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Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Raccoon whose sidewalk death went viral immortalized with Heritage Toronto plaque
Christie Brinkley reveals exact moment she learned her husband was cheating with teen girl Ozzy Osbourne, who led Black Sabbath to become the godfather of heavy metal, dies at 76 CBC hands out record-breaking raises to offset loss of executive bonuses Raccoon whose sidewalk death went viral immortalized with Heritage Toronto plaque Photo by Natasha Baldin / THE CANADIAN PRESS Article content Ten years ago, a dead raccoon on a downtown street sparked an impromptu sidewalk shrine as passersby laid flowers, candles and cigarettes around the critter. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account or Sign in without password View more offers Article content Now, Conrad the raccoon has been immortalized in the city's history with a heritage plaque at the spot where it all happened. Article content tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Raccoon whose sidewalk death went viral immortalized with Heritage Toronto plaque Back to video tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video Article content 🦝 RIP Conrad!! Ten years ago today, the body of a raccoon was found on a sidewalk in Toronto. Go read the #HTplaque commemorating Conrad, remember Toronto's most legendary trash panda, and share your condolences in honour of this unforgettable raccoon! — Heritage Toronto (@heritagetoronto) July 9, 2025 Your Midday Sun Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Conrad went viral in 2015 after his remains laid on the sidewalk at the corner of Yonge and Church Sts. for nearly 14 hours following a social media post reporting the dead animal to the city. Meg Sutton, plaques co-ordinator with Heritage Toronto, says the 10th anniversary of Conrad's death is the perfect occasion to revive the raccoon's story, which she says united Canadians across the country. The plaque includes photos of the posts that launched the #DeadRaccoonTO hashtag, imprints of raccoon paws and a QR code that leads to a website where people can post their own raccoon stories. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Heritage Toronto (@heritagetoronto) Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content As the first animal plaque in the city, Sutton says it also serves to highlight the natural history of raccoons in urban spaces. In the early 1900s, industrialization and deforestation caused such a threat to the raccoon population that people worried the creatures would go extinct, she said. 'Now, raccoons have become so adaptable and resilient that they've made their homes in attics and sheds, they've found new diet sources and human-discarded food, and they've just become these cheeky personalities that run amok,' Sutton said Tuesday in an interview. So far, more than 400 people have scanned the QR code on Conrad's plaque and the webpage has been visited more than 1,000 times. After a month, a permanent version of the plaque will be installed to replace the QR code with life-size raccoon prints since the QR code requires maintenance and upkeep, Sutton said. RECOMMENDED VIDEO tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video Promoting community engagement was the main goal of the plaque, she said, since 'everyone has a raccoon story in Toronto.' 'Conrad is one for the people, where he represents a lot of individual moments or interactions,' Sutton said. 'And I think we all kind of fell in love with him.' Read More Top Canadian animal stories of 2015 #DeadRaccoonTO picked up within reasonable time: Official Article content Share this article in your social network Read Next
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Toronto Sun
Project Night Train puts brakes on violent criminal network
Christie Brinkley reveals exact moment she learned her husband was cheating with teen girl Ozzy Osbourne, who led Black Sabbath to become the godfather of heavy metal, dies at 76 CBC hands out record-breaking raises to offset loss of executive bonuses Project Night Train puts brakes on violent criminal network Article content Peel Regional Police say they've derailed a second violent home invasion group within a week. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account or Sign in without password View more offers Article content The latest arrests were part of Project Night Train which police say brought down two interconnected criminal networks linked to violent home invasions and jewelry store robberies across the GTA. Last week, the force announced officers had rounded up a group of alleged home invaders as part of Project Ghost. Article content tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Project Night Train puts brakes on violent criminal network Back to video tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video Article content Det. Justin Shoniker told reporters Tuesday about the heightened level of violence and brutality utilized during high-end vehicle rip-offs which have included a Mercedes G-Wagon, and a Lamborghini Urus; brazen jewellery store heists; and the thefts of high-end goods — such as Louis Vuitton bags — across the GTA , during an eight-month crime spree, between May to December of 2024. 'I think it just speaks to the level of profitability of what they are going for,' said Shoniker. 'There is a lot of money at stake and these offenders are getting money and there is competition.' 'And the level of violence is disturbing and that some of them are so young.' During 17 robberies, Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said, 60 people, including nine children, were brutalized and 'experienced terror' during home invasions. Milinovich outlined a few of the home invasions that occurred with one happening on Oct. 15, 2024 in Mississauga's Glen Erin Dr.-Burnhamthorpe Rd. area, where three suspects burst into a home at 12:34 a.m. and shot the dwelling's owner, leaving him with life-altering injuries. Your Midday Sun Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Project Night Train: Peel Police Shut Down Criminal Networks Tied to Brutal Home Invasions Read more: — Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) July 22, 2025 In a second brutal crime — a week later on Oct. 22 at 1:20 a.m. — two thugs followed a victim to his Brampton home in the Mississauga Rd.-Queen St. area and demanded his keys before trying to stealing his car. 'The victim was beaten unconscious in front of his family,' said Milinovich. 'And then was driven over with his car.' When Shoniker was asked how the name of Project Night Train came about, he explained all the crimes were at night and during one of the first home invasions, captured on home surveillance, one of investigators said 'they came through the front door like a train.' Recommended video tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video Asked whether there are any connections to a separate group of 13 suspects arrested during Project Ghost, a week ago on July 17, Shoniker alleged 'there is some connectivity between the two projects.' Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content 'Two of the identified members, during Ghost, were involved with Project Night Train as well,' Shoniker claimed. The criminals, though organized, operated more like a group of separate cells, not in a so-called 'hierarchical' gang. Shocker said that Night Train would see their group 'sharing' members with each other during robberies and they didn't report up to higher-ups running the rip offs. Police said 12 people have been arrested and they now face a total of 136 charges with one suspect outstanding on a warrant. Six of those arrested include young offenders. Police estimate the amount of property stolen totals an estimated $2 million with just about $860,000 recovered. These facing a myriad of charges are: Burhan Abdulkadir, 29; Jason Cunningham, 30; Neli Deng-Akuk-Ngor, 19; and Hakeem Thomas, 23 — all from Toronto; Mohanja Ravori, 19, and two young offenders — ages 16 and 17 — from Brampton; Doneil Levy-Porter, 19, of no fixed address and a 16-year-old, from Shelburne. Three young people charged are from Mississauga, ages 15, 17 and 18, although the person was 17 at the time of an incident. Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content An arrest warrant has also been issued for Ali Mahdi, 32, of Toronto. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said he hopes word gets out that 'this is a very inconvenient place (Peel) to commit a crime in the country.' 'It is not, if you will be arrested — and those those responsible will be found — it is when.' Brown added he was 'particularly disappointed' that this was an example of the 'predatory nature' on young people and using them to commit crimes. 'Never underestimate how sophisticated organized crime is and they feel a young person will be treated differently,' said Brown. 'And there are loopholes in our justice system and and will take full advantage of it.' 'They will drive a luxury stolen car through those loopholes with determination.' Article content Share this article in your social network Read Next
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Toronto Sun
KINSELLA: Federal government looking at outlawing some hate symbols
Christie Brinkley reveals exact moment she learned her husband was cheating with teen girl Accused killer dad of Montreal girl may have struggled with child support as massive debt revealed Ozzy Osbourne, who led Black Sabbath to become the godfather of heavy metal, dies at 76 KINSELLA: Federal government looking at outlawing some hate symbols Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia Network Article content September 1990, Provost, Alta.: An elderly Jew named Sigmund Sobolewski drives up to the boundary of an acreage owned by a man who is an Identity Christian. Identity Christians believe that Jews are the literal descendants of Satan, and that non-whites are not human; they are 'mud people.' Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account or Sign in without password View more offers Article content Some armed affiliates of the Aryan Nations, the Ku Klux Klan and assorted white supremacist skinheads have planned a neo-Nazi rally at the acreage — an 'Aryan Fest' — and Sobolewski is there to protest. To make his point, Sobolewski dons a uniform like that worn by Jews at Auschwitz, where Sobolewski had been held for four years. Seeing Sobolewski, the neo-Nazis and the skinheads go berserk. Article content tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or KINSELLA: Federal government looking at outlawing some hate symbols Back to video tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video Article content One, Final Solution Skinhead Kelly Lyle — who had been earlier convicted of vandalizing Calgary's House of Israel synagogue — screams at Sobolewski: 'Why don't you go play victim somewhere else? We all know you are full of s***! You are all Zionist conspirators!' Above Lyle's head, a huge swastika flag has been affixed to the side of a barn. Later on, there will be a cross-burning, where attendees will make Nazi salutes and shout: 'White power!' Your Midday Sun Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The RCMP were present that weekend in Provost, Alta., but they did nothing about all this. So Sobolewski and others later made complaints to Alberta's Progressive Conservative government — in particular, about the display of the hate symbols. The government called an inquiry, and the inquiry eventually issued a lengthy report. Among other things, the inquiry said this: 'The Aryan Fest was a shocking event in the history of Alberta. The blatant display of signs and symbols redolent of racial and religious hatred, bigotry and discrimination challenge the very foundations of our society.' As such, the inquiry ruled that the respondents — a cabal of neo-Nazis and white supremacist lunatics — should refrain displaying 'swastika signs and symbols; 'White Power' signs and symbols; burning or lighted crosses; signs or symbols indicating an affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan.' Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Recommended video tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video The Provost Aryan Fest happened long ago. The participants have long since faded from memory. Sobolewski, a brave man who travelled the world to speak about antisemitism and Holocaust denial, died in 2017 at the age of 94. But that ruling by an Alberta's human rights panel — that swastikas and related symbols are not to be displayed — is arguably still the law. Around the world, too, the public display of hate symbols has been made illegal in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Poland — countries that know what happens when hate symbols are allowed to proliferate. France and the United Kingdom prosecute when the symbols are used to promote hate. Same with Slovakia, Italy and (of course) Israel. But Canada? Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content In Canada, we claim to oppose showing symbols of hate, as Alberta did so many years ago in Provost. But we don't actually ever do anything about it. Since thousands were murdered, raped, kidnapped and wounded by Hamas and Gazans on Oct. 7, 2023, there has been an orgy of hate on Canadian streets, campuses and online. Everywhere, there has been the red triangle (meaning you have been targeted for death). The red hand (which celebrates the slaughter of Jews). And, of course, 'intifada' and 'from the river to the sea,' which — respectively — celebrates terror attacks on Jews, and advocates wiping the Jewish state off the map. Also: The display of Hamas and Hezbollah flags, seen at protests practically every week. Swastikas sometimes, too. Advertisement 6 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content No one — not one person — has been prosecuted for any of that. That may now change, thanks to the Mark Carney Liberal government. This week, word leaked out of Ottawa that the federal government is considering criminalizing certain hate symbols. A Justice Department spokesman — and, full disclosure, a friend and this writer's former investigative partner at the Ottawa Citizen, Ian MacLeod — confirmed it. Said MacLeod: 'The Government of Canada takes the use of any hate symbols very seriously and remains committed to protecting everyone in Canada from hate and discrimination in all its forms. This work is ongoing. Although no final decisions have been made regarding the criminalization of any specific symbols, we continue to consult.' Advertisement 7 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The civil libertarians were upset about this, of course. So were lawyers representing anti-Israel protestors. But the police liked it: 'Anything that could help [police] do their jobs better would be good,' said the Toronto Police Association. The feds, and the cops, are right; the civil libertarians and the defence lawyers aren't. Provost happened more than three decades ago. In the interim, other nations have effectively dealt with the proliferation of hateful symbols. It's high time Canada did likewise. The Carney government is on the right track. Because we don't need any more Provost Aryan Fests. Article content Share this article in your social network Read Next
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
At this West Virginia nudist resort, everyone has skin in the game
Christie Brinkley reveals exact moment she learned her husband was cheating with teen girl 'GLOVES ARE OFF: Stephen Colbert comes out swinging for Trump after 'Late Show' cancellation At this West Virginia nudist resort, everyone has skin in the game Avalon Resort, a self-styled 'clothing-optional' retreat, is located two hours west of D.C. Photo by Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post Article content Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. PAW PAW, West Virginia — The time was 2 p.m., the sun was scorching and a retiree named Dewey Butts III was reveling in his version of heaven: a swimming pool crowded with dozens of men and women – every last one of them naked, himself included. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account or Sign in without password View more offers Article content Here at the Avalon Resort, a self-styled 'clothing-optional' retreat two hours west of D.C., the dress code requires no type of dress (or shirt or pants) at all. Article content tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or At this West Virginia nudist resort, everyone has skin in the game Back to video tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video Article content 'This is about finding a way to enjoy life and I enjoy being nude,' said Butts (yes, that's his real name), a widower who drove last weekend from Pennsylvania with his girlfriend for a gala celebrating Avalon's 30th anniversary. 'This is freedom,' he said, his smile befitting someone who had just won something akin to the jackpot. The regimented constraints of conventional life often inspire a deep yearning for liberation, the form of which can be as logistically challenging as, say, parachuting out of an airplane, or as prosaic as channeling your inner Pavarotti in the shower – neighbors be damned. Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content At Avalon, 250 rolling acres that include streets with names like 'Bare Buns Boulevard,' freedom means moseying about in nothing more than gobs of sunscreen and embracing a lifestyle that dates back nearly 100 years in the United States and longer in Europe. Feeling a tad self-conscious? Not to worry, say Avalon's members, largely an older crowd that includes people like the ever-sunny Linda Keesee, 74, a retired naval intelligence officer who bought a condo at the resort years ago with her husband, Bill, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who died in 2022. Photo by Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post On her kitchen wall is a framed photo of a happy moment – Bill at their outdoor grill, his middle-aged body covered only by a red apron. A second photo, this one on a side table, also captures Bill at the grill, this time without the apron. Travel Time Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Article content Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content 'I always tell people when they come to Avalon that Barbie and Ken don't live here,' said Keesee, in a sundress, at least for the moment, as she reclined in a comfortable chair in her condo. 'It is people of all shapes and sizes and colors just enjoying the freedom of it.' The resort draws patrons from various backgrounds and professions, as well as parents with children, willing to pay an annual year-round membership fee of as much as $800 (raising kids to accept nudity as natural and to not equate it with sex is a mainstay of the nudist ethos). On this particular weekend, the crowd seemed heavy on ex-military and government types. At one point at Keesee's place, Chris Morales, 63, a forensics expert who formerly worked for the Secret Service and Justice Department, dropped in, naked from head to sandal-covered toes. Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content 'Join us! Get comfortable!' Keesee said, unfazed by her friend's choice of attire, or lack thereof. Robert Roy, 77, another Avalon condo owner, and his wife delved into nudism after he retired from the U.S. Navy, where he rose to master chief, among the service's highest enlisted ranks. 'We all got over it in the big showers at boot camp,' Roy said of his willingness to strip down in the company of others – many others. After years of wearing an Air Force uniform, Gary Gist, 59, said he relishes the chance to slip into nothing at all. 'I still can't grow hair on my ankles because I had to wear boots every day,' said the retired sergeant, who lives in a trailer at Avalon with his wife, Jessie. 'We can relax here. Your whole body is relieved of the restrictions.' Advertisement 6 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The Gists have two daughters, both in their 30s, neither of whom have visited them at Avalon, where they live full-time, though the couple plans to decamp to nudist-friendly Florida for the winter. The subject of how Mom and Dad like to spend their alone time is not something that anyone brings up, Jessie Gist said. 'It's a 'Don't ask, don't tell' situation,' she said. Photo by Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post 'Without clothes, everyone's the same' Avalon offers many of the staples found at any scenic retreat, including pickleball courts, pools, hot tubs, saunas, camp sites, and hiking and jogging trails. But there are differences – and not just that the pants-less far outnumber the pants. For one, the library has, along with a selection of fiction and nonfiction, a shelf devoted to 'nudism' and includes a handful of nude photo books (spare reading glasses, conveniently kept in a basket, are also available for anyone in need). Advertisement 7 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content For another, the resort offers what it refers to as the 'Nudsino,' a room featuring several slot machines, an amenity that Avalon's founders, Phyllis and Patrick Gaffney, himself a former Pentagon computer analyst, came up with years ago to lure visitors (Avalon's membership, after peaking at well over 500, sank to 100 during the pandemic and is now at just over 225). The Nudsino is in a building known as the Bare Barn, the main gathering place where volunteers were busy decorating for the celebration. The walls are lined with dozens of photos of current and former members, everyone au naturale. A preponderance are couples, including Nevin Paradise, 71, and his wife Lynne, 77, who have been vacationing at nudist spots for decades. Advertisement 8 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content 'Boy, does it cut down on the packing,' said Lynne, a former flight attendant. As she spoke, she was sitting in the back seat of their car, wearing only a baseball cap and a light colored see-through cover-up, while her husband, naked at the wheel, took a reporter and photographer on a tour. Over here was a verdant community garden that members tend by themselves; over there, a grove of apple and pear trees planted in memory of nudists come and gone. Up past Running Bare Boulevard was an RV where the owners – he, a federal IT guy; she, a retired State Department instructor – displayed a pair of nude garden gnomes. Nearby was another trailer, the placard out front declaring, 'Life is Short, Party Naked.' The Paradises (yes, also their actual name) own a sprawling home they built in Somerset, a development adjoining Avalon where a sign announces that it's a 'clothing optional community' and asks, 'Please Respect Our Privacy.' Just inside the Paradises' front door, on a living room wall, are his-and-her faux-bronze reliefs, formed from plaster casts of the couple's bare torsos. Advertisement 9 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Photo by Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post Nevin, a retired United Airlines maintenance manager, said one aspect of Avalon culture he appreciates is that people are not judgmental. No one feels obligated to ask the perfunctory get-acquainted standby, 'What do you do?,' a fact that he and others attribute to the absence of clothing and the status that a designer shirt or dress can convey. 'Here, without the clothes, everyone is the same,' Nevin said. 'We're all in this together. Everyone is accepted.' Well, not everyone, actually. Those who don't follow a certain code of nudist conduct can find themselves hearing from management. 'You can look, but you can't stare,' said Sharon Leipfert, 72, a nurse and frequent visitor from Winchester, Virginia, reciting one main rule. Advertisement 10 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Another: You can hug but your hands better not roam, as was the case after a man once asked Leipfert to dance. 'The first thing he said was, 'I hope this is okay,'' she said, demonstrating how the man's hand landed and lingered on her breast. 'I said, 'No it is not!' He was asked to leave. It's usually the new people who get in trouble.' Public sex is a no-no at Avalon, as is the taking of photos in common areas. In the event that anyone becomes, say, a little too happy to be there, Avalon's website recommends rolling over on one's stomach or covering up with a towel 'until the 'situation' subsides.' 'A true nudist will only look you in the eye,' said Steve Snyder, 74, a retired maintenance mechanic who cooks and tends bar at Avalon. But human nature is what it is, he acknowledged, and eyes have been known to stray. Advertisement 11 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content 'I mean, how can you stop from looking?' he asked. Photo by Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post Back to nature Linda Weber, president of an organization called the American Association of Nude Recreation, is on the phone from California where she acknowledged, in response to a reporter's question, that she was naked, as she always is when she's home and not circulating in what she refers to as the 'textile world.' 'It's hard to get me into clothes,' said the retired insurance company sales manager. 'I was born nude, and I wish I could have stayed that way. Then they threw that diaper on me and the indoctrination began.' As AANR's leader, Weber is trying to ensure that future generations embrace nudism, a lifestyle historians trace to Germany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 'It was a reaction to industrialization and urbanization,' said Brian Hoffman, the author of 'Naked: A Cultural History of American Nudism.' 'It was a back-to-nature thing.' Advertisement 12 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Around 1930, a man named Kurt Barthal brought the movement to the United States, where it grew in popularity, surging in the 1960s and 1970s, when youth culture revolted against the materialism and conformity embraced by their parents' generation. At its peak in the 1990s, Weber said, AANR's membership roll exceeded 50,000 and it was affiliated with more than 200 organizations, including nude resorts, nude cruises and nude clubs. More recently, membership has fallen to 28,000, a decline that seems predictable in an age of TMI, when 'the internet and TV is so saturated with nakedness, it's not a big deal anymore,' Hoffman said. 'We're seeing that people are aging out,' Weber said. 'It's a boomer crowd and we're trying to attract younger people to take our place.' Advertisement 13 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content AANR has turned to TikTok and Instagram to promote what Weber refers to as 'body camaraderie,' although she also hopes activities like nude hiking and nude bowling will spark interest. 'It's very wholesome,' she said. 'There's nothing where your mom would say, 'Whoa, what are you doing here?'' Photo by Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post Toasting 30 years The time was now 7 p.m. and the Bare Barn was filling up with people in various states of undress, everyone here to celebrate Avalon's 30 years. The crowd cheered as the Gaffneys, both now 78, stood beneath a disco ball holding glasses of champagne as they toasted their early investors, employees and members. 'This is very emotional for me,' said Patrick, his attire limited to a pair of sandals, as he stood alongside his wife, who wore just a skirt. Advertisement 14 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content A woman dressed only in a light-up tiara applauded, as did the man wearing next to nothing between his cowboy hat and shoes, along with another in formal tails, a white collar and no pants. And here was Butts, 71, who used to work as a quality assurance professional, positively aglow in a top hat, white gloves, black bow tie and bottomless underwear he bought specially for the occasion. As a (fully clothed) band played a rich blend of blues, country and gospel, and everyone danced, Butts recalled one of his last conversations with Marlene, his wife who died a few years ago and who was not into the nudist thing. 'She said, 'I want you to be happy, I want you find someone and be happy,'' he said. Not only has Butts found that someone, but they're planning to get married and host their wedding celebration at the Avalon. Clothing optional, naturally. Article content Share this article in your social network Read Next
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Man killed in horrific MRI incident was stuck in machine for nearly an hour: Family
Christie Brinkley reveals exact moment she learned her husband was cheating with teen girl CBC hands out record-breaking raises to offset loss of executive bonuses CHARLEBOIS: Time for Canadians to serve themselves 'GLOVES ARE OFF: Stephen Colbert comes out swinging for Trump after 'Late Show' cancellation Man killed in horrific MRI incident was stuck in machine for nearly an hour: Family Kin claim technician did not tell man to remove chain before going in room to see his wife GoFundMe Article content The man who died after being sucked into an MRI machine while wearing a 20-pound chain was walked into the room by a technician who did not tell him to remove the massive necklace, his family claims. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account or Sign in without password View more offers Article content Keith McAllister, 61, of Westbury, N.Y., was killed inside Nassau Open MRI on July 16 while his wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, was having her knee scanned. Article content tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Man killed in horrific MRI incident was stuck in machine for nearly an hour: Family Back to video tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video Article content 'The male victim was wearing a large metallic chain around his neck causing him to be drawn into the machine which resulted in a medical episode,' the Nassau County Police said in a statement. McAllister was taken to hospital in critical condition but died the next day. 'While my mother was laying on the table, the technician left the room to get her husband to help her off the table,' Jones-McAllister's daughter Samantha Bodden wrote in a GoFundMe. 'He forgot to inform him to take the chain he was wearing from around his neck off when the magnet sucked him in.' Your Midday Sun Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content She added: 'My mother and the tech tried for several minutes to release him before the police were called. He was attached to the machine for almost an hour before they could release the chain from the machine.' Read More Cosby Show actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 54, dies in accidental drowning Tomorrowland says Canadian woman has died after attending music festival in Belgium 3 dead after vehicle hits tree, catches fire in Niagara-on-the-Lake: Cops Bodden reiterated the claim that McAllister was not told to take off his chain before he was led into the room. 'Several news stations are saying he wasn't authorized to be in the room when in fact he was because the technician went and brought him into the room,' the statement read. Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The strong magnetic field created by an MRI machine can cause metal objects to be pulled in with force, as well as heat up metal objects, potentially burning a patient. Jones-McAllister told News 12 Long Island that the technician had commented during a previous visit about her husband's 'big chain.' 'That was not the first time that guy has seen that chain,' she claimed. 'They had a conversation about it before.' GoFundMe When McAllister got close to her, Jones-McAllister recalled to the outlet, 'at that instant, the machine switched him around, pulled him in and he hit the MRI.' She added: 'He went limp in my arms, and this is still pulsating in my brain.' He died the following day after experiencing 'several heart attacks following the tragic accident,' the GoFundMe campaign says. Bodden remembered McAllister as a 'husband, a father, a stepfather, a grandfather, a brother, and an uncle' as well as 'a friend to many.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video Article content Share this article in your social network Read Next
