Assessing the Damage, Doing the Repairs and Opening by September 2

As soon as we received official clearance, Toronto District School Board staff assessed damage to two schools in this area (Ward 5 – York Centre).

I have taken tours of the two schools damaged in my ward. Over 100 windows and frames were shattered at Downsview Secondary School. Ceiling tiles, floors and window walls also sustained damage. Ancaster Public School had 30 windows on its upper floor blown out.

I have been working with TDSB staff and the principals for both schools to take the necessary steps to evaluate the damage and begin the clean up process.

The TDSB communiations department has been very supportive. Here I am being interviewed by Galit Soloman of CTV News.

The objective is to ensure both Ancaster PS and Downsview SS are safe and that there is no risk to students and staff when school commences. I have been in touch with our facilities team and a project manager is currently working to assess the damage at the two schools."

Director of Education, Gerry Connelly stated that, “We anticipate that both of these schools will be open and ready for our students by Tuesday, September 2.”

Explosions Shake Ward 5: Radio updates explain evacuations.

Our family was awoken at 4:00 AM to explosions near the Downsview Park. The blasts shook our home and windows. Like many other neighbours we went into the street and heard more explosions and viewed an orange fireball. I took the above picture looking west along our street during the early part of the fire. Please stay tuned to local Toronto radio stations as evacuation information is being provided on a regular basis. I will be working with staff at the TDSB to see if there are any ways in which we can help out. I will be seeing whether schools can be used as evacuation centres.

Eco Summer Travel: The Greyhound bus to New York City and Back

Once again I was off to New York City with family for a short summer getaway. While the shopping is nice, I can't wait to visit the historical sites and museums. This year we visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Ukrainian Museum, and the main branch of the New York Public Library. We stayed in Brooklyn and took the subway into Manhattan every morning. What an urban transportation system! And talking about transportation, I considered driving or flying to New York City but in the end, we went on a Greyhound bus again. When riding the bus, one really gets a sense of the vastness of the continent, the worries of driving are left to someone else, it’s an ecological responsible way of travelling, and it provides a rare opportunity to read and relax for 10 hours.