Leaside Life Issue 135 August 2023

I love receiving letters to the editor. “...to the editor” is really a misnomer as the letters often comment on specific articles and come to me as a conduit to our great team of writers. Many times, they say thank you for providing useful info or shining a light on hitherto unknown corners of Leaside. They’re not always complimentary – sometimes we are scolded for tone or what the reader sees an undue emphasis on a negative feature.

Recently, we received a letter from Anne Frank about Geoff Kettel’s column on the Bayview streetscape: “In reference to the informative article by Geoff Kettel, I have a question. First of all, I am very impressed with what the Bayview streetscape has become. The trees are growing and beginning to provide shade to shoppers. The flower boxes are beautiful. The whole street is becoming super-inviting! I was also very happy to see the construction of the two parkettes with benches and

Jane Auster Editor Leaside Life

planters on both sides of Millwood. The ‘standing screens’ are fabulous.

“My question is this. When I first witnessed the construction, I was under the impression that a tree would be planted in each of those boxes, both east and west.

Perhaps this is still a plan for the future?”

To answer this question, we went to the Bayview Leaside BIA coordinator Henry Byres. “Regarding the parkette planting beds, I wasn't with the BIA when they were first designed, but I can't recall ever seeing a planting plan that included trees (just shrubs and perennials).”

But the plan is for more shrubs and perennials and possibly more pollinator plants, which would be a welcome addition.

So, please do keep reading – and reacting. We love to hear from you. n

Leaside’s battle of the bird brains

There are two types of people –those who love pigeons, and those who harbour somewhat less positive views of these street doves. This truth was on full display in Leaside during the 1930s and 1940s, when – on two separate occasions – residents battled each other in court over the legality of keeping and raising the animals Woody Allen once termed “rats with wings.”

Round 1 –Thomas Joyce vs James Martin

On Jan. 29, 1935, Leaside municipal council passed a bylaw prohibiting in residential areas pigeons and other animals such as goats, cows and pigs.

Shortly thereafter – in June –the law was tested when Thomas Russell Joyce of 17 Bessborough Drive complained to the council that his next-door neighbour, James Martin, kept as many as 48 pigeons on his premises. As then reported in the Toronto Star, Mr. Joyce said the pigeons’ cooing woke him up in the early morning and caused him

Ted DeWelles Leaside Heritage Preservation Society

stress during the day by flying over his property and interfering with his gardening. An angina sufferer, he argued the birds were “injurious to his health.”

In response, Martin claimed that his pigeons were homing pigeons and could not easily be relocated as they

would just fly back. In addition, he produced a letter from the Canadian Homing Pigeon Union asserting that the Department of National Defense supported keeping pigeons because they might be useful in time of war. The case ended up in the county court where Magistrate Douglas Davidson heard additional testimony from a builder who said the pigeons had negatively impacted real estate business in the area and had also damaged his car. Agreeing with the plaintiff’s position, Davidson ordered Mr. Martin to remove the pigeons and pay a $10 fine. Matters didn’t end there, though. Martin must have appealed the ruling because three months later it was reversed – on the grounds that Leaside had no legal right to ban pigeons. Judge Honeywell of the Appeals Court ruled that the Municipal Act of Toronto excluded pigeons from its list of banned animals, rendering Leaside’s bylaw invalid. Round 1: pigeons.

Judith Manson is a Sunnybrook lifer

by LORNA KRAWCHUK

Judith Manson describes herself as a “Sunnybrook lifer.” If you’re looking for her, she can usually be found around the Courtesy Desk on M1 most Thursday mornings. Whether you’re lost because you’ve not spent much time at Sunnybrook, or are from out of town, she knows the quickest and best routes to anywhere – including for people supposed to be at the Holland site on Wellesley at Yonge. She’s good at problem solving, can think on her feet and “knows where stuff is.”

As Judith says, “It pleases me to use my nursing skills” by also being a faculty advisor for the Community Health Nursing Practice in the Collaborative Nursing Degree Program involving Toronto Metropolitan University, Centennial College and George Brown College. (Whew – quite the title!) The past few years have been a struggle for staff and students, thanks to Covid.

Finally, she’s getting to actually see the students in person, and they are getting the opportunity to be in acute care externships with this year’s placements.

She earned her RN (Registered Nurse) at what was then Ryerson Polytechnic Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University). Once married, and then with two children, she worked part-time at Sunnybrook, but also started taking courses towards her BScN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) – which she obtained 15 years after starting.

In Judith’s 30 years of working at Sunnybrook, she juggled time on the medical floor in the family practice unit, then went full-time in family practice until retiring in 2017 as the patient care manager. She started her volunteer position as soon as she retired.

Judith is one of the current roster of about 500 volunteers at Sunnybrook. Pre-pandemic there were some 1,000 active volunteers at any given time.

And what of Judith as a long-time Leasider? She grew up on Parkhurst as the daughter of Jack and Isabelle McCarthy. Her father held posi-

CHUCK WOODGER

Judith (centre) with colleagues at Sunnybrook.

Stitchy Lizard is “sew” creative in the Leaside Business Park

by KEN MALLETT

Remember those iconic rock bands from the past with such great names? Pink Floyd. Fleetwood Mac. Led Zeppelin. Kiss. Stitchy Lizard. Stitchy who?

You’ve never heard one of their records, because they’ve never made one. But you’ve probably seen their artwork, because it is everywhere, especially on sports team merchandise items and movie sets. And they’ve been spinning the hits for decades.

Stitchy Lizard is the whimsical name Francine Di Giacomo and her daughter Lyanna gave to their custom embroidery business when they started it 22 years ago. And in the Leaside Business Park where their factory is located and many companies are named after the product they sell or service they provide, it stands out as…well, quirky.

of custom embroidery and screen printing.

The name grew out of Lyanna’s childhood passion for stuffed toys – in her case lizards.

“We wanted a name that was fun and catchy and that people would remember so that’s how Stitchy Lizard was born,” explained Francine.

The company specializes in embroidery and screen printing on pretty much anything. Printable items include t-shirts, tanks, hoodies, jackets, workwear, sport uniforms and more.

“A lot of the film production companies in the city use our services for wardrobe items and then, when production wraps up, on gifts for the crew,” said Francine.

“We have been working with some of the same wardrobe stylists for over 15 years and they keep coming back to us as they move on to other projects. Most of the sporting teams that use our services are recreational and corporate teams.

“We have also worked with universities, hospitals, breweries, and law offices. We have over 12,000 companies in our database and the list keeps growing,” she added.

The company specializes in embroidery, which is done in-house. There’s a showroom at 41 Industrial St. that customers can visit to see and feel the product before they place their order.

“We also pride ourselves in having account managers on location ready to help customers in person. If there is a product our customer is looking for that is not an everyday product or listed on our website, we try to source it and make their promotional dream a reality.”

As with countless other companies, Covid had a significant impact on their business.

“Covid was not a good time for us but we managed to make it through. Our sales were affected because there weren’t any events happening, and companies were not using swags to promote themselves.”

Owner Francine Di Giacomo and daughter Lyanna.

But the business itself is anything but fanciful. Stitchy Lizard operates in the highly competitive field

Staying on top

Getting to the top is hard. Staying on top is harder still. Yet again Michael Marcovitz has been ranked among Canada’s top wealth advisors by The Globe and Mail and SHOOK Research* based on:

“Every other ranking focuses on the quantitative side... but how do you recommend an advisor based on how much money they make? We want to focus on the quality and the impact on clients’ lives.”

– RJ Shook, co-founder & president, SHOOK Research

We believe our tax-e icient approach works and how much money you make is less important than how much money you keep

That’s how we help you stay on top.

Contact

Michael Marcovitz MBA, LL.B., Senior Investment Advisor

TD Wealth Private Investment Advice

79 Wellington Street West, 11th Floor Toronto ON M5K 1A1

T: 416 308 9084

E: michael.marcovitz@td.com

W: michaelmarcovitz.com

*Ranking details: https://theglobeandmail.com/business/rob-magazine/article-Canada’s-2022-top-wealth-advisors/ The Marcovitz Group is a part of TD Wealth Private Investment Advice, a division of TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. which is a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Memories of the CNE and Wild Mouse Stomach

It’s August, and if you were once a kid growing up in Toronto, you know what that means. The Ex, the Exhibition, the CNE… is back. You know, that two-week window just before school starts when the Canadian National Exhibition – the huge amusement park down by the lake – is up and running for another year (well, for 14 days, anyway). Our annual family pilgrimage to the Ex when we were growing up in Leaside was anticipated almost as much as Christmas or the sweet and sour chicken balls from China Food on Millwood. Having said that, I should really start with a confession. I don’t think I’ve been to the Ex in about 40 years. But I remember it well. We’d arrive in the morning, leaving the station wagon in a temporary grass parking lot near Fort York. Invariably, it would be the hottest day of the year, so we’d be sweating bullets and other higher calibre munitions before we even got out of the car. Air conditioning in cars was not particularly widespread at the time and our Country Squire wagon sure didn’t have it. Of course, my

Terry Fallis Columnist

seats from one end of the Ex to the other. As kids, none of this scared us, but I doubt I’d be so unruffled reliving our Midway exploits as someone who now gets the senior’s discount at Shoppers Drug Mart.

twin brother Tim and I had one destination on our mind: the midway and all those exciting rides. But my parents always seemed more intent on touring the Food Building. Now, there were some attractive features of the Food Building, including the tiny doughnuts concession – sugary-cinnamon, I recall. You could watch the little rings of dough trundle along a conveyor belt of sorts through the various stages of the cooking process, before they finally spilled down a ramp into the sweet and sugary mini doughnut holding bay, from which our bag was filled. They were so good.

Eventually, we’d hit the midway. An annual favourite was a few sessions on the bumper cars. Tim and I would chase each other around the closed rectangular driving space giving each other whiplash and the odd concussion with the force of our collisions. When we turned 16 and started driving lessons, our instincts behind the wheel were forged driving the bumper cars at the Ex – not exactly the ideal introduction to the art of driving safely. Later in the day, Dad would always take us on the Flyer, that ancient, old-school wooden roller coaster that was a permanent fixture at the CNE. It’s a miracle we all survived, but we did. As well, we’d usually take the overhead Alpine ride transporting us twoby-two in open, ski-lift style gondola

Perhaps the most memorable ride we always tried was the infamous Wild Mouse. This was a smaller but more hair-raising rollercoaster with cars that seemed to run off the track 30 feet in the air before suddenly and belatedly jerking around the turn to follow the rails. The deep dips were quite literally stomach-turning, so naturally, Tim and I would ride the Wild Mouse three times in quick succession. Then we both came down with a mysterious abdominal malady that my parents called Wild Mouse Stomach. We later learned that was just a fancy name for motion sickness.

But I also have memories of the Ex as a teenager. I worked there once at what I think was called the Railway Station Restaurant. Actually, it was really just a hamburger stand serving Choo-Choo burgers. We were forced to wear engineer’s caps and red neckerchiefs to get into the frontier railway spirit. I don’t think the restaurant survived more than a couple of CNE seasons. In hindsight, I’m not surprised that this particular restaurant at the Ex soon became an ex-restaurant. It took me a few years before I could even look at a hamburger again without hearing the booming voice of the short-order cook – and I use the term “cook” loosely, very loosely – shouting “Choo-Choo burger, pick-up!”

This may explain why I haven’t been back to the Ex in so long. But maybe I’ll give it another shot this year, but I’ll likely spend more time in the Food Building than at the Midway. I’m now a little too old to tempt the Wild Mouse and its queasy after effects. But you’re never too old for those mini doughnuts.

Stephen

Leacock winner Terry Fallis’s ninth novel, A New Season, will be in bookstores on August 29th. n

The peaks and pitfalls of “rebirthing” your home

by MITCH BUBULJ

Contemplating a major home renovation might make you feel like a Leaside raccoon in the headlights: dazed, disoriented and dashing for cover. Most of us have not been schooled on the process; what is needed is good advice.

One of the best guides is John Bech-Hansen, a Leaside local and hybrid version of a general contractor-meets-design-builder. John was raised in Don Mills but he and his wife Angela decided to grow their family in Leaside. They bought their 1930s Tudor Revival corner home replete with all the traditional bells and whistles: leaded windows, gumwood wainscotting and red brick and Credit Valley stone exterior finishes in 1999. It was in 2001 that he decided to start his own home renovations company – Home Reborn. He has since “done” hundreds of homes, but tends to take on only four or five large jobs a year for his own sanity, as he explains it, but also so

Experience

At Leaside Village Medical

he is not stretched too thin, much to the satisfaction of clients who get his full attention.

The first step a homeowner should take is to consult the Residential Character Preservation Guidelines found at leasideresidents.ca . They explain the importance of streetscape, materials, massing and front entrance features in keeping with the Leaside look, whether you plan an addition or have demolished your existing home and hope to build an infill dwelling in its place. Next, the homeowner, with house survey in hand, needs to decide on going with a design-build company or a general contractor. Each has its own merits and drawbacks with the design build route being like a one-stop shop, so easier in the short term but also necessitating a commitment from start to finish with little chance to compare prices on the project.

John sits down with potential clients and has them create a must have/nice to have list – a good place from which to start. Will you build in a modern style or more in keeping with the traditional Leaside look? These are personal choices which John respects but he does admit that from an environmental and especially aesthetic perspective, “the more of the original structure kept, the better.”

He works with a trusted architect who listens to clients’ preferences and creates renderings that visualize the project while taking into account materials and budget.

John explains that Leaside homes built in the ’30s are not environmentally friendly or wired or plumbed according to today’s codes so a key part of his work involves making insulation and mechanical improvements.

Village plaza!

Our team of chiropodists and podiatrists offer a range of specialized services, including biomechanical evaluations, orthotics, nail care, treatments for fungal infections, and comprehensive foot and ankle care. We also can provide surgical interventions for cysts, bunions, and toe arthritis!

Trust your feet to regulated health professionals who prioritize your well-being and comfort.

25 Industrial Street Unit 208 (Above Shoppers Drug Mart in Leaside Village Plaza) 416-487-2442

footcare@leasidevillagemedical.ca • www.leasidevillagemedical.ca

John explains that since 2019 building material costs have increased between 60% and 80%, and that an addition that seeks no variances (no requests to the City to build bigger, higher or wider than bylaws allow) usually takes up to nine months to complete – a time frame which many may find daunting. But approaching the project with confidence, a good general contractor/design-builder and a knowledge of the Leaside Character Guidelines will ensure success for the owner and the community as well. n

MITCH BUBULJ

LAYERS OF LEASIDE

John at work on a property on Rolph Road.

top-notch foot care services at our new, comfortable and fully accessible medical and surgical clinic in the Leaside

Unstoppable Kayla Briggs –FIFA World Cup, here she comes!

by DANIEL GIRARD

Kayla Briggs certainly isn’t the first youngster to run around on the soccer fields of Leaside dreaming of one day playing in the World Cup. She just happens to be making her dream come true.

Briggs, 18, who began playing the game at age four with the LeasideEast Toronto Soccer Club, is a striker with Canada’s Under-20 women’s national team. In 12 career games for Canada’s U-17 and U-20 teams, she has seven goals and two assists. That tally includes two goals and one assist at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in late spring in the heat of the Dominican Republic. Briggs scored in the semi-final against eventual champion Mexico and set up the crucial tying goal late in the second half of the third-place match against Costa Rica as Canada went on to a 5-3 win in extra time to qualify for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia in September of next year.

LEASIDE SPORTS

“I’m always excited to put the ball in the back of the net. It’s what I love to do,” Briggs said in a recent interview on the Leaside High School field where she first played organized soccer.

“But doing it for Canada makes it that much more special. Each time, it’s so exciting and I feel so proud.” Briggs, who came off the bench at the start of the second half in that decisive game with Canada down 3-2 to Costa Rica, says those moments are the ones that bring out the best in her.

“I play better under pressure, knowing something is at stake,” she says. “The adrenalin. The excitement. The opportunity to qualify. I treated it like a cup final.”

A gifted all-round athlete, Briggs played soccer for the Leaside Tigers and AA hockey for the Leaside Flames. But as she entered her teens, she earned a spot on a competitive team at the North Toronto Soccer Club – and had a tough decision to make.

“Playing Leaside soccer and Leaside hockey were a big part of my childhood – my mom (Angie) coaching me in soccer and my dad (Bo) coaching me in hockey,” Briggs said. “I always think back about all the coaches, and all the players I played with, especially now as I see my old teammates on social media talking about where they’re going to university, which is really cool.

“I loved both sports equally. They were my favourite things to do. But with soccer I got a really good opportunity to join North Toronto Nitros and I knew they would help take me where I wanted to go.”

It’s definitely turning out that way. From the Nitros, Briggs was invited in January 2022 to join the Ontario National Development Centre, one of the full-time programs across the country run by the Canadian Soccer Association and various provincial associations to develop national team players.

Briggs graduated from Monarch Park Collegiate Institute in June and earned a scholarship to Providence College in Rhode Island, where she will study biology and play Division 1 soccer on a team that includes fellow Canada U-20 members Thaea Mouratidis and Ella McBride.

Looking ahead, Briggs continues to dream – about one day soon playing for Canada’s senior women’s team on the game’s biggest stages,

including the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. And, when that day comes, she knows her family and community will be cheering her on.

“I’ve had so much support getting to here,” Briggs says. “Especially my parents. My dad’s the hockey guy, my mom’s the soccer lady, but when I chose soccer, my dad was always super supportive, even though he likes hockey better.

“But I think I’ve changed him to like soccer a bit more now.” n

LIZARD From Page 6

Sales of uniforms and company-branded garments also fell off as many employees were laid off or worked from home. As a result, the company had to lay off some staff.

But there was also an upside to Covid for their business.

“Once masks became mandatory, the demand for company-branded face masks was astonishing,” she said.

So, how did Stitchy Lizard end up in Leaside?

“Prior to Leaside we were renting in Liberty Village. That area was very affordable in early 2000 before all those condos were built. Once the area became what it is now the rent was so high that it made sense for us to purchase our own units.

“In 2018 we luckily came across a listing for new construction in Leaside. We checked out the area, liked what we saw, and met with the builder. We were able to purchase four units, which we converted into one big unit. Buying from plans allowed us to customize the units to fit our needs.”

Francine likes her location in the Industrial Park so much that she now calls Leaside home, too.

“We love Leaside, we are in this little Industrial Park in the middle of the city with a great neighbourhood.” n

Superb Care For Your Cherished Family Member

✰ Full activities of daily living assistance for patient

✰ Experienced in physical rehab, dementia and palliative care

✰Certified Massage Practitioner, Nia motion trained

✰PSW, first aid, vulnerable sector and police checks

✰Experienced driver with own vehicle for outings, appts.

Peace of Mind for Your Family Interview on request.

References.

The showroom

Natalie von Teichman’s stuffy puppy love

by SUZANNE PARK

Leaside entrepreneur and mother of four boys, Natalie von Teichman faced a very scary situation that resulted in a personal transformation. “In the early days of Covid when little was known about the disease, I was diagnosed and quarantined at home for 11 days,” she said. “I was worried sick. What if I infected my children or didn’t get better? What was I missing in my young sons’ lives, how long would this go on, and how was my family coping? The stress had me turn to meditation and mindfulness, which helped me recover and come to the realization that I was shortchanging my children. We dedicate time and attention to their education, their physical fitness, yet rarely consider their mental agility and mental fitness. How do kids handle failure, disappointment? We don’t tend to invest in building their mental fitness muscles. That is why mediTATE was

Lions International District A-711

created.”

Natalie’s invention, the TATE puppy, is a stuffy whose super power is guiding and empowering children to develop and apply practical skills, like mindful breathing, when they face stressful situations.

Aspiring entrepreneurs take note: Natalie’s credentials well equipped her to navigate the challenges of birthing her innovative idea. She’s a graduate of Western University’s Honours Bachelor of Health Science program, a trained Crisis Responder for Kids Help Phone Canada, and has a diploma in Children’s Mindfulness from the Centre of Excellence, plus she is a certified 200-hour Heart of Vinyasa Yoga instructor.

“My career started in the health field immediately after graduating,” she said. “I spent several years working in the medical fields of neuropathic pain, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, mental health, and urology and in my personal time learning and practising eastern systems such as yoga and meditation.”

Her brilliant entrepreneurial pairing of eastern and western medical philosophy sparked her eureka moment and mediTATE’s creation. “At every step of the process, my husband and children are enthusiastically cheering me on.”

As her business gained fans and orders increased, Covid lobbed another challenge as supply chain issues interfered with production plans. “My fabric supplier couldn’t source the same material used in previous orders. Luckily my staff felt confident enough to say, ‘Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe TATE should be in many colours representing children’s differences. After all, no two people are identical.’ I was thrilled with the question and thus multicoloured TATE was born and has been a hit. Children choose the one that best suits them.”

Research is important to Natalie. “We are working with Southlake Paediatric Complex Care to start a quality improvement project that will see every child who comes into the paediatric unit given a TATE puppy to keep along with a one-year subscription that includes playing meditations, calming music and unique

COURTESY NATALIE VON TEICHMANN

Funky food, badass attitude at Bayview’s Bad Blowfish

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO

Sure, you can score a coffee and scone around town.

But what if you want that coffee plus a whole lot more? A local spot where people of all ages are invited to linger, make community connections, and enjoy an expansive menu? A menu with the most delicious treats but also healthier options and kids’ foods they’ll actually eat.

Welcome to Bad Blowfish Café at 1595 Bayview Ave., a spot which owner Jen Blasko describes as “a funky little café with a little bit of attitude.”

Blasko is not new to the foodservice industry. As a student working her way through both Bachelor’s and Master’s studies in science, Blasko worked in the restaurant business to fund her education.

And while she practised as a biologist for years, she kept being lured back to foodservice.

Working her way up the ranks very quickly, Blasko served in various roles in the industry including manager, director of operations, head of retail operations and director of operations and franchising.

Blasko has translated all of that expertise into Bad Blowfish, a fun space with great food and beverages.

For those wishing to catch up on work, every booth at Bad Blowfish comes with plugs and USB ports.

For those looking for a fun space to hang with friends and family, tables have chalk paint for doodling or playing games of hangman or tic tac toe. And the café even has an extensive collection of board games to encourage some healthy competition.

Blasko describes Bad Blowfish as “an approachable spot,” and chose Bayview to set up her operation as she’s always admired the neigh-

BLOWFISH Page 23 MADELEINE TAM

Serving the GTA for 30 years, Carpet Mill is the premier choice for residents, contractors, designers and real estate agents.

At Carpet Mill you can rely on 10,000 sq. ft. allocated to stock, including carpets, remnants, vinyl and area rugs.

This, together with our in-house master installation teams, ensures that we can accommodate a timely and professional installation in a fraction of the time as our competitors.

We specialize in staircases, custom binding, commercial and residential carpet installation as well as hard surface installation.

Ask about becoming a member of our trade program!

Located in the Riverdale Plaza beside no frills with plenty of free parking.

Magical Garden Tour plants seeds for inspiration

In case you missed it, the Magical Garden Tour was filled with inspiration. On June 24, the weather forecast predicted thunderstorms for most of the day, but that didn’t deter the Leaside Garden Society from holding their Magical Garden Tour as planned. Rain or shine, the show must go on!

Unfortunately, the threat of a downpour kept me home that day, and so I missed the tour.

But thanks to some of the LGS members, I was provided with so many garden details and photos from all nine gardens on the tour that I feel like I was there:

Reimagining the front yard

There were front gardens on the tour this year, and it’s no wonder. Check out these lawn-less beauties!

1: 206 SUTHERLAND DR. 2: 651 BROADWAY AVE.

Graceful curves

I noticed a lot of winding paths in the gardens this year. These natural lines can create mystery and add softness to any garden. Like magic!

3: 84 THURSFIELD CRES.

The Leaside Gardener

Debora Kuchme Columnist

grabbed some great ideas from these gardens!

Vegetables galore

I noticed a lot of creative food growing this year, including potatoes sprouting in an old bathtub and one vegetable garden extraordinaire. The owners turned a patch of dead lawn into a 300 sq. ft. vegetable garden where every plant is grown from seed!

Dining with the birds, bees and butterflies

Whether it’s sipping a morning coffee or dining alfresco, for me, this is the best way to enjoy a garden. I

27th Annual Corn Roast

Opposites attract

Some gardeners prefer clean, simple lines with a lot more order and control. Yet something magical happens when this aesthetic holds hands with the wild side of nature. Stunning.

8: 20 RYKERT CRES. 9: 102 LEACREST RD.

Though this is just a peek at the nine gardens on the tour this year, I think it’s clear there was an abundance of beauty, great ideas, and yes, a lot of magic. n

September 17, 12-5pm LEASIDE

Back by popular demand!

TRACE MANES PARK

4: 72 SUTHERLAND DR.5: 955 MILLWOOD RD.

6: 640 BROADWAY AVE.

7: 92 THURSFIELD CRES.

9 ALL PHOTOS SHEILA BRAZYS

Leaside’s outstanding graduates of 2023

by JANIS FERTUCK

Congratulations to Leaside High School’s class of 2023! According to Christina Meyer, guidance counsellor and co-chair of the scholarship committee, the class has done “a great job at navigating their way through high school” and as a group have “risen above the impact of COVID19 to show their grit, resilience and perseverance.” They have also been able to participate in extracurricular activities again and “truly shine .... Through their exceptional volunteer experiences, they have shown that they are a group of caring individuals who will show their true Leaside spirit moving forward in life.”

REILLY CATTELL started playing rugby on Leaside’s team in Grade 9 and felt an “instant connection with the game and community.” She is now involved with Team Canada and says she feels passionate about the game because it makes her feel “strong and tenacious” and challenges her to accomplish “selfdriven goals.”

Reilly, who served as captain this year, points out that the team won the Rugby Sevens championships every year there was a season. Not surprisingly, she was the recipient of three athletic awards this year: Female Athlete of the Year, Rugby MVP and the Eric Liddell Rugby Trophy.

Reilly will play rugby when she attends the University of Western Ontario this fall. With a final average of 94%, she will start out in science and then enter the Ivey Business School in third year, earning a dual degree in science and business, the two areas she hopes to combine in her career.

Her other school activities include serving as vice-president of the Athletic Council, and taking part in the Science Club, Charity Week and ACT, a group that works with neighbourhood charities.

Outside school, Reilly was captain of the Toronto City Rugby Club and was a caregiver and coach for children. This summer, she is working with a group called Top Sports Coach, teaching skills to future athletes and organizing activities.

ISABELLA ING achieved an impressive Grade 12 average of 96.7% and won the award for the highest mark in biology. She will be attending McMaster University in the fall for life sciences and received an entrance scholarship. She was attracted to McMaster for its science-oriented and

she did a co-op placement at Epi Bakehouse on Bayview and the bakery then offered her a part-time job.

While working at Epi, Maura took part in a variety of activities from merchandising and customer service to preparing cookie and scone dough, assisting the baker and making fillings for pies. She enjoyed this experience so much that she decided to take the Baking and Pastry Arts Management Program, a two-year diploma course, at Humber College, this fall. In the future, she hopes to work in a hotel or bakery.

diverse culture and plans to pursue a career in pharmacy or health administration after obtaining an MBA.

Isabella credits the supportive and positive staff and students at Leaside with helping her to become more outgoing over the years. Her favourite activity was the All Girls LanceBotics Team where she acted as a builder and mentor, enabling her to develop her collaborative and leadership skills.

These skills were further enhanced by Isabella’s experiences working in the food bank and as a tutor with the Neighbourhood Link Support Group. She was also a summer volunteer at the Ontario Science Centre helping with experiments and organizing the children. Last summer she was a camp counsellor at Camp Green Acres in Markham where she supervised campers and was the gold medallist as the best counsellor in her unit. She is returning there this summer.

The camp counsellor experiences had such an impact on Isabella that she changed her career path from engineering to healthcare, a field where she can help others more directly.

MAURA NEWMAN has always wanted a career in cooking and baking. She was inspired by her father’s passion for cooking. He encouraged her interest by having her serve as his sous-chef when she was growing up. In Grade 11,

In addition to earning a Grade 12 average of 94%, Maura took part in several activities such as ultimate frisbee, the cooking club, stage crew and the Reach for the Top team. She also plays the guitar and volunteered for Look Good Feel Better and church sales.

Savita Passi was chosen by her peers as the valedictorian for this year’s graduating class because of her outstanding aca demic record and high level of involvement in extracurricular activities. In her speech, Savita reviewed the highlights of the past four years, commented on the impact of Covid, thanked her teachers and reflected on all the meaningful experiences the class had shared.

Savita is off to Western for business with early acceptance to the Ivey Business School in third year. She received an Entrance Scholarship as a result of her 95.5% average. When she finishes the program, she plans to work in retail and obtain a Master’s degree in finance or data analysis.

These career aspirations are closely related to Savita’s many extracurricular activities.

She was part of the Junior Achievement Club, where students formed and marketed a company, and was an executive member of the Investment Club, which

Reilly

Isabella

Savita

Maura

studied investments and simulated a stock market. Savita also had roles as a junior convenor and treasurer on Student Council, worked on the VexRobotics team as a builder and acted as a peer tutor.

Outside school, Savita has completed Grade 8 courses in piano and earned the Bronze Cross and Medallion in swimming as well as participating in Kathak, an Indian Classical Dance Group. Her most memorable summer experience was the SHAD Summer Program in 2021, a STEAM enrichment program at UBC.

Dimitar Toshev capped off an impressive high school career with an impressive Grade 12 average of 97.4%, the highest average in the class, as a result of which he won both the prestigious GovernorGeneral’s Academic Medal (Bronze) and the Norman McLeod Scholarship. He also won awards for the highest marks in Physics, Mathematics and Extended French. In addition to the Honours Certificate of Bilingual Studies, Dimitar earned the DELF certificate granted by the French Ministry of Education for his French skills. This fall, he will be attending Victoria College at the University of Toronto in Computer Science. He hopes to increase his knowledge of new technologies and pursue a career in that field.

At Leaside, Dimitar was the founder and president of the Chess Club. He managed the weekly meetings, offered lessons and organized tournaments, including one for all grades that attracted 50 participants. He also acted as a peer tutor in math and French.

Outside school, Dimitar’s interests include video games and coding. This summer he is participating in coding workshops to create programs for a variety of uses. This activity was sparked by his computer science courses where he enjoyed the cooperative environment of sharing work with others.

Kamiylah Tynes-McKenzie is on her way to Western to study medical science and hopes to attend medical school with the goal of becoming a neurosurgeon.

Kamiylah was the founder and

president of the Black Student Alliance, coordinating and directing meetings and events to raise awareness of Black issues and to empower Black students within Leaside. She was also the founder and president of the Indigenous Student Group, performing a similar role. Kamiylah was the primary coordinator of Leaside’s first two Culturefests and in Grade 10 acted as the moderator for a presentation by Indigenous leader, artist and activist Elder Dr. Duke Redbird.

Because of all these accomplishments, Kamiylah received the Black Excellence Award in 2022 for Community Leadership from the TDSB Centre for Black Excellence.

Other school activities include roles as junior convenor and communications officer on the Student Council and basketball playing,

while her outside interests include volleyball, dance and music. Another rewarding experience was an internship with CurEthica’s Fundraise InternCruise in 2021 where she won the Outstanding Intern Award. Kamiylah also served 1,200 community hours as a volunteer at Michael Garron Hospital, the Flemingdon Library, and her church.

Kamiylah recently received a unique award and mentorship opportunity. First, she received a ONE City Scholarship from the ONE City Education Society for students “who have excelled academically despite facing substantial obstacles.” In addition, she is participating in a summer mentorship program at U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine to give students of African or Indigenous ancestry a chance to explore health sciences. We wish all these outstanding Leaside students great success in the future. n

Kamiylah

Dimitar

Let’s protect a Leaside oasis at Crestview

Back in May 2016 Allan Redway published an article in Leaside Life featuring Crestview Apartments on Leacrest Road and Mallory Crescent. He wrote that “with the physical character of Leaside under continuing attack from high-rise condominium apartment developers these days, it is reassuring to drive along Moore Ave. to see the low-rise Crestview Apartments, a complex comparable to the lowrise Talbot apartments on Bayview Ave. Both are part of what defines the physical character of the Leaside community.”

Amen! And I would add the Garden Court Apartments – Art Deco buildings on Bayview across from Davisville Avenue – as the third of Leaside’s notable low-rise apartment complexes.

Crestview Apartments comprise 22 separate buildings on a 10-acre site on both sides of Leacrest Road from Rolph Road to Mallory Crescent, and south on Mallory Crescent, constructed in 1950-51. The buildings have eight or 10 units in each building, totalling 180 large and

well-maintained suites in an equally well-maintained park-like setting. Where Crestview stands out from the other two Leaside complexes is in the scale of the development (basically twice as large) and the “parklike setting” created by the amount of grassed open space shaded by large mature trees – at this time of year a great place to understand the cooling effect of a large tree canopy.

But Crestview Apartments differs from the other two complexes in its lack of heritage status and protection. The Talbot Apartments –three groupings of Georgian Revival buildings at Bayview and Sutherland – and the Garden Court Apartments – Art Deco buildings on Bayview across from Davisville Avenue –are both heritage-designated, a fact that has allowed each of them in the past, at different times, to defeat unfriendly developments.

The Crestview Apartments property has, remarkably, remained in the same family-owned business since construction. However, pending (or actual) sale of the property is rumoured (but not confirmed). Sale of the property could affect the status of the property, which may be seen as a potential site for redevelopment. Listing is needed to ensure that if there were an application, heritage value would be considered from the outset. Listing would protect against demolition (and its consequences for tenants, known as renoviction or demoviction), by requiring a 90-day stay period during which the City would do a heritage assessment and consider designation.

In my opinion, the Crestview Apartments complex (buildings and landscape) demonstrates the following heritage values:

• design and architectural value, as a fine (and large scale) example of low-rise mid-century “multiplexes in the park” rental housing.

• associative value, for its association with the Grant family, a well-respected Toronto property development and management firm over four generations, and more than 80 years.

• contextual value – as a representative example of a multiplex, an important part of what defines the physical character of the Leaside residential community, which has a diversity of low-density housing (single family, semis, quadriplexes, and multiplexes); the built form and generous landscape combining to create an ideal setting for long-term family occupancy; an example of successful provision and maintenance of lower to middle income housing over several generations.

A nomination for listing was submitted to the City at the end of June. If you wish to support this nomination, please let me know. n

Geoff Kettel Saving old Leaside

GEOFF KETTEL

BLOWFISH From Page 16

bourhood and the walkability of the community.

As for the food and drinks?

The menu includes a large variety of options including “Green Eggs on Toast” (smashed avocado and hardboiled egg served on toasted sourdough) for breakfast and “Don’t Be a Turkey” (a sandwich with turkey, cheese, cranberry sauce, lettuce, tomato and mayo) for lunch. You can build your own bowl or wrap, sip on an alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverage or roast your own s’mores. And of course, there’s the coffee. And tea. And hot chocolate. And smoothies (one “Power My Hour” please?)

Blasko partners with specially chosen local brands for some of the store’s coffee and food. Pastries are baked daily on site and all foods are freshly made.

Wanting a delicious coffee with a side of fun, a massive slice of community flavour and a whole lot of scrumptious food? Look no further. Bad Blowfish is your spot. (And if you can’t make it on site, all options are available on Skip the Dishes.) n

Alison Ma awarded 2023 Leaside Life Goldhar journalism award

The 2nd annual Ruth & Harry Goldhar Journalism Award was awarded at the Leaside High School commencement ceremonies on June 27th. Sponsored by Leaside Life , this year’s $1,000 scholarship went to Alison Ma. This impressive allround student, following her upcoming univer sity studies, hopes to enter the healthcare field, specializing in pediatric care. In her award application Alison shared that “since middle school, my artistic persistence, pursuit, and passion for the written word have seeped into my academic and personal life in various ways. Throughout my high school career, I sought opportunities to explore my creative potential: I hosted creative writing workshops with The Ripple Foundation to

foster creativity among elementary school students and became president of Leaside’s Young Writers Club. I also entered several fictional writing contests, supporting Young Writers Club members as they did the same. However, I believe my commitment to creative writing is most evident in the completion of a 50-thousand-word manuscript. From this multilayer process, I polished technical writing techniques while extracting transferable skills –such as self-discipline and patience – for personal and professional aspirations. Although my creative writing journey has been time-consuming and taxing at times, I am resolute in assuring that my creative efforts will culminate in published works.” n

Rubber necking and the art of massage

by DAVID CRICHTON

The first time my neck froze was years ago, while driving. I signaled to make a lane change, looked over my shoulder to check my blind spot like a good Young Driver’s graduate and that’s when I became a version of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. A red-hot skeleton key inserted itself into my ear and unlocked a rusty cog in my neck that slowly wound around an airline cable, raising my left shoulder like a drawbridge. Then the cable snapped.

My left shoulder was now touching my ear. My head was cocked on an angle, looking directly out my side window. Not so bad if the Don Valley Parkway I was traveling on were one giant circle, going left. I made my way home, sideways. And so began my introduction to massage therapy. I’d never done it before. Too fancy, I thought. Too personal. A stranger touching me? Were they judging me? Thinking my birthmark looks like a splash of spilled coffee grounds? Here was a place where you try to relax by going

into a situation that makes you tense? It didn’t make sense.

But the knot in my neck trumped the knot in my stomach, and so here I am, 20 years and dozens of sessions later, waiting at the Hand and Stone on Laird for my sweet relief.

“Mr. Crick-ton?”

I turn my upper body in the direction of the voice so my sideways-positioned head can address who was calling me.

“It’s pronounced Cry-ton…silent C-H….like the author,” I over-explain for the thousandth time in my life.

“Ouch. Is that as bad as it looks?”

“I’ll let you know after the crying,” I whine, as we head to the room.

THE LEASIDE OBSERVER

The person who was going to unravel me was named Joy or Daisy, I think. I can’t recall, but I do know it was a happy name that gave me some peace.

We go through the usual questions: How did it happen, where does it hurt, etc.?

I could have told a story about rescuing a cat or foiling a robbery so there was a heroic excuse for what I looked like.

“I was brushing my teeth.” I opted for the banal truth. (Well, sort of. I couldn’t very well say I was plucking a gray eyebrow hair, now could I?)

JoyOrDaisy leaves the room, and I put my clothes on the chair and get on the bed, face down, sinking my mug into the terry-covered face donut. JoyOrDaisy returns and sets to work. More pain. The kind that causes you to tense up, making matters worse. But gradually, I relax. This is the part I love. And hate. The part where the pain starts to subside. It’s also the part where I start to drift off and embarrassing things happen. My face is like a giant pimple pushing through the cloth donut, skin pulled like I’m in a wind tunnel. Cher would be jealous. I can’t keep my mouth closed. Strings of drool stretch to the floor. I don’t care, I’m losing consciousness. And all I can think about is that when I wake up, I’ll be able to see what the world looks like on the right side of me. I start to dream about floating in a warm lake. The duck, beside me, is quacking. Wait. That’s not a duck. Poor JoyOrDaisy. I don’t care. This is glorious.

Sometime later, I’m awakened with a hot towel on my face. Too short, I think. Always too short.

I eventually collect myself and stumble into the harder light of the reception area. Two people wait on the couch and eye me up and down. I try to make my terry-pocked face appear normal. Like it’s always this way.

“All good, Mr. Crick-ton?”

“Oh yeah. All good,” the endorphins reply.

I pay up, and put a generous tip in the envelope for JoyOrDaisy, to make up for the duck.

I head out to the car and pull out of my parking spot, looking to my right with ease, and smile. Life is good. Gotta do that more often.

I pull out onto Laird, signal to change lanes, and look over my left shoulder.…n

Too tough on the landlord

I am sending this email in reaction to Geoff Kettel’s article on the Garden Court Apartments in your June 2023 edition. Normally I am supportive of the views expressed by Mr. Kettel and I have found his focus on Saving Old Leaside to be a great benefit to the community over the years. However in this case, I do not feel his article was balanced.

I don’t know who the landlord is and I have no connection with it. Maybe it is a horrible landlord as the article implies. However for years my wife and I have walked through the Garden Court grounds on our way to and from the Bayview shops and have enjoyed what is described as its Art Moderne elegance. Over the past few years we have marvelled at the huge expense the landlord has incurred to repair and improve the landscaping, balconies, brickwork, walkways, steps and retaining walls. While I am not competent to comment on the compliance with the historical heritage aspects of the complex, it seems unfair to describe this as a “downtrodden old building” and suggest the landlord’s hidden motive is to let the building run down so that the tenants can be “demovicted.” I have no idea of the costs put into the complex over the past few years; but based on a recent estimate of the costs to

level our driveway bricks and re-lay them, the landlord’s costs must be in the hundreds of thousands. In those circumstances, it seems quite unfair for Mr. Kettel to imply this landlord has a hidden motive to let this property run down.

The article mentions that the rents have been increased above the guidelines, but the landlord may only do so if they have incurred the costs to justify the above guidelines rents. I have to assume that the necessary approvals were given to the increases. I am sympathetic to pensioners and others who may have difficulty with increased rents and that is a significant societal issue. However, if you want heritage rental properties to be maintained and preserved, someone has to pay.

Wayne Rosenman n

The Video-ettes: Leaside’s husband-and-wife novelty musical team

I read your article about my parents and it brought joy to my heart. The article was well written and researched.

I applaud Mr. DeWelles and it is my hope that I get to meet him someday and thank him personally.

I subscribed to Leaside Life and look forward to more great articles.

Lawrence Guinness Tiburon/Belvedere, California

Brickwork –Pieces of Leaside Station reborn as art

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO

In September of 2022, a hidden piece of Leaside’s history was demolished.

There’s a good chance you might not even have realized it existed in the first place.

Along Village Station Road to the right of the Millwood Esso stands the site where the Leaside Station once stood.

The station was built in 1894 by Canadian Pacific Railway on a line leased from the Ontario and Quebec Railway Company. The original station burned down in 1945, was rebuilt as a brick single-storey building in 1946 and continued to serve passengers until 1982.

From 1975 until 1983 the station also served as the Canadian Pacific Hotel’s Village Station Restaurant and, after shutting down as a restaurant in 1983, housed CP Rail offices and the CP police headquarters.

Following the eventual relocation of CP operations, the station

sat abandoned and seemingly unloved.

While Heritage Toronto designated Leaside as “A Railway Town” in 2012, the station did not meet the criteria to be saved from demolition by Metrolinx for the construction of the Ontario Line.

But one internationally-acclaimed artist living and working in Leaside

has managed to capture part of the station’s history through three found object sculptures.

Artist Brandon Steen is passionate about both the iconic and overlooked architectural history of Toronto.

His paintings have captured many buildings and other structures from across the city, including Leaside edifices integral to the neighbourhood’s historic contributions during both World Wars.

Upon learning of the demolition of the train station, Steen went to the site and pulled three bricks from the rubble. “It’s a shame,” he notes sadly, “that they didn’t want to save it.”

Each of the bricks tells a rich story of Leaside, the station and the shadows of architectural history.

The bricks, welded onto steel stands by a local business – Wrought Ironman – include paintings of multicoloured fire hydrants in Leaside, the number 46 to denote the year the station was rebuilt, graffiti from around the city, and Steen’s English Bull Terriers Fionny and Dolores, who represent the artist himself traversing the city.

Through the stunning sculptures, Steen has created an artistic opportunity for the history of Leaside’s important rail history never to be forgotten.

To view Steen’s work, please visit steenart.ca. n

Leaside Station back in the day and one of Steen’s sculptures.

BIRD BRAINS From Page 3

Round 2 –Henry Dwyer vs Jacob Schneider

Fast forward 11 years to June 1946, and it’s déjà vu all over again. This time the scene was north Leaside, where the complainant was the American Vice-Consul in Toronto, Henry T. Dwyer. Mr. Dwyer had recently bought a house on Donlea Drive from one Jacob Schneider, not knowing at the time that Schneider (also his next-door neighbour) kept at least 30 pigeons. Dwyer sued under Leaside’s anti-pigeon bylaw, which was still in force. When his case was dismissed, Dwyer appealed. At the appeals hearing he testified – as reported in the Globe and Mail of June 20, 1946 – that the pigeons circled around his house, depositing “a great deal of excrement on our front door and on our roof,” not to mention “when my wife put the laundry out.”

Schneider’s lawyer – John Markus – countered by arguing that Leaside had no right to ban pigeons in residential areas. He also called Leaside’s highly respected town clerk Richard Burgess to testify. Burgess admitted that he had kept pigeons at his house since 1910. This prompted Markus to claim that if a prominent official like Burgess kept pigeons, it could hardly be called unlawful.

The appeals judge, Ambrose Shea, initially postponed judgement on the case. But in September, he upheld Leaside’s right to ban pigeons, found Mr. Schneider guilty, and fined him $20. According to the Star, the decision marked the first time Leaside’s anti-pigeon bylaw had ever been enforced.

Round 2: Leaside.

Postscript

That should have settled things. But in 1970, the issue surfaced again when Leaside resident Rose Dixon wrote to the Toronto Star complaining that her nextdoor neighbour had a shed full of pigeons, but “nothing is being done.” East York Mayor True Davidson responded by assuring her that legal action was being taken. Unfortunately, we don’t know the outcome of the dispute. Which proves there will probably always be pigeons for Leasiders to love or hate – as anyone knows who’s driven past the Thorncliffe Mall parking lot. n

From Page 4 STUFFY From Page

Asked if adults benefit from TATE, Natalie confirmed, “Many parents express their appreciation that TATE has them calmer and more present when cuddling with their child.”

Learn more: https://www.miindfully.com. n

MANSON

tions at Queen’s Park, but also took time to get involved in local issues –starting with a neighbourhood fight against two parking lots proposed on Donegall Drive (one at Millwood and the other at Fleming) that would have taken down 17 homes on Donegall). The Fallis family were neighbours, and Judith babysat for them.

Judith and her friends enjoyed being close to Bayview, with exclamations of “Let’s do Bayview” on many a Saturday. She ended up marrying a North Leasider from Tanager Avenue. They lived for a few years on Merton before moving to his family home to raise their sons. Judith was one of the founders of the South Leaside Monday Group. At Leaside Presbyterian Church, she is an Elder Emeritus, on the Worship Committee, arranges flowers, and was the chair of their reopening committee.

High-rise development at Bayview and Eglinton

In recent years, the City of Toronto has received a significant influx of new development applications for properties in Ward 15 – Don Valley West. There are currently nine active development proposals at the Bayview and Eglinton intersection – eight of which are for highrise towers with proposed heights ranging from 25 to 46 storeys.

In 2018, City Council approved the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan, which designated Bayview and Eglinton as a mid-rise building area with a prescribed height limit of 8-12 storeys. However, upon the required review and approval by the province, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing significantly increased the permitted building heights to a range of 25-35 storeys. This provincial overhaul of the Secondary Plan has resulted in the number of high-rise residential and mixed-use development applications active in Leaside today.

In March, I attended each of the community consultation meetings held for the above applications, to hear directly from local residents.

Jaye Robinson Councillor, Ward 15, Don Valley West

healthcare services in our neighbourhoods. For example, the application for 586 Eglinton Avenue East proposes to demolish an existing medical office building that provides services to local residents – including many seniors.

Unfortunately, seven of the appli-

During these meetings, residents from across Leaside raised concerns related to the capacity of local infrastructure and amenities, such as schools, green spaces, and our transportation network. It is imperative that infrastructure keep pace with new development in high-growth neighbourhoods – this is an issue I am continuing to raise at each and every consultation meeting and on the floor of City Council.

This spring, I successfully moved a motion that directs the City to work with the province and healthcare stakeholders to keep valuable

cations listed above have been appealed to the province's Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) – in many cases, before the required community consultation meeting. Many residents will know that I have been a long-time critic of the OLT, which is the unelected, unaccountable body that makes the final decision on planning appeals in Toronto. When developers appeal to the OLT, they are effectively circumventing the City’s planning review process and the final decision on these applications is taken out of City Council’s hands.

The Leaside Residents Association, Broadway Area Residents Association, South Eglinton Davisville Residents’ Association, and Bayview Broadway Good Planning Inc. are actively involved in many of the major development applications in this area and are a fantastic resource for residents who are looking to get involved. More information on these and all active applications in Ward 15 can be found on my Development Map. n

AUGUST EVENTS

LEASIDE BRANCH PUBLIC LIBRARY

165 McRae Drive, 416-396-3835

FAMILY TIME AND STAY-AND-PLAY

Tuesdays, August 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29th – 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Enjoy fun activities, stories, songs and rhymes at a staff-led story-time for the entire family. For children (5 years and under) with their parents or caregivers. Thirty minutes of story-time followed by “Stay-and-Play,” a fun opportunity for children and parents to socialize and play. This is a drop-in program.

COMPUTERS FOR BEGINNERS 2: USE THE MOUSE

Wed., Aug.23 – 10:00-11:30 a.m.

A class on basic keyboard functions for absolute beginners with little or no computer experience. Space is very limited. Please register in person at Leaside branch or by phone, 416-396-3835.

WRITE ON, KIDS!

Mondays, August 14 & 28 – 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Foster your imagination with Leaside’s creative writing group. Kids, ages 4-12, follow different writing prompts and learn the basics of story-telling and narration. Drop-in. No registration required.

DESIGN YOUR OWN TOTE BAG - FOR TEENS

Sat., Aug.19 – 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Join us for an exciting tote bag workshop! Design your own tote bag using special ink markers, papers, and our Cricut EasyPress machine. Come up with your own designs or find inspiration by chatting with others attending the workshop. All materials will be provided. Limited spots. Please register in person or by phone: 416-396-3835.

EWWW... THAT SCIENCE IS GROSS!

Wed., Aug.30 –2:00-3:00 p.m.

Discover the science behind things that make you go ewww! Make “snot” and sneeze it while exploring viscosity, identify various animals from their scat (i.e. poop) and learn about digestion while producing a burp in a bag. Join us on a gross but fun-filled science adventure!

Children under 6 may require the assistance of an adult. Drop-in, no registration required. Participation will be capped at the first 25 children.

NEEDLEWORK

(KNITTING & CROCHETING AT THE LIBRARY)

Thursdays, 10:00-11:30 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.

LEASIDE PROGRAMMING

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

ST. CUTHBERT’S, LEASIDE

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

Volunteers welcome to join the Gard’n Angels working in our community vegetable garden, providing fresh organic produce to Flemingdon Food Bank. Main “work party” day: Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to noon.

LEMONADE ON THE GREEN:

Drop by for lemonade. Wednesdays in July and August, 10 a.m. to noon. Free. n

Celebrating 25 Years!

LEA SIDE Community PHARMACY

795 Eglinton Ave. East Toronto, ON M4G 4E4

Tel: 416-422-0186

Fax: 416-422-0185

The pharmacist now prescribes for minor ailments. We administer vaccines and do compliance packages. Call or come in for more details. No appointment needed!

M-T 9-6, FRI 9-5, SAT 9-12

FREE Delivery all over GTA ALL Drug Plans Accepted

Leaside Life

leasidelife.com

Editor: Jane W. Auster

Publisher: Lorna Krawchuk

Webmaster: Erin Sorhaug

Graphic Design: Robin Dickie

Advertising: Karli Vezina

FH Publishing Inc.

1 Wiltshire Ave, unit 114 Toronto, Ontario

M6N 2V7

Comments, Letters to the Editor, Advertising Enquiries: Contact: 416-504-8047

leasidelifepublishing@gmail.com

leasidelife@gmail.com

Published

No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication.

The better way? LRA studies the TTC’s 2024 Service Plan

Look around you. You’ll see condo construction crews blocking streets and sidewalks, road surfaces dug up for water and sewer pipe replacement, unfinished transit route diversions adding to road congestion, and increased car traffic on streets both residential and arterial. Everything, everywhere, all at once.

And that’s just Leaside! Earlier this year the City announced over a billion dollars for this summer’s work projects. Getting around Toronto has become more of a challenge every day, whether by foot, bike, or car. If you depend on public transit to take you to work, school, shopping, and appointments, the TTC is caught up in the same traffic problems as everyone else.

On behalf of the Leaside Residents Association (LRA) I’ve been attending quarterly TTC Annual Service Plan meetings. They focus on adjusting public transit service due to construction, and look for ways of communicating those adjustments to passengers (or would-be pas-

Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LRA

sengers). Other attendees live in all parts of the city.

We’ve just met to examine the 2024 Service Plan.

When you take the TTC these days you’re all too aware of routes changing unexpectedly and of buses suddenly becoming “short turn” or “out of service,” requiring riders to disembark till another one arrives. Buses and streetcars seem to travel in convoy, with subsequent lengthy waits. Congestion caused by construction pressures can require entire route changes. Our Route 88 Leaside bus seems to have developed a variable and irregular timetable, especially outside the peak travel hours. Security continues to

be a concern.

The TTC depends on increasing ridership, not only to pay the bills, but literally to keep the city moving and preserve the transit routes we have. By attending the TTC Service Plan meetings, the LRA is in a position to ask, criticize, and make suggestions. If you’d like to get involved as well, please contact me at Leaside Life or through the LRA. The next round of meetings is planned to begin in August and September, with consultations and focus groups. A final draft will be presented in late fall, and submitted to the TTC board in early 2024.

The LRA board of directors meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month, at the Trace Manes building on Rumsey, just south of the Leaside Library. You are welcome to join us – to depute on issues important to you, ask questions, have your say, or just listen. Our next meeting is on August 2nd. For more details and updates between now and then, visit www.leasideresidents.ca n