The Marklander

Vol. 44 No. 5 May 2007

Annual Spring Community

Garage Sale

Saturday, May 26^th, rain or shine!

Thank you to all who came out to help clean up the Renforth Creek.

The Creek looks great! Let’s do our best to keep it that way!

Please join us for our:

MHA Annual General Meeting.

Monday, June 11^h. 7:30 p.m.

Main Boardroom, Etobicoke Civic Centre

President’s Update

Well, April was a busy month! We had a very productive meeting on April 2. As always, our meetings on the first Monday of every month are open to all Markland residents. A week later on Easter Monday, my kids took part in the Annual Easter Egg Hunt in Millwood Park . This event, organized so capably by Christine Giorno, is one of the many lesser known events throughout the year in Markland Wood, yet is a very important part of what makes this such a great neighborhood. Christine organizes this on her own initiative and a lot of children have a fun-filled morning. Following this, on April 17, we had our “Meet the Directors” evening at the Markland Wood Golf Club. This event, organized by our Social Committee, was a big success. I always assume that no one will show up at our functions, but we were pleasantly surprised to get close to 70 people out to enjoy some wine and cheese and good company with their fellow neighbours. I and several other Directors updated the crowd on some current MHA projects and we were available to answer any questions. This was also a “subdued” recruiting event, as we are always looking for new people to bring some new energy and ideas to the MHA. Please consider stepping forward as a Director or Associate Director for 2007/2008. If you have any interest in either of these positions, please contact me by May 31. I have to say that I was touched by some of the sincere compliments that several guests voiced to me that evening. All of us who take part in volunteer work in Markland Wood, be it through the MHA, schools, church etc., do it because we believe in our community. Still, it is nice to hear “Thank you” every once in a while! There was one more major event that took place on Saturday, April 21, the annual Renforth Creek Clean-Up. This year’s clean-up took place in much nicer weather conditions than last. A beautiful day led to a much larger turnout in comparison to the last 3 years. I am always amazed at the sight of so many neighbors fanning out across our parks and ravines to help keep our neighborhood beautiful. As usual, the group “bagged” a huge amount of garbage that was subsequently picked up by City trucks. Now that it is much cleaner, please remember – DO NOT LITTER!! It also seems that we have a very prolific graffiti artist in the neighbourhood, so please keep your eyes open and report any suspicious activity.

This month we concentrate our efforts on the Annual Community Garage Sale. This year’s sale takes place on Saturday, May 26 and promises to be another successful event. We will be promoting the sale with street signs, our banner at Mill and Bloor, and an ad in the Etobicoke Guardian. I have already received a number of emails over the past month, inquiring about the sale. We have quite a following from across the GTA, so take advantage and do some spring cleaning at the same time. This year, the MHA will once again be sponsoring some tables out in front of Millwood Junior School . The tables will be run by The Bloordale Park Rejuvenation Committee. They will be supplying coffee and other treats in return for a donation. They will also be taking donations of good quality items, at the Millwood location, between 7-9:00 a.m. ONLY, on the day of the sale!!! If you will not be having a sale and would like to help out the Bloordale Park fund, please bring your items to Millwood, first thing in the morning. Any left over items will be donated to charity after the sale is over, so please remember to drop by our location on May 26. I am also pleased to hear reports of very generous donations being made to the Bloordale Park Fund, as a result of their door-to-door canvassing. They are reporting an enthusiastic response, so please keep it up, as they intend to visit every house in our community. And I am THRILLED to hear the latest news regarding the park. See the article in the People and Places section. This is HUGE!!!

This year we have been forced to make some changes and we will not be taking donations for charity during the week before the sale. Also, there will be absolutely NO drop offs after the sale (donations accepted 7-9:00 a.m. only). Unfortunately we had major problems the last two years, as some people decided that this was an opportunity to unload their garbage along with goods for donation. It was excessive to say the least. I won’t single anyone out by describing some of the items we received, but let me assure you a large number of items did not qualify as charitable donations in any way! I am prepared personally, to take donations of good quality, used clothing only at my house ( 102 Mill Rd. ) after the sale. As I have been doing all year, I will make sure that this clothing gets down to Canadian Food For Children.

Please remember that the deadline for submissions for this year’s scholarships is May 31. See the April Marklander for all of the details.

There are two very important events in early June, which I would like to draw your attention to, so that you can mark the dates on your calendar. The first is the Seminar on Senior’s Safety Issues, taking place on June 4 at Millwood Junior School . This is being presented by the Markland Wood/Masters Community Safety Committee and features an amazing roster of speakers. Please see the flyer inserted with this issue to get all the details, and come early to get a seat.

One week later on June 11, is our Annual General Meeting. While all of our meetings are open to residents of Markland Wood, the AGM is really intended to be for you. We will give a summary of the past year, as well as detail of some of our plans for the future. We will also elect the Executive and the Directors for 2007/2008. This is an important meeting for our community and I would personally appeal to you to attend. We always have a guest speaker at the AGM. This year we will have a presentation on wills, insurance and estate planning. From a brief personal survey, I know that there are still many families that do not have these things covered and we are providing an opportunity to learn more about this important matter, while attending your AGM. More details will follow in the June issue.

On a personal note, I have been finding for the most part, the buses and cars I am traveling behind on Mill Rd. and Markland Dr. have been driving very close to the 40Km/h speed limit. However, I have had reports to the contrary, so please continue to drive the speed limit in Markland Wood.

If you haven’t visited our web site lately www.marklandwood.org, please do so, as our webmaster has added a lot of new photos and information. This is an important communication vehicle for us and it is really quite an interesting read.

In closing, I would like to tell a brief success story. Last month Mary Russo, the newly elected President of the Silverthorn Tennis Club asked to come to our meeting. After over 40 years in existence, the Club was threatened with having to close down. The tennis courts at Silverthorn Collegiate were in a bad state and, unless they were repaired, the club could not get any insurance. To make a long story short, they were caught in a bureaucratic bog and the final hour was approaching. As soon as I heard the story I knew who to turn to – Tom Napier. Tom has a knack for getting after the politicians and bureaucrats with a certain fervour and relentlessness. Largely in part to his persistent efforts, and the work of Mary and her group, the TDSB has agreed to renovate the courts. The Club, largely made up of Markland residents, is back in business for another year.

Best regards, Greg Rohn, President@MarklandWood.org

2006-2007 Board of Directors

EXECUTIVE:

PRESIDENT: Greg Rohn

VICE-PRESIDENT: Anna Schaefer

SECRETARY: Romeo Sinopoli

TREASURER: Gerard Betsch

DIRECTORS

Richard Boehnke

Brian Brennand

Bob Cooke

Bev Evans

Michael Georgopoulos

Bo Lawrentiw

Graham Maguire

Paul Marano

Don Matheson

Diane McLeod

Tom Napier

Associate Directors

Stephen Blimkie, Helen Boehnke, Tamara Greene, Mary Lordan, Peter Sgro, Ian Sillars, Irene Sillars, Donna Sokic, MP (Pierina) Stokes, Anne-Marie Stoneburgh and Patti Thorne.

Renforth Creek Cleanup 2007

Once again the Renforth Creek Cleanup proved to be a well-attended event, with the result that the creek and the surrounding areas are much cleaner and the graffiti is once again under control.

We would especially like to thank the following individuals and groups for their hard work and invaluable support:

· St. John Ambulance – very much appreciated, and they came free-of-charge this year to help in the environmental work, which they think is important. Luckily, we did’t need to bother them this day

· Bloordale United Church, Rev. Stephen Iverton, once again for the generous use of the Church lot and building, and for having a word with our Father about the weather this year

· Timothy’s at Market Place for the coffee coupons

· Markland Wood Golf Club’s Owen Russell for the golf carts and the labour support again

· Mayor Miller and Toronto Council for supporting this work on behalf of the environment

· Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s Dushan Jojkic, for the bird houses, fasteners, gloves and assessment of the Creek’s needs

· Marty Ross and the 401^st Boy Scouts of Canada for starting this initiative over 10 years ago and helping on the day

REMINDER OF DEADLINES

2007 Markland Wood Scholarship Awards….

Refer to April Marklander for details or look in website: Marklandwood.org

May 31: deadline for receipt of (a) an essay and (b) two letters of support.

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 

Etobicoke , Ontario

M9C 4V2

Attention: The Scholarship Blinder

A History of Markland Wood. Chapter 4

In previous chapters, I mentioned Eatonville public school as we as pre-teens explored this area in 1939, years before Markland Wood came into being.

In 1939, one of the trustees of our school is Gideon Silverthorn Sr. He and his wife Nell have three children, Margaret, Gideon Jr. and Don. In 1939, Gideon Sr. has a farm on what would be the future home of the A & P warehouse (East Mall, south of Dundas ).

The Silverthorn family came to this area from the U.S.A. as United Empire Loyalists, who remained loyal to England when America became independent in the late 1700s. Mississauga Indians lived in this area, which they called "WAH-DO-BE-KAUGH", or a variation thereof, and from that the name "ETOBICOKE" was created.

One of the early settlers was John Silverthorn who, with his sons, built a cabin and the area known as “The Mill Farm”, was immediately east of the Etobicoke creek, south of Dundas.

And, as they say in the Bible,

John (1762-1846) begat

Arron (1790-1872), who begat

Newman (1829-1918), who begat

Charles (1872-1917), who begat

Gideon Sr. (1896-1990)

In 1812, John and his sons, Philip Cody (uncle of Buffalo Bill Cody) and others petitioned the government of York to make Dundas a corduroy road (lined with logs) to provide a firm roadbed, upon which horse and buggies could travel much more easily.

One of the disaster years for the Silverthorns and others in this area was 1816, when snow fell in June and destroyed their crops. Thus, John and his sons had to resort to shooting game such as moose, rabbit, fox, and wild fowl to get through the following winter. 1832 to 1834 was also a disastrous period, when several of the Silverthorns died in a cholera epidemic.

In previous Marklander articles I spoke of a radial (electric) train, which ran from Toronto to Guelph . It was owned and operated by Canadian National Electric Railways. In 1917, Charles Silverthorn was crossing the train tracks, when an unscheduled train hit his model T Ford and he was killed. The train was in operation from 1917 to 1931. Stop #20, which is "Summerville", was immediately south of Markland Wood, where the line crossed Dundas highway at Etobicoke Creek.

As I mentioned, Gideon Sr. was a trustee of Eatonville School , built in 1925, but his grandfather, Newman, became a trustee of the school in 1872, when it was known as " Swamp School ", built in 1845.

Cousins of the Silverthorns occupied a house called "Cherry Hill House”, which was originally built in the early 1800s, and was moved to the Cawthra and Dundas area in the 1970s, where one can now enjoy an excellent meal.

As we bring to a close the history of Markland, I want to thank Don Silverthorn for his help in telling you about their family history. Silverthorn Collegiate Institute will long be a memorial to the Silverthorn name.

For you young folks in Markland Wood, who want to learn more about this area and Etobicoke, there are excellent materials available, including a publication called the "Villages of Etobicoke". If I can be help in directing you to books etc. covering this area, please give me a call. Uncle Murray (HIRONS) 621-0664.

It has been a pleasure to inform you pre-teens of my pre-teen memories of 1939.

Your Friend, Uncle Murray

School News

Millwood Junior School

SWIM TEAM

My name is Emily, and my name is Will, and we are swimmers on the Millwood Swim Team. Students from kindergarten up to grade 5 have been practicing at Glenforest pool on Mondays at 7:30 a.m. On April 2^nd, we had our first swim meet against our neighbours, St.Clement Catholic School . The competition was exciting and every swimmer did their best. We have improved a lot. It was great to hear the crowd cheer us on in the stands.

Thank you to all the parents and teachers that volunteered their time to help with Millwood’s first ever swim team. A special thank you to Mrs. Sprenger for all her hard work and the parents at St. Clement for their help too!!

It was a great experience to be apart of our school swim team. We can’t wait for next year!! Emily & William, Millwood Swimmers

Millwood Swimming: Dive into the Fun!

It was worth practicing early Monday mornings to get ready for the swim meet against St. Clement School. Each week we improved our times by practicing dives, front stroke, back stroke, and breast stroke. We all wore our Millwood Swim Club sweatshirts with pride. Ribbons were awarded to everyone who participated. Even though it was very early in the morning, we wanted to get up knowing how much fun it would be. We give a special thanks to all the participants, parents and coaches that helped out.

Justice, Emily and Gillian

Silverthorn Collegiate

S.C.I. Springs Forward in April

S.C.I. made use of the sunny weather and new season in April.

The Literacy Test on March 29^th and Spring Fling Dance on the following day brought nervousness and stress relief respectively. Yet when April arrived, generosity was in the air. Approximately 60 donors rolled up their sleeves for the Canadian Blood Services’ clinic on April 3^rd; 180 units of blood were collected.

While most students enjoyed a peaceful Easter weekend with no school, a group of students spent it packing in preparation for an once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe . Under the supervision of 4 members of the History Department, 42 students visited England and France , attending a 90^th Anniversary Vimy Ridge event. Various media sources covered the trip.

The 30-Hour Famine, organized by the Free Children club in association with L.I.G.H.T. (Living in God’s Holy Truth), was held between April 13^th and 14^th. Over 62 students raised $4105.55 to provide food for families in need worldwide; the event is sponsored by World Vision.

Silverthorn’s school newspaper, SCI VIBES, published an issue on April 13^th called “Spring Forward.” The next issue will be distributed on April 27^th. Students are encouraged to join SCI VIBES, as it is an excellent way to improve English skills and to become more aware of their surroundings.

Meanwhile, UNITY, Silverthorn’s multicultural club, was hard at work organizing its annual fashion show. On April 19^th, student and teacher models and performers perfected their catwalk to showcase cultural attire, music, and dance from around the world. Additionally, for the first time, an evening show was held for community and family members. Teacher supervisors, Ms. Mrkobrada and Ms. Baseaz, were integral in the organization process of this event.

On the following day, April 20^th, speakers visited S.C.I. to explain the importance of workplace safety.

On the same day, mid-term report cards were distributed; Parents’ Night will be held on Thursday, April 26^th. Parents and guardians will be able to discuss concerns about their students to ensure success in the remainder of the semester.

As the school year comes to a close, May will prove to be eventful. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) will address students about the dangers and consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol. On May 17^th, Ms. Kimm and Silverthorn’s music students will put on a Spring Concert. Parents, friends, and guardians are encouraged to attend. On May 18^th, SCI VIBES, Silverthorn’s student-run newspaper, will release its final issue of the year. A week later, on May 25^th, S.C.I. will hold Carnival Day; various clubs will design booths for student’s to celebrate the warm weather. Hopefully, rainy weather will not force activities inside like it did last year. Students should be mindful of the World Partnership Walk on May 27^th that will raised awareness about poverty; the event will be held at Metro Hall in downtown Toronto . Student Activity Council (SAC) Elections will take place on May 29. Grade 11 students will campaign to win spots on next year’s SAC. Lastly, Free the Children will hold Karaoke Night on May 31^st to raise money for their goal of building a school in Sierra Leone .

Spring has definitely put Silverthorn in the mood to raise school spirit!

Sasi Vinayagamoorthy

Church News

Bloordale United Church

4258 Bloor St. West . Etobicoke , Ontario , M9C 1Z7

621-1710 www.bloordale.ca

Morning services at 10:30 a.m.

Rev. Stephen Iverson 621-1710

St. Clement Church

409 Markland Drive ,

Telephone Number – 416-621-4060

E-Mail - saintclement@hotmail.com

Parish Administrator – Fr. Frank Carpinelli

Mon, Wed, Fri: 8:15 am

Tues, Thurs: 7:00 pm

Saturday: 9:00 am, 4:45 p.m.

Sunday: 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Confessions

Saturday: 9:30-10:00 a.m., 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Happy Easter to All!!!

It is with great pleasure and pride that we welcome back to St. Clement, Father John Luxbacher and Father Michael Luxbacher, sons of Bert and Maria of our Parish for a long awaited visit. St. Clement has a special place in their hearts and we have held them close to our hearts with prayers during their journey to the Priesthood. We are honoured to have them visiting with us for a few weeks.

The joyous Easter season continues with the celebration of First Holy Communion of our young parishioners during the six Sundays after Easter at the 11:30 a.m. Mass. Warmest thanks to their parents for their dedication to the Parish preparation programme.

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be conferred on our Candidates on the Vigil of Pentecost, May 26^th at the 4:45 p.m. Mass by Bishop John Boisonneau, Auxiliary Bishop of the Western Pastoral Region. Our Candidates have worked diligently as they have prepared for the sacrament during their Day of Reflection, Anointed for Mission Workshops and the Tableau of the Stations of the Cross. Our Community appreciates their strong sense of stewardship shown by their volunteering for various parish activities and events. Our final event will be a tour of St. Michael’s Cathedral and St. Paul ’s Basilica in June.

It is now opportune to thank our team of Parish Catechists who have generously given of their time in preparing our young people for these Sacraments. Without their help, these programmes would not be possible. May God Bless Them!!!

Our St. Clement Youth Ministry will be selling chocolate covered strawberries after all Masses on the Mother’s Day Weekend of May 12/13

Renforth Baptist Church
627 Burnhamthorpe Road . M9C 2Y9, 621-1990
Sunday services at 10:30 a.m.

PASTOR - Rev. Godfrey Green

St. James United Church

400 Burnhamthorpe Road .

Just east of Hwy 427 at The East Mall.

Sunday service: 10:30 a.m. with inspirational music by award-winning choirs.

Challenging sermons, children's stories and hymns. Nursery care available.

The Church of Christ the King

475 Rathburn Road , Etobicoke. 621-3630

Just West of Hwy. 427

Regular service times:

Sunday: 8:30 a.m. , 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday: 10:30 a.m.

Check us out on our website:

http://www.netcomsolutions.ca/Christ_the_King

Rehoboth Fellowship Christian Reformed Church

800 Burnhamthorpe Road (just east of Mill Rd. )

Etobicoke 622-9647

Worship every Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
Nursery care available. Programs for people of all ages
We welcome you!
Pastor John Tenyenhuis

St. Matthew’s Anglican Church

3962 Bloor St. W. Etobicoke
416-231-4014 office@saintmatts.ca
Services: Sundays at 8 and 10 a.m.
Children's Program and Nursery at 10 a.m.
Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. (BCP). For more information please call the church office.

\St. Philip’s Lutheran Church

61 West Deane Park Drive

Etobicoke , Ontario

Phone: 416-622-5577

E-mail: stphilip@interlog.com

Website: stphilipslutherantoronto.com

Pastor: Doug Kramer

Intern: Gloria Ryder

Children’s and Youth Ministry: Steve Elshaw

Director of Music: Mark Kieswetter

Weekly worship: Sundays at 10:00 a.m.

Sunday School: every week at 11:00 a.m.

Life Church Toronto

It's no secret that Life Church Toronto is right over there.

Sundays @ 10:30 a.m.

Eatonville Library

(Burnhamthorpe and the East Mall)

Pastor Ian Clarke 905-970-0528

www.lifechurchtoronto.com

Hats Off

Gord McIntyre ran and finished the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 16^th, during “Nor’Eastern” weather (40⁰F, rain and extreme winds), with a time of 3 hours 52 minutes.

The McIntyres of Arbroath Crescent are one of the original families in Markland Wood. Gord attended Millwood Junior, Bloordale Middle and Silverthorn Collgiate, and then went on to Waterloo University to finish his education. His brothers, Bruce, Doug and their families, along with Mom and Dad, are so proud of Gord and congratulate him for an achievement well done!

George and Agnes McIntyre

People and Places

VOLUNTEERING IS GOOD at Toronto Homes for the Aged.

Summer student opportunity at Wesburn Manor (Burnhamthorpe/West Mall). A great opportunity to complete your 40 hours of community service for school, improve leadership and communication skills, plus enhance the residents' quality of life and your own. Volunteering is very rewarding and you can make a difference. For more details contact: Liz Paveley, Co-ordinator Volunteer Services, Wesburn Manor 416-394 3610.

Bloordale Park Rejuvenation Project Update

BLOORDALE PARK HAS BIG NEWS!!

The Bloordale Park Rejuvenation Project has been selected by a corporate sponsor to receive a significant contribution towards a play structure for children aged 5-12 years. KaBOOM!, a national non-profit organization that links communities to corporate sponsors, along with Build-A-Bear Workshops and our community will bring the park to life this summer!!! The Build Day is set for Wed, July 25th.

We will continue our fundraising efforts in order to purchase a play structure for the younger children, enhance the landscaping and provide resting benches along with a covered sandbox. These features will be added to the park next spring as originally planned.

BLOORDALE PARK DESIGN DAY is Thursday, May 24th

We are extremely excited to be selected by this wonderful organization. As part of this corporate partnership, we will require significant community involvement. KaBOOM! has developed a community centered model for building parks which involves families in the design of the new play structure. Join us Thursday, May 24th from 4-7:30pm for a Design Day. Bring your children (aged 5-12 yrs) to help us provide input into the play features and overall planning. For more information or to register, please contact Danielle Eveleigh at 416 626 9567, Lori McKnight at 416 621 7471 or email us ASAP at bloordalepark@sympatico.ca. Hope to see many of you there!!

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 7:30 p.m. at Kingsway Lambton United Church , 85 The Kingsway. For further information call Joanne Longo 255-9032.

Parenting and Family Literacy Centre

The Parenting and Family Literacy Centre at Eatonville School is runs from Mondays – Thursdays, 8:45 - 1:45 . We are a drop in centre where you stay and play with your child. It is a free service run by the Toronto District School Board. Come and play, paint, dress-up, read books and participate in our story and music time! We are open when the school is open (unfortunately not March break or summer).
Ruth Schefter, Instructor.

MARKLANDER STAFF

President: Greg Rohn 626-0562

Editor: Graham Maguire 620-4398

Advertising: Brian Brennand 622-8011

Photographer: Tom Napier 622-9630

Distribution: Richard Boehnke 621-5089

Creative & Design: BBS Printing & Graphics 231-3693

Printing: BBS Printing & Signs 231-3693

Anna’s Recipe

Barbeque season is finally here…..stuffed tomatoes will complement any meat on the grill.

Stuffed Tomatoes

6 large tomatoes

1 cup diced lean mortadella

1 cup bread crumbs

½ cup diced provolone cheese

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt and black pepper

Cut slice from stem end of tomatoes. Using spoon, hollow out tomatoes, scooping seeds and flesh into fine sieve set over bowl; reserve juice and discard solids.

Mix together mortadella, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, basil, oil, salt and pepper and ¼ cup of the tomato juice. Stuff tomatoes with mixture. Place in greased baking dish large enough to hold tomatoes snugly in single layer. Bake in 400C oven until tomatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.