Issuu

J U LY 2021

Leaside Life leasidelife.com

No. 110

Local teens speak about their Covid grad year Pg. 6

Leasider and pilot Brett Champion.

ORTING LOCAL

BU S

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO “To most people, the sky is the limit. To those who love aviation, the sky is home.” —Jerry Crawford, U.S. Air Force. The amount of air traffic over Leaside has long been a bone of contention for many residents. But for 20-year-old Brett S ES Champion, watching IN planes fly over his house as a child was

always a huge thrill. The graduate of St. Anselm’s and Leaside High was fixated on planes from a young age. From LEGO to Play Mobil, from model to paper planes, he couldn’t get enough of the flying machines. Fuselage, rudder, airfoil, and altitude were all a part of his early lexicon. While he can’t quite pinpoint the original source of his love of planes, Champion has been a very frequent

flyer since childhood, visiting his grandparents in Nova Scotia. He came to the realization very early on that he “didn’t see (myself) in an office, but thought it would be cool to have an office 30,000 feet in the air.” In 2019, he gained admission into the highly competitive Aviation General Arts and Science program at Conestoga College, which is a collaboration between Conestoga College PILOT Page 22

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Editor’s Welcome

The kids are all right, 2021 edition

Leaside Life • July 2021

WE’RE OPEN!

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Last August, when the pandemic was a mere child of six months, Leaside students had already experienced online learning – and survived. As I wrote then: “In June, signs started popping up all over lawns in Leaside and beyond congratulating grads – a tangible sign that life does go on, and kids do move on. They are continuing to achieve, no matter what the environment.” Fast forward to 2021. The new “Congratulations” signs are adorning lawns, grads are again celebrating their achievements, but after another year of up and down learning and uncertainty, Leaside kids’ achievements are even more noteworthy. Perseverance, adaptability, versatility, ingenuity have taken centre stage along with the more traditional academic and sports accomplishments. Once again, Leaside Life columnist Janis Fertuck, herself a former Leaside High English teacher, has interviewed some of this year’s grads on their experiences, disappointments, hopes and plans for a non-

Jane Auster Editor Leaside Life

Covid (please!) future. A (non-Leaside) student in a recent Toronto Star story bemoaned the fact she had not received what she considered to be an adequate education this year. The Leaside students Janis interviewed were candid about their personal challenges with online learning. The quadmester was called out for special disdain. But, to the one, they felt they had learned, and they enjoyed opportunities to achieve and plan for their futures. If you have graduates at home, these stories are sure to resonate. In the next issue, Susan Scandiffio writes about perhaps Leaside’s youngest author, Gema Zepeda, whose book A New Beginning tells the story of a girl who moves to a new town and has to find her way at a new school among new kids. Gema, whose first language was not English, wrote the book when she was 8. So, yes, the kids really are all right! n

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Covid confidential: Our community makes us stronger

have provided our customers with the safest possible shopping experience while they pick up their essentials. The dedication of my team has brought me to tears on more than one occasion and I cannot thank them enough. I am also immensely proud of the Leaside community for their patience, for helping us to fill many of our appointments and for doing their part by getting the vaccine that is available to them. Our patients have been excited. This is an important moment. Some have cheered, some have cried, and many have thanked us for doing our part. Being part of the

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healthcare team and being educators to patients throughout the pandemic has been professionally fulfilling to all of our pharmacy team at the store. But it’s not just us, it’s also you. You made the decision to help to protect yourself, your friends and family and your community, and that’s just as important. If you have yet to receive your first dose, please contact our pharmacy and we will book you an appointment, supply depending. For more than a year now, we’ve been here for our patients and the community. As we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I want to thank you personally for your continued support. During the hardest times, a simple thank you and a smiling face, which is even noticeable behind your mask, have helped us to push through and continue to help our community to live life well. Brian Mok is the owner/pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart, 1601 Bayview Ave. You can read more about him in Lorna Krawchuk’s profile in our September 2019 issue. n

Leaside Life • July 2021

COVID-19 has radically changed our healthcare landscape, impacting the way we access our healthcare professionals and how we seek advice. As a frontline healthcare worker and your front door to care, I’m here to support you. We know that in order to get through this pandemic, we need more testing and more vaccinations, and I’m proud to provide COVID-19 vaccines and asymptomatic testing in my pharmacy. Participating in these programs has brought a new level of excitement to our pharmacy and to our team. To play a small part in helping to end the pandemic, which has taken so much from so many in our community and across the country, has been a highlight of my career. I am just proud. Proud of my team, who continue to work tirelessly and without question to help get more needles into arms. It’s not just our team of pharmacy teams, though, it is also our front-end staff who

LORNA KRAWCHUK

by B RIAN MOK, Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist/owner

Photographer, archivist, cyclist, but most of all, Leasider

Leaside Life • July 2021

by LORNA KRAWCHUK How does someone end up living in Leaside? For photographer Russell Sutherland, it was a meeting with his wife-to-be, Alison, at a summer camp. While she and her family lived in Don Mills, they attended Leaside Bible Chapel on Eglinton Avenue between Sutherland and Laird. So, after university and a job stint at Chalk River as a chemical engineer, and with Russell now working at the University of Toronto in what has now become IT, Leaside seemed a better place to settle than the far edges of Scarborough. That way they could be both close to what was now their church as well as a reasonable commute to work. Russell grew up in Guildwood Village in the 60s. As a student at Laurier

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Leasider Russell Sutherland and his wife Alison. Collegiate, he was fascinated with aircraft but also interested in photography. It was “art and science all mixed up,” and he also enjoyed doing his own developing. He still recalls the Saturdays he would make his way to the airport on the TTC, and the particular day he was able to photograph the arrival of Air Canada’s first 747. Those early Guildwood days were also the start of his life-long enjoyment of cycling. As he says, “in Guildwood, cycling was the only thing to do.” Most days his commute to U of T is by bike, with side trips coming or going. Always with him is his camera. From the days of his first SLR, and then to using his phone, to now, with his most recent acquisition – a Sony Alpha 7 REBEKAH SUTHERLAND 111, a full-frame mirrorless camera with a few telephoto lenses – he’s able to indulge his interests with favourite jaunts to the Leslie Street spit, the area behind Lincoln Electric, or the bird feeders in Serena Gundy Park. Russell also takes the time to sort, index and archive his photos. He has become the archivist for Laurier Collegiate, as well as for his family. Keep an eye out for his photos on his personal Facebook site or some of the Leaside group sites. Russell held many leadership positions at Leaside Bible Chapel over the years, only stepping down as an elder when he turned 60 to allow younger leaders to have their chance. Now, with the church transitioned to become Trinity Grace Church and having “a bit Independent & Supported Living of a resurgence,” he and Alison remain involved. Guest Stays Available Their home is on a corner lot at Broadway and Don Avon. One Choose Your Suite Today! year, an unrequested election sign appeared on their lawn, and not 187 Wynford Dr, North York for a party they had been thinking of supporting. But rather than take Call 416-331-9797 to book down the offending sign, Russell a personalized appointment promptly contacted each of the offices of the candidates running, saying “I’m going to get a sign for every candidate, and get people out to vote.” n

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Graduating during the pandemic, Year 2!

Leaside Life • July 2021

Simon Dubois Simon found it took time to After seemingly countless months of adjust to online learning and struggling with a mixture of in-class it was hard to stay on track Corwin Burt and online learning, seven students and absorb information Corwin found it difficult graduating from Leaside High shared outside the classroom. He to adjust to online learntheir reflections on this unprecedented missed personal interaction. ing, but in time he got used conclusion to their high school careers: While it was difficult to mainCorwin to the schedule and discovered tain relationships, he and his Alexis Argyropoulos “effective methods of learning, friends used FaceTime and Zoom As a result of taking some online such as being fully engaged in class.” parties to stay connected. courses earlier, Alexis had no trouble He also found it hard to remain conSimon also enjoyed trying new activigetting used to the platform and sistent and motivated and missed ties like running, mountain-biking and routine of remote classes this being with his friends. But skateboarding. Not only did these puryear. In fact, she feels that she while he feels the system presuits keep him active, but he was also got a solid education and sented difficulties for both able to get together with a friend or now finds it easier to retain the teachers and students, two this way. more information with he says the teachers put in Next year, he’s taking a gap year to online resources and the “an exceptional effort to “regroup” and take courses in instructteachers posting their lessons. help the students,” mentioning snowboarding and kite-surfing in Alexis She also believes that this ing their late-night updates Denmark and Austria. Since he has relopportunity helped her become and response to emails. atives in Denmark, he hopes to “more of an independent learner, Corwin stays connected with study engineering at Denmark which will be beneficial in university.” friends through his devices Technical University after his She did, though, miss the in-person and has gone for walks and gap year. interaction with teachers and classbike rides around the city mates. She made the best of the situato socialize with people at a Jack Kiely tion through activities, especially with safe distance. He is hoping Jack’s biggest challenges her “at home gym,” which was particfor a more normal year at were the online classes, ularly helpful as “a de-stressor.” Queen’s next year where he workload and quick pace of Simon She is excited about going to will be studying science. the quadmester system. It was hard to focus without the classroom atmosphere, and he missed in-person guidance while working on tests and projects. A detailed schedule helped him to manage all his different activities. And while he praises the efforts of his teachers and the school to make the situation as normal as possible, he feels under-prepared for his university workload. As a member of the hockey team, Jack was disappointed by the lack of school sports. He realized, too, how important his friends are to his mental health. While he stayed connected with them through social media, enjoying Jack weekly meetings on Zoom, they are now eager to return to parks to play footSales Representative Sales Representative ball, spikeball and baseball. Direct: 647.822.6959 Direct: 476.873.1053 Jack is excited about his summer job in Muskoka where he builds and delivers furniture and equipment, and about taking a sports management degree at Brock University. info@stanwayrealestate.com Arden La-Rose As an accomplished athlete in both soccer and track with a scholarship to the University of South Florida by JANIS FERTUCK

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Leaside Life • July 2021

LEARN TO SKATE

Leaside’s good scout loved hockey and Leaside by TED DEWELLES, Leaside Heritage Preservation Society Last month, many Leasiders were again crushed when the Maple Leafs failed to advance in the playoffs. Despite the disappointment, we can take comfort knowing that our community has been home to many great hockey players in the past – including Peter Mahovlich, Terry Caffery, George Armstrong and Paul Gardner. One Leasider many believe belongs in that group is Bob Davidson (1912-1996). Bob was born in Toronto and lived in Leaside much of his adult life – at 27 Astor Ave. He joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1934 and stayed with them his entire career – first as a player (1934-1946) and then as coach and head scout (1946-1977). As a player, Bob participated in two Stanley Cup winning championships, including the famous 1942 series against the Detroit Red Wings when the Leafs overcame a threegame deficit by winning four straight games to take the Cup. He was also team captain when the Leafs again

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Leaside Life • July 2021

won the Cup in 1945. After hanging up his skates in 1946, Bob was named the team’s chief scout in 1951. Considered one of the best scouts in NHL history, he is credited with helping to build the great Leaf hockey dynasty of the 1960s. Frank Mahovlich, Carl Brewer, Dave Keon and Borje Salming are among the talented players he recruited during his 26-year tenure.

Throughout his hockey career, Bob remained connected to Leaside. As a young Leafs player, he formed his own contracting company, painting neighbourhood houses in the summer to supplement income. At a time when a typical salary for professional hockey players was about $3,500-$5,000 (Cdn), this was a wise move. As a house painter, Bob proved so popular among Leasiders that the Globe and Mail showcased him and his partner, fellow Leaf Gus Bodnar in a major 1946 article. Bob really excelled as a coach, mentor and administrator. In the late 1940s, he taught hockey to young players at the Leaside Lions hockey school. He also served as Leaside’s Sports and Recreation director during much of the 1950s and 1960s. His responsibilities included not only junior hockey but also overseeing activities like curling, swimming, badminton, seniors’ clubs and arts & crafts. Bob even managed summer events like the annual “Big Splash,” which every year drew hundreds of kids to the Millwood Park wading pool for prizes, games, food and fun in the water. Bob’s dedication to Leaside did not go unnoticed. In a 1955 column about the Leaside Hockey Association that praised Bob and others, Globe sports columnist Bobbie Rosenfeld wrote: “It gives you a warm feeling to know that there are people in a community, who will do something real and practical for kids, sacrificing evenings, leisure and ease not only for the sake of trying to develop good athletes, but to direct the thoughts of youth in the proper direction.” Bob Davidson was one of those people. n

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My nostalgic memory of the dog days of summer

Leaside Life • July 2021

I’ve written before about my idyllic childhood growing up in Leaside amidst the tall leafy trees, the lovely houses, a big park just down the street, and nary a care in the world (except worrying that we’d been spotted during that ill-advised late night streaking incident I wrote about in this space a couple of years ago). My twin brother Tim and I were luckier than many. We escaped the heat of the city to the family cottage on weekends and spent three weeks every July on a 20-acre island in the remote southwest arm of Lake Temagami, at Camp White Bear (another experience I’ve written about here). When Tim and I were happily exiled at Camp White Bear, my parents and our younger sister and brother would usually spend the whole time at the cottage. I mean, it was a win-win for them. They got three weeks off at the cottage with our angelic siblings but without the mayhem that typically trailed Tim and me wherever we went. Then after our three-week stint at camp, we’d join the rest of the family for

Terry Fallis Columnist

a final week at the cottage. In hindsight, I can’t quite figure out how our dad could take a whole month off in the summer. It’s likely that for some of that time, he’d work during the week and join the rest of the family on weekends. Anyway, the whole clan would return to Leaside at the end of July, just in time for the furnace-like heat wave that would invariably settle on Toronto. There is a multitude of reasons to commend the classic Leaside home. Effective air-conditioning isn’t one of them. (Neither are spacious closets, but that’s another story.) Man, it was hot. But one of my most vivid memories of the family’s return to Leaside from the north every summer has nothing to do with heat. It has to do All Stay new li info sting s rme d – have V Get i on t rtual T he w ours . aiti ng l ist!

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with my nose. Summer after summer this happened. Some suggest that our sense of smell is the most evocative of the five. A particular aroma can immediately transport you to a different time and place. Well, after being away from our Leaside home for nearly the entire month of July, I always anticipated our triumphant return to the neighbourhood. I’d always try to be the first into the house, long before the tailgate on our Ford Country Squire station wagon was opened for the great unloading. My mother would open the front door and I’d slip into the front hall. And there it was. Some of you may be able to relate to this, others may think I’ve taken leave of my senses (except my sense of smell). The house always had a particular scent after it had been family-free for four or five weeks. Not a foul smell per se, but just a distinctive yet fleeting odour of stale, undisturbed air that I’ve never picked up anywhere else or any time since. Like that very brief scent of summer rain on warm pavement, the stale air smell in the house didn’t last long, likely only an hour or so, yet I still remember it so well. Tim and I would always be really excited to be back in the hood. We’d hop on our bikes and ride around looking for our friends who we were sure had missed us terribly. As often as not, our search would prove futile with most of our gang away at their cottages or summer camp. That’s when the boredom of a scorched August in the city would set in and we’d have to figure out how to fill our days. It was not exactly a hardship. We’d hack around in the park, much of the grass dry and brown from the heat. We learned that sliding down the parched hills on a sheet of cardboard was just as fast and fun as tobogganing but without the frostbite. Many of our afternoons were spent at the pool at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens, or just tooling around on our bikes to try to stay cool. Those were the days. I remember – and smell – them well. A two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, Terry Fallis grew up in Leaside and is the award-winning writer of seven national bestsellers, including his most recent, Albatross, all published by McClelland & Stewart. His eighth novel, Operation Angus, hits bookstores August 31. n

GRADS From page 6

Elena Sloan Elena encountered a few challenges during the past year, but managed to gain something positive from them. For example, she found it hard to adjust to “the accountability associated with online learning” in order to complete all her tasks. She prefers having the guidance of her teachers and the Elena presence of her peers,

Leaside Life • July 2021

but she found that making a detailed calendar enabled her to stay on track and will benefit her in university. In (see Leaside Life, January, 2021), addition, the faster pace of the Arden was understandably quadmesters was problemdisappointed by the loss of atic, but the teachers’ modgame and race opportuniified lesson plans gave her ties during her final year. the opportunity to apply Not only did she miss comher knowledge to real-life peting, but she also missed situations. having “accurate measures As someone who appreciof the progress” she was ates structure, Elena missed Arden making in her training. While the daily routine of school, but it was good to meet with her teamshe created a “balanced daily schedmates and friends on Zoom, she missed ule,” which included time for academseeing them in person. ics, athletics and relaxation. She kept On the other hand, Arden found it active with her training plan from fairly easy to adjust to online learnher running club, bike rides with her ing except for the accelerated pace of friends and walks with her dog. the quadmester system. She feels she She is looking forward to opportunireceived a good education, but missed ties to participate in clubs and teams out on labs, which would have proat the University of Toronto where she vided clearer understanding of the conwill be in the Track One Engineering cepts involved. Program. While all of the students She’s looking forward to training appreciate efforts to organize a with her teammates again in the virtual graduation ceremony, coming weeks before heading they hope to be able to take off to Florida where she will part in smaller prom-like be studying kinesiology. gatherings in neighbourhood backyards for a more Udanya Singhabahu personal celebration of this Udanya As a visual learner, Udanya significant milestone. found it challenging to Best wishes to the class of adjust to online learning. She 2021! n says her teachers did a great job, but she prefers being in class for the demonstrations that accompany lessons. She also found the quadmester pacing, online tests and work assignments requiring collaboration difficult to manage. Like the others, Udanya says school is more enjoyable with her peers there, but she connected with her friends online and they organized a movie night on “Netflix Party” once a week. To stay active, she bikes, walks, plays piano and teaches dance online. But for Udanya, “the most rewarding experience” of the pandemic was getting a golden retriever puppy last year. She’s looking forward to a relaxing summer and getting ready for the “exciting next phase” of her life, attending the U of T for social sciences.

In our community, charity begins with a bike 12

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Student-led bike drive Alec Locklin loves to ride his bike. The Grade 8 student at Bessborough Public School heads off to the trails in Serena Gundy Park at every opportunity. “For me, time stops when I’m out riding. I can forget about everything else and just have fun,” he says. “I wanted those who are less fortunate to enjoy the same experience.” So, at the end of May, Alec launched a bike drive to collect donated bikes for the Gateway Bike Hub, which runs programs in the Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park communities to get more people on bikes. He organized promotion and a drop-off day at Leaside High School, collecting 25 bikes for kids and adults. As Alec notes, “People were really happy to see their bikes go to a good cause and through their generosity more people will experience the joy of riding a bike.”

Above: Alec Locklin with bikes he collected for the Gateway Bike Hub. R: Participants and organizers of the TPASN camp for kids with autism, August 2020.

Wheels of empowerment for women The Women’s Cycling Network is running its successful bike match program again, connecting people who have a bike they don’t need with a woman who needs a bike. To date, more than 80 women from across the city have registered to get a bike. What’s different this year are the reasons women want a bike. Health and exercise have always been a motivation to cycle, but more women are seeking a bike to deal with anxiety and mental health concerns. In addition, bikes are seen as a safe way to get around and avoid crowded transit. None of this is a surprise to Najia Zewari, Thorncliffe Park resident and one of the co-founders of the group. “We see the bike as wheels of empowerment for women, providing the means to improve their situation, whether it be mental or physical health, freedom to explore their city and emission-free transportation to work and for errands.” Bikes that are ready to ride can be donated through a volunteer-developed app www.bikematchwcn. com. If you don’t have a bike to give, donations of accessories such as bells, lights, racks and locks are

TPASN

Leaside Life • July 2021

Bikes are making a big difference in our community. Here’s how:

always needed. Contact womenscyclingnetwork.gta@gmail.com for more information. Tour de Thorncliffe supporting camps for kids with autism Last summer, faced with no local programming for kids with autism, the Thorncliffe Park Autism Support Network (TPASN) sprang into action, organizing a free two-week day camp for local children. As TPASN founder Shakhlo Sharipova explains, “Programming has been cut during the pandemic and many of our families do not have the means to travel where autism programs are available. Our camp was a lifeline for these families and so successful that we plan to run it for a month in August.” To operate the camp, which receives no government funding, TPASN has joined forces with the Women’s Cycling Network and the Gateway Bike Hub to raise the money required. The Tour de Thorncliffe combines a fundraising bike-a-thon with a celebration of planned safety upgrades to the Thorncliffe Park Drive bike lanes. To learn more about the Tour de Thorncliffe and how to register to ride or sponsor participants, visit tourdethorncliffe.com. n

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Young Leasider fights cybercrime

Leaside Life • July 2021

“We’re in,” says an excited Matthew Broderick to a devilishly curious Ally Sheedy after hacking into the “WOPR,” an AI-powered military supercomputer in the movie War Games. This is right before the machine asks, “Do you want to play global thermonuclear war?” It’s been 38 years since the release of that movie, but I’m certain that the phrase “we’re in” still triggers the same sort of devilish excitement today for the group of “hacker-thieves” using the latest technology to steal cars from Leaside driveways. To the rescue is newly minted Leaside High graduate Joshua A. Schiavone, founder of DoubleThreat Security & Engineering, a company focused on developing industry-standard cybersecurity tools used by professionals. For the record, Josh is a “hacker” and although that term used to disturb him because of its seemingly degrading connotation, he has since come to terms with the moniker. Although hacking might not always be for malicious purposes, nowadays most references to the activity refer

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Joshua at work.

to unlawful activity by cybercriminals known as “black hat” hackers – who are motivated by financial gain, protest and information gathering (spying), and who use their powers for illicit activities. Conversely, Josh sees himself as a “white hat” hacker whose role is to protect and defend. With a good sense of market timing, Josh informed me that his current research is focused on “automotive security and the development of methods to combat the RF transmitters that unlock vehicles and have led to a record number of car hijackings in the past five years.” Hacking is a growth industry Josh’s passion for computers was evident at 11 years old. By 12 he was programming in C and has since added Python and C++ to his toolkit. He was quick to recognize the key role his parents played in his development by “going out of their way” to ensure he had access to increasingly challenging technical books and resources. Josh feels his interest in cybersecurity came from a natural curiosity and desire to “break” things and learn how to “fix” them. As an example, while playing with printers, he found a way to gain remote access because of weak security and subsequently trigger a printout on the local machine “with just a few lines of code!” Exploits like these earned him a bit of local notoriety and led him to start DoubleThreat, sign his first commercial contract, and land him his current role as the cybersecurity and server administrator with Hackers

For Change, a non-profit organization providing free cybersecurity solutions and offensive operations to charities which cannot afford the cost of protecting themselves. In the fall, Josh will attend Carleton University’s Computer Science program where he hopes to land a coveted internship with CSIS – Canada’s Security Intelligence Service. Looking beyond the problem of stolen vehicles in our ’hood, the growing threat of cyber-attacks has made governments and industries more aware of the need to protect and defend the information and systems we rely on. As a result, cybersecurity is a rapidly growing discipline encompassing multiple specialities in science, mathematics, business, social sciences, and computing and engineering faculties. Typical jobs include ethical hacker, cybersecurity consultant, penetration tester/vulnerability analyst, cybersecurity analyst and chief information security officer. Demand from criminal hacking, state-sponsored players, corporations and individuals for cybersecurity professionals is expected to grow 30 per cent per year for the next 10 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A recent study by Deloitte cited the need for 8,000 new positions in Canada over the next few years. Let’s celebrate STEM with a Leaside-Thorncliffe Youth Hack-A-Thon You can’t help being encouraged when you speak with young individuals in the community who are passionate about their future. Josh feels his enthusiasm for STEM subjects grew over time through a combination of hands-on experience fuelled by his curiosity, together with more formal programs such as RP4K (Real Programming for Kids) in Leaside along with computer engineering or computer science courses offered at Leaside High. More available options to access STEM-related activities and events would be welcome and he mentioned his desire to start the Leaside Cybersecurity community forum to facilitate connections. The idea also came up during our conversation of running a local “Hack-A-Thon” this summer for interested youth in the Leaside and Thorncliffe communities as an experiment to gauge interest. The ultimate

HACKER Page 22

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Leaside Life • July 2021

by CAROL WRIGLEY

LEASIDE

Community

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We are almost halfway through the year and in real estate what we call our spring market. The activity in the market in Leaside/Bennington has continued to perform well above expectations. There is now a new price threshold in Leaside as some exceptional homes continue to sell in the $4 million range. In our micro market, the average sale price is up 13% year over year, but sales volume surprisingly is about the same. This can be attributed to the continuing reality of low inventory. Months of heated bidding wars and skyrocketing prices have created some level of exhaustion among buyers. In addition, the new mortgage qualification change, which took effect on June 1, has resulted in the (just now) levelling off from an insatiable demand experienced during the months of January-March. Even so, there is still plenty of demand for the less than one month of supply available in our area, which will continue to support prices. Some homes have sold with

Like the rest of Toronto, Leaside is experiencing an ever-changing landscape as development continues through our neighbourhood. With population continuing to grow and lack of land a prevalent condition, vertical housing makes a lot of sense. There is a lot of development to keep up with, to be honest. Some buildings are already under construction and many more are in the development stages. On the west side of Bayview alone there are four new sites at various stages of proposal and construction between Eglinton and Merton, plus Wicksteed, Vanderhoof and the east side of Bayview north of Eglinton, to mention a few more. Like it or not, our neighbourhood is going to be experiencing growth for many years to come. Thank you to the Leaside Residents Association for keeping us informed and being so proactive in dealing with developers to ensure they are respecting our community. Leaside has it all. Walkability,

LEASIDE & BENNINGTON SALES Home Type

# of Sales

Average Price

Average % of List Price

Average Days on Market

May 2021 Detached

$ 2,570,171.00

108%

Semi-detached

$ 1,349,929.00

114%

Condo

$ 657,433.00

98%

Detached

$ 2,598,384.00

106%

Semi-detached

$ 1,350,000.00

111%

Condo

$ 704,287.00

101%

Year to Date 2021

Sales of 4mm and over – Year to Date Leaside

$ 4,145,000.00

102.60%

Bennington

$ 5,325,000.00

108.70%

multiple offers in the first day of going to market, while some still take a couple of weeks to sell. The norm is one week and selling over the asking price. Many factors come into play, but pricing and marketing your home continue to be key even in a fast-selling market. And let us not forget, Leaside is a high demand area for so many reasons in any type of real estate market.

respected schools, an involved community. Having experienced all this in the over 50 years I have lived here, I can see why others also want to be part of it all. Real estate values reflect this great community we live in. Carol Wrigley is a Sales Representative with Royal Lepage Signature Realty. www.carolwrigley.com. n

Leaside Life • July 2021

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The City wants our neighbourhood to change Leaside is changing. The evidence is all around us – the high-rises under construction at Brentcliffe and Eglinton, the mid-rise under construction at Bayview between Hillsdale and Soudan. And several more of both types of intensification are approved or in the pipeline. But what about the single and semi-detached homes that (along with walkup apartments) make up the old Leaside neighbourhood as we know it? There is change there too, like the teardowns of modest homes to build much larger dwellings, seemingly rubberstamped by the Committee of Adjustment, and subject to appeal to the Toronto Local Appeal Board (TLAB). This column has lamented the unprecedented level and scale of infill development in recent years, associated with increased height, massing and density that often results in development that doesn’t fit with prevailing neighbourhood character. And we would argue that this results in “massification,” not really “intensification” (i.e. more space…not necessarily more people)! But the City has a plan, approved

Geoff Kettel

Saving old Leaside

G. KETTEL

Leaside Life • July 2021

by City Council in July, 2020, called “Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods,” that may drive far more radical change in our “small town in the city.” These initiatives involve City-wide bylaw changes, rather than neighbourhood-specific ones, so the impact will depend on takeup. One initiative, “Laneway Housing,” was permitted last year,

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and two others, “Garden Suites” and “Multi-Tenant Houses” (rooming houses), are coming to Council Committee and City Council shortly. Laneway suites allow a separate independent living accommodation at the rear of the lot where the lot abuts on a lane. There are several designated lanes in Leaside, notably between Randolph and Sutherland, and between Sutherland and Airdrie in central-east Leaside. Garden suites, also known as “granny flats,” are similar but without the lane access, representing a “house behind a house,” to me not a desirable situation. These new housing types are presented variously as: helping to resolve the housing shortage; an opportunity for multi-generational living; and an income opportunity. Garden suites, which may have minimal public access, were previously forbidden due to safety issues. Both types potentially increase the amount of hard surface, reducing absorptive capacity, and increased runoff, noise, etc. And they are proposed to be based on “as of right” approval, which means without neighbour consultation, unless variances are required (which brings us back to the Committee of Adjustment!) The other initiative coming shortly is Multi-Tenant Housing, or rooming houses. These were only allowed in the former City of Toronto and a few other areas (but not Leaside). So, this is seen as leftover business from amalgamation in 1998. Rooming houses represent affordable and needed accommodation, especially for students and those starting out (I’ve been there). However, currently there are numerous illegal rooming houses across Toronto. This initiative proposes to permit MTH in all residential and mixed use zones, subject to certain conditions (maximum number of dwelling rooms permitted, minimum parking rates, and number of washrooms). The City is beginning with the changes to the zoning bylaw (you may have seen the double page ad in the June 8 Toronto Star advertising the June 25 Planning and Housing Committee meeting to consider the zoning bylaw). The initiative intends to ensure that MTH abide by the rules to ensure safety and health for residents. This will require lots of new resources for enforcement (remember this at budget time).

KETTEL Page 22

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Leaside Life • July 2021

You’ve probably noticed that Leaside’s streets are busier than ever. More people are driving these days, not just through our community but all across the city. Feeling more protected against Covid in their cars, or working from home, fewer people have been using the TTC. Result? Heavier car traffic, and reduced revenue for the TTC. These trends, if they continue, have major implications for Leaside. Ever increasing traffic counts mean more pollution and speed, and less safety. Continuing revenue shortfalls for the TTC mean a greater likelihood of reductions to (or cancellations of) surface transit. Regarding local flow-through traffic, the City-supported Leaside Traffic Management Plan (LTMP) team is getting closer to designing a neighbourhood-wide traffic calming system. Local site visits and site meetings will be taking place during the summer. I’ve reported previously that there is a Lawrence Park Traffic Management Plan in the works as well. Both the LRA and the Lawrence Park ratepayers await a joint meeting with City staff to discuss interim and longer-term measures. We expect to have this meeting

Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LRA

during the summer. On the TTC front, Leaside Life readers will also recall my earlier columns concerning discussions about the future of the South Leaside 88A and 88B bus routes. I attended the TTC’s Service Plan Stakeholder Meetings in 2019 and 2020 to underscore the importance of those routes to both Leaside and Thorncliffe Park. My impression was that the TTC had not given enough thought to the negative impacts of these actions. Reducing access to transit is an important issue for Leaside. Last year’s TTC proposal to eliminate the 88B bus route would significantly reduce service for much of South Leaside. At last year’s meeting, I asked for a commitment that no decisions regarding changes to Routes 88A or 88B be made without extensive local consultation. When I wrote to Councillor Jaye

Robinson recently to ask when I might most productively approach the TTC to discuss options, I was assured the TTC is committed to sharing details as they become available, with both her office and the LRA directly. We are also concerned about bus service on Eglinton Avenue East. The LRA and Leasiders want to be consulted about potential bus service changes both before and after the LRT is up and running. This includes any TTC proposals to reduce bus frequency as well as the number of bus stops along the long stretch of Eglinton Avenue East between the Bayview and Laird LRT stations. These cuts were already being discussed before Covid, and may be more likely now. While these measures might be influenced by the reduction in TTC ridership and revenue during the pandemic, they would significantly reduce our residents’ access to – and even the availability of – public transit within Leaside. Our next Zoom meeting is on WEDNESDAY, JULY 7th. To attend or participate, please let us know by July 7th so we can send you the Zoom access details. n

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Leaside Life • July 2021

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Leaside Life • July 2021

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HACKER From page 14

PILOT From cover

goal would be to connect individuals with a shared passion for STEM to a mentor system and support network so they can learn more about cybersecurity and related careers because there simply are not enough qualified cybersecurity professionals to meet the current demand. Recognizing this as an opportunity, I reached out to Transform Services, a newly forming non-profit organization in Thorncliffe Park that plans to provide “a hand up to youth with barriers to employment by focusing on the basic training required to achieve the IT certifications necessary to build a career in cybersecurity.” Excitedly, the feedback about a possible collaboration to support the event is promising. Stay tuned Leaside-Thorncliffe, it’s time to get your “hack on” (yes, that’s a term). Do you know someone who has been the victim of a cybercrime? Do you feel the passion for STEM subjects comes naturally, is based on “nurture,” or a combination of the two? Would you like to volunteer to support a Leaside-Thorncliffe Youth-Hack-A-Thon? Let us know at leasidelife@gmail.com. n

and the Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre. Having completed all the courses and flight experience qualifications, Champion now holds a private pilot’s licence, which allows him to fly solo anywhere in the country. Elaine Gabber, Champion’s main instructor at the airport, comments that “while there are lots of objective ways to measure a student's flying proficiency, my personal gauge is how close to the edge of my seat I find myself sitting, waiting to intervene at any moment. From very early on in Brett’s training, I sat all the way back in my seat. Brett has always impressed me with his calm, confident manner when flying.” Champion’s ultimate goal is to be a pilot with Air Canada by the time he’s 30 – likely a not unattainable goal at the rate he’s going. He already has a 10-year-plan in place to meet the requirements to obtain his commercial licence. He’ll be studying and training to become a flight instructor this fall. With this certification, Champion expects to accumulate approximately 1,000 hours in the air within about a year to a year and a half. From there, he would like to fly for a smaller airline before moving to his ultimate dream job with Air Canada. Champion is fulfilling a lifelong dream with his determination and hard work. He’s come a long way from a young boy with his model airplane to a young man in the seat of a real aircraft. He is truly setting up a career in an office in the sky. n

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KETTEL From Page 18

BRIAN MOK

These new forms of housing intensification raise several questions: How will the City ensure the new building types fit with the character of existing neighbourhoods? Building mass, amount of light, open space, tree protection, parking, etc. are important considerations. Unfortunately, the City has lost momentum in providing tools to protect neighbourhood character and has still not published the Neighbourhood Character Guidelines template. To date, guidelines have been developed and approved for only one neighbourhood (Long Branch). Further, the authorized heritage study of Leaside is on hold, according to the City Planning’s 2021 Study Work Program. How will Leaside fare with these new forms of intensification? n

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Leaside Life • July 2021

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