Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office

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Mayor Tory serves up free-breakfast initiative

The program director at the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office applauds Mayor John Tory’s initiative to provide free breakfasts to Toronto-area grade school students, but believes the program doesn’t go far enough.

In 2014 the Government of Ontario released a poverty reduction strategy; it included $10 million made available between 2014 and 2019 to reduce poverty in Ontario communities. On Monday, Mayor Tory announced the allotment of $500,000 (of that $10 million) to offer breakfasts to communities in need. Mohan Doss, the program director of Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office, appreciates the initiative, but has some criticism.

“What about youth between 19 and 28, who are not in high school, who will not have access to free-breakfast programs?” Doss said.



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Thorncliffe community marches against hate crime

Shara Fathima marched partly in solidarity, partly in fear.

“It is scary to think that this could have been me,” she said.

Fathima lives in Flemingdon Park, near where a woman was attacked while meeting her children at Grenoble Public School on Nov. 16. The victim is Muslim and she was wearing a hijab. So does Shara Fathima.

“I could have been attacked, based on the way I wear my scarf,” Fathima said.


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Thorncliffers weigh program options

According to Anjuli Solanki, the leader of STEPS, “this program provides youth with a positive outlet for creativity and it also empowers them to tangibly see how they can positively impact their community.”