J A N UA R Y 2022
Leaside Life
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ORTING LOCAL
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No. 116
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leasidelife.com
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CAROLYN GRAZIANI • WWW.LOCALESDESIGN.COM • SEE PAGE 8
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Leaside Life • January 2022
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Editor’s Welcome
Calling all budding writers! It’s a new year – maybe even the year we kick Covid to the curb! What better time to launch Leaside Life’s campaign to find new young voices to feature in our publication? Later in this issue you’ll learn about the new Ruth & Harry Goldhar Journalism Award, named in honour of the Goldhars, founders of Leaside Life. Current owners Stan Flemming and Jeff Hohner are offering an award of $1,000 to a graduating student of Leaside High School who intends to pursue creative writing or journalism in a post-secondary institution. This is part of our commitment to foster new writers and new perspectives. In the past, we’ve featured, among others, Leaside High graduate Zhen Park, whose features shone a light on her world and the world of her peers. I clearly remember my first outsideof-school writing gig. It was for a
Jane Auster Editor Leaside Life
local paper, called the Huntingdon Valley Breeze, in Pennsylvania, where I grew up. I was a stringer covering local council and school board meetings. Yes, some of those meetings were dry, and to me, a 16-yearold outsider, incomprehensible. But the skills I picked up, working as part of an editorial team, set me up for a lasting career. That first experience paved the way for a lifetime of writing, editing and, now increasingly, digital content management. That’s why it’s so important to us at Leaside Life to foster young talent. We want to hear more from the next generation (and the generation after it). If you know any promising young writers, or maybe if you yourself are a young person looking to make a future in creative writing, we want to hear from you, at leasidelife@gmail.com. Happy New Year! n
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New Year’s neighbourhood update Jaye Robinson
Councillor, Ward 15, Don Valley West
a holistic, network-wide basis. Now that the City-wide pause on traffic studies resulting from the COVID19 pandemic has been lifted, I have been assured by the General Manager of Transportation Services that the Leaside TMP will be prioritized. A new park in Leaside A new, 1,718m² park is coming to Leaside at 939 Eglinton Avenue East. The preliminary park design includes a heritage hub commemorating the history of the site, an open lawn area, a tree grove with benches and a walkway, as well as an outdoor amphitheatre.
Patrick Rocca bro ke r
More than 540 people responded to an online visioning survey undertaken in mid-November to collect community feedback and determine priorities for the project. Through the survey, some of the City’s key findings included: • 80% of respondents stated that they would walk to the new park; • 61% of respondents stated that they would visit the park with their spouse or parent; and • The majority of respondents would use the space to relax, observe plants and greenery, or eat. Park design refinement will continue into Spring 2022, with construction anticipated to begin in 2023. If you have any questions on the engagement process to date or feedback on the project, you can contact the project coordinator, Mark Lowe, at Mark.Lowe@toronto. ca. Additionally, check out Geoff Kettel’s article in this edition of Leaside Life for more details. n
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Leaside Life • January 2022
Leaside Traffic Management Plan update The first virtual public consultation meeting for the Leaside Traffic Management Plan (TMP) has been scheduled for the evening of Tues., Jan. 18. A public notice will be delivered to all residents in the study area offering more details. The Leaside TMP was initiated by a motion I moved at North York Community Council earlier this term, which directed the new Area Transportation Planning department to work closely with the community on a plan to address traffic volume, speeding, and infiltration issues. When I initiated the TMP, I also worked closely with a group of local neighbours and the Leaside Residents Association to lower the speed limit on all local roads in Leaside to 30km/h. While there have been several traffic studies undertaken in Leaside over the years, the Area Transportation Planning department will take a different approach by evaluating broader neighbourhood traffic patterns and approaching solutions on
MEET A LEASIDE BUSINESS: DOLCE & GOURMANDO 4
How sweet it is on Bayview I’m sure many of you know that “dolce” means “sweet” in Spanish or Italian, but what about “gourmando”? Turns out it’s not a word in any language, though we probably all know a gourmando or two. Seta Danielian, Dolce & Gourmando’s owner, dreamed it up to sound like “gourmet” without actually using that word, but suggesting a hint of European flair. This is another unique Bayview store with a convoluted story of its origins. Seta, a freelance consultant for mutual funds and banks who wrote new software applications, decided she wanted to take a bit of a break in the summer of 2006, but with “no intention of opening a retail store – it just happened.” On a drive north on Bayview, she saw a “for lease” sign at 1493 Bayview. There was a municipal parking lot two doors up, the rent was reasonable, and thus Dolce & Gourmando was born and became a sparkling
Sandy Beach, Seta Danielian and Ivan Proudian.
fixture on the Bayview strip. The original idea was to open a store with unique specialty foods, as well as tabletop and housewares for “living, giving and entertaining.” Seta started taking in specialty shows in Italy, France and
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Germany and over the years has added big American shows in Chicago, Atlanta, New York and Las Vegas to the mix. The store also features a significant selection of British content, mainly overseen by staff member Sandy, answering to the wishes of Dolce & Gourmando’s customers. With Seta’s background in technology, it was natural for the store to expand its online business to complement the physical store. During difficult times in 2009-2010, she got a contract to supply gift baskets to Costco. This venture, she says, “...was successful, and this was the key to the store’s survival.” Those baskets are no more, but since then, the business has expanded into selling products they import on many online marketplaces, as well as on their own website – all stocked through their office and warehouse on Lesmill Road. They also do “corporate and personal gifting” year-round. A lifeline during the pandemic has been the store’s food business, which was allowed to stay open, even during the worst of the various lockdowns. As well, “e-commerce saved our butt this past two years.” So, there is more effort now on the e-commerce side, and at this point, no desire to open another physical location – although there are two locations of McEwan Fine Food Shops (Don Mills and the TD Centre) where Dolce & Gourmando curates giftware displays. n
JANE WISKING
Leaside Life • January 2022
by LORNA KRAWCHUK
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Leaside Life • January 2022
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New mural at Leaside Children’s House is a gift to the community
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Have you walked on Millwood lately near Trace Manes Park? If so, you’ll no doubt have noticed a vibrant new mural that appeared on the exterior of Leaside Children’s House, an Early Childhood Education Montessori School which opened in 2005. The glorious display of pictorial flowers is the work of Chris Perez whose spray-paint murals grace several buildings, including the Heaps Estrin Real Estate office at Bayview and McRae. Lillian Nimis, director of the accredited school, explains that the flowers represent the children of the school, who “grow at their own rate, in their own direction and in their own time,” depending on their care. She adds that their teachers nurture the children with “the right lessons at the right time in their development." When Lillian and her husband, school supervisor Jim Karaiskakas, opened the school, they were attracted to Leaside because of its proximity to
JIM KARAISKAKAS
Leaside Life • January 2022
by JANIS FERTUCK
their home in East York and its lively, family-oriented community. Indeed, it has gained a devoted following over the years largely through word-ofmouth. Many parents call the school a “hidden gem” and register after hearing about it from family and friends. The school features two levels: the toddler program, for 10 chil-
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dren aged 12 to 30 months, and the “casa” program, for children aged two and a half to six, including junior and senior kindergarten, with a maximum enrolment of 31 children in two classes. The multiage classrooms are a Montessori staple enabling teachers to personalize instruction and get to know their students over the years through inquiry-based learning. Lillian says that multi-age classrooms “encourage older children to help others through sharing their knowledge and younger ones to engage in higher levels of conversation.” There are two to four educators working with the toddler group and a minimum of four in the casa program. Parents appreciate the “consistency and support” provided by this program, says Lucy Ruiz, who commented, as did many others, on the caring instructors who “help to foster opportunities for each child to grow.” An important hallmark of the Montessori program is the belief that “play is the work of a child” and that the use of special educational material can bridge the gap between concrete and abstract learning. This is especially evident in the development of mathematical skills using objects like “golden bead material” to demonstrate the decimal system. Another highlight of the program is the fact that students become fluent readers by the end of kindergarten through their study of phonics using multi-sensory language materials like the sandpaper alphabet. Many parents report that teachers are impressed with their children’s reading skills when they enter elementary school. In addition, as mother Shazmeen Manji says, activities like sponge art projects about animals and passports to travel the world “encourage creativity, nurture independence and promote a positive learning environment through play.” Parents also appreciate the school’s welcoming atmosphere, the tight-knit community and connections with other families, often gathering in Trace Manes after school. Lillian and Jim are grateful for the parents’ support and consider the recent painting of the building “their gift to the community.” n
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Leaside Life • January 2022
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images for each neighbourhood are available individually as cards, prints, tote bags or as a fun card game aptly called Toronto! www.localesdesign.com.
THE
Curious Idler About our cover For many of us, the emergence of Covid-19 pandemic put our lives on hold. For others, it created the opportunity to see the world, our city and our neighbourhoods with a new perspective. This was the case for Toronto graphic designer Carolyn Graziani, who along with her husband George and their dog Mimi started to explore Toronto’s neighbourhoods. The result is a wonderful, whimsical series of 71 graphic designs depicting most of Toronto’s neighbourhoods. From Bloor West Village in the west to the Bluffs in the east, and of course Leaside in the middle, Carolyn’s graphic designs capture the spirit, unique character and diversity of each neighbourhood. For the Leaside graphic, shown on our cover, Carolyn has chosen to feature Sunnybrook Park with a curious red fox in the foreground. The graphic
Leasider James Sleigh publishes debut novel – 60 years in the making You only have to chat with Dr. James Sleigh for a few minutes to discover his infectious sense of humour. Growing up in Rhodesia, Kent, Glasgow, the Isle of Skye and now Leaside, Sleigh recently contacted the Idler to share his recent good news. “I started writing my novel, A Parcel of Rogues, back around 1964, so I will quite possibly be a one-book author!” As James stated, “Any fool can write a book, trying to get it published is another story.” Now retired and living in Leaside, Sleigh worked for many years at TVO and then as an edu-
cator. These days he splits his time between Skye and Canada, living in the hope of seeing Scotland independent again. As our conversation concluded, Dr. Sleigh was reminded of one of his favourite quotes by writer Dr. Samuel Johnson: “No place affords a more striking conviction of the vanity of human hopes than a public library; for who can see the wall crowded on every side by mighty volumes, the works of laborious meditations and accurate inquiry, now scarcely known but by the catalogue.…” He is hoping that some of our readers will know his book by more than its ISBN. Published by Livingston Press, A Parcel of Rogues is available on amazon.ca.
Leaside Garden Society Speaker Series to feature orchids in February The monthly Zoom guest speaker in February is Tena Van Andel, a Master Gardener who writes and lectures on everything and anything gardening. This talk will feature fascinating facts about orchids and their unique forms, as well as useful tips for successful home growing. Details: 7 p.m., February 10, 2022. Visit www.leasidegardensociety.org or email leaside@gardenontario.org.
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84 per cent of Leasiders over the age of 12 are now fully vaccinated, with our neighbours to the east in Thorncliffe Park having a vaccination rate of 76 per cent. With vaccines now approved for children aged 5-12, there have been recent reports {thelocal.to} of wide disparity of vaccination rates for kids. Almost 70% of Leaside kids aged 5-12 have had their first dose while the uptake in some lower income areas has been considerably lower. The Idler hopes that over the next weeks this inequity will be addressed and that the city and province find additional ways to bring more vaccination to vulnerable communities.
Happy New Year Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract with a brokerage. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. Each office is independently owned and operated.
The Idler would like to take this opportunity to wish all of the readers of Leaside Life a healthy, happy and “curious” new year. n
TD Wealth congratulates our colleague Michael Marcovitz on being ranked among the top 15 in Canada’s Top Wealth Advisors 2021* ranking by The Globe and Mail and SHOOK Research. Michael specializes in creating advanced tax-efficient wealth accumulation and retirement income plans to help clients enjoy more of their wealth.
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* For details about this ranking, visit https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/rob-magazine/article-canadas-top-wealth-advisors-2021/ TD Wealth represents the products and services offered by TD Waterhouse Canada Inc., TD Waterhouse Private Investment Counsel Inc., TD Wealth Private Banking (offered by The Toronto-Dominion Bank) and TD Wealth Private Trust (offered by The Canada Trust Company). The Marcovitz Group is a part of TD Wealth Private Investment Advice, a division of TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. which is a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ® The TD logo and other trademarks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank or its subsidiaries.
2022
Happy New Year THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT SHOPPING LOCAL IN THE BAYVIEW LEASIDE BIA! WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND EVENTFUL NEW YEAR! STAY CONNECTED ON SOCIAL @BAYVIEWLEASIDEBIA FOR UPDATES ON OUR STREET EVENTS, NEW BUSINESSES AND PROMOTIONS!
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Leaside Life • January 2022
Canada’s Top Wealth Advisors:
Thinking about Paul Quarrington Leaside Life • January 2022
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At this time of year, the melancholy part of my mind always turns to the great Canadian writer Paul Quarrington, who died too soon, 11 years ago this month. About 18 years before I began my writing life, I stumbled upon Quarrington’s hilarious novel, King Leary. It had just won the 1988 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour and I could certainly understand why. I laughed my way through the book and marveled at Quarrington’s words and wit. The story centres on a retired hockey player, Percival “King” Leary, who lived in a seniors’ residence in the small town of South Grouse, Ont. His fame decades behind him, he’s invited to come to Toronto to shoot a ginger-ale commercial. Hilarity and wistful retrospection ensue. Along with the novels of John Irving, Paul Quarrington’s books helped me understand that it is possible to line up words on a page in such a way that they tell a great story, make you laugh and even shed a tear or two. I was captivated by his prose pyrotechnics and read through the entire Quarrington canon. In fact, I was such a dedicated fanboy that I scoured the internet marketplace and acquired first editions of all of his novels, including his very rare 1978 debut, The Service. In the spring of 2009, I was still doing events around my, then, one and only novel, The Best Laid Plans. I’d been invited by the famed and still-going-strong Grimsby Authors Series to be the opening act for an appearance by Paul Quarrington. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to be asked. And miracle of miracles, Paul and I would be driven to and from
Terry Fallis Columnist
Five Leacock Medal winners in Yale, B.C. L-R: Trevor Cole, Terry Fallis, W.P. Kinsella, Dan Needles, Joe Kertes.
Grimsby in the same car. I was beside myself. Like some crazed authorstalker, I loaded up my backpack with my collection of first editions and waited for the car to pick me up. Paul was in the front seat with our shared Penguin Random House publicist at the wheel. I crawled in the back seat with my burgeoning backpack but couldn’t muster the nerve to ask him to sign my first editions. So, we just talked all the way down the QEW to Grimsby and had dinner together with our host before the event. Then we were ushered into the venue where a couple of hundred avid readers waited.
I was first up and my talk seemed to go well. I spoke. People kindly laughed. I read from The Best Laid Plans. People kindly laughed again. And I made it through the Q&A session. Then it was time for the main event. Paul Quarrington took the stage and held the audience in the palm of his hand as he talked about his then new novel, The Ravine. Before speaking he pulled a bottle of Buckley’s cough syrup from his jacket pocket, took a swig, and placed it on the lectern lamenting the hacking cough he couldn’t seem to shake. He took a few more gulps over the course of his presentation. He was enjoying himself and the audience loved him. Funny and warm, a writer truly dedicated to his art. After the event, Paul and I sat next to one another at the signing table, his line much longer than mine, as we inscribed books for the audience. On the drive home, I found the resolve to tell Paul what I had in my backpack. He was touched and signed every one of his novels for me by the glow of the car’s dome light. About a week later, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, which added painful poignance to that little bottle of Buckley’s on the lectern. A few years after his passing, the then curator of the Leacock Museum in Orillia led a group of four Leacock Medal winners on a road trip from Banff, Alta., to visit a then ailing fifth
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BIA plans a full slate of events in 2022
Leaside Life • January 2022
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Early this past summer, Henry Byres, coordinator of the BayviewLeaside BIA, wrote in Leaside Life of his “unease” at the prospect of being able to provide an update to our readers, given we were in the third wave of Covid. Eight months later, and with the spectre of Omicron looming large, the prospect of specifying a clear path forward remains a challenge. Despite this, Henry is optimistic about business prospects in 2022. As a resident, I am grateful for the work of the BIA to enhance and promote the business area on Bayview as a safe, vibrant place to do business, and as a focal point for community initiatives. There are currently 83 business improvement areas (BIAs) working in partnership with the City of Toronto. BIAs are funded by a property tax levy paid by all commercial property owners within the defined boundary for each BIA. Each member’s levy is determined by the individual’s share of the area’s total property assessment. New residents and businesses at “The Stack” will help drive growth The expectation for 2022 is that we will see a return to a full slate of Bayview-Leaside BIA events, including Sidewalk Sensation in June, Apple Fest in October, and Holiday Season in November-December. The bottom line for the coming year – Henry “anticipates a strong year for local business.” In addition to the full slate of events, the plan for 2022 includes: • Continuing to grow the BIA’s social media presence by building on its strengths as a thriving main street, populated by independent retail, service and food industry businesses. • Continuing the BIA’s enhanced planting and display program from 2021, including spring, summer and fall plantings, and winter displays. • Continuing with the BIA’s enhanced program of street and parkette maintenance. • Welcoming the new commercial and residential tenants that will occupy the Brown Group’s new mixed-use development at 1674-84 Bayview Avenue, renamed “The Stack” (provides a new customer base for local business and may offer more choice for local businesses as new commercial space becomes available).
Glenn Asano The Business of Leaside
• Assisting member business and property owners to access support grants offered by the City. This last point resonates with me most because there is funding to be had and the BIA is thankfully available to assist its members with their grant applications. Encouragingly, for Leaside business and property owners not located within the BIA, City Council announced plans this October to direct federal Covid relief funds into two separate programs: the Commercial Rehabilitation Grant Program (up to $20,000 for 50% of costs of building improvements) and the Commercial and Industrial Property Grant Program (up to $5,000 for 50% of costs related to site improvements for
CafeTO) and make them both available to non-BIA applicants, too. The City has also expanded its existing Commercial Façade Improvement Program (from $2,500 up to $12,500 in matching funds to improve commercial or industrial buildings). So, if you as a business or property owner are planning to invest in building improvements (BIA or no BIA), it can’t hurt to see if your project qualifies for financial assistance from one of these City programs to assist you in 2022. With any luck, we may even be able to cajole the BIA to run a workshop for non-BIA businesses interested in getting “tips and tricks” as they pertain to navigating the grant application process. Would businesses on Laird benefit from becoming a BIA? In Toronto, BIAs are recognized as official service agencies which play a role in local governance because they are typically among the first points of contact for city planners and other staff. As a result, they are regularly included in policy development and ongoing engagement once decisions have been made. Several of our organized groups with strong links to the City (e.g., LRA, Leaside Gardens, LBPA) serve a similar role, and their work improves our ability to effectively respond to changes affecting our community more rapidly. In my opinion, a strong BayviewLeaside BIA provides the local leadership and governance required to take advantage of new business opportunities that will emerge as the number of Leaside residents and businesses grows on Bayview. Perhaps the idea of a complementary BIA focusing on supporting businesses on Laird is a discussion worth having. Happy New Year, Leaside. Like Henry and the Bayview Leaside BIA, let’s be optimistic and plan to shoot for the stars in 2022! Do you feel a BIA model might benefit the local Leaside businesses on Laird or across Eglinton? Do you know a local business that can take advantage of the City’s available funding programs to make business improvements? Have you considered volunteering your time and expertise with the BIA or any of Leaside’s other amazing organizations? Let us know at leasidelife@ gmail.com. n
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Our insight. Your potential. Lynda Gorges Broker
Warmest Holiday Wishes
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Happy NewYear!
NEW YEAR’S LEVEE 2022
416-395-6408
Please join MPP Kathleen Wynne and MP Rob Oliphant to keep up with our New Year’s Meet and Greet. This year’s outdoor event will be held at the beautiful and historic Toronto Botanical Garden’s Garden Hall Patio.
@JayeRobinson
January 8, 2022 1:00pm-3:00pm
@JayeRobinsonWard15
777 Lawrence Ave. East, Toronto M3C 1P2. Proof of both vaccinations and wearing a mask is required.
Councillor_Robinson@Toronto.ca
You can also sign up for my eNewsletters by visiting www.jayerobinson.ca.
RSVP: kwynne.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org (416) 425-6777
Kathleen Wynne, MPP
Don Valley West
Leaside Life • January 2022
New in January: NATUROPATHIC SPORTS MEDICINE
HAPPY New Year!
Leaside Life • January 2022
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Attention LHS grad classes!
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by ROBIN DICKIE Leaside Life is interested in promoting and supporting the art of journalism and creative writing, and to that end, we are proud to announce the The Ruth & Harry Goldhar Journalism Award. In honour of the Goldhars, founders of Leaside Life Magazine, current owners Stan Flemming and Jeff Hohner are offering an award of $1,000 to a graduating student of Leaside High School who intends to pursue creative writing or journalism in a post-secondary institution. This is the inaugural year for the award which will be awarded in June of 2022 at the LHS graduation ceremonies. It will be awarded every year thereafter to a deserving student. If you know a potential candidate, applications will be available February to April of 2022 through the guidance department. A brief application and a writing sample
will meet the requirements for eligibility. At Leaside Life we are always looking for new writers with new ideas and are open to mentoring students. Please reach out to us if you are interested in writing for our publication at leasidelifeeditor@ gmail.com. n
BUILD IN THEORY BEFORE YOU BUILD IN REALITY
416.690.1919 • WWW.WCMEEK.COM
Memories of Leaside from the early 1940s by TED DEWELLES, Leaside Heritage Preservation Society
GLOBE & MAIL, DEC. 30, 1952
Leaside Life • January 2022
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In 1963, to help commemorate Leaside’s 50th anniversary, Arthur Donahue, founder and editor of The Leaside Advertiser, wrote an article for the newspaper’s September 12th issue describing what Leaside was like when he and his wife first moved here in 1941. Here are some excerpts: An early corn roast: “The first night my wife and I were in Leaside, we were invited to a corn roast being held under the auspices of the Bayview Businessmen’s Association. It was to take place in a field just south of Eglinton and near the intersection of Rumsey Road and Eglinton. We had a great deal of difficulty getting there due to the fact that a small stream and heavy bush crossed from what is now Sunnybrook Shopping Centre and ended at the intersections of Randolph Road and McRae Drive….” Eglinton Ave. and North Leaside: “At that time, Eglinton Ave. was a muddy back concession road. There were one or two houses on the hill
behind the present semi-detached homes about Sunnybrook Shopping the same, and square-plan Centre. No buildhouses were sold at prices ing was done north of ranging from $7,000 to Eglinton until after the $8,000.” street was paved. We Leaside town council meetbought one of the very ings: Before the Leaside early bungalow type Municipal Building was homes built by the late built, Leaside town council Robert Clark. It was at meetings were held in the corner of Donald “a room in Bessborough Ave. (later Donlea school…. Politics, however, Drive) and Sutherland. have changed somewhat. At the time, the area I can remember when meetwas very poorly lighted, and Mrs. Donahue Arthur Donahue (1895-1977) founded The Leaside was often nervous and Advertiser in 1942 and operated it for the next did not want to be left 30 years. He was also a Leaside Alderman alone. There were only in the early 1950s and the first president of the two other houses occu- Leaside Lawn Bowling Club. pied in this area.” ings were attended by our police in Building boom in South Leaside: case discussion erupted in violence.” “New homes were appearing like Serena Gundy Park: “East of mushrooms. Much of the area east Sutherland Drive, north of Eglinton, of Airdrie and south of Millwood was a field, and was the home of Rd. was in course of construction hundreds of birds. Many people and it was a Sunday diversion to were in the habit of taking walks walk around and visit the newly through the field and down into built homes which were open for inspection. Bungalows at that time MEMORIES Page 19 were being sold for about $5,000;
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Metrolinx train yard to derail life in Thorncliffe by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO Since construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT began 10 years ago, Leaside has faced ongoing issues including, but not limited to, road closures, noise, light pollution, and dirt. Lots of dirt. When the LRT opens, these construction issues will end. Right? But for our neighbours in Thorncliffe Park, the issues will be never-ending. Despite the objections of our communal ward’s municipal councillor, MPP, MP, and the greater City Council, Metrolinx has indicated that it will be building a maintenance and storage facility (MSF) in Thorncliffe in 2022. The 175,000 sq. m. yard will be used to store, inspect, clean, and maintain trains 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will stretch on the north side of Overlea Boulevard between Millwood Road and Thorncliffe Park Drive. “We looked at a number of options and weighed all of the potential impacts. We feel confident that the decision we’ve made comes with the least amount of impacts to the community,” explains Metrolinx project
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sponsor Malcolm MacKay. A community planned for 12,500 residents, Thorncliffe Park is currently home to 30,000 people with a population density of nearly 7,000 people per square kilometre. Pre-pandemic, 45% of the area’s residents were living at, or below, the poverty line. While the Metrolinx website points out that “minimizing impacts to businesses and residents is a guiding principle,” their location analysis does recognize that the MSF will be close to residential buildings and will result in business closures.
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The yard, in fact, will be a mere 800 metres away from the area’s residents, who will be living daily with constant noise, light pollution, and dirt. Additionally, a health centre which currently provides free services will be eliminated, along with several retailers including Iqbal Foods, which, for over 35 years, has been serving approximately 20,000 customers weekly and which acts as a neighbourhood gathering spot. To be clear, Thorncliffe residents are fully supportive of the LRT itself. The opposition lies squarely with the train yard. Aamir Sukhera, member of the organization SaveTPARK, which has been lobbying for Metrolinx to reverse its position, has a stark prognosis for Thorncliffe if the rail yard location goes forward as planned. “(This) would only be done to a poor and ethnic neighbourhood like ours,” he says. “For the amount of people living here, we lack employment opportunities, affordable home ownership, recreational space, and places for our youth to congregate. We need adequate space for our community to live, meet, network and to build their profiles and résumés. Taking this space away to build a train yard will result in our community not achieving transit-oriented development opportunities that more affluent neighbourhoods benefit from, and will ensure this community never comes out of poverty.” As Metrolinx is an agency of the government of Ontario, our local politicians have written to the Premier, Minister of Transportation, and Associate Minister of Transportation calling on the Province of Ontario to reverse its decision. To date, those appeals have fallen on deaf ears. Stay in touch through SaveTPARK’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ SaveTPARK. n
SAVE TPARK
Leaside Life • January 2022
18
FALLIS From page 10
MEMORIES From page 16 what was known at that time as the Gundy Estate…. The Gundy Estate was privately owned when I first came to Leaside. It was a lovely area, and when the Leaside Conservation Association was organized... the object was to try and secure it for a town park. Today [1963], through their efforts and those of others interested in conservation, it is a metro park, named in honour of one of the original Gundy Family, Serena Gundy.” n
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Leaside Life • January 2022
Leacock Medal winner, the late W. P. Kinsella, in his hometown of Yale, B.C. Our mission while there was to scatter some of the ashes of a sixth Leacock winner, Paul Quarrington, along the shores of the Fraser River. We laughed the entire journey, and cried a little bit too. A two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, Terry Fallis grew up in Leaside and is the award-winning writer of eight national bestsellers, all published by McClelland & Stewart. n
Have your say in 2022!
Leaside Life • January 2022
20
It’s the beginning of a new year! Time for the Leaside Residents Association to start compiling our wish list for 2022. We start with a wish for increased public involvement in local issues (yes, that means you). 2022 features two (two!) elections. Provincial in June, and municipal in October. Two opportunities to leave your mark, express your opinions, push for policies you support, and oppose those you don’t. Have your say! And while you’re at it, join the LRA if you are not already a member. We also wish for greater public influence over both provincial and municipal governance, especially when it comes to permitting where developments can be located and how tall and dense buildings are permitted to be. Leaside is not the only community targeted by developers of towers, especially condominiums. All too often they end up being many storeys higher than the city’s official plan permits. We need Committees of Adjustment and planning tribunals which respect both the letter and the spirit of the law, and regulate growth within our community accordingly,
Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LRA
rather than just regarding zoning rules as a jumping-off point. We’ve all heard the expression that “the city is the creature of the province.” This really hit home when the number of City councillors was halved in 2018. Whatever your opinion of that provincial decision, there were at least two important consequences: first, every ward is now at least double in size, increasing the workload of every councillor and limiting opportunities for public input; second, to deal with this overload, more work has had to be directed to the discretion of City staff, who are unelected and thus not answerable to residents. The LRA is very concerned about the potential impact on Leaside of Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs), which are designed to override both local and city-wide zoning. Avoiding
or reducing public consultation does not protect local democracy or encourage good planning, and we can only hope that Leaside will not be directly affected. The LRA and many other residents’ associations are keen to raise this topic during the provincial election campaign to come. Another wish: for progress in creating greater traffic safety throughout both North and South Leaside, and the development of an effective Leaside Traffic Management Plan. We look forward to Councillor Jaye Robinson’s Town Hall meeting, now scheduled for Tues., Jan. 18. LRA’s final wish to you: that all Leasiders enjoy a happy, healthy and safe New Year in 2022. Our next board meeting is on Wed., Jan. 5th, via Zoom. You are always welcome to attend any of the LRA’s meetings, which take place on the first Wednesday of each month. If you’d like to watch, or participate, please let us know by Jan. 5th so we can send you the Zoom access details. Find us also at www.leasideresidents.ca.n
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A new public park will green up Eglinton Leaside Life • January 2022
22
A new park in Leaside? Yes! As part of the settlement with the City for the development at 939 Eglinton Avenue East (at Brentcliffe), the original owner, Diamondcorp (now the owner is Camrost Felcorp), agreed to convey land for a park on site, and pay for its planning and construction. Fronting on Brentcliffe Road, below Eglinton, with an area of 1,718 sq. m. (about 0.4 acre), it’s really a parkette by the City’s definition (under 0.5 acre), but it’s a much-needed green space alongside three high-rise towers of 20, 16 and 28 storeys. Of course, there are green roofs on the buildings – but they don’t count! It’s a Leaside heritage-themed new park – well, that is appropriate, and long overdue. The proposed “heritage hub” specifically remembers and celebrates the area’s association with Research Enterprises Ltd. (REL), the Canadian crown corporation established in WWII to manufacture optical products (like binoculars) needed for the Allied war effort. This part of the
Geoff Kettel
Saving old Leaside Leaside industrial area, formerly on the Leaside Aerodrome lands, had several REL factories, some of which survive in other uses today. According to the initial concept, the heritage hub will include: a trellis, stage/pavilion, interactive play area, pathways and accessible ramp. There will also be an open lawn area, landscape mounds, tree grove with benches, and a walkway, rain garden with raised boardwalks and illuminated pathways. Plus, an outdoor amphitheatre. I would add that a heritage plaque on site similar to Leaside’s five existing historical plaques on Laird at Leaside Village, outside Longo’s, at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens, at the Brentcliffe and
Broadway parkette, and at Rykert and Broadway, would make for an interesting and informative stop on the “Tour de Leaside Plaques.” The City is working with the developer and the IBI Group, Camrost Felcorp’s consultants, to refine the design of the new park. Feedback on the initial concept design was collected in an online survey from Oct. 25 to Nov. 12, 2021 on the City website at: www.toronto. ca/939EglintonPark. The survey received a total of 543 responses. The project team will use the community feedback collected in the survey to develop ideas and confirm priorities for the final park design. The public survey included asking specific answers to survey questions and giving both the likes and dislikes of the proposed design in written form. Mark Lowe, project coordinator and landscape architect for Toronto Parks, suggests the public comments fell into the following general themes: • The need for more trees, greenery, shaded seating areas, and the use of native plants. • The need to have a useable and safe playscape for children that is protected from the busy streetscape. • Connectivity to the emerging community. • The desire to have a space for community gatherings and small casual performances, and • The need to ensure that the park can be maintained as designed. The results will be summarized and posted on the City website shortly. Design development will continue to spring, 2022; detail design, summer, 2022; construction starting in spring, 2023, and by fall 2023, construction completed and the park opening. Watch the City website for updates. Lowe invites comments at Mark.Lowe@toronto.ca. This is just the first of the “developer parks” along Leaside’s Eglinton Way. Another is coming on the RioCan lands at Laird and Vanderhoof. We will be watching for news of consultation for that project. The author thanks Joseph Feldman, Vice President of Development, Camrost Felcorp, and Mark Lowe, Project Coordinator, Toronto Parks, for their assistance with this article. n
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