Volume 47 No. 11
BEACHMETRO.COM
August 21, 2018
Sixteen-year-old drowns saving others By Susan Legge
A TEENAGE boy from Toronto died a hero earlier this month after diving into the water at Woodbine Beach in an attempt to help save a mother and son in distress. The teen, identified by Toronto District School Board as Wexford Collegiate Performing School for the Arts student Kyle Howard-Muthulingam, tried to swim to a restricted area on the western edge of the beach to help the duo, along with a 15-year-old girl and several other beach-goers. According to witnesses, multiple lifeguards rushed to the area, which is known for its strong undertow, and rescued five people from the water before emergency responders arrived minutes later. Police said of the five people rescued, four were taken to hospital, and boats from the Toronto Police Service emergency marine unit and a helicopter from Trenton’s Royal Canadian Air Force were called in to search the area for any additional victims. The 15-year-old girl recovered in hospital after arriving in serious condition, and PHOTO: GOFUNDME Kyle died later that day. A GoFundMe web page has been set up Wexford student Kyle by a contributor named Aly King. It states H owa rd - M u t h u l i n - that donations will help support Kyle’s gam died a hero. family during this tragic time.
PHOTO: VICTOR BIRO
Fundraiser and tribute for Reese Fallon being held at Bob Acton Park Floral memorials and messages such as this one at Alexander the Great Parkette at Logan and Danforth Avenues were seen around the GTA in honour of the victims of the July 22 mass shooting in Greektown on the Danforth. Thirteen people were injured and two people were killed, including Beach resident Reese Fallon and 10-year-old Julianna Kozis from Richmond Hill. On August 22, a fundraiser for the Reese Fallon Legacy Scholarship and Fallon family will be held at Bob Acton Park. More details can be found on Page 6 in a column by Beaches—East York MPP Rima Berns-McGown.
Councillor McMahon recounts her successes and surprises By Fiona Bramzell
WHEN MARY-MARGARET McMahon steps down as Beaches—East York city councillor for Ward 32 at the end of November, it’s no exaggeration to say that it is a more community-driven and culturally rich area than it was at the start of her time in office. To celebrate and honour Councillor McMahon’s eight years as our city councillor, Beach Metro News sat down with her for a Q&A session to get the scoop on what she believes she has achieved during this time, her hopes for the future of the ward and what she really thinks about life at City Hall... BMN: Kicking things off with the most recent event to affect city
council, how do you feel about the recent decision to cut the number of councillors serving the city? MMM: It’s completely unrealistic for a city the size of Toronto and ridiculous to make the comparison to the number of MPPs and MPs working at the provincial and federal level. Not only is it unjust, it is also unfair—I already get an average of 150 emails per day from constituents—telling us that we will simply have to ‘work harder’ is not a solution and the residents are the ones who will ultimately suffer. BMN: What do you see as your biggest achievement during your time in office? MMM: There are a number of things that I’m proud of, particularly in terms of empowering people,
PHOTO: FIONA BRAMZELL
Beaches—East York Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon.
encouraging community groups such as the ‘Friends Of’ neighbourhood parks and residents associations. But if I had to choose one thing, it would be the push for laneway housing with the Laneway Suites Policy which provides more rental and housing options for the neighbourhood. BMN: What changes would you make at city hall now you’ve seen the way it works? MMM: Well, obviously I would want to impose the two-term limit on all councillors as I’ve done for myself. I would also like to see council meetings run more efficiently by making speaking times shorter— while there is a limit in place now, councillors inevitably run over their allotted time which only adds to the often unnecessar-
ily long council sessions. I think it would be a good idea if councillors took the time to visit other wards too, to get a sense of some of the issues that their fellow councillors are dealing with. BMN: Speaking of the two-term limit, do you regret imposing this rule on yourself? MMM: While there are certainly lots of things that I would still want to get done in the ward, I do believe in leaving the party while I’m still having fun (laughs)! Leaving is certainly bittersweet but I do believe in electoral reform and, as such, need to be the change I want to see. BMN: Was there anything about life at city hall that surprised you? Continued on Page 7