Leaside Life Issue 57 February 2017

No. 57 / February 2017

Leaside Life leasidelifenews.com

How can old batteries save a life? Ask North Leasiders Lauren & Helena Friends Lauren Essaye and Helena Giamos with their collection efforts

Leaside’s own Celebrity Teen Chef Pg 8

THE CHURCHES OF LEASIDE

St. Augustine’s “transitional design” was built in four stages

KATHERINE ROSS

By ALLAN WILLIAMS

By KARLI VEZINA If you knew that every AA battery had enough zinc to save the lives of six children, you might think twice before disposing of your used AAs. Lauren Essaye and Helena Giamos are two 11-year-old North Leasiders who learned this last fall and didn’t take the news lying down. The “Zinc Saves Lives” Battery Recycling Campaign started with Teck Resources, a B.C. mining company which teamed up with WE Day for a good cause. A project dedicated to a better tomorrow, WE Day celebrates youth leadership and inspires tens of thousands of students across Canada, America and England to continue making positive change. Helena attended WE Day Toronto last October and

became inspired by a local girl who had collected 10,000 batteries to help save children in developing countries. That night Helena came home and told her friend everything. By morning, Lauren was on board and their plan to start their own Zinc Saves Lives campaign was underway. Zinc deficiency affects two billion people globally, and nearly 450,000 children die annually due to complications from lack of zinc. Each year since 2011, Teck Resources has donated the equivalent value of zinc from all batteries donated to UNICEF which in turn provides zinc tablets to children in need. This year, all zinc donations will go to children in Kenya. GIVING BACK, Page 27

Like Northlea United, profiled in the January issue of Leaside Life, St. Augustine’s Anglican Church is a product of the optimism and postwar boom of the late 1940s. It began as a mission of St. Cuthbert’s to serve the rapidly growing population in North Leaside, with the first service held in the basement of Northlea School on April 28, 1946, the first Communion service a month later on May 26th – St. Augustine’s Day – and the parish formally created and given that name in October. A house at 38 Donlea Drive was purchased as a rectory the following year for $12,500, and, in June, a young priest, the Rev. H. Newman Bracken, arrived with his wife and daughter to begin what turned out to be a 35-year tenure as rector. The diocese had already purchased land on which to build a new church at the northeast corner of Bayview and Broadway. To prepare the plans, Canon Bracken and his church wardens engaged the architectural firm Bruce Brown and Brisley – the same firm which six years before had designed Leaside United and would two years later design the expanded (current) Leaside Presbyterian Church.

CHURCHES, Page 16

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Canada’s 150th: Celebrating Leaside’s colourful Senator Royce Frith he was a prominent member of the Liberal Party of Canada resulted in This year as we mark the 150th his appointment by Prime Minister anniversary of our country, we Lester Pearson as a member of the should also celebrate the part that Royal Commission on Bilingualism Leasiders have played in it. Longand Biculturalism in the 1960s. time residents, particularly those Then in 1977 Prime Minister who live in North Leaside, will Pierre Trudeau appointed him to remember when one of their neighthe Canadian Senate where he later bours, Royce Frith, later served as Senate Leader of Senator Royce Frith, the Opposition. It was in served as a Councillor that position that he led and then as Deputy Reeve the Liberal Senate filibusof the Town of Leaside ter against the Goods and during the early 1950s. Services Tax (GST). After the Town Solicitor, Before his appointment Stan Shatz, was appointed to the Senate, Royce Frith as a Justice of the Ontario performed on radio and Supreme Court, Royce and could sing as well as play his law firm, Magwood, several musical instruFrith, Pocock and Casey, ments. During the Liberal were appointed as the new Senate GST filibuster, he Town of Leaside Solicitors. put those talents to good In addition to graduatuse by playing the kazoo Senator Frith ing from the University to disrupt the government of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law speakers. This filibuster forced School, Frith had received a Dipl. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to D’études supérieures (droit) from use an obscure section of our constithe University of Ottawa. This tution to appoint extra senators to degree in French and the fact that ensure the passage of the legislation.

Leaside Life, February 2017

By ALAN REDWAY

Later, Prime Minister Jean Chretien appointed him as Canada’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom where again he used his flair for public performance to rally British public opinion in support of Canada’s fishing war with Spain. Frith also ensured the retention of Canada House in Trafalgar Square as the site of the Canadian High Commission after the government considered abandoning the location to save money. In 1996, he resumed his law practice in Vancouver at the prestigious firm Ladner Downs. He passed away there in 2005 at 81 without returning to his old stomping grounds in Leaside where he began his career of public service. ■ Alan Redway is the former East York mayor and federal cabinet minister.

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THE STREETS OF LEASIDE

ST. CATHERINES MUSEUM N-2206

By JEANNE HOPKINS If you’re on your way to Serena Gundy Park you may find yourself on one of Leaside’s smaller streets, a crescent named Rykert, abutting another crescent, called Thursfield. When the Town of Leaside was laid out in 1912, many of the streets were named for railway executives or politicians. Rykert Crescent was named for John Charles Rykert (1832-1913) who served in all levels of government and enjoyed a successful legal career in his hometown of St. Catharines. Rykert’s family came to Canada right after the War of 1812. His father, George, was born in Schenectady, N.Y. in 1797, and he served as a Member of the Legislature of Upper Canada, 1822-1841. Public service ran in the family. George’s son, John Charles Rykert, was active in local affairs of his birth city. He was captain of the St. Catharines troop of cavalry for 15 years, serving in the Fenian Raids of 1866. He was also a volunteer

fireman. For more than 20 years, Rykert was reeve of St. Catharines and Grantham Township, and served five terms as warden of Lincoln County. As county warden, John Rykert was host when the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) visited St. Catharines in 1860.

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That royal connection may even have saved his life. The Prince came to Rykert’s rescue after he was thrown from his horse during a parade. In 1860, John was elected to the Parliament of Upper and Lower Canada, representing the riding of Lincoln. In 1878, he was elected to the House of Commons, serving there until his retirement in 1890. Rykert’s hobby was fruit farming, and the first Niagara grapes were grown on his farm. He was a member of the Ontario Board of Agriculture for more than 30 years. John Charles Rykert died at St. Catharines on December 28, 1913 – the last surviving member of the first Parliament of Ontario – and is buried in Victoria Lawn Cemetery in that city. Interestingly, at no time did Rykert live in Leaside! But not only does he have a street named after him here, but Leaside has a twin street named after John Charles in St. Catharines. ■ Jeanne Hopkins is a passionate local historian and the author of many articles and five books on local history.

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RYKERT CRESCENT

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Cheryl Vanderburg Leaside Life, February 2017

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Have you ever come home and wondered why your garbage bin was the only one on the street not emptied and then realized it was recycling week? Or put your yard waste out only to have it sit for weeks because you got the dates mixed up? Or after a serious case of spring cleaning wondered what to do with your broken coffee maker, half empty paint cans and that broken Muskoka chair in the back yard you realize you will never fix? Or had a debate with your husband on what items go in the blue, green or garbage bin? Then why not install the Toronto Waste App on your smart phone? First, use the settings to type in your street # and street name, then indi-

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cate whether you want to be notified the night before or the morning of pickup day. The homepage will display your district number, schedule number, next pickup day and what is to be picked up. Then, even more genius, go to Waste Explorer, type in the kind of waste and voila! it will tell you how to dispose of the item in question. So, where does my broken coffee maker go? In the garbage bin. Half-empty paint cans are considered hazardous waste and need to be taken to one of the City’s Household Waste Depots or a Community Environment Day. That old wooden chair will not fit in my garbage bin, so it needs to be placed 0.5 metres (2 ft.) away from my garbage bin on my scheduled garbage collection day for free pick-up. Best of all, you can avoid those family squabbles that we hawkish recyclers get into with family members who prefer to treat everything as garbage. Yes, paper towels go in the green bin. No, aluminum foil cannot be recycled, but aluminum pie plates can be placed in the blue bin. Yes, empty aerosol cans can be recycled, however the plastic cap is garbage. Complicated. And those pesky Keurig pods need to go in the garbage, but be sure to cut them open and empty the coffee grounds in the green bin before you throw them out. Got all that? Then, of course, there is the question of how best to handle alcohol containers. If you’re counting your pennies, you can return them for deposit to the Beer Store, and if you’re feeling charitable, they have a donation box at the cash register. A second option is to recycle them in your blue bin. But are there other options? Some recycle days a binner comes by on his bicycle and roots through the bins on our street. It does make me feel awkward and it does feel somewhat invasive, but I would be happy to support him by leaving the beer cans and wine bottles bagged separately if I knew he was coming every (other) week. Or does anyone do bottle drives anymore? I grew up in Sudbury, and yes, the Stompin’ Tom Connors’ song Sudbury Saturday Night is true. So true in fact that my high school, Sudbury High, did a big bottle drive after Christmas every year to raise money for charity. So cold, so fun and so many empty cases of beer! Help make Leaside a little greener in 2017 with a simple smartphone app and an extra few seconds of thought. It’s really not that hard. ■

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David Blyth Hanna, the man behind Hanna Road How interesting to read that David Blyth Hanna came from Thornliebank, Scotland. I grew up there and lived there until I immigrated to Canada in 1967! Thornliebank was a great and safe place for a child to grow up in during the 1940s and 1950s. We could walk or bike to swing parks, woods, playing fields, schools, churches, etc. There was a wonderful park nearby called Rouken Glen which has just been voted the best park in Scotland. There was a pond with row boats and a motor launch which we could ride on for a penny. We called Thornliebank “the village”. There was a Main Street with shops including fish & chip, ice cream (the “tallies”) in those unpolitically correct days because they were generally owned by Italian immigrants. And of course two pubs, a post office, grocery

store, and a cinema! We were lucky enough to be within commuting distance of Glasgow by tram, bus or train so had access to live theatre, several large department stores, concert halls, museums and art galleries. This has taken me on a lovely journey down memory lane! Kathleen Tonner, a Leaside resident Leaf pickup in Leaside In response to the letter from Julie Munro regarding pickup of leaves raked into the road: I contacted 311 to understand the policy on this a while back, after noticing some neighbours doing it. Apparently there are some locations in the Toronto area where regular municipal pickup of roadside leaves does occur, but this tends to be in more suburban areas where street parking is not common. In our neighbourhood, the city does do a scheduled maintenance sweep just once each fall to remove leaves that have fallen into the roads. Perhaps some residents are taking advantage of that? Regards, J. Lincoln jlincoln@bell.net Did Burnside support Tory on this toll thing? My name is Antoinette Hughes. I am a resident of Toronto.

I recently commenced a petition to Stop Mayor John Tory’s road tolls. My petition supporters are approaching 400 in a short period of time! I am strongly against these tolls. Tory is asking us (once again), the taxpayer, to pay for government mismanagement of funds. The longterm impact of tolls on highways to the taxpayers is enormous. These tolls will punish the hardworking taxpayer, who is already paying a lot in tax i.e. property tax, sales tax, gas tax, etc. etc., and has little left in reserve. Businesses and residents will move outside the Toronto area to cheaper areas to live and conduct business, local streets will be clogged with drivers wanting to ‘escape’ these tolls and so much more. There is no ‘upside’ to tolls for the taxpayer! There are many other ways to generate the dollars Tory says he needs for roads instead of adding another tax to the taxpayer! I am so tired of politicians asking the public to pay more! Why don’t these politicians just ‘think outside the box’ to find other means to generate revenue instead of going back – again and again – to the same ‘well’ – the taxpayer? Antoinette Hughes sellingtorontorealty@gmail.com

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Y

ERS M TT A LE

LETTERS

THE PARKS OF LEASIDE

Leaside Life, February 2017

By ALLAN WILLIAMS Leaside is home to some of the most interesting – and not just green – parks in Toronto. From the wellloved and well-used Trace Manes and the sprawling Sunnybrook Park to the so-called “Batman Park,” Leaside is brimming with green, recreational spaces. Here’s one that may not be quite as well-known…. Who’s that imposing gentleman one sometimes sees at Leonard Linton Park picking up stray pieces of debris and carefully depositing them in nearby receptacles? It’s Leonard Linton himself, whose namesake park graces Vanderhoof Ave. across from the Hyde Park townhouses and the new Scenic Towers. This local business leader served as president of the Leaside Business Park Association from 1993 until 2003, and is still a frequent visitor to the area.

What’s the history behind this “business” park in the industrial district? “In the early days, the Leaside Industrial Park Association was a loose association that only jumped into action when occasion required,” says Linton. “But in the late 1980s and early ’90s, the area increasingly became the target of so-called waste transfer stations and undesirable operations – including an animal sanctuary that housed boa constrictors, leopards and other exotic animals – so I decided to get more involved and do something about it. “Taking on the task was a full time effort. Fortunately, I had three competent sons to run our business. To be more inclusive we changed our name to the Leaside Business Park Association. Our goal – to preserve the integrity of the business park.” The park that bears his name was officially opened by Linton and

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Leonard Linton Park

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Leonard Linton and his wife Norma Councillor Jane Pitfield on October 25, 2003 with a ceremonial ribbon cutting and sign unveiling. Vince and Antoinette Benadetto also spoke at the opening ceremonies, representing Kosmor Developments, the company that donated the land for the park, as did Bernard Rasch of the LBPA, who said that, “Even in his ‘retirement’ Leonard Linton continues to be a tireless voice for the area and there is no one more deserving of having their name on the park.” The park as it was originally designed featured grass, trees and picnic tables surrounding a basketball court and skateboarding facility. A park redevelopment currently underway, featuring a new playground including a splash pad, is scheduled to open in the spring of 2017. Leonard Linton’s family business, Interior Care Ltd., a specialty carpet and furniture cleaning business for downtown office towers and other commercial properties, is still located in the Leaside industrial area and is operated by his three sons, Graham, Randall and Fraser. Leonard himself is now fully retired from the company and from the LBPA. He and his wife Norma live in North York, but you can be sure he will continue to take pride in the park that bears his name. ■

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YOU, our dining critics

Reviewed by ANGELA BURLEY and JOHN BECH-HANSEN What better way to be greeted upon entering Fukui Sushi on a brisk January evening than by the smiling faces of three sushi chefs? We’ve actually been coming to Fukui since our two university-aged daughters were in diapers, so when the opportunity to look at Fukui in a critical light came up, it was a no-brainer. It also afforded us an opportunity to order some items outside of our usual bento box. Despite our many years of patronizing this restaurant, one of our daughters is still discovering the pleasures of sushi and fish in general – although going to Dalhousie University in Halifax has certainly expanded her palate to include such things as raw oysters. She opted for the steak teriyaki combo, one of many non-seafood items on the menu. (Our other daughter is a fearless omnivore whose tastes extend to such marine delicacies as raw sea urchin!) From our years of dining there, we know that Fukui offers a wonderfully consistent and reasonably-priced dining experience, and the wait staff are always polite and attentive. The restaurant is usually pretty busy too, as it was on the night we attended. The cozy and familiar atmosphere is amplified by the fact that the kitchen and sushi preparation area is at the front of the restaurant. It’s not a sleek, postmodern five-star operation like some

Leaside Life 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 ADVERTISING: Robyn Israel leasidelifepublishing@gmail.com ph. 416-276-0937 or 416-504-8047

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high-end Japanese restaurants; it has the look and feel of a comfortable local neighbourhood eatery, which is exactly what it is. We shared a number of pleasing menu items, including: Beef Roll with Enoki Mushroom This is a no-fail appetizer that we order every time we visit Fukui. A sweet/savoury teriyaki sauce glaze over thin strips of grilled steak wrapped around the long thin enoki mushrooms cooked to the consistency of al dente pasta. Always perfect. Japanese Dumplings (Gyoza) This was a new item for our family. Gyoza resemble the ‘potstickers’ typical of Chinese cuisine, the difference being these ground pork-filled dumplings are quite garlicky compared to their Chinese brethren, and lightly seasoned with salt and soy sauce. The overall texture was light and very satisfying. Dragon Roll This colourful and attractive appetizer presented tuna sushi with avocado slices placed on top of the roll, resembling, we would imagine, the scales of a dragon. The tuna was very fresh, as are all the sushi and sashimi at Fukui. Steak Teriyaki Combo This combo was the only disappointment of the evening – the steak was slightly chewy, and some of the pieces carried a bit of fatty gristle. But our seafood-shy daughter did very much enjoy the accompanying sweet potato rolls with spicy

mayo. (The latter item is a substitution, which Fukui is always happy to make for pickier eaters.) Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura Fukui always does tempura well, with a very light and crispy batter that never tastes greasy or oily. Udon Noodle Soup with Shrimp Tempura This reasonably-priced menu item contained udon noodles of perfect, slightly firm consistency, again with Fukui’s excellent tempura. Kiku Combo One of us opted for one of the more traditional combo entrées. This combo comes with shrimp and vegetable tempura, assorted sushi (tuna, salmon, shrimp and yellowtail – although California rolls can be substituted), a miso soup starter, rice and salad with miso-ginger dressing. As always, the sushi was very fresh, and the miso soup is excellent. As often happens when one’s eye wanders to another table, on the evening we dined at Fukui we noticed a lovely banquet of dishes arriving at a neighbouring table. When asked, our charming waitress told us it was the tasting menu, which can be ordered a day in advance and is created to your specific likes and tastes. Never knew that! While it costs a little more than the standard menu fare, we will definitely be ordering it on our next visit. ■ 1612 Bayview Ave. (416) 487-3388

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Outside the bento box at Fukui Sushi on Bayview

Chopped or not? Leaside Life, February 2017

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Meet North Leaside’s “star” chef – Christopher Lexovsky By JANIS FERTUCK In many ways, Northlea resident Christopher Lexovsky has been preparing for his upcoming appearance on ”Chopped Canada Teen” for much of his life. The 17-year-old Northern Secondary student will be a competitor on the Saturday, February 11, 2017 episode of the popular show airing at 9:00 p.m. on the Food Network.

Grade 9” when he did a project on cooking for his Careers course. Chris is largely self-taught and was inspired by social media and television chef celebrities like Gordon Ramsay, Thomas Keller and Mark McEwan to “push boundaries and invent new dishes” through the process of trial and error. It all came together for him last year in Grade 11 when he secured a co-op placement working at the highly regarded catering firm Daniel et Daniel. Chris

Chris’s Gold Medal Pork Tenderloin with peppercorn sauce, dauphinoise potatoes and carrot bundles tied with blanched leeks. “Chopped Canada Teen” features 20 of Canada’s best teen chefs (aged 14 to 17), four per episode, who use their skills and creativity to turn baskets of mystery ingredients into outstanding three-course meals within a limited amount of time. After each course, the rotating panel of judges “chops” one contestant, and the last chef remaining collects the prize of $10,000. Chris Lexovsky’s talent for cooking may have come from his father, Nick, who started working in the food business right after high school, opening a deli, two pubs and a fine dining restaurant over a period of several years. Now he and his brother own two restaurant franchises. Chris himself started making simple meals at age 10 and, once he saw what a great help his cooking was to his busy family – his father, mother Kimberly, a senior law clerk, and his younger sister, Zoe – he “got super into it and started looking at it as a serious career choice in

was soon working at various events and learning how to fill 500 plates in less than 10 minutes. With that experience under his belt, Chris entered the Best Teen Chef Competition in Toronto in 2016, and won the gold medal for his meal of pork tenderloin with peppercorn sauce, dauphinoise potatoes and carrot bundles tied with blanched leeks. He enjoyed that competition so much that he submitted a photograph of his award-winning meal to “Chopped Canada Teen” along with a 2,000-word essay about his cooking background and plans for the prize money, and a picture of himself as his application for the show. His submission quickly rose to the top of a pile of thousands of entries, and he was contacted by phone the very next day and met with the director within a week. Before the taping of his show in Toronto last June, Chris put in hours of preparation. Daniel et Daniel made up mystery

baskets for him, and he had to come up with dishes in half an hour. As well, he got tips from master chef Susur Lee through a connection with the catering firm. Chris also memorized a variety of recipes beforehand that could be used to adapt a basic idea to the given ingredients. He found the format very challenging because, as he says, “You have only your knowledge and creativity to get you through, and you have to know immediately what you are doing.” Though the experience of appearing on “Chopped Canada Teen” was stressful in some ways, this mature young chef learned he was good at handling stress. In fact, he says he would enter more contests because the competition was “lots of fun with its adrenaline rush and the experience of finding out how good you can be when cooking for five-star chefs.” Despite his culinary prowess, Chris has recently decided to pursue a career in law when he heads off to university next year because a career in food is just too time-consuming with its inflexible hours. In the meantime, he will continue cooking nightly meals for the family, experimenting and developing his own recipes because he enjoys the creativity. We can’t wait to see Chris compete on “Chopped Canada Teen” on February 11! ■

Chris Lexovsky on the set

THE SCHOOLS OF LEASIDE

By GERRI GERSHON Did you know? • In 2016 the TDSB celebrated an all-time high graduation rate of 85%! • This past year the TDSB opened our classrooms to more than 600 newly arrived Syrian children and youth. Children were introduced to the Ontario education system and assisted in socializing with TDSB students. Closer to home, here in Leaside…. • At Northlea, hundreds of students lined the hallway as an honour guard to cheer school crossing guard Jake Apacible, who retired at the age of 82 after serving students for many many years. This heart-warming tribute is available on YouTube at https://youtu. be/JYAbx0t7HtA. Jake has been steadfast in keeping Northlea students safe. In 2013, he was deservedly named Canada’s Best Crossing Guard! • Rolph Road students are working with the Stagecoach Theatre Arts Performance Program to produce the 2017 musical production of ALADDIN. • PISA is an international standardized evaluation of the skills and knowledge of 15-year old students in science, mathematics and reading, and is conducted by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 72 countries. • According to the results of PISA 2015, Canada remains one of the top-performing countries in science. Overall, students achieved a mean score of 528 overall, 35 points above the OECD average, surpassed by students from only three other countries. • Canada also achieved a strong performance in mathematics, scoring well above the OECD average and outperformed by only six other countries. • Canada continues to perform well internationally in reading, scoring well above the OECD average and outperformed by only one other country. • Bennington Heights parents organized a holiday bazaar where students can purchase gently used donated items for $1 to give as gifts to their families. This year the bazaar made $2,000, with

all proceeds to be donated to Lifewater.ca. This is a charity that helps people in Haiti and Africa drill wells and build washrooms, and the wells then are able to provide safe drinking water and sanitation. Grade 6 student Nyna Gray submitted a written proposal to advocate for this charity. These students are learning early on the importance of helping others. • More than 110 languages are spoken by TDSB students. Over 55% of students speak a language other than English at home. • Bessborough students entered the First Lego Robotics Competition at Victoria Park Collegiate and will be heading to the provincial level for the second year in a row! This competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. • The TDSB is ‘opening up the books’ in an effort to be more transparent and accountable. The public release of the Facility

Condition Index and Health and Safety inspection reports are just the beginning. Both reports are available on the TDSB website http://www.tdsb.on.ca. • L easide High School student Shams Mehdi is one of two student trustees in the entire city representing the student voice at regular TDSB board meetings. Recently he, along with other outstanding student leaders on the Supercouncil (the umbrella organization of student councils), organized the Student Leadership Conference for over 200 students. This is just a smattering of the many activities and outstanding students at our schools! ■ Gerri Gershon is the Trustee, Don Valley West, for the Toronto District School Board.

Leaside Life, February 2017

TDSB Bits and Bites

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Leaside Life, February 2017

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12 year-old Olivia Walsh follows in Agnes Macphail’s footsteps By JANIS FERTUCK At their February 16, 2017 meeting, the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) LeasideEast York will welcome a 12-yearold, not as a child prodigy university graduate, but as a guest speaker who is an expert on homelessness. Olivia Walsh, a Grade 7 student at St. Anselm Catholic School, was a co-winner of the Agnes Macphail Public Speaking Contest in February 2016, the only Grade 6 student to take part in the contest last year. The contest, organized by the Agnes Macphail Recognition Committee,is open mainly to schools in the old Borough of East York, the area which Agnes Macphail represented as one of the first female MPPs in the 1940s. Macphail was also the first female elected as a Member of Parliament in 1921, the first female in a Canadian delegation to the League of Nations, and an advocate for the rights of women, miners, immigrants, farmers and prisoners. The purpose of the contest is to

raise awareness in young people of Macphail’s accomplishments, and to promote the art of public speaking, one of her many talents. Olivia first became involved in the contest at St. Anselm’s where all the Grade 6, 7 and 8 classes participate in a public speaking competition every January in order to choose two representatives for the Macphail contest. She was intrigued by the idea and determined to be one of her school’s representatives. Olivia’s motivation stemmed from her passion for the timely issue of homelessness. In their travels, her family had seen many homeless people in American cities. She was moved by the experience of seeing a man in downtown Toronto covering himself with a blanket on the sidewalk. “When I went to bed that night, I thought about how grateful I was to have a roof over my head, and wondered what I

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could do for that man and others like him,” she says. Olivia’s decision to explore homelessness was encouraged by her mother, Michelle Flowerday, who, during her time at McGill University, was part of the “Dans la Rue” team, distributing food and hot chocolate to homeless youth in Montreal from a Winnebago on Sunday nights. Michelle and Olivia also volunteer every Monday night at St. Brigid’s Out of the Cold Program on Danforth Ave. Michelle, a lawyer, was one of Olivia’s sources for the information in her speech. Olivia also consulted books from the Leaside Library and got statistics from internet sources. Once she won in her own class, she progressed to the school-wide competition where she was chosen as one of the two students to continue to the final contest. After being named as one of the co-winners of the Macphail contest last February, Olivia recited her speech at the annual Agnes Macphail award ceremony and at a meeting of the East York Historical Society. Lis Lister, who organizes the speech competition with her husband, Bob, was impressed by Olivia’s dynamic personality, confidence and passion, and by the fact that she did not just discuss the problem, but outlined ways to improve the situation. Olivia has several suggestions for alleviating the plight of the homeless such as spending more money treating and supporting people with mental illnesses so they do not end up on the street. She also believes, “We need to make sure that there are enough homeless shelters, medical clinics and support groups to take care of the homeless.” She herself hopes to study sciences and to become a pediatrician with a special desire to help homeless youth. Pat Barnett, program chair of the CFUW Leaside-East York, heard Olivia’s original speech and asked her to present it again at their meeting this February. With her mature insights and aspirations, Olivia is a perfect fit for the group, whose mandate, as stated on their website, is to come together, learn and advocate in order “to improve the status of women and girls, and to promote human rights, public education, social justice and peace.” ■

MEET YOUR LOCAL RETAILER

Force of nature Leaside’s Gayle Force brings Pilates to the people By LORNA KRAWCHUK Gayle Boxer was a young ballet dancer with an injury preventing her from doing the pointe work that’s such an important part of classical ballet, so she decided to try to get into musical theatre in New York instead. While there, she also tried fitness classes for the first time and fell in love with the new types of exercise. Loved them so much that instead of staying in New York, she returned home to Toronto and used her connections at Glendon College, from which she had graduated with an Honours B.A. in Language and Dance, to set up fitness classes in available space. Now, more than 30 years on, Gayle is still a force to be reckoned with in fitness. She believes that she is the first and longest running fitness studio sole proprietor in Toronto. Gayle Boxer (Duncanson) has been running classes at St. Cuthbert’s Church since the early 1980s. When she first looked at Lamb Hall, she knew the space would work for her. It was large, with high ceilings, natural light, and doors that opened for fresh air. Early on, when she was looking for a name for her business, she sought input from her clients. The unanimous choice? Gayle Force. She was the first to introduce Pilates to Toronto – studying with the master, Joseph Pilates, in New York at a time when you needed to be a professional dancer to be instructed by him. She still visits New York every year or so to take courses and learn what’s new. Here in Toronto, she checks out other fitness venues to find out what others are doing, see what she can learn, or confirm that her teaching methods are right for those attending – and for her. A recent addition to her roster of classes is chair Pilates, which she started when one of her regulars said she’d have to stop coming because she couldn’t get down on the floor to do mat work. At the

other end of the spectrum, an assistant, Rachel, runs a cardio jam session on Thursday mornings that is said to “guarantee to burn 1,300 calories per session.” As well, Gayle has always offered stretch classes. At one time, there were at least six other studios with a similar offering. Now, Gayle is the only one. Gayle’s musical theatre wishes lived on in a different way. While she and her family lived in Leaside, she first put together musicals for Rolph Road School. She then ran an afterschool program at St. Cuthbert’s for more than 20 years that put on musical theatre productions each year, with teachers for drama, dance and choreography.

As the classes switch over, there is always a pleasant buzz in the church foyer as people come and go. They actually talk to each other. Even during classes, the music isn’t so loud that it overpowers Gayle and her instructions, and people chat during breaks. And my connection to this story? I’m a member of St. Cuthbert’s Church, and Gayle tells the story that when she first wanted to use space at the church, the priest at the time, Fr. John, said she needed to talk to me as a member of the church advisory board about the rental. And no, even though I probably should, I don’t attend Gayle’s classes. ■

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Leaside Literati

Leaside Life, February 2017

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Andy Thomson mines his rich personal history By SIMON DAY A deep love of Northern Ontario infuses the writing of Leaside author and retired North York history teacher and curriculum consultant Andy Thomson. “I grew up in Sudbury and my extended family had a connection to a remote lake alongside the Spanish River where my grandfather, W. B. Plaunt, had operated a lumber company during the 1930s,” the author told Leaside Life. “After the mill closed, he renovated one of his former logging camps on Lake Pogamasing for his family to spend our summers. I soon learned through my canoeing adventures in the surrounding lakes that there was a lot of history to the area. Fortunately for me, my mother and my uncle also had an interest in the area’s history and they kept records, photos and stories. I discovered that

we were living in an area that was a microcosm of the development of the Canadian wilderness. To share my findings, I wrote and published my first book, “Pogamasing, The Story of a Northern Lake.” Andy told us that his writing developed out of a personal desire to share the stories of the people and places that resonated most with him. It was on his many adventures canoeing and hiking on Lake Pogamasing that he came across numerous artifacts from bygone times. The old logging cabins, dams,

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and boom chains finally spurred him to act on his decision to pursue the history of the lake. He sat down with his uncle and a tape recorder and got started learning the many stories about the area. That coupled with Andy his love of research set Thomson him on a path through archives and historical film footage until he was ready to begin his own work. Many of his uncle’s historical films can be viewed at Andy’s website, www.pogamasing.com. The author’s second book was more personal. “My mother’s younger brother, Donald Plaunt, enlisted in the RCAF in 1941 and after becoming a bomber pilot, was killed in March 1943,” he said. “Fortunately, he was a prolific letter-writer, and after I found his 150 letters which my grandparents had kept, I knew I had to share his story. There were also some compelling connections which motivated me to write this book.” Andy’s biography, “Write Soon and Often, The Life of a Bomber Pilot Through His Letters Home,” was published recently. “In some ways the biography that I have just written has given me the opportunity to honour my uncle, just one of the 47,000 young men in the Second World War who gave his life to preserve the quality of life we enjoy today,” Andy noted, reflecting on Canada’s celebration of its 150th anniversary and renewed interest in the country’s history. You might think writing would be second nature to an academic. But the author says that writing has never come easily to him. “For my personal writing, I followed W. H Auden’s principle of ‘How do I know what I think until I see what I’ve written.’ As a result I had to do a lot of writing, and rewriting, until I was satisfied with the final product.” Over the years, this passionate northerner has become an equally passionate Leasider, with strong ties to the community. Andy and his wife moved to the area in 1982 after searching throughout Toronto for the right community and being attracted to Leaside’s small-town feel. Once their two children were old enough to enrol in community sports leagues, Andy became a coach in the boys’ hockey team and the girls’ softball league. He enjoyed these roles especially because they allowed him to grow closer to many other members of their neighbourhood and strengthened their bond with the Leaside community. ■ www.www.pogamasing.com

By TALBOT BOGGS Leasiders Sanjay Arora and Ruby Singh are out to change the world of internet search engines. Since 2012 the husband-and-wife team have been busy developing their unique internet search engine business. Essentially Million Short gives users the capability to customize their internet searches through the

use of filters to include or exclude sites based on their popularity, advertising, live chat options and e-commerce as well as refining searches based on countries and locations of origin. Sanjay and Ruby are working on expanding the business into new markets, such as selling subscriptions to employment recruiters and libraries. Within the next couple of months they plan to launch a new application which would allow parents to screen and monitor the internet searches of their children and to work collaboratively with them to find information for education, information and fun. “Currently there is no application like this on the market,” Sanjay says. “Searching the internet is a big deal. Everybody does it, but it has almost become a monopoly controlled by the big search engine companies. We offer specialized services and technologies to help people refine and improve the quality and depth of their searches.” The business has done nicely. It employs about 50 people in an office

in downtown Toronto, but Sanjay hopes one day to find a suitable location and move the entire operation to Leaside. “I got the idea for the business here, the technology was patented here and we live here,” he says. “I guess you could say we’re real Leasiders.” Leaside has proven to be the ideal place to build their business and raise a family. The couple moved into a house in Leaside in 2008 where they started to raise their growing family, which now consists of eight- and three-year old sons and a six-year-old daughter. Sanjay and Ruby love the proximity of their home to local schools for the children and the fact that Leaside is a safe, secure community which combines a feeling of living in both the big city and the suburbs. “On one side you’ve got Bayview with all the shopping and restaurants of a city, and then on the other you’ve got Laird, which has more of a neighbourhood feel with the community centre where my kids play hockey,” Sanjay says. “It offers the best of both worlds.” ■

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13 Leaside Life, February 2017

Leasiders Sanjay Arora and Ruby Singh are reinventing the internet search engine

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Leaside Life, February 2017

Alice and Honey are constant companions on the streets of Leaside Leaside Library, so off she went. The program appealed to her, and Publisher she thought it was worth seeing Leaside Life if she and Honey could become accredited. Honey is a calm, gentle, loving and If you live within miles of Laird and loyal dog, and she and Alice have McRae, you’ve probably seen Alice bonded well. Honey was evaluMorgan and her faithful companated and passed. Of 300 dogs in the ion, German shepherd Honey, on program in Toronto, 80 have credentheir four times daily walks. Alice, tials to work with special needs chilwho lives on Randolph Rd., is a dog dren in addition to students, seniors owner who takes her responsibilities and those in hospitals or care faciliseriously. Her life’s priorities are in ties. Honey is one of those 80. Over this order: God, country and Honey. the past years, the German shepAlice grew up with German shepherd has calmed the jittery nerves herds from the time of university stushe was a child. In dents before exams, her young adult life, visited many longshe also owned a term care facilities, shepherd, and was and been a regular heartbroken when visitor at both they had to part. St. Anselm’s and Six years ago, in her Northlea schools in 70s, Alice decided Leaside. They have it was time again to just formally retired welcome a shepherd themselves from into her life. She the active ranks of was turned down therapy dogs. Alice for one adoption in felt the time had Toronto, because come to leave honthe dog was deemed ourably, while they too young, while were both still doing she was deemed well. too old. Honey has spent When she saw more than a bit of a photo of a fivetime with a host year-old shepherd of veterinarians. at a shelter in Ohio, Alice’s contact list she promptly drove includes a neurolthere to have a look. ogist, dermatoloThat’s when she met gist, internist, ophHoney. Alice was thalmologist and just returning to her several generalists car to get a leash to – all for Honey. She walk Honey, when suffers from allerthe dog decided, gies and asthma, i n d e p e n d e n t l y, Alice and Honey she endured surgery to go with Alice. for in-turned eyeShe got into the car lashes, she had and wouldn’t move! It was love at pneumonia…the list goes on. She first woof. is doing well for an 11-year old Over the next year, the two were dog with medical issues, thanks to regular attendees at dog training Alice’s caregiving. classes. The trainer observed that The two of them keep one another Honey was a smart dog, and needed going. The daily walks aren’t as long something to occupy her. By luck, as they once were, but they still get Alice noticed in a copy of Leaside out four times a day, whatever the Life that people from the St. John weather. Alice is staying well to look Ambulance Therapy Dog program after Honey, and Honey in return were going to be presenting at the gives Alice love, joy and licks. ■

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The new rink at Leaside Gardens is now officially the Dr. Tom Pashby Play Safely Rink following a celebration in the William Lea Room January 19 attended by more than 100 invited guests, including Dr. Pashby’s three children, Bill, Bob and Jane Pashby, and past and present board members of the arena, the East York Foundation, and the Dr. Tom Pashby Sports Safety Fund. The name change acknowledges a $500,000 donation from the Pashby Fund that means “Leaside Gardens will have the funding to be a best-in-class facility for programs, design and equipment to reduce catastrophic injury in sport and recreation,” according to Bill Pashby, who chairs the Fund board. His family has had a long association with Leaside Gardens. “When it was first built, Doc’s parents and in-laws lived three blocks away,” says Pashby. “All of his kids and grandkids learned to skate and swim here as did his two great-grandchildren, Grace and Maeve Murphy.

the exploits of his twin brother Tim and him at the arena over the years, and Premier Kathleen Wynne, who thanked the Pashby family and all the volunteers in the room who, she said, “show the remarkable cohesion of the Leaside community.” ■

Bessborough Sr. Boys Hockey team at the Hollycrest Winter Classic

l-r: Bob, Jane and Bill Pashby in what is now officially the Dr. Tom Pashby Play Safely Rink total amount raised by the local community towards financing the new rink. “How many communities could do that?” he asked. White said the arena board is “committed to the goal of making Leaside Gardens the safest arena in Canada.” Also speaking at the event were writer Terry Fallis, who recalled

VICKI HALL

By ALLAN WILLIAMS

He coached hockey here and regularly stitched up the cuts on young hockey players’ faces. Our Fund board had been looking for a large signature project, and the more we thought about this the better it seemed.” Arena board chair Ray White called the donation “the final piece in our fundraising puzzle,” noting that it brought to $3.6 million the

ALLAN WILLIAMS

New rink name now official: Welcome to the Dr. Tom Pashby Play Safely Rink

Led by teacher Trifon Pantopoulos and parents Pete Kiely, Tracy Shepard, Kevin Hall, Brandon Parent and Pat Leahey, the Bessborough Boys team admirably represented their school in the one-day tournament at the MasterCard centre.

Leaside Life, February 2017

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From Page 1 The estimated construction cost of $130,000 was more than the congregation thought they could handle all at once, so they decided to build the church in stages. Four stages, said Doug Brown, notebook in hand, as we walked around the sanctuary recently with churchwarden Trish Simmie. Brown was a student at the time, working at his father’s firm in the summers before he graduated in ’58 and became a partner in ’62. “The basement was built first in 1949, then the nursery was added in ’51; the sanctuary was completed in ’57, and more rooms on the north side were added in the early ’60s.” “The basement was used for church services from 1949 until 1956,” said Ross Beer, who serves today on the parish’s advisory committee, and whose father helped lead the fundraising efforts in the 1950s. “I remember it being packed full of people; there were lots of young families in North Leaside then.” “The original plans would have been for the completed building,” said Brown, “but it was not unusual at the time for churches to be built in stages.” And money wasn’t the only reason. “There was such a con-

struction boom after the war that the demand for building materials far outpaced the supply.” Brown calls St. Augustine’s a “transitional design.” “That’s a term we used to indicate that this church exhibited some of the characteristics of traditional Gothic Revival (like Leaside United), including the linear nave floorplan and the materials, but omitted Gothic details like the curved headed windows with tracery; and added a few contemporary touches.” “This is an early example of a brick interior,” he added, “which was a bit of a change for our firm. We had been doing plaster interiors for the prior 50 years or so. The exterior is of Credit Valley sandstone in a rubble pattern, which means no right angles, and the stone would have been dressed on-site, but the trim around windows and doors is cut stone sawn to the required shape.” The roof is another unusual feature: “The low-slope roof is supported by a series of shaped, glued laminated arched beams, which in turn support a series of intermediate purlins that support the actual roof deck. All of this was made of fir

ALLAN WILLIAMS

THE CHURCHES OF LEASIDE

The large stained glass window on the western end of the church facing Bayview Avenue depicts St. Augustine of Canterbury, for whom the church is named.

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Leaside Life, February 2017

timber widely known for its unusual strength.” Brown notes that his father’s business partner, Ross Brisley, who also lived in Leaside and was a member of St. Augustine parish, was the lead architect on the project. “Our firm always insisted that the furnishings and decorations were integral to the design and, so, were the responsibility of the architect – that includes the altar and pulpit,” both of which are ornately carved with symbolic devices. Some changes were made during the tenure of Bracken’s successor, the Rev. Canon John Hill, who also had a long pastorate at St. Augustine’s (1982–2009), and is now retired. “The changes were made collegially and in stages over about 20 years, both for practical and liturgical reasons.” The choir stalls in the chancel were removed, the pulpit and organ were moved from the chancel down to the main floor level, the altar formerly against the east wall was brought to the front of the chancel, and the communion rail discarded. “We had begun to serve communion in a circle around the altar,” said Hill, “and so we needed more room on the chancel. It creates a very different sense of who we were and what we were about.” Most strikingly, the pews were removed and sold in the 1990s and replaced with movable chairs that can be set out in a variety of seating arrangements. “The church has been around for 2,000 years and for most of that time we didn’t have pews,” said Hill. “They’re from a time six or seven centuries ago when the parishioners were only supposed to watch and listen – as if church were a performance. But today we believe that it’s the people who come who do the liturgy – theatre-style seating doesn’t reflect that.” “It also means,” added Ross Beer, “that the sanctuary can change its function and be used for things like concerts, rummage sales, yoga classes and other community groups.” As with many churches in these days of aging membership and declining attendance, revenue from outside rentals is critical in helping to keep St. Augustine’s going. “We are what the diocese would call ‘small but committed’ said Trish Simmie, noting that her church together with St. Matthew’s in Riverdale were ahead of the curve in sponsoring a Syrian refugee family and bringing them to Toronto more than a year ago. “No one has suggested turning the church into condos yet,” says Simmie, “but in 20 years, who knows where we’ll be.” ■

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Jon Burnside Councillor, Toronto Ward 26 Don Valley West

Taxed to the max? How high are Leaside’s property taxes? Each year at budget time, the discussion of taxes – property taxes in particular – reaches a fever pitch. As a new member of the Budget Committee, I heard firsthand the call of some citizens to increase property taxes by up to 25%. The basic premise is that Toronto’s taxes are far too low compared to other GTA municipalities. Knowing that most Leaside residents pay between $5,000 and $15,000 annually, I found this claim to be questionable and decided to dig a little deeper. While numerous comparative tools are used, it is important to remember that the Municipal Land

Transfer Tax (from which the City will collect over $450 million from residential home sales this year) and fees for solid waste collection are exclusive to Toronto. Although the MLTT isn’t borne equally by residents, both these taxes are uniquely paid by Toronto home owners and must be included in any property tax comparison. On average, these two fees add approximately 17% to property taxes. Proponents for raising taxes assert that Toronto’s tax rate is the lowest in the GTA…but is it? It makes sense that this would probably be the case as our average property values are the highest in the GTA. The average detached home in Toronto is 40% higher, while the average semi-detached home is almost 50% higher (Leaside averages are higher still). For instance, if the average home in Oshawa were only half that of Toronto, the tax rate would need to be double to provide the same services. (Interestingly, the property tax rate in Vancouver is roughly half that of Toronto.) When one accounts for the higher comparative value of Toronto homes as well as the aforementioned unique fees, Toronto’s actual tax rate would be slightly higher than the GTA average. Many of us forget that pre-amal-

gamation Toronto was in fact four cities and two boroughs. Given Leaside’s desirability and consequently higher home values, residents might expect to pay higher than average taxes. However, if Leaside were just considered as part of an average neighbourhood in what was the “old” City of Toronto (there is no analysis on the old boroughs) the taxes are not nearly as low as some would argue. When looking at an average two-storey home in the “old” City of Toronto (including Leaside), the property taxes levied are actually the highest in the GTA at $6,900 annually (MLTT and solid waste fees are not included). For that same home in the “old” City of Scarborough, the taxes levied are 50% less. The explosive increase in the value of homes in Leaside and “old” Toronto has really left us in a state of a “Tale of Two Cities” whereby residents in one area of the city are paying the highest taxes in the GTA while those in another are paying the lowest. While we could argue that we need to increase taxes to pay for Toronto’s various unmet needs, using the rationale that it’s because “we” pay the lowest taxes in the GTA is highly dependent on where you reside. ■ councillor_burnside@toronto.ca

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I’LL TRY ANYTHING ONCE!

Leaside Life, February 2017

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Having an Amsterdam good time at our local brewhouse By KARLI VEZINA Amsterdam Blonde is one of the first beers that the Amsterdam Brewery ever brewed, back on John St. in 1986. The Amsterdam Blonde also happened to be my personal favourite, ranked first place in the six-pack sampler I had received as homework after my tour. Earlier, I met with Heather Mundle of the Amsterdam marketing department for a walk through the brewery. Despite my general distaste for beer, I was curious about the art of brewing and what it took to become a brewmaster. Once I learned that Leaside had a brewery I couldn’t resist the temptation to look around. Had I missed my calling as a legendary master of hops? I was about to find out. As my tour commenced, I noticed the same four ingredients were often mentioned as the main players in making beer: barley (malt), hops, yeast and water. After a walk around the giant tanks and a crashcourse lesson on brewing, here’s the process as I understand it: First, you need purified water that meets industry standards. Next, you need some malt, which is barley. Barley grain germinates, then gets dried and roasted. The longer it’s roasted, the darker the malt will be. Then, put the two together by adding malt to hot purified water. This is where the science happens. Over time the malt breaks down starch to sugar, and complex proteins in the malt into nitrogen compounds. Strain and keep it hot. Using a steel tank called a brew kettle, boil the malt water with hops until the desired taste and aroma have been captured. Once the brew has adopted the taste of the hops, it’s sent to cool. Next up is some serious fermentation. This is where the yeast breaks down the sugar and also where the flavour sets in. Once the fermentation is complete, it’s cellar time. Beer is stored in a cold cellar anywhere from one to three weeks, depending on the brew. At this point it will be filtered once or twice over before it’s ready to drink. Becoming a brewmaster these days involves a mix of old- and newschool learning, said Mundle. Many of the older brewers who have been at it for decades came to their craft through a food sciences background

or a general interest in beer, but there was never a formal program to enrol in to learn the trade. Hence many of the brewers come from diverse backgrounds and have learned on the job by apprenticing with mentors. Now, however, those with an interest have an added option to go to Niagara College to become brewers at the first fully licensed teaching brewery in Canada.

of his blends. I think it would be fun to play alchemist and create new flavours with every handful of hops. Overall I don’t think I’ve missed my calling, but I do feel oh so Canadian for drinking beer on assignment! Tours of Leaside’s Amsterdam Brewery take about 45 minutes and include a walk through the brewery and four or five samples of beer

Of all the current Amsterdam beers, 3 Speed and Boneshaker are the most popular brews these days. 3 Speed is a lager characterized as a light, crisp beer good for anytime, anywhere. Boneshaker is an unfiltered IPA with lots of hops, a strong malt base and hints of pine and grapefruit. (Do I sound like I know what I’m talking about yet?) After winning a local IPA challenge with Boneshaker in 2010, Amsterdam’s Head Brewmaster Iain McOustra became inspired to include more experimental flavours in some

exploration afterwards. Whether it’s a lager or an amber ale, Mundle said people are often surprised to find new flavours they didn’t know they enjoyed in a beer. The Leaside Amsterdam Brewery at 45 Esandar Drive is open to consumers from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday and Sunday from 11-6 p.m. Tours of the brewery are available every Saturday from 1-5 p.m. Cheers! Until next time...for science! ■

Carol & Dave’s excellent Leaside adventure continues One month of winter down and two to go! How have you been keeping up with your New Year’s goals? I’m going to brag for a quick second and say that I have been doing great in my goal to drink more water and stretch daily, but more importantly so have Carol and Dave. While it’s only been a few short weeks since they started into their new health and wellness program with Barry Samuel at Inside Out Studio, I’m pleased to say that Carol is feeling “positive” and David is “still alive and feeling good.” Can I get a collective ‘yippee’ from all over Leaside please? Carol and Dave started the month at Inside Out Studio with a conversation about lifestyle, their moods, energy level and current habits and behaviours. They also had some baseline measurements taken, including height, weight, measurements and body mass before starting their fitness program. While both were feeling quite brave, there were some feelings of anxiety, so Barry took the time to commend them for coming forward and documenting their anticipated lifestyle changes. Both are working out three times a week for about 45 minutes each session. They are combining cardio and strength training exercises, focusing specifically on core and balance while learning about injury prevention. Carol and David both have weak areas that Barry has addressed and is working on strengthening. I love how positive both Carol and David were when I spoke with them.

Carol has yo-yoed with her weight in the past and is looking for a longterm solution as opposed to a quick fix. She wants to improve her skiing, so she can “keep up with her boys on the double black diamonds.” Barry is aware that Carol has had some lower back issues in the past, so strength, balance and core are important. Carol’s workout is broken down as follows: 10-minute warmup, 40 minutes of mixed strength cardio and core training with stretching in between, and then 10 minutes on the treadmill to cool down. It’s a quick but intense workout, providing the muscles with the best possible reaction time. DAVID SPARROW David was three workouts in at time of printing, and while Barry encouraged him to hit the gym at 6:45 a.m., he likes to spend “quality time” with his wife Lisa in the morning. Dave’s morning routine, which is essential to a positive mindset, includes coffee, catching up with his wife and even giving her a drive to work. He’s hitting Inside Out Studio at 10am, also three times a week. As with Carol, Barry is focusing on the core. David’s preexisting injuries include a torn meniscus in the knee and “frozen shoulder.” A good warm-up of walking 20 minutes on the treadmill ensures David is ready for his stretch and strength workout, which includes working on the exercise ball and bosu. During his first workout, David completed one pushup. By Day Three, he’d completed four pushups! Way to go! David and his wife have also introduced staying active into their life in small ways. While watching TV, they have incorporated ‘one-minute planking challenges’ as well as crunches. They hope to join Monday Night badminton at Leaside United Church as well. Next month I’ll talk to our dynamic duo about nutrition and how their diets have had to change along with their lifestyle. ■

Month

2

CAROL TOWNSLEY Carol had already attended six workout sessions at Inside Out Studio at time of printing. Because of her flexible schedule, she is able to go on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings after the kids have headed to school. Having a personal trainer has been key in keeping up her motivation. She likes that “someone is expecting” her to show up!

Leaside Life, February 2017

By VICKI HALL

21

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Leaside Life, February 2017

22

Leaside likes Honda the Best They say the type of car you drive says a lot about your personality. Read on to see what types of cars Leasiders are driving, and then draw your own conclusions. The British marketing research agency, YouGov, in the course of its consulting work, has gathered a database of information over the years profiling the attitudes and behaviours of 200,000 Americans. It uses this database to help advertisers and brand managers make better decisions for reaching their target audience. YouGov took this information and attempted to figure out what the personalities of the drivers of specific cars said about the brands themselves. It found that BMW drivers believe they are more knowledgeable than other people; Ford drivers felt they were friendlier; Mercedes-Benz’s drivers thought of themselves as more adventurous than drivers of other car brands; and General

Will Ashworth The business of Leaside

Motors drivers view themselves as more mechanically intelligent than other drivers. Those are but a few of the observations made by YouGov, who came to the overall conclusion that the demographics and culture of a car brand are heavily influenced by advertising and product placement. In 2013, University of California at Berkeley researcher Paul Piff, an assistant professor at the university’s Institute of Personality and Social Research, conducted a study of driver behaviour in two different scenarios: The first observed the behaviour of 152 drivers at a crosswalk and the second observed the behaviour of 274 cars at a four-way stop. “You see this huge boost in a driver’s likelihood to commit infractions in more expensive cars,” Piff wrote in his California study. “One of the most significant trends was that fancy cars were less likely to stop.… BMW drivers were the worst.”

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Whether it’s a sense of entitlement or some other misplaced rationale for breaking the law, it continues to happen all too frequently around the neighbourhood. But enough about which car brands don’t abide by basic traffic rules; it’s got me to thinking about which car brands are most favoured in our lovely neighbourhood. While BMW and Audi would both be good guesses, neither brand has a dealership in Leaside proper. That distinction goes to Mazda, Kia, Hyundai, and Mercedes-Benz. You would think those brands would have reasonably high representation simply as a matter of convenience. So, in order to find out what’s what, I went into the neighbourhood carrying out a very unscientific survey to determine the car brands most coveted by Leasiders. The rules were simple. I walked from Bayview Ave. east along Parkhurst Blvd. until I reached Sutherland Dr. where I turned south walking along Sutherland until I reached Bessborough Dr., where I headed north to Millwood Rd. finishing on Millwood at Bayview Ave. Only cars parked in a driveway were counted except for a small stretch on Sutherland where there are no driveways; in that situation, I counted the cars on the street (about five cars) and I only counted vehicles on the side of the street I was walking on. On the day in question, I came upon 191 vehicles. The number one car brand… Honda, with 13% of the total or 24 vehicles. Coming a close second with 20 vehicles each were BMW and Toyota. Rounding out the top 10 in order of vehicles were MercedesBenz (15), Volkswagen (12), Ford (11), a tie among Mazda, Jeep, and Subaru (all with 10) and Acura at 8 vehicles. The nearest Honda dealership? 5.1 kilometres away on the other side of the Don Valley Parkway; BMW and Toyota have dealerships slightly closer at 3.3 and 2.4 kilometres, respectively. The two brands located farthest from Leaside? Subaru and Acura, which combined accounted for almost 10% of the 191 cars I encountered in my travels. If there are any Subaru Canada or Acura Canada executives reading this, you might want to start working on a dealership in the Leaside Business Park. I’m sure your existing customers would really appreciate it. And who knows, you might even pick up some new customers along the way. ■

THE BUSINESS OF LEASIDE

Leaside Stock Index turns 3 By WILL ASHWORTH Three years ago, I embarked on an exercise of fun — and potential learning! The Leaside Stock Index was born in February 2014 as the result of an innocent drive past the Canadian headquarters of Lincoln Electric on Wicksteed Avenue in the Leaside Business Park. At the time, I wondered what the company did and when I found out, I recommended to my readers at Investopedia.com that they buy its stock. Well, it hasn’t turned out so great for anyone who might have listened to my recommendation: Lincoln Electric’s annualized total return including dividends is up just 3.8% through the end of December, almost six percentage points worse than the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, an exchange-traded fund tracking the performance of 500 of America’s largest companies. But the drive itself did serve as the inspiration for me to create a 20-stock model portfolio that held the stocks of companies ben-

efiting from the patronage of Leasiders such as yourselves. Ten were listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange while the other 10 were listed on either the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq. Together, they were meant to reflect the business of Leaside. Fortunately, while the U.S. portion of the portfolio experienced mediocre performance over the past three years, the 10 Canadian stocks did exceptionally well, delivering an annualized total return of 13.8%, almost six percentage points better than the iShares S&P/TSX 60 Index Fund, an exchange-traded fund tracking the performance of 60 of Canada’s largest companies. Overall, once you include the currency changes over the past three years, the Leaside Stock Index managed an annualized total return of 15.2%, almost two percentage points better than the performance of the two exchange-traded funds tracking the equity indexes. I call this Everyday Investing because all 20 of the businesses are or might be part of your everyday

lives, but you can just as easily refer to it as passively active investment management because while this is meant to be a buy-and-hold-forever type of portfolio, the original selection of stocks and any possible replacements in the future are meant to be active. Case in point: PetSmart was originally part of the Leaside Stock Index, but it was taken private in March 2015 when it was acquired for US$8.2 billion. I replaced it with Whole Foods, which had already signed a lease and is currently preparing to open a store at Bayview Ave. and Broadway Ave., sometime in 2017. We plan to put the portfolio on the Leaside Life website with realtime returns so Leasiders can follow the Leaside Stock Index’s future performance. In the meantime, here’s to the Leaside Stock Index and three successful years on the markets! ■

10 Canadian Stocks Company Loblaw Companies Limited (TSX:L)

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD) (NYSE:TD)

Dollarama Inc. (TSX:DOL)

Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS)(NYSE:BNS)

RioCan REIT (TSX:REI.UN)

3-Year Return 20.7% 13.6% 23.6% 8.6% 7.5%

Company Empire Company Limited (TSX:EMP.A)

First Capital Realty Inc. (TSX:FCR)

Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. (TSX:CTC.A)

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (TSX:QSR)(NYSE:QSR)

Alimentation Couche Tard Inc (TSX:ATD.B)

10 U.S. Stocks Company Dunkin Brands Group Inc. (NASDAQ:DNKN)

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A) (NYSE:BRK.B)

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Re/Max Holdings Inc. (NYSE:RMAX)

Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE:BBY)

3-Year Return 5.7% 11.5% 14.2% 21.8% 5.7%

Company Home Depot Inc. (NYSE:HD)

Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO)

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Vitamin Shoppe Inc. (NYSE:VSI)

Whole Foods Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:WFM)

Source: Morningstar.ca * One-year return, QSR 3-year return available December 2017. First published at Fool.ca.

Lynda Gorges Broker

416-486-5588 Lynda.Gorges@gmail.com www.lyndagorges.com

Passionate about helping my Clients

Leaside Life, February 2017

23

What have we learned from wrestling with tigers?

Geoff Kettel

Leaside Life, February 2017

24

Saving old Leaside The Leaside community has recently participated in two applications for major projects on Eglinton, with a third underway. Each project is spurred by the provincially funded Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit project. The three major projects, roughly comparable in terms of size and impact, have proceeded on quite different paths: • 660 Eglinton East (Sunnybrook Plaza) at Bayview and Eglinton – the application now approved by the OMB, following a mediation process involving the applicant, City staff, and the LPOA. • 939 Eglinton East at Brentcliffe and Eglinton – the application now approved by the City, pending OMB approval, following a “working committee” process involving the applicant, selected residents, and City staff. • 815-845 Eglinton East at Laird and Eglinton – an application was recently submitted, and the City is proposing a community meeting. 939 Eglinton Ave. East Submitted in 2013. There was a community meeting, a meeting with the LPOA, and then silence, until a revised application was submitted in 2015. The LPOA believed a “chasm” existed between the applicant’s ask and what the community was willing to accept, based on a comprehensive resident survey (conducted in partnership with Councillor Burnside), which found that a large majority of the over 2,200 respondents felt the proposal was unacceptable. A working group was struck from community members, including the LPOA, THREE LEASIDE PROJECTS

who submitted their names to Councillor Burnside. While there was discussion on a range of development issues including site layout, street design, parks, character, traffic and community services, the most critical developmental factors – height and density – were presented only at the last of the group’s sessions in June 2016. The LPOA concluded the proposed massing of almost 1,000 units, and maximum tower heights ranging from 27 to 35 storeys (later reduced to 26 to 34 storeys) was inappropriate for this property, and contrary to Official Plan policies for Mixed Use areas. A midrise form of development and density would be more appropriate for the subject property. Following the working committee, Councillor Burnside arranged a public meeting to allow wider public review of the proposal. Then the applicant appealed to the OMB and made a “with prejudice” settlement offer to the City which went directly to City Council, without further public review, and was approved in December 2016. This settlement has to go to the OMB for approval in February. 660 Eglinton Ave. East The process here was significantly different, because before an application was made, there was a Bayview Focus Area planning process, part of Eglinton Connects, resulting in Official Plan Amendments approved by City Council, and subsequent appeals to the OMB. An application for a slightly revised application (appealed by the applicant to the OMB) was refused by City Council. After a total of six OMB pre-hearing conferences, the LPOA (and 1801 Bayview condo) was given

Party status. Confidentiality precludes any details of the mediation, but the resulting settlement reduced massing, height, density, abided by angular planes and increased protections in the areas of geohydrology (water) and tree preservation. 815-845 Eglinton Ave. East For the 815-845 Eglinton Ave. development proposal the community must take the opportunity to present its vision for the whole study area. What are those aspects of Leaside – small town feel, variety of housing types, leafy streets, employment as well as residential opportunities, consistent streetscapes and setbacks, daycares, schools, recreation and community facilities, peacefulness, cleanliness, safety, livability, walkability and bikeability, ease of access to public transportation – that we want to be included in the new development? The community must hold the City accountable to adhere to its Official Plan policies specifically in the areas of “Structuring Growth”; “Built Form-Tall Buildings”; “Building New Neighbourhoods”; and “Mixed Use Areas”. What have we learned? We need to start early to provide input; we must work with the City and the applicant, and maintain the respect of both the City and applicant. We must be prepared, if necessary, to fight at the OMB. Finally, we need to maintain community support, financial and otherwise. Most important, we need a plan in place BEFORE the applications arrive, so there is an area context, as well as Official Plan policies in place to comply with. The whole idea is not to wrestle with tigers but to tame them (but if necessary, yes, wrestle with them)! ■

660 Eglinton Ave. East: OMB approved settlement Nov. 2016

939 Eglinton Ave. East: Settlement with City Dec. 2016

815-845 Eglinton Ave. East: Application Submitted Aug. 2016

2

3

7

Podium

5 storeys

7 storeys

—

Towers

2 Towers of 16 and 11 storeys

3 Towers of 16, 20 and 28 storeys

7 Towers of 6, 8,9, 12, 26, 34 and 34 storeys

3.45

3.67

3.7

Number of residential buildings

Density (Floor Space Index*)

* Floor Space Index (FSI) means the gross floor area of all buildings on a lot divided by the lot area.

PAINTING A

25

CONDO?

Leaside Life, February 2017

(K612) or matte Natura e nsider using ve much mor ha lly ua us You might co ndos pared to a te (K552). Co m at co s tim Ul ow ct nd le Regal Se uch larger wi present wall due to the m ell” paint can natural light result “eggsh a house. a in As d e. ice us ot ho ss-n conventional normally be le d ! ul ns wo io ct ich ose refle reflections wh ll cut down th Matte paint wi

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©2010 Benjamin Moore & Co., Limited. Benjamin Moore, Green Promise and the triangle “M” symbol are registered trademarks and Green without Compromise and Benjamin Moore Natura are trademarks of Benjamin Moore & Co., Limited.

Leaside Life, February 2017

26

What you really should know! 2015 marked a turning point for Canadians! For the first time in our history, Canadians aged 65 years and older outnumbered those who were younger than 15 years of age. And, their numbers will double over the next two decades such that, by 2035, one in four Canadians will be older than 65 years old. That’s the reason we formed the Aging in Place Association of Canada. Our members are dedicated to informing and helping Canadians to age safely and happily where most elder Canadians want to be –at home! ....wherever that might be. And, who are we? We are older too! And, individually, we offer expert advice, consultation and services and products such as: care for seniors at home, mobility devices, Help for Mom referral services, mobile hair styling, real estate services for seniors, Arbor Memorial funeral and cemetery services, downsizing, fitness and nutrition, financial advice for seniors and navigating the health care system and more. All of these are intended to make your family’s and your life easier and uniquely supported as an older person. So, don’t hesitate to call the Aging in Place Association of Canada for advice and help at 416-805-8070. Our web site will soon be active at www.aipac.ca. Please wait for it!!

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From Page 1 “Zinc is important to the immune system, heart, lungs and other functions of the body,” said Helena, adding that many children don’t get enough in developing countries as a result of relying on their mostly plant-based diet. The girls went canvasing in their neighbourhoods throughout the fall of their Grade 6 year, collecting batteries and promoting their campaign from house to house. They have since collected 9,500 batteries toward their 15,000 goal and going full-steam ahead for the second semester round-up. Aside from keeping supporters updated through their Facebook page facebook.com/ HelenaLaurenSaveLives/, they have plans for more footwork as well. Both agree they want to improve their campaign with updated posters and flyers, “to get people pumped up about new things happening with the campaign.” They’ll also be going door-to-door to collect more batteries and raise more awareness. Helena atends Branksome Hall and has a drop-box there with a possible school presentation in the works to spread the word. Lauren, a Northlea student, is currently in talks with her principal about setting up a dropbox and raising awareness through a future presentation herself.

LAUGH OUT LOUD IN LEASIDE #8 Join us for an evening of comedy, music, food, and friends! BENEFITING

At The William Lea Room, Leaside Memorial Gardens Friday February 24, 2017 @7:00pm Comedy, Oyster Bar, Gourmet Appetizers, Silent/Live Auction, Cash Bar, Sweet Treats, And So Much More!

$90

per ticket

To purchase tickets or tables visit www.universe.com/lolleaside8 or contact Charlene at charlene@charlenekalia.com Mature Comedy Content* Don’t Drink and Drive* Leave The Car At Home* This Is Not Intended To Solicit Buyers Or Sellers Currently Under Contract With A Broker.

Leaside Gate

Seniors’ Condos and Life-Lease Units for Sale in Leaside Another goal for the girls is to get more local businesses involved by hosting drop-boxes. So far, things are looking good. Turning Pointe Academy of Dance at 105 Vanderhoof Ave., Grill Time Gourmet Meat Shop at 62 Laird Dr., The Leaside Pub at 190 Laird Dr., and Home Hardware at Sunnybrook Plaza (Bayview & Eglinton) have all agreed to host drop-boxes for used battery drop-offs. Storage Mart has donated the boxes. The campaign will run until August 31, 2017 so keep your eyes peeled as more local merchants get on board to help these young leaders save lives. ■

27 Leaside Life, February 2017

Batteries...

Ask Roy to put you on his waiting list for any of these 3 buildings designed for seniors This can only be done if you are not under contract with another REALTOR

Roy St.John

Sahil

Broker

416-569-5036 www.seniorscondos.com froystjohn@gmail.com Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage 4025 Yonge St, Unit 103, Toronto, ON M2P 2E3

Bethel Green not intended to solicit parties in an agency agreement

Leaside Life, February 2017

28

Strength in numbers The LPOA wants needs YOU! I’d like to share with you why the Leaside Property Owners’ Association encourages you to become members of our ratepayers’ group. No, it’s not just a question of finances, important though finances are. And no, we don’t only advocate for those of you who are full dues-paying members – we represent all residents of Leaside, whether paid up or not. A brief history: When the LPOA formed back in the 1950s, you could become a Life Member with a one-time $5 fee, registered by your name and street address. This made our bookkeeping very simple and membership easy to confirm. Once the $5 fee was paid, our accountant had very little updating to do. When we needed more funds, we appealed for voluntary donations. Or we held cookie sales, or neighbourhood garage sales. A lot of work for not a vast return, but Leasiders responded time and again with their support. There were also political advantages to the Life Membership system. If were we challenged by politicians about how many residents we represented, we could honestly reply that virtually every household was an LPOA Life Member. About 20 years ago, around the time the amalgamated city replaced our former local governments, the LPOA became incorporated. Incorporation was a requirement for ratepayer groups to depute at or appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board. It was also necessary to hire lawyers and professional planners and other consultants to give expert evidence there. Local opinion or expertise would not be sufficient. At that point it became evident that we needed a stronger financial base if we were going to be able to effectively take on Leaside’s issues. The LPOA board decided to institute annual dues. Today, although we still have numerous Life Members, we are trying to build that stronger base by appealing to you to join with a $25 yearly fee. Let me give you an idea of the

kind of costs the LPOA can incur, if we need to appear at the OMB. The recent Sunnybrook Plaza case (RioCan/660 Eglinton Ave. East) provides a good example. There were three pre-hearings, with preparatory legal and planning work, and three days of OMB-led mediation. We also needed to call in a hydrogeologist to study any potential water-related damage to the site and an arborist to consult on protecting the trees along the west side of Bessborough Dr. directly overlooking the site. The mediation process allowed us to reach a settlement, which led to a less massive design featuring lower buildings, more open space, and more protection for the trees and natural environment. Total cost? $42,697.28. This figure does not include the $5,000 for the hydrogeologist or the just over $2,000 for the arborist, which RioCan also agreed to cover. Fortunately, neighbours and other Leasiders were able to raise over $10,000 through donations, and RioCan is reimbursing the LPOA $25,000 (+ 13% HST) toward our professional fees. If we had not been able to reach a mediated settlement – if we had had to proceed to a full OMB hearing – our additional costs would likely have been well over $125,000. These costs are not unusual. You can see why going to the OMB is not a matter the LPOA board takes lightly, and why, whenever possible, we prefer to work with our councillor and City planning staff, to assess our chances of success, at least to mitigate development proposals. Going to the OMB is – and should be – the last resort. Given the quantity of development applications the Leaside area is experiencing, the LPOA will appeal to you from time to time for your donations to pay for specific issues. But we will continue to ask you to join as an annual member, to ensure our financial strength and political impact. There’s strength in numbers!

Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LPOA

Traffic! If you live in North Leaside, be sure you mark WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1st in your calendar. If you live in South Leaside, the date to save is WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8th. On those evenings, at 7:30 p.m., the LPOA Traffic Committee has scheduled meetings in the William Lea Room (Leaside Gardens). As I said in last month’s Leaside Life LPOA column, we need to develop a real plan and choose options to identify specify locations and measures to improve safety measures and reduce through traffic – measures you will be comfortable with on your street or in your part of Leaside. Your input is key! Note: Our next monthly board of directors meeting is Thursday, March 2nd, moved to that night from our usual first Wednesday of the month to accommodate the North Leaside traffic meeting on the 1st. Our board meetings are always open to the public, at 7:30 p.m. in the Tennis Lounge at Trace Manes. ■

THEY’RE ONLY GUILTY OF BEING KIDS Help keep kids out of the justice system.

EVENTS

St. Augustine’s Anglican Church 1847 Bayview Ave. The Groove Room Coffee House, Friday, Feb. 10th, 7-8:30pm. $5 all proceeds towards local charity, Augustine@bellnet.ca

29

Indian & Nepalese Cuisine

ENTRÉE

Northlea United Church 125 Brentcliffe Rd. www.northleaunited.ca 416-425-5252 Lone Hand Euchre Fundraiser, Fri., Feb. 10 at 7pm. $20/person. Tickets: office@northleaunited.ca

Buy one entree and get the second (valued up to $12.99) FREE Mt.Everest Restaurant 804 Eglinton Ave.E

The Jazz Service - Sun. Feb. 12, 4:30pm. Valentine’s theme: “The Thing About Love Is”

Coupon must be presented. Dine-in, take-out &Delivery. Can not be combined with any other offer.Delivery has to be atleast $25 after discount

Community Pancake Supper Tue., Feb. 28, 6-7 pm. All Welcome! Donations accepted. Canadian Federation of University Women Leaside-East York Monthly meeting 7:30pm, Thu., Feb. 17. Speakers Olivia Walsh, “Eliminating Homelessness” & Joanne Doucette “The Great Shacktown Crisis 1907-1908” www.cfuwleasideeastyork.ca St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church 1399 Bayview Ave. Flemingdon Park Ministry Celebration Dinner Thu. Feb. 23, 6-9pm. Tickets $40 ($20 tax receipt) director@flemingdonparkministry.com Beverley Williams 416-425-1841 LEASIDE LIBRARY 165 McRae Drive, 416-396-3835 Adult Colouring Party Tuesdays: Feb. 07, 14, 21, 28. 7pm-8:15pm. For all teens and adults. Town and Country: Paintings Exhibit by Karin Fediw. Feb. 1st-Feb. 28th. Everyone welcome.

FREE

SERVING TORONTO SINCE 2004

TH EXPIRES 2017 EXPIRES FEB. OCT 3028, 2015

647-748-8849 804 EGLINTON AVE. EAST TORONTO

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Kathleen Wynne MPP Don Valley West

Emergency Preparedness Workshop Fri., Feb. 24th. 2pm-3pm. No registration. Fun With Physics: A Cartoon Look at the Nature of Reality. A visual showcase of cartoons and comics by Rina Piccolo. Wed., Feb 1st, 7pm8pm. No registration. Learn about Low Back Exercises: The McGill Exercises for Safe Effective Back Rehab. Presentation by Lorne David Opler, faculty at Centennial College. Wed., Feb. 15th 7-8pm. No registration. Everyone welcome. Leaside Needleworx Group Fridays, Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24. 10am-11:45am.

Monday, February 20 is Family Day. Ontarians work hard and deserve more time to enjoy with their loved ones. Happy Family Day!

Leaside Writers Group Saturdays: Feb. 4, 18. 10am-11:45am. Drop in. CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING: TD Shakespeare for Kids Library Club * Limited Space. Ages 7-12 ONLY * Saturdays: Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25. 2pm-4pm. Ready for Reading Baby Time Ages: 0-18 mos-Thurs: Feb. 2, 09, 16, 23. 9:3010am & 10:30-11am. Ages: 19 mos-5 yrs- Wed: Feb. 1, 08, 15, 22. 9:30-10am & 10:30-11am. Leaside Garden Society Monthly meeting, Thu., Feb. 9th, 7:30-9:30pm Stephen Smith: The Trees of Leaside 416-4220538 or leaside@gardenontario.org.

Constituency Office 795 Eglinton Avenue East, Unit 101 Toronto, ON M4G 4E4 | 416-425-6777 www.kathleenwynne.onmpp.ca

Leaside Life, February 2017

Waterstone Clinic & Waterstone Foundation New Treatments for Eating Disorders: How the Brain is Involved in Anorexia & Bulimia Nervosa. Free public education evening in recognition of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. February 6, 2017 from 7pm to 9pm.

Leaside Life, February 2017

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Renovate or rebuild?

More Leaside homes head to Committee of Adjustment By GEOFF KETTEL The pressure to renovate or demolish and rebuild Leaside homes is huge. Whether it’s existing residents who want to expand their homes to meet growing needs (and presumably financial capacity) or developers who want to make a fast buck, the pressure for physical change is without parallel. Committee of Adjustment approval of minor variances is usually required to proceed. A couple of recent cases at the Committee of Adjustment illustrate how the pressure for more space (but not necessarily more people in that space) reflects in different types of houses and lot patterns, and affects the neighbourhood in various ways: 4 Rolland Rd. The curvilinear streets and crosscutting diagonals which are a celebrated hallmark of Frederick Todd’s 1912 town plan distinguish Leaside from its military grid pattern neighbouring communities in North

Toronto. However, the non-linear pattern of roads makes for some non-standard lot shapes. Rolland Rd., which runs (at an angle) between Bessborough and Hanna north of McRae, is a case in point. Because the lots were drawn with homes pretty much north/south, the houses are staggered, like a sawtooth, not square to the road. This means the neighbouring house is more prominent than normal, and when someone wants to extend the house, the physical impact is greater. This was the case with a new house to be built at 4 Rolland. 2 Rolland’s

style. Most are two-storey (with some one-storey gems on the east side of Airdrie north of Lea Ave.), and they share a design aesthetic with many single family homes of the same vintage, and also the Talbot apartments on Bayview. They represent a continuing quiet presence on the street, not generally subject to the kind of shocks that bungalows and some detached homes have been subject to. Until now, renovations have generally been limited to additions at the back. The Committee of Adjustment recently considered Rolland Road

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owner was very concerned about loss of light and sun, shadowing and the looming presence of a massive brick wall. The agent for the applicant explained that he had letters of support from neighbours up the (same side) of the street. Unsurprisingly, since, because of the lot layout all the impact was on the house on the west side, Number 2, not those homes on the east side. The Committee understood the concern and voted unanimously to refuse the variances. In this case it was enough that just one neighbour, who had clear evidence of adverse impact, opposed the variances. 510 and 512 Broadway Another distinguishing feature of Leaside is its fine stock of semi-detached houses in Georgian Revival

(and refused) an application involving a semi-detached pair of homes on Broadway to which the applicants, Leaside residents, wanted to add a third storey and extension to the rear. The application involved numerous variances, including the number of storeys, height, and density. The Committee confirmed that three storeys are not allowed in Leaside and agreed that the design did not “fit in.” The Committee of Adjustment just has to be convinced that the variances are (1) minor, (2) desirable for the development of the property, (3) conform with the intent of the zoning bylaw, and (4) conform with the intent of the Official Plan. The Committee is waiting to hear from the community. Every two weeks! ■

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