Leaside Life Issue 137 October 2023

Jane Auster Editor Leaside Life

Last night I attended a community meeting that attracted 162 people to St. Augustine’s Church on Bayview.

If, like me, you go to a lot of these meetings, you’ll know that 162 is an enormous number of people taking time out of their busy lives to get closer to local issues.

In this case, the meeting focused on development issues affecting a broad swath, largely around the BayviewEglinton radius, which has become a node for significant intensification.

A nascent residents’ group, the Broadway Area Residents’ Association, rising from the ashes of the old Whole Foods alliance, is calling on the neighbourhood to join up, volunteer, become active, and help shape their community.

Why should this be of interest to residents of Leaside?

The new Bayview developments (along with a number along Eglinton East) will profoundly change all

neighbourhoods in the area – Leaside to the south and east, Davisville Village to the south and west, as well as Broadway-Bayview in the immediate vicinity. Thousands more people will call this wide area home. They’ll shop at our stores, attend our schools, travel within our boundaries...walk their dogs. Will we be ready for them?

Geoff Kettel and the Leaside Residents Association have been working closely with the new residents’ association, sharing wisdom and expertise, and helping them get off the ground because it is in the best interests of all of us in the surrounding environs to help the new RA succeed as they try to shape Bayview-Eglinton.

Geoff writes more extensively in this issue about the intensification taking place very close to what Leasiders call home. A meaty issue, indeed. n

Mock battles and military manoeuvres in early Leaside

Leaside’s association with military activities is well known. During World War I, the town was home to the Leaside Munitions Company and the Leaside Aerodrome, where combat pilots trained before heading overseas. World War II saw the rise of the huge industrial complex, Research Enterprises Limited, which manufactured radar and optical

Ted DeWelles

Leaside Heritage Preservation Society

equipment for the war effort. Less familiar, however, is the role Leaside played – especially before and during World War I – as a setting for military exercises. This was a role for which it was well suited given its diverse topography, sparse population (at the time) and rural character. Normally taking place at Thanksgiving, these annual “sham battles” or “sham fights” were staged across Toronto and Ontario. This included Leaside, where from 1913 to 1915, at least seven sham battles were fought or planned.

Leaside’s cancelled sham battle of 1913

Scheduled for October 20, the 1913 Leaside military manoeuvres involved 1,500 troops drawn from such regiments as the Queen’s Own Rifles, the Grenadiers and the 48th Highlanders. The troops were divided into two detachments –“White” and “Brown.”

BATTLES Page 22

Soldiers having lunch at Canada Wire and Cable factory, Leaside sham battle, April 2, 1915

A (condo) garden grows in Leaside

by MITCH BUBULJ

“Call me Ray!” was the enthusiastic greeting I received at her garden gate. Ray Greene – Marianne on all her documents (the nickname has been her preferred moniker since elementary school) – has many accomplishments to her name but the most tangible, colourful and fragrant has to be her garden.

Ray explains modestly, “I am not a gardener; I just like nice things.” Exploring her urban oasis, you are compelled to think otherwise. And so is the Leaside Garden Society. Ray is a longstanding member and she has been a stop on their annual Magical Gardens Tour more than once. On this year’s tour, in June, she again wowed folks with her bountiful bed of hostas, five flowering clematis skillfully entwined around trellises, meandering paths surrounded by vibrant perennials and annuals, and soothing water features. Very much in tune

with nature, Ray’s garden features birdbaths and bee and butterfly friendly plantings such as echina -

FALL IS FOR FITNESS!

It’s time to reach your health goals!

20 years of experience working with:

• medical conditions and post-rehab

• athletes of all ages

• seniors of every capability

• fat loss and muscle gain

cea and lavender.

Her retreat has been a work in progress for the past 35 years. Ray, 92 years young, works daily maintaining the garden and patio, which is made of a beautiful Wiarton limestone she had installed soon after moving in, in 1988. The outdoor area was not much more than a muddy patch, she says. “Everything in my life just sort of happened.”

And fate has been kind. She took a chance when she purchased her unit in the spring of ’88. Millwood at Randolph was a very different intersection at that time. There were gas stations, auto shops and small businesses like Stanley’s Cleaners within sight, not the apartments and condos there now. She has enjoyed the evolution of the area and the transformation of her muddy outdoor space into a calming, blooming, unique sanctuary.

In fact, “unique” is a fitting word to describe Ray herself, her story and her condo. Her father Elliott Greene was a decorated Canadian World War I officer who worked in Iraq for the British government after the war (Ray recalls the funeral of King Faisal as the cortege made its way through Baghdad right under her window). A 19th century ancestor, Anson Green (for a time the family had dropped the “e”), a Methodist minister, was the

416-528-5463

MITCH BUBULJ

“No matter how slow you go, you’re still lapping everyone on the couch”

Ray Greene

Burritos. Bowls. Salads. Wraps. Soups. Smoothies. Juices and more…

Buy one chef-designed entrée, get one chef-designed entrée FREE!

Limit one per guest. Free entrée must be of equal or lesser value. Proteins excluded. Valid in store only. Coupon must be surrendered at time of purchase. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Taxes extra. Valid only at Freshii Leaside and Freshii Danforth locations. Expiry October 31, 2023.

45 Wicksteed Ave. (SmartCentre Plaza) 647•417•1716

FOR ALL YOUR WINDOW COVERING NEEDS CONTACT PAUL LUSSIER AT 416-481-7207 OR AT PAUL@PARALLELEINTERIORS.COM

Adil Shamji, Ontario Liberal leader candidate –and Leasider!

by JANIS FERTUCK

Dr. Adil Shamji is an emergency and family physician who happens to live in Leaside. But, just as important and current, he is also the MPP for Don Valley East and a candidate in the Ontario Liberal leadership race, which wraps up at the end of November.

Adil and his wife, dentist Salimah Jiwani, were attracted to Leaside in 2019 as a “picture perfect community” that, as a bonus, was decorated for Halloween at the time. They also appreciate its shops, green spaces and proximity to downtown and cannot imagine living anywhere else.

While Adil grew up in Toronto and attended the Faculty of Medicine at U of T, he first practised medicine in rural and remote parts of Ontario and the Northwest Territories, specifically in Indigenous communities on the James Bay coast. He also maintained a position in the emergency room at Michael Garron Hospital, which continues today. In addition, he served as medical

FROM THE COVER

director for 11 homeless shelters in Toronto during the pandemic, helping to coordinate primary care, mental health and addiction supports.

Adil says that he has “always been driven to go where help was needed

the most” and in his different experiences, he often wished he could write his patients “prescriptions for a home, groceries or cleaner air.” The physician decided that one way he could bring about such improvements was by entering politics. He explains that on an ER shift, he can help 20 to 30 people, but as an MPP he can “fight for 100,000 people in one riding and 15 million across Ontario.” With this goal in mind, he ran to become the MPP for Don Valley East in June 2022 and was elected.

Since then, Adil has acted as the Liberal critic for health, northern development, Indigenous affairs and colleges and universities. He says it has been a steep learning curve made more difficult by the diminished size of the Liberal caucus, but his experiences inspired him to do what he can to make a difference in the province. One of his goals in entering the leadership race, he states, is to bring about “a political and cultural change in government so that it can be more responsive to the needs of everyday Ontarians.

When he entered the leadership race in July, he brought with him some unique qualifications: his youthful age of 38, his status as a visible minority with immigrant parents, his experiences both with housing issues and as a doctor in rural communities. These qualities have served him well during the campaign where he has encountered

LORNE LEVY

Veterinarian Larry Tung’s animal magnetism

by LORNA KRAWCHUK

Veterinarian Larry Tung was not always a Leasider. But he has been one now for more than two decades, at the Laird-Eglinton Pet Hospital.

The Toronto-born Tung initially headed for the Maritimes, and a while later, enrolled in the Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, graduating in 1994. He found his way back to Toronto and worked at a few different vet clinics before being hired by Laird-Eglinton Pet Hospital as a young vet.

Tung realized he liked the culture of the clinic as well as the neighbourhood. When the previous owner decided to sell in 2001, Larry was able to buy the animal hospital.

He and the other three DVMs at the clinic, as well as the additional 12 or so full-time and 10-12 part-time staff “work well as a team.” There is little staff turnover. In fact, one of the vets has been at the clinic since taking a co-op placement in high school. All

understand “that clients want to be part of the decision-making for their animal, so they can feel comfortable

with a treatment plan.” They feel “lucky to be in Leaside. Leasiders love their animals, and want to be informed.”

One vet is particularly skilled in dentistry and caring for exotic animals, but not birds. Much of the practice, unsurprisingly, involves dogs and cats. Most of the dogs walk in willingly, but for those who are more reticent or stubborn and refuse to come in, treatment sometimes shifts to the client’s vehicle.

There is a small boarding facility for cats, but not enough room to board dogs. However, two of the team do dog grooming on site: “From Suds to Studs.”

The clinic was fortunate during the Covid restrictions to be considered an essential service. It wasn’t easy, as owners weren’t allowed in the clinic with their pets, but the pet hospital managed to survive the restrictions.

For further information, please contact Tracey Brown at: tgoldfinch6227@rogers.com

It is probably true that most vets have one or more pets, and Larry Tung is no different – but none is quite like Tung’s dog Reilly. Reilly came into the lives of Larry and his wife, Rita Rusu, when they were in Buffalo and went to a fair where a rescue group called Joyful was one of the exhibitors.

The dog Tung and his wife initially applied for ended up going to someone else, but they saw a photo

LORNA KRAWCHUK

Double burial plot for sale in prime location in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

This beautiful plot lies in a quiet, leafy locale between Bayview and Mt. Pleasant Road, near Moore Avenue.

Larry and Reilly

Staying on top

Celebrating Leaside girls’ league of their own

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO

In 1973, a group of Leaside girls approached a local boys’ hockey coach and asked if they could play in the arena.

“We got tired of sitting around the arena watching the guys play. It didn’t seem right and it didn’t seem fair,” notes Daniele Spethmann. Spethmann, along with a group of other players, went on to form the Leaside Girls Hockey League, a two-team house league comprising the Lancerettes and the Blazerettes.

As community interest grew, so too did the number of players and teams.

Five decades later, the now-named Toronto Leaside Girls Hockey Association (TLGHA) league is one of Ontario’s largest hockey organizations for women and girls with more than 1,600 players from the ages of three to 60.

From Learn to Play lessons for both youth and seniors, to house league and competitive teams, all the way up to a junior team which competes at the highest level in the

Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), the league has, and continues to, grow by leaps and bounds –and goals.

According to Andrew Dillane, president of the TLGHA board of directors, the league is dedicated to player development along with safety, equity, inclusion, affordability as well as leadership examples and opportunities.

Each Leaside Wildcats team has at least one woman in a leadership role, and older players can certify and work as referees as well as volunteer coaches or instructors.

The TLGHA is also the only league with a female director of hockey operations. An excellent example of female hockey role modeling, Kim McCullough was a Wildcat herself, played in the NCAA at the provincial and national levels, and was an original member of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL), the forerunner of the CWHL.

The league has also brought in major mental health initiatives and works with girls on many aspects of their lives on and off the ice including navigating their university selection process.

As Dillane points out, the TLGHA is “not just about hockey, but also about life skills the girls can use into the future.”

To celebrate this, their 50th year of play, the TLGHA is planning several events.

The milestone season started with a celebration weekend on September 30th and October 1st, featuring lots of great hockey as well as an alumni game and pub night.

All league jerseys are also adorned with a special commemorative logo for the 2023-2024 season.

The annual March Break Tournament (now known as the March Matchup Tournament) will host nearly 3,000 players from across the province and will be marked with several anniversary events.

A host of other events will be held throughout the year and the celebrations will culminate with a community festival at the end of March.

Check the TLGHA website (torontoleasidewildcats.ca) as well as their Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages to stay up to date on all the plans.

The league is seeking old photographs and memorabilia to be included in an anniversary display. All submissions will be on loan to the TLGHA and will be returned at the end of the 50th season celebrations. If you have an item to lend to the group, please email 50seasons@ torontoleasidewildcats.ca n

TORONTO LEASIDE GIRLS HOCKEY ASSOCIATION

Welcome back, Halloween!

As I look back on my Leaside childhood, it seems to me that, other than Christmas and the last day of school before summer, Halloween was the day we looked forward to the most. Our parents would spend the rest of the year doing their level best to keep candy, chocolate, chips, and anything loaded with sugar, out of the house, out of our hands, and most importantly, out of our mouths. But for one brief shining moment, or in this case, one brief shining day, the infamous candy moratorium was lifted. I remember my twin brother Tim and I had trouble figuring out just exactly what was happening. No candy or chocolate bars in our home except for October 31st when it was okay to bring home a bathtub full of sugary treats. It made no sense. It was as if every Halloween, our parents were abducted and replaced with exact replicas who thought candy wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

I’ve often wondered if the idea of dressing up in a costume, going door to door after dark, and carting home more candy and chocolate than we’d ever seen in our lives, was the

Terry Fallis Columnist

brainchild of a group of enterprising dentists. A brilliant business model, don’t you think? There’s no point in spending money on patient recruitment, marketing, and advertising when once a year an entire cohort of children, from toddlers to teenagers, consumes enough of the evil sweet crystals to keep dental offices so busy they require crowd control. And make no mistake, back in the late 60s and early 70s, Halloween was a big night in Leaside. Scores of kids would line up at our door, show off their costumes, and then slip back into the night with their already overflowing candy bag just a little bit heavier. Rinse and repeat, house after house, block after block. ’Twas ever thus. But there have been

a few changes since I last dressed up and trick-or-treated my way around our neighbourhood.

Have you noticed the lengths to which some homeowners go to create a scary, haunted, horror-full display on their front lawns?

Retailers have clearly decided not to yield the entire Halloween market to the dentists. In my day, you might see a plastic skeleton or a make-shift witch adorning the front porch of a few houses. But today, you’re just as likely to encounter realistic-looking body parts emerging from the ground, recorded screams, dry ice machines, and an impressive display of crumbling tombstones. You might even see a few frightening “inflatables” as that, perhaps regrettable, craze crosses over seasonal lines from Christmas.

But just as homeowners have really stepped up their game on the home décor front, I’ve noticed that fewer and fewer kids seem to be haunting our door. (And it’s not because we give out lame treats like fruit and cheese. We’re all-in with the KitKats, Aero bites, and Coffee Crisps.) I’m not sure why our neighbourhood numbers are down. Perhaps the ubiquity of smartphones and the hours of entertainment they offer have turned kids off the effort of walking around the neighbourhood collecting candy. Perhaps the aforementioned over-the-top front lawn horror displays have worked a little too well and scared away the audience they were trying to entertain. Who knows? But some things never change. At the very young end of the Halloween demographic spectrum, parents are still leading – and sometimes carrying – their toddlers to a few houses early in the evening where neighbours coo over them (the kids not the parents). It remains a rite of passage for young families.

The upshot of having fewer kids trooping up to our front door is not completely undesirable. You see, that big bowl of mini-chocolate bars stays on our front hall table for several weeks as I do my part and force a couple down each time I enter or leave the house. I seem to come and go a lot in the immediate Halloween aftermath. It also makes my dentist happy.

Stephen Leacock winner Terry Fallis’s ninth novel, A New Season, is now in bookstores. n

Dear Leaside Residents,

You have showed us your charm and what Leaside is all about! I am elated by the warm welcome I have received from this community.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the previous owner, Brian Mok, for his dedication and contributions to the community for the past 17 years.

My commitment is to continue providing the best healthcare services and convenience to you all, alongside the strong and dedicated team that is already in place.

Our goal is to offer not just medications, but a holistic approach to your well-being. Here are some services that we currently offer:

Niloo Saiy PharmD, CDE, RPh Associate-Owner

• Manage your prescriptions online: View your medication profile online, skip the wait and refill online — or ask us to refill it automatically for you. Get notifications when your medication is ready by text or email.

• Medication Reviews: A one-on-one consultation with the pharmacist, in person or by phone. Free in-store blood cholesterol check in minutes. Online booking available.

• Diabetes management: We offer in-store A1C tests (Average blood glucose level), blood glucose monitoring training, and virtual dietitian consults.

• Adult vaccines: only 3% of adults are up-to-date on their vaccinations. We are happy to offer a wide variety of vaccines. Please inquire in-person or online.

• Travelling? Book a travel health consultation well in advance of departure. Get health advice, vaccines, and medications from our pharmacists tailored to your itinerary.

• Minor illness assessment: Our pharmacists can assess and write prescriptions for 13 conditions: UTIs, cold sores, allergies, pink eye, heartburn, hemorrhoids, rashes (dermatitis), tick bites (prevention of Lyme disease), oral thrush, period cramps, insect bites, skin infections, and muscle sprains and strains. More conditions are coming. Stay tuned!

• Ask us about our free medication organizers, free prescription delivery and more!

We are committed to give back to the community through our Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health. Please reach out to me if there is a special women’s charity in the community that you want us to support.

Come by and say hi... I am thrilled to get to know everyone! — Niloo

Book your appointments online: Bayview and Fleming:

https://shoppersdrugmart.medmeapp.com/0982/schedule or Scan 1601 Bayview Ave | T:416-489-1873

Bayview and Broadway:

https://shoppersdrugmart.medmeapp.com/1313/schedule or Scan 1860 Bayview Ave T:416-482-9841

Follow us on Instagram to get to know staff and keep updated on store events: @Shoppers_BayviewandFleming @Shoppers_BayviewBroadway

Gard’n Angels reap another mighty harvest

For the past decade, the Flemingdon Food Bank has been the beneficiary of fresh, organic crops, all grown and harvested by St Cuthbert’s community volunteer gardeners...the Gard’n Angels.

I’ve watched this group struggle through the pandemic, deal with supply shortages, battle extreme weather with both heat and droughts, along with many other gardening challenges. Yet with sheer determination, these dedicated volunteer gardeners (around 20 this year) always manage to produce an amazing bounty of quality vegetables and herbs.

But that’s not all. In keeping with the St. Cuthbert’s Greening Sacred Spaces initiative, a section of the church grounds was transformed into a new pollinator garden using only native plants. And all of it planted and maintained by the loving hands of these Gard’n Angels.

“The garden has flourished to become a welcoming and useable tranquil garden for quiet contemplation, rest, prayer and meditation for the community,” says garden

The Leaside Gardener

Debora Kuchme Columnist

co-chair Nancy Wahlroth.

The Leaside Garden Society took notice, and this year, awarded the St. Cuthbert’s Gard’n Angels the non-residential award for improving the streetscape and inspiring passersby. In my opinion, they couldn’t have chosen a finer recipient. Here’s how the Gard’n Angels came to harvest this year:

Start fresh

After 10 years of crop production, they invested in worm castings and living organic soil to replenish the depleted garden beds. According to Kathi Davies (lead gardener and garden co-chair), these enhancements resulted in bumper crops of tomatoes, peppers and beans.

Kathi also gives credit to Jen Tobin, Carmen Applegrath and other community friends, who donated heirloom tomato and pepper seedlings. Some are varieties I’d never seen before, including a tomato that was the size of a small pumpkin!

Experiment

After experiencing three years of heat and drought, they decided to try straw as a mulch and invested in a water meter. In the past, they would water when the soil looked dry (which meant often), but the meter showed them when the plants actually needed hydration. Not only did they save huge amounts of water, but they also saved countless volunteer hours.

Expect the unexpected

Not everything grows well or according to plan, and every year seems to bring new and unexpected plant problems. This year it was all about the kale. Black stem rot (a nasty bacteria usually caused by infected seed) meant removing and destroying their entire kale crop. Now that garden bed will need solarizing.

Look ahead

With another growing season under their belt, the Gard’n Angels are looking for ways to improve next year’s crops, with plans already underway.

Here’s a look at what’s ahead.

The raised (wood) garden beds (made by volunteers) have reached end of life and need replacing. The plan now is to purchase galvanized steel planters, which are far more durable but also very expensive. How can they afford them? Kathi is

KATHI DAVIES

The Leaside Observer is calling all moms

by DAVID CRICHTON

Picture this: Service Ontario and a diagnostic clinic waiting room. An alien student doing their final year thesis, “The Behaviour and Temperament of the Blue Planet Animal SelfIdentifying as Human,” need only to beam down to these two places for a Cole’s Notes understanding of us and get an easy A+.

eyes, though not yellow, are unusually red and cause me to wonder if you can get an ultrasound on your eyeballs.

The receptionist calls out to her, “You’re done ma’am.”

THE LEASIDE OBSERVER

Since my licence is up to date, I find myself at the Bayview and Eglinton imaging clinic getting an ultrasound on my neck. As I stand at reception, among my fellow actors from Central Casting, a yellow-themed woman of about 75 comes out of one of the rooms. She’s wearing what look like gold leopard pajamas. Her hair, large and yellow (she is, after all, yellow-themed), looks like it would catch fire if it got too close to an incandescent light bulb. Her substantial cane has yellow caution tape unevenly wrapped up the shaft. One of its four rubber feet has a Jolly Rancher wrapper stuck to it. Her

“HUH?!!”

“You’re done. Do you want the CD?”

“THE WHAT?!” the vision in yellow screeches.

“The Compact Disc – it will have your imaging on it – you have to pay $10.”

“CAN ANY DOCTOR GET THE RESULTS?” she asks.

“Yes.”

“THEN I’M NOT PAYING $10!” as she huffs off defiantly.

“Mr. Dabid?” the receptionist calls. “No, David. Vee, as in Victor.”

“Victor?”

Oh dear god. “First name David, second name Crichton.”

“Crich-tone”?

“No, silent “ch.” Here we go again, I think. “Like Michael Crichton, the author. No relation.”

Long pause, blank stare. “Jurassic Park? With the dinosaurs?”

“I’LL BUY THAT CD AFTER ALL!” A-n-n-n-d she’s back.

“Okay, ma’am, I’ll be with….”

“YES, I’LL BUY THAT CD!”

If it’s possible to be physically pushed aside by a person’s aura, this lady is giving me a full-on invisible body check. I look down at her, all of four feet-something, and she looks at me. I admit I am smirking a bit at her feistiness. The whole notcaring-because-I’ve-earned-it-attitude. She could have been channeling my mother.

“WHAT?” she demands.

“ME, what?” I point at myself. I decide to lean into it.

“I apologize for having a conversation while you’re interrupting.”

Her lips tighten, her eyes narrow. Slowly, instinctively, I bring my hands in front of me, and pull my knees closer together. That cane looks weighty, after all. I’m pretty sure I hear her say, “Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do ya?”

My phone goes off and I look at the screen. Oh, great, just what I need right now. And as I open my phone app, I almost say to Leopard Lady, “It’s you calling.”

“Hi Mom, I really can’t talk right now, I have to…”

“Mr. Crotchton?!” someone calls from one of the rooms.

“Mom, I gotta go, I’ll call you back….Not true. I always do, but..…Okay, I’ll call…Yeah, yeah, I promise.”

“Mr. Crotchton?!”

“Yes, that’s me! Coming, coming.”

My cortisol levels are off the charts at this point, as I squeeze by Leopard Lady, who doesn’t budge an inch. Forty-five minutes later I’m exiting the building onto Eglinton when a small wave of dread hits me. There she is. And she’s locked on. The hairs on the back of my neck strain to stand on end under crusty ultrasound gel residue. Was she actually waiting for me like Robin Poletsky used to do in Grade 5? Diabolical. I give her a wide birth, well outside cane swinging range. Behind me, I hear “I’m watching you!”

I start fast-walking, heart racing. My hand is vibrating. Oh wait, it’s my phone.

My voice cracks, “Hello? Oh, thank goodness, it’s you….No, nothing’s wrong.….No, I am not sick, either. I know, Mom. I love you, too.”

Take two new Leaside walks with Geoff and Mitch

Welcome to two new Leaside walks – Central East Leaside and South Leaside – which, together with the existing North Leaside and Central West Leaside Walks, complete our tours of Leaside’s residential area, as designated by Frederick Gage Todd, Leaside’s town planner in 1912. Future tours will take us around Todd’s Industrial area – the “Upper East Side” north of Vanderhoof and the Leaside Business Park to the south.

A reminder that Leaside is a designed cultural heritage landscape – it features Frederick Gage Todd’s town plan (streets layout, with McRae and Millwood as the two east-west dividers, tract development of the 1930s through to 1953, and a few stranded extant settler homes, set over the earlier colonial grid).

Central-East Leaside (Oct. 21), while predomi nantly residential like Central-West, abuts Todd’s Industrial zone, with Laird Drive as the divide. As a result, office and commercial development and some residential development on the west side of Laird Drive were directly associated with the industries, for example, Canada Wire and Cable on the east side. The Central East Walk starts and

Central/East Leaside

Walk start (and end) point: McRae Dr. and Laird Dr.

1. The Local Public Eatery, 180 Laird Dr. The Leaside Pub, 190 Laird Dr.

2. Laird and Vanderhoof, Pease Factory

3. Site of Hydro House

4. Perrem and Knight store and laneway

5. Laneway 2, Canada Wire and Cable Homes and laneway house

6. Canada Wire and Cable Homes

7. Original commercial buildings (east side)

8. Olde Yorke Fish & Chips

9. Mid-rise march down Laird (west side)

10. Former Leaside Town Hall

Start

Walking Tour Route

South Leaside

TWalk start (and end) point: Bayview Ave. and McRae Dr.

1. SAHIL Seniors Housing Project, 1487 Bayview Ave.

2. Talbot Apartments

3. Site of the Murray House, 1291 Bayview Ave.

4. Sandy Bruce Park

5. Crestview Apartments

6. Henry Howard Talbot House, 71 Sutherland Dr.

7. Rolph Road School

8. James Lea House, 201 Sutherland Dr.

9. Dr. Joseph Fleming House, 49 McRae Dr.

10. John Edmund Lea House, 33 Heather Rd.

ends at Laird and McRae.

South Leaside (Oct. 14) includes some of the grandest and oldest Leaside residences, curving “Garden City” streetscapes and early Leaside educational infrastructure. The South Leaside Walk starts and ends at Bayview and McRae.

Step out on Sat., Oct. 14 and Oct. 21, at 1 p.m. for guided walks with Geoff and Mitch.

NOTE: Leaside has several heritage-listed (but not designated) properties, whose legal protection from demolition will be lost on Jan. 1, 2025, unless designated in the interim. Both walks include a couple of them, such as the Olde Yorke Fish and Chips at 96 Laird Dr. (Central East Walk) and the Lea Home at 211 Sutherland Dr. (South Leaside Walk). Maps created with assistance from Kim Auchinachie, Connor Turnbull, Geoff Kettel, Mitch Bubulj, Robin Dickie and John Naulls. n

Don’t wait until your heating system breaks down in winter— make upgrades to your radiators and boiler NOW to save money and hassle!

Call Grizzly Plumbing & Heating for all of your plumbing and heating needs!

Plumbing

• repairs and new construction

Heating

• boiler repair, service and installation

• radiator repair/ replacement/upgrade

Drains

• blocked drains

• back water valve installation

• sewer upgrades

Gas

• gas line installation

• BBQ lines

Grizzlyplumbingandheating.com

24 hour emergency service: 416-690-7477

Now hiring! Send your resume to info@grizzlyph.ca

Experienced technicians in a family owned and operated service company. Licensed and insured.

Bayview and Eglinton development –getting down to serious business

In this space in last February’s Leaside Life we described the influx of tall building applications at and within 500 metres of the intersection of Bayview north of Eglinton, and Eglinton west of Bayview. Guess we can blame the coming of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. Well, no, at least not completely.

This whole Ponzi scheme of multiple applications, each new one more audacious than the last, is the result of the province’s overriding (in 2019) the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan (YESP) approved by City Council (in 2018) with specific land use changes to increase density beyond what the City approved – and without any public consultation. Then Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, in making the changes, specifically referenced Bayview and said it was “...missing a whole lot of density.”

The changes substantially increased heights (to 20-35 storeys) in the Bayview Focus Area, which was intended for midrise development,

Geoff Kettel

Saving old Leaside

Eglinton Secondary Plan – OPA 405. In light of the AGO’s Greenbelt revelations, several media articles have suggested that the Greenbelt is not unique with regards to political involvement in land use processes, and that there may be other instances of improper dealings concerning land

Bayview/Eglinton Development Applications Summary as of Sept. 1, 2023

Lynda Gorges Broker

Passionate about helping myClients

416-486-5588

Lynda.Gorges@gmail.com

www.lyndagorges.com

NOTE: Does not include: 660 Eglinton Ave East - because it both predates and is outside scope of OPA405 and 17101736 because it was unaffected by land use designation changes made by OPA 405.

except close to the Leaside (Bayview) transit station. To date there have been nine applications submitted, including three applications on the west side of Bayview, the latest coming in June, for a 45-storey tower at 1802 Bayview (the car wash site at Roehampton). There are now towers of 34, 34 and 45 storeys on the west side to add to the first Bayview application of 25 storeys on the east side of Bayview at Broadway. The nine applications submitted to date amount to a combined total of over 3,000 units, which is likely 2,000 units over what was anticipated by densities permitted in the YESP!

As Councillor Jaye Robinson said in Leaside Life last month, the pattern is that the applications get appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal, taking the matter out of the hands of the City to make the final decision.

Action is necessary, and is happening at two levels. At a policy level the Leaside Residents Association recently wrote to the AuditorGeneral of Ontario (AGO) to request an investigation into provincial decision-making concerning the Yonge

use decision-making. There have been specific concerns regarding the YESP since its approval in 2019. At an application level, the community is coming together to oppose excessive development and arranging to seek Party status at the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). We understand that the 1837-45 Bayview application has been settled with concessions by the applicant to reduce height to 22 storeys and several changes to reduce the impact on the neighbourhood such as increased setbacks, changes to balconies, etc. The proposed settlement will go to the OLT in late October. At first blush this settlement appears disappointing from a resident and community perspective, given the enormous effort from Bayview-Broadway Better Planning Inc (BBBPI) and community donors, but it appears to reflect the City’s having to accept the planning reality of provincial approval of OPA 405, and having to deal with the enormous workload increase from the

As reported in both the Toronto Star and Globe, the plan was to have the Brown force pursue the Whites westward from Donlands along Eglinton Ave. While under pursuit, the Whites were expected to halt at Leaside and attack – checking the Brown’s advance.

Complicating matters was the fact that two bridges along the Don River near Eglinton needed to be repaired for the exercise to go forward. The organizers asked residents to furnish material for the project but were refused. This forced army engineers to repair the bridges themselves. They did so under the watchful eye

of Sir Henry Pellatt, owner of Casa Loma, who also was Commander of the Queen’s Own Rifles and Director of Operations for the manoeuvres.

Everyone expected a splendid show – including the young Leaside diarist Wendell Lawson, who mentioned it in his journal. But when the big day arrived, it rained so hard the event had to be cancelled – to the disappointment of many.

Four sham battles in 1914

The following year, in May, Leaside was the scene of another exercise. This one did go ahead and involved several regiments, including the Governor General’s Bodyguards, the Mississauga Horse and the 48th Highlanders. These troops attacked a smaller force north of the Leaside train station but were severely beaten when they rashly advanced over open ground, making themselves easy targets for the defenders.

Five months later, a second “battle” transpired, also in the open fields north of the Leaside station. About 200 soldiers of the 10th Royal Grenadiers practised skirmishing and outpost duties and engaged in a small mock fight in the afternoon, where each soldier was issued 20 rounds of blank ammunition.

Two more sham conflicts took place in November. This time, the participants were U of T students, many of them members of the university’s Overseas Training Company. According to the student newspaper, The Varsity, the second of these conflicts saw 500 forestry and dentistry students march from University College to McRae Drive and on to “the plain west of Leaside” – where the two groups squared off in a pretend fight that ended up stalemated in the Don Valley.

1915: the year of big manoeuvres

In 1915 Leaside was again the scene of two mock battles.

The first was on April 1-2 involving more than 4,000 men. On the first day, 3,500 soldiers marched 20 miles to Leaside where they fought a mock battle resulting in a draw. The next day another 700 men, from the 109th Regiment, marched to Leaside from Pearl Street. On arrival, they had lunch at the Canada Wire & Cable/Leaside Munitions factory before commencing “hostilities” and dividing into two groups – Red and Blue. The “Reds” were tasked with guarding supplies at the Canada Wire Factory. The “Blues” were to attack them and capture the supplies and the factory – which they did successfully. But by far the largest exercise took place on November 26. Described by The Toronto Star as “one of the biggest tactical operations ever attempted,” it involved over 6,000 overseas troops – divided into White and Blue groups. Reginald Pellatt, son of Sir Henry, commanded the White army; Lt. Col. R. C. Windeyer commanded the Blue. The groups “fought” in an open field along Eglinton Ave. eastward to the Don Valley. The Blues attacked the Whites, who were protecting supplies. Each battalion received 4,000 rounds of blank ammunition. The exercise lasted all afternoon, but it was unclear who won in the end. It was “the largest sham battle ever fought around Toronto”– and it all happened in Leaside. n

SHAMJI From Page 6

people from all regions and backgrounds who he says have taught him about such diverse topics as farming, mining, transportation, energy and francophone issues. These encounters have helped him to formulate policies around their areas of greatest concern such as healthcare, housing and the rising cost of living. Adil has also noticed a growing apathy about government and has plans to counteract that. He feels that Ontarians are tough and resilient and there are people throughout the province who work collectively to overcome challenges. This reminds Adil and Salimah of Leaside and the kindness, friendliness and community spirit of its residents. They especially appreciate “the best neighbours ever” and living in a neighbourhood where everyone knows the name of their dog – Petunia Wigglebottom. n

Sir Henry Pellatt (left) examining broken bridge prior to Leaside Manoeuvres, October 1913. TORONTO CITY ARCHIVES

Rediscovering our backyard –the natural trails of Crothers Woods

Over the years, I have written several Leaside Life articles about Toronto’s world-class ravine system – one of our city’s most important natural assets. The expansive Crothers Woods, located just south of Leaside, is an Environmentally Significant Area that offers up to 10km of natural, multi-use trails as well as photography spots for unobstructed views of the Toronto skyline. There are several distinct trails in the area that connect to the broader Lower Don Valley system, including:

• Cottonwood Flats Trail, which is a 2m wide, 0.7km long granular surfaced trail, and

• Sun Valley Trail, which is a 2.5m wide, 1.3km long granular surfaced trail.

In September, the City of Toronto began improvements to the Sun Valley Trail, a route that is enjoyed by hikers, cyclists, and nature-lovers alike. The multi-week project includes repairing and reinforcing eroded sections of the trail, improv-

ing accessibility, and enhancing safety and sustainability. In addition, culverts and check dams are being installed to divert water away from the trail, prevent washouts, and improve durability during heavy rain events. A map featuring the different hiking and biking trails is posted in the parking lot of the Loblaws on Redway Road. To request a digital copy of the Crothers Woods brochure, which includes a map of the trails, please contact my office by email at councillor_robinson@toronto.ca.

As your local Councillor, preserving and strengthening our local ravine system has always been one Superb

✰ 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

of my priorities at City Council. In 2020, I broadened the scope of our City’s first comprehensive Ravine Strategy by incorporating the internationally-recognized concept of “Ecological Integrity” to measure the health of ravines. Through a motion at Council, I directed City staff to finalize an implementation plan in collaboration with major research institutions, focusing on strategies to mitigate the threat of invasive species. That same year, City Council approved a specific, costed Implementation Plan with tangible measures to protect and enhance Toronto’s ravine network over the next 10 years.

In Crothers Woods, the City has already implemented an award-winning Trail Management Strategy that successfully reduces erosion, soil compaction, and tree root damage to sustain one of our best-utilized local green spaces. I look forward to seeing the newly improved Sun Valley Trail reopened to the community. n

Jaye Robinson Councillor, Ward 15, Don Valley West

LEA SIDE Community PHARMACY

Fax:

thinking about a fundraiser where they could sell seeds. Good idea! Or maybe we could all pitch in with a little seed money (no pun intended) to help them get those new planters? For some reason, these harvest reports fill me with so much joy. Perhaps it’s the association with a bountiful harvest and Thanksgiving that moves me. Maybe it’s how much

I learn from these special gardeners. But I just received the 2024 Trends Report from the Garden Media Group, called Eco-Optimism, and one of the highlights is called ‘Planting with a purpose and the power of community’. Maybe that’s it! The power of community. Our community. Happy Harvest, Happy Thanksgiving! n

BAYVIEW/EGLINTON From Page 20

avalanche of development applications, and planning and heritage legislative changes imposed on municipalities in the past five years.

As Jon MacDonald of BBBPI has noted, with the supportive policies of OPA 405 and legislation such as Bill 23 (the More Homes Built Faster Act), developers are motivated and emboldened to push aggressively for maximum heights within the Bayview Focus Area from Eglinton to Broadway. 1837-45 Bayview is the first development likely to proceed under pro-development conditions that promote greater heights and densities around transit nodes. The latest proposals make no planning sense and are even higher than the egregious height range introduced by the province.

The three (much taller) applications on the west side of Bayview logically fall within the ambit of the residents on the west side to take the lead. And they are doing this, forming the Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA) to take on these new developments. The ESSO service station site at 1840 Bayview is up first, with an offer from the applicant to mediate in October. The South Eglinton Davisville Residents’ Association (SEDRA) and Leaside Residents Association (LRA) have agreed to assist BARA with these applica -

tions. It is clear that the developments on Bayview and on Eglinton, regardless of locations, will have significant collective impact on the Leaside and Davisville communities. A united front of the three associations working together is essential.

There is an important piece that has not been addressed to date. The consideration involved in approving individual applications revolves around such matters as height, setbacks, shadows, public space, access, and the like, but the impacts of the buildings once built and occupied are quite different – they involve schools, community centres, healthcare, sewer and water, energy services, etc. The City in its Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan did studies and projections to estimate the impact of the proposed densities. While overruling the City plan and dramatically increasing permitted densities, the province did not undertake any new studies or estimates of the needs of the increased population to be served. This deficiency cannot be laid at the feet of the City but the Ontario government. We look to our elected representatives for help in raising and hopefully addressing these impacts. Otherwise the consequences may be dire for the future of the area. n

The Gard’n Angels receiving the Leaside Garden Society Award

GARDEN From Page 4

“Green” in Greenwood Avenue and also in Woodgreen, a social services agency providing housing and help to marginalized Torontonians for close to a century. Ray herself defied gender stereotypes in the ’50s and ’60s by working – as a teacher and real estate agent – while also raising her son. Ray is optimistic, powerful and willing to take calculated risks. Her indomitable spirit explains her taking a chance when buying her home at Leaside Gate. The building is unique in Toronto because it was not proposed by a developer but instead by retired Leaside residents who wanted to stay in Leaside. (See Leaside Life, January 2016.) It was the brainchild of Bob Hart and other community-oriented individuals who came together to design a condominium meant for seniors and built on a human scale. Evidence is the fact the building is set back from the street, allowing for private patio and garden spaces for residents as well as well landscaped grounds for all passersby to admire.

Ray is an inspiration to us all with her energy and horticultural aesthetic; Leaside Gate is a model condominium built as a people-friendly residence. Both make Leaside a beautiful place to lay down roots. n

VET From Page 8

of Reilly, who was then in Virginia. Reilly was smiling, and Larry says, “I’ve never seen a smiler I didn’t like.” The family ended up adopting the dog. They even took a road trip with her the year after she came into their family to be able to say “thank you” to the original rescue group – something that happens rarely. Reilly’s now 7 or 8, and enjoys spending her days as the mascot for the clinic. She may look as if she has energetic Border Collie relatives, but she is a very calm, placid dog – and right at home.

The clinic is immediately north of what is now a demolition site from Parkhurst south. Luckily, their recent lease was renewed, so Laird-Eglinton Pet Hospital’s future seems assured, at least for the time being, much to the relief of the many passionate pet people who walk through the doors. n

For October events, see leasidelife.com/ leaside-events

Remembering the Mayor of Bayview

PHOTI PHILOS 1946-2023

Not many people can leave a legacy in Leaside as bright and full of friendship as Photi Philos, the last owner of Bell Jewellers at 1597 Bayview Avenue. Photi was born in Greece in 1946 and started working when he was 12 as an apprentice watchmaker. He immigrated to Canada in 1969 and apprenticed with Frank Damiani. Photi set his sights on fulfilling his dream of owning his own business and in January 1980 he took over Bell Jewellers after the previous owner was tragically shot and killed. Trust and loyalty were the cornerstones of Photi’s business and character. He secured his reputation as a trustworthy and honest merchant, being the person of choice for many to service their priceless heirlooms, create the perfect custom engagement ring or select a memorable gift for a special occasion. He was known as the Doctor of Clocks and one of the few watchmakers who could boast that he received a special invitation to tour the Rolex facility in Switzerland. Despite his large and gangly hands, he operated dexterously on the intricate mechanisms and was one of the few in the city who made house calls on grandfather clocks. He didn’t just build relationships with customers; he built friendships. Entire generations of families were welcomed to the store; Leasiders who were kids back in the day may recall his neon suckers on the counter. While he lamented the Leafs never winning the Stanley Cup in all his years in Canada, he prided himself on having George Armstrong as one of his best customers. On Christmas Eve, some may remember braving the cold to wait their turn for last-minute gifts, while watching the choo-choo train in the window go around periodically. Photi also saved the hides of a lot of Leaside men over the years. When your husband forgot your anniversary, Photi would hustle to have something ready “pronto,” and you could rely on it being handed to you by the end of the day in silver or gold wrapping paper with a white curled ribbon.

On Saturdays, Bell Jewellers miraculously transformed into a Greek “kafeneio” (coffee shop). He

had an ever-revolving door of friends that stopped by to share the latest stories. Greek coffee was always available on his two-piece burner, but don’t you dare try to make it yourself; Photi had a signature pour that defined the coffee, and no one else could get it quite right.

Photi may be considered the originator of the “buy local” movement in Leaside. He loved Bayview Avenue and fiercely supported his fellow merchants, hence garnering the nickname the “Mayor of Bayview.” If there was a business he could support, he would; he ate at all the restaurants, banked with each bank, was a patient of Dr. Simpson and Dr. Bader, got his hair cut at the Bayview Clipper, and bought his daughter’s first racket at the Merchant of Tennis. Midweek, his gang of rowdy friends that included well-known Leaside personalities Mel Wolff and John Badali would meet at Olde Yorke for lunch, but Friday lunches were sacred, and the gang ventured further afield to the Palace restaurant on the Danforth.

Photi was a Rotarian to the core and the embodiment of “service above self.” He was a Leaside Rotary member from 1983 until his retirement in 2015. He inspired each of his three daughters to volunteer at the annual Corn Roast and was the self-proclaimed Corn Master. He was an annual seller of Rotary Christmas cakes; friends, customers and business partners could count on Photi to supply them with their holiday sweets. He was also a huge supporter of kids’ sports, sponsoring baseball teams at Trace Manes and hockey teams at Leaside Memorial Gardens. Any cause could rely on Bell Jewellers for a monetary or in-kind donation.

Photi closed Bell Jewellers in 2015 and spent his last years doing more of what he loved: playing golf, having coffee and lunches with his buddies, and traveling to Greece with his childhood friends. He passed away on August 31, after a courageous battle with an aggressive and unforgiving form of cancer. Leaside will remember him for the care he always showed the community, the love he had for Bayview, and the many stories and memories shared over the years.—Lia Philos

Photi celebrating his 60th birthday with his fellow Bayview merchants from the Great Canadian Furniture Company, Parallel Interiors, Baymanor Realty, the Sleuth of Baker Street, Dominic’s Clothing and Humphrey’s Funeral Home.

Fall means more traffic and noise mayhem

Now that it’s autumn, you’ll have noticed a significant increase in traffic throughout Leaside. Not just during the 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. ‘official’ peak periods, but also more steadily during the day.

Although a surprising percentage of the traffic is local, much of it is long distance, both flow-through commuter and commercial in nature. You can tell that Toronto is experiencing a construction boom just by looking at our streets.

Leasiders are also quick to notice a more recent increase in heavy truck traffic, especially at night. For many of us, uninterrupted sleep is a thing of the past. This year, the Leaside Residents Association (LRA) has been receiving more complaints than in the past, particularly about noisy middle-of-the-night construction-related trucks, some also with heavily-laden trailers. Many of them are driven at speeds well above the posted speed limits.

It is no wonder that residents are asking more questions than ever about the ongoing work taking place on the City’s Leaside

Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LRA

Neighbourhood Transportation Plan (LNTP). We are all eager to move forward to see real results. Some positive news: Councillor Jaye Robinson’s staff assured me recently that the LNTP team is working on holding another public consultation meeting this fall. Consultation that, we hope, will lead to action.

In-person AGM on our agenda!

I am also pleased to announce that the LRA will be able to host an in-person Annual General Meeting this year, our first since the pandemic. It will take place in late November or early December in the William Lea Room at Leaside Gardens. The exact date will be confirmed shortly, based on key guest speakers’ availability. We’ll also

present a full report on the LRA’s recent work.

This is a critical and important moment in our city’s history. There are more big issues to debate than ever, all critically important: the housing crisis and its pressures on neighbourhoods like ours; Toronto’s fiscal problems and potential policies; the provincial/municipal power and policy imbalance; the environment; and traffic gridlock, to name but a few. Leasiders have strong opinions on these topics. We see our AGM as a good forum to express them and to be heard by the elected representatives in attendance! In my next column I will report in more detail. I hope you will make a point to attend, and have your say.

The LRA board meets on the first Wednesday of each month, in the Trace Manes building at Rumsey and Millwood, and we welcome deputations and attendees. Our next meeting will take place on Wed., Oct. 4th, at 7:30 p.m. Please join us if you’d like to participate or watch. To learn more: www.leasideresidents.ca. n

Dr. Cary Wu, York Research Chair, Political Sociology of Health, York University

Dr. Janine McCready, Infectious Diseases Physician, Michael Garron Hospital

Stephanie Bowman, MPP, Ontario Liberal Party Critic for Finance, Infrastructure, Food & Rural Affairs