Although I may be moving in March, I am weighing in on the topic of what Etobicoke Lakeshore residents may want or need because I've lived here for the past four years and I've seen quite a change in the services provided.
As a disabled First Nations woman, who is an ODSP recipient, has no family contact, and workers who have repeatedly failed me by not providing me with the essential support needed to make it on my own, I've been living in pure hell.
I like going for short walks around my area however, around Parklawn and the Queensway/Berry Rd, the lighting is deeply concerning. Which could explain previous incidents of sexual assaults.
There's also the staple Stonegate Plaza which closed last February and was demolished around May. I, along with many other people, are upset about this. It now means that people who can barely afford to pay rent, now have to buy groceries at the ever expensive Sobeys on the Queensway. While local councillor Justin Di Ciano assured me that a revised plaza is in the works, I still see people stopping by the scene and its a sad thing to watch. The elderly and the disabled are the ones who suffer from this poorly planned decision brought on by now local MPP Peter Milczyn.
We also have the ever loving TTC. The buses come every 20 minutes. In extreme cold weather situations, this is unacceptable. I am tired of the whole Scarborough transit discussion. It makes me sick. Where's the same discussion for Etobicoke??
Parklawn and Berry/The Queensway is apartment central. That makes me sick. Why?? Placing these people in units but not having anywhere within walking distance to get the support services they need is not exactly a brilliant move. And as a taxpayer, its even more sad that I have to point these things out.
While we're on it, the housing we currently have needs a good clean up. I shouldn't have to place my hand in the faucet to get the hot water to work. I shouldn't be coming into my building in complete darkness because the superintendent or building managers won't light the entry way. I also don't think any of the many other things I find wrong about my building should have to go right to the top before going through proper channels and being ignored. But when you're new into politics, as a disabled First Nations woman, its I guess just a part of reality.
More definitely needs to be done regarding the parking lot of the Sobeys plaza on the Queensway. Not only do drivers speed in and out, and yell at people who are obeying the law, and the lights there take forever.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women is one of my passions. At one point I was the #7 tweeter for #IdleNoMore. We've garnered a lot of support for these movements. I'm grateful for that. I just want to make sure that if there are any other First Nations people in Etobicoke Lakeshore, that by my sharing these concerns, they will be well represented after I leave.
I'm always offended by politicians sharing pictures of their events and formal gatherings with only those like them and not having seen one single politician host a similar gathering for the less fortunate.
For more examples of what Etobicoke Lakeshore residents may or may not want or need please see the blog posts I'm about to share.
@nadia_fordham
203-2 Kinsdale Blvd
Etobicoke, Ontario
M8Y 1T7
647-624-6997
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