Author: Adam Norman

I am raising my two children in Weston.

Upcoming events

Spring has sprung, and that means there are a million things to do! Get out and meet your neighbours in this awesome little village.

Jacqueline Storino has organized an Easter-egg hunt at Elm Park next SUNDAY, April 21 from 10 am to 12 noon. This is Weston’s second annual egg hunt. Man, I love this town!

You can drop off plastic eggs, chocolate eggs, Easter candy, or coffee and tea at Squibbs, at 55 Queens Drive, or at 69 MacDonald. They’d also appreciate an RSVP, I know, to plan for the craziness.

Perhaps when your kids are all hopped up (pun intended!), you can unleash them on Cruickshank Park to help tidy up!

The only thing better than Weston might be beer. So, clearly, the best thing in the world is Weston and beer.¹

Tan Ya Connors is hosting “Turn Back Time”, a photographic history of Weston, on Thursday, April 24 25, at Shacklands Brewing Company.

Join local history aficionado John Maniezzo as we review historical photos and share stories about our neighbourhood. Always a good time to meet your neighbours and enjoy a local brew.

The Weston Village Residents’ Association will be hosting their AGM at Artscape on Tuesday, May 14. The meeting starts at 7 and doors open at 6:30

Tan Ya Connors has also organized the Bee The Change! a pollinator’s party.

Sunday, June 9th promises to BEE an amazing time!

Black Creek Alliance is hosting a Pollinator Celebration!

Join us with special musical guests The Shuffle Demons, as we celebrate nature and beauty in unexpected places. Enjoy local music, wonderful food, learn about native plants make a bee hotel, or seed bomb your own back yard! We’ll share more details soon.

Bee there or bee square!

¹Not true. Weston+beer+cigarettes. But Shacklands is non-smoking.

What a bunch of heroes

Your correspondent has failed. Twice. First, he forgot to remind you of the community cleanup that Ryan Demchuk organized. Then he forgot to go.

Happily, nine capeless heroes did show up and spread out across the village cleaning parks and public spaces. I caught up with Noble, Quinn, and Sebastian Viana at Elm Park. They were quietly plugging away, making the space safe and clean for many (and my) little monkeys.

The cleanup continues. Today the grime fighters will be meeting at the Denison Park playground area and cleaning up Denison Park, Hickory Tree Rd. ravine areas, and other key areas South of Lawrence.

Next Saturday at 9:30, they will be meeting at the top of the stairs at 2160 Weston Road (above Cruickshank Park), and cleaning Cruickshank Park, Holley Park, and a few other areas on the west side of Weston

On Sunday, April 28, they–WE!–will be meeting at the Weston Lions  parking lot, and tackling Weston Lions Park.

You can join the Weston Clean Team on Facebook.

And in other lousy news

The police are looking for a man they allege sexually assaulted a woman in the elevator of a building near Weston and Lawrence.

On Friday, the police say a 27-year-old woman entered an apartment building and “was followed inside and onto an elevator located by an unknown man.” When the doors closed, he sexually assaulted her.

The man is described as “20-30, short black hair, approximately 5’3” – 5’5”, thin build, wearing a light-coloured blue jean vest, navy blue hooded sweater with two small white designs on the left side of the hood, light-coloured pants and black sneakers.”

Photo from police
Photo from police

Two arrests in daylight shootout

Toronto police have arrested two men and are searching for two more suspects following a daylight gunfight Tuesday morning.

Recovered gun. Photo from police.

According to the police, two pairs of men encountered each other at the nearby variety store and got into an altercation. They exchanged gunfire before fleeing. One of the escaping cars ran head-first into oncoming traffic on Jane, and was involved in acollision. The occupants in the bystander’s car received minor injuries. The suspects fled on foot, and one firearm was recovered nearby. The other pair of suspects fled in dark-coloured car.

Cosmo James, 34, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, several firearms offenses, and four counts of breaching his of prohibition. James has a lengthy criminal history.

Nathaniel Grant, 34, has been charged with firearms offenses and four counts of breaching his prohibition. Grant, too, has a substantial criminal history.

The police are searching for Dwayne John and Malik Christie, both from Toronto.

Dwight John. Photo from police
Malik Christie. Photo from police.

 

Shooting on Jane

There was a brazen daylight shooting on Jane this morning. According to the CBC, the occupants of two cars involved in a collision “exchanged gunfire”. News Talk 1010 says that there was only one shooter.

The suspects fled, and the police searched the neighbourhood. One person was found with injuries likely caused by the crash.

The students at Chaminade were put in “hold and secure”, and the students at Memorial were kept inside.

http://www.iheartradio.ca/580-cfra/latest-videos/one-person-injured-in-collision-shooting-on-jane-near-the-400-1.9061857

UP Express-to-TTC fares going up

The cost of commuting on the UPX is going up.

About a year ago, Metrolinx gave a break to people transferring between the UP Express and the TTC. If you used a Presto card, they’d knock $1.50 off the combined fare.

No more.

Starting April 20, people transferring between the UP Express and the TTC will pay full fare on both.

 

Metrolinx says, “this change reflects the different purpose of the UPX service, which is about getting customers to and from the airport as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Travellers who take the GO train will still receive a discounted TTC fare.

Also, it seems the tapping process will change. Riders riding the UPX will have to tap on the UP machines. Those getting on the GO will have to tap on GO machines. At present, riders are supposed to tap based on their destinations, not their trains.

God willing, Metrolinx will change the colour of one of machines—and move the GO off the UPX platforms—because I’ve been taking the damned things for years, I still can’t figure out which one is green and grey and which grey and green. Just today I screwed it up again.

Left: Green and grey–that’s green. Right: grey and green –that’s not green. That’s grey. Both kinds of machines are on the UPX platform, though. And check out the signs: yes, grey and green (green machine) and khaki green (grey machine). I am not colour-blind;  I am not in a rush; I speak English perfectly; and I have lived here for 10 years. I still can’t figure this out reliably. Imagine this: one is… orange. Orange like the UP Express ticket machine. My god. Photo credit: W K Lis.

A couple of city surveys

The city is asking for your opinion on two important matters: shopping locally and parks and rec programming in York South–Weston.

The city “wants to help ensure the future sustainability of retail main streets and small, independent main street businesses”, and to plan “the types of recreation programs that will be offered in the community and ensure that programs meet the needs of all Ward 5 residents.”