Leaside Life Issue 79 December 2018

D E C E M B E R 2018

Leaside Life

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

leasidelife.com

No. 79

Columnist Allan Williams interviews LEASIDE LIFE EXCLUSIVE!

MPP Kathleen Wynne Her life now and her plans for Don Valley West • Page 13

Kathleen and her partner Jane with the grandkids.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

LEASIDE MEN PLAY SANTA FOR KIDS IN NEED • PG. 2

ROCKIN’ RADIO PERSONALITY STU JEFFRIES • PG. 6

LEASIDERS TOUR LOST RIVERS • PG. 24

ARE YOU PAYING A LEASIDE TAX? PG. 18 LEASIDE HOUSE STYLES PART III PG. 28 REEFER MADNESS IN LEASIDE? PG. 31 CYCLING WARRIORS PG. 34 AND MUCH MORE!!

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

Unique Gifts for Nature Lovers of All Ages

Leaside Life • December 2018

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15 years’ strong for the Leaside Community Toy Drive and Men’s Night Out

Max and Jamie with Alistair Baxter of Lexus on the Park.

L-R: Organizers Jeff Hohner, Ed Wong, Mike Zivot and Daryn Everett with some of their loot.

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO

900 Don Mills Road (at Barber Greene Blvd)

416-646-2439 www.UrbanNatureStore.ca

SAVE THE DATE! Laugh Out Loud In Leaside #10 A Community Fundraiser March 1st, 2019

The Leaside Community Toy Drive and Men’s Night Out. The name of the event may seem long. But the aim of the evening is simple, yet extraordinary.

Since 2004, a group of men have gathered in Leaside each fall to

bond and collect toys for kids in underserved areas of the city.

The group, organized initially by Leasider Daryn Everett, donated toys to the CHUM Christmas Wish program in its first year.

After two years working with the CHUM program, the organizers of the Men’s Night Out decided they

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! What better time of year to pause and celebrate the spirit of giving back. Together over the last 9 years we have raised over $600,000 for local initiatives and charities that serve our greater community. I am excited to continue these efforts in the coming year through Laugh Out Loud in Leaside’s 10th fundraiser, benefitting New Circles.

I am grateful to be a part of our kind-hearted community, and I would like to express my appreciation for your ongoing support.

From my family to yours, warmest wishes for a joyful season and a happy and prosperous New Year!

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wanted to make a direct impact in their own community and, with the assistance of Jon Burnside, teamed up with Ahmed Hussein at the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office to distribute toys to approximately 250 kids.

Since then, the number of Leasiders attending the event has grown exponentially, and the group has donated literally tens of thousands of toys to children across the city.

Organizers Everett, Jeff Hohner, Edward Wong, Mike Zivot, and Lisa Lefebvre work year-round on the event, and having learned from what they refer to as “lots of learning curves along the way,” now provide toys to every single child in all six schools in Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park.

Last year, Hohner ecstatically announced, “We’re going to need a bigger truck!” Thanks to a donation

by Hal Spradling at All-Canadian Storage, the group had access to that bigger vehicle, making their drop-off process a lot easier.

To celebrate the 15th anniversary, the organizers would love to appeal to all men in the community to join them this December 6th at 7:30 p.m. at the

Leaside Pub to meet neighbours, and help raise even more money to ensure every child in the six Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park schools receives a toy again this year.

The event is an extremely fun evening with men ranging in age from young singles to distinguished retirees in attendance. Tickets are $25 at the door with additional monies raised through a raffle, live and silent auctions, and generous individual and corporate donors.

The group is aiming to generate over $25,000 this year to purchase toys for the almost 5,000 kids in the schools, many of whom live in deep poverty.

While the group is thankful for all donations, they ask for financial support only (rather than donations of toys). Cash, cheques, and e-transfers are accepted at the event (unfortunately, no credit cards).

If you can’t attend on Dec. 6th but would like to support this initiative, the organizers would appreciate financial support or silent auction items.

Visit the GoFund Me page: https:// www.gofundme.com/leaside-community-toy-drive or contact leasidetoydrive@gmail.com to contribute or become a sponsor. Visit www.leasidetoydrive.ca for complete info. ■

CHRISTMAS AT

LEASIDE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Sunday, December 9th at 10:30 a.m.

Church School Christmas Pageant & Happy Birthday Jesus Party

Sunday, December 16th at 10:30 a.m.

Service of Lessons and Carols Monday, December 24th 7:30 p.m.

Christmas Eve Service Leaside Presbyterian Church 670 Eglinton Ave. E. Toronto ON M4G 2K4 www.leasidepresbyterianchurch.ca

XMAS DOGS

b ro ker

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Leaside Life • December 2018

TOY DRIVE, continued

LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS

Pat Cole-Sayliss’s window on the park

Leaside Life • December 2018

by JANIS FERTUCK “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Trace Manes, for the sports, entertainment, fun and tranquility.” The speaker is Pat Cole-Sayliss, who has lived across the street from the park, or nearby, for the last 77 years. Leaside Life sat down with Pat, who recounted some of her fondest memories of park life.

Pat was seven when the Sayliss family moved to Rumsey Road from Montreal in 1941. She stayed until she got married and moved to Parkhurst Blvd., taking up residence there again in 1993 to look after her mother.

In those early days, Millwood Park, as it was called, consisted mostly of dirt and grass until the Leaside Lions opened a playground there in 1939, providing equipment and paying the supervisor, often a teacher. Pat, her brothers and the other 47 children who lived on the two blocks of Rumsey from Millwood to McRae enjoyed hours of fun there.

This influx led to the growth of sporting activities to occupy the children. Soon there was a baseball diamond, and the Leaside Bantam Team, sponsored by St. Cuthbert’s Church, won the city championship in 1945. There was also a Men’s Industrial League that played at night and featured teams from such Leaside companies as Canada Wire and Lincoln Electric.

Other sports included hockey and skating to music at night on the rink, which stayed frozen all winter in those days. Then Pat’s father, Matt Sayliss (a new Sports Hall of Fame inductee) organized the tennis club, and the locals started playing tennis on the grass before the asphalt courts opened in 1948.

Another highlight for Pat and her friends was the annual Leaside Lions Carnival held for a week in June and featuring a parade, rides, booths and bingo, all to raise funds for their various charities.

Pat recalls all of these activities and the opening of the Leaside Library

JANIS FERTUCK

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in 1950 as a special time with “the park bringing people together to create a sense of community with lots of fun, happiness and sharing.”

By then, the park had been renamed to honour a former Leaside mayor, Trace Manes.

SAYLISS, Page 33

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Leaside Life • December 2018

Published once a month in Leaside, Toronto ON,

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Leaside Life • December 2018

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BENNINGTON PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS

Stu Jeffries – still rockin’ the airwaves

by SUE BARRETT “Have you heard the news? There’s been Good Rockin’ Tonite!”

If you were a kid born in the mid to late ’60s or early ’70s like me, that line might be familiar. Every Friday night there was one show you wouldn’t want to miss. If you had plans to be out you made sure you had a tape in the VHS or Betamax and set it to record.

That show was CBC’s Good Rockin’ Tonite, which played all the latest music videos and did interviews with the hottest recording artists of the day. The show’s host from 1985 until 1993 was a cute blonde guy named Stu Jeffries.

Fast-forward 27 years; it’s September 2012. I’m in the playground at Bennington Heights School; my son is about to start Grade 6 at his new school. We had recently moved from Leaside to Bennington Heights. In the schoolyard I see a face that looks somewhat familiar, a tad older, a little less hair, but still familiar. Who is this

guy? Where have I seen him before? A week or so later I get the class list and there’s my answer: it’s Stu Jeffries! His eldest son is in my son’s class.

Stu is a veteran of the Canadian radio and television industry, starting his career at the age of 18 in Stu and his Yorkton, Sask., as three sons. the overnight host for CJGX. Stu attended broadcast school in Winnipeg at the now defunct National Institute of Broadcasting.

Over the years, Stu moved up and down the radio dial, moving between western cities, living in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Regina and Vancouver while working in both radio and television, many times concurrently.

His ultimate goal was to make it to Toronto, a goal he achieved in 1997.

Until 2008 Stu was best known for his eight-year stint as host of CBC’s

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Rock Video show Good Rockin’ Tonite. At GRT, Stu had the enviable job of interviewing music icons such as Paul McCartney, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Bryan Adams, and Mariah Carey as well as film legends including Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Matt Damon and Meryl Streep.

Stu is currently the morning host on boom 97.3, a job where he will be celebrating his 10th anniversary in early 2019. Through boom, Stu has become involved with Make-A-Wish and each morning a listener plays The Stu Jeffries Thousand Dollar MakeA-Wish Minute. In the last two years he has helped to raise $172,000 through the generosity of boom 97.3 listeners and corporate donors.

Stu’s television career included hosting duties for more than a dozen national shows on all major Canadian networks. His personality and versatility as a host were reflected in the variety of programs he hosted, from kids’ shows (CBC’s Switchback) to sports talk shows (Global’s Million Dollar Ice Picks), the Commonwealth Games, and as a VJ at Country Music Television (CMT) to name a few.

In 1997, at a CMT function, Stu met his beautiful wife Anne. They married in August of 1999. Together they have three sons. Ben, 17, is in Grade 12 at Northern Secondary School. Leo, 15, is in Grade 10 at Leaside High School, and Sam, 12, is in Grade 7 at Bessborough Drive Elementary and Middle School.

Millie the Border Collie is the other member of the family.

In 2019 Stu will celebrate his 40th year in the broadcast industry. As long as he has a microphone and audience he’ll be rockin’ the airwaves. ■

LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS

Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, 1993. Bob, 50, is the first person to swim the entire lake.

LEASIDE SPORTS

C

elebrate

Christmas Memorial Service

Saturday, December 22 at 4 pm Christmas service with pageant with communion

where all children can join in Monday, December 24 at 4 pm Candlelight Communion services

with choir Monday, December 24 at 8 pm and at 10:30 pm Christmas Communion Service with Carols

Tuesday, December 25 at 9 am

CO

ME CON N

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When someone tells you they climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro just for “something to do,” you know you’re not dealing with your New Year’s resolution “athlete.”

Bob Weir, in fact, is nowhere near your average athlete. Weir has climbed mountains, paddled rivers, run roads, and swum lakes. LOTS of lakes.

He was born in Winnipeg and at a young age was taught to swim by his champion diver dad. At the family cottage on Lake Winnipeg, Weir spent hours in the water and, at age 9, joined a swim team. By age 10, Weir was winning golds in every stroke in every race provincially, and continued his winning ways through his teen years and into university.

Weir’s interest in distance swimming was first piqued when, at the age of 11, he witnessed Kathie McIntosh swim across Lake Winnipeg. In 1962, at 19, he successfully took on the 29 km himself.

With one lake under his belt, Weir had officially caught the distance-swimming bug and the following year became the first person ever to swim across the 55-km Lake Manitoba.

With a university degree in hand, Weir spent the summer of 1964 on the professional circuit and raced in four lakes in Quebec.

But the road called and Weir set off across the pond (he didn’t swim this one!) and hitchhiked in Europe. He eventually landed in

London with Wood Gundy, and then his job ultimately brought him back to Canada and to Leaside in 1971. Weir purchased a home on Cameron Crescent and has lived there ever since.

Soon after his return, he joined the Masters Swim Club of Ontario and raced in meets across North America.

But the lure of the distance swim called and in 1989, Weir became the 23rd person to cross the 52 km of Lake Ontario. Suffering a serious shoulder injury during the swim, Weir did what anyone would do the following year while waiting to recover. He ran a marathon. As his wife Joyce Curry says, “he’s stubborn.” Weir counters with, “I’m determined.”

The shoulder injury kept Weir out of distance swimming but not entirely out of the water as he continued with modified training. With his dogged determination, only one year after the marathon, Weir conquered 57 km in a swim of Lake Couchiching-Lake Simcoe. It was during this swim he displayed his incredible athleticism combined with unbelievable tenacity. After completing 32 km of the swim, Weir was forced out of the water by an electrical storm. But as he says, “you get at it and you try again.”

Incredibly, he got back into the water the very next day and starting from the very beginning, went on to swim the entire distance. This swim was followed the following year WEIR, Page 35

Monday, December 17 at 7 pm

L

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO

Carols with Friends

WE

BRYAN FINLAY

Advent & Christmas at St. Cuthbert’s, Leaside

ER SH

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ST. C UTHB ERT’S, LE ASI DE

1399 Bayview Avenue Toronto South of Davisville For info call 416-485-0329 stcuthbertsleaside.com stcuthberts@bellnet.ca

Leaside Life • December 2018

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Marathoner Bob Weir swims his way to new peaks

LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS

The shoe must go on as Caroline Spitzer takes over drive

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO Physical activity. It’s essential for developing strong bones and it lowers the risk of several diseases. It helps you keep a healthy body weight and improves mood. Importantly, for students, physical activity has been shown in study after study to improve academic achievement. But what if children don’t have access to physical activity where they spend their day?

MacKenzie Bier discovered that many of the almost 1,500 students at Thorncliffe Park Public School were unable to participate in gym class as they didn’t have proper footwear.

Then she took action. She began collecting running shoes on their behalf. In her four years at Leaside High School, Bier worked tirelessly with local residents, schools, and merchants, and collected hundreds of pairs of shoes.

This past year, with Bier off to university, Caroline Spitzer stepped up

Caroline with her collection of 110 donated pairs of shoes.

to continue the project and collected an impressive 110 pairs of shoes in the drive, which ran this past May until August.

16-year-old Spitzer, now in grade

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11, not only collected the shoes, she also washed them and scrubbed their soles and uppers. And when faced with shoelaces without aglets (the piece of metal or plastic at the end of a lace which helps keep the lace from fraying), the extremely resourceful Spitzer did a quick YouTube search and managed to make repairs.

The project, Spitzer notes, “really put things in perspective. It made me think about what I have and other kids don’t.”

As one of the five physical education teachers at Thorncliffe Park School, Tracey Hamilton notes that kids must have running shoes to participate in gym class not only for comfort and ease of movement, but also for safety, and that with Spitzer’s assistance, all kids now get to participate. The shoes are laid out in the gym and at the beginning of each class, students without running shoes can take a pair.

As Spitzer points out, though, there can never be enough shoes with 1,500 or so kids needing them in all sizes. And for the smallest kids (there are over 900 kids in JK to Grade 3), there are never enough shoes with Velcro, which are easiest for the kids and the teachers to work with.

Spitzer is extremely grateful for all the support (and shoes) she received this past spring. She’ll be working on the drive again next spring and hopes to deliver even more shoes to students. Because, at the end of the day, kids deserve (and need) the tools to play. ■

KIM SPITZER

Leaside Life • December 2018

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LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET A NEIGHBOURHOOD BUSINESS

The end of an era, new beginnings at Humphrey’s

Leaside Life • December 2018

by LORNA KRAWCHUK November 9 is an important date in the history of Humphrey Funeral Home A.W. Miles-Newbigging Chapel Limited: Bruce Humphrey finalized the sale of his family funeral home to Kim Hunter.

This family funeral home, dating from 1879, and at its Bayview location since 1955, has been in the Humphrey family for four generations, with Bruce becoming president in 1990. The business has expanded over the years, with the acquisition of two other more-orless local family funeral businesses: A.W. Miles on St. Clair and Murray E. Newbigging on Mount Pleasant.

Bruce’s grandmother lived in a

funeral home for Kim 75 years, from the Hunter time she married until she died.

Bruce himself lived above the funeral home when he was young. So, he certainly knows the business, and he says he knew from the time he was 12 that this was the Bruce place for him.

Humphrey Over the years, he has had many other directions, he decided it was offers to sell, most from chain opertime to start succession planning. ations, but he always said no. A “People don’t realize how demandcouple of years ago, with his three ing this business is, being an owner/ now-adult children deciding to go in operator.” But at the same time, he admits, “it’s not been a living, it’s been a life. It’s a calling.” So, he was very particular that he didn’t want to sell to a “faceless company” because he “really cares about who takes over” and whether that person follows the traditions of excellent service of a family-owned business.

His priority was to have someone “who knows how we do things – the difference between ‘ma/pa’ and a chain.”

Part of that tradition is being an active participant in community life. Bruce served as president of the Leaside Lions Club, as well as on various boards and professional associations. “An awful lot” of local baseball and hockey teams have benefited from Humphrey sponsorship over the past 50 years, and he expects that tradition to continue.

In Kim Hunter, he found the right person to take over the business.

Bruce now has the title of “Chairman Emeritus” and will continue “on a consultant agreement for close friends or family.”

Meet Kim Hunter, new owner of Humphrey Funeral Home Kim had an uncle and great-uncles growing up in Meaford who were in the funeral business. As a teenager, Kim spent summers in his father’s textile factory in Meaford, until he was 17, when he decided to work in the local funeral home for the summer and realized this was his calling. He became a licensed funeral director in 1976 and has since spent his whole career in Toronto.

HUMPHREY’S, Page 25

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by LORNA KRAWCHUK Recently, Andy Elder of Grilltime needed some help with his 10th anniversary celebrations. He called on a very local business to add to the fun.

Prep Fête’s the name – and it’s the brainchild of two Leaside moms brainstorming how to have some fun, make a bit of money and also make things simpler for others.

After many, many coffee shop conversations, they found their niche.

Katie Hood, with her background in event planning, and Naomi Choi, with expertise in technology, came up with Prep Fête – featuring specialty partyware and curated, themed party kits, all put together and delivered to customers. No more running all over town to get those special items.

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Leaside Life • December 2018

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Hockey legend attends the induction of his daughter into the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame Leaside Sports Hall of Fame member George “The Chief” Armstrong (inducted in 2015), attended the 2018 Induction Ceremony in the William Lea Room on November 16th along with his daughter Betty Ann Armstrong, right, and granddaughter Kalley Armstrong, left. Betty Ann Armstrong was captain of the 1974-75 Leaside Girls Hockey Association Lancerettes, who, along with the Blazerettes from that year, were inducted into the Hall as the first girls hockey teams in Leaside, and among the first in Ontario. George is a Leaside legend and looks great at 88! Congratulations to the trailblazing Leaside Hockey girls and all the recent inductees.

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From Page 11 one of 12 themes they came up with, tick a box, and from there, all the host would need to do is supply the food to have a great party? Naomi and Katie would do the rest.

Now the company has a web site, prepfete.com, a particularly Canadian name, for this very Canadian, very Leaside company.

As a small business, they purposely didn’t want to stretch themselves into having zillions of choices. Their contents are suitable for children’s birthday parties, but also for bridal showers, or “just because.” Their most popular kit of the 12 themes is “Sunshine and Rainbows.”

For Katie Hood, this was a perfect fit. The mother of three, with number four on the way, enjoys being at home and spending time with her kids. But with Ellie and Finn now at Bessborough, and Levi at 17 months,

Katie Hood

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Leaside Life • December 2018

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she was finding there was a bit more time available, but no wish to be back in the full-time work world.

Naomi Choi, with her strong technology background, founded a freelance business, working on websites, called Jymber in 2013. She recently decided that she wants to extend her technology reach so is spending more time with this business. Katie, on the other hand, sees building Prep Fête as her way forward. Look for this business to continue adding fun to Leaside’s party scene. ■

A conversation with Kathleen Wynne

whenever I want and I don’t have to let anyone know when I’m going.

Let’s talk about Leaside. You’ve been 15 years as the MPP for Don Valley West, including Leaside. I’m curious about how representing the people of Leaside differs from representing the people from Thorncliffe, say, or from other parts of the riding.

KW: Let me give you, I think, a really illustrative example. When the discussion around Costco was really heating up, we’d had initial conversations with the developers who were coming in and I knew that the Costco plan was in the works; I wanted jobs on that site. For me that was the most important because the number one concern of people in Thorncliffe Park is to have access to jobs, jobs to help them transition into the culture and into society. So, I was most concerned about jobs.

It was so interesting to me as that debate heated up that it became about a couple of things: it became about the form of the building, you know, the heritage of the building; and it became about traffic. It was a lot of Leaside people who were concerned and are concerned about the whole development of that industrial area, and for me what crystalized was that it is really important that we translate these needs, that we bridge these needs, that people understand that the fact that Costco has hired nearly 200 people from the community is critical. And for me that makes up for any of the traffic concerns. I mean, the fact is there’s going to be more traffic in this area; we are now part of the downtown, we are not

a suburb, we’re not a small town...

So, I was sympathetic to the concerns around the form of the building, I wanted it to be a good-looking building; I wanted there to be enough parking so that people who are coming into Costco weren’t going to create havoc, but at the same time I wanted those jobs. So, I think that’s a pretty good example of the different perspectives of those communities.

What issues are you working on now that you’re hoping you can still resolve while you’re the MPP? KW: Well, I want to see the LRT built and functioning and I think the big issue related to that...well there are a couple of them. I think first there’s road safety in general. The provincial government actually passed legislation that allows for community safety zones, and Jon Burnside was a real advocate for that legislation. Also, the photo radar around schools, that was provincial legislation so my hope is that people will feel their roads are safe. We had that horrible accident with that little girl who was killed around Trace Manes and I think there was a fear that was stirred up because of that – rightly so – and I think that having rational traffic patterns and an understanding of where the community safety zones are, I think that’s the project that’s really important. The other one is the distribution of kids in schools so there are schools that are overcrowded and this is another issue that’s going to continue.

You have three children?

KW: I have three children. My first two kids were born in the Netherlands. I lived in Holland for three years from 1979 to 1981. My husband at the time had an opportunity to live overseas and I had just finished my masters in linguistics and I was very keen to live in another language, and so Christopher and Jessica were both born in 1980 and 1981 in Holland. And I told all my Dutch friends that I encountered that you have to speak to me in Dutch because, of course they all speak English, so I lived in Dutch for three years and it was very fun and a great place to start a family. It also informed my commitment to transit, and bike paths, you know because I rode everywhere. I rode my bike in Holland pregnant with one and with one on the front and I felt perfectly safe. It was perfectly safe because you had the lanes and the lights. So, Christopher’s 38 and he’s working WYNNE, Page 22

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Leaside Life • December 2018

Kathleen Wynne served as Ontario’s 25th Premier from 2013 until 2018.

Her Liberal government was defeated in the election this past June 7th but Wynne was re-elected as the MPP from Don Valley West and continues to represent Leaside at Queen’s Park as she has done since 2003.

On behalf of Leaside Life I sat down with Kathleen Wynne at her constituency office in Leaside on Friday, October 12th. In a wide-ranging conversation we discussed the recent election, her family, her activities outside politics, the issues facing Leaside, and her plans for the future.

Did you think going into the election in June there was a possibility of holding onto government or of the Liberal Party winning?

KW: Yes. If I hadn’t believed that I had a chance to lead the party to another win, then I would have stepped down. I’ve answered a lot of questions about why didn’t you step down two years ago, and I’ve been very open about that, that I thought about it, I talked to people about it; there was no movement within the Liberal Party to remove me, and there was no obvious successor. And we looked at the numbers and I had the best chance of winning; we knew that there was a really good chance because of 15 years, because of a whole bunch of factors that we would lose. So, we weren’t under any illusion: 2011 had been a hard election, nobody expected us to win in 2014, and so 2018 was a really long shot – we knew that.

When I saw you at the Terry Fox Run in September you looked relaxed and happy. Was there a sense on June 8th of a weight off your shoulders?

KW: It was very mixed, you know.

There is certainly personal relief in having a different pace of life, of having more time to spend with my family. I see my grandchildren regularly. Jane and I have more time. I have aging parents and an ill sister, so there’s definitely a relief in now having my own car, being in control more of my time and being able to attend to those things.

So, you weren’t able to drive over the last five years?

KW: I haven’t driven for five years!

Yeah, so I immediately went and bought a car! So, yes, there’s some relief in that. And, you know, I came to the Terry Fox Run on my own, my staff met me there, but I’m less constrained. I can go for a run now,

SHUTTERSTOCK

by ALLAN WILLIAMS

HOCKEY PLAYERS OF THE MONTH 14

These sisters have one another’s (hockey) backs There are two things I have wanted almost my entire life that just aren’t in the cards. From the age of 9, I desperately wanted to be on Hockey Night in Canada as a colour commentator or interviewer. And, I always wanted a sister. (Three older brothers didn’t always cut it.)

This month in our running series of hockey profiles, we introduce you to the DeMelo sisters. Three sisters.

Three hockey players. A dream team in my eyes!

Charlotte, Grade 4, Simone, Grade 3, and Annalise, SK, are students at St. Anselm’s School, and all play with the Wildcats. They’re a tightknit group of sisters who obviously have each other’s backs, finish one another’s sentences, laugh at each other’s stories, and cheer one another on.

While they all love playing hockey, they have other interests and their own personalities.

Charlotte, according to dad David, is the rule follower who hates being late. She runs cross-country, plays

Player Profile: The DeMelo Sisters

LEASIDE SPORTS

SUSAN SCANDIFFIO

Leaside Life • December 2018

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO

soccer, swims, skis, bikes, loves to make slime, enjoys birthday parties with great loot bags, and (with her dad wincing), reveals that she loves to watch wrestling if she discovers him watching it! She is also a naturally talented dancer who is amazingly flexible.

Simone, meanwhile, plays all the same sports as Charlotte, but also

Happy Holidays Please join me and MP Rob Oliphant for our 16th Annual

New Year ’s Levee Saturday, January 19, 2019 • 1–3 pm Toronto Botanical Gardens, Floral Hall 777 Lawrence Ave E, Toronto

Join us to celebrate the New Year with refreshments and live entertainment!

Kathleen Wynne, MPP

Don Valley West

416-425-6777 kwynne.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

wants to snowboard. She is an artist, according to mom Amy, who likes to check out multiple library books so she can study what interests her. She’s currently studying how animals create their natural habitats.

Annalise is the family fashionista who wears a different hair accessory every day (her collection of bows is unrivaled). She loves to play with babies, whether they’re her cousins, or dolls.

When it comes to hockey, they come from great hockey parents.

Amy and David negotiate TV hockey watching time, drive countless hours for practices and games, annually purchase a hockey sticker book which the girls fill, build an outdoor home rink, and David coaches their teams.

All three girls are lefties (a muchsought-after asset in hockey), but each has slightly different strengths and interests in the game.

Charlotte, currently in her fifth year of hockey, is a Pittsburgh Penguins fan and plays centre and winger.

She has a great analytical mind when it comes to the game, breaking down the opponents’ strengths and weaknesses. As Wildcats teams are made up of girls from two grade levels, she and Simone play together every other year, and last year Charlotte scored the winning goal in a shootout as the Wildcats won gold at the extremely competitive Brampton Canadettes tournament.

Simone, meanwhile, is a Golden Knights fan as she is an admirer of Marc-André Fleury.

She was a goalie (like Fleury), but now much prefers playing forward DEMELO SISTERS, Page 33

’Tis the season for bright red bikes, turkey leftovers, and Boxing Day! Ahhh Christmas. The season of peace, joy, good will towards others, not to mention eggnog, turkey, and twinkly lights, is upon us. I’m writing this little missive in early November, when we’ve only had a week or so of Christmas carols playing in the grocery stores. Don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas, but it does seem to start early and has a tendency to turn into a sprint to December 25th.

For children, Christmas may well be their favourite day of the year.

And who can blame them? As a kid, I could barely contain myself as we approached the big day. We’d be sneaking around the house checking for presents in secret spots, and willing the days to move faster. We loved every minute of the season.

I have vivid memories of coming down the stairs Christmas morning when my twin brother Tim and I were about eight years old. And there, poised on ribbon-festooned kickstands, were big, bright, sparkly red bicycles. Our first bikes! I’ll never forget the sight of them in

Terry Fallis Columnist

front of the Christmas tree. In those first few instants after laying eyes on the two-wheeled wonders, I don’t remember thinking that they looked rather large. But I sure did later that day as we walked them out to the street, our hands on the handlebars high above our heads. They weren’t just large bikes. They were gargan-

tuan. Our parents were clearly being economical when purchasing the bicycles and wanted to make sure we wouldn’t outgrow them. Trust me, LeBron James couldn’t outgrow our first bikes.

To compensate, my father had fashioned blocks of wood, and attached them to the pedals so we could almost, kind of, reach them with our toes. We needed a stepladder to get on the bikes and if we had to stop riding for some reason before returning to home base, it was a harrowing, toppling descent to the ground. When Tim and I finally got the hang of riding those big red bikes around our neighbourhood, we looked like an early Cirque du Soleil act rolling down the street.

But we loved those shiny red bikes, and we certainly loved Christmas and everything that came with it.

As I’ve grown older and raised two sons who are now almost out of the house, my love for the season has moderated. I still love it, but man is it a lot of work to cross that tinseled finish line. For me, getting to Boxing Day, or as I call it, Decompression Day, is the real goal. It’s the “holiday” in my “holiday season.” After Christmas shopping – which depending when you do it, can be somewhat akin to hand-to-hand combat – holiday parties, the Christmas pageant at the church, and hosting turkey dinner for the whole clan, the real bliss begins when my eyes open on Boxing Day morning, or afternoon as the case may be. On more than one December 26th, I freely confess to spending all day in my pajamas, and loving every minute. It often feels like the first truly restful moment since the season began just after Halloween.

I have no idea how people muster the energy to line up at the mall early in the morning for the Boxing Day gatecrasher sales. More power to them, but I won’t be there. When the spirit moves me, I’ll eventually rustle up a plate of leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, turnip and gravy, slide it into the microwave, and dig in, before returning to the horizontal. I often receive books as Christmas gifts – nothing pleases me more – so with my appetite sated, I lose myself in a story, and all is right with the world. Now that’s my idea of the holiday season. And to all a goodnight. ■

SHUTTERSTOCK

Leaside Life • December 2018

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Have you ever paid the Leaside tax?

Fudge! I desperately tried to turn the front door latch, and it wouldn’t budge. The key turned and the deadbolt opened but the door handle latch just would not cooperate.

What the fudge! I had just locked this very same door 20 minutes earlier when leaving to drop the kids off at school. It was right after 8 and I had a day filled with meetings and errands. Went around to the back where we have a digital lock that caters to the needs of those same kids. Already behind in my day, at least I was in.

The culprit appeared to be a stuck door latch. With the help of a tiny wedge I managed to pry the door open, only to find that the latch was now stuck outward, meaning I could not shut the front door. I begin searching YouTube for answers.

“I got this,” I thought to myself.

Twenty minutes later, lock, latch, and door handle parts strewn about, I begrudgingly called ‘the locksmith’ as I couldn’t leave the house with the door swinging open and nobody at home. Four hours later and $750 lighter I have a new solid brass front door lock set which ‘the locksmith’ referred to as “far superior

are some ‘pros’ we all enjoy… but conversely there are also some ‘cons’ that we all must bear.

Glenn Asano The Business of Leaside

SHUTTERSTOCK

Leaside Life • December 2018

18

to anything retail” as he pointed to the crumbled and scattered remnants of my good old Schlage. That night I was speaking to my dad, and while laughing unsympathetically he told me I was paying a “LEASIDE TAX!” A Leaside tax? The working theory would be something like this: our neighbourhood’s ‘brand’ is an enviable one, and as a result there

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There’s a bullseye on our backs It’s no secret Leaside is a desirable place to live. Toronto Life’s “2018 Ultimate Neighbourhood Rankings” placed Leaside-Bennington at ninth in the city. I look around and see nice homes, nice cars, nice parks, nice, well-meaning people. Have we, as an unintended consequence of our brand image, become an attractive “target” for the knowing – do we now have a bullseye on our backs? Perhaps. Police have reported a 112% increase in vehicle thefts in 53 division this year. Home break-ins are frequently reported on the Leaside Community fb page.

The increase in the number of inbound trick-or-treaters this year.

The increase in new condo developments. And, with reference to my recent experience with the locksmith, the possibility of price discrimination to the unsuspecting.

According to Investopedia, price discrimination is a pricing strategy that charges customers different prices for the same product or service. It’s also an illegal practice in Canada under the Competition Act. I accept that rents are higher in the ’hood and can justify higher prices for our local retail vendors, or that if a business is seasonal then a ‘Muskoka tax’ might be warranted. And of course, those who have to be first to see the movie in a theatre, versus those who wait to rent it on iTunes, versus those who wait to watch it on Netflix will pay differing prices based on perceived value. That’s all fine. But what about service providers or online vendors? A recent report, Deloitte Digital and Salesforce (“Consumer Experience in the Retail Renaissance”), stated that 40% of brands currently using artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize the customer experience have used it to tailor pricing and promotions in real time. In an interview with Bloomberg, Uber acknowledged that it had a new fare system called ‘route-based pricing’ (in the U.S.), which means it calculates people’s ability to pay more to travel a certain route at a certain time of day. Travelling between a fancy neighbourhood and a downtown core during peak hours, for example, might be charged a LEASIDE TAX, Page 25

Leaside Life • December 2018

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Leaside street chic revisited

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO If you never ask, then you’ll never know.

In our September issue, we asked you, our valuable readers, for your thoughts on a proposal by Leaside resident and artist Brandon Steen.

Leaside, Steen proposed, should have its own street signs to indicate its history and identity. The local artist created a design with green as the main colour to pay homage to the tree canopy of Leaside, along with the date of 1829, the year that William Lea settled and built his home. (Steen does acknowledge, though, that the date on the signs could be 1880, the year that Leaside became a postal town, or 1913, the year in which Leaside was incorporated.)

One neighbourhood which was successful in having its own signs erected is The Republic of Rathnelly (yes, that’s really the name) in the area just north and west of Avenue Road and Dupont in 2012. Residents rallied together to convince the city to have their unique history recognized on their street signs and are extremely proud to have their iden-

The proposed branding for Leaside Street signage. tity and distinctiveness displayed at street corners.

But City Hall of 2012 is quite different from that of 2018. While it’s unknown whether the current city council would provide payment or if a combination of city funding and private monies would be required to make the Leaside street sign proposal a reality, there would still need to be a neighbourhood consultation to gauge interest in such a project.

Based on the responses we received, it seems like Steen’s proposal is a hit.

Here’s what some of our readers had to say: Paul and Sherry Nazar: “We love the idea of our own Leaside street signs – happy to support both financially and physically. Please let us

know how we can help.”

Stan and Cheryl Thompson: “We heartily agree 100%.”

Lynda Watson: “Yes, it’s a terrific idea! “Leaside Village” has that cool factor. How can I help?”

Joanne and Julian Nedzelski: “Wonderful idea! We are all for it.”

Maurene McQuestion: “I love the idea of the street signs for town of Leaside. It would add even more character to our lovely neighbourhood.”

Leasiders are known for their pride in their community. Would Leaside street signs be a project worthy of support? Clearly you, our readers, appear to think so.

Now that the municipal election has taken place, the direction of the project can be better known.

Will our new councillor support the project? Will City Hall be willing to provide any funds at all? Would Leasiders be willing to help foot the bill? Stay tuned. And keep letting us know what you think!

Ed. Note: In response to the September article we received a letter from the Leaside BIA reminding us of their existing branded signage. ■

B

E

ED

ITED

Re: The last (plastic) straw!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading it (this article). I’m looking forward to sharing it with my new cohort of Grade 5 students early in September.

I’m also going to share it with my students from last year so that they realize their concern for the environment has had an impact.

Barbara Robson Grade 5 Teacher, Northlea School Re: Why the “Memorial” in Leaside Memorial Gardens I want to thank Ray White for his interesting and informative article.

My uncle was Walter Newel, and Ray was my point of contact when I was attempting to get the spelling of my uncle’s name on the plaque corrected. To say Ray was integral to the change is an understatement.

As soon as Ray learned of the error that had been made those many years ago he was intent on correcting it.

And correct it he did. Walter’s sister (my mother), Pam (Newel) Sellers, was at the re-dedication ceremony on November 8, 2013 and was thrilled to see her brother’s name spelled correctly on the refurbished plaque. Thank you Ray, for reminding Leasiders of the ultimate sacrifice so many young men made in the name of freedom and that our Community Gardens is a memorial to honour them. Sincerely, Tim Sellers, Hanna Road Hardware store to close Unfortunate to hear the hardware is closing. I worked part-time with Vic, Gibby and Bruce Scott in the days when it was “Scott Hardware.”

I recall Vic telling me his dad was looking for a location for a landscaping business and turning down a location on Laird drive at $40.00 an acre. I wonder what that would sell for these days?

In those “good ole days” nails didn’t come in neat little plastic packages. They were in bins and you weighed them out and put them in brown paper bags. Salt for water softeners was sold in 100 pound bags and stored in the basement. As the youngest, I got to bring them up and put them in the customer’s cars.

My record was one on my shoulders

and the other clenched in my arms.

Nowadays, carrying 50 pounds of anything up stairs is a recipe for a heart attack.

Our first house in Leaside was 211 Divadale. My dad planted a little spruce tree in the middle of the front lawn that barely came up to my waist. Now it takes up just about the entire lawn.

Cheers, Don Bingley ■

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Leaside Life • December 2018

leasidelife@gmail.com

Y

ERS M TT A LE

LETTERS

Leaside Life • December 2018

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Wynne...

From Page 13

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for Navigator, the PR firm. Jessica, my second child, has three children; that’s where my grandchildren are – they’re in Orangeville – and she has been teaching outdoor education and has gone back to teachers’ college, so she’s doing that right now. And then my youngest, Maggie, is 34 and she’s an emergency nurse at TGH. You said you see your grandchildren regularly?

KW: I do and, back to the beginning of our conversation about silver linings, I’ve declared Thursday as my family day so Jane and I pick the kids up after school on Thursday and we do dinner and are there until they go to bed. We go up to Orangeville for the after-school shift and especially with Jessie going back to teachers’ college, she can use that support right now.

Other than running, what are some of the other things that keep you busy or maybe that you weren’t able to do while you were Premier but that you now have time to do again?

KW: I love the outdoors. Jane and I try to do a canoe trip most summers. We didn’t do one this year because the election kind of sucked all our energy. But the year before last we paddled on the Yukon River.

Usually we’re in Ontario – Killarney or Algonquin – so that is something I look forward to. I love reading mysteries. Linwood Barclay was a Toronto Star reporter but he’s been retired for years from journalism and he writes thrillers that are just, they’re page turners! Louise Penny is another one of my favourites.

And I’m always reading some political non-fiction and a mystery at the same time.

Of political non-fiction, what are you reading now?

KW: Trumpocracy, by David Frum.

I bought the one by Bob Woodward, Fear, but I haven’t started reading it. In the summer, Jane and I went to Prince Edward County because David Frum was talking in Trenton and we heard him speak. Well, you know, he worked for George Bush and he was a Republican and he’s very disillusioned. So, it was a very interesting conversation. The other thing that I’m very interested in, this summer I read Seven Fallen Feathers, by Tanya Talaga. It’s a very disturbing book, but it’s a very important book, I think.

Read the complete interview online at leasidelife.com. ■

THE S

BENNING

TON

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Bennington, a street name with a fine history

by JEANNE HOPKINS A few months ago, I was asked about the names of Bennington and learned that Bennington was the maiden name of the solicitor Thomas Mansell Weatherhead's wife, Evelyn Maud Bennington.

Evelyn was the daughter of Col. Alfred A. Bennington, a member of the 4th Hussars and colonel of that regiment, and also the owner of “Moorecroft,” an estate in West Prescott.

Both Evelyn and Thomas were active in East York throughout their lives. In 1925, they bought their first house, at 30 Rosemount Ave., and changed the street's name to Bennington Ave. in honour of Evelyn’s family. They lived there all their lives until Thomas Mansell

(known as T.M.) Weatherhead died there on December 24, 1975 at the age of 82. Both were active in community life. Their house had been built by architect Bruce Brown, and called “Gyll Edge” for its overlook of the ravine of the Don River Valley. Bruce Brown, associated with artists in the Group of Seven, had also designed many churches around Toronto.

For almost two decades, Evelyn Bennington Weatherhead served with the Whitney Home and School Association. She began in 1940 as a convener of their Christmas fete at Whitney Public School in Rosedale where her children were pupils.

A year later, she became its president, serving the Whitney Home and School Association until April, 1958 when she was elected president of the Ontario Home and School Association.

Thomas Mansell Weatherhead graduated from the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall and set up his own legal practice there. T.M. served as solicitor for the East York Board of Education for many years.

Sons David Bennington and Peter Alfred Weatherhead also graduated from the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall and later joined their father’s law practice. ■

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Leaside Life • December 2018

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Neighbours explore a hidden river of Leaside

Leaside Life • December 2018

by SUZANNE PARK On a blustery cold Saturday in early November, a dozen north and south Leasiders gathered in Leaside High’s parking lot intent on exploring Walmsley Brook, a hidden river that runs under the school.

The group’s guides during the exploratory walk were Helen Mills, the founder of Lost River Walks, and Reno King, a Rivers Rising ambassador. Both have shared their wealth of knowledge on many Lost River Walks in the GTA. Rivers Rising is a new social enterprise being incubated by Toronto Green Community, Lost Rivers, Toronto Urban Growers and First Story. Rivers Rising features a treasure trove of stories about lost rivers, local ecosystems and community history on its website. And the group is always happy to host walks.

Near the start of our distinctly Leaside walk, Helen honoured the territory and lands we were walking: “We honour and thank the HuronWendat Nation, Métis Nation of Ontario, Mississauga of the New

Credit First Nation, Mississauga of Scugog Island First Nations and Six Nations of the Grand River as our community partners and traditional inhabitants of the lands of the City of Toronto and surrounding areas.”

Leaving Leaside High’s parking lot, the group headed east along Parklea Drive. Where Parklea meets Rumsey Road, we headed south to Vanderhoof Avenue east, then to Sutherland Drive south and turned onto Parkhurst Boulevard east. The group enjoyed Helen’s commentary along the way and took her

at her word that we were following Walmsley Brook’s meandering path, as there wasn’t even a puddle within sight.

On Parkhurst, Helen gathered the group and surprised everyone when she announced, “On this spot 12,000 years ago we’d be at the bottom of a lagoon created when a sandbar, along what is now Danforth Avenue, cut the Leaside area off from the glacial Lake Iroquois.”

As the wind was not letting up, Helen suggested we move on and the group continued east on Parkhurst until we were stopped by the fence surrounding what is referred to locally – and affectionately – as Lake Leaside. Here Helen observed, “Many of the plants growing wild around this ponding water aren’t native. For instance, this lamb’s quarters plant, which is also found in many Toronto gardens, is edible and originally from Europe.” Two group members, tasting a leaf, declared it slightly spinach-like.

Next the group headed south along Laird Drive to Commercial Drive. Walking east half a block on Commercial, Helen stopped and pointed out, “That tower off in the distance near the hydro towers is where Walmsley Brook surfaces and can be seen as it heads southeast and meets the Don River in Ernest Thompson Seton Park, just north of Overlea Boulevard. It’s very treacherous walking to get to the location, so given the cold I suggest we call it a day and stop for tea and cookies before heading home.” No one argued, but we were awed by learning about this hidden piece of Leaside’s rich life.

Find out more at www.torontogreen.ca and check out monthly free walks at http://lostrivers.ca/content/ WalkSchd.html. or email: community@torontogreen.ca. ■

From Page 18 premium because the company expects people will pay for it. In another research report, Amazon was shown to be using ‘cookies’ to identify certain customer attributes that would trigger forms of dynamic pricing when customers were flagged to be comparing prices for certain electronics. Different prices were displayed based on the consumers' Internet surfing trail that would increase the probability of making a sale and the best price possible using a form of AI. Essentially, the ‘price discrimination game’ works best when pricing is not transparent. What makes it so unsettling is that often customers don’t know that they are getting different prices.

Are Leasiders complicit?

Bringing this closer to home, and with my own experience embarrassment and shame after dealing with ‘the locksmith,’ I began to ask around. At the ‘Dads' walkabout’ during Halloween trick-or-treating I heard a number of stories of non-transparent pricing or perceived unsavoury negotiating tactics that provided some anecdotal evidence in support of the notion that a Leaside tax does exist. Certain roofing companies, ‘handy’ people, home renovators, domestic helpers, home cleaners, auto repairs, yard services, various home-related technicians, the list could go on. They felt like ‘whispers’ across the fence between neighbours. Nothing absolutely concrete but certainly there was an awareness that a game was afoot. It was also intimated that Leasiders are to blame because we remain complicit and simply pay the piper. Or that a premium price is warranted because Leasiders expect a higher level of quality and service.

Or that haggling over price is unnerving and possibly uncivilized.

From an ethical standpoint and an admittedly Utopian lens, the cost of an hour of labour should remain consistent regardless of neighbourhood. But the pull of a free market and the allure of price elasticities, when combined with unknowing participants, makes for an outcome that could be viewed at best as opportunistic and at worst unfair and exploitive. So, what can we do?

First, we need to eliminate our lack of price transparency for certain services. There are incidence reports posted regularly on the Leaside

Community fb page, however often there can be a backlash if names are named. Somehow, we need to figure out a way to make it acceptable to identify certain providers with impunity. Or at least be aware of the possibility that a Leaside tax may be at play and seek the non-online, wise counsel of family, friends and neighbours.

Do you think there’s price discrimination in Leaside? Have you or do you know someone who’s paid the Leaside tax? How can we best collectively shelter ourselves from such a tax? Let us know at leasidelife @gmail.com.

Leasider Glenn Asano is a partner and principal consultant for the strategy and business development practice at Centred Performance.

He is also an instructor with the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University. ■

Humphrey’s...

From Page 10 Kim, named after the eponymous title character in Rudyard Kipling’s book, worked part-time for Bruce in the 1980s, and in 1992 joined the full-time licensed staff.

As an aside, Kim’s wife, Rebecca, is also a licensed funeral director, who worked at Humphrey’s. In 2003, they had the opportunity to buy the J. Scott Early Funeral Home in Milton, where Rebecca has since been in charge. Kim has become a good commuter.

It was his long-time dream “to own THIS funeral home,” meaning Humphrey’s. “It has a reputation, and a level of service above and beyond what’s required. The attention to detail and devotion to our clientele are very important to me.” Rebecca and Kim’s son, Jake, works part-time for Humphrey, but hasn’t yet decided if he’ll join the family business.

There have been many changes in the funeral business in the past years. For instance, there are fewer “traditional” funerals with an open casket and a burial, and more memorial services followed by cremation. He sees his job as “being here to serve, so I need to listen to the wishes of the people who come to us.” One change he does not foresee is another lengthening of the name of the business. What will definitely continue is the tradition of involvement with the local community in sponsorships and other forms of participation. ■

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Leaside Life • December 2018

Leaside tax...

Green thumbs with big hearts: the volunteer gardeners of Leaside December is the month when things finally quiet down for gardeners. Oh sure, there’s always a tree or two left to prune and a few more plants to protect but mostly it’s a watch and wait for that first blanket of snow to put our gardens safely to bed.

It’s also that time when we think a lot about gift giving. Right now, my thoughts are of the many gifts we get from all of our wonderful volunteer gardeners.

Most Leasiders know who the Bayview Pixies are. That merry band of women who wear those identifiable aprons have managed to shine a big light on volunteer gardeners. (Full disclosure: I have been a Bayview Pixie.) Their sensitivity to the environment gave us an awareness of the importance of sustainability and the many accolades they received brought much deserved attention to Bayview.

Back in October, I wrote about the tireless Garden Angels who tend to the Lyndhurst gardens. These 11

The Leaside Gardener: Debora Kuchme Columnist

Alice Carriman, profiled in the December 2017 issue of Leaside Life.

Wishing you Holidays filled with fun and laughter, and very best wishes for a prosperous new year. Warmest wishes for a happy Holiday season and a wonderful New Year!

Direct: 416.873.1053 Office: 416.487.5131 mstanway@rogers.com 1739 Bayview Avenue Toronto, ON M4G 3C1 mstanway.com

LORNA KRAWCHUK

Leaside Life • December 2018

26

volunteers have the same regard for the environment as the Pixies.

They told me with incredible pride how no chemical fertilizers are used at Lyndhurst Gardens and how over the years, they’ve added more perennial and native plants.

This helped them to expand the gardens through natural spreading and dividing, thereby reducing both the need for replacement plants and reducing water use. Ah, the gifts that keep on giving.

But unlike the easy-to-spot Pixies, most volunteer gardeners go unnoticed. They’re the invisible horticultural heroes who make up an army of impassioned gardeners doing an enormous amount of hard work for free. So, why do they do it?

Numerous studies have found volunteers feel better and even healthier after helping out. Apparently, it’s a hit of dopamine kicking in and it’s now referred to as “helper’s high.”

I can attest to that feeling of wellbeing from volunteer gardening.

We also know that being around nature has a profound effect on our wellbeing. It can reduce the heart rate, lower blood pressure and release muscle tension.

Exposure to nature not only makes us feel better physically, it reduces fear, anger and stress. Combine all of that with a hit of dopamine and you have a dedicated (possibly addicted) volunteer gardener. That could explain why Alice Carriman (the queen of volunteer gardeners) has been doing this for over 40 years, and Barry Schneider (leader of the Lyndhurst Garden Angels) for more than 20.

We have volunteers who plant trees to reforest our troubled parks and ravines. Others who painstakingly remove invasive plants and litter. Some plant community gardens such as at the Leaside Library and turn schoolyards into pollinator corridors and teaching gardens for children, many of which, like the Lyndhurst gardens, are all thanks to the Leaside Garden Society.

I hope to bring more attention to volunteer gardeners and all of the important work they do because with climate change upon us, we need them now more than ever.

Volunteers give the gift of time – volunteer gardeners leave even more gifts behind.

Thank you! ■

28

REAL ESTATE

An architectural guide to Leaside house styles | Part III

As part of our House Style Series, we would like to showcase two completely different styles that can be recognized in different areas of the neighbourhood.

The Bungalow Craftsman Style derives from the original Arts & Crafts movement in Great Britain in the late 1800s and early 1900s as a reaction to the decreasing importance given to decorative arts and traditional artisans in the face of industrialization. It soon traveled to America where it was known simply as Craftsman.

The Modernist Style was created at the beginning of the 20th century in response to the use of new materials stripping away the decorations and showing the building for what it is. Little by little this style has become more visible in the city and Leaside is no exception, where a few of these contemporary houses have been built.

ALEX PINO

Leaside Life • December 2018

By ALEX PINO, Real Estate Broker

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Main characteristics and identifiable features Craftsman: 1 Low pitched roof 2 Decorative beams under gables 3- Full porch framed by tapered square columns 4 Exposed roof rafters 5 Sash windows 6 Blended materials such as brick and stone 7 Use of local materials 8 Usually smaller footprints Modernist: 1 Boxy designs 2 Outer form of building indicates the shape of the rooms within 3 right angles 4 Large glass surfaces 5 Frameless ribbon windows 6 Exposed steel frames 7 Clear simple lines 8 Flat roofs 9 Simple open plan layouts

Should you want to know more about your own house style, please feel free to drop us a line!

Alex Pino, Arch FRI Broker, is Senior Vice President, Sales for Sotheby’s International Realty Canada. apino@sothebysrealty.ca. ■

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Leaside Life • December 2018

2N

N DA

L! A U N

Leaside Life is thrilled to be partnering once

BAYVIEW HOLIDAY WINDOW DECORATING CONTEST

again with the Bayview Leaside BIA to sponsor the 2nd Annual Bayview Holiday Window Display Contest. We are encouraging as many local merchants and businesses as possible to create fun and creative holiday windows for Leasiders to enjoy while shopping on Bayview. Prizes will be awarded to the top entries. On December 15th and 22nd, the Bayview Leaside BIA has also planned a couple of fun-filled events days on Bayview. Come out and meet Santa; listen to strolling carolers; participate in or watch the Holiday Pooch Parade and of course, enjoy the amazing holiday windows.

Leasiders are so fortunate to have such a plethora of wonderful local retailers and businesses. We are encouraging you, our readers, to shop local and support your neighbourhood retail community. So rather than automatically jumping in the car and trekking to a mall, how about slipping on your boots and taking a walk in the neighbourhood to support the amazing retailers who have chosen Leaside.

Let’s go shopping – at home, in Leaside!

Join us at Leaside United Church

CHRISTMAS SERVICES Sunday, Dec 9 7:30 pm

Lessons & Carols Service

Thursday, Dec 20 7:00 pm Quiet Christmas Service

Monday, Dec 24 4:00 pm

A Christmas Eve Service for all ages

Monday, Dec 24 8:00 pm

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

You are welcome to join us every Sunday at 10:30 am.

Reefer madness in Leaside?

ically. Perhaps the internet service providers were busy as over 12,000 orders were placed within the first hour of legalization on the TOCS (The Ontario Cannabis Store) website, and investors may have been checking their portfolios to see if their cannabis stocks had gone up along with their spirits. And perhaps the local pizza joints had a higher volume of takeout orders than usual. But there was no reefer madness in our little corner of Leaside that I could see.

Even before recreational cannabis became legal, people were certainly consuming, both medicinally and recreationally, in public spaces, even here in Leaside. I spoke with a man in the Home Depot parking lot one day who was consuming medicinal cannabis in the passenger seat of a car. He explained that 30 years of construction had worn out his body and for pain relief he preferred cannabis to opioids as it didn’t bother his stomach and was more effective.

And on my park cleanups I would sometimes find the signs of recreational use, including homemade water bottle bongs, pipes, grinders, rolling papers, lighters, roaches and folded pieces of paper with cannabis shred.

Had litter changed in the park since recreational legalization? On the first Friday morning I set off to find out.

There are over a dozen sitting benches around the sports field,

Cheryl Vanderburg Leaside Litterati

community centre, tennis courts, library and children’s park. The benches in the darkest most secluded spots seem to have the most clandestine activities going on at night, as does the picnic table in the playground area. Hmm...other than a few roaches mixed in with a medley of cigarette butts there was nothing to indicate this brave new world of legal recreational cannabis was going to be a problem. Not even a discarded chip bag or chocolate bar wrapper. Were people consuming at home, or was the cold weather making park bench sitting uncomfortable, or perhaps people were waiting for their first legal order to arrive via Canada Post? I went out again Saturday morning…nothing.

And again Sunday morning… nothing.

So, what effect will legalized recreational cannabis have on Leaside life? As far as park litter, will the homemade water bottle bong become the new beer can, and will the roach become the new cigarette butt? For gardeners, will we see cannabis plants on the Magical Gardens of Leaside Tour? And how many legal dispensaries will pop up along Bayview on April 1, 2019? Time will tell. But for now, I think Bob Marley said it best: “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.” ■

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Leaside Life • December 2018

VECTORSTOCK

Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018, 12.01 a.m., seemed like any other Wednesday night on Rumsey Rd. Yet that date and time will go down in history as the day recreational cannabis became legal in Canada.

There was no revelry in Trace Manes Park, no hazy clouds of smoke, no wafting breezes carrying the unmistakable aroma, no police officers on patrol and no one walking, cycling or driving errat-

Leaside Life • December 2018

32

124 Randolph Road – renovation or new build?

When is a renovation truly a renovation, and when is it a ruse for avoiding additional “minor variances”?

This question arose during a recent Committee of Adjustment (CoA) hearing to consider an application for minor variances for a property on Randolph Rd. near Lea Ave. (which also happened to have a bonnet on a box design!).

The purpose of the application was described as: “To construct a one-storey side addition, second-storey addition, front-covered porch, and rear deck. Previously deferred on August 30, 2018.” As such, it was considered a renovation of an existing one-storey house, not new construction. This determination, a routine interpretation of the zoning bylaws, was made on the basis that more than 50 per cent of the walls would remain in situ, despite the fact that the pre-existing single storey bungalow would become completely unrecognizable, swallowed up by a massive three-storey house with multiple times the density!

The question was raised as to whether, in fact, more than 50 per

Geoff Kettel

Saving old Leaside

Plans for 124 Randolph cent of the walls would remain, as required? The agent for the applicant informed the CoA that her client “preferred” renovation, and assured them there was sufficient retention of the existing struc-

Wishing you and yours all the best this Holiday Season

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ture. This is important, because the City’s applicable fees are lower for a renovation than a new build, but more significantly in this case, because if the City were to decide that it does NOT meet the definition of a renovation, and instead define the work as new construction, the side wall of the structure would be subject to a 0.9-metre side yard setback, rather than being allowed to build using the existing side wall, set back only .61 metres.

This would result in additional variances needing to be applied for.

But who would know to raise this question of whether the application actually meets the renovation definition, except as in this case, if the neighbour is an architect?

The agent for the applicant tried to show that there were similar variances in the area, and that staff had no concerns. The neighbour showed compelling evidence that this house was massive, that the variances were not minor and did not fit the character of the area. The extended discussion ended quickly when a committee member stated she felt that “it all boils down to – there’s too much house for the size of the lot.” Committee members fell into line and the application for 124 Randolph was unanimously refused.

Of course, being a developer-driven application, this may only be step one, and the committee’s refusal may be appealed to the TLAB. But the definition of renovation versus new construction in the zoning bylaw is clearly something the City needs to review, and in my opinion, narrow.

The other lesson from this case is to make sure to read the applicant’s plans carefully, and ask questions.

“Bonnet on a box” revisited Here’s an update on the “bonnet on a box” design house under construction on Sharron Dr. that was refused by the Committee of Adjustment, where construction commenced anyway. Discussions with Toronto Buildings have confirmed that a building permit was issued in April, 2018 based on plans submitted that conformed with the bylaws; however, a recent City inspection revealed issues of compliance with the approved plans submitted, and the City has now issued an “order to comply.” The owner has agreed to stop work pending the report to Toronto Buildings. Stay tuned for further developments. ■

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Sayliss...

From Page 4 But none of her years beside the park has been as idyllic as those childhood times. In the early 2000s, for example, there was a persistent problem of young people gathering in the park at night: drinking, doing drugs, vandalizing playground equipment and defacing property with graffiti. The nervous residents enlisted the help of then Councillor Jane Pitfield, who was successful in solving the problem over time.

Pat emphasizes that the park is still a vibrant hub of activity in Leaside today. She enjoys watching baseball, tennis, playground activities, and the Pedalheads. She proudly points out that five generations of her family, from her parents to great-grandchildren, have loved their time there.

Trace Manes is a “wonderful gift to the people of Leaside,” she says, and encourages everyone “to get out and enjoy it” as she has for so many decades. ■

DeMelos...

From Page 14

Connect with your neighbours and learn about home and health resources available to you in your area

Date: Thurs. December 20, 2018 Cost: FREE Where: 140 Merton Street Time: 11:30am-1:30pm To Register: Call: 416-630-7000 Email: tca@pathcom.com

as, she points out that she likes “getting breakaways and scoring goals.” She is also analytical, pointing out that her team has become more successful in “starting to spread out and pass better.” A highlight for Simone was playing in a scrimmage during an intermission of a Leafs game.

Annalise, a classic youngest child (like myself) is confident, forthright, and funny, saying that she likes to play goalie, “just kidding!”

She loves “Cindy” Crosby as they share the same birthday, begged her parents to let her play hockey, and is currently in the Learn to Play program. While her parents point out Annalise’s love for the social side of the game, she is also clearly an ardent follower, rhyming off her favourite Leaf players.

The girls have important hockey knowledge, including which hotels to avoid during tournaments (there may or may not have been a gross bug incident) and which off-site tournament activities are most fun (trampoline parks are a favourite).

The DeMelo sisters are a force to reckon with. They’re strong together and confident apart. And their love for the game of hockey is unsurpassed. A definite dream team. ■

33

Leaside Life • December 2018

OPEN Tues-Sat 11-6

A tale of two Leaside cycling warriors Better physical and mental health With commutes of about 10 kilometres each way, both men credit their daily rides with keeping fit. A yearround commuter like Phil can clock in more than 5,000 km a year. As Russell points out, “Getting out in the fresh air benefits my state of mind, and the physical activity keeps my aging joints and muscles working.”

Leaside Life • December 2018

By HOLLY REID Russell Sutherland has been cycling to work for more than 35 years. Phil Oliva became a convert to pedal power 12 years ago. What makes these two Leasiders committed cycling commuters?

More freedom, less stress Phil loves to drive and could get to work faster by car, but the stress associated with rush-hour traffic and the unpredictable nature of transit motivated him to give cycling a try.

“A bike ride that lasts 40 minutes makes you feel great and that feeling lasts for hours. Driving and transit never do that,” explains Phil.

Russell appreciates the freedom.

Cycling lets him come and go on his schedule, it’s faster than transit, and, when the time to park is factored in, it’s speedier than driving as well. He also likes that cycling costs next to nothing.

Downtown versus uptown It helps that both cyclists are heading downtown for work. From Leaside to downtown, speed limits are generally lower and the cycling

Russell Sutherland rarely drives any more, taking advantage of all the bike lanes and park paths to get around.

Advice for would-be cycling commuters Phil recommends that you first plan your route, try it out on the weekend, and, if it seems too far, gradually build up to the full distance by mixing in transit. Buses now feature bike racks on the front and there’s bike parking at most subway stations.

Russell recommends pairing up with someone who rides the route and

infrastructure (bike lanes, multi-use trails and protected cycle tracks) is pretty good. But it’s a different story if you have to go north. Improving north/south routes for biking is what cycling advocates in Ward 15 will be pushing for.

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34

Even though his youngest is now 15, Phil Oliva still rides with a child carrier. “Most drivers see the carrier and take more care.” knows the hazards along the way.

Both stress knowing the rules of the road, especially how to share the road and navigate intersections. And there are the basics: a bike in good working order with a bell and lights.

Weather is another challenge.

Phil, who tries not to miss a day of cycling, suggests following the hourly forecast and being prepared for any eventuality. Winter riding means layering up by riding with wind resistant mitts, shoe covers and a balaclava, and protecting yourself adequately from the wind chill.

Fitness, freedom, fresh air and free – there’s a lot to like about commuting by bike.

Holly Reid is a recreational road rider and cycling commuter. An advocate for safe cycling, she is a member of Cycle15, Cycle Toronto’s advocacy group for Ward 15. ■

Weir...

From Page 7

with a 44 km swim of Lake Erie, and in 1993, at the age of 50, Weir became the first person to swim the 35 km of Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.

As if marathon swimming weren’t enough, Weir climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in 1995, and in 2001, canoed the Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories with his wife.

He has also given back to the swimming community, serving as president of Masters Swimming Ontario, officiating at meets, serving as the president of Solo Swims of Ontario, and working as a swim master for such swimmers as Paula Stephanson, who was only the second person in the world to swim all five Great Lakes.

Weir’s drive to succeed, his grit, and his incredible successes are truly the definition of “the sky's the limit.” He’s a lifelong man on a mission who has travelled the world in the water, on foot, and in boats to reach the highest peaks of athletic success. ■

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Leaside Life • December 2018

JOYCE CURRY

35

36

EVENTS

Thomas Rapson. Cost is $5 with all proceeds to the Flemingdon Park Food Bank.

We are looking for performers. Contact Augustine@bellnet.ca

Leaside Life • December 2018

GET INVOLVED WITH LOCAL CYCLING

NORTHLEA UNITED

125 Brentcliffe Road www.northleaunited.ca 416-425-5252

Come out and meet fellow cyclists who want safe and connected cycling routes in Wards 15 and 16. Mon., Dec. 3rd, 7:30 pm. Leaside Commercial Centre conference room at 42 Industrial St. For more info or to RSVP contact: hollyreid@ rogers.com or gkettel@gmail.com.

40 Books in 40 Minutes with Ben McNally of Ben’s Books! Come on November 28 at 7pm for a whirlwind review of all that’s hot to read this season! You can also purchase some early Christmas gifts while you enjoy coffee and snacks. $5.00 per person and we ask you to RSVP to the church office to ensure there are enough snacks for everyone. Contact office@northleaunited. ca or 416 425 5252.

ALAN REDWAY READING All are invited to a book signing of East York 1924-1997: Toronto’s Garden of Eden. Saturday, December 1st, 2-4 pm at the S. Walter Stewart Library (John Ridout auditorium), 170 Memorial Park Ave. Price at signing $20.00 incl. gst.

Come-A-Wassailing November 30th at 6:30 pm, a group of enthusiastic carolers will band together with The Metropolitan Silver Band to bring the joy of the season to Leaside. Song sheets provided. Gather outside the church and join the fun!

ST. ANSELM’S CHURCH 1 McNaughton Rd. 416-485-1792

Christmas Bazaar. Sun, Dec, 2nd, 9:301pm. Baking, crafts, external vendors and café. Come and Christmas shop!

ST. AUGUSTINE’S CHURCH

ADVENT: December 2, 10:30 am: HOPE December 9, 10:30 am: PEACE White Gift Food Donations December 16, 10:30 am: JOY Children’s Pageant 7pm Carols & Candlelight

1847 Bayview Ave. 416-485-2656 Celebrate Christmas at St Augustine’s!

Kids PA Day Camp Dec. 7. Come and learn the real story of Christmas.

9am-3:30pm. Before/after care available. $5 to cover cost of lunch. Please call or email The Rev. Megan Jull for information or to register. 416-485-2656 or megan@saintaugustine.ca.

December 23 10:30 am: LOVE CHRISTMAS EVE 7pm: Family Service 11:00 pm, Communion

ST. CUTHBERT’S CHURCH 1399 Bayview Ave. 416-485-0329 stcuthbertsleaside.com

Advent Services Sundays from Dec. 2 – Dec. 23 at 8:30am and 10:30am.

Christmas Services Dec. 24 at 4pm (Children’s service) and at 7pm (Candlelight service) Dec. 25 at 10:30am.

Listen to great live music by local artists and have a coffee and dessert with friends.

The Groove Room Coffee House is on Friday, Dec. 14th from 7-8:30pm featuring

LEASIDE LIBRARY 165 McRae Drive, 416-396-3835.

Youth Advisory Group (YAG) Volunteer members earn community service hours and gain valuable skills by designing teen programs, providing input about teen collections, helping out your community and making new friends! Wednesdays December 12, 19 at 4:30pm-6pm Games Night Teens/Adults Enjoy an evening of cribbage. Join in with other adults and enjoy playing games. Other board games and puzzles available upon request. Drop in. Everyone welcome Tuesdays, December 4, 11, 18 from 6:30 pm-8:15 pm Leaside Needleworx Group Knitting and crocheting at the library. Bring your own projects or start something new. Drop in.

Everyone welcome. Fridays, December 7, 14, 21, 28 10:00am-11:45 am Leaside Writers Group Are you looking for a creative place to meet with other like-minded individuals? Join us.

Drop in. Everyone welcome. Saturdays, December 8, 10:00-11:45 am.

Philip Sherman: Faces, Lines and Experience Art Exhibit. Imaginary faces influenced by movies, and simple straight lines that become architectural designs. In celebration of the United Nations’ International Day of Disabled Persons. Ongoing through December.

Send us your free listing for January by December 10th leasidelife@gmail.com ■

Saturday, December 1 5-7pm –Advent Family Dinner & Wreath making. Crafts, stories, dinner, a time of worship and prayer and advent wreaths to decorate and take home. For more info, contact Nikki Clarke at nikkic@bellnet.ca.

See ad on page 7 for a complete list of Christmas events and activities!

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Leaside Life • December 2018

38

Coming soon...LPOA’s annual general meeting First, a correction: The LPOA’s Annual General Meeting will take place on MONDAY, DECEMBER 10th. My apologies for the change in date from late November, due to a room scheduling conflict. I can confirm that Leaside Memorial Gardens does indeed have the William Lea Room booked for us on December 10th.

The AGM will begin at 7p.m. (doors open at 6:30). There will be reports on events of the past year, nominations and the election of LPOA’s 2019 directors. Our new councillor, Jaye Robinson, will also speak.

Then the LPOA’s Traffic Committee will present our proposals for neighbourhood traffic calming. Our consultant Gene Chartier of Paradigm Transportation Solutions will lead the discussion.

Here’s a little advance preview: to design measures which are both economically and politically feasible, this is not a “one-step” plan, but phased, beginning along the outer boundaries and working inward. We will define final goals and the next phases to get us there.

We will be in regular contact with

Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LPOA

our councillor and with City staff to maximize opportunities where our recommended changes can coincide with City road construction projects planned within Leaside.

We have identified priority and safety areas such as local schools and parks, and will suggest measures to reduce through traffic and speed on our residential streets. Safety and volume reduction are Leasiders’ priorities, according to your responses to the LPOA’s earlier meetings and surveys. If traffic enters our area, we want to make sure drivers behave.

By suggesting a phased approach, our goal is a plan which can be monitored each step of the way to ensure that it’s working, not creating subsequent problems on adjoining streets.

As well, phasing allows us to tweak measures to adjust to Eglinton LRT construction stages and develop-

ment issues as they occur. We want to create a system which will function well in both the short and long term.

The question of cost always comes up at local public meetings, and when proposing calming plans to City staff and council. Coordinating with other roadwork scheduled for the neighbourhood will certainly reduce expenses. Many of the physical tools used in traffic calming are affordable and cost-effective. It’s an important aspect we have to keep in mind as we proceed.

Most important of all, this plan is open to your comments and suggestions. We need your buy-in, and your support, to move forward. So be sure to join us on December 10th!

ab

The LPOA board of directors has written to Jon Burnside, our councillor for the past four years, to express our appreciation for his hard work on Leaside’s behalf and his commitment to our community.

I’d like to add a personal note of thanks as well. It’s been an eventful term, and Jon made a big difference.

I’m sure you join me in wishing him only good things in his future.

ab

Our next regular monthly LPOA board meeting is on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5th, at 7:30 p.m., in the Trace Manes building. These meetings are always open to the public and take place on the first Wednesday of each month. Contact us anytime via our website, lpoa.ca. ■

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1552 Bayview Avenue

Toronto, ON M4G 3B6

We have space for your business too.

Fenced and gated yard with Sea Land Container / 24 hr. access.

Call Larry 416-623-9479

L H He a l t h St u d io • Massage Therapy • Reflexology • Shiatsu • Hot Stones

SALES,SERVICE & INSTALLATION BOSTON ACOUSTIC POLK AUDIO MARANTZ

YAMAHA ONKYO BENON SANUS

PANASONIC SAMSUNG TOSHIBA SHARP

SONY JVC LG

Professional Service for over 35 Years 410 Moore Avenue

(at Bayview)

Toronto, Ontario M4G 1C9

HOM THEA E SPEC TRE IALIS TS

1699A Bayview Ave. 416-800-3938 W e a c c e pt i ns ur a nc e

416-480-9856 www.aireontv.com

Your Old Home Movies On DVD LEONARD TAM PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION ACCOUNTING/TAX LATE FILING BOOKKEEPING BUSINESS CONSULTING Proud Leasider since 1998

Let us digitize your �lm and video to DVD or File.

LEONARD TAM, CPA, CGA PRACTICE DIRECTOR & TAX ACCOUNTANT

416-623-9479

leonardtam@leonardtam.com 416.783.2222 416.783.4521 www.leonardtam.com 1670 Bayview Avenue, Suite 306 Toronto, ON M4G 3C2

www.manicmedia.ca VHS Betamax 8mm MiniDV Film

Local Leaside Business

39

Leaside Life • December 2018

Dreading a Conversation?

WISHING YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES ALL THE BEST THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

STORAGE NEAR YOU

www.accessstorage.ca

Proudly Canadian

FREE Move-In Van* *Based on availability

Clean, heated, and secure units Video surveillance Gated key code access Over 150 stores accross Canada

OPEN

OPEN

RESERVE SPACE TODAY! 855.466.7367 accessstorage.ca Leaside Life December Final!.indd 1

2018-11-16 9:42 AM