotiabank purchasedthe property in 2006.According to the branch’s customerservice manager, Toula Kiritsis,Scotiabank’s evolution has notonly been physical over the years.She says staff have created an atmospherethat clients feel comfortablein, including developing personalrelationships with them.“The essence of banking haschanged over the years,” she said.“We’re now taking care of the customers,not only for their day-todaytransactions, but to help themachieve their financial goals.”The renovations, which arebeginning this spring, include theinstallation of new ATMs, an outletfor wheelchair accessibility and acustomer lounge with televisionsand other accessories to create arelaxing environment.“The most modern amenitieswill be offered. We’ll have a nicelounge area for our customers to sitin. They’ll have a nice viewpoint ofPape and Danforth,” Kiritsis said.“But mostly it will be for customerconvenience and customer service.”Kiritsis said Scotiabank aims torepresent East York’s Greek communityby having employees whocan relate to their customers. Withhalf of the 14 staff members havingGreek ancestry, it makes life easierfor clients who may be uncomfortablespeaking English.“The fact that we have a portionof the staff that can speak Greek,and they can service our customersin Greek, they can get servicein a language that’s familiar tothem… is invaluable,” she said.“Scotiabank understands that whenthe community grows, everyonebenefits.”Bird population heading southBy CORTNEY COOKThe ObserverIt seems counter-intuitivethat a man trying to rebuildendangered bird populationswould support hunting.But Joseph Duff, theco-founder of non-profit organizationOpen Migration,does, and in a visit to EastYork he tried to explain.Many would associateDuff, one of Canada’s leadingcommercial photographers,with the movie he andBill Lishman inspired, FlyAway Home.For the past decade,Duff’s work has involvedresolving issues withthe migration patterns ofcranes and Canada geese.Because of issues such asoverhunting, environmentalencroachment and domestication,those patterns havebeen seriously disturbed.“We’ve influencedeverything in nature, so wecan’t just leave and say ‘Fixit yourselves,’” Duff toldstudents at Centennial College’sCarlaw Avenue campus.“It’s our fault. We havean obligation to step in.”According to Duff, duringthe Depression and SecondPhoto courtesy /// Open MigrationJoseph Duff, co-founder of Open Migration, leads a flock of whoopingcranes south for the winter in his ultra-light aircraft.World War, Canada geesewere overhunted because itwas free food.“When I was kid, it wasrare to see Canadian geese.That was something youreported at dinner-time,”he said. “They were almostendangered.”Duff explained that thegovernment turned the populationdecline around byrestocking lakes with geese.Because of the promotion ofpopulation and the removalof predators controlling theirnumbers, there was somethingof a population boom.Now cities are annoyed withbirds that defecate everywhere.“They used to be a harbingerof changing seasonsand the call of the wild andnow people see them as flyingrats,” he said.So traditional geese-huntingtook hold. The problemhas been that the “nuisance”birds in the parks aren’thunted. Instead, the migratorybirds are the ones beingpelted out of the sky.“The wild population hasdropped 75 per cent and theresident population has exploded,”Duff said. “Everyonehates Canadian geese,but it’s our own fault.”Duff’s proposal is tocull geese if we have to, aslong as there are no naturalpredators near them. It’seither do that or place moreemphasis on regulated hunting,he said.“Hunters are paying for80 per cent of the conservationthat is being done,” hesaid, comparing ammunitiontaxes with naturalists whodon’t pay such taxes.Duff remains passionateabout rebuilding endangeredpopulations like cranes.Though he doesn’t likeinterfering with wildlife, hesaid some sort of managedcull of Canada geese is the“lesser of two evils.”E.Y. patios openuntil midnightBy BRAYDON KEDDIEThe ObserverDanforth bar and restaurantpatios will get to keep theirmidnight closing times, afterToronto-East York CommunityCouncil voted on Tuesday tocontinue the patio pilot project— and consider making midnightclosings permanent.Before the pilot project, patiosclosed at 11. But two yearsago, experimental midnightclosings began under city observation.There have been complaints,and some cafes have beencharged with staying open past12. Those bylaw cases have yetto be heard.But the community councillorsagreed on Tuesday that,overall, midnight closings havebalanced business and residentinterests.Felix O’Callaghan, wholives near Danforth and Carlawavenues, said some of the businessesaround his home haven’thad much control over their volumelevels. But he thinks it’s theresponsibility of the customersto keep it down, not the businessowners.“You wouldn’t hear music ornoise... but you might hear guysthat were on their way out of thebar,” he said.“It comes down to personalresponsibility and realizing,‘The sun’s down, it’s 12o’clock, yeah we’re still on thepatio but we shouldn’t be shoutingand there’s people that haveto sleep in the area too.’”With homes so close to someof the cafes, some businessowners have been proactive.John Klianis, manager ofPappas Grill on the corner ofDanforth and Arundel Avenue,said he believes in being considerateof the residents around hisrestaurant.He hasn’t found any problemswith keeping it open late,and in his 20 years with therestaurant, he said he’s never receiveda noise complaint.“I don’t play loud, boisterousmusic here,” Klianis said.“I don’t create unwanted, unneedednoise because there’s 20feet away from me houses andfamilies. For me it wouldn’t be asmart thing to make loud musicin the late nights.”
The East York Observer /// Friday, April 20, 2012ARTS&LIFE5CBC’s beloved traffic guru switches lanesFormer East Yorkerhelped drivers planroutes for 40 yearsBy MICHAEL BAGHELThe ObserverJim Curran retired lastmonth after 40 years of reportingon Toronto’s rush-hourtraffic for CBC Radio. But hecan trace the root of his careerback much farther than that,back to his childhood growingup in post-war East York.Curran was born at TorontoEast General Hospital.He attended George WebsterElementary School and St.Clair Junior High School, nowknown as Gordon A. BrownMiddle School, before movingto North York as a teen.Three broadcasters lived onCurran’s street in East York: aman Curran knew only as Mr.Cook, who worked at CRFB;Hal Kelly, a baseball andhockey announcer; and EddieLuther, who coincidentallywas a traffic reporter.“I was always fascinatedwith Mr. Kelly. He was one ofthose men with a deep, deep,resonant voice,” Curran said,“and when you’re eight yearsold, it’s just awesome, especiallywhen you’ve heard (hisvoice) on the radio. So maybethat was a subconsciousthing.”From a young age, Curranwas also intrigued by radioitself.“I used to have the shortwaveon, close my eyes, putmy hand on the dial of theshortwave radio and just turnthe dial slowly and hear thevoices,” Curran said, “and Iwould just be fascinated thatthese voices were comingfrom all around the world.”Curran never expected tomake traffic reporting his career.When he graduated fromRyerson with a diploma inradio-television arts and took ajob reporting traffic for CBC,he saw it as a stepping stone inhis career.“I thought, ‘Well, there’smy opportunity to get in thedoor to become a radio producer,’”Curran said. “Fortyyears later, well, I was stilldoing traffic!”Still, Curran is glad he keptthe same role for almost hisentire career. He credits hisco-workers at CBC with makinghis time there so enjoyable.He said leaving the peoplehe worked with was oneof the toughest things aboutretirement.He’s also grateful for the opportunitieshe had at the CBCoutside of traffic coverage.“For about eight years I dida music quiz in the afternoon(and) I hosted a travel showfor three summers,” Curransaid.His freelance work alsoextended beyond the CBC,thanks to his decision tocontinue learning new skillsthroughout his career.“Ten years ago I realizedthere should be life afterCBC,” Curran said. “I starteddoing video work, took somecourses at Ryerson and actuallygot a job shooting videofor a travel show for threeyears.”Curran has independentlyproduced a number of videoprojects for different clientsand plans to continue doingso.First, however, he plans totravel with his wife, Wendy,who is also retiring at the endof the month.Michael Baghel /// ObserverNewly retired Jim Curran reflects on a photo in his CBC scrapbook. Colleaguesand well-wishers wrote messages for Curran in the scrapbook at aretirement celebration after his final shift on Metro Morning on March 29.Paying the price for being lateStudents can ‘buyout’ of detentionsby forking out $2By ALDIS BRENNANn COMMUNITYE.Y. Strategy hasthe right plansfor local youthTo the staff, it’s a fundraiser.To some students, it’sa fine — and an unfair oneat that.Marc Garneau CollegiateInstitute on Overlea Boulevardbegan a new policy thismonth after a surprise March30 announcement by principalRicky Goldenberg.“It was first explainedthat starting on the followingMonday, students caughtarriving late for first periodclass would be chargedtwo dollars,” said TommyDonnelly, who works for theschool’s student-run newspaper,The Reckoner.By that following Monday,Donnelly said, the policywas clarified.“Any student who arrivedlate for the first period wasgiven a detention whichthey could ‘buy out of’ bypaying the two dollars,” heexplained.Money raised from thepolicy will support a fundraisingproject for the schoolacross the street, Valley ParkMiddle School.The sister school is inthe middle of a ‘Go Green’campaign, raising moneyAldis Brennan /// ObserverMarc Garneau Collegiate Institute has introduced a new late policy.Students may donate $2 for the Go Green Cricket Field at Valley Park.for a new, environmentallysustainablecricket field.Shari Schwartz-Maltz, aspokesperson for the TorontoDistrict School Board,spoke on her behalf.“When students are late,they receive a detention,which is common practice inall our schools,” Schwartz-Maltz said.“If they want to insteadcontribute a toonietowards that particularcharity, then their detentionis lifted.”Administration at MarcGarneau decided to institutethe policy in an attempt tocurb lateness.“Principals have theirown ways of reinforcingdiscipline in their schools,”Schwartz-Maltz said.“The principal felt that thiswas an innovative way ofencouraging students not tobe late to class.”According to Schwartz-Maltz, there has been nonegative public reaction tothe policy.But some students at MarcGarneau don’t like it.Student council attemptedto have the rule changed, butto no avail.“When people are able to‘buy out’ of a punishment,I feel it turns the rule bookinto a menu, with a pricewritten in beside everythingwe aren’t supposed to do,”Donnelly said.“Someone with a lot ofmoney is then able to dowhatever they want withoutworrying about the consequences.Someone with lessmoney would not have thisfreedom.”By JIYOON ELLIE KIMThe ObserverA group of churches, communityagencies and businessesin the Pape-Danforth areaare working together to makeEast York a safer community.The East York Strategy offersa positive space for localyouth with support from police,schools, businesses andpoliticians.After five years of persistenteffort, the headquartersat Bethany Baptist Church onPape Avenue at Cosburn nowhosts about 200 youth in itssports and social programs onweekday evenings.The program took its cuefrom the original EtobicokeStrategy. Bethany’s pastor, JimParker, said the disconnectionbetween some youth and therest of the community drovehim to take the initiative.It mainly revolves aroundmultiple leagues and drop-insports sessions supported bythe dozen or so sponsoringchurches, and about 20 othercommunity leaders, organizationsand businesses.But the program has also invitedpeople like city councillorMary Fragedakis and policeofficers from 54 Divisionto speak to the youth.Parker explained how suchsmall events make change.“When the police officerscome in to speak, kids ingrades 3-5 get so excited thatthey raise their hands to theirsockets,” he said.Some of the teens in middleand high school are skepticalat first, the pastor said, buteven they gradually open up.They’re initially suspiciousof the police, for instance, butthen a sense of personal acquaintancehelps them see theofficers more fairly and thinktwice before engaging in recklessaction.And the reverse is true too,Parker said; the program hasalso helped the officers betterunderstand the teens withoutpreconceived notions.Parker said the communityas a whole has a responsibilityto guide local youth to evaluatedifferent options in front ofthem.“Kids don’t grow up dreamingto be bad. They all wantto be good,” he said. “If theyare exposed to positive modelswho make constructive choices,many of them tend to makethe best decision.”
Page 1 and 2: wwThe East YorkObserverFlowerpowern
Page 3: The East York Observer /// Friday,
Page 7 and 8: The East York Observer /// Friday,

Flower power - The Toronto Observer

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?