Health experts warn people in Toronto not to flock outside on a whim during warm weather

Toronto is set to see some of the nicest weather so far this year during the upcoming weekend, and it's certainly about time. But despite the appeal of soaking up all that vitamin D, Ontario's top doctor is reminding people to plan ahead and refrain from spontaneously going outside "on a whim."

Both Saturday and Sunday are forecasted to bring temperatures nearing 20 C to Toronto, which will mark the first taste of real summer-like weather the city has seen in many months. 

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams, says it's fine to go outside and enjoy it, but it's essential to plan ahead. 

"On a weekend where there is good weather, I know it is very hard for people to stay inside," he said during a press conference Wednesday.

"My recommendation is that if you're planning to do some activities, then you need to plan to do them and plan them in such a way so that you don't compromise yourself by losing that physical distancing."

I expect this weekend's weather means we will sadly hear a lot of stories of entitled 'yahoos'. I hope the bylaw officers are out and ticketing.#covidontario#Toronto pic.twitter.com/5GjBsaZyid

— Monika Field 🇨🇦 (@monikafield) April 30, 2020

Dr. Williams said the way to plan for a safe outdoor activity is by ensuring you don't go to places where everyone else will go, during hours when everyone will be doing the same.

"The planning part is important rather than on a whim. Because if you're on a whim, you're probably the same as 5,000 other people and you're out doing the same thing in the same place. That's not the plan," he said.

"If you have a walking path that is fully packed, there is no way you are going to maintain physical distancing."

He emphasized that it's important to always maintain a two-metre distance from others while outside, and he also encouraged people to wear face coverings to prevent from spreading the virus when around other people.

"I'm not discouraging people from going outdoors," he said, "...but do that in areas where you can seek to maintain your physical distance in that regard and plan it."

Hey #Toronto! I’m back at @TPSOperations this evening.

With the weather warming up this weekend, people are going to want to get outside for some fresh air & exercise.

Here are some tips regarding #PhysicalDistancing when exercising outdoors from @cityoftoronto.#StayHealthy🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/IShHOtnlG1

— Alex Li (@CopWhoLovesCars) April 24, 2020

During the same press conference, Dr. Williams and Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario's associate chief medical officer of health, reiterated that city-dwellers should refrain from heading up to their cottages anytime soon unless they absolutely have to.

"If you don't need to go up then we would prefer you don't," Dr. Williams said.

Dr. Yaffe said residents of rural and cottage areas are still concerned with the idea of people flooding into their towns and bringing the virus with them. Currently, Greater Toronto Area public health units account for 59.2 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in the province.

"I think first of all there is some concern that people coming from the Greater Toronto Area, where the preponderance of infections exists, may have an asymptotic infection and bring it to that community where they haven't had very much infection," Dr. Yaffe said.

"I think another concern is that the healthcare system may not be equipped to deal with the number of people who come. They are concerned that there would be demands put on the local healthcare that may not be able to be met."

by Mira Miller via blogTO

McDonald's shuts down Toronto restaurant after employee tests positive for COVID-19

A busy McDonald's restaurant in Toronto is the latest local workplace to close down, unexpectedly yet temporarily, on account of COVID-19.

McDonald's Canada announced Wednesday evening that an employee from its location at 2 Ingram Drive, just off Keele Street between Lawrence and Eglinton Avenues in North York, had tested positive for the 2019 novel coronavirus.

Upon learning of the diagnosis on April 29, McDonald's Canada decided to shut down the restaurant "out of an abundance of caution" for a thorough cleaning performed by third-party sanitization experts.

The employee in question is said to have worked on April 28 from 6:05 a.m. until 2:15 p.m. Staffers who worked with the infected employee have been asked to self-quarantine and anyone who may have visited the McDonald's during this time is asked to take direction from Ontario Public Health.

It is of note, given the recent incident in which a McDonald's employee faked the deadly coronavirus to get out of a shift, that local public health authorities confirmed the 2 Ingram Drive crew member's diagnosis.

"The restaurant will reopen once direction has been given by local health authorities," says McDonald's spokesperson Ryma Boussoufa of the North York location.

"We continue to work with local health authorities to support our people and our guests and look forward to getting back to serving our community as soon as we can."

by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO

Some taxi and limousine drivers at Pearson Airport in Toronto have died from COVID-19

As we continue to celebrate and support frontline healthcare workers who are sacrificing the most right now to fight COVID-19 under extremely dangerous conditions, we can't overlook others in public-facing positions who are taking risks with their health and safety to keep working, too.

Along with employees of essential businesses, cleaners, delivery and post office staff, public transit workers, those transporting essential goods and others are the drivers who are keeping residents moving where they need to go.

Keeping the requisite two-metre distance from others is difficult within the confines of a vehicle, and given that we now know that the virus can remain suspended in the air for hours and can be transmitted through normal breathing, taxi or rideshare drivers without proper personal protective equipment are susceptible to infection every time they accept a customer.

It may come as no surprise, then — especially because the outbreak began with recent travelers, though is now in the stage of community spread — that a number of taxi and limousine drivers who work out of the Toronto Pearson International Airport have in fact caught and succumbed to the infectious disease.

well yeah.

because as experts has said all along. Covid19 is being aerolized by normal respiration...

— Pandemics heighten inequity (@ShirtlessHorde) April 29, 2020

The union representing the drivers has just revealed that there have been at least four COVID-19 fatalities and 15 infections among its staff, according to CBC news, saying that drivers are "very scared" to continue working.

Because of the pandemic, there has been a drastic decrease in travel and demand for service, and so fewer airport taxis and limos on the road, along with new sanitization measures that have been introduced for those still working.

But, drivers told the news outlet that they want additional protections, like plexiglass shields, PPE and passenger screening for their protection as more taxi and rideshare drivers around the world continue to die after being exposed to the infectious disease on the job.

More than a month ago, the federal government prohibited recent travelers with coronavirus symptoms from taking public transit home from the airport, leaving taxis and limos, ubers and lyfts, or brave family and friends with a car as the only options.

Good morning. Taxi and limo service remains a transportation option at Pearson, with enhanced cleaning of each vehicle being undertaken by our taxi and limo partners after each trip. Taxi and limos are available on the arrivals levels at both terminals.

— Toronto Pearson (@TorontoPearson) April 29, 2020

Toronto Public Health recently issued recommendations for taxi and rideshare drivers operating during the pandemic, which included suggestions to "consider installing plexiglass shields" and "consider wearing a non-medical mask," among other advice. Drivers are, at the moment, responsible for their own PPE and personal safety.

by Becky Robertson via blogTO

Popular bar and restaurant evicted by landlord after 19 years in Toronto

Two Toronto businesses are taking legal action against their former landlord after being evicted from their building on King West last month. 

At the height of the pandemic, rock 'n' roll dive bar Underground Garage, which has operated out of 365 King West for 19 years, was locked out of its building, along with adjoining restaurant Tokyo Hot Fried Chicken. 

The former, opened by Rob Picken in 2001, has operated on multiple floors of the five-storey building over the years, and is considered an affordable mainstay on the inflated strip of King West by Blue Jays Way.

In 2017, Picken opened up the UG Loft, which spanned from the fourth floor up to the rooftop, and in May 2019, began contracting out the Loft's kitchen to Jordan Agh and his new business, Tokyo Hot Fried Chicken. 

But on March 27, both Picken and Agh were devastated to learn that the building's locks had been changed on them by landlord Sal Vescio, effectively evicting Underground Garage, The UG Loft, and Tokyo Hot from the premises. 

"I couldn't believe it was real, to be honest with you,” said Agh. "Having our dreams crushed right in front of us, it was a lot." 

The monthly rent for Underground Garage and The Loft totals $53,000, an amount that Picken admits he wasn't able to make his portion of last month. 

Despite staggering rent and receiving payments from Agh (an agreement which was never made official in writing), Picken says the forced temporary closure of UG and all other bars citywide mid-March sent the business into arrears. 

Meanwhile, Tokyo Hot Fried Chicken had continued to take orders through delivery apps during quarantine, albeit under specific restrictions from the landlord: all food exchanges had to be done from the front door, meaning the restaurant's staff had to carry every order down from their fifth-floor kitchen. 

But despite not being able to make March rent, neither Picken nor Agh were apparently given the impression that their landlord would evict them at the end of the month. 

Picken alleges he was never given a detailed breakdown of what was owed, and given UG's closure during the pandemic, expected better communication.

"I was banking on kindness in the wake of this pandemic, and that was not entertained," he says.

The two business owners are now seeking legal action, including demanding the return of more than $10,000-worth of Tokyo Hot Fried Chicken's leased kitchen equipment, which Agh alleges the landlord has withheld over the past month. 

Picken, who removed his leased Long & McQuade sound system before getting locked out, is now demanding the return of the rest of his belongings, along with his security deposit and two months-worth of rent, which totals somewhere around $114,000. 

According to Salvatore Vescio, the property's sale representative and a relative to the landlord, nothing illegal has been done, and the matter is "in the lawyers' hands". 

In regards to Tokyo Hot Fried Chicken's withheld equipment, Vescio simply stated that Agh will have to prove his claims in court. 

A listing for 365 King Street West has since been put up on Royal LePage for $60,000 a month. The building, which has been owned by Vescio since 1979, has been home to a number of night destinations, as well as a controversial cannabis dispensary.  

In the meantime, Agh is running Tokyo Hot Fried Chicken out of Folly Brewing at 928 College Street. As for Underground Garage, Picken says re-opening isn't likely — not in Toronto, anyway. 

by Tanya Mok via blogTO

This new Toronto apartment building will come with 37 affordable homes

A piece of land in Toronto's Stockyards that has sat empty for more than a decade could soon be the site of 529 new residential units, including 37 affordable ones for artists and their families. 

Plans for a 3-acre site referred to as 6 Lloyd Avenue, now Carlyle Junction, has been in the works for years, with two previous proposals to turn this triangular plot of land by the rail corridor into a cluster of mixed-use buildings.

The latest plan submitted from Carlyle Communities and RAW Design shows what we can expect to be built on the former site of a Benjamin Moore paint plant. 

The previous proposal, which was pitched by troubled Toronto developer Stanton Renaissance as JunXion Condos before the company filed for bankruptcy in 2017, was shot down by city planners in 2015.

The heights of the three 14-storey residential buildings and one eight-storey office building were deemed "excessive" for the area, considering the rubber factory next door.

Located just a stone's throw away at 35 Cawthra Avenue, the plumes emitted from National Rubber Technologies meant that people in any building taller than 16 metres "would be subject to unacceptable levels of odour". 

But according to Carlyle's commissioned air quality study, submitted in October 2019, "National Rubber Technologies was assessed in greater detail... The results indicate that odours from the current National Rubber Technologies operations will be below the detection threshold." 

The amendments from Carlyle Communities and RAW Design submitted last month has instead seen the residential building heights go up to 16 and 17 storeys, while the office building has been reduced to four storeys. 

A main selling point is the proposal's proximity to the upcoming St.Clair-Old Weston SmartTrack Station, which will be appealing for future workers of 32,000 square-feet of new glassy office space being proposed, if built.

The two-volume condo will include two-storey townhomes, encompassing some of the 218 one-bedrooms, 209 two-bedrooms, 57 studio units, and 45 three-bedrooms in the plan. 

And in adherance to Section 37, which requires developers to provide some form of community benefit in their applications, Carlyle will also be including a daycare and 37 affordable rental housing units, the latter which will be planned in partnership with Artscape. 

by Tanya Mok via blogTO

Toronto announces plan for more than 200 new modular supportive housing units

The city of Toronto has announced plans to build up to 250 new modular supportive housing units in the city, the first 110 of which would be built on two city-owned sites and ready for occupancy by September.

Toronto Mayor John Tory made the announcement during the city's daily press briefing Wednesday afternoon, and he said the project is exceedingly important in order to provide stable, affordable housing and support services to individuals experiencing homelessness.

Modular housing is a quick and cost-effective way to house people due to the fact that it's prefabricated in a factory and then transported and assembled on-site.

"We know helping people with supportive housing is good for everyone and modular housing is a way to make that happen faster," Tory said in a statement. "The pandemic has heightened the need for supportive housing and I have asked City staff to move this project at an urgent pace."

Implementation plan for up to 250 modular supportive housing units released, CMHC’s Affordable Housing Innovation Fund to cover 40 per cent of capital costs for Phase I. News release: https://t.co/y7im0yvKuP pic.twitter.com/FUzOhr55sM

— City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) April 29, 2020

Before the pandemic began, city staff were already preparing to bring forward a report to the March 23 Planning and Housing Committee meeting outlining the proposed implementation plan.

But since regular committee and council meetings have been cancelled and the need for supportive housing is more dire than ever, the city is looking to move forward with the project immediately. 

"Staff are recommending entering negotiations with Horizon North for the manufacturing, design and installation of up to 110 modular homes in two, three-storey developments – representing Phase I of the City’s modular housing pilot," notes a release from the city. 

"The terms of the proposed contract will be reviewed and considered by City Council at its April 30 meeting. A full request for proposal (RFP) will be issued in the summer of 2020 for the second phase of the pilot, representing an additional 140 modular supportive homes to be completed by April 2021."

While this is the first modular housing project in Toronto, similar approaches have been used in many other jurisdictions in North America. Horizon North, the company set to design and build the units, recently constructed a similar supportive housing facility in Vancouver. 

Long project timelines are a challenge to building affordable housing. Check out the timelapse of this supportive housing facility in Vancouver, a project that took 5 months from production to occupancy, a far better timeframe to provide much-needed homes. https://t.co/bT4zmMiHP1 pic.twitter.com/sVlRIGpD4r

— Horizon North (@WeAreHNL) April 29, 2020

In total, the full capital cost for Phase I of the pilot is estimated at $20.9 million and would come from the city's Development Charges Reserve Fund for Subsidized Housing as well as the federal government through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Affordable Housing Innovation Fund, which has committed $8.25 million in grants and recoverable loans.

The city will also request operating funding for health-related support services and housing subsidies from the province, so that deeply affordable supportive homes can be delivered at the sites.

According to a release from the city, staff are in the process of identifying city-owned/controlled sites appropriate for the development of modular housing.

As part of a future report, subject to council approval, they'll offer the identified sites through 35-year leases for nominal sums to non-profit operators selected as part of a request for proposals process.

"These 110 modular homes will provide stable and affordable homes as well as support services to individuals experiencing homelessness, while also reducing pressure on the City's shelters particularly at a time when there is urgency to fast implement these innovative housing approaches and manage this crisis with long lasting solutions," said Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão in a statement.

"It is a cost effective approach that delivers better health and housing outcomes. We’re moving forward on our commitment to ensure that Toronto is a place where families and individuals can live in safe, well-maintained and affordable housing."

by Mira Miller via blogTO

One of Toronto's favourite Thai restaurants has reopened for takeout and delivery

Thai food lovers, rejoice: Toronto's best Thai restaurant has reopened for takeout and delivery.

Pai has been closed for over a month and a half, but announced in an Instagram post on April 29 that they are officially open for pickup and delivery.

View this post on Instagram

We are so excited to announce that Pai is officially open for pick up and delivery! We shut down our operation over a month and a half ago prioritizing the safety of our guests and staff. Since then we have been non-stop analyzing the situation and learning best practices, waiting for what we felt was the right time to open again. Today we are extremely confident in our game plan and have taken every precaution to serve you in the safest possible way. We’ve missed you all so much and we just can’t wait to serve you Chef Nuit’s delicious food once again! PS our @kitchenhubfoods location in Etobicoke is still closed but we are aiming for a date not far away🙏🏼❤️ #weareback #chefnuitrocks #thaifood #paifood #happytobeback #paitoronto #open @chefnuitregular

A post shared by Jeff Regular (@paitoronto) on Apr 29, 2020 at 12:02pm PDT

"We have been non-stop analyzing the situation and learning best practices, waiting for what we felt was the right time to open again," reads the post. "Today we are extremely confident in our game plan and have taken every precaution to serve you in the safest possible way."

They note that their Etobicoke-based Kitchen Hub Foods location "is still closed but we are aiming for a date not far away."

The photo posted to Instagram accompanying the announcement shows people holding a sign reminding customers to keep six feet away from each other, and instructing customers on how to carry out pickup orders.

The sign seems to say customers will wait for an order number, get in line when their order number is displayed, display their order number and pay, then pick up their order from a pickup table.

All their usual favourites are available through a dedicated online ordering system, like khao soi and pad thai. They also sell alcohol, and have an online market from which you can purchase items like white pepper, jasmine rice, palm sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce and dried chillies.

"We've missed you all so much and we just can't wait to serve you Chef Nuit’s delicious food once again!" reads the Instagram post.

by Amy Carlberg via blogTO