SAHRA eBlast – June 24, 2020

Canada Day Lawn Signs provided by Hon. Marco Mendicino

Are you interested in a 16 x 24 Canada Day Lawn Sign?  You can fill out an order form at:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSenTBvgangqpAA3RoUJ9TxybknpJhJDqPcnt5oj-FzB-qUrcA/viewform

If you want, you can store the sign for next year’s Canada Day or Marco Mendicino’s Office is happy to collect the signs after Canada Day this year.


City Survey

While the City continues to work on reducing the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring the delivery of essential and critical City services, it is also working to prepare for Toronto’s recovery in the weeks and months to come.  The City has established the Toronto Office of Recovery and Rebuild (TORR) to:

  • coordinate engagement and research
  • develop the City’s recovery strategies
  • recommend actions to rebuild and reimagine the way the City delivers programs and services.

Residents, businesses and communities will play a significant role in successfully restoring communities and social and economic infrastructure. The City will continue to engage with institutions, the community and partners to get input that will help shape the City’s actions around recovery and rebuild.

The City of Toronto’s Office of Recovery & Rebuild has launched an online survey to seek the perspectives of residents, communities, and businesses on how the City can recover, rebuild, and emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic even stronger. You have until June 30 to complete the survey.  For those that do not have access to a computer or the internet, or who need help in another language, members of the public may call 311 to complete the survey. More information on the survey and future opportunities for input is available online at www.Toronto.ca/RecoveryRebuild.


Alert  – Sex Crime

Case # 2020-1112644: The Toronto Police Service would like to advise the public of an arrest in a distribution of child pornography investigation. On Wednesday, June 17, 2020, Sex Crimes – Child Exploitation Section, executed a search warrant in the area of Lawrence Avenue West and Yonge Street.  It is alleged that:
    – a man accessed, possessed, and made available child sexual abuse material
On Wednesday, June 17, 2020, Robert Smith, 55, of Toronto, was arrested. He is charged with:
    1. two counts of Distribution of Child Pornography
    2. three counts of Possession of Child Pornography
    3. three counts of Access Child Pornography

He appeared in court at College Park on Wednesday, June 17, 2020.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-8500, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, online on our Facebook Leave a Tip page, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637). Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes or Google Play.


TTC COVID-19 Update June 18th

Effective July 2, 2020 masks or face coverings will be mandatory on the TTC. Children under two and those with medical conditions will be exempt. Instructions for wearing a mask and making your own simple face covering are available here.

To support our customers in this change we will be employing a one-time targeted strategy to distribute 1,000,000 non-medical masks to our customers. Working with the City’s Poverty Reduction Office, the distribution will start June 29. We are also doing a multi-lingual customer education campaign to ensure awareness.

The TTC’s full news release with messages from Mayor Tory, TTC CEO Rick Leary, and Dr. Eileen de Villa, the Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto, is available here:

https://www.ttc.ca/News/2020/June/17_06_20NR_Board.jsp

Attached is an update with additional details.  The safety of our customers and employees will always be our top priority. Thank you for your support for safe transit.


Research Study (UofT)

SAHRA has received a request from students from the University of Toronto who are doing a research assignment to better understand how costs of living are affecting homeowners and renters in Toronto. It has been a challenge getting our short survey to homeowners during this trying time and we would really appreciate it if you would share our survey link with your Members to take our 3 minute survey at  https://realtech.typeform.com/to/bN1nO6

The responses are analyzed by the team for purposes of providing guidance on possible solutions throughout the summer program, not published research. The survey responses are anonymous and typical demographic questions are asked including options if a participant prefers not to answer certain questions. The only contact information that can be collected in the survey is email, and this is optional not mandatory.

For further information or assistance please contact Disha Punn at [email protected].


Bedford Park Residents Organization Histories

BPRO has now published Issue #5 “1800, Seneca Ketchum, the Neighbourhood’s First Merchant”.


Support our Shops Update

The Bedford Park Residents Organization has updated their lists of Shops on Avenue Road and Yonge that are open for business as of May 2 (see attached). This list is also available on SAHRA’s website on the COVID-19 Page.


Donations to the North York Harvest Food Bank / Armour Heights Church support

The North York Harvest Food Bank is  in need of food and monetary donations.  Here’s how you can help:

Drop off food items outside the office door of Armour Heights Church at 105 Wilson Ave (the office door is off the parking area on the east side of the Church on Wilson). The  Church will ensure the items are collected each day and added to the food bank box.  Once the box is full, Harvest Food collects the food.  The most needed items are canned tomatoes, canned beans, canned fish, rice and household size oil.

Or you can donate money to the Harvest Food Bank by clicking here.


Better Living Website COVID-19 Updates

Better Living  Health and Community Services actively updates their website to provide you with access to up-to-date and reputable sources of information and reference sources on COVID-19.  They have a number of special support programs for Seniors.  You can access their website here: https://mybetterliving.ca/covid-19-resource-page/