M AY 2018
Leaside Life
Meet our new Business of Leaside columnist Page 12
leasidelife.com
No. 72
LEASIDE...
rallies for Humboldt
A proud hockey community, Leaside joined many Canadians in showing their support for the Humboldt Broncos after their tragic accident last month. Leaside Flames teams brought sticks to their banquet and one team raised over $1,000 in aid. Leaside High and many local schools sported jerseys on April 12th, and untold families left sticks out on their front porches following a nationwide social media trend #PutYour SticksOut.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: CHILDREN’S ART CONTEST PG. 24 • LEASIDE HIGH TAKES ON ONTARIO PG. 26 THE THORNCLIFFE PARK GARDEN CLUB PG. 31 AND MUCH MORE!! BRAND NEW WEBSITE IS NOW LIVE AT WWW.LEASIDELIFE.COM
Spring is here!
PIXIE WINS SERVICE AWARD
Welcome the hummers home.
Leaside Life • May 2018
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Debora Kuchme, leader of the Bayview Pixies, Bayview Leaside BIA Board member and horticultural columnist for Leaside Life, was a recipient of a Don Valley West Community Volunteer Service Award presented by the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, MPP for Don Valley West, on April 17 at a ceremony and dinner held at Suomi-Koti. Debora and her team of Bayview Pixies were honoured for their outstanding commitment to Leaside through their work in developing attractive, sustainable landscaping in the Bayview shopping area, and thus enhancing the welcoming atmosphere of the neighbourhood. ■
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When the Leaside Gardens board named the new ice surface the Dr. Tom Pashby Play Safely Rink, it wasn’t just a way to honour a wellknown pioneer in sports safety and revered member of the Leaside community. While that in itself is a wonderful reason, the heart of the decision behind the donation made by the Dr. Tom Pashby Sports Safety Fund was to make Leaside Gardens one of the safest facilities in Canada. The Gardens board established a safety committee charged with the responsibility of making recommendations to the board for improved safety measures. Members were drawn from the major user groups, swimming pool users, Pashby Fund and Gardens board. Since first sitting down in October last year, the group has made some good progress focusing on unsafe conditions that presented themselves at the facility. To date the board has adopted many recommendations of this committee, including: 1. More defibrillators accessible to users on the ice, main lobby,
swimming pool change rooms, time-keepers’ benches. 2. S ignage regarding emergency action plan protocols to be posted at strategic places around the facility, letting patrons know where ambulances should go, having someone meet the ambulance, and ways to get on the ice. 3. I mplementing a system of locating and calling the arena staff for assistance. 4. S ystem of notification to arena management for accident reporting. 5. H elmet policy for all recreational skaters. 6. A nnual or semi-annual educational sessions i.e. CPR/first aid or concussion clinics both for user groups and community at large. 7. “ No ball playing” signs posted in the facility dressing room areas and corridors. 8. C onsideration of a deterrent on the ramp leading to and from the rink and dressing rooms in Pashby Rink to reduce running, horseplay and use of wheelies. 9. N ew exterior ramp beside the stairway at the flag stand to alleviate dangerous traversing of the muddy and snowy hill to the
Happy Mothers Day!!!
Patrick Rocca bro ker
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front entrance. 10. Regular safety messages electronically displayed in the lobby. In conjunction with the Mikey Network, a donation of four defibrillators has brought the total number installed at Leaside Gardens to six; this in itself is unprecedented. Following this will be a community CPR, Choking and Defibrillator clinic on May 31st, offered at no cost, in the William Lea room. Working with Panno Medical, we will have Toronto and area paramedics provide critical life-saving information. Space is limited, so be sure to register today at: https://safetyclinic.eventbee.com/ event?eid=136867701 So, the next time someone asks, “Why The Dr. Tom Pashby Play Safely Rink?” you’ll be able to tell them.—Ray White, Vice-Chair, Leaside Gardens Board. ■
Leaside Life • May 2018
What’s in a name?
LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS
At 96, Jean Hill is still giving back “Get involved like I got involved” is sage advice on how to live a fulfilling life from 96-year-old Leaside resident Mrs. Jean Hill, who has been volunteering with a variety of organizations since the 1940s. In fact, Jean is such a devoted volunteer that she was the recipient of the LieutenantGovernor’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service in 1990, in recognition of her years at Toronto RehabLyndhurst Centre where she still spends one afternoon a week. Jean got her start as a volunteer at the Red Cross canteen downtown for soldiers on leave during World War II. She chose the Red Cross because one of her brothers died of hemophilia. A few years later, she became a registrar for blood donor clinics at the Leaside branch of the Red Cross. At the same time, Jean was working as the executive assistant in the family electronics and appliance business, Reid & Campbell, on Yonge St. According to her nephew, Peter Campbell, Jean showed early signs of creativity with her window displays. One introduced dryers by
CHRIS HICKEY
Leaside Life • May 2018
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featuring clotheslines, birds and a sign saying “Clotheslines are for the birds,” a slogan that was adopted by Westinghouse. During their retirement, Jean and her husband, Dennis, became Janis Fertuck involved in the operation of the Columnist Hospital for Special Needs, arranging transportation for patient excursions. Dennis became the general manager of the organization in 1971, and both were on the board of directors, focusing on fundraising, until 2012. Jean’s most enduring volunteer experience, however, has been with Lyndhurst Centre, which specializes in spinal cord injuries. When she started there in 1976, she fed patients, did crafts and helped with outings. But when Lyndhurst’s seamFour generations of Campbells: nephew stress retired, Jean was Peter, great-niece Joanna Hickey, great-great asked to take her place and started making “assistive nephew Riggs Hickey and Jean Hill. devices,” such as “utility
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JEAN HILL, continued cuffs” to enable patients to use utensils and toothbrushes, and “flexion mitts” to help with physiotherapy and sporting activities. She also worked on “bed ladders” to enable patients to sit up and get out of bed, “stretch towels” to help with exercising, and clothing alterations. Jean enjoys it all and says, “I feel rewarded when I see someone’s face light up or when a former patient expresses surprise that I am still there.” Jean’s enthusiasm for voluntarism has spread to the rest of the family, who are involved in various causes, most notably her great nieces Joanna Hickey and Carlye Campbell, who help with “Operation Raise a Flag” at Sunnybrook Hospital for Remembrance Day. Joanna cites the influence of Jean’s “lifelong commitment to the community with her volunteer efforts that are still going strong.” While Jean’s happiest times were travelling with Dennis and driving in their red convertible, she still lives a full life in her Leaside home, enjoying her time at Lyndhurst, her twice weekly trips to Fallsview Casino and her visits to Olde Yorke Fish and Chips and the Leaside Pub. ■
Leaside Life • May 2018
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LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS
Wilmar Kortleever: the ultimate community champ since landing in Leaside Unlike the legendary Flying Dutchman ghost ship which could never make port, Wilmar Kortleever wasted no time making his overseas journey and landing in Leaside. Although he was deeply ensconced in his Netherlands community, life changed when he met and fell in love with a beguiling Canadian, Glynnis. Within three years he had crossed the Atlantic and they settled in North Leaside. Wilmar remarked, “It seemed a very walkable, family-friendly neighbourhood with great schools and close to downtown. It had everything we were looking for.” Soon their son Corwin arrived, now in Grade 9 at Leaside High and an enthusiastic skier, runner, soccer player, and Venturer Scout. Wilmar’s arrival has certainly been Leaside’s gain. He is an involved public education enthusiast and tireless community builder. The list of
SUZANNE PARK
Leaside Life • May 2018
by SUZANNE PARK
initiatives and projects that he has instigated and contributed to is staggering. And when a call went out for comments on Wilmar’s contributions the response was overwhelming. In his own words Wilmar humbly credits others and minimizes his contributions with “Leaside is full of contributors. I like to help out, work on projects and with people I enjoy, put my money where my
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mouth is and tend to take the lead if something needs doing.” He appreciates that Glynnis encourages and supports his many community contributions. Wilmar, when pressed, did admit that he is proud of his contributions at Northlea and that all the activities that were initiated while Corwin attended are still thriving. The only regret he expressed is that “I miss the active hands-on involvement at the elementary level. Wilmar isn’t shy about sharing his opinion on how to preserve and improve Leaside. “The city has no business approving developments when they haven’t planned schools, parks and facilities to accommodate incoming residents. The school system doesn’t encourage enough meaningful parent involvement; there are too many rules limiting parent and even administrators’ influence in meaningful decisions. Even minor school repairs go through layers of bureaucracy. It would be terrific if community volunteers could focus more on innovation than what isn’t working!” Here’s what some of the many people who have been involved with Wilmar have to say about him. Julie Brown commented, “Wilmar is generous with his time, talents and positive outlook. He’s known for serving on countless committees, chronicling events, coaching a choir in German, and I have never heard Wilmar speak poorly of another person.” Rachel Chernos added, “Aside from being completely unpretentious, he invisibly looks after so many things that when he and Corwin graduated from Northlea everything continued to run smoothly. No matter the obstacles, he’s always positive and leads with care and integrity.” Pat Lawrence added, “Every spring Wilmar is the key volunteer for the 132nd Scouts Garden Campaign preparing route maps for each scout and filling in when streets get missed.” Paul Colombe said, “JAW – Just Ask Wilmar, a man of many hats. And in the words of Paul’s daughter Mary (12), “I honestly thought Wilmar was the president of Northlea.” ■
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Re: Great Newspaper Thanks for producing a great newspaper that is positive, current, and relevant to our community. It is refreshing to read a local newspaper whose advertisers place ads based on the merit of the content and readership vs. flyers and other media where the articles are written for or by the advertisers. Loved the articles on natural indigenous gardens and picking up others’ garbage. It is time to rethink what is beautiful, and to going back to the basics of loving and caring where you live. Thank you and keep up the great work. Ted Southey Re: Leaside Litterati Each month I read Cheryl Vanderburg’s reports of her valiant efforts to rid our parks of litter and feel I must respond. While I appreciate her message and her efforts, I feel she is somewhat misinformed as to whose responsibility this job is. I refer back to a previous article where she states “If we want a clean park it’s up to us to decide what we’re prepared to do” and also the article headed “Dear City of Toronto” where she implores City staff to pitch in and do their part. Yes Cheryl, it is exactly the City’s responsibility (specifically the Parks Department) to keep our parks clean! When I worked as a City of Toronto gardener (1998-2011) there were crews – parks labourers – whose job it was to paper-pick the parks every day, spring, summer and fall. When the gardening season was over, often any leftover gardeners (ones whose contract hadn’t yet expired) would be transferred to these crews. Thus did I end my last two seasons picking litter in parks. The area we covered was centred around Bathurst and St. Clair, extending south to the tracks by Dupont. Why is it that this wonderful service is not extended to Leaside? Another job given to me as a gardener while working at Wychwood Barns Artscape was to sweep the playground walks of sand first thing each morning. The sand covering the path leading past the playground in Trace Manes
is a disgrace and a pet peeve of mine as it invariably fills my sandals whenever I take that route to the library. You will never get an indoor worker (let alone library staff, as someone suggested to me) to do this job, and no, the manager for Trace Manes C.C. cannot be responsible for the park as a whole, as Cheryl suggested in the “Dear City” article. All City workers are heavily unionized, with specific job descriptions, so that even though the person sitting in the office of Trace Manes building may not be busy every minute of the day, he/she can refuse to walk outside and sweep up cigarette butts or other litter. To hark back to Cheryl’s statement – “It’s up to us to decide what to do” – we should be leaning heavily on the Parks Dept. to accept responsibility and properly do their jobs. I’m not sure if Cheryl ever got a response (or action) from the City – she should speak to an area supervisor, or, if she doesn’t get action, a manager, or call our councillor. This goes for all of us who care about the state of our parks and playgrounds. Heather Matthews This letter has been edited. The complete version is available online at leasidelifenews.com
Re: Gershon’s TDSB Report Gerri Gershon’s article in your January edition claiming “great parks and sports facilities” in Leaside is not true. Leaside High School has the worst athletic track in Toronto and the football ground is also in a deplorable condition. Gerri Gershon, our School Trustee, cannot take full blame as the facilities in Talbot Park have been like they are for over 50 years! However, Gerri and her Toronto District School Board should take on the initiative and get together with Councillor Jon Burnside, the City parks department and the school principal, and plan and make the necessary improvements. Leaside students, living in an affluent area, whose parents pay high taxes, deserve better, much better. It is a disgrace. Michael Stevenson, Leaside resident for 50 years. Re: Leaside Litterati You don’t know me but I am on your ‘team’. I live on Millwood just east of Bayview and am regularly sweeping up garbage, debris and cigarette butts from here to the corner (and often around the corner) by the TD Bank. It’s appalling that our neighbours feel free to dump their disposable LETTERS, Page 14
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Leaside Life • May 2018
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LETTERS
LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS
Running: just what the doctor ordered for this Leaside surgeon If you need any proof that exercise makes people happy, keep an eye out for Dr. Joao Rezende-Neto running through Leaside on any given day. Dr. Rezende has one of those smiles that radiate warmth. (Truly, I dare you to find this man not smiling!) After studying and training for a career as an acute trauma surgeon in his native Brazil, as well as in Boston and Denver, Dr. Rezende completed a one-year research fellowship at Sunnybrook Hospital in 2009. During that year, Rezende, along with his wife, Luciene, and their daughters, Laura and Manuela, lived in Leaside, before returning to Brazil. The family was eager to return to Toronto and was thrilled in 2013 when Rezende received a permanent post at St. Michael’s Hospital as a surgeon and at the University of Toronto as a professor. Choosing a place to call home was an easy call for the family. Not only did they find Leaside a perfect
Susan Scandiffio Columnist
ated on fellow runners after races who show up in the ER with various injuries and other conditions. He himself, though, has avoided injuries in all of his years of running – a remarkable feat, as most runners could tell you. Rezende has also discovered the benefits of adding extra workouts to enhance his running, including chin-ups on a most architecturally impressive bar set up in his laundry
LEFT: LUCIENE REZENDE RIGHT: SUSAN SCANDIFFIO
Leaside Life • May 2018
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Left: Dr. Rezende-Neto and his family at the Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon. Right: some of the doctor’s medals from his many races. distance from the hospital, they also remembered the friendships they had made and the strong sense of community. Now in his early 50s, Rezende started running at the age of 15 and over the years has run countless 10Ks and other distance runs. But it was during a residency in Denver that he caught the running bug (infectious, but in a good way). In 2001, he ran his first marathon and has never looked back. He’s run two marathons per year ever since and has added biathlons and triathlons along the way, including winning first place in a triathlon in Brazil in 2005. Rezende attributes his endurance as a surgeon to his running. “Running has always been a pleasure,” he says, “but in the last five years, it’s been so important to be physically fit for surgery, which can sometimes require standing for up to eight hours at a time.” He has even oper-
room and weight-lifting in his basement addition. The recent addition to the house, in fact, was a turning point in Rezende’s training regimen. When the winter roads are icy, Rezende is now able to train on his treadmill in the house instead of the garage where he used to keep the machine. What a schedule the good doctor keeps, between spending time with his extremely supportive family and two dogs (on whom he dotes), furthering his medical career, and indulging his gardening hobby (bonsais are a specialty), all on top of his running habit (a good habit). While some runners aim for personal bests in their runs, he is simply happy to “finish and to be able to go to work on Monday.” With 30ish marathons, numerous triathlons, biathlons, and countless other races under his belt, running is, in the case of Rezende, just what the doctor ordered. ■
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LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS
Emmett Maddix frames beauty along Laird Emmett Maddix wasn’t yet 17 when he arrived in Toronto in 1957, spoke only French (his family were Acadians from Prince Edward Island), and his only skills were those learned on his family’s farm. His first job was at a tool-and-die shop, where the night shift wage was $1 an hour, five cents more than for the day shift. So, Emmett worked nights, and got to learn a bit about Toronto during the day. One day, he saw a sign “Help wanted – picture framer – no experience necessary.” He discovered the pay was $1 an hour and decided this was a step up for him. The job was at the well-known Isaacs Gallery. Here he met artist William Kurelek, and they became friends. There is, in fact, a Kurelek painting called “The Dream of Emmett Maddix,” with vignettes in it painted from discussions the two of them had, including how life was a rat race. Sure enough, in the centre of the painting, there
LORNA KRAWCHUK
Leaside Life • May 2018
by LORNA KRAWCHUK
is a circle, with tiny brown rats forming the circle. By 1963, he felt ready go into business on his own. Following the example of stores like Birks and Eaton’s, he called his store Emmett’s. He moved to Leaside in 1981, when he bought frontage on Laird that was part of the original Canada Varnish property. The name outside says simply “Emmett’s.” You need to know to go inside to see on a business card that the full name is Emmett’s Custom Framing Ltd. “If you are looking for a $35 frame, we’re not the place to go,” he declares.
“We do high quality work.” In fact, his frames range from $200 to $40,000. Some are custom-made, while others, like the 16th century Italian frame, complete with (old) termite holes, he purchased on buying trips to New York. Emmett’s framing clients include the AGO and many prominent, art-loving people in Toronto and elsewhere, but he also has local Leaside clients who appreciate his skills and good eye. His work philosophy is simple – “work hard and be honest.” “My idea was to become the top in Canada.” He is certainly among an elite in the framing world and was chosen to be the cover story for an American art business magazine with advice for new framers. He also regularly acts as an agent for people buying art at auctions. At age 78, Emmett and his wife, Sally, have shortened the shop hours slightly, but aren’t planning to retire yet. Neither of their children is interested in the business, so the plan is to continue while they enjoy being there. ■
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Bitcoin comes to Leaside… but I’d rather invest in Leaside dollars And so, we now have ready access to bitcoin right here in the ’hood. Yup, on your way home from the Chocolate Messenger you can make a quick stop at the Jug & Milk and voilà, your bitcoin fix is satiated. I spoke to Sam, the forward-thinking proprietor on the day his bitcoin ATM was installed and he confirmed there had already been two users. If you already have a wallet to store your cryptocurrencies, then you’re good to go…you’ve probably also got an account with one of the growing number of cryptocurrency exchanges too. For the uninitiated, bitcoin was the first digital currency, and should you wish to buy some, or any of the other cryptocurrencies such as ethereum or ripple from the growing list, you would need a special kind of wallet to store them. Technically speaking, since bitcoins and the like do not exist in any physical shape or form, they cannot actually be stored anywhere. Instead, you use your private key to access your public bitcoin address and authorize transactions that are then securely stored. A combination of the recipient’s public key and your private key is what makes a cryptocurrency transaction possible. What really makes this all possible is the advent of the technology known as blockchain.
Enter the Leaside dollar
In theory, blockchain is a shared, distributed ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking tangible or intangible assets in a network. Virtually anything of value can be securely and reliably tracked and/or traded on a blockchain network, reducing risk, creating transparency, and cutting costs for all involved. My purpose here is not ‘cryptocurrency 101’, rather it is to suggest that there are readily available technologies that can underpin a truly transformative community initiative with the power to benefit all of us living in Leaside. As proactive an investor as I like to think I am, I’ll leave bitcoin for the more adventurous. I prefer to invest my money where it will make the most difference for our family. Yes, I’m talking about the Leaside dollar. Complementary or community currencies are a medium of exchange that is a growing worldwide trend. Many local communities around the world have created their own. The time for a Leaside dollar has arrived.
Glenn Asano The Business of Leaside
In towns, counties and communities around the world, local residents have come up with alternatives to the usual way of paying for goods and services. Instead of dollars, pounds, francs or yen, they are spending these privately developed alternatives at local participating businesses and institutions that mutually agree to do trade using this particular payment form. The “International Journal of Community Currency Research” identifies four main purposes: to promote local economic development; to build social capital; to nurture more sustainable lifestyles; and to meet needs that the national currencies seemingly do not.
The challenge
Community currencies encourage spending at local businesses where a loyal two-way relationship can generate a number of benefits for both customers and suppliers once the program becomes well embedded in the local economic and social ecosystems. Think for example, if local business leaders like Andy at Grilltime, Mike at Horticultural Design, or David at M&S Auto, or incoming entrepreneurs Ryan and Dave of Green Canoe, and countless others were to jump on board, while at the same time our community embraced the idea and began to ‘vote’ with our Leaside dollars. Could we as customers supporting local business be more directly rewarded for our loyalty? Leaside dollars would be created and administered locally. Its programs designed to benefit those who live, work and invest in our community. If we build the system on block-
chain we could track data to prove that our collective choice to promote local business and social initiatives for the benefit of Leaside can truly make a difference for all concerned. Perhaps a small portion of our continued patronage with Leaside dollars could be set aside for locally beneficial uses such as: sponsorship of local youth sports teams (a growing problem that the Councillor recently brought to my attention), funds to support impassioned causes like Cheryl Vanderburg’s noble effort to beautify Leaside one empty Timmies cup at a time, or how about a bit of ‘love’ for our Leaside Property Owner’s Association as they struggle day in day out searching for reasonable compromise against the scourge of ‘intensification’ at our doorsteps? I have always been drawn to the simple idea: what gets rewarded gets done. Perhaps Leaside dollars could be used to pay our ambitious and enterprising youth who provide strategically directed community service work. I wondered, as I read Muriel Wissell’s letter in our April issue confirming the challenge of Leaside’s growing volunteer problem, if Leaside dollars could be a possible solution? Encouragingly she wrote, “this (challenge) is driving innovation within churches…” Having our own currency just might be innovative enough to help. There is obviously a lot more detail that I would love to cover if not for a word limit (e.g. ways we would fund the currency, the inclusion of the time element as a currency, how we would win local business support, etc). The key point here is that it is really up to us as a community to decide whether the Leaside dollar would be an initiative worth pursuing. I truly believe that we as an active community with a shared purpose can really make a difference by taking ownership of things that are collectively important to us. I would invest in Leaside dollars over bitcoin any day of the week. In this instance, with an innovative vision and good old Leaside pride, the idea of a Leaside dollar is worth exploring. We can do this. Do you think we should? Let us know at leasidelife@gmail.com. Leasider Glenn Asano is a partner and principal consultant for the strategy and business development practice at Centred Performance. He is also an Instructor with the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University. ■
SHUTTERSTOCK
Leaside Life • May 2018
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T:6.875”
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Goodbye winter. Hello Eglinton.
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Leaside Life • May 2018
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Letters... From Page 7
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cups, grocery receipts, butts, you name it, wherever they please. This strip is especially bad as the wind funnels along here bringing all sorts of treats with it. But the main culprits are the many pedestrians heading down Millwood. Many of those are students and a number of them are from St Anselm’s School. Yesterday I spoke to a senior student who had tossed some paper on the lawn. He admitted that yes, he WOULD like to live in a nice community free from garbage, and couldn’t give a reason why he littered. His group of friends was egging him on. He dutifully picked it up... I think a chat with the principal there might be beneficial. If we could enlist the students to keep the streets clean it would be an enormous help. Re: the cigarette butts (a weekly sweep garners about 100); my guess is that many of these come from people getting off the bus or coming home from one of the pubs. I have asked Jon Burnside to see that garbage pails and a large visible ash tray are installed by the bank as part of the BIA’s Streetscape plan for the Bayview/Millwood intersection. Millwood has a lot of rental units and I wonder whether people who don’t own their own homes are as invested in their community as those of us who do. A public awareness campaign is in order. According to city bylaws, littering is prohibited, but rarely is anyone fined. And more trash bins that are REGULARLY EMPTIED would be a big help. Keep up the good work! Phil Penney Re Article on Hannelore Mohring We are long-time residents in Leaside and very much enjoy your publication. We were particularly delighted by Janis Fertuck’s recent article (April 2018) about Hannelore Mohring and the Deli Café.
We have been debating for a while now where this restaurant used to be. Mystery solved by providing the address in the article. Thank you! It was one of our favourites in the early 90s, when our children (now strapping adults) were very small, as it was one of the very few places that, in those days, one could take children. It was always a special treat for all of us! We are a little confused by the timeline and hope that you can shed some light. The article states that Hannelore ran the establishment (again) from 1982-1985. We moved to Leaside in 1988 and had our children in ’89 and ’92. We recall (although mightily sleep-deprived in those years) that the German owner was running it with her son. It must have been Hannelore. So we cannot reconcile this with the ’82-’85 timeframe. Did Hannelore come back? Who ran it in the ’90s? Perhaps you can help. Our children also enthusiastically called it the “green restaurant” and none of us can now recall why. Thank you for continuing to report on the history and personalities in our wonderful and beloved community. Ulrike Kuprath Squirrels Anyone? I recently experienced a unique problem when my car was parked in my driveway in South Leaside (see photo below). I believe that a squirrel is preparing a nest in my car to give birth. This is the second nest that I have discovered in the last month. I found it when I popped the hood to add windshield washer fluid. I understand that a number of people are having this problem. It can be very costly if the squirrel chews on wires. I sought advice at Urban Nature they advertise in Leaside Life. I am trying a remedy using fox urine pellets that they sold me. Are other residents experiencing this problem? Elaine Snider ■ Have you looked under your hood lately?
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Leaside Life • May 2018
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Fallis sermonizes on the need for political engagement Well, it’s election time. You can tell by how many times your phone or doorbell rings just as you sit down to dinner. Yes, I know, on a Friday evening, you may not want to answer the door to speak to yet another earnest candidate vying for your vote, but we really should welcome it. This is what democracy is all about. I’ve been interested in politics a long time. Back in 1977, as a senior at Leaside High School, my twin brother Tim and I ran for school president and vice president. To this day I’m not sure why Tim was the presidential candidate, and I was the lowly VP sidekick. It may explain why we lost the election. It wasn’t exactly an episode of West Wing, but it did trigger an interest in politics that remains to this day. In fact, early in my career, I worked on Parliament Hill and at Queen’s Park in those smoke-filled backrooms as a political staffer. Those were heady days and my experiences gave me fodder for my first two novels. Satirical yes, but earnestly written to perhaps illuminate a different path we might take in how we prac-
Terry Fallis Columnist
JUNE 7, 2018
tise politics in this country. I consider them to be my love letters to democracy with a few laughs along the way. I sometimes fear we’ve fallen into what I’ve come to call the “apathy of affluence,” an affliction perhaps more common in leafy communi-
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ties like our beloved Leaside. We get up in the morning and hot water comes out of the tap. We put our garbage and recycling out at the street and it magically disappears by the time we come home. We flip the switch in our kitchen and miraculously the lights turn on – unless you have those expensive pot lights that flash and die after only weeks of use. I call them “pop lights.” But in general, in most parts of Canada and certainly in Leaside, things seem to work reasonably well most of the time. We begin to take our happy lives for granted. Paradoxically, we don’t always see the incentive to get engaged in the election, because, well, we’re in a good place. And therein lies the rub. So we fall into this stupor around election time and lament the demands on our time and attention span as the quadrennial bid for our vote ramps up. You can see this trend in the declining voter turnout over the last 50 years or so. Back in the early 1960s, nearly 80 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots. In 2008, voter turnout dipped to an historic low of under 59 per cent. This means that majority governments are actually being elected by a minority of eligible voters. While modest gains have been made since, we’re still a far cry from the levels seen when Lester Pearson and John Diefenbaker ruled our politics. I’m not suggesting every citizen should take three weeks off to school themselves on the burning issues of this upcoming Ontario election (though who am I to discourage that?). But I do think we all need to take a little bit of time to examine what this election is all about, how we feel about the key issues, and then draw at least relatively well-informed conclusions about who and what we’ll support. That’s a very modest price to pay for living in one of the most advanced democracies in the world. It’s also part of modeling good civic citizenship for the generation that will inherit the country and its governance in the decades to come. Voter turnout for young people is much lower than the national average. The fact of the matter is, if our voting youth organized, really engaged in this election, and voted en masse, they could probably determine the outcome. All of this to say that we really do have an obligation at least to vote FALLIS, Page 30
DO YOU KNOW A GREAT SPORTS LEADER, VOLUNTEER, ATHLETE OR TEAM? Nominations are now open for the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame and for Athlete/Team of the Year, 2018. NEW! Nominations are now being accepted for Historic Teams for induction into the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame. Visit leasidesports.com to nominate or for eligibility criteria. DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS IS MAY 31, 2018.
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An architectural guide to Leaside house styles | Part II
Leaside Life • May 2018
by ALEX PINO, BROKER As a continuation of our House Style series, we are presenting two additional styles that are easy to recognize in different areas of the neighbourhood. Early British settlers originated the Cape Cod Colonial Revival style in New England in the 17th century. They adapted the cottages found in Britain to protect them from the harsh winters in America. Its appeal is based on its simplicity and charm. Cape Cod: Main characteristics and identifiable features 1. Symmetrical façade design 2. 1 or 1 ½ storeys 3 Centre hall with front entry 4. Pilasters to highlight the entryway 5. Steep gabled roof 6. Gable dormers 7. Chimney located at gable end of the house 8. Double hung sash windows with small multi-panes 9. Shutters
REAL ESTATE
The Vernacular Mixed style is such a prominent type of house in the area that it is hard to understand it has no definitive name. Homebuyers used builders’ catalogues to select their design of a rectangular floorplate and side entrance. They were able to customize their façades with small variations of materials and to add some changes to the roofline covering the porch and bay window. Similar houses can be found with slight modifications.
Vernacular: Main characteristics and identifiable features
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1. Side entrance leading to a hall and staircase 2. Bay window 3. Dormer window 4. Timber frame porch with bracket support 5. Braces under gable 6. Stone surrounding front door 7. Leaded glass casement windows (or sash windows with stained glass) 8. Ornate carved wooden bargeboards and painted timbering 9. Blended materials such as brick and stone
We would like to thank those residents who reached out to get more information about the style of their houses and we welcome all inquiries! Alex Pino, Arch FRI Broker, is Senior Vice President, Sales for Sotheby’s International Realty Canada. You can reach him at apino@sothebysrealty.ca. ■
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Leaside Life • May 2018
The Leaside Flames Atom AA team, coached by Leasiders Chris Martin, Marcus Rudy, Peter O’Connell, and Ian MacMillan, defeated the York Toros to capture the GTHL City Championship. The road to the championship saw this hard working group of boys and girls play 24 games in the span of 50 days to be crowned the best team in the city. They will now advance to the Ontario Championships in North Bay. Congratulations also go out to the mighty 2002 A Minor Midget Leaside Flames team who also won the GTHL City Championships. As reported in the March issue of Leaside Life, this powerhouse team, led by coach Dave Rumer, continued their winning ways by blasting through the playoffs with an incredible record of 12 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie. This team ended their 2017/18 GTHL regular and playoff season with a record of 46 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie. Well done! ■
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Local MP hosts job fair WELCOME TO MAY Mental Health Month
Leaside Life • May 2018
You can make a difference!
On April 12th Rob Oliphant, MP for Don Valley West, hosted his second annual Youth Career & Job Fair. Hundreds of young people (aged 15-19) from across Leaside and Thorncliffe descended on the fair to meet with potential employers including representatives from Pedalheads Bike Camps, Toronto Police Services, Holland Bloorview & Toronto Parks. Arta Mohasses, Director of Athletes at TAC Sports.ca, was looking to fill 30 summer positions, while Police Constable Juliane Palm, Toronto Police Services Talent acquisition, was promoting the important Youth in Policing Initiative developed to promote youth participation in and exposure to the work environment. Attendees also had the opportunity to receive one-onone support for editing their resumés, receive free professional head shots, and participate in mock interviews. ■
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Leaside Life • May 2018
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There’s more than business at the Leaside Business Park The Leaside Business Park (LBP), bordered by Eglinton Ave., the Don Valley Park system, Millwood Rd./ Laird Dr., and Overlea Blvd., is positioned as ‘an industrial park in the heart of Toronto’. The Leaside Business Park Association’s (LBPA) mandate is ‘to promote the LBP as a desirable location to conduct business’. So how does the LBP measure up from a litter perspective? And what litter abatement programs do the LBPA and its membership have in place? Off I went to see what I could find out. The deplorable state of some areas of the LBP has been a bee in my bonnet for a while. I spend a fair amount of time driving and walking through it, and in my opinion the amount and assortment of accumulated litter make this experience both nasty and off-putting. For example, the fence and grassy area on the north side of Wicksteed are always strewn with garbage. The south side along the Smart Centre and Home Depot is equally littered with plastic bags caught in trees and refuse caught in bushes.
Cheryl Vanderburg Leaside Litterati
The litter continues eastbound with coffee cups, water bottles, etc. on the roadside and business properties, and extends on to Beth Nealson and Overlea. Laird is equally as beleaguered as Esandar Dr. where Waste Management is located. In the past I have notified offending property management companies and businesses and they have cleaned up. But really, I shouldn’t have to initiate these onetime activities. There should be a plan driven by the LBPA with its membership, and activities should be ongoing. Next, I emailed the LBPA and was told that my question had been forwarded to the president. As of my deadline date I have not had a reply. I checked their website
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and learned that over 50 companies are members. From a ‘green’ perspective, the LBP is located in an area that has the potential to affect Wilket Creek, which is part of the Don River Watershed. The LBPA met in 2009 to discuss the potential initiatives they could, as a group, undertake to reduce their environment impact. The concern is the overflow of combined sewers sending potentially contaminated water and raw sewage into the Don River system. From a ‘clean’ perspective, in 2004 the 132nd Scout troop and parents were treated to a BBQ to thank them for all of their efforts in cleaning up the Business Park. So what’s happening in 2018? If I find out, I’ll let you know. I’m sure there are many businesses that take pride in their grounds and endeavour to keep them clean. But if the LBPA mandate is to ‘value the park area that remains and to create an environment where entrepreneurial innovators want to locate’, the whole area needs a good cleaning and an ongoing plan to keep it green and clean. ■
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The kids are alright: children’s art is thriving at local school Aspiring young artists from across the GTA recently took part in the first Children’s Art Competition held by Leaside’s Canadian Contemporary School for the Arts (CCSA) on Vanderhoof Ave., with an awards gala held on April 7 and a monthlong exhibition at the school organized by its director, Nahal Bahrman. The contest, with the theme “My City,” was open to all and advertised in TDSB schools, Leaside Life and on Facebook. From almost 700 entries, 96 were evaluated for prizes in three age categories by the judges – well-known illustrators Michael Martchenko, Barbara Reid and Kevin Sylvester. First, second and third prizes were awarded in three age categories. Natalie Yundi Chen took first place in the ages 4 to 8 category, Vita Huang in the 9 to 12 category and Juliette Roux in the teenager group. Both Vita and Juliette were “excited and proud” to see their work hanging in the gallery, a sen-
A LEASIDE TRADITION FOR 57 YEARS
Michael Martchenko and parent Jennie Popova with the keepsake book.
timent echoed by many parents and students. Parent Jennie Popova was also happy her daughter could share her artistic interest with others. The winners received art supplies
Above: Juliette Roux,14, with her first place drawing.
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Vita Huang, 10, with her first prize drawing.
PHOTOS BY JANIS FERTUCK
Leaside Life • May 2018
by JANICE FERTUCK
and a commemorative book, “My City,” featuring the exhibited pieces, which is also available on Amazon. com. Nahal Bahrman was “pleased with the success of the contest and the turnout at the gala.” The art teacher, with a master’s degree in illustration, emigrated from Iran 13 years ago. Surprised at the lack of an art program for her daughter in the area, she opened the school last spring as “a mini-college for children where they could study all the different visual arts in one place” and display their work in “Toronto’s only art gallery dedicated to showing artwork by children.” According to the website, CCSA seeks to provide “a warm and welcoming environment,” “to plant the seeds of lifelong creativity” and “to nurture the whole child.” A team of teachers and a wide array of programs ensure that creativity is nurtured for young people from 2 to pre-university. There are even options for adults. During the recent March Break, a class of 10 children explored the topic of “Flying to the Moon” through drawings, fashion design, architecture, storyboards and film. This is what Bahrman calls a “Creative Practice” week, and there are several offered in the upcoming summer program, such as “Exploring the Jungle,” which combine environmental studies with various art techniques, in addition to courses focusing on the different art forms. Visit www.ccsa.art for more details on the programs and the art-themed birthday parties at CCSA. ■
There’s no place like (Leaside) home, Part 2 We put the call out for more Leasiders living in the homes where they grew up. It seems there are a lot of Leasiders living here for the long haul. Here are two more:
PHOTOS BY SUZANNE PARK
Brenda French and her dog Chance
Brenda French of Donegall Drive, another Leasider living in her childhood home, is no stranger to Leaside Life. She has been a restaurant critic (Nov. 2013) and quoted as a local volunteer raising funds for El Hogar Projects Canada (June 2015). Brenda has lived in her childhood home all but three years. “My dad taught at Maurice Cody, and in 1954 my parents bought their Leaside home for $24,000. I grew up in Leaside and left home when I married at 25, returning three years later as my parents decided to move into a condo. They offered to sell me the house and it has remained the go-to house for family events. We’ve carried on the tradition of my parents’ annual Christmas party.” Among Brenda’s fondest memories are school days at Bessborough and Leaside High, “walking everywhere (school, church, pool and library), and always feeling safe, like living in a small town in the middle of the city. My pals and I skated Friday nights at Leaside Arena, the boys taking ribbons from our pigtails, followed by egg rolls at China Food. I especially enjoyed playing hockey, the 1967 Centennial year events, our prom at Fantasy Farm and the Duke of Edinburgh’s visit.”
Growing up in a daycare centre is unique, yet that was Dave Roynon’s experience growing up in Leaside. “My mom founded and ran Leaside Daycares for many years and I was among the first group of children to attend in 1971.” Although the family’s residence was on Southvale, Dave spent most of his young waking and napping hours at the Leaside Daycare at 73 Fleming Crescent. “When finished with high school,” he commented, “I found leafy Leaside a little too restrictive, so I headed out to explore the world.” He sought exotic ski destinations in Europe and warmer scuba diving locales like Belize. Yet Leaside exerted its magnetic pull and Dave came back. “I joined the Toronto Fire Service in 2000 and was assigned to the Leaside Fire Hall where I met Shantelle, also a firefighter, and we soon married.” They take pride in having preserved the rare Art Nouveau exterior design of their home and take joy in the fact that their son,
The Roynon family. Carter (7) plays in the same rooms, backyard and parks that Dave enjoyed as a youngster. ■
Leaside Life Like us! Follow us!
Inspired by our natural environment
1610 Bayview Avenue Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4G 3B7 416.488.7716 horticulturaldesign@rogers.com • www.horticulturaldesign.com
Leaside Life • May 2018
by SUZANNE PARK
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Leaside High takes on Ontario
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Leaside Life • May 2018
by VICKI HALL It may have taken a decade, but the Leaside High School Boys Varsity Hockey team made it back to OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) for the Ontario High School Hockey Championships from March 20-23 in Collingwood. It was an exciting week, to say the least, with the team comprising mostly grade 11s and 12s with a few 10s and 9s in the mix, playing some of their best hockey of the season. The team was led by teacher manager Catherine Alexander (affectionately known as Mama) and volunteer coaches Brana Cecen and George Stevensen (see sidebar), both LHS graduates. The Lancers skated easily to a spot in the quarter final after only one loss in the round robin against teams from as far north as Sioux Lookout. Then they took the quarter final game against Belle River 3-1, advancing to the semi-finals against host school Jean Vanier. Eddie Bush arena in Collingwood was packed with Vanier fans who had been dismissed from class for the game. The energy was high, but alas the Lancers lost in a shootout, posting a final score of 2-1. “We were a AA team playing against AAA teams in the TDSB, and then next thing we knew, we had persevered to become the fourth best in the province,” said Catherine Alexander. “Their chemistry on LANCERS, Page 30
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The Leaside Lancers boys’ team in Collingwood, April 2018. Below: the Lancers girls’ team at their banquet night.
A few words from the boys’ coach... Cutting class early and beating rush hour still left me with a whole two hours to think about my upcoming week in Collingwood, coaching the boys at OFSAA. As I headed north, I tried to be realistic as well as stray away from any hype or high expectations; after all, this was Provincials. I was very keen on letting the team know that this will not be as easy as our regular-season. The first game we played immediately demonstrated the character this team brought with them. After a three-goal rally to make a third period comeback, it was evident the Lancers came to play. With each passing game, the teamwork between the fellas and me grew thicker and our game stronger. We battled our way against better teams playing remarkable hockey all week that sent us to the bronze medal game. This team really wowed the coaches with their resiliency and effort. Playing seven games in four days is hard (some even made trips back to Toronto to play in their GTHL games), and I credit these young men very heavily for the way they fought. Finishing fourth in the province after a shootout was certainly a tough pill to down, but I think we could have cracked top three no problem if it weren’t for some key players being out of the lineup. OFSAA was a great conclusion and illustration of what a season this was for all of us. It was an absolute treat to lead a team that was all on the same page and wanted to listen, work, and win as a TEAM. Brana Cecen is a graduate of LHS. He played AAA hockey in high school and is currently studying graphic design at OCADU. In his spare time, you can find him working in the kitchen at Local and volunteer coaching – for the love of the game. —V.H. ■
Sunnybrook launches campaign – “Where Impossible Becomes I’m Possible”
there and the patients we have the privilege of caring for. You look around Sunnybrook and you see every day the care providers who go above and beyond to ensure that their patients move from a place of impossible to I’m possible.” For more information on the campaign, visit www.bringustheimpossible.ca. ■
CHRIS MORRIS
With over 60,000 visits to the emergency room in 2015-2016 in addition to patients being treated in every imaginable specialty area, it’s likely that most Leasiders have at one time or another visited Sunnybrook. (Full disclosure, our family was sure they would be renaming the ER the “Archie McKay Wing” in honour of my father, who, in his injury-prone life, has broken his back twice, his neck once, pretty much every other bone in his body, has a permanent dent in his head from when he forgot he left a hammer on the roof at the cottage only to have it slide down onto his head as he descended the ladder, and has cut off the tip of the same finger twice while using a bandsaw. But I digress). Leasider Antoinette Zichy recounts the care she received after discovering her diagnosis of cervical cancer. “When I first received news of my condition, I was terrified. But
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Leaside Life • May 2018
We’re fortunate to have access to some of the best medical centres in the world. And in Leaside, we’re especially fortunate to be sitting on the doorstep of one of the greatest hospitals in the country, the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Sunnybrook has just launched a powerful fundraising campaign using the photography of two renowned combat photographers, Ron Haviv and Christopher Morris, who have spent their careers on the front lines of war zones. They spent seven days at the hospital capturing unfiltered, stunning black and white photos bringing to life “the breathtaking stories of people at the frontlines of healthcare.” “Where Impossible Becomes I’m Possible” is the theme of the campaign at this “hospital of hospitals,” so-called for receiving patients from other hospitals around the city that require acute care or more specialized treatment.
the doctors and the nurses were incredibly calming, reassuring, and kind. They discussed treatment with me and took my opinion into consideration.” Now cancer-free, Zichy recalls women she met in the hospital who had come from other corners of the province. She remembers sitting in the waiting room and thinking, “I literally walked here. I feel so blessed to be so close to such great care.” Leasiders not only access the hospital as patients but many residents also work in various capacities at the centre. Carla Findlater, clinical pharmacist in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a Parkhurst resident, notes, “What makes Sunnybrook so amazing are the people that work
RON HAVIV
by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO
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Leaside Life • May 2018
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The great rain gain with rain barrels in Leaside “The best things in life are free. The second-best things are very, very expensive.” —Coco Chanel What kind of summer will we have? A wet one with flooding like last year? Hot with a record-breaking drought like the summer before? Only time will tell because our weather patterns have changed and all we can expect now is the unexpected. One thing we do know is we’re having a wet spring and this is a perfect time to harvest nature’s best water for our gardens...rainwater! Whether we get a dry or wet summer, collecting and storing rainwater for later use can help with both climate conditions in many ways. According to “Residential dwellings in Leaside” data that Doug Obright provided to the LPOA for their 2017 AGM, I found at least 4,500 homes that could accommodate at least one rain barrel. If each one of these homes filled a 200-litre rain barrel, then 900,000 litres of rainwater would be diverted from our storm sewers. If that water were stored and used for watering gardens, it would save 900,000 litres from our municipal water supply.
The Leaside Gardener: Debora Kuchme Columnist
That’s all with just one rain barrel each. Imagine the numbers if those barrels were filled and used five, 10 or 20 times throughout the summer, and imagine if I included apartment buildings and condos. That’s just Leaside! A single rain barrel may not seem like much but collectively, a drop in the bucket really does add up. The Bayview Pixies (full disclosure: I am one of the Pixies) know all about this. They’ve been watering the trees on Bayview for the last two years with harvested rainwater. They collect it from a large garage roof, then transfer it to holding containers until they need it. Sure, it’s more work but worth the effort because not only is it free, rainwater is filled with oxygen and nitrogen that plants need and love, unlike tap
Hidden Amongst Us: Architectural Portraits of Leaside’s Canada Wire and Cable Company Homes
water that’s filled with chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals that plants neither need nor like. The Bayview Leaside BIA will be installing two more rain barrels this year thanks to a grant from the New Horizon for Seniors Program. This should provide the Pixies with enough rainwater to keep the 79 trees on Bayview hydrated and healthy. Using rainwater is just one way to be water-conscious. Our fresh water supply is not an everlasting resource. Water restrictions like those in Cape Town and California can happen here too and not because of scarcity but because of contamination. Our infrastructure has not kept pace with our steady population growth, which continues to alter our environment with more impervious materials. Extreme rain events are more common and have nowhere to go except into outdated and ill-equipped storm sewers. This is how our water supply can become contaminated and until our city planners address these problems, we must do what we can to help. So, get a rain barrel and use one of the best things in life for free. The second best is indeed very, very expensive!
ab
Learn more from the Leaside Garden Society. Guest speaker ShariLyn Safir, an organic landscaper of 15 years, will talk about environmentally friendly garden practices including water-wise gardening. This all takes place at the Leaside Library on May 10th at 7:30 p.m. ■
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Leaside Life • May 2018
30
W ILLS & E STATES
EVENTS
Lawyer
1 MacNaughton Rd at Millwood. Spring Fling! Sunday, May 6th, 9:30 am-1pm. Artisan vendors, baking, crafts and Tea Room serving breakfast/lunch.
9 at 12:15 p.m. Features a speaker about Power of Attorney and Wills in conjunction with the Leaside branch of Scotiabank. Please bring a lunch; dessert and beverages will be provided. For more information, please call the church office. All welcome!
House calls
LEASIDE LAWN BOWLING CLUB
LEASIDE LIBRARY
190 Hanna Rd. (in Talbot Park) 416-4831418 www.leasidebowls.ca Open House, Friday, May 11th, 7-9pm. Saturday, May 12th, 10am-noon. Join us for a little exercise, fresh air and fun. Everyone welcome. Give it a Try!
165 McRae Drive, 416-396-3835.
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ST. AUGUSTINE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH 1847 Bayview Ave. Listen to great live music by local artists and have a coffee and dessert with friends. The Groove Room Coffee House, Friday, May 11th 7-8:30pm. Cost is $5 with all proceeds to the Flemingdon Park Food Bank. We are looking for performers. Contact Augustine@bellnet.ca.
W ILLS . T RUSTS . E STATES . 647-360-9519 www.lifeplanninglaw.ca
Time to “Spring into Action!” As the warmer weather beckons, so too does the Spring into Action! Walk or Run event hosted annually by Leaside’s Barry Samuel and his team at InsideOut Health + Fitness. This year’s event, the 13th annual, is being held on Saturday, May 26th, in support of mental health awareness, with the proceeds being donated to CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health). The 2k or 5k walk/run starts at 210 Laird Dr. and meanders through beautiful Sunnybrook park. One in five Canadians will suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives and often the stigma surrounding mental health causes those affected to avoid seeing help. As stated on the Canadian Mental Health Association website, everyone deserves to feel well and we all need a support system to lean on. Spring into Action is open to participants of all ages and abilities. To register or learn more, visit www. insideoutstudio.ca. For more information or mental health support: www.camh.ca or www.mentalhealthweek.ca ■
LEASIDE PRESBYTERIAN 670 Eglinton Ave. E., 416-422-0510 Church Luncheon, Wednesday, May
For full Library listings see https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/ programs-and-classes/ OUTSIDE GROUPS Leaside: Your History Matters Explore Ontario of yesterday and today with Barry Penhale and special guests. For more information, please contact Marjorie McLeod at 416-425-1392. Tuesdays, 2-4pm, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29.
LEASIDE GARDEN SOCIETY May Meeting Thursday May 10 at 7:30 pm in the Leaside Public Library, 165 McRae Drive. Shari-Lyn Safir will speak about Unearthing Organics. Send us your free listing for June by May 10th – leasidelife@gmail.com ■
Lancers...
Fallis...
From Page 26
From Page 16
the ice was unimaginable. Their behaviour both on and off the ice was classy and above reproach.” Congratulations Lancers on a great season! Six hundred kilometres north, the girl’s hockey team from LHS was also competing at OFSAA in Timmins following a second place finish in the TDSC city finals. After an eight-hour bus ride, the girls, ranked fourth in the province, hit the ice fresh on Wednesday morning and won both of their games. Thursday proved a little more challenging with the team falling to St. David. Thankfully, their two wins were enough to advance to the quarter final versus Fort Frances. Fort Frances showed to be slightly stronger winning 2-0, which Coach Patrick Keeves felt was “an emotional loss,” but the Lancers can now look back on a very successful season. Coach Keeves who came off his parental leave at LHS to coach this season, had this to say about the team. “The OFSAA trip provided a profound learning experience, a unique opportunity to bond as a team, and was extremely fun. There was a lot to feel proud of this season.” ■
in this Ontario election, and ideally, to take some time to learn enough about the challenges confronting the province to hold our candidates and parliamentarians to account. By not voting and not informing ourselves, we are giving our politicians a free ride. And that usually yields governments that are less engaged, less accountable, and less effective. Oh yes, and be patient and polite to the candidates coming to your door. Contrary to popular belief, most are stepping up for the right reasons to take on a very difficult, often thankless job. Here endeth the sermon. ■
ab
Corrections: In the April 2018 issue, Gerri Gershon’s article on the TDSB spelled the name and Twitter account of Laura Plumb incorrectly. Ms. Plumb would love for the community to see what she is doing in the classroom and can follow her at@MsPlumbsClass. In Ken Mallett’s article on teaching English in Thorncliffe Park, the class times were misstated. They are held from 5 to 7 p.m. ■
by KEN MALLETT After a chilly start to spring, the time has come for all the ‘green thumbs’ at the Thorncliffe Park Garden Club to get their hands dirty. The club holds the distinction of being the first community garden in the city. There are about 129 plots located under the hydro line corridor on both sides of Beth Nealson Dr. north of the Swiss Chalet on Overlea Blvd. Club members relish the start of a new growing season and the renewed contact with other club members. One of the long-term club members is Ian Kinross. “I got my start at the club about 15 years ago,” he says. “I had been inspired by a book by John Jeavons about growing healthy food in tiny spaces.” He also appreciates the way club members help each other. “The best thing about community gardening is learning from your new gardening friends,” he says. “When I first got my 12 x 20-ft. plot, my garden neighbour Andy would drop by with tips about timing and spacing of some of the go-to vegetables like beans, tomatoes and onions. “My garden neighbours were generous with their knowledge, and we also exchange produce throughout the growing season. The annual summer potluck is an amazing event where many cultures and delicacies intersect. “This year I will grow leeks, onions, peas, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, kale, gooseberries, red currants as well as some nice perennial flowers to add beauty to the garden — peony for example. There are many gardening opportunities in the
city. You can get on the waiting list at a community garden like I did.” Debi Rudolph, secretary of the club, cautions that currently there is a three to five-year wait for garden plots, since very few become available year to year. It’s no wonder these plots are so desirable. There are important differences between the Thorncliffe Park Garden Club and other, cityrun garden allotments. “The TPGC is a community garden with an elected executive and a nominal annual membership fee where members are required to actively participate in the management and maintenance of the gardens,” the club secretary says. The management of public garden
Former Garden Club president Mohammad Azeem (centre) and vice-president Mohammed Alam (to his right, now current president) and other garden members cook up a storm at last year’s annual potluck.
allotments is very different. “City allotment gardens are managed and maintained by the City of Toronto and members are not required to participate in the running of the gardens. Plus the fee is more than triple the cost of ours,” she adds. “Our gardens are open to members 365 days of the year, unlike the City allotments, which open in May and close in October.” The basic concept using small parcels of rented land in rural and urban locations to grow fruits and vegetables for personal use dates back centuries, but the Thorncliffe Park club has some additional benefits. Thorncliffe Park is considered an “arrival city” for people from all over the world, and their ideas and diversity are shared through the community garden. As long-time member Ian Kinross says, “It always feels good to pay it forward and share the harvest.” Editor’s note: Ian Kinross writes a blog called “Your Garden Grows” at Kinrosscordless. ■
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Leaside Life • May 2018
Sowing the seeds of friendship at the Thorncliffe Park Garden Club
Leaside Life • May 2018
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Jon Burnside
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I have been asked by Leaside Life to provide a perspective on the upcoming provincial election as it pertains to being your city councillor. Under normal circumstances I work on remarkably few issues with either of my elected counterparts at the provincial and federal levels. However, the need for increased traffic enforcement, the construction of the Crosstown LRT, and the high level of development in Leaside make our circumstances less than normal. The election has potential ramifications for these three key issues facing Leaside. Full disclosure: I like being able to call our MPP, the Premier, about our shared local concerns. She is responsive and I enjoy working with her. First, given the need to reduce the police budget and the dearth of traffic enforcement citywide, I have been a vocal supporter of technology-based solutions such as photo radar. I was disappointed when the City received a letter from the provincial government in 2015 indicating that they would not consider allowing this tool for use by municipalities. Of course, as many of you know, the province changed its mind last year. Full credit to the Premier for this change in policy. I believe that short of having the Premier on board, this change in the government’s position would not have happened. Given the party structure of provincial politics, simply the support of one’s local MPP is rarely enough. With the need for other initiatives such as stop sign cameras, there is still work to be done. Second, it is not an exaggeration to say that much of Leaside has suffered during the last three years of LRT construction and there are four more years until completion. Retrofitting a city is never easy and unfortunately, the pain is borne disproportionately by those closest to Eglinton Ave. Given that this is a fully funded provincial project, I have often called on the Premier to help address residents’ concerns. On every occasion she has ensured that Metrolinx exhausts every posBURNSIDE, Page 35
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It’s the annual trafficathon in Leaside Every year, once March Break comes to an end, the traditional annual increase of through-traffic using Leaside streets begins. No matter where you live in our community you’ve likely noticed it, an unwelcome pattern that reminds us all to keep looking for ways to improve the situation. The LPOA’s traffic committee continues to work on a traffic-calming plan for all of Leaside. We’ve met with traffic consultant Gene Chartier to update and fine-tune a design that will be effective without being too restrictive. We’re asking Councillor Jon Burnside to arrange a meeting for us with City Traffic staff to get their comments and ideas on potential measures. Then we can hold a public meeting to solicit your opinions and suggestions. We are keen to make real progress and will keep you informed every step of the way. This autumn’s municipal elections will have an impact on how rapidly we can progress: once summer comes, much of Council’s (and councillors’) attention will be taken up with campaigning matters. I suspect
Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LPOA
that regardless of our desire to move ahead sooner rather than later, the election may delay our ability to hold a public meeting on traffic issues for a while. However, elections provide an excellent chance to make your voice heard. The City’s process for installing neighbourhood traffic control is complicated and, as many say, in need of streamlining. I am encouraged that Mayor John Tory has said he would support measures to make the process more flexible and rapidly responsive to neighbourhoods’ needs and situations. Let’s help Leaside by ensuring this is a clear election issue as we go forward! Make this point at All Candidates’ meetings and ask candidates for their opinions on the doorstep. We have experienced major traffic problems for years, made more
horrendous by what seems like an eternal LRT construction process. Our traffic issues need to be effectively addressed as soon as possible. At time of writing, Costco was planning to open its new Overlea Blvd. store in late June. It will not have a gas bar...yet. Before Costco gets the City’s permission to install multiple gas pumps, a study assessing their potential impact must be made. (The consultant is to be chosen by the City but paid for by Costco). It shouldn’t take a study to predict what is all too obvious: that a Costco gas station will create massive congestion along Overlea, as well as at neighbouring intersections, including in Leaside. Resultant air pollution, created by idling cars in lengthy queues for Costco’s bargain-priced fuel, is also a major concern. The LPOA’s position is that setting strict terms of reference for this study is crucial, to ensure the City does not give the go-ahead to something that creates major environmental damage and traffic gridlock. The next monthly LPOA Board meeting is on WEDNESDAY, MAY 2nd, at 7:30 p.m. at the Trace Manes building. These meetings are always open to the public. We invite you to attend, whether for help on local matters, to share your opinion or give advice, or just to hear more about what is happening in our community. Contact us anytime via our website, lpoa.ca ■ As the June provincial election approaches, the LPOA has reserved the William Lea Room at Leaside Gardens for an
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sibility to mitigate the ill effects of construction. The last major shared area of concern is the massive amount of development planned along Eglinton Ave., which could result in up to 10,000 new Leaside residents and another 10,000 nearby residents. This huge increase in density is largely a result of the 2017 Provincial Growth Plan, which calls for more than 12,000 people and/or jobs within a 500-metre radius of a higher order transit station. With two stations in Leaside and one at Don Mills, the problem is clear. Most of us believe this significant increase in density will have a negative impact on Leaside. If there is a change in government, would or could an MPP from a different party make changes to these plans? I believe that on balance, having the Premier as our MPP has been advantageous for Leaside. However, if the Liberals don’t form the next government, I’m not sure how much impact a regular MPP from any party will have on the aforementioned issues. councillor_burnside@toronto.ca ■
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Leaside Life • May 2018
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Exhibit of architectural portraits highlights company-built homes in early Leaside Did you know that 100 years ago Leaside was a complete live-workplay community? In 1912, Emil Andrew Wallberg, president of Canada Wire and Cable Company, purchased approximately 16 acres intending to construct a factory and 100 employee residences. In 1914, one year after Leaside was incorporated as a town, ownership of the land was transferred to Canada Wire and Cable Company (CWCC) and the company began construction of the plant. However, soon after, with the outbreak of World War I, the incomplete plant was altered to permit the manufacture of shells by the Leaside Munitions Company, a subsidiary of CWCC. Because Leaside was at the time isolated from the existing city of Toronto, the company felt the need to build housing for its workers. In fact, 68 houses were built on the lands to the west of Laird, many of which exist today. The CWCC-built houses are the subject of a set of portraits by noted architectural photographer Vik
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Saving old Leaside Pahwa. They will be featured in an exhibit entitled Hidden Amongst Us: Architectural Portraits of Leaside’s Canada Wire and Cable Company Homes and presented by Leaside Matters, on May 11-12, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at ArteMbassy located at 28 Industrial Street, suite 219. Connor Turnbull, co-chair, Leaside Matters, invites us to attend the free
exhibit to “discover the ‘big bang’ of the Town of Leaside. Canada Wire and Cable Company was not only the first industry in Leaside, but also the first company to embrace landscape architect Frederick Gage Todd’s idea of a ‘model town’ where industry and residential coexist to foster a thriving community. These houses are still amongst us. Come take a closer look at these wonderful buildings. I feel this is also a wonderful follow-on to the Leaside 100 commemorative events of five years ago, in May 2013. And the surplus Leaside 100 funds are helping to pay for the new CWCC exhibit. The exhibit is free, but donations are welcome. ■
One of the gems photographed by Vik Pahwa for a new exhibit presented by Leaside Matters.
Bayview-Millwood streetscape redux A couple of years after its formation, the Leaside-Bayview BIA is coming up with some serious improvements to the Bayview streetscape, starting with the Bayview-Millwood intersection. “The greenness of Bayview will extend to include the side street ‘flankages,’ making this one of the great public realms of Toronto,” they say. The BIA’s consultant, The Planning Partnership, proposes an expansive vision of Bayview Ave., “to be a retail and restaurant destination, with inviting boulevards lined with mature trees and comfortable attractive street furniture. People will come here year-round to shop, to eat, to linger, and to enjoy life.” The new streetscape is anchored by trees rising from ground level, amid a 2.1 metre-wide strip of green on the northwest and northeast corners of Bayview and Millwood. To add interest, there are decorative maps called “standing screens” and benches for relaxation. (One hopes there will be some bike parking too). What will it cost? About $300,000 shared between the city and the BIA. Trae Zammit, Bayview-Leaside BIA president, says they are expecting to break ground this summer. ■
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Leaside Life • May 2018
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Neighbour beware – construction next door: there’s a strategy for that! Following last month’s “Neighbour, beware – construction next door” article in Leaside Life, I happened to be invited to a meeting along with other resident association representatives to get an update from Toronto Building on the City’s Residential Infill Strategy. In March 2016, City Council approved a strategy to improve the City’s response to residential construction sites. While there has been radio silence until now, things have been happening behind the scenes. Here are the key initiatives: Improving the City’s ComplaintManagement Strategy • Dedicated Enforcement Unit to respond to problematic residential infill sites and co-ordinate with other city divisions. • Strategic approach to resolve issues in a timelier manner.
Geoff Kettel
Saving old Leaside Encouraging Good Contractor Behaviour • Additional Building Inspection – An additional site inspection is being required at the beginning of construction, and when necessary, towards the end of a project to encourage timely completion. • Increased Use of Tickets – A ticketing pilot was introduced to evaluate if, through the issuance of tickets, builders would comply more quickly when violations are identified. • Verification of Compliance with
Issued Permit – Steps are being taken to strengthen the zoning-related knowledge of building inspectors through additional training. As-built surveys will be required early in the construction process to confirm height and setback requirements, as well as the elevation of first floor. Improving Communication with Residents • Dedicated Residential Infill Website – Toronto Building has developed a dedicated residential infill website that allows one to follow the progress of a permit through the review and/ or inspection stages. • Best Practices Guide – Toronto Building will facilitate the development of a Best Practices guide on residential infill construction with key stakeholders. • Construction Site Notice – Requirement for a Notice to be posted on the infill construction sites, containing key project information so residents will be better informed about the project underway and who to contact with concerns. The most promising element of the strategy is the dedicated residential infill website both to inform neighbours whether city inspections have been done, and also whether they passed. This truly allows neighbours to be informed but also serves as a publicly accessible audit on the performance of the contractor (and applicant). Finally, coming to a residential infill construction site near you this summer is new, informative construction site signage. Now we just need to fix the tree protection issues, dust generation, mud tracked onto roads issues, etc. Contacts/Resources: Good Neighbour Guide for Residential Infill Construction www.toronto.ca/services-payments/building-construction/complain-about-construction-issues/ residential-infill-construction/ good-neighbour-guide-for-residential-infill-construction Complaints: call 416 397-5330, email infillcomplaint@toronto.ca Current status of building permit approvals and inspections: www.toronto.ca/infill www.toronto.ca/building ■
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