Aries: This will be a very hectic month for you, dear Aries, and you will be undergoing transformations with your career. You are encouraged to try something new, and if you follow your passions intelligently, it can be a very prosperous month for you financially. Use your charm to get that date with someone you have your eye on. For health, listen to what your body is telling you. Get everything checked out and you won’t regret it.Taurus: Strong Taurus, it is time for you to relax and take care of your health this month. Try to avoid impulsive spending, and instead focus your energy on resting and enjoying the outdoors. Some sunshine, and some friends to share it with, will help you get the balance you need. If you’re single, stay open to new opportunities. Communication is your word this month, do it, and do it a lot!Gemini: It is going to be a career-focused month for you, charismatic Gemini. Take this time to consider what truly matters to you. Practice your talents and network with new people in order to head in the direction that will work best for you. Your love life might suffer a little bit, but it is only temporary. You will feel immune to illness, but ensure to keep up your healthy habits either way!Cancer: This month will have you feeling independent, darling Cancer, as you battle for progress in love, finances, and health. Do not lose hope, as you will find your strength within as well as through your social circles, old and new, that will aid you in finding your inner light. You will need to put in hard work to defeat obstacles that come your way, so planning ahead and scheduling what you want to get done and how will make things go smoothly. Good news, you might find your soul mate this April.Leo: Fiery Leo, do not only focus on the present now. It is the time to dream big and far ahead. A chapter of your life is coming to an end, and the one is just beginning. How the rest of your story goes is up to you, so pick up that mental pen, or maybe even try making a vision board. Make sure to take some time to relax in between these big plans, or your love life may take a hit.Virgo: Try to relax this month, sweet Virgo, and focus on the growth of your intellect both externally and internally. Cleanse the body and mind of impurities in order to have a feisty romantic life without the distractions of inner dialogue or pains from your past. Mid month, make sure to be social, as it could lead to some exciting opportunities!Libra: Don’t forget to take the time to enjoy the little things month, kind Libra, even if things feel a bit overwhelming. Remember to slow down while everything moves quickly around you. April will be a great month to exercise your flirting muscle, as you will find many excuses to do so. Enjoy it! Pay attention to small details at work and in your personal life to make sure that you are doing what makes you happy and not merely chasing after titles or salary.Scorpio: Small romantic moments are a focal point this month, passionate Scorpio. This will be a time to get to know someone new, or learn new things about someone you are already close to. While this April will be great for your love life, your career might seem to move slowly. Be patient. There will be a lot of laughter to enjoy, so remember to always see the humor in even the darkest of times. Focus on your physical health with a run outside or take a long bike ride.Sagittarius: Lovely Sagittarius, you might feel as though things are completely out of order in the beginning of the month. The way around this might be to think on the spot, rather than sticking to plans. What has once worked may not be what will continue to, so try changing your mindset. Keeping physically fit and reach out to those you care about in order to achieve balance this April. If you take a chance with someone you have your eye on, it could lead to a love to remember.Capricorn: This is the perfect month to hone in on your creativity, courageous Capricorn. Get those juices flowing, write, paint, just create, and you will shine as bright as what you make.This is quite the lucky month for you, as love is also on the horizon, so put your best foot forward! Stay focused and hard working in order to stay on top, and meditation can help you figure out what it is you are truly looking for.Pisces: Considerate Pisces, all of your hard work has been paying off! This is a great month for love, work, and every aspect of life. Thinking outside of the box will benefit you greatly. Turn those dreams into a reality; this is the time to do it. Direct your energy towards what matters to you and stay grounded along the way. Be honest with yourself and those that you care about to strengthen your bonds.
French Presidential Election
By: Renaud Durand The 2017 French presidential election started today, Sunday, April 23 and continues on May 7th. It aims at electing the president of the French Republic for a five-year term, the eleventh presidential election of the Fifth Republic and, also the tenth in the direct universal suffrage.This election will indicate the successor of the president of the Republic taking out François Hollande for the benefit of 11 potential candidates.The candidates and campaigns are different in comparison to previous presidential election. In this election there is a degree of unpredictability and a lot of talk about a certain reorganization of the French political scene.This change is the fruit of the personal weakening of the former two leaders of the parties who were majority, Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande with the political balance unflattering.Indeed, 89 % of the respondents think that the politicians do not worry enough about "what people like us think", and 70 % think that democracy does not work well.The various political campaigns have gained a lot of media attention. There has been heated debates on television and presumed favouritism, cheating and corruption among republicans François Fillon and Marine Le Pen, representative of National Front, the radical right.Polls show a certain fragility in voting intentions for candidates of the Socialist Party and the Republican Party, the two big parties of government. The people of France have embodied new currents such as the centrist representative, Emmanuel Macron, or the socialist, Jean-Luc Mélenchon.Many contrasting opinions such as: leaving the European Union, the lapse of nationality, universal income and more are subjects represented by the contrasting opinions of each candidate.People’s indecisions reflect this pluralistic France today, in its opinions, in its origins, which should meet and accept to establish a better prospect. If the victory of President Trump in the United States and that of Brexit in the United Kingdom were unexpected, then we must consider the complexity of the situation in France, and realize we might need to expect that something similar might happen in the French country.
Highway of Heroes Living Tribute Honours Canada’s Military this Earth Day
Over one thousand trees to be planted at Downsview Park on April 23TORONTO, Ont. – Canadians who have served in the Armed Forces will be honoured with 2,000 new trees to be planted at Downsview Park’s annual Earth Day celebration. Contributions to the Highway of Heroes Living Tribute on behalf of TD Bank Group (TD) and Maple Leaves Forever will also be announced.As part of Earth Day celebrations on April 23, 2017, the Highway of Heroes Living Tribute will enlist the help of volunteers to honour the Canadian men and women who both served and gave their lives for their country. Volunteers will witness a special ceremony, hosted by Ziya Tong of Discovery’s flagship program, Daily Planet, and will also feature a special performance by JUNO Award winning group, The Trews, who will perform the hit song, Highway of Heroes.“With the 150th anniversary of Canada just around the corner, we’re doing something special to recognize Canada’s fallen soldiers in conjunction with Earth Day,” says Mark Cullen, Canada’s gardening Guru and Chairman of the Highway of Heroes Living Tribute. “This is a perfect opportunity for people to take part in a great cause while also getting outside to enjoy the spring weather.”“The Highway of Heroes Living Tribute honours Canada’s fallen soldiers by creating a living reminder of the world they gave their lives to protect,” says Karen Clarke-Whistler, TD, Chief Environment Officer. “We’re proud to be supporting such an important event as part of the TD Common Ground Project, which is helping to connect people across Canada in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday.”“We are proud to once again provide support for the Highway of Heroes Living Tribute,” says Ken Jewett, founder of Maple Leaves Forever, a founding partner of the Living Tribute. “This additional contribution was made specifically to honour the three gentlemen whose vision made this campaign come to life – Mark Cullen, Michael de Pencier and Tony DiGiovanni.”The Highway of Heroes Living Tribute is creating a living, breathing memorial along the Highway 401 corridor between Trenton and Toronto — known as the Highway of Heroes. The campaign will see 2,000,000 trees planted to honour Canadians who have served in the armed forces, 117,000 of which will be planted directly on the highway – one for each Canadian that has fallen in war since Confederation.The Earth Day event will take place on April 23 from 10:45 a.m. to 4.p.m at Downsview Park with the ceremony starting at 10:45 sharp.The day will also feature;
- Military focused story telling session
- Birds of Prey demos
- Campfire and busker
- Information booths
- People Mover rides
- Face painting, glitter tattoo booth and more.
This planting is being undertaken in partnership with Downsview Park and in collaboration with TD, Maple Leaves Forever and Michael Levitt, Member of Parliament – York Centre.Available for interviews:
- Mark Cullen, Chairman, Highway of Heroes Living Tribute
- MP Michael Levitt
About Highway of HeroesWhen is a tree more than just a tree? The answer is when the tree is part of a memorial to honour Canada’s fallen heroes. The mission of the Highway of Heroes Living Tribute is simple: To honour Canada’s military contributions by planting 2,000,000 trees, 117,000 of which will be for each Canadian that has fallen in war since Confederation. The Highway of Heroes Living Tribute is made possible by contributions provided by Mark’s Choice, Landscape Ontario, TD, Maple Leaves Forever, the Garden Club of Toronto and donations from Canadians from coast to coast.To learn more, visit www.hohtribute.ca
| Daniel G. Lovell | Special AssistantMichael Levitt, MP | York CentreOffice: 660 Wilson Ave, North York ON M3K1E1T: 416.638.3700F: 416.941.2421 |
Ward 10 Community Update: Town Hall on Monday, April 24th to Oppose the Upcoming Closure of the Branson Urgent Care Centre
Moderated by Sean Meagher, Executive Director of Social Planning TorontoFriday, April 21, 2017The Branson Community Action Group (BCAG) has been formed by the residents of Bathurst-Finch area after learning that the Branson Urgent Care Centre is being closed down by North York General Hospital.On March 1, 2017 Mr. Tim Rutledge, CEO of North York General Hospital announced through the hospital website that the Urgent Care Centre of North York General hospital would be closing effective June 1, 2017.The services provided by the centre will be transferred to the North York General Hospital main campus at Leslie Street and Sheppard Avenue East at least for the foreseeable future. Residents are crying foul for such short notice with no community consultation, and are mobilizing opposition to the closure.What: A resident led town hall to obtain and organize public input on the closure of the Branson Division of North York General Hospital.Where: Northview Heights Secondary School (550 Finch Avenue West), AuditoriumWhen: April 24, 2017, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.Further background:The Branson Community Action Group feels that the Branson Urgent Care Centre is an important part of this neighbourhood providing necessary medical services within reasonable walking distances to a community with a high concentration of seniors, disabled and new Canadian residents and families of limited income.BCAG feels that closure of the Urgent Care Centre would cause a great hardship in the community that might lead to avoidable deaths due to a lack of easy access to emergency medical care. It is the feeling of BCAG that the Urgent Care Centre should remain open to serve the community for the foreseeable future, as BCAG believes that the Bathurst-Finch neighbourhood should remain a walkable neighbourhood.BCAG feels it is important to at least postpone the official closure of the Urgent Care Centre to October of 2017 to allow a reasonable amount of time for public consultation on the matter. It is the hope of BCAG and the affected community that, with proper public consultation, a different solution to providing the medical needs of this area can be found.Media contacts:Ms. Vicki Jewt, Co-chairperson BCAGvictoriaajds@gmail.comKenneth Schafer, Co-chairperson BCAGdrkschafer@rogers.comBranson Community Action Group
Services that Support and Empower Women in the Downsview Area: Profiling the North York Women’s Shelter
In Downsview, many women are unaware of the types of services that are available to support and empower them. Women services that are in or near the Downsview area, such as North York Women’s Centre, Working Women Community Centre and SASSL (Sexual Assault Survivors Support Line) are available to all women.The North York Women’s Shelter is one of the most well known women’s services in Downsview and has been servicing this area for over 30 years. This feminist based service is the only women’s shelter in North York that has been working with survivors of violence and abuse (intimate partner violence, family violence, etc.) to empower and support them.Their mission is to provide both women and children a life without violence by having a safe, non-judgmental and inclusive environment in their shelter. The shelter provides many programs, counseling services, and a 24-hour crisis phone line for survivors or victims of violence and abuse. Michelle Johnson, Manager of Development and Communications, explained that, because they are a feminist based service, they believe that “the survivor should a choice in how they want to deal with and get help for their situations.”A new program was implemented in January 2017 called: Express Art. This program allows counselors to work with women individually or in groups, to create art pieces. Jiin Yiong, Director of Programs and Services, explained that this therapeutic program is an effective way to help women and children as a family unit, to not only create beautiful art, but it is also helpful in dealing with trauma. The programs in the shelter help the women and children build new friendships and engage in multiple activities. Jiin explained that “programs such as yoga lessons help the women develop bonding ties between the counselors and the other women in the shelter.”Want to get involve and help the North York Women’s Shelter? You can volunteer with: administration and fundraising, special events and outreach, and shelter services or bring in donations to the office, make monthly donations, host community fundraising events, corporate partnerships, become a member, or even sponsor a family in the shelter.Whether you are a survivor seeking empowerment and support or you want to get involved in your community, women services like North York Women’s Shelter are here to serve you!
Stay in the Neighbourhood: check out our list of cool things to do in Downsview!
The weekend is a great time to spend with the family but it’s also a nice excuse to get out of the house and enjoy what Downsview has to offer!We’ve created a list of awesome things to do in the community that is sure to keep your family happy:
- Go for a relaxing picnic and/or walk in Downsview Park
- Partake in an adventure at Escape Games Canada
- Smell the fresh air at Earl Bales Park
- Enjoy an all-you eat meal at Mandarin North York
- Have a pizza party at Boston Pizza Yonge-Impasse
- Do your spring shopping at Yorkgate Mall
- Enjoy a latte while playing board games at Mystery Room Board Game Café
- Test your target practice at the Archers Arena
- Get a strike (or two!) at Playtime Bowl
- Challenge your body at True North Climbing
- Take the children to Kidnetix
Magnotta Brewery:Featuring Peaches En Regalia and Dungeons and Flagons ESB
This new feature column, Community Brews, aims to celebrate the small breweries in our community, sharing not only the tasting notes of their latest feature beer, but also telling their story and describing their history in our local area. In this edition, we introduce Magnotta Brewery. Gabe and Rossana Magnotta founded its Winery business in 1990, producing 100% Ontario vintages from grapes grown at 180 acres of family-owned and operated vineyards. The story of this winery business, which is now the third largest in Ontario, is familiar to many local consumers. A lesser-known part of its history began in 1996 with the formation of Magnotta Brewery, which a location in the heart of North York at Yonge and Finch.It introduced traditionally brewed craft lagers and ales that would win awards at national and international competitions including Brewery of the Year. More recently, rotating experimental brews have been added to the classic lineup, expanding the repertoire of available tastes for beer lovers. These specialty brews were created by staff members who work at the brewery and are interested in honing their skills as an apprentice under the watchful eye of the head brewer.Barbara Ziola is a seasoned veteran of the Canada brewing industry who takes her role as head brewer seriously when it comes to safety, sanitation, and quality yet always has a smile and time to take a curious person on a tour of the brewery, teaching as she goes. “I love what I do,” she told me as she described how a large tank known as a “sparge” extracts the sweet sugary liquid, known as “wort” from the crushed barley and hot water mixture known as “mash”. Later in the process hops are added to impart flavour and then yeast is used to ferment the sugars into alcohol. While I was learning about brewing, I also learned about Magnotta’s community involvement.The brewery hires people of all ages and backgrounds whether they have a formal education or not, including people with disabilities. I saw many smiling faces going about their tasks, chatting casually with one another as they filled a box with the latest brews. I was not surprised to learn the company was recognized as one of Canada’s 50 best managed for over 10 consecutive years.Its annual Art on the Bottle competition and scholarship, which was won by 4th year arts student Kelly Baskin this past year, promotes the work of art students by featuring it on the bottle of a new release. It is also a strong supporter of medical research through its G. Magnotta Foundation that works closely with local medical institutions including the Humber River Hospital.A family business with deep community ties is a good fit for the growing craft beer culture in our city, but only sets the stage for the brews themselves to shine. Originally only available at the Vaughn head office, all of the classic beers can now be ordered and picked up at any Magnotta location, including in North York.Reviews:After my tour, I had the pleasure of sampling one of the exclusive new brews that make the trek up to Vaughn a worthwhile treat: Peaches En Regalia. Made in the traditional Belgian wheat beer style, this honey-coloured ale has a sour nose, smooth body, and a crisp finish that lingers pleasantly with hints of Ontario peaches sourced from P.G. Enns Farms. Its 4.8% alcohol and low bitterness make it a great complement to a light meal of chicken and pasta.Next, I sampled Dungeons and Flagons ESB, the creation of employee and amateur brewer Dean. “I wanted to create something with a bit more bitterness and boldness than our classic beers,” he explained as he walked me through his creative process. With some experimentation and healthy competition between employees, he succeeded in melding the tradition of English extra special bitter ales with Ontario hops to create a lighter, honey bodied brew with a crisp bitter finish. At 5.5% alcohol and around 20 International Bitterness Units (IBUs), the hops and malt are well-balanced. Enjoy it beside a roaring fire with steak-frites and let your imagination soar!
Humans of Downsview
“It has been stated that the City of Toronto is the one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. Probably most reflective of this is the representation of 100 different nationalities and over 70 different languages and dialects spoken in the Jane-Finch community alone. Although the community has its share of problems, largely due to systemic racialized poverty, my experience is that the community has incredible riches, with wonderful people who have a caring spirit and a deep sense of community. It has been a blessed privilege to work in Jane and Finch for the last 22 years.” –Barry. Community Minister.
Keep Our Power Rally and March
On April 8th Keep Hydro Public is joining Libby Keenan and many other residents from across the Province to demand for: Affordable, Accountable, and Publicly owned electricity!Our ask is simple: No more rebates. STOP THE SALE OF HYDRO ONE!The Ontario Liberal Government sold about 30% of Hydro One without a mandate. Just last week the Liberal MPPs also voted to continue the sale of Hydro One shares. Privatization of public utility has been disastrous for the Province. Private Power costs more than Public Power. Let’s unite and tell the Liberal Government: we want to Keep Our Power, We want to Keep Hydro Public.WHEN: Saturday April 8 @ 1:00 p.m. WHERE: Assemble at Hydro One Headquarters (483 Bay St) between 11am to 1pm, then march to Queen’s Park at 1:00pm.
If you need further information please contact Doly Begum at doly@keephydropublic.ca or 647-998-3659 (cell).