BIA Sidewalk Sensation
Sat. June 14 pg. 15
Doing the Lake Leaside stroll
LEASIDE ARTIST MAUREEN WOOD’S LAKE LEASIDE STROLL RECEIVED AN HONOURABLE MENTION AT THE DON VALLEY ART CLUB’S ART SHOW. SEE PG. 20.
Leaside Strong!
Last month we did something different: we literally wrapped Leaside Life in the Canadian flag. We put out the call to readers to show your true colours by displaying the maple leaf in your window. At last count more than 400 homes in North and South Leaside were sporting Leaside Life’s Canadian flag and showing their pride in our country as we face down trade threats from south of the border.
We asked readers the question: What does Canada mean to you? How do you see the impact of (the current) economic changes (i.e. the continuing trade war with our neighbour to the south) in your daily life?
We got mail, and you did not disappoint!
This comment from Gloria Doherty sums up the sentiments many expressed: “It was a complete
awesome surprise to get your May issue in the mail �� The gift of our flag around this amazing Leaside magazine (made me) awestruck I’ve looked several times for signs, flags that fit in my apartment window. … Your sign fits perfectly in my window today �� So proud of you and proud to be a Canadian. … We have to stand steady and together more than ever.” Many readers sent us pictures of their windows adorned with the Leaside Life Canadian flag. It’s clear from these and the many Canada Strong/Elbows Up signs we’re seeing in shop windows throughout Leaside that Leasiders are a proud bunch. n *
*Sales Representative
From the Balkans to Bayview – Leasiders and the Holocaust
The quote at right reveals a fact I only recently learned – Leaside was home to scores of Jewish refugees who had escaped Nazi persecution and survived the Holocaust. Several had even lost relatives in the death camps of Europe. Their story is one of suffering, sadness and tragedy, but also of courage, determination and resilience. Here is just one example: Alexander and Dushanka Grin (Green), who lived in North Leaside for over 30 years, most of them at 5 Roxville Ave.
Fleeing Hitler
“You couldn’t live and work in Leaside in Toronto in the 1950s and ’60s and not know [Holocaust] survivors.”
—Former Employment Minister Jason Kenney, on Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s boyhood in Leaside and his hatred of antisemitism, National Post, Jan. 16, 2014.
Alexander Grin was born in Hungary in 1902 and educated in Belgrade – the son of Jewish parents. A lawyer by training with a doctorate in law, he married his non-Jewish wife, Dushanka, in 1937 while she was a medical student in Serbia. One year later they had their first child,
Paul. A year after that, Hitler invaded Poland unleashing World War II. For the next five years, Grin and his small family were under constant threat of being captured and killed by the Nazis. In July 1941, they were arrested by Italian Fascists and sent to a vermin-infested holding facility in Albania. They were then transferred to southern Italy, where they were put in another camp – the Ferramonti internment camp.
Released under “free confinement” status in July 1943, they spent several months in northern Italy before fleeing to Rome in late November – after learning the Germans were rounding up Jews in the area and deporting them to places like Auschwitz. Rome was no better, however, as the Germans
HOLOCAUST Page 24 Dushanka and Alexander Green after their arrival in Canada, late 1940s.
David Mistry and Rahm Sharpe-Bebe are survivors, not victims
by LORNA KRAWCHUK
David Mistry and Rahm SharpeBebe are now 50 years old and good friends. This was not always the case.
As Leaside youngsters, they both participated in local sports but didn’t really know each other. As teens, they weren’t friends at all and occasionally even got into fights.
But what brought them together were shared experiences that changed their lives forever.
Rahm came forward when he was 37 to accuse Ed Palacios of sexual assault when he was just a child. David was on the TTC on his way to work at Scarborough General Hospital as an operating room technician when he saw a newspaper article with the accusation in black and white.
He too had been abused by Ed Palacios but didn’t know of any others in his situation and had never spoken of what had taken place.
David’s mother had questioned him
about the possibility of abuse when he was a child, but David lied and said, “everything was fine,” because he really didn’t know how to talk about this sort of thing to his parents. In fact, it turns out, he never told anyone, not until he saw the newspaper article that changed his life.
Rahm had also originally lied to his mom, but did later tell a girlfriend and his mother when he was in his 20s. It wasn’t until he read Theo Fleury’s book on his abuse as a hockey player, Playing with Fire, and then met him at an event at Originals on Bayview that he decided the time had come to become a survivor, not a victim. As Rahm said, “survivors speak out, and victims stay silent.”
He went to the police, the accusations against Ed Palacios became public, and others who had been sexually assaulted by him were asked to come forward. David was one of them. Six others also came forward and testified at the trial where Ed Palacios was convicted. Why are David and Rahm now, many years after the events, asking for Leaside Life to reveal their names and their story? Ed Palacios has been charged again, with a trial coming this month, and with others making similar accusations from that same period more than four decades ago, in 1983, when they were kids. Another man, Sean Hancock, is also being charged at this trial.
Edward Palacios, 64, was charged with three counts of sexual assault, two counts of gross indecency, assault, buggery and assault with a weapon, Toronto police said in a news release in March. Sean Hancock, 59, was charged with sexual assault, gross indecency, assault and buggery. Palacios and Hancock both volunteered in programs in Leaside, where they had access to children. Palacios has also been charged with possession of and access to child pornography. He is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice on June 11.
Book your appointments online:
Bayview and Fleming:
https://shoppersdrugmart.medmeapp.com/0982/schedule or Scan 1601 Bayview Ave | T:416-489-1873
Bayview and Broadway:
https://shoppersdrugmart.medmeapp.com/1313/schedule or Scan 1860 Bayview Ave | T:416-482-9841
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Rahm and David want “men and women who have been sexually assaulted to not be afraid, and to not be alone. As scary as it is to speak out, it’s healthier than trying to hold it in,” David said. Therapy as adults has helped them, but both say that mental health supports are hard to access in the public system, and expensive if privately obtained. Anyone with information is asked to contact police or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers. n
Niloo Saiy PharmD, CDE, RPh Associate-Owner
Leaside High’s Helen Panayiotou majors in marathons
By JANIS FERTUCK
This past March, Helen Panayiotou, curriculum leader for science and STEM at Leaside High School, joined a special, elite group of marathon runners when she completed her sixth and final race of the Abbott World Marathon Majors in Tokyo. Helen started running as a student, but when she moved to Toronto and Leaside High School, she kept getting lost on the winding neighbourhood streets during cross-country training runs. So, she gave up running for a few years but then took up road racing as an adult. She returned to LHS as a teacher in 1998 and started to coach cross-country and track when long-time coach, Dave Christiani, was about to retire. With many seasons under her belt, this year she coached cross-country, but is taking a break from track. Helen began running marathons in Toronto and was thrilled to qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2011. The celebrated Boston Marathon is part of a series known as the
Abbott World Marathon Majors, and completing them is a life goal among marathoners. This was her first major, but she says, it was “so disastrous” that she took a break from full marathons for a few years before running Chicago as her second major in 2016.
The 2020s have been busy running times for her.
In 2021, she was one of just four teachers in Canada (one of only 50 in North America) selected to run New York City as part of the team for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the title sponsor for several marathons. Then she ran Boston in 2022, London and Berlin in 2023, and Tokyo this year, to complete the series.
feeling like “a rock star.” Marathon participants receive a medal for each race and then a special medal for the completed series.
In addition to feeling happy and proud of her accomplishments, Helen is pleased with her fundraising efforts. In the past, through her races she has raised money for Make-aWish Foundation, Ronald McDonald House and the Alzheimer Society. She says she feels “honoured and blessed” to have the support of not only family and friends, but her students and their parents, who have tracked her live on their devices during races. She also appreciates hearing students talk about getting into running after she shares her race experiences with them.
Each marathon is unique for different reasons, Helen says. She enjoyed Boston for the “honour of qualifying for it and its challenging course.” She loved the “sites and crowd support” in London, the “speed and flatness of Berlin,” and the “cultural experience of Tokyo.”
Nothing, though, topped New York City with its “crazy” crowd support, the VIP treatment as part of the team of TCS teachers, and the thrill of
While Helen feels she has “finally finished the journey” she’s been on for many years, as a goal-oriented person, she now wants to focus on triathlons and perhaps do a half or full Ironman one day.
In the meantime, she plans to continue running three to five days a week, mostly on her own, enjoying the experience and exploring new areas with some cross-training thrown into the mix. And since the Sydney Marathon just got added as a seventh World Major, she says her marathon days are not over, but her “wallet needs to recover first.” n
Kylee Raftis is top Canadian woman at Boston Marathon
by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO
This past spring marathoner Kylee Raftis became the fastest Canadian woman running the Boston Marathon with a blazing time of 2:34:41.
Her path to hitting her personal best and making Canada proud should not come as a surprise. Kylee is only the latest speedy marathoner in her Bennington family. She came to the sport of running in both an inspirational and harrowing way.
In 2013, Kylee watched as her dad Joe and thousands of other runners completed the famed, venerable Boston Marathon. Witnessing the athleticism and enthusiasm of runners of all ages, Raftis knew on that day that she, too, wanted to run.
One hour after her father fin ished and she, her mother Shelly and brothers Brandon and Jordan had left the course, two bombs – set off for politi cal reasons – exploded on either side of the spot where the Raftis
family had been standing. Luckily, Kylee was undeterred by this horrific incident. Steadfast in her decision to be a runner, she registered and trained with both the Central Toronto Athletic Club (CTAC) and her high school.
Running both track and cross country, Raftis had a stellar high school career, which included setting the provincial and Canadian all-time record in the 1,500-metre steeplechase.
Her tremendous success resulted in a scholarship at Boston College where she ran multiple distances and specialized in the 3,000-metre steeplechase. She also had a ringside seat to view the famed Boston Marathon each year. After graduating with a master’s degree, she ran her first marathon and qualified for the 2023 Boston run on her first try. She has since run two marathons in Boston qualifying through races in Chicago and New York and culminating in her recent Canadian record.
Noting that she “can’t imagine (her) life without running,” Kylee is “excited to see where the next few marathons take (me).”
She’ll be running the Berlin Marathon this fall and imagines another 20 years of competitive running with her next goal to break the 2:30 mark.
She says she owes much of her success to the support she’s received over the years from her coaches and
family. One of her most supportive training partners at the moment is brother Brandon. While his goal is also to run a sub-2:30 marathon, Kylee says that (on the down low), her secret goal is to beat him in a marathon very soon. n
Events June
SUOMI-KOTI ANNUAL YARD SALE.
Saturday, June 7, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Toronto Finnish-Canadian Seniors Centre 795 Eglinton Ave E, (416) 425-4134.
LEASIDE UNITED CHURCH
Celebratory Hymn Festival for United Church of Canada’s Centenary, Sun. June 8 at 2:00 p.m. with joint Chancel Choir from Northlea United and Leaside United.
LEASIDE LIBRARY
July 9, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Join City of Toronto Urban Forestry staff to explore the natural world on a neighbourhood walk. Learn how to recognize different tree species and fun facts about their cultural and ecological importance. The tour will start and end at the Leaside Branch. Rain or shine. Registration is required - contact the branch at 416-396-3835.
ST. AUGUSTINE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH
1847 Bayview Ave
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, June 13, 7:00-8:30 p.m. “Pay what you can” with 100% of the money going to the Flemingdon Food Bank. We are looking for performers.
Contact info@saintaugustine.ca.
LEASIDE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
670 Eglinton Ave. E. 416-422-0510 www.leasidepresbyterianchurch.ca
Come join us online every Wednesday at noon for a twenty-minute guided meditation with neighbours from Leaside Presbyterian Church. This ancient Christian spiritual practice is rooted in the belief that God’s peace, which is available to all of us, is as close to us as our very own breath. Come learn how to let go and be still in the quiet of God’s loving presence. For more information, email paul@leasidepc.ca
LEASIDE GARDEN SOCIETY
The Society 2025 Founders’ Scholarship applications will be accepted from May 1 to June 30. Details: www. leasidegardensociety.org
Healing Garden. This talk will describe the garden, showcasing its transformation from an area overrun by monoculture species into a restorative green space. It will highlight the garden’s role in supporting biodiversity, attracting pollinators, and promoting mental wellbeing. More info: leaside@gardenontario. org or 416-422-0538. The Society welcomes guests and new members to join our meetings. www.leasidegardensociety. org or email: leaside@gardenontario.org.
ST. CUTHBERT’S CHURCH, LEASIDE
Magical Garden Tour Sat. June 14, 11:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m. See ad on page 29. Speaker Series: Rohan Harrison and Michael Lithgow on the Sunnybrook Healing Garden Thurs., June 12, 7:00 p.m. (refreshments at 6:30 p.m.) at Leaside Library (165 McRae Dr.) Many Leasiders have reason to be grateful for Sunnybrook, but not all are aware of its Rohan Harrison
1399 Bayview Avenue 416 485 0329 stcuthbertleaside@toronto.anglican.ca www.stcuthbertsleaside.com
Tai chi will resume on Tuesdays in September.
Gard’n Angels welcome anyone who’d like to lend a hand in tending the vegetable garden on the Green. No experience necessary. Wed. and Sat. from 10:00 a.m. to noon. All produce goes to the Flemingdon Food Bank. Labyrinth and Prayer Garden to June 8. Walk the Labyrinth on the Green and make your prayer request in the Prayer Garden to the north of the church. Lemonade on the Green. Drop by again this summer, any Wed. morning between 10:00 a.m. and noon for a cold drink, a cookie and a chat. Treats for dogs too n
Rohan
Michael
Entrepreneur and philanthropist, and only 13
by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO
Innovative, focused, industrious, ambitious, entrepreneurial. These are the words that come to mind describing a successful businessperson. But what if these are just some of the words describing 13-year-old Leasider Wyatt Dickey?
Over the past two years, Wyatt has built a successful business named Wyatt WERX, featuring year-round lawn and garden care, ski tuning as well as the design and production of hockey-related items.
Wyatt is not just a successful and talented entrepreneur; he’s also a person with a very big heart who has turned his talents and profits to helping others.
While he was building a client list around the neighbourhood for his garden care services, Wyatt soon realized there were seniors on his own street who also required help with their grass, weeds, seeding, leaves, snow removal and odd yard jobs. With no interest in payment or acknowledgment, Wyatt began taking care of their properties.
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In addition to lawn services and ski tuning, Wyatt upcycles used hockey sticks and pucks found abandoned in arenas and creates stickhandling trainers for both on and off the ice, small benches, coffee tables, side tables and other special-order items, which he sells on Kijiji and through word of mouth. Instead of keeping all the earnings for himself, Wyatt has used a good portion of it for charitable purposes.
Discovering that some families don’t have the means to send their kids to summer camp, Wyatt, who has long loved his own camp experiences, teamed up with a couple of friends to pool their money to send a child to camp, through an anonymous program. His most recent charitable cause has been very meaningful. As a teen who loves sport and participates in hockey, lacrosse, baseball and skiing, Wyatt decided to share his income with athletes with special needs. Through the Special Olympics “Draft an Athlete” program, Wyatt has already sponsored two athletes and plans to sponsor at least one more before the Provincial Games take place this July in Brantford, Ont. Instead of going to camp this summer, Wyatt will continue to grow his business and volunteer his time at the Summer Games. Seeing the needs of others, great or small, “makes me feel thankful for all I have,” says Wyatt of his philanthropy.
BEACHES: 1089 KINGSTON RD.
LEASIDE: 105 VANDERHOOF AVE.
THEMES LIKE... Broadway Bound Let’s Go to the Beach Defying Gravity Swiftie Enchanted Lands Wish Upon a Star Under the Big Top ANY QUESTIONS?
Glen Gretzky, chairman of the advisory committee for the SOO Summer Games, comments that “it is remarkable that at his young age he is putting others first and contributing positively to his own community and to the Special Olympics Summer Games. His sponsoring two athletes helps them with travel, meal and hotel expenses. Wyatt is enabling athletes to share in the joy of sport, make new friends and be part of the great team community.”
A savvy, generous and humble teen, Wyatt is a true example of a young person with talent and compassion. To see Wyatt’s range of products or to book lawn care, contact him at wyatt@wyattwerx.ca or visit wyattwerx.ca (coming soon). n
WYATT DICKEY
LAURI HOLOMIS
•
Year-round pickleball and padel ready to serve in Leaside!
With the opening of the Fairgrounds Public Racket Club at the old Mercedes-Benz dealership at 849 Eglinton Ave. East, Leasiders can now dive into Canada’s fastest growing sports – pickleball and padel – in an accessible way. As developers hold the reins on construction until economic conditions improve, many are converting their sites into other, temporary uses. The new Leaside club is just one of these.
with plans to expand to Kingston, Whitby, Red Deer and Halifax later this year as they capitalize on a hot trend that shows no signs of cooling.
Fairgrounds describes itself as representing “a new era wherein sports clubs are democratized to include anyone who wants to be active, regardless of age, athletic ability or socioeconomic status.”
Unlike other racket clubs, membership at Fairgrounds is free. Sign up online to reserve courts and participate in a variety of social and athletic events. The company also offers their venue for private events like team building and birthday parties. Both open and league play times are available for different levels of competition as well as kids’ programs and specific seniors’ and women’s-only hours. For newbies wanting to try out the sports, equipment rental and coaching are available.
Leaside’s facilities include 13 pickleball and four padel courts, change rooms, a sauna with a cold rinse shower and a lounge area with two ping-pong tables.
It also features 24-ft. ceilings in a 40,000 sq. ft. space with food and beverage availability including rotating local vendors offering postmatch refreshments and bites.
Fairgrounds co-founder and co-CEO Drummond Munro comes to pickleball and padel from a somewhat different uplifting background. Before Fairgrounds he was chief brand officer of Superette, a flagship retail cannabis store. The pivot to pickleball and padel comes at a time when these sports may be more popular than, well, cannabis. And Leaside seems an ideal location for expansion.
As Munro said, “Leaside is the perfect destination — both figuratively and literally. It draws from North York, Midtown, and downtown, and with easy access to transit and the DVP, it’s truly an ideal area to be in. Plus, the Leaside community is incredibly strong.”
Repurposing the old dealership pre-construction at some time in the (possibly) distant future offers Leasiders something a little different. Game on! n
The site under construction
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I D E W A L K S I D E W A L K S E N S A T I O N S E N S A T I O N S A T U R D A Y S A T U R D A Y J U N E 1 4 T H J U N E 1 4 T H 1 0 : 3 0 A M - 3 : 3 0 P M 1 0 : 3 0 A M
JOIN US! JOIN US!
Grace Main puts her best foot forward
by SUZANNE PARK
Ballerinas float across a stage. Their tutus bounce, every movement is precise, but their feet are often in excruciating pain. Ballet is a beautiful art, yet it can have a devastating impact on dancers’ feet, especially when en pointe. Calluses, blisters, ingrown toenails, even stress fractures and pronounced arches are all too common, and all require consistent professional footcare.
As a young ballerina, Grace Main suffered foot pain and was fascinated by the specialists treating dancers’ feet. That fascination eventually led her to a career in footcare.
Grace Main, C.Ped (C) is a Certified Pedorthist, a healthcare professional with specialized education and training in assessing lower limb anatomy, muscle and joint function, and custom-made orthotics and orthopaedic footwear. You can find her at Sunnybrook Hospital in Pedorthics Services.
According to their website, “Improving your mobility is our goal, by offering comprehensive foot support via a multi-disciplinary clinic where patients see a physiatrist and a certi-
fied pedorthist. Patients are assessed and receive services which may create or modify shoes or orthotics.” Some of the issues addressed include plantar fasciitis (heel pain), metatarsalgia (ball of foot pain), diabetes or arthritis, bunion pain, hammer toes, and foot traumas. At Sunnybrook, a doctor’s referral is not required but there are
fees associated with some services.
For anyone interested in a pedorthist career, the most direct route is graduating with a B.A. in kinesthetics, then completing a 12-month post-degree pedorthist diploma program at Western University. Grace took a more circuitous route, working as she completed her academic requirements with a two-year bridging program in lieu of a B.A. in kinesiology, followed by a two-year diploma program and exam at the Canadian College of Pedorthics. Grace offers a few footcare suggestions that would benefit all of us, not just dancers. “Take extra socks when hiking, purchase shoes with a wide toe-box more anatomically suited to feet and toes, get foot pain assessed early to avoid more complex issues later, and custom shoes are good value if off-the-shelf shoes are not a good fit.” Her final piece of advice. “Like ballerinas, take care of your calluses.”
Asked about the joy of dancing and her experiences en pointe, Grace reminisced but spoke more about the crafts she was introduced to, like sewing to repair ballet slippers and crocheting hairnets. Today she continues to enjoy many of these crafts. A surprising one she mentioned: “There was a tutu competition. We were challenged to design a ballet tutu. This challenge encompassed all my passions – art, design, ballet, and sewing. My first approach didn’t fly! I tried making a tutu out of shiny metal. It was too heavy and dangerously sharp. I settled on a more conservative approach using shiny fabric, imitating metal. It was my first and last tutu project. It consumed many hours and miles of tulle.” n
Leaside High cooks!
Each month we cover a Leasider’s special dish with a hearty side order
by MITCH BUBULJ
It happens 10 times a school year, draws crowds, smells yummy and has become an institution at Leaside High School. Courtesy of the Food and Nutrition program and especially teacher Caralin Fleet, it’s a food service where students cook for staff and students.
In early May Oodles of Noodles was on offer, and I was fortunate enough to cover it for this month’s Leaside Cooks. June’s recipe is the very summery Vietnamese Cold Noodle Salad, ingredients for which can be found at any grocery store. Some of the other events and themes promoted at the lunch-time feast are Easter, Eid, Passover, Christmas, and Hanukkah as well as Taste of Toronto, Taste of Canada and Soupa-Palooza . All in all, there are 10 opportunities for everyone to eat well at school, five per semester. The event has been a staple at LHS since 2022. That was the year Fleet returned to teaching after
Find the recipes online by clicking the Leaside Cooks tab.
of narrative.
an extended maternity leave. “Restaurants and food venues around the school had been shuttered during the time I was away. The closing of Sunnybrook Plaza and the Eglinton Crosstown LRT construction had a negative impact. There was a need, and I realized we had the talent to fill it,” she says. Principal Barb Nixon adds that the cafeteria’s closing several years ago contributed to the dearth of food options. “Caralin came to me with the idea of students cooking for students and I was fully supportive.” Fleet is a drama and social sciences teacher – she is also a past contributor to Leaside Life (May 2017) – but always had a passion for the culinary arts. She considered cooking a hobby, even starting a small online cake-making business. “In my first year of teaching at LHS I ran an after-school cake club, which proved to be popular. I ended up teaching food and nutrition courses by happenstance.”
When she returned from her leave, she was asked to teach the cooking course since the long-established teachers had moved to different schools. “Essentially, I filled the void left by Mark Chambers, who had himself attended Leaside and whose family still live in the community.” It was Mark who inspired the idea since he was famous for creating Soup-a-Palooza, a celebration of soups cooked up and sold by his classes to students and staff in the winter months. Fleet has grown it since then.
For a nominal fee – the charge covers the cost of groceries – students and staff have the choice of a large or small plate; lineups are out the door. Fleet’s Grade 11s work the magic – from creating the menu to preparing the dishes and ultimately doing the washing up. The meal events start about one month into the course, after the class has completed the safety unit teaching
Teacher Caralin Fleet
PHOTOS MITCH
BUBULJ
proper use of kitchen equipment and food handling. The course is also taught in French because LHS offers a French Immersion and Extended French program.
Family Studies at LHS
In Grade 9 students learn, among other things, sewing and financial literacy. There is even a Grade 12 food and nutrition course. Abby Campbell, a student in Fleet’s senior food course, took the Grade 11 class last year. She explains, “I initially took it to learn life and cooking skills I knew I would need when I left home. I liked Ms. Fleet’s mantra: ‘Anyone can cook.’ Our meal events were great ways to showcase what we had learned. I felt empowered; the events were inclusive and connected us to our peers through food.”
Oodles of Noodles includes Italian favourites like lasagna and ravioli but also pho, udon and pad Thai. “All pasta is noodles, but not all noodles are pasta,” Fleet says. She doesn’t just teach about the flavours and traditions behind dishes from far away; during the Taste of
Canada event, she also teaches about Indigenous dishes and their significance. A favourite is Three Sisters Chili, which includes corn, beans and squash. “These crops are planted together and support each other as they grow. It’s like a celebration and happens to be delicious.”
Fleet jokes that the secret to the success of the food events is location. The classroom and its kitchens are smack-dab in the middle of the school on the main floor so no one can miss the appetizing aromas. n
LHS Student Quinn Kerr
Andrew A. Sudano Barrister & Solicitor www.sudanolaw.ca
647.880.5832
With
Family Law | Adoptions | Child Protection
The Lake Leaside goose stroll
by GEOFF KETTEL
Lake Leaside? Where has it gone? It just gave way to a mass of steel and concrete, soon to be an expanded Canadian Tire store to replace the one at Laird and Eglinton, destined for redevelopment.
But Leaside artist Maureen Wood has noticed that despite the fact the lake has been drained, the Canada Geese that used to reside on and around the lake keep returning to the area. Perhaps to mourn the loss of their home? Or maybe to keep a watchful eye on the new development?
at Brentcliffe. These inhabitants of (former) Lake Leaside were waddling (sorry, strolling) along the sidewalks of Vanderhoof, north of the former temporary lake.
This homecoming is memorialized in Wood’s “Lake Leaside Stroll,” a watercolour painting that received an Honourable Mention at the Don Valley Art Club’s Art Show and Sale at Todmorden Mills on May 10.
The stroll in question was that of a family of Canada Geese Maureen encountered in her early morning walk along Vanderhoof to her gym
Martha Johnson, the show’s judge (also a Leaside resident) wrote in her comments on the picture: “Lake Leaside, a fleeting pond in Industrial Leaside, is importantly recorded and represented by Canada Geese. Moving gently, this sensitively drawn formation calls attention to our urban environment and cohabitation. The viewer’s perspective, walking behind and with the waddling family, is thoughtfully crafted.”
Wood says that her artistic passion for watercolours “comes from photos I have taken in everyday life around me. When I come back to certain photos, there is a feeling of excitement that I want to translate into paper with my watercolours.”
Thanks, Maureen, for artistically recording this homecoming of former (and future?) Leaside residents! n Enroll
Enjoy Your Summer Worry Free
With summer here we tend to get more active and spend more time outdoors. This can be a challenge if you need to use the bathroom frequently, have overpowering urgency, or struggle with annoying bladder leaks. There’s nothing worse than finding yourself in the middle of a golf course with no bathroom in site, or out in nature and all you can think about is where will I go if I have to pee?
You don’t need to live like this. While these issues are common, they are not normal. They are a sign of possible dysfunction in your pelvic health, and you deserve to have this dysfunction treated.
5 things you likely didn’t know:
1) Both women and men can struggle with these challenges.
2) Over time your brain can become poorly “trained” to signal you when your bladder is not actually full. This incorrect signal can result in frequent bathroom trips and strong urgency.
3) Your brain, bladder muscle and pelvic floor muscles should be coordinated and working together like great friends. They can fall out of sync as we age, after we have babies, or even after surgeries. It is possible to “re-educate” these old friends, so they work like a team again.
4) A full bladder should take at least 8 seconds to empty. If your stream lasts just a few seconds, you received an incorrect signal.
5) A healthy bladder should empty every 2-4 hours depending on how much water you drink. A heavy hydrator would go every 2 hours. If you are more dehydrated; every 4 hours. If you are going to the washroom every hour you are getting incorrect signals.
UROSPOT is a private clinic in Toronto that treats common UROlogy and pelvic health issues in a noninvasive and modern way. At UROSPOT you remain fully clothed. No one is touching you and nothing goes inside your body. UROSPOT has a team of pelvic health experts and world class non-invasive technology that combine to change your life and help you live with freedom from these issues. By sitting fully clothed on a medical chair lovingly called the “Kegel Throne,” your pelvic floor muscles are stimulated using electromagnetic energy. This energy moves through your clothes and contracts your pelvic floor muscles the equivalent of 11,000 kegels in just 28 minutes. This treatment restores and strengthens your pelvic floor but it also re-educates the connection between your brain, bladder and pelvic floor so they signal you correctly and work together again.
If you want to get out there this summer without worrying where the nearest bathroom is, if you want to go for long walks without bladder leaks, or if you want to spend a day at the beach without 5 trips to the public restroom a complimentary consultation at UROSPOT is what you need. You will leave educated, empowered an excited about the freedom and confidence available to you.
A portion of treatment cost is eligible for coverage with extended health benefits, and you can also claim treatment as a medical expense on your income tax return.
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Where’s the transition to our neighbourhood?
The emerging residential tower community in Leaside East (from Laird to Brentcliffe on the south side of Eglinton) received another tall tower application recently. This one, for 39 storeys, is proposed for the northwest corner of Vanderhoof
“A tall residential building on the site would be precedent setting...”
the Laird Station and to minimize development pressures on surrounding “Neighbourhood” and “Employment Lands.”
In the development of Amendment 450, the block bounded by Eglinton, Laird, Vanderhoof and Brentcliffe was divided into two: the upper two-thirds were re-designated to Mixed Use and viewed as suitable for high-rise development while the lower one-third remained as Employment Lands, suitable for low- to mid-rise “employment buildings.” Unfortunately, the City allowed a conversion of the parcel to Mixed Use from Employment Lands, along with refusals of five other applications for conversion of parcels located in the Business Park.
But does it fit?
The proposed 39-storey residential structure is completely out of character with the City’s original vision for the site. With the massive amount of tall building development being permitted in the upper two-thirds of Block A, there will be a need for office and other employment generating activity, not more tall residential buildings.
A tall residential building on the site would be precedent setting, and other property owners along the north side of Vanderhoof over to Laird are likely to seek similar approvals, resulting in a complete abandonment of needed employment-generating development.
And with over 100 south-facing residential units in a tall tower abutting the Employment Lands, this situation could unwittingly create the potential for conflict over environmental, noise and other issues.
What’s next?
Proposed residential tower at Vanderhoof
and Brentcliffe, the first on lands intended by the City’s Laird in Focus plan to function as “transition” between the high-density residential development along Eglinton and the Business Park. This was felt to be suitable for low- or mid-rise office development, not tall residential, because of the potential incompatibility of residential and industrial uses, and because of such things as noise, smells, and traffic. The application for official plan
amendment and zoning bylaw amendment was submitted to the City in December 2024, and a community consultation meeting was held on May 13.
Official Plan Amendment No. 450 was adopted for the Laird in Focus Area as part of the City’s land use planning in anticipation of the construction of the Eglinton LRT. A key planning direction was to concentrate new development on former industrial lands east of
The community consultation was held on May 13, and a staff report will go to North York Community Council and to City Council (dates not known at the time of submission). The Leaside Residents Association (LRA) has already submitted a letter to City Planning expressing its strong opposition (full disclosure: I am LRA co-president). If you’re concerned, contact Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin’s office.
The LRA appreciates the input of board member Doug Obright for his expert assistance in responding to this application. n
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– who had occupied the city after the fall of Mussolini – were hunting Jews there as well. For the next six months, the Grin family led a furtive and traumatic life, fearing discovery at any moment. Only after the liberation of Rome in June 1944 were they finally able to gain a measure of safety. They made their way to Allied-occupied southern Italy, where thousands of other Jewish refugees had gathered. Once there, they were among a lucky few selected to go to the United States under a special emergency refugee program created by President Franklin Roosevelt.
Fort Ontario
The program called for the transportation of about 1,000 refugees, mainly Jewish, to the town of Oswego in upstate New York. Upon arriving in August 1944, the refugees – including the Grins – were housed at an abandoned U.S. Army barracks called Fort Ontario, where they stayed until the end the war. It was an austere facility, surrounded by a barbed wire fence to prevent the refugees from travelling freely outside although many were allowed to leave
MANOR ROAD UNITED CHURCH
Celebrating 100 Years of Spiritual Guidance and Charitable Good Works, May 2025
UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS:
CREATIVE PLAY FOR KIDS WITH AINSLEY
Every Sunday during worship
MINDFULNESS IN MOTION. FIND YOUR QUIET CENTRE
Walk the labyrinth with Dr. Rev. JJ , Wednesday June 4th 2pm
BRUNCH AT THE MANOR & PRIDE PARADE Sunday June 8th 11:35am
ONLINE YOGA WITH LINDA NICHOLSON
Every Thursday, 4:30 pm
Zoom link email: ministermruc@gmail.com
PRIDE SUNDAY AT THE MANOR June 29th 10:30am
LOVE IS LOVELY -
FIRST ANNUAL CANADA DAY BBQ
Tuesday July 1st Noon to 2pm: $5 ENTRY
240 Manor Road East, Toronto, ON manorroadunitedchurch.com
Eleanor Roosevelt and Dushanka at Fort Ontario, N.Y., September, 1944
the camp, provided they kept within the town limits and did not work beyond the fort. Despite these restrictions, the refugees created a flourishing community, with their own theatre, newspaper and synagogue, as well as recreational and training facilities. The Grins were active members of this community. Alexander joined the “Yugoslav Club” and founded a culture section that held bi-monthly lectures. Dushanka acted in plays and entered – and won – a fashion-design contest. She was also among those chosen to escort Eleanor Roosevelt when the First Lady toured the shelter in September 1944. Mrs. Roosevelt visited the Grins’ spartan living quarters and was so impressed with how appealing and pleasant Dushanka had made them that she mentioned it in her syndicated newspaper column a few days later.1 As a result, the two women grew acquainted and even exchanged letters.
Canada and Leaside
After the war, Alexander left Fort Ontario and returned to Europe where he discovered that his father, an Ashkenazi Rabbi, his mother, sister and brother-in-law had all been murdered by the Nazis. Dushanka and Paul remained at Fort Ontario and eventually came to Canada. Alexander followed in 1948. The family lived in Hamilton but later moved to Toronto – first living on
the Kingsway and then in North Leaside. Early in the postwar period, the couple changed their name from “Grin” to “Green” and had a second child, Lynda, born in 1950. In Toronto, Alexander launched his own travel agency, Europa Travel, which helped thousands of Central Europeans migrate to Canada. Sadly, he died in 1955 at the age of 53. Dushanka, only in her 30s, took over the business and ran it successfully for more than two decades while raising her family. Paul attended Northlea Public School and Leaside High, graduating in 1957 and later becoming a successful businessman. Lynda remained a virtual lifelong Leasider. She too attended Northlea and Leaside High, graduating in 1969, and afterwards married and raised a family. Dushanka died in 1982 at 64. She and her husband are buried in Mt. Pleasant cemetery. Lynda – now Lynda Green Potts – has bittersweet memories of her parents. While she remembers little of her father, she vividly remembers her mother as a “strong, independent, talented and extraordinary woman.” But Lynda also recalls another side to her mother – one shared by many other Jewish families. “She never talked about what she, my father and my brother experienced during the war. She didn’t want me to know. She didn’t want anyone to know. Leaside was a different place back then, and she believed she was protecting me and my brother by being silent. She didn’t talk about the Holocaust either. She didn’t want to draw attention. Most other Jewish families in the community felt the same way. I didn’t learn about what really happened until I was much older – mainly through my daughter, who did a huge amount of research.”
Today, Lynda is committed to keeping her parents’ memory and ordeal alive. Framed photos of her father, her mother with Eleanor Roosevelt at Fort Ontario, along with their correspondence, are proudly displayed in her home. How many other stories like that of the Grin family are waiting in Leaside to be told? n
1 Ruth Gruber, Haven: The Dramatic Story of 1,000 World War II Refugees (New York, 1983), pp. 218-19. n
Lynda Green Potts, today.
The Toronto Finnish-Canadian Seniors Centre extends heartfelt congratulations to Leaside United Church on reaching this remarkable milestone.
Who ya gonna call? I’m a frequent 311 flyer
Ghostbusters?
No! 311. And if it’s a repetitive or egregious issue, contact Councillor Chernos Lin’s office too.
It’s the only way the City will know what’s going wrong in Leaside, enabling them to hold responsible departments accountable to improve their processes.
The Councillor’s office also receives a monthly 311 ward summary, organized by the most ‘popular’ service requests by division, so they too are aware and can take action.
A few facts about 311:
• It has a yearly budget of $20M.
• It fields over one million phone calls and 181 thousand online requests.
• Our ward logs 152 requests per 1,000 people.
• A phone call costs between $11 and $16 versus an online request, which costs between a dime and a dollar.
Here are a few litter-related issues which I’ve recently reported to 311: A recycle bin did not get properly emptied and half the bin ended up on the sidewalk and road, which a
Cheryl Vanderburg Leaside Litterati
BeFore
neighbour and I cleaned up before it scattered even further. The City truck either did not see it or ignored it. I reported it to 311, and Solid Waste Management called to investigate. The contact apologized and offered his contact info should there be any issues in future. Hopefully his investigation will avoid future mishaps.
The garbage accumulation on Pat Moore Drive (named in honour of
Thorncliffe Park resident Patricia Moore) while driving into Costco was so disgusting that I decided to call 311 as I had no idea who was responsible for cleaning it up. Turns out the street belongs to the City. And even though the property behind it belongs to Hydro One – it’s called the East York Hydro Green Space – it’s secondary land use and according to Hydro One it’s the City’s responsibility to keep it litter free. The City opened a 311 request and good news! According to Councillor Chernos Lin’s April 2025 e-newsletter, this area was targeted by the Thorncliffe community as part of Clean Toronto Together The before and after pictures tell the story. Thank you to those involved! A stunning transformation! Driving along Rosedale Valley Road, I was saddened to see several encampments and the huge amount of litter that had accumulated over the winter. I called 311, which forwarded my request to Solid Waste Management, and I emailed Dianne Saxe’s office.
Yes, I’m a 311 frequent flyer. Maybe you are too? If so, please share your 311 pet peeves. If we work together as a united community to identify our local issues to the City, we will be cleaner and stronger for it! n
• CONCRETE REPAIRS: STEPS/WALKWAYS/PADS
• STONE MASONRY: BACK DECKS/FRONT PORCHES/STEPS
• INTERLOCK PAVERS: BACK PATIOS/WALKWAYS/STEPS
• RETAINING WALLS
• TUCKPOINTING
• BRICK REPAIR
• CHIMNEY REPAIR
• WATERPROOFING
Stickler. Walking sticks. Talking trees.
by DAVID CRICHTON
I was looking forward to catching up with my old friend, this day. It’s 6 o’clock and Jerry, the Wonder Mutt, sits on the mat at my front door, looking back at me, his belly newly filled with a “delicious selection of chicken and vegetables to meet a dog’s demanding day.” He waits patiently for his evening walk that will relieve him of yesterday’s delicious selection of chicken and vegetables.
I decide to treat him to the Biggie Walk. (And yes, Jerry seems to understand what “Biggie Walk” means.) The Biggie Walk takes me from Vanderhoof and Sutherland, north, through the stone entrance of the Lyndhurst Rehab Centre. It’s here that I meet up with my old friend…Stick. Stick stays hidden until I come get him on one of these long walks. I let Jerry off his lead and together, the three of us set out.
in his other hiding spot. Jerry keeps a lookout. We say our goodbyes. As I come to the path, I see someone walking towards me and then pass. Did they see what I was doing? Should I go back and get Stick? Embarrassment stops me, and I carry on up the hill. But something doesn’t feel right. I’m compelled to turn around. Immediately, I’m hit with panic. The kind that every parent knows when they lose sight of their child in a crowd. The stranger has Stick in his hands. I yell after him,
“Hey, you took my Stick!” He looks at me, “It’s a good stick.”
I found Stick about two years ago. He was lying in some rotting leaves amidst other sticks that didn’t interest me at all. For some reason Stick stuck out. He wasn’t particularly attractive. His bark was patchy, and woodworm had mapped a debossed highway up and down his length. When I picked him up, he was the perfect length, just high enough to allow my arm to bend at a 45-degree angle when swung forward. His top had a natural “handle” that felt good in my hand. He wasn’t particularly hefty, though. In truth, he probably couldn’t sustain my full weight without snapping. But something about him made me think he’d still try. Stick seemed to have heart.
I have been proven right many times. Stick has helped me navigate that ice-covered hill down to the dog park, in winter. The same park where he once fended off a frothing husky from attacking Jerry last summer. And he kept me from sliding backwards on the mud path just past the horse barns, this spring.
We continue our loop, down the hill, over the creek, past the off-leash park, around the cricket fields, down the steps into Sunnybrook, across the steel bridge and up to the Serena Gundy stone entrance. The whole route takes almost an hour and a half. Hence “Biggie Walk.” It’s here that I veer off the path and put Stick
“I found him! Uh, it!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll put it back,” says Stranger, as he walks away, Stick in hand. Shocked at the audacity, I was also angered. But mostly sad. Yes, I know it’s “just a stick.” I know I can’t “own” a stick, I think to myself. But I have a connection with that Stick.
It was at this point, that Sally walked by. We exchanged a pleasant “hello” and Sally commented on Jerry as I struggled to prevent him from jumping on her. Before realizing it, I was relating my story about Stick to her.
“Is that rude? Or is it just me?” I asked.
“No, that’s YOUR stick. You’re attached to it.”
Sally got me. Sally is in her 80s and has been living in Leaside for decades. And as it turns out, Sally had a Tree.
“It was on Bayview. Every day, I used to walk by that tree, touch it and say ‘Hello, Tree.’ I’d talk to it. Then one day, I came by, and my Tree was gone. Just gone. I was so sad.”
We continued to talk as we walked to Sally’s street. And as I waved goodbye and turned to head home, it occurred to me that if I hadn’t lost Stick that day, I wouldn’t have found Sally.
Now, before you break out the tissue box, I did go back to the scene of the abduction the next day. To my surprise, and joy, Stick was where I always leave him. The Stranger had returned him.
The three of us walked – me, Jerry and Stick. And although Stick couldn’t tell me about the adventure he’d had the day before, I told him about Sally and her Tree. n
THE LEASIDE OBSERVER
Saturday, June 14, 2025 - 11 am to 4 pm
Explore some local gardens, meet the gardeners, exchange ideas, ask questions or simply smell the flowers! Tickets are available for $15 each (cash or cheque payable to the Leaside Garden Society only please) at the following locations:
Bob’s Garden Centre (Mt Pleasant & Erskine Ave )
• Heaps Estrin Real Estate (McRae and Bayview Ave )
• State of the Ar t Galler y (1541A Bayview Ave.)
Summer’s Best (1573 Bayview Ave )
Write Impressions (1515 Bayview Ave at Millwood)
• Leaside Librar y outside on the day of the tour (10:30 am to 3:00 pm)
www leasidegardensociety org
Neuro Rehab Clinics set to close
by JAKE ROSS
Hospital shutdowns in Ontario are no longer confined to rural communities – they’re happening right in our own backyard.
The building that houses Neuro Rehab Clinics at the Toronto Rehabilitation Rumsey Centre, located near Sunnybrook Hospital in North Leaside, will close in fall 2025, according to sources close to the matter.
In a statement, Janet Newton, clinical vice president at University Health Network (UHN), confirmed the news of the closure. She added that “the decision to close the building that houses the UHN Neuro Rehab clinics at Toronto Rehab Rumsey Site was based solely on the condition of the facility. … extensive repairs are needed and after a thorough review, it was determined that the cost of repair was greater than closing the building.”
According to its website, UHN operates one other outpatient brain injury rehab facility, Toronto Rehab-University Centre. Patients from the Rumsey Centre will be redirected to this facility, as well as UHN’s other rehab clinics, including Toronto Rehab Lyndhurst Centre and West Park Health Centre.
The facility’s neighbouring building that houses the Cardiac Rehab Centre will not be affected by the closure.
In her statement Newton said that “this transition will not change the
services offered or the scope of care provided.” However, not everyone is reassured. A former employee who wished to remain anonymous claimed that this is just the latest chapter in a long saga of “forced amalgamations” that result in “watered down” patient care.
“Whenever acute care merges with a rehab hospital, that rehab hospital always loses,” she said, adding that “patients used to get three to six months of inpatient care followed by three to 12 months of outpatient care. We have cut that down to one month in inpatients and then four to six weeks of outpatients. … the brain does not heal that quickly … Rumsey Neuro helped those most vulnerable manage their often invisible disabilities.”
The shutdown comes amidst concerns of a reduction in the availability of local healthcare province wide. In 2023, a hospital in Minden was permanently closed, while a 2024 CBC investigation found that one in five hospitals had a temporary shutdown, making it the worst year on record. The top reason cited for closures was a lack of staff.
The Rumsey Centre can trace its roots to the original Toronto Rehabilitation Centre, founded in 1922. In 1998, it became a part of the newly formed Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. In 2011, the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute merged with UHN.
UHN’s Newton assured that patients would receive “ample notice of relocation details.” n
Young Poet’s Corner
“15 Minutes”
The clock hands quicken their pace I think.
As if they could escape the heat if they move even a little faster
The scorching sun cause its heavy hands to droop.
I wish I could go and pry those hands back, lean on them with all of my body weight, and use my shovel to hit it further back.
Just to get a little more…
A little more time
Every memory in this seemingly empty field
From those who used to live there
And us who search for evidence of their existence
It’s all so intricate and alluring
The first time I held a piece of pottery, One that was made 800 years ago,
My whole world melted like a bunch of metals
To form a perfectly sharpened sword,
Like what the lithics I found used to be.
It was a high that I don’t believe can ever be topped
Not by a glass of a sickeningly sweet cocktail
Not by any drug
Not even the rush of a thrilling roller coaster
I decided in that moment that I’d never need them
I’ve found my own dopamine source
Before this all started, I wished that the tires of our car would roll backwards
Away from such a foreign place
That loomed over me like a tall mountain that I was destined to climb
But now I wish that those tires moved a little faster,
So that I would get an extra 15 minutes here
And be back in that plain field
— Charlotte Goggins
Charlotte Goggins is a Grade 12 student at Leaside High. This poem was inspired by her first experience at an archaeological dig.
Celebrating Leaside’s 21st century heritage built form
by MITCH BUBULJ
Twenty-first century built form heritage is not an oxymoron. If asked to name significant Leaside buildings, many would rhyme off the Lea farmhouses, the Elgie house, Garden Court and the old Leaside Town Hall and fire station. All from centuries past. And while it is true that Leaside boasts an impressive array of private and public buildings and structures from the 1800s and 1900s in its residential and industrial zones reflecting development over time, we shouldn’t ignore those built post2000. We should celebrate buildings that are new and yet already historically and culturally significant. On my quest for modern Leaside locales worth celebrating I was accompanied by long-time Leasider Abraham Heilbrunn. Heilbrunn graduated from architecture school in 1974 and retired earlier this year. At the start of our journey, he told me,
“The best way to appreciate architecture is on foot” …which made a lot of sense. His wisdom and more than half century in architecture made him an excellent guide. Four buildings made the cut: SAHIL, the Leaside Public Library, The Upper House Condos and Leaside Manor.
SAHIL
Much has been written in Leaside Life about SAHIL – pronounced
“say hill” – an acronym for Stay At Home In Leaside (see Leaside Life , January and February 2016). The small, quirky site at the southeast corner of Bayview and McRae was for decades a gas station. In the late ’90s it was purchased by a group of Leaside seniors who aimed to build a condo following the life lease model. The life lease scheme allows the board to stipulate that at least one of the purchasers is 65. At four storeys and with 18 units in total, SAHIL was built on a human scale. “It follows a simple approach to architecture – using just bricks, stucco and metal panels – and it works,” Heilbrunn remarked. “It has a clean verticality to it achieved by the clever window design – very Scandinavian.” Makes sense since the architect, Seppo Kanerva, studied architecture in Finland as well as Canada. He designed SuomiKoti on Eglinton as well. Heilbrunn said, “Many buildings at that time used fussy ornamentation; SAHIL’s simplicity is pleasing to the eye.”
Leaside Public Library
Heilbrunn gives the library top marks. What he likes best? “It’s simple, avoids combining too many materials and it is honest, especially in its styling.” On our tour, he pointed out its strong horizontal lines with the emphasis on the entrance (important so patrons know where to access the public building). What he also admires is the use of precast concrete surrounding the windows – concrete that looks very much like the stone found around the front doors and bay windows of the Tudor-revival homes across the street. Opened in 2002 and designed by Moffat Kinoshita, it is a bright, modern, well-used community hub that enhances the streetscape.
The Upper House Condos
Built in 2017, this seven-storey condo at 25 Malcolm Rd. was designed by Kearns Mancini, the same firm that has helped restore and revitalize the Canada Malting Company’s buildings at Ireland Park. Heilbrunn’s assessment? “It’s honest; it is designed in three complementary horizontal sections in multi-coloured brick and aluminum panels.” The variegated brick colour and the use of stone at the base seem to pay homage to the Leaside vernacular.
Leaside Manor
Just across the road and up the street is Leaside Manor, a Shane Baghai project. Built in 2021 it is also seven storeys tall and designed by Rafael + Bigauskas architects. Built beside the Leaside Memorial Gardens, this red-brick building sits attractively on its corner lot and steps back as it approaches the closest neighbour to the west, a traditional Leaside bungalow. Like the Upper House Condos, Leaside Manor uses brick and stone in its construction with black windows and balconies. “It is simple in design and achieves verticality with the interplay of windows and ‘blocks’ of bricks in between. It is light and airy,” said Heilbrunn. At seven storeys it does not overpower the corner. This condo and its neighbour complement one another and bring a vaguely downtown loft look to this part of Leaside.
Heilbrunn spent most of his career working for a mid-sized Toronto
firm, which specialized in rental buildings and social housing projects as well as condos. I asked him which architect’s work he likes. His first response? Moshe Safdie’s. “His work has a sensibility and style which I appreciate since we are both from the same part of the Middle East,” he explained.
Do you have a favourite from the 21st century that we missed? Tell us at leasidelife@gmail.com n
Abraham Heilbrunn outside the library.
MITCH BUBULJ
Remembering Debora Kuchme, eco-warrior, green queen
by JANE AUSTER
I first heard of Debora Kuchme as the “Chief Pixie” of the Bayview Pixies, a group of passionate, formidable volunteers working to beautify Leaside’s main shopping area, nearly a decade ago. I had not yet joined the Leaside Life family as editor, but I was thrilled when Debora joined us as “The Leaside Gardener” soon after. Her debut column set the tone with its inspirational and informative message: “Ah springtime! No other season stirs my imagination with such hope and anticipation. Each day brings fresh sights and sounds as one after another, plants wake up from their long deep sleep to greet us. From the early bursts of tiny bulbs to the explosion of flowering trees and shrubs, spring can open your heart and make you smile. With so many stars, it’s hard to pick a favourite and with so many to mention, it’s pointless because a spring awakening is a celebration of blooms…..all the blooms, when every colour appears cleaner and brighter with the new angle of the sun. This is what spring is in Leaside,
a spectacular time of awakening and a time to witness rebirth and renewal at its very best.”
It’s somehow fitting that Debora, whose career began as a noted fashion designer and morphed into so many other creative worlds, died this spring, on May 21. Throughout her time writing for Leaside Life, her writing evolved to embrace wider green interests: invasive plants, balcony gardening, victory gardens, climate
change, pollinators, winter harvesting, Leaside’s Garden City principles, and so much more. In her last piece for Leaside Life before her column’s winter break, she asked, during the Don Valley West byelection: “How will our next councillor deal with climate change?”
Hers was a curious mind, ever searching and learning. We were inspired by her wisdom, her passion, her advocacy.
We’ve all lost a dear friend. n
Celebrating Debora Kuchme and the Bayview Pixies
by JANIS FERTUCK, fellow Pixie
In her role as a member of the Bayview Leaside BIA in 2016, Debora Kuchme initiated a sustainable planting project to revitalize the neglected tree planters along Bayview.
Debora recruited several retired environmentally-minded volunteers to implement the project and dubbed them “The Bayview Pixies” after the mythical spirits who help gardens grow. Soon the Pixies could be seen in their black and green aprons changing the soil, planting native phlox, weeding and watering with rainwater gathered in barrels behind Pagnello’s, their “headquarters.”
As a result of their efforts, the health of the trees improved, as did the general appearance of the entire neighbourhood. Debora was also the driving force behind festivals such as AppleFest.
While the Pixies no longer garden together, Debora maintained their bond through Sunday “Pixie Reports” on email and Tuesday coffee gatherings. Last year they handed out flower seeds on Earth Day. They vow to keep their bond and the Pixie spirit alive even in the absence of their inspiring leader. n
PETER TUCKER
We had many entries for this month’s contest to win $250 to spend with any Bayview Leaside BIA retailer...
Leaside Rotary supports Leaside High School mental health initiative
by CRAIG HUTCHISON
Leaside Rotary’s motto is “Passionately supporting Leaside since 1940.” We express this in different ways. One is providing funds to local initiatives focusing on supporting children. The most recent example of this was when Leaside Rotary gladly sponsored Leaside High School’s Academic Resiliency Workshops facilitated by Common Compass.
The initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to student mental health and well-being. In addition, it’s aligned with Leaside High School’s School Improvement Plan of fostering a sense of belonging. The program was based on the results of a recent student survey and addressed the issues of academic pressures in this group of Grade 11 students, who are considering their future steps in education.
The workshops held at LHS were offered over several weeks to all Grade 11 students. The participat-
ing students attended a two-hour Academic Resiliency Workshop, which provided these students with practical strategies to manage procrastination, regulate stress, and build resilience – critical skills as they prepare for Grade 12 and beyond. This very successful program gave them practical tips to help address their mental health concerns and motivated students to learn and face the challenges ahead.
Leaside Rotary Club proudly supported this worthwhile initiative. n
In person and online services: Group Mindfulness Programs Individual Mindfulness Hakomi Somatic Awareness Creative Expression 1670 Bayview Avenue, Ste. 502 www.growthwellnesstherapy.com (647) 243-4235
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Thomas Lai Embodied Mindfulness Practitioner
Let’s make a difference, together
Here we go again. Spring has definitely arrived, bringing with it a significant increase in commuter and recreational traffic. It’s also Toronto’s famed construction season, accompanied by a large number of heavy trucks on Leaside streets at all hours of the day and night. Everywhere you look, there are road repairs and road closures, some related to infrastructure wear and tear, others related to the building of the Ontario Line. And the Crosstown LRT is not yet in service to offer relief.
Meanwhile, the LRA continues to receive comments and complaints about many other perennial traffic matters such as on-street parking problems, lack of enforcement of speed limits, and parking permit rules. Residents also report increased use of internal Leaside streets by drivers trying to bypass both Bayview Avenue and Laird Drive.
The impact of heavier traffic has been particularly felt in North Leaside, given Eglinton Avenue East’s current reduced capacity, where delays have been wors-
ened by drivers trying to turn onto Eglinton from surrounding residential streets. Rush hours feature long lines of commuter traffic, snaking through North Leaside, all heading for an already overloaded eastbound
Jody Overend
Saturday, June 21st, 1pm - 4pm
Eaton Centre 220 Yonge Street Saturday, July 12th, 11am - 2pm Coles Beaches
2169 Queen St. East
Eglinton lane. Hence Councillor Chernos Lin’s recent motion at North York Community Council to install signage forbidding left (east) turns out of North Leaside into Eglinton at Brentcliffe Road and at Don Avon Drive.
The Leaside Residents Association has been in touch with the Councillor’s office to suggest that the City also monitor certain nearby intersections like Laird Drive at Wicksteed, which drivers may try to use instead, in their effort to somehow head onto Eglinton eastbound. There are no simple solutions; it’s important to try to anticipate how drivers may react in advance, to lessen unwanted or unanticipated side effects.
If you have traffic problems where you live, keep track of them (and when they take place) and report them to the LRA. Let’s make a difference, together.
Get involved!
It’s now a few weeks since the LRA’s Annual General Meeting and federal election candidates’ debate, both well attended. Thank you to those who came, made suggestions, and raised questions about your local issues and causes. It’s vital that the LRA hear directly from you, as we are membership-driven. Join the LRA board and share your views. We know Leaside is rich in residents with talent and experience from whom we want – and need – to hear more often. Get more involved. Yes, you!
Membership numbers are important too, in supporting LRA deputations at hearings and committees. If you are not already a member, membership fees are $30 a year and support professional legal and planning fees. Find us online at leasideresidents.ca and press the Contact Us button, or visit leasideresidents. ca/contact-us
Next board meeting
You are always welcome to attend our monthly LRA board meetings, which take place at 7:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month in the Trace Manes building at Rumsey and Millwood roads. The next LRA board meeting is on Wed., June 4. n
Yinwood Healing Centre
SENIOR FITNESS
Office Hours: Mon. to Fri. 9 am–5 pm For more info contact: 416-425-4134 x 225 Email: emas@suomikoti.ca
