www.UrbanNatureStore.ca
When I came on board at Leaside Life seven years ago, there were already several stalwarts contributing regularly to the publication: among them, publisher Lorna Krawchuk, Saving Old Leaside columnist Geoff Kettel, and LRA co-president Carol Burtin Fripp, who had already set the tone for the types of issues we wanted to bring to readers’ attention.
I “inherited” some interesting columns, too. Among them was the deliciously titled Leaside Litterati, featuring local “plogger” Cheryl Vanderburg, who picks up litter during walks through her neighbourhood. Far from a passive plogger, though, Cheryl is more a guerrilla garbage collector invested in educating all of us to be more aware of our surroundings and showing how we’re harming our personal environment through wanton disregard.
Readers could always count on her
Jane Auster Editor Leaside Life
to write Leaside-specific columns particularly during April, Earth Month. After an absence during the pandemic, I am thrilled that our favourite plogger is back in this issue of Leaside Life with her wit and wisdom in support of Earth Day activities, and specifically Toronto’s 20-Minute Makeover on Friday, April 19.
Here’s vintage Cheryl: “Friday is the 20-Minute Makeover where we’re encouraged to pick a public space that needs our help, such as a park, sidewalk or ravine. No shortage of those here in Leaside! … Surely each of us can spare 20 minutes to ‘clean our rooms.’”
You’ll know Cheryl when you spot her: she’s the one with the curly hair who’s always looking down and picking up rubbish.
Welcome, back, Cheryl. We’ve missed you! n
Spring has arrived in Leaside in all its glory! Mother Nature never fails to disappoint. Walking around the neighbourhood, I see the signs everywhere. Trees in bud. Daffodils, snowdrops, crocuses and tulips peeking their heads out in front gardens. Insects buzzing. Birds chirping. Grass greening. Squirrels scurrying. Winter hibernation is finally over and spring renewal has begun.
Sadly, the other signs of spring are also apparent and they are not quite as joyful. Lost mittens, baggies of half eaten snacks, dog booties, tissues and paper napkins, the ubiquitous takeaway coffee cups and plastic water bottles, candy wrappers, drink boxes, soda cans, cigarette packages and butts, and other miscellaneous detritus are strewn about on yards, streets, roads and parks. Some are remnants of garbage and recycling days gone awry, others unknowingly dropped and others consciously pitched.
Not a pretty sight. And that’s just Leaside I’m talking about!
According to Wikipedia, “Mother Nature is a personification of nature that focuses on the life-giving and nourishing aspects of nature by embodying it, in the form of a mother or mother goddess.” Mother Nature gives us so much. All she asks is that we “keep our rooms clean,” as all mothers are inclined to do.
Thankfully the City of Toronto is providing us with the opportunity, April 19-24, to come together as a
community for the annual spring cleanup. Friday is the 20-Minute Makeover where we’re encouraged to pick a public space that needs our help, such as a park, sidewalk or ravine.
No shortage of those here in Leaside! Beautify your own front sidewalk, curbside or block. Lend a helping hand while your kids are playing in your favourite park. Clean up along your regular dog walking route. Pitch in at the community centre when you take your kids to their hockey game or swimming lesson. Surely each of us can spare 20 minutes to “clean our rooms.” Saturday and Sunday are opportunities for community groups and families to have some fun and make the cleanup into a game or scavenger hunt. Schools are encouraged to organize cleanups on April 22 in celebration of Earth Day. Thank you, teachers and school admins.
Being a “Waterloo mathie,” I did
Marjorie Tuck will celebrate her 100th on April 23rd.
This long-time Leasider has enjoyed an interesting and varied life. After graduating from Humberside Collegiate, she did office work at Manulife before marrying Jim Tuck, the love of her life, in 1943. He was posted with the Air Force in what is now Haida Gwaii. Their honeymoon was a train trip across Canada. Missing the boat connection to the base and with $10 in their pockets, they waited for the next boat in Prince Rupert, with Jim working in a fish processing plant. On Haida Gwaii, their first home was a log cabin with no running water or plumbing.
After the war, Jim was able to use government grants to earn a Ph.D in psychology at the University of Toronto. They spent the next 11 years with Jim teaching at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB,
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where their children Wendy and Jim Jr. were born.
In 1962, they returned to Toronto and, in 1969, moved to Rykert Crescent, home for the next 40 years. Marjorie got the bright idea to enrol in night school at Northern Secondary School to improve her typing skills so she could assist Jim. Her typing skills were such that she even won a prize for accuracy and speed.
In Toronto, Jim set up the psychology department at the March of Dimes. He “volunteered” Marjorie for a typing job there when they were much in need of help. Jim subsequently worked for Toronto Rehab and at the University of Toronto in psychology.
Marjorie went back to Manulife for a bit, but decided to try for something closer to home, so she walked into Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and asked if there was a need for a typist. She ended up as the afternoon secretary for the nursing department until she retired in 1993. Her typing skills were world class.
Marjorie describes herself as a shy person, but has “worked at not being that all my life. … I make an effort.” She loves flowers, but is not a gardener. What she is very good at is “picking up the phone and placing an order” for flowers, whether for a birthday, a bereavement or any special occasion. She also boasts a good memory – remembering those birthdays and special occasions, with flowers or other small gifts.
Marjorie and family are long-time members of Leaside Presbyterian Church, enjoying the church and her good friends there. First Covid curtailed attending worship in person, then mobility issues made her change to online worship, which she now attends, faithfully, each week.
“I’ve been blessed,” she says. She has fond memories of the many trips she and her husband took throughout the US, England and Europe. Now, she is happy to sit in her chair and let the world go by – watching the seasons change in the trees outside her window. n
Rolph Road’s very own 6-year-old Elijah Mubarak recently placed first in the Next Gen Niagara 2024 Jiu Jitsu Tournament.
A sweet and confident kid, Elijah has always been extremely active. “It’s just always been a part of his makeup,” notes dad Jamal.
From climbing trees, jumping in lakes, playing soccer, skiing, doing gymnastics and, his favourite, jiu jitsu, Elijah is a kid on the go.
As a member of Leaside’s Thompson Jiu Jitsu Academy, Elijah has learned so many lessons both physical and philosophical.
Elijah’s mom Ashlie comments that the tenet of “you either win or you learn,” taught by the academy, has been one that Elijah has truly
embraced.
Having already attained his grey and white belts, Elijah approaches each lesson and tournament with positivity, determination and a passion to advance his skills.
With his dedication and great athleticism, he will definitely go far. n
For the first time in the school’s history, the Leaside High School Varsity Girls hockey team has won the TDSSAA city championship.
On Friday, March 1st, the Leaside team defeated two-year reigning champion Malvern in an OT semifinal nail biter and went on to defeat Lawrence Park with a commanding 3-0 win to take the trophy.
Coming into the final tournament, the players were confident even though they knew they were up against tough opponents. Grade 12 player Taylor Thompson noted that “there was a lot of unknown going into the tournament; there were several teams that we knew had good players.”
In the end, it was the play of the Leaside Lancers which prevailed.
Throughout the season, goalies Sasha Garrido and Eve McKenney stood on their heads (look it up!), with the rest of the team gelling impressively well together.
The team had no designated captain with a group of Grade 11
and 12 players acting as a strong leadership group. According to coach Cecily Osborne, “the leaders were so positive and inspiring to the younger players.”
Player Riley Stansfield noted that Coach Osborne “is the reason the team was successful.” From disciplined practices to team-building events, Osborne was constantly motivating and inspiring her players.
Congratulations to the team on an historic and impressive victory! n
It’s been said that if you find work you love, you won’t work a day in your life.
Take Leasider Shawn Adams.
As a master archery teacher and coach, he is living his lifelong dream of, as he says, “doing sport as a living.”
Growing up on a horse farm outside Toronto, Adams and his brother spent their childhood acting out the movie characters they admired.
From Robin Hood and Conan the Barbarian to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, the Adams boys were constantly the stars of an adventure.
On a family trip to Orlando when the boys were young, the brothers had their first experience of Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament.
Seeing a show dedicated to jousting, swordsmanship, horsemanship, falconry and so much more
in a medieval castle-like space, the boys were mesmerized.
In 1993 when Medieval Times opened in Toronto, Adams’s brother applied for and received a job in the show. Eventually, he created his own show and travelled across North America entertaining audiences. Shawn soon joined him and the brothers toured together, living out their childhood adventures.
Adams eventually moved back to Ontario permanently and accepted a job with Casa Loma as a medieval specialist.
As his popularity as a performer and speaker grew, Casa Loma asked Adams if he would give archery classes to kids as part of the medieval experience.
Wanting to be as authentic and professional as he could, Adams took archery lessons, studied the sport thoroughly and received his coaching certification. As his work with kids became more and more popular, parents began asking if they, too, could take lessons.
From this surge of interest Shawn’s Archery Instruction Toronto was born.
The year-round business offers lessons both inside and out to anyone of any age and any level wanting to shoot for fun or competitively. Adams teaches kids as young as nine and adults in their 70s. It’s a sport, he points out, that “people can start at any age.”
They also come to Shawn’s for team-building events, parties or date nights. Many students join to be competitive enough to participate in tournaments.
In just one of many success stories, Adams taught a 26-yearold student who had never been serious about any sport. Within three years of starting archery lessons, she was a national champion.
He’s also been teaching a nineyear-old who is breaking provincial records. “It’s cool to think,” he notes, “that maybe I’ll be an important piece of her journey as she continues to progress through the sport.”
With the upcoming summer Olympics and the popularity of TV
When still youngsters, long before they met and joined forces as seasoned entrepreneurs, a young Allan Jackson and Andrew von Teichman were each jarred by unpleasant experiences of being bullied.
Fast forward to 2009, when they were both at a crossroads in their decades-long Canadian wine industry careers. Allan tried test-driving retirement while Andrew decided that becoming an entrepreneur was preferable to climbing the corporate ladder.
A mutual friend suggested they meet. Instantly, they bonded over their early encounters with bullying. Subsequent discussions dug deep into exploring business opportunities and ways to support youth dealing with stress and anxiety. The two settled on working together to build a virtual winery, named Generations Wine Company. “With our decades of wine business acumen and Allan’s
NATALIE VON TEICHMAN
It’s S chnitzel S eason!
technical brilliance, we decided to source grapes from the Niagara region and produce wine under our niche label at an existing winery,” Andrew says.
Thus was born D’Ont Poke the Bear. The niche label of their winery’s bestselling D’Ont Poke the Bear wines and ciders is bursting with meaning. The spirited bear, a Canadian for sure, wears an eye patch just as Andrew did as a kid to help heal a vision issue. (The patch is why he was bullied.)
Eye patches, like Andrew’s, along with glasses prescribed by an ophthalmologist, can correct amblyopia, a vision issue present at birth that prevents an eye from sending signals to the brain. Early treatment is essential, and Andrew’s eyesight was corrected by his late teens.
The name of the wine – and not just its symbol of the eye patch-wearing bear – was a happy accident, Andrew explains. “The marketing company misspelled the word don’t The apostrophe was in the wrong place, but the error had D’Ont conveying the double meaning of ‘do not poke the bear’ and included the short form for Ontario.”
If Allan’s name rings a bell, it should. He, along with Don Triggs, founded Jackson-Triggs Vintners in 1993, one of the pioneers of the Canadian wine industry. Dr. Allan Jackson’s journey and wine business contributions are featured in Linda Bramble’s 2014 book, Niagara’s Wine Visionaries.
Meanwhile, by coincidence, Andrew’s von Teichman family had him working in their Pelee Island winery business as a teen and saw him become a certified sommelier and build the family’s sales through his marketing efforts. So, a passion for wine comes honestly to both Jackson and von Teichman. At the core of their business is a commitment to giving back. Over the last decade their winery has donated approximately a quarter million dollars to Kids Help Phone. “Kids Help Phone is always open, offering young people across Canada mental health support and a nonjudgmental space to Feel Out Loud,” states the charity’s website. And that’s something to raise a glass to. Learn more: www.dontpokethebear.com. n
We’ve spent over 50 years building our business on total customer satisfaction!
At Belvedere Home Improvements Limited, we will continue to answer your calls well into the future. Behind every call is the dedication, experience and long-standing quality that goes into every Belvedere project. Whether you need a chimney repaired, siding, roofing or waterproofing, you can count on Belvedere to do the best job, on time and on budget. After all, we’ve spent over 50 years building our business on total customer satisfaction.
Aluminium,
Back in 2020, a group of women from Leaside and Thorncliffe Park launched the first bike match program in Toronto. (See Leaside Life , November 2020: leasidelife.com. The premise was to connect people who had bikes they didn’t need with women looking for a bike to ride. Armed with a Google form, spreadsheet, Women’s Cycling Network volunteers, and assistance from Gateway Bike Hub, more than 75 women received bikes to ride. Running the program was both exhilarating and exhausting! We were onto something good, but how could we make it more effective and more efficient?
2021 – there’s an app for that Social entrepreneurship brings a start-up mindset to finding solutions to social, cultural or environmental concerns. A chance discussion with serial entrepreneur Ph.D. Ana Rodrigues kick
started the next stage of BikeMatchWCN
– she proposed an app to do what we were doing manually and volunteered her time and expertise to develop it. “I felt this was a program with significant social impact that helped women gain mobility and freedom and I knew I could use my skills in web development to expand and streamline the program.”
219 people registered; 65 received a bike.
Clearly, we needed more bikes!
2022 – bringing in the partners
How could we leverage what the Women’s Cycling Network had built to get more bikes to
In addition to Gateway Bike Hub , Scarborough Cycles and Bikes for Climate joined the program to collect, refurbish and distribute donated bikes, and Ana reworked the app to support the role of the hubs. People were notified when a bike was available for them and to reserve it. Hubs held special pick-up days to connect with bike recipients, and Cycle Toronto joined the team to offer participants cycling education and social rides. As Sonam Vashisth, partnership and events manager at Cycle Toronto , notes, “We are committed to supporting the Women’s Cycling Network and their vision. Access to bikes is a barrier for so many. Yet more people on bikes means more people cycling and seeing the need for better cycling infrastructure.”
421 people registered; 76 bikes were delivered.
Many women want to ride with their families, so the BikeMatchWCN app was restructured to offer bikes to everyone in the family and provide an online shopping experience. People now choose their bike on their phone from all the bikes in their size.
CultureLink Bike Hub joined the program, and Cycle Toronto provided funding for a part-time program coordinator, Learn-toRide lessons and community rides. 2023 was our biggest year yet.
523 people registered;104 bikes were delivered.
2024 – what’s next?
Women’s Cycling Network founder Najia Zewari sees BikeMatchWCN as a key tool in fulfilling the group’s vision to assist all women with their desire to bike. “Through this program we are giving women the opportunity to bike with their families, bike for their health and wellbeing, bike for transportation and bike for their freedom.”
This entrepreneurial team is looking ahead to have an even bigger impact in 2024, expanding to more parts of the city and exploring the ability for people to purchase a refurbished bike for donation. If you have a bike to give – we have someone who needs it. Just visit https://bikematchwcn. com. n
As a preschooler growing up in Leaside, Katherine Leyton longed to read. “Books inspired me to write,” she said. “Starting in Grade 2, I was always reading and writing. My commitment never wavered, even when reminded by adults that I’d need a back-up job to support my passion for writing.”
Fortunately, Katherine has had ample opportunity to indulge her passion. Her latest book, Motherlike , was scheduled to be released in late March.
The author had prestigious encouragement to pursue a writing career. In 2014, she was the inaugural poet-in-residence at the revitalized Al Purdy cottage, known locally as the Al Purdy A-Frame, a nod to a cottage design inspired by early Japanese and Polynesian housing. She has fond memories of her experience there. “I swam, I ran, I walked in the fields nearby. The allowance meant I didn’t need to work for
those two months. I had the immense luxury of writing in the writer’s room at all times of the day and night, unlike trying to write in Toronto
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between 12-hour work shifts. For my literary contribution to the local community – a residency requirement – I videotaped cottage visitors and locals reading Al’s poetry and screened the footage at a local event.”
Now living in a two-career household with three children under seven, Katherine says her work-life balance requires creativity. “At one point my husband and I rented a therapist’s office, just down the block, for two evenings every week. We each got one night in the office to work and enjoy the calm quiet. Work-life balance is still a work-in-progress.”
In 2016, a book of poetry All the Gold Hurts My Mouth, was Katherine’s first published work. Asked to describe her latest, Motherlike, she replied that it’s “… creative non-fiction, a memoir of life with a first child.”
The book, she added, is infused with historical research and “my thoughts and feelings compared with the very acute public discourse about pregnancy versus what I feel. The physical, psychological, and social risk that pregnancy and childcare represent, even the process of getting pregnant. My grandmother told me how she was required to quit a job that she loved because pregnant women were not permitted in the workplace. We’ve made some progress, but much still needs to change.”
Katherine offered some advice for aspiring writers. “Keep writing for your chosen audience. Be prepared to work many different jobs to support yourself. Get skilled at public speaking. Writing is solitary work yet once your work is published, you’ll be doing lots of readings, book fairs, and interviews.”
If shopping locally for Motherlike, the Sleuth of Baker Street bookstore on Millwood Road, a Leaside business for over four decades, will happily order it for you. n
In case you missed it, the Ontario government recently announced a new development in Thorncliffe Park with six residential towers ranging from 24 to 56 storeys, and one office tower (13 storeys), for a total of over 2,660 residential units and 980 jobs, located on the north side of Overlea Boulevard, south and west of the future Ontario Line Maintenance and Service Facility (MSF), and adjacent to the future Thorncliffe Park Station on the Ontario Line.
Transit-oriented communities (TOC) place more housing and jobs near or at transit stations along the route of the province’s subway projects, including the Ontario Line. The TOC is intended to provide “real opportunities to build vibrant, higher density, mixed-use communities that are connected to transit stations.” While acknowledging that planning for increased density around transit stations can be a sensible strategy, there are a number of issues raised by this announcement.
Why is the Province usurping the City’s role?
The Thorncliffe Park TOC amounts to the Province usurping the City’s legitimate role in land use planning for communities impacted by major transit development. The Province could have set a target for people and jobs around the Ontario Line stations and left the job of planning the land use to the City –where it belongs.
A planning and development project of this scale should have triggered a comprehensive land use planning exercise by the City, with full public involvement, similar to Eglinton Connects, undertaken in anticipation of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. The Yonge Eglinton Secondary Plan, approved by the Province in 2019, one year after submission, to permit densities four times higher than the City had planned. In Thorncliffe Park the Province has developed detailed plans for an area in Thorncliffe Park without the benefits of first doing a comprehensive community planning study.
Is the location appropriate for residential development?
This project amounts to a massive conversion of land use within the
Geoff KettelSaving old Leaside
parkland, community space, daycares, schools, affordable housing, emergency services and other amenities.
TOD aims at maximizing returns to the Province and their development partners at the expense of the future
Leaside Business Park. The lands to be developed are designated Employment Lands (non-core) and house various commercial and office enterprises. The Province recently acquired lands for the maintenance and service facility north and east of the TOD site – but that is an industrial use and maintains “Employment Lands.”
It would have made more sense to plan for a redevelopment of the East York Town Centre, across Overlea Boulevard from the TP station. Replacing large shopping centre parking lots with towers has become a common development trend recently. Witness Fairview Mall, and Sherway Gardens. Why were these lands chosen over EY Town Centre?
Is the project misnamed –TOC or TOD?
The project is part of Infrastructure Ontario’s (IO) Transit Oriented Community (TOC) program umbrella when it is really TransitOriented Development (TOD). The distinction is important. TOC aims for a complete community with
community, which is deprived of the necessary services and supports.
The proposal consists basically of residential development, and some retail and office uses. Where are the schools, medical facilities, etc. given they are at capacity in TP and Leaside? How is the project linked to the rest of the Leaside Business Park, which would logically be expected to provide employment for new residents?
What about the Community Benefits Agreement?
Unlike during the construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, Metrolinx has not signed a formal Community Benefits Agreement as part of the Ontario Line development. A community benefits agreement typically includes targeted commitments to local and equity hiring for development projects and are legally enforceable. Don Valley West MPP Stephanie Bowman has called on the provincial government to keep its promises to local communities like Thorncliffe Park and sign a Community Benefits Agreement.
Where is the affordable housing?
Again, there are no affordability requirements. The Province required the City to report on Inclusive Zoning around Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) like Leaside (Bayview) station and designated it as a Protected Station Area (PMTSA), which required Inclusive Zoning – a minimum percentage of affordable units – but has never followed through and approved the extent of affordability in the MTSA/PMTSAs.
Is the public involved?
The application was submitted to the City in October 2023 and became public on January 29, 2024. Presumably it had been in the planning for several months (or years?). Infrastructure Ontario has arranged a Local Advisory Committee and has been holding some public information sessions (in person and virtual) to explain the project. However, the proposal has been developed in considerable detail, and as such the consultations appear to be largely
for information only.
How is the City involved?
Unlike the Ontario Line projects to the south of Thorncliffe Park, IO and Metrolinx projects in Thorncliffe Park currently have no oversight from City Council. Toronto and East York Council established a subcommittee on the Ontario Line in February 2023, which reports quarterly on the Ontario Line and related matters with respect to its territory, but that does not include the three stations in North York district, i.e. Thorncliffe Park, Flemingdon Park, and the Ontario Science Centre, or the Ontario Line Maintenance and Service Facility (MSF).
The Leaside Residents Association (LRA), the Leaside Business Park Association (LBPA) and The Neighbourhood Office (TNO) signed a joint letter to Councillors Jaye Robinson and Jon Burnside in February asking for something similar to be established to provide City monitoring and oversight in Wards 15 and 16. n
To our dear and valued customers:
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the end of an era for the Carpet Mill. Nearing our 31st year in business, we have had to come to the very difficult decision of closing our doors to make way for the new Carlaw Station. As most in the neighbourhood are aware, Metrolinx is expropriating Riverdale Plaza and the premises must be vacated by May 31, 2024. Therefore, all flooring installations will be completed by the end of May. We would like to thank each and every one of you that trusted us and gave us the opportunity to work in your homes and businesses over the past three decades. During this time, we have made the nicest acquaintances and secured many friendships. Thank you to the communities of Riverdale, Leslieville, Upper & Lower Beaches, East York, Rosedale, Leaside and beyond. A special thank you to our dedicated staff and installers for their tireless efforts. Without you, we wouldn’t have existed, grown and flourished; our success was achieved via your hard work. Thank you to all who have been a part of our journey; you will sincerely be missed.
Please come visit us in the next few months as all stock is cleared – FROM 25-75% OFF!
Sincerely,
Kathy & Aris Owners/Operators
In the vibrant heart of the Leaside Business Park, a unique club has redefined the luxury car experience for car enthusiasts and their families. The RClub, which “vroomed” onto Commercial Road in the summer of 2019, has transformed from a luxury car-sharing service to a more holistic social club that caters to a discerning community of car enthusiasts since Leaside Life wrote about the club in 2019 ( https://leasidelife.com/rclubvroom-vrooms-onto-commercialroad). Founded by Adam Westland, Noah Barlow, and Igor Denisov, the club quickly established itself as a sanctuary for those with a penchant for high-end automobiles and a spirited community atmosphere.
From its inception, the RClub was positioned as a haven for car lovers – a place where the thrill of driving and the camaraderie among enthusiasts intersect. But that business model incurred high service delivery costs. The club’s original model was based on opportunities arising from the exotic luxury car-shar ing market catering to a niche con
sumer segment seeking to experience the excitement and prestige of driving high-end vehicles without the commitment of ownership.
“The only thing that matters is getting to product-market fit.”
– Marc AndreessenWhile the allure of driving luxury
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and exotic cars drew initial interest, the club discovered that its members valued the community and the opportunity to engage with like-minded individuals even more. However, it turned out that many members already owned cars they loved. This insight prompted a pivot towards enhancing the club’s social aspects, including the addition of co-working spaces, workshop facilities with professional car lifts and tools, an indoor wash bay, and a dynamic event space with a giant 25-ft screen…essentially, becoming a social and private club where car enthusiasts can thrive around the clock. Yes – 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
Entrepreneurship is primarily about finding “product-market fit” and the RClub’s shift in gears seems to have achieved this. Today, the club’s 325 members, 60 per cent living within a 15-20-minute drive from the club, revel in a wealth of activities that extend beyond the road, including workshops and vibrant social events curated by an in-house team, all supported by its 7,000 sq. ft. upscale clubhouse. The club’s strategic response to member feedback since its inception has helped lower operating costs by
70 per cent, making the club much more accessible at $4,000 per year, while broadening its appeal and diversifying the membership base. With members enjoying roundthe-clock access to the clubhouse, appealing to a diverse range of schedules, social engagement has flourished, and this vibrant community thrives day and night. The workshop space is a particular point of pride for the club, offering a rarity in Toronto, where members can personally work on their cars. The availability of full-service options, catering to those who prefer a hands-off approach to vehicle maintenance, complements this DIY ethos.
Unlock the city on May 25 and 26 with “Doors Open Toronto” Members also participate in track days and engage in a wide range of social activities. “The introduction of a member portal with message boards has kept conversations flowing and interests aligned, leading to the spontaneous organization of events and groups within the club, such as the newly formed cycling group,” said Adam. I couldn’t help smiling at the irony. In fact, one question I did ask on behalf of our community, was to get an opinion on the late night howling of racing engines we Leasiders hear from time to time. Here’s Adam’s response: “… RCLUB has always discouraged this type of behaviour and we find it very unfortunate that some people choose to use the roads in this way.
We are strong supporters of ‘take it to the track’ and provide many opportunities for our members to do exactly that.”
Interested in learning more? Excitingly and for the first time, the RClub will be participating in the City’s Doors Open Toronto Adam confirmed the full club will be open to the public Sat., May 25th, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and again on May 26th, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, the Monaco Grand Prix will be streaming live at 10 a.m. “There will be members and staff on-site both days to answer questions and to welcome everyone into the space!” Adam said.
Each May, Doors Open Toronto invites the public to explore the city’s most-loved buildings and sites, free of charge (https://www.toronto.ca/ explore-enjoy/festivals-events/doorsopen-toronto/). The event provides rare access to buildings not usually open to the public. Which local businesses or other building and sites in Toronto would you like to see open their doors next month? Let us know at leasidelife@gmail.com. n
In October of 2023, Hermie Baldado and her husband, Chris Suckling, sat on Bayview and were blown away by what they were seeing: hundreds of people on foot shopping, smiling and chatting, enjoying the distinctive Bayview vibe.
It was this energy that sealed the deal for the couple. As restaurateurs looking for a new location, Bayview was a no-brainer.
At the end of 2023, the two opened Hermie’s and quite soon the business became a neigh bourhood favourite.
Hermie’s is a family-friendly restaurant that first opened in Orillia as Hermie’s Diner. Wanting to move closer to their children and grandchildren, Baldado and Suckling decided
to return to their hometown of Toronto where they would set up their new location.
The restaurant at 1595 Bayview Ave. offers a combination of Filipino and Canadian dishes, with multiple all-day breakfast, lunch, and dinner options appealing to all tastes.
Filipino-born Baldado creates dishes which she first learned to prepare in her mother’s kitchen.
Filipino food includes such favourite dishes as longganisa, a traditional sausage; pancit, made with noodles with sautéed veggies and shrimp; kare kare, a dish prepared with beef, bok choy, eggplant and string beans sautéed in a peanut sauce; pinakbet, a delicious combination of sautéed squash, okra, green beans and eggplant; and bicol express, a meal of cubed pork cooked in coconut milk and shrimp paste, topped with chili peppers and red onions.
“Canadian” foods include options from eggs any-style to pancakes, French toast, avocado toast, all-day sandwiches, BLTs, clubs, burgers, salads, fish and chips, and tacos.
A kids’ menu offers a wide range of foods from mini burgers to pancakes and chicken fingers.
Baldado and Suckling do all the shopping for the restaurant in-person to ensure the highest quality. The fact that, as Suckling points out, “it takes Hermie 15 minutes to pick out the perfect pineapple,” is a testament to their commitment to superior freshness.
Suckling was recently overheard with a customer pointing out that “at Hermie’s nothing is small except the chef.”
Portions are indeed beyond generous, and as Suckling notes, “we want to ensure that you go home feeling totally satisfied.”
The proof of customer satisfaction is reflected in the number of guests who continue to journey from as far away as Orillia, home of the original Hermie’s Diner, to enjoy the restaurant’s fare.
With a cosy vibe, friendly staff and amazing food, Hermie’s is definitely a hot new restaurant for a date night, a family meal, everyday breakfast, lunch or dinner, or a spot for a relaxing coffee and sweet treat with friends. n
LITTERATI From Page 3
some quick calculations to assess the potential impact if we all did our part. Let’s say that each of the 10,000 households that receive Leaside Life picked up just one piece of litter. Likewise for the at least 1,000 people who work here and the approximately 2,000 students who attend local schools. That’s a whopping 13,000 pieces of litter that could be eliminated in less than a single minute. Extrapolate that to 20 minutes, and we could eliminate 260,000 pieces of litter in the 20-Minute Makeover alone. It’s so simple and easy, yet it boggles the mind!
I’ve got my gloves and garbage bags ready ... how about you? Let’s get busy. Leaside needs us, Toronto needs us, and the planet needs us. And of course, we always want to make our mothers proud. n
ARCHERY From Page 10
shows and movies such as Game of Thrones , Brave , Lord of the Rings and The Hunger Games, archery is gaining new converts drawn to the beauty and skill in this seemingly simple activity.
To tap your inner archer, check out the company’s website at shawnsarchery.com , call 416-7022724 or email shawnsarchery@ live.com . n
They’re baaaaack! The Bayview Pixies, that is, only this time, it’s to bring gifts and a little piece of magic to every garden in the community, and not just Bayview.
In celebration of Earth Day, the Pixies will be offering free native plant seeds to our local gardeners. That’s right, FREE! On Sat., April 20th, you’ll find Pixies stationed at a few locations along Bayview Ave.
These are no ordinary plant seeds either. They are all Ontario grown, non-GMO, wild harvested and chemical-free. That’s not all. The Pixies [full disclosure: I am a Pixie] selected the prettiest and most essential plants that are drought tolerant and easy to grow. There’s even a selection of plants that do well in containers for balcony growers –all funded by the Pixies.
In just two years, they garnered numerous awards, brought some much-needed positive energy to the community, and were even featured on CTV news!
When the BIA board decided they wanted to plant more colourful floral displays of exotic annuals, the Pixies quit Bayview.
Why? For the Pixies, every day is Earth Day, and we believe adding native plants to your garden is one of the best things you can do for the planet. By using locally grown native plants, your landscape becomes a part of a larger, and much healthier ecosystem. We also believe that even the smallest positive action – even one seed at a time – can make a huge difference.
Helen Godfrey has been a Pixie from the very beginning. “Just imagine if every garden here had one or two native plants to support the birds, bees and butterflies. This neighbourhood would become a pollinator paradise!”
Who are the Pixies?
If you’re new to the ’hood, you might not know anything about this merry band of volunteer gar-
deners. Or that from 2016-2018, they were the gardening goddesses of Bayview Ave.
In their black garden aprons, the Pixies were often seen scurrying up and down Bayview with carts, shovels, brooms and watering cans. Cars would honk, and shopkeepers would step outside to say “I love you, Pixies!” which only added more joyful energy to the magic.
All women and seniors, the Pixies volunteered with the Bayview Leaside BIA to create a sustainable planting project on our high street. The mission was simply to make the street clean and beautiful in a responsible and sustainable way. They planted phlox to attract pollinators, cedars to absorb the toxic car fumes, and even harvested their own rainwater.
But that didn’t stop this gang of ‘green grannies’ from remaining a solid group of friends. I know, because not only am I a Pixie, I’m their leader!
Once a group of 12, today we stand at 10. Over the past six years, the bond has grown stronger, thanks to our weekly Pixie Reports. We talk about aches and pains, share insights, laughs, discuss the environment, politics, and raise our voices by signing countless petitions. But in all this time, we’ve been searching for another way to help both our community and the environment. We think the seed giveaway is it.
Leaside Life colleague Janis Fertuck, also a long-time Pixie, says, “I hope this seed initiative will provide information and inspiration to the community to find more responsible ways to beautify our gardens and extend the message of Earth Day.”
If the seed giveaway is a success, the Pixies hope to repeat this event on every Earth Day! So, stop by, say hello and pick up your free native plant seeds. It’s time to sow some Pixie magic in your garden!
Or as Pixie Linda Fox says, “Plant a Pixie seed. Sun and soil are all you need!” n
Norbert kept Leaside tuned in, turned onby MITCH BUBULJ
There is nobody in Canada who could repair a tube radio like Norbert Batsch – known as Mike by most – and that fact probably still holds true. Throughout the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s Norbert kept the hi-fis of Leaside sounding sweet.
Norbert set up house and shop in Leaside in the early ’60s. He and his wife bought a detached “Canada Wire and Cable” house on Sutherland Drive where his two children were born and raised. And he opened his shop called the Vintage Radio Store at 465 Manor Rd. East, just behind Hollywood Gelato. Norbert, 94, now lives north of Toronto but has fond memories of his decades spent in Leaside. He recalls the friendly small town feel and the many conversations he had with folks curious about his passion – antique radio equipment. It wasn’t only his shop that was filled to the rafters with beautiful wooden radio cabinets and speaker horns from the ’20s and ’30s but also his home. On his large covered front porch, he
was known to display some of his pieces, reflecting his love of all things mechanical.
Norbert and his family came to Canada in 1951. An ethnic German, he was born in Poland but along with his brothers and parents, fled to Austria with the start of the
Second World War.
Like millions of others in the ’50s they made the decision to leave a ravaged Europe behind and start anew, settling in Toronto. Norbert explains that he was always curious about how mechanical objects worked. He remembers taking apart telephones, much to the chagrin of his parents. His enthusiasm paid off.
His shop quickly became popular and Norbert was recognized as the man to see to repair the family radio set. In the early ’60s most homes still had tube radios, manufactured pre’50s. The radio cases were large and stylish, large because it was vacuum tubes that made them work and the tubes were big. The tubes contained filaments much like an old light bulb, which would get hot, eventually burn out and need replacement. Toward the end of his career on Manor Road he was mostly servicing antique pieces that were in collections or displayed as curiosity pieces. Even today they are popular with audiophiles who like the look of Bakelite or the ornate wooden cabinets and warm sound that resonates from the speakers of a vacuum tube device.
Norbert has had a lifelong fascination with Reginald Fessenden, which makes his choice of country and career appropriate. After all, Fessenden was born in Quebec and as a radio engineer developed the foundations of AM radio as well as made the first transmission of speech by radio in 1900. Norbert likes to share Fessenden facts you don’t read in textbooks such as his eccentric habit of serving his cat Mikums sips of brandy from a thermos bottle. While Norbert no longer does complicated repair work, he has been known to dabble and is always wired to share tales of radio technology and warm memories of his many years lived in Leaside. n
On February 28, 2024, Properties Unlimited Realty Brokerage turned 40, but there is nothing middle-aged about our company. The firm remains a strong Leaside family business: the owners and founders are Wendy LeBlanc and her husband Reginald LeBlanc. Elaine LeBlanc, their daughter and also a realtor, joined the company in 2016 to work alongside the many realtors who have worked with the company for numerous years.
For some 20 of the 40 years in business, the brokerage was located at 874 Eglinton Ave. at the corner of Eglinton and Laird and franchised with Coldwell Banker. Properties Unlimited Realty decided to relocate 10 years ago to 206 Laird Dr., Suite 203, which remains our home.
Having reached a milestone of four decades in business, the company has helped clients buy and sell in Leaside residential and commercial, and has witnessed many changes in the real estate industry, and especially in the growing neighbourhood of Leaside. Among them are significant housing and commercial price increases and decreases, bungalow conversions, new home builds, major condo and retail development.
Buyers re-entering the GTA housing market in February saw home sales and new listings increase on an annual and monthly basis. Selling prices also edged upward compared to a year earlier. Population growth and a resilient regional economy continued to support the overall demand for housing. Higher borrowing costs, though, kept home sales below the February sales record reached in 2021.
Realtors reported 5,607 GTA home sales through TRREB’s MLS system in February 2024 – an increase of 17.9 per cent compared to February 2023. Even after accounting for the leap-year effect, sales were up by 12.3 per cent year-over-year. New listings were up by an even greater annual rate than sales in February, pointing to increased choice for buyers. On a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis, February sales were lower following two consecutive monthly increases while
new listings were flat.
The Leaside/Bennington market
Leaside and Bennington Heights remains a desirable community to live in, and with more new families looking to buy this year our neighbourhood is considered high on the
desired list for 2024. As momentum in the spring market heats up, watch for the next mortgage announcements on April 10 and June 5, 2024. As sales start to move and climb, more consumers will be looking to secure financing as they anticipate a drop in interest rates. n
Back when we were kids and our bikes were our tickets to freedom and adventure, my twin brother Tim and I would sometimes escape Leaside’s borders and ride our bikes down what we called the Old Belt Road. The name comes from the Toronto Belt Line Railway. Yes, in an earlier age, a railroad ran through the ravine separating Bennington Heights from Moore Park. When service stopped in 1894, the tracks were abandoned before eventually being removed, leaving behind what became the Old Belt Road for Tim and me to explore in early 1970s. This was back when kids, at least in the summers, were often banished from their homes for the entire day by parents who longed for a little peace. By early August, we always had the sense that our parents were counting the days until September when school beckoned once more.
Tim and I would careen down the Old Belt Road and end up next to the closed-down Don Valley Brickworks. It was virtually moribund, with the city using the giant excavated hole in the ground as a
Terry Fallis Columnist
dump for many years. We never climbed the fence to explore the old brickworks buildings – we weren’t what you’d call risk takers – though I suspect others did. We just loved the serenity of the ravine and the ride down the long-abandoned rail line.
Skip ahead 50 years and of course The Brickworks has been very thoughtfully and beautifully resuscitated as a lovely and tranquil park with ponds, boardwalks and bridges, walking trails, a café, and a lively weekend farmers’ market. Today, nature takes centre stage for those promenading along The Brickworks trails. You’re likely to see herons, ducks, turtles, hawks and countless other bird species, and if you’re really lucky, a beaver.
You’ll also see an exotic cross-section of Toronto’s residents in all our diverse glory. It remains a great spot to people-watch.
We live just a short walk down that same Old Belt Road, now renamed as the Toronto Beltline Trail, so in a way, we consider the Brickworks to be our backyard, without ever having to cut the lawn. I can’t begin to count the number of family walks we took down to the Brickworks when our two sons were little. In fact, our annual family Christmas Card photo was always taken on one of those walks. Back in those days in the late ’90s, of course we’d have to take our digital camera’s memory card to Blacks on Bayview to print out all the candidate shots and then choose one to print in quantity. This sounds easy, but getting a good shot, despite the lush backdrop, where none of us is cross-eyed, yawning, blinking, or otherwise looking less than our best, was a challenge of Herculean proportions. Occasionally, no acceptable shot could be found, so we’d bundle up and head back down to The Brickworks for a second photo session. Those Christmas cards capture the stages in a young family’s life, and you can always tell by the distinctive surroundings in the background that we’re at The Brickworks, year after year.
Now, 20 years or so later, my wife Nancy and I still regularly walk down to The Brickworks and take a few laps around the walking trails watching for, and always seeing, the wildlife we’ve almost come to know. And the birds will always be singing loudly enough to drown out the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. On weekends we often drive down and enjoy the Saturday farmers’ market. We pick up some cheese, fruit, vegetables, and if I’m along, probably a rhubarb and strawberry pie, too. (That’s why we drive down. It would be too tiring to walk home lugging our purchases as the Beltline Trail runs uphill back to our neighbourhood. I’m not sure I’d make it without having to refuel by eating the pie. So, it’s worth driving down and paying for parking!)
The Brickworks may not technically be in Leaside, but as my wife rightly says, it’s Leaside-adjacent and well worth a visit if you’ve somehow missed it up to now. We’ll look for you on the trails. n
Suomi-Koti, or “Finnish Home” in English, on Eglinton just west of Laird Drive, has been a fixture in the Leaside neighbourhood for more than three decades.
In 1982, five Finnish churches of different denominations started working together to see if they could assemble the land and money to build housing for seniors somewhere in central Toronto. Buying five small apartment buildings gave them the land they needed. A lot of the money came from individuals selling their homes to finance the building. The original six-storey building, whose official name is Toronto Finnish-Canadian Seniors Centre, is the first in Ontario to use the life-lease concept for 55 of the units in the building, with the remaining 33 being rentals. The building was recognized by CMHC (Canadian Mortgage & Housing Corporation) for “Innovation in Housing for Seniors” in 1988. If you’re thinking this might be a place you’d like to move into, get in line. There are currently more than 150 people on the wait list.
Architects Sedun + Kanerva Architecture Inc. knew there was a wish for a long-term care floor, so when they designed the original building, they accommodated a potential seventh floor when SuomiKoti got a licence for long-term care in 1992. The wait list for this floor is controlled by the provincial Local Health Network. When the opportunity arose, Suomi-Koti bought the two small apartment buildings to the east for future expansion.
With the addition of the long-term care floor, there was a need for a staffed kitchen. In the early days,
volunteers in the building would do baking and cooking for those who needed a bit of help. Now, that kitchen provides meals for those on the seventh floor, but also for residents in the rest of the building looking for an occasional served meal.
From street level, you notice that there are offices and businesses –including that of Don Valley West MPP Stephanie Bowman, a pharmacy, dentist, medical offices, hairdresser and vision care – most of which have entrances inside the building as well as onto the street.
Long-time Leasiders may remember Viking Foods on Laird, the business destroyed by a fire a number of years ago. A related business, MilbreeViking Bakery in Newmarket, comes to Suomi-Koti twice a month on a Friday afternoon with fresh baking.
The Senior Active Living Centre (SALC) on the lower floors offers many opportunities for social
and health activities for residents and the community. According to the website, SALC membership “includes access to our amenities and/or reduced fees for many of our à la carte programs and services. We welcome volunteers to help out in our programs.” n
The customer is always in the driver’s seat, says Craig Rowsell, owner of Craig’s Leaside Automotive Inc.
The 52-year-old, who opened the garage doors on his new venture in the middle of February, says cars and trucks may evolve, but his priority has always been a satisfied patron.
“The minute you have some understanding of what you’re spending your money on, you feel more comfortable as to why you’re spending that money,” he says. “And that, for me, is the key part.”
Craig’s provides a range of automotive services, including oil changes, tire rotations, engine tune-ups and transmission repairs. As well they can help develop a maintenance plan for customers if asked.
“I love to fix things when I actually can figure something out that no one else can figure out,” he adds.
Service coordinator Shawn Bradbury, as well as technicians Jonathon Rebelo and Greg Perusits, round out the business’s crew.
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“My goal, my passion is dealing with customers,” Craig declares. “Seeing the change in the industry and also making people aware of where it’s going.”
Craig began pumping gas as a teenager for Wally Clayson, who taught Craig how to over-service his customers.
“He said, ‘the customer comes in, they ask for $10 in gas, you wash the front window, you wash the back window,’” says Craig. “You ask if they want you to check under the hood. He said, you over-service people and they will come back to you for life.”
Count Rachael Feather and her family as big fans.
“We have been using Craig as our mechanic for 15 to 20 years now,” says Rachael, of Olde Yorke Fish and Chips on Laird Drive. “Both my sister and I and my parents all go to him. Craig is friendly, reliable, trustworthy and always does a great job. He’s the type of mechanic that you can trust is making the right decision for your vehicle’s needs, and will discuss in detail what the needs are and what can wait.”
Opening his own business was something Craig had been looking forward to for many years.
“It was just a matter of deciding: you know what, I literally just want to be my own boss,” says Craig, who was most recently at Master Mechanic in Leaside. While edu-
cated and trained to deal with the intricacies of the modern vehicle, Craig says there is always more to learn as the technology advances.
“If people are happy with the service, if people come back, refer a friend, refer two or three friends, I’ve done exactly what I’m supposed to do,” says Craig.
Leaside is home
Leaside holds a very special place in his heart for much more than business reasons.
“My wife (Gillian) grew up in Moore Park and we’re high school sweethearts; started dating in Grade 11.” The now longtime Leaside couple are parents to two adult daughters, Emily and Sarah.
The mechanic-business owner works hard to find a work-life balance. “When I go home on the weekends I have my family, I have friends, I’m president of a tennis club,” he says. “I play a ton of golf, I run a baseball team, I have a ton of other things to keep myself together.”
Craig’s Leaside Automotive
(https://craigsleaside.com/) is at 25 Commercial Road, Unit 10. n
After a hiatus during the pandemic, Leaside High School’s Robotics Team, LanceBotics, is once again doing what they love to do: building robots and taking part in competitions. Their name, by the way, is derived from the common name for Leaside’s teams, the Lancers and their mascot, Lance.
VEX Robotics Competitions involve high school students from around the world building and programming robots to compete in games on regional, provincial and international levels. Over 60 countries and 22,000 schools take part in the competitions.
According to Jenny Wang, one of the staff advisors, the goal of VEX Robotics is to create “a STEM program in action, providing an opportunity for students to improve their teamwork and problem-solving skills. Ultimately, students become more competitive global citizens to build a better future for the world.”
Between 2013 and 2020, the LanceBotics team won an impres-
sive 28 awards at various levels of competition. This year’s team comprises 50 members spread over three teams: the coed 200K team, the all-female 200G team, and the coed media team, which manages their online presence to showcase the team’s “robotics adventures” and handles community outreach in gaining sponsors.
To prepare for competitions, members spend time building and programming the robots, strategizing, and practising the game. Another staff advisor, Sable MacLean, is impressed by the dedication, solidarity and skills of the team leaders and members. As Allison Nickel and Alyssa Tan, co-captains of the media team, explain, the group is a community of friends who “share a passion in a safe, fun place where they enjoy working to achieve a goal.”
This year’s VEX game is called “Over Under” and is based on soccer. The LanceBotics team took part in two regional competitions. The first was in Brampton in November where Leaside ranked in second place for public high schools in Ontario. In the second competition, at Appleby College in Oakville in February, team 200G was chosen to take part in an alliance and made it to the quarter finals. Team 200K was also chosen for an alliance and competed among the top 16 teams.
The team has already started planning for next year’s competitions, which can be costly, as funds are required for the game, parts
and materials, registration in, and transportation to, events and promotional materials. As a result, the team needs to raise funds from a variety of sponsors. Community mentor and coach Russell Mark not only provides technological advice, but assists them with finding sponsors both within the school community and the larger community. He has already connected the team with the Bayview Leaside BIA and MPP Stephanie Bowman. He also nominated them for the King Charles III Award for Excellence in Community Service and Sports, highlighting the relevance of STEM activities and the team’s emulation of a technology start-up. They received the award from Stephanie Bowman and MP Rob Oliphant in January.
In reflecting on the year, team captain Nevin Katkic is proud of the way LanceBotics has “rebuilt itself from the ashes of the pandemic” and believes they are developing a strong and capable group to ensure a long and successful future because of the commitment and passion of all the members. Go, team, go! n
On the north side of Wicksteed Ave., between Laird and Brentcliffe, is a vacant, waterlogged construction site known to many residents as “Lake Leaside.” The site has been undeveloped for many years, but it was once occupied by one of Leaside’s most durable businesses.
The company was J.R. Short Canadian Mills Ltd., a subsidiary of J.R. Short Milling Inc. – a Chicagobased company specializing in grinding and processing corn for the food and beer industries. As WWII ended, the U.S. firm expanded into Canada – erecting a research and milling facility, plus a warehouse, at 70 Wicksteed. The architect was the renowned Gordon Adamson, designer of the stately Divadale mansion near Sunnybrook Park.
According to the Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, Adamson and his firm were leading proponents of “modern-
Ted DeWelles
Leaside Heritage Preservation Society
The company was also a member of the Bakery Council of Canada and a longstanding member of the Canadian Alliance of Manufacturers and Exporters.
The firm generally kept a low profile and was rarely mentioned in news-
ism” in Canadian architecture. Adamson had earlier designed the (since demolished) Crothers Manufacturing showroom on Laird and Millwood, now the site of the Redway Loblaws. He also designed Leaside Memorial Community Gardens and the earlier Leaside Library on McRae Drive.
As the Wicksteed building was being constructed in 1945-46, Jeffrey Short Jr., son of the company’s president, moved to Toronto from Chicago and began aggressively recruiting staff to run the fledgling operation. Short stayed in Toronto until 1952, returning home to manage the U.S. business. (He would later gain recognition as a respected environmentalist.) Following Short’s departure, the Leaside plant was supervised for the next 20 years by company vice-president William Wright of 71 Cameron Cresc.
From the late 1940s to the start of this century, the company developed and manufactured grainbased products for domestic and foreign markets – including brewers’ corn flakes, dough whiteners and sausage binders. It was a good corporate citizen, contributing to the Hurricane Hazel relief fund in 1954.
papers – with one major exception. On Sept. 10, 1979, a young, newly hired employee fell into a grain-filled railway car as it was being unloaded and suffocated to death. The tragedy prompted an inquest, which recommended improved safety measures at the plant.
In fall/winter 2005, the Leaside Business Park Newsletter reported that the J.R. Short plant had been sold. Soon after, the building was abandoned and became a popular destination for urban explorers, several of whom posted online photographs of its interior and exterior [https://www.uer.ca/locations/show. asp?locid=23896 ]. The pictures reveal a sad story of neglect and decay of a once vibrant enterprise.
In 2006/2007, the modernist building was demolished. Within a few years the REIT, SmartCentres, submitted a controversial proposal to develop the site, resulting in the formation of “Lake Leaside.”
While the site still remains undeveloped, it is hoped that whatever is built there in the future at least equals in aesthetics and longevity the magnificent J.R. Short Canadian Mills Ltd. edifice. n
I have heard from many Leaside residents who are concerned about or have been impacted by vehicle theft, an issue that has been growing across our city, province, and country. Last year, rates of vehicle theft rose by 50% from the previous year in Quebec, 48.3% in Ontario, 34.5% in Atlantic Canada, and 18.35% in Alberta. It is estimated that in 2022, approximately 9,600 vehicles were stolen in the Toronto area alone, representing a 300% increase since 2015.
The City of Toronto is supporting the Toronto Police Service (TPS) in their efforts to prevent auto theft and recover stolen vehicles. In the 2024 budget, City Council granted the full funding requested by the TPS, with a priority emphasis on addressing vehicle theft. Last year, parking enforcement officers began conducting patrols in vehicles equipped with infrared roof cameras. Using special licence plate recognition software, the infrared cameras can immediately identify the licence plates of vehicles that have been reported as stolen. This information is then shared with the police, which can help speed up the investigation process and stop vehicle theft rings.
Locally, I am continuing to work with the communities of Ward 15 –Don Valley West on this issue. Last month, I held a meeting with a group of Leaside neighbours who have been affected by vehicle theft and senior officials from 53 Division. We discussed community safety on the ground in Leaside as well as effective crime prevention measures. Staff Sergeant John Stockfish encouraged residents to consider having a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) assessment of their home undertaken by the local Crime Prevention Officer. For more information, visit the Toronto Police Service website (www.tps.ca) or call 53 Division at 416-808-5300.
That said, preventing vehicle theft requires intervention from all levels of government. Officials now believe that transnational criminal organizations often ship stolen vehicles overseas. The TPS has also indicated that the technologies used to steal vehicles are becoming more readily available, making it critical for auto manufacturers to begin incorporating anti-theft modifica-
Jaye Robinson
Councillor, Ward 15, Don Valley West
has remained top of mind for me at City Hall and I am pleased that it is becoming a focus for other levels of government. Last year, the Province announced an $18 million-dollar investment over three years to help police forces across Ontario combat and prevent auto theft through the Preventing Auto Theft (PAT) Grant. In January, the Government of Canada announced an investment of $121 million to help address crime and safety issues in Ontario, including vehicle theft and organized crime groups. On February 8, the federal government hosted a National Summit on Combating Auto Theft, which included representatives from government, industry, and law enforcement.
tions into vehicle designs. Last term, City Council voted to request the federal and provincial governments to introduce coordinated measures to prevent vehicle theft, including at the time of manufacture.
As your City Councillor, this issue
Stay tuned for more information on my 2024 Community Environment Days! You can subscribe to my eNewsletter to receive an email notification when dates are announced by visiting www.jayerobinson.ca. n
February 14th. Valentine’s Day. 7:21 p.m. And I feel anything but love … for Crizzle.
I am steps away from the corner of Rumsey and Parkhurst, with Jerry-the-neurotic-wonder-dog, when I am anti-lovestruck. Crizzle rolls up to the stop sign and … just keeps rolling. I’m pretty sure it’s a Hyundai. Maybe a Honda. A Humbaby? Without the benefit of my glasses or daylight, I can’t be sure. But what I am sure of, there isn’t even a flicker of a brake light. I dramatically throw my hands up in the universal Dad language for “Holy Moly (polite word for what I really thought)!” As the car sails by, I squint at the licence plate: C. R. Z. L. Blur. Blur. Blur. I don’t catch the numbers. But definitely C.R.Z.L. Crizzle. Remember Crizzle. Sear Crizzle into your brain. My mission begins. I see Crizzle turn right on McRae. I pick up my pace. Jerry barks with excitement, thinking we’re going for a run.
I reach Rumsey and McRae, where a car approaches from the right. I try to make eye contact
with the driver to be sure he sees us, just like that safety pachyderm, Elmer, taught me decades ago. As I step off the curb, they come to the stop sign and … roll right on through. More dramatic Dad arms. More squinting. C.R.T.N. Damned Cruton! Must remember Cruton. No, stop. Crizzle is the objective. I turn right onto MacRae and I start scanning the tennis court parking strip, the driveways. Jisker. Shuper. Horpus. Clumper. Hizmit. Bumkey. But no Crizzle. I cut through the tennis courts onto Rumsey and head to Heath. A three-way stop. Correction: a three-way ROLL. Incredibly, two cars in opposite directions drive through the intersection as if the big, red, octagonal sign said, “PLEASE IGNORE! THIS MEANS YOU!” A third car makes a right on Rumsey, like Starsky and Hutch looking for Huggybear. Almost to spite me, the car seems to speed up. It cranks around the corner fast enough that a banana, sitting on its roof, spins off and lands in front of me. Jerry gives it a sniff. I pick it up. Hmm, still in good shape. I hope your monkey starves tonight, I think. Way up Rumsey, Starsky pulls into a driveway. Unlike what Hutch would have done, though, I don’t get the licence. Or the make. Just a banana in custody. I crack open my banana and it sinks in: Bananaman lives here. They’re a Leasider. We continue to Sutherland, Jerry and I. He lifts a leg here and there. I eat my banana. And I observe.
At every four-way stop I come to, there are at least two or three Holy Moly Rollers. And incredibly, quite often, they’re people who are only a few blocks from their homes. Boy, wouldn’t I love to give them a piece of my mind.
Look, I get it. We all have important things to do, places to go, teenagers to borrow our cars. And 30 kilometres per hour does seem like tricycle speed. Sure, there are the Rush Hour Rollers but what if we, Leasiders, don’t do what we complain about? Maybe the best way to curb the Holy Moly Rollers is to make them slow down by slowing down, ourselves. Stop where it says so. Hang on to our bananas. Don’t be such Crizzles. n
April 25-28th only!
Murmuration by Le Patin Libre (Montreal). Combines the athletic virtuosity of competitive figure skating with contemporary dance.
Leaside Memorial Community Gardens Arena. 1073 Millwood Rd. Tickets are $25 ($15 for under 12) and are now on sale and available online at www.tolive. com, by phone at 416-366-7723 and 1-800-708-6752, and in person at the Meridian Hall box office (1 Front St. E.). Presented by Toronto TO Live, Fall For Dance North, and Le Patin Libre.
invites you to their Speaker Series on Thursday April 11th, at 7:00 pm –Leaside Library, 165 McRae Dr. Special guest speaker Clement Kent, Ph. D. on Caring for the Planet The Society welcomes guests and new members to join for our meetings. Visit our website: www. leasidegardensociety.org or email leaside@gardenontario.org for more info.
The Society is offering a $2,000 scholarship in 2024 (see right) for a student enrolled in a post-secondary institution (second year or beyond) studying horticulture or a related subject such as forestry, botany, plant science, environmental science etc. More scholarship information and the application form are available on the website: www.leasidegardensociety.org.
CFUW LEASIDE-EAST YORK
April 18, 2024 – 7:00 pm
IN PERSON
Northlea United Church 125 Brentcliffe Rd.
The Knight Family Cookbook
Speaker: Mya Sangster, Culinary Historian, Volunteer Historic Cook, Fort York National Historic Site.
NORTHLEA UNITED CHURCH
125 Brentcliffe Road
416 425 5252 or email office@northleaunited.ca
Gentle Chair Exercise with Anne Starting Wednesday, April 1, at 11:00 am for 6 weeks.
Improve your stability, endurance and confidence. Through gentle stretching and resistance exercises. All are welcome.
Love Jazz?
Sunday, April 14, at 5:00 pm
The Paul Callander Trio returns for an early evening of delightful jazz!
1399 Bayview Avenue
416 485 0329 stcuthbertleaside@toronto. anglican.ca www.stcuthbertsleaside.com
SPRING FAIR – Saturday, April 27 from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm. Featuring books, kitchenware, jewellery, delicious baked goods, BBQ lunch, games on the green and much more. See you at the Fair!
Tai chi
Tuesdays 1:30 – 2:30 pm in Lamb Hall. Suggested donation $4.
Saturday, April 6 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. East York Town Centre, 45 Overlea Boulevard. Please –no appliances or light fixtures.
April 18, 5:00 -8:00 pm, 211 Bessborough Drive Tours, artifacts, performances to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Bessborough Drive Elementary & Middle School.
Order your bags of garden soils from Leaside’s most active youth group. Since 2002, the 132nd. Scouts have provided high quality products for our neighbours in Leaside. Place your order today at the link https:// www.132nd.Com/garden-products Pickup/delivery day is Sat. April 20th.
ST. AUGUSTINE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, 1847 Bayview Ave
Groove Room Coffee House
Friday April 12th. Listen to great live music by local artists and have a coffee and dessert with friends. The next Groove Room Coffee House is on Friday, April 12th 7:00-8:30 pm. This event is a fundraiser for the Flemingdon Food Bank. We are looking for performers. Contact info@saintaugustine.ca
INSIDEOUT APRIL EVENTS TO CELEBRATE 20TH YEAR
April 3: Intro to Mindful Meditation Class
April 6: Spring Renew Nutrition Workshop
April 11: Spring Blooms Drum Circle
April 13: Spring Open House Party! Featuring music, food, courtyard classes, door prizes.
18th Annual Spring into Action Walk/Run/ Dance – Youth Mental Health Day www.insideoutstudio.ca 211 Laird Drive.
LEASIDE LIBRARY
165 McRae Drive 416 396 3835
Repair Cafe at Leaside Branch Sat., April 20, 12:00pm - 3:00pm
$2,000
Bring in your broken household items and Repair Café will fix it for free and teach you how to do it yourself!
Needlework (Knitting and crocheting at the Library)
Thursdays, April 4, 11, 18 and 2510:00 am -11:30 am.
Bring your own knitting or crocheting project, or start something new while learning about different library programs, services and resources!
After School Club
Mondays, April 8, 15, 22 and 29 3:30 - 4:30pm.
Join us for afternoons of fun with various games and activities. Snacks offered. Food may contain common allergens. Ingredient lists available. Snacks are generously supported, in part, by donors. For ages 6-12. n
Saturday, April 6
10am-5pm
East York Town Centre
www.torontoleasiderotary.com
leasidelife.com
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Publisher: Lorna Krawchuk
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Advertising: Karli Vezina
FH Publishing Inc.
30 Commercial Rd., Toronto, Ontario M4G 1Z7
Comments, Letters to the Editor, Advertising Enquiries:
Contact: 416-504-8047 Ext. 120
Published monthly in
I want to share some thoughts on Leaside’s traffic situation, as the LRA awaits further information and recommendations from the Leaside Neighbourhood Transportation Plan (LNTP) team. It occurs to me that we are not necessarily all speaking the same language when we talk about traffic calming.
Most residents I have heard from expect and hope that the LNTP’s calming proposals will lead to a reduction in both traffic speed AND traffic volume, and on all of Leaside’s streets.
In fact, many traffic engineers regard traffic calming as a way of addressing traffic speed, but not volume. We hope this is not the approach of the LNTP planners, as it would mean that many streets where the problem is primarily high traffic volume, like Millwood Rd., Southvale Dr. and Broadway Ave., may not actually be considered eligible for calming measures like stop signs, speed pads and so on.
You may be aware that changes in traffic signals and signage need to meet formal thresholds in a list of criteria, or what engineers call “warrants.” These warrants are meant to ensure consistency across the city. However, if proposed but busy streets do not meet these criteria, they are less likely to be approved. Are warrants always the best way of making these decisions? Are they used as a way to avoid
change? I hope not. A one-size-fitsall, formulaic approach can be too restrictive. And it would leave out streets throughout Leaside which need help.
I hope when the LNTP planners produce their proposals for Leaside, they will be flexible enough to find the best measures for each location, even if it means redefining their terminology.
While sorting through my personal traffic files, I re-read some of the notes I took at the well-attended 2019 Leaside Town Hall. The questions and concerns you raised five years ago made for interesting and dispiriting reading. We still have the same issues in 2023 we had in 2019. In all too many cases we have the same problems. Some of them are even worse.
Traffic congestion throughout Leaside has not abated. The annual spring traffic increase approaches. If you pay attention to rush-hour traffic you will see far more cars than pre-pandemic, and more of them have just one driver. As well, there are more heavy construction vehicles driving on our residential streets thanks to increased development pressures. Transit remains delayed. Local democracy takes a hit because the provincial government interferes more in city and neighbourhood planning.
At all levels of government, Leasiders have a long – and wellearned – reputation for speaking up and getting involved in the issues affecting our neighbourhood. Keep at it! As I have said in the past, Leaside is worth fighting for. If we work together, with purpose, we can effect change.
The Leaside Residents Association board meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month, at the Trace Manes building on Rumsey, just south of Leaside Library. You are welcome to join us there. Depute on issues important to you, ask questions, have your say, or just listen. Our next monthly meeting is on April 3rd. For more details and updates on Leaside issues between now and then, or to become an LRA member, go to leasideresidents.ca and press the Contact Us button, or at leasideresidents.ca/contact-us. n
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