N O V E M B E R 20 18
Leaside Life leasidelife.com
No. 78
Comemorating the end of World War I 100 years ago Pg. 12, 14
AND THE WINNERS ARE... REPRESENTING DON VALLEY WEST: Trustee TDSB: Rachel Chernos Lin
Trustee TCDSB: Angela Kennedy
Don Valley West Councillor: Jaye Robinson
Election roundup, pg. 22
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
BIKES AND SAFE CYCLING FOR NEEDY KIDS • PG. 26
PUT A SQUEEZE ON DIABETES • PG. 2
ALICE’S BAYVIEW ART STUDIO • PG. 4
LEASIDE SPORTS HALL OF FAME ATHLETES OF THE YEAR PG. 5 LEASIDE’S CHIEF OF CHRISTMAS NOSES PG. 6 WHAT’S A BONNET ON A BOX? PG. 24 LPOA POST-ELECTION PG. 30 AND MUCH MORE!!
VISIT US AT LEASIDELIFE.COM: COMMUNITY DIRECTORY • UP TO DATE EVENTS • ARCHIVED STORIES
Young philanthropists win award
TARA FROTTEN
Unique Gifts for Nature Lovers of All Ages
Leaside Life • November 2018
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Max and Jamie with Alistair Baxter of Lexus on the Park. by JANIS FERTUCK
900 Don Mills Road (at Barber Greene Blvd)
416-646-2439 www.UrbanNatureStore.ca
On November 21, two young Leaside philanthropists will receive the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award from the Toronto chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) in recognition of their many years of raising funds for Diabetes Canada through a series of lemonade stands. That’s right – lemonade stands. Jamie Cleghorn, 17, has Type 1 diabetes, and he and his best friend, Max Armstrong, also 17, have devoted much of their time and energy to raising funds for diabe-
tes research and diabetes camps, or D-camps, with the help and guidance of their mothers, Lynne Bridgman and Carolyn Armstrong. It all started in 2009 when the neighbouring Leaside families decided to participate in a walk to support diabetes research and raised the funds for it through a lemonade stand in a prime location at Millwood and Bayview. They were so successful that first year that they continued the project for five more years. Then, after Jamie spent time at a D-camp called Camp Huronda, he understood the importance of the camps in helping children to
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connect with others like themselves, build their confidence and learn to self-manage their diabetes. As a result of his experiences as both a camper and a counsellor, Lynne says, “We decided to switch our focus to funding programs and getting kids to help each other.” In June 2015, the families launched the program “Put a Squeeze on Diabetes” with one lemonade stand on Bayview and another at Lexus on the Park, thanks to friend and
neighbour, Alistair Baxter, the general manager of the dealership. Then, Diabetes Canada decided to partner with the families to increase their fundraising strength through an online presence. A year later, Tara Frotten, events coordinator at Diabetes Canada, joined the team to design and manage the website, which is used for registering the lemonade stands, getting donations and submitting funds. The number of lemonade stands increased from 27 in Ontario in 2015 to over 100 across
JANIS FERTUCK
CAROLYN ARMSTRONG
Left: Councillor Burnside helps out on Bayview and (right) the boys with their mums Lynne Bridgman and Carolyn Armstrong.
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Canada this past June. (Those who wish to participate can visit www. putasqueeze.ca to gain information, register and receive the Fundraising Toolkit.) Jamie and Max pack the toolkits themselves and deliver them on their bikes to local participants. Tara, Lynne and Carolyn also created the “pitch” that Alistair Baxter took to the Canada One Auto Group when these dealers were interested in combining their fundraising efforts. As a result, Jamie and Max were presented with a cheque for $100,000 from the group on June 23, bringing their total raised over the last four years to an impressive $240,000. It’s “an honour and a privilege to work with the two families whose passion and commitment are inspiring,” says Tara. It was through Tara and her colleague at Diabetes Canada that Jamie and Max were nominated for the AFP award this year. The boys are thrilled with the award and plan to keep working on “Put a Squeeze” for as long as possible. Since both are interested in studying business at university, Carolyn suggests these young philanthropists might eventually get more businesses involved in this project and similar ones in the future. ■
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Leaside Life • November 2018
PHILANTHROPISTS, continued
LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS
You can get anything you want at Alice’s Art Studio by JANICE FERTUCK Artist Alice Aksay has realized a dream with the opening of her own art studio on Bayview. Alice earned her honours degree at OCAD while raising her three children, then went to York after several years of teaching after-school art programs. She taught English, French and art with the TDSB, most recently at Terraview-Willowfield Public School, where she designed and implemented an art program for the entire school. Leaside was attractive to Alice for many reasons. The most practical one is that her father bought the building 40 years ago, and her brother, Ari Kurk, a chartered accountant whose office is on the upper floor, encouraged her to take over the main floor as a studio and school. Also, Alice says she has been drawn to the area ever since she had an office job here when she was in her 20s. She enjoys Leaside’s “sense of
JANIS FERTUCK
Leaside Life • November 2018
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community, friendly, family-oriented atmosphere and the quality of the shops and restaurants.” Her artistic inspiration comes from her connections with family, friends
The Dotsa Bitove Wellness Academy opened in the summer of 2013 as a place of learning for adults living with dementia. The Academy is unique, in that we hire professional artists, and we practice arts-based relational caring. In our Academy, art is used as a catalyst to develop authentic relationships and engage in creative discussions using diverse artistic mediums. Our artists encourage expression of self through various visual arts, theatre, music, dance, and yoga.
and everyday life. “Everything you create is a part of you and you are connected to it,” she says. It's clear from her colourful paintings in the studio that another major inspiration is nature and the changing seasons, and she tries to spend as much time as possible up north. An early school trip to the McMichael Gallery had a profound impact on Alice as she was “smitten” with the collection and the lives of the artists. She remembers seeing A.Y. Jackson in his wheelchair and wondering, from her child’s perspective, how he was able to travel around to capture his nature scenes, not realizing he had painted the scenes in his youth. Alice hopes the studio will be a “vibrant space full of colour, inspiration and exploration.” She aims to create “a place where people can find themselves and explore and develop their own artistic interests.” For more information: 416-488-1472 or www.alicesartstudio.ca. ■
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Leaside Life
Leaside’s 2018 Athletes of the Year
Published once a month in Leaside, Toronto ON, by FH Publishing Inc., 1444 Dupont St., Unit 11A, M6P 4H3 • 416-504-8047 Circulation 10,000 to every door in M4G PUBLISHER: Lorna Krawchuk EDITOR: Jane W. Auster GRAPHIC DESIGN: Robin Dickie DANIELLE EARL
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Congratulations to all the young athletes that make up this award-winning team!
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The Leaside Sports Hall of Fame will hold its sixth annual Induction Ceremony and Community Reception on Friday evening, November 16th. The event will be held in the William Lea Room at Leaside Gardens and will honour these exceptional athletes as well as this year’s crop of Hall of Fame inductees (profiled in the October issue of Leaside Life).
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Leaside Life • November 2018
MERAKI SYNCHRO
LEASIDE PEOPLE • MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS
Leaside’s Chief of Christmas Noses! by SUZANNE PARK Do you have fond memories of being bundled up in your winter coat, hat, mitts and boots, then hustled downtown where you searched for the perfect viewing spot to stand for ages in the freezing cold while being jostled about by a crowd of strangers? All in anticipation of catching a fleeting glimpse of Santa and his eight tiny reindeer, plus Rudolf with his nose so bright? Jennifer Williamson certainly has fond memories of the parade. She is a busy Leasider who, in addition to running her recruiting business, Peak Associates, is one of the many volunteers behind the magic of Toronto’s Santa Parade. “As a youngster my mom and grandpa had us down at ‘our spot’ by 6 a.m. on the curb close to Simpsons (now The Bay) for easy window display viewing after the parade,” she said. “Keeping the annual tradition, I would take my
Jennifer helping to create the magic of the Santa Claus Parade. niece and nephew when they were young and we always bought red noses, like Rudolf’s, sold by off-duty TTC officers. With all the good feelings Jennifer had experienced attending the parade, when her own daughter Lindsay was young she decided it was time to volunteer and contribute to the magic. So, at her first meeting, Jennifer asked, “can I be involved in selling the red noses?”
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To her surprise she learned the noses weren’t being sold anymore. Her immediate response was, “We must!” And, of course, she ended up with the job of Chief of Noses. That’s when her wild ride began. “Right away one of the committee members offered to order the noses. This was a relief to me. We projected 10,000 would do. So, a few weeks later a courier arrived at my office saying he had a delivery. I showed him to an interview room where we had set aside space for the boxes. As he brought in box after box, filling the room completely, I double checked the invoice. We received 100,000 noses, enough for 10 years of parades because the volunteer saved a penny a nose! Turns out they weren’t such a bargain as they cracked in the cold and we ended giving out two to every purchaser.” Jennifer continued, “My next challenge was begging the Toronto Star to loan us newspaper carrier bags so the sellers could dispense the noses from their bag stuffed with noses. It took serious negotiations yet finally they relented when I promised that the bags would all be returned and in pristine condition. Finally, the day of the parade arrived. All went smoothly and my team sold a ton of noses.” The Cadets took over selling the noses the next year and they seem thrilled to carry on the tradition. In the words of one Leaside student, Josh Asano of Air Cadet’s 180 Mosquito Squadron, “It was cold, but tons of fun on the day of the Santa Parade last year. I collected $687 for the cause and we’ll be out in force again this year. Buy your red nose. Please don’t hold back!” This year’s Santa Parade is on Nov. 18. Red noses are welcome. ■
Bethel Green
not intended to solicit parties in an agency agreement
All St. Clements Church Youth are invited to attend a bellringing in remembrance of our fallen soldiers at 6:30pm on November 11. RSVP required. 70 St. Clements Ave • (416) 483-6664
SUZANNE WILLIAMSON
Leaside Life • November 2018
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L-r: Kristin Bartlett, program assistant, Judith Bansil, member companion, and Susee Padias, program assistant. by SUZANNE PARK We all do things for love, from small deeds like making coffee to grand gestures like professing our love in a banner across the sky. Leasiders are among the beneficiaries of the late John Bitove Sr.’s loving tribute to his dear wife Dotsa. From his humble immigrant’s start, John built a business empire and left a philanthropic legacy including the Dotsa Bitove Wellness Academy at 1929 Bayview Ave. www.dotsabitove.com. The Academy is a welcoming respite for those with mild to moderate dementia. Founded five years ago by The Bitove Foundation, the Academy numbered only four participants when it opened its doors. Today, still affiliated with the foundation, the University Health Network, and York University, the Academy serves many, many more several days a week. During its brief history, the Academy has provided a stimulating environment where professional artists, in the fields of music, movement and the visual arts offer engaging programs that appeal to a range of interests and abilities. Academy members, some accompanied by their care partners, attend weekday program offerings. One of these, visual artist Simon Law, grew up in a home filled with music and arrived at the Academy,
with his father, when it first opened its doors. Simon has been sharing his passion for music appreciation ever since, and his program is one of Dotsa Bitove’s favourites, which she continues to attend. Dotsa is also one of the Academy members who have contributed their artwork to greeting cards that the Academy sells as part of their fundraising activities. Program assistant Kristin Bartlett, who leads weaving, macramé and other textile activities, says, “It’s inspiring to give and receive with members’ care partners in a creative, fun and supportive environment.” The Academy’s artistic and program manager Velta Vikmanis comments proudly that “the Academy will be doubling its space by the end of 2018, and we welcome visitors to take a tour or enjoy a trial visit.” She adds that “Vonna Bitove, Dotsa and John’s daughter and executive director of the Bitove Foundation, is very engaged and responsive to the Academy’s needs.” In her own words, Vonna says, “This is such a happy place and a dream come true for my late father. He wanted something that my mother, Dotsa, would benefit from and represent the type of individual she was before she was touched with dementia.” WELLNESS ACADEMY, Page 27
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Leaside Life • November 2018
Dotsa Bitove Wellness Academy doubling its space
LEASIDE BUSINESSES
Flying Wheels – fixing Leaside bikes for 10 years by LORNA KRAWCHUK When Vesko Salov was 7 years old, living in Sofia, Bulgaria, his parents gave him what he claims was the first and only bicycle they ever bought for him. He enjoyed riding it, but found that he also enjoyed fixing it. Soon, other kids in the neighbourhood were coming to him to have their bikes fixed. His joy in fixing bikes led him to where he is today – celebrating the 10th anniversary of his bicycle repair shop – Flying Wheels – just east of Bayview, on Fleming Crescent. Vesko’s parents came to Canada with their twin sons 23 years ago. Toronto was their destination, and the first school Vesko attended here was Jarvis Collegiate. He understood quite a bit of English, but was reluctant to speak it. “My ego was higher than it should have been.” It was at Jarvis that he met Maia, who was to become his wife, and whose family had come from Bulgaria the year before the Salovs. When Maia’s family moved to Scarborough, where
LORNA KRAWCHUK
Leaside Life • November 2018
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Vesko doing what he loves. she attended Wexford Collegiate, he also wanted to be there, but since he didn’t live in the catchment area he couldn’t attend...until he realized that Wexford was categorized as an arts school, and he had already studied wood carving, sculpture and graphics. Problem solved. Vesko continued to feel the push and pull between the life of an
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artist and that of a person who enjoys repairing bikes. But his arts instructors told him early on that it would be difficult to make a living in Canada. He also realized that he enjoyed artistic endeavours for their own pleasure, and “not being pressured to do something I didn’t like.” So today, he creates jewellery or paintings for friends and family. His love of graphics is also evident in the tattoos he’s displayed since he was about 20. He creates a design, while the tattoo artist does the ink work. Vesko spent a number of years working for other bicycle shops around Toronto. A decade ago, around the time his son was born, he decided to go out on his own. “I always wanted to be in control, and be happy in my work.” He looked for a spot in Leaside, because the area felt like what he had known growing up in Sofia. The first place he found was just across Bayview on Manor Road, beside Taglio Hair Salon. It was very small, but a good start. Why “Flying Wheels? He wanted a name “that had something to do with speed, and didn’t bug me. I practised saying ‘Flying Wheels – Vesko speaking’ to make sure.” Early on, Fraser Chapman, co-founder and president of Morning Glory Cycling Club, with 1,200 members, became a customer. Now many other Morning Glory members have become clients, and friends. Vesko has never advertised formally – word of mouth does the trick. Six years ago, his present location became available, and he intends to stay. “I am thankful. This is how I imagined it to be.” And his wheels are always flying. ■
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HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Zarah Manavi loves the structure of hockey
Leaside Life • November 2018
by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO In our ongoing series of local hockey profiles, this month we introduce you to Leaside Wildcats player Zarah Manavi. Manavi, a Grade 8 French immersion student at Northlea School, has been playing with the Toronto Leaside Girls Hockey Association as a Wildcat for the last six years. With no one in her family ever having played hockey, Manavi picked up her desire to play from watching the Toronto Maple Leafs and playing street hockey with friends and neighbours. Starting in the house league program, Manavi then played on a tournament team, skipped the Select level, and now plays right wing in the competitive league on the Bantam B team coached by Lisa Kroll and Jason Fulsom. Between the tournament team and the rep team, Manavi has had the chance to travel to London, Huntsville, Waterloo, St. Catharines, and Ottawa. While she plays hockey almost
LEASIDE SPORTS
Player Profile: Zarah Manavi year-round between regular season games and practices, spring 4-on-4 leagues, and summer training camps, Manavi also plays soccer, rides horses, and, inspired by her grandmother’s incredible painting talents, also paints in her free time. Family is a great support for both
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Zarah and her younger brother Nevan. Zarah’s dad coaches Nevan’s hockey team and her mom is the trainer with Zarah’s Bantam team. What is most impressive about Manavi is her intelligence and maturity. Staying active and having structure in your life to maintain focus are important to her. Playing hockey provides her with a weekly schedule that offers her just that structure. She’s also someone who enjoys school, especially math and science, and would love, one day, to be an orthodontist. She firmly believes that communication is her greatest strength as a player and that communication is key to the success of a team. She notes, moreover, “I always have to be aware of where I need to be.” As for what hockey brings her? Manavi has enjoyed building her friend group with so many teammates from outside her school and the neighbourhood. “When you meet someone that is on your new hockey team it’s easier to get to know them because you already share a common interest.” As for hockey idols? Manavi cites both Auston Matthews and Sidney Crosby as players she admires, pointing out that she likes players who “are smart and work hard.” Manavi is a level-headed, focused, and, as her mother describes her, “very disciplined” teen. Setting her sights on what is best for her own future, but also for the good of her team and teammates, Manavi is a player all coaches would be lucky to have on their roster. ■
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Terry remembers Remembrance Day It’s that time of year again. Remembrance Day is not far off. Not exactly a topic that naturally lends itself to a supposedly humorous column. But sometimes, funny memories of growing up in Leaside are relegated to the backseat. I think Remembrance Day is one of those times. I’m part of the generation of Canadians who almost certainly had personal contact with veterans of the Second World War, and if we were lucky, perhaps even an encounter or two with someone who fought in the Great War. I’m not certain my two sons have ever met a combatant in either of those two conflicts. So it is up to us to ensure the next generation never forgets. For some reason, Remembrance Day affected me deeply growing up. I was always moved by the ceremony we’d have at school, culminating in the moment of silence. We’d all wear the poppies handed out in class, often failing to elude the business end of the pin. My twin brother and I carried the flags up the centre aisle at our church during the annual Remembrance Day service.
Terry Fallis Columnist
SHUTTERSTOCK
Leaside Life • November 2018
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A lump would always bloom in my throat when the names of the fallen were read. And is there a sadder, more forlorn and moving piece of music than The Last Post and Reveille played on a lone trumpet? I don’t think so. And the poetry of Remembrance Day has stayed with me, too. For a time, I could recite In Flanders Fields by memory, like many other school kids of my era. But there’s a stronger familial connection to the iconic poem. My paternal grandfather, Dr. Leslie Clinton Fallis, whom
I never knew, served in the Great War with the famous poet, Dr. John McCrae, who penned the poem in 1915. In fact, when my grandfather returned to Canada after his service, he brought with him the spur from one of John McCrae’s boots. Our family donated it to the Bytown Gunners Firepower Museum in Ottawa, where it is still displayed. I even recall writing a Remembrance Day poem for extra credit in Grade 8 English class at Bessborough Drive School. I can still recite the first primitive lines: “November 11th is Armistice Day. A time for joy and a time for dismay.” Now you know why I ended up writing novels and not poetry. I’m not sure what spawned my particular reverence for Remembrance Day. But it might have been Rob Cutts. He passed away many years ago now. But growing up, we’d see Rob Cutts every summer. He had a cottage down the bay from ours. He was a very big man, in every respect. He was kind and loud and boisterous, and had a laugh that echoed across the water whenever he visited. He was an amateur wood carver. A loon of his still sits on a side table at our cottage. Rob Cutts was also a veteran of the Second World War. I have a vivid memory of his telling my brother and me what I’m sure was a very sanitized version of the story of his capture by the Germans in the Black Forest. Like most veterans of his generation, he was not particularly forthcoming about his wartime experience. And believe me, Rob Cutts was forthcoming about almost everything else. He was an inveterate storyteller. But in this instance, gently prodded by my brother and me, he sketched out a barely skeletal story of his time behind enemy lines. We learned he eventually escaped the Germans and made his way back to England. Despite the unbridled curiosity of two adolescents firing innumerable questions, he wouldn’t share many details. We never found out exactly how it happened. We just know that it happened. His reticence about the war was certainly not uncommon. So, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, let us all — our children, too — don the poppy, and pause for a moment to remember the many Canadians — Leasiders, too — who sacrificed so much to protect the freedoms we still enjoy. It is the very least we can do. ■
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WW1 100th anniversary is a time for reflection Canada was ranked the second “Best Country” in the world for 2018 (usnews.com). Canada typically fares well in these global assessments when compared with other nations and we have much to be proud of. In this particular version, many factors were measured to come to the overall conclusion and two of those factors jumped out at me: Quality of Life (ranked first) and Citizenship (ranked fourth). Fittingly, Sunday, November 11th will mark the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the First World War at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 and the guns on the Western Front fell silent. According to Veterans Affairs Canada, more than 1.65 million Canadians served in the First and Second World Wars and 115,000 made the ultimate sacrifice for Canada – because they believed our values and beliefs were in danger and needed to be preserved. The quality of life, the pride of citizenship and the freedoms we enjoy today might not exist without the sacrifices of those individuals and their loved ones who have gone before us.
Glenn Asano The Business of Leaside
ROBIN DICKIE
Leaside Life • November 2018
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SAVE THE DATE
LAUGH OUT LOUD IN LEASIDE #10 Join us for an evening of comedy, music, food, and friends!
BENEFITING
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The men from Leaside Seventeen men who served in World War II are honoured at the Leaside Memorial Community Gardens. Their average age was 23, the youngest 19 and the oldest 32. They were far from home and gave their lives for their country. At home they lived within two kilometres of each other. Several were neighbours. Two lived right beside one another on Sutherland Drive, two came from Rumsey Road, and three lived on Cameron Crescent. There are stories of bravery: a pilot with the famed ‘Demon’ Squadron known for attacking enemy shipping; at home a sales representative for Browns’ Bread. There are stories of courage: a pilot remaining in the air while comrades parachuted to safety before succumbing in the face of a severe storm; at home a University of Toronto honours English student and youth leader at the church. The historical records also include letters to and from home that underscore the gravity of the time. Feelings of anxiety, concern, sorrow and love. For those with the proclivity, such as my esteemed colleague Elaine Snider – a 45-year Leasider – the details of these remarkable stories can be readily accessed, allowing those who served to be remembered and duly honoured. Elaine used the online search tools offered by the Canadian Virtual War Memorial, as well as ancestry.ca, which now includes “attestation papers” that were personal information forms Canadian soldiers filled out during the enlistment process. It takes a village to raise a great town The old proverb “it takes a village to raise…” refers to the challenge of facing a difficult task. No doubt times of conflict are difficult, and it should be noted that it is not only those who enlist that make sacrifices or rise to the occasion in support of an immense effort. Last year, Jane Pitfield wrote an article for Leaside Life highlighting a few of the Town of Leaside’s noteworthy contributions in both world wars. For example: 4,000 were employed in the town to efficiently produce ammunition; the Leaside Aerodrome was built to train pilots, with 600 eventually stationed there; 7,500 employees proREFLECTION, Page 16
SEEKING A PERSONAL AND/OR CORPORATE DONOR for the construction of a new
HALL OF FAME INSTALLATION at the
LEASIDE ARENA The LSHOF is outgrowing its current installation at the Leaside Arena. In the next 12 months, we will need to construct an additional Hall of Fame installation to compliment what currently exists.
We are looking for a Title Sponsor (with 3-4 year naming rights) to aid in the construction and maintenance of this new, permanent installment.
If you know of anyone who may be interested in this opportunity at Leaside’s highly-visited arena, please reach out to Jeff Munn 416.602.6491 • jkmunn@rogers.com
The Leaside Sports Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and promoting excellence in sport at the recreational, competitive and elite levels in and from the Leaside community in Toronto. We aim to foster a community where participation in recreational and competitive sport is valued, and where the achievements of athletes and the contributions of volunteers are recognized and honoured. The Leaside Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 2013 – Leaside’s centennial year – and is supported by the community’s many sports clubs and local leaders.
Reflection...
Leaside Life • November 2018
16
From Page 14 duced over $220 million worth of sophisticated equipment providing planes with radar and enabling them to fly at night; local residents proactively supported the Leaside RCAF Squadron based in England, which recruited heavily from Leaside, to name a few. Leasiders are extremely active in our collective support of the overall Canadian effort in the two world wars. As a result, today we should be grateful to have a country and importantly a ‘town’ like Leaside we can be proud of. Sometimes we need to be reminded to remember Opportunities to pay our respect to the generations of Canadians who have put their lives on the line in the cause of peace and freedom around the world are countless. There are reminders everywhere if you consciously look…the back of the $20 bill, page 22-23 in your passport, the plaque on the east perimeter wall (near the flag stands) when you’re at the rink watching a Leaside home game, a poppy…But in our modern, fast-paced lives there
just never seems to be a moment to catch a breath. It’s understandable, yet unacceptable. To paraphrase Veterans Affairs Canada: By remembering all who have served, we recognize their willingly-endured hardships taken upon themselves so that we could live in peace – and we should acknowledge it is our responsibility to ensure that the peace they fought hard to achieve will endure. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of World War 1, it is hard to believe that no more than a gentle reminder would be required. Lest we forget. So, what can we do before Remembrance Day? Here is a short and easy list to start: 1. Buy a poppy and wear it proudly 2. Visit the Leaside Memorial Community Gardens and pay your respects by viewing the plaque honouring these 17 men from Leaside 3. Send Remembrance e-Cards to friends and family www.veterans.gc.ca/ eng/remembrance/ get-involved/e-cards 4. Visit the Veterans Canada Affairs “Ways to Remember” website and review: www.
Leasiders who made the ultimate sacrifice... Trueman William Albert Anderson Lieutenant, RCA Home: Millwood Road Buried: Groesbeak, Netherlands Age: 29 Douglas Stewart Brown Pilot Officer, RCAF Home: Rumsey Road Buried: Groesbeak, Netherlands Age: 20 Conrad Cromer Evans Pilot Officer, RCAF Home: Parkhurst Boulevard Buried: Surrey, England Age: 22 Richard Charles Holmes Lieutenant, RC Navy Home: Bayview Avenue Buried: Toronto, Canada, Age: 32 Vernon John Lazier Pilot Officer, RCAF Home: Heather Road Buried: Luxembourg, Belgium Age: 22 William Clothier Leaming Flying Officer Captain, RCAF Home: Clowes Avenue (now Sharron Dr.) Buried: Surrey, England Age: 21 William Robert Merrall Flying Officer, RCAF Home: St. Cuthberts Road Buried: Surrey, England Age: 22 Archibald Allen Muirhead Sergeant, RCAF Home: Sutherland Drive Buried: Caithnesshire, Scotland Age: 24 Walter David Newel Flying Officer, RCAF Home: Donegall Drive Buried: Oxfordshire, England Age: 22 James George Gordon Peterkin Able Seaman, RC Navy Home: Cameron Crescent Buried: Halifax, Canada Age: 19 Robert Eric Bowman Pike Pilot Officer, RCAF Home: Cameron Crescent Buried: Luxembourg, Belgium Age: 21 Clifford Laureano Rea Stoker First Class, RC Navy Home: Cameron Crescent Buried: Luxembourg, Belgium Age: 23 Willard Hugh Rowland Pilot Officer, RCAF Home: Bessborough Drive Buried: Toronto, Canada Age: 28 Leonard Ogilvy Stalker Flight Sergeant, RCAF Home: McRae Drive Buried: Surrey, England Age: 28 Richard John Walton Pilot Officer, RCAF Home: Millwood Road Buried: Antwerp, Belgium Age: 20 William, Milton Wilbur Private, RCA Home: Rumsey Road Buried: Rimini, Italy Age: 23 James Edward Wilkes Pilot Officer, RCAF Home: Sutherland Drive Buried: Dunkirk, France Age: 28 source: ancestry.ca
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In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
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Leaside Life • November 2018
REFLECTION, continued veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/ get-involved/ways-to-remember For the ambitious, how about a bonus activity? Read the poem In Flanders Fields, which was written in 1915 by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. I’m sure you know this poem by heart, but let’s all read it another time. Out of respect for the past, and for the sake of our future. ■ In Flanders Fields By John McCrae
Leaside Life • November 2018
18
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Leaside Life • November 2018
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Serving the senior community since 2000 Please contact Living Assistance Services for home care services at 416-483-0070 or www.LAServices.ca
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We value diversity in the workplace, are committed to Employment Equity and will provide reasonable workplace accommodation to applicants with disabilities. RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of Canada. ®Registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. ©RBC Dominion Securities Inc. 2016. All rights reserved. 16_90451_003
Learn to Skate at Leaside Skating Club • A fun-filled environment with Nationally certified coaches • Low skater: coach ratio (maximum 6:1) • Learn-to-skate programs for all ages (3 years and up) and levels of ability • Emphasis on teaching basic fundamentals, the building blocks for all on-ice activities • Skate Canada StarSkate figure skating program • Synchronized skating teams • Power Skating program • Proudly serving the Leaside community since 1952
Register online at www.leasideskatingclub.com Leaside Skating Club skates out of Leaside Memorial Gardens Arena, 1073 Millwood Rd. (at Laird) Contact info@leasideskatingclub.com for any other questions
Leaside Life • November 2018
Call, email or drop into our office! 1536 Bayview Avenue 416-483-4444 info@bonniebyford.com
The Real Estate Tradition
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Leasider and new Trustee Chernos Lin with her family. After a dramatic election that saw the number of city council seats nearly halved and Leaside become the new Ward 15, we welcome two new faces to our community. Councillor Jaye Robinson, who previously represented Ward 25, is now councillor for our area. As she told Leaside Life, “I am really looking forward to working with the residents of Leaside on the issues that matter most to them. For some, the change in leadership at city council may be difficult but I am personally excited to represent Leaside (and Ward 15) and look forward to working collaboratively with the residents of Leaside. It was a hard fought election, thanks to all the people on my team who helped push us over the finish line.” Earlier this year, long-time trustee Gerri Gershon announced her retirement. Our new trustee, Rachel Chernos Lin, is a North Leaside
parent for whom this is her first election. As she told us, “I am very much looking forward to representing the constituents of Don Valley West at the TDSB! Although the new job doesn’t officially start until December, my calendar is quickly filling up with meetings and learning sessions as I transition into this new role. We’ve got a lot of work to do planning for development, making sure kids and teachers are well supported and advocating for better and fairer funding of our Board. It’s going to take collaboration and a creative approach, and I can’t wait to get started!” She joins Angela Kennedy, returning trustee of the Toronto Catholic District School Board. We especially want to acknowledge the efforts of Jon Burnside, our councillor for the past four years, who served Leaside with dedication, energy and passion. All the best to Jon, our fellow Leasider. ■
Lynda Gorges
Councillor
Trustee TDSB
Trustee TCDSB
416-486-5588 Lynda.Gorges@gmail.com www.lyndagorges.com
Jaye Robinson
Rachel Chernos Lin
Angela Kennedy
Broker
Passionate about helping my Clients
Votes
%
Votes
%
Votes
%
16,219
49.22%
9,440
36.71%
7,500
46.28%
Jon Burnside 14,440
43.82%
Tanweer Khan 1,309
3.97%
Amara Possian 4,091
15.91%
Hafiz Abdul Sattar Khan 3,113
12.11%
Top three featured. Source: electionresults.toronto.ca
Kevin Morrison 5,918
36.52%
Anna Sajnovic 1,681
10.37%
WENDY WESTON
Municipal Election Roundup!
22
My excellent Thorncliffe Park cleanup adventure
Leaside Litterati
Cheryl and the TPS on clean-up duty. my bag up and down hills, and crawling over logs, I filled it with dirty, stinky stuff and talked with others doing the same. The difference was immediately noticeable. One dad told me he brought his
son to teach him the importance of keeping the park litter free. “We’ve got to teach the next generation.” I even found a muddy $20 bill, which I pocketed as I didn’t think anyone was coming back for it. At one point, halfway up a hill and not really sure where I was, I looked up and there was Doug! Yay...I was found! He helped me drag my bag up to the trail where we left it to be picked up by City staff and then headed back to the car. I saw a police officer along the way, found the $20 bill in my pocket and handed it to him to fund the cause. What an experience. I have never seen so much garbage in a public park. So, what’s the answer? More garbage receptacles? More frequent litter picking by City staff? More community cleanup days? More education in the local schools and apartment complexes? I have no idea how to stop people from littering. But I can pick up after them in the hopes that Jane Jacobs’ quote, “people don’t litter where there is no litter,” will eventually come true. ■
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Leaside Life • November 2018
Cheryl Vanderburg
DOUG HARRIS
My Thorncliffe Park ravine litter picking adventure began with a humble post on the Leaside Community Facebook site. “Project A.C.R.E. (Act to Clean Ravine and Environment) – A Thanksgiving environment project in association with Police Divisions 53/54 and the Thorncliffe Park community. Meeting place baseball diamond Leaside Park, Sat., Oct. 6, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Police horses, fire department, garbage disposal pickup trucks provided by City, 100-200 volunteers expected from Marc Garneau High School and the Ismaili community. Still time to join. Contact Judy Hardy.” So I did. Judy, a member of the Doctors’ Lions Club who lives in North Leaside, explained that Police Services would be out with sniffer dogs on Friday sweeping the area for weapons and drug paraphernalia. Saturday morning would begin with speeches from the various organizations involved, the area would be divided into four grids, volunteers would be provided with gloves and garbage bags, and lunch would be served. “It would be so great if more Leasiders would get involved in this initiative,” she said. So, I asked my husband, Doug, to join me. Thankfully, the rain held Saturday morning and as we arrived the speeches were just beginning. The Police Neighbourhood Resource officers talked about how delittering the area was part of their crime reduction and community building strategy. I was impressed with the number of corporate sponsors like Home Depot and Costco, which provided supplies and volunteers, and Tim Hortons, coffee. Henry Ford’s quote from one of the officers – “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success” – drew a big cheer from the crowd. And then we were off! Doug and I joined a group which headed through the park toward the ravine. First stop was the sitting bench area where we picked up numerous cigarette butts. Then we parted ways with Doug heading under the bridge and me heading down into the ravine. My first observation was that it was pretty disgusting and overwhelming. Lots of water bottles, soda and beer cans, liquor bottles, plastic bags, food wrappers, furniture, clothing, broken glass. Dragging
Leaside’s charm threatened by bonnet on a box “Bonnet on a box.” Yes, you read that right. We’re referring to the shape of the roof and its relationship to the building itself. The very tall and bulky design has a mansard roof (sometimes partially hidden behind a parapet wall) that is flat or almost flat on the top portion and very steep on the side portion flanking the walls. The house presents as having three storeys “jumped up” over an integral garage. Materials vary and include stucco, stone – and sometimes softened by red brick. The design is often dressed up with the addition of features like a heavy Italianate portico around the entrance. But it’s a far cry from the Revival designs in traditional Leaside houses of one, one and a half or (true) two storeys, mostly having steep gabled roofs that terminate on reaching the walls. Today, bonnet on a box is the chosen design for many new home builders in Leaside on narrower lots. To understand the concerns that it brings to neighbours on the street, visit Sharron Drive, the block between Hanna and Rumsey. This “bully” design tends to breed others in the area, hence the current
offerings with lots of space (“four bedrooms and three bathrooms on the second floor”) and the ability of designers to “work with” the zoning bylaws to create the volume their clients desire. How did we get here? To address
Geoff Kettel
Saving old Leaside
Sharron Drive concern on Sharron about a similar design proposed for next door, to replace an original (and very charming) one and a half storey Arts and Crafts style house. This design appears to result from a combination of two factors: the upscale consumer demand in Leaside’s real estate market for
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the pressure for bulk and mass, the City, in developing the 2013 consolidated zoning bylaw, incorporated some provisions such as maximum main wall and side wall heights, restricted the allowed height of flat roof houses (with nuanced definition as to what is eligible to be considered as a “flat” roof), and first floor height, in addition to the traditional measures such as roof height, floor space index (density) and setbacks. However, minor variance applications seeking to override these bylaw restrictions are frequently approved by the Committee of Adjustment, despite objections from neighbouring residents and the LPOA. In at least one case that we are aware of (41 Sharron Drive), when the minor variances were refused, the applicant went on to obtain a building permit. It would appear that the zoning bylaw, even when restrictions are not relaxed, is utterly ineffective at preventing buildings with such an obvious lack of “fit.” So, what can be done? Strategies to proceed include: • Reforms to the zoning bylaw to allow for variation across the city to recognize the unique needs of distinctive neighbourhoods such as Leaside. • Development and approval of revised design guidelines for Leaside which have some “teeth.” The existing Residential Character Preservation Guidelines for House Renovations, Additions and In-fill Development in the Community of Leaside (2003) BONNET, Page 27
GEOFF KETTEL
Leaside Life • November 2018
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Kathleen Wynne MPP Don Valley West
Lest We Forget
GEOFF KETTEL
On Remembrance Day, let us honour the memory of our brave veterans.
Connor and Kim, co-chairs of Leaside Matters, at ACO’s 2018 Heritage Awards, held at the Junction Craft Brewery. by GEOFF KETTEL Leaside Matters, Leaside’s own volunteer advocacy group, formed in 2015 to foster stewardship of the significant cultural heritage landscape of Leaside. On October 11, 2018, at the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario’s 2018 heritage awards, Leaside Matters was awarded the Margaret and Nicholas Hill Cultural Heritage Landscape Award. The former Town of Leaside is a significant cultural heritage landscape with a plethora of historic associations. It is also at a juncture, facing a ripple of demolitions and large-scale infill. Leaside Matters has engaged the community through diverse initiatives such as panel discussions, walks, exhibits, publications, photo contests, localism efforts, and municipal advocacy with the intent to educate about coal history, engage in dialogue about the built environment and motivate thoughtfulness about Leaside’s evolution. Their most recent initiative, Hidden Among Us, Architectural Portraits of Leaside’s Canada Wire and Cable Company Homes, is an exhibit and book that exemplifies this effort. ■ C
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795 Eglinton Avenue East Unit 101, Toronto, ON M4G 4E4 416-425-6777 kathleenwynne.onmpp.ca leaside-ad-winter-outlined.pdf
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Leaside Life • November 2018
Leaside Matters wins Cultural Heritage Award
Bikes and safe cycling for kids in Flemingdon Park
Leaside Life • November 2018
By HOLLY REID On a bright, sunny Saturday morning at the end of September, 30 children from the Flemingdon Park community had good reason to smile. Each was outfitted with a bike, helmet and lock, courtesy of Pedalheads, the learn-to-bike camp that operates in Trace Manes Park during the summer. Every year the company seeks to give back to the local community and this year families in Flemingdon Park were the beneficiaries. Matt Raponi, regional general manager GTA for Pedalheads, connected with Louis Fliss, chiropody lead at Flemingdon Health Centre, and a safe cycling advocate, who along with the Flemingdon Park Ministry and their affiliated food bank identified families in need. The half-day program included helmet fitting and safety instruction as well as snacks and a pizza
lunch. One child, who had never ridden a bike before, was pedaling without training wheels before the event was over. “I was really happy that Pedalheads was able to provide our program in some form to our Flemingdon Park neighbours. Riding a bike is something that all kids should get to experience and I am grateful to work for a company that is able to make that happen,” said Matt Raponi. The timing couldn’t have been better as, after nearly a year of community consultation, new bike lanes are being installed on Thorncliffe Park Drive, Gateway Blvd., Deauville Lane and Grenoble Drive, giving both parents and kids more options for getting around.
Cycle 15 gets the word out about safe cycling in Leaside Kris Langille (left) talks to a passerby about the need for safe, connected cycling routes in the community at Applefest on Bayview Ave. Kris is a member of Cycle 15, the ward advocacy group from Cycle Toronto. Created out of a merger of Cycle 25 and Cycle 26, this group represents Ward 15 for Cycle Toronto, and was busy bringing cycling concerns to the attention of councillor candidates. On September 29, group members participated in Applefest, handing out Toronto cycling maps, Toronto cyclist handbooks, as well as promoting the campaign to #BuildTheGrid (www.cycleto.ca/buildthegrid-pledge) to bring safe cycling to every community in the city. Many who stopped by expressed an interest in cycling if only there were more protected bike lanes in place. And more than a dozen people signed up to learn more about cycling advocacy in Ward 15. If you’d like to get involved and missed us at Applefest, email Geoff gkettel@gmail.com to learn more. Holly Reid is a recreational road rider and cycling commuter who has lived and worked in Leaside for 30 years. An advocate for safe cycling, she writes the Ask a Cyclist column for Cycle Toronto (cycleto.ca). ■
Left: Valerie, age 8, was one of the 30 kids who received a new bike, helmet and lock. Right: Organizers Matt Raponi of Pedalheads and Louis Fliss of Flemingdon Community Health.
132nd. SCOUTS CHRISTMAS TREE SALE DECEMBER 7-8-9, 2018 LEASIDE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 670 Eglinton Avenue East e-mail your order to: johnmasterson@rogers.com Home delivery available Serving the youth of our community since 1946
ALL PHOTOS HOLLY REID
26
Bonnet... From Page 24
Bitove...
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From Page 7 Researcher Christine Jonas Simpson, the Academy’s director of philosophy and academics and also an associate professor at York University’s Faculty of Health, notes that “the Academy uses the medium of the arts to foster engagement, relationships and life enrichment. Bringing a community together where shared learning enhances everyone’s quality of living and we can all be free to be who we are.” As one Academy member said recently to Christine, “I’m 90-years-old and I’m learning to paint!” ■
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Leaside Life • November 2018
were developed jointly by City Planning and the Leaside community, but (or so it appears) never sought or received Council approval. • Undertaking of the Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment that City Planning has committed to for 2019. This will assess the Leaside residential community on a block by block basis and “list” groups of properties with cultural heritage value. Listing forestalls demolition for a 90-day period and gives the City time to decide on heritage designation. The erosion of Leaside’s streetscapes seems to be accelerating. We need to act now. ■
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Leaside Life • November 2018
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W ILLS & E STATES Lawyer
House calls
Eve & wknd. appts. Flat fees "Important choices made easy."
EVENTS LIGHT UP WELLSPRING Help brighten the lives of people living with cancer. Wellspring Cancer Support Fdn invites you to a holiday open house on Thurs., Nov. 29, 6-8pm. Festive refreshments, silent auction, bake sale and an official lighting ceremony. Wellspring Westerkirk House at Sunnybrook, 105 Wellness Way. www. wellspring.ca/lightup
ST. ANSELMS CHURCH 1 McNaughton Rd. 416-485-1792
647-360-9519 www.lifeplanninglaw.ca
Taize: Join us in the Sanctuary for a time of Taizé music, meditation and prayer led by Andrew and Wendy Donaldson. Enjoy candlelight, silence and singing at the end of a busy day. Wed., Nov. 14. 8-8:45 pm.
ST. AUGUSTINE’S CHURCH
Remembrance Day – St. Cuthbert’s bell will peal 100 times starting at 11 am.
Listen to great live music by local artists and have a coffee and dessert with friends. The Groove Room Coffee House Fri. Nov. 9th 7-8:30pm featuring James Mclean. $5 with proceeds to the Food Bank. We are looking for performers. Contact Augustine@bellnet.ca Autumn Sale Sat., November 17th. 10am-1pm Luncheon available. Kids marketplace and activities, baked goods, Christmas table, treasures and jewellery, knitted items, books/DVDS and more...
670 Eglinton Ave East. Shop local at our Christmas Bazaar Sat. Nov. 3rd, from 10-2pm. Market features a bake and craft sale, silent auction, accessories room, family photo booth, and vendors. Free entrance and parking. Leaside Luncheons Nov. 14: Janet Brewer, Pres. of WMS speaks on her recent trips to Africa. 12:15pm lunch, 1pm presentation. Bring a bag lunch, beverage and dessert provided. A free will offering will be received to support PWS&D and Presbyterians Sharing projects.
CANADIAN FED. OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN LEASIDE-EAST YORK The Power of Women Working Together. Monthly meeting 7:30 pm, Thurs. Nov. 15 at Northlea United, 125 Brentcliffe
Date: Thurs. November 22, 2018 Cost: FREE Where: 140 Merton Street Time: 11:30am-1:30pm To Register: Call: 416-630-7000 Email: tca@pathcom.com
125 Brentcliffe Road www.northleaunited.ca 416-425-5252
ST. CUTHBERT’S CHURCH
LEASIDE PRESBYTERIAN
Do you want to connect with your neighbours and learn about resources available to you in your area?
NORTHLEA UNITED
Christmas Bazaar. Sun, Dec, 2nd, 9:301pm. Baking, crafts, external vendors and café. Come and Christmas shop! 1847 Bayview Ave. 416-485-2656
W ILLS . T RUSTS . E STATES .
Rd. Speaker: Barbara Gosse, CEO at The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking. Visitors and new members welcome. For more info www. cfuwleasideeastyork.ca, email joincfuw@ gmail.com or phone 416 930 8581.
1399 Bayview Ave. 416-485-0329 stcuthbertsleaside.com
Annual Christmas Fair Sat., Nov. 3rd, 11am-2pm. Come and shop through a vast array of treasures, enjoy a delicious lunch and stock up at the ever-popular bake table. All proceeds support the church and our outreach programs. Community Canned Food Drive Sat. Nov. 24, 9:30 am to noon. Volunteers needed to collect food or financial support from the households of Leaside. Meet at the church off St. Cuthbert’s Road to pick up a route map. Food and money collected will be distributed to food banks run by the various church organizations in needy areas of our city. Phone for further information.
LEASIDE LIBRARY 165 McRae Drive, 416-396-3835. Keith Chats Keith McDonald, founder of the Open News Network, leads a 2 hour workshop about the disruptions of technology in our daily lives. Drop in. Thursday, November 15, 6-8:00 pm Migratory Songbirds Art Exhibit by Christine Walker. Ongoing thru Nov. For full Library listings see https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/ programs-and-classes/. Send us your free listing for December by November 10th leasidelife@gmail.com ■
Volunteers Urgently Needed to deliver Meals on Wheels to seniors in Leaside, Thorncliffe Park and East York.
Call 416-424-3322
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Leaside Life • November 2018
30
Moving on from the municipal election The civic election is over, and we now face the aftermath and (shall we say) a uniquely different municipal scene. Not only are there fewer elected councillors, responsible to more residents than before, there are many unanswered questions about the relationship between the city and the province – or, perhaps more accurately, between the province and the city. We have a hands-on premier who takes a much more participatory interest in the City of Toronto than his predecessors. We don’t yet know how this will translate into policies and practices. We do know that it’s likely to affect all Torontonians, not just Leasiders. Transit and taxation may be the earliest areas where changes are felt, and perhaps planning policies regarding development and heritage. More than ever, it will be important for all of us – as both ratepayer associations and individuals – to be attentive, work together for the policies important to us, and play an active oversight role in the governance process. Back in 1979, then-Prime Minister Joe Clark referred to Canada as “a
Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LPOA
community of communities.” That description accurately fits Toronto as well. Whether it’s Leaside or any of the many other neighbourhoods from Scarborough through Etobicoke, we have a common interest in helping our city thrive.
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The LPOA’s Annual General Meeting takes place this year on THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, in the William Lea Room, Leaside Memorial Gardens. At time of writing, the LPOA board is planning the agenda. There will be an update on development pressures, where we are on which, and a number of speakers (including our newly-elected councillor Jaye Robinson). Please make a point of attending! Speaking as the Chair of the LPOA’s Traffic Committee, I am
Under new management!
still hoping we can finally move forward with an exposition of our proposed traffic calming plan at the AGM. Because of circumstances beyond our control, as we continue to await information on the city’s future capital program and clarify a number of other details with city staff, we may have to delay “The Big Traffic Calming Meeting” till later into the winter. It does feel as if this process has gone on forever, but we are keen to proceed. Our pace slowed as we waited to learn details of recommendations from the South and North Leaside Traffic committees established by Councillor Jon Burnside, and then by the tragic death of our colleague and traffic engineer Tom Rae. Rest assured, we will proceed as quickly as we can!
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Our next LPOA board meeting is on WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7 at 7:30 p.m., in the Trace Manes building. These meetings are always open to the public, and we urge you to attend. Contact us anytime via lpoa.ca. ■
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Local Leaside Business
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Leaside Life • November 2018
Dreading a Conversation?
We welcome Dr. Cindy Naime to our practice Dr. Darvishan
Dr. Nilforoushan
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62 Laird Drive (416)
388-6070
www.lairddental.com