Leaside Life Issue 83 April 2019

A P R I L 2019

Leaside Life leasidelife.com

No. 83

Greece, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Qatar and now Leaside – meet the Podaras family

Capes for Kids!

Northlea School steps up for Kids Rehab campaign page 6

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

BENNINGTON RESIDENTS HELP AT EL HOGAR • PG. 2

OUR GUIDE TO SUMMER CAMPS IN THE ’HOOD • PG. 8

NORTH TORONTO SEWAGE PLANT: A VITAL UTILITY • PG. 24

ROBIN DICKIE

Alexandra, Panagiotis, Rania and Giolanta Podaras.

Story page 4.

PLUS: JUNIOR GARDENERS, POTHOLES, PUMPING GAS AND MUCH MORE!!

VISIT US AT LEASIDELIFE.COM: COMMUNITY DIRECTORY • UP TO DATE EVENTS • ARCHIVED STORIES

Bennington residents helping in Honduras since 1979

GRAHAM LUTE

Leaside Life • April 2019

2

Images from El Hogar.

by SUE BARRETT Changing the lives of children in Honduras has taken on special meaning for Bennington residents David Winsor and his wife Margo Mingay.

Love, a home and an education — three things that children must have in their lives to thrive and become successful adults. Unfortunately,

this isn’t the case for many children in the developing country of Honduras. For them, each day is simply a struggle to survive. That’s where the special people at El Hogar make a difference.

El Hogar has been rescuing children from the streets of Honduras since 1979 – children who had been living lives of hunger and desperation on the streets, the ones without

enough to eat, the ones at most risk. Most of these children aren’t orphans as one might expect. Sadly, because of the extreme poverty, it’s simply that their parents can’t afford to feed and clothe, let alone educate them. The staff and volunteers at El Hogar work with these boys and girls to offer them a safe home, an education, and the love they need to reach their potential.

Bennington resident David Winsor first heard about El Hogar 39 years ago while on an unrelated medical mission in the country. A minister by training with a doctorate in counselling, David questioned a colleague as to what happened after the children left. What became of them?

The colleague mentioned a minister from the United States named Bob Miller who was rescuing abandoned boys in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. David decided he had to go and see what Miller was doing.

He found Rev. Miller and his wife taking care of 18 boys in a rented house. David knew he wanted to get involved. That was nearly four

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decades ago. After seeing what Miller was trying to accomplish, David came home and spoke to the congregation of Leaside United Church about the work being done at El Hogar. At that time three parishioners, Jim Martin, Bill Pashby, and Graham Lute decided to join David in support of El Hogar.

In 1992, David married Margo Mingay. They spent their honeymoon in Honduras, as Margo wanted to see this special place her husband was so connected to.

Together they have spent the past 27 years travelling back and forth from their home in Bennington Heights working as volunteers, fundraisers and coordinators. They lived and ran the project at El Hogar from 1998 to 2000. Margo, David and their three children all love spending time there.

Today, El Hogar has three education centres for 250 boys and girls ages 5 to 16. The centres provide students with practical training, and up to this point every graduate has found a job.

The organization just celebrated its 40th anniversary in February.

To this day Leaside United Church

and many of its members support the home and schools run by El Hogar. This past month a group of 11 people, led by Leaside resident Neal Kelly, spent a week there doing painting, maintenance and other odd jobs.

To learn more about El Hogar, contact Margo at mmingay@elhogar. org and visit www.elhogar.org. ■

Easter Colouring Contest!!!

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Get your colouring sheet on my website or at VALU-MART on Bayview.

Patrick Rocca bro ke r

Leaside Life Published once a month in Leaside, Toronto ON,

by FH Publishing Inc., 1444 Dupont St., Unit 11A, M6P 4H3 • 416-504-8047 Circulation 10,000 to every door in M4G PUBLISHER: Lorna Krawchuk EDITOR: Jane W. Auster GRAPHIC DESIGN: Robin Dickie ADVERTISING: Karli Vezina leasidelifepublishing@gmail.com ph. 647-978-4487 or 416-504-8047

leasidelife@gmail.com

www.leasidelife.com No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication.

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Leaside Life • April 2019

HONDURAS, continued

LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS

Crosstown LRT brings the Podaras family to Leaside Recently, I met a new Leaside family: Panagiotis Podaras, his wife Rania, and daughters Alexandra (7½) and Giolanta (4½). I spoke to Panagiotis about their path to Canada – and Leaside.

Panagiotis was recruited to work as the quality control manager for Crosslinx Transit Solutions, the contractor of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, for the whole of the 19 km LRT project. He has 24 people, one for each station, working under him to ensure that everything is built according to the specifications and contract requirements.

His path towards this job started in his hometown of Patras, Greece, where after high school, he studied civil engineering, and then did his required military service. A friend working in Saudi Arabia asked if he would like to work there. He accepted, thinking he would be there for maybe three months. Thirteen years later….

In 2008, he was working on a telecommunications project in Syria,

Lorna Krawchuk Publisher Leaside Life

before the current troubles. Through friends, he met Rania, who lived in Homs. When the project was finished, they married and moved to Saudi Arabia, where both Alexandra and Giolanta were born, but their passports show Greek citizenship, because of Saudi regulations not permitting citizenship to outsiders.

Panagiotis says his Arabic is “terrible – only a few words,” which means that he and his wife use English as their common language. He jokes that this creates a communications barrier between him and his mother-in-law, who still lives in Homs.

For the last few years, the family lived in Qatar. While the two girls were enrolled in a British school and were learning a lot academi-

FROM THE COVER

cally, Panagiotis and Rania realized the Middle East was not where they wanted to continue raising their daughters. When the opportunity arose to move to Canada, they were excited at the prospect.

Advice from colleagues about a location in Toronto was to look for a neighbourhood with “mature trees.”

Leaside fit the bill – and, bonus, is also close to the LRT – so they have started their life in Canada in our neighbourhood. Already, they feel comfortable in Leaside. They feel they can settle here with stability and call Canada home. ■

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Leaside Life • April 2019

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Leaside Life • April 2019

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Northlea School helps out Capes for Kids

ROBIN DICKIE

Leaside Life • April 2019

6

Sandra Hawken, CEO of Holland Bloorview Childrens Hospital, receives a cape made by the students and teachers of Northlea School as part of their Capes for Kids Fundraising and Awareness Program. MP Rob Oliphant also took part. The capes function as a visual cue to help spark conversation around childhood disability and inclusion. â–

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Better than a staycation:

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Local camps keep the fun at home in Leaside

SHUTTERSTOCK

Summer is just around the corner!

Kids can’t wait to be out of school and parents are thrilled at the idea of not having to make lunches the night before school. Ten weeks of freedom!

Ten weeks of sunshine and warmth!

Ten weeks of kids in your house. IN your house. Ten WHOLE weeks.

But fear not, Leasiders, help is just around the corner. And by help, I mean a place where you can bring your children for a few hours or more to maintain your sanity and, of course, to offer your loved ones some really great experiences.

Who knows? They may just enjoy it as much as you enjoy bringing them there.

Leaside has some fantastic camps right in the neighbourhood. No need to wait for buses to pick up your wee ones or to drive around the city and beyond.

With options for sports, artists, chefs, academics, and more, you and your child will have the summer of a lifetime. Just not always together.

Sports Leaside Baseball – located right in Talbot Park (the park beside Leaside High School), elite instructors help kids learn, practise, and improve their baseball skills and enthusiasm for the sport. The camp has full- or half-day options and is open to boys and girls, ages 6 to 13 years old, for the General Baseball Camp, and ages 12 to 16 years old for Elite Baseball Camp. www.leasidebaseball.com/ summer-camp.

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Leaside Life • April 2019

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO

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WE ARE OPEN FOR LUNCH AND DINNER! Brunch Served Saturday & Sunday From 10:30 am to 2:30 pm

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Toronto Tennis Academy – located at the Leaside Tennis Club in Trace Manes Park (a.k.a. the park beside the library), this half-day (afternoon) camp was named by SavvyMom.ca as the top tennis camp in Toronto.

Kids aged 5 to 15 work with instructors to increase their fitness, skill development, and enjoyment of the game. www.torontotennisacademy.com.

PedalHeads – located at Leaside United Church, PedalHeads’ full-day and half-day camps for kids from 3 to 12 teach kids from newbies to advanced riders the skills they need to ride their bikes with confidence. Private lessons are also available for kids wanting some one-on-one time with an instructor. www.pedalheads.com.

The Children’s Fitness Centres of Canada (CFCC) – located at Millwood & Overlea, CFCC features full- and half-day camps for kids from age 4 to Grade 6. Offering a blend of gymnastics-based fitness, arts and crafts, team-building challenges, health education, and summer-themed activities, CFCC is a great spot for a fun and engaging camp experience. www.childrensfitnesscentres.com.

Hockey Extreme – located at Leaside Arena, half and full-day programs include learn to play for ages 5 to 8, specialty programs for goalies, as well as weeks focusing on puck handling, speed, agility, and shooting, all for kids aged 8 to 14. www. hockeyextreme.com.

Synergy Martial Arts – located on Moore across from Loblaws, Synergy is offering two camps this summer: a taekwondo camp for kids 4 to 14 years along with a Robo Chop camp offering a mix of Martial Arts with Lego Engineering, Coding, and Robotics for kids aged 6 to 14, in full and half-day options www.synergymartialarts.ca.

Toronto Circus Centre – located at Leaside United Church, this circus-themed camp is open to kids 4-½ to 13 (kids must be 5 in 2019).

Campers will have the chance to take part in aerial trapeze, juggling, aerobatics, clowning, and more. The full-day camp offers both indoor and outdoor activities www.torontocircuscentre.com.

GymKats – located at 1659 Bayview Avenue, GymKats summer camps feature themed weeks of full or halfCAMPS Page 12

RECYCLE YOUR ELECTRONICS DAY!

HOLY WEEK

at St. Cuthbert’s Leaside

April 27-28, 2019 Help the environment and support a charity!

East York Town Centre, 45 Overlea Boulevard 9 am to 4 pm Accepting: Radios, TV sets, amplifiers, computers, printers, cell phones, extension cords, wire and cable, batteries — ANYTHING ELECTRONIC.* We can help unload your car at the site. If you are unable to attend, e-mail us and we will try to arrange a pickup.

The Rotary Club of Toronto–Leaside For more info, contact Peter Bennett at hearthstone1560@gmail.com * Sorry – no large appliances or light fixtures.

Evening Prayer services Mon-Wed, April 15-17, 7:30pm Maundy Thursday April 18th Simple Supper at 6pm. Institution of the Lord’s Supper, Footwashing and Veneration of the Cross at 7:30pm.

Good Friday Friday, April 19h, 10am Choral Celebration of the Lord’s Passion.

The Great Easter Vigil of the Resurrection Saturday, April 20th, 8pm Easter Sunday April 21, 8am and 10am Said Eucharist at 8am.

Choral Eucharist at 10am.

Children’s programs at both services.

CO

ME CON

N

EC

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Join us for our annual earth cut-a-thon April 29th to make clean water a right!

Palm Sunday April 14th, 8am and 10am The Sunday of the Passion with the Liturgy of the Palms. Said Eucharist at 8am. Sung Eucharist at 10am.

Children’s programs at both services.

D

I

SC

Perri and Palmacci Hair Company is partnering with Water Aid Canada to raise funds to help supply communities with clean water.

We will be participating in an earth cut-a-thon April 29th – volunteering our time doing haircuts with 100% of the proceeds going to water aid!

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Leaside Life • April 2019

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Camps...

From Page 8

647-201-6006 www.e-fitness.ca

“The Gym” @ St. Cuthbert’s Church 1399 Bayview Ave

day camp for kids aged 4 to 10, along with one week of specialized “ninja camp” for kids 7 to 12. A bright and colourful space in which programs will include gymnastics, games, and arts and crafts. www.gymkats.ca.

Toronto Hapkido Academy (THA) – located at 1669 Bayview Avenue, this full- and half-day camp is for kids ages 5 to 12 who are new to or experienced in martial arts. Along with learning and mastering cool martial arts moves, kids participate in crafts, outdoor activities, special workshops, and weekly field trips. www.leasidemartialarts.com.

The Arts Shining Stars Performing Arts – located at 852 Eglinton Avenue East, *Body Sculpt* *Stretch* this musical theatre camp is offered *Dance Jam* *Chair* for three individual weeks in August *Body Blast* *Pilates* for kids aged 4 to 12. Each week, *Body Conditioning* campers will work on acting skills, choreography, participate in vocal ***ONE WEEK FREE TRIAL*** classes, build sets and props, and will th present their show at the end of the Spring Term begins April 8 week. Campers get a pizza lunch on Sign up prior to start for 10% off the Friday of each week. www.shin(new members only) ingstarsperformingarts.com.

Canadian Contemporary School of Art – located at 109 Vanderhoof, Proudly CCSA is offering full and halfTHE Presents day camps for kids 5 to 12. With amazingly creative weekly themes, kids will have a myriad of opportunities to keep their imaginations SENIORS Residential active Homes through multiple art activities.

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Properties Bravo Academy – located in Leaside A Civic Engagement Series Investment Presbyterian Real Estate Church, this full-day musical theatre program is offered SPRING SESSION: Financing Specialists three individual weeks in July for

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Cooking The Loft at Longo’s – release your child’s inner chef with Longo’s summer cooking camp. Kids 6 and up will learn kitchen basics working as a team to create culinary masterpieces which they have the opportunity to taste and take home along with the recipes for each dish. Camps run from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. www.longos.com/store/loft.

Pets Pawsitively Pets – located at Northlea United Church at 125 Brentcliffe Road, Pawsitively Pets runs a fun, educational, hands-on animal summer camp for campers 4-14 years old. The program includes different animals for hands-on experience, as well as a variety of animal enrichment and art projects and outdoor multi-sport activities. Fullday camps are offered for all age ranges with half-day options for kids 4 to 5 years old. www.pawsitivelypetskidscamp.com.

Coding RP4K – located at Leaside United Residential Homes Church, RP4K gives kids ages 7 to Commercial Properties 17 full or half-day hardcore, intense, Real Estate and fun coding campsInvestment which focus Financing Specialists

CAMPS Page 14

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SHUTTERSTOCK

Leaside Life • April 2019

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kids aged 7 to 12. Campers will have hands-on experience in all aspects of producing a musical from backstage Residential Homes to onstage. www.bravoacademy.ca.

Commercial Properties Turning Pointe – located at 105 Investment Real Estate Vanderhoof Avenue, Turning Pointe offers half day camps for 4 to 7Specialists year Financing olds and full day camps for 6 to 13 year olds. Programs include hip hop, acrobatics, cheer, musical theatre, and general fun camps for the younger kids. www.turningpointe.ca.

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HOLY WEEK AND EASTER ST. AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY

Leaside Life • April 2019

Palm Sunday ~ April 14

Family-friendly procession and Eucharist at 10:30am

Maundy Thursday ~ April 18 Light meal and Eucharist to remember the Last Supper at 6:00pm

Good Friday ~ April 19

Family-friendly way of the cross at 10:30am

Holy Saturday ~ April 20 Community Easter Egg Hunt at 11:00am

Easter Sunday ~ April 21 Sung Eucharist at 10:30am

1847 Bayview Avenue I 416-485-2656 I saintaugustine.ca

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Camps...

From Page 12 solely on teaching game programming. Campers learn real programming without using game-making software with a ratio of a maximum of four students per instructor. www.kidsprograms.ca/ location/rp4k-toronto-leaside-united-church-of-real-programming-4kids-rp4k.

Maker Kids – located at 1661 Bayview, Maker Kids offer fullday camps for kids in grades 1 to 8. Weekly themes include coding, robotics, and Minecraft. Games and park time are also included to break up the day. https://makerkids.com/ leaside.

Cultural Experiences AND Money Savviness Explorer Hop – located at St. Cuthbert’s Church, this unique camp features three individual camp options for kids aged 10 to 14, and one for kids 7 to 10. Camps for 10 to 14-year-olds are divided into ones on entrepreneurial skills, managing and investing money, and the fundamentals of law. Around the World in 5 Days camps for the 7 to 10-year-old set allow kids to learn about various cultures through art, music, sports, and other activities.

Leaside Life readers using the code SUMMERFUN30 will receive a $30 discount off each camp. https:// explorerhop.com/products/campmillionaire-kids-learn-about-money-summer-camp-ages-10-14.

General Summer Camps Northlea Community Day Care – located at Northlea School, this fullday camp for kids who were enrolled in JK to Grade 6 in this current school year (2018-19) offers a vast array of activities. From swimming at the Holland Bloorview pool to Let’s Talk Science, Sportball, BPC Art, Synergy Martial Arts lessons, and more. https://northleachildcare.com/ summer-programs.

Rolph Road/Leaside Daycare – located at Rolph Road School, this full-day camp for kids ages 4 to 12 presents a broad range of opportunities including swimming, field trips, sports, Mystic Drums, arts and crafts and lots more. https://leasidedaycare.com.

With fun to be had right in the neighbourhood, summer can truly be the most wonderful time of the year. ■

Clean Leaside, clean the world!

Cheryl Vanderburg Leaside Litterati

on Laird to support this effort by coming out to cheer on our crew of volunteer litter-picker-uppers as they march north toward Eglinton for such a great cause.”

There are many ways to make litter picking fun. A friend, knowing I’m a litter nerd, gave me a game called Rubbish Bingo.

It’s a set of cards with pictures of litter each with a point value. You share the cards, go searching for your items, and the person/team with the most points wins.

Use social media to create a “Leaside litter happening.” Tweet your photos to @leasidelife, @jayerobinson, #cleanleasidetogether, #cleantorontotogether.

Join the worldwide community collecting, identifying and mapping the world's litter through an app called Litterati. Simply install Litterati on your smartphone, pho-

tograph trash as you pick it up and tag the company that produced it.

The trash is geotagged to provide insight into problem areas. The most commonly found brands and products are identified, and Litterati uses the data to work with those companies to find more sustainable solutions. To try it out, I went to Trace Manes Park and used the app to photograph and tag a discarded Tim Hortons cup. Then I went to the map on their website – litterati.org – searched for Trace Manes Park, and could see my item as well as a plastic bag someone else had tagged. I was also able to download my data to a spreadsheet so I can track what I find. There are currently 20 countries using this app, and Canada already has more than 34,000 people registered.

Over 2.5 million pieces of trash have been collected to date with the top four tagged being plastic, cigarettes, paper and cans.

Join Greenpeace to resolve the plastic pollution crisis (globally we produce nearly 300 million tons of plastic waste every year) by calling out companies over single-use products. Simply post a photo or video to social media, tag the brand (e.g. @cocacola), and use the hashtag #IsThisYours? or #breakfreefromplastic to let companies know you’re calling them out for polluting the planet with throwaway plastic.

If litter picking isn’t your thing, spend the weekend reducing your own litter-producing consumption.

Drink tap water, use your reusable coffee mug, say no to takeout, refuse a plastic straw, and so on.

As a community, we can all do our part in our own way to make this year’s cleanup the biggest and most successful ever! ■

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Leaside Life • April 2019

Toronto’s 16th annual spring cleanup, Clean Toronto Together, takes place April 26-28. Will you join me in blitzing Leaside?

The 20-Minute Corporate Makeover is a terrific way for local businesses to show their commitment to a cleaner, greener Leaside. The School Cleanup Day provides a fun and active way for students and staff to freshen up our schoolyards. And for residents, simply select your favourite park, ravine or public space; ask your family and friends to join you; and register your cleanup by emailing cleantoronto@toronto.ca for free supplies and litter pickup. With so many helping hands, we can accomplish a lot together!

Last year many Leasiders contributed, including schools, church groups, the Bayview-Leaside BIA, Leaside Business Park, baseball teams, dog walkers and families.

Let’s make this year even bigger and better. My family will be sure Trace Manes Park is clean as a whistle for all the great spring and summer activities. We will also be joining the board and staff at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens for their first annual cleanup on Sunday, April 28, 10 a.m.-noon.

Volunteers will meet and check in at the main entrance of the arena, begin by cleaning up the parking lot and grassy areas around the perimeter, and then move north on Laird to clean up the commercial areas and public spaces. A board member told me “our ambition is to make the east boundary of Leaside clean and welcoming for all who enter our neighbourhood from that side.

There is a great deal of pride in Leaside and we need to let that pride shine. We welcome businesses

Dirty words and dirty hands: pumping gas on Bayview I’ve already written in this space about my first part-time job at Gyro Motors when I was 15 years old. So why not leave it there when I could carry on and regale you with stories of my second part-time job? Well, there are plenty of reasons, but with my deadline approaching, I’m turning a deaf ear to all of them.

Those Leaside veterans among you may recall that during the ’70s and into the early ’80s, the intersection of Bayview and Millwood sported not one, but two gas stations.

There was Don Verity’s Esso on the southeast corner, and a Shell on the southwest corner duking it out in a knockdown, drag ‘em out battle for the chance to fill up your tank, check your oil, and clean your windshield.

Today, neither gas station exists and hasn’t for many years.

I was an Esso supporter then, largely because of their longstanding sponsorship of Hockey Night in Canada and their Esso Power Players, a promotion that earned you collectible NHL hockey stickers to paste into an album with every fill-up. My brother Tim and I spent much of our free time trying to persuade Dad that even though we still had half a tank, we should immediately drive down to the Esso station to top it up, just to be safe. So Esso

Terry Fallis Columnist

got my vote. Besides, the Shell on the west side of Bayview technically wasn’t even in Leaside and had no hockey connection.

When I was 16 years old and after Gyro Motors closed the gas station they operated to devote the entire enterprise to selling and repairing cars, I snared a part-time gig at Don Verity’s Esso. This meant just a short two-block walk from home.

I worked every day after school from 4:00-7:00 and then 8:00-7:00 Saturdays. In the summers, I worked 11 hours a day, six days a week. I loved working at that gas station.

All the guys who worked there – the owner, the licensed and apprentice

LENTEN & EASTER SERVICES Join us at Leaside United Church on

April 14th at 10:30 am April 19th at 10:30 am A Service of loss and love with Heinrich Schutz’s Seven Last Words of Christ

April 21st at 10:30 am

822 Millwood Road (at McRae) Toronto, ON M4G 1W4 Tel: 416-425-1253 Web: www.leasideunited.org

For information about other Services and events, please see our website.

mechanics, the veteran gas-jockey who was in his 70s, and the other part-timers like me – were fun to be around.

They were hilarious, helpful, and they dramatically expanded my vocabulary. Yes, I learned more about the universe of profanity than I’d ever known before. As someone who even then was interested in words, I had no idea that my grasp of cuss, curse, swear, and generally off-colour words had been so limited. But despite my sheltered upbringing in Leaside, I was a quick learner. There was an entirely different language at the gas station that took me a while to understand. I was struck by how quickly gas station English morphed into regular everyday English as soon as a customer walked in the door to pick up their car or buy a quart of oil. The quick switch occurred with such speed I was surprised none of us ever pulled a muscle. The challenge for me was to turn off my work vocabulary when I got home.

There were a few uncomfortable incidents early on, but with practice, I managed to leave certain words at the gas station.

And not just our language was dirty. My hands would get so filthy with oil, grease, grime and brake dust, that despite using industrial hand cleansers that seemed to mix gritty abrasives with some kind of acid, I simply could not get my hands clean. For two years my hands were perpetually dirty.

But I loved that job and the people I worked for and with. I enjoyed talking to the customers as I filled their tank, checked their oil, and perfected my windshield squeegee technique that eventually became hall-of-fame-worthy, if I do say so myself. One of my favourite parts of the job was just after we closed the pumps for the night at 7:00 when I would proceed to “do the dips.” It involved checking the levels in the large underground gas storage tanks using what was essentially a 12-ft. dipstick. It was tricky and required a light hand and a deft touch. I took pride in my “dips” technique.

I lament that the word “dipstick” has since become a term of derision.

What I remember most about my time as a gas jockey at Don Verity’s Esso at Millwood and Bayview was just how much we laughed.

We worked hard, but man, did we have fun. ■

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City says Leaside is okay, but are we really?

Would it bother you if I told you Leaside placed eighth out of 140 in a City of Toronto ranking, just ahead of Rosedale but behind Lawrence Park and Forest Hill? Well, it would if this were the type of ranking where, like golf and cholesterol, the lowest scores win.

In this instance, the City used the Urban HEART @Toronto team to calculate a neighbourhood equity score as part of the 2020 Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy.

The strategy was detailed in a 2014 staff action report recommending that Council adopt these scores to determine which neighbourhoods would be designated “NIAs” or Neighbourhood Improvement Areas, and thus prioritize access to community funding. According to the report, the five key areas measured included: economic opportunities (30), social development (28), healthy lives (30), participation in decision-making (5), and physical surroundings (7).

The figures in brackets indicate the number of points out of 100 that contributed to the overall score.

There are certainly several neigh-

Glenn Asano The Business of Leaside

bourhoods in Toronto that warrant City funding based on these scores, which ranged from 21 to 92 (Leaside scored 86). As a result, the City budgeted $12 million for infrastructure improvements in targeted NIAs to be distributed through 2018 and an additional $300k of community funding to support emerging needs.

In my opinion, however, the theoretical framework underpinning the evaluation is not a useful tool to benchmark a neighbourhood’s overall level of “neighbourhood equity” until the definition of just what type of equity we are talking about is made clear. In this case, the City used the “Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool” developed by the World Health Organization to help cities and their communities resolve health and

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social inequalities. So, for gauging the relative strength of a neighbourhood’s condition as it pertains to social and health matters, this particular score might be useful. However, as it pertains to its ability to assess “economic opportunities,” I believe this iteration of a neighbourhood equity score falls short.

The three indicators chosen to represent the measure of economic opportunities were unemployment, low income, and social assistance.

All appear, I think, to be symptoms of the inability to create or capitalize on opportunities available to a neighbourhood and do not reflect the relationships among community-level phenomena nor the effects of community attributes on individual outcomes.

Strong neighbourhoods – only beneficial if they remain strong Why does this matter to Leasiders?

To start, the City must recognize that Leaside’s neighbourhood equity ranking should not be used to guide decision-making outside the purpose it was designed for (i.e. addressing social inequality). For example, if the City were to mistakenly deprioritize support for continued economic development based solely on the Urban HEART @Toronto scores, then the prospect of renewal and continued growth that underpins a thriving community like Leaside may not be as bright. Second, the availability of economic opportunities should not be taken for granted. Individuals and communities must be able to create and recognize opportunities for themselves, and then demonstrate the ability and motivation to take advantage of those opportunities when they arise.

A great number of opportunities available to individuals are not ‘place-based’. Individuals in all neighbourhoods can learn and be inspired to achieve. In fact, these entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities need to be cultivated within all of Toronto’s 140 neighbourhoods so each specific community can, over time, thrive on its own.

Last month I wrote about the changes taking place in the world as a result of scientific and technological advances and how we might better position ourselves to take advantage of those changes. Last year I wrote about the need to coordinate all the “talent” (i.e. human capability) here in Leaside, many of whom work

from home. These are two examples where we could use strategic support from the City to fully actualize the potential. Whether by policy or investment, an economically thriving Leaside community would be capable of creating employment and self-supporting leadership that would benefit the City for years to come.

Do you know how the LSI closed in 2018?

I’m referring to the composite index that gives us an indication of Leaside’s current ‘state’ or condition. Seeking advice from the original Leaside Stock Index’s creator, I reached out to Leaside Life’s emeritus business columnist Will Ashworth to pay my respects. If you recall, Will created the index as a tongue-in-cheek way to engage our community by using a relatively simple measure to point to advances or declines in our community. Were we to refine the index (i.e. blow it up and start again), what do you think we should measure in order to make a general assessment of Leaside’s condition? The health of our residents? Our economic strength and the development of future prospects? Our personal safety? Our willingness to give? Our level of engagement? The list could go on and on.

To add to the challenge, not only do we need to determine what should be measured, but what data would be available to do so.

Our emeritus columnist agreed to ponder the question and I intend to collect input from him and a host of others in our community with the goal of creating the Leaside Strength Index. The new LSI will measure Leaside’s ‘neighbourhood equity’ score in a way that is more useful to us than the City’s initial attempt.

I envision being able to answer the question: How is Leaside doing, on a regular basis, using a methodologically sound research design? This would give us something we could reliably point to when it comes to identifying areas of improvement that would benefit the community as a whole. Especially when it comes to seeking a reasonable share of support from the City – since strong neighbourhoods are only beneficial to the City if they remain strong – LEASIDE STRONG! How does Toronto’s economic and development growth plan affect Leaside? What should we measure when we calculate the Leaside Strength Index? How strong is Leaside today? Let us know at leasidelife@gmail.com. ■

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Leaside Life • April 2019

EQUITY SCORE continued

Leaside Life • April 2019

20

Community Environment Day to be held on May 9th In 2017, the City of Toronto diverted 395,907 tonnes of residential waste from landfill. This substantial waste diversion is supported by successful City programs including blue bin recycling, green bin organics, yard waste, household hazardous waste, grasscycling, and backyard composting. Notably, City staff have also identified Community Environment Days as an important initiative to divert waste from the landfill – my Ward 15 Environment Day will be held on Thurs., May 9, 4-8p.m. at Leaside Memorial Gardens.

The combined residential waste diversion rate in 2017 was 53%, one per cent higher than 2016. These statistics are collected and published as key performance metrics for the City’s Long Term Waste Management Strategy (LTWMS), a plan to guide waste management in Toronto for the next 30 to 50 years.

As the former Chair of Public Works and Infrastructure, I introduced the LTWMS in 2016. This ambitious plan recommends strategies to promote resource conservation, reduce environmental

Jaye Robinson Councillor

Wishing you a happy

Kathleen Wynne, MPP Don Valley West

795 Eglinton Ave E., Unit 101, Toronto, ON M4G 4E4 Telephone: 416-425-6777 kathleenwynne.onmpp.ca

impacts, and maximize the value of items before disposal. The LTWMS commits the City to a 70% longterm waste diversion target and supports our move towards a circular economy and zero-waste future.

A circular economy moves away from the current “take, make, and dispose” waste system to emphasize City services that reduce reliance on non-renewable resources, reduce waste, and optimize resource life cycles.

Despite the progress we've made in the last two years, many recyclable and compostable materials continue to be disposed of in the garbage. For example, City staff estimate that almost 40% of the 500,000 tonnes of residential garbage sent to the landfill every year is organic material that should be put in the green bin.

I would encourage you to bring your non-landfill items to my Environment Day for proper disposal or re-use. Alternatively, I will be hosting an earlier Environment Day in the north part of Ward 15 at York Mills Collegiate (490 York Mills Road) on Saturday, April 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Environment Day is a great opportunity to clear out items found during spring cleaning such as used electronics and household hazardous waste. You can bring everything from old computer equipment to compact and fluorescent light bulbs for disposal and recycling. You can also bring items for donation such as sporting goods, books and gently-used dishes.

City staff will also be giving out one cubic metre of compost per household – for free!

Several groups that have partnered with the City on this program will also be attending, including: • Solid Waste Management Services • Toronto Water • Live Green Toronto • 311 Toronto • Toronto Hydro • The Salvation Army I hope to see you there! ■

The new budget Rachel Chernos Lin

Monday thru Saturday 10am to 6pm Sunday Noon to 5pm

Trustee

One of the responsibilities of TDSB trustees, as laid out in the Education Act, is to pass an annual balanced budget. The last two budgets were fairly straightforward; they were status quo budgets, and as such, stayed largely the same.

This year’s budget will be different — for two reasons. First, last June our board passed a Multi-Year Strategic Plan to guide our work.

As a result, our budget this year will have to align with and support that plan. Second, we are anticipating changes to our funding from the provincial government that most of us here at the TDSB expect will require tough budgetary decisions.

Families, as well as staff and trustees, must be prepared to deal with these.

To that end, as part of this year’s budget process, staff have scheduled 10 extra meetings with trustees in addition to the regular Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee (FBEC) meetings. Through these meetings, which have already begun, staff and trustees have tentatively established strategic drivers.

These are being presented for public consultation through ward forums during the month of March. Ward 11’s budget ward forum took place at Hodgson Middle School on March 7. For those who missed it, be aware that FBEC and special budget sessions with trustees are videotaped, and both these and materials presented at ward forums are available to the public on the TDSB website.

We value the public’s feedback and encourage everyone to fill out the 2019-2020 Community Budget Survey. Please make your voice heard about your budget priorities on our website at www.tdsb.on.ca. ■

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If you ever wondered why vanilla is so expensive, it might interest you to know that almost all vanilla produced today is pollinated by human hands. What’s more, the technique for doing so was invented in 1841 by a 12-year-old boy named Edmund Albius.

Children don’t know that soil contains microbes that help to strengthen their immune system.

They don’t know why being with nature improves their focus to make them alert and curious or why plants make them feel so happy.

But the Leaside Garden Society does know how gardening benefits the physical, mental and emotional well-being of children, and that’s why for the past two decades, they’ve been helping kids connect to nature with their Junior Garden Program.

One project, in partnership with the Toronto Botanical Gardens, involves taking classes from Thorncliffe Park Public School to spend a half day at the TBG teaching garden. Here children are guided by a nature expert to learn about nature by being with nature.

Another project happens in early June when Grade 3 students from Bessborough, Northlea and St. Anselm head out to plant up 12 community garden beds with 2,000 annuals.

I’ve seen pictures from last year, showing these kids digging, and it’s easy to see their energy and joy.

According to Rick Hutchings, “you can hear their enthusiasm from blocks away!”

Rick has been the LGS Junior Garden Program director for the past six years. He’s a horticultural pro bringing a wealth of experience from his own landscape company, as head landscape designer for Sheridan Nurseries and lead gardener for the City of Toronto Parks/ Rec East York. Rick is a busy guy yet he still looks forward to these junior plantings every June because “it’s so much fun!”

Why aren’t all Leaside schools involved in a gardening program?

Shouldn’t all kids have this opportunity? Apparently, it hasn’t been without trying, and Rick explained that “it seems to be up to the individual teacher to tie gardening in to the curriculum and without the dedicated teachers from these four schools, this program couldn’t happen.”

The Leaside Gardener: Debora Kuchme Columnist

There is overwhelming evidence to show that students who are exposed to outdoor learning with nature can perform better academically, that school gardens are a learning tool and should be an important part of the curriculum to promote better nutrition, overall well-being and environmental stewardship. Gardenbased learning is important in many ways, for every student from JK to high school and beyond. Yet I’m aware of only one teaching garden at Thorncliffe Park Public School, and that Blythwood Public School is now a Bee School with their own pollinator garden.

St Anselm has been a long-time participant in the Junior Garden Program and is currently plan-

ning a new playground. Their plan includes “natural elements for imaginative play.” I’m hoping they mean a school garden.

I’m sure the Leaside Garden Society hopes so too because they are dedicated to helping the youth in our community succeed by working with nature. This year, in honour of Edna Beange (a founding member of the LGS), they will be offering their first $1,000 scholarship to a post-secondary student pursuing a horticultural-related program. For more information, visit www.gardenontario.org/site.php/leaside.

Leaside is so lucky to have the Leaside Garden Society. As for the school gardens? Rick told me that he and the LGS are 100 per cent behind this initiative and said “this type of project benefits the well-being of our kids, and we would be willing to sit down and discuss a course of action with any Leaside school willing to start one.”

Here’s to school gardens in Leaside!

Visit leasidelife.com to read the extended version of this article. ■

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Leaside Life • April 2019

Leaside’s Junior Garden Program connects kids to nature

North Toronto Sewage Treatment Plant – below the radar, yet a vital utility

Leaside Life • April 2019

24

The last time Leasider Gordon Champion visited North Toronto Treatment Plant (NTTP) was after Hurricane Hazel in 1954. He went there as a service engineer with the Montreal engineering firm that was the agent for the manufacturer of the “reciprocating compressors” or blowers (similar to pumps but blowing not pumping). The plant was flooded, causing the compressors to spew sewage, not air, to the tanks! You can imagine the job he was required to do. Now, 65 years later, he’s proud that those same compressors that he cleaned and serviced are still in operation. The pumps are, in fact, the same ones that were installed when the plant was first constructed in 1929.

They’re kept around because they were built to last, and have been well maintained over the years.

Located at the bottom of the Don River Valley, right below the Loblaws mega-store off Redway Road, the NTTP is part of a hidden Toronto, off-limits, out of the way, and not

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Gordon Champion standing with the compressors manufactured

by Bellis and Morcom Ltd. of Birmingham, UK (still in business!)

For all your health and beauty needs, come and visit our TWO convenient locations.

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open to the public. Unseen yet a life-critical utility. Today it handles raw sewage and storm water coming from 3,000 residential and industrial acres, covering Leaside, North Toronto, and more, an area with a population of 55,000. Altogether, it handles 25 million litres per day, the equivalent of 10 Olympic swimming pools, through a series of process stages involving physical, chemical and biological treatments.

The North Toronto Treatment Plan is one of several legacy projects of R.C. Harris, Toronto’s legendary Commissioner of Public Works (others are the water treatment plant on Queen Street in the Beach that bears his name, and the Prince Edward Viaduct). In 2012, John Lorinc described its origins: “When North Toronto residents threatened to de-amalgamate over complaints about inadequate sewage treatment in the late 1920s, Mr. Harris responded by building the North Toronto Sewage Treatment Plant, nestled in the Don Valley. It still operates”.

The NTTP dodged a bullet in the 1990s when a proposal to close it was reversed. Although the NTTP is small in comparison to the Ashbridges Bay plant, it serves another purpose – to maintain flow in the Don River in summer. And the water quality of the effluent is better than what’s coming from upstream.

But change is coming. The City’s Wet Weather Flow Master Plan (WWFMP), approved by City Council in 2003 is a 25-year plan to improve water quality and aquatic habitats in Toronto’s watercourses and along Toronto’s Inner Harbour.

Construction at the North Toronto Treatment Plant will involve the building of an underground tunnel shaft to capture and store combined sewer overflows during extreme wet weather events until it can be transported to the Ashbridges Bay Wastewater Treatment plant (via the Coxwell Bypass Tunnel).

This massive capital investment is being paid for by Toronto Water’s “rate-supported” above-inflation increases of two years of 8% increases (2015-2016), followed by two years of 5% increases (20172018). This year the increase is 3%.

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Sewage Plant...

From Page 24 the visit was not complete without a look at the architecture of the buildings. In my opinion the main NTTP buildings are heritage-potential, inside and out. Outside, the walls are the red brick typical of Leaside and North Toronto. Inside there is the same glazed yellow brick with rounded edges (made at the Don Valley Brickworks) that you see inside the iconic R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant. For Gordon it’s about engineering – he thinks the tanks and compressors are just fine – they’ve practically lasted a lifetime!

Acknowlegements and thanks to Ellen Leesti, Strategic Communications, and David Dickson, Plant Process & Operations, Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant. ■

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By the time you read this, spring should be, if not fully sprung, then at least springing!

The terrible condition of our streets, both residential and arterial, has become all too clear. Potholes and broken water mains abound.

But not all of the damage is weather-related. In our part of the city, heavy construction vehicles associated with Leaside’s renovation boom are much to blame.

Last month, Councillor Jaye Robinson proposed a fee policy that would allow the city to charge developers on a cost-recovery basis for the congestion their projects create.

Has the time come to go beyond charging just for congestion, and to require an additional set of fees for damage caused to our road surfaces?

At the LPOA’s March board meeting, we discussed the need for enforceable neighbourhood character rules for Leaside streetscapes.

The LPOA frequently assists homeowners opposed to inappropriate development next door or on their street. The designs we currently rely

Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LPOA

on to define and protect the ‘look’ of Leaside at Committee of Adjustment meetings were drawn up some years ago and are merely guidelines. The City never officially endorsed them, and as a result the Committee of Adjustment routinely ignores them.

Until Leaside’s neighbourhood character is officially recognized by the City, we will continue to have an uphill fight. We intend to formally make a new case for the City to approve consistent and historically accurate design criteria.

At our March meeting we also discussed potential impacts on Leaside of the provincial government’s recent public musings about increasing revenue generation by rezoning the areas around LRT stations for high-density, high-rise develop-

Councillor Jaye Robinson and City of Toronto

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Reuse, Recycle and Safely Dispose of unwanted items at a Community Environment Day!

ment. The two Leaside area stations at Bayview Avenue and Laird Drive could well be affected if these trial balloons, if that’s what they are, become a reality. Toronto would be required to amend its official plan to agree with provincial policy. The implications for Leaside would be major, and should concern us all.

Once the LRT construction is finished and the line is operating (yes, that day will come) a big question remains: How much surface transit will remain available along Eglinton? Our sources tell us the TTC is hoping to significantly reduce bus frequency along Eglinton, under the theory that the LRT alone will be able to accommodate most of the riders currently using the Eglinton, Leslie, and Leaside buses.

I have written to Councillor Robinson asking that the LPOA be involved when the TTC considers bus route changes affecting Leaside.

Unless adequate numbers of buses along Eglinton remain in service, the lengthy distances between LRT stations (Laird to Bayview; Bayview to Mount Pleasant) will actually reduce local residents’ access to public transit.

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Our next monthly LPOA Board meeting is on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3rd, at 7:30 p.m., in the Trace Manes building. Board meetings are always open to the public.

We invite you to attend. For more information, visit https://lpoa.ca. ■

Bring it, Toronto!

Donate items in good condition for reuse: • • • • •

Sporting goods Arts and crafts supplies Books (excluding textbooks) Cameras, CDs and cases Dress-up clothing and costume jewelry • Clothing, linens, etc.

• Small household items • Musical instruments, board games • Eyeglasses, walking aids, hearing aids, etc.

• Non-perishable foods

Pick up for free: • Leaf compost: *New for 2019 compost will come in 15 kg bags (limit of two bags per household, while supplies last)

Products available: • Kitchen Container ($5 each) Please do not bring: ink cartridges or toner, construction waste, air conditioners, garbage, wood, cassette and videotapes, commercial/industrial hazardous waste and scrap metal.

For more information on waste disposal, download the TOwaste app at toronto.ca/wasteapp toronto.ca/environment_days

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