Volume 9 Issue 2

Summer 2013 TOBIAS HOUSE ATTENDANT CARE INC.

The Beacon

Mission Statement:

To Create Opportunities For

Independence And Choice of Lifestyle by Providing Innova-

tive 24-Hour Personal Support Services for Individuals with

Physical Disabilities.

Volunteer Board of Directors

President: Stewart Davidson

Vice President: Frances Mac-

Neil-Laflamme

Treasurer: Anna Marziliano

Secretary: David Meadows

Members at Large:

Christie Ladner, Gaurav Marwaha, Neil Mercer, Chris-

tene Rowntree, Andrew Tomcik

Executive Director:

Yona Frishman

What’s On This Summer Front

Resource Centre 2

What’s On cont’d 3

Tobias Faces 4

Beacon Stories 5

Beacon Recipe 6

Beacon Lifestyle 7

Acknowledgements Back

So Much To See and Do This Summer!

When Torontonians are finally able to shed the layers of the long, cold winter - which, let’s be honest, was not particularly long or cold this year - this city really comes alive. Practically every weekend from Victoria Day to Labour Day has a festival, charity run, or street fair, with lots more hap-pening during the week besides. We’ve put together a somewhat random, by-no-means exhaustive list of things to see and do around town, with an

emphasis on events that are free and outdoors.

First up, outdoor movies. This is definitely a growth area in Toronto. Open-air screenings seem to be everywhere, and are all free of charge. Why bother, in the age of Netflix? Why not? It’s different and fun! Don’t

forget to bring snacks.

City Cinema: Cult Classics - Yonge Dundas Square. Check for

times and listings. Tuesdays at dusk. ydsquare.ca

Free Flicks - Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queen’s Quay West.

Wednesdays at dusk. harbourfrontcentre.com

TIFF In The Park - David Pecaut Square, King St. West, between

Simcoe and John. Wednesdays at dusk. tiff.net

Christie Pitts Film Festival - Christie Pitts Park, Christie and Bloor

West, Sundays at 9. christiepittsff.com

Ward 32 Movie Nights in the Park - various parks throughout Ward 32 Beaches/East York, including East Lynn, a couple of blocks east of the Coxwell location. Various nights and times. Check Councillor

Mary-Margaret McMahon’s website at councillormcmahon.com

(Continued on page 2)

Looking for Volunteers Tobias House is looking for volunteers. If you enjoy working with individuals on a one on one basis, or if you

have a great telephone manner, we need you. Please call Constantine at 416-690-8804.

The Tobias House Resource Centre

The Tobias House Resource Centre provides programs and services that support people’s independ-ence and complement the attendant care support they receive. We work with individuals so they can find solutions to the barriers they face in their daily lives. Programs we currently offer:

The Barrier Free Access to Swimming Program provides attendant care support (Tobias House staff) to people with physical disabilities at four City of Toronto public pools. Support in the water is provided by Parks, Forestry and Recreation, the Birchmount Bluffs Neighborhood Centre, and the Scadding Court Community Centre. The program is offered in the fall, winter, and spring.

The Tobias House Fitness Program provides one hour fitness classes weekly to consumers during selected periods throughout the year.

The Tobias House Consumer Grant Fund enables consumers to cover costs associated with ac-cessing a wider range of extra-curricular activities, equipment and other quality of life expenses.

Our Volunteer Program matches consumers with volunteers on a one on one basis. Currently, we have five consumer-volunteer matches.

We also host workshops and information sessions. In the past we held sessions including on Ombuds-man Ontario, financial planning, accessible reading technologies and accessible travel. If you have any ideas please let us know.

For more information on Resource Centre programs, activities and services contact us at 416-690-8804.

Tobias News - This Summer

P a g e 2 T o b i a s h o u s e

Cultural festivals and events are always a big hit, especially given the price of tickets for most concerts

and shows. And a little light culture is great for a staycation. Nothing heavy duty. Perfect for summer.

Dusk Dances - Dance performances in a park setting, just as the sun goes down. Pay-what-you-can. 7 pm, July 30-August 4. Withrow Park, south of Danforth, between Carlaw and Logan. duskdanc-

es.ca

Summerworks Festival - Theatre, music, and performance festival of a more artistically adventurous

bent. $15. August 8-18. Over a dozen venues. Check website summerworks.ca

Toronto Chinatown Festival - Vendors, performers, and a street fair. August 24-25. East side of

Spadina Avenue, from Dundas to College Streets.

Toronto International Film Festival - Hundreds of movies, dozens of stars, and countless paparaz-zi. Oh the glamour! Tickets can be bought in packages, or individually ($23.50), and there’s a whole

process to getting them, so check their site early. September 5-15. tiff.net

V o l u m e 9 I s s u e 2 P a g e 3

Tobias News - This Summer

Harbourfront Centre and Yonge Dundas Square have dozens of free events happening all sum-

mer long. Check them out at harbourfrontcentre.ca and ydsquare.ca.

Miscellaneous Because there’s always a miscellaneous.

Use Your Words: Summer Workshops for Emerging Writers - Writing workshops led by es-tablished writers, for ages 16-30. Saturdays 2-4:30. Reference Library, 789 Yonge St. torontopub-

liclibrary.ca

Live Green Toronto Festival - Green street market, concerts, a CD/DVD/book swap, ecowheels

zone, kids' activities and more. Saturday July 27. Yonge Dundas Square livegreentoronto.ca

Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market - Music, street theatre, etc. on streets closed to traffic.

Sundays July 28, August 25, September 29, October 27 College St. south to Dundas West,

Spadina Ave. west to Bellevue Ave. pskensington.ca

Canada Job Expo - Not exactly a “fun” event, but if you’re looking for a job, there are five free

workshops available to all who attend. July 30. North York Memorial Hall, 5100 Yonge St., at

North York Centre subway. canadajobexpo.com

Fan Expo Sports Show - Pop culture convention featuring gaming, horror, sci-fi, anime and

sports. $10/day, kids free, (*Does not include admission to Fan Expo Canada Comic-con Show.

They’re $25-$50) August 22-25. Metro Toronto Convention Centre 225 Front Street West fanex-

posports.com

Toronto Garlic Festival - Everything garlic, which surprisingly includes a lot. $5. September 22.

Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave., free shuttle from Broadview Station. torontogarlicfesti-

val.ca

The Big Five (Six, if you count Pride, which will already have happened by the time of publication.)

These perennial favourites draw huge crowds every year. Huge!

Toronto Caribbean Carnival (formerly Caribana) - A month of events, culminating in the big pa-

rade on August 3. July 9-August 4. The parade runs along Lakeshore Blvd., from Exhibition

Place, for 3.5 km. torontocaribbeancarnival.com

25th Annual Beaches Jazz Festival - All kinds of jazz, from big band to latin. Concerts at Wood-

bine Park, Kew Beach, and Beach Boardwalk. Huge StreetFest closes Queen St. East from Wood-

bine to Beech Ave. 7-11pm July 25-27. July 19-28 beachesjazz.com

Taste of the Danforth - Festival of Greek culture and food, with live music and Kids’ Funzone.

August 9-11. Danforth Ave. from Broadview to Jones. tasteofthedanforth.com

Canadian National Exhibition - 134 years and counting. It’s not summer without The Ex: Band-

shell concerts, parades, the Air Show, the Midway, and more. $16 adults, children/seniors $12, un-

der 4 free. August 16-Sept. 4. Exhibition Place. theex.com

Scotiabank Busker Fest - International street performers, in support of Epilepsy Toronto. PWYC

(pass the hat). Noon to evening, August 22-25. Yonge from College to Queen. torontobusk-

erfest.com

Source: the internet

T o b i a s h o u s e P a g e 4

Aside from the fact that they are both from Coxwell, these two very different Beacon Faces share one thing. They both enjoy have somewhat

unexpected interests.

Theresa Arand is quiet and assuming, with a shy but ready smile. She lives with Peter Goss, her husband of twelve years. They met at the coffee shop just downstairs at Coxwell, set up by a friend, “on a date, kind of.” She likes to read (mostly mysteries), listen to music (all kinds), and go to movies, concerts, and walks in the neigh-bourhood. Having grown up in Stratford, Ontario, Theresa moved to Toronto, first to the Gage, and then Tobias House. She likes Toronto, although she’d like it more if some things were more acces-

sible.

One thing Theresa doesn’t like about Toronto is that there is only one accessible women’s shelter. A situation involving someone close to her made Theresa more aware of the plight of abused wom-en. She is looking to go back to school to study social work, hopefully at George Brown College,

and eventually work in that field.

As for that unexpected interest? It’s karaoke. Most people need a bit of encouragement to get up in front of a room full of people and sing. Not Theresa; she loves it. She once sang Wind Beneath My Wings at her brother’s wedding, and had the whole room in tears. And Peter proposed to her at a karaoke bar. Just shows

you never can tell.

Prati Khatiwada loves doing “weird and scary things”. One could even call her a bit of an adrenalin junkie. Zip-lining, mountain biking, roller-coasters, sky-diving…Things many people would be too scared to try, Prati does with barely a second thought. She loves the rush. Sky-diving, she says, was the “greatest single expe-rience” of her life. Shy and retiring is something you defi-

nitely could not call her.

Prati has been at Tobias (Coxwell) for eight years, and she loves it. She came to Canada - which she also loves - from her native Nepal in 2004, where she was studying for her BA in sociology and working for a non-profit or-ganization. These days, work, a husband, and a 20-month -old baby, Mayan, whose name she has tattooed on her

arm, keep Prati a very busy woman.

Beacon Faces

V o l u m e 9 I s s u e 2 P a g e 5

Beacon Stories

Turnabout by Zia Ladha

The hunt for relaxation under the sunny sky led Mary and Deborah to the park, where they enviously gazed at a group of children tossing a Frisbee to one another. Their envy built with each pass of the Frisbee, eventually leading Deborah to ap-

proach the child leading the game and say,

“Got room for one more?” asked Deborah

Deborah could instantly tell from his expression he didn’t like that idea, so before he spoke she collected Mary and headed home to find her own Frisbee. Each wore mischievous smirks when leaving the park, for with that found Frisbee

they would play their own game directly in view of those other children.

“It’ll be here, if it’s anywhere” said Mary once arriving at her apartment

There existed a storage closet filled with initially used and eventually forgotten sporting equipment. It was there that Mary referred, and with a lift and a shove

aside of forgotten equipment she found that Frisbee.

“Are you ready?” asked Mary while motioning for Deborah to follow

“Ready for what?” wondered Deborah while blindly following Mary

With Frisbee in hand Mary led Deborah back to the park. When reaching there, they immediately began playing their own game of Frisbee directly in view

of those children.

After the child leading his game tired he approached Deborah and said, “Got

room for one more?”

Zia Ladha, from Jarvis, has been writing for fifteen years. His short stories have appeared in The Brainy Bu-gler, a newsletter published by CHIRS, the Community Head Injury Resource Ser-vices.

Which way to Sussex? by Zia Ladha

“Toronto to Ottawa is beyond Wheeltrans’ jurisdiction,” I said, hoping Aliza, this trip’s organizer, arranged for

alternate accessible transportation.

“I’m ahead of you,” replied Aliza

Amidst curiosity’s grip I said, “Tell me more!”

“Meet outside my house at 8:00 tomorrow morning and it’ll make sense,” Once Aliza had finished speaking I began to turn away from her when my rumbling stomach prompted driving my wheelchair directly back home. When obeying my hunger it occurred to me how upholding tomorrow’s arrange-ment with Aliza meant utilizing Wheeltrans. Arranging for a bus arriving tomorrow morning at Aliza’s meant calling today. After greeted by a busy signal after each of my repeated attempts I eventually got through to a person. To that

voice I then said, “I need a bus leaving from Sparkdale and arriving at 26 cedar crescent for 8:00 tomorrow morning,”

As people steadily gathered outside Aliza’s house the next morning they each wore anticipation across their

faces’.

“Why have you gathered us all here?” I asked when first spotting Aliza.

Aliza’s answer was a smile while pointing her finger. When shifting my attention in that direction all I could

see was debris littering the air. When the debris settled I now noticed a bus initially obscured by that swirling debris.

“There it is!” said a beaming Aliza

“Is it accessible though?”

Aliza only nodded her head, but because often people have varying degrees of accessibility. So I inspected it

for myself, and with relief, now locked eyes with Aliza and asked, “Which way to Sussex?”

P a g e 6 T o b i a s h o u s e

It’s picnic and barbecue time! Here are two

easy and delicious summer salads you can

make ahead and take with you.

Mediterranean Fusilli Salad Ingredients

12 oz (340 g) fusilli pasta

1 zucchini, cubed

1 can (19 oz/540 mL) romano beans, drained and rinsed

2/3 cup (150 mL) sliced, drained oil packed sun dried tomatoes

3/4 cup (175 mL) thinly sliced fresh basil

Dressing:

2/3 cup (150 mL) extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup (60 mL) red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin

1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

Beacon Recipe

Dressing: In bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. In large pot of boiling salted water, cook fusilli until ten-der but firm, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; drain well and place in large bowl. Add zucchini, beans and tomatoes; pour dressing over top and toss to combine. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.) Toss with basil just before serving.

Serves 12.

Green Mango Salad Ingredients

1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped cashews or peanuts

2 unripe mangoes, 2 lb/1 kg total

1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped fresh coriander

1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped mint

2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice

4 tsp (18 mL) granulated sugar

4 tsp (18 mL) fish sauce

1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil

1/4 tsp (1 mL) Asian chili sauce or hot pepper sauce

1 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup (250 mL) thinly sliced red onions

In skillet or toaster oven, toast cashews over medium heat until fragrant and golden, about 8 minutes; set aside.

Cut pointy ends off mangoes. Set each mango on cut end. Using serrated knife, cut off peel. Cut flesh on either side of flat pit into thin slices; stack and cut into thin strips.

Dressing: In bowl, whisk together coriander, mint, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, oil and chili sauce. Add mangoes, red pepper and onion; toss to coat. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.) Sprinkle with cashews.

Serves 6.

Source : Canadian Living Magazine

Beacon Lifestyle

V o l u m e 9 I s s u e 2 P a g e 7

Nutritional Info

Mediterranean Salad

Per serving:

calories 263

protein 6 g

total fat 14 g

saturated fat 2 g

carbohydrates 30 g

fibre 4 g

cholesterol 0 mg

sodium 252 mg

% RDI:

calcium 3

iron 16

vitamin A 3

vitamin C 15

folate 41

Green Mango Salad

Per serving:

calories 189

protein 3 g

total fat 6 g

saturated fat 1 g

carbohydrates 35 g

fibre 4 g

cholesterol 0 mg

sodium 318 mg

% RDI:

calcium 3

iron 8

vitamin A 71

vitamin C 137

folate 18

Martin Wuori, from Coxwell, has started up a small service supplying gloves to consumers at a very reasonable price. Vinyl gloves, which all

consumers supply for use by ILAs, can run as much as $10 a box if bought from the drug store. It can really add up. Martin saw a need, and has been selling boxes of the non-sterile, powder free medical exam

gloves, for $4.50 a box. “It’s really more of a service than a business, with a small markup, mostly to cover costs,” he says. He has sold more than 120 boxes to several consumers from all three Tobias House locations since February.

The gloves come in small, medium, and large, and are certified to meet Health Canada guidelines for a Class 2 medical device. If you would like to order gloves from Martin, you can email him at martinwuori@hotmail.com, or call him at 416-694-9875.

The second annual SEAN ROSS MEMORIAL SUMMER CLASSIC is coming! It will take place on Saturday August 24th, from 2 to 5 pm, at the outdoor rink at Withrow Park, 725 Logan Avenue, just west of Pape and south of

the Danforth, in Riverdale. Light refreshments will be served. There will be an entrance fee of $10 to cover expenses.

The first SEAN ROSS MEMORIAL SUMMER CLASSIC took place in August 2012 at the city outdoor rink at Scadding Court. Twenty-five friends and teammates from the Canadian Electric Wheelchair Hockey Association (CEWHA) and the Toronto Power Wheelchair Hockey League (TPWHL) enjoyed a joyous day of hockey in memory of a

friend, raising $250 for Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

This year, players hope to repeat the success of last year’s event, which was held to honour the memory of a great sportsman and friend, and to

showcase this unique sport and the skills of its passionate players.

For info: www.kneel67.wix.com/srmsc

On Facebook: 2nd Annual Sean Ross Memorial Summer Classic,

https://www.facebook.com/events/219944998145209/

Name: ________________________________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________________

Method of Payment: [__] Cheque [__] Visa [__] MasterCard

Credit Card #: _______________________________________________________

Expiry Date: _____________________ Signature: _________________________________________

Donation Amount: _______________ General Donation Keep on Swimming Campaign

_____ Please check here if you would like $10 of your donation to be

used to purchase or renew your

annual membership

Tobias House Attendant Care Inc.

611—695 Coxwell Avenue,

Toronto ON M4C 5R6

Thank You

Patrons ($5,000+)

Robert Blakely, CitiBank Canada, Zev Frishman, Greenfield Ethanol Inc.

Benefactors ($1,000-$4,999)

Wayne Kozun, Stephen Mimee, Rotary Club East York, The Family & Friends of the late Alfred J. Cockburn

Associates ($250-$999)

Helen & Gordon Armstrong, G.A. Christoff, Susan & Stewart Davidson, Desjardins Financial Security, Yona Frishman, Fr. Peter Knaapen, Frances MacNeil-Laflamme, Catherine Marsh, Anna Marziliano

Friends (up to $249)

Sal Badali, Anita Baker, Bonnie Beverley, Kenneth Bona, Su-san Broad, Anne Bukovinsky, Susan Cavanagh, Gloria Corri-gan, Sylvester De Melo, Judy Denheyer, Eileen Donnelly-Casey, Ahren Estabrooks, Paul Halpern, Warren Laing, The Magnes Group Inc., Margaret Newell, Joan Pape, Paula Rusak, Eleanor Shannon, Lino Sienna, Stoyles Carpentry, Andrew Towcik, Josephine Tse, Henry Valcheff, Jon Wagner, Fran Wise, Janet Yukish

T O BI AS H O U SE AT T E N D ANT CARE I N C.

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T ob ia s H ou s e I I (84 Ca rl to n Stree t)

T ob ia s H ou s e I I I (460 J a rv i s Stree t)

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Cox w el l Av en u e)

T ob ia s H ou s e i s f i l l ed w i th op p ortu n i t i es

f or ev ery on e:

F or Vol u n teeri n g op p ortu n i t i es ,

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p l ea s e c on tac t

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