Local lawyer takes up claim against Rob Ford

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1:23 pm

Local lawyer Clayton Ruby is representing a Toronto resident who alleges that Mayor Rob Ford breached the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act at a recent Toronto City Council meeting. If Ford is found to have breached the act, he will automatically be removed from office and may by barred from running again for up to seven years.

Ruby’s client, Paul Magder, is claiming that the mayor was wrong to have spoken to and voted on a city council item in which he had a personal financial interest. The item in question was the city integrity commissioner’s request that Ford pay back the $3,150 in donations to his football charity that he solicited from lobbyists during his tenure as a councillor. John Mascarin, a partner at Aird Berlis who has expertise in municipal law, said it looks to him as if Ford breached the act. Mascarin said Ford may try to argue that the item was insignificant.

“The question becomes, ‘Is $3,150 enough to sway a politician from having an interest in the matter?’ ” he said.

George Christopoulos, Ford’s press secretary, did not respond to an interview request before press time.

The allegation has not been proven in court.

Earl Bales ziplining proposal gets ‘chilly’ response

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1:23 pm

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A proposal for an eco-adventure program at Earl Bales Park has hit another hurdle but is on the right track for approval, according to the local councillor.

After presenting the unsolicited proposal from Arbor Trek, which would see ziplining at the park, to the office of partnerships, Coun. James Pasternak said the response was “chilly.”

Pasternak cited concerns over the tree canopy and parts of the park, which is a conservation area designated by the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).

“I was concerned we were dismissing a great opportunity like this,” he said. “Arbor Trek’s business is the protection of trees. They must have healthy, strong trees to run their organization. They’re very careful.”

Steve Heuchert, senior manager of planning with the TRCA, said that, typically, they oppose any type of new development in the valleys or the forests.

“With any kind of development within the valley, there are concerns with slope erosion; concerns with construction access, the need for additional parking, additional buildings in sensitive ecological areas, and noise that might disturb flora and fauna,” Heuchert said.

But president of the eco-adventure company Arbor Trek, Michael Smith, said the project will focus on showcasing Earl Bales’ natural resources.

“For us, we’re on the same side, Smith said. “We want to find a way to preserve long-term welfare of the forest and to go ahead and provide it as a resource to the general public.”

Smith also said that the ravine his company has been eyeing is not currently well-maintained.

“There’s violations going on by local landowners that are allowing runoff water from their backyard to run down and create erosion,” he said.

Pasternak said that although he has only received positive feedback for the proposal, his next steps will be to establish working groups with the city and the community to determine its feasibility.

Sad conclusion to search for missing Forest Hill teen

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1:23 pm

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The recent news that human remains found by passersby in a wooded area near Yonge Street and Highway 401 were those of missing local teen Miriam Makhniashvili cast a somber mood at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute.

Principal Peggy Aitchison said that grief counselors were made available to the school’s students. Miriam’s classmates have since graduated, but some students may have known her younger brother.

“I think that in a situation like this, even as time goes by, you remain with that bit of hope that the situation will work out okay,” she said. “And when we learned that the remains were Miriam’s, that was the end of that hope.”

Staff Insp. Greg McLane, of the homicide squad, said the autopsy showed a cause of death consistent with a fall from a significant height, such as from the overpass below which the body was discovered. Police do not suspect foul play.

Even before the revelation that Miriam’s death could have been consistent with a suicide, Aitchison said that the school board has been paying more attention to mental health issues.

After the Forest Hill teen vanished from outside the local high school in September 2009, investigators had few concrete leads beyond a knapsack that surfaced in the Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue area.

Toronto Police Service’s 53 Division led the initial investigation, which included interviews with every student at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, a canvass of 5,000 area households and ground and air searches. The location where Miriam was found was outside of the search grid.

In the aftermath of the discovery, Miriam’s mother asked that media respect her right to privacy.

“She’s responded as one would reasonably expect,” McLane said.

A funeral was scheduled for late last month.

Contaminated soil dumped on Oak Ridges Moraine

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1:23 pm

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Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM), along with other environmental groups Earthroots and Ontario Nature, said contaminated soil was found on the moraine, near Lakeridge Road.

“It started with local residents seeing these trucks going in and out,” said Debbe Crandall, STORM’s executive director. “Then the Ministry of the Environment did random testing, and that’s when they discovered it was contaminated.”

After Toronto City Council agreed last month to review how soil leaves its city’s development sites, the environmental groups are calling on other municipalities to do the same to protect the Oak Ridges Moraine.

The Oak Ridges Moraine provides drinking water for 250,000 residents in the GTA, according to the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation. Since many developers who break ground in the GTA dump their fill on the moraine, Toronto councillors’ move to check soil for contamination is a step in the right direction but isn’t sufficient.

Oak Ridges councillor Greg Beros said any developer who wants to bring soil to Richmond Hill needs to obtain a permit.

The Moraine Can’t Wait campaign, spearheaded by the three environmental groups, delivered 8,000 signatures in a rain barrel to the premier’s office, to urge the province to review the plan.

“The province needs to re-engage with the Oak Ridges Moraine protection,” Crandall said.

The Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan is up for review in 2015.

New big box proposal in Leaside rankles residents

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1:23 pm

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The latest proposal for a big box development in Leaside has residents frustrated with a “loophole” in the official plan.

Brian Athey, president of the Leaside Property Owners’ Association, has appealed to North York Community Council not to approve any further turnover of industrial lands to retail uses.

“If the owner can buy up enough land to get just a little crack of frontage on Laird, which is what SmartCentres has done here, then it can apply for consideration to convert all those lands to retail,” he said.

According to Athey, more than half a million square feet of retail has been approved on the east side of Laird Drive.

The application for the vacant Wicksteed Avenue lot, formerly the site of J.R. Short Mills and Colgate Palmolive Canada, proposes a 147,000-square-foot retail commercial centre with 479 parking spaces.

“The density is completely excessive for this use, so much so that the developer’s proposing basically a department store jacked up on stilts on a second storey,” Athey said.

Coun. John Parker cited the use as well as the size and scale of development and traffic as issues that will have to be examined moving forward. When he was first approached by the developer, Parker cautioned not to repeat the architectural design of its retail development across the street.

“They brought in a design that looks like it’s a Mexican hacienda, like an oversized Taco Bell, and bears no relation to the community that it serves or the neighbourhood where it sits,” Parker said.

To the developer’s credit, Parker said, it has hired a top architectural firm for this project: Diamond and Schmitt. A community consultation meeting was scheduled to occur March 29.

What I Wore: Value Village, Shoppalu and Aldo Rise

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1:05 pm

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There is nothing that irks me more than style shots that are praised for their “unholy style” when the person is decked out head-to-toe in the season’s most coveted items. I mean, if you are somehow lucky enough to get shoved into a closet full of designer goodies, how hard could it be to emerge not looking awesome? Would that same person succeed when digging through Value Village?

This outfit (in my eyes) is a prime example of why I truly believe you don’t have to have buckets of money to pull off a chic look. It’s made up completely of thrifty finds, hand-me-downs and fast fashion goods that ring up to under $300 from head-to-toe. How so, you say? Let’s start from top to bottom.

I’ve owned the exact same pair of sunglasses twice. The first time I found them was in Brick Lane Market in London, England, at a stall for 10 pounds ($15). Unsurprisingly, one of the arms would break off every other month, but I loved them so much I would always get them fixed. In some sort of miracle, I later found the exact same pair on St. Mark’s Place in N.Y.C. for $8. Here’s an insider tip: I also spotted these at The Public Butter in Toronto for not much more!

The gold studded jacket was a treasure found in a suburban Value Village on the way home from a recent visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Since everything and its mother has been covered in studs over the past five years or so, I wasn’t sure if I should buy it or not. Then I thought: “What the heck, it’s $7!” Besides the fact that it shoots really well, I love that when my best friend saw it she said: “OMG I have the dress version of that jacket. No, really, it’s by the same brand and it is vintage.”

Is there anything better in wardrobe world than an awesome white blouse? I really don’t think so. I have far too many to count, and can never have enough. This particular one from Shoppalu is on another level. Button-up front, T-back plus cut-outs — WHAT!? Wearing this blouse makes you feel like a celebrity, because when you have it on you get swarmed by people who want to touch and grab you, but instead of asking for your autograph, they ask you where your top is from.

Hands down, these (p)leather leggings are the most asked about item in my wardrobe. Every single time I wear them someone stops me and asks where I got them. Normally, I don’t mind sharing the details of a great find but this particular pair was a hand-me-down from a friend before she moved away and they are missing the brand tag. Honestly, I live in these, and they are on their last legs. Once they finally disintegrate I have no idea how I will dress myself on a day-to-day basis.

Finally, the shoes. These are the genius of Preen for Aldo Rise by Thornton Bregazzi, a.k.a the least talked about collaboration in the immediate history of designer collaborations. These are probably the most awesome of all. Why? They’ve got that strappy-chic vibe that I’m totally into right now, but with a block heel and perfect height that allows me stomp around town all day and all night.

What I Wore: Sunglasses from Brick Lane Market, black and gold studded jacket from Value Village, blouse from Shoppalu, pleather leggings from friend, cuff from Shoppalu, shoes by Aldo Rise x Preen.

Grace Carroll is a Toronto-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in ELLE UK, ELLEcanada.com, Plaid magazine and FILLER magazine. Keep up with her daily blog at www.graciecarroll.com.

Camp Chimo counsellors sued over conduct

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12:26 pm

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Counsellors from a summer camp and the Town of Markham are the target of a lawsuit filed by the families of the young campers who were subjected to “inappropriate conduct.” Last summer, Camp Chimo campers, including the two females who filed the lawsuit, were subjected to “inappropriate” behaviour according to their lawyer, Justin Linden.

“This is not what is supposed to happen to children,” said Linden. “They entrusted their children to this camp … their children weren’t taken care of, and in our view, they were subjected to very inappropriate conduct.”

According to one parent’s report in the local media, the campers were subjected to a “dare” game, which involved one camper sucking the toes of a male counsellor, pole dancing and taking off clothes in exchange for an ice cream bar.

The two families are seeking $200,000 for general damages and an additional $200,000 for punitive damages, which Linden said is meant to send a message to the camp that that conduct is unacceptable.

The Children’s Aid Society of York Region has also launched its own investigation into the allegations and said they could not comment as the case is ongoing.

The Town of Markham also could not comment, due to the pending litigation, said Dennis Flaherty, the communications and community relations director. He added that the names of the underage counsellors and campers are being withheld.

However, a letter provided by Linden and sent from Mayor Scarpitti’s office to his client reads, “We extend our sincere apologies for any difficulties that the events [at Camp Chimo] may have caused you and your family.” Scarpitti went on to say in the letter, “We were shocked and dismayed when we first learned of the situation … we wish to reiterate that the events were completely unacceptable and inappropriate.”

Earlier this year, the City of Markham released an action plan to overhaul and improve their 2012 summer camp program, “in response to an activity that took place during one of Markham’s camp sessions in summer 2011.” The action plan also states that improvements will focus on supervision, training and hiring practices. But Linden said the plan is not enough, and added that “This is not a case of mistake or negligence.”

A court date is yet to be set.

Theatre Review: My Granny the Goldfish

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11:13 am

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There is a classic expression about theatrical comedy which purportedly arose from a true story: a famous actor was on his deathbed, when a friend leaned over him and asked, with heartfelt emotion, “Is dying hard?” The performer rolled over on his bed, looked up and whispered, “Comedy is harder.”

It is with this frame of mind that I turn to Anosh Irani’s My Granny the Goldfish, playing until April 15 at the usually trustworthy Factory Theatre. And I’m sad to say this new production proves the point entirely.

I was eager to see My Granny the Goldish because it has been playing in Vancouver over the past two years and received a very positive response. Let Irani comment on the immigrant experience, I thought; let us thrill to every view and insight of this always-changing nation. And comically, too!

Alas, that didn’t happen.

It was undeniably promising at first: on a nearly bare stage, the major character, Nico, played by a handsome and competent Kawa Ada, stands before us, his hospital bed behind him, and gives an often humorous monologue.

Then, his “granny” steps on stage, fresh from India, and the play truly begins.

There is some sweet, even spot-on mocking of Canadians (Nico refuses to take a swig from his grandmother’s whisky flask, claiming, “There are rules in hospitals, Granny! Rules are like oxygen to these people!”). It’s a cute and inarguable truth, which is the core of all worthwhile comedy.

But I hardly laughed, or smiled, after that point.

In scenes centred around Nico’s parents — back in India and unaware that their son is sick overseas — the jokes come frequently but are rarely successful. “It just occurred to me,” complains the father (played by the excellent Stratford and Dream in High Park performer Sanjay Talwar), “The word ‘marriage’ sounds so much like ‘mirage.’”

That’s just not very funny.

Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst St., 416-504-4473. To April 15.

Morning Throwback: Toronto probably thought this circus act of yesteryear was the raddest thing ever

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8:30 am

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Before children musical prodigies, hip hop flute players and miraculous head standers, Canada’s Got Talent’s main draw was the “Tin Lizzie” act: a death defying machine versus beast spectacle featuring a pop-a-wheeling jalopy and some dude on a horse. We’re on the edge of our seats already. What say you, Martin Short?

Queen Margherita is summoning the “God of pizza ovens” for its upcoming west-end location

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4:59 pm

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After catching word that Queen Margherita Pizza is set to open a second location near the Junction this fall, we got in touch with co-owner John Chetti. Apparently, he and his partners have cemented a deal with Stefano Ferrara, who Chetti refers to as the “God of pizza ovens,” to come from Naples and personally build and install a pizza oven at the new location.

He also tells us that the new venue will be built inside a former bank at 785 Annette St. (at Jane St.) and will be similar in concept to the original location.

“We still want that rustic Italian look,” Chetti says.

No word yet on menu changes or what the new location’s capacity will be.

[Now Magazine]

Fitzroy Boutique returns to BYOB Cocktail Emporium with “boho glam” pop-up

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3:08 pm

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Back in December, online fashion retailer Fitzroy Boutique found a perfect fit inside BYOB Cocktail Emporium, creating a well-rounded lifestyle range throughout. Now it has returned for a second pop-up following the successful holiday edition. The selection, best described as “boho glam” by Fitzroy co-owner Julie Buczkowski, is a colourful mix of easy-to-wear, trendy pieces with prices that start at $20 and don’t pass $200.

“We’re filling a gap in the market for cool clothing that won’t break the bank, and won’t be seen on everyone else on the street,” says Buczkowski.

Racks are filled up, mainly, with labels from L.A. and Australia (Blessed Are the Meek, Ladakh, Brandy Melville, Pink Stitch) that are exclusive to Fitzroy in Canada.

Jewellery has been kept local and features homegrown talent such as Hoda Designs and Shop for Jayu.

The other half of Fitzroy, Angela Pastor, discovered many of the lines — as well as the inspiration for the store’s name — while she was living in New Zealand.

“Fitzroy Boutique is named after Fitzroy in Melbourne, “ explains Buczkowski. “It’s a cool, creative area in the city, much like Queen Street West.”

During our visit to Fitzroy, we bought two things: a perfect-for-summer romper by Blessed Are the Meek and a sleeveless lightweight denim shirt by Ladakh. When the critic cracks open her wallet, you know the store’s on to something good. Get there before the racks are bare.

The pop-up packs up on April 15.

Fitzroy Boutique spring pop-up, BYOB Cocktail Emporium, 972 Queen St. W. To April 15.

Five of Toronto’s most kid-friendly outdoor spaces

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2:39 pm

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Despite today’s “refreshing” blast of cold air, we’re fairly confident in saying that spring has now sprung. Which means it’s time to unleash the kids on the great outdoors — or, at least, let them run around in a park for a while. Despite the recent fiery demise of the once-awesome castle-style playground at High Park, this city still has more than its fair share of outdoor adventures for youngsters to get into. But which to choose? Here, we give you five of the city’s most kid-friendly outdoor spaces.

Kew Gardens Playground

Kids come to this quintessential park at the Beach to toss a few shovelsful around the sandbox, ride on the seesaw and cool off in the wading pool (its bottom has been painted in vibrant shades by the neighbourhood’s youngsters). Parental companions, meanwhile, can survey the scene with an iced latte in hand, courtesy of one of the many adjacent purveyors of the stuff. And if the kids tire of the facilities on offer, there’s always the nearby beach awaiting their attention.
2075 Queen St. E., at Lee

High Park

Last week’s arson attack on the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground — a rambling kids’ space featuring a multi-tiered wooden castle-like play structure — caused outrage, and locals have vowed to restore the place to its former glory. In the meantime, the cherry blossom-festooned, 400-acre sprawl of High Park has much to offer visitors, including another playground at the upper end and a funky zoo (though it is threatened with closure).
1873 Bloor St. W., at Parkside

Dufferin Grove Park

This park is special not just for its vast sandbox, rocking tetherball pole and extensive jungle gym, but for the extracurriculars that regularly take place around them. A pair of wood-burning pizza ovens at the north end kick into gear in the summer, with junior chefs transforming local ingredients into pies that they sell.
875 Dufferin St., between Bloor and College

Sherwood Park

This fanciful spread of green, tucked into the belly of the Sherwood Park Ravine, is most celebrated for the burst of blue that is its centrepiece. The wading pool here is the bomb, decked out as it is with such bells and whistles as water-spitting bulrushes and fishing poles. The park has change rooms and an abundance of snaking nature trails.
190 Sherwood Ave., near Lawrence and Mount Pleasant

Pricefield Park

This park is impressive for its spectacular proximity to the CP Rail train tracks, where more than three dozen massive locomotives rumble by every day: an eyeful for the Thomas and Friends-loving crowd. The sandbox features a digger that kids can actually ride, and the bounty of the nearby Summerhill LCBO looms as a post-park reward for the more mature parkgoer.
50 Pricefield Rd.