Leaside Life Issue 133 June 2023

They came, they saw, they conquered. They walked, they talked, they spread the word: Leaside is one great place to call home and do business.

Leaside 110 brought out proud Leasiders and Torontonians from other parts of the city interested in the little town that grew. Newcomers and “old-timers” alike showed their pride in this community.

Leaside Life columnist Geoff Kettel was instrumental in making Leaside 110 such a huge success – perhaps an even bigger success than the centennial in 2013. He took dozens of walkers on a Jane’s Walk that coincided with Leaside 110. And he worked tirelessly with many other Leasiders, like John Naulls and Mitch Bubulj, to bring Leaside's history to life. We have several stories in this issue on Leaside 110’s success. If you were there, you can relive the memories, and for everyone else: enjoy this snapshot of Leaside’s proud history.

Speaking of Mitch Bubulj...I’m

Jane Auster Editor Leaside Life

pleased to welcome him back to our pages. Mitch, who wrote a story for us in April 2017 on taking a student class to France for the 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge, is in this issue with a profile of a couple who are renovating their home with deference to the “Residential Character Preservation Guidelines for House Renovations, Additions and Infill Development in the Community of Leaside.” It can be done!

And a brand-new writer to Leaside Life – Paul Barker – has profiled an extraordinary Leaside High grad and University of Toronto Faculty of Arts & Sciences student, 20-yearold Rachel Smith, who was recently awarded a Duke of Edinburgh gold award...by Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, himself.

This 110-year-old community is certainly home to a lot of talent. Enjoy the issue! n

My 2nd Community Environment Day at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens

A big thank you to everyone who attended my first Community Environment Day on April 30 at York Mills Collegiate Institute. While it was a rainy morning, we had an excellent turnout and it was great to see so many familiar faces. If you couldn’t make it to my first Community Environment Day, don’t worry – my second Community Environment Day will be held on Thurs., June 8, from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens (1073 Millwood Rd.).

Environment Days are a great opportunity to clear out items found during spring cleaning such as used electronics, paints, solvents and glue, batteries, household hazardous waste, and fluorescent bulbs. This year, loose compost will be available for pick-up while supplies last. Please bring your own bucket, bag, or container – these will not be provided at the event. Each family will be limited to a maximum of two

containers. In addition to properly disposing of non-landfill items, you can also donate:

• Sporting goods

• Books (excluding textbooks)

• Dress-up clothing and costume jewelry

• Clothing, footwear, accessories, and linens

• Small household items

• Musical instruments and board games

• Eyeglasses, walking aids, and hearing aids; and

• Non-perishable food. You can find more information on the items that will be accepted for drop-off or donation at my Community Environment Days by visiting www.jayerobinson.ca/community-environment-days-2023. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office at councillor_robinson@toronto.ca . I look forward to seeing you there! n

Jaye Robinson Councillor, Ward 15, Don Valley West

Ben Jones has a few tricks up his sleeve

by SUZANNE PARK

Houdini, Copperfield, and Blaine –move over! There’s a new magician in town, and in Leaside specifically.

Teenager Ben Jones is an experienced magician who’s been perfecting his craft for almost a decade, despite his young age.

According to the American Museum of Magic, the art of magic has a gruesome history and didn’t become a respectable form of entertainment until the 1720s or mainstream until 1845 when clockmaker Jean Houdini (no relation to Harry, who wasn’t born until 1874), launched his magic career at Le Palais Royal in Paris.

Ben shared an inspiring story of how he started in magic. “At summer camp when I was eight years old, a guest, Jonah Babbins, performed a magic show. I was spellbound. I went up to him right after the show asking how he did a specific trick and how I could learn

magic. He explained the trick and then told me which websites and magicians to study. Immediately after talking with him, I easily impressed other young campers with the trick I’d just learned. That feeling was so amazing but brief as

the counsellors, although polite, I could tell weren’t buying it. I was crushed yet determined to get better.”

As a Grade 10 student Ben juggles schoolwork, sports, and his growing magic business. “School comes first, then during the season I’m the shortstop on my baseball team. I love the hand-eye aspects and action of baseball in the middle and field positions. Evenings and weekends are when I can book magic events.”

Asked how he is advancing his skills, he says that he’s always “experimenting, practising, and playing with cards from morning till night, which the school permits because this calms me and helps me focus.” There is also the FISM magician conference in Quebec every three years. Two thousand magicians from around the world attended the 2021 conference, postponed until July 2022, where they met, competed, performed for each other, and learned magic.

Asked about his typical gigs, Ben commented, “My favourite are private parties and big corporate events where people are relaxed and having fun and I walk around. I really like to get up close, connect and have a conversation with a small group and show them tricks for five minutes or even longer, if they ask or seem to want more. It’s called up-close magic. Seeing adults enjoy themselves is fun for me, and a bonus is that most of the events are in the evening, so I get to sleep in on

DAVE JONES

“Future Me” puts Leaside’s Stella Pliska on song-writing map

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO

Stella Pliska has taken her lifelong passion for music to a whole new, and truly inspiring, level.

As the 2023 winner of the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Songwriting Competition at the high school level for her song Future Me, Pliska edged out entrants from across North America.

The 15-year-old Pliska has always been surrounded by and engaged in music. As a baby, Pliska’s mom, Kate Kirvan, enrolled her in the Leaside Music Studio where, for several years, she sang and played instruments.

At the age of 4, she began ukulele lessons, picked up guitar in Grade 7 and recently started playing piano. She performed with the Bach Children’s Chorus for two years, the Canadian Children’s Opera Company for two years and since 2018 has performed with the Voices Rock Canada choir. She currently attends Cardinal

Carter Academy for the Arts with vocal music as her area of study. While she’s the only musician in her family, Pliska’s parents, Kate Kirvan and Scott Pliska, have brought Stella along with sister Kiera to numerous concerts and music festivals throughout her life.

They’ve seen multiple artists including The Lumineers, Imagine Dragons and Grace VanderWaal and have attended concerts at the Snowmass Village since the sisters were very young.

Pliska has also attended some 20 musicals, both at Stratford and in Toronto, and Cirque de Soleil with both friends and family, and was recently chosen to participate in a musical at the Toronto Fringe Festival.

So yes, she’s got a history with music and performance!

Pliska wrote the song for which she received the Snowmass Songwriting award – Future Me – in December 2022 at a time she was “inspired by a lot of pressure and events that were happening in my life.”

It was the first full song she’d ever written.

Since then, she says, “songwriting has become a favourite hobby of mine, and a way to articulate and express my feelings.” She continues to write songs on her own and in collaboration with classmates from her arts school.

Describing herself as a “singer-songwriter,” Pliska cites Lizzy McAlpine, Grace VanderWaal, Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift among the many artists who have inspired her own song-writing.

On September 2nd, Pliska will perform her song Future Me live at the Snowmass Festival. Others who will be performing at the festival include Foo Fighters, The Lumineers, Old Dominion and Grace Potter.

With such a well-earned opportunity ahead of her, Pliska calmly but humbly notes that “I don’t really get super nervous playing music. I just really love it.”

And with her musical background, her quiet confidence is completely understandable.

To listen to Pliska’s award-winning song, Google “Stella Pliska” and follow the YouTube link to her song. You won’t regret it. n

KIERA PLISKA

I may be going squirrelly at the cottage!

I never take it for granted that our family is lucky enough to have a cottage. My grandfather built it on Twelve Mile Bay – that opens into Georgian Bay – back in the early 1960s. My twin brother Tim and I were there for the first summer after it was finished in 1964. I even have a few faint memories from back then when we were both four years old. Most of all, I remember frogs and the mosquitoes. And now, as I write this missive, nearly 60 years later, we’re preparing to open up the cottage for its 59th summer. I know. We’re blessed.

Anticipating summer weekends at the cottage is almost as fun as the weekends themselves… almost. But in a departure from past practice, we’ve actually already been up to the cottage during the winter and spring a few times in recent years dealing with a few calamities. Last year a very large white pine that stands tall right next to our deck – or rather stood tall –toppled over in high winds missing our cottage literally by a couple of

Terry Fallis Columnist

inches. It was a shocking sight when we arrived to inspect the damage courtesy of an email from a cross-country skiing neighbour. There was very minor damage to the roof and a window inflicted by a few branches on their way down to the ground.

This year, our very early visit to Twelve Mile Bay in February was to do battle with a squirrel that had managed to infiltrate our cottage. And why not? Hibernating indoors is far preferable to the squirrel’s more traditional subterranean lodgings. I’ve done a lot of hibernating at the cottage so can vouch for its pleasures, though I’m not nearly as messy. As soon as we stepped into the cottage and its sub-zero

February temperatures, it was clear we had a very unruly and inconsiderate guest.

This is not the first time squirrels had breached our castle walls. Years ago, when we were just kids, we heard scritchy-scratchy (it’s a technical term) noises emanating from our corner kitchen cabinet. Our father boldly opened the cabinet door whereupon a red squirrel lunged for freedom coming to rest on top of our father’s head. Dad calmly stood up and walked quickly out the front door, the squirrel riding regally atop his cranium. Perhaps his full head of hair – something I still envy in my thinning years – offered the furry creature some comfort.

I was reminiscing about this famous incident with my twin brother the other day and we both agreed that if a squirrel ever landed on my head, I would not have had the presence of mind to exit the building calmly. No, my mind would have deserted me and much flailing about and shrieking would have ensued.

Back to February of this year, we found the hole in the roof fascia chewed open by our trespassing rodents giving them access to our attic. Then it was a simple task of gnawing through our ceiling tiles to give them the run of the place. So, there we were, in February’s freezing cold doing our best to address our little problem. My brother Tim was on his stomach on the roof dangerously close to the edge and the perilous 20-foot drop to our stone patio, doing his best to screw a piece of sheet metal tightly over the hole in the fascia the squirrels had chewed. And did I mention it was slippery on the icy roof?

Tim was secured by a rope tied tightly around his waist. I stood up there too, on the other side of the roof’s peak holding onto the rope for dear life – Tim’s dear life. The rope continued to the ground where my older son, Calder, had secured it to a tree as a final backstop. If I had slipped or felt compelled to scratch an itchy nose or answer my phone, Tim might have slid off to dangle in midair as the anchor tree did its thing. But against all odds, we got the job done. We don’t know for sure if our February mission was accomplished, but we’ll know soon enough when we open the cottage for another summer on the bay. Fingers crossed. n

Justin Pang runs his way into the Guinness Book of World Records

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO

Justin Pang is a goal-setter.

While his 5-year-old kid proclaimed that “my dream is to live at home with my family and friends forever,” years ago dad Justin committed to a somewhat more athletic aspiration.

In March of 2023, Pang achieved his herculean goal of becoming a Six Star medalist for super marathoners. Pang wasn’t always into running. In 2008 while working with a nonprofit in New York, he remembers watching the marathon in the city and thinking that the runners were crazy but inspiring.

As a child, he had no interest in running but in 2010 decided to take it up casually as a way to stay fit.

When his job took him to Tanzania he continued running and in 2012 while studying for his MBA in London, was convinced by a classmate to run his first marathon. He notes that he didn’t take that first marathon in Paris very seriously

even though he ran it in a decent time: three hours and 45 minutes.

Then he got hooked.

“What if I trained a bit more?” he wondered.

Returning to New York for work, Pang joined the New York Road Runner club and registered for the

New York marathon.

Pang has now completed an impressive 10 marathons, two of which he completed in under three hours.

While he notes that there have been several ups and downs in his running career, including developing an eating disorder from which he has now recovered, he has kept his love of the sport alive.

For Pang, most of his runs are done alone in nature, which he finds to be “meditative and restorative.”

As he completed more and more marathons, his goal turned to attaining the Six Star medal by completing the six major marathons: New York, Chicago, London, Boston, Berlin and Tokyo.

With Paris and New York under his belt, he moved on to Chicago in 2014, New York (again) in 2015, London in 2016, Boston in 2017, Berlin in 2018 and then?

Covid.

As with many other events, marathons were cancelled and Pang was unable to complete his Six Star goal. At least not then.

But with the encouragement of his wife Jennifer and his two young kids, he ran virtual marathons around Leaside during the pandemic.

And when the world reopened, the Tokyo Marathon was rescheduled. Thousands of runners flocked there, including 3,000 in pursuit of their Six Star medal. The large number of athletes receiving their medal was a Guinness World Record in itself.

Among those athletes was Justin Pang. On March 5th, he reached his ultimate goal of finishing the sixth major marathon.

He is still on cloud nine over his massive achievement, but is looking forward to a slightly less intense approach to running.

Pang still runs downtown to work once a week and plans to continue running casually. He might compete in half marathons or 10 km runs but will take on a far less demanding schedule.

He has also restarted playing hockey and joined the Leaside Tennis Club to spend more time with his wife.

And he will continue to, as he notes in his Twitter profile, “stay curious and keep exploring.” n

Leasider earns face time with a prince

by PAUL BARKER

Thirteen days before he witnessed his oldest brother King Charles III crowned at a coronation ceremony in London’s Westminster Abbey, the newest Duke of Edinburgh was in Toronto to honour a group of youth who had not only earned bronze and silver in a coveted program that bears his name, but also gold.

Among them was Rachel Smith, a 20-year-old Leaside resident who recently completed her second year at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts & Science and who, along with a group of 65 gold winners, had some tete-a-tete time with Prince Edward, who is now the patron of a worldwide program that his late father, Prince Philip, launched.

A global leadership award program designed for youth between the ages of 14 and 24, the program itself was founded in the U.K. in 1956 and has since expanded to 144 countries.

Smith, a graduate of Leaside High School, says the overall award experience has helped “push me past my limits and made me realize that if I

put my mind towards something, anything is possible.”

She started in March 2017 and with the focus on voluntary service, physical recreation skills and a series

of outdoor adventurous journeys, earned her bronze award, which takes six months to complete, and then moved on to the silver level, which takes upwards of one year.

That was followed by a quest to reach gold, which requires a minimum of 78 weeks. While it took longer to complete due to the pandemic, this quest included Skills Development – in her case, self-taught ukulele lessons – Physical Recreation – Smith is involved in Taekwondo martial arts training and successfully earned first degree black belt status – Voluntary Service – she was a weekly volunteer with the Terry Fox Foundation, and embarking on an Adventurous Journey – four days and three nights on a canoe trip in Algonquin Park with a group of friends who were also working on their award.

Last, but not least, was something called the Gold Residential Project, which she describes as “the final capstone to the award,” which involves undertaking a shared purposeful adventure away from the comforts

PRINCE Page 24

Rachel and the Duke of Edinburgh KIM SMITH

What’s up with Garden Court Apartments, Leaside’s Beaux Arts masterpiece?

Garden Court Apartments on Bayview Avenue – Leaside’s Beaux Arts masterpiece ( Leaside Life , February 2018) – comprising 10 buildings set around a landscaped courtyard, features a unique laid back Art Moderne elegance. Or at least it did! In the last three years tenants have experienced ongoing renovations, noise and dust.

Of course, Leaside residents close to the growing number of redevelopment projects are familiar with these problems, and for Garden Court residents, there’s more to come, with the Valu-mart across the road expected to bite the dust shortly, and a new mid-rise to appear in its place. There will be more years to come of construction chaos.

But Garden Court tenants’ concerns are not just about noise and dust, but also ongoing erosion of what they consider to be the “heritage aspects” of the property. Tenants I spoke to say that “little by little they are making this place look nothing like a heritage prop-

erty. ...It looks more and more like a downtrodden old building.” Here are just a few examples:

• Trees being cut down with no replacements

• Balconies redone with shoddy workmanship

• Replacement entrance railings and unit numbers that look nothing like the originals

• Porch overhangs (that were one piece of copper originally) ripped off and replaced with multi-piece aluminum

• Walkways with thick flagstone replaced with thin stone that just looks “cheap.”

To their credit, the owners have undertaken some restorative work, including replacement of the windows while retaining the original window features, infrastructure upgrades to the HVAC system, and renewal of the landscaping.

Affordability is another issue. For each of the past three years rents were raised above guidelines –this year 5.5% (the guidelines are 2.5%) – presumably because of the upgrades and renovations. For seniors on a pension this is a real concern: will they end up homeless because of the increased cost of living?

The property was included on the heritage inventory of the former Borough of East York in 1982, and

designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1987. The City revised and updated the reasons for designation in 2016 but these were appealed by the owner. They were finally approved in 2018 after the owner dropped the objections at the Conservation Review Board.

Are the current changes contravening the reasons for designation? Despite repeated requests to Heritage Planning, no inspection has been undertaken to date. Of course, Heritage Planning may be overwhelmed right now – thanks to Bill 23 they have to look at all the “listed” properties and potentially bring them forward for designation, and all by December 2024.

Unfortunately, this picture of chaos and unfairness seems to be an increasingly common situation with tenants across Ontario facing long delays at the Landlord and Tenant Board, and with older rental buildings targeted for intensification and tenants “demovicted.” Could this be the hidden motive: to let the building run down and then return with a new plan to intensify?

Hard to say, but take a walk though Garden Court and take a look for yourself. And spare a thought for the hard-done tenants who struggle, in their formerly tranquil, still beautiful haven. n

Geoff Kettel Saving old Leaside

GEOFF KETTEL/ GARDEN COURT TENANTS ASSOCIATION

Happy Father’s Day

This Father’s Day, give DAD what he wants!

We’ve been a part of this community since 1997 celebrating with your sons & daughters, helping to pick out that right item just for you!

From all of us at The Smokin’ Cigar Inc., we would like to wish you a safe & happy Father’s Day.

Thank you for all of your support!

Leaside 110 – Reflections on an archival exhibit

by GEOFF KETTEL

In last month’s Leaside Life we proclaimed “The Layers of Leaside are Redux!”

The Leaside 110 archival exhibit at Leaside Library, with maps, photos and artifacts displaying the history of the Town, plus three pop-up exhibits contributed by the Leaside Heritage Preservation Society, Leaside High School Alumni Association, and Leaside Memorial Community Gardens, was open to the public from May 4 to 6. And the Layers six-panel tableau created for Leaside Centennial has been transformed into a booklet “The Layers of Leaside.”

The exhibit experienced a steady stream of visitors and the guest book comments were totally positive, ranging from congratulatory – “bravo! well done,” “fabulous –thank you,” and “excellent walking tour and exhibit” – to those reflective of personal and community experiences – “great memories!”, “a wonderful place to grow up,” “I want to move back” (a separate comment!), “very rich history,” “great neigh-

bourhood,” “such an incredible community,” and “thank you for keeping the Leaside we love,” and to those suggesting ideas for moving forward: “this exhibit should be in a museum,” “can this be mounted as a public-facing web exhibit?”

I think the comments reflect the same kind of community conversations and community building that Jane Jacobs was calling for in her work. Now the committee will turn its mind to some of the challenges suggested by visitor comments intended to preserve the exhibit, such

as the development of a public-facing website and digitization of the exhibit.

Thanks are due to the Archival Committee that worked for several months to arrange the exhibit, but especially to John Naulls for what amounts to a life’s work creating the visual and text record of a community, first for the Leaside Centennial in 2013 and recreating it for the 110th.

Yes, for Leaside 110 the Layers were revived, and hopefully will live for ever! n

“Design & Build it Right”

Taking a Jane’s Walk in Leaside with Geoff Kettel

Did you enjoy one of the Leaside Historical Walking Tours, held on Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, in conjunction with the Leaside 110 Archival Exhibit? These walks attracted a great turnout of 30 to 40 participants on each day – and not just from Leaside but across the city. The Leaside walks were registered as Jane’s Walks as part of the annual event in the first weekend of May, when thousands of people all over the world take to the streets... and walk.

Jane’s Walks was founded in Toronto in May 2007 as a living, walking commemoration of Jane Jacobs and her legacy as an urbanist and activist, whose writings like Death and Life of Great American Cities championed a fresh communi ty-based approach to city building. This year Jane would have been 107 years old!

lished as a grassroots city building movement that uses volunteer-led walking tours to “make spaces for people to observe, share, reflect, question and reimagine the places in which they live, work, and play, giving agency to, and championing the voices of everyday people” (from the Jane’s Walk website).

Right now, in the middle of a Toronto mayoral byelection, is a good time to reflect on this inspirational vision. Who (among the eight or so leading candidates) embodies the fundamentally democratic vision of Jane Jacobs, and who the opposite – the one where

money and speculation, rather than the voices of people rule the decision-making? It is apparent to me that there are vast differences among the candidates in that regard. If you get a chance in the next few weeks, do attend a mayoralty candidates’ meeting (in person or virtual) and ask the question: are you accepting donations from developers and unions, or only from individuals? And listen carefully to the answers. Why veer into politics when all we are talking about is a simple neighbourhood walk? Frankly, because beyond the insights about walkability and urban design that we can learn from Jane Jacobs, she also contributed a radical critique of topdown power that we need to be cognizant of – especially in these times of “strong mayor” (weak council) and a premier who wishes he were mayor of Toronto.

Finally, when Leaside talks “Jane,” many of us automatically think of another Jane – our former councillor Jane Pitfield. In fact, she was remembered on the Leaside 110 weekend also – the Layers of Leaside Walking Tour booklet that guided our walk, starting and ending at the Leaside Public Library, was the same one created by Jane and me for the Leaside Centennial.

Finally, many thanks to Mitch Bubulj, for whom Leaside is both hometown and “my town,” for leading the Friday Walk, and Ali Toufighi for supporting both walks with excellent photography. n

Step Right Up to...

AL TOUFIGHI

Lynda Gorges Broker

Geoff Kettel leads a group on Leaside’s special Jane’s Walk.

House proud! Leasiders renovate with character guidelines

by MITCH BUBULJ

Demolition is not the only solution to improving living space in Leaside. And while large home renovations seem daunting, especially to first-timers, there is a document that can help ease the way.

The “Residential Character Preservation Guidelines for House Renovations, Additions and Infill Development in the Community of Leaside” encourages home enhancements while maintaining community character. (To read the guidelines, visit www.leasideresidents.ca.)

First created in 2003 by the City of Toronto and revised in 2020 by the Leaside Residents Association, the guide is prefaced by the philosophy that a “distinct visual community character contributes to its worth and maintains its desirability as a place to live.” In Leaside-speak that mainly means brick bungalows and detached and semi-detached two-storey homes built in the Georgian and Tudor Revival styles complete with front

stoops and garages at the back or side. As it happens, these design principles are timely: Leaside is such a healthy and sought after place to live that its heritage may be under attack. Soaring land values have made the classic Leaside bungalow an endangered species and new residents and even some old-time Leasiders are too often replacing solid 80-plus-year-old homes with in-fill abodes out of keeping with the “Leaside vernacular.”

Not true for Gill FitzGerald and Martin Ostrovsky, however. Moving during the early days of Covid from a neighbourhood in North York rife with McMansions to a Tudor Revival corner house in South Leaside, they made a home for themselves and their young son on a street steeped in charm. Ironically, when it came time to renovate, they adhered to all four guidelines such as Building Materials and Mass and Scale without even being aware of the document’s existence. And they are not alone. Have you heard of the guidelines? They are not mandated but merely encouraged. If Leaside were an HCD (Heritage Conservation District) the principles enshrined in the document would have teeth…but that is a conversation for a later date – hopefully not too much later.

Gill and Martin explain that their objective is to maximize space within the original footprint. Martin terms it a “smart renovation” since the key is “building storage into everything.” The home is being retrofitted to be energy efficient and suit the needs of a 21st-century family. At the same time, the Tudor Revival character is being respected and in fact improved. Gill enthuses that she loves old houses but “did not want one already done up with someone else’s interpretation.” And that motivated them to buy the particular house on Sutherland Drive. They have removed upstairs windows from the ’80s and replaced them with sympathetic and symmetrically perfect replicas (the work of John Dugas of Stained Glass Services), which match ground-floor leaded windows from the 1930s.

The guidelines tell us that “expanding or renovating a home is an undertaking that has consequences not only for the appearance and value of that house, but also for the value of the entire neighbourhood.” This is nowhere truer than at Gill and Martin’s home on Sutherland. n

MITCH BUBULJ

Martin & Gill during renos

by DAVID CRICHTON

“I don’t have pink eye. It’s for my son.” Pharmacists must get this a lot, I think to myself.

I was using today as a personal health day. Meaning, I needed to pick up a prescription, stock up on a few items for the medicine cabinet and deal with whatever crawled into my eye during the night. So here I was at the Shoppers on Bayview, with the pharmacist fixated on my giant, crimson, shiny lid.

“Are you sure that’s pink eye? I mean…that your son has pink eye?” she corrected herself.

Poor kid, I thought, I’ve used him as a foil for everything from bloat to plantar warts. My tinge of guilt receded as she gave me what I needed. Then I deflected, “Do you have any natural or non-toxic sunscreen? This one is for me, not my son.”

“We do. …it’s more of a barrier, though.”

“Like zinc-based?” pretending to know my sunblocks.

“Yeah, that’s it.”

“I’ve used that stuff,” I said. “It makes you look like a vampire. I’ve

Aye, here’s the rub

had people ask me if I’m ill.”

“You have to really rub it in,” she replied.

“It never rubs in. What about something that won’t make children cry when they look at me?”

“No, just this,” she shrugged. “Try rubbing it in more.”

“On another note, this itching is driving me crazy,” I shot back.

“Excuse me?”

Never mind, I think, “inside” joke. I headed out of Shoppers with my various lotions and potions. Next stop: Pace Compounding on Laird, to pick up a prescription I had phoned in earlier. On the walk over, I could feel mild anxiety building. For me, picking up a prescription ranks right up there on the joy-o-meter with “the cough” at my yearly physical. It’s a private moment in one of the most public of forums. Pace is no ordinary pharmacy, though. It’s a modern, high-tech apothecary, its walls lined with everything I’ll loot in our dysto-

pian future. They even have some oldtimey “medicines” on display. Kidney pills. Dilaudid. Strychnine. And other ingredients used for everything from dyspepsia to offing rival suitors in Victorian era literature.

“Can I help you?” the pharmacist too-loudly asks me.

“I’m here to pick up a prescription.” I launch into autopilot, spelling my last name, “C-R-I-C-H-….”

THE LEASIDE OBSERVER

“Hmmm. What was it for?”

Great, just what I dreaded. “You mean what is it?”

“Umm. Sure.”

“Mumble-whispermumble,” I reply.

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

I lean over closer, like a shady, one-armed street merchant with an open overcoat full of counterfeit watches. Trying to look louder, without being louder, I repeat myself, “MUMBLE. WHISPER. MUMBLE.”

“Found it! Have you ever used this before?”

“Yep. All good.” Please let this end, I’m thinking.

“Really? From here?”

Busted. “Oh wait…no, I haven’t.” I could now feel my heartbeat in my eyelid. I imagined what I looked like; all hunched over, mumble-whispering, with an eye that looked like a raw chicken heart. I am not an animal! I’m a man!

“You have to really rub it in, so it gets to the problem.”

Again, with the rubbing. I wondered if that strychnine still had some potency. I could really use a swig right about now. “Got it. Thanks.”

“Be sure to wash your hands, after. And don’t touch your eyes with it.”

Of course. Because it’s plain to see I’m a dirty-fingered eye-toucher. An hour later I’m finally back home. Mentally drained from my “personal health day,” I open the door to my son, looming over me. He immediately recoils, “Hey, Daaaa…whoa, your EYE.”

“Pink eye! Courtesy of you, no doubt!” My guilt was gone. Replaced by close-range-shotguntake-no-prisoners-blame. Hurriedly brushing past him to perform ocular triage, I could hear his teenage snark follow me up the stairs, “Are you sure that’s pink eye? n

Leaside’s party to remember: Coronation Day – 1953

With the recent coronation of King Charles III still fresh in people’s minds, many Leasiders might wonder how the community reacted when Charles’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was crowned 70 years ago. By all accounts, the response was heartfelt, enthusiastic – and lavish.

Activities began well before the official coronation day of June 2, 1953.

In early May, the Leaside Girl Guides organized a special “coronation tribute,” involving a variety show in which more than 350 Girl Guides and Brownies participated. Half the proceeds went to buy a wheelchair for Leaside’s disabled Girl Guides; the other half was earmarked for equipment for Girl Guides in England and Holland.

Local retailers also got into the act – offering special sales on TVs and radios. One appliance dealer on Bayview Ave. – Ernie Swan Television – ran ads in the Toronto

Star assuring customers “There’s Still Time” to install GE TVs “Before the Coronation.”

Meanwhile, at the municipal level, Mayor Howard Burrell and other civic officials worked with organizations such as the Leaside Lions Club, Boy Scouts and Talbot Park officials to create an impressive slate of celebratory events. By the end of the month, the town had finalized preparations, and on June 1 published a timetable/itinerary in the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star.

The following day – Coronation Day – saw what was one of the biggest celebrations in Leaside history.

It began at noon with a parade that started at Millwood Park (now Trace Manes Park) and travelled north on Bayview Ave. to Talbot Park. Upon arrival, the participants – who included the Leaside Lions junior and senior bands and the Leaside Lions majorettes – were greeted by Mayor Burrell, who then proceeded to open officially the town’s baseball season. This was followed by two baseball games –after which, in honour of the Queen the mayor planted a commemorative English oak tree flown in from England especially for the occasion. The Leaside Lions Club also paid tribute to the Queen by providing a special plaque recording the event.

As evening approached, the celebration intensified. Mayor Burrell reviewed the parade participants in a “march-past,” a concert was held, and prayers and speeches made. Nearly 20,000 people came to Talbot Park that day, more than the entire population of Leaside at the time. They heard musical performances from local school choirs and the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps trumpet and brass bands. Later, they listened intently as the mayor spoke to them of the Queen’s “abiding affection for her people” and pledged on their behalf “our loyalty and affection to Her Majesty.”

At nightfall, the crowd saw two separate fireworks displays – one involving rockets carrying Union Jack flags which parachuted to the ground. The festivities culminated in a huge street dance at the Sunnybrook Shopping Centre.

Earlier that day, in her coronation speech, the Queen observed that “I have been aware all the time that my peoples, spread far and wide throughout every continent and ocean in the world, were united to support me in the task to which I have now been dedicated with such solemnity.”

Based on events 70 years ago in this community, none of Elizabeth’s subjects were more “united” in their “support” than the people of Leaside. n

Ted DeWelles Leaside Heritage Preservation Society

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Suomi-Koti’s residents lace up for Leaside hockey

by LORNA KRAWCHUK

Stan Kelar and Urpo Wallin would have us believe they are in training for the “Senior Olympics” by skating about once a week at Leaside Gardens during hockey season. They’ve hung up the skates for now, but plan to be back at it in the fall when the ice is back on the rinks. They lament that the difficulties of Covid “hurt their training program,” but still regard their skating as “poetry in slow motion.”

Both live at Suomi-Koti on Eglinton at Laird where there are a number of exercise options available, including a pool... but no skating rink, so off to Leaside Gardens they go! They describe themselves as being part of the “90-plus club,” since both were born in 1932.

Stan has been skating since he was a boy, originally in Windsor, then St. Catharines and Toronto. He can remember being on the 1964 team that won the City Championship in the Intermediate “A” Division of the old Toronto Hockey League. He continued to play hockey for many years at the East York Arena and subsequently at Leaside with a Friday 11 p.m. time slot.

Urpo started his skating career somewhat later. Originally from Lahti, Finland, he skated there as a teenager. A few years after he came to Canada, in 1953, he treated himself to new skates just for pleasure skating. He wasn’t a hockey player, but does own a Finnish National Team jersey.

Stan’s parents were from Poland, so Polish was his first language. He met his wife Raija when he was installing alarm equipment

RAIJA KELAR

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Stan Kelar and Urpo Wallin

What does Leaside’s future hold?

Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LRA

Did you attend the archival exhibit at Leaside Library in early May, celebrating Leaside’s 110th birthday? Full of fascinating displays, maps and artifacts, it showed how Leaside grew from a railway and industrial hub into the Leaside we know and inhabit today. The fact that our community is 110 years old gives us much to think about. As we contemplate the past we also look forward to the future, and wonder what lies ahead.

Will Leaside still exist in coming years as we know it today, given the amount of ever taller high-rise development taking place on our main streets, and the constant pressure to intensify housing throughout the area? Given that the province has unilaterally rewritten Toronto’s zoning bylaws and taken away legal protections of neighbourhood character and heritage?

The exhibit’s guest book contained many entries. One visitor wrote, “This exhibit should be in a museum,” and indeed it should be, to keep alive the public’s awareness of our community’s beginnings. But we also want Leaside to continue to be the livable place it still is.

Local ratepayer groups like the Leaside Residents Association (LRA) are sometimes accused of being NIMBY, accused of forever opposing change. In fact, we embrace “good” change, change which adds to our quality of life and landscape. By choosing to live in Leaside, you have a big stake in protecting it. We cannot afford to be complacent. If you aren’t already a member of the LRA we urge you to join us, because in union (as the saying goes) there is strength. Your $30 annual membership helps us help our community. Please go to the LRA website www.leasideresidents.ca and join or renew your membership!

What’s the plan?

Another month has gone by without any news on the Leaside

Neighbourhood Transportation Plan. I can only assume that the city’s LNTP team is not yet ready to present their proposals in a public meeting. When there is information to pass along to Leasiders – we hope before the summer – we promise to pass it on.

Who will be our mayor?

Meanwhile, the mayoral by-election moves along, with numerous candidates trying to imprint their platforms (and names) on our memories. A city-wide debate is planned, organized by the Federation of North Toronto Residents Associations (FoNTRA) and the Federation of South Toronto Residents Associations (FoSTRA), which together represent more than 60 neighbourhood residents groups. The event is to take place in the OCAD University auditorium at 100 McCaul St. on Thurs., June 1st, with an in-person audience, and stream on several platforms. Invitations to the candidates have been sent out, and we await further details.

The Leaside Residents Association board meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. The public is always welcome to attend. We hope you will join us at our upcoming meeting on Wed., June 7th, at Trace Manes’ spacious Seniors’ Room. To contact us at any time, please go to www.leasideresidents.ca. n

SENIORS From Page 23

at her place of business. Raija is Finnish, and coincidentally, also from Lahti. When Stan and Raija married, they chose the common language of English for their family. But Raija kept her Finnish polished when she worked at Suomi-Koti for 30 years. Stan says he can be polite (when speaking Finnish), but with just a few words of the language even now. He was adamant that Leaside would become the home for their family. And they found one – right across the street from the library, where they lived until moving into Suomi-Koti eight years ago.

Urpo and his wife are both Finnish. Working first as a machinist and then as a carpenter, Urpo moved frequently, but his mother lived in Suomi-Koti until her death in 2004. Visiting her often, he and his wife decided to make Suomi-Koti their home too. They’ve now been Leasiders for nearly two decades. Urpo and his carpentry skills have been a boon to Suomi-Koti, as he has voluntarily supervised and worked on a number of projects in the building, including a patio in the back yard and deck on the seventh floor. Stan and Urpo are only two of the extraordinary residents of the Finnish seniors’ home that’s been part of Leaside for so many years. n

PRINCE From Page 12

of home.” In her case that meant attending the Passion to Purpose Conference last year, an event she says helped “me build important lifelong skills including leadership, teamwork, and communication.”

The culmination of all that work resulted in an invitation to the Gold Award Ceremony on April 24 at the Fairmont Royal York for both her and proud parents Scott and Kim Smith.

The event featured a private reception with Ontario Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell, who greeted and presented her and the other winners with their awards, followed by the appearance of Prince Edward.

“Having the opportunity to personally meet with him was an unforgettable moment,” says Smith, who is majoring in pharmacology and immunology. “He was genuinely interested in learning about my award experience, making me feel proud of what I have accomplished.” n

June means it’s magical garden tour time!

On June 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Leaside Garden Society will once again host their ever-popular Magical Garden Tour. And I can hardly wait! This is when we can take a close look at what’s growing in some of our local backyards, learn from our fellow gardeners and grab some fresh ideas. To me, it’s a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

At last year’s tour, I was blown away by the abundance of pollinator plants (they were everywhere!) and it shows how Leaside gardeners have fully embraced this important call to action.

But it was at three very different (lawn-less) gardens that I found the most inspiration, and I featured them in my August 2022 Leaside Life article.

What’s most interesting is how these unique gardens contained so many of the top garden trends for 2023 as listed by The Garden Media Group:

Mediterranean gardens

Looks like we’re in for another hot and dry summer this year, and this will stress out both the garden and the gardener. But Mediterranean

The Leaside Gardener

Debora Kuchme Columnist

a responsive and beautiful way to garden with climate change. And no wonder this is considered a top trend.

Tropical gardens

The sales of exotic houseplants continue to rise, and it’s a good idea to give these plants a summer holiday outdoors (if you can). They will enjoy the fresh air and humidity they crave, and liven up your patio or balcony. At the end of the season, bring them back indoors to help clean the air inside.

I saw a number of other important trends in the tropical paradise garden I visited last year, including an espaliered orchard with apple, pear and plum trees. Vertical gardening and foodscaping in one!

Japanese gardens

gardens can take both the heat and the lack of water. Think drought-tolerant plants, evergreens and plants with silver foliage. Add a lot of stone and gravel as mulch and for drainage and voila, you have the “essence” of a Mediterranean garden. This is both

There’s a lot we can learn from Japanese gardens, including the art and techniques of bonsai, which can be used in a much larger scale. I’m talking about mini forests here!

Known as the Miyawaki method, these ecosystems are a tiny community of native trees, shrubs and ground covers planted tightly together in a small contained area. This type of planting does not require a lot of space and yet the positive effects are enormous. I wish this technique were used in more of our parks and community gardens.

As you can see, it’s not really about the look or style of these gardens (though I found them all beautiful), it’s more about the techniques used, and how they can help us garden better and smarter in our changing world.

Yes, I learned a lot from last year’s garden tour and I’m looking forward to learning even more this year. And you can too!

There will be nine gardens on the tour (five in North Leaside and four in South Leaside) as well as a flower show that will be open to the public at the Leaside Library from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The club will present both cut specimens and potted plants grown by LGS members. Entries will be judged and ribbons awarded.

Tickets will be available the first week of June with details at www. leasidegardensociety.org. Hope to see you there! The Leaside Garden Society is still accepting applications for their 2023 scholarship of $2,000 until June 30th. Check out the website for more info. n

Mediterranean style

Where is our real estate market headed?

by CHARLENE KALIA

The housing situation in Leaside and Bennington Heights reflects the trends in the broader Toronto market. In the initial four months of 2023, there were seven semi-detached properties sold, with an average sale price of $1,550,257. Additionally, 38 detached homes were sold, averaging at $2,751,326 in sale price.

Our community in Leaside and Bennington Heights continues to be highly sought-after thanks to its exceptional amenities, including toprated schools, shops, restaurants, parks, and convenient access to public transit, as well as its close proximity to the city centre. We anticipate May and June 2023 will be the tightest demand/supply housing conditions this year.

REAL ESTATE

confidence and acceptance that the exceptionally low financing costs enjoyed during the pandemic are a thing of the past. The demand for residential properties remains unabated and has reached extraordinary levels because of population growth in the greater Toronto region. As a consequence of this staggering demand, average sale prices continue to climb, despite the presence of high mortgage financing costs and borrower stress testing.

April’s average sale price of $1,153,269 was only 7.8 per cent lower than the average sale price achieved in April 2022.

January

February

March $1,108,606

Here’s a look at the bigger picture

The Toronto residential resale market maintained its upward trend during the initial four months of 2023. This trajectory is expected to persist throughout May and June without significant changes. The market’s growth would have been even more pronounced had it not been hindered by affordability concerns and a substantial decrease in housing supply.

Month Sales

January 3,089

February 4,765

March 6,896

April 7,531

Data: January-April 2023

The numbers reflect growing buyer

April $1,153,269

Data: April 2023

April marked the first month since March of last year when active listings were fewer than the corresponding month the year before. The speed at which properties sold in April is quickly approaching the speed with which properties in the Greater Toronto Area sold during the height of the pandemic market – eight days!

The Toronto and region residential resale market is quickly moving towards crisis levels. Governments hopefully are beginning to accept that the housing crisis cannot be improved by restrictive legislation.

Charlene Kalia is a broker with Chestnut Park Real Estate Brokerage, Christie’s International Real Estate n

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Toronto, ON M4G 4E4

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110 Feedback

I wanted to reach out to provide some feedback on the most recent issue of Leaside Life . I really enjoyed reading the “Leaside: An Illustrated History” and learned so many interesting facts about our beloved neighbourhood. However, I was surprised and disappointed to not see either a land acknowledgement or some information on the Indigenous communities that resided on this land before John Lea’s arrival in 1820. There is a blue box on page 21 hinting at some info but I think we can do better than that. I think small steps like these allow us to recognize the Indigenous Peoples who are the original stewards of this land we call home now.

Javaneh Zavari

and has done so as recently as the 100th year celebration.

I cannot imagine how this was overlooked but I urge you to acknowledge this omission in your next issue and give him the recognition that he deserves. Stephen Harper is one of our most distinguished past residents to date and we should be proud of his connection to Leaside.

Margaret Peebles

We still stink?

I’d like to start off by saying that I really enjoy reading the magazine every month. It definitely is a quality publication.

Editor’s reply:

Thank you for your letter and your comments regarding recognition of the Indigenous Peoples who are the original stewards of this land we call home. I agree that we all need to do better, but I’d like to point out first that Leaside Life prints a land acknowledgement in almost every issue. In our special May issue, we included the box you mention on page 21, plus a comment in Geoff Kettel’s column, on page 18. We’ll continue to include coverage, as we’ve done before, of the Indigenous Peoples who were here long before Leaside became Leaside.

What about Harper?

I read your May issue of Leaside Life with great interest as I have been a resident of Leaside since 1979. My husband and I and our 2 sons have enjoyed so much from the community over all these years and continue to do so. Leaside has a rich history as you have noted throughout the issue with many distinguished residents being featured, however I think you really missed a BIG one.

Where is Stephen Harper? He was our Prime Minister from 2006 to 2015 and grew up right here in the 1960’s. He has often talked about his happy memories from this time

I would like to comment on the “stinky” part of the article. I agree that the magazine has a very strong smell. I’m unable to read it when I receive it. I actually put it outside to “outgas” the smell. It takes a few days for the smell to disappear, and even then, the smell lingers. It’s a “newspaper” smell. I feel that people with sensitivities are more aware of this. My nose, throat, and eyes react to the smell. Again, it’s a newspaper smell.

This won’t stop me from reading the magazine. It just means that I need to air it out before I can read it.

Keep up the good work. We’re fortunate to be receiving Leaside Life!

Mary Nunno n

weekends. I’ve done kids’ shows as well, although they’re harder, as kids are curious, tend to observe closely and ask so many questions, which can interrupt the flow.”

Ben is drawn to the creativity of magic, but beyond the magic he loves bringing joy and delight to others.

If you get the opportunity to see him in action, maybe at a corporate event or at Casa Loma where he just wrapped a month-long series of shows for their ‘State of Mind’ event, be prepared to be entertained, charmed and, for sure, fooled. n

TRICKS From Page 4

Councillor

Toddler,

JUNE EVENTS

LEASIDE HIGH CLASS OF ’73 REUNION

Leaside Pub, June 24, from 4 p.m. Open mic, trivia contest, music, meet and greet and time to reminisce. We are raising money for LHS to help refurbish a student lounge. We also hope to arrange a tour of LHS. More info: contact Earl Manners earlmanners@gmail.com.

QUILTS/QUILTED ITEMS DRIVEWAY SALE

The Pieceful Nights Quilters’ Guild invites you to their Quilts and Quilted Items Driveway Sale, Sat., June 3, 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at 430 Broadway Ave. Handmade creations for baby, holidays and home. (Rain date Sun., June 4.) To learn more: Andrea Howell, President, 416 423 8695.

NORTHLEA UNITED CHURCH

125 Brentcliffe Rd. 416 425 5252 www.northleaunited.ca office@northleaunited.ca

June 7 – 7:00 p.m. – Taizé In The Pines Gather for this alternative music-based time of quiet contemplation. Seating provided. We will move inside if the weather is inclement, so bring a mask. Dedicating the Pines as a Healing Forest: Ceremony June 17 – 11:00 a.m. Northlea is working with the National Healing Forest organization. To read more about the project, visit nationalhealingforests.com

ST. AUGUSTINE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH

1847 Bayview Ave. info@saintaugustine.ca

Listen to great live music by local artists and have a coffee and dessert with friends. The next Groove Room Coffee House is Fri., June 9, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Cost is $5 with all proceeds going to the Flemingdon Food Bank. We are looking for performers.

ST. CUTHBERT’S, LEASIDE

1399 Bayview Ave. 416 485 0329 www.stcuthbertsleaside.com

Hot Dog! Kick off summer. A party for everyone in our community. BBQ, games – rain or shine – Thursday, June 15 from 5 p.m.- 7:30 p.m.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays 1:30- 2:30 p.m. Donation: $4 Volunteers welcome to assist in our community vegetable garden, providing fresh organic produce to Flemingdon Food Bank. Main “work party” day: Wednesdays, 10 to noon.

MAGICAL GARDENS TOUR 2023

Sat., June 24 from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Advance tickets $15 available at Heaps Estrin, Write Impressions, Lilac Hair, Summer’s Best, Leaside Pub, and at the Leaside Library the day of the tour. An exploration of neighbourhood gardens where you can meet the gardeners and ask questions. Also, a special flower exhibit and show at the Leaside Library on June 24 from 12:30 p.m- 3:30 p.m.

LEASIDE GARDEN SOCIETY

Speaker Series on June 8. Special guest: Dugald Cameron. Topic: Hardy Hydrangeas: from Panicles to Mopheads.

Refreshments at 7 p.m. Meeting at 7:30 p.m. In-person at Northlea United - 125 Brentcliffe Rd. The Garden Society always welcomes guests and new members to join the society for our meetings. Visit our website: www.leasidegardensociety.org or email: leaside@gardenontario.org.

LEASIDE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

670 Eglinton Ave. East 416 422 0510 or admin@leasidepc.ca. Monthly luncheons on the second Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. June 14th: World traveller and photographer Susan Rogers shares travel experiences, favourite images and tips on how to make photos more compelling. Please bring your own bagged lunch. Coffee and tea provided.

EAST YORK HALL OF FAME

www.bestofeastyork.com

This year’s inductees include Alan Redway. Thursday, June 22 6 pm. Jawny Bakers, 804 O’Connor Drive. Tickets $70.

SPRING INTO ACTION FOR YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

Sat., June 10. Presented by InsideOut. 2km-5km walk or run, dancing, food, family food and games. To register, sponsor or donate – springintoaction.ca.

RUN FOR RECOVERY

in support of New Start Foundation for Addiction & Mental Health, Bellwood EHN Canada and Thrive (Recovery community stronger together). Sat., June 17 – Bellwood Grounds, 175 Brentcliffe Rd. 10 a.m to 1 p.m. Register and info www.runforrecovery.ca Kroach@newstartfoundation.ca.

LEASIDE BRANCH PUBLIC LIBRARY

165 McRae Drive, 416-396-3835.

NEEDLEWORK (knitting & crocheting at the library)

Thursdays, 10 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. Bring your own knitting or crocheting project, or start something new while learning about different library programs, services and resources. All are welcome.

ADULT BOARD GAMES Tuesdays 6- 7:30 p.m.

Come and join us for a night of fun at the Leaside Branch. Bring your friends or come make some new ones as you battle it out over board games. No registration required.

MONTHLY ART EXHIBITS

Leaside branch is pleased to have free monthly art exhibits. Each exhibit is by a different artist and reflects the cultural diversity of Leaside and Toronto. Please visit www.tpl.ca/ leaside and view “All Branch Programs and Events” to get more info.

LEASIDE PROGRAMMING

To see all current and future Leaside branch programming and activities, visit www.tpl.ca/leaside. n