DAILY UPDATES

Riverdale-East York Daily Updates: September–December 2019

Don’t miss the Riverdale Share concert today

The annual Riverdale Share concert is back on Dec. 8 at 3 p.m. at the Danforth Music Hall, 147 Danforth Ave. This year’s entertainment lineup includes Julian Taylor, Shakura S’aida, the Frankland Choir and the comic team of Warren Bain and Matt Bernard. More details under Things To Do.

Model railroad Holiday Show to start tomorrow

The Model Railroad Club of Toronto hosts its 2019 Holiday Show for kids and adults on Dec. 7 and 8 in East York at 11 Curity Ave.

You can see Canada’s premier O scale model railroad, as well as watch dozens of trains, both freight and passenger, as they pass through cities, towns and countryside.

More information in the event listing.

Annual Winter Village opens at Brick Works

The Winter Village opens at Evergreen Brick Works today and runs every weekend up to Christmas — with skating, an artisan gift market, food, music and all the usual festive stuff. Get more details at the Things To Do listing.

Santa Claus parade thrills east-end kids

Kingston Road west of Victoria Park Avenue was chockablock with kids and parents yesterday for the Beaches Santa Claus Parade. They cheered and squealed as the annual parade with floats, marching bands, costumed characters, service clubs and local celebrities went by. But their biggest response, of course, was for the sled carrying Santa Claus, accompanied by a waving Mrs. Claus.

See more about the parade and photos online and on Instagram.

Power outage map
Toronto Hydro maps show extent of power outage and expected time of restoration.

Power out in east end of East York

Residents in the eastern neighbourhoods of East York were without electricity for several hours this morning, as parts of East York, Toronto and Scarborough were struck by power outages.

The power went out at 8:48 a.m., according to Toronto Hydro. At 9:10 Hydro tweeted, “We’re aware of an outage affecting customers in Scarborough, from approximately St. Clair E south to Danforth, and Victoria Park west to Warden.” However, some residents west of Victoria Park Avenue were also affected, especially along Danforth Avenue and in Upper Beaches.

Hydro estimated work to restore power might take as long as six hours but some residents were reporting electricity was back on as early as 11:30 a.m.

No word from Hydro yet what caused the outage.

Santa touches down in east end tomorrow

The Santa Claus parade returns to the east end — in the Upper Beaches to be exact — on Nov. 24. It wends its way along Kingston Road to end up at a party at Community Centre 55, complete with kids activities, a barbecue and, of course, Santa. More about it in the Things To Do listing.

Cedarvale Ave. murder shown on video

Police have released video showing an SUV hunting down two boys on the sidewalk leading to Stan Wadlow Clubhouse and striking one. The graphic video shows a body, presumably that of Matthew Dreaver, 16, lying crumpled on the pavement as the vehicle speeds off.

For the whole story to date, see Streeter News.

Show a hit with artisans and shoppers

The basement at Eastminster United Church was full with nearly 50 vendors and hundreds of people looking for unique items on Nov. 16. See the full story, including interviews with two of the interesting artisans.

Arts and crafts sale on today

The local Rotary Club is holding its popular arts and crafts sale at Eastminster United Church today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 45 artisans are selling their creations, along with activities like live music and face painting. More information in the Things To Do listing.

Danforth Study meeting overflows

Hundreds of east-end residents showed up to the first public meeting on the Danforth Study on Nov. 7. They spilled over from the cafeteria at Monarch Park Collegiate into adjoining rooms — to hear about plans for Danforth Avenue’s future and present their own views. City staff present said they were seeking community consensus, but at least one divisive issue was raised by members of the public. See the whole story and pictures in Streeter News.

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Open house for Danforth study tomorrow

The city is inviting members of the Danforth community to the first meeting about the coming Danforth Avenue Complete Street and Planning Study tomorrow from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Monarch Park Collegiate, 1 Hanson St.

The open house will include a brief presentation and interactive group discussion to get community feedback.

The full study area will span six kilometres of Danforth Avenue, between Broadview and Victoria Park avenues. Find out more details about it online at toronto.ca/danforthstudy.

Another East York shooting

Just five days after two teenagers were found wounded behind a Cosburn Avenue address, an East York apartment building figures in another suspected shooting — this time a fatality. Police found a man dead in the stairwell of 75 Eastdale Ave. this morning around 8 a.m. They also found a shell casing nearby.

More on this developing story as we get it.

Halloween shooting on Cosburn

Two teenagers are in hospital in serious condition after being shot behind a Cosburn Avenue apartment building last night at about 9 p.m. Police are looking for a male who was seen fleeing the scene through local backyards. See more about this story in News.

Two trees recovered.

Newly planted trees gone from Taylor Creek Park

Vandals are being blamed for having removed nearly all of the 120 trees and shrubs planted by the community in Taylor Creek Park, next to Victoria Park Avenue, on Oct. 5.

Only about six new plants remain, despite the city having already having replanted some of them since discovering 50 of them missing after the community planting event. Vandals, it seems, struck at least twice.

For more on this story see our account and photos in the Streeter News section.

Liberals fend off NDP upset attempt

Toronto–Danforth stayed in the Liberal sea of red that stretches across Toronto by re-electing Julie Dabrusin as MP in the federal election yesterday. The late Jack Layton’s former seat had been considered the riding most likely to be taken back by the NDP in this election and at least one poll showed New Democrat candidate Min Sook Lee in the lead. However, in the end, Dabrusin won convincingly, with greater than 8,000 more votes than Lee.

For more about the election in Toronto–Danforth, see today’s featured news story.

More information released on East York homicide

The teenage victim of the fatal hit-and run on Cedarvale Avenue early Monday morning has been identified and video of the vehicle suspected of having run him down has been released by Toronto police. Matthew Dreaver, 16, has been identified as the boy struck and killed by an SUV on Cedarvale Avenue in East York.

Police briefed media near the scene of the homicide earlier this afternoon, saying the incident began when Dreaver and a 14-year-old friend had a dispute with two occupants of a motor vehicle behind a nearby Shopper’s Drug Mart before 2 a.m. on Monday. The men allegedly followed the boys to Cedarvale Avenue where the SUV jumped a curb and struck Dreaver, police said.

Read the complete update and watch the video of the suspected SUV in the area.

A small forest planted on Victoria Park

One hundred and twenty new trees and shrubs were planted in less than an hour on Saturday morning by community members drawn to the city’s volunteer planting project. In fact, so many people showed up to help that the city ran out of trees for everyone to plant in the corner of Taylor  Creek Park alongside Victoria Park Avenue. More about the event — with pictures — in the News section.

Fatal hit-and-run was intentional, police say

A boy, 16, was run down and killed by dark-coloured SUV that followed him on Cedarvale Avenue near Stan Wadlow Park early this morning, police say. The incident was first called a collision resulting in a pedestrian with “vital signs absent” when officers arrived at the scene but witnesses said the vehicle jumped the curb to strike the teenager, leading police to call it a homicide.

See the full story so far in Riverdale-East York news.