#9203 - May 1992

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Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative and Produced in Collaboration with David Perlman/Wholenote Media Inc between July-December 2015. Page Ten I May 21 .1992 COMMUNITY Kensington Market DRUM ~G~ ~~~ ~ . r~ by Shelley Stringer As long as I can remember young girls and boys have been kidnapped and sexually assaulted. During the last year so many girls have been going missing. I, myself am a young girl of 16 years old, who should be able to walk down any street in the day or night and feel safe. Well because of all these kidnapping/rapes/murders I can not go anywhere by myself and . feel safe. I now go almost everywhere with a friend and if it's late at night I have someone walk me home. It is sad that young women and men can not feel safe on the street or even ln the area they live in. It is not /air to the people in this world that they have their freedom restricted because of the idiots who get off by kidnapping, raping and murdering people the know, or don't know. In L.A. right now people are rioting because 4 white cops were found not guilty of beating up a .black person. However, if the safe cops had beat up a white person there would be no rioting. Likewise, if 4 black cops beat up a whiter person they'd be ' found guilty. Innocent people in L.A. are being killed and injured because other people are upset about the cops not being guilty. ·Why don't they take their anger out on the cops or the jurors and judge who found them not guilty. People should be able to feel safe-no matter where they arf! and no matter what time it is. People shouldn't have to worry about themselves or others being kidnapped, raped or murdered. Something should be done about this situation to insure tJ:zat the young feel safe and get their freedom back. Cutbacks Threaten Youth Arcade by DRUM STAFF The City of Toronto Board of Health's Aids Sub-Committee has recommended cutting back essential funding to a neighbourhood program in the Kensington and Alexandra Park area. Staff and young people at the ARCADE were shocked to learn that their funding for 92/93 may be reduced from $18,000 to $6,098 if the Board of Health approves recommendations. (See letters, page 5.) "The AR:CADE" on Augusta A venue is a youth drop-in centre. "We have been open since June 1990, a safe environment for youth who are at risk in the community, where they · are exposed to used needles ... and the drug subculture in the community." said Kevin Lee, Assistant Executive Director from St. Stephen's Community House. Youth under the age of 18 from Kensington and Alexandra Park communities engage in activities such as outings, arts and crafts, video games, sports and workshops on AIDS and drug prevention which are held on a regular basis. The young people at the Arcade over the past year have organized an AIDS and drug prevention competition in the community involving the four local public schools in the area. The Arcade is also a resource centre for parents in the community who want information on AIDS and drugs. "Service... will have to be reduced as a result of the funding cut," said Lee. The program is well used by '· the community. In 1991, 650 youth and 750 adults used the services of the Arcade. "During the summer months we have between 50 to 65 kids com'ing into the drop-in per day," said the Community Services Director, Allen Flaming. This summer the program anticipates greater numbers due to the high youth unem- -ployment and the reduced funding to day camps in the area. "This drastic cut is ·an indication to our community that youth in the Kensington and Alexandra Park communities are a low priority to the AIDS sub-committee. We need to show that this is not acyeptable to our community," said Flaming. The ,AIDS sub-committee of the Board of Health had $11,052,000 this year allocated by City Council to distribute to comm':'nity groups in the fight against the spread of AIDS and the HIV virus. The Arcade program, the first of its type in the city of Toronto, was scheduled to appeal the funding cut at the Board of Health, May 20. RNl& Wlt~~ov The Scat Cabaret by Emma S. The scat cabaret was fun. They had a bubble gum contest, a boy from the University Settlement House won. A bunch of kids sand a bunch of songs and a person with a. guitar sang some songs. Elisha and Amy and I sang My Boy Lollipop, it was fun. They had cookies and coffee and tea. I think they had muffins but I am not sure. They had a clown too. A bunch of kids went to the stage with the ·clown and played jump rope with 15 kids in a line. The Three R 's At Ogden School students are experimenting with vermicomposting - an innovative indoor method of reducing garbage. Vennicomposting is composting with wom1s. One wonn can eat its own weight in leftovers every day and expel sweet-smelling compost in its place. Ogden purchased three vermicomposters with financial assistance from the Shell Environmental Fund. Staff and students are emhusiastic about this hands-on exercise in the three Rs--reduce, reuse, and recycle. . 1Yiltt)· ( ~~ ) ················································· ............................................ ~ .... ················································· learning with you is space in DRUM for co-operative life-long learning. Send ideas, articles, drawing etc. to ALMA PENN, Kensington DRUM, P. 0. Box 67590 576 Dundas Street West M5T 388. Or inquire by phone L. ..................................... :~ .. ~:~--~~---~~-~-~~--~~~~~~~~~ ............... ~ ...................... : ............................................................................................................................ l VOLUNTEER REQUIRED l to assist l a young adult learner ~ in an educational program ~ (Math and English) ~ Wednesday afternoons, 1-3 pm ~ If interested, ~ - · ;,~,.. Oasis ;::-::-;~- ~~ ~ please call Lana at ~ OASIS ALTERNATIVE SECONDARY SCHOOL I· 393-9830. : ........................................................................................... ~ ............................ . §Imowifllcallke child care centre SNOWFLAKE CHILDCARE CENTRE full and part-time spaces now available for children 21/2 to 5 years. A small non-profit daycare. Whole foods menu. Individual and creative development. Call 368-9124 39 Carr Street, Toronto, Ontario ... ·~ 41'e,· ,, Make this a summer of fun and learning. The Toronto Board of Education 1\.las programs for everyone - elementary students, secondary students, and adults. ' • Sports • Swimming • New Credit Courses • Enrichment • Outdoor Activities • Parenting • · English as a Second Language • Driver Education • Heritage Languages • Literacy Classes • Seniors' Programs and more ... High quality child care. George Brown has spaces available for infants to nine -vear olds at downtown locations. Call 944-4545 for information. st Stephen's Community House Summer Day Camp Registration · commencing .immediately. Call Teresa Emmanuel for information and registration. Call 920-8980 or 925-2103 .. The camp this year will be limited to a registration of 35 children ages 6-12. The camp will be running from July 2 to August 28. Activities will include half day outings, arts and crafts, sports and special events.
Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative and Produced in Collaboration with David Perlman/Wholenote Media Inc between July-December 2015. / Kensington Market DRUM COMMUNITY May 21, 1992 I Page Eleven Continued from page 3 the Toronto Chinese Parents' Association, arose out of concern of the health, safety and welfare . of the children and the future children attending Orde Street School and the four nearby day care centres. The Orde School Parents Council "mounted a reasoned and compelling case against the hospital's proposal", said the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) Decision in August, 1991, which approved the hospital's plans last spring. The repercussions will mean that the small park will be lost. There all be heavy construction traffic servicing the hospital construction site adding to the traffic hazards for the children. There already have been accidents with children struck by vehicular traffic. There will also be noise and dust during construction. Recently, City Public Works was carrying out roadwork on Orde Street and the noise from the . hydraulic hammers made normal conversation almost impossible for some classrooms. When the hospital is completed, the traffic on streets nearby will be among the highest in the City of Toronto for an elementary school. This decision and the approval process for the hospital has been remarkable for its consistency insofar as the children were conc.erned. The arguments advanced by parents and others concerned about the welfare of the children and for· the protection of their rights and entitlements consistently carried little weight in each" of the decisions in the approval process. Even the provincial Ministry of the Environment accepted the arguments advanced by an environmental planner for the hospital t~ere were "no realistic reasons for local concern from an environmental perspective" despite the "reasoned and compelling case" advance by parents. The decision confirms the degradation of the children's environment and this is wilful neglect of the welfare of children. The process has failed the more than 600 children; it has failed to protect their best interest; and, it has failed to defend the rights and entitlements. Our nation is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child. Our · ATTENTION ALL THOSE ON U.l. Want to upgrade your English and math skills? It's free, and we even p'rovide child care. Alexandra Park Neighbourhood learning centre. Call us at 591-7384 Employment Opportunities The Toronto Disarmament lh . r.:;;:;:;:::;;:::;;:::;;:::;;::;:::;:; Network is seeking women 1 .. and men able to communicate effectively with others. Willingness to work for social change essential. Knowledge of contemporary Peace, Environmental and Economic issues an asset. Call Allan between 11:00 am and 5.00 pm Mon. to Fri. tel: 535-8005 WORK FOR PEACE provincial government has even produced a · report entitled "Children First" which proclaims that "Promoting the well-being of children and defending their entitlements must become society's highest priority." Childreus' rights are human rights and in all these areas, the process has failed our children. In spite of all this, the parents will continue to press for safety measures to protect the children and to seek amelioration of the worse aspects of this hospital proposal. There is still the pending appeal by the parents of the original OMB decision by the : Ontario Ombudsman. A Traffic . Construction Committee with parent representation has been constituted by the City Public Works to deal· with traffic concerns. The Toronto Board of Education has passed a motion to support closing Orde Street to through traffic with school buses exempted to minimize traffic hazard to the children. The parents are supporting the City's Public Works Commissioners' efforts to open Orde Street at University Avenue to direct traffic away from the school. A consultant will soon be submitting proposals for the replacement of the park and a Play Ground Committee has been constituted by the Toronto Board of Education to develop plans to improve the play area for the children. If you need further information or wish to assist, please contact the Orde School Parents' Council at 393-1900. (Doug Hum is an Orde School parent) ~ o n ;; o o.... 't'XT-....4- n,..... tral ~'l~~~g;\~~£tj~~~A?~~\ V~tt;ll~ll. ~1: ~~ ·~ Uu W llu\~ COmmumtyHealthCentres Sanity in the City by Amina Miller There is something very basi~: about digging in the soil. It is one of the few opportunities we still have to connect wi~h nature. Certai'nly there _are nature hikes and wilderness trails, and they are wonderful, but unfortunately many of us hav·e neither the energy, time, or the resources to take advantage of them. Pottering in a garden is affordable, accessible and immedi-ate, it nurtures our spirit as the produce nurtures our bodies. Even if you do not have your own yard there are community gardens or tubs and planters that can serve the same purpose. All of our senses are involved in gardening. We smell the wonderfully satisfying scent of freshly turned earth and the delicate and pungent aromas of a rich variety of plants and herbs. We can feel the earth moist and crumbly in our fingers and the cool fibrous skins of some vegetables. We see and hear a different world, a miniature world of interlocking branches and barbed stems, beginning in secret hidden places. And the colours. The dazzling intensity of light and shade, the jewelled backs of scurrying beetles, all under the heat of the sun in a brilliant sky. While focusing on the task at hand our mind wanders to explore other by-passed corners of our lives and memories. Memories triggered buy the fleeting FOOD ACTION PROJECT * Would you be interested in obtaining good food at low cost? * Are you. a single person or a family having a hard time on a limited income? * .Are you interested in building community spirit and getting to know your neighbours? * Do you think you would enjoy a group trip to a farm to pick your own cheap and fresh vegetables and fruit? * Are you an apartment dweller with no space for a garden? *Would you like to learn to garden or do you already have skills? THE FOOD ACTION PROJECT can help you ·and your community with free information and what you need to start up: •Food Buying Clubs •Community Gardens •Pick-Your-Own Trips . •Community Kitchens Anyone can do it! Contact: Micheie MacKenzie at the Food Action Project 392-6655 (please leave a message and your call will be retu.rned) George Brown College offers a\ diploma programme in community work to persons with a strong commitment to human rights, social justice and community development in a multicultural society. · · This is a two year, full-time programme of classroom study and supervised work in the field. We start in September and en4 in May. For more information or to arrange an interview, call 867-2185. familiarity of a sight, sound or smell. There is a timelessness about working with our hands in the soil. It becomes easy for us to identify with unknown past generations of people who have also grown their food and thought similar thoughts that were triggered by the same smells and sights. We may wonder about their lives, their hopes and their dreams. This connects us to our heritage and our world, we feel part of a larger scheme and it helps to put our own lives and problems in perspective . We do not have may opportunities in our programmed crazy lives to fully experience ourselves and our direct relationship with nature. Yet in a garden in downtown Toronto in 1992 time can stand still, we can expe·rience ·the timeless connection between mankind and the fertility of the earth. We are confronted with the reality of our seasons and how our activities must be planned to accommodate them. Many ancient calenders we're constructed around seasonal plantings and harvesting, even wars were interrupted in order to sow and reap. Man's futile activities took second place to the reliable, relentless, life-giving cycle of the earth's fertility. In our modest city garden we are forced to work in pa~.:e (and partnership) with nature, we cannot impose our hurried manmade timetable on her. Nature takes the responsibility out of our hands and so relieves us of the stress and pressure to excel and produce, or to beat a dead-line. Every thing unfolds in its own time as it should, arid we are privileged to witness and encourage -the events. However, we can not force them to happen, neither can we hurry them along. In this simple process ewe re-discover ourselves, patience, humility and joy. Amina Miller West Central will have a community garden again this year Interested? Call Amina at 364- 4107 UTOO CAN no - Ont. Tenants organize by Timothy Maxwell The United Tenants of Ontario (UTOO), was founded in Hamilton back in 1989 as the result of a provincial conference at McMaster University of more than 200 tenants. For a couple of years we struggled to organize tenants across. Ontario with very little money. Last year, at our Third Annual General Meeting and Training Conference in Ottawa, the Minister of Housing annou~ced that we would finally receive stable funding so we could hire staff to _go around the province and organize tenants. Since then we have been very busy indeed, setting-up our office at Spadina and Bloor, which we s~are with the Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations, and organizing meetings with tenants from Windsor, Mississauga, Kingston, Ottawa, Sudbury, Toronto and Thunder Bay, as well as many smaller towns in northern Ontario. Our Fourth Annual . General Meeting and Training Conference is fast approaching. Across the province, friends and members of UTOO are busy preparing for what will be a great weekend at Laurentian University in Sudbury, June 25 to 28th. Tenants who have been to UTOO Conferences in the past will know that it won't be some kind of stuffy, boring, meeting. VOLUNTEER REQUIRED to assist a young adult learner in an educational program (Math and English) Wednes. afternoons, 1-3 pm. If interested, please call Lana at OASIS ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL 393-9830. Tenants will be able to share their experiences and gain new knowledge of organizing tenant associations, fighting evictions getting repairs done and other legal matters. As well, tenants will be able to take part in many other Workshops, including maintaining Tenant Solidarity in the Face of Racism; Blind Spots and Dangerous Places, (Safety Tour); Rental Housing on a Low Budget; Native Housing; Seniors Speak Out; The Women's Workshop and many others. In addition to Workshops, Provincial Council Elections and Policy discussions, Tenants ·are sure to enjoy the two main social events. Friday evening there will be a ·"TENANT CABARET", where performing artists, previously hiding within the tenant movement, will share their talents with the rest of us. On Saturday evening there will be a D .J. Dance. So bring your songs, stories and dance steps to Sudbury when you come! For more information about the least expensive, most productive and rewarding weekend you can spend away, from your landlord, CALL UTOO at 1-416-927- 8363, and we'll send you a Registration form. See you there! Timothy Maxwell, UTOO Executive member and Kensington-Bell woods Community Legal Worker The Metro Toronto Associ . ation for Community Living needs people willing to spend a few hours a week with a person with a developmental disability. Call Volunteer Services, 968-0650.
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#9203 - May 1992

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