What’s a better present than Christmas Day booster shots? We talk to people getting holiday jabs in Toronto
Before receiving her COVID-19 booster shot Christmas Day, Keyvan Csullog handed out Tim Horton’s giftcards to staff who volunteered to work the holiday at a city-run North York vaccination clinic.
“It’s the least I can do for them giving up their personal time to help us,” Csullog said Saturday after rolling up the sleeve of her red-and-white Christmas sweater to receive her third dose at the Mitchell Field Community Centre.
She brushed off the inconvenience of getting jabbed on a holiday. “This is one of those things, give up that time on the couch or your pyjamas to do something important for yourself and others.” It’s “a little blip at lunchtime then you go back home and spend it with family.”
Located at 89 Church Ave., east of Yonge Street and about halfway between Sheppard and Finch Avenues, the centre was one of two Team Toronto COVID-19 vaccination clinics operating Christmas Day as the highly contagious Omicron variant continues to circulate and the COVID-19 case count climbs in Ontario. The other vaccination clinic open on Christmas was at the Thorncliffe Park Community hub.
Both will be running again Boxing Day.
On Saturday, a steady lineup of people waited outside Mitchell Field for their previously booked time slot in the makeshift clinic, where Christmas music played and staff and vaccinators in festive outfits kept things running smoothly and efficiently.
“My Christmas present from my husband,” laughed Carroll Sondermeyer. On Christmas morning, after opening presents with their four children, the couple headed to Mitchell Field for their shots.
While Sondermeyer hopes getting a needle on Christmas doesn’t become part of the family’s holiday traditions, it’s given them “lots to talk about. It’s kind of monumental that we’re getting it on Christmas Day.”
Another visitor to Mitchell Field on Saturday was Ben Fox. He booked his booster appointment three days ago. He’s confident the jab is necessary and the right thing to do.
“My understanding is we won’t get as sick if we get COVID. I have two kids, so I’m making sure I’m able to take care of them, reduce the spread,” and at the same time feel “like you’re doing your part, like a good Torontonian,” he said.
Mayor John Tory and Coun. Joe Cressy (Spadina—Fort York) dropped into Mitchell Field on Saturday afternoon to thank the approximately 30 staff members for volunteering to work over the holidays.
Tory called it “heartwarming” that after the city and Toronto Public Health increased capacity at the clinic over the holiday, Toronto residents gobbled up all the additional 1,800 appointments this weekend.
He credited the “team spirit,” shared by people “who believe in the public service that they’re doing.”
Cressy, who is chair of the city’s board of health, said great progress is being made to get Torontonians vaccinated thanks to “everybody from front-line workers working on Christmas Day, to residents rolling up their sleeves, to our civil service who stepped to volunteer to work.”
Everybody in this city rallied together and that is why we’re in a position to confront this next wave.”
According to statistics released by the city Saturday, approximately 89 per cent of Toronto residents 12 and older have now received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and almost 87 per cent have two doses.
Approximately 30 per cent of eligible residents have had their third dose. And as of Dec. 24, more than 41 per cent of kids have had their first dose.
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Man, 20, dead after shooting in Lawrence Heights area in Toronto: police
A 20-year-old man has died after a shooting in the city’s Lawrence Heights area on Friday night, Toronto police say.
Police say they received reports of a man who was shot in the area of Replin and Flemington roads shortly after 9 p.m. on Friday.
They say officers located a victim at the scene with serious injuries who was rushed to hospital.
Police say the victim was pronounced dead in hospital.
Police have identified the victim as Caiwan Cunningham, 20, of Toronto.
The Toronto Police Service’s homicide unit is investigating the incident.
Police are asking anyone who may have seen Cunningham, or have heard or witnessed anything suspicious to contact them.
Toronto’s Kalivoda Showcase is back this week
TORONTO — The holidays are a time for celebration.
This year, the Toronto boys basketball team have another reason to celebrate as the Gem City school will once again hosting a special event in tribute of one of its own.
The showcase was a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, but the Second Todd Kalivoda Holiday Showcase is scheduled to make its return to the hardwood inside the George J. Kunzler Memorial Gymnasium. The showcase will begin Tuesday afternoon and will run through Thursday night.
“We hope people will come out, and we hope we will be able to put on the premier high school basketball showcase,” Toronto boys’ basketball head coach Sean Tucker said. “We think there will be a lot of talented teams for people to come out and see. We know there are a lot of basketball junkies who love going to high school basketball games. Fans will have something to do over Christmas break. We hope people will come out and watch the games. There is a lot of excitement going around. We are excited for our city and for our school. I think we have one of the nicest schools in the valley, and we want to show it off along with our city. We want to bring business back our city. We hope people will come out and support the kids.”
The showcase is named in honor of Toronto graduate Todd Kalivoda who died Nov. 19, 2017, in Las Vegas.
The first year for the showcase was 2019, and by all accounts it was a success.
“We feel like it went extremely well,” Tucker said. “I think the first year went better than we even expected. We know we needed to adjust some things. We talked to the other coaches, and we got feedback from them. We asked what they thought we could improve on and what they liked best about it, and there was a consensus from the other coaches — they thought this was the best event like this they had ever been a part of. We did get feedback from one coach on some things we could improve upon, and we are doing that this year. We are going to have extended warm up times. We want to make this the best showcase possible.”
Toronto hoped to build off the success of the first year of the event last year, however, that was not to be the case as the showcase fell victim to COVID-19.
“It was crushing,” Tucker said about not being able to have the event last year. “It was absolutely crushing. It was a very difficult time for everybody. Unfortunately, events like this could not be held. You couldn’t have sponsors or fans. As a result of the pandemic, everything was shut down. It was disappointing for the sponsors and the fans. There were a lot of concerns. Teams were being shut down every day. A team could have been shut down the night before they were scheduled to play, and if you had a team traveling five hours to play a game what do you do?
“It was crushing. We talked to all the coaches we had invited, and they were all receptive of coming back. They understood everything that was going on last year. Our goal is to put on a bigger and better showcase this season. This is a big event. We asked the coaches to come back, and they agreed to come back.”
The showcase was a two-day event in 2019, however, due to popular demand the event will be a three-day affair.
“We looked at keeping it as a two-day event,” Tucker said. “A day two-day event is good for us. There are a lot of basketball junkies in the valley. They love coming out and going to event like this. It doesn’t matter how many games there are.
“We have it set up so teams will play proper teams. We have teams from the OVAC as well as teams that are not in our area.”
Twenty-one teams will be taking part in the event, and there will be a total of 14 games played.
“In November, we had 24 teams interested in playing here,” Tucker said. “We looked at the math. To do that, we would have to start earlier and end later. With the amount of kids who will be participating and all the travel involved, we thought it was best to go to a three-day event. The number schools we have is a great number for this event.”
There was discussion about when the showcase should be held before, but ultimately it was decided having it Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday would be best for everyone involved.
“I came up with the idea three years ago,” Tucker said. “If people watch college basketball, why wouldn’t they watch a high school basketball showcase? Toronto has a great gym, so why not show it off. We wanted to bring in teams in and play in a showcase like the CRC.
“I decided to name it after Todd. He was a Toronto graduate. He was very passionate about Toronto. He was extremely supportive of me taking the job and of the program. Todd was a true Red Knight. He loved Toronto. He showed what it means to be a true Red Knight.”
Kalivoda’s family has been very supportive of the showcase.
“I want to thank Todd’s wife Carolyn and his dad Paul for their dedication and their support,” Tucker said. “A percentage of the ticket sales will go to Todd’s Scholarship Fund as a tribute to him.”
People have been working all year to make this year’s version of the showcase a successful one.
“My coaching staff has been absolutely wonderful,” Tucker said. “They have spent countless hours behind the scenes that nobody sees. We have been working on this for a long time. We start in January, and we keep working up until the day it happens. We work year-round on this.”
The showcase is an important for the Toronto community.
“We really want to support our community,” Tucker said. “Local businesses are struggling immensely from the past year due to COVID-19. Those businesses do a lot. They help us, and we want to be able to help them.”
Many people have played a key role in the holding of the showcase.
“I want to thank the city of Toronto and our school for all their support,” Tucker said. “I want to thank our superintendent, Maureen Taggart. I want to thank our AD Mark Ferrell. He does an awesome job. I want to thank the school board and the athletic board. I also want to thank our parents and fans for all of their support. If we didn’t have the support of everyone, we would not be able to do this.”
Some of the sponsors for the event are Total Sports Connection in Martins Ferry as well as Trinity Health System and TEAM Automotive.
The cost of tickets is $10 for adults and $6 for students. The tickets are good for all the games each day. The price is the same for admission into one game.
Schedule:
Tuesday:
1:15 p.m. Conotton Valley vs. Bridgeport
3 p.m. Columbiana vs. Edison
4:45 p.m. Barnesville vs. Harrison Central
6:25 p.m. John Marshall vs. Indian Valley
8 p.m. River vs. McDonald
Wednesday:
3 p.m. Bishop Rosecrans vs. John Marshall
4:45 p.m. Southern Local vs. Conotton Valley
6:25 p.m. Indian Valley vs. Marlington
8 p.m. Chesapeake vs. Toronto
Thursday
1:15 p.m. East Palestine vs. Edison
3 p.m. Marlington vs. Shenandoah
4:45 p.m. Madonna vs. Chesapeake
6:25 p.m. Toronto vs. Frontier
8:00 p.m. Malvern vs. Caldwell
Vaccines, protests, flashes of normalcy: This is what 2021 looked like in the Toronto area
From professional sports and the arts to emergency airlifts for COVID-19 patients to the search for missing residential school children, there was no shortage of news in Toronto and the GTHA in 2021. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Many Torontonians are emerging from 2021 feeling exhausted — worn out by 12 months of tumultuous ups and downs.
It was the year that saw the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines and a much-needed return to some normalcy — including concerts, indoor gatherings and sports games. But 2021 also saw city streets filled by protests and vigils as Torontonians spoke out on issues such as Islamophobia and the horror of Canada’s residential schools.
CBC’s photographer Evan Mitsui was there for all of it.
Scroll down to see his most memorable photos taken in and around Toronto in 2021.
The rise of variants
As the pandemic continued into its second year, Ontarians were forced to learn the names of a string of dangerous new COVID-19 variants.
In January, the Alpha variant ripped through Roberta Place long-term care home in Barrie, Ont., killing 63 residents in less than a month. In this shot, the body of a deceased resident is removed from the home on Jan. 18.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
The first COVID-19 vaccines were given out in Canada in mid-December 2020. As 2021 began, the shots were prioritized for health-care workers, Indigenous adults and the elderly.
In this photo, a team from Humber River Hospital administers first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to parishioners of St. Fidelis Parish church on March 17.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Esther and Eduardo Teodoro, 75, are pictured in the intensive care unit at Scarborough Health Network’s Centenary Hospital on April 8 as Eduardo recuperates from COVID-19.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
As Ontario’s vaccination campaign gathered steam, anti-vaccine protests became a regular sight in downtown Toronto.
On Sept. 2, hundreds of people gathered in front of Toronto police headquarters for an anti-mandatory vaccination rally — one day after the Ontario government announced a vaccine passport system effective Sept. 22.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
By fall 2021, Ontario’s case numbers had gone down substantially, freeing up health-care resources to help other, harder-hit provinces.
In this Oct. 27 photo, a patient from Saskatchewan is transferred from an air ambulance to a waiting Peel Region ambulance at Pearson airport. The Ontario Critical Care COVID Command Centre transported COVID-19 patients to Ontario ICUs to alleviate the strain on the Saskatchewan health-care system.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Ontario’s vaccine rollout was not without controversy.
Here, Ontario’s deputy premier Christine Elliott is pictured taking questions from media on Nov. 3. The brief news conference followed an announcement that COVID-19 vaccines would not be mandatory for health-care workers, a decision which the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario later called “a disgrace.”
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Protests, rallies and vigils
In May, escalating violence and deadly airstrikes from Israel into Gaza led to pro-Palestinian rallies in cities across Canada — including in Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square on May 15.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Later that same month, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation in British Columbia announced that preliminary findings from a survey of the grounds at a former residential school building had uncovered the potential burial sites of 215 children, later revised to 200. Nationally, the announcement prompted a wave of sadness, horror and anger.
Below, a statue of Egerton Ryerson, one of the founders of Canada’s residential school system, lies on the grounds of the Toronto university that bears his name, after being toppled on June 6.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
June also brought a reckoning on Islamophobia after four members of the Afzaal family were killed in an attack while they were out for a weekend evening stroll in London, Ont.
On June 8, thousands attended a vigil for the family at the London Muslim Mosque, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called the attack an “act of terrorism” during his speech.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
As the summer wore on, there were more announcements about the discovery of remains at residential schools, and Canada Day plans were altered by most GTA municipalities as a result.
On July 1 at Nathan Phillips Square, Every Child Matters organized a gathering in memory of the victims and survivors of residential schools.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
This summer also brought a police crackdown on encampments in city parks.
On July 21, 26 people were arrested at Toronto’s Lamport Stadium park as the city and police forcibly evicted people living there and clashed violently with encampment supporters.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
A search begins in Brantford
After repeated calls from survivors and from Six Nations, elected chief Mark Hill, a ground-penetrating radar search began at the former Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford, Ont., on Nov. 9.
The work of searching for missing children on the more than 200 hectares of land once controlled by the school is expected to take more than a year.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Residential school survivor Al Johnson stood outside the former Mohawk Institute Residential School on the day the search began.
According to the Survivors' Secretariat, which is overseeing the search effort, children from some 20 First Nation communities were abused at the school over 150 years.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
The land border reopens — haltingly
On Aug. 9, Canada reopened its land border to fully vaccinated Americans, allowing them to skip the previous mandatory 14-day quarantine. In a rush to visit, a lineup of U.S. cars queued to get into the country at the Rainbow International Bridge in Niagara Falls.
The U.S. did not reciprocate in opening its land border to Canadians until November.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Kids head cautiously back to school
Concerns swirled about COVID-19 protocols in the lead up to back to school this September, which saw two million students return to classrooms for the first time in five months.
In this photo, Sasha Mitsui, 3, gets a COVID-19 swab test at Michael Garron Hospital on Aug. 1 as the result of a daycare-related exposure a few weeks before school began.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Finn Misener, 6, hugs his mother Jenn before lining up for his first day of Grade 1 at Spring Valley Elementary School in Ancaster, Ont., on Sept. 8.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Many parents breathed a sigh of relief in late November, when COVID-19 vaccines opened for kids aged five to 11.
Eli Stern, with his mother Hyla Robicsek’s hand on his shoulder, got a pediatric dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a Humber River Hospital-run clinic in North York on Nov. 25.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Celebrations light up the year
Through the year, Torontonians took comfort in celebrating annual holidays and religious events.
On July 20, Toronto-area Muslims celebrated Eid al-Adha at a group prayer and outdoor event held at Ontario Place.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Diwali was heralded as a “light at the end of the tunnel” this year, with people able to get together with friends and family once again.
Here, people attend a prayer session at the Hindu Sabha temple, in Brampton, Ont., on Nov. 4.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Conservatives swing and miss in federal election
In this fall’s federal election, Canadians once again threw their support behind Justin Trudeau, re-electing a Liberal minority government on Sept. 21.
Addressing supporters at an election night event in Oshawa, Ont, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said he had no plans to resign, despite his party seeing little-to-no growth in its vote share and seat count.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Shows and sports return
Before the Omicron variant swept into the city, the summer and fall saw the cautious return of some beloved sports ad cultural events.
On July 30, the Toronto Blue Jays had their first home game since September 2020. COVID-19 protocols allowed for 15,000 fans — about 30 per cent of the Rogers Centre capacity.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
After a years-long renovation, Massey Hall opened again on Nov. 25. with a performance by Gordon Lightfoot.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
The National Ballet of Canada’s Nutcracker also made a short-lived return to the stage.
Before opening night, dancer Tirion Law, as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and principal dancer Siphesihle November, as the Nutcracker, performed at the dress rehearsal for the ballet on Dec. 9. By Dec. 22, all remaining performances had been cancelled due to COVID-19 cases inside the ballet company.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Finally, after cancelling its 2020 season, the CFL was back this year in a condensed 14-game campaign that culminated with a showdown between Winnipeg and Hamilton.
Here, Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Shayne Gauthier lifts the Grey Cup after the Bombers' 33-25 overtime win over the Tiger-Cats in the 108th Grey Cup in Hamilton on Dec. 12.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
What’s open and closed in Toronto on Christmas and Boxing Day
A list of what’s open and closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in Toronto, as well as other need-to-know information:
Christmas Day
THE WEATHER
Environment Canada is calling for a slightly rainy Saturday, with a high of 6 C and 30 per cent chance of showers early in the evening.
WHAT’S OPEN
Movie theatres
Toronto Zoo (10:30 a.m. — 4:30 p.m., tickets must be pre-booked)
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada (10 a.m. — 8 p.m.)
Pacific Mall (11 a.m. — 8 p.m.)
High Park Zoo (9 a.m. — 5 p.m.)
Ontario Place (6 a.m. — 11 p.m.)
Rabba Grocery Stores (open 24 hours)
WHAT’S CLOSED
LCBO outlets, beer stores, banks, government offices, post offices and Toronto Public Library branches, and most major grocery store chains.
Art Gallery of Ontario
Museum of Illusions
Canada’s Wonderland
Ontario Science Centre
CN Tower
CF Toronto Eaton Centre
Aga Khan Museum
Bayview Village Shops
CF Fairview Mall
CF Sherway Gardens
Dufferin Mall
Museum of Contemporary Art
Scarborough Town Centre
Yorkdale Shopping Centre
Promenade Mall
Vaughan Mills
Square One Shopping Centre
Toronto Premium Outlets
Yorkville Village
Royal Ontario Museum
PUBLIC TRANSIT
TTC will operate on a Sunday schedule — with subway service and most bus routes operating starting at 8 a.m. Any routes that do not normally operate on Sundays will not operate on the holiday.
GO Transit — will operate on a Sunday schedule.
—
Boxing Day
THE WEATHER
For Sunday, Environment Canada is calling for a mix of sun and cloud, with a high of 3 C and a low of -5 C at night.
WHAT’S OPEN
Movie theatres
Canada’s Wonderland (3 p.m. — 9 p.m.)
Aga Khan Museum (10 a.m — 5:30 p.m.)
Art Gallery of Ontario (10:30 a.m. — 4 p.m.)
Bayview Village Shops (11 a.m. — 6 p.m.)
Ontario Science Centre (10 a.m. — 5 p.m.)
Toronto Zoo (9:30 a.m. — 4:30 p.m., tickets must be pre-booked)
CN Tower (9:30 a.m. — 9 p.m.)
Museum of Illusions (10 a.m. — 8 p.m.)
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada (10 a.m. — 8 p.m.)
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (8 a.m. — 9 p.m.)
CF Fairview Mall (9 a.m. — 9 p.m.)
CF Sherway Gardens (9 a.m. — 9 p.m.)
Dufferin Mall (11 a.m. — 6 p.m.)
Pacific Mall (11 a.m. — 7 p.m.)
Promenade Mall (11 a.m. — 6 p.m.)
Square One Shopping Centre (11 a.m. — 6 p.m.)
Scarborough Town Centre (8 a.m. — 8 p.m.)
Select LCBO stores will be open on reduced hours.
Select locations of the Beer Store will be open (11 a.m.- 5 p.m.)
Toronto Premium Outlets (6 a.m. — 11 p.m.)
Yorkdale Shopping Centre (8 a.m. — 9 p.m.)
Vaughan Mills (8 a.m. — 9 p.m.)
Yorkville Village (10 a.m.- 6 p.m.)
WHAT’S CLOSED
Banks, government offices, post offices and Toronto Public Library branches, and most major grocery store chains.
Museum of Contemporary Art (closed until Jan. 5)
Royal Ontario Museum
PUBLIC TRANSIT
TTC will operate on a holiday schedule — with all TTC routes starting at 6 a.m.
GO Transit — will operate on a Sunday schedule.
Akrit Michael is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Reach him via email: amichael@thestar.ca