Monday October 15 was a very special day at Project Amik in east Toronto; a sorely needed Crosswalk was officially opened!

Project Amik is a 75 – unit affordable housing project at 419-425 Coxwell Avenue housing a French immersion daycare facility “Le Petit Chaperon Rouge” and the combined offices of Frontiers Foundation and New Frontiers Aboriginal Residential Corporation (NFARC). Project Amik residents are 50% aboriginal and 50% non-aboriginal. Fourteen of the apartment suites are reserved for and occupied by handicapped tenants.

Since Lieutenant – Governor Jim Bartleman opened Project Amik in October 2002, Frontiers Foundation, NFARC, Le Petit Chaperon Rouge and notably Councillor Sandra Bussin have pestered and pleaded with Toronto City Council for this desperately needed Crosswalk to serve the needs of:

1. Sixty-nine toddlers and the staff at the Daycare.
2. All the residents of Project Amik, especially the handicapped including many in wheelchairs.
3. Employees of Frontiers Foundation, NFARC, Toronto Community Living (caregivers for the handicapped) and hundreds of neighborhood residents.

M.C. Darwin Boyer’s program at the celebration included smudging by superintendent Roland Niganobe, greetings and congratulations from Councillor Bussin, prayer in Cree and English by Rev. Charles Catto, appropriate comments from Project Amik Residents Committee Vice-President Jane Dawson and Elena Coderre on behalf of Le Petit Chaperon Rouge and touching crossing by the tiny children as they sang “Frere Jacques”, etc. Police officers from 55 Division kindly assisted and controlled the traffic. Project Amik Manager Lynne Vallis and Frontiers Foundation Executive Director Marco Guzman were also present in the event.

Following the celebration, refreshments were served in the Project Amik community room.