DAILY UPDATES

Forest Hill Daily Updates: May–June 2020

Start signing up for CampTO tomorrow

Registration for the city’s new day camps initiative, CampTO, starts in this area tomorrow. Sign up by phone or online to send kids from age 6 to 12 to the camps that feature physical distancing, regular health checks and other measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Find out all about it on Streeter.

Wider reopening finally gets the okay

You can soon take the family out to a local restaurant or hang out in a local bar again. Take the kids to the pool or splash pad. Go shopping for more than groceries. Get a haircut or your nails done. All this and more as Toronto reopens businesses, cultural places and recreational centres in the move to Stage 2 of the province’s reopening plan.

Read more about today’s long-awaited announcement.

Arrest for robbery that began with classified ad

A 25-year-old man has been arrested four months after a knifepoint robbery that allegedly began when two men met to discuss the purchase of an item advertised on an online classified ad. The robbery took place in the Eglinton-Bathurst area in February and the man was arrested after a search warrant was executed on June 9, police reported yesterday. Get the details in Streeter news.

Farmers’ markets coming back?

Farmers’ markets, like those we used to see at midtown locations like Wychwood Barns, Dufferin Grove Park and June Rowlands Park, may make their reappearance this summer, if not earlier.

The city says it is working with the markets it operates to get them back up and running while complying with the new public health requirements. Read more about it.

If you gotta go while in the park….

A few washrooms in North Toronto and other parts of the city are scheduled to reopen this week. But for public facilities in parks closer to the Forest Hill area, well, you’ll just have to hold it till next week. The city is reopening about 50 parks washrooms by June 6, with the rest of the 200 washrooms to open by mid-June, it was announced today. See the story.

Window shot out in Wychwood, police chase suspect vehicle

Reports of gunfire and of a residential window being shot out after midnight this morning led police on a high-speed chase of a vehicle from Christie Street and Lambertlodge Avenue in the Wychwood area to Shaw and College streets.

We’ll have more on this as new information is received. Get the story here.

 

Pothole-fixing blitz continues today

If you run into traffic delays today, it may be because the city is on a massive project of fixing potholes on expressways, major roads and neighbourhood streets. Sixty-six crews and 162 workers are fanning out across the city today in the final round of pothole repairs for this month, the city has announced.

About 18,000 potholes have already been repaired in May — and 105,000 so far in 2020. But in case those numbers sound impressive, bear in mind they are only slightly ahead of last year’s pothole-fixing pace — and well behind the numbers racked up by May in each of the two previous years.

If your least favourite midtown pothole is not filled in by today’s blitz, you can report it online, by email or by calling 311. It will likely be be repaired within four days, the city says.

Library branches to start accepting book returns

The Forest Hill Library is not on the short list of public library branches to reopen their drop boxes for returned items on Monday, but it should follow on June 1 when other branches join the rollout of reopened library services. And curbside pickup of library materials ordered online is to begin shortly after that.

Read the whole story on Streeter.

Parks reopening further, but keep your distance there

Toronto is following the province’s lead and opening more of the city’s parks facilities. Yesterday, Mayor John Tory announced skateboard parks and other facilities are opening immediately, followed by soccer fields, tennis courts, picnic shelters and other amenities by the weekend.

But no team activities are being allowed and physical distancing rules are still in place. Get all the details.

Where to take your garbage, recycling and yard waste

The Ingram Transfer Station on Ingram Drive is the closest drop-off depot available to Forest Hill-area residents, after the city reopened to the public two of the facilities in Toronto.

But, starting today, the Ingram depot is open to the public only on weekday evenings and nights —from 6 p.m. to midnight and from 12:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. Following public health guidelines, payment must be by debit or credit card and a two-metre distance must be kept from others. A face mask or covering must be used when physical distancing is not possible, as in interactions with transfer station staff.

See more details on the city’s COVID-19: Changes to City Services site.

Ingram Transfer Station
LINEUP: Entering the Ingram Transfer Station in better days.

Salsa on St. Clair among latest coronavirus victims

Salsa on St. Clair and the Toronto Chinatown Festival are among the latest summer events to be cancelled, as the city has extended its cancellation of permits for major festivals to the end of August. Mayor John Tory announced the cancellations in his daily press briefing today.

See the latest news on what’s been cancelled, postponed and moved online.

City program sets up shops online

The city has joined with BIAs and other partners to offer a free program to set up independent businesses and artists with online stores. Up to 3,000 small businesses are expected to take up this offer, allowing consumers to shop online, ordering delivery and arranging pickup at places offering curbside service. Read all about it.

Demand is up at food banks but they’re coping

With so many unemployed during the pandemic, food banks in midtown and east-end wards are facing long lineups and big changes to how they serve those in need. But, so far, most are dealing with it well. See the full story and photos.

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In-store shopping at some garden centres

Getting the go-ahead from Ontario premier Doug Ford, some local garden centres are throwing their doors open to shoppers, while others are sticking to curbside pickup and delivery. But all are promising to observe social distancing and other safety considerations. Here’s the rundown.

Mother’s Day brunch without taking her out

Some local restaurants are offering Mother’s Day brunches on Sunday for pickup or delivery. But you may have to order now. Check them out.

SEE DAILY UPDATES FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES:
Beaches-LeslievilleCentral TorontoDon ValleyLeasideNorth TorontoRiverdale-East York

Garden centres opening with curbside pickup

With the Ontario government’s go-ahead, many garden centres and nurseries are open and operating as online businesses. Here are some local places you can place an order for delivery or pickup.

Canada Day leads latest list of local cancellations

The city has cancelled all in-person Canada Day celebrations — the latest events to fall victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing well into summer — although a virtual celebration is in the works. See the full list of local cancellations, postponements and moves online.

You can continue putting your waste out, city says

With a record amount of yard waste being generated while residents are stuck at home, the city has decided to resume its collection. Yard waste pickup was cancelled early this spring but brought back in April for a four-week trial. The trial must have been a success, because now the city says yard waste is returning for the season. Just when garden centres and landscapers are also reopening their businesses.

See the full story in Streeter news.

Some ideas to support local businesses from local MP

With help from local BIAs, MP Carolyn Bennett urges Toronto-St. Paul’s constituents to support small businesses however we can, in her column sent from her home. She also discusses the programs the federal government has hurriedly launched to help Canadians get through the COVID-19 crisis. See the column and photo.