Good morning, Etobicoke! I'm Bri, the voice behind Etobicoke Scoop. Here's what's happening around the neighbourhood this week.

In this week’s newsletter:

🍻 Booze Blues: Bar loses license over stolen liquor
🍞 Bimbo Wins: Cracks Forbes' top 100 employers
🐦 Bird Brain Boost: Birdwatching sharpens minds
🏘️ Mall Mega Deal: $15M townhouse hits market

Plus: New pizzeria, Cirque du Soleil magic, JerkFest 🌟

🍻 Local Bar’s Booze Blues 🍻
Southside Johnny’s Bar and Grill on Lake Shore Blvd. West faced a sobering reality when its liquor license was revoked for buying alcohol stolen by a nearby homeless encampment. The owner claimed it was to “keep the peace,” but the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario didn’t raise a glass to that excuse, citing the serious breach of integrity. Despite efforts to justify the purchases, the bar's license was ultimately revoked, leaving them temporarily closed for renovations.

🍞 Etobicoke's Bimbo Canada Cracks Forbes' Top 100 🍞
Forbes just released its list of Canada's best employers for company culture, and Etobicoke has skin in the game: Bimbo Canada landed at No. 64 out of 100. The ranking, based on a survey of more than 37,000 Canadian employees, judged fairness, inclusivity and opportunity, not just paycheques. Quebec's Université Laval topped the national list. Nice to see a hometown name in the mix.

🐦 Touch Grass, Watch Birds, Boost Your Brain 🐦
Birdwatching is having a moment in Toronto, and it's not just retirees in khaki vests. Younger crowds are joining group walks to de-stress, make friends, and (per Baycrest neuroscientists) literally strengthen their brains. Good news for us: Colonel Samuel Smith Park is one of the city's top spots, with 299 recorded species. The library even lends free binocular kits, so your starter cost is zero.

🏘️ The East Mall's $15M Package Deal 🏘️
A 34-unit townhouse complex at 345 The East Mall just hit the market for $14,999,999 (one dollar shy of $15 million, if you're counting). The three-bedroom units are dated, think TLC not turnkey, but fully occupied, sitting on two acres near Highway 427, the Gardiner and Sherway Gardens. Not exactly a starter-home listing, more a deep-pocketed investor's dream. Etobicoke's density keeps climbing.

🩺 No Family Doctor? There's a Hotline for That 🩺
If you're one of the many Etobicoke residents stuck without a family doctor, a local team wants to help. The Primary Care Access Team, run by the West Toronto Ontario Health Team and LAMP Community Health Centre, matches residents with doctors accepting patients nearby, helps book that first appointment, and connects you to services like mental health support. Call 647-259-7669 or visit wtoht.ca/integrated-primary-care.

🍕 Second Slice for 850 Degrees 🍕
After 12 years on its own in Etobicoke, 850 Degrees is opening a second location at 2197 Bloor St. W. in Bloor West Village. The restaurant is targeting a late summer opening, with the same menu of stone-fired pizzas, pasta, and gluten-free options. One wrinkle: locals note the pizzeria briefly had a Bloor St. outpost years ago that didn't last. Round two starts soon.

📍 Guess the Spot

Clue 1: I used to sit on the grounds of a psychiatric hospital, but these days people come to me for a different kind of headspace.
Clue 2: This week's Scoop says nearly 300 bird species have been spotted here (the library will even lend you binoculars, free).
Clue 3: I hug the Lake Ontario shoreline, just west of the Humber.
Where am I?

Answer: Colonel Samuel Smith Park.

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Thanks for reading! See you next week for more of what’s happening in Etobicoke.

-Bri