Leaside Life Issue 81 February 2019

F E B R UA R Y 201 9

Leaside Life

Centenarian John Henderson page 4

leasidelife.com

No. 81

Born to Shine Story on page 12

Hailey Eisen and Nat Healy: helping girls to shine.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

BESSBOROUGH’S 3RD ANNUAL LEASIDE CUP • PG. 7

LEASIDE UNITED SERVES DINNER & FELLOWSHIP • PG. 2

THE BERNARDO FAMILY HOCKEY PROFILE • PG. 8

THE SOUL MAN OF LEASIDE PG. 10 DO WE NEED A NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH? PG. 16 REPORTS FROM OUR NEW COUNCILLOR AND TRUSTEE PG. 18-19 CROSSTOWN WOES PG. 30 AND MUCH MORE!!

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

Leaside United serves more than dinner in Flemingdon Park Janis Fertuck Columnist

JANIS FERTUCK

Leaside Life • February 2019

2

Leaside volunteers Sheila Riggs, Lucy Burke, June and Tanyss Malabar.

On Thursday, December 20, 19 volunteers from Leaside United Church (LUC) made the short trek to Valley Park Middle School where they served dinner to 125 members of the neighbourhood as part of a monthly community dinner program organized by the Reverend Beverley Williams of Flemingdon Park Ministry (FPM).

After Leaside United and PresteignWoodbine United in East York amal-

gamated in June 2017, the expanded Outreach Committee committed to “broaden our footprint” in the local community, according to committee member Sheila Lacroix. That means more involvement in local, regional and international groups.

The committee then researched a number of local organizations looking for projects to support.

Lynda Miller, another committee

member, said they were very interested in the work of FPM because it is in a neighbouring community where there is a definite need.

When the Reverend Beverley Williams made a presentation to the LUC committee this past fall outlining FPM’s mission and vision for its residents, the committee decided that sponsoring a dinner in the “Food and Friendship” program would be a good first step. As Mrs. Miller pointed out, “Not only is Flemingdon close by, but the program addresses the important issues of food insecurity and social isolation.”

In the past, the dinners have been sponsored by several organizations, including Bishop Strachan School, St. Clement’s Church and accounting firm Stern Cohen LLP. the Reverend Beverley Williams says that many

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Volunteers enjoyed reaching out to another community. One mother, Cara Brown, thought it would be good for her young sons, Lucas and Tyler, to volunteer during the holidays. Natalie Jahn, the new young families and youth leader at LUC, enjoyed the “nice group atmosphere,” and Tanyss Malabar said that both diners and volunteers had fun.

The evening was “an absolute success,” said the the Reverend Beverley Williams. Highlights for her were “chatting with the diners, the sense of community engagement and the feeling of energy generated by a diverse group of people creating a family feeling.” ■ FPM’s Banazir Yousofi and volunteers, Natalie Jahn, Madison O’Brien and Margaret McRae.

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UNITED, continued organizations now have a mandate for social responsibility, and sponsoring these dinners at the cost of $1,200 per meal is seen as an effective way to pursue that goal.

On Dec. 20, the Leaside volunteers set up the gym and organized the food catered by Pakwanchi Restaurant in Scarborough, one of four regular caterers used by FPM. The halal meal consisted of chicken, beef, rice, mashed potatoes, vegetables, salad and rice pudding. The volunteers served heaping plates of food “restaurant style” to encourage interaction with the diners. In fact, one volunteer, Sheila Riggs, was pleased to encounter a woman from her English Conversation class at Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office and her husband.

The guests hear about the dinners through social media, signs in bus shelters and word of mouth. Many are from a core group of families with roots in Southeast Asia, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Bangladesh and Africa. For that reason, Banazir Yousofi, FPM’s volunteer and leadership development coordinator, says the dinners are “not just about eating, but about making connections and learning about other cultures.”

LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS

James Henderson celebrates his 100th birthday in fitting style Lorna Krawchuk Publisher Leaside Life

There certainly aren’t many among us who get to celebrate a 100th birthday. But James Henderson celebrated just such an occasion at a festive lunch with family and friends at Leaside Presbyterian Church. Until last year, he lived on Parklea in the house he and his wife Margaret bought when they married in 1945.

With a degree in Math and Physics from the University of Toronto, James started work at Research Enterprises in Leaside in 1941. In 1945, he moved down the road to Canada Wire and Cable where, when he retired in 1985, he was the senior manager of codes and stan-

John, James, Jonathan and David Henderson.

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Leaside Life • February 2019

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dards (electrical). For his entire career, he walked to work, and because work was nearby, he was also able to come home for lunch – always a chicken sandwich.

Leaside Presbyterian Church was also nearby and was a large part of both Margaret’s and Jim’s lives.

While I was chatting to church people at the celebration, they reminisced about the Hendersons.

One remembered that the first people to greet them at the church were Margaret and Jim. Another remembered Jim’s attention to detail – including a gift of firewood, all cut to exactly the same length. They also commended Jim’s faithful care for his wife Margaret, who died in 2016.

Son David, in his tribute to his father, thanked him for instilling a love of reading, starting with the gift of Hardy Boys books early on, and thanked him, ultimately, following a degree in English and French, for David’s teaching of high school English.

His other son, John, began with a quote from the Book of James – “...be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger” – a perfect description of his father, HENDERSON, Page 9

A beloved teacher’s name graces the former Markham Avenue

5

by JEANNE HOPKINS REE THE ST

E

EASID

L TS OF

STICKNEY

AVE.

150

David devoted his life to Leaside United Church where he and his family were members. David also spent many years visiting his longtime friend and neighbour, Eric Peon, while Eric was in Sunnybrook Hospital. Eric died there on May 31, 2011 at the age of 97.

It was while coaching a baseball team at Talbot Park that David died suddenly of a heart attack, leaving his wife and children, Eric and Irene.

Soon his many friends set up a committee to raise money for a fitting memorial to David Stickney. In addition to renaming Markham Avenue, fundraising saw a bench built at the top of the steps leading down from Cameron Crescent to Talbot Park’s baseball diamond. More money was raised and the remaining $15,000 was

David Stickney given to Leaside’s Scholarship Fund in David’s honour for his many notable contributions to Leaside High School and Leaside United Church.

Jeanne Hopkins spent most of her life in the historic Henry Farm community of North York. She realized her passion for local history in the Canadiana department of the North York Public Library, where she worked for 27 years. She is the author of many articles and five books of local history. ■

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Leaside Life • February 2019

Those who grew up on Markham Avenue in Leaside but moved from the neighbourhood would be forgiven for wondering what had happened to their street if they returned for a visit.

The roadway formerly known as Markham Avenue was officially renamed Stickney Avenue in 2016 (after a spirited public campaign in 2015) after David Stickney, also known as “Mr. Leaside” and “Sticks,” a popular mathematics teacher at Leaside High School for many years and softball coach.

David Stickney had served in the Engineering Department of the University of Toronto, then went on to earn a degree in his beloved mathematics, and taught at Leaside High School for over three decades.

David was the son of Robert Stickney and Dorothy Kester and had a sister, Carolyn, who, in 1970 played the flute with the East York Arts Board Concert.

After he retired from teaching,

LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS

Lifelong Leasider Warren Eberlin sticks with the go go!

by LORNA KRAWCHUK I chatted a bit with Warren Eberlin at James Henderson’s 100th birthday party, and realized that he was one of a very few Leasiders who was born here, went to school here, and now, at retirement age, still enjoys living in Leaside.

He grew up on Airdrie, next door to the hockey player, “Red” Kelly – a house that was subsequently sold to the Burnside family (former Councillor Jon Burnside was one of the family’s children). His degree from the University of Toronto is in Industrial Engineering, with a subsequent MBA. He still wears his iron ring, a bit worn by now. He was intrigued by how people work in systems, and liked “how people fit.” He spent his career with big research & development companies, in the human resources department coaching and counselling.

His wife, Mary Ellen, was originally

Warren with his painting Wilket Creek Ridge View.

KATHRYN EBERLIN

Leaside Life • February 2019

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from Don Mills, so after their marriage and eight or so years working in Ottawa, there was a possibility that

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EBERLIN, Page 20

Leaside Life • February 2019

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THE LEASIDE CUP 3rd annual school6.875 tourneyXhosted 5" by Bessborough Bessborough student Manny Wong.

Champions!

Intermediate finalist teams Forest Hill and Bessborough.

PHOTOS BY TRACY SHEPARD & ROBIN DICKIE

The Leaside Cup is in its third year and appears to be a roaring success.

On January 16 and 17, Leaside Gardens was filled with excited kids, friends, rivals, parents and grandparents! Organized locally by Bessborough parents Tracy Shepard, Susan Jamieson and Sheila Allen, the Cup allows TDSB kids to have a fun and challenging school hockey experience — in our own neighbourhood.

This year, featured Grade 5/6 teams from Northlea, Bessborough, Rolph Road, Armour Heights, Courcelette, Cedarvale and Forest Hill. Grade 7/8 teams included Bessborough, Northlea, BSS, Glen Ames, Cosburn and Forest Hill. A first place trophy was awarded for each day, as well as ribbons for second and third place.

The winners this year are as follows: Grade 5 and 6: First Place: Northlea, Second Place: Rolph Road, Third Place: Bessborough.

Grade 7 and 8: First Place: Forest Hill, Second Place: Bessborough and Third Place: Glen Ames.

Thanks to Bessborough parents and staff for making it all happen! ■

LEASIDE SPORTS

HOCKEY PLAYERS OF THE MONTH

LEASIDE SPORTS

Bernardo family boasts three active hockey players

Leaside Life • February 2019

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO Growing up, there was always THAT house. The house where the neighbourhood kids met up. The house where kids could walk in, usually unannounced, and make themselves at home. (And sometimes make themselves a sandwich without anyone blinking an eye). The house where everyone felt welcome and knew there was fun to be had.

THAT house for many Leaside kids is the Bernardo house. With three fun kids, parents who are kind and welcoming, and an open door (the door was literally open the day I went to meet the kids), the house is an inviting place.

It’s also an active house. All three kids are involved in a myriad of activities, and all play Leaside hockey.

Meet Thomas, Grade 7, Tadhg, Grade 3, Sophia, Grade 1, and their parents, Jill Richardson and Brian Bernardo.

Growing up in London, Ont.,

le: Player Profi mily Bernardo Fa Brian was an avid hockey player.

Growing up in Ireland, Jill was not.

But they are both full-on hockey parents with driving duties, which parents of hockey players will completely understand. Whether it’s early morning practices, rush-hour drives to rinks far and wide, or

tournaments around the province, the family is on the move. They are thankfully part of carpooling networks, which alleviate some of the load.

They’re also a family who like to play hockey together. Brian is a master backyard rink maker and they also love to meet up with friends, when their schedules allow, for scrimmages at Hodgson Rink.

Thomas plays left-wing on the Leaside Peewee Red Select team and wears his dad’s old number, 8. He’s a fun and studious kid who admits to staying up late reading and has a massive friend group, many of whom he plays hockey with. He also plays baseball, basketball, volleyball, and golf. He loves to play electric guitar and is starting to write his own music. Thankfully, according to his mom, he no longer has early morning practices...which works well for a kid who loves to sleep in.

His coach, Paul Andersen, says, “Thomas is a great competitor on the ice and always has a smile on his face.”

BRIAN BERNARDO

8

Tadgh, also a left winger, plays with the Leaside Novice Red Select team and has made a lot of friends through the game. He admits he’s frequently the last kid out of the changeroom after practices and games as he loves to stay and chat with his teammates.

As his coach Mark Healy points out, “Not only is he very dedicated to working hard and getting better, but he truly cares for, and is invested in, his teammates.”

Tadgh plays baseball and soccer in the summer and has no problem BERNARDOS, Page 25

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From Page 4 who “never spoke an ill word of anyone, and was fastidious, organized, a creature of habit and also determined.” John was ordained in Leaside Presbyterian Church in 1981 and is now Chaplain in Palliative Care with Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga Hospital, and a psychotherapist in mental health counselling and couples therapy.

Grandson Jonathan, now in third year civil engineering at McMaster University, recalled visiting his grandparents, and improvising using a sock stretcher to play indoor hockey with his “Gramps,” and Gramps getting down on his hands and knees to play with him.

Don Pollock, who came to Canada Wire as CEO in 1966, described Jim as “trying to maintain a high level of technical standards throughout the industry. He led the sheep where they didn’t want to go.” Several years later, Don left Canada Wire, and, seeking to be ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church in Canada, was sent to be interviewed by the Presbytery of East Toronto.

Who should be one of the three in the room but Jim Henderson? He credits Jim with persuading the others of his suitability to become the Rev. Don Pollock.

It was a joyous afternoon – a gathering of people brought together to celebrate this very special centenarian. ■

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Leaside Life • February 2019

Henderson...

LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS

Leaside’s very own soul man

Leaside Life • February 2019

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO Wayne Son Roberts. He’s introspective, retrospective, reflective, and foresighted – traits which have led him to produce successful branding campaigns for companies, and to write and perform what he describes as blues-infused grooves.

One of his most notable is “Vimy Ridge Is Callin’,” originally released in 2007 and re-released last year to commemorate the Centennial of the 1918 Armistice that was meant to end “the War to end all Wars.”

Roberts, like most people, has a complex life story that has shaped him, his work, and his music.

Born in Montreal, he was raised by a single mom after his father left when Wayne was six. Most interesting is how he got his middle name – Son. “Just about every job I ever got when I was kid (starting with delivering pizzas with my brother when I was 13), I tended to have a boss man who called me ‘Son.’ It stuck in my head, given I was basically

Wayne Son Roberts

LORNE WOLK

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fatherless.”

His middle name is also testament to the influence of a blues artist.

“When I discovered the blues at age 19, the most compelling song I

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heard – and still regard as among the most troubling songs ever – was composed and sung by Son House: Death Letter Blues,” he explains.

“His story is a classic African American black man’s life experience: one of displacement, degradation and struggle for humanity. Although I can’t in any way equate the gift of a life I have to Son’s, he’s a hero of mine. I legally changed my name to Wayne Son Roberts years ago.”

But before the music came a diverse range of jobs, including digging ditches and working on railroads as far north as Lake Nipigon.

Eventually settling in Toronto, Roberts and his high school sweetheart wife, Nancy McGovern, had two daughters, and he founded Blade Creative Branding, a branding and advertising agency, in 1991. With over 25 years of experience and various awards under its belt, Blade’s clients have included Creemore Springs, Coldwell Banker, Fujitsu, Kodiak Boots, and Steam Whistle Beer (to name just a few).

The creativity, passion, and raw honesty he brings to his clients are mirrored in his songwriting and performances. His music reflects a principle he brings to all aspects of his life: “be as honest and sincere as you possibly can.”

His music tells stories from his own life and stories he has witnessed.

With themes of love, struggle, loss, anger, joy, authenticity, and, groove, Roberts (using the name “Son Roberts”), has created songs which reflect his own life, but which also resonate with others who identify with some of the shared themes of humanity.

His first album, “You Don’t Know Yet,” garnered a nomination from Canada’s National Blues Award Program, Maple Blues, for Best New Artist. He was also a finalist in Billboard Magazine’s International Song Competition for his song “Lorraine,” and his song “Brakeman,” from his second album, “Tell That Story,” won Best Blues Song of 2013 from the International Music Awards.

His passion spills over into his love of Toronto and, especially, Leaside.

Noting that it is a “privilege” to live in this neighbourhood, Roberts describes Leaside as, “an iconic, living thing, where neighbours SOUL MAN, Page 25

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LEASIDE BUSINESSES

Born to Shine helps girls build confidence

Leaside Life • February 2019

by SUZANNE PARK Imagine if we could count the number of Leaside friendships, innovations and businesses launched by schoolyard conversations.

They would likely number in the thousands.

A few years ago, one such conversation started with a simple hello and is today an innovative new business, called Born to Shine.

Two moms crossed paths at Rolph Road when their children were placed in the same primary class.

Their friendship blossomed, as many in Leaside do, at daily drop-off and pick-up plus the multitude of school events created by volunteers and backed by school staff.

Over many conversations, Natalie Healy, with 20 years’ experience working with special needs children including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Hailey Eisen, a freelance writer on parenting, education, wellness, empowerment and self-help, discussed a common interest and compelling question: “What

contributes to building or undermining girls’ confidence?” During those many conversations, “without realizing it, we were learning that we were friends with different yet a very complementary skill set,” they said, finishing one another’s sentences.

“Nat is a fast and creative thinker on multiple planes,” said Hailey, while Nat followed with, “Hailey tames it all down. She is a carefully meticulous planner able to incorporate and build on my ideas. Our combined talents seem to be the exact mix we need to succeed.”

Things changed in Dec. 2017 when Nat announced to Hailey, “I’ve decided to create a program for girls based on my professional insights and personal experience. The what, how and when aren’t yet clear to me. The purpose, however, is crystal clear – to contribute to building girls’ confidence. Any chance you’d like to join me on this journey?” The question had Hailey sit up straight. After a brief pause, she answered, “Count me in.”

Enter Born to Shine.

Today Hailey and Nat are working

FROM THE COVER together on growing their Born to Shine business and refining their offerings. Over the past year they’ve conducted PA day sessions, weeklong summer camps and on Jan 7 this year launched their inaugural and sold-out 10-week Monday evening program.

The 12 girls enrolled arrived Monday at 6 p.m. with yoga mats in hand and ready to join in. First the yoga teacher and then the two founders opened with, “Welcome to Born to Shine, where you’ll learn what makes YOU shine. In this safe space we’ll learn together about building confidence, enjoy kindness and acceptance, discuss media messages and embrace mind, body and spirit wellness. Tonight, we’ve enjoyed yoga and now we’ll get acquainted and collaborate on an inspiring-messages craft and discussion.”

Asked about their ideal business trajectory, Nat and Hailey both said, “that our investment of time, enthusiasm and resources pays off by contributing meaningfully to girls’ lives and generating capital to expand the business. As with most start-ups, we are learning and improving with every offering and look forward to the future we’re creating.” Learn more at www. borntoshinekids.com. ■

SUZANNE PARK

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Leaside Life • February 2019

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As we turn the corner on the hockey season, both in the NHL and at good old Leaside Memorial Gardens, I’m reminded that I became the hockey player I am today – enthusiastic, competent, but with deteriorating handeye coordination as I age – thanks to endless hours of road hockey in front of our house in the ’60s and ’70s.

As odd as it sounds, playing road hockey back then was an act of civil disobedience. In fact, road hockey was technically against the law. Signs were sometimes posted reminding us of our delinquency, but we accorded them the same respect we extended to the signs prohibiting golf in Howard Talbot Park, and “boisterous play” at the Leaside pool. In other words, we ignored them.

Nobody seemed to think our flagrant rejection of law and order at such a tender age might set us on a path to a life of crime. But still, whenever one of the old bright yellow Toronto Police cars would cruise along Parkhurst and glance in our direction, we’d immediately drop our sticks, and saunter nonchalantly down the street as if returning from Sunday school. It seemed to work, though it was tough to

Terry Fallis Columnist

pull off while wearing goalie equipment. Clearly this was a law that was seldom enforced, but I suppose if we’d chosen to play on Bayview Avenue, we might have caught some heat. But our games were in front of our house on Donegall Drive, a very quiet street.

For years, we didn’t even have a net, so instead, we propped up an old and dilapidated piece of plywood against a garbage can. It worked remarkably well. Whenever we shot wide of the plywood target – and we shot wide a lot – the ball would sail into our dense hedge that bordered our backyard. That hedge is still there. I

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have no doubt there remain dozens of tennis balls lurking there amidst the foliage. Our games usually ended when we lost our last ball.

It’s become a cliché in Canadian road hockey lore that kids would yell “car” whenever a – yes, you guessed it – car rolled down the street, driving right through the area where our Stanley Cup playoffs might be in full flight. But on our street, we never yelled “car.” That would be too predictable, too pedestrian, if you will. No, our signal, shouted loudly and proudly, was the word “weasel.” And no, I have no idea how that came to be, but it stuck. I wonder if kids playing road hockey on Donegall today are still using “weasel,” passed down from generations of road hockey players before them. I suspect not.

It’s worth noting that a couple of years ago, Toronto City Council lifted the ban on road hockey, effectively grandfathering – or perhaps the word is pardoning –all those kids, like my brother and me, who’d defied the prohibition in the preceding decades. While clearly falling into the “better late than never category,” Toronto City Council made the right call. Who knows how many Connor McDavids or Mitch Marners might now emerge because they’re finally freed from the regulatory scourge of the road hockey ban?

My twin brother Tim and I still play a version of road hockey. We’ve played ball hockey on Thursday nights in a community centre gymnasium since the early 1980s. And we also play in a wonderful men’s ball hockey league at Withrow Park in Riverdale. In the heat of the game, it still feels the same to me as it did as a kid, although cars no longer interrupt the action. It’s the recovery time that has changed. Growing up, we could play all day, every day, and frequently did. Now, I need a week before my legs are ready for another game. And that first day after a game is, well, ugly. I walk like a 90-yearold with bad hips and artificial legs accompanied by moans and groans that can be quite disconcerting to those nearby.

But any skills I still possess, any hockey sense that still circulates in my brain, any ability I still have to snap a shot to the top corner once in a while, you can trace to all that ball hockey I played in front of our house on Donegall Drive with a piece of plywood for a net. It was part of growing up in Leaside. ■

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Is it time to establish a Neighbourhood Watch?

Leaside Life • February 2019

16

After assessing the damage done to my portfolio in the roller coaster ride of the 2018 markets, I made a resolution to better protect my assets going forward. But some of my dearest assets do not show up on the monthly statements we get from various institutions: our home, our car, and most important of all, our children.

If you’re like me, you spend time browsing the Leaside Community page on Facebook. Lately, the number of posts about criminal activity in our neighbourhood seemed, at least to me, to be increasing – the frequency, the sheer audacity. I got a sense there was growing concern for the safety of those things most dear.

Could it be so, or just fake news?

With social media you never know.

Was the anxiety truly warranted?

Not wanting to raise the alarm bell unnecessarily, I felt it my duty to get some reliable statistical data first. So, I reached out to the Toronto Police Service and submitted a municipal freedom of information request.

I also began querying TPS’s Open Data Portal (http://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/open-data). Here’s what I found.

Regardless of my own opinion, you can review the actual data and come to your own conclusions.

Glenn Asano The Business of Leaside

The table was compiled using reported data retrieved from the Open Data Portal and supplemented with data from a story that appeared in the November 2018 issue of Post City Toronto. Data for the 2018 full year was not yet available. At first Reported Crime by Year & Type: Leaside-Bennington glance, criminal activ2014 2015 2016 2017 2018* ity in our neighbour42 34 31 31 23 hood appears to have Break-Ins 8 14 4 4 26 remained relatively Auto Theft stable except for auto Bicycle Theft 25 23 27 18 n/a thefts. It is also import7 12 9 11 3 ant to note that about Robberies 20% of all reported Theft Over $5k 9 4 3 5 5 criminal activity shown 42 29 44 42 22 in the table occurred at Assaults commercial establish- Source: Toronto Police Force Open Data Portal • *2018 data from Jan ments where the activ- 1 to Oct 10, 2018 only • n/a = not available at time of inquiry ity was predominantly zero growth? Or how about reducbreak-ins, robberies and assaults. ing the number of incidents by 50% over the next two years? That sounds imminently “do-able.”

Can we achieve this? I think so, especially if the effort is community wide and well organized. First, there are the obvious things we all know we should be doing. A quick search on the Internet yields a bonanza of checklists. Protecting your family and your assets against break-ins, car thefts and assaults should be high on the list. The TPS website www.torontopolice.on.ca/crimeprevention is a good first stop. It contains a wealth of tips, broken down by type of crime, to reduce your risk by eliminating the opportunity for criminals to act. Talk to your family, your neighbours, and the business you frequent in the ‘hood in order to raise general awareness and generate ideas on how we can make our neighbourhood safer. It is a serious topic I feel we all would share a collective desire to address. proven track record in condo sales work for you!

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Let’s reduce criminal incidents in Leaside by 50% So, were my fears unfounded?

Maybe…If you feel that 111 reported criminal incidents in 2017 and most likely a similar amount in 2018 are acceptable. I for one do not. Even if the amount of crime is not necessarily growing, it is not zero. Admittedly, zero is a tough goal. Perhaps our goal should be

Neighbourhood Watch programs.

What these grassroots efforts all have in common is support from the City, the local police service, and residents willing to participate. Check. Check.

Check (at least I think). Essentially, participants make a commitment to watch out for each other’s homes and report suspicious activities to the police and to each other. Their mission is simple: make communities safer by bringing them together to help protect each other from crime.

At the end of the day our goals are simple: safety and community I spoke with Didi Cameron, who was selected to be one of Toronto’s community police liaisons working closely with TPS representatives from 53 Division and others across the city. In her role, she provides advice and assistance to the local unit commanders and works in partnership to improve the safety and security of our communities.

She also happens to be the individual who started the Lawrence Park Neighbourhood Watch program last year. Following that success, several communities have reached out to implement the same type of program in their own neighbourhoods.

Didi’s programs do NOT use social media. Instead, they have assembled members-only groups where the administrator of the group has met all the members, and they rely on modern technology to improve communication and responsiveness. Google Groups is used to regulate security and trustworthiness in order to streamline and organize the groups’ communications. Only members can view group content, anyone can apply to join or be invited if they live in the included streets of the group, only members can post, and finally, only members can view the list of members. Didi’s tagline is: be aware, be safe and communicate.

An opportunity exists for us as a community to improve the safety of our children, the protection of our personal property, and the safety of the businesses that choose to operate in Leaside. With enough interest, I propose we arrange a community meeting to discuss the idea of a Leaside Neighbourhood Watch. I for one would like to grab that opportunity. Wouldn’t you?

Do you think it’s time to start a Neighbourhood Watch in Leaside?

Would you be an active participant?

Do you think we should arrange a community meeting to discuss the opportunity? Let us know at leasidelife@gmail.com. ■

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17

Leaside Life • February 2019

WATCH continued

Leaside Life • February 2019

18

Councillor Jaye Robinson wants to connect with Leasiders I’m honoured to be contributing to Leaside Life as City Councillor for the new Ward 15 – Don Valley West. I’ve already heard from many Leasiders and look forward to connecting with more of you as the term progresses. Over the past few months, I’ve had an opportunity to meet with some outstanding philanthropic and community-based organizations. Working together, I’m optimistic that we can continue to build on Leaside’s reputation as one of the best places to live in Toronto.

I campaigned on a commitment to be a strong voice for the neighbourhoods of Don Valley West while providing leadership on critical, citywide issues. As you may know, I was recently appointed the new Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and I look forward to your feedback on areas for improvement in our transit service. That said, I first ran for office with the intent of protecting and enhancing neighbourhoods. Above all, Ward 15 remains my top priority and passion as your City Councillor.

Jaye Robinson Councillor

Traffic infiltration is clearly a top concern for residents of Leaside and will be a focus for me over the next four years. The ongoing Eglinton Crosstown construction, combined with new development, is exacerbating existing road safety issues on our local streets. I’ve been working closely with neighbourhood groups to gain a sense of the most pressing traffic-related concerns. Your feedback is vital to this process, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

On that note, I will continue to stand up for the unique character of Leaside in the face of mounting development pressure. I’m committed to involving neighbours and community stakeholders in every

step of the development process.

Over my time in office, my goal has been to make the difficult development review process as transparent and accessible as possible for concerned neighbours.

With your input, I will continue to prioritize the protection and enhancement of Leaside’s park network. Parks, trees, green space, and community amenities contribute to the livability and vitality of neighbourhoods. For those interested, I’ll be including parks updates in my regular Ward 15 newsletters.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions. From local potholes to major city-wide initiatives, my office is here to assist and encourage public engagement in municipal governance. You can reach me by email at councillor_robinson@toronto.ca or by phone at 416-395-6408.

I also encourage you to check out my website www.jayerobinson. ca and to sign up for my regular e-newsletters for important Ward 15 and City-wide updates. ■

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questions of almost all committees, but due to the overlap of meetings, we often have to settle for briefings regarding the work of all the committees. Hopefully, our learning and decision-making process will be informed and broadly-based regardless of our particular area of focus.

As your local representative at the TDSB, I am eager to keep you informed of developments at the board and in our local schools. To this end, I will be holding regular coffee mornings and evening events throughout the year. To stay up to date on education issues in Ward 11 and the TDSB, I encourage you to follow me on Facebook and Twitter, and to sign up for my digital newsletter. My January newsletter can be accessed through the following link, with

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Leaside Life • February 2019

It is just about two months I have been at my new job as Trustee for Don Valley West at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB – Ward 11). During this time, I have been immersed in learning about the inner workings of the TDSB and the 24 schools in our ward.

My term began with a weekend of governance training at the Rotman School of Business. This was a productive crash course attended by all 22 trustees and the top levels of TDSB staff. These sessions gave our new board a chance to learn about our responsibilities and operational procedures, become familiar with the inner structure of the TDSB, and begin forming relationships with each other and members of our most senior leadership team.

It was an invaluable experience, especially in light of the fact that with 22 members, we are one of the largest governance boards of any type in North America, and also, one might say, a fresh, new board.

With 12 of our 22 members, including yours truly, new to the job, we are full of new faces and new ideas.

This makes for an exciting start of a new term at the TDSB! The first two months on the job have been spent primarily in school visits, in learning sessions on all aspects of the TDSB, and in committee and board meetings. At our first official board meeting, held on December 4th, we determined the organizational structure of the board by choosing and voting on trustee appointments to various committees. All trustees are required to sit on two standing committees — the “Committee of the Whole” (comprising all trustees) and one other. I chose the “Program and School Services” committee, where the focus is on educational matters within schools.

As many of you may know, this is my primary area of interest and expertise. With the many program reviews coming through this committee, it is sure to be full of interesting and important work.

I have also volunteered to sit on the following statutory and community advisory committees: the “Parent Involvement Advisory Committee” (PIAC), the “French as a Second Language Committee” (FSLAC — dealing with all French programming, not just immersion and extended), as well as the Early Years Community Advisory Committee (EYCAC). As trustees, we are permitted to sit in on and ask

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But Leaside won out, and they have been north Leaside residents ever since.

The Leaside sports bug hit their children, Amy and Kathryn. Both played softball in Toronto for David Stickney, who also had taught Warren mathematics at Leaside, and then taught both girls math. Both continued at elite American universities with softball scholarships. Now holders of a PhD in medieval history and an MA in marketing respectively, Amy is at the University of Stirling in Scotland, and Kathryn is in Toronto with a marketing firm.

Warren picked up the slogan for retirement as three phases of maybe 10 years each – “the go go, the slow go, and the no go.” Since both his parents are still alive – his dad at age 98 is taking retirement seriously – Warren hopes to stay in the “go go” phase for as long as possible.

His future retirement activity may have been born in kindergarten at Rolph Road when he did finger painting for Miss Milburn. He continued his art in after-school classes at the Leaside Library and won in art exhibitions as a Boy Scout.

At Bethel Baptist Church, he followed a bit in the footsteps of his grandfather, who had done manuscript illumination. Warren remembers creating a banner for the nursery at the church, using the text from Isaiah: “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.”

He delights in remembering the humour of that verse for a nursery.

When banners were needed for the Penny Carnival at Trace Manes, he could produce as many of the 25' x 10' signs as required.

For the last few years, Warren has been doing more painting, in watercolours and acrylic, and some “uber doodling with pen.”

His wife, newly retired from her position as president and CEO of Toronto Grace Health Centre, has become his manager.

Just after Warren retired in May 2018, he had an art show, “Step into the Forest,” at the McMaster Fitness Studio on Bayview. His show “Islands” (including Jamaica and Skye) will be at the ArteMbassy Gallery at 28 Industrial St. on March 24 and 25. “Art is becoming a mechanism to enjoy the next stage of my life,” he says. “It gives me a different way of looking at what is around me.” ■

Is Leaside a Garden City or not?

Debora Kuchme Columnist

But with an aging population, many long-time Leasiders are moving out as newcomers move in.

Along with new developments, I fear that even more will be unaware of our Leaside heritage.

Whether you know anything about our Garden City or not, I’m sure you love and appreciate the abundance of nature within and surrounding Leaside and it may be the very reason you live here. But it’s important to know that this

allowance and regard for nature was created by the good design of Garden City Principles, which can easily be destroyed by allowing bad design to take its place.

As a gardener, a designer and one who cares deeply about the environment, I believe this Garden City is worthy of greater recognition and prominence, and it’s more than possible that this single identifier could be the best way to connect all Leasiders to become aware of our roots – a proud sense of community that connects all of us to something that we can relate to in order to combat inappropriate development.

It wouldn’t take much to get the ball rolling in the Garden City direction. Currently we are considering new street signs, so why not include the Garden City? A few strategically placed Garden City historical plaques would work wonders too, but how about some Leaside history at our local schools? There could even be a Frederick Todd Day! Yes, the possibilities are endless. Let’s make Leaside a Garden City.

Visit leasidelife.com to see the full list of Garden City Principles. ■

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Leaside Life • February 2019

The Leaside Gardener:

SHUTTERSTOCK

Gardening can be as simple as finding a spot, digging a trench and filling it with a few plants. Voilà!

But to a mindful gardener, the act of planting is one of greater responsibility. One that requires information about the past, an understanding of the present and most important, a regard for the future.

In 1913, like a mindful gardener, Frederick Todd planted the seed for Leaside to become a Garden City.

Unlike a Garden Suburb (such as Rosedale), a Garden City was a design movement introduced by Ebenezer Howard, who was disturbed by the unhealthy and overpopulated cities of Victorian England. He set out to create a live/ work town that was socially, economically and ecologically sustainable while living in harmony with nature. By forming a list of what he considered necessary requirements (the Garden City Principles) he essentially created the first “green” community.

Frederick Todd used these Garden City Principles to design the town of Leaside.

Geoff Kettel wrote an article in the January Leaside Life entitled “Celebrating Leaside Matters: The two-fold secret knock.” If you still have your January copy, it’s definitely worth a second read. You can also find it online at leasidelife.com.

In his article, Geoff quotes Connor Turnbull of Leaside Matters, who said: “Change is afoot and there is a fear that Leaside will change in drastic ways. But we think that there is a thoughtful path available rooted in the DNA of Leaside’s design.”

The “change” that Connor refers to is the many new developments being imposed on Leaside. The “DNA of Leaside’s design” is the Garden City Principles that Frederick Todd used to design Leaside, and “the thoughtful path available” is for Leasiders to know these principles and use them to help us grow in a sustainable way.

By design, Leaside is indeed a Garden City and one that we should embrace and be proud of, but as Geoff points out, “Leasiders have disconnected from, or were never aware of, the roots of their placeness.”

Over the years, Leaside Life has provided countless articles about the history of Leaside, many of which included Frederick Todd. And since 2015, Connor Turnbull, with Leaside Matters, has worked hard to raise the awareness of our special Leaside identity.

Today’s good neighbour!

Leaside Life • February 2019

22

SHUTTERSTOCK

Today, as I was doing my litter walk around the block, I was deep in the bushes of a house at the corner of Rumsey and Millwood retrieving a plastic grocery bag, when I saw a woman coming towards me from her back yard.

Embarrassed for ‘trespassing’ on her property, I apologized and we began a most interesting discussion.

She thanked me for picking up the bag and told me that she does her yard work on Mondays as that is her day off. Today’s job jar list was litter picking and leaf raking.

She explained that her yard litter blows in from Trace Manes Park, across the street. That seems a little unfair, but I suppose most of us would say that the litter we find on our property often arrives unbidden from someone we don’t see or know or it blows in from somewhere else, and we’re the ones who have to pick it up.

(This includes you smokers who toss

Cheryl Vanderburg Leaside Litterati

your butts as you hurriedly walk down the street. I will buy you a pocket ashtray at Dollarama if you write to me. And you dog owners who watch your dog poop and can somehow rationalize why you don’t scoop. I will buy you a roll of poop bags.)

Then the conversation turned to wet soggy leaves still littering the road in early December. Like us, she has no trees on her property and no shortage of leaves on her lawn and curbside. Recently she was speaking with a neighbour who proudly declared that he didn’t begin raking until every leaf had fallen from his tree. She responded that by the time the last leaf had fallen from his tree, most of his leaves had either blown into her yard or were washed down the street blocking the storm

sewer grate in front of her house.

In fact, during heavy downpours, she explained, the drain sometimes got so blocked that the curbside water rose up over the sidewalk and flooded her front yard. She showed me her handy dandy drain unblocking tool. Not only does she unblock the drain in front of her house, but she also unblocks the drain across the street! We laughed as I told her that on my litter walks, I simply kicked the leaves away with my feet.

We discussed the fact that waiting until spring to clear the leaves was not a good option as they would be even wetter and soggier, making them difficult to bag and heavy for the yard waste pickup workers, and they would freeze and make snow shoveling and plowing difficult.

I never know whom I will meet on my litter walks or where the conversation will take me. What I learned today is that my action or inaction affects others in ways I don’t even see, both positively and negatively (yes, my husband rakes our curbside leaves). Good communication with each other is essential. And a good neighbour is a treasure. ■

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23

Lawyer ED

ITED

leasidelife@gmail.com

Re: Streets of Leaside – Bennington Thank you for the article on the name “Bennington” and about my parents, Thomas and Evelyn Weatherhead.

It is wonderful to recall how idyllic it was for me and my brothers and sister to grow up in Bennington Heights when it was a district of open fields, two farms, a few houses and exciting streams and ravines to explore each weekend.

My father had our family home built in 1925 in what was then simply the edge of a farmer’s field.

(There was no road then.) He asked a friend, Frederick Sproston Challener, to design the house.

Challener was predominantly an artist and muralist who in 1907 created the spectacular mural on the ceiling of the Royal Alexander Theatre in Toronto. As Challener was not an architect, an architectural firm carried out his design.

The home I grew up in still exists at 30 Bennington Heights Drive.

Perhaps because Challener was English, the house incorporates a living room with a beamed cathedral ceiling 18 feet high with a minstrel gallery at one end. As children we loved watching parties from this vantage point. I treasure the oil painting Challener did of the house after it was finished in 1925.

I only mention the architect because the Leaside Life article credited the architect of our house as being Bruce Brown, a famous church architect, who built his own beautiful house at 40 Bennington Heights Drive, plus two other houses on Bennington Heights Drive and two other houses on Brendan Avenue. These are all lovely stone houses, but our house, when it was first built, was not as grand as those.

Thanks again for the article, it brought back a lot of happy childhood memories of growing up in a beautiful part of the city.

Peter Bennington Weatherhead LETTERS, Page 26

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B

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Leaside Life • February 2019

24

New Business Park projects reflect different visions Two new projects proposed for the Leaside Business Park appear to reflect quite different visions for its future. One Leaside Business Park becomes an innovation centre where innovative knowledge workers, working in flexible modern workspaces, set in an innovative “mass timber” building, walk or bike to work from their homes in East Leaside or from the Laird or Leslie LRT stations. The other Leaside Business Park is a magnet for retail shopping from mass market vendors, spreading east from its initial beachhead on Laird Drive. Of course, both of these visions are a departure from the manufacturing industry (including chemicals, mechanical equipment, cement mixing, and the like) that still continues to occupy much space and provide thousands of well-paying jobs in the interior of the Park.

Both the applications are at an early stage, each with a preliminary staff report that headed to North York Community Council on January 15.

11-19, 25 and 29 Industrial Street application proposes the expansion of the adjacent Leaside Village Geoff Kettel Shopping Centre through the introduction of three new commercial Saving old (retail use) buildings.

Leaside Both projects are located in areas designated in the Official Plan as “Core” Employment Lands.

While the core designation permits office uses only as subsidiary to the core uses, the 154 Wicksteed project appears to reflect a desirable evolution of the Employment Lands, and Leaside’s industrial history and heritage, maintaining technically skilled and well-paying jobs. The Industrial Street project, on the other hand, is disappointing in that it represents increased incursion of retail uses into the Employment The proposed site.

Lands, beyond the City’s intent, and without any apparent The 154 Wicksteed application procountervailing benefits for the composes the construction of a six-storey munity or the city. In fact, the project office building containing 7,128 sq. will be negative in attracting addim. GFA (Gross Floor Area) with two tional traffic to an area where traffic levels of underground parking. The congestion and flow-through traffic in the residential section of Leaside are already a problem.

What do you think? You'll have an opportunity to let City Planning staff and the Councillor know. The City will be scheduling community meetings for these projects shortly (no date confirmed).

Historic court win for Moore Park residents – what it means to Leaside You may have read about the recent court win for Friends of Toronto Cemeteries against the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries (MPGC). Justice Sean Dunphy of Ontario’s Superior Court sided with Moore Park residents who sued MPGC, which has grown from a pre-Confederation burial site, bought with public donations, to 10 cemeteries, including “The Simple Alternative” chain, and four crematoria. Justice Dunphy determined that Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries is a charitable trust, not a private corporation, and its board, controlling 500 hectares of green space in the Greater Toronto Area, and more than a half-billion dollars in assets, must be open to outsiders. Crucially, Justice Dunphy found that the Special Act creating this historic public trust has not been

complied with since 1987. All of the current directors of MPGC have been appointed since that time. It follows that none of the current directors of MPGC has been validly appointed!

So what relevance does this have to Leasiders? Sure, Mount Pleasant Cemetery is across Bayview from Leaside, and Moore Park is just west of Bennington Heights (and home of Terry Fallis – maybe that’s why?!)

No, it’s what the decision says about accountability and governance in the public interest, and how we need active citizens to monitor public institutions, and ensure that decisions (like in this case, where to site crematoria) are made in ways that respect stakeholder interests and protect the environment.

Finally, let’s hope that the Dunphy decision holds, as it will likely be appealed. We recall the recent case of Bill 5 reducing the number of councillors in Toronto from 47 to 25; on appeal the Divisional Court stayed the lower court decision, and the 25-ward council has gone ahead (at least for now). ■

Soul Man...

From Page 10 have a sense of place and a sense of pride.” Hoping to work alongside neighbours as a steward of this area, Roberts attends and participates in many neighbourhood meetings, noting that, “if you give the world, the world gives back exponentially.”

Protecting what he loves, such as this neighbourhood, his family, his music, and his company, Roberts is an enthusiastic and tenacious man with a whole lot of soul.

Catch Roberts at Relish at 2152 Danforth Avenue on May 11th and check out his music at sonroberts.ca. ■

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There’s a good chance the door will be open. ■

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From Page 8 getting up for 6:30 practices during the week (eek!). He wears the number 16 (double his dad’s number 8). While he really, really loves hockey, his mom thinks that their dog, Rua, might be an even greater love.

Both boys play 3 on 3 hockey in the spring, and both love playing Fortnite. As their mom points out, hockey is fantastic for keeping them busy and away from online video games, at least for a little while!

Sophia is in her second year of Leaside hockey as a minor novice.

At this age, girls alternate positions and when asked what her favourite

25

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Leaside Life • February 2019

BUSINESS PARK, continued

Letters...

From Page 23

Leaside Life • February 2019

26

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Monica Stanway Sales Representative

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

Re: “Leaside Tax” I read with interest Glenn Asano’s column wherein he wondered if there was a “Leaside Tax” that subjected Leasiders to price discrimination for merely living in the area. I’d like to make clear that the vast majority of trades out there are good people and not “out to get anyone.” Sometimes there is a higher cost to serve a more discerning customer, so it is always important to consider the proverbial “apples to apples” cliché when looking at costs. Are these two companies the same, are their vehicles and equipment as advanced, are their staff as well trained, are the software and technologies they’re using created equal…

As a professional who’s worked in the construction and contracting industry, something to keep in mind is that all quotes not only factor in the pro’s actual labour costs, but also the time for travel, their license, their insurance, and—if necessary—their specialized equipment. As a rule of thumb: The more valuable e.g. your appliance is, the higher the cost for insurance, specialized equipment, training etc. will be for the pro. This is usually reflected in higher hourly prices (see ranges below). Also, expect prices to increase 50-100% for after-hours emergency services.

How much should home repair and maintenance services cost? An appliance repair professional is $80$150/hr; a plumber or an HVAC repair $100-$150/hr; a locksmith will run you $80-$100/hr. A general handyman may charge between $40-$80/hr.

Even with a price guideline or a referral from a neighbour, many customers do not know what questions to ask. Do you get a second opinion?

How do you know you are not being scammed? Is the work being proposed even necessary? Turning to the services of home managers, who act as an advocate and use their expertise to smooth out the process of working with trades directly, takes out the guesswork.

David Steckel, Setter

Leaside Life Like us! Follow us!

Introducing Cycle Don Valley Midtown Leasiders join forces with safe cycling advocates in Wards 15 and 16

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Off to a great start Two meetings have been held so far with a great turnout of people interested in making cycling safer in their communities. Leaside was well represented by Mary Chong, Geoff Kettel, Kris Langille and me.

A key goal is to expand our roster of cycling advocates with representatives from all areas of both wards, a territory that extends from Yonge Street in the west to Victoria Park Avenue in the east, north to the 401 and south to the Don Valley.

Priorities and plans In addition to seeing an acceleration of the implementation of the City’s Cycling Network Plan, and completion of major corridor studies, Cycle Don Valley Midtown will actively advocate for the funding and implementation of cycling infrastructure promised through the Eglinton Connects and Eglinton East projects. Members have already met with BikeShare to work on expanding the bikesharing service north and east to offer more connections with transit. Within neighbourhoods, Cycle Don Valley Midtown is looking at where we need safe connections of cycling routes, and ways to make cycling safer, especially around schools and parks.

Traffic calming with cycling infrastructure Traffic calming is really about safe travel for all road users. Cycle Don Valley Midtown has submitted a response to the LPOA’s Leaside Traffic Calming Plan showing how cycling infrastructure, such as sharrows and bike lanes, along with

Members meet with Councillor Jaye Robinson.

L-r: Geoff Kettel, Councillor Robinson, Holly Reid, Kris Langille and Jason Ash. on-street parking, can be an inexpensive means of lowering speeds and discouraging neighbourhood flowthrough. The group looks forward to working with the LPOA on ways cycling can be part of the solution.

Expanding the trail system The backbone of cycling in Wards 15 and 16 is the well-loved and well-travelled Don Valley Trail system. Cycle Don Valley Midtown members will be providing input on some of the exciting improvements to the trail system

currently proposed. These include connecting The Meadoway (Gatineau Hydro Corridor) to the Lower Don Trail, creating a cycling route from the Rouge National Urban Park to downtown Toronto, and the Don Mills Crossing project, which will link up the various multi-use paths near Don Mills Road, Leslie Street and Eglinton Avenue for safe and connected north/ south and east/west travel by bike.

Interested in getting involved? Join us at our next meeting. (See Events page 28). ■

Kathleen Wynne MPP Don Valley West

Monday, February 18 is Family Day. Ontarians work hard and deserve more time to enjoy with their loved ones.

Happy Family Day!

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

Leaside Life • February 2019

When the ward boundaries were redrawn in advance of the municipal election, it was a good-news, bad-news story for Cycle 26, Cycle Toronto’s advocacy group for the old Ward 26. The good news was that as part of Ward 15 – Don Valley West – we would be gaining allies from the north, the previous Ward 25. Now for the bad news – we would be losing long-time collaborators from Flemingdon Park to the new Ward 16, Don Valley East. So rather than break up, we decided to join up with safe cycling advocates from Don Valley East and West to form a new, larger group called Cycle Don Valley Midtown.

RACHAEL HILLIER

by HOLLY REID

Leaside Life • February 2019

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EVENTS CALLING ALL CYCLISTS Cycle Don Valley Midtown meets on the last Wed. of every month. Come out and join fellow cyclists from Wards 15 and 16 to advocate for safe and connected cycling routes in our neighbourhoods.

Next meeting: Wed., Jan. 30th @ 7pm.

Leaside Commercial Centre conference room at 42 Industrial St. For more info or to RSVP contact: hollyreid@rogers. com or gkettel@gmail.com.

NORTHLEA UNITED 125 Brentcliffe Road; northleaunited.ca; 416 425 5252 Love Jazz? Join us Feb. 10 at 4:30 pm.

Celebrate Valentine’s early by listening to The Drew Jurecka Trio for an hour of smooth jazz coupled with thoughts of love.

Refreshments from 4:00 pm. Free will offering appreciated.

Looking for an oasis of candlelight, prayer, meditation & music in your busy life?

Taizé— Wed., Feb. 13, 7:45-8:30 pm.

Additional services March 13th/April 10th.

PLAY AT SUOMI-KOTI CENTRE

LEASIDE LIBRARY

795 Eglinton Ave. East (west of Laird)

165 McRae Drive, 416-396-3835.

Suomi-Koti Toronto Nursing Home invites you to the play I’m Still Here, a drama on living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. All welcome: caregivers, volunteers, health professionals, family and friends. A discussion will follow. Presented by The Estelle Craig Act 11 Studio. March 16, 3 to 5pm.

No entrance fee; donations gratefully accepted. Donations of $10.00 or more eligible for tax receipts. Register by Mar. 10. Email lou2lee@icloud.com and rsvp.

Financing A Child Explore how your financial situation will change and how best to plan for a child – including a special emphasis on Registered Educational Savings Plans. Free.

ST. AUGUSTINE’S CHURCH 1847 Bayview Ave. 416-485-2656 Listen to great live music by local artists and have a coffee and dessert with friends. The next Groove Room Coffee House is on Friday, Feb 8th, 7-8:30pm featuring Sean Tavares. Cost is $5 with all proceeds to the Flemingdon Park Food Bank. We are looking for performers. Contact Augustine@bellnet.ca

CAN. FEDERATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN LEASIDEEAST YORK The Power of Women Working Together Monthly meeting 7:30pm. Thurs. Feb. 21, at Northlea United, 125 Brentcliffe Rd. Speaker from the ROM: “The Vikings – What You Didn’t Know.”

Visitors and new members welcome.

For more information please visit www. cfuwleasideeastyork.ca, email joincfuw@ gmail.com or phone Janice Mitchell at 416-930-8581.

...and the winners are...

Leaside Garden Society Whether your garden consists of a sunny window ledge or several acres, we offers a friendly environment to meet other people who share your love for gardening. Saturday, Feb. 9, 1pm-4pm Leaside Kids Book Club Ages 6 to 9.

A participant-led book club with selections for both young and older readers.

Registration required. For more information, please contact the branch.

Snap Circuits for Kids Age 8 and up.

Snap circuits make learning electronics easy and fun! Build exciting projects such as a doorbell, a radio station, and more! Drop in. No registration required. Feb. 14, 3:45-4:45pm

Leaside Life and the Bayview Leaside BIA would like to thank all the Bayview merchants who participated in the 2nd Annual Holiday Window Decorating Contest.

There were over 30 participating merchants.

A panel of local judges viewed the holiday displays and we are pleased to announce the following winners.

Write Impressions 1515 Bayview Ave. Bonnie Byford 1536 Bayview Ave.

Winter Kept Us Warm Oil on canvas by Pete Smith. Ongoing from Feb 1-28.

Your Clothes Friend 1573 Bayview Ave.

Youth Advisory Group 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! First and third Wed. Feb. 6, 20, 4:30–6pm For full library listings see www.torontopubliclibrary.ca

Boo Boo & Lefty 1588 Bayview Ave.

Send us your free listing for March by February 10th leasidelife@gmail.com ■

Pagnello’s Antiques 1635 Bayview Ave. macFABhome 1685 Bayview Ave. Paws & Claws 1721 Bayview Ave. ■

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Please remember to SHOP LOCAL.

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Laird Automotive Services Ltd. 49 Laird Drive, Toronto, Ont. M4G 3T4 • www.accuratedistributing.com • accurateltd@gmail.com • 416.429.9102

Leaside Life • February 2019

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All Leasiders have been affected by the lengthy and disruptive construction of the Crosstown LRT. For some of us, it’s only an aggravating inconvenience if you’re trying to cross Eglinton Ave., especially at the Bayview Ave. intersection, which is a real blight on the landscape.

For many, LRT construction has brought unwanted and significant increases of through-traffic onto Leaside’s residential streets.

The Leasiders who are most affected are those living on, or very near, the actual construction route.

They not only have to deal with the noise and lengthy hours of digging, they also have to contend with the constant heavy truck activity. Quite a number are discovering cracks and other damage to their homes. The LPOA has been contacted by several home owners, asking if Metrolinx can be held liable for damage to their properties. We have been told that one condo building has actually hired a lawyer to pursue compensation.

What IS Metrolinx’s liability in these cases? Given the size of the

Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LPOA

Crosstown project, does Metrolinx have a compensation policy? Does a property owner have any recourse to cover the cost of repairs?

Do you live along the LRT construction route, and has your home been affected? The LPOA wants

Leaside Gate

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Our next monthly LPOA board meeting is on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH at 7:30 p.m., in the Trace Manes building. Do you need Committee of Adjustment advice or information about local matters? Do you have opinions on municipal issues you’d like to share? Maybe you just want to hear more about what's happening in our community? These board meetings are always open to the public.

We invite you to attend. ■

Seniors’ Condos and Life-Lease Units for Sale in Leaside Ask Roy to put you on his waiting list for any of these 3 buildings designed for seniors

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to hear from you, so that we can pursue answers. Please contact us at our website, lpoa.ca.

Since our presentation of the LPOA’s Traffic Calming Plan at our Annual General Meeting in December, we’ve had very helpful feedback from people who attended that meeting. Many have also visited our website to look at the PowerPoint presentation and maps presented there. I encourage you to do so too, if you haven’t already.

We encourage more Leasiders to participate, helping build consensus on these proposals. We continue to move forward step by step, but your participation is vital to convince the City that Leasiders are serious in wanting solutions. One way is to hold a number of small informal gatherings over the next two or three months, perhaps by geographic area or specific topic, on convenient days or evenings.

We could meet at Trace Manes, the Leaside Library, or a local coffee shop, depending on how many people register.

Would you be interested in getting together on, say, a Saturday or Sunday late afternoon for an hour or so of conversation and brainstorming? Think of these as pop-up advocacy sessions! Your comments, questions and suggestions can help ensure a plan which represents an informed consensus. Please let me know! You can reach me through lpoa.ca, or via Leaside Life.

Bethel Green

not intended to solicit parties in an agency agreement

Contact Karli Vezina at leasidelifepublishing@gmail.com

SHUTTERSTOCK

Are you suffering from Crosstown LRT woes?

HEIDE HEEMSOTH REAL ESTATE SALES REPRESENTATIVE

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Prepare to put your heart into it with www.TheConvoCoach.com info@TheConvoCoach.com or text: 416.579.8202

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Coaching clients to quickly transform dreaded conversations into brilliant outcomes that deliver results & build resilience & relationships.

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February is Heart month.

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Get your business off o to a good start in 2019 by leasing warehouse and yard space close to your customers. We’ve got an assortment of options for you from 350 sq. ft. to 6,000 sq. feet inclusive.

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ACCOUNTING/TAX LATE FILING BOOKKEEPING BUSINESS CONSULTING Proud Leasider since 1998

1670 Bayview Avenue, Suite 306 Toronto, ON M4G 3C2

416-480-9856 www.aireontv.com

Leaside Life

Your Old Home Movies On DVD Let us digitize your �lm and video to DVD or File.

Subscriptions Interested in having Leaside Life mailed to you each month?

How about an Annual Subscription?

Only $12/year Email us at leasidelifepublishing@gmail.com or call 416-504-8047.

416-623-9479 www.manicmedia.ca VHS Betamax 8mm MiniDV Film

Local Leaside Business

Leaside Life • February 2019

heideheemsoth@gmail.com www.midtownrealtor.ca

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