FREE MARCH 2022
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS Shining a Light on Local Businesses Since 2015
SQUIRREL MAGEDDON
Local Squirrel Takes Refuge in Long Branch Resident’s Patio Furniture p12
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Do you know a
Gem of Etobicoke-Lakeshore 2022? 2022
this summer.
jamesmaloney.libparl.ca
April 30th, 2022 at noon.
jamesmaloney.libparl.ca For more information please contact the office of:
JAMES MALONEY Etobicoke-Lakeshore
jamesmaloney.libparl.ca
MASTHEAD EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS is the only monthly magazine that’s focused on life in South Etobicoke. It is mailed to houses in Long Branch, New Toronto & Mimico by Canada Post. Additional copies are available for pick-up at local businesses.
MIKE WIXSON Producer of the Etobicoke Lakeshore Podcast & Owner of The Pod Plant
We capture life in South Etobicoke by highlighting the many positive contributions to our community by local business owners, elected officials, and residents.
AMANDA KIRKLAND Long Branch Resident and Personal Development Coach
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
Single Copy: $1.50. Annual Subscription: $54.00. No part of this publication in any of its forms may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. 146 Thirtieth St, Suite 100 Etobicoke, ON M8W 3C4 Follow Us on Instagram #I EL @etobicokelakeshorepress www.etobicokelakeshorepress.com
JUNE MACDONALD-JENKINS Sr. Dean of Faculty of Social and Community Services, Humber College JONATHAN NHAN Pharmacist, Hypnotist & Certified Diabetes Educator JAMES MALONEY Member of Parliamen for the riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore BILL ZUFELT Long Branch Resident and Chair of the History & Culture Committee, LBNA
FINANCE WHAT IS A HOME EQUITY LINE OF CREDIT? As homeowners pay off their mortgage over time, they’re also building up home equity, and acquiring the financial flexibility it can provide. If you have a significant equity stake in your home, generally at least 35 percent or more, you can tap into that value with a home equity line of credit (HELOC). What is a home equity line of credit? Like a credit card, a line of credit provides revolving access to a fixed amount of cash. You borrow what you need from that total and pay it back over time, plus interest. Say you have a line of credit worth $75,000 and borrow $15,000 to fund a major purchase. You still have $60,000 left to use, and that amount increases as you pay back the borrowed funds. There’s no interest on funds you don’t borrow from the line of credit, and the fees and costs charged for a HELOC are typically lower than for most types of loans.
Use a HELOC to increase the value of your home while also raising your equity stake A renovation project that increases the market value of your home will, in turn, give you greater home equity. Whether it’s a new kitchen or bathroom, finishing a basement, or even adding a backyard pool, there are countless ways to make your home more marketable, boosting its value and the value of your equity stake. If you want to renovate but don’t have the savings to pay for it, you could finance the project by borrowing against your home equity, making use of your ownership stake while simultaneously increasing the home’s value.
When not to use a HELOC In general, it’s wise to steer clear of using a HELOC if your income is unstable or inconsistent, threatening With a home equity line of credit, the maximum your ability to make regular payments. amount the homeowner can access is usually a A HELOC is also not the best option if set percentage of the home’s value, generally you don’t need to borrow very much between 60 and 80 percent, minus the amount money, as it would likely be cheaper still owing on the mortgage. For instance, if your to use your savings and avoid the costs home is worth $500,000 and you owe $175,000, and fees involved with a loan or line of you could access up to $225,000 (500,000 x .8 = credit. 400,000 - 175,000 = 225,000). Finally, if you’re thinking of getting Unlike credit cards, interest rates are typically a home equity line of credit, run the low on home equity lines of credit, because numbers first to make sure you’ve got they are secured by the property itself. The the financial bandwidth to withstand consequence, however, is that your lender has the bigger payments you’ll have to a claim to your home if you are unable to repay make if interest rates go up. HELOCs your debt. As such, it’s wise to avoid borrowing typically have variable interest rates, too much against the value of a property and meaning the interest charges will rise running the risk of losing your home. and fall over your borrowing period, altering your repayment amount from What can a home equity line of credit be used month to month. for? A line of credit is like having a financial This article is not intended to provide security blanket you can use for any expense, financial or financial planning advice, please unexpected or otherwise, that’s too big for your call or email Moya Financial and they will be more than happy to chat with you! savings to handle. A home equity line of credit can be a great way for homeowners to pay for home improvement and renovation projects, major purchases such as a vehicle, medical or education costs, to fund investments, or to cover emergency expenses. 6
MOYA FINANCIAL 747 Brown’s Line, Toronto, ON M8W 3V7 Call: 416.255.1742 Email: main@moyafinancial.ca
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
TABLE OF CONTENTS MARCH 2022
NEW FROM FIAT LUX MEDIA
FINANCE...p6
Is a Home Equity Line of Credit right for you? The Experts at Moya Financial share some insights.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE...p8
How’s about some sunshine, smiles, and a little Guns ‘N Roses?
COMMUNITY...p9 Highlighting one Life For Lives.
of
Office146’s
Members:
HUMBER COLLEGE UPDATE...p10
See what’s new this month at the Humber Lakeshore Campus.
COVER STORY...p12
Long Branch’s Amanda Kirkland survives Squirrel Mageddon!
Print Magazines & Podcasts Supporting Local Across Ontario
Let’s Get Back To Business!
JAMES MALONEY...p14
Nominations now open for the GEMS of EtobicokeLakeshore.
BECOME A LOCAL EDITOR www.supportlocalmagazine.com
Scholars is accepting new students for the summer break! Don’t procrastinate get ahead of the game.
Stay up-to-date on when you can get your COVID-19 Vaccination
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We are helping all students to use this time to catch up! Contact us to find out more Tel: 416-252-5177 Email: EtobicokeLakeshore@ScholarsEd.com Address: 827 Brown’s Line, Etobicoke, ON M8W 3V7
at www.markgrimes.ca
416-397-9273 councillor_grimes@toronto.ca
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE MARCH EDITION
Giant personalized
colouring sheets for kids! The perfect gift, or rainy day activity
ROGER TUMMINIERI
Publisher, Etobicoke Lakeshore Press etobicokelakeshorepress@gmail.com www.EtobicokeLakeshorePress.com @etobicokelakeshorepress Welcome to our March edition!
I’m listening to Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns ‘N Roses as I type this month’s Publisher’s Note. Why is this relevant, you might ask? It’s indicative of the positive headspace I seem to find myself in these days. I often note that my mood is mirrored by that of my clients. The ones I’ve spoken to recently seem to be confident and hopeful that the end of winter and loosening Covid restrictions will bring brighter days ahead; not just for business, but also for individuals and families and their mental health. As we endeavour to Support Local at every opportunity and encourage the same of our Readers, March is a wonderful opportunity to do just a little bit more to help our local business community. I know I’ve been feeling a little cabin fever of late, but I look forward to getting out more and seeing some smiles on the faces that have otherwise been covered for so long. I might be premature in saying this, but a guy can dream, right?!
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On behalf of my family, I’d like to thank you for your readership and for supporting this publication in all its forms. I hope you enjoy this edition,
Roger Tumminieri
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COMMUNITY LIFE FOR LIVES
Life for Lives was founded in 2015 by a family with extensive experience in pioneering volunteer initiatives and continuing social and emotional passion for the vulnerable. We have the vision to support and increase many people’s lives in Canada. During these years, we have created and supported several initiatives in the area of social, educational, sustainable economic development, and cultural sectors in our community. Welcoming everybody, our mission expresses the challenge of interacting and integrating with the various sectors of civil society developing innovative actions. Around March 2020, The Government urged vulnerable people to stay home due to Covid- 19. As the situation worsened in April we began to see that our community was suffering. Lots of families lost their jobs, and only had money to pay rent. Our team then decided to open a Food
Bank, following all protocols and people who were able to, began to donate. Soon enough we had enough funds to buy groceries, diapers, hygiene products etc. We started to create our baskets with all the products their families would need. Some who were unable to pick up their basket, we offered volunteers to deliver it to them. In this difficult time we were able to provide over 500 families with the basic necessities until the month of November 2020. Without our community of volunteers and donations none of this would have been possible. Today we continue to help our community, when we receive donations of food we pass it on to our local Churches where they distribute to families that are in need. Our goal is to continue to help our communities in various ways and together we can make difference. .
Registered Charity: 708211321 RR 0001
LIFE FOR LIVES 437.882.7904 Instagram: @lifeforlives info@mylifeforlives.org mylifeforlives.org
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HUMBER COLLEGE COMMUNITY UPDATE
As we plan for the future of the Humber College Lakeshore Campus, it is so important to bring in all voices in our community and consult with them as we move through the process. In my last update, I mentioned that Humber’s Faculty of Social and Community Services launched a Social Innovation Survey to support the development of the Centre of Social Innovation (CSI), which will be housed here at Lakeshore. The CSI will be part of Humber’s network of Centres of Innovation, which brings together faculty, students and partners to tackle realworld challenges in health and wellness, technology, business and entrepreneurship in addition to social innovation.
I want to thank everyone who completed the CSI survey for their help in creating positive change in our community. Our respondents identified employment, education and training, reduced inequalities and poverty reduction as critical priorities to explore. In addition, more than half of those community members said that they could see themselves being directly involved in social innovation work as participants, volunteers or principal investors. This is good news and indicates that we’re headed in the right direction. If you are interested in learning more about how you can participate in social innovation and the CSI, please contact Stephanie Byer, manager of International and Strategic Initiatives at stephanie. byer@humber.ca. I’m pleased to share Humber College cemented its status as an innovative research institution, rising to a second place ranking on a list of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges – and to first place in Ontario. The Research Infosource Inc. publication recognized Humber as a leader in industry and social innovation research. One of the projects contributing to our ranking seeks to reduce youth crime and gang violence. Ann Corbold, a professor in Humber’s Faculty of Social and Community Services (FSCS), is
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investigating what makes community partnerships effective and evaluating youth programs for cultural sensitivity, alignment to reconciliation and more. She is working with the John Howard Society of Saskatchewan and the Street Culture Project out of Regina. Corbold’s FSCS colleague, professor Salomeh Ahmadi is exploring social innovation closer to home in South Etobicoke. She is working to uncover cost of living issues and develop a baseline for housing affordability to make affordable housing a reality for all renters.
year-round programming, and there are several initiatives in the works. The GARDENS team has already produced resources like a short documentary and video library, which you can access online. The initiative continues to evolve. FSCS Bachelor of Community Development students are working with the GARDEN on a food security project, as well as researching initiatives at other grassroots organizations. Their findings will inform recommendations for how the GARDENS can build on its programming.
Ahmadi reached out to community groups to understand their obstacles and enlisted You can learn more about the project at longtime Humber partner LAMP Community gardenslakeshore.ca. Health Centre to help in her research. If you would like to volunteer to help Humber Lakeshore also partners with LAMP maintain the gardens throughout the on the annual GARDENS project, which just summer, please contact Global Learning secured funding from the Humber College and Strategic Initiatives coordinator Ayesha Community Partnership fund. Amin at ayesha.amin@humber.ca. The project is multifaceted and includes the Pod Project, which contributes to food security in the Etobicoke Lakeshore community. Local businesses and organizations host pod planters tended to and harvested by community members. The produce is then sent to local food banks and food security initiatives.
JUNE MACDONALD-JENKINS
Sr. Dean Faculty of Social and Community Services Principal, Lakeshore Campus
The project also includes education and training opportunities like family-friendly education workshops on gardening, cooking and food waste. Last summer, a community consultation identified a desire for continued, Independent Publisher of Print Magazines & Podcasts
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COVER STORY HOW I SURVIVED SQUIRREL MAGEDDON piece and dragged it below to improve the existing living space. In the aftermath, my deck looked like Armageddon. I’m sure she’s quite pleased with herself for a job well done. So why did this intruder choose to start a home improvement project now? Squirrels mate between December and February. With the gestation period lasting 38 to 46 days, female squirrels will give birth in early spring (February through April). It looks like this mama needed a nest. By improving her living conditions, she’s hoping to improve her babies’ quality of life. Despite this being the normal course of mother nature, I am no longer amused by squirrels. They are now my enemy. I’m on a mission to evict the squatter. “I ran out to the deck, screamed hoping to scare away the beast, which only seemed to ramp up its destructive behaviour” - Amanda, Long Branch Resident I’ve spent a lot of time here offering ways to improve your life, with inspiration for happiness, gratitude, less stress, etc. How about something different today? I’ll spend some time on the realities of home ownership. A rant. Buckle up!
To be continued…
AMANDA KIRKLAND Personal Development Coach www.amandakirkland.com
BABE—Balanced, Authentic, B*tch, Extraordinaire Personal Development Coach If you are interested in making positive changes in your life, let’s book an initial consultation call. Tell me your story and we can identify what’s blocking you from achieving the results you desire. Email me at amanda@amandakirkland.com or visit www.amandakirkland.com
A black squirrel made a home improvement for herself last week. She built herself a new Airbnb. From a tree beside my deck, she must have spent some time scoping which spot she could reach and temporarily house her pending family. My deck seemed the ideal choice. It offers direct access to a covered nesting space via said tree, then into the scupper accessing the chambers of my deck. Once the decision of where to build her temporary home was made, she ran along a particularly large tree branch which reaches almost to my deck and launched herself onto the railing. It was quite spectacular and efficient. I’m glad I could make it so easy for her. And then, the destruction began. To decorate her new digs in a neutral tone, she selected my beige deck furniture covers. She meticulously tore apart each 12
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AMANDA KIRKLAND
JAMES MALONEY GEMS OF ETOBICOKE-LAKESHORE It is hard to believe next year will be the twentieth anniversary of the “Gems of the Lakeshore.” Over time, it has evolved into what we are today: the “Gems of EtobicokeLakeshore”. The Gems were created to recognize and appreciate outstanding small businesses, community and service organizations that make our community a more vibrant place to live, work and play.
• The Kingsway BIA • Village of Islington BIA • Shop The Queensway BIA
Anyone can nominate their favourite business in the riding. Local Business Improvement Areas act as judges and sift through nominees to choose the winners and I am pleased to organize and work with the BIAs to make sure that the deserving “gems” in our community continue to be recognized and shown appreciation. In our constituency we have seven BIAS: • Lakeshore Village BIA • Long Branch BIA • Mimico Village BIA • Mimico By The Lake BIA
The deadline to submit your candidates is April 30, 2022.
Try exploring local businesses in new neighbourhoods.
Voting will open on April 1. You can vote online by clicking on my website, www. jamesmaloneymp.ca or stay tuned for a It is an initiative that I believe is an incredibly hard copy nomination form in the mail positive way to highlight our local businesses from me in April and you can drop off your and service organizations especially with the nominations at my office, 1092 Islington Avenue, Suite 202. COVID reality.
The nomination form is included in this issue and on my website. Jamesmaloney. libparl.ca. So get out there and experience all that our incredible businesses have to offer. I will announce the winners in my Summer Householder so stay tuned.
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