No. 7 • June 2012
Leaside Life
Exorcizing the Ghost __ P-21
Anticipation and concern run high for By ANDREA VILLIERS Leaside is changing rapidly, with many people looking forward to a “new” community, but it is still a work in progress and many other people are worried about the course it’s taking. Brian Athey, president of the Leaside Property Owners’ Association, is concerned about the dramatic scope and rapid rate of retail development: “In recent years, City Council has progressively approved the conversion of designated employment lands to almost 500,000 square feet of big box retail uses on Laird Dr., creating one of the single largest retail nodes in the City of Toronto,” he says. The latest big store announcement is for Bayview, north of Eglinton, at the former Brennan car dealership, where Whole Foods will have 50,000 square feet. It will be in a two-storey commercial building with below grade parking for 197 cars and 29 bicycles. Merchants on Bayview south of Eglinton fear losing business to the big box stores. Stanley Janecek, owner of White House Meats on Bayview, says, “It’s a challenge running a small business on your own. I know those malls on Laird will have people looking after marketing.
OUR NEW LEASIDE “People are not going to travel from the Laird malls to Bayview. It’s not going to drive people here.” On Laird, Leaside Village is slated to open late this summer or early fall. The 122,500 square foot retail mall has already signed several new tenants, including the Beer Store, Bulk Barn, PetValu, Longos, Supercuts, Against the Grain, Booster Juice and CIBC. Built on eight acres, the mall will offer parking for 400 cars. Opening before the end of this year is the new Gyro Hyundai building just south of the existing SmartCentre. The 1.2 acre site will feature a 17,300 square foot building including a showroom, full service area, a parts centre and administration. A big concern is the new traffic light at Esander and Laird. Everyday Steve Perusits, owner of Wally
Clayson Master Mechanic, watches “a lot of close calls” as the huge garbage trucks leaving from the garbage depot behind Leaside Village make a right turn onto Laird from Esander. The trucks are so big the drivers cross over to the other lane on Esander to turn onto Laird going north. Perusits says, “It’s a disaster getting out of our lot because congestion is huge.” And soon there will be “suppliers going into Leaside Village. The domino effect will make traffic even worse.” Not only that, he says, “There is not enough parking for merchants on Laird. Parking is at a real premium.” Complicating matters on Laird is the proposal by SmartCentre to develop the vacant land on the north side of Wicksteed. Brian Athey says,“The approval of a further 147,000 square feet of retail uses, including a single 80,000 square foot big box store, would have a permanent and detrimental impact on the Leaside residential community and our invaluable main street shopping areas.” But not everyone complains. Craig Sandy of Rack Attack, who has been on Laird since 1996, says, “The new mall will bring more people to our neighbourhood and
The new second rink for the Leaside Arena, designed by WGD Architects Inc. See story Page 18.
LEASIDE, Page 20
From Paris to Leaside, with romantic thoughts
Leaside Life, June 2012
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PARIS, France — What better city in which to write a romantic column about Leaside? I am here with my husband and naturally there’s romance in the air, everywhere, in this lovely springtime. So back to Leaside in our thoughts and a story about an upcoming wedding of two Leaside residents. What’s important is that while they both went to Rolph Road, Bessborough and Leaside High, they weren’t really aware of each other until Tara Narbonne was studying in Montreal and Chris Budd would be going to Montreal to listen to some
Lorna Krawchuk Publisher Leaside Life
bands, and ending up as part of a group staying at Tara’s apartment. So, on a Saturday in June when the two, who are now in their 30s, are to be married in the Spiral Garden at Bloorview in North Leaside, it will be just five years since their first real date. When Chris showed up at the CREATIVE, Page 6
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You may know him, but who is he? 3
Leaside Life, June 2012
Most people in Leaside know Peter Sandiford, but not by name. For the past 18 years you’ve seen him zipping along Bayview in his scooter, often with a flag on a small mast attached to the armrest. But there are more interesting things about him besides his name. He is now in his 50th year of service at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, as both an employee and volunteer. No one else has spent that much time there in one stetch. That remarkable dedication is only part of his story. He was born with cerebral palsy. Until 18 years ago he was able to walk, but age has decreased his mobility. Now he depends on his scooter to get around Leaside and Toronto. Fortunately cerebral palsy did not prevent him from taking on the challenges of moving to Santa Barbara, California, in the late ‘50s to attend the Brooks Institute of Photography. “I was the only disabled student,” he says.
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By ANDREA VILLIERS
ANDREA VILLIERS
He went to school five days a week. There were no exams but “every three months we turned in our work”. He specialized in portraiture and won a Special Achievement Award. Proof of his photographic talent hangs on his wall, a beautiful black and white portrait of former prime minister Trudeau with the Easter
Seals boy Timmy. Taken in 1972 the photograph bears the prime minister’s elegant signature. “This is my pride and joy,” he says. Sandford started working as a medical photographer in 1962 at the former Ontario Society for Crippled
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Children. His time was shared between OSCC and Easter Seals. “I took pictures of kids and their surgeries. Back then all patients had to have photos taken.” In 1978 he moved to the printing and stationery department in charge of the Gestetner machine, and later handled massive photocopy jobs. Often he filled in for a colleague in the mail room. When the organizations merged and became Holland Bloorview, Sandiford stayed on. In 2000 he retired after 38 years and innumerable photography and print jobs. As a volunteer now he wears two hats. Tuesdays he’s on reception. “My main job is taking people where they want to go. It’s not always easy finding your way, because the numbering system is not in order.” He admits that “I still get lost sometimes.” Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. he works in the dentistry department filing reports. “I’ll volunteer as long as I can get up and get dressed,” he says,“because it forces me to get out” and he still “likes being around people”. Four times a year he helps register children for the Bloorview swimming program. It’s busy on the registration desk “with 30 to 40 kids every half an hour”. In good weather he gets to Bloorview in about 12 minutes on his scooter. “I’m pretty good on the scooter. It goes about 5 ½ miles an hour and I always go full out.” Nowadays when he isn’t busy at Bloorview he goes to movies, collects movies, rides the subway and looks after his 12-year-old cat Pandora. Volunteering and Bloorview are his main focuses. “It’s my life. I haven’t been anywhere else.”
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:
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Narbonne’s front door to take her out for sushi that evening, it seemed as if all the neighbours were out watching. One of them even called out, “You have her back by 10.â€? They’re a creative couple. Tara is an artist, employed at Bloorview to do art programming with the patients there. She also paints commissioned pet portraits. They both love to dress up, but not in the way you might think. They have a pair of banana costumes which have been to many parties. Chris bought a bear costume on a whim, many years ago on sale. For his stag on Centre Island his friends showed up in costumes and when he arrived presented him with a new bear costume, which of course, he wore for the evening. A present to Tara from Chris was a Tickle Trunk in which to keep all the costumes. Chris, with a degree in finance, soon realized that the corporate world wasn’t for him. He founded Bearsuit Publishing to license songs for TV, film and video. The love affair grew slowly. It started with thoughts like, “We should hang out more,â€? and “I should have known Tara better in high school.â€? It grew through a year with Tara in Montreal finishing her graduate degree, and the two exchanging many phone calls, emails and random crazy gifts. Friends have said, “Chris is the male version of Tara.â€? There are differences. Tara is good at languages, and has a lousy sense of direction. Chris is the opposite. RenĂŠ and Irene, parents of Tara, and John and Susan, parents of Chris, still live in Leaside, just down the street and around the corner from each other. Chris says it’s a good thing both sets of parents stayed in Leaside so that he and Tara could get to know each other as adults. The bride’s attendants will be her sister, Shauna, along with Lexi, a friend since grade 7, Kristen, a friend from high school, and the only “outsiderâ€? being her Montreal roommate, Kate. Chris will be accompanied by his identical twin, Steve, his older brother Mike, and Ian and Chris – both friends from Rolph Road days. One of the special things about Leaside is that this story probably isn’t all that rare. Many strong groups of friends form from public school days on, and remain staunch friends into adulthood, making the likelihood of a romance more probable. Best wishes to Tara and Chris.
He was everyone’s math teacher Known to many in the community as everyone’s math teacher, Dave Stickney entered grade 9 at Leaside High School in 1956. He later returned to teach math there and stayed 33 years, 17 as head of the department until he retired. He’s an avid volunteer in the community. You can still find coaching girls’ softball, both at Leaside High and York Mills Collegiate. Each year he travels to England to do a “walking trip”. Otherwise you’ll spot him riding his bike around the neighbourhood or splitting wood for his neighbour’s fireplace. It’s a task that takes him back to the farming roots of his father and grandfather. “I like the city but I still feel an affinity to the country,” he says. How long have you lived in Leaside? 65 years, in four different homes, two of which have now been demolished and replaced.
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Leaside Life, June 2012
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Leaside Life, June 2012
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Saving old Leaside
We’re at ground zero 68 Parkhurst Blvd. may be ground zero in the effort to protect Leaside’s residential-built heritage. This house is threatened with demolition and replacement with a new house with style, massing and materials that are inappropriate for the area. The story began in early April when the neighbours of 68 Parkhurst received Committee of Adjustment notices for several “minor variances”. There was mild concern about the variances for density, much greater concern about those for setbacks and roof height of the new dwelling. The statement that “the existing dwelling will be demolished” was a new threat to a block where, according to Renee Jacoby, spokesperson for affected Parkhurst residents, there “are no disturbed foundations or house frontages. The owners have maintained historical continuity and integrity. If the demolition occurs this would… likely kick-start an irreversible transition of the street and neighbourhood.” A small army of neighbours trooped over to North York Civic Centre to speak in opposition to the variances at the Committee of Adjustment on April 11. They discovered that on the same agenda (the next item) the same applicant was asking for identical variances for a house with the same elevation and plan to be built on a similar sized lot elsewhere in Leaside. These were cookie cutter plans! It strained credulity! The Committee of Adjustment deferred indefinitely the Parkhurst application to allow time for the neighbours to hear from the applicant with more acceptable plans. (Incidentally the other application was approved with no opposition, except for the Leaside Property Owners’ Association.) Following the Committee of Adjustment, a meeting was arranged with the owner and his team, and Parkhurst residents by Councillor John Parker at the Leaside Library on April 18. NEW PLANS, Page 12
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Residents discussed their concerns about density, massing and height. They asked whether the owner would consider maintaining the street face and instead extend the house behind, as many of the Parkhurst residents had done. And they provided the owner with a copy of the Leaside Residential Character Preservation Guidelines prepared by the City of Toronto and a community advisory committee in 2003. On May 9 the builder submitted a new elevation and plan to the residents, which the owner would like to resubmit to the Committee of Adjustment. Jon Goulding, principal of architectural design studio Goulding Design Inc. and neighbour, comments: “The Residential Character Preservation Guidelines document, which was provided to the builder specifically by our Councillor, seems to be aimed at guiding builders in basic design sensibilities and perhaps particularly those operating without the guidance of a qualified Designer.
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Leaside Life, June 2012
It took a few days over two weeks to do it, but Northlea Public School students, teachers and parents, with help from Councillor John Parker on the first day, May 1, ran and walked all the way from Halifax to Vancouver. The Northlea Kilometre Club, organized by parent volunteer Claudine Lukawesky, saw pupils run laps, each morning from 8:10 to 8:30, that added together equalled the crossCanada distance. Here’s how it worked, says Lukawesky: “For every lap completed they (pupils) receive a popsicle stick to then submit for a special charm to put on their bracelets (which are given out on the first day). “After the children receive their charm, they get their attendance taken and the class with the most participation gets a pizza lunch!” WILMAR KORTLEEVER
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COUNCILLOR JOHN PARKER with Kate Davidson, grade 1, and Jake Towle, grade 3, during the first day of the Northlea Kilometre Club run across Canada.
From Page 12
“In this case there is a Designer taking responsibility for the design of this house and it would be a reasonable expectation that their training and talent would supercede the basics outlined in the Guideline and be reflected in their work. “Unfortunately this seems to be a house still searching for its architectural design identity, let alone its contextual fit.” Jane Pitfield’s book, Leaside, says that Henry Howard Talbot, renowned developer-mayor of Leaside, built houses on Parkhurst. Given the consistency in age, style and materials it would appear likely that he was responsible for the whole row from Bayview to Hanna. Residents are currently researching their survey documents and many have discovered that they are in fact Talbot built. A heritage nomination has been completed and the North York Community Preservation Panel submitted this to the Toronto Preservation Board. The owner was advised about the heritage nomination at the April 18 meeting. Later (on April 27) the nomination was endorsed by the Toronto Preservation Board. This story is a work in progress!
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Leaside Jane’s Walk recalls important role of churches
Leaside Life, June 2012
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By GEOFF KETTEL What a great day to participate in Jane’s Walk! Sunday, May 6 was sunny but not too hot and about 30 people learned a lot about Leaside’s places of worship, their architecture and artistic treasures, and their social and cultural role in the community. Jane’s Walks, named after Toronto’s Jane Jacobs, urban hero and author of The Life and Death of Great American Cities, have become an instant tradition in this city with over 150 walks now in place on the first weekend in May. As well as admiring the architecture and art, the Leaside Walk reminded us that places of worship reflect the society in which they operate. In the period after World War II, society was religious at all stages of life, and the Leaside community was almost entirely Christian. As a result, churches were packed and Sunday schools had hundreds of children and young people in attendance. At this point, several of the churches are looking at their future and asking whether they can continue to go it alone. For example, Leaside Presbyterian Church is considering amalgamation with Glebe Presbyterian Church (west of Bayview), which connects with the historical origins of Leaside as a mission church of Glebe. We were also reminded of the important role of places of worship in direct service provision and in making available space for all manner of community services from Scouts and Guides and badminton clubs to community kitchens and nursery schools. Leaside United’s semi-annual Awesome Sale has achieved city wide renown for making available good second hand clothing and furniture and many other items to a good home. In fact all the churches still have sales, bazaars, concerts and special events. Finally, and mindful of the fate of many former places of worship to condominium conversion, re-development or demolition, it was noted that none of the five Christian churches we visited is listed on the City of Toronto’s Inventory of Heritage Properties.
There is work to do to assess and ensure that these community assets continue to be treated as such. Jane’s Walks meanwhile encourage people to get out and explore their cities. Jacobs felt no grand planning scheme could substitute for an understanding of people’s everyday experience of the city. At St. Augustine of Canterbury Anglican Church we were impressed with the simplicity of the design, the light and openness of the nave, and the flexibility afforded by the use of chairs rather than pews. The church was even able to help another parish whose pews were in worse shape than theirs when they outfitted with the new chairs. At Leaside Presbyterian we experienced the new reality of churches opening their worship space to other faiths. They bring different traditions of worship too; in the Korean Methodist Church, the choir members are seated with the congregation, except for choir anthems. At Leaside United an important feature is “community remembrance”. The stained glass windows record the names of those killed in World War II and the Korean War. At St. Anselm’s Roman Catholic Church the stained glass windows are again a feature, but here it is their brightness and clarity. There is the beautiful crucifix of Christ carved in lindenwood, and the stations of the cross in bronze. If inclined you can spend a fair bit of time trying to identify the personages illustrated in the ecumenical window at the south end of the church. Our final visit was to St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church, the oldest of the five churches. It was originally established as a mission church from Christ Church Deer Park (Yonge and St. Clair) and later was the mother church for St. Augustine’s. St. Cuthbert’s has an open expansive feeling, similar to St. Augustine’s, though the pews remain. A magnificent mural by Sylvia Hahn of Christ the Teacher (Christus Magister) is on the west wall. Thank you to the representatives of each of the churches for their excellent presentations. And we kept to schedule!
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Leaside Life, June 2012
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All photos from last year's Magical Garden Tour, by Heather Gray.
I’m glad they didn’t judge my garden By BETH PARKER The first time I attended a Leaside Garden Society meeting I was afraid I wouldn’t qualify for membership. What if they inspected my garden and discovered the flowers that didn’t survive, my “weed” issue, or the shrub I accidentally drowned by over watering? I quickly found out that “judging” is not what gardeners do—unless it’s for an official garden show. Here was a group of neighbours who understood the trials and tribulations of putting plants in the ground and wondering if they’d flourish or fade. Nora Campbell, president of the Leaside Garden Society (LGS), agrees. In fact, Campbell first joined the LGS to support a community activity, not to be a participant: “I never intended to attend a
THAT’S NOT MINE ABOVE meeting.” she admits. “I thought they were going to be too professional for me.” But after her first visit, Campbell found everyone so welcoming and “tolerant” that she soon became hooked (although she still doesn’t admit to being a gardener). There’s a wealth of knowledge from experienced gardeners in the group always willing to share tips and advice. In keeping with its mission statement to “be part of the neighbourhood,” the society contributes to numerous programs and activities that give back. Campbell hopes to get the word out, especially to newcomers to Leaside.
“I still don’t know those Latin names of plants,” she says, “but I believe in everything the society does and all the things that the volunteers do. We’re not a lecture series. This is an organization of volunteers that really make a difference in the community.” Campbell aptly describes the volunteers as “doers”. Along with the Magical Garden Tour of Leaside each June, the LGS is involved in more projects than most Leasiders realize. Each June LSG coordinates planting annuals with local schools St. Anselm, Bessborough and Northlea, under the supervision of volunteer Barry Schneider and in cooperation with the City of Toronto. The children, supervised by LGS volunteers, plant gardens outside the Leaside Public Library, Trace Manes Park, Fr. Caulfield Park, and the pubSCHOOL TRIPS, Page 17
MAGICAL GARDEN TOUR June 23 this year This Saturday, June 23 the Leaside Garden Society holds its popular Magical Gardens of Leaside Tour, 11-4, rain or shine. Each of the nine self-guided tours lets you check out a private garden, meet the homeowner gardeners and ask questions. Gardens featured include a forest setting, rock garden, even a garden created from a backyard “in ruins”. Passports, which include addresses and a tour map, are $10 and are available from Gentry Clothiers at Sunnybrook Plaza,
School trips From Page 16
lic garden at Eglinton and Bessborough. Led by Betty Muir, volunteers also work with the handicapped children at Sunny View School on Blythwood, planting bulbs and helping pot pansies for Mother’s Day. Volunteers help to maintain the gardens at the school, including a new garden of native plants. In addition, the society organizes and funds school trips for classes from Thorncliffe Public School to the Toronto Botanical Teaching Garden, where the children, many new to Canada, learn about our flowers and plants. The society gives a community award yearly to recognize the efforts of a non-residential organization or business that enhances the Leaside neighbourhood. Plans also have recently been approved for a LGS Commemorative Garden at the north end of the library, led by the society’s director for community plantings, Rick Hutchings. In addition to community outreach activities (all funded from proceeds from the Garden Tour), members meet nine times a year at the library to hear guest lectures of SECOND SOCIETY, Page 18
Royal LePage at 1391 Bayview, Stars at 900 Millwood, Urban Nature Store at 939 Eglinton , write impressions at 1515 Bayview, or call 416489-5398. “The joy of the tour is that it features local people with local gardens that have the same problems that beset us all,” says Brooke Weslak, who organizes the tour with many volunteers. “These are all avid gar-
deners who get their hands dirty.” The only problem is finding those interesting gardens. “If anyone would like to offer their garden for next year, or knows of a neighbour’s garden, let us know,” Weslak pleads. The garden doesn’t have to be large or fancy, and all suggestions are checked out by a group of society volunteers.
Leaside Life, June 2012
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Arena groundbreaking June 16 Leaside Life, June 2012
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By ALLAN WILLIAMS City Council has approved the company with the winning bid for the Leaside arena expansion project, which is expected to start this summer, but some details of the agreement still need to be worked out, says Arena Board Chair Brooke Biscoe. He was confident that would happen before the end of May, so the expansion committee will be holding a community barbecue and ground breaking ceremony for the second rink at Leaside Gardens on Sat., June 16 at 11 a.m. in the arena parking lot. “The entire local community played a role in getting us to this point by raising the $2.5 million to get the project approved,” said committee chair Paul Mercer, “so everyone interested in the new rink is invited to come to the ground-breaking.” Biscoe said that fundraising will continue until the new arena opens because, “every dollar that we can raise during construction will save as much as two dollars on financing costs down the road. So we will be aggressively fundraising for the next year to keep ice rates down in the future.”
Second society From Page 17
topics such as shade gardening and drought resistant plants, hold four mini flower shows run by Ontario Horticultural Standards, and operate an annual plant sale. This is actually the second Leaside Garden Society. The first was organized in 1950 but disbanded in the
1970s because of lack of interest. Determined to start up a again, a handful of dedicated gardeners led by Dave Money (from the Beaches Garden Society) and former East York city councillor, Edna Beange created our current club. LGS was formally declared a horticultural society in 1986 with 50 members. Today there are 280 such societies in Ontario, with over 30,000 local garden members. LGS membership is 140. Last November, the club marked its 25th anniversary by placing a bench at the front of the Leaside Library. A dedicating ceremony takes place this fall. Anyone interested in joining the LGS, or attending a meeting, can check out the website www.leasidegardensociety.com/.
100th plans Leaside One Hundred. That’s the official name now for our 100th anniversary celebrations next year. The organizing committee, recently formed, consists of Councillor John Parker plus Leaside residents Virginia Evoy, John Piper, Lorna Krawchuk and Geoff Kettel. "Of course we expect to convene some special events to mark the occasion,” says Evoy. “More important than that, we will also be inviting others to contribute to the celebration, each in their own way. “We hope that Leaside's residents, businesses, schools, community groups, and other institutions will each find their own way to include the celebration of Leaside One Hundred as part of their activities during the year. Our committee intends to help them do that."
Remembering swamps in old Leaside
Then there was the snake that slithered in our door from the farm at the back. Back in the late ‘40s and ‘50s we did have a commons: a place where we were free to wander and nature was just there. Our parents let us out to explore the world.
ROBERT BARNETT, who now lives in downtown Toronto, is a member of Leaside Rotary and founder of the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy, a registered charity that buys and maintains nature reserves in the area of the Niagara Escarpment. This article appeared in the latest newsletter, Precipice.
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Growing up in Toronto (actually Leaside, before it became East York and then Toronto) we had a real commons. I'd go down the sand cliffs behind our house to play in the swamp which later became SunnybrookPlaza, the first in Canada. Back then, we jumped down the cliffs and waded through the swamp. My mother admonished me for returning with no shoe, lost in the muck. When I got older, my sister and I ventured north on Bayview Avenue to where it became a single lane bridge. We returned with a doll carriage fulI of kindling. In my teens I ventured to Eglinton and Leslie before Eglinton was even a through road. We swam in the Don and skated on the pond until I fell through and struggled back to a friend's house to get warm. One day we visited the Leaside sewage plant to get dried sewage for the neighbour's garden. Bob, the wanderer, fell into the gooey stuff and had to be taken home covered in newspaper.
As a toddler, I escaped from my play pen and was returned by a shop keeper who stopped me crossing Millwood. As a kindergarten student I was run over by a car after tobogganing down the hill in front of my house. As a teen I'd canoe to the swamp at the cottage to watch the turtles. I'm frankly nostalgic for the place where we grew up. I've come to think of it as the commons. Our House of "Commons" is named after English commoners and their commons. In feudal days, lords were granted huge tracts of land, but the kings made a provision to look after the landless folk. There were common gazing lands set out to be shared. Anyone could walk there and graze a few sheep.
Leaside Life, June 2012
By ROBERT BARNETT
From Page 1
I’m hoping we’ll have more exposure and more business.” But he also understands “residents not wanting traffic on the side streets”. One resident, however, is not complaining. Ed Hall, of Millwood Rd., thinks “Leaside Village is a great addition. It will increase property values.” All the proposed developments on Laird are on the east side, possibly due to the fact that the west side of Laird backs onto residential properties. The buildings facing Laird have mainly shallow lots, therefore it would take a developer a lot of time to buy up the land required for a mixed use building or higher density residential project, says Athey. Meanwhile, the rezoning application for the old Post Office site on Millwood just west of Laird asks for more than four times the density the current zoning bylaw permits, and more than twice the height. There
Leaside Life, June 2012
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‘Leaside Village is a great addition’ are huge differences in permitted setbacks on Krawchuk Lane, Millwood and Malcolm Rd. Deni Papetti, the Malcolm Rd. resident who has spearheaded community reaction to the development, wrote to the LPOA to say, “… we have continued to reach out to the Leaside community with our ongoing petition in opposition to the proposed development. Currently there are 300 signatures and the petition is expanding to other streets.” On April 30, Papetti and the LPOA co-hosted a community meeting at the Leaside Library for about 80 homeowners. Opposition to the proposal was strong. Brian Athey warned residents that “whatever is approved here will set parameters for the rest of Leaside”. Questions from residents covered a wide range, from the proposed outdoor garbage bins to lack of space in local schools. Residents complained the existing building is being converted into a sales site with a model suite. Peter
Kiely, of Malcolm Rd., said, “You might want to tell them the sales office will be protested 24/7.” A formal public presentation with the city planner and the developer will be made to the community probably in September. Councillor Parker says, “What I think we should be contemplating is something like 955 Millwood. It will serve as a reference point for everything that happens up Millwood and Laird.” 955 Millwood is a fivestorey condominium between Randolph Rd. and Southvale. Meanwhile, we have already seen big changes to old Leaside around Laird and Eglinton with the shopping centres that include Canadian Tire and Home Depot, the residential development still going up east of Brentcliffe, the SmartCentre plans for Laird and Wicksteed that has everyone thinking there may be a Wal-Mart there… and here comes the new subway, with the very strong likelihood of a station at Eglinton and Bayview. Welcome to the new Leaside.
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How a Leasider finally excorcized the Ghost The Bayview Ghost didn't live in Leaside, just a little south of Bennington Heights, but many people who didn't live here knew little about it. It haunted the hill above the Bayview Extension and people driving by may not have been aware of it. It took a Leasider, Alan Redway, to finally exorcize it. The Ghost meanwhile gave rise to many rumours in Leaside. This sets the story straight.
Long time Leaside residents will remember the Bayview Ghost but newcomers may not. The Ghost was a derelict apartment building, which stood on the lands south of Nesbitt Dr. overlooking the Bayview Extension, where a detached home subdivision stands today. The Ghost story started in 1953 when developers purchased 28 acres in the Don Valley. Shortly thereafter all but 11 acres were expropriated by Metro Toronto. In1959 the developers applied to the Township of East York (which merged in 1967 with Leaside to become the Borough of East York) to construct two apartment buildings, the first of 11 planned for the site. Despite a prior commitment to nearby residents, the township council rezoned the site for apartments although no provision had been made for municipal services. A building permit was issued. Construction began immediately, continuing into the night under floodlights. A storm of protests from the residents resulted in council resolutions prohibiting sewer construction and revoking the building permit. Con-
struction came to a halt but not before the walls and floors of a seven-storey building had been erected. Between 1960 and 1976 numerous unsuccessful attempts were made to bring down the Ghost. The township had zoned the site for detached homes but the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) referred the Iegality of the building permit to the courts. Because the township, the developers and the residents could not agree on the facts, the courts never heard the case. Metro refused to expropriate the property. East York (now a borough) declared the Ghost unsafe. The developers repaired it. The borough claimed the Ghost for unpaid taxes. Full payment followed promptly. ln 1979 the borough obtained a special Act of the Ontario Legislature authorizing it to enter the site, tear down the Ghost and charge the demolition to the developers. The developers went to the OMB. Prior to the hearing they made a deal with Metro to give up their unpaid $1.7 million expropriation claim for the right to build cloverleaf access to the Bayview Extension. At the hearing the developers presented a plan for 880 high-rise
| and townhouse units. The borough, supported by the local residents, countered with a plan for a subdivision of 66 detached homes. The board approved 440 units. The borough appealed to the Ontario cabinet. The cabinet, under pressure of a provincial election campaign, overturned the OMB and approved the borough’s plan. That brought the developers to the negotiating table. I met with them in my capacity as mayor of East York. They outlined two options. Either they could build according to the borough plan or wait and do nothing until I was no longer the mayor, then try again. In the end we agreed on a peace treaty, which provided for the demolition of the Ghost at their expense and the construction of a detached home subdivision. In November 1981, the 22-yearold Ghost was finally demolished. Today in its place is a detached home subdivision with the character of the nearby neighbourhoods.
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Leaside Life, June 2012
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LETTERS leasidelife@gmail.com There is definitely a problem with speeding traffic in Leaside. A practical solution would be speed bumps. But that's not the only problem; parking on the side of the streets bottlenecks traffic from two lanes into one. This is a very dangerous situation. On busy streets like Sutherland, busses and cars have to navigate cars parked on both sides of the street. I'm amazed these large vehicles are not involved in more accidents in the neighbourhood. So I believe, speed bumps and eliminate parking on the streets would do a great deal in making the streets of Leaside safer. Russell Schaeffler, Sutherland Dr.
Leaside Life EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING DEADLINES For Leaside Life the 10th day of each month leasidelife@gmail.com 416-486-7387
HIGH QUALITY Deadline for July, June 10 leasidelife@gmail.com Leaside Garden Club, Thursday, June 14 at Leaside Library, 165 McRae Dr., 7:30 p.m., 7 p.m. for social time and refreshments: Clematis, the ultimate social climber, with Dugald Cameron. June 23: Magical Gardens of Leaside Tour. 11-4 rain or shine. www.leasidegardensociety.org/ Leaside Library, 165 McRae Dr. Ready for Reading Pyjama Time, 5 years and under, Tuesdays, June 5- 19, 77:30 p.m. Bedtime stories, songs, rhymes and activities. Drop in. Classic Movie Series, Mondays, June 4-25, 2- 4 p.m. Drop in. June 4 Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. June 11 From Here to Eternity with Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift and Deborah Kerr. June 18 The Apartment with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. June 25 Yours, Mine and Ours with Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda and Van Johnson. Heritage Ontario, Tuesdays, June 5 – 12, 2-4 p.m. Lectures, music or media presentations about the history of Toronto and Ontario. $5 per session. TD Summer Reading Club, sign up in person beginning Wednesday, June 20 and receive poster and booklet. Report on books up to Friday, August 31. Evergreen Awards Adult Summer Reading Program, Wednesdays, July 18-August 8, 2-3 p.m. Discover great Canadian books, fiction and non-fiction. Presentations by Toronto authors Anthony DeSa July 25 and Terry Fallis August 1. Drop in. Bicycle Safety, Maintenance and Repair, Saturday, June 16, 1-3 p.m. Bring your bike to the library and bicycle mechanic Jungle Ling will present a short information session on safety and provide hands-on solutions and practical advice on common maintenance issues. Ages 10-adult. Drop in. Bike Safety/Bike Decorating for Kids, Saturday, June 2, 2-3:00 p.m. Bring your bike to the library. For children ages 6 and up. Drop in.
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You can join local organizations LEASIDE GARDEN SOCIETY meets the second Thursday of the month, except July, August and December, usually in Leaside library's Community Room, 165 McRae Dr. Guest speakers, refreshments and a social time beforehand at 7 p.m. www.gardenontario.org/ MORNING GLORY CYCLE CLUB for early morning bike rides. www.morninggloryride.ca/ LEASIDE ROTARY CLUB, Mondays 12 noon at Fox and Fiddle, 190 Laird Dr. www.leasiderotary.com/ LEASIDE PROPERTY OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION: First Wednesday of each month, September to June, 7:30 p.m., Trace Manes building next to Leaside Library, on McRae Dr. www.lpoa.ca/
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Leaside Life, June 2012
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The last 3 groups – we drop in income Leaside Life, June 2012
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In this fifth and final excerpt from the 2006 Environics Analytics study of Leaside (minus Bennington Heights) we look at the three last demographic groupings, which together accounted for 15.15 percent of the total number of households.
In descending order they were Electric Avenues (young, middleclass urban singles and couples), Cluttered Nests (upper-middle-class urban couples and multigenerational families) and Continental Culture (upper-middle-class, multiethnic urban households). The average household income ranged from $84,382 for the Electric Avenues to $98,036 for Continental Culture. The average household income for last month’s Cosmopolitan Elite, the No. 1 income group here, was $466,032 ($5,680 below the national average). That group ranked fourth here in percentage of household count at 8.32. The Electric Avenues had the lowest average household income in the seven groupings in Leaside.
OMG-final How we’ve changed!
Electric Avenues presents a classic portrait of young singles and couples pursuing lively urban lifestyles. While they have only average household incomes, their spending power appears greater because so many households are childless. They spend freely on music, books, natural foods and electronics. They have high rates for going to bars, nightclubs and music festivals. Many engage in athletic activities such as jogging, baseball, canoeing and racquet sports. Progressive in their outlook – they support Sexual Permissiveness and the Pursuit of Originality – they like to acquire the latest in fashion, food and wine, typically making their purchases online. Electric Avenues brings together a diverse mix of cultures, including
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many children of immigrants… all united by a youthful, educated sensibility. Many prefer print media to television, reading alternative weeklies, daily newspapers and magazines that cover business, current affairs, photography and food. The name Cluttered Nests reflects this cluster's high concentration of multigenerational families… In these communities, households typically contain the original European, Asian and Caribbean immigrants, their older children now in their late teens and twenties, and sometimes their grandchildren. Given the group's older-than-average population, it’s not surprising that residents prefer watching sports to playing them… With average household incomes above $87,000 from white-collar and service jobs, these consumers are careful with their money… Conservative in their outlook, they place great importance on their family and faith to help preserve their cultural roots. Still relative newbies when it comes to the Internet. they do have high-speed cable access at above-average rates and have begun to go online to read magazines, check out restaurant reviews and research products before buying. But spending time with family is their favourite activity, and in attitudinal surveys, they state that they hope to pass on their traditions to their loved ones. Continental Culture presents a portrait of old-fashioned diversity with its many first- and second-generation European immigrants, especially from Italy, Portugal, Greece and Poland. Centred in Toronto, its households contain a mix of married and common law couples and, increasingly, young families. …these relatively young residents tend to have university degrees, white-collar jobs and upscale lifestyles. Despite their Old World roots, they hold relatively progressive views, describing themselves as early adopters, supporters of equality ofthe sexes and fans of novelty and originality. Continental Culture is noteworthy for its wide-ranging tastes. In the marketplace, the group scores high for both theme parks and operas, doughnut shops and gourmet markets. Their $98,000 average incomes allow these city dwellers to travel frequently, shop at upscale stores… and sock away more than $250,000 in investments and savings.
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Leaside Life, June 2012
It’s fun fair season in Leaside. Friends and neighbours will enjoy the Bennington Heights Barbeque and Fun Fair, June 7. The longest-running spring “fair” in the community, Mayfair, took place at Bessborough public school once again, with indoor and outdoor activities. Lots of summer activities starting elsewhere, including Leaside Lawn Bowling, which held opening ceremonies and open house in May. New bowlers always welcome. Mark your calendar for the annual South Bayview Summer Sizzler, Saturday, June 26. Update from last month. Congratulations to Leaside United's Awesome Sale. It brought in the highest total ever by $6,000, for over $28,000, and the church reached it's half million dollars raised since the sale began 15 years ago. Leaside business owner Barry Samuel wanted to make a difference so in 2005 he started an annual walk/run/cycle event to raise money for the Canadian Diabetes Association. The 7th Annual Spring into Ac-
Fun at May fair
LESLIE COLEMAN
By BETH
tion recently wound its way through Sunnybrook and Serena Gundy Park, resulting in $7,200 raised. Cue6 Productions is presenting Pieces, a play written by Leaside-born actor and playwright, Sarah Illiatovitch-Goldman. Sarah was born in the house in Leaside where her mother still lives, and she grew up in the community. Her play was recently short listed by the RBC Tarragon Emerging Playwrights' Competition. Following the advice that “humour is the best medicine,” Leasider Dr. Geordie Fallis recently launched his book, From Testicles to Timbuktu, Notes from a Doctor. Wildcats, congrats! Toronto Leaside Wildcats Atom C team won gold this spring at the Lower Lakes Female Hockey League Championships, held in Mississauga. A Leaside hockey team made history this spring when the Flames Atom A team made it to the Ontario Hockey Federation Provincials and placed third. To reach the provincials, the team first won the GTHL Eastern Division Championships, then the City Championships, and finally qualified in the
SHEILA ALLEN
In our Hood
n Ope y s rda u t Sa
John Parker Councillor, Toronto Ward 26 Don Valley West
Leaside Life, June 2012
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1860 Bayview (Brennan Pontiac Site) The development application was approved by the OMB in October 2011. Then the file went dormant. Confirmation that the owner intends to proceed with construction came early in May when Whole Foods announced its intention to open a store there in 2015. The understanding – not confirmed – is that the LCBO will also open a store there. 70 Wicksteed - SmartCentre Understandable concern has emerged in response to the application by the SmartCentres to fit a new shopping centre onto the vacant land at 70 Wicksteed between the existing shopping centres to the north (Canadian Tire, etc.) and south (Home Depot, etc.). The application proposes an 80,000 sq. ft. anchor store (about 30,000 sq. ft. larger than a typical grocery store). The most serious community apprehension is that it could attract more traffic through our streets. For that reason I have alerted the City's Transportation Services division to the need to address the anticipated impact immediately. My column last month recommended that concerned residents appoint a representative subgroup to work with city planning staff and me. (They really didn't need my encouragement; a group calling itself Leaside Unite had formed before my column appeared.) The first step took place in May when three residents representing Leaside Unite and the LPOA met with two senior members of planning staff and me at North York city hall. I intend future such discussions to include senior Transportation Services staff as well. 2 Laird (Former Postal Station R) The former post office at 2 Laird has been acquired by a developer with the unrealistic ambition of constructing a seven-storey residential condominium building. The developer hosted an informal open house for local residents earlier this spring, at which its plans and renderings were put on display. The comments PARKER, Page 27
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registered universal alarm over the size of the proposed building and its numerous adverse implications for the immediate neighbourhood. These concerns were expressed more forcefully at a well attended ad hoc public meeting convened by the residents in May. Particularly jarring to the community was the developer's declared intention to open a sales office in the building as soon as possible, well before the development proposal had been reviewed and therefore before permission to build could be assumed. I have told the developer directly that I would consider any such step by it to be a hostile act. I have been meeting with a representative group of residents. As with the application noted above, it is my hope to form a working group that will remain closely engaged with the review process.
Carol Fripp Vice-president, LPOA
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Leaside Life, June 2012
All is not well in Leaside
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Now that the weather is warmer, the sun is (mostly) shining, and trees and lawns are green again, it is tempting to think that all is well in Leaside. However we continue to face challenges which, if not met, could completely transform this neighbourhood. In previous Leaside Life columns I’ve described two of them: the application to build SmartCentre North, a huge retail mall at Wicksteed and Laird, and the proposal to replace the former post office site at Malcolm and Laird with an eight-storey condominium towering over homes on Malcolm and Krawchuk Lane, a large visual blot on the landscape. Both of these proposals will create numerous problems for Leaside, if approved by North York Community Council and City Council. While they would have the most immediate impact on those living closest to them, in fact they would also have an immense impact on the rest of Leaside, North and South. One of the first changes you would notice, if the SmartCentre North is built, would be traffic volumes. In the past, certain Leaside streets have carried the heaviest traffic, generally with commuters, particularly during the morning and evening rush hours. In the future, many more Leaside streets would bear traffic increases, mainly with shoppers, and this would be all day traffic, going to and from the shopping mall. Drivers from the 401 to the lake, and Bathurst to Victoria Park, would discover our residential streets. They would use Brentcliffe, Glenvale, and Donlea, not just Broadway; Parkhurst, Vanderhoof, Rumsey and Sutherland, not just Southvale, McRae, and Millwood. The LPOA has heard already from residents about present-day volume or speed problems near their homes. Our quiet streets have begun to feel the pressure of Leaside’s location in the centre of the city, and this will only get worse if we sit back and let pressures build without planning LPOA, Page 29
LPOA From Page 28
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protective responses. This is why the LPOA has been forming coalitions with groups of Leasiders who feel most immediately at risk from these new development proposals. Leaside Unite is a growing group of residents (initially on or near Parkhurst, but growing in scope and size) to oppose and re-shape the SmartCentre North plans. Similarly, we are working with the residents of Malcolm and Krawchuk to find better solutions for the post office site. Both groups are energetically, and intelligently, taking actions and meeting with our councillor and city staff to get support for these solutions. LPOA President Brian Athey and I have been providing advice and encouragement, with support from the LPOA Board of Directors. Make no mistake: the SmartCentre North and 2 Malcolm Post Office site are only the most recent challenges to our community, and it will take community support to be effective. The scale of present and future LPOA, Page 30
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From Page 27
dwelling with something oversized for the lot and out of character with the neighbouring community. I have joined with the neighbouring homeowners and the LPOA to oppose this proposal vigorously. We have also been given reason to believe that the existing home may be entitled to preservation in accordance with heritage legislation. We have met with the builder and have made it clear that any attempt to demolish the existing home and replace it with the proposed design will be challenged at every turn. 85 Laird Construction at this site is well under way. Completion is anticipated this summer. I take some satisfaction from the magnificent
restoration job that has been done with the heritage rail shed that stands at the rear of the property, Well worth a close look to note the fresh brick surface and the newly glazed windows, true to the original style of about a century ago.
LPOA From Page 28
developments means that we must all get involved in choosing the most acceptable steps to take. The LPOA welcomes your help in maintaining our community’s qualities: a full time – but very worthwhile – job. We hope you will join us at our monthly meetings (the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Trace Manes building next to Leaside Library), as onlookers or deputants.
Helping aboriginals By KATHLEEN WYNNE MPP, Don Valley West On Sunday, April 29 I presented The Aboriginal Opportunity at the Leaside United Church. I feel these conversations are important to have, especially at the local level. As the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, I have been speaking with my constituents about the socio-economic gap faced by our First Nations communities and the potential that exists for aboriginal people in Ontario. Leaside United Church has prioritized First Nations and Métis issues as part of their social justice project. I am pleased that so many people are engaged in this important issue – with more awareness we can work together to bring about change that can make a difference amongst aboriginal and non-aboriginal people.
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Leaside Life, June 2012
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