City of Pickering celebrates Heritage Day!

Pickering, ON, February 15, 2012 - The Advisory Committee on Diversity is pleased to recognize Pickering’s rich heritage and vibrant culture during the 2012 Heritage Day Celebration on Saturday, February 25 starting at 11:00 am at the Pickering Town Centre (centre court).    
 
Heritage Day Celebration is a dynamic event that celebrates Pickering’s rich heritage and cultural diversity.  Visitors will be both entertained and informed by a variety of dance and musical performances as well as interactive cultural displays.  The City of Pickering Advisory on Diversity is proud to host the annual Heritage Day Celebration – an event that brings the community together and diversity to life.   
 
This year’s performances will include:
The Native Canadian Centre Community Drum
Latin Music – Hispanic-Canadian Alliance of Ontario
Indo-Canadian Cultural Association of Durham
Durham Tamil Association
McGrath Highland Dancers
Devi Mandir  
Druid Academy of Irish Dance
Tamil Cultural & Academic Society of Durham, Indo
Youth Choir, All Nations Durham
Chamelia Girls
Sash Sanyall performing Indian and Reggae Music 
Zahra’s School of Dance.
 
The event displays will include:
Pickering Public Library
Devi Mandir
Pickering Advisory Committee on Diversity
Pickering Museum Village
Pickering Islamic Centre
Indo-Canadian Cultural Association
Tamil Cultural & Academic Society of Durham
Hispanic-Canadian Alliance of Ontario
Durham Tamil Association
Zahra’s School of Middle East Dance
All Nation Gospel Church
Pickering Ajax Italian Social Club
Community Development Council of Durham
Ajax Pickering Congress of Black Women 
[YOU]nity
 
All members of the public are invited to enjoy the annual Heritage Day Celebration.  
  

Toronto's Market Gallery will present a commemorative exhibition almost 200 years after Toronto - then called the Town of York - was captured and burned by invading American forces on April 27, 1813. "Finding the Fallen: The Battle of York Remembered" will run from March 3 to September 8. 

The exhibition identifies the Canadian, British, First Nations and American combatants who died in the battle. Their names are recorded in a newly commissioned Book of Remembrance and their sacrifices are brought to life through artifacts, custom-designed maps and first-person accounts.

"After 200 years of peace, it is time to honour all the combatants at the Battle of York who lost their lives," said Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 37 Scarborough Centre), Co-chair of the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration Steering Committee. "It is also fitting that the exhibition will be the first of many City programs for the War of 1812 Bicentennial." 

Historian Richard Gerrard led a team of researchers on an investigative quest through archives, libraries and private collections in Canada, the United States and England to identify as many of the fallen combatants as possible.  

As a result of that research, funded by a grant from the Department of Canadian Heritage, 181 names have been inscribed in a book called "A War of 1812 Book of Remembrance - York, Upper Canada 1812-1815." It is the exhibition's centrepiece.

"Finding the Fallen: The Battle of York Remembered" presents a rare opportunity to see archeologically discovered artifacts from the actual battleground. Also on display is a newly acquired painting.

"For Toronto, the commemoration of the War of 1812 is not about glorification of war, nor about myth-making," said Blake Goldring, Chairman and CEO of AGF Management Ltd. and Co-chair of the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration Steering Committee. "It's about honouring those who fulfilled their duties in that long ago conflict, making it possible for us to exist as a nation today. The exhibition is a moving reminder of the realities of war." 

This exhibition is one of more than a hundred inspiring bicentennial commemorative events to be staged in Toronto as part of the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration in 2012 and 2013. In the two centuries following the war, Toronto has grown to become Canada's leader in finance, commerce, education, transportation and manufacturing. From a garrison town of 700 to a modern metropolis of 2.7 million, Toronto has earned a global reputation as a progressive urban centre that celebrates its past and works for a better future. 

More information about the City's bicentennial program is available at http://www.toronto.ca/1812.

The Market Gallery is a program of City of Toronto's Cultural Services. It presents exhibitions dedicated to Toronto’s art, culture and history and offers educational programs for school groups and adults. Located on the second floor of South St. Lawrence Market, 95 Front St. E., the gallery is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

More information about the gallery is available at http://www.toronto.ca/culture/the_market_gallery.htm.

It is the coldest day of the year in the middle of February, and its Saturday - Hockey Night In Canada  - what better time then to acknowledge our hometown boys playing in the most prestigious hockey league in the world. At present there are 64 hockey players from the Greater Toronto Area on active National Hockey League rosters. There is an almost even split with 25 of these players from the City of Toronto and 30 from the suburbs of Toronto. A total of fourteen of Toronto's suburbs boast a hometown boy on an active NHL roster. The largest of this contingent is from Mississauga which has a total of 9 players on NHL rosters. 

The GTA is so well represented that just 4 NHL teams do not currently have a player from the Greater Toronto Area listed on their roster. These NHL teams include: Detroit, San Jose, Los Angeles and aghast - wait for it - your hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Now before you go and get all upset over this little bit of trivia it should be noted that while many players from the last Toronto Maple Leaf Stanley Cup team in 1967 hailed from small towns across Ontario there were just two players on the last Toronto Maple Leaf Stanley Cup roster from the Greater Toronto Area; including centre Brian Conacher and backup third string goalie Al Smith.

The St. Louis Blues with 5 players and the Vancouver Canucks with 4 players boast the two highest totals of players from the GTA. It should not be any surprise that these two NHL teams with the most GTA players, are also currently two of the best teams in the NHL. Another source of local pride are the high number of emerging NHL superstars whose hometown roots are in the GTA. These rising stars include: Tampa Bay Lightning Steven Stamkos from Markham, New York Islander John Tavares, from Mississauga, New York Ranger Michael Del Zotto from Stouffville, St. Louis Blues Alex Pietrangelo from King Township, Boston Bruin Tyler Seguin from Toronto and P.K. Subban from Toronto who plays for the Montreal Canadiens.

Tonight when your watching Hockey Night in Canada have a special look out for these hometown GTA stars who are helping to pave the way for the next generation of great stars currently playing in the Greater Toronto Hockey league.

In January 2012 there were 145 sales of all home types recorded in Toronto's east end neighbourhoods including: Leslieville, Riverdale, The Beach, Danforth Village and Playter Estates. A limited supply of homes led to many multiple offers and an average 101% list to sale price ratio. The average time on market was just 19 days. Julie Richardson, sales representative at Bosley Real Estate Ltd. explains that there is "just not enough product at the moment." Richardson adds "we are seeing very very good prices realized for homes on the market that are priced properly however overpriced listings are sitting on the market as buyers are doing their homework and are more informed than in the past".

The Beach neighbourhood has the highest averages for a detched home in the east end at $800,000. Semi-detached homes are most expensive in the Riverdale and Playter Estates neighbourhoods. Danforth Village continues to be the most affordable neighbourhood in the east-end where the average price of a deatched home is $544,000. If your looking to purchase a home in the hot Leslieville neighbourhood you will most likely be looking at a semi-detached home in the $475,000 range. Demetre Politis, Sales Representative at Your Choice Realty Corp has been showing houses in The Beach and Danforth Village neighbourhoods and informs that "there are alot of buyers looking but not enough listings which has resulted in prices edging up a little bit from last year". Politis has noticed "a few more listings coming on the market in the last week or two" and is hopeful that soon there will be more product available to buyers."

The best way to find a home in Toronto's east-end, is to contact one of the highly experienced and successful real estate sponsors that can be found on the TorontoNeighbourhoodGuide.com website. These professionals know their neighbourhood and can guide you in the right direction. 

(c) TorontoNeighbourhoodGuide.com

The information shown here is complied from source data obtained from the Toronto Real Estate Board. It is presented here for information purpose only. All data are subject to updates and revisions. The author assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information shown

The North York neighbourhoods - north of highway 401 - recorded 304 sales in January 2012 with condominium apartment and townhouse sales leading the way followed by detached house sales. Willowdale (including Bayview Village) and Newtonbrook were the most active neighbourhoods in terms of sales with 84 and 72 sales respectively. These were followed closely by 66 sales in Lansing and 44 sales in Don Mills. In York Mills where the houses are more expensive and generally take a little bit longer to sell there were 17 sales. 

The average condominium apartment hovered around the $350,000-$375,000 price range but keep in mind these are mostly 1 and 2 bedroom apartments. Pricing is quite a different story if you are looking to buy a detached home on one of North York's trademark expansive properties. The average price of a detached home in the aforementioned prime North York neighbourhoods is around $1,000,000. However in certain neighbourhoods like York Mills  the average price of a detached home is over $2,000,000. Jacquie Othen, Sales Representative with Bosley Real Estate reports: "York Mills like the rest of the city is hot right now. Listings in the first three or four blocks north of York Mills, between Yonge and Bayview are definitely in short supply and big demand. Building lots are scarce but also very much in high demand. Being so close to the subway line and the 401 are definitely appealing to buyers."

Paula and Vicko von Stedingk, sales representatives, from Chestnut Park Real Estate handle sales in exclusive pockets of North York south of highway 401 in the Cricket Club and Hoggs Hollow neighbourhoods. Paula and Vicko report that "listing inventory is less than typical for this time of the year" and add "the market is almost as tight as it has ever been" in terms of available listings.

The average list to sale price ratio right now in North York is 98% with the exception of Newtonbrook which had a 102% list to sale price ratio in January. The average days on the market for a North York homes is approximately 30 days. Don Mills homes are selling the quickest in just 19 days. Generally speaking detached houses in North York are selling in half the time of a condominium apartment or townhouse. This is not surprising as the amount of new listings in January for condominium apartment and townhomes in North York was more than double that of detached houses that came on the market. There is no great mystery to this market. Simple supply and demand folks.

The best way to find a North York home is to contact one of the highly experienced and successful North York real estate sponsors that can be found on the www.TorontoNeighbourhoodGuide.com website. These professionals know their neighbourhood and can guide you in the right direction. 

(c) www.TorontoNeighbourhoodGuide.com

The information shown here is complied from source data obtained from the Toronto Real Estate Board. It is presented here for information purpose only. All data are subject to updates and revisions. The author assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information shown

Downtown Toronto neighbourhoods had a combined 270 home sales in January 2012. This total included houses as well as condos. The combined dollar volume of these sales was $117,000,000. The average list to sale price ratio was approximately 98 % and the average time on the market approximately 34 days. The majority of these sales were condominium apartments with 232 sales and an average sale price of $435,000. Just 25 of the total sales recorded were freehold houses which was a reflection of the short supply of these homes on the market. An even smaller sample size of just 4 houses were fully detached and these had an average sale price of $1,050,000. If your looking for a detached house in downtown Toronto check out the Cabbagetown, Beaconsfield Village, Dufferin Grove, Trinity Bellwoods and South Annex neighbourhoods.

Midtown Toronto neighbourhoods recorded a combined 77 sales in January 2012. The average sale price for all these homes was $923,000. The average list to sale price ratio was 99% while the average days on the market clocked in at 39. Twenty-three of these sales were detached homes with an average sale price of $1,264,000 which is not surprising given these stats include sales in neighbourhoods such as: Rosedale, Forest Hill, Casa Loma, South Hill and Moore Park. There were 17 semi-detached homes sold in Midtown neighbourhoods with an average sale price of $933,000. Higher priced real estate in Summerhill, Rathnelly and Yorkville would be well above this average while in more affordable neighbourhoods like Hillcrest Village and Seaton Village a semi-deatched house may sell for less than this average. There were also a combined 27 midtown condominium apartment sales with an average price of $725,000. Michael Loewith, sales representative at Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd., adds: "There is a shortage of quality homes for sale right now in midtown Toronto and with the recent interest rate reductions we are seeing increased demand coupled with higher prices."

Uptown Toronto neighbourhoods saw a combined 92 sales in January 2012. The average price of all these sales was $801,000. The limited supply and great demand for houses in these neighbourhoods resulted in a list to sale price ratio of 101% with an average of just 20 days on the market. Detached home sales led the way with 53 sales recorded at an average sale price of $1,105,000. This would be a starting price for the signature neighbourhoods such as Lawrence Park and Lytton Park and North Toronto. There were just 8 semi-detached houses sold in uptown Toronto neighbourhoods last month with an average price of $837,000. These homes can be found in neighbourhoods such as Bedford Park and Davisville Village. The semi-detched houses sold on average in just 5 days with a staggering list to sale price ratio of 112%

Real estate is definitely hot in the Toronto central core and the competition for houses is fierce. The good news is you can navigate your way to a successful home purchase by simply getting in touch with one of the highly experienced and successful real estate sponsors that can be found on the www.TorontoNeighbourhoodGuide.com website. These professionals know their neighbourhood and can guide you in the right direction. 

(c) www.TorontoNeighbourhoodGuide.com

The information shown here is complied from source data obtained from the Toronto Real Estate Board. It is presented here for information purpose only. All data are subject to updates and revisions. The author assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information shown

For the first time ever, Glen Park PS has its very own ice hockey team and it’s all thanks to the passion and persistence of Grade 5 student Brenden Kennedy.

Brenden has always had a love of hockey and last year he decided to take his love of the game one step further. After rallying up the support of his fellow students, Brenden proposed the idea of a Glen Park hockey team to teachers and administrators at his school. 

While everyone loved the idea, there were obstacles that needed to be overcome before Brenden’s dream became a reality: Where would the team play? Who would they compete against? Where would they get equipment? And what would they wear? With Brenden’s help, the school community came together to find answers to these questions and the Glen Park hockey team took to the ice this year.

Thanks to a local community rink, Glen Park was able to secure ice time at a reasonable cost and the school then submitted a team to the TDSB’s existing league. Generous donors and community partners contributed equipment for the players on the team who didn’t have their own hockey gear. And lastly, Brenden’s family was kind enough to donate uniforms for the entire team.

However, the final question remained to be answered: What would Glen Park’s logo look like? Brenden had the idea to hold a school-wide contest to design a logo for the team. Grade 5 student Lev Reisman came up with the idea of the Glen Park Wolf Pack to symbolize the team’s fierce competitiveness. When the jerseys were unveiled at an assembly, the entire school erupted in cheers. The excitement was palpable!  

So far, the Glen Park Wolf Pack is off to a great start. Earlier this season, the team was fortunate to have former NHL player and Toronto Maple Leaf Wayne Primeau act as guest coach. The experience was incredibly valuable for both Glen Park’s experienced players and those who are new to the game. Without Brenden’s persistence and hard work, Glen Park’s hockey team would not be playing today so it is very fitting that he scored the team’s first-ever goal on January 17. Go Wolf Pack!

On January 26, Crescent Town ES held its third annual REA@CT literacy fair. REA@CT stands for Reading Empowers All at Crescent Town - and that’s exactly what happened when the entire school came together to listen to members of the community read their favourite children’s books aloud and share their favourite stories.

“The REA@CT literacy fair is an event that staff, students, and parents look forward to every year,” said Tamara Ross, Principal, Crescent Town ES. “This year, the school was fortunate to welcome a group of talented and engaging storytellers who captivated the imagination of all in attendance.”

Staff and students heard from a variety of storytellers, including local authors, politicians, artists, parents and members of the community. This year’s event was a huge success and the school is already looking forward to next year’s REA@CT literacy fair!

Topham Park is a Toronto neighbourgood seemingly untouched by the hands of time. The quaint saltbox style homes built in the 1940s, are shaded by a mature tree canopy that lines the quiet streets of this East York neighbourhood. Topham Park was conceived as a Wartime Housing development that at the outset was given the nickname "Sunshine Valley", and then later renamed Topham Park in honour of Frederick Topham, a Victoria Cross recipient who once lived in this neighbourhood. Today, this neighbourhood has become a Toronto hot spot for families looking for real estate value within a half hour commute of downtown Toronto. 

In the past 12 months there have been 52 houses sold in Topham Park. The average sale price of $425,000 is affordable by Toronto standards. The growing popularity with homebuyers saw these houses sell on average in just 15 days. The average list to sale price ratio was 101% which meant there were multiple offers on many of these sales. The houses here are all well maintained and many have been nicely renovated. All the housing stock in Topham Park is detached. The bungalow and one-and-a-half storey houses sell for between $320,000-$500,000. The 2-storey homes sell in the $485,000-$860,000 price range.

TorontoneighbourhoodGuide.com real estate sponsors Anne Balkou and Guido Perciasepe Broker/Sales representative, Bosley Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage provide the following insight: "Topham Park really is a small village within a big city. With the park at the heart where neighbours gather to watch the kids in the splash pond, have a game of tennis or play in the sports field it really has an old-fashion appeal to families young and old. There are 3 schools and 2 churches and you never have to leave the boundaries of Topham Park or cross a busy street to get to them".

Toronto homebuyers working downtown will definitely want to check out this neighbourhood. Balkou and Perciasepe point out:  "Topham Park is a nice quiet neighbourhood, totally self-contained by 3 major roads (Victoria Park, St. Clair and O’Connor). It’s has easy access to the DVP and you can catch the TTC from over 10 different bus routes that go past it’s perimeter. You can be downtown or uptown in no time".

In addition to excellent value for your real estate dollar the Topham Park neighbourhood offers convenient access to shopping and public transit as well as an excellent selection of schools. The neighbourhood recreational hub also referred to as Topham Park, located in the centre of this neighbourhood, features a baseball diamond that is the home field for men's, ladies' and children's softball leagues. This park also has two tennis courts, a clubhouse, and a children's playground. In the wintertime, Topham Park has an outdoor natural ice rink that is used for pleasure skating and hockey. Recreational programs for the public are also held at Selwyn School located at 1 Selwyn Avenue. With so many fabulous amenities for families it is no wonder that the Topham Park neighbourhood is in such great demand with homebuyers.

For prospective Topham Park homebuyers Balkou and Perciasepe explain: "the housing stock in Topham Park is a mix of bungalows, one & a half storeys, and new construction with very few listings at any given time making it still a sellers’ market. People who move here rarely move out. It is a gem of a neighbourhood and one of Toronto ’s best kept secrets".

** Anne Balkou, Broker and Guido Perciasepe, Sales Representative with Bosley Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage are the TorontoNeighbourhoodGuide.com real estate sponsors for the Topham Park neighbourhood. Anne and Guido can be contacted at their email: abalkou@bell.net and gperciasepe@trebnet.com or direct 416-358-5511 (Anne), 416-543-4998 (Guido) or through their office 416-481-6137

(C) www.TorontoNeighbourhoodGuide.com

The information shown here is complied from source data obtained from the Toronto Real Estate Board. It is presented here for information purpose only. All data are subject to updates and revisions. The author assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information shown