Come down to the Second Annual Toronto Green Living Show from April 25 – April 27 at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place.

Everyone talks about “living green”, but this show will teach you how to do it by making practical changes in your life. Over 400 exhibitors and industry experts will be on hand with information, suggestions, and solutions in areas including energy, building, transportation, education, business, home and garden, fashion and beauty, food and beverage, health and fitness, and travel.

The Toronto Green Living Show hours are:

Friday, April 25th from 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday, April 26th from 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday, April 27th from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Tickets for adults are $12.00 if you buy them at the door but only $10.50 if you buy them online. Students and senior pay $9.00 at the door or $8.00 online. Take public transit, parking is expensive. The 509 Harbourfront streetcar from Union Station or the 511 Bathurst streetcar from Bathurst Station will get you there.

Some great features of the show include:

• Main Stage presentations by celebrities and environmental experts
• Hundreds of new products
• CANÜhome - a beautiful, sustainable, and affordable one-story housing unit
• Organic Marketplace where you can shop for local, organic, fair trade products
• Test, Ride and Drive - experience green transport first hand by test driving battery, hybrid, and fuel cell electric vehicles
• Eco-friendly fashion shows
• Green Living Kids Zone - family activity centre with crafts, games, live performances, and speakers
• Organic wine, beer, and spirits lounge where you can sample and learn about organic beer and wine and the local wineries and breweries that make them.

In spite of ongoing protests, it appears that the death knoll has rung for 39 Toronto school swimming pools. Commencing in June, the pools will be drained for the last time. By June 2009 all 39 pools will be permanently dry. The only pools that are remaining open for now are the ones used for special education classes or city run programs because the city council has agreed to cover the operating costs until 2011.

Shutting down a pool comes with a high cost as well – somewhere between $5,000 to $15,000 - for draining the pool, filter and piping, disconnecting electrical systems, and the removal and disposal of chemicals. What the actual loss of the pools is to the students is immeasurable.

In June 2008 the following Elementary Schools will lose their swimming pools:

Carleton Village Sr PS
Earl Grey Sr PS
Fern Avenue Jr & Sr. PS
Keele Street Jr PS & City Community Centre
Kensington Community School
Queen Alexandra Sr. PS.
Winona McMurrich Jr PS

In June 2008 the following Secondary Schools will lose their swimming pools:

Bickford Centre
Central Commerce Collegiate
Central Technical School (2 pools)
Danforth Collegiate & Technical Institute
Downsview SS
Forest Hill CI
George Harvey CI
George S Henry Academy
Jarvis CI
Monarch Park
North Toronto CI
Riverdale CI
Rosedale Heights SS
SATEC @WA Porter
Ursula Franklin Academy at Western Technical

In June 2009 the following schools will lose their swimming pools:

Allenby Jr PS
AY Jackson SS
Deer Park Jr & Sr PS
Glenview Sr PS
Bloor CI
Harbord CI
Humberside CI
Lawrence Park CI
Malvern CI
Northern SS
Oakwood CI
Parkdale CI
RH King Academy
Stephen Leacock CI
Western Technical-Commercial School
Westview Centennial

It’s inconceivable that we can’t come up with enough money for a program that contributes to the health and well being of our youth, especially when we have so many inflated salaries on the City of Toronto payroll. Do you have any suggestions?

Every day the news headlines are CITY OF TORONTO BROKE, CITY OF TORONTO RAISES TAXES, CITY OF TORONTO CUTTING BACK SERVICES DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS. It appears that the only thing that the city has money for is very large salaries. The number of employees at City Hall who earned over $100,000 has increased by 47% from last year going from 2,010 in 2006 to 2,965 last year. How is this possible in a city that is broke?

Read this list and weep!

• Toronto City Manager Shirley Hoy has an annual salary of $322,128 plus benefits worth $9,079.00
• TTC chief general manager Gary Webster earned $273,735 with benefits of $13,731
• Police Chief Bill Blair earned $270,052 with a benefits package of $1,480
• Toronto Chief Financial Officer Joe Pennachetti earned $244,897 in salary and $13,309 in benefits
• Medical Officer of Health David McKeown earned $225,801 in salary and $9,787 in benefits
• Deputy City Manager Susan Corke earned $225,595 in salary and $11,735 in benefits
• Toronto Zoo CEO, Calvin White earned $208,963.86
• Toronto Library, City Librarian, Josephine Bryant earned $195,743.10
• Director of Transportation, Gary Welsh earned $176,051.85
• St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, General Manager, James Roe earned $145,924.79

The troubled TTC has 111 staff members earning over $100,000 per year. This is an absolute scandal and many feel that in the real world (a non-governmental job) these salaries and benefits would not be paid for the same jobs. The prevailing wind is that the City of Toronto is in great need of some internal housekeeping in the form of reducing payroll costs by reevaluating salaries and downsizing their workforce – just like companies who have no money do in the real world.

Why are the taxpayers of Toronto working full time for minimum wage and living below the poverty line when the city clearly has an overabundance of money for salaries?

The Toronto Police do really great work, especially with young people. And, unfortunately that work goes largely unheralded because we don’t often think of them as people who are truly concerned and active within our communities. We see them as ticket issuers. Think again.

In the hopes of helping teenagers in Toronto’s most at-risk and in-need neighbourhoods this summer, the Ontario government is investing its money and the Police are investing their time. This is all part of Ontario’s Youth Opportunities Strategy which is dedicated to helping disadvantaged young people to develop skills in the workplace and to feel good about themselves and their prospects for the future. This program began as a 2-year pilot project and has been a resounding success. Last year:
• 1,800 summer jobs were created in Toronto, Durham, Windsor, Ottawa, London, Hamilton, and Thunder Bay
• 159 teens were got jobs with the Police Services
• Over 3,000 teens participated in school-based programs to help youths who are in trouble with the law

As a result, the Ontario government is giving $5.3 million that will allow the Ontario’s Youth Opportunities Strategy to continue. The program provides summer job programs, 35 youth outreach workers, and school-based programs to help teenagers who have been involved in crime. In total 850 at-risk youths will have paid summer jobs. This year 100 teenagers will have the opportunity to actually work for the Toronto Police Service in many different areas including forensics and traffic services. Another 750 teens will have jobs as youth outreach workers. Other communities throughout Ontario will be running similar programs, with 950 jobs funded in Durham, Hamilton, Windsor, Ottawa, London, and Thunder Bay.

For more details follow the link to the Toronto Police Service website
http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/
and Youth Connect which provides comprehensive information on government services for youth.
http://www.youthconnect.ca/

Jose Lima’s huge lottery win didn’t go to his head. It went to his heart. He shared his $14.5 million Lotto 6/49 win with the community that he has been serving 7 days a week for the last 23 years. Known in the neighbourhood as “Joe the Butcher”, Mr. Lima gave away over 22,000 kilograms of chicken legs worth over $30,000 on Thursday, April 3rd, the 5th anniversary of his father’s death. Approximately 5,000 people stood in line outside the O Nosso Talho butcher shop on Bloor St. W, east of Dufferin Street, many for over 2 hours.

On third of the chicken legs were sent to the second O Nosso Talho location on Dundas Street West where hundreds of people were lined up as well. Each person who lined up received a 10-pound bag of chicken legs. The butcher shop finally closed at 8:00 PM depleted of chicken legs.

When Mr. Lima began buying lottery tickets 10 years ago he made a promise to share the wealth with his employees and his customers if he ever hit it big. Good to his word, each of the 50 employees in the two O Nosso Talho locations received $5,000 gifts.

With a windfall of $14.5 million, most of us would retire post haste, but not Mr. Lima. He is however planning to slow down from 7 days a week to working 2 – 4 hour a day for 4 or 5 days a week. And he is going to start taking golf lessons so that he can get out and play with his brother Julio. Don’t you just love it when nice things happen to good people?

Why in a civilized society should hard working people who work diligently at full time jobs not earn enough to make ends meet? There has to be something seriously wrong with our system for this to occur right here in Ontario, but we aren’t doing anything to fix it.

On March 31st Ontario’s general minimum wage increased to $8.75 from $8.00. With the new minimum wage increase in place the pay cheque for a 40-hour week will be $350 before deductions. Yearly increases are planned, with the goal of reaching $10.25 in 2010. However, according to New Democrat MPP Cheri DiNovo of Parkdale-High Park, the poverty line right now is $10.25. Approximately 200,000 people living in Ontario currently earn the minimum wage. And, approximately 1.2 million people living in Ontario currently earn less that $10.00 per hour. Do the math. This means that almost 1.5 million full time workers in Ontario are currently living in poverty. This is unconscionable!

Ms DiNovo plans to introduce a private member’s bill calling for a minimum wage of $11.00 hourly within three years. Anti-poverty activists agree. People must be able to work at jobs that they can survive on. However many economists are saying that the increase in minimum wage with lead to job losses. There are studies to prove the theory. But, there are studies that prove that raising the minimum wage does not lead to job losses. Both sides agree that raising the minimum wage in an economic downturn will lead to the trimming of jobs. But, wouldn’t that happen in an economic downturn with or without an increase in minimum wage?

I don’t know what the answer is but I do know that the minimum wage should ensure that anyone working full time is not living in poverty.

Eleazar Humberto Noriega, a 63-year old Toronto pediatrician in private practice on Yonge St. near Davisville, and currently a professor specializing in adolescent health at the University of Toronto, has a history of sexually assaulting his patients. Yet, this convicted pedophile continues to practice and to teach at a revered university.

In 2002 Dr. Noriega sexually assaulted a 17-year old female patient during two medical examinations for her chronic bronchitis. As a result the College of Physicians and Surgeons Ontario (CPSO) suspended his medical license for 18 months and banned him from examining female patients unless accompanied by a medical professional or, in the case of a child, a parent or guardian. The College does not move quickly. The crime took place in 2002. However Dr. Noriega was not disciplined until 2004.

On March 12, 2008 Dr. Noriega examined an 8-year old girl who is claiming that he sexually assaulted her. It has not been reported if a parent or guardian was present. The charges are one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference.

I want to know who is going to hold the College of Physicians and Surgeons Ontario responsible for allowing this doctor to practice. The crime here is that there should have never been a crime in the first place because Dr. Noriega should have had his medical revoked, not suspended for 18 months. When a physician is a sexual predator the punishment that we mete out should even be more severe, not less. Doctors are in a position of authority and their patients trust them. To breach that trust in such a heinous way is a terrible crime. Why did we punish it with a slap on the wrist and give him free reign to re-offend?

Let’s get this predator off the street once and for all this time. The police believe that there are other victims out there who have not come forward. If you have any information about other victims please contact the police at 416-808-2205 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS or http://www.222tips.com/

The Toronto International Film festival gets so much hype that the Hot Docs Festival or officially the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival doesn’t get the respect or the publicity that it deserves. It is North America’s largest documentary festival, now in its 15th year. This year over 170 documentaries from 36 countries will be screened, in addition to industry programs for documentary professionals.

Hot Docs will be running from April 17th – April 27th. The Box Office has been moved to 87 Avenue Road, on the upper level of Hazelton Lanes. The films will be shown at 7 venues.

• The Al Green Theatre at 750 Spadina Avenue
• The Bloor Theatre at 506 Bloor Street West
• The Alliance Cumberland Cinemas at 159 Cumberland Street
• The Innis Town Hall at 2 Sussex Avenue
• The Isabel Bader Theatre at 93 Charles Street West
• The ROM Theatre at 100 Queen’s Park
• The Winter Garden Theatre at 189 Yonge Street
• The Royal Cinema at 608 College Street

Tickets can be purchased for single films (prices range from $5.00 - $12.00 per film, depending on the time of the screening) and multi-film passes are also available. It is recommending that you purchase your tickets in advance. Arrive early to get good seats. There are no reserved seats so the line-ups begin well in advance of the screening times. One of the most interesting features of the festival is that the directors are usually on hand to introduce their films and to participate in question and answer sessions after the screening.