AU G U S T 2017
Leaside Life
John Jacob Astor Page 10
leasidelifenews.com
No. 63
L E A S I D E
P E O P L E
Adil Dhalla, Leaside’s very own CSI man
JANIS FERTUCK
BY TALBOT BOGGS The decade that Adil Dhalla lived with his family in Leaside prepared him well for his current work as a civic entrepreneur and community organizer with the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) in Toronto. Dhalla currently acts as the director of culture for the not-for-profit, providing space, services and programs to more than 2,000 social organizations each year, whose mission is to foster communication and cooperation among individuals and groups to improve local communities. CSI
Leaside’s junior traffic team making it safer at Glenvale and Hanna.
Leaside’s junior traffic officers believe in full stops! By JANIS FERTUCK Anyone driving in North Leaside near the intersection of Hanna Rd. and Glenvale Blvd. in the late afternoon or early evening is likely to encounter a group of children wearing blue and red t-shirts and blowing a whistle. But they are not playing a game. Rather, these local children have taken it upon themselves to encourage safe driving and complete stops at their increasingly busy intersection. With more drivers cutting through the neighbourhood to avoid the construction on Eglinton, the children, who live on all corners of the intersection, were always running back and forth to play together, and were becoming afraid to do so. The problem is especially severe with drivers rushing to get to Bayview before the 4 o’clock deadline for turning north there. Adding to the problem is the fact that a small hill starting at the intersection causes westbound travellers to speed up, and eastbound drivers to gain momentum coming down. Local real estate agent Charlene Kalia, the mother of one of the girls, Madelyn Sergnese, commented that the formerly “well-travelled street has turned into a highway due to the cut-through traffic.” One day in early May while the children were playing a game involving a whistle, they hit upon the idea of blowing that whistle and holding up their hands to signal to impatient drivers who failed to come to complete stops at the intersection. One driver turning TRAFFIC OFFICERS, Page 23 on to Glenvale from Hanna praised their
(known as CSIx in Toronto) has four locations in Toronto and one in New York City. Of his personal background, Dhalla says, “Leaside is like a small village in the midst of a large city. You can walk along the streets and people acknowledge you. They say hello. People matter and are importDHALLA, Page 21 MEET LEASIDER & OLYMPIAN PHYLLIS ELLIS PG. 4 SWEET RETAIL IN LEASIDE PG. 6 ALLAN WILLIAMS ON LEASIDE WWI MUNITIONS PG. 22