F E B R UA R Y 2022
Leaside Life leasidelife.com
No. 117
Startups alive and well in East Leaside Pg. 12
Leaside Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist Brian Mok gives it his best shot.
Leaside’s Health Boosters SU
PP
E IN
SUZANNE PARK
ORTING LOCAL
BU S
Page 8
SS
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Leaside Life • February 2022
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Editor’s Welcome It’s been two years now since I last sat down, face to face, with the Leaside Life editorial team. In the “before” era, we’d meet regularly to plan the issue. These meetings were always exhilarating. There’s nothing livelier than a room of writers sharing ideas, sparking off one another, and in our case...eating! There were always goodies to fortify the body as well as the soul. Now, we meet the way so many people get together these days: via that virtual platform beginning with a Z. It’s what one local city councillor calls Hollywood Squares style. There’s always someone on mute, or someone else whose video isn’t working properly who has to resort to the Chat function. And, eating during a Zoom just doesn’t seem that appetizing. But somehow,
FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Jane Auster Editor Leaside Life
we are continuing to produce Leaside Life every month. This isn’t Thanksgiving time, but I do want to give thanks for the talented team I have the privilege to work with. They keep me motivated and excited, especially since they’re always brimming with new ideas to help bring more Leaside into the 10,000 homes and businesses in M4G that receive the publication each month. The new year is still new enough for me to hope that the team will be able to meet again, in person, before too long to break bread and break out new inspiration for Leaside Life. n
This year’s theme is Black Health and Wellness. Toronto Public Library celebrates with a collection of programs and special events that honour Black heritage, and consider the historical significance and contemporary contributions of Black activists and artists from around the world. Visit: https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/programs-and-classes/featured/black-history-month.jsp.
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A life-changing encounter with a famous artist
Patrick Rocca bro ke r
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Leaside Life • February 2022
Little did Leasiders Craig and Matt Kinch know that an impromptu knock on a door on Broadway Avenue in 2003 would signal the start of a long-term, life-changing experience. Fascinated by a car sitting in the driveway, Craig and his 14-year-old son knocked to ask the owner if they could look around the car. The homeowner responded that the car was her son’s but that she would give them the keys to have a good look. The Kinches respectfully declined the gracious offer, gleefully examined the car, and then knocked again to thank the homeowner for her kindness. The 85-year-old woman asked them in for tea, and while, Craig points out, they didn’t drink tea, they happily did that day. For years after that visit, the Kinches and the woman remained close, sharing dinners, visits, and long conversations. Matt had a spark of youthfulness the woman greatly appreciated and
the two enjoyed many, many visits in her home. That woman was Irma Coucill. While you might not know her name, there’s a strong possibility you’ve seen her work. Described by her family as “a classy lady and talented artist,” Coucill played a significant role in Canadian art The artist Irma Coucill and her portrait of Matt Kinch. history. A prolific portrait artist, Coucill She was an artist for the Junior began her career when commissioned Encyclopaedia of Canada and proto draw portraits of Norwegian duced two books, Founders & pilots stationed in Canada. Guardians: 72 Portraits and Canada’s In 1958, when her husband Walter, Prime Ministers, Governors General also an artist, heard that the Hockey And Fathers Of Confederation: 83 Hall of Fame was searching for a Portraits. Coucill’s work is featured portrait artist, he recommended his in multiple government buildings wife. Thus began that stage of her including Rideau Hall. career, which spanned 14 years. In In addition to the Hockey Hall of all, Coucill contributed 370 portraits. Fame, the artist, who died aged 97 She also produced artwork for multiple newspapers and magazines. ARTIST Page 19 TOM COUCILL.
by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO
MEET A LEASIDE BUSINESS: CELLAR DOOR WINERY 4
Wine not? Celebrating the grape on Millwood According to J.R.R. Tolkien, the most beautiful phrase in the English language is ‘cellar door,’ and according to Wiktionary, a ‘cellar door’ is “the part of a winery from which wine may be sampled or purchased.” With that preamble, allow me to introduce you to Heather Banks, owner of Cellar Door Winery at 884 Millwood Rd. Twenty-five years ago, a recently-divorced Heather was enjoying dinner with friends. All customers of “Winenot” on Bayview Avenue, they had just learned the franchisee was going to be selling the business. Since Heather was at a bit of a loose end, they dared her to buy the franchise. She took the dare, the very next day. And it’s something she’s never regretted. She continued with the business on Bayview for the next 15 years, but a few years in, decided to go independent and held a naming contest with a prize of $200. The
Heather Banks.
prize name was submitted by a customer now living in Australia, who explained the connection between ‘cellar door’ and a winery. The location on the street was good – her upstairs neighbour was Alex Cheese – but over the years, the rent climbed and those stairs up to
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street level from the business were hard for everyone to manage. Driving along Millwood to her home in East York, Heather saw the FOR LEASE sign at 884 Millwood. The landlord was happy that her business hours would be regular, as he lives upstairs, and Heather was happy because this location was at street level, had customer parking right at the door, and featured more attractive rent. A decade later, Heather is still happy with her mid-Leaside location. “I love my store, and I love coming to work.” The basics for a business like Cellar Door involve having access to reputable suppliers for the wines to be made. Heather is pleased to be able to offer wines supplied by Winexpert, Vineco and Arterra. In January, she was sending out the list of limited-edition wines to her customer base – wines from Chile, Spain, Argentina, Australia, France and Italy. Customers can place their reservations or these special wines for the year, but specify when they want to bottle and pay for each 30-bottle batch. Her customer base includes regulars who now live in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Haliburton, and places in between, but come back because they love the wines Heather can provide and enjoy doing business with her. In other cases, someone will receive a bottle of ‘her’ wine as a gift, and then show up at the store to make their own.
WINERY Page 17
ROBIN DICKIE
Leaside Life • February 2022
by LORNA KRAWCHUK
Leaside Life • February 2022
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Pooches find pampering in local doggie daycares by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO Lockdown during the early days of the pandemic played out in a variety of ways. For some, it meant panic at the grocery store in the search for toilet paper rolls. For others, moving their school and work into their homes. But for all too many, the pandemic led to feelings of isolation and loneliness. To ease this feeling, many people adopted so-called “pandemic pooches.” But now that many are returning to offices, pets are losing their work-hours companions. What’s a pet owner to do? Meet two doggie daycares filling the need for canine care.
oped new anxious behaviour since staying home with the family during the pandemic.” Signs of this separation anxiety include “pacing, panting, whining, etc. when away from the owner.” How does the OD deal with this
while simultaneously trying to find a high-quality dog daycare that they trust.” Separation anxiety is being felt by both pets and their owners and KYON works to ease the adjustment for both. Offering structured care includ-
The Original Doghouse The Original Doghouse (“OD”) has been caring for OD Co-Managers Eddie & Emily with a client. dogs in Leaside for over 15 years. anxiety? By providing structured The facility on Research Road is daycare with socialization, physa daycare, as well as a facility speical exercise and mental stimulacializing in obedience training and tion, issues of “hyper-attachment” behaviour modification training. The are reduced. 57 Research Rd., daycare’s routines incorporate superwww.theoriginaldoghouse.com. vised play, exercise, outdoor walks, KYON Dog Daycare mental stimulation, general obedience training, and rest. When a local Leaside family started Emily Boudreau, co-manager at the wondering what they would do with OD, has a long history of working their dog Scarlett as their lives got with dogs at a veterinary level, and busier, they wanted to ensure she with the OD since 2017. would get the best care possible. And She notes that the daycare “has defiwho, they wondered, would offer that nitely seen an influx in the number of comfort? Themselves! (recent) inquiries for doggie daycare. The family launched KYON (KeeSince opening up again after the lockOn) Dog Daycare on Eglinton at down in March 2020, the majority Sutherland at the beginning of of our previous clients have returned, October 2021, and quickly built a and the other half of our current strong client base. capacity are new puppies that people Mariah Palantzas, one of the family have adopted during the pandemic.” co-owners of KYON, notes that A handful of their returning dogs “clients have expressed how diffihave, the staff have observed, “develcult it is to be returning to the office
KYON DOG DAYCARE
THE ORIGINAL DOG HOUSE INC
Leaside Life • February 2022
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A comfy client at KYON
ing socialization, walks, pack naps, mental stimulation at their “sniff centre,” and exercise with agility toys, Palantzas says her staff have found that the adjustment period for dogs is very short (a day or two) and that “Covid-puppies are quickly making friends and learning from one another.” To provide peace of mind for dog owners, KYON offers the flexibility of half-day, full-day and overnight care that is crate-free and supervised. Clients can also book online up to two hours before they bring their dogs to KYON for care. 792 Eglinton Ave. East, www.kyondogdaycare.com With the comfort of knowing their dogs are receiving top-notch care in locations close to home, Leasiders are more at ease as they pivot their way back to life outside the home office. n
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Checking in with Leaside’s vaccine boosters by SUZANNE PARK The English language, like most things, is always evolving. When I was a kid, we got booster shots and they were never referred to as vaccine injections, even by the doctors or nurses who administered them – quite seriously and sternly, I might add. Today, we often think of a “booster” as an enthusiastic sports or community supporter. But Leaside has its very own health booster, who is busy these days dispensing Covid booster shots (and more) to the locals. Leaside is privileged to have an amazing community health booster in Brian Mok, Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM) franchise owner, and his team. We featured Mok in an earlier Leaside Life story (September 2019), where he told us about choosing his first, then second Leaside location for his pharmacies. He now has three. We decided to check in with him to see how he and his staff are coping with the additional stress of Covid vaccinations, flu shots, and rapid testing.
Brian Mok (r) of Shoppers Drug Mart and his team.
Mok considers his store teams to be on the front line of community health, from the broad product mix available to pharmacy services and evidence-based advice. He speaks with pride about his leadership, pharmacy and front-of-store teams. “Serving the community always comes first,” he asserts. “Given all things being equal and applicants having all the required certifications, I hire for attitude. Customer service is essential in our business to ensure
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Leaside Life • February 2022
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everyone feels welcomed and gets the assistance they require, as efficiently as possible.” He adds, “We realize wait times can be longer right now as demand for our flu, Covid and booster injection services and rapid testing has increased exponentially. We thank our loyal customers for their patience as the wait may be longer than anticipated.” As I arrived for my meeting, Mok was hustling to the pharmacy with an armload of supplies and stopped briefly to chat when a customer thanked him for being so community minded. He makes multitasking look effortless as he mentioned that “although I’m thrilled that the Ontario Government now permits pharmacies to administer injections and approved rapid testing, provided the location has a separate entrance so customers do not enter the store, I am always juggling staff and my time. Yet my team is dedicated, none of us have taken a vacation in almost two years. The stores are always busy with little quiet time to re-energize yet my teams remain efficient and welcoming. When really pressed, our store front staff assist where they can.” He’s also had to handle shortages and reconfigure the pharmacy to accommodate vaccine and testing sites. But he’s not complaining. “Shortages have been challenging yet we are managing. Additionally, the stores were not set up as vaccine or testing sites so we’ve had to reorganize so that we can efficiently serve the community’s needs – which we love doing and which energizes us.” So, on your next visit offer an encouraging thanks to Brian Mok and his team of community health boosters. 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.
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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.
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Leaside Life • February 2022
Canada’s Top Wealth Advisors:
Friday night free skate at Leaside Gardens Leaside Life • February 2022
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After nearly 60 columns in this august periodical, I’ve started to lose track of what I’ve written about. I come up with a topic and then have to scan the pieces I’ve already written to make sure I’m not repeating myself. Perhaps a predictable consequence of my advancing age. Often, I discover the great idea I’ve just had was also a great idea in 2017 when I wrote a column about it. Then it’s back to the well again. I think I’m in the clear on this one. I have great memories from winters past of the famous Friday night free skate at Leaside Gardens. But back when I was 14 or 15, you know, when the hormones start doing their thing, the Friday night free skate, particularly around Valentine’s Day, was almost a ritual for my twin brother and me. And it was not because we were both crazy about hockey, though we were. Many of our Grade 9 classmates at Leaside High would also show up to skate laps to the upbeat music pulsating through the sound system. Our parents all thought this was just a night of good clean innocent fun. I mean it was just skating, after all. But seething just below the surface was the prospect of – regrettably almost always just the “prospect of” – young romance. It was not unlike the social dynamic of school dances, though chillier, slipperier, and with the potential for injury. Instead of the girls clustering on one side of the gym and the boys on the other, when at the rink, the girls, by day our classmates, would cluster and slowly skate around the ice, talking and laughing, and sometimes pointing at one of us guys. (I don’t think I was ever pointed at, except
Terry Fallis Columnist
perhaps when I lost focus momentarily and collided with someone or something, but I was certainly standing near some of the guys who routinely earned the girls’ attention.) The boys on the other hand tended not to skate in a group. Rather, we seemed to take pride in skating as fast we could, stoic looks on our faces, bobbing and weaving around the slower skaters (i.e. pretty well every other skater) with a practised nonchalance intended to impress the circling clutch of girls. Occasionally, we’d be reprimanded by the official skating guard charged with maintaining order and safety on the ice. So, we’d slow down for
a few laps and then crank up the speed again. Eventually, some of the guys would boldly infiltrate the cabal of girls and skate with them, talking and laughing and inching towards asking one of them out. Very rarely, in a manoeuvre that would send shock waves, or at least shock ripples, through our high school social waters, a boy would be seen skating while holding hands with a girl. Oh, the humanity! Then at 10:00 p.m., a fleet of parents’ cars would promptly jam the little driveway in front of the arena doors, and any romantic anticipation and anxiety would dissipate in an instant as Tim and I would climb into the back seat of our car, my mother at the wheel. “Did you have fun?” she’d ask. “Yeah, it was great just to get some skating in before our game tomorrow,” I’d reply. Yes, we’d be back early the next morning stepping onto the same ice for our weekly house league game. My mother was many things, but naive was not one of them. She knew what Friday night free skate meant in the lives of adolescents across Leaside. As we approach the second anniversary of the pandemic, I feel sorry for the young kids who cannot, at least for now, skate on Friday nights as we did back then. Virtual Friday night free skates are just not the same. Stay safe. 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. His most recent, Operation Angus, is now in bookstores. n
132nd Toronto Scout Troop Leaside’s largest and most active Youth Group is now ACCEPTING NEW MEMBERS ... Contact us today! Activities & Community Service for Boys and Girls aged 5-26 For information about Scouts Canada www.scouts.ca Check out the 132nd. web site ... www.132nd.com or call (416) 702-0969. The Scouting Movement is the world’s oldest and largest Youth Organization, and largest educator of children. Scouts have a lot of fun discovering new things and experiences they wouldn’t have elsewhere. Along the way they develop into capable, confident and well-rounded individuals, better prepared for success in the world.
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Leaside Life • February 2022
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Vibrant start-up community alive and well For readers who follow this column, it is no surprise that I am always on the lookout for Leaside business initiatives that will fuel innovation, drive economic growth, and contribute to the ongoing success of the community as we look ahead. Fittingly, at the intersection of ‘Commercial’ Road and ‘Industrial’ Street, there is a very exciting example. Savvy entrepreneur Ian Morton is no stranger to the ’hood. Summerhill, one of the several businesses he has founded, is an acknowledged leader in residential energy efficiency program implementation. In 2012, he moved that company to the Leaside Business Park when he purchased the building at 30 Commercial Rd. to be its corporate headquarters. Why is this exciting? In my experience, savvy entrepreneurs have a tough time sitting still, and over the decade since moving to Leaside, Mr. Morton has proven the point. He explains that “as our business contracted in Ontario but expanded into other markets across Canada, we didn’t need all the available
Glenn Asano The Business of Leaside
LEASIDE LIFE
Leaside Life • February 2022
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Ian Morton at Summerhill headquarters, also the home of his latest venture The Commercial Road.
Happy Valentine’s Day! www.bonniebyford.com The Real Estate Tradition
space. The process of bringing new residents into the building started very organically and primarily via word-of-mouth. The concept of a shared workspace formed once we had a thriving community of 13 businesses. In essence, I branded what was already happening in the building.” And just like that, in November, Ian officially launched his latest venture – The Commercial Road – a permanent and dynamic shared workspace in Leaside (www.thecommercialroad. com). What’s exciting is that 13 new businesses (currently focused on IT, software development, analytical laboratories, cannabis, venture capital and environmental services) have decided to call Leaside home. Why? The Commercial Road in Leaside is a proven launchpad for start-ups The Commercial Road has been a springboard for several start-ups but the one Ian is particularly proud of is Ample Organics. Founded in 2014 by John Prentice, Ample Organics is Canada’s leading technology pro-
vider for licensed growers, whose seed-to-sale platform is the nation’s most widely adopted cannabis record keeping solution. “John founded Ample Organics from a hot desk at The Commercial Road and expanded his operations quickly to take an entire floor.” Since then, Ample Organics has been named a Deloitte Fast 50 Winner, a LinkedIn Top Start-up, and was included on the Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Top Growing companies. Ian added, “We exited that company in 2020 via a $60M transaction with AKERNA.” (Ian previously served as chairman.) For start-ups, office space is not a key success factor.… Yes, some entrepreneurial enterprises require space, but it’s not typically a differentiator at the outset, in my opinion. I feel it’s all about the talent you can surround yourself with. It’s the experience, network and desire of the talent that contribute most to the achievement of great things. The Commercial Road is not part of a corporate chain such as Regis, Staples Studio or the Hive. “I didn’t start out with the goal of creating a shared workspace – instead it evolved with the people in my network looking for an office and shared services for their business,” Ian explains. Indeed, The Commercial Road embodies the spirit of the Leaside Business Park – gritty, industrious, and ever-changing. “I’m not being trite when I say that the people/businesses here at Commercial Road are what differentiate us from other offerings. It’s a diverse suite of enterprises that enjoy each other’s company. We do business together, we have a communal lunch (or BBQ) together at least once a week, people socialize outside of work…it’s got a strong familiar collegial feel to it.” The ‘special sauce’ is the awesomeness of the people Current tenant Sameet Kanade is the founder and CEO of Molecular Science Corporation. A former investment banker, Sameet found he missed the “information flow” you get during those 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. briefing calls and meetings. “What I found was missing when working remotely and alone was access to expertise. Just being a part of the community and being able to tap into the experience and networks of the other residents is invaluable.” He
mentions the outsourcing of his IT backups to fellow resident TJ Micro, and the convenience of the support being on-site “makes this a very different value proposition.” I also reached out to John Prentice, now the founder & CEO of PINNRZ, who still calls The Commercial Road home. John makes a bold claim: “You’d be hard-pressed to find something similar anywhere else in the city.” Currently, the building is filled with entrepreneurs and professionals, and there is a full suite of back-end services (finance, IT, administrative, HR) available to start-ups needing them. According to John, the community is vibrant and actively shares their knowledge, experience, and advice freely. He says that “the special sauce is the people and the advantages/awesomeness that they bring to the table.” I agree with Ian’s belief that “people want the camaraderie, collaboration and dynamic of in-person office environments, even on a limited basis.” Shared workspaces like The Commercial Road, located close to neighbourhoods like Leaside and Thorncliffe Park, can satisfy that need…especially if you want to achieve that ‘live, work, play’ future of a 15-minute city right here in Leaside. The motivation for The Commercial Road is driven by individual purpose and need – but also one that supports a broader vision of what this area could potentially become in the future. The Leaside Business Park has a rich history as an economic engine but one that is undergoing fundamental change due to a range of factors. From Ian’s perspective, “the economics of the situation have seen industrial activities being replaced by a vibrant mix of commercial enterprises, hospitality services and retail. We want to be at the fulcrum of this transition by being a hub for locally based businesses, sole proprietors, and entrepreneurs.” Do you know a start-up that could benefit from locating at The Commercial Road? How will the changing future and nature of work affect the Leaside Business Park? Let us know at leasidelife@gmail.com. Leasider Glenn Asano is a partner and principal consultant for the strategy and business development practice at Centred Performance. He is also an instructor with the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University. n
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Leaside Life • February 2022
START-UP continued
Leaside Life • February 2022
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THE
Curious Idler The beauty of rain gardens The Leaside Garden Society is continuing their monthly meetings via Zoom. On March 10 Marc Yamaguchi will be sharing his experience with Rain Gardens United (raingardensunited.com). A rain garden is a landscaped basin filled in with loose, deep soil that naturally filters storm water and prevents it from entering our waterways. The garden bed is then planted with hardy native plants that support pollinators and ultimately requires little or no watering. These landscapes help improve water quality, remediate soil, and are built to handle the effects of drought, stormwater runoff and rapid snowmelt. Yamaguchi, along with other volunteer members of Rain Gardens United, have been creating rain gardens (initially in East York) since 2015. An English professor at Centennial College, he has also been a volunteer with the David Suzuki Foundation since 2013. Members and guests are welcome to join the Leaside Garden Society: leasidegardensociety.org.
Are you up for the Goggins Challenge? 48 miles. 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours. That is the Goggins Challenge. The ultra-endurance challenge, named after David Goggins, involves running or walking 4 miles, every 4 hours for 48 hours. This year again, The
Maddie Project community is inviting Leasiders to Push Your Limits by taking the Goggins Challenge from March 4 to 6th, 2022 in support of youth mental health at North York General Hospital (NYGH). The Maddie Project is a community effort in support of youth struggling with depression and other mental health-related concerns. It was established to honour
the memory of Madeline (Maddie) Grace German Coulter, who died suddenly in 2015 at the age of 14. To date, the Maddie Project has raised an impressive $3.5 million, most recently adding over $100,000 to support the upgrade and refurbishing of the Paediatric Mental
Health Inpatient Unit at NYGH. Learn more: pushyourlimits.ca or themaddieproject.ca.
Good-hearted neighbours The Idler is always looking for good news stories in these crazy times, especially ones about kindhearted Leasiders. The Idler has heard of at least two instances where the community
has rallied around those in need. One Leaside mum who broke her leg badly right before Christmas received a bounty of meals for her family of five and offers of help to arrange cleaning for her busy household. Another Leaside mum, diagnosed with cancer in late 2020, had Leaside families delivering meals twice a week through six months of chemo and surgery, taking the load off her husband and sons. Gifts of blankets, warm socks, gift cards and scented candles showed up from school, hockey parents, and Leaside co-workers. This is what community is all about. The Idler is sure there are many more stories like these. Want to tell us about them? leasidelife@gmail.com n
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by TED DEWELLES, Leaside Heritage Preservation Society
Leaside Life • February 2022
World’s first video game built in Leaside Computerized video games are common today. Just ask any parent. But they were unknown back in 1950. That was the year the world’s first publicly displayed electronic video game was created. And it happened right here in Leaside. A wartime immigrant to Canada named Josef Kates was hired by the electronics company Rogers Majestic, which at the time had a plant in Leaside at Brentcliffe and Eglinton. Kates was a PhD student at the University of Toronto’s newly created computer studies centre. There, with help from his colleagues at Rogers Majestic, he developed a revolutionary new kind of vacuum tube called the Additron Tube – capable of doing the work of multiple tubes and circuits at lightning speed. To demonstrate the new tube’s potential, Kates and others developed “Bertie the Brain.” Bertie was essentially a 13-ft. tall computer
Film actor and comedian, Danny Kaye, rubs his hands in glee after beating Leaside-built Bertie the Brain in Tic-Tac-Toe at the 1950 Canadian National Exhibition.
that used Kates’ Additron tubes to power an interactive Tic-Tac-Toe game. The machine was built at Rogers Majestic’s Leaside factory. The company liked Bertie so much that it decided to showcase the machine as part of its electron-
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ics display at the 1950 Canadian National Exhibition. Bertie turned out to be a huge sensation. “It was a much bigger success than we thought,” Kates later recalled, as quoted in Spacing Toronto, August 13, 2014. “There were always people surrounding it, lining up to play.” The computer attracted hundreds of visitors to the Rogers Majestic exhibit, all of whom tried to beat the electronic brain – but to no avail. Bertie was just too smart. One of his opponents was the American movie celebrity Danny Kaye, who was the CNE’s headliner that year. Bertie won so often that the entertainer allegedly kicked the machine in frustration. Luckily, Bertie’s level of difficulty could be reduced when necessary, which allowed Mr. Kaye to finally defeat his mechanical opponent. The event was captured in photos by Life magazine. Once the CNE finished for the year, Bertie was dismantled by Rogers Majestic and never heard from again. But he was not forgotten. Years later, in 1975, when Josef Kates – now a successful engineer and businessman – was named chair of the Science Council of Canada, newspapers reporting the event remembered his role in creating Bertie. And in 1983, Bertie was mentioned again – this time in the movie War Games. Bertie the Brain – another fascinating (if obscure) episode in the history of Leaside. n
WINERY From page 4 Her winter wines come in a number of varieties, but most people choose reds with corks. The high-end reds take six to eight weeks to make, and then should be put away for six to 12 months. Just about all her summer wines are Pinot Grigio, from California or Italy, with corks or screw-tops. Her son, Sean, and her boyfriend, Frank, help out when needed but Heather usually manages the store on her own. She’s even picked up some computer skills along the way, from never even touching a computer at the start. Heather is grateful that when COVID-19 restrictions shut down many retail businesses, hers was decreed to be essential. “The phone was ringing off the hook,” she says, so much so that her suppliers were having trouble keeping up. If you phone Cellar Door Winery (416-486-9463) and Heather doesn’t pick up, listen to her message. As well as giving business particulars, it says: “A day without wine – what’s the point?” Heather’s philosophy to a T. n
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Leaside Life • February 2022
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Leaside’s North Bayview tower surprise Leaside Life • February 2022
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Instant landmark or poor planning? Both! North Leasiders on social media were surprised (not in a good way!) to find out just before the holidays that an application had been submitted to place a 25-storey tower on Bayview at Broadway – on the southeast corner, on lands assembled from five single family lots (1837-1845 Bayview Ave.). The single-family homes of Bessborough Drive lie immediately to the east and the dignified stone presence of St Augustine’s Anglican Church to the north. The community has been organizing in opposition ever since. On Nov. 4, 2021, a rezoning and plan of subdivision applications were submitted to the City to permit a 25-storey mixed use building containing 288 residential units and 256 sq. m. of retail gross floor area on the ground floor. If approved it will have FSI (density) of 8.7, which is more than double the density (3.87) approved at Sunnybrook Plaza (RioCan). Developer Gupta group, originally
Geoff Kettel
Saving old Leaside a hotel developer, is now building tower condominiums that rise 50 or more storeys, like the Rosedale on Bloor (387 Bloor St. E.) and Dundas Square Gardens (200 Dundas St. E.). What are the concerns? • Lands to the east and north are designated “Neighbourhoods,” and minimal transitioning is proposed. • Its location is on the high point between Walmsley Brook (Talbot Park) and Burke Brook (north of Kilgour Road) and as a result would have a greater than expected visual impact on the neighbourhood. • The building’s height may present a safety issue with helicopter
flight paths related to Sunnybrook Hospital. • Proposal is on the edge of the Bayview Focus Area and therefore should have a building height and density reflecting its location well away from the LRT station. • Proposed height and density are out of keeping with recent approvals and submissions along Bayview and on the Sunnybrook Plaza site. • Mixed use? No. It’s virtually all residential, with 75% of the units one bedroom or smaller. • No affordable units. In summary, it’s basically a “tower in the park” – but without the park! Completely out of context. If the site should be redeveloped, it’s clearly a mid-rise site – similar to what is happening on South Bayview on the west side. Next steps City staff will draft a Preliminary Report to North York Community Council in February, following which they will schedule a community meeting, likely in March. Then City Planning will draft a final report with recommendations; however, it is quite possible the developer will appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal, effectively taking it out of the hands of the City. The Leaside Residents Association (LRA) already approved an action plan at its January 5th meeting that includes researching the planning situation, and mobilizing the community: Planning: While the province introduced heights of 20-35 storeys for the Bayview Focus Area in its approval of Midtown in Focus (Official Plan Amendment 405), the text of the amendment clearly indicates that the Focus Area is to be largely mid-rise development, with tall buildings to be considered near the Bayview LRT station. Mobilizing the community: A onepage “Neighbourhood Advisory” will be distributed to homes on surrounding residential streets (both sides of Bayview) alerting community members to the existence of the proposal, the action plan, and requesting their help and financial assistance. The Leaside Residents Association will provide notice of the proposal in the next LRA e-blast, and request the Councillor’s support for a community meeting to be scheduled early in 2022.
TOWER continued
ARTIST From page 3 in 2015, produced portraits for the Canadian Business Hall of Fame, Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame, the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and the Canadian Indian Hall of Fame. Locally she is known for the familiar portrait of Leasider Agnes Macphail commissioned by the East York Foundation. For Canada’s Centennial in 1967, she provided a book of portraits of the 33 Fathers of Confederation. She was also asked by several wellknown figures to create portraits, including author Ian Fleming of James Bond fame. For Coucill, though, everyone was held in the same esteem. Patti Kinch recalls that during one visit, the artist excused herself to take a call. She spoke for a few minutes, then said, “I must go, I have friends over.” It turned out that she was speaking with Stephen Harper, who was calling to thank her for the portrait she had done of him. Matt Kinch remembers his multiple visits and what he calls “an unexpected friendship. I remember spending many afternoons where we would talk for hours sharing stories. She loved to laugh. (Our visits) became something I looked forward to. So much so that I would bring my friends over to meet her. She had no problem opening her studio to strangers and would give each guest the same attention and warmth. She would pull out portrait after portrait of Canadian legends (hockey being a standout for us young lads).” What came from a random encounter led to a lifelong, life-enriching, friendship...and a beautiful portrait of Matt for which the Coucill refused to accept payment. Their friendship was payment enough. n
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Leaside Life • February 2022
Interested community members can contact Councillor Jaye Robinson (councillor_robinson@toronto.ca, 416-395-6408) and City Planning staff (Jason Xie, the city planner dealing with the file (Jason.Xie@ toronto.ca, 416-338-3004), copy to David Sit, Director (David.Sit@ toronto.ca) to make them aware of your views. Gupta Group says on their website that their “exciting residential projects are transforming the expectations of urban city living.” Perhaps – but in the right way? n
Leaside Residents Association listens to you! Leaside Life • February 2022
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Let me take you to an average monthly board meeting of the Leaside Residents Association. What’s on the agenda? Our business is divided under headings such as Planning, Local Planning Tribunal Appeals, Construction, and Traffic/Transportation. Each heading contains both continuing and new applications or developments, which we follow up on. Bayview Avenue, Laird Drive, and Eglinton Avenue have all caught the attention and interest of developers for mid-rise and high-rise buildings, with major implications for adjacent residential streets, if not for all of Leaside. We also solicit comments from nearby residents regarding applications to the Committee of Adjustment for alterations to single family homes. We are resident-directed, taking our lead from you, Leasiders. This is where you come in. Your support, as members of the LRA, empowers us to be effective deputants for Leaside at the City. What are you telling us? For instance, you make it very clear
Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LRA
that you oppose permitting high rises to be built on streets intended only for low- or mid-rise. We hear from you that we don’t receive sufficient traffic enforcement. You’ve told us that speeding continues to be a problem on local streets, and that more speed cameras and photo radar need to be installed, and not just in school zones. You’ve expressed impatience with the slow speed (an oxymoron if ever there were one!) of action from City departments moving on citizen complaints regarding construction noise and debris. You’ve noticed that – increasingly – decisions on important housing-related issues such as laneway housing, garden suites, and multiplexes are implemented on a “one size fits all” or “as of right” basis, regardless of suitability of indi-
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vidual locations. You don’t think that Leasiders deserve to be called “selfish fat cats” in the media for wanting to protect our community from bad planning and developers who routinely propose buildings larger than zoning allows. You’ve also noticed that the province has asserted its authority over municipal planning, and passed Ministers Zoning Acts, which dispense with public consultation. You are worried that changing the character of Leaside is increasingly the focus of attention from developers. When you communicate with and join the LRA, you help us to represent your municipal priorities and opinions at City Hall. You are our strength. And that is why the LRA encourages you to visit www.leasideresidents.ca, become an LRA member, or renew your membership, for just $30/year. Our next LRA monthly board meeting is on Wed., Feb. 2nd, at 7:30 p.m., on Zoom. If you’d like to watch or participate, please let us know by that date and we’ll send you the Zoom access details. n
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TransformTO – where are we? Leaside Life • February 2022
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In 2017, City Council unanimously approved TransformTO – a comprehensive plan to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions and build a greener, healthier city. The 2017 plan initially put us on track to achieve an 80% carbon emissions reduction by 2050, but the City has taken many steps over the last four years to strengthen and accelerate the plan. At the last meeting of 2021, City Council set an ambitious new TransformTO target of netzero emissions by 2040 – 10 years ahead of the previous goal. The TransformTO strategy is applied as a lens to a number of City policies, programs, and services, including the Net Zero Existing Building Strategy, Toronto Green Standard, Electric Vehicle Strategy, and the TTC’s bus fleet electrification strategy. To meet our new goal of net zero by 2040, some of the most recent measures approved by City Council include: • Mandating that all new buildings achieve near-zero emissions by 2030 (in addition to a 50% decrease in emissions below 2008 levels for existing buildings);
Jaye Robinson
Councillor, Ward 15, Don Valley West
• Encouraging the use of electric vehicles with a target of electrifying 30% of all registered vehicles in Toronto by 2030; • Achieving 70% residential waste diversion from landfills; • Enhancing transit and pedestrian infrastructure to encourage sustainable transportation alternatives; and • Building on Toronto’s world class green spaces and tree canopy. As Chair of the TTC, I have overseen a significant expansion of our electric bus fleet, helping move the needle on the TTC’s goal of achieving full fleet
electrification by 2040. Currently, the TTC operates 60 eBuses – the largest mini-fleet in North America – with an additional 300 vehicles approved for procurement by 2025. An all-electric fleet will result in annual CO2 emissions reductions of roughly 250,000 tonnes, which is equivalent to the yearly emissions of 54,000 passenger vehicles. Technical models have demonstrated that in order to reach netzero emissions by earlier than 2050, Toronto must first be on the trajectory to achieve a 65% emissions reduction from 1990 levels by 2030. In her report to City Council, Toronto’s Deputy City Manager confirmed that the City of Toronto is on track to achieve this goal, with emissions continuing to decline despite the City’s steady population growth. While this report affirms that the City is on the right track, we must continue to scale up the TransformTO program and invest in a greener future for Toronto. n
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