Woodbine Daily Updates
The latest news, views and things to do in the Woodbine Heights neighbourhoods
Clean up our communities together, city urges
Toronto is asking communities to register local litter cleanups to take part in the city’s annual spring cleanup from April 21 to April 23.
We can register three kinds of cleanups:
- The 20-Minute Makeover on April 21 is for local businesses (BIAs, are you listening?) to clean up public spaces, like parks, sidewalks, ravines or beaches (though local residents can take part too).
- Also on April 21, students and staff of schools, colleges and universities can spend 20 minutes cleaning up their schoolyards or neighbourhood parks.
- On April 22 and 23, community groups, families and individuals are encouraged to visit local parks or other public spaces to help pick up litter.
Get more information and register for whichever cleanup works for you on the city’s Clean Toronto Together page.
Robbery at knifepoint on Coxwell platform
Two males are being sought after a reported robbery at knifepoint on the subway platform at Coxwell Station this afternoon, according to police posts on Twitter.
ROBBERY:
Coxwell Subway Stn
4:23pm
– reports of a robbery on the subway platform
– male victim reported he was robbed at knifepoint by two suspects
– no injuries
– police responding
– no TTC service to Coxwell Stn at this time#GO709690
^se— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) March 31, 2023
Later posts said service had resumed to Coxwell and gave descriptions of the alleged robbers.
Bradford finally announces: he’s in the race for mayor
Beaches-East York councillor has ended weeks of speculation, declaring himself a candidate to succeed John Tory as mayor of Toronto.
He’s running to be a “strong mayor of action” to make the city safer, more affordable, and easier to get around, Bradford said in Twitter and Instagrams posts this morning.
View this post on Instagram
Streeter news:Feeding any wildlife, anywhere in city to be banned
On April 1 a new city bylaw comes into effect prohibiting the feeding of wildlife anywhere in Toronto.
And for good reason, according to wildlife experts. You may think you’re helping the animals but you’re not.
Even the traditional practice of throwing bread crumbs to birds is not helpful, the experts say.
Read Dennis Hanagan’s full story in Streeter news about the bylaw and the dangers of feeding the animals.
Two sought for robbery in Woodbine area
Two men armed with a firearm attempted to rob someone near O’Connor Drive and Binswood Avenue on March 14, police said today.
Shortly before midnight, four friends left a residence to go to a nearby store but were accosted by two men who pointed a firearm at them, according to the police account.
The group of four tried to flee but the men caught up to them, knocked one to the ground, struck him in the head with the firearm, threatened to shoot him and and tried to take his shoes and satchel, police said.
For more details and descriptions, see the police news release.
Outdoor skating continues to Sunday — if the ice holds up
The city is encouraging skaters to enjoy the last few days of the official outdoor skating season at our local rinks. However, the weather seems poised to end the season earlier than the scheduled March 19 deadline.
Sunday evening is when the city starts to close its outdoor artificial ice rinks, natural ice rinks and skating trails and begin its annual conversion of spaces into skateboarding parks, tennis courts and pickleball spaces.
Meanwhile the forecast for the next four days calls for rainy and overcast days with temperatures mainly above zero.
Arrest for crosstown bank robberies 20 minutes apart
A man was arrested yesterday after a bank robbery near Danforth and Coxwell avenues, police reported today.
It was the second such bank robbery of the day, they said. Twenty minutes before the East Danforth holdup, officers had responded to a holdup call near Bloor and Bathurst streets.
In both cases a man is alleged to have worn a mask and gloves while handing a teller a note saying he had a firearm and demanding cash. The man then fled the areas with the money, police said.
A 24-year-old Toronto man faces six charges, including two counts each of robbery and disguise with intent.
Developments to change the face of Danforth
The full scale of the transformation being wrought on East Danforth by multiple highrise developments was brought home at the community consultation yesterday.
The virtual meeting heard from three development teams on the eight buildings, ranging from 15 to 55 storeys, they propose to add to the existing buildings and to eight other towers already approved for the stretch of Danforth Avenue from Main Street to Dawes Road.
Little time was left at the meeting, however, for community feedback.
See Streeter’s full report on the event.
Man sought after gun pulled during altercation
A 24-year-old man is wanted in an investigation of an incident involving a firearm on the evening of March 4.
Two people got into an altercation near Victoria Park Avenue and St. Clair Avenue East, and one of them is alleged to have pulled a gun out of a bag to threaten the other, according to police.
The suspect fled before the police arrived. See today’s police news release for more details, including description and images of the man being sought.
Public consultation to be held on three massive Danforth developments
Thousands of residential units with several thousand more residences could be added if three planned developments on Danforth Avenue, between Main street and Dawes road, are approved.
A virtual community consultation on all three projects is being held on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. City planners and Beaches East York councillor Brad Bradford are scheduled to take part.
A total of eight new buildings, ranging from 15 to 55 storey are being proposed.
For more on the projects and the online community meeting, see Streeter’s Thing To do listing.
Posters oppose Bradford’s mayoral run
Flyers have appeared on streets in Beaches-East York calling councillor Brad Bradford two-faced, headed “Deceive in the East” — a takeoff on “Believe in the East,” his slogan in the 2022 council race.
They have also popped up on social media, including on Twitter.
The posters are apparently intended to oppose Bradford’s expected campaign for mayor.
They purport to show his record of voting runs counter to the image he presents as a progressive politician.
Summerlicious applications open
Winterlicious seems barely over and it’s already time for local restaurants to sign up for the summer edition of the fixed-price dining festival.
Applications to participate in the Summerlicious program will be accepted from today to March 22, the city has announced.
This year’s Summerlicious runs from July 7 to 23 and there’s good news for participating restaurants: the fees have been cut to less than half the pre-pandemic rates. The new fee is $550. The city says this reduction should “make it easy and affordable for restaurants to participate and will encourage more Toronto residents to dine out and celebrate Toronto’s diverse culinary scene.”
Restaurants can find more information on the City’s Summerlicious 2023 Restaurant Participation webpage.
Will he or won’t he run?
It appears more certain than ever that Brad Bradford will indeed try for the top municipal job — though he is still hedging his bets somewhat.
The Beaches-East York councillor released a statement today in which he announced he is putting together an advisory committee, including some business and political heavy-hitters from across the Liberal-Conservative spectrum, seemingly in preparation for a run for mayor.
He says he’s building a “winning team … that will ensure any campaign I lead represents the broad diversity and perspectives found across the entire city.”
Asked directly by media whether this means he is in the race, he has replied he is considering it very seriously and talked of what he intends to do “if I am running.” See CP24 video for one such
Federal rep ponders what he could do as provincial leader
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith appears closer to declaring himself a candidate for the Ontario Liberal leadership, though he won’t make his final decision until next month when the party sets the rules for the race.
That’s what may be gleaned from a CBC story today in which the Beaches-East York MP, who has been touring the province for a possible run, touted his experience as an outspoken backbencher in Ottawa as showing he could bring democratic renewal to the Ontario political scene.
Local home prices dropping, real estate board says
Home prices are down by 14.8 per cent from last year in this area, according to figures recently released by the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.
The report indicates the year-over-year decrease for the real estate “E03” area, including East York, Broadview North, Playter Estates, Danforth Village, O’Connor-Parkview, Woodbine-Lumsden and Crescent Town.
As of January, the average home here is now about $1.2 million, TRREB reports.
Single-family, detached houses have taken the biggest hit, dropping 16 per cent to about $1.3 million.
Parking restrictions eased for Family Day
Police have announced they will not be ticketing vehicles parked on the street on Feb. 20 on rush-hour routes and in areas with posted Monday–Friday regulations.
Stabbing reported at O’Connor and Glenwood
A man was sent to hospital after a stabbing near O’Connor Drive and Glenwood Crescent at about 11:30 a.m. today, according to a police tweet.
STABBING:
O’Connor Dr &Glenwood Cres @TPS55Div
11:36 am
– @TorontoMedics o/s with a man who has been stabbed
-patient being transported to hospital
-police o/s investigating
-use caution in the area
-no suspect info
-anyone w/info contact police #GO362559
^sc— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) February 15, 2023
Erskine-Smith says he won’t run for mayor
Beaches-East York Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, whose name has also been tossed around as a possible contender to replace Mayor John Tory, appears to have taken himself out of the running.
Earlier he put himself forward as running for the leadership of the Ontario Liberals. On Twitter he says today he is “focused on serving my home community and Canadians in Parliament and bringing much needed change to the Ontario Liberal Party.”
As a voter in Toronto, I want more ambition at City Hall.
I will vote for a Mayor who looks after our most vulnerable, cuts red tape and builds more housing, and makes Toronto a global leader in sustainability and public health.
— Nate Erskine-Smith (@beynate) February 13, 2023
Bradford touted for mayoralty run
Beaches-East York councillor Brad Bradford says he’s received calls asking him to run for mayor, since John Tory’s sudden resignation, according to a Toronto Star article about possible candidates yesterday.
Bradford, who was supported by Tory when first elected to council in 2018, reportedly told the Star he hasn’t decided yet whether to run for mayor.
Skate Day is back at Ted Reeve
Beaches-East York’s city councillor, MPP and MP are joining together to host their annual Skate Day at Ted Reeve Arena.
It takes place on Feb. 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
See more information on this event at the Streeter Things To Do listing.
Report our potholes to be fixed
You may see repair crews out on the roads today as the city launches its first pothole-fixing blitz of the year.
Chances are, though, plenty of Woodbine-area potholes will remain unless they are reported. To get those car-wrecking eyesores filled, report them via the 311 Toronto mobile app, online at Toronto.ca/311 or by calling 311.
The city says most repairs are carried out within four days of potholes being reported.
Arrest made in pedestrian homicide
Police said today they’ve made an arrest in the investigation of the death of a pedestrian at Danforth and Cedarvale avenues on Feb. 5.
Ryan Andrews, 24, of Toronto was arrested yesterday and has been charged with first-degree murder.
‘Hate-motivated’ assault reported on bus near Main
And the reports of violence on the TTC keep coming. On Feb. 8 police were called to Main Street Station after a girl was reportedly assaulted on a bus near Main Street Station.
Police are calling it a hate-motivated crime because a racial slur was allegedly made.
East York auto thefts reported on the rise
A story in the Toronto Observer today says East York is seeing a major increase in reports of auto thefts, counting nearly 200 incidents in January alone.
This reflects figures from Toronto as a whole which has experienced a nearly 50-per-cent increase in the crime over the past year, according to the article.
See the police news release for details and images.
Victim identified, more details in pedestrian homicide
Police have identified the man struck and killed by a vehicle on the sidewalk at Danforth and Cedarvale avenues as Gabriel del Castillo Mullally, 25, of Toronto.
They have also provided more details of the events leading up to the alleged homicide.
Get more of the story at Streeter news.
Vehicle kills pedestrian on Danforth sidewalk
Early this morning police were called to an apparent hit-and-run accident in front of Tim Hortons at Danforth and Cedarvale avenues. The victim died after being rushed to hospital and police started treating the incident as a homicide.
Get the full Streeter news story.
This ward soon to have three cameras to catch speeders
The city is adding 25 automated speed enforcement cameras, one for each ward in Toronto. The most recent ASE site in Beaches-East York is on Main Street south of Swanwick Avenue.
It joins two other such cameras in the ward, currently located on Wolverleigh Boulevard, west of Glebemount Avenue, and on Gerrard Street East, east of Beaton Avenue.
See the full Streeter story on the new cameras.
Two arrested in alleged home invasion
Three days after a reported home invasion near Woodbine and Norway avenues (see Jan. 29 item below), the man and woman suspects have been arrested, police say.
Police received information from the public that led to finding the two in the area of Danforth and Cedarvale avenues, according to a news release.
Arrested on Jan. 31 at about 7:30 p.m., the Toronto man, 38, and Toronto woman, 3o, face a total of 14 charges, including breaking and entering, robbery with an offensive weapon and assault with a weapon.
For more details, see the police news release.
Man and woman sought in home invasion investigation
Investigators are looking for a 38-year-old man and 30-year-old woman after an alleged home invasion, police said yesterday evening.
In the early hours of Jan. 28, two people armed with knives allegedly broke into a residence near Woodbine and Norway avenues and attacked a tenant. The tenant suffered serious injury, police said.
More information and images of the suspects are available in the police news release.
Town hall budget meeting for east-end residents
Have your say at the town hall meeting on the city’s 2023 budget, co-hosted by Toronto-Danforth and Beaches East York councillors. The meeting’s on Feb. 3. See more about it in Streeter’s Things To Do listing.
CampTO registration set to open
It’s time to start planning the kids’ summer camp activities at local parks and centres this summer. The city has announced its CampTO programs are online for your consideration, ready for registration beginning Feb. 11.
Some new programs have been added to the CampTO lineup for the programs that run from July 4 to Sept. 1.
For more information on the program and registration, see the Streeter calendar listing.
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