who lives in Toronto’s west end and relies on the Mimico GO train to get him downtown has been getting a jump start to his weekdays “Instead of getting a reasonable amount of sleep I’m up way too early,” Travascio said It’s a daily battle as he and hundreds of other GO commuters who park at this station try to find a spot “The station’s parking lot is often full before 6:30 a.m.,” he told Speakers Corner “I will come as early as possible but most days I have to find parking on the streets around the lot as there are no spots available.” Some of that street parking was free up until last week when commuters like Travascio noticed new parking meters being installed “It’s only around five bucks for the day but it’s the inconvenience of the City trying to make a few bucks instead of finding a more reasonable solution that helps people.” According to the Toronto Parking Authority the meters were installed to address problems that occurred due to the lack of parking in the GO station which is not managed by them but by Metrolinx Nearby residents and businesses had been complaining about the lack of parking enforcement due to the overflow from the GO station lot “In order to address the parking needs of commuters we made a special accommodation for this location Fees are charged on a 12-hour basis instead of on the usual hourly basis so the cost is 5.50 per 12 hours instead of 5.50 per hour,” said Jeff Deaa vice-president of business Development at the Toronto Parking Authority While some commuters say the meters and additional signage indicating where parking is and is not permitted around the station will also help avoid parking tickets they’ve incurred they say the real issue remains with Metrolinx and the lack of free parking in the station’s lot “There hasn’t been enough parking here for years and it’s frustrating,” said commuter Julean Albidoni Several non-reserved spots were taken away years ago to make way for plans to build a brand new “transit oriented” community spearheaded by Vandyk Properties retail and the construction of a new parking garage opening up 300 spots for GO train commuters But those plans went bust after the developer’s lands went into court-appointed receivership Metrolinx terminated its agreement with Vandyk Properties we’ve been staring at remnants of a stalled project with all of this land wasted,” Travascio said Speakers Corner asked Metrolinx about that “Metrolinx has thoroughly explored all viable alternatives for additional parking at this station; however no further opportunities for expansion are currently available,” a spokesperson told Speakers Corner “The area that is blocked off is within the lands previously owned by Vandyk – while Metrolinx had been leasing these lands for temporary parking the lands are currently under receivership and do not belong to Metrolinx.” But the target date for those plans is still years away Metrolinx recommends commuters find alternative ways to get to the GO station which they claim a majority of users are already doing “Recent data shows that just six- to seven per cent of customers are driving and parking at this station 24 per cent are dropped off and 17 per cent use public transit,” the spokesperson said one of the ‘six- to seven per cent’ who drive here were hoping to hear as an already frustrating parking situation just got more costly “Trying to find an actual solution to this mess seems like the easier option rather than trying to nickel and dime everyone in Toronto.” If you have an issue, story or question you’d like us to look into, reach out here. WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Mark Carney will have to navigate a delicate balance during his first in-person meeting with Donald Trump today As the Toronto Maple Leafs busied themselves closing out a raucous 5-4 Game 1 victory over the nemesis Florida Panthers with backup goalie Joseph Woll holding fort and third-stringer Dennis Hildeby.. A Canadian man arrested on vacation has been proven innocent Melissa Nakhavoly with why he is still being held in the Dominican Republic Warmer temperatures but showers are expected on-and-off for the next few days Meteorologist Natasha Ramsahai has your seven-day forecast Ontario Premier Doug Ford calls on Prime Minister Mark Carney to prioritize a list of projects including the proposed Highway 401 tunnel a mentally ill man who was killed in an Ontario prison is calling out the provincial government over the lack of correctional reform listen to NewsRadio Toronto live anytime and get up-to-the-minute breaking-news alerts weather and video from CityNews Toronto anywhere you are – across all Android and iOS devices Sign in Join now Premier Doug Ford’s government is looking to clean the planning slate of a long-troubled site near a GO station to help attract a builder that might finally follow through with its development The government proposed revoking a minister’s zoning order (MZO) issued for a transit-oriented community (TOC) at the Mimico GO Station where the bulk of a 2,000-plus unit housing development was planned The project fell apart about a year ago when Metrolinx cancelled its agreement with Vandyk Properties after its planned development landed in receivership as a result of the company's financial struggles Ontario law allows the province’s housing minister to issue MZOs overruling municipalities’ local planning rules or decisions The tool was seldom used before Ford's Progressive Conservatives, which have granted over 100 — with many aimed at speeding up developments The MZO affecting lands near the Mimico GO Station was issued in April 2022 The order was specifically tailored to Vandyk's version of the project: it was to facilitate the construction of three multi-use buildings with six towers of mostly housing units Revoking the MZO would effectively unlock the lands from those plans providing the landowner more flexibility over their use “The reason why this is important is because we want a new building partner to acquire the land so that we can continue on with the TOC program with a new building partner whoever they may be in the future,” Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma told The Trillium last week Surma is the minister in Ford’s cabinet responsible for TOCs. Her request to Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul Calandra led him to formally propose revoking the MZO issued to the Mimico TOC lands on Nov. 1 It’s open for input from the public until next month The province could issue a new MZO to facilitate a future developer’s TOC proposal The Mimico GO Station is about a kilometre from the waterfront in Etobicoke the westernmost area of Toronto where Surma and the premier are each from It serves as a stop along GO Transit’s Lakeshore West Line which connects riders from Union Station in downtown Toronto to as far away as Niagara Falls A few developers have proposed skyscraper condos at or near the Mimico GO Station over the last decade-plus as successive provincial governments have sought to encourage development around key transit hubs.  The Ford government wrote in its 2019 budget that the Mimico GO project would “be the first of many projects” delivered under its TOCs' strategy Vandyk’s “Grand Central Mimico” proposal eventually grew into a project envisioned to include nine towers containing more than 2,000 new housing units in total.  Ontario’s then-housing minister issued MZOs to lands where most of the TOCs the government had announced by then were set to be built, including the properties where the bulk of Vandyk’s construction was planned Metrolinx quietly terminated the agreement with Vandyk last November after learning a court-appointed receiver had taken control of the company’s lands, the Ministry of Infrastructure told CBC News, which first reported the project’s collapse this spring. Surma expressed that she’s hopeful a potential buyer of the lands where Vandyk’s project was planned would also be open to upgrading the Mimico GO Station as part of a development of its own “We were really excited about the station,” she said “We want those community benefits to be negotiated in the future but we need a new landowner in order for that to happen.” \"our\") of the service provided by this web site (\"Service\") are not responsible for any user-generated content and accounts Content submitted express the views of their author only This Service is only available to users who are at least {age} years old you represent that you are this age or older or otherwise make available to the Service (\"Content\") may be reviewed by staff members All Content you submit or upload may be sent to third-party verification services (including Do not submit any Content that you consider to be private or confidential You agree to not use the Service to submit or link to any Content which is defamatory You are entirely responsible for the content of We may remove or modify any Content submitted at any time Requests for Content to be removed or modified will be undertaken only at our discretion We may terminate your access to all or any part of the Service at any time or re-publish your Content in connection with the Service These terms may be changed at any time without notice If you do not agree with these terms, please do not register or use the Service. Use of the Service constitutes acceptance of these terms. If you wish to close your account, please contact us You should review the Privacy Policy on a regular basis for any such changes You agree that your continued use of the Website after the revised Privacy Policy has been posted constitutes your consent to such revised Privacy Policy use and disclosure of your personal information as described in the revised Privacy Policy The Website may contain links to other non-Chart websites Chart is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such other websites Chart may collect the following types of information about you: your name gender and any facts that Chart deems to be reasonably necessary for the purposes of completing a transaction with you or to otherwise communicate with you (for example Chart may also collect facts relevant to your participation in a contest or facts relevant to a complaint made by you) In addition to your agreement above to the collection use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy Chart will obtain your consent to the collection use and disclosure of your personal information at the time personal information is collected Chart will make reasonable efforts to ensure that when personal information is collected that you understand why it is collected Chart will seek a form of consent that is appropriate to the sensitivity of the information collected.Limiting the Collection of the Personal Information Chart will limit the collection of personal information to that which is required to provide the necessary service or conduct the necessary activity and will only collect personal information through fair and lawful means You may withdraw your consent to the collection use or disclosure of personal information at any time subject to any specific contractual commitments that you have made with Chart in respect of your personal information and the requirement for you to provide reasonable notice to us A cookie is a message that is sent to your browser from a Web server and stored on your computer's hard drive You can set your browser preferences to reject all cookies but then you will not be able to participate in most customized services and you may be required to repeatedly log in to participate in various services Cookies make your experience easier by saving your preferences and passwords We also use cookies that contain no personal information at all These cookies help us estimate our audience size determine which areas of the Website are the most popular Third party advertisers and our ad server may set and access their cookies on your computer in accordance with their own privacy policies Some parts of the Website use cookies to collect information about visitors' use of the Website and to facilitate return visits Information collected about user activity may be done in partnership using a 3rd party tracking tool The information collected from cookies is tracked to enhance security and to improve the functionality of the Website by avoiding duplicate data entry Cookies on the site may collect the following information: a unique identifier user preferences and profile information used to personalize the content that is shown and membership information to access the Website services Some cookies used by the Website may remain on the user's computer after they leave the Web site Most browsers can be configured to reject cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent it is possible that some portions of the Website may not function exactly as intended Chart may also collect IP addresses for the purposes of systems administration or to report information in aggregate form to our advertisers (e.g how many visitors logged in to the Website) An IP address is a number that is assigned to your computer automatically when you use the Internet When you visit a particular the Website web page Your IP address is not linked to anything personally identifiable Chart understands the importance of protecting your personal information and will implement safeguards to protect personal information against unauthorized access including the use of the latest Internet security protocols to protect personal information collected through the Website you should be aware that the Internet is not a secure medium Chart does not represent or warrant the complete security of the personal information provided by you to Chart through the Website You understand that you are transmitting such information to Chart at your own risk.Employees of Chart who will be involved in the collection of personal information will be educated with respect to the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of personal information.Chart will use care in the disposal and destruction of personal information in order to prevent unauthorized parties from gaining access to the information Chart uses your personal information for one or more of the following purposes: service or information you requestedIf you are a customer of our publication we use your name and address (postal and/or e-mail) in order to deliver the product service or information you requested and to follow up with you about the transaction (i.e. notify you that your subscription is expiring If you enter into a contest offered through the Website or printed publications we use your personal information to administer the contest on our own behalf or on behalf of our sponsors (b) To process paymentYour credit card number for pre-authorized payments is used only for processing payments and for presenting you with payment options - not for marketing purposes (c) To send you informationFrom time to time we may send you further information about the Website or the publication (d) To respond to complaints from youWe may use your personal information to identify you and respond to any complaints that you may make to us we may use your personal information for the following purposes:· to detect and protect Chart and other third parties against error and to audit compliance with Chart policies and contractual obligations;· to understand your needs and preferences including to contact and communicate with you and to conduct surveys research and evaluations;· for any other purpose we may indicate to you from time to time We will provide you an opportunity to “opt out” of any such other purposes Your personal information will not be used to place you on any mailing lists Under no circumstances will we sell our customer lists or rent your personal information to third parties from time to time Chart may offer you the opportunity to respond to an “opt in” solicitation to receive marketing information from other carefully selected organisations and partners by email Chart will only pass on these details if you opt in Chart takes all measures possible to ensure that the contact you receive will be from reputable organisations Chart however cannot accept any responsibility for use of the data once it has been passed on and is no longer within Chart’s control Chart will take all reasonable steps to update or correct your personal information when necessary Chart will keep your personal information only as long as necessary for the identified purposes or as required by law Upon your written request and subject to the exemptions stipulated by law use and disclosure of your personal information and provide you with access to that information You may be required to provide sufficient information to permit Chart to provide an account of the existence Chart may charge a reasonable administration fee ($15) for providing access to the personal information in accordance with your request Chart will respond to the request for personal information within thirty (30) days of receipt of your request and if Chart is not able to produce the information within this time frame Chart will provide an explanation and will indicate when the information will be produced Chart is responsible for personal information under its control and has designated a Privacy Officer who is accountable for Chart’s compliance with this Privacy Policy and PIPEDA If at any time you have any questions or complaints about this Privacy Policy or your personal information and how it is being used collected or disclosed (including if you wish to request to update or correct any personally identifiable information you have provided) or you wish to withdraw your consent to “Use of Personal Information” Chart Communications Inc.5255 Yonge Street An aerial view looking northeast to 2256 Lake Shore Boulevard West designed by Core Architects for 2589727 Ontario Ltd The site at 2256 Lake Shore Boulevard West is currently home to a warehouse and storage facility on the west side of Legion Road The surrounding context includes a mix of residential towers Looking west from Lake Shore Boulevard West to the current site Originally proposed in August, 2022 with a combined application for Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment, and Site Plan Approval, that iteration called for 18- and 35-storey towers with 594 residential units and 665m² of retail space a revised submission was made in September adjusting the building heights and unit mix Additional refinements have since been incorporated Previous design by Core Architects for 2589727 Ontario Ltd WND Associates Ltd has now resubmitted Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications to the City on behalf of 2589727 Ontario Ltd The updated plan calls for towers rising 42.95m and 125.15m from a shared six-storey podium increased from the previous maximum height of 113.15m.  The development would introduce 575 residential units shifting the distribution toward smaller layouts with an increase in one-bedroom units from 356 to 370 and the introduction of 5 studio units A total Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 39,661m² calls for 630m² of retail fronting Lake Shore Boulevard West and a Floor Space Index of 6.22 times coverage of the 6,322m² lot. A 563m² parkland dedication is proposed at the northern corner of the site adjacent to a similar dedication from the neighbouring townhouse development The complex's volumes have been massed to provide visual separation above the podium A total of 2,801m² of amenity space is proposed across the development This includes 1,306m² of indoor and 1,495m² of outdoor area located at ground level and on the podium rooftop With two elevators in the shorter volume and four in the taller tower there would be approximately one elevator for every 96 units indicating adequate levels of service Four levels of underground garage would house 393 spaces (compared to 394 previously) Bicycle parking has been reduced from 474 spaces to 447 Nearby TTC surface transit routes include the 501 Queen/Lake Shore streetcar and multiple bus lines. The site is connected to the city’s cycling network via the Waterfront Trail, which runs directly adjacent to the site. Just to the northeast, the planned Park Lawn GO station, required to open alongside the first phase of the Christie’s site redevelopment at 2150 Lake Shore will place regional rail service within a 500m walk the station would designate the area as a Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) An aerial view looking east to the site and surrounding area UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development you can learn more about it from our Database file you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page UrbanToronto has a research service, UTPro, that provides comprehensive data on development projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe — from proposal through to completion. We also offer Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider that tracks projects from initial application.​​​ All presale purchase agreements pertaining to The Buckingham by Vandyk Properties have been terminated according to documents filed in the Ontario Superior Court as the court-ordered sales process now extends into a second year The Buckingham was planned for the 2.11-acre site at 23 Buckingham Street in Etobicoke, located steps away from the Mimico GO Station, and was one of several projects by Vandyk Properties that was placed under receivership in late-2023 and early-2024 Vandyk Properties had proposed three towers between 12 and 37 storeys above a shared four-storey commercial podium that would deliver a total of 749 condos The 23 Buckingham Street property is held by Vandyk Properties under Vandyk-The Buckingham North – Grand Central Limited, which was the subject of the receivership that was initiated by MCAP Financial Corporation pertaining to a first-ranking mortgage the two sides entered into in August 2020 for the principal amount of $37,500,000 according to MCAP Financial's application 2023 and was approved by the Ontario Superior Court on January 18 After the receivership order came into effect, the court then approved the sales process on March 8 and 23 Buckingham Street was listed for sale by Matt Picken JLL Canada notes that the site had already undergone preliminary excavation but that the project could be reconfigured "Given the current supply-demand imbalance and the ability to immediately begin construction an incoming purchaser may opt to construct purpose-built rental product to take advantage of a significant influx in demand," said JLL "There is also flexibility to reconfigure the existing development plans to create a brand new design concept for a residential condominium development by customizing unit mix The 23 Buckingham Street site located near the Mimico GO Station According to a report by the court-appointed Receiver published last month the brokers marketed the property to over 2,000 prospective purchasers 40 of whom signed confidentiality agreements ultimately only six parties submitted a letter of intent by the bid deadline of May 7 The Receiver says it consulted MCAP on the bids and they determined that "none of the bids were acceptable the value of comparable properties and the anticipated recoveries for applicable stakeholders that may result from such transactions." none of the six bids included the assumption of the existing presale purchase agreements 686 of 748 units had been pre-sold by the time the receivership order came into effect in January 2024 JLL also noted that "The existing development is fully sold to date and an incoming developer will have the option to maintain or collapse the existing sales contracts at its discretion." (Although not confirmed by STOREYS the "fully sold" description seems to suggest that more units were sold after the project was placed under receivership.) No buyer has come forth and the property remains listed for sale but the court has now allowed the Receiver to terminate all of the existing purchase agreements in an effort to allow purchasers out of the agreements and to get their deposits back sooner According to the Receiver, the deposits collected total to approximately $71 million, all of which was spent by Vandyk, but is fully-insured by Tarion Warranty Corporation The original purchase agreements (some of which were held under Vandyk-The Buckingham South – Grand Central Limited) had outside completion dates of 2028 and 2029 and the Receiver says that the project has no chance of being completed by then "Given the uncertainty surrounding when a potential transaction for the Project will materialize coupled with the Receiver's view that the ultimate termination of the Unit APSs in the future is near certain for the reasons set forth above this relief is necessary in order to avoid a significant delay in getting deposit refunds to Home Buyers the majority of whom entered into the Unit APSs in 2021," the Receiver said The court order is likely a relief to the presale purchasers, who would have otherwise had their deposits tied up for several more years, or perhaps even been asked to pay more for their units, as has been seen in other insolvency cases JLL will now continue to market the property The Buckingham is just one of several projects surrounding the Mimico GO Station that was being developed by Vandyk Properties who served as the guarantor on most of the company's loans Otera was owed $72,945,844.99 as of October 23 Additionally, Vandyk Properties also owns 327 Royal York Road, an adjacent site to the west, under 2402871 Ontario Inc., which was placed under receivership — along with four other properties — on November 14, 2023 at the request of Toronto-based KingSett Capital KingSett was owed $45,341,273.97 as of September 25 the property was listed for sale by Scotiabank Over a full year has now passed since all of the Grand Central Mimico properties were placed under receivership and it may continue to be that way for some time even if the properties are sold (considering market conditions) the future of this area is now essentially frozen The train has left the station and it's unclear when the next one will come A community consultation meeting to discuss the proposed restoration and redevelopment of the Blue Goose Tavern will take place May 17 and the information within may be out of date Mimico’s favourite historic watering hole is destined for the City of Toronto’s heritage register West-end councillors voted in favour of including the Blue Goose Tavern – a circa 1909 sports bar currently under consideration for a major restoration and redevelopment project – on the city’s municipal register of heritage properties at the May 2 session of Etobicoke York Community Council (EYCC) city planning staff noted the Blue Goose’s “cultural heritage value” and its design as a “well-preserved early-20th century commercial building with features of Edwardian Classicism” in their statement of the property’s significance the Blue Goose Tavern has a long history in the south Etobicoke community — beginning with its roots as the Windsor Hotel Originally constructed adjacent to Mimico Train Station in 1892 the establishment burned down in 1905 and was rebuilt and reopened as the Windsor Public House in 1909 While the popular neighbourhood hangout was purchased by the Chemij family in 1958 it wasn’t until 1971 that its name was officially changed to the Blue Goose Tavern — a nickname it got from a blue-tinged steam engine whose engineer used to make frequent stops at the pub while passing through town the bar was associated in the late 20th century and afterward with Mimico’s famed sports culture with the proprietors supporting local hockey lacrosse and baseball teams,” city staff further noted in their report recommending the site’s inclusion on the heritage register If ultimately approved at Toronto City Council the Blue Goose’s designation as a heritage register property means it will need to be conserved and maintained in accordance with Official Plan Heritage Policies Designation would also enable city council to review alterations to the site at 1 Blue Goose St. enforce heritage property standards and maintenance and refuse demolition – all timely stipulations given that the Blue Goose is currently the subject of a development application That application seeks to “retain and restore” the existing four-storey mixed-use building that currently houses the Blue Goose Tavern on its ground floor and 18 affordable dwelling units on its second the redevelopment of the site would include the construction of a fourth storey and an east-side addition a renovated restaurant on the ground level and a total of 18 new rental dwelling units on the upper levels of the building The proposal also calls for an infill development on the remainder of the site City planning staff are set to host a community consultation meeting to discuss the proposed Blue Goose redevelopment on Wednesday For more information about the redevelopment proposal or the community consultation meeting, contact Etobicoke-Lakeshore Councillor Mark Grimes’ office at 416-397-9273 or Planner Ellen Standret at estandre@toronto.ca EDITOR’S NOTE: The story  has been updated from its original version  A city planning report which The Guardian sourced contained the inaccuracy Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: LocalNewsToronto police investigate after man shot at Mimico condo building By Codi WilsonOpens in new windowPublished: March 07, 2025 at 6:32AM EST Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved The cleanup was finally starting to move along It had been nearly a week since an enormous fire broke out at a chemical company in northwest Toronto brown sludge from the site began surging into city sewers The toxic goop was made of oil from the burnt building — owned by chemical distributor Brenntag — mixed in with firefighting foam and the untold litres of water used to douse the flames it killed wildlife and stained rocks.  The mucky runoff was flowing into Mimico Creek. The contaminants also drained into Humber Creek, a tributary of the larger Humber River. Both waterways lead to Lake Ontario, a source of drinking water for 9 million people Containment and cleanup were the priority for crews acting on orders from Ontario’s Environment Ministry — and urgently.  The process hadn’t gone perfectly by any stretch Vacuum trucks were out sucking up millions of litres of the goop Crews had installed temporary dams and booms along Humber and Mimico creeks which create a floating barrier and are often wrapped in absorbent material to soak up some of the oil as well Rain was forecast to fall overnight, a prospect that left some uneasy. One local called the Environment Ministry to say as much: “Caller stated she has lived beside Mimico Creek for years, and notes that when it’s raining, the water levels rise by a foot,” a ministry staffer wrote in an incident report obtained by The Narwhal through freedom of information legislation.  “Caller stated she has seen the containment measures in place and is concerned it won’t suffice ahead of tonight’s rain.” the Environment Ministry decided the spill was secure enough “The containment measures are sufficient in regards to the weather event,” the ministry noted water volumes were five times more than what they had been the day before Several of the booms — it’s unclear how many — blew out and were pushed aside The slurry cascaded down Mimico Creek in the hours before dawn on Aug where it entered the lake at Humber Bay Park “Containment breached,” reads another entry in the incident report with some contaminated material still seeping into the lake, a contractor told the ministry the spill extended one kilometre out into water one of the ministry’s environmental officers reported seeing a brown plume at Humber Bay Park where two human-made peninsulas frame the mouth of Mimico Creek.  The contaminated material at the park was mixed into the water column winds increased,” an entry in the incident report from later in the day said adding that crews were using shop vacuums to “capture blobs.” At some points in the day ministry staff were worried the spill would reach the Toronto Islands to the east though it doesn’t appear it ever did.  Emulsified oil, or oil that has become mixed with water, is much more difficult to clean up. For one thing, it can linger for months or even years, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency disappearing from the surface of the water and giving the false impression that the environmental risk is gone.  Key details about the extent of the leak — the brown plume the fears it would reach the islands — were never made public the ministry acknowledged that a “sheen” had been observed on the lake but maintained the “oil slurry” itself did not reach open water The Ministry of the Environment acknowledged but did not answer questions from The Narwhal about the apparent discrepancy between the incident report and what it told the public the president of the Mimico Residents Association could see the spill from her balcony overlooking Mimico Creek and its mouth She said the details in the incident report match what she and her neighbours in the community remember — an oil slick entering the lake with a smell like burning plastic — but could never get officials to confirm.  “A lot of what’s in the incident report you could also just observe with the naked eye,” Asrani said when we reached out to the ministry and to our representatives Ashley Wallis, an associate director at the charity Environmental Defence, which has pushed the province for transparency about the Mimico Creek spill said the oily sheen was alarming on its own indicating some kind of petrochemical pollution But the details in the incident report about the plume also make it clear the ministry wasn’t honest about the extent of the problem “The government was gaslighting the public.”  Humber Bay Park is full of people walking their dogs and eating ice cream by the shore as they take in views of Toronto’s skyline It’s about 12 kilometres from Brenntag’s north Etobicoke facility, where a fire broke out in the middle of the night on Aug driving the plume of petrochemicals down Mimico Creek to these waters spreading from tractor trailers to the back of the building dousing the flames with massive amounts of water The Environment Ministry recorded its first notes about the fire just after 3 a.m when Toronto Fire Services called to say it was worried the runoff all of that water mixed with various petrochemicals “Toronto Fire reports they are ‘up to their shins in contaminants,’ ” a subsequent entry in the incident report reads Commonly known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS can linger in ecosystems for centuries.  Under Ontario law, the responsibility for cleaning up hazardous spills is supposed to fall to the company that caused the contamination. In the wake of the fire, Brenntag hired contractors to contain and clean up the spill on its behalf, including waste management company GFL Environmental Crews from GFL and Toronto Water — the City of Toronto department that oversees drinking water and sewers — were at work on the Brenntag spill within hours racing to figure out where the sludge was going The Ministry of the Environment is supposed to oversee that process and step in if companies don’t fulfill their obligations pen an incident report when calls about a pollutant being released into the environment come in staff also sometimes keep a log of the spill response and ensuing cleanup It isn’t a complete list of everything that happens with a specific spill The Brenntag spill was a challenge to tackle in the first place and it took days for firefighters to extinguish hotspots and flare-ups in the smoldering wreckage more contaminated runoff would flow downstream a side effect that was unfortunate but unavoidable The incident report mentions one flare-up happening as late as Aug It’s also a tricky landscape to work within ranging from industrial sites to quiet neighbourhoods As the sludge spread downstream in the hours after the fire started a tipster called the ministry to report a “thick coffee-coloured slick” at Tom Riley Park along Mimico Creek who was noted in the incident report as being a ministry employee has the same name as a long-time ministry spokesperson.) But they didn’t issue warnings to tell people to stay away from the water the Environment Ministry still did not issue any public warnings about the spill at Humber Bay Park nor did it notify swimmers along any of Toronto’s western beaches.  The ministry didn’t answer questions about why it didn’t tell the public about the spill impacting creeks and the lake it said the “oil slurry material” stayed contained within the Humber Bay Park area of Mimico Creek and was collected by Aug “Ministry staff confirmed that although a sheen was visible by drone the oil slurry had not reached the open water of Lake Ontario,” the report said “Plume modelling undertaken by [Environment and Climate Change Canada] confirmed the drone observations.” Environment and Climate Change Canada said its modelling indicated the spill likely wouldn’t impact the shoreline Such modelling has “inherent uncertainties,” the department said in a statement as they are “simplifications and approximations of reality” that can be flawed if the data used isn’t accurate “Spill models have repeatedly proved to be a powerful tool for aiding response to environmental spill emergencies,” the statement said.  “Under circumstances where the model outputs do not match the on-site observations spill response decisions are made based upon the real-world observations and not the model outputs.” there seemed to be much more than a sheen on the water “It was awful … it was a very thick layer of sludge a couple inches of just solid sludge on top of the creek,” Asrani said it was kind of like an environmental disaster.” governments didn’t publish basic information about the spill — why it was able to travel so far along Mimico Creek and into Lake Ontario how the contaminants in the water might affect health and safety and what the long-term environmental impacts might be “It certainly is not good enough,” she said “The public has a right to know what’s going on in their own backyard In the absence of warnings from the province the City of Toronto and Toronto Public Health didn’t issue any public warnings about the Mimico Creek spill either The City of Toronto did not answer questions about why it didn’t share more information with the public Spokesperson Russell Baker said in a statement that the city cannot comment on “records held by or statements made by” the Environment Ministry and redirected questions to the province “The [ministry] led the response effort,” Russell said adding that the city “worked closely” with other government agencies to respond to the spill Toronto Public Health spokesperson Chris Wai said the agency consulted with the Environment Ministry and “other stakeholders,” and found no need to issue public health warnings “It was determined that there was no significant public health risk at any of the nearby beaches and no risk to the city’s drinking water supply at any time,” Wai said in an email.  Brenntag spokesperson Robert Reitze said the company co-operated completely with authorities and created a hotline to answer community questions and concerns about the spill The number was posted on signs in public places.  The incident report indicates Brenntag put up the signs on Aug 2023, 11 days after the incident began and four days after the spill reached Lake Ontario.  “People have a right to know if there are potentially toxic or hazardous chemicals in the water body they’re maybe planning to swim in or canoe in,” Wallis said She remembers visiting the area around the time of the spill and finding people playing with their pets one dog splashing in the contaminated water “When I told them that there’d been a spill here told The Narwhal she plans to work with municipal staff to ensure the city learns from the Brenntag spill and is better prepared for future events ‘Our residents deserve to have confidence that emergency procedures are being followed and appropriate safety measures are being put in place during incidents like this – and that when things don’t work as planned we learn from it and update our procedures,” Morley said.  “This is only possible with open and transparent communication.” Contrasting information around the Brenntag spill was just one of the problems documented in the incident report Problems arose on that first day of the cleanup when GFL staff failed to install booms and hay-bales along Humber Creek to soak up the oil “GFL admitted to forgetting and is currently arranging crews to attend,” the incident report reads There were two other occasions where GFL didn’t keep up its commitments who is listed as the media contact on the company’s website didn’t respond to detailed questions from The Narwhal about the incident report.  Brenntag didn’t directly answer when asked if it was satisfied with GFL’s work on the spill Reitze said GFL’s crews worked around the clock in the wake of the incident “The cleanup work along the creeks and lakeshore was always responsive to changing conditions,” Reitze wrote The incident report obtained by The Narwhal also shows moments where government agencies were difficult to get ahold of or slow to act hampering the response to the spill.  which the Environment Ministry had instructed it to do That allowed contaminated material to keep gushing down Humber Creek so the ministry asked GFL to take over the task “It is evident that Toronto Water is failing to do the things they were directed to do,” the incident report said The City of Toronto didn’t answer questions about Toronto Water’s role in the response.  the ministry asked Toronto Police Services to help with traffic control around cleanup work police put the Spills Action Centre on hold — after 15 minutes the ministry staffer who called hung up.  Toronto police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer said the service received over 6,500 calls for help the day of the Spills Action Centre’s first call “Although we strive to assist our partner agencies when requested responding to urgent policing calls takes priority and we are receiving and attending more emergency calls than ever before,” Sayer said.  the Spills Action Centre tried calling Toronto Public Health to brief the agency four times — they were left on hold twice left two voicemails and sent one email before getting a reply Wai said that falls within Toronto Public Health’s standard timeframe for a response and there’s “no indication of a procedural lapse.” The ministry briefed Toronto Public Health — which had already been involved in discussions about the spill since Aug 13 — about the breach as a “routine precaution,” and so the agency could be included in a meeting later that day the health agency decided not to issue a public warning “Run-off material that had escaped containment on August 18 was monitored closely by drone and boats and contained/captured quickly,” Wai said.  the Spills Action Centre had to get assistance from Toronto Parks and Recreation to block off parts of Humber Bay Park where a farmers’ market and boat users were getting in the way of cleanup The City of Toronto didn’t answer questions about why the park wasn’t proactively closed off after the spill but said questions should be directed to the Environment Ministry.  Wallis said the response to the spill should have worked better There are plenty of industrial sites within the Mimico Creek watershed “Even if nothing could have been done to prevent the spill from happening in the first place I think that there should have been a much more agreed upon kind of response plan,” Wallis said The Brenntag spill wasn’t the first in the area — another spill not involving the company happened on Mimico Creek in 2015. And earlier this year, an oily sludge of unknown origin spilled into neighbouring Etobicoke Creek means the province and municipalities need to have better plans for protecting waterways and for responding when spills happen “It’s just not good enough,” she said because it’s costing us when it comes to the health of our waterways.” Humber Bay Park looks and smells clean on the surface A pedestrian bridge stretches over the mouth of Mimico Creek — from it herons can be seen fishing in the evening while ducks dabble nearby.  Reitze told The Narwhal cleanup work wrapped up on Dec and that Brenntag has a restoration plan in place That plan includes “surface-water sampling and the assessment of potential impact of the cleanup on vegetation It also includes field surveys in 2024 and monitoring through 2025 according to the ministry’s report from last November “Brenntag Canada is continuing to cooperate with the Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks on this work,” Reitze added In its latest annual report Brenntag said the fire at its Etobicoke facility cost the company 27.3 million euros (roughly $40.7 million) of which 8.2 million euros (about $12 million) was covered by insurance payouts The company didn’t answer when asked how much of those costs were related to the environmental cleanup.  The Environment Ministry didn’t respond to questions from The Narwhal about the status of the cleanup But in its public report about the spill from November 2023 the ministry said it planned to verify the effectiveness of the response through visual observations and environmental testing the ministry will ensure Brenntag begins it immediately,” the November 2023 report said.  Wallis said the details in the incident report make her worry the spill will never truly be cleaned up Oil mixed into the water column of the lake would be nearly impossible to remove questions the feasibility of whether a thorough cleanup was even possible,” she said of the incident report “I think our water bodies really deserve better.” Get the inside scoop on The Narwhal’s environment and climate reporting by signing up for our free newsletter A $335 million funding commitment to fund.. a massive open-pit coal mine near Jasper National Park is hoping to expand.. A trade war could help remake B.C.’s food system First Nations are leading efforts to make sure lake sturgeon can find a home in.. non-profit and supported by readers like you A pedestrian remains in hospital after he was struck by a vehicle in Etobicoke early Sunday morning the crash happened in the Mimico-Queensway area The pedestrian has been identified as 29-year-old male and was rushed to a trauma centre with life-threatening injuries Officers say the driver failed to remain at the scene and was last seen travelling westbound on Evans Avenue No suspect or vehicle description was released Dave Bolland of the Chicago Blackhawks hoists the Stanley Cup after defeating the Boston Bruins in Game Six of the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Final Bolland was recently traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs and will be bringing the Cup to his old stomping ground in Mimico For the second time in four years the Stanley Cup will be coming home to Toronto – thanks to Mimico native Dave Bolland the fiesty 27-year-old forward who scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Chicago Blackhawks in the recently concluded Stanley Cup championship is now a Toronto Maple Leaf through a trade completed Sunday In a video interview with NHL.com Bolland said he’ll likely split his traditional day with the Stanley Cup between London where he played his junior hockey (and where the Leafs will play their first pre-season game this fall) and Mimico where he was born and raised “I’ll have to take it to the legendary Blue Goose (Tavern) to have the Stanley Cup on display there,” he quipped in the interview While Bolland’s time with the Stanley Cup for 2013 has not been decided yet but he recalled his triumphant 2010 Stanley Cup visit to Mimico as “pretty crazy.” “We had a little parade and we did a little thing.” Bolland hardly had time for the post-Stanley Cup celebrations to start winding down when the trade was announced “You go from an ultimate high to not really an ultimate low but when you get traded you’re leaving the guys you’re leaving the city,” he said in the video interview he has played his whole career in the Windy City amassing 168 points in 332 regular season games and 43 points in 67 post season games “You never think in how many years you’re going to actually play for them – I’m excited and happy to be there.” “We’ll see once we get there what the coaches ask whatever they’re going to put at me I’m going to do my best.” he’ll get an early peek at the Toronto Maple Leafs training facility at the MasterCard Centre in south Etobicoke That’s because the Mimico native had already booked the facility to hold his second annual hockey school beginning in late July For more on his hockey camp, visit http://dbsperformance.com (and link through Community/Hockey Camp) in his fourth decade of community journalism the development is positioned close to Mimico GO station Block D at the northwest corner of Audley and Newcastle streets It was previously occupied by industrial structures both of which have been cleared to make way for the proposed high-rise mixed-use building Looking northwest to the massing for Block D designed by Wallman Architects for Minto Communities GTA with Portland Street as its northern limit and an eastern extension of Newcastle Street forming is south and eastern limits now partly vacant land interspersed with some existing low-rise employment uses Looking northwest to the massing for Block E The Grand Park Village proposal is one of several redevelopment plans by developers to convert this historically industrial zone into a mixed-use community following its designation by Toronto City Council — owing to the adjacent GO station — as a Regeneration Area Minto's first move here is to tweak the plans to maximize buildable space The revisions have required adjustments to the site-specific Zoning By-law via Minor Variance (MV) applications the MV application seeks an increase from the previously approved 36 storeys to a 40-storey tower This building would boast 413 residential units with a total Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 28,270m² including 630m² of retail space on the ground floor of its 4-storey podium the building would be accommodated within the previously approved GFA Block D calls for 126 motor vehicle parking spaces for residents and 37 for visitors within a three-level underground garage There would be 440 long-term and 29 short-term bicycle parking spots The building is set to be served by four elevators Block E’s revised plans also include taller towers from the approved 20 and 24 storeys to 23 and 27 storeys Including the suites found in the C-shaped podium that would dominate the block the proposed changes would bring the total residential units on Block E to 1,060 Ten elevators would be distributed across the complex also indicating mostly acceptable wait times and 31 retail/office parking spaces within a two-level underground garage alongside bicycle parking of 736 spaces for residents The applications propose five percent of the new units as affordable housing under the City’s Home Ownership Assistance Program Development Charges Deferral Program. A new public park and an adjacent POPS (Privately-Owned Publicly-accessible Space) are included on both blocks Located about 300m east of Mimico GO station the development offers walking-distance fast access to Downtown Toronto via the frequent Lakeshore West corridor GO trains while TTC bus services including the 76B Royal York South route which connects to Bloor Line 2 at Royal York station that tracks projects from initial application With its close proximity to Humber Bay Park East and West the new development will serve up a wellness-filled dose of green space yet is still close enough to the downtown core's towering concrete to make for a simple commute the residential portion will feature a co-working space adjacent to the lobby/concierge for the work-from-home days Like many parts of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Located in the southeast corner of Etobicoke Mimico was deemed “up-and-coming” in the not-too-distant past and the area is an increasingly popular one to call home It’s characterized by a growing population and climbing home prices “The Site is ideally situated in a rapidly growing area of South Etobicoke which is currently undergoing a significant transformation and will form one of Toronto’s newest transit-oriented communities,” reads the listing “With planned local intensification in the coming years surrounding Mimico GO Station the area is set to become a pedestrian-friendly mixed-use community with a wide array of amenities including several retail options and parks The Property represents an excellent opportunity for [a] developer to acquire a high-density development of scale directly across from Mimico GO Station.” While the fate of that site may still be up in the air one thing remains certain: We'll see a lot more development applications roll in for Mimico in the coming years When an oil spill leached into two Toronto creeks last summer the spill reached Lake Ontario — a source of drinking water for 9 million people after a massive fire broke out at a facility in northwest Toronto owned by chemical distributor Brenntag Canada It took firefighters several days and huge amounts of water and firefighting foam to douse the flames contaminated runoff from the site — an oily brown sludge — started flowing into sewers and then Mimico and Humber creeks the latter a tributary feeding into the larger Humber River Both the river and Mimico Creek flow into Lake Ontario Through an internal provincial spill report and a second document that was made public by the ministry last November, The Narwhal has pieced together how that slurry made its way 12 kilometres downstream to the lake Incident reports are prepared by staff at the Environment Ministry’s Spills Action Centre a 24-7 hotline that takes reports of chemical spills and keeps records of how they’re contained and cleaned up The Narwhal accessed the report through freedom of information legislation The reports aren’t a perfect picture of everything that happens in response to a spill but they do offer a window into how different governments react and the steps taken to clean up an environmental mess In the case of the Brenntag fire and ensuing contamination that snapshot shows how the efforts of hundreds of people — from Brenntag to their contractors to all levels of government — worked to ensure the damage from the spill wasn’t as bad as it could have been It also shows instances where some agencies made mistakes Under Ontario law, companies who spill — in this case, Brenntag, which hired contractor GFL Environmental to conduct the work on its behalf — are responsible for the cleanup The provincial Environment Ministry is responsible for overseeing the process and stepping in if needed The ministry declined to answer questions about the incident from The Narwhal including whether it issued any fines or penalties to any of the entities involved in the spill cleanup Here’s a look at some of the problems highlighted in the province’s incident report Problems in the cleanup of the spill from the Brenntag fire started on the first day when the Environment Ministry told GFL to install booms and hay-bales along Humber Creek to soak up oil and keep it from flowing downstream the incident report says members of the public complained to the ministry about “hydrocarbon sludge” that GFL spilled on the ground at Echo Valley Park one of several public parks along Mimico Creek where crews staged cleanup work “GFL is aware of spillage of sludge to roadway,” the incident report reads adding that the company planned to clean it up the next morning And when rain fell on the night of Aug. 18 — a “moderate” weather event, according to the ministry’s public November 2023 report on the spill and one that had been forecast for days — it was the booms installed by GFL along Mimico Creek that breached The report doesn’t shed light on what caused the booms to give out GFL didn’t answer emails and a voicemail from The Narwhal The Environment Ministry didn’t answer questions about how it checked that GFL’s work was sufficient an associate director at the charity Environmental Defence who has pushed for transparency about the Brenntag spill told The Narwhal crews should have been able to come up with containment measures that can withstand rain adding that similar storms are pretty typical for Toronto in August ministry environmental officers were on site at Humber Bay Park They recorded their sightings of the oily plume in the water — and they also saw GFL failing to uphold one more commitment the company had pledged to have three trucks on site at Humber Bay Park at all times to vacuum up contaminated muck 19 to remind them to “take more action at this critical time,” the incident report says “It was critical that the oil behind the booms remain contained and removed ASAP at[sic] there was a risk that a rain event would cause the oil to be discharged into the lake.” didn’t respond to detailed questions from The Narwhal about the ministry’s version of events Brenntag didn’t directly answer when asked if the company was satisfied with GFL’s work on the spill spokesperson Robert Reitze said GFL’s crews worked around the clock in the wake of the incident Toronto Water — a department of the City of Toronto that’s responsible for drinking water stormwater and sewage — also failed to do what the Environment Ministry instructed it to Toronto Water was supposed to help install dams to contain the sludge on Humber Creek But ministry staff reported back that this hadn’t happened allowing the contamination to move farther downstream “The two dams that were requested had not been started,” the incident report says “It is evident that Toronto Water is failing to do the things they were directed to do.” the ministry removed Toronto Water from its duties on Humber Creek and asked GFL to step in GFL was able to complete the dams in the end which helped prevent oil from spilling from the creek into the Humber River during the rainstorm on Aug In the days immediately following the Brenntag fire the Environment Ministry called on Toronto Police Services twice for help controlling traffic that was getting in the way of cleanup crews Toronto police told the ministry they were too busy to assist police put the ministry staffer who called on hold and the incident report doesn’t mention the police again Toronto police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer said the service received more than 6,500 calls for help the day of the Spills Action Centre’s first call and we are receiving and attending more emergency calls than ever before,” Sayer said where a farmers’ market was set up in the main parking lot It was the day after oil from the spill hit Lake Ontario and efforts to vacuum up contaminated muck were well underway Crews trying to get out on the water to gather up globs of the oil also found themselves sharing the park’s launch with recreational boaters people also parked all around GFL’s equipment “GFL is seeking a direct/backdoor number for City of Toronto Parks as there is all types of traffic in the park at this time that is hindering the cleanup,” the incident report says The incident report doesn’t detail how the situation was resolved and the City of Toronto didn’t answer questions about what happened and why it didn’t proactively close the park once it learned of the spill the Spills Action Centre also tried to get help from the Canadian Coast Guard which has a mandate to respond to pollution on Canadian waters.  The Coast Guard employee who took the call a response specialist based several hours away in Sarnia told the ministry it would have to submit a written request for help and that the matter was “above her pay grade,” the provincial incident report says “We were hoping for a more timely response,” the Spills Action Centre employee responded The Coast Guard’s “resources were kind of scattered and a field response would possibly take some time to coordinate,” according to the incident report the ministry didn’t submit a formal request for the Coast Guard’s help a spokesperson for the Canadian Coast Guard said in an email that the agency’s resources are only scattered in the sense that they’re “located across the province The Coast Guard doesn’t have staff who can respond to environmental hazards in the Toronto area The nearest staff and equipment are located at bases on Lake Huron or the St “Travel to the Toronto area from any of these locations would take a few hours,” Hennessy said adding that local fire departments and chemical-handling facilities are often better positioned to respond.   we cannot be everywhere at once,” Hennessy said Hennessy also said the Coast Guard was told the Mimico Creek spill originated on land “The Canadian Coast Guard confirmed it would provide assistance to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks if a request were made,” he said as the incident was not within its mandate and no request for assistance was received … As it currently stands — as it did on Aug 2023 — the Canadian Coast Guard is in a strong position to help.” Mimico Creek appears to be mostly back to normal The globs of sludge and containment booms are long gone and water birds like ducks and herons can be seen in the water at Humber Bay Park.  Brenntag says its cleanup work was finished on Dec and the company is now moving ahead with a restoration plan the ministry says it plans to do testing and visual observations to confirm the results of the cleanup Monitoring at the site will continue into 2025 A woman has been taken into custody for alleged impaired driving after crashing into the front of a Mimico townhouse Toronto police were called to Lake Shore Boulevard and Louisa Drive just before 2:30 p.m There was damage to the front of the townhouse but no one in the home was injured Mimico-Queensway has seen a lot of traffic spill into its streets over the years residents decided to speak out against speeding vehicles the Mimico Neighbourhood Mobility Plan is now underway increasing signage and adding road design improvements like curb extensions manager of area transportation planning for the City of Toronto Transportation Services says the Mimico Neighbourhood Mobility Plan was the first-of-its-kind neighbourhood-wide road safety plan “What was new about the Mimico Neighborhood Mobility Plan was looking at the neighbourhood at scale It’s not that the city hadn’t done that before the city might have relied on consulting services to do that kind of precinct look or zone look,” she explains “This was our first time bringing that work into the city itself and working amongst our colleagues at City Hall.” But it wasn’t an easy road to get there Residents first spoke to former city councillor Mark Grimes who raised motions on their behalf at Etobicoke-York Community Council since 2015. The situation escalated in 2018 after an eight-year-old boy was injured in a car accident which prompted the start of a traffic study one year later after community consultations through 2022 and 2023 the community council approved the Mimico Neighbourhood Mobility Plan this past June “This was very much a community grassroots-led initiative I think that it was really through the support of community members primarily that we have gotten to where we are today,” Mimico resident Eric Vanderwal says “I think it was difficult for the councillor and for transportation staff — perhaps not living in this area not being intimately familiar with the problems that existed — to understand what residents were really so fanatical about.” All traffic-calming measures from the Mimico Neighborhood Mobility Plan are slated to be completed by the end of summer 2025 some recommendations are still under review such as designated pick-up and drop-off locations for schools adding new pedestrian crossings and restrictions on street parking some speed bumps — the community doesn’t look at these things as they take seven years to come to terms with We would have liked to see that stuff happen quicker,” says Michael Majeski vice-president of the Mimico Residents Association Eventually, Mimico paved the way for the City of Toronto’s Neighbourhood Streets Plan program five neighbourhoods that nominate themselves get selected for a road safety plan The Mimico Children’s Choir begins rehearsals for the upcoming season on Sept The organization is looking for new choristers The Mimico Children’s Choir is inviting new choristers in grades 1 to 8 to participate in its 10th anniversary season of celebration and song near Royal York and Lake Shore Boulevard West in south Etobicoke Early drop off is available for an extra charge With a wide variety of music including spiritual the choir is particularly excited to be doing selections from The Wizard of Oz as well as some of their best numbers throughout their decade-long history The Mimico Children’s Choir provides accessible the choir gives children an opportunity to learn and grow through music in a nurturing The choir participates in a number of performances throughout the year including the Christmas in Mimico carol concert and its own Annual Spring Concert The choir has delighted audiences young and old through not only its community based work the choir has agreed to join the Etobicoke Philharmonic for a second time for what will certainly be an entertaining show for viewers of all ages For more information, visit www.mimicochildrenschoir.com uReport enables our readers to submit photographs and videos from local events written reports on things happening around Toronto Submissions, made through insidetoronto.com or via email at newsroom@insidetoronto.com are reviewed by an editor before being published on our website Select submissions will appear in the newspaper More than 270,000 individuals visit www.insidetoronto.com every month which makes this a great opportunity to share your information with a broad audience Check back in with us at any time to find out what's happening President Donald Trump is planning to put a '100% tariff' on movies produced outside of America Erica Natividad with how this may impact Canada's closely tied industry The family of an Ontario man who died in a correctional facility in 2016 is calling out the provincial government for failing to act on recommendations made in an inquest into his death President Donald Trump is planning to put a ‘100% tariff’ on movies produced outside of America Erica Natividad with how this may impact Canada’s closely tied industry The effort to relieve congestion with a tunnel under Highway 401 is now on PM Mark Carney’s radar Premier Ford listed the project as one of Ontario’s top priorities in need of federal support Ontario’s measles outbreak is showing no signs of slowing and for the first time in a while the province’s top doctor publicly addressed the growing health crisis The annual tradition of cherry blossom viewing at High Park is in full swing as the trees hit peak bloom Audra Brown with everything you need to know before joining the huge crowds of cherry blossom enthusiasts preparing for a first meeting with the U.S and some say simply getting America to agree to a framework for negotiations going forward is the goal The woman who says she was sexually assaulted by five former world junior hockey players faced cross-examination as defence council questioned what she said happened in a London hotel room in 2018 One of the busiest air travel hubs in America is entering a second week of mounting delays and cancellations Laura Aguierre looks at the mounting frustration as the U.S Federal Aviation Authority copes with a staffing shortage Jury selection has begun at the trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Leigh Waldman discusses the charges the music mogul is facing and why finding an impartial jury could prove difficult National Weather Service is in worse shape than previously thought due to a combination of layoffs Ivan Rodriguez explores the impact that could have as hurricane season approaches 80% of the Cardinals who have the task of choosing a new Pontiff were named by Pope Francis this is a group that will be significantly different from the ones who have chosen other Popes in the past Video1 person injured in Mimico fireOne person has been injured in a fire reportedly related to an assault at a Mimico high-rise. CP24's Steve Ryan is on scene at Lake Shore Boulevard West with the latest. Through mass timber construction, Leader Lane Developments and Windmill Developments are charting the course for sustainable urban development with Halsa constructed using Intelligent City’s pre-fabricated mass timber system is coming to the northwest corner of Royal York and Drummond Street in Mimico the development is ambitiously targeting LEED Platinum certification and adhering to Tier 2 of the Toronto Green Standards also aiming to fulfill the principles of the One Planet Living Framework The One Planet Living Fund focuses on investing in highly sustainable reinforcing the eco-friendly commitments of both companies designed by LWPAC Architects for Leader Lane Developments Designed by LWPAC Architects Halsa at 230 Royal York Road will introduce 58 market-rate rental units and 7 replacement rental dwelling rooms to this area of the city long-term rental options amidst a surge of nearby condominium developments Derived from the Swedish words for 'Health' and 'Welcome,' Halsa represents Leader Lane and Windmill’s brand of sustainable mid-rise infill buildings that promote an active lifestyle and well-being The site has been selected for its close proximity to transit and bike lanes and features a 1:1 bike parking ratio to encourage active transportation These developments are distinguished by their integration of nature and the visible use of mass timber To celebrate the use of mass timber construction each unit features a significant amount of exposed Cross Laminated Timber on the ceiling and exterior walls An alternative solution is being sought to allow this expression of wood which has been shown to have positive benefits on air quality and overall health The mass timber structure and floor assemblies pivotal to this project are supplied by Intelligent City out of Delta marking a significant step in material innovation and sustainable construction practices. Intelligent City offers a technology-driven high-quality building solution that is constructed using robotics in their factory before being delivered to site This results in fewer changes on site and faster UrbanToronto recently spoke with Councillor Amber Morley of Ward 3 who also serves as Toronto's Deputy Mayor for Etobicoke to learn more about the project's impact on the neighbourhood "As we continue to tackle our housing crisis as a city we are not only looking at the right kind of building mix that people can actually access and afford but also making sure that the sustainability piece is front and centre as well." the project addresses a significant gap left by the predominance of condominium developments which often require large down payments and long-term financial commitments that many cannot afford This offers a viable housing alternative that supports housing stability and accessibility Councillor Morley expressed enthusiasm about the project in her Ward “This has been a missing part of the puzzle and we're excited about the level of sustainability that Leader Lane and Windmill can achieve with the construction." involved in the City's Infrastructure and Environment Committee is a staunch advocate for ensuring that new developments aspire to exceed the rigorous benchmarks set by the Toronto Green Standards She insists on high environmental standards for all new projects articulating that it is “important that we see all new developments meet at the very minimum Tier One of the Toronto Green Standard." Recognizing the importance of resident input mandatory community consultation meetings have been conducted to gather feedback and address any concerns from locals Councillor Morley emphasized the significance of these interactions as “an important part of the development process is significant community consultation." The full trio of mid-rises will all be built with pre-fabricated mass timber Aerial view of the site and surrounding area there is an urgency to address the pressing need for more inclusive and accessible housing solutions Councillor Morley has been vocal about the need for sustained commitment from both governmental bodies and developers to address these challenges head-on "We need as leaders in our city to keep up our focus and our sense of urgency as it relates to getting housing built,” she shared “and specifically supporting projects that are going to support residents in our city who are more most marginalized." The inclusion of commercial retail spaces at street level will further invigorate the area The project has recently made strides in its application process receiving the green light for necessary variances from the Committee of Adjustment The team anticipates breaking ground later this year that tracks projects from initial application.​​​​​ Video1 person injured, suspect charged with arson in Mimico apartment fireA fire at a high-rise residential building on Lake Shore and Burlington Street in Mimico has left one male in his thirties in police custody. Andrew Suboch in his Toronto garage on March 6 Suboch sponsors a children’s lacrosse league in Mimico by collecting and selling scrap metal and e-waste.Jennifer Roberts/The Globe and Mail The pitch: Funding lacrosse programs for children Andrew Suboch grew up knowing little about Canada’s national game – lacrosse – other than watching some neighbours toss a ball using old wooden sticks It was only when his two children started playing the game as part of their training for hockey that he took much notice went on to excel at lacrosse and he now plays for the Vancouver Warriors of the National Lacrosse League Both children came up through the Mimico Minor Lacrosse organization When the number of players in the kids’ league began falling in 2014 He offered to sponsor the “Baby Peanut” program which introduced children ages 3 and 4 to the game ‘I’ll backstop it and get some of the older boys and girls come out with them,’” recalled Mr who is a personal injury lawyer in Toronto more than 100 children play for free each spring for eight weeks They spend an hour every Saturday learning the game and every player is given a lightweight stick and a jersey pass and shoot in a non-contact environment.” he said It is our national game so you get them exposed He started scouring his neighbourhood for discarded appliances He sorted the material and sold it to a local scrap yard where it’s recycled “Word has gotten out so people now will give me their used electronics and metal stuff,” he said The recycling effort raises around $20,000 annually which covers the cost of the lacrosse program Suboch said watching the kids play has given him a lot of satisfaction and joy Not only is far less junk going to landfill sites but “we’ve also got kids who are not in front of a screen.” Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Editorial code of conduct Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following Paul Waldie is The Globe and Mail’s Europe Correspondent Paul has been a reporter and editor for 30 years, taking on everything from the Bre-X gold fraud to the conviction of Conrad Black, the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Britain's departure from the European Union and the war in Ukraine numerous Wimbledon championships and spent a season with the Winnipeg Jets when the team made its triumphant return to the city in 2011 As editor of The Globe’s Report on Business section Paul managed the largest financial newsroom in Canada and was responsible for expanding the paper’s business and investment coverage in print and online In 2016, he moved to the UK to cover Britain and Europe. Since February 2022, he has been part of the team of Globe reporters covering Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He has been to Ukraine several times since the start of the war and his work on the refugee crisis has won accolades in Canada Paul has been a regular presence on television and radio He was a part-time host on Canada’s Business News Network for years and he's a regular contributor to radio outlets in Canada and the UK He’s won four National Newspaper Awards and been nominated for several other honours He also wrote a best-selling book on the McCain family called A House Divided Paul has also worked at the Vancouver Province the Financial Post and the National Post where he was national editor Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. Click here to subscribe If you would like to write a letter to the editor, please forward it to letters@globeandmail.com. Readers can also interact with The Globe on Facebook and Twitter Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff We aim to create a safe and valuable space for discussion and debate If you do not see your comment posted immediately it is being reviewed by the moderation team and may appear shortly We aim to have all comments reviewed in a timely manner Comments that violate our community guidelines will not be posted UPDATED: Read our community guidelines here We have closed comments on this story for legal reasons or for abuse. For more information on our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines and our Terms and Conditions Toronto police are investigating two separate stabbings that took place in South Etobicoke on Sunday evening Officers were initially called to Park Lawn Road and Berry Road just after 7:00 p.m Police say a young victim went with a group of friends to meet an online buyer who was interested in a hoodie that the victim was selling When the group arrived at the meeting spot authorities say they were allegedly robbed by another group of young people who were armed with knives and what appeared to be a gun One individual was injured and transported to a local hospital Less than two hours later police were called about another unrelated stabbing just a few kilometres away near Lake Shore Boulevard West and Douglas Boulevard Police say a dispute between two men on a TTC bus allegedly ended with one of the men getting stabbed in his armpit The victim was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries Authorities say the suspect is still outstanding He is described as a male between the ages of 35 and 40 He is approximately five-foot-eight and was last seen wearing a black jacket and red Nike shoes For much of Canada's history the land has been owned by the Crown in fact most of Canada's land is still owned by the British monarchy.  But it's rare that people can say the land their house is sitting on was actually purchased from King George III or at least have verifiable proof that it was.  is one such house with titles going back to the 1800s according to listing agent Michael Majeski when the first non-royal owner bought the land from the King himself.   The arched entry into the house with a carriage light.  which was built in 1850 after the purchase is a bold statement with a massive arched portico and iconic red brick.  It looks like one of the grand historical homes you usually see in the Annex or Rosedale, but it's in Mimico, so it's only listed for $1,995,000.  The 4,000-square-foot house boasts five bedrooms three bathrooms and plenty of charm and character.  The arched window in the living room.  you have open-concept living and dining spaces The kitchen has been recently renovated with high-end appliances The kitchen and family room opens directly into the backyard which is very spacious for a semi-detached house.  The principal bedroom features a walk-in closet and a large ensuite bathroom Also on the second level is a second bedroom with double closets The third level has three additional bedrooms The bedroom with the quarter-circle window.  one of the bedrooms has a quarter-circle window This room also offers a view down to the lake making it a contender for the best bedroom in all of Mimico there's an entire studio apartment complete with its own kitchen and bath.  And while the house might be on the pricier side for Mimico you can't find historic homes like this in Etobicoke often and you definitely can't find homes like this at a similar price point in Toronto's pre-amalgamation borders.  I'm saying I wouldn't be surprised if 50 Cavell Ave sells faster than the Royal Family has a new scandal.  Metrolinx is reminding customers that GO train service will be suspended between Union Station and Oakville GO starting late Friday night and throughout the weekend Train service is being halted to accommodate construction along Lakeshore West GO trains will still run between Niagara Falls and Oakville GO with minor schedule adjustments There will be no GO Transit service at Exhibition Long Branch GO will be fully closed through the weekend due to the construction and there will be no access to the station or the parking lot from 11:59 p.m “Reserved parking spot owners who are affected will be notified,” Go Transit said on its website More details on the service adjustments can be found here. On Friday, the City announced that it will move ahead with critical repair work on five bridges in spring 2025, as part of the next phase of the Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan.  Repair work on Section 3 of the aging highway which runs from Highway 427 to the Humber River is scheduled to take place from 2027 to 2031 five specific bridges in the section have been identified for an advanced start after assessments revealed that the critical work needed to be completed ahead of the original timeline.  The provincial government is set to fund the replacement of the Gardiner Expressway overpasses at Park Lawn Road and Mimico Creek and the westbound on-ramp from Park Lawn Road over Mimico Creek as part of the Ontario-Toronto New Deal.  The City will be funding repairs to the Kipling Avenue and Islington Avenue bridges over the Gardiner Expressway.  Construction will still be paused from May to July 2026 to accommodate the increased traffic expected during the FIFA World Cup and is anticipated to be completed by December 2026.  The upcoming project will use some of the same acceleration tools used during the work on Section 2 of the Gardiner between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue which enable crews to work up to 24 hours a day these are the lane and ramp restrictions you can expect over the course of the bridge repair work:  Construction on Section 2 of the highway began in November 2023 the City and the provincial government announced plans to accelerate the construction work to move the completion date from April 2027 to April 2026.  Stage one of the rehabilitation was completed four months ahead of the original schedule to help meet the revised 2026 accelerated timeline Zoran Ratkovic You will also start receiving the Star's free morning newsletter A man has been charged with assault and arson after a two-alarm fire at a high-rise building in Etobicoke Saturday morning Paramedics said they transported two adults to hospital for minor injuries after a two-alarm fire at a highrise building in Etobicoke Saturday morning Firefighters were called to the apartment building on Lakeshore Boulevard West near Royal York Road in the city’s Mimico neighbourhood just before 1 a.m The crews were greeted with a hallway full of heavy smoke coming from a single unit on the fourth floor police were initially on scene handling a “domestic dispute” that was connected to the fire incident No other details were provided about what caused the fire Toronto police said a 33-year-old man was arrested and charged with assault mischief endangering life and two counts of failing to comply with release order The man was taken to hospital with minor injuries Paramedics told the Star earlier they transported two adults to hospital for minor injuries Toronto Fire added one person apparently twisted their ankle during the evacuation The suspect was scheduled to appear in court Saturday morning Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account The transit-oriented community that will transform the Mimico GO Station area is one step closer to reality Last year Metrolinx and Vandyk Properties signed an agreement which outlined the transit infrastructure improvements that the developer will be constructing the two parties have been working on the design and infrastructure requirements to deliver the station The transit-oriented community at Mimico GO Station will provide an estimated 2,078 housing units including affordable ownership and rental options as well as new retail and office spaces in the rapidly growing south Etobicoke area As part of the municipal planning approvals process Vandyk Properties has submitted a Site Plan Application (SPA) to the City of Toronto The SPA submission is a critical step in the planning process as it is an opportunity for the city and community to provide input on the overall development The SPA provides a more detailed look at the planned mixed-use community adjacent to the station and how the station will be integrated into the wider development View of the station entrance off Royal York Road from street level The first station access point will be on the north side of the rail corridor through a pedestrian bridge off Royal York Road A secondary station access point will be on the north side of the rail corridor off Windsor Street with an accessible tunnel connection to access the station from the south side of the rail corridor and a passenger pick-up and drop-off area will run parallel to the north side of the rail corridor including 300 underground GO parking spaces and 96 spaces for secured and covered bicycle storage Artist’s renderings of the new retail plaza and station entrance Renderings show once construction of the station and surrounding area is complete or visit the Mimico area will be able to seamlessly connect from GO Transit to new retail and commercial spaces; amenities like secure bike parking and green spaces Metrolinx and Vandyk Properties will continue to advance the station design and determine a construction schedule and safety standards will be incorporated into the final plans Metrolinx will update the community as plans for the station improvements progress The revamp of Mimico GO Station is being delivered through the Province’s Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) program mixed-use communities that are close to transit stations and stops Ontario’s TOC program is increasing much needed housing supply as well as community amenities and jobs within a short distance of transit This approach will help increase transit ridership and reduce gridlock all while leveraging third-party investment to build transit infrastructure by Lauren Rodgers Metrolinx communications senior advisor Using LiDAR technology to scan beneath the surface of work sites Guideline enhanced following engagement with Indigenous communities Building a career in ecology – and transit We’ll help you find your way to YYZ from downtown Toronto Personal information is collected under the authority of the Metrolinx Act Personal information you provide will be used add you to an e-mail list that may send promotional messages or otherwise provide you with a personalized experience Join now, it's FREE! EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect comments made by the construction lead that were provided after deadline The Tim Hortons on Brant Street that has been shut since December due to a fire The plan is to have the store open before October 1 “I think you’re looking at the 23-25th,” Vic Veltro the project lead for the reconstruction of the restaurant for Mimico Group “Definitely by the end of the month.” He added the project only really kicked off about 10 weeks ago.  and the major obstacle here was rooftop units which we were told in April it’d take until September to get,” Veltro said.  Ensuring the units could be properly supported took extra time to plan The permits only came in about six weeks ago then you are able to get underground inspections done for plumbing “The permit was a big obstacle.” The building has undergone extensive renovations inside A 69-year-old man was charged with arson for allegedly causing the 1:30 a.m He was also charged for burning three dumpsters about a week prior retired folks and neighbourhood people who work from home have all been asking when the location will be reopening meeting together there was a regular morning/afternoon event Locals have posed the question on social media for months wondering what the hold-up has been for reopening BurlingtonToday's numerous requests for more information have been denied Wake up to the latest Burlington news with The Stir Get the inside scoop on what's happening in our city Sign me up Nestled within the exclusive Mimico Beach Estates is this special piece of Toronto's lakeside history.  Built in 1931 by the renowned Hayhoe family this stately home exudes elegance and offers sweeping views of the city skyline and Lake Ontario.  the history of the property goes back further than the 1930s.  W is actually the third house to be built on this lot The property was originally developed by James Swift in 1913 but after two devastating fires in 1922 and 1928 the lot lay vacant until Ralph Hayhoe purchased it in 1931 The Hayhoe family were devoted members of the Plymouth Brethern and the founders of Flowerdale Tea, Hayhoe Tea, and Hayhoe Flour Mills The latter is still run by a Hayhoe descendant.  Inspired by elegant French chateaux-style homes which thankfully hasn't gone up in flames like the other two houses W remained in the Hayhoe family until 1969 The living room has an original fireplace and hardwood floors.  But while it might have been the end of an era the home has thankfully retained its tons of charm and character you’re greeted by grand principal rooms and original finishes like intricate crown mouldings and hardwood floors that have stood the test of time.  The craftsmanship in this home is undeniable although there are definitely parts of the house that could use an upgrade or two.  The kitchen features a Quasar microwave-convention oven which is very 8os and almost feels out of place in the historic home.  There are also beige-on-beige bathrooms that scream early 2000s and an unfinished basement But with seven bedrooms and four bathrooms this home is spacious and has plenty of good bones to work with.  And what's more impressive than the home itself is the land it is sitting on.  The view of Lake Ontario from the backyard.  W is on a sprawling half-acre lot that backs right onto Lake Ontario but the expansive lawns mean there's ample room for future expansion should you choose to make this lakeside retreat even grander 2639 Lake Shore Blvd. W is listed for $5,600,000, down from $6,000,000 barrycohenhomes.com A 1910 postcard displays the show end of the Mimico Asylum from across the cricket pitch While the postcard reads “Lakeside Sanatorium,” the hospital never held that name The 19th-century hospital’s storied history has inspired Etobicoke residents’ fascination for decades as evidenced last Wednesday night as people packed a room at Montgomery’s Inn to hear an Etobicoke Historical Society speaker’s talk on the asylum While the postcard reads "Lakeside Sanatorium," the hospital never held that name curator of the Lakeshore Grounds Interpretive Centre at Humber College Lakeshore campus focused her hour-long talk on the hospital’s opening in 1890 and how it separated from the Toronto hospital and became an independent institution and has held post-doctoral positions at York University and University of Toronto/Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care A search of patient case files at the Archives of Ontario which holds the records of mental health institutions across the province some 800 metres for Hamilton — but only 60 centimetres of patient case files for the Lakeshore site Bazar said that challenge drove her to work at the interpretive centre “It really leaves a huge gap in its history and in the voices of those people who were experiencing the hospital,” she said “It opened this whole interesting dilemma of how do you tell the story of a hospital that doesn’t have records you traditionally go to?” centre staff and volunteers scoured digital copies of nearly all hospital’s annual reports as well as 110 years of Globe and Mail articles and 88 years of Toronto Star articles Etobicoke Guardian historic coverage requires microfiche searching “We’re bringing to life the old saying of ‘looking for a needle in a haystack,’” Bazar said it’s really that dream come true of you’re always searching for that next piece.” the Ontario Lunatic Asylum opened on Queen Street West in terms of mental health care in the western world then that means it can be treated and that means it can be cured it’s not something to lock someone away in a jail cell or treat at home.’” mental health treatment focused on the environment Asylums were created in the outskirts in “therapeutic spaces,” on natural properties with large farm acreage which patients would work to make the institution self-sufficient An overcrowding crisis in the Toronto asylum Daniel Clark to suggest moving the “chronically insane,” believed to be 95 per cent of patients popular in the 1870s and 1880s in the Northeastern U.S Why was it named Mimico Branch Asylum when it wasn’t in Mimico Plans to open the Mimico Branch Asylum on the Mimico farm fell through so the plans and designs moved to the lakefront property it didn’t matter it was outside the boundaries of Mimico,” Bazar said The Mimico farm land is today the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital Patients Cemetery on Evans Avenue the resting place of 1,511 people in marked and unmarked graves Patients built most of the asylum buildings including the Assembly Hall for recreation with female patients working in the kitchen called “the subway,” connected the buildings Bazar guides tunnel tours throughout the year “It’s an opportunity to share the history of one of these sites in a respectful way especially when I take students,” she said “Mental health is not something we shouldn’t talk about We all have mental health like we all have physical health.” is a journalist in Etobicoke reporting hard news politics and health and human-interest stories Tamara loves to travel and is a fan of foreign and independent films which was placed under receivership in January The Vandyk Group of Companies has been slammed with (at least) half a dozen separate receivership orders over the past five months, and probably the most high profile of the bunch involves Grand Central Mimico: an over two-acre, transit-oriented, high-rise development site at 23 Buckingham Street in Etobicoke leaving Etobicoke residents “staring at a hole in the ground.” But there may finally be a way forward from all of this — not for Vandyk The Ontario courts granted formal approvals for the sales of ten Vandyk-affiliated sites on March 8 and amongst them was the Grand Central Mimico The court documents also revealed that Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Real Estate Services would be handling the sale of the the Mimico site (in addition to the sale of Vandyk’s King's Mill site at 15 Neighbourhood Lane and that the brokerage was to work with the receiver to market the property ahead of taking bids having "undergone preliminary excavation" the Grand Central Mimico property is further along than most of the other properties formerly owned by Vandyk According to consolidated report prepared by KSV construction has only commenced at Uptown (approximately 28% constructed) and King's Mill (substantially constructed) Construction has not yet started on the remainder of the sites named in Vandyk's slew of receivership orders including 41 Wabash (in Toronto) Heart Lake and UPtowns (in Brampton) A listing that went live this week on the JLL website notes that 100% freehold interest in 23 Buckingham Street is up for grabs and that the property provides "an incoming purchaser the flexibility to resume construction in the near-term with existing plans or conceptualize a new development design.” JLL also notes that the property already has zoning approvals in place to permit a “scalable known as 'The Buckingham,' which features three towers distributed across a four-storey commercial podium.” Further details on the contemplated development include: approximately 586,000 sq which is currently undergoing a significant transformation and will form one of Toronto’s newest transit-oriented communities,” the listing goes on to say As mentioned, JLL is also handling the sale of Vandyk’s King’s Mill site at 15 Neighbourhood Lane the listing stipulates “100% freehold interest” of the property mid-rise residential project” within the Backyard Neighbourhood Condos development near the intersection of Park Lawn Road and The Queensway in South Etobicoke This project is on the cusp of its third and final phase of development ft of residential gross floor area and 234 residential units of varying sizes and layouts “The site has undergone significant work to date including substantial completion of the building structure which topped out at 10 storeys and has underground parking in place,” the listing adds “A purchaser will have the opportunity to complete the development within an accelerated timeline wherein project risks are significantly mitigated.” JLL also notes that the King’s Mill condominium is approximately 91% sold out to date and that “sales contracts can be maintained or cancelled at the incoming developer’s discretion.” Plans to transform Mimico GO station and adjacent property into a transit-oriented community have taken a step forward Located in southeast Etobicoke about 700m south of the Gardiner Expressway the blocks next to the station have for years been home to a mix of small warehouse commercial and light industrial buildings but with its quick access to Downtown Toronto via GO Train service the area of late has become a hotspot for mixed-use redevelopment proposals including new access points and improved facilities for the station.  Transit plaza and east entrance to Mimico GO Station on Block 2 The proposal for 315 and 327 Royal York Road is designed by SvN with Kohn Partnership Architects as the Architect of Record and calls for two residential towers connected by an 8-storey podium Previously standing at 29 and 44 storeys in the 2019 zoning submission (zoning review is still underway) the heights have been revised to 35 and 34 storeys standing at 118.50 and 115.50m respectively The 327 Royal York building would provide a rebuilt station access point off Royal York Road including a new pedestrian bridge from the west side of Royal York Another new access point to the station would be via Windsor Street on the east side of this phase It will also include a tunnel to the south side of the rail corridor West entrance to the Mimico GO Station on Block 2 Residents of 327 Royal York would be able to directly access the GO station while retail and commercial spaces would face the station and road at the base of the building The public realm around the station would also be expanded with a greenway while the existing surface parking for Mimico GO station would gradually all be moved underground A transit plaza with pick-up and drop-off facilities would also be built Looking northeast to the previous plan for 327 Royal York This first phase of what VanDyk calls Grand Central Mimico is on one of two blocks that will be completed in phases with Block 2 to the east at 39 Newcastle Street That site would see four residential buildings ranging from 22 to 36 storeys An aerial view of 327 Royal York and Phase 2 The first phase towers — with 727 residential units between them — are designed to house 3 elevators each meaning the site would be well over the 1 elevator per 100 suite threshold three levels of underground parking are planned with 277 spaces The design also includes 584 bicycle parking spaces The overall project is seeking to evolve the area as a Transit-Oriented Community This is part of the Government of Ontario’s planned expansions that will expand transit across the Greater Golden Horseshoe the Grand Central Mimico community at Mimico GO station would bring about 2,078 residential units to further develop this commercial/industrial zone turned neighbourhood There are still signs warning residents about the cleanup and restoration of Mimico Creek in the wake of a large industrial fire in Etobicoke in August There are still few details about the environmental cleanup more than two months after an Etobicoke industrial fire dumped toxic chemicals in nearby waterways More than two months after an industrial fire in Etobicoke dumped toxic chemicals in nearby waterways there are still few details about the cleanup leading one group to call for an inquiry into the province’s response Ashley Wallis, associate director with Environmental Defence, said her organization wants a third-party investigation into the Aug. 11 blaze at Brenntag Canada and the response to the runoff that contaminated Mimico and Humber creeks Wallis said that her group is troubled by the “lack of transparency” from the province about the timeline of the cleanup what chemicals were dumped and the potential risk to the community She said Environmental Defence received a response about what the ministry was doing to restore the creeks and what chemicals it found only after the group inquired “It took five weeks for them to get it to us and we still don’t understand why it’s taking so long to clean up,” Wallis said “We know it’s making community members unsure and unsafe and that’s why we did our water quality monitoring to begin with.” Conservation and Parks said that its staff has been on site since the fire Brenntag and the company contracted to clean the spill Ministry spokesperson Gary Wheeler declined to provide the Star this week with a date for when the waterways would be restored he did say in an emailed statement that “large scale cleanup work” is almost complete The ministry is working to confirm the cleanup status before proceeding with restoration It will continue to monitor the situation to “ensure that Brenntag Canada takes all necessary actions if further cleanup work is required,” Wheeler said Members of Ontario’s official Opposition were first to raise concerns about the ministry’s response. In an Aug. 24 letter to Environment Minister David Piccini three NDP MPPs demanded transparency about which chemicals were found and the dangers they pose to the local environment and community the ministry revealed “several chemicals” — mainly petroleum-based — were found in the runoff from the fire as well as contaminated water from the water and foam used to extinguish the blaze Environmental Defence also found “elevated levels of petroleum-based hydrocarbons” after collecting test samples of the water weeks after the fire adding there were likely more materials that were washed downstream from heavy rainfall Some petroleum hydrocarbons can be highly toxic to soil and groundwater and can affect the human central nervous system the city’s drinking water remains safe and will continue being tested The chemical spill dealt a blow to local wildlife executive director at Toronto Wildlife Centre Of the 112 animals the rescue team brought in for care while 87 were released and four were still being treated as of early October There are still signs along the Etobicoke creeks warning visitors to keep out while cleaning and restoration is underway Brenntag spokesperson Verena Blaschke said the company is “cooperating completely” with authorities and taking necessary measures to mitigate the environmental impact She said most of the material in the runoff was removed by early September with efforts then shifting to removing any residue on the banks “The specific cause of the fire is not yet known as investigations in close collaboration with the authorities are ongoing,” Blaschke said adding Brenntag is “committed to conducting a thorough investigation of the incident.” Wallis wants more accountability from Brenntag about any harms caused by “inadequate or absent safety systems” at the plant “We want to know a deep analysis of what exactly happened that led to the fire what the containment strategies were to ensure that the chemicals were properly contained and taken care of and how immediate the response was,” Wallis said She added that the incident raises a broader question of whether companies using chemicals should be allowed to operate so close to sources of drinking water A two-year-old boy is dead after being struck by a vehicle at a parking lot in Mimico on Thursday night Toronto police say it happened in the parking lot of an apartment complex at Lake Shore Boulevard West and Albert Avenue just after 7:30 p.m When first responders arrived they found the boy suffering from life-threatening injuries The child was taken to a nearby trauma centre where he was later pronounced dead Police tell CityNews the boy was walking with his father when he was struck The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation There is no word yet on if any charges will be laid Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing took part in a tour of Mimico Co-operative Homes in Etobicoke The tour was organized by CHF Canada and led by Mimico Co-op’s Manager Jennifer Miller with members of the co-op’s Board of Directors and CHF Canada’s Board of Directors and staff in attendance The tour offered us an opportunity to show Minister Clark first-hand the vibrancy of a co-op community and highlight the importance of resolving the end of mortgage issue for HSA co-ops Mimico does not know what the funding formula will be for the co-op after their mortgage ends and more importantly if they will be able to continue to look after the buildings and welcome low-income households into their community the Minister and his senior advisor were able to visit inside one of the homes and heard from members who were able to share how co-op housing has transformed their lives Minister Clark discusses capital repairs with Mimico manager Jennifer Miller The Minister also heard about the capital investment that will be needed to keep Mimico Co-op (and its nearly 35-year-old buildings) in good repair for generations to come  The co-op and CHF Canada board members were able to share the importance of having a funding formula in provincial regulation that protects low-income households and allows housing co-ops to maintain their buildings to ensure that our communities remain healthy and vibrant The tour took over 45 minutes and was very positive in tone. CHF Canada organized the tour as part of our  #FixtheFormula4Coops campaign CHF Canada is calling on the province to update the funding formula for Housing Services Act co-ops at the end of mortgage so that thousands of families living in affordable housing and their communities Phone: (416) 366-1711 Toll-Free: 1-800-268-2537 Phone: (613) 230-2201 Toll-Free: 1-800-465-2752 This article was published more than 1 year ago William Woods built more than 100 years ago located at 41 Superior Avenue in Toronto was owned by the Woods family for more than 100 years.Courtesy Vanderwal Family Woods and his wife,” says Andrew Vanderwal as he straightens in his chair and reaches for a photograph It’s a domestic winter scene containing four people; Etobicoke dentist Dr Woods in a long coat and bowler at right; at centre is a sleigh containing two bonneted babies; and facing the camera wearing a fancy hat and a stern expression “Now you notice that the picture has a tear right down the middle but they had an unhappy end to their marriage.” Since the Woods had three girls and a boy – Josephine Georgina and Robert – this photo was likely taken just before Georgina’s birth and just after they’d moved into their new house at 41 Superior Ave there would be many happy days on the sand at Mimico Beach still to come could be seen from the top floor of the big house “When mamma wanted the kids to come home she’d put a towel out the window and they could see it,” Jan Vanderwal says with a chuckle The Vanderwals come by this information and pile of historic photographs on their dining table honestly they purchased the house from Michael Malone but moved back with her children when she was widowed early in life (Ms And if that isn’t enough history: during their first two years of marriage the Woods likely had a subscription to The Ladies’ Home Journal In its pages was an article by architect William G Rantoul (1867-1949) of Boston titled The $3,000 House that Won the $1,000 Prize the architect describes his winning entry – the magazine called for a “house for a young couple one child and a servant” that would cost no more than $3,000 to build and boasted “the largest prize awards ever” – as one of “absolute simplicity throughout.” The house that Dr William Woods built over 100 years ago located at 41 Superior Avenue in Toronto on March 8 The house was owned by the same family over over 100 years until the current owners purchased and heavily renovated it They are now selling the house and moving into a home they are building next door (Carlos Osorio/The Globe and Mail)Carlos Osorio/The Globe and Mail The dining room with built ins and cypress wood A dutch door connects the sun room and the dining room simple manner,” continued the architect in a self-aggrandizing write-up which makes the composition most attractive.” Toronto architect James Layrock Havill obviously agreed because when the Woods handed the magazine to him in 1909 facing the triangle of land created by the intersection of Stanley and Superior avenues the slightly hidden and shadowed front door and the building’s rhythmic massing that juts in and out as it turns to face Stanley Avenue Open the door and one enters a pokey little foyer that forces a visitor to turn right and pass the ornate staircase in order to enter the living room (the only other option and one enters the kitchen which should one stop to admire the curving treads at the bottom of that staircase one would never suspect that the Vanderwals have expended great effort into reinforcing everything with (hidden) threaded rods and brackets Since the house had been divided up into separate apartments – Grace Malone lived in one of them – the Vanderwals spent considerable money removing walls to turn the house back into a single-family dwelling “There were a couple of walls we had to remove and we removed walls for other reasons as well.” Walk into the living room and one is gobsmacked by cove ceilings – a fireplace set into a cozy inglenook with built-in benches Ask about the original radiators and the Vanderwals will tell you that they’re now fed by a high-efficiency boiler in the basement and that some of the low-hanging pipes were replaced and tucked into the space between the floor joists looks as if the past 114 years never happened – it helps that there is period-appropriate furniture – while the kitchen Also completely modernized is the basement which had never been finished until the Vanderwals took ownership: it now sports a media room a wine cellar complete with a jail door salvaged from the Don Jail Vanderwal suggests much of the 1929 addition and the second-floor rooms have also been “modernized,” this writer thinks that the large primary bedroom could easily look more Prairie Style with its wonderfully angled ceilings and original built-in drawers would make for a very nice teenager’s retreat or a yoga studio have subdivided their large lot and are putting finishing touches on a new which they hope to move into later this year Woods’s house will be offered up for sale within the next few weeks it will attract a new owner who will also delight in the photos and blueprints Mr Vanderwal is now gingerly placing back into a folder “If we didn’t buy this house it would’ve been torn down for sure,” finishes Mr Malone] was very happy the house was preserved.” According to Michael Harrison’s History of the Town of Mimico blog Woods dabbled in architecture and designed the 1926 St Leo’s Roman Catholic School at 165 Stanley Ave a 2020 City of Toronto heritage report on the collegiate Gothic building and its later additions states the architect of the 1926 portion as “not known.” Dave LeBlanc is a contributing writer for The Globe and Mail While other kids were trading hockey cards Dave was charting the progress of the CN Tower and he’s been an architecture lover and Toronto advocate ever since Toronto Metropolitan University and York University He has worked in radio since 1988 and has written for Globe Real Estate since 2003 An authority on Modernist architecture (1945-80) Dave attended “Conserving the Modern” in 2005 and 2007 (Canada) Palm Springs’ Modernism Week (multiple times) and architectural conferences in the Netherlands and Spain He has served as a juror for the Ontario Association of Architects and the City of Toronto Dave’s writing has also appeared in The Toronto Star and Montreal Gazette In 2014-15 he hosted Where Cool Came From Shayne Henderson and Saeideh Fard are rallying to raise awareness of speeding in their neighbourhood after several recent incidents involving speeding Concerned residents are distributing “Slow Down Children at Play” signs in their Mimico neighbourhood plays soccer with friends at Queens Avenue Parkette Monday Local Mimico resident are distributing “Slow Down plays soccer with his friend Grayer Johnson A GoFundMe campaign remains open to support JoShawn Jones an eight-year-old David Hornell Junior School student who was struck by a vehicle in Mimico on May 19 and suffered a fractured skull the little boy seriously injured a month ago Concerned residents are distributing "Slow Down Children at Play" signs in their Mimico neighbourhood Local Mimico resident are distributing "Slow Down jaw and hip after he was struck by a vehicle on May 19 while attempting to cross Superior Avenue at Stanley Avenue in Mimico Fard sent an email to 650 fellow members of the group Lakeshore Moms “We started talking about safety on Stanley,” Fard said in the living room at the Queens Avenue home of her neighbours joined by four other moms to discuss Mimico road safety “It highlighted a bigger problem in the neighbourhood.” Fard shared her concerns with the office of Etobicoke-Lakeshore Coun Etobicoke York Community Council approved a motion by Grimes to reduce the speed limit from 50 to 40 km/h on four of the Mimico neighbourhood’s streets: Superior Albert and Cavell avenues and Burlington Street Councillors also directed the Etobicoke York director of transportation to request increased speed enforcement once the new 40 km/h speed limit signs are installed within eight weeks “Incidences of speeding on residential streets appear to have increased significantly especially in the Mimico area of Ward 6,” Grimes wrote in a letter to his community council colleagues Councillors also approved his motion to ask the Etobicoke York director of transportation to report back to councillors on the feasibility of road safety improvements at Queens and Stanley avenues such as a roundabout or intersection realignment Fard suggested a stop sign at the intersection “I’ve seen a couple of near misses there,” she said “We need more enforcement throughout the whole area so people can’t guess where the enforcement will be.” Many children are often one street south of Queens where Mimico Centennial Library is on one side of the street and a city park is on the other Children at Play” signs from Grimes’ office She then approached Majeski to launch a campaign throughout their leafy community asking neighbours to install a sign on their lawn and to be mindful of their driving speed in the area “We need to create a rude awakening among people in the community If you’re going to change what people take for granted Children are everywhere in the Mimico neighbourhood of largely young families The neighbourhood is home to three schools “There are hundreds of kids just in this triangle,” Fard said But we want to minimize the incidents and ensure our kids and our streets are safe.” JoShawn Jones, the little boy seriously injured a month ago, is recovering at home, the wires removed from his jaw, said Jen Berg, who launched a GoFundMe campaign (https://www.gofundme.com/5klhesw) to help the classmate of her son Andre at David Hornell Junior School His first meal was a McDonald’s fillet-o-fish and french fries JoShawn now uses a wheelchair when he leaves the house and faces several surgeries to replace the adult teeth destroyed on one side of his jaw “It’s very hard to drive 30 km/h on Stanley,” Shayne Henderson said Fard praised Grimes for getting action on Mimico road safety so quickly that was somebody’s child,” she said of JoShawn I’m heartened that our councillor raised the issue so quickly.” vice-president of Mimico Residents Association founder of South Etobicoke Community Group Facebook page where Metrolinx will lose 70 parking spots in January after a land lease ends An aerial design drawing of the future fully accessible Mimico GO Station VANDYK Group of Companies will oversee the design and development of a reconstructed Mimico GO Station as the heart of a transit-oriented community Mimico GO Station will lose 70 coveted parking spots on Jan Mimico GO Station will lose 70 coveted parking spots on Jan. 1 when a Metrolinx land lease expires Metrolinx spokesperson Scott Money acknowledged “parking is a challenge” at the Royal York Road station and emphasized the transit agency is in the process of designing a new “We’re trying to give people as much notice as possible,” Money said “It’s important to us at Metrolinx: being transparent being open and explaining things to them in advance so there’s lots of time for them to prepare.” 64 non-reserved parking spots and 70 reserved spots will be available at the station But some in the community said it’s tough to get a non-reserved spot after 7 a.m “That’s not something that is lost on Metrolinx,” Money said of parking challenges “We’re aware of the constraints of that land It’s a small sliver of land in a very developed part of Etobicoke The footprint of the station is quite limited.” Vandyk Group of Companies will oversee the design and development of a reconstructed Mimico GO Station Currently, Metrolinx is in negotiations with developer Vandyk Group to create a mixed-use transit-oriented community for Mimico GO Vandyk would construct and integrate a new main GO station building covered parking to replace existing surface parking and a cycling and pedestrian path in front of the station Metrolinx will deliver the other station improvements to make it fully accessible and barrier-free Adam Matheson, vice-president of the Mimico Residents Association said while the loss of parking is a “disappointment,” the coming station improvements “outweigh it.” “I’m very excited about the developments at the station,” he said “I think it will help increase ridership at the station.” “I think the station could do with more transit serving it to deal with that ‘last mile,’” he said “It’s unfortunate there aren’t more parking options beyond the station Time will tell the development’s capacity for GO parking.” Graham Rowlands, a realtor, Mimico resident and founder of the South Etobicoke Community Group Facebook page agreed with Matheson and lauded improvements to the 1960s-era GO station if we trade 70 parking spots to have an accessible GO station that people will actually use that’s a sacrifice people will have to make They’ll need to find parking elsewhere in the neighbourhood The TTC route to the station should help with parking to get people to the station rather than just relying on parking.” Money said an advantage of the station is other options available to get to and from it, including being dropped off, ride sharing, cycling, walking or the two TTC bus routes and a newly installed Bike Share Toronto dock There is welcome news to GO commuters who live east of Mimico station and who took the 176 Mimico GO shuttle bus which launched as a trial service in June 2018 TTC spokesperson Hayley Waldman said in an email the TTC will recommend including the 176 Mimico GO shuttle bus route from Humber Bay Shores to the GO station “as a regular part of the TTC network” in its 2021 Annual Service Plan approximately 190 daily customer trips were averaged on this route Based on the TTC’s service standards for boardings per service hour this route passed the benchmark,” Waldman said in an email The 176 operated weekdays during peak periods The TTC temporarily suspended it during the pandemic allocating resources to busier parts of the network What future parking could be available at Mimico GO, and at the future Park Lawn GO Station, is dependent on Metrolinx negotiations with third parties, Vandyk and First Capital Realty “It’s too soon to hypothesize on the level of parking,” Money said the preliminary design business case (for Park Lawn) there probably would be more information about parking.” Multiple development proposals in the contested Mimico-Judson Secondary Plan area of South Etobicoke on the west side of Toronto have been settled at Ontario's Local Planning Appeal Tribunal D and E—covering the easternmost sections of the triangular parcel of land—received positive decisions by the Tribunal in 2019 with some revisions made since the initial applications were submitted The area covered by the Mimico-Judson Secondary Plan Toronto City Council's adoption of Official Plan Amendment 231 paved a new path forward for the properties north of Mimico GO Station The Mimico-Judson lands were one of seven areas the City redesignated to Regeneration Areas under the Amendment covering properties mostly ageing industrial properties north of the rail corridor on either side of Royal York Road The City initiated a Mimico-Judson Regeneration Areas Study to accommodate future employment and residential population growth stemming from the lands' proximity to Mimico GO Station The Study informed the Mimico-Judson Secondary Plan (OPA 331) and Urban Design Guidelines which were adopted by City Council in 2016 Multiple parties owning land on the east side of Royal York Road filed appeals against OPA 331 including site-specific appeals related to active development applications OPA 331 redesignated these lands from Regeneration Areas to Mixed Use Areas a minimum non-residential replacement requirement the tallest tower would be located on the west side of Audley Street in the southeast quadrant of Block D Early rendering of Grand Park Village by Freed Developments image retrieved via submission to the City of Toronto Occupying the northeast quadrant of Block D at 25 Audley Street a numbered Ontario company proposed a 26-storey residential building containing 385 units with an eight-storey podium containing some office and retail spaces On the west side of Block D at 23 Buckingham Street, the VANDYK Group of Companies proposed two apartment buildings of 39 and 24 storeys and a 12-storey building to the north The development proposed 724 units and over 5,000 square metres of commercial space Each of these developments were revised in July 2018 to demonstrate commitment to the public park a road connection from Newcastle Street to Portland Street Tall towers beyond what had been envisioned by the Secondary Plan were still proposed and the City continued to fight the proposal at LPAT A final decision on the developments were issued in June with the Tribunal allowing the appeals and approving the revised proposals subject to a number of conditions the Tribunal concluded that "the level of intensification and additional height is appropriate near to higher order transit in an underutilized Blocks D and E in the Mimico-Judson Secondary Plan area image retrieved via submission to the City of Toronto A map included in City Council materials from its July, 2019 meeting in which Council responded to the LPAT decision depicts some of the revisions made to the applications Freed's Grand Park Village development will now feature two sinuous residential towers of 20 and 24 storeys in the middle of the site A continuous wraparound mid-rise structure of four storeys fronts Portland and Audley Streets stepping back to six and finally settling at eight storeys further into the property A 36-storey building is now proposed at the southeast quadrant of Block D Buildings on both sides of Audley Street will be separated from a public park to the south by a privately owned publicly accessible space (POPS) The proposal at 25 Audley remains mostly intact The 26-storey tower will drop down to 25 storeys and then 24 storeys at its north end Similar to the arrangement at Grand Park Village 25 Audley will feature four-storey volumes fronting the abutting streets and the south laneway stepping up to six and then eight at the north and east elevations The heights of the towers at 23 Buckingham have been altered since the original application The tallest tower at the south loses two storeys while the building in the middle of the property gains two storeys with the latter remaining at its original height A four-storey podium connects each of the three buildings decreasing to two- and one-storey sections along the eastern property line A 860-square-metre green space extends the 1,520-square-metre park proposed at Freed's property next door Block C in the Secondary Plan, also owned by VANDYK, sees three residential towers of 36, 30 and 22 storeys at 39 Newcastle Street The development also received approval from LPAT Additional information and images can be found in our Database files for the projects or leave a comment in the space provided on this page UrbanToronto has a new way you can track projects through the planning process on a daily basis Sign up for a free trial of our New Development Insider here Mimico Mountaineers website Mimico Arena website Mimico was swallowed by the City of Etobicoke in 1967 Etobicoke was amalgamated into the City of Toronto in 1998 the community of Mimico still has a very strong sense of community and local pride Nowhere is that more evident than in its attachment to lacrosse The Mimico Lacrosse Club was established in 1890 The name “Mimico” translates from Ojibwa to “Home of the Wild Pigeon.” Lacrosse was so significant in Mimico that they built the Drummond Street Bowl in 1931 which would eventually become the Mimico Arena Mimico competed in lacrosse at various levels over more than a century and continues today The lacrosse achievements would culminate in Mann Cup Championships in 1932 and 1942 as Senior Lacrosse National Champions and Minto Cup Championships in 1938 and 1951 as Junior National Champions which would be folded into the Mimico Mountaineers program Mimico even boasts the legendary Conn Smythe as part of their history as a resident and lacrosse player Junior lacrosse would cease to exist in Mimico only to be resurrected as a Junior B program in 1993 The Mountaineers would move up to the current Ontario Junior Lacrosse League Most would expect the most simple snack bar options available at a junior lacrosse game the community vibe even bumps up the concession scene to another level Although the variety would not compare to a professional experience the uniqueness of the options takes the concession scene to the next level The expected arena options are all there including chips Sandwiches are on the menu along with breakfast sandwiches but what Mimico is known for are their peameal bacon sandwiches There is also a small lounge in the upper north end of the arena where fans can relax and converse with other fans and enjoy the specialty branded beer for the Mountaineers from Great Lakes Brewery Mimico Arena began its existence as the Drummond Street Bowl in 1931 Mimico Arena has changed drastically with the facility becoming an indoor facility with an ice plant which allows Mimico Arena the ability to host hockey in the winter months The exterior of the arena has that local feel to it with double blue siding and a low profile Unique to Mimico Arena is signage outside that boasts Mimico Arena as the home of the Mountaineers Entering the north entrance from Drummond Street brings fans into a small lobby and the immersion into Mimico lacrosse history begins A large trophy case immediately to the right upon entering features trophies and pictures of Mountaineers teams of the past A temporary table offers patrons the opportunity to purchase tickets behind the ticket table is the set of stairs that takes fans up to the bar There is even more history at the fingertips of patrons with more trophies and retired jerseys of former Mimico lacrosse greats and team award honourees Fans are instantly met with the feeling of nostalgia as Mimico Arena remains an “old-school hockey barn” that lacks ice during the summer The concrete floor runs from south to north with step benches for seating on the east side of the arena Also unique to Mimico Arena are Mountaineers markings on the floor itself The simple scoreboard hangs on the south side and a window from the crow’s nest bar is found at the north end The stands are split by a simple press box where the game day operations staff make announcements and control the music played during stoppages The west side of the arena is where the player benches are and above them hang numerous banners reminding visitors just who’s home they are in A banner hangs for the two Mimico Mann Cups and another for the two Minto Cups as well as a Lakeshore Maple Leafs Minto Cup championship community vibe is proliferated with the banners that honour Mimico lacrosse builders Norm Gair Mimico Arena is not the most comfortable or modern setting as the five rows of step benches are very simplistic and the age of the arena also means it lacks climate control The team is led on the floor by a local youth lacrosse player carrying the Mountaineer flag on a lacrosse stick Music is not played during the play but during stoppages Although it seems that the announcers do a decent job the PA system is quite old and it is difficult to understand all of the announcements Mimico Arena is located in the Mimico-Queensway neighbourhood of Toronto The arena is situated in a mixed residential commercial area There are a couple of restaurants in the area close to the arena It is probably best to bring the car to the destination as opposed to walking Although there is not much in the way of sports in the Mimico neighbourhood one should remember that they are still in Toronto and a short drive will bring fans to some of the best sports around There are not a ton of great options near Mimico Arena for hotels The Deluxe Inn and Stay Inn are the closest but getting a spot closer to downtown or the airport is probably a better idea OJLL attendance is difficult to assess as attendance figures are not published The game that was attended for this review was also a playoff game the Mountaineers have strong community support and played in front of a capacity crowd for the game that was reviewed family as well as community members were all in attendance and there were plenty of younger people in attendance The crowd was loud and into the game and there were even fans leading others in cheers The fans made the Mimico Mountaineers game that much more exciting Some fans were even tailgating in the small parking lot behind the arena Getting to Mimico Arena is not the easiest venture The arena is located between Lakeshore Blvd and the Gardiner Expressway which brings fans from the west to downtown Toronto traffic can be a real issue so fans coming from out of town should make sure they give themselves plenty of time to arrive Combining traffic issues with some distinct parking challenges amplifies fans' need to get to the arena early as opposed to late Most of the parking in the neighbourhood is on the street There is a very small lot to the west of the arena and the grocery store to the east has numerous signs dissuading arena patrons from parking there For fans wishing to take public transit there are TTC buses that run to the east on Royal York Blvd and Mimico Ave and the streetcar can be found further east Fans should consult the Toronto Transit Commission website for fares Mimico Arena is an old building and it is not overly spacious Fans with mobility challenges will find the arena difficult to traverse OJLL games are among the most affordable experiences there are Mimico Mountaineer tickets are sold for $12 for adults The price of concessions is more than palpable and parking The product on the floor is the fastest game on two feet and is very exciting The history of the building and the engagement of the fans put the return on a relatively small investment An extra mark for the deep history that the Mimico Mountaineers enjoy and share An extra mark for the connection that is evident between the Mountaineers and the Mimico community A true neighbourhood team in an era where the neighbourhood is almost lost An extra two marks for the Sportsman’s Battery the 30th Battery of the 7th Toronto Regiment was led by hockey legend Conn Smythe All of the members of the Mimico Senior Lacrosse team were members of the battery Mimico native Smythe stated that if he were to go to war again The Mimico Mountaineers of the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League offer a unique experience for fans Mixing a ton of history with the youth and exuberance of the young players the Mountaineers experience is one that lacrosse fans should experience The refreshing feel of a true community team in a big city is one that fans will find in the Home of the Wild Pigeon Stadiumjourney.com Mimico Residents Association vice-president stands at the entrance to Mimico GO Station which will be revamped and made fully accessible by Vandyk Properties in collaboration with Metrolinx as part of its proposed Mimico Grand Central residential and commercial development which will be revamped as part of a proposed new project fully accessible Mimico GO Station is part of Vandyk’s proposed Grand Central Mimico a transit-oriented community with 2,078 residential housing units Mimico GO Station is being transformed as part of the province’s Transit Oriented Communities program community amenities and jobs a short distance from transit Graham Rowlands is a Mimico resident and Homing Real Estate sales representative at Re/Max Professionals Inc who founded the 25,000-member strong South Etobicoke Community Group Facebook page Mimico GO Station will be more accessible and pedestrian-friendly South Etobicoke Community Group Facebook page Rowlands founded now has more than 25,000 members Mimico GO Station is being transformed as part of the Transit Oriented Communities program A transformed Mimico GO Station is good news for south Etobicoke residents A transit-oriented community that will transform Mimico GO Station that recently began the city planning approval process is being met with enthusiasm for its accessibility fully accessible Mimico GO Station is part of Vandyk's proposed Grand Central Mimico Mimico GO Station is being transformed as part of the province's Transit Oriented Communities program A proposed transit-oriented community — expected to transform Mimico GO Station and which recently began the city planning approval process — is being met with enthusiasm for its accessibility This month, Vandyk Properties submitted a site plan application to the city for Grand Central Mimico across nine towers with retail and commercial over four city blocks as well as a new Mimico GO Station building It will be fully upgraded with an accessible main station and a new tunnel entrance building at Manchester Street and Blue Goose Street The application provides a detailed look at the proposed planned mixed-use community and station and the opportunity for city and community input Michael Majeski, vice-president of the Mimico Residents Association (MRA) said many Mimico residents are eager for the mixed-use project “People are excited about having more of a community hub different station entrances and business revitalization in that pocket,” said Majeski broker of record with Re/Max Specialists Majeski Group The MRA wants to see Vandyk incorporate green building design why not add many components of sustainability to it,” Majeski said Parking is a decades-old issue at and around the current Mimico GO Station the station lost 70 coveted parking spots when a Metrolinx land lease expired Majeski questioned whether the 300 underground dedicated GO spaces in a new station will be enough “You really only have a two kilometre-radius of people walking to the GO train Parking is an issue; it’s an issue all along that corridor.” The 176 Mimico GO shuttle bus — from Humber Bay Shores’ highrise condominium community to Mimico GO Station — is now a regular part of the TTC network It runs weekday morning and afternoon rush hours Vandyk and Metrolinx collaborated on the fully accessible GO station’s design and infrastructure requirements Metrolinx said in an email planned upgrades include a new new tunnel entrance building at Manchester and Blue Goose streets with an accessible vehicle pick-up/drop-off space and upgraded platforms and customer amenities Through the Ontario government’s Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) program Vandyk has agreed to deliver and build: a new accessible main station new tunnel entrance building on the northeast side of the station integrated transit plaza with pick-up/drop-off locations and extension of a multi-use greenway path for pedestrians and cyclists The aim of the TOC program is to increase housing is one of Toronto’s priority “regeneration areas,” a revitalization framework meant to accommodate employment and residential population growth said in a statement the project is a first in the city “It will be the first in Toronto to achieve true direct connectivity and universal accessibility between the GO station “It will become a hub for people to enjoy social quality to live and stay active in the Mimico neighbourhood.” Vandyk said the project will create an estimated 8,000 new construction jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs The station is a critical transit point for south Etobicoke residents Ridership is expected to triple by 2031 from approximately 1,600 daily riders in 2019 Graham Rowlands, a Re/Max Professionals Inc. realtor, Mimico resident and founder of 25,000-member strong South Etobicoke Community Group Facebook page welcomed the station’s future accessibility and Vandyk’s bigger project “It will be a good thing for the community when it’s all finished,” he said “It will completely transform the north side of the (train) tracks and access to public transit are often some of the most important must-haves for homebuyers And it looks like a recently proposed mixed-use project in Mimico ticks all those boxes — it just needs to be approved A rezoning application for the property at 327 Royal York Road from VANDYK Group of Companies was submitted to the City of Toronto and a reconstructed Mimico GO Station integrated into the podium READ: Mid-Rise Condo Proposed for Parkdale Neighbourhood If approved, VANDYK would be taking over the former 27-storey, 242-unit On The GO Mimico project, which was placed into court-receivership in 2017 after the initial developer Stanton Renaissance ran into financial problems the Vandyk is the owner of the development property at 327 Royal York Road which is directly north of the existing Metrolinx-owned Mimico GO Station at 315 Royal York Road The application says the two sites are proposed to form an "integrated" transit and mixed-use project that would include a reconstructed Mimico GO station and related improvements; 1,096 square-metres of transit-related space; a multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists as part of the Mimico-Judson Greenway; 8,809 square-metres of office space and 276 square-metres of retail space that would be housed on the 327 Royal York Road site The project would also be comprised of two residential buildings comprised of a total of 687 residential units The application says there will be 499 1-bedrooms (52.48 square-metres) There would also be 514 parking spots available in a 3-level below-grade garage and a 3-level above-grade garage (as pictured in the rendering above) 103 spots would be dedicated to transit riders Metrolinx has signed a non-binding agreement with a private developer for a major revamp of Mimico Station in a deal that will see the company foot all construction costs in exchange for air rights Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster announced Monday at the transit agency’s board meeting it has signed a non-bonding letter of intent with Vandyk Group of Companies to build the station at no direct cost to the public “There’s no doubt that the value we’ll be receiving for the air rights exceeds the value of the air rights,” Verster said Vandyk would pay all construction costs for a new station building parking facility and cycling and pedestrian path at Mimico the company would be given development rights above the station to create a mixed-use development Vandyk also owns the land to the north of the existing Mimico GO station Verster says the developer approached Metrolinx with a proposal that best presented the development potential above the station “There’s money to be had from that,” Verster said “That’s money we can invest in the railway again in the public interest.” The Metrolinx CEO stressed the transit agency will retain control of the important details of the project like construction deadlines and station features The work being performed will also bring the station up to current Metrolinx accessibility standards The Mimico deal is not the first time Metrolinx announced it is embracing transit-oriented development developer Ivanhoé Cambridge and Hines and the City of Toronto announced they are working together to build a new GO Bus Terminal and office tower complex behind Union Station The terminal is estimated to cost $102 million which Metrolinx partly funded by selling the land on which the bus station sits now to the project’s developers Verster said transit-oriented development increases ridership decreases vehicle use and creates vibrant communities by better utilizing station lands it has become a critical part of south Etobicoke’s growth and development Verster said Monday’s announcement is all about creating more connected healthy and sustainable communities –- and the community will still have a say in the new Mimico station through the public consultation process A fully-accessible temporary station will be in place by 2023 while Vandyk constructs the new building A date for the permanent station’s completion has yet to be negotiated Other items discussed at the October 22 Board meeting: Former Mimico High School teacher and coach Ted Schmidt has written a book called ‘The Season’ based on his 1967 Mimico High School championship basketball team a 27-year-old Latin teacher from tiny Mimico High School defied all odds by helming his underdog basketball team to a nearly unbeatable 45-1 season – a passion-fueled “David and Goliath” story that garnered headlines Toronto-wide and was even celebrated in the 1967 CBC documentary Basketball by Don Shebib Former Mimico High School teacher and coach Ted Schmidt has written a book called 'The Season' there’s only one sin you can commit – and that’s to play without passion.” Mimico was a very small school and we came out of nowhere that year to win the city championships,” Ted Schmidt said of his 1967 Mimico Marauder team this week while taking a few three-point shots in the very same gym he ran drills half a century ago We were the best team in Ontario – and maybe even in Canada – that year.” To celebrate the golden anniversary of the Marauders’ golden year on the courts Schmidt has released a book titled The Season: When the 1967 Mimico Marauders Dominated Toronto High School Basketball he chronicles how he took a tiny team of just seven high school ball players from a community known more for its grit on the rink than its prowess on the courts and turned them into the 1967 Toronto and Etobicoke basketball champions I was interested in poetry and the mystery of the human person,” Schmidt writes in The Season That “alternative coaching philosophy” certainly seemed to resonate with Schmidt’s young charges – especially late team captain John Smith In a write-up for the 1967 Mimico High School yearbook Smith lauded Schmidt for being “the best coach in the city” with a “vivid showed us some of our faults and above all taught us to be gentlemen at all times and helped us to mature,” Smith wrote at the time Asked the secret to his success both in the classroom and on the courts Schmidt said he was simply “a young teacher on fire.” I was in students’ homes and knew their parents well teaching was a full-time thing that went beyond the classroom,” he said he was especially keen to take Mimico High’s young athletes under his wing – even counseling them after school hours he said he spent most Friday nights in 1967 at George’s Spaghetti House at Royal York Road and Bloor Street with seven students in particular: Smith Gary Balogh and Peter Knopfler – members of his championship-winning Mimico Marauder team “We wouldn’t even talk about basketball much ‘What’s your interests?’ So we’d talk about the Vietnam War and The Beatles,” he said noting that these weekly “post-mortem” meals were all a part of his alternative coaching philosophy and part of that community was the sharing of the meal.. We simply share things and great things happen – and I knew there was something special happening with that team.” Schmidt returned to those old stomping grounds with five of his seven Marauder players – the only exceptions being Smith who is in Mexico – for a four-hour reunion meal All five of those players will also be on hand at a public book launch event for The Season Saturday in the gym at John English Junior Middle School (the former Mimico High School) Schmidt said the fact that he’s able to celebrate both the 50th anniversary of their championship and the book launch with his Marauders is especially poignant because of their lead roles in making both dreams a reality I told them it wasn’t a book without them contributing to it So each of them has a chapter about how they saw the school it’s their story – I was just the guy at the end of the bench who saw it all happen.” Copies of The Season will be available for $15 at the Saturday’s launch event, and are also available online via the Book Band at http://bit.ly/2B7OJVY Toronto police say a fire that destroyed a bar in Mimico on Wednesday was sparked when a man threw Molotov cocktails into the establishment Fire crews were called to Colins Dugout at Royal York Road and Newcastle Street shortly before 5 p.m arriving to find the main floor of the bar engulfed in flames Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control within 40 minutes but not before the main floor was totally gutted police alleged that a man threw two bottles containing a flammable liquid into the building He’s facing almost half-a-dozen charges including possess incendiary material for arson The City of Toronto says Mimico Creek is the focus of illegal dumping that has involved hundreds of tires piling up under a bridge and near the water source Earlier this week, environmental crews were at Etobicoke Creek to clean up after an unknown material was discharged into the water A city spokesperson confirmed that an “oil-like substance” spilled over from a nearby concert venue and that clean up efforts were ongoing Toronto Wildlife officials rescued one duck due to the spillage CityNews has since received separate claims of illegal dumping near Mimico Creek The source alleges tires have been left under a bridge at the Royal Woodbine Golf Course near Skyway Avenue for the past two months A spokesperson with the City of Toronto tells CityNews that hundreds of tires have been illegally disposed of at the Mimico Creek site The tires will be stored by the city until they can be recycled,” said Laura McQuillan City crews were observed at the creek on Friday, though it remains unclear if any action will be taken under the city’s littering and dumping by-law, which has a set fine of $500 Tires are listed under the city’s municipal code list of prohibited waste dumped or deposited any quantity of waste on any land except as required or permitted under Chapter 841.” A police spokesperson confirmed they were unaware of any reports of tires being dumped near the creek City crews at the site declined to speak with CityNews noting that they’ll be active in cleaning up the area efforts will likely continue into the weekend A spokesperson with Toronto Wildlife says officials have also not received any calls regarding the dumping of the tires “I wouldn’t expect much of an impact on the local wildlife,” the Toronto Wildlife rep said adding that no other animals have been affected by the prior spill from earlier in the week CityNews has reached out to Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment Last August, a large industrial fire at a chemical plant in north Etobicoke resulted in an accidental spill into Mimico Creek The resulting oil-like slick impacted local wildlife Littering and illegal dumping of garbage in parks and public or private property can be reported to 311 weather and video from CityNews Toronto anywhere you are – across all Android and iOS devices.