Latest news with #ChristiePits
CTV News
13-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Toronto's century-old enormous elm tree to be cut down
The elm has been a staple in Christie Pits for generations, but next week it will be coming down. A native elm tree towering over the Christie Pits neighbourhood for a century is coming down. At the end of May, the City of Toronto determined that the American elm, located on Barton Avenue, was nearly dead. Tree plaque The plaque recognizing the Enormous Elm Tree in Christie Pits. Road closure signs have been posted on the street, indicating that the removal of the enormous elm will take place between Tuesday and Thursday. 'I've lived in the neighbourhood for 25 years, and our family even has a name for this tree - Eddie the elm,' said Brenda Cooke, who came by to take pictures of the tree Friday. 'I'm very upset. A tree like this doesn't come along every day. I'll never see a tree like this again in my lifetime,' an emotional Cooke added. Tanya Neumeyer, who also lives nearby, says she has been admiring the tree from Christie Pits parks for years. Tanya Neumeyer Tanya Neumeyer hugs the Enormous Elm Tree. (CTV News) 'I love this tree,' she said. 'It had a full canopy of leaves providing shade and shelter for birds and humans, and this year, as you can see, there are no leaves on 95 per cent of it.' Joel Harrison-Off, the acting supervisor of the city's forest healthcare and management, said the tree is one of the largest native elm trees in Toronto and was one of the few survivors of Dutch Elm disease, which ravaged the population. 'I'm sad, to be honest,' said Harrison-Off. 'I've been investigating and inspecting this tree for the past 10 years.' The tree had been getting injected with fungicide, and while tissue tests for disease were inconclusive, he said illness can develop quickly. 'This is a big hit to that downtown urban canopy; it's a big hit to people familiar with that tree, who liked to see it through the seasons,' Harrison-Off said. 'It's a big hit for us forestry people who are trying to maintain these trees, to replace something that large, you know, takes hundreds of years.' Preserving the elm's legacy Eric Davies hopes to see the elm's legacy live on. He and his team at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Forestry are working to collect the elm's seeds in an effort to get more native tree species back in the ground. Eric Davis Eric Davis showing a small elm tree growing at the foot of the dead, enormous elm tree that is coming down. (CTV News) 'Knock on wood, the seeds are viable, the cuttings are viable,' he said. Davies explained that come Tuesday, when the tree begins to come down, his team will collect seeds and then take them to the university to evaluate them. He said that if they grow, the elm trees can get to a good size quickly. 'I think it's hopeful considering the history of this tree throughout many years,' said local resident Daniel Damiao. The city said removing the tree will prevent it from becoming a hazard because dead branches are prone to breaking and help prevent the further spread of disease.
CTV News
07-06-2025
- CTV News
Suspect wanted for allegedly setting on fire two vehicles and garage in Christie Pits
The man in the photos is wanted in connection with an arson investigation. (Toronto Police Service) Toronto police have released a photo of a suspect accused of deliberately setting two vehicles and a garage on fire in the Christie Pits neighbourhood on Thursday. Police said they received a call at 4 a.m. for a vehicle fire in the area of Shaw Street and Yarmouth Road, south of Dupont Street. When they arrived, crews found a burning vehicle, which was unoccupied at the time, police said. Officers did not locate a suspect. About two hours later, crews responded to a fire in a detached garage. Police said both the structure and a vehicle inside were on fire. No one was inside the vehicle at the time. An individual was seen on the garage rooftop before the incident, police said. However, officers did not find the suspect upon arrival. The suspect is described as being in his 30s, between five-foot-six and five-foot-eight, with a slim to medium build, light brown hair in a ponytail, and clean-shaven. He was last seen wearing a blue sweatshirt, blue sweatpants and grey shoes. Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-1400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
Globe and Mail
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Globe and Mail
Japanese pitcher Ayami Sato stars in Maple Leafs baseball debut
Leafs nation rose across Toronto on Sunday, first at the baseball park and later at the hockey rink. The 106th season of the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) commenced with a historic moment as Ayami Sato, a six-time Women's Baseball World Cup champion with Japan, pitched for the Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Club. Sato struck out one batter and did not allow anyone on base in the first two innings of the Maple Leafs' 6-5 loss to the visiting Kitchener Panthers. For many of the 2,000 spectators at Christie Pits Park, the score was secondary at best. 'Ayami, Ayami, Ayami,' the crowd chanted as the three-time MVP ran on to the field. Sato, widely regarded as the best female pitcher in the world, joined the Maple Leafs with the club saying she is the first woman to play professional baseball in Canada. 'This is a really important moment,' said Winse Lam, a Canadian girls' baseball coach who was at the game to watch history happen alongside her family. 'We've been waiting for something like this to happen in Canada, and Sato is a trailblazer doing it. I hope it sets sparks for girls to continue playing.' Toronto finished seventh in the standings last season and is eyeing a top-three finish this year. Across the winter, the team recruited young names who are hopeful to prove themselves and sharpen their skills by working with a pitcher like Sato. Though this was not the start the team had hoped for, 'There are many positives to take from today,' head coach Rob Butler said. 'Ayami was just incredible and showed why she's here today,' he added. The pitcher herself found something else incredible: the young girls in the crowd. 'I was looking at the future of female baseball,' Sato told The Globe, holding back tears. The Toronto-based club is the only IBL team that does not charge fans for tickets, a quality the co-owners are very proud to hold, they said. 'It's a very important and affordable option for family time,' said Xingci, who was out for her first baseball game in a very long time. 'It's made for the community to enjoy.' Her partner, Chi, – neither wanted to use their last names – referenced Sato's signing to being as monumental as when Toronto FC signed Italian soccer star, Sebastian Giovinco in 2015. He went on to become one of the most beloved athletes in the city. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and councillor Dianne Saxe were in attendance. Saxe, addressing the crowd, said the event was 'not a moment of history, but a movement.' Scattered across the steep hill surrounding the baseball field were multiple local girls teams from across the region who made the trip down to Toronto to welcome the Japanese pitcher to town. From the moment they laid out their snacks and mats on the grass, the hundreds of girls chanted loudly for Sato and the Leafs. 'We primarily play against all-male opponents, and being able to come out here and be part of history is inspiring, not only for me and the girls, but also for my son,' said Tara Barratt, one of the coaches with the under-11 girls' York Cardinals. After the game, the group of young players met with Sato for autographs on the field. 'Ayami, you're so inspiring,' one said. 'Konnichiwa,' another followed. 'Thank you for being here,' a group of girls giggled out. The timing was perfect for Sato's debut in the city, as Mother's Day celebrations also took place. A group of young men had printed photos of their mothers on the back of their Leafs jerseys, and picnic mats had young girls and mothers eating hotdogs and ice cream across. The team announcer asked the crowd to get up and give a big round of applause to 'all of the great moms out there,' before the first pitch of the game. 'It's a big day for us mothers, daughters, and grandmothers. It's extremely suitable for the outing today.' highlighted Lam. Sato and the Leafs will travel to the Athletic Kulture Stadium in Barrie to face the Barrie Baycats on Thursday, May 15, as they look to grab their first of the season.
National Post
12-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Maple Leafs' Sato shines as 1st woman to play in Canadian men's pro baseball
Star female pitcher Ayami Sato made history as the first woman to play in a Canadian men's professional baseball league on Sunday. Article content Article content She also had a perfect debut for the Intercounty Baseball League's Toronto Maple Leafs. Article content Sato struck out one batter without allowing anyone on base in the first two innings of an eventual 6-5 loss to the Kitchener Panthers. Article content Fans at Dominico Field in Christie Pits welcomed Sato with loud applause when the public address announcer introduced her in the starting lineup for Toronto's home opener. Article content Article content Widely considered the top female pitcher in baseball, the 35-year-old from Japan signed with the Maple Leafs in December to become the IBL's first female player. Article content Sato helped Japan win five of its seven consecutive Women's Baseball World Cup titles (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018), earning MVP honours in 2014, '16 and '18. Article content
CBC
11-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Japan's Ayami Sato becomes first woman to play in Canadian men's pro baseball league
Social Sharing Star female pitcher Ayami Sato made history as the first woman to play in a Canadian men's professional baseball league on Sunday. Sato struck out one batter without allowing anyone on base in the first two innings of an eventual 6-5 loss to the Kitchener Panthers. Fans at Dominico Field in Christie Pits welcomed Sato with loud applause when the public address announcer introduced her in the starting lineup for Toronto's home opener. Widely considered the top female pitcher in baseball, the 35-year-old from Japan signed with the Maple Leafs in December to become the IBL's first female player. Sato helped Japan win five of its seven consecutive Women's Baseball World Cup titles (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018), earning MVP honours in 2014, '16 and '18. She pitched in the Japan Women's Baseball League from 2013 until it suspended operations in 2021, leading the league in strikeouts in three of its last four seasons. Toronto finished seventh in the IBL last season with a 17-25 record. WATCH | Japanese women's star Sato brings wealth of experience to IBL's Maple Leafs: Meet Ayami Sato: The first woman to compete on a men's pro baseball team in Canada 3 days ago Duration 2:10 The 35-year-old Japanese pitcher whose fastball reaches 80 mph, will pitch in the home opener for the Toronto Maple Leafs, an intercounty baseball team founded in 1896.
