Ontario to recognize Ramadan as official holiday. 30 days off for eligible workers

On the eve of Ramadan, the latest election ploy by the Ontario Conservatives proposes Muslim workers be granted 30 days paid leave in accordance with their faith.

"My friends, it's time for us to move past the Judeao-Christian holiday schedule and embrace the diversity that makes Ontario great" Ford said during a press conference at The Islamic Society of Toronto 'Darus Salaam' Mosque in Thorncliffe Park.

The same day, a new poll had the Conservatives with a sizeable 10 point lead with just under 3 months to go until the June 26th Ontario election.

"This year Ramadan will be extra special, as our government will officially recognize the holy month as a statutory holiday. We know the struggle our Muslim friends face during this month, not eating all day at their jobs and then having to stay up all night being force fed by aunties while visiting mosques to catch up on religious duties they neglected for the rest of the entire year" Ford continued "With this new holiday, our government will make sure no Muslim Ontarians will have to suffer the sleep depravation, bad breath, blurry eyes, low blood sugar and diabetic tendencies that we all know and love during this wonderful joyous spectacular holy month which I am obligated to only speak about in glowing terms."

Mosque leader Aly Hindy commented on Ford's plan: "We are pleased that the premier recognized one aspect of our religion, and we thank him for that, but we continue to push Mr. Ford to recognize the multiple marriages our faith allows us which we currently have to hide from his government!!"

Noteworthy in this announcement is the fact that last election Ford lost both of the largest Muslim ridings, Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park (and losing to former Premier Kathleen Wynne at that). His government has been busy in the area working with Metrolinx to hand over 50 million dollars to help build a mega mosque which will host thousands of worshippers, while only providing 130 parking spaces. Traffic studies have been promised once its too late.

The announcement drew controversy as the proposed name of this holiday would be: RamaDOUG

Also controversial, under Ford's new holiday workers will have to apply for work permits and undergo a circumcision inspection which human rights groups have denounced.

Ford defended his decision by saying: "Look I'll just say Assa-lame-o-lake-umm to all my Muslim brothers who are here today and the sisters who I am told are here somewhere in the back. And listen folks please don't let April fools day overshadow the joy and happiness that comes from not even swallowing your spit from sun up to sun down for a whole month to earn Gods love. Any April fools jokes about Ramadan obviously will not be tolerated! 

APRIL FOOLS!!!

For previous years April fools jokes CLICK HERE!

It's a (not so) wonderful life

We all know that classic Christmas movie: “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

A man ready to jump to his death is given a second chance when an angel visits him.

He then happily rushes home to hold his family, singing as community members pour out love and support.

For many newcomers we work with, this is not what Christmas is like.

They suffer in silence, loneliness and often succumb to abuse and violence as despair sets in.

Crying tears of sadness and depression, rather than tears of joy as “an angel gets his wings”.

That’s one of the reasons we give so many gifts each Christmas.

Trying to reach out and bring hope, love, friendship and Jesus to them.

Each day from mid-November we pack Christmas baskets and gifts for lonely new immigrant families.

Last Saturday was just like any other day. We were packing baskets until the unthinkable happened.

The entire Don Valley Parkway was suddenly closed.

Traffic became unbearable. Ambulances started to fly past us. What was going on?

Sadly what was going on was one of the worst murder/suicides in this country in recent memory.

As we were packing baskets a man living across the street allegedly murdered his wife and kids,

then jumped from a bridge onto Toronto’s busiest highway. The investigation is still underway.

As details emerged, The Toronto Star featured the story on it's front page each day for the next week: "A man killed in a Don Valley Pkwy. collision Saturday is the husband and father of the woman and two children found dead in an East York apartment the same day."

This tragedy is a reminder of how much each of us need to reach out this Christmas!

Thousands of families just like them need to hear of Jesus and his love!

Lonely desperate women in abusive situations need to be comforted.

Children hoping for a better tomorrow need a chance to follow Jesus.

Men must be asked to repent as they are confronted by the claims of Christ!

Sadly it was too late for this family.

Pray that God would lead you to those that need help this Christmas!
As you plan feasts and gatherings with family over the next few weeks,
Remember Jesus' words to all of us :

Luke 14:12: "When you put on a (Christmas) banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. 13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

Is this what your Christmas party will look like this year?
Will the poor, crippled, lame and blind be at your table? At your banquet?
This Christmas, as you watch that classic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”,
pray for many who are outcasts, immigrants, poor,
and be that angel who visits and rescues them in time!

Thorncliffe library to finally re-open

The ground breaking for this project was back in 2005! I wonder if the process would have gone any faster in other neighbourhoods where people know how to hound politicians. We have the largest population of children in Toronto and the largest school in North America and the most people who need ESL and our library is closed for 2.5 years!? I'm thankful it's back open, but to me it is obvious that the project was not high on any of our local politicians priority list

"After nearly two and a half years, the Thorncliffe Park community is finally getting its library branch back...The library closed in December 2007"

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/660755

Crowded, stressed in Canada's most populated immigrant neighbourhood: Thorncliffe

Amazing article appearing in Toronto Star today:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/748969--thorncliffe-park-community-crowded-stressed#article

Severe overcrowding and poverty is heightening stress and ethnic tensions in Canada’s most populated immigrant neighbourhood, says a study of the Thorncliffe Park community released today.

The U of T study of changes in the Toronto neighbourhood between 2001 and 2006 found more than 30,000 residents — mostly newcomers — are crowded into 34 highrise and lowrise apartments in a 2.2-square-kilometre concrete jungle behind Don Mills Road and Don Valley Parkway. Front-line workers are worried the population is outpacing programs and services, hindering their ability to quickly integrate.

“Thorncliffe Park will continue to attract high volumes of newcomers, relative to most neighbourhoods across Greater Toronto. Settlement services, therefore, should remain a high priority,” says the report. “If population and household numbers continue to climb at the same rates, overcrowding and other issues will present increasingly greater challenges.”

The study found each household has an average 1.4 bedrooms compared to 2.7 across the city, but twice as many sleeping in a bedroom as in an average Toronto home. Half of residents live below Statistics Canada’s low-income cut-off, three times the rate for Toronto.

Thorncliffe all-kindergarten school?

I saw this article today on CityTv:

http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/local/article/64193--tdsb-reportedly-considering-all-kindergarten-school

the Toronto public board is considering creating an all-kindergarten campus, according to a published report.

Thorncliffe Park Elementary...currently has more than 600 kindergarten students and is struggling to find solutions to deal with its ever-swelling student population.

The high numbers of new Canadians that are constantly moving into the area have caused the entire student population at the school to grow to nearly 2,000 – that’s about five times the city average. Thorncliffe Park Elementary, which has already outgrown a 2003 addition, only houses kids in junior kindergarten to Grade 5...

The TDSB is seriously considering the idea of using a new building next to the existing school as a kindergarten-only facility. A new $16 million building is slated to go up in 2011, but how that building will be used and by which students, is still up in the air.

Ok, I'm not sure if any of these people have been to Thorncliffe lately but exactly where are they thinking of putting a new school? There is zero room for anything around here so I'm interested in how this plays out. 600 kindergarten students is more than we had in my entire elementary school growing up. 2000 kids is more than my highschool! Amazing to think of our kids being part of this mix.

**UPDATE** from CBC: The school has 32 kindergarten classes alone, which have about 800 to 1,000 students.

Thorncliffe balconies

Very cool pic of balconies in our hood.
From http://www.flickr.com/photos/phil_marion/3776371007/

"More than 500 prospective citizens attend Thorncliffe's citizenship classes annually."

Check out this article from today's Star:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/712232--learning-to-be-a-citizen

Canadian is what each wants to be. These citizenship candidates are here for a six-week class, one of many run daily by community groups in Toronto and across the country. More than 500 prospective citizens attend Thorncliffe's citizenship classes annually.

Sad day for Thorncliffe

Please pray for a family from our community who is grieving today:

CTV news:

TORONTO — After three consecutive days of devastating news, a Toronto father is struggling to help his two sons cope with the loss of their mother and two sisters, who drowned in a hotel pool while vacationing in an eastern Ontario resort town.

Naila Yasmin, 43, a wife and mother of four, died in hospital on Sunday. Her 14-year-old daughter, Kinza Kaianad, died Monday evening and 11-year-old Sunaila Kaianad died Tuesday afternoon. All died at Kingston General Hospital.

Autopsy results suggest that Yasmin and her daughters, described as "non-swimmers," likely drowned in a ten-minute span Saturday...

Both girls attended nearby Thorncliffe Public School."

Thorncliffe school gets 12 million!

On Friday our MPP (and education minister) Kathleen Wynne sent a note home with all the kids at Thorncliffe school announcing that the school would be receiving 12 million dollars!

The letter reads: "The Toronto District School Board will receive 12 million to address accommodation issues at Thorncliffe Park Public School. This money will help get students out of portables and into a permanent building"

Exciting stuff. Having 20 portables in the field this year was not ideal. Still, I'm wondering what space there is left on the property and what other cool stuff 12 mil can buy! That's a serious chunk of change considering Thorncliffes community center (Jenner Jean-Marie) is being completely renovated and doubled in size for 4 million. Hopefully Kathleen has more details soon!

Leafs came to Thorncliffe after all!

Check out this video I found of the Leafs at Thorncliffe school!

Thorncliffe Soccer League!! Volunteers needed

We need some volunteer coaches & referees for the Thorncliffe soccer league.
Send me a message if you can help!!

____________________________

http://www.thorncliffepark.ca

Summer Soccer League in Thorncliffe Park for boys and girls aged 7 to 16.

All skill levels welcome. Come out and have fun playing soccer this summer in Thorncliffe Park from mid-June to the end of August. Games will be played at Leaside Park (by the tennis courts & swimming pool),

Cost: Free
Ages: 7 years old to 16 years old (teams will be by age groups)

***Volunteer coaches and referees needed. Community service credit available for high school students. ***

Registration
In person at 38 Thorncliffe Park Drive on these days only:
Saturday May 30, 2009 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Tuesday June 2, 2009 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Online: www.toronto.ca/parks/torontofun/to_fun_regonline.htm
By touchtone phone: 416-338-0000

For more information, please contact:
email: soccer@thorncliffepark.ca
website: www.thorncliffepark.ca

Thorncliffe Park - crowded but easy to walk...

From yesterdays Globe & Mail:

When Indian-born Sabina Ali and her family arrived here 10 months ago, they chose to live in Thorncliffe Park, a thick cluster of 1950s-era high-rise apartments overlooking the Don River as it curves through the middle of the city.

What attracted the Ali family may surprise those familiar with the neighbourhood's stereotype as a dense, high-rise community of low-income immigrants with social needs.

"When I visited this place, I really liked it," said Ms. Ali, a married mother of four young daughters whose family has no car. "Everything is accessible - the grocery store, the mall, the school and the mosque - and you can just walk [to them]...

Thorncliffe Park, one of 10 inner suburbs being studied, is surprisingly easy to walk around because high-rises are near shopping, schools and play areas. But other areas are much more spread out, with wide arterial roads, no sidewalks and other impediments to pedestrians.

Preliminary findings from Thorncliffe Park show the power of small fixes.

Ms. Ali, a volunteer member of the Women's Committee of Thorncliffe Park, said her group successfully appealed to the city for additional benches and picnic tables for a small park beside the local elementary school. Over the winter, the city agreed to shovel snow from sidewalks and footpaths.

Now, she said, more residents come out to sit and talk, and walk around the park, adding to a sense of security.

Jane Farrow, executive director of the Centre for City Ecology, said the volume of pedestrian activity in Thorncliffe Park is significant."

Full article - click here

90% of Thorncliffe not born in Canada

Another interesting article about Thorncliffe:

http://www.torontoobserver.ca/2008/12/07/i-vote-toronto-seeks-a-wider-voice-in-civic-elections/

Desmond Cole, project manager for the I Vote Toronto campaign at the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office, says that a community grassroots movement is needed..

“There are literally hundreds of newcomers serving agencies in Toronto,” he said...(About) 90 per cent of the people who live in Thorncliffe were not born in Canada.”

Click here for the full article

Thorncliffe school now over 1900 students!

This National Post article from last week puts Thorncliffes public school population at 1,913!! Remember that is only k-5 and it's growing by 4 students per day!!

Pupils of the World.
Natalie Alcoba, National Post
Saturday, Feb 14, 2009

This is Thorncliffe Park Public School, population: 1,913, languages spoken: 54.

The east-end campus bears the same name as the Toronto community that surrounds it -- a first, and often final, stop for new immigrants. Most residents come from Pakistan, and that makeup is reflected in the school. But students also hail from places like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and a host of Arabic-speaking countries.

Click here to read the full article

Thorncliffe gets some love from Mayor Miller

1.1 million in the budget is going towards childcare in Thorncliffe!

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/552036

$1.1M Open new child-care centre at Thorncliffe Park with 56 spots.

That's pretty handy considering Thorncliffe not only has the biggest elementary school in North America (1900 kids from K-5) but also the largest age demographic from the 2006 census is 0-4 year olds!!! click here for graph

10 bears in the bed and the little one said...

10 people in this Thorncliffe apartment!

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2008/12/22/7823976-sun.html

Habitat for Humanity also provided new lodging next door for the Rabbani family, all 10 of them. The Pakistani family also got to tour their home yesterday, a welcome relief from the three-bedroom Thorncliffe apartment they've been crammed into for years.

"We're so happy to have this home now," said Mirza Sajid Rabbani, the father of eight. "God has made this easy." Rabbani has been driving a taxi to make ends meet since arriving from Pakistan in 1996. He and his son, Ukkashah, 16, laugh when they are asked if they will miss their tiny apartment.

"There are three boys in my room," Ukkashah said. "We won't miss how overcrowded it is, no."

Citizenship ceremony in Thorncliffe

When I saw the article and video about Thursday's Thorncliffe Park citizenship ceremony I immediately recognized one of the boys from Lukas' class!

http://www.thestar.com/article/548846

Raza, a telecom worker, moved from Pakistan three years ago in search of a less volatile environment for his two sons.

Yesterday, he and dozens of others took the oath of citizenship in a ceremony at Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in Thorncliffe Park. Family and friends proudly beamed from rows of benches, many waving miniature Canadian flags.

Thorncliffe Powerpoint!!

I found this awesome Powerpoint on the Thorncliffe school website:

http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/thorncliffepark/whats_happening.html

To go directly to the Powerpoint click here:

http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/thorncliffepark/resources/welcome07-08.pps

New stats on Thorncliffe from 2006 census

Every time Canada does a census the data is released slowly, by category. Recently released statistics confirm some amazing trends in Thorncliffe:

1. Even though Thorncliffe has the largest elementary school - the largest demographic is not even in school yet!! 0-4 year olds!!!

Here -> http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/cns_profiles/2006/pdf1/cpa55.pdf


2. Despite already having the largest South Asian community in Canada, the South Asian population has actually doubled since the 2001 census!!

Here -> http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/cns_profiles/2006/pdf2/cpa55.pdf

Go Thorncliffe!!!

Here is the link to the City of Toronto neighbourhood profile:
http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/cns_profiles/cns55.htm

Question: What happens when the largest elementary school in North America gets 20 new portables?

Answer: Your student population grows from 1600 students to 1900. Oh and don't forget that's just Kindergarten to Grade 5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorncliffe_Park

"Thorncliffe Park Public School is the largest elementary school in North America with a staggering 1900 students. In the summer of 2008 the soccer field and baseball diamond were paved over and 20 new portables were erected in their place prompting fears of further over-crowding."