Vol. 42  No. 3   March 2005

Happy Easter

Happy

Saint Patrick’s

Day

Renforth Creek Cleanup….next month!

   

Bloordale Baseball Registration

for all divisions will be held at:

Cloverdale Mall – Centre Court on Wednesday March 9 from 6:30-9:30pm

Come and meet the Bloordale executive, and sign up for a great season of fun, fitness, and baseball. Visit our website at www.bloordalebaseball.org for more information, or contact Larry Jones our registrat at 621-6218 

 

President’s Update

Greetings!

 

As reported to you last month, the developers of the site of the former Petro Canada Station at Bloor and Mill Road have applied to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) for a hearing and decision on the project. In order to build the twelve (12) unit townhomes complex, the Official Plan for the City of Toronto needs to be amended to redesignate the land site to permit an increase in density for residential development.   

We have been given notice that this hearing will commence on Thursday, April 7th, at 10:00 a.m. at the Hearing Room, Ontario Municipal Board, 655 Bay St., 16th Floor, Toronto, Ontario.  The OMB has set aside two (2) days for this hearing. Any of you interested in attending this hearing, or who have something to say to the OMB, as they consider this appeal, must be present at the start of the hearing to register. There will be no other public meeting concerning the development, but for this OMB Hearing. You may notify the OMB in advance by contacting Mary Clarke at (416) 326-6793, to request “Participant Status”.  The Case File # is PL041189.

The Markland Homes Association (MHA) has not taken a position on this project. While we are of the opinion that development of the site is in the interest of the community (as opposed to a vacant lot), we believe the opinion of those residents, in close proximity to the site, should carry the most weight. A committee of the MHA is maintaining a dialogue with the developers and will meet with the builder, once one has been selected, to give input as to any exterior aesthetics, where appropriate. Any resident who wishes to participate on this committee is more than welcome.  

For your reference, the following is the contact information of the OMB:

Ontario Municipal Board

655 Bay St., Suite 1500

Toronto, Ontario  M5G 1E5

Tel. (416) 326-6800

Toll Free: 1-866-887-8820

Fax (416) 326-5370

www.omb.gov.on.ca

 

Once again, over the past month, I have received some calls with respect to vandalism.  The incidents are mainly concerned with items being thrown at windows. It is one thing to have this happen on a Halloween night, or be an isolated instance.  However,for it to be repeated is particularly disturbing to those in the area who are senior citizens and who would like to remain in their homes here, but feel helpless in defending themselves against this senseless activity. These incidents are typically between 9:00 p.m and 1:00 a.m. and the culprits are on foot more often than in a car. We can all do our part to be watchful of any suspicious activity, particularly if we are out with our dog or coming home late in the evening.       

As I mentioned last month, it is important to report any incident of crime, as soon as it is discovered. All reports of crime are noted and you never know what connection the police may see in an incident that leads them to someone wanted for another incident.  Report incidences, no matter how insignificant!

 

March is shaping up to be an eventful month, with Spring Break Week for the kids, St. Patrick’s Day, the first day of Spring, college basketball tournaments and Easter, all happening within a two-week period, later on in the month.  

Enjoy!

 

Happy Easter.

 

 

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.

 

 

Markland Wood Country Club "Have A Heart" Charity Gala raises $14,000!

 

With beautiful Valentine's decorations down to every detail, great live music and lively Silent Auction action, the "Have a Heart" Charity Gala, held on February 12th, was a tremendous success!  Congratulations to Frank and Suzanne Pugliese who won the raffle and will be enjoying some sun and fun in Cancun, Mexico!  Funds raised in support of the Dorothy Ley Hospice and Trillium Health Centre Foundation were beyond expectations thanks to everyone's participation and generosity. We had some local Marklanders come out and enjoy the opportunity to see their community in action. A joint cheque presentation will be made to both organizations in early March. Thanks again to all for your support!

 

Bev Evans

Social Committee

Markland Wood Country Club

 

2005 Annual Renforth Creek and Community Clean-up

Saturday April 23 at 10:00 a.m.

Rain or shine!

This event, started in 2004, give us all an opportunity to get out and clean up the year’s accumulation of garbage in the Renforth Creek area, between Burnhampthorpe Road and the Neilson Park Creative Centre. The first year (2004) was the most arduous, with the removal of tons of rubbish. This year’s clean-up should be much easier. Come out and join us at the meeting point, Bloordale United Church parking lot. You supply the muscle and goodwill, we supply the gloves and garbage bags and the city will pick up the garbage. What a great deal!

LOOK FOR MORE DETAILS NEXT MONTH

 

 

WANTED

A Logo and a Slogan for Markland Wood

 

Anyone who has lived in Markland Wood knows it has a distinct feeling and a strong sense of identity. This is evident in a variety of ways - from our many community activities to the quiet times we spend in our back yards listening to the breeze rustling through the leaves while we read the Marklander.

 

Despite the creation of the mega city several years ago, we are fortunate to live in a distinct neighborhood. One way of keeping our sense of community strong, is to have our own slogan and our own symbol (logo) that captures what we are about.

 

A logo and slogan can have a number of uses - certainly the Marklander comes to mind. Also, the Positively Promoting Markland committee is working to design a sign along Bloor Street as the main access point to the neighbourhood. That would be an ideal use for our new logo.

 

Webster defines a slogan as "an expression coined to stimulate public enthusiasm".  With your input, we would like to adopt a neighborhood slogan that keeps everyone’s enthusiasm strong.

 

We are asking anyone and everyone to write in to our post box with your ideas for a slogan. You can do so anonymously if you wish. Each person in your family can send in as many separate ideas as they want.

 

The same open approach applies to a logo for Markland Wood. Just sketch up something that you feel is a strong symbol or cue. It does not need to have the refined touch of an artist - the idea can often be conveyed with a few strokes of the pencil. On the other hand, if you have artistic flair (or at least think you do) this is your big chance! Just send in your ideas to our post box by the end of March.

 

Our mailing address is P. O. Box 11, Station "A", Etobicoke, ON  M9C 4V2. Thanks in advance for your input.

 

VOLUNTEERS  NEEDED TO CLEAN UP GRAFFITI

As you have heard, your Executive has formed a committee to address ways of POSITIVELY PROMOTING MARKLAND. One of the first initiatives that this group has identified as a project that would have immediate impact, and yet could be accomplished with minimal effort and cost, is the ERADICATION OF GRAFFITI IN OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD.

We have all observed instances of this mindless behaviour in our community, and recognize that it degrades the overall impression of  Markland Wood, both to us as residents, but also to those who are merely passing through, or others who may be contemplating living in this very beautiful area.

We can, and will discourage those that make it their business to deface public property! Our Police partners who deal with the problem on an ongoing basis remind us that the sooner graffiti is removed,  the less likely is the probability that it will reoccur in that location. The reason being that by promptly removing the “Tag”, as it is referred to, the exposure that the person responsible hoped for is terminated. If he or she repeats the offence, and their handiwork is likewise promptly removed, the likelihood of a reoccurrence is greatly reduced.

The removal process is quite easy. Home Depot sells a product called “Graffiti Remover”, manufactured by “Goof Off”. It is sold in a spray can and costs about $10, including tax. It works best when the temperature is above freezing. Simply spray it on the graffiti, let it stand for 20 to 30 seconds, and wipe off. Some acrylic paints need a little elbow grease. A Brillo-type pad or Curly Kate loosen these, and again just wipe off with a paper towel. It is a good idea to use rubber gloves as a safety precaution.

To make this program work, we need volunteers to “adopt a box”, such as a Post Box, TV box, or other target that has been a favourite on your street, and commit to keeping it graffiti-free. Incidentally, we work closely with the management and tenants of our Markland Wood Plaza, who actively work to eliminate graffiti in this highly visible area of our community.   

If you, as homeowners, are diligent with the program, after the first couple of trips to a box, experience has shown that you will be out of a job. SUCCESS!

 

School News

 

Millwood Junior School

February was yet again another busy month: several classes went on field trips, gymnastics started and “Teacher Appreciation Day” took place.

On February the 7th the grade 4s and 5s had a field trip. The grade four students went to the Gardiner Museum. They watched an interesting video on medieval art and later made their own gargoyles.

On the same day, the children in Ms. McWilliams’s, Mme. Carpet’s and Mrs. Baker’s classes headed off to Queen's Park, Toronto's parliament buildings. At Queen's Park they debated a bill, had a rather “exclusive tour” that included such things as the Governor General Suite and the room where real MPPs and possibly MPs debate.

The grade 3s in Ms. Parr's class also had a rather interesting time on the 17th. They baked cookies, played pioneer games, made sweet butter and split pea soup, solved a mystery and went on a tour. The grade 3s did all this at the Montgomery Inn.

On January 31st, Millwood's gymnastics unit commenced. How this works is: there are 6 stations: a balance beam, a metal climbing unit with monkey bars and a sturdy gymnastic bar, a yellow climbing net, 1 obstacle course, where you jump over boxes and finally, an obstacle course with hula hoops on benches. The teacher divides the class into 7 groups, one for each station. The children spend about 5 minutes at a station, and then go to another one. The children at Millwood, from grades 1-5, enjoy this gym unit more than others.

This month we had “Teacher Appreciation Day” -- T.A.D. for short. Our school has this to celebrate all the hard work our teachers do:

*We provide breakfast and lunch for them

*We decorate their doors

*Give each teacher a gift

This year the students decorated doors with paw prints, hands, flowers, buzzing bees and much much more...

For the above reasons I think I can safely say that Millwood Junior School has had a very successful month, not to say we don't always!

By Tiffany Eng

A Grade 5 Student

 

Silverthorn Collegiate

With the end of Semester one exams and thus the end of Semester One, most students breathed a sigh of relief. A new semester meant less work, at least at the beginning.  Semester two started on the 4th of February and report cards were sent home on the 10th of February. Though the students got a slight break, the Guidance department was mired in work, most of which consisted of timetable changes. This year the criteria for timetable changes were much stricter.

On the extracurricular front, almost all the clubs functioning in the first semester resumed their activities. The SAC sold the “Matchmaker” results for Valentine’s Day, while Prefects sold an amazing 246 roses. Proceeds from the sale of roses will go towards Tsunami Relief. The school newspaper published its first issue for semester two on 25th of February. All through the month of February the SAA (Spartan Athletic Association), organized badminton intramurals, doubles, teachers versus students, and prizes were given out to the best team. The intramurals were a great success, many students and staff participated in this fun filled event.

The Crime Stoppers Assembly was held on Wednesday, February 23. This assembly was different than the past two Crime Stoppers Assemblies of the previous years and was also much more informative and interesting than previous ones. There were also Guidance Assemblies for each grade to help students choose courses for the next academic year. Also, the Grade Nine, Grade Ten and the Grade Eleven students wrote the University of Waterloo Math Contests for their respective grades on the 23rd of February. The results will be out in later in the semester. The Grade Twelve students write their math contest in April.

The annual Kiwanis Festival was also held in February. This year Silverthorn sent two groups to participate in the Festival, the Intermediate Band, consisting of Grade Nine and Ten musicians and the Concert Band. On Wednesday, 16 February, the Intermediate Band travelled to West Humber C.I to compete against ten other schools. They played the “Ashford Celebration.” They won silver with a final score of 90 out of 100. The next day, the Concert Band competed at the Armenian Centre. They played the song “All Glory Told,” and when the results came in, the adjudicator applauded the percussion section and the two trumpet soloists, Neeraja Paramanathan and Goran Spasojevic. The Concert Band came in second place with a final score of 90 out of 100, the winning school getting a score of 91 out of 100. The final results showed that Silverthorn came in fifth place out of the fourteen competing schools. Congratulations to all participating musicians and Ms.Kimm.

The Sears’ Drama Festival was held at Silverthorn on the 25th of February. West Toronto and Father Henry Carr were the visiting schools. Silverthorne’s play was called “High Noon,” written by Andrew McDermott, a comedy with a Texan theme. Father Henry Carr’s was called “This is a play,” written by Daniel MacIvor and had only three actors and no set and West Toronto’s was called “And then there was one,” which had an extremely nice set. Overall the Drama Festival was highly entertaining and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended the performances.

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.

 

Palm Sunday (March 20th) - Children's Palm Parade (Will be part of the

service) at our regular service time.

Good Friday Service (March 25) - at Bloordale, 10:30am. A joint service

with Richview and St. James United Churches.

Easter Sunday (March 27th) - All Ages Easter Celebration and Communion

@10:30 am

 

Annual Rummage Sale

Saturday April 2nd, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Lots of great deals on books, clothing, small furniture and appliances.

Special features including "Granny's Attic Collectibles", "Better Buys Boutique" and "The Bake Shoppe".  Refreshments are also available at nominal prices.  Presented by the United Church Women of BUC.

Come see why we're growing at BUC!

 

RENFORTH BAPTIST CHURCH
627 Burnhamthorpe Road. M9C 2Y9

621-1990
Sunday services at 10:30 a.m.

English Service @ 10:30am

Urdu Service @ 3:30pm

Upcoming services:

The Renforth congregation participates in the Ecumenical Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday (6:08am March 27th) on top of Centennial Hill. Also commencing on Easter Sunday, the Pastor, Rev. Godfrey Green, will be launching the Purpose Driven Life series, which will continue as the sermon topic through to May 8th. Small groups will also meet at that time to work through the Purpose Driven Life.

 

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.

We continue to mark this Lenten season with special times of prayer as we prepare for the great feast of Easter.

The Stations of the Cross

Fridays during Lent at 7:00 p.m.

Our Grade 8 students will present tableaux of the Passion of Christ from St. Clement School on Wednesday, March 23 at 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturdays during Lent         3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Watoto Children’s Choir – Tuesday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m.

St. Clement Parish is pleased to present the Watoto’s Concert of Hope ,where we will experience the energy, joy and hope of these beautiful Ugandan orphans. Uganda has endured the scourge of civil war and the deadly AIDS epidemic. Approximately 2 million children in Uganda have been orphaned by these calamities. Through their lively and inspiring performances, the Watoto Children’s Choir will share their unique experiences, as well as their newfound joy and hope. All are welcome!  Free Admission!

St. Clement Pot Luck Supper – Friday, March 18 at 6:00 p.m.

We will celebrate the lives of two great saints of our Church – St. Patrick (March 17) and St. Joseph (March 18) by coming together for a Pot Luck Supper. Please bring an entrée or salad to serve a minimum of 8 people. RSVP to the parish office (621-4060) regarding your choice. The Parish will provide dessert.

ST. CLEMENT TRIDUUM FEAST

March 24: 8:00 p.m.            Holy Thursday – Mass of the Lord’s Supper

March 25: 3:00 p.m.            Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

March 26: 8:00 p.m. Easter Vigil

March 27: 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. Easter Sunday

 

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

http://netcomsolutions-ont.com/Christ_King

M.M.P. 1st and 3rd Sunday

Communion 2nd and 4th Sunday

Regular Service Times
Sundays at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.
April 3: An Old Fashion Hymn Sing at 4:00 p.m.

SPRING Rummage Sale

April 30: 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon.  Quality items would be welcome
 
Rehoboth Fellowship Christian Reformed Church

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)

 

People and Places

 

Markland Easter Egg Hunt

Everyone is welcome to come for the annual Easter Egg Hunt in the Park!  Join us on Monday, March 28 at 9:30 am, rain or shine. We meet at Millwood School on the paved schoolyard in the south west corner. Please bring some wrapped chocolate treats to donate to our hunt. All donations are taken over to the park and hidden for the hunt. An early start is given to the younger children. Don’t forget to bring a basket or bag to collect your treats.

For more information please call Christine Giorno at 626-8978

 

Upcoming Meetings with Donna Cansfield, MPP Etobicoke Centre

Monday March 14th

Pre-budget Discussion

Donna Cansfield will ask participants to recommend creative ways to deliver services and cut costs.

Nielson Park Creative Centre

6.30 to 8.30 p.m.

All are welcome

 

Tuesday March 22nd

Seniors Advisory Group

Richview Library, 10.15 a.m. to noon

 

At a meeting held in September with Ted McMeeken, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister Resonsible for Seniors, our Seniors highlighted their priority issues, namely:

Quality Health Care, especially home care.
Advocacy
Continuing Education
Transportation

Speakers on March 22nd will address physical exercise and lifelong learning.

Speakers:

Linda Christensen, Recreationist, Toronto Parks and Recreation

Jack Henshaw, Lifelong Learning

 

ETOBICOKE COMMUNITY CONCERT BAND

Etobicoke Collegiate Auditorium, 86 Montgomery Rd.

March 11 and 12 at 8:00 p.m.

Gospel 'N' Blues.

Passion and cool conducted by John Edward Liddle and featuring guest artist Chris Whiteley, acclaimed for brilliant song-writing and mastery of trumpet, guitar, harmonica and blues vocals. A regular on Stuart McLean's popular Vinyl Cafe on CBC radio, Whiteley is a multiple winner of the prestigious Maple Blues Award.

Tickets: $15, seniors $12, students $5, children under 12 free. Call 416-410-1570

St. Patrick’s Concert

featuring Cape Breton born fiddler, Sandy MacIntyre. Sing-a-long of favourite Irish tunes.

March 11 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets: $15, advance registration recommended.

Also St. Patrick’s Day Tea

March 17, 1 to 4 p.m.

Teatime selections from the Emerald Isle, including Porter Cake.

Tickets: $6

Both at MONTGOMERY’S INN,

4709 Dundas St. 416-394-8113

 

Parenting and Family Literacy Program
at Eatonville School (Rossburn Drive) has changed their hours. Now in Room 18
Monday to Thursday 11:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Please enter by the front doors of the school.
Come and drop in with your children
Relax, meet neighbours, story and music time, snack, parenting resource books and children’s books. Looking forward to seeing you.
Ruth Schefter. Parenting Worker

 

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. 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. The next dates are March 15 and 29. For more information, call Karen Miteff at 621-2293.

 

The Neilson Park Creative Centre

56 Neilson Drive, Etobicoke ON M9C 1V7

MARCH BREAK ART CAMPS

Junior (5-8 years) − will focus on messy, fun-filled activities for the younger artist.

March 15 to 18

March 21 to 24

$60.00 (9:00 am-12:00 pm)

Children (8-12 years) − participants will experiment in mixed media and explore a variety of approaches and techniques.

March 15 to 19 (5 days) $150.00

March 21 to 24 (4 days) $120.00

(9:00 am-4:00 pm)

Upcoming Workshops

Life Drawing with Steve Rose − Be introduced to drawing with both nude and costumed models while exploring a variety of techniques.

(Weekend workshop) 10:00 am-3:00 pm

March 19 & 20, April 16 & 17, May 14 & 15, June 11 & 12

Encaustic Workshop with Kaili Brown − Work with hot wax and oil paints to achieve a luminous surface that can be layered to beautiful effect.

April 2 & 3, 10:00 am-3:00 pm

Gallery Exhibitions

March 8-24

In the Main Gallery,

Etobicoke Art Group Members’ Choice Exhibition, recent artwork in a variety of media by members of the Group,

In the Hall Gallery

“TORCH”

a display of handspun, handwoven and felted creations by the members of  The Etobicoke Handweavers and Spinners Guild

Upcoming Event

Book & Plant Sale

Stock up for your summer reading!  Hundreds of books for sale.

Gardening season wi