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CBC
13 hours ago
- General
- CBC
Some Toronto residents push back against parkette being renamed after anti-gun violence advocate
Social Sharing Some residents of a tiny enclave bordering Toronto's newly redeveloped Regent Park neighbourhood are calling on the city to revisit a council decision to rename a parkette after a well-known local anti-gun violence advocate. Last week, councillors led by Chris Moise (Toronto Centre) voted to rename the tiny Sumach-Shuter Parkette after Louis March, who died last July. In a motion, Moise wrote that the park should be named after March because "Regent Park was one of the neighbourhoods where Louis did some of his most impactful work, and [it] would recognize his deep commitment to ending gun violence and supporting the most vulnerable communities in Toronto." The parkette sits in a corner of tiny Trefann Court, adjacent to the newly revitalized Regent Park. Locals there agree March made a huge impact on young people in the area and across Toronto. Their argument, they emphasize, is with the process, not March's legacy. "It was a surprise," said Bill Eadie, a 42-year Trefann Court resident. "What I think people are offended by is that there was no consultation." CBC Toronto reviewed 28 emails city staff received prior to the vote, from people who wanted to express their views about the name change. Twenty-two were in favour; six were against it. "Louis was not the type of man who needed accolades or praise, he truly loved Toronto and was committed to making it a city we could all feel safe in and be proud to call home," wrote one woman. "Naming a City of Toronto park after Louis March would ensure that his life's work was not in vain. It would guarantee that his name will live on for future generations." The tiny parkette runs east from Sumach Avenue on the south side of Shuter Street. It has just been upgraded, and is scheduled to re-open next month. Neighbours told CBC Toronto the parkette is a vital meeting spot for residents, and they should have been asked for their input on its future."It's really our only greenspace," 20-year resident Lynn Lawson said. "I didn't really get to know people until I started going to the park. Now I know everyone." 'Nobody knew' Carol Silverstone, who's lived in the neighbourhood for 64 years, found it upsetting that the parkette was being renamed. "Nobody knew this was happening," she said. Eadie and other residents who spoke with CBC Toronto say they're proud of their tiny community, an area of a few square blocks that begins on the south side of Shuter Street, east of Parliament, directly across from the new Regent Park. In the 1960s, city staff wanted to take over Trefann Court and build public housing on the land, including it as part of Regent Park public housing development. But residents organized against the move and won. It was around this time, city records show, that Trefann Court was recognized as a "redevelopment area", unique from Regent Park. Eadie and other residents say they'd like to see the renaming debate re-opened at Toronto and East York Community Council. Moise insists the public had ample opportunity to voice their opinions before his motion came up last week at council. Moise insists everyone in the city — including those in Trefann Court — had an opportunity to comment on the issue. He also points to an online petition that garnered the names of 800 supporters across the city in a few months, including 80 people he described as locals. "The issue is closed," he told CBC Toronto. "It went through council." Moise said its irrelevant where March was from in the city. "Louis March founded the Zero Gun Violence Movement, believing that everyone deserved to live in a safe, supportive and opportunity-rich environment regardless of their postal code," his motion reads. "His sudden passing on July 20, 2024, was a profound loss for the city, but his vision continues to guide efforts towards peace and justice." One of the locals weighing in on the issue is Walied Khogali Ali, co-chair of the Regent Park Residents Association, who knew March personally. Khogali Ali said he agrees with the residents' complaints. "(March) was a real champion for community voices, and I think this process unfortunately did not include community voices," Khogali Ali said. Eadie says that if Moise had brought the proposal to rename the park through the Toronto and East York Community Council, more Trefann Court residents would have had an opportunity to voice their concerns about renaming Sumach-Shuter Parkette. Although that's traditionally how public spaces like parks are named, Moise said that route is not mandatory. He pointed to last year's renaming of Tiverton Parkette, in the Dundas-Loigan area. That motion went straight to council after hundreds signed a petition in support of a proposal to name it after Caroline Huebner-Makarat, a woman killed by a stray bullet while walking in Leslieville.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Trade is so bad': Pub could be closed within months
A VILLAGE pub could be closed within months, with the landlord saying "trade is so bad." Matt Clarke, who runs the Fox & Hounds at Lulsley, has put the pub up for sale and applied for planning permission to convert it into housing. If approved, the pub could be turned into six flats and three further homes could be built on the site. Mr Clarke said the decision has caused "a rift" with villagers but that challenges facing the hospitality industry have hit the pub hard. READ MORE: Pair in their 60s arrested after alleged assault near supermarket READ MORE: Emergency services called to M5 bridge crash READ MORE: Speeding drivers through village targeted by police "Unfortunately, the pub's really struggling so we're trying to sell and we've put in for planning permission as well," he said. "It's caused a bit of a rift with the community but trade is so bad. "The hospitality trade is on its knees, the staff costs have gone through the roof, minimum wage has gone up and utilities are really expensive so it's been hard." Speaking to the Worcester News at the pub's dog show, he said the annual event would normally require more staff but that this year, they were down to just three. "The dog show is a boost to keep us going a bit longer," he said. "There's just three of us working today, rather than seven years ago, we'd have five or six people." The pub is being listed for sale by estate agents Sidney Phillips, with an asking price of £495,000 for the freehold. According to the planning application, the pub went to auction on March 26 but did not sell. It said the applicants had asked Sidney Phillips to continue listing the property while they continue alternative uses, such as the application to turn it into homes. "Within the next two or three months, we'll probably be shut," Mr Clarke said. "It can't be helped. We're trying everything we can."
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
PSEG Foundation & Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Maria Spina, Recognized as a 2025 Innovate100 Honoree!
Congratulations to Maria Spina, manager of our PSEG Foundation & Corporate Social Responsibility, who has been recognized as a 2025 Innovate100 honoree! Through her leadership, Maria has helped build lasting partnerships and programs that uplift our communities and expand access to opportunity. We're grateful to have her on our team – and proud to see her impact recognized. Congratulations, Maria! View original content here
SBS Australia
5 days ago
- General
- SBS Australia
Would you consider nominating someone for an Order of Australia?
The Order of Australia recognises anyone who has made an extraordinary impact in the community. To receive an Order of Australia you must be nominated by someone. Every nomination goes through an in-depth, rigorous assessment. All aspects of the process remain highly confidential. The Order of Australia is part of our national honours system. It's the preeminent way to recognise and celebrate Australians who go above and beyond, and who make a fantastic contribution to the community. Nominations for the award are considered by the Council for the Order of Australia, an independent body that makes recommendations to the Governor-General. Rob Ayling, Director at the Governor-General's Office, says the Order of Australia is for all Australians, so the process really starts with a nomination from within the community. 'Some recipients are very well known, but the vast majority are unsung heroes—the sort of people that we all know in the community that give tirelessly of themselves, work selflessly and really make a difference. Some are volunteers, some achieve things in the community sector in industry, in sports, in the arts.' There's really no limit to who can be recognised, but everyone that is recognised has one thing in common—and that's that somebody else has taken the time to nominate them for recognition. Rob Ayling, Director at the Governor-General's Office The Council of the Order of Australia manages the process and determines who should be recognised, and at what level: AC, AO, AM and the most frequently received OAM, the Medal of the Order of Australia. What could prompt you to nominate someone? Michael Smith took the time to nomination someone he knows. 'The particular individual who I was part of nominating, to me, had been doing an outstanding service to the community over a period of time,' he says. 'I just felt that it was something that ought to be recognised. The sector that this person had been working in, and working in voluntarily I should add, I had not seen recognised in previous awards.' These people are not necessarily 'high-flyers', Mr Smith adds. They're everyday people. 'They're your neighbours, they're the people you work with, and what they do does make a difference and it is recognised.' Medal of the Order of Australia. Credit: Tim Thorpe What is the process? Once a nomination is submitted, a researcher from the Governor-General's Office validates the information that you've provided. On the form, nominators list referees who can comment on the nominee and their service. Researchers then contact additional referees who add their insights to create a complete picture of the nominee. It's a rigorous process that takes between 18 months and two years, Mr Ayling explains. 'The Council relies on having a very in-depth, thorough assessment of the nominee's service, what they've done, what that impact has been.' The Council then carefully considers the nomination and makes its recommendations to the Governor-General, who signs off on those recommendations. Honours lists are announced in January and June each year. Tim Thorpe receiving his OAM from former General Governor of Victoria Linda Dessau. Credit: Tim Thorpe OAM Confidentiality is key From beginning to end, every aspect of the process remains confidential, including the recipients themselves. Tim Thorpe received an OAM for his service to community radio. 'Around October I got an email telling me that I was being considered for this particular award and I was to either accept it or write a letter to not accept it, so I filled in the form—and I was sworn to secrecy,' he says. 'Then in December I received another email saying my award had been approved by the Governor-General, and once again to treat the matter with strict confidentiality.' If you nominate someone, you're also requested to keep the nomination secret from that person to avoid raising their expectations—nominations are not always successful. Referees too must maintain confidentiality. 'The Secretariat and the Council of the Order of Australia really rely on the candour and ability of referees to provide frank and honest feedback about the person that's been nominated,' Mr Ayling explains. 'Confidentiality is taken very, very seriously so that the person that is being nominated will never know what a referee has said about them.' What is it like to receive an Order of Australia? Tim Thorpe was not only surprised by the nomination, but also by how positively his award has been regarded by his peers. The common thing with anybody who gets these awards is they think, 'am I really worthy of this?' But I think that's up to others to judge rather than me. And I appreciate the fact that they thought I was worthy of an award. Tim Thorpe, OAM recipient 'But obviously you're having an effect on certain people's lives and that's nice to know. That's something that all of us need from time to time. We need that sort of affirmation. We need that encouragement. We need to know what we've been doing… is worthwhile.' OAM recipients receive a gold-coloured lapel pin, a medal and an invitation to attend a formal ceremony at Government House in their state capital. 'Those investiture ceremonies are just really beautiful, joyous occasions where the recipients, surrounded by their families and friends but also other recipients, really get to bask in the admiration, the recognition of banks of their fellow Australians,' Mr Ayling says. 'They're just a beautiful moment in time where these people, who are almost humble by default, are celebrated.' Hilkat Ozgun OAM Can an Order of Australia change your life? The award can motivate recipients to contribute even further to their communities, but it also prompts them to nominate other people who are worthy of a similar honour. Hilkat Ozgun received an OAM for her service to the Turkish community. 'I've nominated many people from the Turkish community and also from the other communities living in Australia for the different kind of awards,' Ms Ozgun says. She continues to help recognise and celebrate outstanding members of the community by acting as a referee for other nominees. Would you like to nominate someone? Head to the Governor General's website . Don't let any uncertainty around filling in the form prevent you from nominating someone, Mr Ayling says. The Office is happy to help you. 'We all want the Order of Australia to reflect the true diversity and strength of our country. And the only way for that to happen is for all Australians to take an active part in it, to look around their community, identify people that they think are extraordinary and have a great impact, whatever their work is, whatever their background is, and consider nominating them for the Order of Australia.' Subscribe or follow the Australia Explained podcast for more valuable information and tips about settling into your new life in Australia. Do you have any questions or topic ideas? Send us an email to australiaexplained@
CBS News
5 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Harlem community mourns loss of "guiding light" Charles Rangel
The Harlem community was in mourning Monday after the death of Charles Rangel, the longtime United States congressman who had a profound impact on the neighborhood. From community centers to college programs, the name carries a legacy that will live on for generations. "When it came to his community, he guarded it with his life" Flags were at half-staff at the City College of New York. The school has the Center for Public Service in Rangel's name, as well as the Charles B. Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative. Board member Michael J. Garner says Rangel was involved in both. "Seeing that it was funded and that the training started and residents stated ascertaining jobs in Harlem, in other places where taxpayer-driven capital construction projects were being built," Garner said. Garner is also the former president of the founding chapter of One Hundred Black Men, which focuses on mentoring and economic development. Rangel was a member of that prominent community organization, as well as Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity's Harlem chapter. "With respect to the pathway he has opened up for people like me ... giving us a guiding light to how we should move in the community to be able to improve the communities that we live and work in," said Robert Alleyne, president of the Alpha Phi Alpha Harlem chapter. Photos of Rangel hang on the wall of Sylvia's Restaurant on Malcolm X Boulevard. Second generation owner Kenneth Woods says Rangel was his mom's attorney when the restaurant went into business back in 1962. "He was very critical in the creation of the corporation of this restaurant," Woods said, "and a very close confidante of my mom, dad and the family. He was family." Rangel always remembered what Harlem did for him, as well. In fact, he said that it was the Apollo Theater that helped to shape him. "The Apollo was like the Mecca. It just, if you've been there as a kid, and I used to play hooky and go there, and I used to sit in the front," Rangel said in an interview in 2007. "And until this day, when Billie Holiday was singing, I swear she was singing to me." "There's a reason why they call him the 'Lion of Lenox Avenue' because, you know, he can make you feel like you were the most important person in the world, but when it came to his community, he guarded it and he guarded it with his life," said Keith Wright, county leader of the Manhattan Democratic Party. Rev. Al Sharpton recalls decades-long friendship with Rangel Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network says he met Rangel when he was 12 years old, and their friendship spanned over 60 years. "I remember when I had a youth group, National Youth Movement, and we began saying there are crack houses in the community and everyone knows where they are and we painted red Xs. Charlie Rangel came and got a pail of paint and helped us paint red Xs on crack houses," Sharpton said. NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 04: (L-R) Charles Rangel and Al Sharpton attend Rev. Al Sharpton's Private Birthday Celebration at The Grand Havana Room on October 4, 2013 in New York City. Johnny Nunez/WireImage He added, "[In] 1999, when police killed Amadou Diallo and we were leading protests against that, Charlie Rangel called me and said, 'I see y'all getting arrested every day at 1 Police Plaza.' He came down, while he was this powerful congressman with seniority, and got on a knee and was arrested in front of 1 Police Plaza protesting police brutality." Sharpton added he feels God has a sense of humor, because Rangel, a decorated war veteran, died on Memorial Day. Lisa Rozner Lisa Rozner joined CBS News New York in 2017. She covers a wide range of stories. contributed to this report.
