LeasideLife issue 11 final rev_LeasideLifev1 12-10-22 12:04 AM Page 1
No. 11 • November 2012
Leaside Life leasidelifenews.com
CYNDA FLEMING
The __ Cottage-Upon-Eglinton Page 16
Our three big battles Le
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SmartCentre North Page 13 Post Office Site
Developer tones down plans Page 14
10-YEAR-0LD SARAH, at right, hauled in a lot of her 21,573 pounds of food for the Daily Bread Food Bank while filling boxes with fellow students at Tremblett’s Valu-Mart on Bayview, ground zero for the second year for Sarah.
‘Ambitious’ becomes easy as Sarah’s food drive booms Sarah Jordan is only 10 years ago, but she’s hit the big time. In her 5th annual food drive based in Leaside she almost doubled the “ambitious” goal in October of 12,000 pounds of donated food to 21,573 pounds for the Daily Bread Food Bank. In the previous four years the food drive reached a total of 7,500 pounds. A big part of the huge leap came from the first annual contest pitting her school in North Leaside, Northlea, against two schools in South Leaside, Bessborough and Rolph Road.
Northlea raised 4,761 pounds in food and online donations (each dollar was counted as one pound). The two South Leaside schools combined for 4,096 pounds, in food and online donations. But this North vs. South challenge was beaten by direct donations to Tremblett’s Valu-Mart, on Bayview, which became ground zero for the drive for the second year. Food drop-offs were also made at Sarah’s home and at North Toronto Memorial Arena. SARAH, Page 18
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Free buttons now ready
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Leaside Life, November 2012
From Leaside 100 We’re getting ready! The souvenir buttons are now available, free, at the Leaside Public Library. Before we know it, it will be 2013 and the centenary of the founding of the Town of Leaside. One hundred more trees in Leaside? Possible? Of course, but we need your help. When the town was first established, the idea was that each front lawn was to have a tree. If your front lawn doesn’t have one, or you can see other neighbourhood places where a tree would do well, be ready when we come around with our requisition forms for planting during 2013. Our logo is available for any local club, sports team or group to integrate into activities for 2013. Just ask us. We now have a website thanks to the generosity of All Canadian SelfStorage and local sponsors. It will be growing as more material becomes available. You can help by giving us
copies of your prized family photos, slides or souvenirs from long-past events. If you are a musician, artist or photographer – we have ways you can participate. Likewise, if you’re a history buff and love research you could be the curator for an exhibit we have in mind, let us know. If you’re a fundraiser and would like to volunteer with us, we can use you too. Committee members Virginia Evoy, Charlene Kalia, Geoff Kettel, Lorna Krawchuk, Councillor John Parker, Chair John Piper and Muhammad Wani will also welcome your suggestions. I Leaside100@gmail.com www.leaside100.ca Leaside One Hundred on Facebook
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LeasideLife issue 11 final rev_LeasideLifev1 12-10-22 12:04 AM Page 3
Airways
Looking for flexibility in flight paths
A number of Don Valley West residents, especially from North Leaside and Lawrence Park, have expressed concern about the increased volume of air traffic over their homes, specifically of aircraft preparing to land at Pearson. I am sympathetic to these concerns and recognise that the increased traffic has negatively impacted the quality of life of some residents who, for example, no longer enjoy a quiet back yard all the time. In response, I convened a meeting on Oct. 9 with these residents to which I also invited representatives from the Greater Toronto Airport Authority and from NavCanada. NavCanada is the private sector, non-share capital corporation that runs Canada’s civil air navigation system and has had responsibility since the 1990s for co-ordinating safe and efficient aircraft movement in Canadian airspace. I am pleased that my provincial colleague, Kathleen Wynne, MPP, and Ward 26 Councillor John Parker were also able to attend. Ward 25 Councillor Jaye Robinson had planned to attend but was required to attend
John Carmichael MP Don Valley West
another meeting at Toronto City Hall. The purpose of the meeting was both to gain a better understanding of why the volume of air traffic has increased and to determine what, if anything, can be done about it. We learned that all major airports around the world, and air traffic control at these airports, are governed by a set of codified operating procedures determined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN body. These world-wide standards, analogous to municipal building codes, are intended to achieve maximum safety and efficiency and are updated periodically to reflect revised best practices and improved technology. The implementation of these standards at any specific airport such as Pearson takes into account local circumstances like proximity to other
airports, topography and prevailing wind direction. In 2012 flight paths of planes arriving at Pearson were adjusted to reflect the latest revisions to ICAO standards, including a world-wide switch from beacon-based navigation to on-board, GPS-based navigation. This has led to an increased concentration of arrival flights along a line that passes in a north-easterly direction over North Leaside before making a turn to the left for an approach to Pearson in a southwesterly direction, into the wind. These ICAO rules have been translated into GPS information and instructions that are now part of the on-board computer system of aircraft from all the major airlines that fly to Pearson. Changes to arrival and departure flight paths are therefore neither arbitrary nor discretionary but rather result directly from changes to ICAO standards as applied to the unique circumstances in Toronto. It was clear from our meeting CARMICHAEL, Page 8
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‘We won’t sit back and take it’
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Paul Malozewski, spokesman for the residents who met with MP John Carmichael Oct. 9 sent a press release, excepts from which are below: Leaside residents made clear their expectations leading up to Oct. 9 that this meeting was expected to be all about solutions. The residents groups clarified that presentations by NavCan and GTAA were not necessary, as we all understood the problem and wished to spend the short meeting time working on solutions. As it turned out, a short presentation by NavCan did proceed and proved instructive, as not everyone was fully aware of the egregious extent of the air traffic noise problem. Not only was a major approach path rerouted over the heads of Leaside residents, the path was also made very concentrated forcing a large volume of air traffic into a very narrow corridor. One resident commented that she counted 35 flights in 25 minutes
over her community in South Leaside. Other Leaside residents confirmed this statistic as being a common occurrence since February 2012. Unless dealt with, this intolerable problem is only going to get worse. The complete lack of active community stakeholdering quickly emerged as a point of contention. Mr. Carmichael and Mr. Parker were surprised that such a significant change in air traffic routing could have been undertaken by NavCan without active stakeholdering with the affected communities. Mr. Carmichael in particular noted his surprise that no mention was made of this Feb. 2012 routing change during his meeting with NavCan / GTAA a few months prior during the summer of 2011; by that time, the three-year air space study by NavCan was nearing completion. The Leaside residents group actively shaped the meeting towards developing solutions, presenting several options for discussion. In doing
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so, Leaside made clear several important points. We support the economic development of the city; Toronto is one of the great cities of the world and we want it to be better. Second, economic progress must not be at the expense of a livable city. Third, the issue of air traffic noise is something that all other major cities of the world struggle with. Fourth, this problem is a four-dimensional jig-saw puzzle; there is always more than one solution and if more than one solution is not occurring to us, it's because we have not thought hard enough, or because some don't want to find another solution for whatever political reasons. Several participants jumped to a conclusion that nothing can be done, that Leaside and other neighborhoods now affected by the noise are stuck with it; however, this appears to have been motivated by them not wanting their other constituents to be impacted by some of the solutions being discussed or not wanting the WON’T TAKE IT, Page 6
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Leaside Life, November 2012
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Won’t take it | Leaside Life, November 2012
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problem put back into their backyards. The solutions proposed by affected residents included routing air traffic east along the lake shore or through downtown areas towards the Don Valley, then north to the 401 and then west to the airport. The objective of these solutions was to minimize the number of residential areas traversed by aircraft. NavCan highlighted some of the challenges with the proposed solutions. However, Leaside residents reiterated that there must be multiple solutions. It's clear that air traffic noise cannot be totally eliminated in a modern city; however, noise should be minimized by such means as minimizing the number of residential areas traversed by air traffic. The resident's challenged NavCan to come up with better solutions and to ensure that from now on the residential areas and their political representatives are consulted in the process. NavCan has taken the representations from the meeting under advisement and will circle back with Mr. Carmichael. It is clear to all the residents affected by this intolerable noise issue that this is the first step in a larger fight, a fight to protect our rights to enjoy the peace of our communities we have worked so long and so hard to build. We did not buy into our neighbourhoods with this noise issue preexisting. We were not consulted. This was simply done to us and we won't sit back quietly and take it. We invited Mr. Carmichael and others to take a leadership position in this matter. Mr. Carmichael and Mr. Parker rose to the challenge. We look forward to working with them and our other elected representatives in the coming weeks and months. We also look forward to receiving responses from Mr. Carmichael’s office to a number of important questions and requests for information. In the meantime, all residents can and should make their voices heard. Mr. Carmichael confirmed that he needs to hear from more residents in his riding on this matter. You can find this contact information on his website
http://www.johncarmichael.ca: Toronto office: 18 Wynford Dr., Suite 704, Toronto M3C 3S2. (416) 467-7275. Fax: (416) 467-8550. john.carmichael@parl.gc.ca Other MPs also need to hear from their constituents. There is a simple on-line petition that is gaining momentum: h t t p : / / w w w. p e t i t i o n o n linecanada.com/petition/navcanada-airspace-redesign-over-cent ral-toronto-noisy-result/1273 Take a few seconds and sign the petition. The Leaside residents’ group will be meeting shortly to plan out its next steps. Together, we can achieve economic prosperity and livable communities. I
Leaside Life Published once a month in Leaside,Toronto ON, by Ruth G. Publishing Inc., 66 Donegall Drive, Toronto ON, M4G 3G5 Circulation 8,500 to every door in M4G PUBLISHER: Lorna Krawchuk EDITORIAL: Harry Goldhar, Andrea Villiers ADVERTISING: Ruth Goldhar TYPESETTING: L. Choy 416‐486‐7387 leasidelife@gmail.com
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ber with 11, we remem On November e who gave their lives. gratitude thos ops. I support our tro Councillor
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LeasideLife issue 11 final rev_LeasideLifev1 12-10-22 12:04 AM Page 7
Airways
Resident-representatives of Forest Hill, Bathurst/St. Clair, and North Leaside (Brentcliffe/Eglinton) asked MP John Carmichael for the following: RELIEF SOUGHT The residents of the affected neighbourhoods seek the following relief: A. A return to air traffic noise levels existing prior to Feb. 9, 2012; B. The elimination of all night flights occurring past 1 a.m. over the affected neighborhoods. SPECIFIC DISCLOSURES REQUESTED The following disclosures are requested of MP John Carmichael: 1) All three levels of government exist with the mandate to protect the health, safety and property of its citizens. All levels of government allowed or facilitated the rerouting of air traffic
over the affected communities, thereby threatening the health and safety of its citizens and adversely affecting the citizen's freedom to enjoy their property as well as the value of such property. Please detail the actions the government is now taking to fulfil its mandate towards its citizens. 2) Governments and their agencies undertake a proactive and extensive process to stakeholder a wide variety of proposed initiatives with affected constituents including by such means as direct mailings, public information centers (PICs) and newspaper notices. The residents in the affected neighbourhoods were caught completely unaware of the change in air traffic until after it was implemented. Please explain why the affected residents were not actively and properly stakeholdered and specifically what steps are now being taken to correct this. 3) NavCanada references a threeyear study that recommended the changes in flight paths now affecting the neighbourhoods noted. Please provide the MP, Page 9
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| Leaside Life, November 2012
Carmichael
By MIRIAM IRWIN
From Page 3
On Monday, Sept. 17, a movie crew came to Leaside to film KICK-ASS2, an action-hero based comedy. I could not find any other feature Hollywood movie made in our neighbourhood in the last 20 years. The crew filmed an exterior scene at 142 Bessborough Dr. for four hours in the middle of the day, then day and night scenes near 43 Airdrie Rd. and Heather Rd. Fred Kamping, location manager for the movie, said he picked Leaside because he wanted a "quintessentially middle-class American neighbourhood". Leaside had several good locations close together, one with a siding clapboard feel where the script required that the father (Big Daddy) of an adopted daughter (Mindy) lived, and one with a more upscale look for another scene. Leaside has big trees and homes with distinctive charm and a good feel, said Kamping. Susan Lynch, a homeowner, said the movie people were careful of her home. Since they used only her front door and hallway, she found it minimally intrusive. I
that any relief for the homeowners of North Leaside who are most directly impacted by these changes will not come easily or quickly. The obstacles to finding a workable solution are going to be large. Nevertheless I was pleased by the constructive tone of the meeting both on the part of the residents and of the representatives from NavCanada. I was also pleased that the representatives from NavCanada agreed to investigate and report back to me on whether there might be any flexibility at all in the implementation of the ICAO standards that could potentially bring some measure of relief to the effected residents. I do not want to raise false hope. But I do want to assure you that I am committed to keeping the lines of communication open between those residents who are expressing a genuine and understandable frustration with a changed circumstance over which they had no control, and those officials whose responsibility it is to ensure safe and efficient air travel for Canadians. I
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LeasideLife issue 11 final rev_LeasideLifev1 12-10-22 12:04 AM Page 9
From Page 7
full and un-redacted study report. 4) A decision was made to change several flight paths and one such change is now adversely affecting the noted neighbourhoods. The decision was made by way of a formal process and by individuals in authority to make such decisions. Such decisions must necessarily be transparent and free of real or perceived conflict of interest. Please provide the detailed documentation of the process followed, minutes of all meetings leading up to and including the decision, a listing of names of individuals who made the decision, and the specific dates these individuals were conferred the authority to make such decisions. Further, please identify which individuals were residents of the affected neighbourhoods and represented the interests of those neighbourhoods. 5) Notwithstanding the incompleteness of considerations and stakeholdering leading up to the decision, it is understood that such a decision was taken to achieve a clear set of benefits. Such cited benefits include fuel savings for the airlines, improvements in safety, and environmental benefits. Please provide evidence (such as an independent environmental impact assessment, and an economic/ operational assessment) demonstrating that such benefits are actually being achieved.
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control system in respect to immediately implementing this alternative route and if any, specifically what would be required to correct such limita- 9 tions. b) Please detail any regulatory or legislative impediments to immediately implementing this alternative route and if any, what would be required to overcome such impediments. I
Leaside Life, November 2012
Leas
Airways
MP asked
6) One of the benefits cited of the new air traffic control system is precision of flight. Nevertheless, residents in the affected neighbourhoods have documented numerous deviations from documented flight paths including short turns and lower than required flight altitudes. Please provide a database of actual flight information over the affected neighbourhoods. Please include citations of deviations from the new flight paths (e.g. path, altitude, vector, time of day etc.), why such deviations occurred and what measures have been enacted to prevent such deviations in the future (notwithstanding the disposition of this matter). 7) The precision of the previous system did not preclude such route changes from being implemented many years ago. Please explain why these route changes are being associated with or made contingent upon the new air traffic control system. 8) A feasible alternative downward-leg approach route consists of west-to-east over Lake Ontario, north over the Don Valley Parkway, and east-to-west over the 401 highway. Such a route would eliminate the issues noted above and would do so without any incremental or material costs to the airlines, without adverse impact on Toronto's economy, and without transferring the problems to other Toronto neighbourhoods. a) Please detail any technical limitations of the new air traffic
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LeasideLife issue 11 final rev_LeasideLifev1 12-10-22 12:04 AM Page 10
Curling club gets stronger
Leaside Life, November 2012
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Leaside Curling Club this fall has gone through 50 years of boom and decline,and come out of it stronger than ever. Its members, 900 of them, the most ever, ages 6 to over 90, helped the club, one of the largest and most active in Toronto, celebrate its anniversary Oct. 20. “Demographics explain part of the story,” says Gail Walker, current club president, “Every week we’ll get Leasiders who curled here 20 years ago and now are coming back from outside the neighbourhood because their kids have grown up.” She also adds that improved television coverage is a factor because today’s commentators make it much easier for viewers to learn about and follow the game. The club has also adapted over the years to bring in a much wider range of skills and age groups as well as women, kids and families. In addition to offering leagues for ages ranging from Little Rocks, 6 and 7, to bantam, youth and adults, there are mixed sections of all kinds: day, evening, weekends, beginners, advanced, even a Sunday pizza league. A few years ago the club had a wheelchair league that competed at the provincial finals, and it continues to offer a league for stick curlers, a relatively new sport in Canada. Designed for those of an advanced age, or with a disability such as recovering from an injury or operation, it allows you to use a stick as support while you play. “Being able to stick curl enhances your rehabilitation,” notes one long time member, “It’s just another way the club adapts.” The club’s large membership makes it possible to offer that wide range of skill levels. A number of their competitive curlers have won their curling “zone,” competed in competitions at the Toronto Curling Association, and proceeded to regionals. “It means that if you’re a competitive curler, you are matched in a league that suits your skill level,” adds Walker. “That makes the club attractive to many as well.” But the main draw remains its community feel, “with members around the corner,” as well as former Leasiders who return to play with old friends, and more and more these days, family members. I
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Leaside Life, November 2012
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Skaters are foreseeing big results The Leaside Synchronized Skating Team is expecting big results at this year’s Showcase at the Scarborough Ice Galaxy Nov. 25. “This year’s teams are the strongest to come out of Leaside,” says Meredith Tutching, the team’s co-ordinator and head coach of the novice team. The elementary, juvenile, novice and junior teams, 75 skaters from Leaside and the surrounding areas, will showcase their 2013 competition programs. Guest teams from the GTA will also be skating on Showcase night. www.leasideskatingclub.com/synchro www.facebook.com/leasidesynergy Meanwhile the championshipwinning teams are getting ready for their first international competition in Michigan at the Kalamazoo Kickoff in mid November. I
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We’ve asked city to change review firm Graham Shirley Leaside Unite
Leaside Unite requested the city hire an objective firm to review the retail and eonomic impact of the proposed SmartCentre North on the area. The original firm hired by the city to undertake this review has done a number of market capacity and economic impact studies for SmartCentres in the past, and is therefore in a perceived conflict of interest. As part of the review process, the city has circulated the developer’s application to several city departments for examination and comment. They have also requested more technical studies from the developer’s consultants. Leaside Unite and the LPOA have added additional comments and requests. We noted significant omissions in the developer’s studies, especially regarding traffic. For in-
OPEN
stance, their report of current, existing traffic volumes in the Laird/Wicksteed area show lower volumes than those obtained from statistics available in the city’s data base. Staff have noted the developer’s traffic volume analyses require revision to reflect actual conditions and realistic assumptions of worst case scenarios. To date, SmartCentre has not submitted these revised analyses. While the SmartCentre’s Impact Study Update emphasizes the importance of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT as an alternative to private car usage, city staff has noticed their study does not include any reference or statistics regarding pedestrian traffic in any of the capacity analyses. The SmartCentre studies omitted any consideration of traffic impact on North Leaside. This is not acceptable. Residents of Leaside have a lot to lose if this development proceeds. If you want to help us challenge the SmartCentre North proposal, please contact leasideunite.com or lpoa.ca. I
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This is the first in a series of articles from Leaside Unite, the group formed by Leaside residents to oppose the SmartCentre North development proposal. Leaside Unite has joined with the Leaside Property Owners’ Association (LPOA) to pursue a joint strategy. There is much misunderstanding and misinformation about the municipal process for development applications. Contrary to what you may have heard, the SmartCentre North proposal is NOT permitted at the intended location (70 and 80 Wicksteed). The city’s Official Plan designates the site as Employment Areas, not retail. The plan states consideration may be given to permit large scale/stand-alone retail stores and ‘power centres’ if it can be demonstrated that: • The surrounding area can accommodate the extra traffic the development would generate. • The economic health of nearby shopping districts would not be adversely affected.
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DENI PAPETTI Neighbour
JOHN PARKER City councillor
ROBERT GLOVER Developer's planner
JONATHON KEARNS Developer's architect
STEVE FORRESTER City planner
CYNDA FLEMING
Leaside Life, November 2012
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PO plans to be toned down: developer By ANDREA VILLIERS “We’re going to sit down within the next 60 days and rework the plan,” says the developer of the proposed eight-storey condominium development at the old post office at 2 Laird Dr. His comment came in a telephone conversation following an emotional meeting of 200 neighbours at St. Anselm’s Church in late September. “Are we going to concede everything? No. That’s not right,” said David Lehberg, president and CEO of Knightstone Capital Management Inc. He pointed out, “We were within our rights to take this to the OMB months ago and we have elected not to do that.” (If a developer does not get a decision within 120 days of filing he can take the matter to the OMB. The 120 days were up June 22.) There was firm opposition at the meeting to the current plans. They “would have my house facing a 15-foot wall,” said Brenda Berge, of Krawchuk Lane. “Please be mindful,” Berge said to the developer at the meeting, “This building will be directly in front of our homes. How would you feel if you were in our shoes?” Sudong Huang, also of Krawchuk Lane, said, “I feel totally depressed.
No one will buy my house with that building there. The building has to fit into the neighbourhood and you have to protect the neighbours’ health and well being.” In the telephone conversation Lehberg said his proposal would improve the value of the adjacent properties: “The marketability and valuation will be that much stronger with a condo building rather than the industrial building that exists today.” “One has to have sympathy for the residents on Krawchuk Lane and Malcolm Rd.,” said Terry Russell, of Southlea. “How can it possibly be that something like this would be put forward in a serious way?” Realtor Patrick Rocca, in opposition, pointed out, "Construction could take two to three years." Many speakers complained the development would create too much traffic. There are 98 units, 116 parking spots for residents and 20 spots for visitors in the plan. Interviewed after the meeting Brian Athey, president of the Leaside Property Owners’ Association, said visitor parking would be a problem. “People do not like going underground. People like to park on grade. Malcolm could become overrun with cars. “The biggest issue,” he said, is density. “The number of units and its relationship with single family
homes and townhouses.” You need proper transition, he said. “You don’t go from two-storey homes to an eight-storey condo. “The proposal as it is would clearly affect their lives directly.” Joan Briant, Randolph Rd., who has lived in Leaside 26 years, said after the September meeting the tall building is out of place and context at an entry point into Leaside. “It doesn’t give the right message about what Leaside is; it’s residential in an old fashioned way.” Concerns about height, density, traffic, scale, transition and noise were raised repeatedly throughout the meeting. Deni Papetti, who lives next door to the site on Malcolm, was an early opponent. He rallied neighbours with a petition this past spring. Another one was launched in early October. You can find it at: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/2-laird-drive/. Between the two there are over 500 signatures. Councillor John Parker closed the September meeting saying, “What we have to do as a community, we need to come to the right mix of issues that need to be addressed so that we can protect what’s important to our community. And respect what the developer can expect from the process knowing that the developer has recourse if we overplay our hand.” I
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Leaside Life, November 2012
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You wouldn’t think twice to see it in Stratford-upon-Avon – but Donleaupon-Eglinton? Long after the Lea family left England to give their name to our neighbourhood, long after the bungalows went the way of the buffalo, one Leaside home still stands out for its distinctive flavour. With dark wooden crossbeams over white stucco walls, leaded windows, and a roof you might mistake for thatch, 1 Donlea Dr. is a reincarnation of an English cottage. “We are continually surprised when we describe where we are,” says Jim Harris, who has lived there for five years with his spouse, LeeAnne McAlear. “People know this house.” The former leader of the Green Party of Canada, and a municipal politician before that, Harris found himself in a home with political heritage. Local lore maintains it was built by a former mayor around 1940, back when Leaside had more countryside than commuters. “I think it was a summer house – because it had no insulation,” says McAlear. “It was just like a sieve.” Of course, their first order of business upon buying the home was to put it on better terms with the environment. They put in modern insulation where before there had been only bags of sawdust. This improved the home’s energy efficiency fivefold, says Harris: blower test results jumped from 13/100 to 65/100. Outside, the roof that lends so much to the home’s character also gives it a green advantage. It can last more than half a century. It’s made of hand-cut cedar shakes, one-inch thick wooden slats that are stacked up to five deep. Water run-off from the roof is collected in three large barrels. “We catch 140 gallons of water which doesn’t end up in the city sewer system,” says Harris. It gets re-used in the garden, which is perhaps the home’s most stunning feature. Planted in the English style – naturally – its flowers and herbs run all the way around the inside of the hedge. It’s designed to have something in bloom at every time of year. A quiet bench and statuettes sit next to the pond, shaded by one of four fruit trees. Two years ago they bore 700 pounds of apples and crab apples.
GEOFF DAVIES
By GEOFF DAVIES
Leaside Life, November 2012
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Our own English Cottage-Upon-Eglinton
LEE-ANNE MCALEAR and Jim Harris have a house with a year-round garden, two addresses, two mailmen and a surprise wherever you look. And in the centre of the yard, there’s the vegetable garden. “You’ve heard of the 100-mile diet?” asks Harris, referencing the bible of locally-sourced foods and their environmental virtues. “We call this the 10-foot diet.” He hands this reporter a crunchy snow pea to sample. There’s also garlic, tomatoes, golden raspberries, basil, three kinds of beans, beets and kale. Nearby, a black cat sits, ears perked, eyes fixed on the mouse watching it from the top of the chimney. They’re as still as sculptures – because, of course, sculptures they are. To the most observant passerby, they have long supplied a second nickname to the English Cottage: the Cat and Mouse House. It has two addresses – the other on Eglinton Ave. – two mailmen and two mailboxes. There are 15 rooms, five bathrooms, 3,200 square feet and, throughout, the sound of laugh-
ing children: The basement is home to a daycare. Years earlier, it hosted Toronto’s first centre for the Bahà’i faith, McAlear says. The previous owners took advantage of the basement’s garden entrance to fulfil a need of their religious community. “They felt they were caretakers” of a special place, she says. It’s a feeling she and Harris share. Inside, there’s still more to discover. There’s the Baroque Bathroom, earning the nickname with swanshaped faucets, a china basin and carved, gilded frames around the mirror and privacy screen. Nearby, you’re transported to a ship’s hull: a TV nook with round windows peeking out and old lifejacket racks overhead. A wroughtiron spiral staircase, very Harry Potter-esque, takes you to a cozy room in the converted attic. “It’s a home with a constant surprise,” says McAlear. I
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By BETH PARKER One of Leaside’s oldest manufacturing companies is building a display case for an unexpected award it received for outstanding environmental achievement. The award places Lincoln Electric in Leaside as number one among the company’s 40 manufacturing locations in 20 countries around the world. “We knew we were in the running,” says operations manager Kendall Fullerton, who describes the attractive crystal award as a bit like a “mini Grey Cup”. “But we were completely surprised. Winning the Global Chairman’s Award is a very big deal.” The award is given each year by the parent company for maintaining an exceptionally safe and environmentally-conscious manufacturing environment. Fullerton, a resident of Leaside for the past 13 years, is bursting with pride. “Over the past couple of years, Lincoln Electric has made serious significant reductions in air and
water emissions, in energy use and the way in which it handles waste,” he says. For example, energy use has been lowered by 10 percent, water used in plant processes went from 60 million litres to 25 million, and hazardous waste materials were reduced 40 percent. The reductions have been made through a combination of a capital investment over $2 million, training and awareness, as well as just doing things differently. All water is now recycled through tanks so it can be reused. Air is cleaned internally, with welding fumes put through internal scrubbers so they are not vented to the outside. Even fans in the painting booths are “smart” because they shut down when a human being leaves the booth. Fullerton shares credit with plant environmental health and safety manager Frank Conroy, and the other division manager, Gary Mercier. Over the past two years there were zero accidents at the plant and it passed numerous external audits. I
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Students dashing between cars. Illegal parking. Traffic congestion. Those were daily occurrences at Northlea School until a drop-off for kids program was introduced as a pilot project last June. It was a success and has gone into full operation for the 2011/12 school year. Every morning starting at about 8:30 parents start dropping off their children at Northlea between pylons. Waiting by the curb are orangevested volunteer parents, and often Principal Kathy Ribeiro is there too. The volunteers open the car doors while greeting the students, who are escorted by school staff onto the grounds. It’s fast and safe—some days 40 cars pass through within 20 minutes. Previously parents parked or stopped illegally. They often choose convenience over safety, allowing children to dash between parked cars. Ribeiro is the driving force behind the program. She implemented a similar one at a previous school a few years ago. “Parents really appreciate this,” says Ribeiro. I
Leaside plant wins enviro award
Leaside Life, November 2012
Drop-off ends school danger
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Sarah 18
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Food drop-offs, holiday hampers bought, online donations and a 1,610-pound food donation from Neal Brothers Foods came to 4,881 pounds. Sarah explained on her blog (sarahsfooddrive.com) how she started the drive: “One night during dinner, I told my mom that I was full, even though I still had lots of food left on my plate. My mom told me that there were people that lived five minutes away from us that didn’t have food for dinner and that we were so fortunate that we did. “Minutes later, we heard a story on the radio talking about the Thanksgiving food drive for the Daily Bread Food Bank. They were in need of a lot more food and were asking people to donate. After hearing that, I told my mom that I wanted to do something to help, so I decided to start my own food drive.� “She's an amazing girl,� said Gail Nyberg, executive director of the Daily Bread Food Bank. “For one young person to bring in over 21,000 pounds of food is a large percentage of the 400,000 (we need to raise).� In her public thank-you letter, Sarah’s mother Lynda Debono said, “This campaign is so much bigger than a 10-year-old girl and her food drive. It is about reaching out to the greater community and inspiring kids of all ages to get involved, get informed and make a difference. “It is rare to meet people as giving as Rob and Jessi Tremblett. They immediately embraced Sarah’s 4th annual food drive last year and when we approached them this year, their only request was to make it bigger and better than the year before. “In addition to all their support, Rob and Jessi also donated 50 holiday hampers.� Locallea also donated 50 hampers as did Patrick Rocca of Bosley Real Estate, who “was a huge cheerleader for the entire campaign,� she said. “Sarah is an inspiration to us and as her parents we are so tremendously proud of her. She has inspired so many, including her little sister Claire, who wants to take on a bigger role next year.� “Just wait until you see what Sarah has in store for next year,� says her father Mark. I MORE, Page 31
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Leaside Life, November 2012
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December deadline: November 10 leasidelife@gmail.com LEASIDE COMMUNITY CANNED FOOD DRIVE Six local churches are working together to collect canned goods from Leaside homes Saturday, Nov. 24, 9:30 to noon. The drive starts Saturday, Nov. 17 with distribution of flyers, 9:30 to noon. Volunteers, including high school students wanting volunteer hours, needed for both days. Meet at Leaside Presbyterian Church, Eglinton and Hanna, for route maps on both days. The food will be distributed to four food banks, including the one in Flemingdon Park. Other participating local churches are Leaside United, Northlea United, St. Anselm’s, St. Augustine’s and St. Cuthbert’s. Craig Homewood at craighomewood@royallepage.ca or Leaside Presbyterian at 416-422-0510. LEASIDE LIBRARY Chess, Saturdays, Nov. 3 – Dec. 29 (except Nov. 10 and Dec. 15), 12-1:30. For children, teens and adults. Registration required. British Comedies, Mondays 2 p.m. Nov. 5: Calendar Girls (PG). Nov. 12: Pink Panther (PG). Nov. 19: Cold Comfort Farm (PG). Nov. 26: Dr. Strangelove (PG). Remembering 1812, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m. Dr. Gary Miedema for a lecture on how the present shapes our memory of the past. Fall Book Sale, Saturday, Nov. 10, 11–3. The Craft of Wine Making, Tuesday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m. The End of the World – As Viewed by the Ancient Egyptians, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 7 p.m. Look carefully into ancient Egyptian texts to see what Egyptians said about it. Lecture by Sherine ElSebaie, advanced Ph.D. candidate at U of T. A Survivor Speaks, Thursday, Nov. 15, 6 p.m. Nate Leipciger, Holocaust child survivor. National Film Board Film Club for Kids. For PA day Friday, Nov. 16, 2-2:30. National Film Board Film Club, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2 p.m. Imaginary Heroine (4 min) and The Boxing Girls of Kabul (52 min). LEASIDE UNITED CHURCH, 822 Millwood, adult badminton, Tuesday and Thursday 8-9 p.m. for mixed round robin. All levels. $75 season or $5 evening. Bea Lawford, (416-421-1135). LEASIDE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Eglinton and Hanna. Rummage sale, Saturday, Nov. 10, 9-noon. Kid’s Club Friday, Nov. 16, 9-4, for JK-Grade 7 with youth in Grade 8 and up appreciated as helpers. Music, crafts, baking, outside play and more. $30 per child per day or $50 per family per day. Special assistance and subsidized spaces available with strict confidentiality. Rev. Angela or Phyllis, 416-422-0510. ST. ANSELM’S CHURCH HALL, Millwood and MacNaughton, annual Christmas bake and craft sale with white elephant table, raffle, refreshments, silent auction, etc. Sun. Nov. 4, 9:30-1:30. ST. CUTHBERT’S CHURCH, 1399 Bayview, Christmas Fair, Saturday, Nov. 10, 11-2. Crafts and gifts, raffles, silent auction, home baking, boutique and treasures, gift baskets, church calendars and paperbacks, Ted’s art gallery, toys and the infamous odds and ends, plus luncheon. www.stcuthbertsleaside.com. CANADIAN FEDERATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN LEASIDE-EAST YORK, monthly meeting at Northlea United Church, 125 Brentcliffe, Thursday, Nov. 15, 7.30 p.m. Guest speaker Ken Weber, Professor Emeritus U of T and bestselling author, on The Naughty Nineties - a First Stab at Women's Lib. Visitors and new members welcome. www.leaside.org/cfuw. CHURCH OF ST. AUGUSTINE’S: 1847 Bayview (at Broadway). Tai-Chi, Tuesdays 9:30-10:30 a.m., Gentle Yoga for Older Adults,Thursdays 9:30-10:30 a.m., both run by Health and Wellness, SPRINT. Drop into any class for $4. St. Augustine’s Bazaar: Saturday, Nov. 17, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Lunch available. 416-485-2656. www.saintaugustine.ca. HOLLAND BLOORVIEW Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in North Leaside is recruiting volunteers. www.hollandbloorview.ca/volunteer.
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In our Hood 21
IN OUR HOOD, Page 22
Leaside Life, November 2012
Had ghastly goblins running through your neighbourhood? It may not be your imagination. On Oct. 28, the annual Monster Dash ran through sections of North Leaside as well as Sunnybrook Park, finishing on the grounds of Holland Bloorview. Runners in costume (with lights) choose either a 5K or 10K run or a “spooky mile”. All proceeds support Holland Bloorview rehab hospital for children. Leaside High School students once again made their way upwards in the annual CN Tower Climb this October, with money raised going to the United Way. Speaking of LHS, the two longtime high school football rivals, Leaside and East York, faced off once again in the annual Friday Night Lights game. Now in its seventh year, the evening game is a favourite for alumnae and students of both schools. Temporary stadium lights were trucked in for the big night. Leaside Lancers won both games. Hats off (or should we say helmets?) to Les Verbovscky and his son Jason, who completed the famous Route 66 this summer on their motorcycles. Owner of Aireon TV in Leaside, Les rode his Harley Davidson, his son a Yamaha Statoliner. The duo covered over 13,000 km in 3.5 weeks, Toronto to California, at times enduring temperatures over 50°C! “It was a trip of a lifetime”, says Verbovskcy, who’s been riding motorbikes since he was a kid. Two local Leaside chiropractors, Dr. Tim Marshall and Dr. Dave O’Connor, are making a name for themselves as the “chiropractors of Olympians”. Both have accompanied various teams in the past. One (to be decided!) is preparing to travel with Canada’s national squash team for the 2012 World Team Championships in France this November. Both Tim and Dave live in Leaside, Tim describing himself as someone “born, raised and still leaving here”. Toronto Leaside recently added a new women’s junior team to its hockey program. In celebration of World Women’s Hockey Day, the new Wildcats Junior team played at the site of the former Maple Leaf Gardens (at the Mattamy Athletic Centre) Oct. 13. Many will remember the fire a year ago that gutted Leaside Cleaners on Bayview and the Flower Nook next
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door. Renovations at the site began this past spring by Leaside Cleaners owners, Mimi and Phillip Rassias. The couple have now decided to retire from their family business, which they've run for over 22 years, and put the building up for lease. Another awesome effort. Leaside United Church raised $24,000 at their fall's Awesome Sale, making the grand total for the year over $51,000. That's a lot of stuff sold! Anyone passing by the corner of Millwood and Donegall on Sunday, Sept. 30 must have wondered what was going on. About 50 people were gathered on the corner for the unveiling of the plaque co-ordinated by the East York Historical Society to honour Agnes Macphail, Canada’s first woman MP in 1921 and the first seated of two provincial MPPs representing this area in 1943. I Leaside Property Owners’ Association, AGM Thursday Nov. 29, 7:15 p.m., St. Anselm’s Church, 1 MacNaughton. Speakers include Scott Barrett, Heritage Preservation Services, City Planning Division. Others to be announced.
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LeasideLife issue 11 final rev_LeasideLifev1 12-10-22 12:06 AM Page 23
Geoff Kettel
Saving old Leaside
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ALLAN MCCARTNEY
We often hear nowadays, “Oh it’s a teardown.” How did this happen? Is there anything we can do about it? Every two weeks the city’s Committee of Adjustment reviews applications for so called minor variances, many of which involve demolition and reconstruction of a larger house. The committee is all about metrics – allowable deviations (from the zoning bylaw) in the dimensions of the house, such as setbacks, sideyards and volume (massing). The committee does not rule on design, architecture, materials, or aesthetics. Nor does it take into consideration the history, the people or the events associated with the house. Assuming the house is not on a heritage list (and very few are) these matters are left to the neighbours to raise, if they are sufficiently concerned, and if they are available to attend a day time meeting at North York Civic Centre. The North York committee is the busiest in the city and in each meeting there are two, three or four applications involving the Leaside area. 45 Sharron Dr, was one such application for minor variances that appeared on a Committee of Adjustment agenda recently. Some of the neighbours were concerned about the size of the variances, while others accepted that change was inevitable. But few knew that the house was significant for its association with the longest serving politician in the Town of Leaside, and also for its architectural interest. It stands at a prime landmark location at the corner of McRae and Sharron (formerly Clowes), on a sight line view from Laird and McRae. It is representative of the first phase of house building in the new Town of Leaside. It was built in 1919 or earlier, the first home built in the McRae/Clowes
Leaside Life, November 2012
One of few fights to stop a teardown
George Wilkinson, longest serving politician in Leaside, lived in this house at 45 Sharron. area. We know this because the Nov. 11, 1919 minutes of town council record that “Mr. Wilkinson will be allowed the sum of $75 towards the expense of diverting electric light wires and poles to his house (1 Clowes). George Wilkinson, the owner, was station agent for the Parkdale station of the Canadian Pacific Railway and his wife was the postmistress and worked at the first post office at Perrem and Knight’s general store at 322 Sutherland Dr. They raised three children and lived there till about 1950. George Wilkinson was elected to the Town of Leaside council in 1917 and continued to 1930 (except 1921) and was elected mayor from 1931 to 1935, a total of 22 years of service. Canada Wire and Cable built 60 houses for its workers in the 1920s, including the distinctive set of row houses at Randolph and Kenrae. The location of 45 Sharron (within sight of the new Canada Wire and Cable plant at Laird) and its age suggests that it may have been built by Canada Wire for an executive or manager. In addition to the house’s style (elements of Colonial Revival, with aspects of Dutch Colonial Revival (gambrel roof) and Georgian Revival (sash windows, louvred shutters) it is distinctive and unusual in the context of the prevailing Georgian and Tudor Revival style of Leaside. No surprise there - while 1 Clowes was built on the Town of Leaside lot (and road) plan it would be up to 20 years
before other lots in the area would be built on. So what happened at the committee? The committee heard from the owner’s agent in support, and in opposition from neighbours, the Leaside Property Owners’ Association and the North York Community Preservation Panel. Jane Pitfield, chair of the East York Historical Society, former councillor and author of Leaside, and Councillor John Parker submitted letters in opposition. The committee voted to defer the application sine die, which means until another application is submitted. What will happen to this property? The owner will obviously have to consider his options. He can come back with another application at any time. The Preservation Panel has agreed to submit the property for consideration for inclusion in the city’s Inventory of Heritage Properties. However there is a large backlog and there are few staff to process these. Right now there are no representatives of the 1920s period of Leaside’s built heritage included in the Inventory of Heritage Properties. 2013 is the centennial of the Town of Leaside and would be a good time to do this work. I Much of the information for this piece comes from Jane Pitfield’s book Leaside.
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Leaside Life, November 2012
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It looks like a ‘giant cruise ship’ A public meeting was held on Sept. 24 regarding the proposal to build a seven- or eighty-storey condominium on the 2 Laird (at Malcolm) site of the old Leaside Post Office. This location is literally the gateway into Leaside, at a very busy traffic intersection (really two intersections, one at Laird/Millwood, and another a few feet away at Millwood/Southvale), with an entrance in between them into Malcolm, a one-way street, and another at Krawchuk Lane immediately behind the post office building. The proposed condo would lead to increased traffic infiltration on a large number of streets in its vicinity, and create a dangerous traffic situation around the site. It is too big, too high, too dense - in short, it doesn’t fit. One attendee referred to it, all too accurately, as resembling a giant multi-storeyed cruise ship! This is an issue that all Leasiders need to be concerned about, no matter where you live. If this gets approval, it could be a precedent for future development proposals anywhere in Leaside. Meanwhile, the SmartCentre North fight continues. LPOA awaits further answers from the developer’s consultants. We need more (and more accurate) traffic estimates, for both North and South Leaside. We’ve also noted that an objective retail and economic impact study must be done, and have challenged the city’s hiring of a firm which has a track history of working for SmartCentres. It’s essential to ensure that the information on which the city will depend, before taking a position on this development, is not biased in any way. Elsewhere in this issue of Leaside Life is an article from Leaside Unite, with whom LPOA is working closely, with more details. On another matter, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT-to-be continues to make newspaper headlines. The LPOA supports more and better public transit, but we’ve been concerned since the LRT was first proFRIPP, Page 25
LeasideLife issue 11 final rev_LeasideLifev1 12-10-22 12:06 AM Page 25
Fripp From Page 24
Alan Redway Former East York mayor and federal cabinet minister
First Gardens cost $395,000 All of us now know that the construction costs of the second ice rink at the Leaside Memorial Community Gardens is certain to exceed the originally estimated $12.2 million. What many of us may not know, however, is the origin of the Memorial Gardens. lt started in 1947 when the Leaside Lions and the Leaside Rotary club began raising money for a sports and community centre to commemorate Leasiders and others who had served in the recently ended Second World War. REDWAY, Page 26
ENJOYED
Leaside Life, November 2012
posed that, once built, surface transit along Eglinton would be drastically reduced or even removed. LRT stations are far away from each other. There will still be a need for enough buses to carry local passengers. If little (or no) surface transit is planned along Eglinton once the LRT is constructed, the TTC will be less accessible to Leasiders than currently, and Eglinton will become less safe for pedestrians, especially at night. The LPOA will continue to keep a close eye on all of the above issues. And now a question to you: what is your opinion of the new traffic lights and turning changes at Laird and Wicksteed/McRae? Do you find them confusing? Less safe than even the previous unsafe configuration was? On these and other local matters, we want to hear from you. Get to us through LPOA, Sunnybrook Postal Outlet, 660 Eglinton East, PO Box 50055, Toronto M4G 4G1, or lpoa.ca, and leasideunite.com. Sometimes people ask if they really can make a difference: “I’m only an individual,” they say. All the more reason for you to join LPOA and Leaside Unite: we can be most effective together. I
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Redway From Page 25
Leaside Life, November 2012
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The first site suggested was Trace Manes Park, but because of problems with the underground water stream running through that location, the present site was finally chosen. The project, which then included only the arena and the auditorium, was approved by Leaside Town Council in 1951. The original building cost was $395,000, of which almost $160,000 was raised by the service clubs, individuals and local business. At that time none of these donations were tax deductible. The balance was paid out of municipal tax revenue. A portion financed by a bond issue was fully repaid in 1973. ln 1957 the swimming pool was added at an approximate cost of $153,000, of which the province paid $5,000 and the town $25,000. The balance came from surplus Gardens' revenue. The curling rink, under a separate board of management, was built in 1962. The Gardens is administered by an unpaid volunteer board of management, formerly appointed by Leaside council and then East York council. Now it's appointed by Toronto City Council for a fouryear term. The current board members are Brooke Biscoe (chair), Paul Burns, Allan Williams, Charlene Kalia, Ray White, Jeff Dover, Elaine Snider, Barry Samuel and Cheryl Bannier. Past board chair Paul Mercer heads the construction committee. Over the years the board has set rates for the use of the facilities that have invariably covered operating costs. Since amalgamation, no operating subsidies are paid to the Gardens by municipal taxpayers. We are most fortunate to have these facilities and the community volunteers who administer them. Leaside Memorial Community Gardens helps to make our community the desirable place it is to live in and raise a family. The volunteers are part of the great Leaside tradition of community involvement and participation. I
LeasideLife issue 11 final rev_LeasideLifev1 12-10-22 12:06 AM Page 27
John Parker Councillor, Toronto Ward 26 Don Valley West
Laird had become a back alley What kind of street do you want Laird Dr. to be? Let's start by considering what Leaside's main street had been allowed to become: a back alley that exists primarily to move traffic through our community, bordered by a hodge podge of buildings demonstrating differing levels of regard for the public realm and our community. Go for a walk and take a good look: Some properties treat Laird with respect. They put their best face forward. They offer attractive entrances and landscaped boulevards. Others treat Laird as nothing more than a conduit for cars. They use their boulevards as parking lots. The irony is that it was not always this way. In the early days Laird was home to the head offices of Leaside's businesses. The old buildings facing Laird were built to enhance the streetscape. Some still do. It is in more recent years that things were allowed to slip. As a Leaside resident myself, I am determined to reverse that trend. As local councillor I want to enhance Laird as a space that serves the residents of our community, not just the cars that drive through it. I want each new development on Laird to make a positive contribution. How can our community achieve this outcome? By being smart about addressing the challenges and opportunities that each new development application brings with it. By knowing what battles to fight, and advancing them with effectiveness, but at the same time ensuring that maximum energy and resources are applied towards productive ends. That's why one of the first moves I made as councillor was to stop the proposed demolition of 211 Laird and work with the developer to convert the tired neglected building there into the proud new TD Bank branch that sits there now. Or take a look at the most recent retail development on Laird: Leaside PARKER, Page 28
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Absolute Beauty by Nancy Penny has been part of the fabric of the Leaside community for over 20 years. Nancy, Jessica and Amber are certified skin care professionals who love to provide outstanding service and products to our valued customers 7 days a week. Try our award winning facials, manicures, pedicures, waxing, electrolysis, lash extensions, cosmetic tattooing (eyebrows and eyeliner), etc. in a friendly, clean safe environment. Gift certificates available. Absolute Beauty by Nancy Penny • 1517A Bayview Ave., Toronto, ON • 416-932-3970
Leaside Life, November 2012
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LeasideLife issue 11 final rev_LeasideLifev1 12-10-22 12:06 AM Page 28
Parker From Page 27
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Village anchored by Longo's. The first design proposed by the developer featured a large parking lot with retail stores along each side. Sound familiar? I told the developer that I would not settle for that. Using the tools available to me under the applicable rules and policies I forced the developer to reduce the total retail space to about two thirds of the original proposal. That was the easy part. But I also sent the entire design back to the drawing board. I met with the developer's design team and city planning staff and brought to bear an entirely different approach. The result: a village-like pedestrian environment. Materials echoing those used in the heritage building that anchors the site and other significant buildings in the vicinity. Landscaped areas. A landscaped median along the middle of Laird. And unlike the shopping centres built on Laird previously, buildings that open their front doors onto the sidewalk on Laird and a parking lot that is located discretely towards the back, not treated as the main design feature. I
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LeasideLife issue 11 final rev_LeasideLifev1 12-10-22 12:06 AM Page 29
Collage Designs wins award The recipient for the Leaside Garden Society Community Garden Award this year was Collage Designs, located on Bayview at Parkhurst. Each year since 1993 LGS has presented an award to a local company, business or organization that has made a significant effort to beautify the community with landscaping and/or plantings. In the past we have presented the award to such diverse organizations as a storage facility, a construction company, a senior's residence, a mosque and a bakery. The delightful front entrance of Collage Designs was the clear winner when the board voted at its September meeting. Don Beard Community Garden Award Committee
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East York address a problem Lorna, you may favour the name "East York" as an address (Lorna Krawchuk, The many places you find our name, Oct. issue) but it has a real downside if one is a member of an international organization, or even a national one. I am a member of both British and American civil engineering organizations. When using the East York address, I found that I was not listed among the Toronto members in their year books, so not included in Toronto meeting notices, a distinct disadvantage, especially when I live so close to City Hall! Since making this discovery, I have strenuously avoided any use of "East York". John Springfield Bennington Heights Dr.
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leasidelife@gmail.com
1569 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4G 3B5 (416) 485-5057
Leaside Life, November 2012
LETTERS
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We’re getting more and more grafitti in Leaside Leaside Life, November 2012
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We’ve all seen it – the scribbling made with aerosol spray paint – on street signs, street post office boxes, walls – in all parts of the city. There appears to be more and more in Leaside. Recently it appeared on the green windscreens at the Leaside Tennis Club, on the side wall of Stanley Cleaners, all along the lane between Eglinton and Donlea, in Leonard Linton Park between Research Rd. and Vanderhoof, and on a new fence on Commercial Rd. in the Leaside Business Area. Most of these are in the form of “tagging” – symbols that have meaning to the person wielding the paint can and his/her friends, but look more like doodling to the uninitiated. Tom Kern of MacNaughton Rd., who is on the board of directors of the Leaside Tennis Club, mentioned their most recent graffiti invasion, on the windscreens, came on the Saturday night of the Labour Day long weekend. Earlier, they had needed to sandblast graffiti off their clubhouse, and paint over graffiti on the electrical light box. Staff at the City of Toronto had offered to get them a quote from a company to remove the white paint from the green windscreen, but if
Lorna Krawchuk Publisher Leaside Life
they don’t receive it before the end of the tennis season, they will use green paint to solve the problem. They notified the city immediately after the weekend, because there is a security camera owned by the city, mounted on the corner of the clubhouse which might have had video able to identify the culprits. So far, no news. At Stanley Cleaners, on Millwood, the owner, Fortunato “Lucky” Fusco, says most of the graffiti on his premises appears on the whitepainted back of the building, where he has covered graffiti tags regularly. As he says, “It keeps happening.” He has received letters from the city advising him that if he doesn’t remove the graffiti, he will be fined. The City of Toronto website information on graffiti includes “Tips for Preventing and Removing Graffiti Vandalism”. Scrubbing it off or painting over are among the recommendations. One that appealed to me was “Plant climbing vines or
thorny plants along building walls.” The City of Toronto distinguishes between street art and graffiti vandalism. To be considered street art, the work “must have the property owner’s permission, adhere to community character and standards and aesthetically enhance the surface that it covers”. The city has a pro-active program originating out of its Graffiti Management Plan that is administered by the Public Realm Section of the Transportation Services Division. “Its overall mission is to counteract graffiti vandalism by developing, supporting, promoting and increasing awareness of street art and its indispensable role to add beauty and character...” The spray work in Leaside doesn’t look much like art to me, and I would very much doubt that the owner of the property gave permission. Although the outward shell of the skateboard bowl in Leonard Linton Park has a surprising piece of street art in black and white, the inside of the bowl, on the other hand, is full of tags and scribbles. It is a property owner’s responsibility to remove graffiti that is not art. For graffiti on city property, city staff does the removal. I
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LeasideLife issue 11 final rev_LeasideLifev1 12-10-22 12:06 AM Page 31
LEASIDE QUALITY AT ORDINARY PRICES.
Pumpkins pie AMAZING PRICE
$399 1kg
Strip loin steak $499 lb A BIG DAY FOR DRIVE SARAH’S FOOD sle at wn the baby-care ai do p sli to g in try re If you we nd 4:30 p.m. art on Oct. 3 arou Tremblett's valu-m out 50 chila few obstacles - ab th wi et m ve ha d u' yo nual Food food. Sarah's 5th An of ll fu es bl ta d an from dren student volunteers th wi ar ge ll fu in s s of Tremblett's. Drive wa Rolph Road school with a Halloween loot bag courtesy d an h ug ro bo ss & Jessi TremNorthlea, Be Locallea and Rob ving Food Hampers gi a, ks cc an Ro Th ck 0 tri 25 Pa ck hampers, gathered to pa Thanksgiving food s. ip 50 d sh te rd na ha g do cin ch fa ea s da, ett for Toronto familie ns from Kraft Cana blett, owner bl tio em na Tr do b us Ro ro id ne sa ge t," and with d online dona"It was a great even d community food an an rs t. he ar ot Br -m lu al va Ne t's of Tremblet d the parrecords. so enthusiastic an , this year broke all ns tio d Grocery. e th "The children were m t's a Neighbourhoo e truck fro et th bl g in em ch Tr at lls W ca s. b ile Ro d I conents were all sm ioned, but Jessi an our eyes was sh of fa nt dfro ol in le litt up a fill be nk "It may like family. The Daily Bread Food Ba fe Jessi. d customers to be wi an s f bʼ af st Ro r id ou sa er " g, sid in inly made us really gratify collected donations the food drive certa to ive se Dr on od sp Fo re s t h' ea ra gr Last year Sa arly double is year's goal, to ne Th s. lb "They feel that. 0 50 7, g lin equa r staff," says Rob. ell, never unou W y. of el d lik ou un pr ly ed al em re se "I'm eheartedly and stuthat to 12,000 lbs, -year-old Northlea rah's dream whol 10 Sa a of ed ac ive br dr e em th e derestimat ity. Sarah's to run smoothly." ly generous commun ed the entire effort lp he is rare to e th r fo dent and an incredib a Debono, said, "It lbs of food nd 73 Ly , ,5 21 om m ed s ct h' lle ra co Sa blett.” 2012 Food Drive Rob and Jessi Trem as g vin gi as le . op nk year and how to chal- meet pe Daily Bread Food Ba ady thinking to next uth Leaside school re So al . is vs b e id Ro as Le even more A North ren saw 8,800 lbs of make Sarah's 6th Annual Food Drive ild ch 0 80 1, er ov en you're lenge involving School squeakideas, ask for Rob wh ic y bl an Pu ve a le ha u rth yo No If th ic. food collected wi ery child ep ett's. endly contest. And ev fri e th in shopping at Trembl n wi e th t ed rd wa ing ou re s wa packing hampers who participated in Tremblett’s valu-mart is a proud member of locallea and your Leaside community
Leaside Life, November 2012
1500 Bayview Ave. | 416-486-8294
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