LeasideLife issue 49_LeasideLifev1 16-04-20 9:03 PM Page 1
No. 49 • May 2016
Still a romantic at 101
Leaside Life leasidelifenews.com
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AGNES MACPHAIL FIRST WOMAN ELECTED AS MP
Page 16
BANK OF LEASIDE 100 | BANQUE DU LEASIDE 100
Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LPOA
Survey says our biggest worry is about traffic The April 15 deadline for responses to our resident survey has passed. With the huge development proposal for 939 Eglinton East in mind (and in the knowledge that Leaside in general has become a prime development target) the survey was organized to gather Leasiders’ opinions and comments on what we want for the future of our community. The full results of the survey will be released shortly, but in the meanwhile I can give you a bit of a preview. SURVEY, Page 12
WILL A BIT OF LEASIDE BE ON OUR CURRENCY? By LORNA KRAWCHUK That woman in the funny money above is Agnes Macphail, a one-time Leaside resident who lived at the corner of Donegall and Millwood. She was also the first woman elected as a Member of Parliament in Canada and had a stellar record of advocating for social justice issues, both at the federal level and subsequently as an MPP in Ontario representing York East. Starting March 8, International Women’s Day, the Bank of Canada asked Canadians to nominate an iconic woman, who died at least 25 years ago, to be featured on a Canadian banknote to be issued in 2018. The nomination period closed on April 15. By then, there were 127 names on the list, including Queen Victoria and Laura Secord. MACPHAIL, Page 2
Geoff Kettel
Saving old Leaside
We make new complaint against same OMB Member “Whatever the outcome, we (the residents and the LPOA) presented a well thought out position to the Ontario Municipal Board, and in so doing clearly indicated the community’s concerns and the areas where the proposal was in contravention of the city’s Official Plan.” (Doug Obright’s reflection on the three-day OMB hearing for 146-150 Laird Dr., Feb. 29 to March 2.) “Whatever the outcome.” Yes indeed! Unfortunately the events that COMPLAINT, Page 18
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Digital sign means more $ for arena Leaside Life, May 2016
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The Hummers Are Back! 939 Eglinton Ave E. (Brentcliffe and Eglinton)
416- 646-2439 w w w. U r b a n N a t u r e S t o r e. c a
A double-sided billboard outside Leaside Memorial Community Gardens could be in for a facelift that would generate four times the annual rental for the arena and reduce the cost of ice time. That would be done by making the sign digital and having one side, facing south, available for renting by other companies. The north-facing side would display arena events and other Leaside happenings. In 2014 the arena received about $9,300. That would increase to $45,000 says Outfront Media, the sign’s owner, which has rented the space on the arena property for 20 years. The new board would cost Outfront Media $250,000 to build and install. “It’s a unique sign,” says Steve Wolowich, Outfront Media’s senior director of real estate. “It’s not just a billboard on a pole. We created a whole design element that picks up the architectural features of the rink. The [arena] board loved it.” Outfront Media has applied for a Sign By-Law Amendment with the city. It’s expected to be heard by city council this summer. ■
Macphail
WE’VE GOT ALL OF LEASIDE COVERED
From Page 1
Macphail has been promoted as well by people in Bruce County, her original home and the riding she represented federally. Maybe she will also get a boost when the final decision is made in consultation with Stephen Poloz, governor of the Bank of Canada, by the minister of finance, Bill Morneau (who lives in the Leaside Life area, Bennington Heights). ■
Leaside is growing, and Leaside Life with it. We’re now at a distribution of 9,000 copies. We deliver to all houses in the M4G area through the local firm Accurate Distributing, Laird Dr., and to all condos, apartments and businesses by the Post Office to all of M4G, including the Leaside Business Park, and to a small part of it that’s in the M4H postal area. No other local news publication does that.
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LeasideLife issue 49_LeasideLifev1 16-04-20 9:03 PM Page 3
Storm sends St. Anselm steeple flapping The Curious Idler around Bessborough school. Clearly, sensible advice from Toronto’s transportation service. Question: If other areas are now 30 km/h zones, when will Leaside’s 40 km/h speed limit be lowered to protect our children? (For example, nearby Maurice Cody School – just west of Bayview – is a 30 km/h zone.) Answer: As soon as possible when Councillor Jon Burnside gets the support he needs from households on streets around Bessborough. Recent speed tests requested by Burnside showed worrisome results on Bessborough between Sharron and Field. In a day-long survey, 85 per cent of drivers on the school stretch reached 46-50 km/h. Between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – school hours – one driver hit 65 km/h, other speeders 55 km/h. Most drivers overall were in
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the 20-50 km/h range – the later speeds being still dangerously high. “I want to get a 30 km/h limit on that Bessborough stretch – but it is up to the community to help me do it,” Burnside said. When Burnside gets 25 percent of households to respond to a poll he planned to mail mid April, with at least 51 percent of respondents expressing a desire for a slower speed limit around Bessborough, the councillor feels “it should be easy” to get the far-safer 30 km/h limit at the school, with other Leaside schools to follow. “I want all our children to be safe. That’s utmost in my mind,” he told The Idler. Until that happens, drivers are urged to PLEASE Slow Down – and that means driving far slower than the still-posted 40 km/h signs!
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Leaside Life, May 2016
Powerful winds badly damaged St. Anselm’s towering church steeple – a Leaside landmark – on Easter Monday. Copper plates ominously sprang loose on the 52-year-old spire, and noisily flapped like a ship’s sail. One big plate vanished. A 911 call brought police; passersby were diverted; neighbours moved cars out of danger; and the principal of the (empty) St. Anselm’s School was alerted. Two days later, in calmer weather, a crane hoisted workers 140 feet to the steeple’s peak, and they began to make cladding safe. A next step may be to rebuild the whole steeple, reduce its size – or remove it. This is a second notable roof event at St. Anselm’s. In August, a 110-pound lantern – originally in St. Michael’s Cathedral – plunged and shattered days after being installed. Fortunately, the church was empty and no one was hurt. The remaining heavy lights were quickly re-installed, with safety cables added. PLEASE Slow Down signs in yellow and black have sprouted on streets
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Spotted on Bayview during recent sub-zero weather: Several infants and toddlers without mittens or hats. A proud Leaside dad reports his computer code-writing daughter – a former Leaside high student and now at U of T – is working with a team of whizkids to build a robotic submarine that works entirely on its own. Such underwater “drones”. with intelligence built in, may be used in future to discover wrecks and sunken archeological sites. The students are studying science, technology, engineering and math. They hope their self-guided sub will make a splash at the global RoBoSub Competition in California. The dad asked the family name be withheld. ■ If you have an item for this column, please write to leasidelife@gmail.com
Our first athlete of the year back in Olympics Leaside’s first athlete of the year, Martha McCabe, has once again won a spot on Canada’s Olympic team. She’ll compete in the 200-meter breaststroke in Rio this summer. McCabe, raised in Bennington Heights and a Leaside High graduate, was on the Canadian Olympic team in 2012 in London. She finished fifth. She won a bronze medal the year before in the World Championship. Last year she won a silver in the Pam Am games in Toronto. ■
Leaside Life Published once a month in Leaside,Toronto ON, by Ruth G. Publishing Inc., 66 Donegall Drive, Toronto ON, M4G 3G5 Circulation 9,000 to every door in M4G PUBLISHER: Lorna Krawchuk EDITORIAL: Harry Goldhar ADVERTISING: Ruth Goldhar GRAPHIC DESIGN: L. Choy
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LeasideLife issue 49_LeasideLifev1 16-04-20 9:04 PM Page 5
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Leaside Life, May 2016
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Final preparations are under way for Bellwood Health Services (formerly the Donwood Institute) to move back this fall to 175 Brentcliffe Rd., owned by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The 65,000-square-foot building sits on nine acres of parkland and has been vacant since 2008 when the Donwood Institute moved downtown to CAMH’s 1001 Queen West facility. A $5 million renovation is under way. Bellwood Health Services was founded by Dr. Gordon Bell in 1984, operating at its current facility on McNicoll Ave. for the past 32 years. Prior to Bellwood, Dr. Bell founded the Donwood Institute in 1967 on the current property at Brentcliffe. The renovation will increase the number of beds at Bellwoods by almost 50 percent to 85. Linda Bell, who co-founded Bellwood with her late father and was CEO until August 2014, is excited to be returning to Leaside. “It’s a move that is long overdue,â€? she said recently. “The timing is right to move to the next level.â€? â–
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LEASIDE LIBRARY, 165 McRae, 416-396-3835 ADULT and TEEN PROGRAMMING: – The Importance of Handwriting. Clinician Annette Poizner discusses the effects of handwriting on thinking and the brain. Wednesday, May 11, 7-8 p.m. Drop in. – Kamishibai: A Colourful and Dynamic Form of Japanese storytelling. Learn how to create Kamishibai stories. Wednesday, May 18, 7-8 p.m. Everyone welcome. – Lea Exhibit — Leaside: The Life of a Garden City. Learn about Frederick Gage Todd, the man who laid out Leaside in 1913, and the garden city principles behind his plan. Friday, May 6, 1-5 p.m. and Saturday, May 7, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
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– Learn About Lynda.com. Learn to access 3,500 video tutorials about various topics using your laptop/tablet and library card. Wednesday, May 25, 7-9 p.m. Registration required. – Leaside Writers’ Group. Saturdays, May 14, 28. 10-11.45 a.m. Everyone welcome. – Play Reading Group. A thought-provoking play from comedy to award-winning drama. Saturday, May 21, 10-12 p.m. Call to register. – Promoting Your Small Business/Selling with Etsy. Established Etsy seller teaches tips and techniques. Wednesday, May 18, 7-8 p.m. Drop in. – Repair Cafe Toronto. Learn how to fix your own computer. Thursday, May 5, 4-6 p.m. Everyone welcome. – Service Canada. CPP/OAS Information Session. Learn about employment insurance benefits, labour market information, and provincial programs and services. Friday, May 13, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Drop in. CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING: – LEGO Club. After school. Thursdays, April 7-28, 3:30-5 p.m. Drop in. – Ready for Reading Baby Time (up to 18 months). Bouncing and tickling rhymes, songs and stories for babies with parents or caregivers. Thursdays, May 5-26, 9:3010 a.m. & 10:30-11 a.m. Drop in. – Ready for Reading Family Time (19 months-5 years). Stories, songs, and rhymes for children with parents or caregivers. Wednesdays, May 4-25, 9:30-10 a.m. & 10:30-11 a.m. OUTSIDE GROUPS: – Leaside: Discover Your Heritage. Explore Ontario of yesterday and today with B arry Penhale and special guests. Tuesdays, May 3-31, 2-4 p.m. Marjorie McLeod 416425-1392.
LeasideLife issue 49_LeasideLifev1 16-04-20 9:04 PM Page 7
Erin Armstrong Exhibition. Opening Thursday, May 5, 5-9 p.m. Continues through May 14. Arte Embassy, 128 Industrial St., Unit 219. Leaside Lawn Bowling Club. Open house, Friday, May 13, 7-9 p.m. and Saturday, May 14, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 190 Hanna Rd. Refreshments and fun. Everyone welcome. LeasideBowls.ca. Northlea United Church. Spring to New Life. Saturday, April 30. An evening of song and story. Featured guests Theresa Tova, David Warrack, Cara Matthew and friends. Hosted by David Sparrow. Special appearance by Leaside Singers, a collaboration of local choirs. Jazz Vespers favourites Rob Rowe & Kelly Arrey. Silent Auction offering array of “time & talent� and gift items from local businesses and Northlea community members. Doors open 6:30 p.m. to view auction items. Performance starts at 7:30 p.m.
Ba Bayview yview & Fleming F le m in g 1601 Bayview Bayview Ave Ave Toronto Toronto ON ON M4G M4G 3B5 3B 5 416-489-1873 416 489 1873
St. Anselm’s Church. Spring Fling Craft and Vendor Show, St. Anselm’s Church Hall, 1 MacNaughton Rd., Sunday, May 1, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Shop local craft vendors, gift baskets, baking and BBQ. Leaside United Church. Awesome Sale. Friday, May 13, 3-7 p.m. and Saturday, May 14, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. 13 departments selling treasures, trinkets, books, clothing, 1,000s of pre-sorted quality items. 822 Millwood Rd. Drop in. St. Augustine's Church. 1847 Bayview Ave. – Dinner on the Orient Express, Saturday, May 14, 6 p.m. Tickets $40. 416-485-2656 or saintaugustine.ca. – The Groove Room Coffee House, St. Augustine Church, Friday, May 13, 7-8:30 p.m. Monthly event with live music by local artists. Featuring performances by Mimi. $5 includes coffee and dessert. All proceeds towards a Syrian refugee family. Augustine@bellnet.ca Leaside High Parent Workshop. Sara Westbrook presents. 3+1 Habits of Resilient Families. Teach your child to meet life’s challenges. Tuesday, May 10, 7-8:30 p.m. Leaside High School. 4th Annual Scugog Music Night. Fundraiser by Leaside United Church to send 30+ kids to camp. Wednesday, May 18, 7 p.m. Capitol Event Theatre, 2492 Yonge St. Good food and music. Tickets $100 or $50 if 25 or under. To purchase, http://bit.ly/20zBfsC
To advertise in Leaside Life: 416-486-7387 www.leasidelifenews.com We deliver to all homes, apartments and businesses in the M4G postal area.
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Lea Talk — Leaside Architecture: The Path to Modernization. Tuesday, May 3, 7-9 p.m. Amsterdam Brewery Event Space, 45 Esander Dr. Learn how design can support modern living while maintaining the community qualities Leaside is known for.
Leaside Life, May 2016
– Leaside Garden Society. Barry Porteous speaking on rock gardens. Thursday, May 12. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Plant sale at Trace Manes Park, Saturday, May 14, 9 a.m.-12 noon. 416-422-0538 or leaside@gardenontario.org. ___
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If it’s a YOU, our dining critics fish place, don’t order hamburger “There is a well-known axiom within the realm of food and beverage that advises (or cautions) patrons of establishments to stick to the house's themed cuisine; it’s one I would have been better to have listened to,” said Marc Etherington. On a recent Tuesday, Etherington and two friends — Susan Bardi and Caryl Patrick — sat down to partake in all the good things Olde Yorke Fish & Chips, on Laird, had to offer, including the usual packed house. While Etherington wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about his meal, his dinner companions were much happier with theirs.
Susan Bardi, left, Caryl Patrick and Marc Etherington at Olde Yorke Fish & Chips We give $100 to help pay for a meal for three Leasiders at any restaurant in our area, the M4G postal code, which includes Leaside, Bennington Heights and the Leaside Business Park (known also as the industrial area). Lesson learned. Stick to the house specialty. The fish and chips are not to be missed, said the other two. “I selected the halibut and chips. The fish was lightly battered and the inside was moist and tender. The
hand cut french fries were chunky and abundant. To complete the plate was a creamy coleslaw, crunchy and refreshing,” said Bardi. Halibut is a favourite at Olde Yorke, but Patrick went for the
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Dessert time. “For the adventurous try the decadent deep-fried Mars bar with vanilla ice cream. You won't regret it! It tasted every bit as good as it looked! Crispy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside,” said Bardi. Patrick ordered the homemade Key lime pie. She too was happy. “… there was little doubt that this dessert was, in fact, homemade. The generous portion of pie was creamy, sufficiently tart, full of visible lime zest, and came with fresh whipped cream on the side,” she said. For the most part, despite the burger snafu, all three diners were satisfied. Dinner service was slow at first but given it was 6 p.m. and busy despite being a Tuesday night, they said their waitress was pleasant, efficient, and accommodating. “Cozy and clean, this neighbourhood establishment lives up to its reputation for British style fish and chips! I would definitely go again even for the takeout,” said Bardi. “Pleasant pub-inspired interior and friendly, attentive staff make this a great spot for upscale-yet-casual meals for adults and families alike,” said Patrick. ■
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Leaside Life, May 2016
healthier broiled haddock. She didn’t regret it. “For those on low-calorie/lowcarb diets (or just desiring lighter fare), the Weight Watcher dinner of broiled haddock is highly recommended. The lightly-seasoned haddock filet was moist and succulent, served with a fresh bun and a choice of side salad (garden, Caesar or Greek). “This dinner stands on its own as an appealing choice for anyone: it was flavourful and comprised of generous portions; it definitely did not feel like a diet compromise,” she said. Etherington’s choice was based both on a diet concern and the decision to seek variety for a full review. “Perhaps the kindest description of the burger,” he said, “was that its shape closely resembled round, and past that it was quite lacking in any tasteful attributes. This might be a result of being way overcooked and void of any seasoning. “It was going to be a challenge to extract any eating enjoyment out of this orphan patty and road warrior tactics became necessary. To the credit of the staff, my request for an inordinate amount of condiments was granted without delay, or grimace. It could thereafter be classified as a 'smothered' burger.”
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By JETHRO SEYMOUR April and May are considered our busiest months so expect very large prices in Leaside and Bennington Heights this spring. For example, some sales that have already happened: Several homes sold that would be considered building lots. A Bennington Heights home went for lot value of $1,775,000. It has a 50- x 95-foot lot. South Leaside saw several homes with 30-foot frontages sell above $1.5 million. A bungalow on Leacrest sold for almost $1.4 million. Semi-detached homes don’t offer rebuilding, but they are leading the pack with a 19.6 percent annual increase over last year. So far the first quarter values are up 17.3 percent over 2015’s first quarter. Even so, a two-bedroom semi sold for $965,000 in North Leaside. If you have a semi-detached home in Leaside, now might be a good time to consider selling. The number of detached home sales has been rising slowly in the last three months, along with prices. The year-to-year value increase was only 2.2 percent, but most homes are getting multiple offers. On the high end one home sold for 19 percent above asking price. Expect the same this spring. __
Leaside Life, May 2016
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Look for higher home prices
Jethro Seymour is a broker at Johnston & Daniel. All figures are from the Toronto Real Estate Board’s Multiple Listing Service. ■ LEASIDE SALES BY STREET 2015 VS 2016 YTD
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THIS IS MY LEASIDE This is where I want to live. Where kids and dogs rule the playground, and tennis is the neighbourhood’s national sport. Where shops and restaurants are right around the corner, and finding a quiet green space is a walk in the park. Bayview and Eglinton has always been a place that people want to move up to. And when we get here, there’s nowhere else we would rather live. Because this is my home. This is my Leaside.
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SURVEY Leaside Life, May 2016
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From Page 1
There have been over 2,250 responses, a very high response rate. What are residents’ greatest concerns about the highrise proposal for 939 Eglinton East? Eighty-five percent of respondents say traffic increase and congestion. Sixty-seven percent also worry about the (lack of) capacity of local schools to accommodate the children who would be living in the new buildings. Clearly, the vast majority of Leasiders are concerned about its potential impact on our sense of community. Many of you added long and thoughtful comments, which we appreciate very much. As the survey’s preamble states, the Planning Act requires municipalities to consider residents’ opinions. Your participation has been extremely valuable. Thank you for your participation. As an aside, 72 percent also report that it was articles in Leaside Life, in advance of the survey being distributed, which made them aware of the proposed development in the first place. ■
LRT may kill buses on Eglinton Picture this: It’s 2021 and the new Eglinton LRT is finally operating. The years of digging, noise and disruption during its construction are over. You emerge from the underground LRT station at Bayview Ave.at mid-afternoon, to wait for a bus that will take you along Eglinton to Rumsey, to pick up your child from Northlea school. Or to get to your doctor’s office, located halfway between Bayview and Mt. Pleasant. You wait. And you wait. No bus. Or, it’s evening. You live halfway between Bayview and Laird, a few blocks north or south of Eglinton. Perhaps it’s raining. Or snowing. Or you’re tired, and you decide to catch a bus to get you closer to home. No bus is in view. So you wait. And you wait. Eventually you give up waiting and set off on foot. Or perhaps you give up on public transit entirely and decide to use your car more often. Currently there are numerous bus routes along Eglinton, so there is frequent service. After the LRT is complete, this is no longer likely to
Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LPOA
be the case. The LPOA has heard that the TTC hopes to reap savings by reducing or virtually eliminating surface transit along Eglinton, under the theory that we won’t need it once the LRT is open. But we WILL still need surface transit, to connect us to where we need to go. The LRT stations are not within comfortable walking distances. We still need local buses to carry local passengers to points in between. If bus service on Eglinton is infrequent, the street will not only be less convenient to use; it will also become less safe for pedestrians, especially at night. Picture Sheppard Ave: ever since the Sheppard subway opened, the street is often like an empty canyon, by day and by night. Lots of cars, but
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Leaside Life, May 2016
if there are any buses it’s hard to find anyone who’s witnessed them! It would be ironic if, after all of the problems residents had to live through during its construction, the LRT would actually make transit less accessible, less available and less convenient than it is now. The LPOA will be approaching the TTC to make this point, and to do what we can to ensure that this scenario doesn’t happen. Next month I hope to bring you more news and information regarding the controversial proposals to change the city’s ward boundaries, details about a June 21 LPOA public meeting about traffic calming, and the new south Bayview bus service which is due to start in late June. In the meanwhile, feel free to attend any of our monthly Board meetings. The LPOA board meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month, at the Trace Manes building on Rumsey Rd., near Leaside Library and the tennis courts. These meetings are open to the public. We encourage you to attend, whether with questions or issues on which you’d like advice, or just to listen in. Our next meeting is on Wednesday, May 4. You can always reach us at lpoa.ca. ■
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A crisis ‘unleashed by the… LRT… is the result of the structural demographic deficit wrought by the amalgamation of the six boroughs of the old Metropolitan Toronto in 1988.’ James G. Heller A crisis is threatening the welfare and quality of life of my beloved Leaside. The threat arises from the tsunami of proposed and yet to be disclosed redevelopment projects unleashed by the Crosstown LRT. I believe this crisis is the result of the structural democratic deficit wrought by the amalgamation of the six boroughs of the old Metropolitan Toronto in 1998 creating the new City of Toronto. At the time, the justification for amalgamation was based on the savings that would come from combining borough administrations into centralized city departments. Leaving aside for the moment the question of whether this increase in efficiency has been accompanied by an even greater loss in administrative effectiveness, I ask the more pertinent question: Has amalgamation led to the loss of democratic representation by Toronto communities like Leaside, which struggle to make their concerns heard and defended at City Hall? The indisputable answer to this question has to be a resounding Yes! The amalgamation buried Leaside with one representative councillor among 43 other councillors. Our councillor is tasked with representing multiple communities in his ward. This centralization of authority impairs Leaside’s voice leaving it vulnerable to lobbyists acting on behalf of developers. Jennifer Keesmaat, the city’s chief planner, gave a presentation entitled Planning for Leaside after the Crosstown LRT, at a packed Nov. 24 town hall meeting at the Leaside Memorial Gardens. It precipitated too many compelling questions and arguments from the audience for her to address in the time allotted. Nevertheless, she was resolute in her declaration that the city’s Official Plan (OP), approved by city council, is the blueprint guiding her planners and all development applications. The ambiguities and deficiencies
LETTERS leasidelife@gmail.com Letters may be edited. in the OP have invited development applications wildly exceeding any reasonable expectations for our neighbourhoods (e.g. 660 Eglinton Ave. East, 939 Eglinton Ave. East, 146150 Laird Dr.). Since we are only at the beginning of the construction phase of the Crosstown LRT, we can expect that numerous new applications will materialize to fill in the areas as yet unclaimed by developers but deemed available for redevelopment in the OP. The opportunities for exploitation will simply multiply. Consider the defence of our community through appeals of individual project applications to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). When the Leaside Property Owners’ Association (LPOA) appeals developer applications to the OMB, it is forced to raise adequate funding often to cover its legal costs. Why are its appeals often dependent on private financial subscription (i.e. passing the hat) with no public assistance in place to defend the community’s interests against the developer’s wellfinanced planners and lawyers? Isn’t this a matter of natural justice? With these nagging concerns in mind, I request that Premier Wynne and Mayor Tory consider two proposals carefully crafted to set in motion processes that will hopefully mitigate the worst impacts of the Crosstown LRT and restore good governance to our city and effective democratic representation to beleaguered communities like Leaside. Proposal 1: The city implement an immediate moratorium on development proposals and applications
associated with the Crosstown LRT in order to address all deficiencies in the OP, including the absence of effective community consultation. A moratorium would provide essential breathing space to allow for the review and completion of the OP and other key planning policy (e.g. for micro-neighbourhoods impacted by multiple development applications) that can pass rigorous review as well as the revamping of planning policies and procedures to allow for effective community consultation. Proposal 2: The Government of Ontario begin deliberations, including provision for broad consultations with affected communities in Toronto, to prepare new legislation to be tabled before our provincial parliament to effect the de-amalgamation of the City of Toronto into representative boroughs similar to and perhaps identical with those existing within the former Metropolitan Toronto. This proposal would give expression to and defend the democratic interests of Toronto communities like Leaside. In the recent past, other Canadian cities such as Montreal and Headingley, Manitoba (previously absorbed into a larger Winnipeg), have responded positively to critics of amalgamation with successful de-amalgamation initiatives. The growing impacts wrought by the Crosstown LRT have made apparent the fact Leaside’s quality of life is being sacrificed to private gain for developers and public gain through increased tax revenues, and all this to facilitate public transit in the city. This is a perverse application of utilitarianism: sacrificing a community’s welfare for the city’s greater good. Please ask yourselves: Is the misery arising from building a city on the backs of communities like Leaside worth the result? James G. Heller, 1 Berney Cres.
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First time two Flames teams made the finals
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For the first time anyone can recall, two Leaside Flames teams made their respective provincial championship tournaments this year, representing the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) against the regional champs from other parts of the province. They both did well, but fell just short of winning it all. The Bantam As finished second in the round robin tournament format, the Peewee As in a three-way tie for first, forcing a play-off where they ended up third. The Peewee tournament was held in Mississauga while the Ban-
SANDRA KING
By ALLAN WILLIAMS
Coaches David Jerome (left) and John MacBain instruct their GTHL-champ Peewee A Leaside Flames at the provincial championship tournament in Mississauga on April 10. tams had to travel further to Hearst, Ontario, a 10-hour drive north of Toronto in good conditions, "but with an overnight stop in North Bay and a late-winter snowstorm, it took the Leaside boys nearly 24 hours to make the trip," said LHA executive Rob Thomson.
Both age groups won the GTHL East title, then defeated the GTHL West and Mississauga champs to move on to the provincial tourney where their opponents were the champs from three other leagues (OMHA, NOHA, and Alliance) as well as a team from the host community. ■
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This 101-year-old romantic still writes poetry Leaside Life, May 2016
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MEET YOUR NEIGHBOUR By FRANK JONES We have been here before. In September 2013 Lorna Krawchuk wrote an engaging article in Leaside Life about George Hart who writes poetry. At that time George was only 99. Now he is 101. His friends expect he will make it to 102 next October -- no sweat. Not much has changed for George. He goes for a daily walk in his Leaside neighbourhood. And most days he either writes a poem – usually a love poem – or translates French verse, sometimes centuries old. Once a week, Rosel, his caregiver, comes by and sings for him sweetly. As she leaves, she gives him a kiss. He smiles and declares later, "I am a romantic. I always have been." In recent years he has charted his life in poetry. In a poem titled Birth he writes: My young mother sang to me Lolling in the sweet sea of her womb. "Here I am," then I cried And gulped the salt air. That would have been in Charlottetown in 1914. A lifetime later, in 1973, he and his late wife, Jean, parents of six, moved to Rumsey Rd. Today he lives at SAHIL(Stay at Home in Leaside), a seniors' building at Bayview and McRae. "My father was English, educated in France. It's because of my father's influence that I read a lot. I started university (in PEI), but we were poor, I had to break off." He taught in a country school, frustrated that Canadian history was so ill-served. "There was a little red book of 90 pages – and that was Canadian history." So he wrote a history of PEI, had it printed privately and sold it for 25 cents a copy. He was 20. He went back to university, got an MA in English and served in the Canadian Navy in World War II. Afterwards, he applied for a reporting job at the Halifax Herald. But with a wife and two children to support, the $25 salary offered was not enough. George would hold important jobs in social services – he was exec-
George Hart utive director of Toronto's Social Planning Council - but he always had the writing urge. He wrote of the 400-year history of his mother's family in North America; and there was Transcontinental Pedestrians, a book about a Canadian sea-to-sea walking race that took place in 1906 and that might yet inspire a movie script. But it was only with Jean's sudden death from a stroke in 2005 that poetry moved to the centre of his life. Memorably in: My love went a-walking Left her paintings on the walls Left her song book and silent keys And came not home again... My love went a-walking She did not know to say goodbye She did not know to say goodbye And came not home again. "It was a huge shock. I poured out my grief in poems," he recalls. Lonely years followed. Then he moved to SAHIL, "this Leaside haven we enjoy," he called it one poem. And he met Mary MacMillan, who also writes poetry. .
Quick from my lips words sprung, "Oh Mary, you look so young." You will find the two of them of a Saturday night in a room stacked with books. "When I hear your voice," he recites, "my heart wakens, is young." Or she'll phone him from her home: "Have you seen the moon?" And, he says, "I will go and look." His age, he says, is no burden but "a tremendous gift. A person is very lucky to be in reasonably good health." He continues to self-publish his poems for friends – there are five collections so far. Why still write and translate? He is often lonely. "It makes the day pass," he says. It also, of course, keeps his mind blackbirdsharp. And it allows him to look at his own remarkable life with playful humour. A recent poem seems much on his mind. Ancient's Valentine, it's called. Pushing this walker beside you Is not my idea of gallantry. I am old as the chaff On the threshing floor And should be blown away. And he concludes:
By chance I went calling On a lady And forgot my dark pain,
A cane only will I use, If you will hold my hand. ■
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LeasideLife issue 49_LeasideLifev1 16-04-20 9:05 PM Page 18
COMPLAINT Leaside Life, May 2016
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From Page 1
transpired before and during the OMB hearing have led the LPOA to make an official complaint about the conduct of the Board Member: “In the interests of justice and fairness, we request that the Environment and Land Tribunal Ontario review the conduct of the adjudicator in this case”. What is the subject of the official complaint? First, in our view, the Board Member should have recused herself as adjudicator for this hearing, since she was the adjudicator for a previous hearing involving the LPOA following which the LPOA submitted a complaint regarding her conduct. Second, the LPOA and residents were in our view deprived of their right to a fair hearing, and any possibility of reclaiming that right, given the Board's decision to refuse the LPOA’s request that it be given (higher level) Party status, as opposed to (lower level) Participant status. The case involved an appeal by the developer (VIVA Retirement Communities) of the City of Toronto’s refusal of a zoning by-law amendment to permit the construction of an eight-storey
rental retirement building and an eight-storey condominium intended for seniors. It proposed the partial demolition of a heritage office building (150 Laird), the former headquarters of the Durant Motor Car Company, and the demolition of the other office building (146 Laird). To try and make a long story short: • The LPOA registered as a Participant at a pre-hearing conference (September 2015) but left open its request to become a Party if required. • The LPOA supported the city’s staff report that recommended refusal of the application, which was approved by city council later in September 2015. • The LPOA agreed with the city’s Issues List and told the OMB that it would not (need to) request Party status. • The LPOA (together with 10 other Participants) submitted its Participant Statement as required (Jan. 29, 2016). • The LPOA met with city staff on Feb. 1 and learned that the city had agreed to settle with the applicant on two key issues (heritage, traffic and
transportation). • The LPOA wrote city legal staff, copy to the OMB, requesting information on the “settlement” and put the city, the applicant and the OMB on notice that the LPOA would be forced to formally request Party status at the hearing, as a result of the city’s settlement. • On Feb. 26, the last business day before the hearing, plans “issued for OMB settlement” were provided to the LPOA by the city. • At the hearing on Feb. 29, at the first opportunity, the LPOA requested of the Board Member (1) deferral of the hearing due to the apparent settlement of heritage, and traffic and transportation between the applicant and the city; and (2) that the LPOA be accorded Party status. • The Member refused the request to defer on the grounds that it would disrupt the hearing that had started, and refused the LPOA request to become a Party. • The Member stated that in the circumstances we needed to have filed a motion after being advised that the city had partially settled with the
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So we wait for the outcome, whatever it is. But given the unfair situation, the LPOA will be considering its options and may decide to take this further. What would you do in the circumstances? Those with the biggest stake in the outcome are of course the residents of Randolph. We thank them for their strong support and active role in the hearing. We also thank Paul Denter, president of the Lincoln Continental Owners Club of Canada, for his assistance. Denter, a driver at Humphrey Funeral Home on Bayview, has an interest in pre-war cars that extends to the companies that built them here in Canada. He is concerned about losing Canadian car industry landmarks and was at the OMB to add a passion for automotive history to the hearing. ■
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applicant. The Member stated that if we wanted to object to her decision we could do so. • Later the same day, the LPOA requested the Member to clarify what she meant by “object”. She said that she was referring to the OMB Complaint Procedure, and that “you already know about this”. This indicated to me that the Board Member clearly recognized that she had been the subject of a previous complaint by the LPOA.
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432 LEASIDE BOMBER SQUADRON - PART 2
Special display for photo and old letter
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Part 2 of last month’s article on the 432 Leaside Bomber Squadron of World War II: The Leaside Gardens arena board has decided to move the photo of the painting and other memorabilia into a main viewing area. The photo, a sweater and a letter about it, written in 1986 to coincide with the unveiling of the painting at Bessborough Public School, will hang in the arena’s main office windows that face the rink. They had been on display at the school for a while, then vanished. In 2014 Mary Bailey, of Parkhurst Blvd., and Mary Lou Taylor, of Sutherland Dr., noticed they were gone. The veterans had previously applied for public display space, but were unsuccessful. The two women found some of the items and at the end of 2015 applied to the arena for display space. They wrote to Leaside Life to say, “Elaine Snider, a member of the board, facilitated the acceptance of our application. The board of Leaside Gardens generously covered the cost of restoration and reframing of the sweater and the photograph. Special thanks to Elaine for her time and expertise. “We are delighted that the mem-
orabilia is finally on display again in Leaside for the community.” The letter, from Len Hossie, secretary of the 432 Squadron Reunion Committee, says: TO THE GOOD PEOPLE OF LEASIDE: Dear Folks, this turtle necksweater is being returned to Leaside with the following comments. Mr. Leo Loppe, of Port Elgin, Ontario was a Halifax bomber pilot with the 432 Leaside Squadron and he wrote to us as follows: “As I can recollect, I think I received this sweater in November or December, 1944. There was a large
quantity distributed and we were told that they had been knitted by the ladies of Leaside. I think I wore it on every succeeding operation. I still remember my neck got sore as I turned my head from side to side searching the skies for any aircraft with which we might collide. I hope the people of Leaside can find a use for it”. It must have been a good sweater, because it is being returned 42 years later. This is just one of the 432 Squadron fellows who chose this method to express his thanks to the people of Leaside who sent so many different comforts, be they soap, chocolate bars, cigarettes, dusters and clothing from pajamas to sweaters. We all wish we had such a tangible way of showing our appreciation. The 432 Leaside Squadron Reunion Committee have instructed me to extend to Bessborough Public School and all those involved, our sincere thanks for making it possible to establish this connection and for accepting these small nostalgic items. We hope that many generations will have these to remind them of the contributions made by those at home for those in uniform overseas. ■
Squadron renamed after Leasider died in crash
Harold Wilmer Kerby
The 432 Leaside Bomber Squadron was named after a Leaside resident died in a World War II crash, along with three other crew members, over Hamburg, Germany on July 30, 1943. Harold Wilmer Kerby was only 26 at the time but already had made great achievements, including founding the squadron only two months previously. It had been called the Fox squadron, but the name was changed when Leaside adopted it in November that year. Kerby had been the youngest officer (23) in the RCAF to be promoted to squadron leader in December 1940, and was promoted a year later to wing commander. He also served as Air Marshal W.A. Bishop’s special assistant while
the World War I fighter ace visited RAF bases in England. Kerby’s success started early. He had obtained his pilot’s licence in 1934 at the age of 17, at the time the youngest person in Canada to do so. He attended Upper Canada College on a scholarship and graduated at 16 winning the Governor General’s medal. He graduated from Trinity College at the University of Toronto with a degree in political science, while at the same time founding its varsity flying club. He then studied law at Osgoode Hall where he was a second-year student when the war broke out. He enlisted in the RCAF three days later. He is buried in the Hamburg Cemetery. ■
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Neighbours gang up against monster home Leaside Life, May 2016
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10 ‘MINOR VARIANCES’ JUDGED NOT TO BE MINOR You get a notice in the mail about a Committee of Adjustment hearing for 10 “minor variances” for the house next door. Oh, and by the way, the existing house will be demolished. So what do you do? Well, if you are like Allan Parkin you go door to door to each of your neighbours up and down the street, and explain what this means, your concerns, and why they should be concerned as well. You get them to write letters of opposition, copy to the councillor, and, yes, today you use social media (“Monster Home New Build Application”) to get community attention to your plight. So Parkin enumerated a long list of concerns on the Leaside Community Facebook about his neighbour’s application for 33 Sharron and the impacts of construction on his property and the adjoining property: It would
Geoff Kettel
Saving old Leaside • build an out-of-character monster home that would blight Leaside streets permanently and create precedents for the next house in Leaside to be even bigger, at the expense of everyone, but especially the adjoining homes; • dig basements deeper than adjoining foundations very close to these foundations, leaving adjoining neighbours to risk structural integrity undermined by the excavations; • expose foundations and weeping tile, leaving adjoining homes with risks of water in their basements; • trespass on the adjoining properties, because building without trespass is impossible, while resisting any requests for a security deposit or proof of insurance, before allowing access to adjoining properties. Further, Parkin stated that “this bullying of law abiding homeowners and taxpayers is going on everywhere in the city and will get worse as more developers become convinced that the legal, planning and regulatory frameworks only apply to other people. In this case it is happening to me, it has happened to many people and it can happen to you unless we unify to stop it”. There’s lots more on Allan’s Facebook post about his meetings with the owners and their “builder”, and what in polite circles is called a lack of “transparency” about their identity and their plans. So what is behind this? Clearly the enormous financial gains to be made in real estate is causing a tsunami of change in our neighborhood. And there is more. As Leah McLaren said in an April 8 weekend Globe and Mail, “When your neighbourhood becomes so ‘desirable’ the only thing you can buy is a $3 million house, something is very wrong”. Well, Leaside is not there yet, but Jethro Seymour, Leaside Life’s
intrepid real estate writer, recently reported Leaside’s first $3 million sale. We read the revelations of tax avoidance through offshore tax havens and wonder if, like Vancouver and London, the feeding frenzy in Toronto is being driven by offshore money seeking a safe haven. In a March 23 Globe and Mail article, real estate reporter Tamsi McMahon reported on an analysis by economists whose research showed that as many as one-third of all home purchases in the Vancouver region last year and 14 per cent in Toronto came from buyers in China. This week a flyer came in the mailbox from “your Leaside realtor with local and global buyers and investors” offering “global connections with foreign buyers”. It appears that Leaside real estate has gone international, and affordability for local buyers is the likely loser. Now let’s get back to 33 Sharron’s date at the Committee of Adjustment. Allan Parkin and the neighbours trooped to North York Civic Centre for the committee. After seeming an eternity the Sharron item came up, the arguments were made, and the item came back to the committee. A motion was made to refuse the variances, and it passed. All variances were denied. The relief was palpable. In the written decision the committee stated “the variances are not minor”. But is this just stage one and we will likely be at the Ontario Municipal Board by summer? Well it seems not this time. I learned today that the owner, Regina Volovik,has put the property up for sale on MLS. Let’s hope the new owner will be more respectful of the neighbours and the neighbourhood. I guess we can always hope but if Parkin and the neighbours have to fight again, they will. Just before going to press I spoke to Parkin. He would like to acknowledge the enormous support from his street neighbours, the community and the LPOA. It is a community victory. ■
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Two views of the Crestview Apartments
Low rise defines Leaside’s physical character With the physical character of Leaside under continuing attack from high rise condominium apartment developers these days, it is reassuring to drive along Moore Ave. to see the low rise Crestview Apartments, a complex comparable to the low rise Talbot apartments on Bayview Ave. Both are part of what defines the physical character of the Leaside community. The Crestview Apartments were built on a 10-acre site then located across the road from the Town of Leaside at the east end of Bennington Heights in the Township of East York. Before Lawrence Construction purchased the property in 1949, it assured itself that sewers and water-mains had been installed to properly service the site. Hopefully the city of Toronto has assured itself that adequate services including schools are in place before it has even considered any of the recent condo proposals. The Crestview complex was built by Lawrence Construction, which is the name I knew first as a child and in later years. At some point it became Crestview Apartments. It consists of 22 separate buildings located at 30 to 75 Leacrest Rd. and 57 to 93 Mallory Cres. with 8 or 10 units in each building totalling 180 large and well maintained suites in an equally well maintained parklike setting. Both Lawrence Construction and Crestview were owned by the Grant
Alan Redway Former East York mayor and federal cabinet minister
family, and still are, who recently donated a considerable sum of money towards the construction of the new rink at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens that has now been named the Bert F. Grant rink. When you call the Crestview head office and ask to speak to Bert Grant, the receptionist asks, which one? There are two Bert Grants active with the company. At one time there were four of them. Bert Howard Grant, a carpenter, immigrated to Canada with only a box of tools to his name. In the 1920s he started building houses, then commercial stores and eventually an apartment complex at Yonge and Lawrence. His son Bert Fredrick Grant took up where his father left off. It was he who built the Crestview Apartments together with all the single family homes on both sides of Leacrest Rd. (then known as Talbot Rd.), including the house at the corner of Rolph Rd., 101 Leacrest Rd. That house was originally located partly in Leaside and partly in East York. Long-time residents may recall
that this was the home for many years of the late Margaret Hunt, a Leaside icon and community activist. Today Bert Fredrick’s son Bert Alexander Grant is the chairman of the board of directors while his grandson Bert Cameron Grant is the president and CEO of the companies. Some will also remember the battle of Mallory Cres. which took place next door to the Crestview Apartments in 1966-67, when high rise apartment developers Cadillac and Belmont Construction applied to East York council to rezone 10½ acres of land south of Moore and east of Bayview, including the Mallory Cres. road allowance, to permit the construction of three 22storey and two 29-storey apartment buildings. That proposal would have replaced 46 single family homes, all of which are still there today, along with 1,382 apartment units. Residents of both Leaside and East York, which merged in 1967, went to war over that and won the battle at the Ontario Municipal Board. In those days the OMB sided with residents, today it sides with developers. The Crestview Apartments property was not part of that rezoning proposal. And today, it is most reassuring to hear CEO Bert C. Grant say that Crestview has no plan to redevelop its site. Reassuring that is until he adds that developers are always calling him. ■
Ward 26 Compost Day will be held Saturday, May 14, at Leaside Community Gardens Arena, 1073 Millwood Rd., 9:30am to noon. Hosted by the City of Toronto & Councillor Jon Burnside.
LeasideLife issue 49_LeasideLifev1 16-04-20 9:06 PM Page 25
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LINDSAY BLAKELY
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2 hours for 25 years makes a fixture By LINDSAY BLAKELY He doesn’t live in Leaside. He spends just over two hours a day here. Yet Jose Ginete Jr. is a neighbourhood fixture. That’s because for the last 25 years, he has worked as a school crossing guard. And every bit of that time at the same corner – Eglinton Ave. and Rumsey Rd. “When you see kids have crossed the street safely, that’s your happiness,” he says. The 74-year-old came to Toronto from the Philippines in 1990 and began work as a crossing guard in 1991. In his native country, Ginete Jr. was a grade school teacher, but when he arrived in Toronto he was told he would have to study full-time for two years if he wanted to teach here. As a family man, that wasn’t an option. He had to find work. “I miss being a teacher,” he says. “But I am happy still seeing kids go to school.” This was the first job he got and he hasn’t looked back. Something parents and kids are thankful for. Joey – as they call him - is a familiar face on the daily walk to and from school. A face that isn’t easily forgotten either. He says kids he used to help cross who have now graduated from university come back every once in awhile just to say hello. They always exclaim, “You’re still here!”
Aside from the thank-yous and occasional jokes, the weather comes up in conversation a lot. So how does he stay comfortable in the elements? Lots of layers and a helping hand from the family who lives on the corner. “They are good to me,” he says. Ginete Jr. used to walk their three boys across the street, starting when the youngest was in a stroller. Now, they are grown but the bond remains. The family has set up a spot for him on their property, where he can store his belongings and sit down under a cover from the sun during breaks. He used to see a lot of accidents along Eglinton and he’s had one close call where he narrowly missed being hit by a car. He shrugs it off, saying he was just glad no one else was still in the intersection. “Once you accept this job, you are responsible for the kids so they are always safe and sound.” He finds the road busy at times but says construction has slowed things down. The worst he sees: cars running red lights. Ginete Jr. lives in Scarborough and has five kids and “only” 12 grandchildren. While he stands alone at his corner, when his shift is done, he has company. Many of the Leaside crossing guards hop on the bus and meet up in the concourse of the Yonge Eglinton Centre for coffee, lunch and conversation.
Police Constable Wai Lau, the school crossing guard coordinator for 53 Division, joins them once a month for a catch up. “They are great”, Lau says. “Dedicated and they do their best. I appreciate that they don’t need any supervision.” He sometimes fills in for them when they have an appointment and right away people want to know when the usual guard is coming back. There are eight crossing guards currently working in Leaside. One just started at Bessborough and McRae Dr. after a request from residents. It’s an important job keeping kids safe but it’s a tough position to fill. With just three short shifts that break up the work day, only certain people can commit. To get by, Ginete Jr. also worked the door at the Cumberland Theatre for seven years and he was a facility attendant at Trace Manes Community Centre for 22 years. He retired from there at the end of 2011. When he’s not protecting kids on the street, he is tending to his other passion – gardening. He grew up on a farm and says he loves growing vegetables and spending his summer outside on the soil. In April he was honoured at City Hall for his 25 years of service to the community. He takes it all in stride and says he doesn’t plan to blow the whistle just yet. As long as his health holds out, he will hold court at his corner for five more years. ■
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In Brief
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Leaside United gets new minister A special congregational meeting at Leaside United Church voted unanimously in March to appoint Rev. Emily Gordon its new minister. Gordon was ordained in June 2015 after serving a one-year internship at Kincardine United Church in southwest Ontario. Her previous ministerial experience includes serving seven months as a supply minister at Trinity-St. Paul’s in Toronto. She has a master’s degree in divinity from Emmanuel College and another in English from Simon Fraser University. Her first service with Leaside United was to be on May 1. JESSICA, NANCY, NIA
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Stickney Ave. to become official Stickney Ave. will soon be officially part of Leaside. The old Markham Ave., which runs between Airdrie Rd. and Laird Dr., will be renamed Sunday, May 15, at a noon ceremony to honour the late David Stickney, a lifelong Leaside resident, who died in May last year. The Stickney Memorial Committee, formed last year shortly after the death of the former Leaside High teacher and coach, filed the renaming application with the city last July. The committee has raised more than $15,000 to date, most of which will go to The Leaside Scholarship Fund.
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Chad and Alyssa are moving on!
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THE CHURCHES OF LEASIDE
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Driving ‘home’ to church in Leaside Avril Cude (Oglesby) left Leaside in 1966 at age 20 when she and her new husband Ken moved to Etobicoke to be closer to his high school teaching job. Their address over the years has changed but their weekly drive “home” to Leaside to attend Sunday services at St. Augustine’s has not. Avril Cude’s been a part of St. Augustine’s since its beginning. She and her husband have been tempted to move back to Leaside several times, but are happy in the west end. Her children with their families still attend the church and although they too do not live in Leaside and never have, Cude’s grandchildren are her family’s fifth generation to attend St Augustine’s and call it home. “I guess we could have moved to another parish near our homes but it has never really been a consideration,” says Cude. “It [St. Augustine’s] is home. I love it there. They are my family. Why would you leave your family? “My parents and I moved to Leaside (Parklea Dr.) in 1946. I was 2 years old. We immediately became part of St. Augustine’s. “My mother and father were ac-
AVRIL AND KEN CUDE tive in the choir and Sunday school. Dad was in the men's club as well. “During my teen years we had a very active AYPA (Anglican Young People’s Association) and we enjoyed the fellowship and activities that teens love – dances at the church and conference weekends away together. There were over 20 in the group while I was there. Lots of fun. “One of our younger members who grew up in the parish, Barry Curtis, became an ordained Anglican minister and eventually became the Bishop of Calgary and Metropolitan of Rupert’s Land. “Also for many years a faithful parishioner was William (Bill) Howland, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Ontario. “Classically trained singer Marc
Dubois grew up in the parish and became our choir director for several years and treated us to his wonderful voice regularly. “We moved to Sharron Dr. when I was 7 years old and that is the address from which I was married at age 20. “Canon Newman Bracken was the rock of the parish for over 30 years. A warm, loving man whose life's work was St. Augustine’s. “I remember his frequent unannounced visits to our home (and many other’s homes) usually around dinner hour. He would come and sit at our dinner table and enjoy a cup of tea while we would all chat. “The topics were sometimes speHOME, Page 31
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ST. AUGUSTINE 31
From Leaside, edited by Jane Pitfield In 1943, the Rev. Canon P. M. Lamb of St. Cuthbert's Church anticipated the post-war expansion of the Sunnybrook area. Consequently, he began to lay plans for the work of church extension in the northern portion of his parish. "This was a selfless venture of faith because he knew only too well that it would result in a substantial loss of membership for his parish." (From an 1996 memoir written by parishioners.) Within a year he had persuaded the Incorporated Synod of the Diocese of Toronto to purchase a site two blocks north of Eglinton Avenue on a quiet country lane known as Bayview Avenue on the outskirts of the Town of Leaside. On June 6, 1944 the site was purchased for $3,600.00. This plot of land had had variety of previous uses, as demonstrated: "In 1816 a wooden school house was constructed. It was used also as community centre." Much later: "Between 1913 and 1919 a water tower existed here to dispense water to the community." And later still: “When the tower was removed an apple orchard provided much needed sustenance." (All quotes from the same previous source.) A nucleus of worshippers began to gather at the home of Eric Palin, at the corner of Rumsey Road and Donlea Drive. He became the first churchwarden and his wife, Alice, began the Ladies' Service Guild. Mrs. Norman Pickering began the Sunday School. On April 28, 1946, services of worship, led by William Bothwell, a
HOME
Trinity College student, began in the basement corridor of Northlea School. The congregation was known as "St. Cuthbert's Northlea Mission." The church requested the name of St. Augustine of Canterbury in order to perpetuate the memory of the former church of this name, which had been located at Spruce and Parliament streets, but destroyed by fire much earlier. This request was granted. On January 19, 1947, Reverend G. I. B. Johnson replaced William Bothwell as Priest-in-Charge and, in May 1947, the parish was officially incorporated. A rectory was purchased at 38 Donlea Drive for the sum $12,500.00. The first Rector, Reverend H. Newman Bracken led the service on June 15, 1947 in the auditorium of Northlea School. Bruce, Brown and Brisley was to provide the architects for the new church (as the firm had
for Leaside Presbyterian Church) and the sod was turned October 3, 1948. On February 20,1949, the basement unit of the new St. Augustine of Canterbury, constructed at a cost $40,000.00, was opened by the Rt. Reverend A. R. Beverly. Four hundred and twenty-five people crowded in for the service and sixty-eight children squeezed into a back room with their teacher, Mrs. Phil Oglesby. By June 1950, an urgent appeal was made for a Nursery Wing to consist of two rooms north of the existing building. On St. Augustine's Day, May 26, 1951, this wing was officially dedicated by Reverend Canon P. M. Lamb. A great desire to expand the church above the basement led to a financial campaign being launched in 1953. Within two years, the congregation raised $111,000.00. On St. Augustine's Day in 1956, the Rt. Reverend F. H. Wilkinson, Lord Bishop of Toronto, laid the cornerstone and, on January 22, 1957, he officially opened the new church building. The cornerstone of the superstructure to the Nursery Wing was laid on May 26, 1960 and the Rt. Reverend G. B. Snell officially opened the completed church on November 27, 1960. "The church is constructed of stone taken from the valley of the Credit River and has a vertical gothic thrust along contemporary lines." (Same source as above.) Canon Bracken served St. Augustine's for thirty-five years while his wife, Alice Bracken, supervised the nursery department for twenty-eight years. In 1982, Reverend Canon John B. Hill became the new rector. He has served St. Augustines for 17 years and is still at the church in 1999. ■
basement of the church, which was the first part of the building built at Broadway and Bayview. The meeting hall in the basement was our worship space with the altar on the stage and stairs leading up to it at the front of the stage (they are still there). “It was also our socializing area. Chairs were used rather than pews. Once the money was raised to put
the top on the church and it was built the basement became the socializing space. A few years later the Sunday school meeting room wing was built on the north side of the church.” The church came full circle years later when the pews were removed in favour of portable chairs that provided greater flexibility in terms of seating arrangements. ■
From Page 30
cific but usually very generalized. He connected with us. He did that with all the parishioners. He loved us and we loved him.” Rector John Hill followed Bracken at the church and spent many years intertwined with Cude’s family, including officiating at several of her children’s weddings and her oldest grandson’s baptism. “I most vividly remember the
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St. Augustine Church ‘was a selfless venture’
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Last month my column was partly devoted to an update on Eglinton Connects, the plan for intensified land use for the Eglinton corridor. This month we look at progress (or rather the lack of progress), on the surface transportation realignment of the avenue. Eglinton Connects is a once-ina-generation opportunity to fight congestion and make Eglinton a safe, complete street for all users – pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and motorists of all ages and abilities. The plans are also intended to make Eglinton a green and beautiful street. The street designs for Eglinton Connects were worked out in meticulous detail through a community consultation process that took into account the needs of all of Eglinton’s users, and then unanimously approved by city council in 2014. Here are the main aspects of the plan. • The people-moving capacity of the avenue will be dramatically increased. The LRT can carry up to 15,000 people per hour per direction – the car lanes top out at 2,000. • Eglinton is not going down "from five to three lanes" as is sometimes claimed. Most of Eglinton has from two to four rush hour lanes with one or two rush hour bus/taxi lanes (which are for parking the rest of the time). The new plans have four rush hour full traffic lanes over most of Eglinton. In many places this is an increase in auto lanes over what exists today, and with many fewer buses on the street. • Fully separated bike lanes for the entire length of Eglinton – from Jane St. to Kennedy.
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Three events to highlight our history Leaside Matters, which wants to build on the goodwill created by the 2013 celebrations of Leaside’s 100th birthday, beings a series of three events on May 3 to highlight our history, character and architecture. The first, May 3, is LEA Talk at Amsterdam Brewery, on Esandar Dr., an examination of Leaside’s architecture and streetscapes, in conjunction with the Toronto Society of Architects. Called Leaside Architecture: The Path of Modernizaton, it will focus on our evolution into the 21st century and the garden city principles involved. The next event will be the Lea Walk/Jane’s Walk, Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7 (tours through neighbourhood streets) to illustrate the thinking behind Frederick Gage Todd’s concept for the garden city he created here in 1913. Walkers meet at the Leaside Library at 1 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday, The final event, on the same days, is LEA Exhibit in the library, a visual examination of Todd’s work, 1 to 5 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. LeasideMatters.ca.
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• Wider sidewalks with treed separation between sidewalks and bike lanes. The bike lanes are the really ground-breaking aspect of the plan. Build it and they will come. Separated lanes for cyclists will attract riders of all ages. Think how many schools there are within a baseball throw of Eglinton. While approved plans are in place, the funding to implement these street design changes is not yet in place. The federal Liberals’ new infrastructure stimulus fund, which was unveiled during their recent budget announcement, provides a one-time opportunity to do the job and ensure the funding is available so that the street improvements are coordinated with the opening of the LRT in 2020-21. Otherwise we will have improved the ride only for underground transit users, and not for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
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LeasideLife issue 49_LeasideLifev1 16-04-20 9:08 PM Page 34
Jon Burnside Councillor, Toronto Ward 26 Don Valley West
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Many people have never heard of Section 42 of the Planning Act but its value is enormous; it helps the city acquire new parkland as well as improve our existing parks. Section 42 is funded by the complicated formula of fees applied to various commercial and residential redevelopment projects. Shortly after I was elected, Parks staff presented me with a list of approved projects in our ward. One of these projects was to repave the parking lot at Leaside High School. Well, actually only two thirds of it as the remainder is owned by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). This seemed like a good idea until I discovered that the parking lot is actually "parkland" (the city owns all the playing fields surrounding the high school) and the funds for repaving were coming from our Parkland Improvement Budget. The estimated cost to repave our section of the lot was almost $150,000. While anyone who has parked a car at the high school will tell you the lot is in dire need of repair, I felt that there were more pressing needs. Parks and green space are vital urban necessities. Having seen the challenged state of Leonard Linton Park on Vanderhoof Ave. (across from Hyde Park in Leaside) as well as a lack of playground equipment for the large number of young children in the area, I decided to cancel the repaving project and instead use the money to improve Leonard Linton Park. Please go to my website www.ward26.ca if you would like to see the planned improvements which should commence this fall. Although the parking lot didn't receive a full facelift, thanks to the resourcefulness of city staff, it’s still received some of the needed repairs. ■
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Will Ashworth The business of Leaside
Listening to customers to succeed on Bayview Businesses on any commercial strip come and go. It's a fact of life. If you've operated on Bayview for a decent amount of time, you've seen the turnover first hand. A common refrain from tenants who aren't lucky enough to own the real estate on which they operate is that rents on the street remain high while traffic has declined as more businesses opt for Laird and environs. Like most challenges in life, it's not what happens to you that matters but rather how you react to this adversity. Naeem Memon, who operates Refuel Juicery on Bayview, in my opinion is a classic example of how good business people figure out a way to make things work despite serious challenges to their business models. Adapt or die. Memon opened his business in July 2014. It wasn't easy at first in part because a juice store right next to his current location had quickly opened and closed prior to him signing a lease. Residents were skeptical about his chances for success. People, they thought, don't want to pay $10 for a cold-pressed juice. Not in Leaside. But the entrepreneur didn't let that bother him. Instead, he listened to what people had to say, whether it was positive or negative. Customers wondered why the front service counter was set so far back in the store. My wife has 20-plus years in retail and she thought the store was closed because you couldn't see the counter from the street. So Memon moved it closer to the front. A fellow Bayview business owner recommended he change his yellow light bulbs to white ones providing a much nicer light for customers. Memon will openly tell you other examples of things he's changed based on customer feedback. Nothing was off limits; most importantly, he didn't take the comments and questions person-
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ally. He learned from them. However, none of these changes might have mattered if not for a chance visit three months into opening his store, by an Ajax man who happened to know the manager of the McEwan specialty grocery store at the Shops at Don Mills. What about wholesale? the man asked. Memon hadn't considered this option when planning the store's opening. If he'd been too stubborn to remain open to this opportunity, he might have done his business permanent harm. But he ran with it; the man set up a meeting and today, McEwan, along with other wholesale accounts such as the Four Seasons Hotel, represent 40 percent of Refuel’s revenue. But he didn't stop there. Eager to win over the younger demographic at Yonge and Eglinton, Memon opened a second store just north of the Royal Bank branch on Yonge St. Making healthy salads in that location combined with the coldpressed juices made on Bayview, it's about as much growth as he's prepared to entertain right now. At least, when it comes to brickand-mortar retail. And yet he still has something else up his sleeve that's delivering muchneeded revenue to cover the overhead from both retail locations. He's opened an online store that delivers juice across the GTA to retail customers at retail prices. It's a revenue stream that currently accounts for 10 percent of Refuel's overall business. While businesses such as Bite Me, which opened and closed on Bayview in less time than it takes to get a cup of coffee at Starbucks, fail to do what it takes to be successful, Memon continues to do whatever it takes to be a staple on the street for years to come. Is his business perfect? He'd be the first to tell you absolutely not. But, if you know somebody who's opening, or thinking about opening, a store on Bayview, tell them to visit Memon at Refuel Juicery; he's a beacon of hope on a street struggling for an identity. ■
WE’VE GOT ALL OF LEASIDE COVERED Leaside is growing, and Leaside Life with it. We’re now at a distribution of 9,000 copies. We deliver to all houses in the M4G area through the local firm Accurate Distributing, Laird Dr., and to all condos, apartments and businesses by the Post Office to all of M4G, including the Leaside Business Park, and to a small part of it that’s in the M4H postal area. No other local news publication does that.
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Lorna Krawchuk Publisher Leaside Life
looking forward to completing a turquoise scarf. A milliner, several primary school special education teachers, a high school guidance counsellor, a corporate interior designer, a risk management specialist, several librarians, an archivist, a child protection worker, professional food writer, children’s book author… a group with many working-life skills. They also teach Zumba, sing in church choirs or with a volunteer choir, paint, travel, cook for fun and read. Some are life-long Torontonians. Others arrived here via Italy, United Arab Emirates, Finland, northern England, northern Ontario or Niagara Falls. So, the chatting is not only about where to shop for yarn, good websites for patterns or techniques, resources in the library or which kind of needles work best.
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One morning a topic was where to buy and use Presto cards. Often there are critiques of the latest debates from the U.S. presidential races. Or good trails in the Don Valley system, and cleaning up the debris in the valley. Travellers head off on trips and return a few weeks later to pick up where they left off, both with the conversations and with their needlework. A couple of crocheted lap robes are in progress, one for Cynthia’s adult daughter in a wheelchair, another to go to Pam’s family cottage using only wool from her late mother’s collection. Linda just learned to knit, and now is on hat #3. Among the experienced knitters there are many pairs of socks being made. Some on four needles, some on a circular needle, some from the heel down, some from the toe up. Who knew? And now that spring is supposed to be here, the lacy, summer creations are starting to appear – shawls and intricate knit tops in bright summer colours. Care to join us? ■
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Friday mornings at the Leaside Library: Usually about 10 women around the tables in the Community Room – knitting, crocheting, rug hooking, whatever, something crafty and portable they’ve brought with them. No men in this group, although we know there are some who do this sort of thing and they would be welcome to join us. Ida, Maureen, Raila, Angela, Carolyn… all coming because being with this group is an important part of the week. The words may be different, but the sentiment is similar – “a great mix of people”, “supportive”, “great way to bounce ideas around and see what others are doing”, “good for my brain”, “everyone welcome”. About a year ago staff at the Leaside Library brainstormed about new program possibilities and thought of needlework as one. A sign-up sheet followed, and the first group assembled. Since this is a library program, there is a staff member assigned to work with us: Sangeetha, who recently transferred into the branch, is
Leaside Life, May 2016
New possibilities for life in our library
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DO YOU KNOW A GREAT SPORTS LEADER, VOLUNTEER OR ATHLETE? Nominations are now open for the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame and Athlete of the Year, 2016. Visit leasidesports.com to nominate or for eligibility criteria. Deadline is June 3, 2016.
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