Volume 42  No. 6   June 2005

 

As members of the Markland Homes Association, you are cordially invited to attend this year’s

 

Annual General Meeting

June 6th, 7:30 sharp

Location: Etobicoke Civic Centre, Main Boardroom

 

AGENDA

1.   Review & Approval of Agenda                                                                     7:30 p.m.

2.   Approval of 2004 AGM Minutes                                                                    7:33 p.m.

3.   President’s Report:   Highlights of the Year in Review                                7:35 p.m.

 

4.  Presentation:  “Toronto’s Air Quality”                                7:40 p.m.

 

 Guest Speaker: Dr. David McKeown MDCM, MHSc, FRCPC

 Medical Officer of Health for City of Toronto

 

Question and Answer Period                                                    8:05 p.m.

 

5. Special Items:                                                                                                    8:35 p.m.

Positively Promoting Markland Committee            (15 Min.)

Review of year and process

Unveiling of Logo

BREAK                                                                                                                     8:50 p.m.

                                   

   Special Items:  Continued…                                                                              9:00 p.m.

a)     Website Launch Presentation – Tom Napier (15 Min.)

b)     Amendment & Ratification of MHA Constitution – P. Clifford (5 Min.)

c)      Nomination / Confirmation of Executive and

d)     Director members for 2005-2006 Term – All (5 Min.)

e)     Review of Finances – Gerard Betsch                        (10 Min.)               

f)        Anticipated Revenue & Expenses for 05/06 Term

g)     Setting of Annual Dues for coming year

h)      Call for Taskforce On Neighbourhood Watch – P. Clifford (5 Min.)

 

 

Standing Items:  Any other business to discuss including, but not                    9:40 p.m

   limited to, scholarships, advertising, plaza, etc.                                     

 

7.  Adjournment                                                                                                      10:00 p.m               

 

Editor’s note: In recent years, too few members have taken the time to attend this meeting. As directors we really appreciate your presence at this time. It validates the work we do throughout the year on your behalf! Come out. Watch your directors smile.   

President’s Update

 

Greetings!

 

Our Annual General Meeting is on Monday, June 6th, at the Etobicoke Civic Centre, in the main boardroom at 7:30 p.m. We will be reviewing the past year, taking care of some Board business and featuring a guest speaker. See the front cover for the Agenda for this meeting.

 

This year, we are pleased to have Dr. David McKeown, MDCM, MHSc, FRCPC, who is the Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto, and a fellow Marklander. He will speak on Toronto’s Air Quality and focus on two recent reports. One is a 2004 report entitled Air Pollution Burden of Illness in Toronto which can be accessed at http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/health/hphe/pdf/air_and_health_burden_illness.pdf ;  The other is a study commissioned by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), which was finalized last year and can be found at http://www.gtaa.com/Index.aspx?Sid=Node6/Node6.2/Node6.2.1&Tpl=1

This latter report is closer to home, as it focused on areas surrounding the airport. Dr. McKeown’s presentation will be followed by a question and answer period and you are more than welcome to participate. It should be a very informative hour. 

 

This past year has been one of significant accomplishments for the Markland Homes Association (MHA). This has been due in no small part to the number of new directors who came on board and have taken a very active part. Together with our veteran directors, this re-energized board reinforced the use of committees and formed some new ones. A couple of these accomplishments will be unveiled at the Annual General Meeting on June 6th.

 

One is the launch of our new website for Markland Wood. [See From Tom’s Desk further on for details]. We are excited to finally have an electronic means to interact with the community at large. We see this as a more immediate way to keep the community informed and allow you to access information for dates of events important within the community. It is ultimately your website and we encourage you to refer to it from time to time as the current events section will be continually updated. For those of you who do not access a computer regularly, it is not meant to replace this publication, the Marklander, but instead to be an additional resource for the community to keep each other informed. A presentation of the website will be part of our AGM on June 6th.

 

Another accomplishment to be unveiled at the AGM is our new logo for Markland Wood, worked on by the Positively Promoting Markland Committee (PPM) this year. You will begin to see more of this logo in the coming months. The committee will also be making a brief presentation at the AGM. 

 

There have been a couple more incidents reported to me over the past month involving either vandalism or bullying/assaults involving teenagers/young adults. I believe the time has come to be more proactive in this area and, whether you have teenagers in your household or not, we all have a stake in this as homeowners in the community. I am going to briefly address this at the AGM and suggest a taskforce be formed by September, involving some MHA Board members, representatives of the local schools, and those of you from the community at large, who are concerned about this subject. This is just one example of where the website can play a part in helping to organize efforts like this and in keeping people informed.  

 

Ending the year on a positive note, the Annual Garage Sale was a big success from all accounts and we hope it served your purposes, whether as a seller or a buyer. For those of us with children, this period of time seems like the month before Christmas. Busy. End-of-the-year music recitals, dance recitals, concerts, playoffs, beginning of baseball, soccer, graduations, etc. Enjoy it, because just like December, it passes quickly.

 

Have a safe and enjoyable summer.

 

Best regards,

 

Patrick Clifford

President

Markland Homes Association

 

 

 

 

2004-2005 Board of Directors

 

EXECUTIVE:

PRESIDENT: Patrick Clifford, 8 The Green Pines

VICE-PRESIDENT: Tom Napier, 1 Markland Dr. 

SECRETARY: Diane Mcleod, 15 Aymarn Crt.

TREASURER: Gerard Betsch, 14 Winsdale Road

 

 

DIRECTORS

Richard Boehnke, 67 Markland Dr.

Brian Brennand, 2 Markland Dr.

Paul Cavanagh, 1 Mountain Ash Crt.

Bev Evans, 8 Winsdale Rd.

Michael Georgopoulos, 21 Cosway Crt.

Bo Lawrentiw, 110 Mill Rd.

Paul Marano, 12 Markland Drive

Don Matheson, 30 Markwood Cr.

Graham Maguire, 2 Broadfield Dr.

Greg Rohn, 102 Mill Rd.

Anna Schaefer, 33 Cherry Post Cr.

Peter Sgro, 24 Arbroath Cr.

Romeo Sinopoli, 95 Mill Rd.

 

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.

 

2005 "Champagne Social"

Mark your calendars now - you don't want to miss this fall's Champagne Social!

 

Each fall, your Markland Homeowner's Association puts on the annual "Champagne Social."  This has become a signature event of the MHA, thanks to the hard work of the talented ladies on the Social Committee. 

 

This year's event promises to be one of the best yet, as we feature live music by the band, "Bullet." This popular local band can “play anything,” and does a great job keeping the evening fun and the dance floor full!

Tickets are $40 each and include a light evening buffet. Please mark the following dates on your calendars NOW to avoid disappointment later - this event always sells out quickly!

 

Ticket sales - Wednesday Sept 21st.at 6:30 p.m. at Ernie & Patti Thorne, 15 Fieldstone.

Event date - Friday Sept. 30th at 7 pm.

 

Bev Evans & Diane McLeod

Co-Chairs, MHA Social Committee

 

 

2005 Markland Wood Scholarship Awards….reminder of deadline       

 

July 31: student’s letter of acceptance and enrolment in an accredited Canadian University or Community College.

All completed submissions should be forwarded to:

The Markland Homes Association,

PO Box 11, Station “A”

Etobicoke, Ontario

Attn: The Blinder for the Award Committee

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS MARKLANDERS!!!!!

 

MARKLAND WOOD HAS A NEW SLOGAN AND LOGO

 

Thanks to all who responded to our call for ideas for a logo and a slogan that captures what our special neighbourhood is all about.

 

Due to your inspired input, we have a winning logo design, a composite of the many ideas sent in. Our new slogan will be incorporated into the logo itself.

 

To see the grand unveiling of these exciting new symbols of Markland Wood, come to the Annual General Meeting this June 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Etobicoke Civic Centre.

 

See you there!!!

 

From Tom’s Desk

 

Calling all Marklander residents! Your website (http://www.MarklandWood.org) is finally here. Please attend the Markland Homes Association Annual General Meeting to see the website launch presentation. I will walk through the website to show all of the features.

 

The MHA Website Committee has been busy over the past few months getting the website ready for our June launch. I am sure you will like it, as it has interesting and informative items for the residents of Markland Wood. The website is really easy to navigate. We have added a variety of pages, with many photographs taken at recent events. Being a work-in-process, we need to load items such as the back issues of the Marklander newsletter and historical data. This website is for you, so please send us your recommendations. We are collecting historical memorabilia to add to the history page, so please send us any photographs and other documents showing the early days of Markland Wood. They will be returned to you immediately after we scan them.

 

The new website has been a dream of mine for over three years and now I am so happy it is a reality. You may remember reading one of my first articles that suggested Markland Wood should get connected via the web. I am really excited about the launch, as I could never describe in words the response I get from people that navigate it for the first time. I would like to thank the website committee members for their input. Bob Cooke deserves special recognition for his efforts compiling the “History” page. If you read it, I am sure you will be amazed. So bookmark, http://www.MarklandWood.org into your web browser and start surfing your website.

 

Kudos to Molly Sutherland on Markland Drive for her efforts to bring traffic calming to this busy residential street. She took it upon herself to gather the materials for a petition to present to Dominic Gulli, West Toronto Traffic Manager and Councillor Doug Holyday. Traffic, speeding and collisions have been a concern of mine for many years now. The speed limit in Markland Wood is seldom obeyed during the rush hour periods and sometimes during off peak times. I know that speed humps can slow down emergency vehicles, but some form of traffic calming needs to be implemented or a tragic event may occur. I have asked Mr. Gulli to present his traffic study results for the Markland Wood area at the September MHA meeting.

 

As time goes by, the need and desire to move on becomes a strong motivational force. I have held the position as Vice President of the Markland Homes Association (VP-MHA) for the past three years. It is now time for me to step down. The role of VP-MHA has been exciting and very rewarding. Unfortunately, I just don’t have the spare time to dedicate to this position. I will maintain my position on the Markland Homes Association Board of Directors, and periodically contribute to the Marklander Newsletter and the MarklandWood.org website. I would like to thank Patrick Clifford, the MHA board and Marklanders for your support over my term in this position.

 

I hope you have a safe and great summer! We’ll see you in September 2005.

 

Cheers & Thanks,

Tom Napier

Email: tlcnapier1@rogers.com

 

 

Environmental Committee Activity

 

Mandate of the committee: "The committee will aim to educate Markland Wood in matters environmental, toward developing an awareness of macro-environmental problems, with the specific community focus on opportunities for local involvement in environmental improvement issues."

Concepts under consideration for Markland Wood

 

1. Tree Survey and Maintenance

One environmental conservation aim for Markland Wood is the preservation of our trees, the richest legacy we possess!  There’s the need to prevent the transmission of the Asian Long-horned Beetle, as well as an increase in general knowledge of proper tree care. One possibility is for an in-depth, professionally-designed tree survey for Markland Wood. This type of survey has already been undertaken in several communities in Toronto.  


2. Markland Wood Community Meeting on Our Environment (September 2005) - Silverthorne Collegiate Auditorium

Theme - Establishing an Environmental Agenda for Markland Wood

A general meeting of all members of the MHA will be held in the second week of September, with the express purpose of establishing how “green” Markland Wood would like to be. The meeting would be preceded by material in the MARKLANDER designed to give examples of community environmental activity levels. 

Examples might be:

a cooperative community-wide One Tonne Reduction goal

a tree survey

a non-pesticide lawn project

a “good” car award project to recognize engines under 4 litres with little “The kids of Markland Wood thank you for their future breathing" lawn signs, etc

developing a car pool serving Markland Wood

participation in City downspout and other water-use reduction programmes, aside from the One Tonne initiative

an annual MHA toxic/hazardous waste pick-up truck tour of Markland Wood, with delivery to a City-approved collection point

More advanced activism might be:

joining the Sierra Club

taking part in letter-writing with David Suzuki

working with TPH in environmental initiatives on a municipal basis might also be considered as alternatives

joining urban tree planting programs

developing Markland groups of regular hikers to walk the neighbourhood as well as eventually taking advantage of the many hiking trails in Ontario.

While any of these can be practiced by individuals, the challenge is to get a broad-based community thing going.

3. Renforth Creek Clean-Up

This is rapidly becoming a yearly event hosted by the MHA, building upon the work started by the Scouts under Marty.  This year was the second year that the community, together with the 401st Scouts came out to clean up the Renforth Creek on a very cold and very rainy day.
This active community participation by Marklanders and the consciousness raising is felt to be beneficial to the general sensitively to matters environmental.

 

4. MHA Annual General Meeting (June 6, 2005) - Toronto Public Health - Air Quality Review

This important meeting will feature Dr. David McKeown, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health (Toronto Public Health) presentation on Toronto's air quality as discussed in their two recent 2004 reports Air Pollution Burden of Illness in Toronto: 2004 Summary and the Agenda for Action on Air and Health.  The recently completed GTAA study of the projected air quality impact of the LBPIA, when it reaches full capacity, will also be reviewed in the above context by Dr. McKeown.

5. Grant writing for Great Lakes Water Quality Protection Projects

The community may adopt specific non-Markland Wood problem areas affecting the Great Lakes, perhaps together with Rockwood or Streetsville or Port Credit as examples, and participate in corrective activities using their own volunteer labour resources and obtain a few thousand dollars to purchase relevant materials or services through the GLWQ grant program.


6. Green Toronto Awards

Promoting Etobicoke names for Green Toronto Awards for 2006


7. Markland Wood Car Pool

Create a car pooling roster serving Markland Wood residents.

 

 

 

School News

 

Millwood Junior School

 

With the end of school arriving, May always promises to be a very hectic month. The major happenings in the school this month were: 2 field trips (to the Toronto Symphony and to the Gardiner Museum), preparation for the dance-a-thon and the grade 4 & 5's presentation of “Travel Back  in Time”, a look into the ancient civilizations of Mayan, Greece, Roman and Medieval times.

 

            Early in the month all the grades ones, twos and threes went to the symphony for an exciting musical performance. This took place at Roy Thompson Hall, which is located downtown. All the grades that went to Roy Thompson were very excited about going. The children arrived at school all dressed-up and headed off for a wonderful musical

experience. According to reliable sources (my brother) the main song of the performance was about a boy and a fox, each character was taken on by a musical instrument, such as a flute. I'm almost positive they had a joyful afternoon.

 

            That same day Ms. McWilliam and Mrs. Baker's classes headed to the Gardiner Museum. There they made pots and statues out of clay. The children in Ms. McWilliam's class made Mayan statues out of clay. (In case you're wondering the Mayans are an ancient civilization that once, and still do inhabit the southern region of North America.) These statues had a pot or drum between their knees and were sitting down. A few were even accompanied by animal(s). Mrs. Baker's class made clay pots. They tried to make these pots look like ancient Greeks made them. I haven't seen them yet, but I'm sure they look very good.

           

            This month has also been occupied by the preparation for the upcoming

dance-a-thon. As you probably already know, the dance-a-thon is where people dance, dance and that's right. . . DANCE! This year we have 12 dances. These dances keep students moving in a fun way that everyone enjoys. At the end we also get a frozen treat such as ice-cream or freezies.

 

            The “Travel Back in Time” allows Mme Carapet’s, Mrs. Baker’s and Ms. McWilliam’s classes to set up in the gym. During the day each class and parents come to the gym and explore the past such as the ancient Mayans or Ancient Greece. It's really exciting to see this, because all the children participating are in costume.

 

That's All For Now,

By Tiffany Eng (Grade 5 Student)

 

 

A GOOD PUN IS ITS OWN REWORD

 Some of these are unusually clever; some are inpunitrable.  OK, sorry!

 Energizer Bunny arrested - charged with battery.

 A man's home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.

 A pessimist's blood type is always b-negative.

 My wife really likes to make pottery, but to me it's just kiln time.

 Dijon vu - the same mustard as before.

 Practice safe eating - always use condiments.

 I fired my masseuse today. She just rubbed me the wrong way.

 A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother.

 Shotgun wedding: A case of wife or death.

 I used to work in a blanket factory, but it folded.

 If electricity comes from electrons does that mean that morality comes from morons?

 A man needs a mistress just to break the monogamy.

 Marriage is the mourning after the knot before.

 A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

 Corduroy pillows are making headlines.

 Is a book on voyeurism a peeping tome?

 Dancing cheek-to-cheek is really a form of floor play.

 Banning the bra was a big flop.

 Sea captains don't like crew cuts.

 Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?

 A successful diet is the triumph of mind over platter.

 A gossip is someone with a great sense of rumor.

 When you dream in color, it's a pigment of your imagination.

 Reading whilst sunbathing makes you well-red.

 When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.

 

 

 

 

 

Church News

 

Bloordale United Church

4258 Bloor St. West. Etobicoke, Ontario, M9C 1Z7 621-1710