This will be a busy weekend in neighbourhoods around Etobicoke and across the city as many residents prepare for the fun of Halloween (and perhaps a pending birthday for one local writer)! Here are just a few events but check out your local community as many BIA’s are hosting their own! Also I have some quick local news that broke online late this afternoon regarding the much awaited return of the 501 Streetcar to Etobicoke. Lastly take a look at an information session about why you may have been hearing in recent days a lot about clean air and kids and why if you haven’t you really need to start!
Happening Around Etobicoke and Across The City
Saturday Oct, 28 from 11am-1pm
Friends of Tom Riley Park are hosting a Halloween clean-up
Friends of Tom Riley Park are hosting a Halloween park clean-up so grab your brooms, rakes and gloves and make our park boo-tiful! Everyone is welcome, and will receive garbage bags and gloves from the organizers. Kids under 12 who come in Halloween costumes will also get small prizes.
Saturday Oct, 28 from 9am-3pm
Mimico Village North Mrkt
Corner Stone Church Parking Lot
414 Royal York
There will be kid activities and the event is dog friendly!
Saturday October 28 from 9 to 7 & Sunday, October 29, from 9 to 5 p.m.
TTC Halloween Fest at Lower Bay
$5 Fee goes to the United Way
From the event’s website and visit it for more information
Join us for a spooktacular weekend as we transform Bay Lower Station into a hauntingly good time! It's all for a good cause, with donations supporting the United Way of Greater Toronto.
Haunted Subway Adventure: navigate our haunted subway – if you dare!
Trick-or-Treat Train: little ghouls and goblins, hop aboard the kid-friendly trick-or-treat train and fill your bags with nut-free candy.
Kids Giveaways: is there anything more thrilling than spooky surprises?
TTC Trivia: unearth historical facts, including celebrity appearances in famous movies, TV shows, and more!
Merch Monster Mash: Snag TTC-themed merchandise or hunt for hidden gems at our garage sale.
News / Local
As per Councillor Amber Morley’s social media accounts late Friday comes positive TTC news for South Etobicoke. The long awaited return of the Queen 501 Streetcar on Lakeshore has a date and part of the route returns as early as this weekend; Sunday October 29th. This first section will bring service back to the 501 from Roncesvalles Ave west to the Humber Loop. Then in just a few weeks on Nov 19 the route will extend from the Humber Loop right back to the Long Branch Loop!
Education / Politics
October 30, 2023 at 7pm
Clean Air for Kids Town Hall
While this conversation is being hosted by an Ottawa area MPP the issue affects everyone in Ontario who has children in school! Here is some more information from a concerned parent in the Ottawa area that has been sharing this information and was kind enough to make it available here for all of us!
On October 19, 2023 a new bill was tabled in the Legislature called Improving Air Quality for Our Children Act, 2023.
Chandra Pasma, MPP for Ottawa West-Nepean is holding a Virtual Town Hall on October 30 at 7pm with experts to talk about the bill and the importance of improving indoor air quality in schools and child care centres as well as to answer questions.
I will be attending this event because it is an important step for the health and well-being of our kids and school staff. Not only does improving indoor air quality benefit student health and learning outcomes, it also benefits education worker health and working conditions and reduces absences for everyone. The amazing thing about events like this taking place is that it shows we are open to learning that standards for the quality of air our kids and education workers breathe each day has been exceptionally low, and that in light of a pandemic whose virus spreads in the air - that we contract simply by breathing it in - this is the time to finally make the improvements anyone entering a school deserves. I hope you will consider attending as well!
Please share this information with your friends, colleagues, union representatives, principals, trustees, custodial staff - anyone you feel may benefit from learning more about indoor air quality in schools and childcare centres.
You can RSVP to the event here.
Here is a list of related references and resources:
Improving Air Quality for Our Children Act, 2023
How can you clean the air? W.A.T.C.H. Infographic
BreatheEasy: Empowering Educators in the Quest for Cleaner Air
Liesl McConchie - Clean Air Advocates - Resources for Advocacy and Improving IAQ in Schools
Clean air in schools is an issue close to my heart and one I spend time following closely. I will be bringing more of this discussion over the coming weeks and months as I follow the work of all government levels and the advocacy being done in this area.
I also want to take a minute to welcome my many new subscribers who have joined us over the last month and we have surpassed a new milestone as we are now a community of more that 225! Thank you so much for taking the time to support this local newsletter as I would not be able to do it without you.
As The Etobicoke Voice grows I believe the need to explore all aspects of out west end community is so important and it is time to hear more about the people who live here and make Etobicoke what it is. Some of us were born here and so many more have found their way here from every other part of this huge and expansive world we all share. This is why I am launching “Etobicoke Stories” which will be a series based on you, the local residents of our community. If you have a story you would like to share please reach out and I will send you submission guidelines that will be available starting next week. You will have the opportunity to submit stories you write or a pitch if you would prefer to tell the story and have me write it. These stories will also have an option to be recorded.
I will mention this regularly as you may need time to think or perhaps an idea may come to you later on when reading those told by others. I will post occasional themes that may help get the creative thoughts flowing! I am so excited to learn more about who makes Etobicoke, Etobicoke!
If you are a paid subscriber look out late next week for an in depth update on what is going on at City Hall this month. This is the lead up to the monthly meeting that starts on November 8th and will continue at least until late on the 9th or on to the 10th, depending how large the agenda. Becoming a paid subscriber really does help support the time that can be put into making this publication more frequent and so thank you for considering an upgrade.
One last thing….
I saw on social media today that Ward 4 TDSB Trustee Matias de Dovitiis is helping a neighbour by bringing attention to fundraising efforts to help the family after they lost their home and everything inside to a fire this past summer. My heart goes out to them and I just want to help bring more eyes to this issue.
Check out the story the full story here https://gofund.me/62647666
Even a small donation can make a huge difference!
You can always leave a comment or send an email to TheEtobicokeVoice@gmail.com
Let me know if you have story ideas, tips, or event listings that you would like to see appear on these pages and I will try to make it happen!
The Etobicoke Voice is now on Threads! You will find posts for even more events and news stories frequently throughout the week - just look us up by name.