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Vol. 42 No. 1 January 2005 Congratulation
Marklanders for another successful Christmas
Caravan. Have
a very Happy New Year
Calling
all Marklanders! Meet Borys Wrzesnewskyj, MP (See
From Tom’s Desk, inside, for
details.) President’s
Update Happy
New Year! 2005 is upon
us and with it the hope and promise that a new year brings. I trust that all
of you had a joyful and peaceful holiday over the past couple of weeks. For
those of you who were wishing for a white Christmas, you got more than you
asked for. The Annual
Christmas Caravan was another great success and recorded the biggest
collection in its 37 years. Thank you to all those who made the effort to give
by way of their donations and/or time. The charities that receive these
donations truly appreciate them. I understand that our Markland Homes
Association (MHA) may be the only one of its kind in the city, which organizes
this type of neighbourhood event. We were cited at the December meeting of the
Ontario Legislature for our efforts. You should feel very proud of your
community. I am happy to
report that one of our directors, Anna
Schaefer, has been instrumental in organizing a Parent Safety Program at
St.Clement School. This program, similar to the one used at Millwood School,
provides for the safe arrival and departure of school-aged children, by
eliminating hazardous road conditions in school areas. The program is always
looking for volunteers and I would urge you to contact Anna directly if you
can give even a small amount of your time.
The plan for
developing the site at the Bloor/Mill intersection continues. A committee of
the MHA is meeting with the developers to work on the aesthetics of the
proposed structure. As has been communicated here before, the project is
expected to come up before council sometime early in the New Year. Anyone who
wishes to find out more about the proposed development should contact the City
Planning Office or Councillor Doug Holyday’s Office, both of which are at
the Etobicoke Civic Centre. As reported
last month, the Etobicoke Civic Centre is potentially going to be moved from
its present site at Burnhamthorpe Road and West Mall. Consultants are
providing the City with a report on the costs, opportunities and benefits of
relocating the Civic Centre. Part of this analysis includes what is best for
the City to do with the future use of this site. Finally, I
want to report to you on what is happening within the MHA as we go into the
New Year. As you know, we increased our Board of Directors significantly
during this term. This has allowed us to form several committees within the
Board and accomplish more outside of our monthly meetings. The revamped or
completely new committees are as follows: Government
Relations/City Business
– stays updated on legislative developments potentially affecting Markland
Wood; stays in contact with our elected representatives and works with other
ratepayers associations. Scholarship
– receives and reviews applications for the MHA program; convenes once a
year to award these scholarships. Social – organizes the annual Champagne Social held in September, as well as
any other functions which concern people, food, fundraising, etc. Environmental
– focuses on the yearly spring cleanup of the local creeks, coordinating
with other ratepayer associations on adjacent areas; staying current on local
air quality issues, etc. Airport – monitoring the activities of the GTAA, particularly those which may
have an effect on Markland; working with various boards, elected
representatives and other ratepayer associations to ensure our interests are
heard. Positively
Promoting Markland –
this committee looks at ways of enhancing Markland Wood’s appearance,
reputation and ultimately, value, by making recommendations of action to the
Board. Website
– this committee
has been working on a Markland website, which is in its final stages. It is
likely to be replaced by another committee when the website is launched in the
coming months. You will hear
from each of these committees at various times of the year as issues arise or
from actions they are undertaking on your behalf. Anyone who has an interest
in working on any one or more of these committees is welcome and does not have
to be a Board member to do so. If you are interested, please call me and I
will direct you to the appropriate person to contact on the committee (s) of
your interest. All the best
for 2005 to you and your family! Patrick
Clifford President Markland
Homes Association 2004-2005
Board of Directors EXECUTIVE: PRESIDENT: Patrick Clifford, 8 The Green Pines 621-7695 VICE-PRESIDENT:
Tom Napier, 1 Markland Dr. 622-9630 SECRETARY: Diane Mcleod, 15 Aymarn Crt. 622-2183 TREASURER: Gerard Betsch, 14 Winsdale Road 620-4896 DIRECTORS Richard Boehnke, 67 Markland Dr. 621-5089 Brian Brennand, 2 Markland Dr.
622-8011 Paul
Cavanagh, 1 Mountain Ash Crt.
622-9546 Bev Evans, 8 Winsdale Rd. 621-2153 Michael Georgopoulos, 21 Cosway Crt. 626-1061 Bo Lawrentiw, 110 Mill Rd, 622-9522 Paul Marano, 12 Markland Drive
626-8604 Don Matheson, 30 Markwood Cr. 621-4291 Graham Maguire, 2 Broadfield Dr. 620-4398 Greg
Rohn, 102 Mill Rd. 626-0562 Anna
Schaefer, 33 Cherry Post Cr. 695-3601 Peter
Sgro, 24 Arbroath Cr. 622-9930
Romeo
Sinopoli, 95 Mill Rd. 622-3839 Associate Directors Stephen Blimkie, Helen Boehnke, Bob Cooke,
Tamara Greene, Mary Lordan, Ian Sillars, Irene Sillars, Donna Sokic, MP (Pierina)
Stokes, Anne-Marie Stoneburgh and Patti Thorne.
From
Tom’s Desk Happy New
Year 2005! I hope you had a great holiday season! Now that the
busy Christmas season is over, we can all cuddle up for the long and cold
winter months ahead. January always seems to be the coldest and longest month
of the year. I envy the winter enthusiasts who head out every chance they get
to ski, snowmobile, toboggan, and skate or just enjoy the outdoors. Now
don’t get me wrong. I love a fresh snowfall. It looks really pretty. I even
enjoy getting out and shovelling my sidewalk and driveway. I just don’t like
all the salty white grime we get all over our shoes and boots. This leads me
to the winter chore of shovelling snow. Snow shovelling is considered to be
one of the most strenuous physical activities. Men and women alike should be
careful not to injure themselves. Many people each year suffer heart attacks
from shovelling snow, so please take it slowly and be careful. If you are
unable to remove your snow, there is an organization to contact; Canes
(416-743-3892). Canes is a
not-for-profit, community-based organization that will send someone out to
clean your snow. Canes also has a
grass cutting and leaf raking service. A small fee is applicable. You can
visit the Canes website at: www.canes.on.ca.
There are also plenty of young Marklanders who will certainly be happy to
shovel dirty-old white stuff for you, at a reasonable price. Our Etobicoke
Centre elected representatives were invited to the Markland Christmas Caravan
again this year. Borys Wrzesnewskyj, MP, and Donna Cansfield, MPP, attended.
Donna Cansfield suggested that we, Markland Wood, should be very proud, as
there are very few organizations that collect food and clothing, as we do.
Borys Wrzesnewskyj afforded us his time from the Ukrainian Observer Delegation
organizational meeting to give his support. There were many Marklanders, young
and not-so-young, glad to do their part for the Caravan. I would also like to
congratulate Martin Ross and Santa Claus for their tireless efforts once again
and for making the 37th Caravan a huge success. The
MHA has organized a meeting for Marklanders to meet Borys Wrzesnewskyj, MP, at
the Etobicoke Civic Centre on Monday January 24 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
This question and answer meeting is for
Markland Wood residents only! You will have the opportunity to ask Borys
Wrzesnewskyj questions, regarding federal government issues. It will have a
“Town Hall” type of approach and will be moderated by one of the MHA
directors. Cheers, Tom Napier,
VP-MHA Email: tlcnapier1@rogers.com CHRISTMAS CARAVAN UPDATE Congratulations to everyone who participated in this year’s Christmas
Caravan. Through your generosity and support, we were able to make this
year’s food donation the largest in our recorded history. Our collections totalled 18,830 pounds of food, with $550 in cash and a
whole truck full of clothes. Sunday’s Caravan started out as every other year. Where=s
the crowd, where=s
the fire truck and where=s
Santa. This wasn=t
at the plaza, but in my early morning dreams. After we loaded the transport trailer with the empty boxes we headed to
the plaza for the final preparations. When we got there, things fell into
place like clockwork. The Elves were arriving, the fire truck was on route,
police cars were waiting and Santa was moments from arriving. I could have
slept peacefully for another half hour. The Caravan left promptly at 9:00 a.m. and we slowly made our way down
every street heralding Christmas cheer with a bigger and better sound system.
Boy, you knew we were coming! By 11:00 that morning we were welcomed at the
home of the Pechlofs on Stoneglen Drive for a warm pick-me-up and much needed
relief. We would like to thank them for their hospitality for the past ten
years. After a quick lunchtime BBQ at Bloordale Church we headed to the south
side of Bloor Street for our afternoon run. Snow flurries and even rain
couldn’t=t
dampen our spirits as I knew that this was going to be a big year. All streets
were soon done and we then had the task of unloading all the food in my
garage. A large human chain was formed and before you knew it we were done. All of the charities arrived on Monday morning and the donations were
divided between them, with sincere thanks for another successful event. They
are amazed year after year that such a small community can do so much. We have to thank the following for their continued support for without
them, it just couldn’t happen: Atlantic Packaging cardboard
boxes Bloordale United Church lunch
rest stop Bruno=s
Fine Foods meat
and cheese trays Cardinal Meats hamburgers
for lunch Collins and Greig Cartage transport trailer David Jackman BBQe=r “Friday Night Boxers” helped to tape
all the cartons Markland Country Club golf carts Metro Police Services escort vehicles Pechlofs of Stoneglen mid-morning break Santa=s
Elves cheerful
collectors Toronto Fire Services fire trucks Topps Canada Santa
treats Markland Wood Community for your
generosity I apologise if I have inadvertently forgotten anyone. From all of us, we thank you sincerely for your support and look forward
to another successful Caravan 2005. Hoping you had a joyous Christmas and the
best for the New Year. Sincerely, Martin Ross Christmas Caravan Chairman What
is a CPLC? The
Toronto Police Service, in an effort to be responsive to the communities it
serves, has established divisional Community Police Liaison Committees or CPLC.
Each Toronto
police division has a CPLC, and, as the name suggests, the CPLC acts as a
liaison between the police and the community, and is designed to assist the
police in the allocation of police resources. Markland Wood
is located within 22 Division and is represented on the 22 Division CPLC by
Brian Brennand, a director of the Markland Homes Association. The committee is
made up of representatives from the various neighbourhoods that exist within
22 Division, and by senior officers from 22 Division, including the commanding
officer Superintendent Ed Hoey. The committee meets regularly at the IKEA
store on the Queensway, just west of Kipling Avenue, where the meetings, which
are open to the public, provide a forum for discussion and offer an
opportunity for neighbourhood representatives to advise the police on how
police resources should be allocated in their respective neighbourhoods. The committee
also decides annually on initiatives that will benefit the community as a
whole. This year the committee has adopted Operation 40 (a speed enforcement
program) and a Graffiti Eradication Program as initiatives that the CPLC will
sponsor and support. Of interest
is the fact that 22 Division serves an area that runs from Dixon Rd. on the
north to Lake Ontario on the south, to the Peel Region border on the west, and
to the Humber River on the east. This huge district encompasses a variety of
different neighbourhoods, each with its own distinctive policing needs. The
old adage that the “squeaky wheel gets the grease” is true and it is
important that Markland Wood has representation on the committee to ensure
that our neighbourhood continues to have a strong police presence. If you have a
community policing issue that is not of an emergency nature, which you feel
should be addressed at a forum such as the 22 Division CPLC, you may contact
Brian Brennand at 622-8011 and he will direct your concern at the next CPLC
meeting. Alternatively, if you would prefer to present your concern in person
you may do so, as the meeting is open to the public as noted above. Helpful
Tips - Don't be a Victim Always be
aware of the potential for crime, develop safe habits and don’t let your
guard down. Many crimes of opportunity could have been prevented had the
victim done something differently. Don’t leave
your car running unattended and unlocked while popping into the store or
warming it up in the driveway on cold mornings. This practice has resulted in numerous vehicles being
stolen When working
or playing around the home, especially when in the backyard, don’t leave
doors unlocked. This offers thieves a quick and easy access to your
possessions. Don’t wait
for a break and enter. If you lost your keys, could you find a way to get into
your home? Upgrade your locks, doors and windows. Basement windows are very
common entry points. Don’t open
your locked door to strangers, day or night. Talk to them through the door
until you are comfortable with the identity of the person outside. Install a
wide-angle viewer in your door. When walking
or jogging, think safety. Go with a friend. Take a well-traveled, well lit
route and avoid areas where you would be alone and vulnerable. Don’t take
risky shortcuts. Avoid wearing
headphones because you are less aware of your surroundings and cannot hear
other people and traffic. Avoid being blindsided by unforeseen circumstances. When using
ATM bank machines, make sure it’s safe to do so. Check the surrounding area
for potential problems, such as individuals in cars making no move to get out
or no reason to be there. When
using underground car parking lots, look for anything suspicious before
getting out of your car. If you are satisfied that everything looks good, walk
with a confident stride to the exit door. When
returning to your vehicle, have your cars keys ready in your hand, and,
looking around, go directly to your car and lock the doors immediately after
you get in. When parking
outside, avoid dark, quiet or isolated areas such as laneways or alleys. In
malls, try to park under or near a light and as close to stores as possible,
especially at night. Don’t leave
anything of value in the front or back seat. Put your gifts and any other
valuables in a locked trunk or well concealed in the rear of your van or SUV.
By doing this you can decrease the temptations. Remember that
the bad guys are not invisible! We need to make a habit of being aware of our
surroundings at all times. Don’t be a victim! Think safety always and
develop good habits. School News Silverthorn Collegiate December’s
Holiday excitement soon made up for the dull month of November. One can think
of November as being break time, because nothing rather exciting happened in
this month other than the new and improved spirit assembly, the awards
assembly, and the semi-formal. The theme for the semi-formal this year was
winter wonderland and the dance was held in the cafeteria. The decorations
were beautiful and the event was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.
Now, back to the month of December. As mentioned before, December was
the holiday month. One could see the festive spirit everywhere in the halls of
Silverthorn, right from the first week. Some people were even seen sporting
Santa hats in halls, until the teachers asked them to take the hats off.
Holiday hats, i.e. Santa and elf hats were allowed in the last week of school,
before the holidays.
The Annual Winter Concert was on Thursday, December 9. It was a musical
extravaganza. The performing groups were the Concert band, the Novice Band,
Intermediate Band, Junior band, Stage Band, Orchestra and String Ensemble, all
conducted by Ms. Kimm. The SCI Vocal group, Flute Ensemble, and the String
Quartet were some of the smaller ensembles that also performed at the concert.
This year,
for the first time, to celebrate the holiday spirit, the leadership heads
organized a holiday mini mall that ran from Monday, December 13 to Thursday,
December 16. Almost all the clubs at SCI participated in this event. Most
clubs sold food, while some sold small gift articles. The money raised is to
be used for the grade ten leadership camp in spring. Overall, the mini-mall
was a great success and helped in promoting school sprit.
The Holiday Assembly was on Wednesday, December 15, in block A. This
year’s holiday assembly was different because it focused on the
multicultural aspect of holidays celebrated during this time of the year. The
clubs at SCI presented various skits and presentations, to describe the
various festivals that different religions celebrate and to just rejoice the
spirit of winter. Unity, the multicultural club compiled a presentation about
new years around the world. LIGHT, the Christian group displayed a skit about
what Christmas really should mean. SCI VIBES, the school newspaper, came up
with a skit that just talked about celebrating the spirit of the holidays and
not celebrating anything in particular. The Student Activity Council video,
which featured students and teachers all over the school displaying the
holiday spirit, was highly entertaining. Other clubs like the Prefects, who
sang “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and the dance club, with their
upbeat tunes and beats, made the assembly a highly entertaining event, which
was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. The teachers and the
administration were not to be outdone by the students and they had their own
versions of entertaining skits. The teachers recreated a classroom setting and
their skit mainly focused on the general attitude of the student population
just days before the holidays start. The Administration came up with a dancing
Santa skit, which didn’t really have much of a point to it other than making
fun of certain teachers and students. It was highly amusing though, to watch
the principal and the two vice-principals do “the cha-cha slide.”
The last day of school was pretty much like last year. Very few
students attended class and those that decided to stay till the end of the
day, were told to leave early because of an “emergency.” Kaushiki Bhowmick Church News Bloordale United Church 4258 Bloor
St. West. Etobicoke, Ontario, M9C 1Z7 621-1710 Morning
services on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. with
Sunday school each week. Service
conducted by Rev. Stephen Iverson. RENFORTH BAPTIST CHURCH 621-1990 St.
Clement Catholic Church 409 Markland Drive, Etobicoke Mass times: Saturday
evening at 4:45 p.m. Sunday at
8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Sacrament of
Reconciliation: Saturday
3:30-4:30 p.m. During the
Lenten season St Clement Church will be hosting a four night retreat (Feb.
13-16) from 7-8:15 p.m. The parish is fortunate to be teaming up with Fr.
Stephen Vasek and Sr. Jean Fitzpatrick, both of New York. Other parishes
that have participated in a similar retreat have found it to be very uplifting
and spiritually beneficial. One comment expressed: "My
life has been quite hectic and crazy these days, and the peace that I was able
to experience during these days of retreat have been truly a special touch of
God". Take the
opportunity to come and meet Fr. Steve and Sr. Jean and the St. Clement
renewal team in advance of the retreat at a special holy hour Monday Jan. 10th
from 7-8 p.m. A special children's program is available throughout the
retreat and transportation can be arranged. ALL
ARE WELCOME! St. James United Church 400 Burnhamthorpe Road, Etobicoke (Just west of 427 on the south side of Burnhamthorpe Road.) 622-4113 Celebration Service 9:00 a.m. (includes Sunday School) Traditional Service 10:30 a.m. (includes Sunday School, baby-sitting) Fellowship with tea or coffee after service The Church of Christ the
King 475 Rathburn Road,
Etobicoke Just West of Hwy. 427
621-3630 M.M.P. 1st and 3rd Sunday Communion 2nd and 4th
Sunday Regular
Service Times http://netcomsolutions-ont.com/Christ_King
800 Burnhamthorpe Road (just east of Mill Rd.) Etobicoke
622-9647 Reverend John Tenyenhuis St.
Matthew’s Anglican Church 3962 Bloor St. W. Etobicoke 416-231-4014 office@saintmatts.ca Services:
Sundays at 8 & 10 a.m. Wednesday at
10:30 a.m. (BCP) St.
Matthew’s Anglican Church presents: IN
CONCERT! Reverend
Mark Curtis, “Canada’s Singing
Priest” introducing
his new Gospel recording “Reminiscing” This
recording brings to life the songs of praise that have been part of liturgical
worship for more than one hundred years! Saturday,
January 15th at 7:30 p.m. Advance
ticket sales for adults, $15; seniors, $12 and children under 12 yrs, $8. All tickets
increase by $5 each at the door. For tickets
call Stu and Isabel (905) 814-6890 or church office (416) 231-4014. www.fathermarkcurtis.com People and Places
Patisserie
Daudet A new French
pastry shop is here. Pascale and Bruno
Daudet await you at the Markland Wood Plaza. Come and taste our wide
variety of specialty cakes, chocolates, truffles and bread. Enjoy our
specialty coffee and real croissants and danishes for your morning breakfast.
We are at your service: Monday to
Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. See you soon!
Pascale
and Bruno Daudet. Scouting News The 401st
Toronto Scouts want to thank the Markland Wood and surrounding communities for
all their support for our annual Christmas tree sales. This year we sold out
our entire inventory of 225 trees by Caravan Sunday (December 12th).
All funds raised goes to support our local group. A special thanks to our
Group Scouter, Marty Ross, for organizing and coordinating this fundraiser. The 401st
Toronto Scouts would also like to thank our Apple Day coordinator, Mark Ackley
and Popcorn coordinator, Mhairi Bettings. For the
second straight year our number of registered youth has increased, with all
levels of scouting being represented. All groups, except Rovers, have
regularly scheduled meetings at Bloordale United Church. Beavers:
5-7 yrs Tuesday
6:30-7:30 p.m. Cubs:
8-10 yrs Tuesday 7:00-8:30 p.m. Scouts:
11-14 yrs Thursday 7:00-9:00
p.m. Venturers:
14-17 yrs Thursday
7:00-9:00 p.m. Rovers:
18-26 yrs Thursday 7:00-9:00 p.m. Scouting is a
worldwide, multicultural movement welcoming all young people. For interested
youth, Scouting allows them to attend up to two meetings before registering.
For more information contact our Group Scouter, Marty Ross at 416-621-6931 or
one of our section leaders or advisors. Beavers:
Victor Loghin 622-4684 Cubs:
Mark Ackley 578-5149
Scouts:
Amy Jutras 620-9388 Venturers:
Jamse Bryers 905-823-6310 Rovers:
Michael Long 905-624-0894 Our mission To contribute
to the education of young people, through a value system based on the Scout
Promise and Law, to help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled
as individuals and play a constructive role in society. Beaver News The Beavers
have been busy since September. During
their regular meetings, they have visited the Fire Station on Burnhamthorpe
Road, had a Halloween party, went for a winter walk to view the Christmas
lights in the Markland Wood area and ended the year with a Christmas party and
Secret Santa gift exchange. On a Saturday in November, they also went bowling
with a number of other Beaver groups from the Alders area. The Beavers start
up again in the New Year on January 4th, when they will start
building Beaver Buggies with the goal of racing them on the Kub Kar track at a
future meeting. For more
information on scouting visit the Scouts Canada website at www.scouts.ca Valentine's
Charity Gala - February 12th, in your Community! Treat your Sweetheart to a special night out AND help support two
important local Charities! Your neighbours at the Markland Wood Country
Club invite you to their Valentine's "Have
A Heart" Charity Gala in support of The Dorothy Ley Hospice and
Trillium Foundation (Pediatrics). Tickets are $75 (partially tax
receipt-able) including a sumptuous Gourmet Dinner, Live Entertainment,
Dancing and a fabulous Silent Auction. Come with a group (tables of
8), or on your own, but don't miss this elegant, worthwhile evening. For
tickets, inquiries or to donate auction items, please call Bev Evans at
416-231-6920 or Liz Grigg at 416-626-0618. Parenting
and Family Literacy Program The
Etobicoke Newcomers Club for Women Are you new to the area? Interested
in making new friendships? Join
us on the first Tuesday of each month at Kingsway Lambton United Church, 85
The Kingsway. The club is a not-for-profit women’s social organization and
is affiliated with the National Newcomers’ Council of Canada. Activities
vary from bridge to book club, social gatherings and visits to many Toronto
exhibits. We have several events for couples throughout the year. We are
always open to new ideas and welcome the participation of new members. Our
next meeting is Tuesday February 1st. For further information call Vi at 416-237-0961. Parent
and Tot Coffee Time At Bloordale United
Church, Room 13, on alternate Tuesday mornings between 9:00
and 11:00 a.m. Coffee is provided, but bring a snack for your little
one(s). Make a friend, bring a friend, be a friend. For more information, call
Karen
Miteff at 621-2293. The Neilson Park Creative Centre 56 Neilson Drive, Etobicoke ON M9C 1V7 In
the Galleries: January 3 to 23 Neilson Park Creative Centre “2005
Artists’ Choice Winter Exhibition” |
