Leaside Life Issue 120 May 2022

M AY 2022

Leaside Life leasidelife.com

No. 120

Kathleen Wynne: THE EXIT INTERVIEW Page 20

Election 2022:

SU

PP

ORTING LOCAL

BU S

New faces vie for Don Valley West seat IN

S ES

Local election coverage Page 14

Sheena Sharp

Stephanie Bowman

Mark Saunders

Irwin Elman

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Leaside Life • May 2022

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Editor’s Welcome Ready, set, vote! Have you heard? There’s an election coming up in a few short weeks. June 2nd, to be precise. And in Don Valley West (that’s you, Leaside!), where it’s set to be a real scorcher, with a very strong slate of candidates vying for a seat at the provincial table. One of the star contenders, handpicked by Premier Doug Ford to run for the Progressive Conservatives, is none other than former Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders. In the next little while, you’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the area as he gets to know this riding. (We’ve read that until recently he lived in Etobicoke, but now resides in North York, just a few kms away.) The rest of the provincial slate is equally impressive, boasting a wealth of deep experience in a variety of fields. This is expected to be a tight race. The last provincial election was a real squeaker, with former Premier Kathleen Wynne remaining DVW’s MPP, but winning by the slimmest margin – 17,802 votes to PC Jon

Jane Auster Editor Leaside Life

Kieran’s 17,621. With Wynne now officially bidding politics farewell, Don Valley West is definitely one of the ridings to watch and pivotal to the Conservatives’ hopes to paint the town blue. That’s why we’re devoting a huge chunk of this issue to the upcoming election, with our racing form on the candidates from a distinctly Leaside perspective. As a special feature, we’re also highlighting an in-depth interview by Leaside Life contributor and designer Robin Dickie, both in print and online at leasidelife.com, with outgoing MPP Kathleen Wynne, who represented DVW for so many years. As always, the former Premier is candid, thoughtful and heartfelt in her responses. Big shoes to fill! Enjoy the issue...and get out your vote! n

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by T ED DEWELLES, Leaside Heritage Preservation Society If you’re like many Leasiders, you may not know about the Canada Wire and Cable company’s water tower. Like other bygone Leaside landmarks – from the Bayview Ghost apartment building and the old CP train station to the rotating “Sangamo Electric Meters” sign at the corner of Laird and Eglinton – it has passed into oblivion. But for almost 40 years, the structure was a familiar and reassuring sight along Laird Drive, announcing to all who saw it that Leaside was a growing and importStriking workers picketing outside the Canada Wire plant in 1946. The water tower is clearly visible.

ant community – home to some of Canada’s major industries and employers. When the water tower was constructed in 1919, Leaside was still largely a community of open fields and few houses. The nearest water source, other than well-water, was supplied by a six-inch wide pipe

terminating at the city limits on Eglinton west of Bayview. This couldn’t meet the needs of Canada Wire, which required substantial water pressure to support its expanding operations. The company therefore built its own pipeline, connected it to the city’s watermain and built a 120-ft. tower and 75,000gallon storage tank to ensure sufficient water pressure. The cost was just under $13,000. The new water supply not only benefited Canada Wire, it also attracted other companies to Leaside – acting as a major growth catalyst for the young community. Proud of its achievement, the company inscribed in huge letters “Canada Wire & Cable Co.

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES, CANADA

TOWER Page 34

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Leaside Life • May 2022

Whatever happened to the Canada Wire Water Tower?

Who ya gonna call? Leaside’s best kept secret by JANIS FERTUCK While there are many joys and benefits to owning a property, home ownership can also be fraught with issues that cause problems and prompt owners to ask the classic Ghostbusters question, “Who ya gonna call?” Toronto Star columnist Heather Mallick asked this very question recently in “The Case of the Vanishing Home Repair Guys,” in which she bemoans the lack of reliable handymen. There are, however, many lucky homeowners in central Toronto (full disclosure: I am one of them) who know exactly who to call: Rob Hughes, “home technician,” as he calls himself. Rob lives in Leaside with his wife, Erin, an elementary teacher at John Ross Robertson, and son Cameron, a Grade 11 student at Leaside High School. The majority of Rob’s clients live close by in North Toronto, Leslieville, East York and Leaside. The home technician grew up in Don Mills and for 20 years worked as the production manager in a family

Rob Hughes

CAMERON HUGHES

Leaside Life • May 2022

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business called Home Aid Products, which developed, manufactured and distributed products to assist elderly and disabled people, such as grab

Stanley’s

White House Meats

Celebrating

21 YEARS on Bayview

Leaside 1523 Bayview Avenue 416-488-2004

bars, shower seats and walkers. But he was always interested in working with his hands, starting with building forts behind their cottage, then graduating to restoring cars and boats, and doing small engine and cottage repairs. So, when the business was sold in 2010, Rob changed careers and attended George Brown College for the gas technician program. Rob started his business as a home technician in 2011 under the company name of Cosburn Properties Ltd., a salute to his great-grandfather’s business building homes in East York. Initial job contacts came from family, friends and Erin’s teaching colleagues. But, as he explains, “Over time, through word-of-mouth, I have built up a steady flow of work.” He classifies most of his jobs as “general maintenance and repair such as small plumbing issues, replacing lights and fixtures, hanging shelves and repairing water damage.” He finds it rewarding to solve mechanical problems like ill-fitting doors and windows. But since he works alone, he usually does not take on complicated jobs or those requiring heavy lifting such as decks and fences. One challenging job involved installing a high-efficiency boiler and modern radiators. And a humorous incident occurred when the source of a “gas” smell turned out to be a dead mouse. Rob has developed working relationships with many customers over the years. Not surprisingly, his customers have nothing but praise for him, citing the excellence of his work, clear explanations, meticulousness, reliability, aesthetic sense and reasonable rates. One of his regulars, Karen Schmidt, said, “What hasn’t Rob done for us?” and went on to list everything from replacing faucets and light fixtures to repairing appliances and crown moulding. Another client, Jolanta Majewska, is impressed that Rob will recommend another professional if a job is beyond his skill level and by his willingness to investigate a heating problem, even on the weekend. A new customer, Leaside Life cycling columnist Holly Reid, likes the fact that Rob lives in the neighbourhood and “understands our aging homes.” Problem is, this handyman is so sought-after that his regulars are worried they’ll lose Leaside’s bestkept secret. n

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Leaside Life • May 2022

LEASIDE

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MEET A LEASIDE BUSINESS: LOLA & MIGUEL 6

Leasiders go hog-wild at Lola & Miguel Did you ever imagine that acorn nuts could transform something ordinary into something extraordinary? With the zealous consumption of mature fallen acorns, from October to January, heritage Iberian pigs create a ham that when drycured is so divine it melts in your mouth. Three researchers from the Faculty of Economics and Business Sciences at the University of Córdoba in Spain concluded that government and businesses are increasingly promoting tourism related to Iberian ham. Lucky for Leasiders, rather than hopping on a plane to Spain, we can enjoy Iberian ham at a new café and food shop, Lola & Miguel, at Unit 102, 28 Industrial Street. Like Toronto’s castle, Casa Loma, with its secret passages and surprises in its back corridors, Lola & Miguel’s features numerous unexpected spaces and a warm welcom-

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Toula Kamaratakis, Daniel Kielly and Mike Tkaczuk (owner, back to camera) serving Ryan Dobrowolski and Andrew Zegers.

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ing ambience in its converted warehouse space. Owner and head chef Michael Tkaczuk enthuses, “Finding this space permitted me to move my food import business, Serrano Foods, and bring my dream of a café and food store to fruition close to my residence here in Leaside. “The space is amazing with nooks that house our quirky vintage espresso machine, a bar where dropins can enjoy an espresso or beverage, corner tables for patrons to enjoy tapas nights or share a paella dish. The high ceiling permits me to display food products, local art and some quirky items like a 1920s chandelier collected on my many business trips through Spain.” He added, “As my assistant and I prepare and plate dishes for in-house diners, in our open kitchen, each dish is presented on our bar, a vintage wood version salvaged from an Ontario bar during a renovation.” There is more to this story. Just ask Tkaczuk when you visit his shop. He says that each item is delivered to guests, with a generous side of information about the dish, offered by

LOLA & MIGUEL Page 37

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Leaside Life • May 2022

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MEET A LEASIDE BUSINESS: PASSION FRUITS & SAVORY THYMES 8

Savouring good times on Bayview Chen Cho, his wife Diana and sons Sydney and Kevin are the heartbeat of Passion Fruits and Savory Thymes. They enjoy being part of the Leaside neighbourhood, and the neighbours return the compliment. As I was asking questions for this story, one woman, talking to herself, said “I could buy everything in the store.” This is a family business with layers. Many years ago, Chen and Diana owned a flower shop on Yonge Street, which they then moved to Summerhill Avenue in Rosedale and named Passion Flowers. Seeing an opportunity to set up a similar business on Bayview Avenue about 20 years ago, they decided to keep the original business and its name, but name the new one Passion Fruits, and expand their product line. They made sure to add a large temperature-controlled flower locker at the back of the store. At the time, they were part of a triumvirate along with White House Meats and Alex Cheese. As Alex Cheese moved

Sydney Cho outside the family shop.

$150 M+ 25 years 30 years combined sales in the last 5 years

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LORNA KRAWCHUK

Leaside Life • May 2022

by LORNA KRAWCHUK

across Bayview and White House Meats moved three doors south, the family spotted an opportunity for a second business along Bayview. They might have been a bit ahead of their time, deciding to have a café serving healthy food, which they named Savory Thymes. Those “thymes” didn’t last for long in that format, so they decided to expand into groceries and more produce and cut a wide doorway inside the two stores to combine the two businesses inside, even as they retained both names. The result is a vibrant display of flowers, plants, greenery, fruits – whatever is most eye-catching at the time – outside the front of both stores. Are they legally there? In a word, yes. Those of you with good memories might remember the time when there was a painted yellow line on the east sidewalk all along Bayview, to show where the private property of a shop-owner ended, and where the public sidewalk began. It is courtesy of that old yellow line that the store extension is permitted. Chen Cho has always been the main flower buyer, who purchases directly through local growers as much as possible. Diana worked in the

Bayview store for many years, but is now mainly at the Summerhill location. Adult sons Sydney and Kevin work the Bayview location. Even though they have been in the stores since they were quite young, they didn’t immediately join the family business. Sydney put in a few years with general arts courses at university, while Kevin attended Osgoode Law School before both decided to join the family business. Sydney is now the main produce buyer, Kevin the groceries buyer. Sydney is at the Ontario Food Terminal before 6 a.m., usually four times a week, replenishing the produce lines. Kevin searches out small independent distributors to find interesting items not found in larger stores. As a holdover from the days of the café, there is still a working kitchen in Savory Thymes. That means there is usually one of the staff willing to make a lunch all the employees share. Over these past few years, while the Cho family don’t have a website for ordering, they did start to advertise an email address for customer pickup during pandemic times. It is still in use, along with a sign mentioning customer parking at the rear of the store for those busy parking times on Bayview. Sweet! n

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Leaside Life • May 2022

SAVORY continued

Good times at Leaside’s wilderness parks

Leaside Life • May 2022

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I have such fond childhood memories of time spent with family and friends at Wilket Creek Park and Serena Gundy Park, not to mention Sunnybrook Park and Ernest Thompson Seton Park. All four parks linked in our own Leaside backyard. How lucky we were, and still are, to have them. Our family was a heavy user of the parks, particularly Wilket Creek. During the summer, even on a weeknight, my mom and dad would pack our cooler, a bag of charcoal, ball gloves and balls, and a frisbee into the back of our old Ford Country Squire station wagon. It was a very short trip across Eglinton to Leslie and then into Wilket Creek Park, with the old Inn on the Park looming above us. It was a blessing that the park was so close. We four kids could usually endure the under 10-minute drive without the tenuous rapport among us breaking down into in-car internecine anarchy. We’d park and carry our provisions, which at first glance rivaled those of Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditions, to the nearest open barbecue and picnic table. Dad

Terry Fallis Columnist

would fire up the charcoal with a few squirts of lighter fluid – and no, he never let us handle the pyrotechnics – before the hot dogs would be laid on the grill. Actually, I missed a step there. The hot dogs would initially roll off the grill into the dirt below before being rinsed off with lemonade and then reoriented longitudinally on the barbecue, so they wouldn’t escape again. That was a lesson we relearned several times over the years. Mom would sit contentedly at the picnic table, delighted to have Dad handling the cooking for a change. We kids would tear around exploring and keeping our eyes peeled for wildlife, of which there was plenty. A groundhog was likely the most exotic creature we’d see in the park, but there were

also plenty of raccoons, muskrats, chipmunks, mice, and the occasional garter snake. My twin brother Tim and I would commentate these animal encounters as if guest starring on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. “Tim’s heading down to the waterhole to commune with the muskrats while I stay here by the chopper,” etc., etc. Yes, before we knew about David Attenborough, there was Wild Kingdom’s Marlin Perkins. When we got bored of the search for animal life, we’d throw the frisbee until an errant hurl would send it into the river. We always played close enough to the water to ensure this eventuality. As the frisbee, in its Paddle to the Sea moment, floated gently down the stream, we’d switch to throwing the baseball around instead. What I remember most was that no dinner ever tasted better than from the rusted grills of a Wilket Creek barbecue. A few years later, my mother actually took riding lessons up at Sunnybrook Park, just next door to Wilket Creek. This resulted in an annual outing to fill up the back of her Volkswagen station wagon with enough horse manure from the stables that the car sat dangerously low on its axles for the drive home. Apparently, she’d heard on CBC radio that horse manure was great for the garden. I must say the flowers were much healthier and blossomed into a riot of colours. However, the stench kept you at quite a distance so the full flowery impact was lost. Still later, when I was at university and had inherited my Mom’s VW, whenever I had passengers with me, they would inevitably ask, “What’s that smell?” I, of course, had long since stopped even noticing the “scent of Sunnybrook.” Another generation of our family is now enjoying Leaside’s wonderful parks. Our two sons spend a lot of time playing disc golf at Ernest Thompson Seton Park, so the tradition lives on. Now is the perfect time of year to reintroduce yourself to these green gems in our own backyard. And if you find a frisbee floating in the stream, I may know whom it belongs to. 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

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Leaside Life • May 2022

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She Swaps Shop brings joy – and clothes – to Leaside

A passionate and devoted follower of fashion, Leasider Vicki Hall is the founder of She Swaps Shop, a curated fashion swap for women borne out of the need to reduce the amount of textile we consume and keep clothing out of landfills. For the uninitiated, swap participants contribute a number of ready-to-wear clothing items to the event and are free to take home an equal number of items. “There are swaps that you can go to for free, but many of those often have a discount feel and a garage sale aesthetic with clothing thrown on tables. It’s certainly not the demographic I wanted to target. Instead, my goal was to reach women who wouldn’t have otherwise swapped clothing and turn this into a practical and fun evening for the community.” A lot of great closets in Leaside and those closets are full of great clothes The original idea for the type of swap she envisioned came from her experience as a consignment shopper and seller. Vicki recognized there was

Glenn Asano The Business of Leaside

a gap in the consignment and resale clothing market. “There’s designer consignment and then there’s donation. There are very few consignment shops that will take the ‘middle retail’ or some ‘fast fashion’ items from brands such as Gap, Zara or H&M. But we still have clothes that are good, but you couldn’t sell these clothes and I wasn’t quite ready to donate them. And that’s when the idea struck me. I’m not wearing these anymore, they are like new, and I had always given away clothes to girlfriends without a second thought. … well maybe we can do a swap,” she explains. During a chat with her good friend Robyn Israel at Sophie’s on Bayview in early 2020, the initial plan for the Swap went from a small event for 8-10 friends in Robyn’s living room, to a full-scale community event hosted at the Amsterdam Brewery here in Leaside on March 3, 2020. After the decision was made to “go big,” it was really all about a community outreach effort “starting with the women who were regular readers of my blog and Instagram account…and then I just went grassroots,” she recalls. She put up signs at the Starbucks and anywhere she knew there was a community bulletin board. She Swaps Shop began to gain traction. She knew that she wanted the ‘swapping’ experience to feel as though you were shopping, hence the name. “So, I knew it was not going to look like a garage sale, it wasn’t going to be clothes thrown on tables, and it would be curated. I knew I wanted to take in good things, things that people were proud of that they wore. I mean, the reality for some is that you’ll buy items, wear them to a couple of parties and then you’re like, okay, everybody’s seen this, but it’s still good, right?” Vicki’s point proved correct based on the quality of the items she processed during the ‘intake’ with many contributed items still having tags on them. The wildly successful inaugural event saw more than 75 women eagerly swap more than 600 hundred pieces of clothing, and any ‘unswapped’ items were donated to New Circles. With all the waste in the garment industry, we’re trying to give clothes a longer life Having never attended a swap (apparently there could be one for men if there’s enough interest) I

asked Vicki what to expect. “I open the doors at 7 p.m. and everybody has an equal opportunity to peruse what’s there on the tables, on the racks, but they can’t touch anything.” You can get a drink, relax and chit chat with friends. But the real action starts when the bell rings at 7:30 p.m. “It was absolutely hilarious. Everybody runs to get the good stuff, a bit of a crazy frenzy. But it was a lot of fun. Everybody just started trying things on over their clothes and if they didn’t like it, they’d give it to a friend and say, ‘Oh, here, this would be great on you.’ It really was a real community moment. Women were bumping into friends they hadn’t seen in years.” Vicki also learned which items swap the best. “Jeans and jackets are huge,” while skirts and business clothing were less so. Always on the lookout for business opportunities and knowing that the barter economy is growing, I asked about the business model and Vicki confessed, “there is a tremendous amount of work to do leading up to event day along with various costs. It’s more a labour of love and passion than anything else at this time. I do have people telling me, ‘Oh, I just wore an item from your swap the other day,’ and I love that sentiment. It’s really about connecting the community and the sustainability aspect of changing our fashion consumption habits is something I’m really proud of and it’s just plain fun.” Covid put paid to the next swaps... until now. Yes, Leaside, as you begin your spring cleaning, don’t forget your closet and be on the lookout for items to contribute to She Swaps Shop 2! Tickets will sell for $20 with a portion going directly to colorectal cancer research in memory of Robyn Israel, Vicki’s good friend and She Swaps Shop co-conspirator who was passionately involved in the Leaside community. The highly anticipated follow-up event will take place at Leaside Gardens on June 15th with a focus on spring and summer fashion. Learn more at the new website: www.sheshopsswap.com. Is your closet full of ‘swappables’? Barter-based economic transactions are enjoying a resurgence. Have you benefited from cashless economic systems in your business or personal life? Do you think there are other markets in Leaside that could benefit from such a model? Let us know at leasidelife@gmail.com. n

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Leaside Life • May 2022

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14

Don Valley West is Ground Zero for the provincial election

Leaside Life • May 2022

by LUCAS FLEMMING The Don Valley West electoral district is set to be Ground Zero for some of the fiercest competition in the upcoming 2022 provincial election, on June 2.

MEET THE CANDIDATES!

Much has changed since DVW’s last provincial election in 2018 when Liberal Kathleen Wynne squeezed out a victory over Conservative Jon Kieran by a margin of just 181 votes. Since then, we have endured a pandemic, grown as a neighbourhood, and for the first time in almost two decades we will see an entirely fresh set of candidates vying to become the next Don Valley West MPP. After first winning the riding in 2003 and holding the position of our MPP for upwards of 19 years, Wynne has stepped down as the Liberal candidate. During her time as MPP, Wynne also served as the 25th Premier of Ontario, succeeded by Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives. With the resignation of Wynne and the 2018 election ending in an 18.12% decrease in Liberal votes, an 11.07% gain for the NDP, and a 7.86% increase for the Conservatives, all parties are looking for the opportunity to transform Don Valley West into their next seat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. This is easier said than done, but all parties have come prepared. This election will be a defining one for Don Valley West. For years our riding has been a Liberal stronghold led by Kathleen Wynne, but with faltering Liberal votes and the appointment of extremely qualified candidates in all parties, election night will be a real nailbiter. Could the increasing split of parties on the left make way for the first Conservative in decades? Will the Liberals hang on to Don Valley West for another term after suffering losses in 2018? Will growing public support for the NDP culminate in their first victory in DVW? Only time will tell. Whomever you support, remember, Election Day is June 2nd with many options to cast your vote, including extended advance voting and mail-in ballots. n

Stephanie Bowman, Liberal

Sheena Sharp, Green

After retaining a mere seven seats in the Legislature and losing party status in 2018, the Liberals have appointed Stephanie Bowman as their candidate to continue the historical Liberal control in Don Valley West. An accountant by trade, Bowman is a former bank executive who recently served as a member of the board of the Bank of Canada. Previously, she acted as a long-time senior executive with Scotiabank as well as a partner at accounting firm Ernst & Young. Born in London, Ont., Bowman is a mother of two young adult children, who, along with her husband, have lived in the riding for more than 27 years. The Liberals also have a new face as the leader of the party in Stephen Del Duca, a long-time political staffer, MPP and former cabinet minister. The Liberal platform centres around increasing access to affordable housing, adding more equitable access to health care and public education, and introducing added protections for the environment.

The Green Party has struggled historically in Don Valley West, but playing on the potential for growth following the resignation of Kathleen Wynne, the Greens have put forward one of their highest profile candidates to date. Sheena Sharp is a founder and principal architect at Coolearth Architecture Inc., a firm that designs buildings for an emissions-free future. Living in the riding for more than 20 years, Sharp is a fellow of the Architectural Institute of Canada and has served as president of the Ontario Association of Architects. Sharp stated that a vote for the Greens will send a strong message to the other parties that a focus on climate action is important. She says the Liberals and the NDP are only green when convenient, and that a Green in the legislature would help keep the government on track regarding climate change.

“Over the last four years, I have been frustrated with how the

Ford government’s decisions have negatively affected our community, e.g. overturning the Midtown in Focus plan in favour of irresponsible development. Climate change, healthcare, seniors care, and more have been undermined under the Ford government, and I believe the residents of Don Valley West deserve a more thoughtful and proactive government. The Ontario Liberal Party can deliver that government to the residents of Don Valley West, and I wanted to step up to help make that happen. — Stephanie Bowman

”

“Right now we have an opportunity to take a new

direction for future generations. We need to transition to a clean fuel economy. We have the technology, and the capacity, and we can afford it, with barely a dent in our lifestyles. I’m running because the other 3 main parties are not acting effectively, in fact they all just voted for a pipeline! We have to stop this nonsense and summon the courage to change. — Sheena Sharp

”

The Progressive Conservatives are waging an intense campaign against the incumbent Liberals by selecting former Toronto Chief of Police Mark Saunders as their Don Valley West candidate. Saunders served as the first Black Canadian to lead the Toronto Police, the second in Canada to do so. During the pandemic he worked on the COVID-19 vaccine task force, while also playing an integral role as the province’s special advisor for the Ontario Place redevelopment project. Saunders is a resident of North York and is married with four grown children. During his launch party held at the Leaside Pub, Saunders said that after retiring from the Toronto Police in 2020, he realized he was not yet done serving the people of Toronto. Ontario PC leader and current Premier Doug Ford stated: “Mark brings an incredible amount of experience serving with the Toronto Police Service for nearly four decades. I’m thrilled to have him join our team, and have no doubt he’ll be an incredible voice at Queen’s Park.”

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The New Democratic Party hopes to build on their 2018 momentum after experiencing the largest vote increase since the creation of the Don Valley West riding in 1996. They have landed on Irwin Elman, a long-serving educator, counsellor, youth worker, and policy developer. Elman worked for more than 20 years as the manager of the Pape Adolescent Resource Centre in Toronto. He holds a Master of Education from the University of Toronto and has also served as Director of Client Service at the Central Toronto Youth Services. More recently, he held the position of Child & Youth Advocate for the Province of Ontario. NDP leader Andrea Horwath said of Elman: “Irwin’s dedication to a better world for the next generation is inspiring. His advocacy for children and youth in our province is highly respected, and I know he can deliver progress for families and working people in Don Valley West.”

As Ontario’s Child Advocate from 2008-2019, and throughout my life, I have worked for a better community, a better province, a better world. I partnered with children, youth and families so they were heard and their rights respected. I brought diverse peoples together to find solutions. It is this track record I bring to the table. As your representative, I will amplify the voices of Don Valley West where I lived for 15 years. The riding is part of me. I will be your advocate. Of that you can be certain, it is who I am. I welcome your support and vote on June 2. — Irwin Elman

”

ELECTION DAY JUNE 2ND

We are here to help and proud to serve our community!

“ Don Valley West is comprised of

vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods, with Leaside right at the heart of the city. Over the years this riding has had strong representation, and I am running to be your voice in the PC government. With 38 years of public service working in all of Toronto’s neighbourhoods, I understand that listening is the key to finding common ground and delivering solutions for communities. Leaside and Don Valley West deserve an MPP at Queen’s Park who has a seat at the government table to voice your concerns, and who can get things done. — Mark Saunders

Bayview & Fleming 1601 Bayview Ave. Toronto, ON M4G 3B5 416-489-1873 8am - midnight* Bayview & Broadway 1860 Bayview Ave. Toronto, ON M4G 0C3 416-482-9841 8am - 10pm*

”

*

Except holidays

BRIAN MOK Leaside Village 25 Industrial Street, Toronto, ON M4G 1Z2 416-429-0202 8am - 10pm*

Leaside Life • May 2022

Mark Saunders, Conservative

Irwin Elman, NDP

Leaside Life • May 2022

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AUTHORIZED BY THE CFO FOR THE DON VALLEY WEST PC ASSOCIATION.

Mark Saunders is a dedicated community leader, who served as Chief of the Toronto Police Service for five years and is actively involved in community organizations.

ELECT

Mark

SAUNDERS

YOUR VOICE IN THE NEXT PC GOVERNMENT

Authorized by the CFO for the Don Valley West PLA

ELECT

STEPHANIE

BOWMAN Ontario Liberal Party Candidate for Don Valley West

LETTER TO LEASIDE In the six months since I became the Ontario Liberal Party candidate for Don Valley West, I've been asked many times: "Why are you running?" Here's why – I've lived in this riding for 28 years, so I know firsthand that it's a wonderful place to live and raise a family. But I've also learned that we can't take that for granted, and I'm worried about our future, especially after the last four years. I believe communities are stronger when they have access to a clean environment, great health care, quality public education, affordable housing, and a secure financial future. We need to work on these things together, and I want to make sure our Ontario Government is committed to these priorities. Serving on the Board of the Bank of Canada confirmed my interest in policy and the important impact it has on our lives. Along with my career as a Chartered Professional Accountant, I have been an active volunteer with great organizations like the Kidney Foundation and Lawrence Park Community Church. Like many of you, I get a great deal of satisfaction from working to deliver positive change. And that is why I put my hand up to run as Don Valley West's Ontario Liberal candidate. I want to harness what I've learned as a leader in business and non-profit organizations to support our community. I firmly believe I can be an effective voice for you at Queen's Park. If you share my vision for a government that is committed to delivering positive change, please vote for me and the Ontario Liberal Party. Together we can make a brighter future for everyone who calls Ontario home! Bowman_DVW @Bowman_DVW

stephaniebowman.ca info@stephaniebowman.ca | p. 647-506-2022

StephanieBowmanON

Bayview’s main street retail marches north by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO Bayview Avenue has long been an important hub of the neighbourhood. Need a quick coffee? Head to Bayview. How about a mani-pedi, delicious meal or snack, a grocery shop, perhaps that gift you can’t find anywhere else, a chic haircut, or the latest style fitness class? Sporting equipment, real estate enquiries, drool-worthy clothes, big banks, or a new pair of shoes (I’m a size 6, if you’re asking)? Bayview has got it all. But more than providing a diverse range of retail options, Bayview is a spot where neighbours come together. Whether it’s an intended or a chance encounter, Leaside’s “main street” has an undeniable vibe. Within the next few months, the “strip” will be expanding, moving north, and putting down roots in a new development opening its doors to residents and businesses. The Stack is a mixed-use development by The Brown Group at 16741684 Bayview (aka Bayview from Hillsdale to Soudan (the extension of Parkhurst)). At seven storeys high,

The Stack

ROBIN DICKIE

Leaside Life • May 2022

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the property offers 146 rental units along with street level retail. The entire retail space on the ground floor has been leased to two retailers, The Sweet Potato, a natural foods grocery store, and Maker Pizza, a pizzeria with multiple locations across the city. But this isn’t just a story about two new stores coming to Bayview. It’s about the march of retail north to

a new area of the street, and setting precedent for development north of Soudan to Eglinton, where an even larger development promises more retail opportunities. Amanda Chih with The Brown Group of Companies notes that “we believe that both The Sweet Potato and Maker Pizza will be great additions to the building and neighbourhood.” This is a sentiment echoed by the Bayview-Leaside BIA. The association of commercial property owners and tenants in the area is excited by the arrival of new retailers for a myriad of reasons. BIA coordinator Henry Byres notes that the addition of retail at The Stack will result in the “BIA being ‘evenedoff’ at the north end. For so many decades, Bayview between Fleming and Parkhurst has been, at least in part, a single-sided main street. The addition of the retail means we will now have a double-sided main street for the full length of the block, which will encourage customers and clients to walk the entire length on both sides of the street.” In addition to the strip being extended, Byres adds that “the design of the building’s commercial platform is attractive, and the window placement and rhythm lends itself to a traditional main street environment.” With new retail and more choice for consumers, it is expected that more shoppers will choose Bayview – a win for all current (and future) retailers. Watch for the new retailers to open in the near future and in the meantime, visit Bayview to shop local and to soak up all the neighbourly vibes Leaside’s main street has to offer. n

We can hit climate targets. We have the technology. We have the capacity. We can afford it.

We need green government to help get it done.

Sheena Sharp

Candidate, Don Valley West

VoteSheenaSharp.ca Authorized by the CFO of the GPO Don Valley West Constituency Association

Leaside Life • May 2022

by ROBIN DICKIE After almost 20 years as our MPP for Don Valley West, Kathleen Wynne is retiring from politics. She has been Minister of Education, Transportation, Indigenous Affairs and, for two terms, Ontario’s first woman and first openly gay Premier. Her defeat in 2018 was colossal, but she remains as hard-working and determined as ever. In early April, Leaside Life contributor Robin Dickie asked her about the state of the province, our riding and her plans for the future…. We live in a strange world. Covid is still with us, there is war abroad, fears of nuclear war and people divided over issues big and small. What’s your take on all this as you prepare to retire from public office? More than ever, we need people to be involved. It sounds like a contradiction because you are right about the polarization, but that’s exactly why we need people to pay attention to our democracy and find a way to build a strong future. And I’m optimistic! In Ontario

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we have so many advantages, and it’s a shame if we lose those advantages by not listening to each other. That’s the biggest danger.

GEO SWAN/FLICKR

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Q&A with Kathleen Wynne: “I just love the riding. It’s so diverse.”

The epidemic has devastated our system, and nurses are burned out. What can we do about that? We start with making sure we have the staff we need. Full disclosure: my daughter is an emergency room nurse. There will be lots of conversations in the election campaign about building hospitals, but making sure we have the personnel we need in our emergency rooms, ICUs, long-term care and home care, and that those [mostly] women have the conditions that allow them to come back to work, and stay, is number one from my perspective. Through this pandemic we have heard from doctors and epidemiologists. But we didn’t hear from nurses. Yet they have held us together. My mother was in a retirement home and there were months where we didn’t see her. And if we hadn’t had PSWs looking after her, she would have been in a very bad way. So we’ve really missed the mark in terms of “Who’s the backbone of the healthcare system?” What are the biggest issues going forward for Don Valley West? There are some immediate and urgent issues. Development along Eglinton is a huge concern, and is going to be for years. One of the reasons why I fought so hard for changes to the Ontario Municipal Board was that I believe municipal councils should have as much authority as possible over development in their jurisdictions. Obviously there has to be a provincial

plan, and there is a provincial policy statement, but there’s a lot of latitude. Giving councillors the responsibility to decide what is built and what it’s going to look like is the way it should go. We changed the OMB so council had more responsibility. Ford changed that back, and I’m very worried about the influence of developers in city planning. The province has taken over what should be municipal affairs. Right. They are using ministerial zoning orders in a way that they were never supposed to be used. I think we used two in my term as Premier, and they have already used dozens. That overrides the municipal process and community input, and that is a big issue for Don Valley West, because the Eglinton Crosstown is going to open and there will be a lot of changes along Eglinton. We need to make sure the amenities are in place. I’d like to see it be gentle density, not all 30 storeys. Development will also be a concern when the Ontario Line is built, and the maintenance and storage facility is part of that, but there will be other questions associated with the Ontario Line. The whole province has education issues as a result of the pandemic. Don Valley West is no different, but the overcrowding is particularly acute here. We have very full schools. It’s one of the things I was working on before we lost government, and even since with Trustees Rachel Chernos Lin and Shelley Laskin. We need more space for our kids, and the next MPP is going to need to work closely with the school board and the government to make sure those issues get on the radar. School boards need to have the authority to distribute their students and access development charges. We were working on a plan that would allow the TDSB to access development charges on a regional basis from developers. I hope that will go forward. The final issue is housing. The issues people get in touch with me about most are housing issues. Some involve newcomer housing, others are people just trying to find reasonable housing. We put rent control in place, but that was taken off by the government, so I’m worried. More than 50% of people in DVW live in rental accommodations, and affordable housing, in terms of both renting and buying, will continue to be an issue. The proposed Metrolinx rail yard is a big issue for Leasiders. You

heard from parents. He thought he was going to hear “Repeal the curriculum.” He heard: “We need this, do it now,” and it took him a year or so, but he did. But, like all curriculum, it needs continual review. There’s always more online risk, and kids will have questions. I have faith in teachers’ ability to inform what the curriculum needs to be. It’s just a matter of the government listening to them, which is what we did when we got that curriculum in place. I don’t think it’s anything Doug Ford wants to touch. The majority of people supported an updated curriculum. A curriculum written in 1998 was not going to suffice for 2018 – that’s just ridiculous. The media finally got that it wasn’t a story, and the Ford government got that they had lost the battle. There are still people on the right wing who would like to stir it up, but there is nothing to stir now. Let’s talk a bit about your legacy. What are you most proud of? Some of the things I am most proud of are individual successes – people who were looking for support to help them through a tough time, or for home care for their parent or grandparent, and I have been able to help them. Those issues change people’s lives, and I’m really proud of the cumulative legacy of that work. I’ve had wonderful staff who have stayed with me. We have worked to build community. We created festivals in Thorncliffe Park around Eid and Ramadan. I spent a lot of time doing community gardens. We worked together on keeping the lands up by the Donwood. I’m proud of those local successes – those are the things people elected me to do. If you had more time, what would you want to do? So much more. I had hoped that we would have completed the basic income pilot and had some good information to add to the discussion about guaranteed annual income for people living in poverty. That would have affected millions of people across the province. That’s a major regret, and it’s at the top of my mind because people

are struggling with the cost of living. What comes next for you? Lots of grandma time! One of the reasons we moved to the Alliston area was to be closer to my grandkids. We built a house with my youngest, Maggie, so we are living in an intergenerational semi, and it’s lovely. We are very happy. I’m teaching at U of T, and I will continue that because I love spending time with young people, it makes me hopeful about the future; and if I can use my experience to help people get a more realistic view of how politics work, that’s a valuable contribution. Beyond that I don’t know. I am serving on the board of the Woodland Cultural Centre on Six Nations reserve. Our government gave money to rebuild one of the residential schools as a museum, and there is a cultural centre this group is raising money for. I’m trying to do things that are useful and helpful going forward. You put up with a lot of vitriol. It takes a special person to go into politics and risk all that these days. Thank you! But it’s a team sport for sure. I feel really blessed. Jane has been a strong supporter, and my kids have been supportive, if sometimes chagrined that I wasn’t around so much. They were such a help to me through those years. It’s important to have a strong team – not just family, but people you can rely on – and to reinforce how it’s worth it, to have the ability to have an impact on people’s lives. Do you have any advice for your successor? I just love the riding. It’s so diverse. I feel it’s a microcosm of the country because we’ve got some of the wealthiest people and then people who have just arrived with $10 in their pockets. I met an Afghan doctor who is working as a nurse and contributing so much to our society. We are blessed. So, I say to whoever comes after me, savour it, and really listen to the people of the riding. I always felt I had them with me at Queen’s Park when decisions were being made. That’s why I spent so much time knocking on doors, because that’s how you get to know what people are thinking. The Conservatives have brought in a big name, and there’s an NDP and Green presence which we haven’t had much of in the riding because they figured it was safely yours. Any comment on that? All I can tell you is that I’m going to be out knocking on doors for Stephanie. She’s a great candidate and, you know, the people will decide…. n

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Leaside Life • May 2022

have been trying to get Metrolinx to rethink it. Where does that stand? It’s very discouraging. I’ve been engaged with the community, particularly Thorncliffe businesses and residents, to try to get Metrolinx to adjust the plan. And we have not been successful. There hasn’t been any political engagement. Metrolinx brings plans to the government, but the final signoff and funding for these projects lies with the government. When I asked Caroline Mulroney [Minister of Transportation] to come to the consultations, she sent her Chief of Staff once, and we never heard from them again. There has been no political will to pay attention to the concerns of the people in Thorncliffe, so I can’t tell you what will happen. It may be that the discussion will pick up again after the election. But I can tell you that Stephanie Bowman, the Liberal candidate, will be raising this issue, because it’s been very frustrating for the people who are going to be most affected. I met with the Leaside residents’ group, who are concerned about what the community benefits are going to be. There’s already a community benefit in place for the mosque in Thorncliffe. We are trying to impress upon Metrolinx the need for broader benefits for the whole community, and so far, we have not had any word on those. There’s a community centre needed in Thorncliffe Park as well as upgrades to parkland and buildings to provide amenities for that community. Another issue for many of us is Truth & Reconciliation. Where do we need to go on that front? The first thing all of us need to do is to educate ourselves. It’s not up to First Nations, Métis and Inuit people, it’s for us to know the history and listen to Indigenous voices. That’s why supporting the teaching of history in a different way in our schools is important. It’s why I wanted mandatory education on Indigenous peoples in the curriculum. The [current] government cancelled that; there are optional courses, but we need kids to learn a different history than we learned. We didn’t learn the truth. There are church and community groups in Leaside asking Indigenous people to come and speak and trying to educate themselves, and I believe that’s the most important thing we can do. What about your sex education curriculum. Is it being taught? Yes, it is. Ford courted social conservatives, but once he was elected, he

GARY TOPOROSKI

Wynne continued

THE

Curious Idler Dude, where’s my Leaside Life? Leaside Life is your community monthly magazine. Thanks to the incredible support of our many advertisers, we can distribute 10,000 copies each month to every home, apartment, and business in both Leaside and Bennington Heights. Our long-time distribution partner, Accurate Distributing, has been with us since day one, more than a decade now. Occasionally, the Idler has learned, you may not receive your monthly copy. If this happens, we want to know. Give us a call at 416-504-8047, email us at leasidelife@gmail.com, post on our social media platforms, or use our contact link at leasidelife.com. Typically, you should receive the issue at your door the last week of each month. If you do not receive it

men and the third leading cause of death from cancer in Canadian women. The good news is that nine out of 10 people can be cured of colon cancer if it is detected early enough through a simple screening process. Bill does not stop at raising awareness; he is also raising money and is Toronto’s top fundraiser, raising over $16,000 in the annual 5km Bum Run, in support of the Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN). Bill has also been the chair of their Patient Advisory Council. So, what is the Idler going to do this month? Call my doctor and ask about screening. Visit https://ccran.org to learn more.

Spring into action with the Leaside Garden Society Leaside Garden Society Speaker Series will continue to be held online via Zoom. Guest speaker on May 12, at 7 p.m. is Richard Dickinson. Topic: Space invaders: Invasive species. New members and guests are welcome to join the Leaside Garden Society and view the Zoom meeting. Visit: www.leasidegardensociety.org. Email: leaside@gardenontario.org. Richard Dickinson lives in Toronto and has taught plant taxonomy for more than 25 years. He is co-author of Wildflowers of Edmonton & Central Alberta, Wildflowers of Calgary & Southern Alberta, Plants of Alberta, Weeds of North America and Plants of Southern Ontario. He is also a research associate to the Royal Ontario Museum.

Davisville subway stop – show me the love on Saturdays

No ifs, ands or “butts” when it comes to bum screening Bill McGinley

KIM MCGINLEY

Leaside Life • May 2022

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by the first of any month, then we might have missed you. Let us know, and we will quickly hand-deliver the issue to you, with our apologies and our thanks for helping us get better.

416-483-4444

info@bonniebyford.com Talking about your colon is not likely at the top of your list, but for 27-year Leaside resident Bill McGinley, bringing awareness about colorectal cancer has become a passion. Diagnosed in 2018 with Stage IV colorectal cancer, Bill has spent the last four years fighting to survive for his wife and four children, and doggedly raising awareness that this type of cancer can be effectively treated if there is early detection. Colorectal cancer is one of the most diagnosed cancers in Canada. It is the second leading cause of death from cancer in Canadian

The Idler recently had a chat with a Leaside resident who informed us that “the Davisville subway stop is often closed on Saturday.” Not a big deal, unless you are one of the riders travelling to or from Leaside on a Saturday. The #11 bus, which originates from Sunnybrook hospital and travels south on Bayview to Davisville and across Davisville to the subway station, is a vital service for more than 25,000 who use the station weekly. But on a Saturday when the station is closed, riders are forced to take a shuttle bus either up or down Yonge Street to be able to board the subway. This reader shared a story about getting home from a Blue Jays game. He reported that on a recent Saturday night, it was faster to get to Oakville than back to Leaside by transit. Numerous calls to the TTC to find out why this stop is often closed on a Saturday only yielded an explanation that it had to do with Metrolinx. Hmmm. Have any other readers had this problem? Let us know because with the price of gas going up, more of us will be travelling by transit.

Big shout-out to Leasiders from Jeff Walker! The Idler always likes to pass on good news. This came to us from local resident Jeff Walker: “I’d like to thank the dozen or so Leaside (and North Toronto) residents, male and female, who over the past several months saw me limping along the sidewalk with my SONK (spontaneous osteo-necrosis of the

IDLER Page 37

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Leaside Life • May 2022

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Look who’s coming to Leaside? Hyde Park Plaza

Leaside Life • May 2022

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You know it now as the home of Staples, HomeSense, Marshall’s, 2001 Audio Video, and Robert Lowrey, piano experts, but the Hyde Park Plaza site at the southeast corner of Eglinton Avenue and Brentcliffe Road has a different destiny – to become the home of perhaps 3,000 people. The plan for the plaza submitted to the City by long-time owner Hyde Park GP Inc. includes four residential towers of 16 to 28 storeys, ground floor retail, new public roads and two privately-owned, publicly accessible public spaces (“POPS”). There is also an off-site public parkland dedication and westerly expansion of the existing public park (Leonard Linton Park) to approximately Aerodrome Crescent, adjacent to the redevelopment site on the south side of Vanderhoof Avenue. The City held its virtual community consultation on this application on April 4th. The issues raised by those attending echoed many of those raised by the Leaside Residents Association in its submission to North York Community Council on

Geoff Kettel

Saving old Leaside

dents of Thursfield Crescent (north of the site) expressed concerns about shadowing from the proposed four towers. While appreciating the contribution of the extensive POPS to the

The proposed towers

the preliminary staff report: Tower heights and plan layout Herbert Behrend from the Scenic Condos (east of the site) and resi-

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open space on the site, there are also concerns about the proposed private (rather than public) east-west road, and whether this would reduce the opportunity for full tree growth and constrain future use of the space. Mixed Use designation and “live-work” community The provision of retail at the base of certain of the buildings which are otherwise residential does not meet the intent of the Mixed Use designation, especially given that these are former Employment-designated lands, located across Vanderhoof from existing Employmentdesignated lands. In the case of the RioCan lands (815-845 Eglinton Ave. East), the final approved plan included a 6-storey office building. (Admittedly, the RioCan lands continue to include a portion of Employment Lands, which the Hyde Park lands do not.) Yes, the development is close to and driven by the arrival of the Eglinton Crosstown. However, it should strive to be a true “live-work community,” with a significant employment producing component on-site, other than just retail. Traffic issues from the interface of industrial and residential uses The Brentcliffe and Eglinton intersection acts as a major exit (eastbound to the Don Valley Parkway)

HYDE PARK Page 34

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Leaside Life • May 2022

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Leaside Life • May 2022

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Can you dig it? Leaside gardeners are connecting to nature in new ways Though I’ve used the featured quote once before, it’s so profound I feel it’s worth repeating. Our First Nations people protected local ecosystems and preserved biodiversity through land management and sustainable farming practices. These practices show how to live in harmony with the land and use natural resources in a sustainable way, safeguarding resources for future generations. But that isn’t how most of us have been gardening. Now, with a focus on climate change, sustainability and biodiversity loss, it appears gardeners are changing how and why we garden – and it’s beginning to show. Every year, I see more Leaside gardens transformed into natural landscapes, more of us are growing food, and I’m asked more questions about native plants and pollinator gardens. Are we connecting with nature rather than trying to control it? Have we suddenly realized that our resources are not infinite? Are we beginning to see beauty through

The Leaside Gardener Debora Kuchme Columnist

“We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” — Native American proverb a different lens? It’s May at last and our local garden centres (check out our local Bayview shops for great choices!) are now bursting with racks of colourful potted plants inviting us to buy now. Tempting, right? But Victoria Day weekend (our spring frost-free date) is still weeks away and there’s some time to think first. Here are just a few things to ponder before you dig in: Is it time to say goodnight to bedding plants? Annual flowers can play an important role in our gardens, especially if we grow vegetables. Plants such as sunflowers, marigolds, zinnias and nasturtium are just a few of the many annual flowers that can attract pollinators and even deter unwanted pests. But over the years, the horticultural industry has turned many of these non-native annuals into an environmental nightmare. Plants such as impatiens and petunias (just to name a few) have been bred only for aesthetics and provide little if any benefit to our ecosystem or our pollinators. What’s worse is the huge environmental footprint and tremendous amount of waste created by producing these ornamentals that last a single season. Used in containers or as mass plantings in garden beds, these bedding plants create a seasonal display of non-stop colour. Though many people find these displays delightful, I see the countless plastic plant pots that end up in landfill (most are not recycled). I see an enormous amount of precious water used to keep them alive along with chemical cocktails to

keep them blooming. There are better alternatives. Consider using more perennial plants for both your containers and garden beds. If you need annuals for your vegetable patch, try growing them yourself from untreated seeds. For peat’s sake! The Sunnybrook Plaza will soon become a massive condo. But did you know that this site was once home to a large peat bog? Peat moss is one of those gardening products that most are familiar with. It’s been a staple product for container growing and used as a soil amendment. But peatlands are also the world’s largest carbon store on land and a valuable ecosystem for plants and animals. Like a giant sponge, peat lands absorb and hold onto water and reduce the risk of flooding. Unfortunately, when we remove peat for use in our gardens, not only do we harm this essential ecosystem, we release all of that stored carbon into the atmosphere. This year, look for peat-free products. There are plenty to choose from. Coconut coir, compost, bark, wood fibre, pine needles, leaf mold and manure. Each has pros and cons, but all are better alternatives to using peat. No Mow May If you are a dedicated lawn lover, this month could be the best time for you to take a break. The No Mow May campaign started in the UK and is now picking up steam here in Canada. And it’s so easy to do! Just allow the flowers to bloom on your lawn (including dandelions) and you will provide an important source of nectar and pollen for our bees and butterflies at the time when they need it the most. It’s just for one month, then you can go back to mowing your lawn. Not sure what the neighbours will think? Post a sign that says something like ‘Participating in No Mow May’ and let everyone know that you care about pollinators. If that seems too wild for your formal front garden, why not the backyard? This would be especially valuable if you’re planning a vegetable garden! Visit leasidelife.com for the extended version of this article! n

In Memoriam

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1933-2022 A beloved son, husband, father, grandfather and scientist, Dr. Anderson died peacefully in Evanston, Illinois on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Born in Oak Park, Illinois on July 17, 1933, Ken spent eight years in Leaside (1968-76) at 15 Field Avenue with his wife Marion and their children, Kirsten, Colin and Christopher. He came to Canada to take up an appointment in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto, where he became an Associate Professor in 1972 and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1976. He returned to the U.S. in 1976 to be closer to family, and to take up a position at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago, where he remained until he retired.

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Leaside Life • May 2022

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Could a Neighbourhood Bikeway work here? by HOLLY REID The cycling column is back and I will pick up where I left off last October – Leaside is indeed in a sweet spot for cycling thanks to progress on several cycling projects. The Yonge Complete Street pilot in midtown now extends to January 2023. We should see movement on the Eglinton Connects bikeway as the Crosstown LRT nears completion. And the Renewing Overlea project promises a wider bridge deck to add more space for active transportation. These developments are great for travelling to/from Leaside by bike, but what about within the neighbourhood? Are our roads conducive to safe cycling? Based on the enquiries I receive, especially from parents who want their children to be safe biking in the neighbourhood, the answer is no. Our quiet residential roads are anything but quiet. Traffic calming and cut-through traffic have been an issue for the more than 30 years that I have lived in Leaside. A few years ago, concerned parents successfully campaigned to have the speed limit on most of our local streets lowered to 30 km/h, significantly reducing the risk from a collision of serious injury or death to people walking and biking. Yet speeding remains an issue. At the January community meeting about the Leaside Transportation Management Plan, City staff explained how road design can help curb speeding and discourage shortcuts through the neighbourhood. One design option to consider is the Neighbourhood Bikeway. According the Ontario Traffic Manual – Book 18 – Cycling Facilities, Neighbourhood Bikeways are “low volume, low-speed streets that have been optimized for bicycle travel.” These routes prioritize people travelling on bikes while discouraging through trips by cars. Through design, neighbourhood bikeways can reduce traffic volume while maintaining access for residents, and, as the road is shared with cyclists, reduce vehicle speeds to more closely align with the speed of someone cycling. Turn restrictions, one-way travel, and diverting through vehicle traffic are possible interventions for lowering traffic volume. To encourage speed com-

Would you be willing to share the road if it reduced speeding and cut-through traffic?

pliance, measures can include speed humps as well as planters and bumpouts that narrow the roadway. I spoke with Becky Katz, the manager of Cycling and Pedestrian Projects, Transportation Services, for the city, about how neighbourhood bikeways have been used in Toronto and to what effect. She noted there are several neighbourhood bikeways in the city and cited Shaw Street as an example. By implementing a contra-flow bike lane (bikes travel in both directions, motor vehicle movement is one way), limiting vehicle access and introducing traffic calming measures, Shaw has seen an increase in the number of people walking and biking while reducing cut-through traffic. But, as Katz points out, not all streets are suitable. Operating speeds should be 30 km/h or lower, and peak period volume no more than 75 motor vehicles. There can also be trade-offs with neighbourhood bikeways, such as limiting on-street parking and/or requiring people to alter daily travel patterns. OTM Book 18 states, “In addition to being advantageous to cyclists, neighbourhood bikeways benefit pedestrians and local residents through reduced exposure to traffic, noise and emissions.” Considering all that neighbourhood bikeways can offer and the potential tradeoffs, do you think they could work in Leaside? Let me know at cycledonvalleymidtown@cycleto.ca n

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Beck Taxi hails its Leaside connection by LORNA KRAWCHUK In 1967, Jim Beck, the owner of a small fleet of taxis driving for a large taxi company, by happenstance ended up as a passenger in a cab driven by someone else at the company. He was less than impressed with the service, and decided he could do better. Thus, Beck Taxi was born, originally operating in the Beach neighbourhood. He chose bright, distinctive colours for his new fleet – Omaha Orange (Pantone P30-8C) and Banana Green (Pantone 142-5C), so his cabs could be seen from a distance and stand out from other taxis. He also set up his new company so Beck Taxi is the marketer of the cabs, which are independently owned with the driver licensed by the City of Toronto. The owner paints the car and pays a monthly subscription fee to Beck. Jim’s daughter, Gail Beck-Souter, now mostly retired from the business, is fond of saying that at Beck “there are two customers – one in the driver’s seat in the front and one in the back. You need to keep them both happy.” This system obviously works, as Beck boasts of being the

Kristine Hubbard

JULIA NORRIS CUNNINGHAM

Leaside Life • May 2022

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“largest and most successful taxi brand in Canada.” So, why are we writing about this in Leaside Life? Because Jim Beck’s granddaughter Kristine Hubbard, the firm’s operations manager, along with her husband and daughters, is a Leasider. In considering a residence,

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Kristine said it was important to be within range of Beck Taxi’s office on Credit Union Drive. More important was that it be a neighbourhood where the kids could walk to school and feel safe. From the day they first looked at what became their house, and they walked over to Bayview to stroll around, saying “how amazing it would be to live here.” As Kristine says, “we couldn’t be happier.” And yes, it’s only 20 minutes, by Beck, of course, for her to get to work. Always painted in the distinctive colours, Beck taxis come in many forms – from standard sedans and accessible vehicles, to vans – so you can call Beck not only to transport people and pets, but to bring you and your large screen TV or big comfortable chair home from the store. And as you might expect, it’s a “multicultural staff” and people in the call centre and driving the cabs understand and speak many languages. Kristine describes the company’s employees as “hard-working people, doing thankless work” in a “job that comes with quite a bit of risk.” She makes a point of “making people understand how it all works,” including telling stories of Beck drivers going “above-and-beyond” in their work day. Corporately as well, the company gives back – delivering turkeys at Christmas or donating rides to charities. In these cases, the drivers are paid, but by Beck instead of the customer. So, when you see the distinctive orange and green taxis driving by, take a moment to consider Beck’s Leaside connection. Taxi! n

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Leasider Catherine Wiseman-Hakes launches The Compassionate Justice Fund

Leaside Life • May 2022

by STAN FLEMMING As many as 80 per cent of adults and more than 50 per cent of youth in the criminal justice system have a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Concussions and other severe brain injuries are highly prevalent among the most vulnerable individuals in our society. This at-risk population often includes people who are homeless or precariously housed, survivors of abuse and intimate partner violence, individuals who find themselves in the criminal justice system, as well as refugees and indigenous persons. This population often faces immense challenges in finding treatment and support for their traumatic brain injuries. These challenges prompted longtime Leasider Catherine WisemanHakes to launch The Compassionate Justice Fund in 2021. Catherine Wiseman-Hakes, Ph.D., is a registered speech-language pathologist and clinical neuroscientist. A self-described ‘neuro-geek,’ she says

she has always been fascinated by the brain and human behaviour. She has spent her clinical and research career working to better understand the factors affecting recovery from a TBI and developing ways to support positive outcomes and improved quality of life. She is also a mother to three now young adult sons, all former Leaside High School students. A completely volunteer-run organization, The Compassionate Justice Fund, working under the umbrella of the Ontario Brain Injury Association, helps bridge the gap in funding for rehabilitation services for marginalized, vulnerable individuals who have

experienced a TBI. The program is eligible to people in Ontario, 16 and older, and those without access to other funding for services. Under the guidance of a well-respected steering committee, funding applications are reviewed and awarded twice a year. One recipient, Isaac, had been an “A” student who, after sustaining numerous concussions playing hockey, saw his grades slip, got involved with drugs, left hockey, and was eventually evicted from his family home. Now in his mid30s, Isaac struggles with substance abuse, is currently homeless, and has become involved in the criminal justice system. The fund will help provide financial support for Isaac to receive the rehabilitation services he needs. Navigating the medical and mental health systems is always challenging. As a vulnerable individual, trying to do this following a concussion or TBI can be nearly impossible. To find out more about the fund, visit https://compassionatejusticefund.org. n

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for truck traffic from Leaside Business Park businesses. However, the Hyde Park development is expected to bring a major increase in pedestrian traffic using the intersection, especially as the Brentcliffe and Eglinton intersection is on the direct walking route to the nearby Laird LRT station. Mary Chong, spokesperson for the Leaside Business Park Assn (LBPA), in her comments recognized this concern, and suggested that the safer corner design proposed by the Renew Overlea Plan for the Beth Nealson/Thorncliffe Park Drive/Overlea Boulevard intersection would be a good model to emulate. Vanderhoof greenway and ravine link The approved Laird in Focus Plan (OPA 450) included important streetscape and other green improvements that need to be activated as part of this development. Vanderhoof Ave. should connect to existing and future parks and open spaces, and provide: • A multi-use path and sidewalk on

the north side of Vanderhoof • Additional trees within the setback area to create a double row of trees as envisioned by OPA 450. Creation of an all-weather trail connection from Vanderhoof to the West Don Trail would open up an amazing “loop trail” opportunity for new residents, and create nearby access to longer distance trail options. Affordable housing While the Leaside (Bayview) Station lies within what the City is calling the Protected Major Transit Station Area (PMTSA), it appears the Laird station is not. This means that the Hyde Park development project, lying as it does in the radius of the Laird LRT station, will not be part of Inclusive Zoning and its affordable unit requirements. It appears that the only provision for affordable housing in the development would be as a result of allocated Section 37 funding, not as a City requirement. Service impacts With a total of over 4,000 units in the three new tower developments in Leaside East (815-845, 939, and

943-963 Eglinton Ave.), we may expect an additional 8,000 residents or more. There is widespread concern over the adequacy of existing community services and physical infrastructure to support all the development projects along Eglinton Avenue. For example, there is presently insufficient capacity in local schools. Want to learn more about the major developments along Eglinton in Leaside that are linked to the coming of the Eglinton Crosstown? Join Geoff on a Jane’s Walk on the weekend of May 6-8th. For more information: www.janeswalkfestivalto.com/festivalschedule. n

TOWER From Page 3 Limited” on the tower for all to see. For the next several decades, the water tower was an integral and visible part of the Leaside landscape. Canada Wire employees, who at their peak numbered more than 2,500, saw it daily as they entered and left work. Leaside residents used it as a reassuring beacon to help guide them home in the days before modern street-lighting became commonplace. By the mid-1950s, though, the tower was no longer in use, although it still stood tall and visible as a landmark. It was finally dismantled in 1956 and sold off as scrap. Three years later, Canada Wire built nearby a 100-ft. vulcanizing extruder tower. Ironically, it too became a Leaside landmark for many years until its demolition in 2002. Just before the water tower was demolished, Globe & Mail ace reporter Ralph Hyman wrote a tribute which touchingly captured the tower’s significance: From the Globe & Mail, April 26, 1956: “Perhaps a plaque will be placed on the spot where the tower stood for nearly 40 years. Old timers in Leaside…would like to see the past remembered in the present. Many were young men courting their girls when the tower went skywards in all the brightness of spanking fresh paint. To a younger generation it may seem silly to wax sentimental over something so strictly utilitarian, but to middle-aged men and women who have seen Leaside grow from a scattering of houses to its present size the old water tower holds memories that span the past and the present.” n

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Are you worried about the eastern Leaside section of the LRT? The Eglinton Crosstown LRT promises to enter into service roughly a year from now, but we are already hearing concerns about its upcoming operation. Some transportation analysts and commentators speculate there may be problems with day-to-day operational issues caused by the route’s layout. The LRT consists of about 11 km underground, with about 8 km at grade. The portion of the route east of Laird station, just east of Brentcliffe Road, had to be brought to the surface at Leslie Street because of the difficulty and cost of tunnelling deep into the valley beneath the watercourse, as well as related soil conditions. Here’s the potential problem: at Leslie, and farther east toward Kennedy Road, where the LRT runs on the surface, the LRT is not given priority over signalized road traffic signals. Automobiles and trucks share priority with transit. It will be possible for an errant driver or two to become confused by the special signal timing required, while others might well try to “beat the red” by turning left and then collide with an LRT train, thereby shutting down

create an efficient, reliable and safe operational system overall.

Carol Burtin Fripp Co-president, LRA

LRT service in both directions. The travel times where automobile traffic and the LRT share the surface roadway will be random, with traffic lights, pedestrians crossing Eglinton Avenue (not to mention jaywalkers) and transit competing with each other. Speed in the grade-separated (underground) portions of the route, on the other hand, will be automatically controlled and reliable. A number of recent media articles have speculated there will be bottlenecks where subways meet surface traffic, affecting the efficiency and reliability of the LRT as a whole and creating uneven service levels. We can only hope that priority treatment eventually goes to transit operations rather than to cars, and that signage will be clearly marked to

Get ready for the provincial election This edition of Leaside Life goes to the printer in mid-May, so this is my last chance to remind you that the provincial election is but days away. As I write, the Leaside Residents Association is working on organizing a virtual Don Valley West all candidates’ meeting. We will announce Zoom contact details as soon as we have them, in Leaside Life online and other local media, as well as with e-blast messaging from the LRA website. We hope you will attend! All elections are important, but this one will be really crucial in shaping what kind of Leaside, and what kind of Toronto, we want to live in. Our next LRA monthly board meeting is on Wed., May 4th, 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 be glad to send you the Zoom access details. You can find us at www.leasideresidents.ca.n

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IDLER From page 22 knee) and offered assistance, be it carrying grocery bags or giving me a lift, despite our being in the worst pandemic in a century. I must have looked like I was in a lot of pain; in fact, limping is what made my walking largely pain-free, if exhausting. I was awaiting a halfknee replacement at the Sunnybrook Holland Centre on Wellesley, a fivemonth wait it turned out, thanks to the Omicron, but which ultimately materialized months sooner than I had feared. Having recovered almost completely within three weeks, during my upcoming long walks I will be ever-appreciative of the considerateness shown by my fellow Leasiders at a time when avoiding contact with strangers, even apparently stricken ones, was the overriding imperative.

Retirees make a difference! The residents of The Millwood Retirement Residence located in Leaside have been busy collecting purses and packing them with essential sundries for the Pack-A-Purse Drive. The goal is to collect and donate 100 packed purses before May 6th. In conjunction with The Teddington Retirement Residence, the group is calling on the community to donate gently used purses, as well as new toiletries, including lip balm, face creams, shampoo, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products. Executive director of The Millwood, Marijana Zivkovic, and The Teddington’s ED, Betty Daignault, will be working with the Red Door Shelter to arrange dis-

tribution of the packed purses to local women in need at the shelter. Donations can be dropped off at The Millwood Retirement Residence, 921 Millwood Rd. Call 416-4258635 to learn more. n

LOLA & MIGUEL From page 6 waitstaff or the chef-owner himself. “For now,” he adds, “we’re offering intimate café dining Thursday and Friday evenings, which can be pre-booked on our website. Guests can ‘walk on the wild side’ if they choose our Padron Peppers (Pimiento de Padrons), a mild dish except one in 10 peppers is on the extreme heat side.” A food store, open 10 a.m. to 5p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, complements café dining, and customers can also enjoy an espresso and light snacks at the bar or a corner table, plus there are plans to beef up the breakfast and lunch menu. Lola & Miguel’s Spanish food products feature Torres chips (bet you can’t eat just one truffle-flavoured chip), tinned specialty smoked seafood, olives and Bomba paella rice, grown in the Iberian Peninsula since the Middle Ages. The food import business is housed down the hall, along with a loft platform providing an inspiring space for Tkaczuk’s artist daughter to create her paintings. Stay tuned for an art show and sale of local artists’ work in late spring, with details posted on Lola & Miguel’s website: https://lolaandmiguel.com. n

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MOM

Each year, vehicle theft is one of the most frequently reported crimes across Toronto. According to the Toronto Police Service (TPS), over 14,700 vehicles were stolen citywide in 2021 – a more than 50% increase from 2016. In December 2021, I voted with City Council to request that TPS establish a strategy to address the growing issue of vehicle theft in Toronto, including working more proactively with partner agencies across Ontario to share information and coordinate investigations into reported incidents. Additionally, City Council requested support from the federal and provincial governments to address this issue. This March, TPS announced a new program in which parking enforcement officers will begin using vehicles that resemble normal police cruisers, except they are equipped with infrared roof cameras instead of flashing lights. Using special licence plate recognition software, the infrared cameras will be able to immediately identify the licence plates of vehicles that have been

garages when not in use, if possible. For more information on steps you can take, visit www.torontopolice. on.ca/crimeprevention.

Jaye Robinson

Councillor, Ward 15, Don Valley West

reported as stolen. This is critical step towards streamlining the investigation process and harnessing the abilities of new technology. To help prevent vehicle theft, TPS advises residents to safeguard their vehicles by parking in well-lit areas, locking all valuables in the trunk, and keeping vehicles in locked

Supporting individuals fleeing Ukraine The City of Toronto continues to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and Toronto’s Ukrainian-Canadian community in the wake of Russia’s illegal invasion and the resulting humanitarian crisis. The City’s current focus is on coordinating efforts to support the arrival of Ukrainian refugees, including: • Identifying gaps in settlement support systems and opportunities to address them; • Strengthening collaboration with service providers and key organizations in the Ukrainian community; and • Information sharing and outreach. For more information on how you can support Ukrainian refugees in Toronto, including through donations or volunteering, please visit www.toronto.ca/refugees. n

MOM

Leaside Life • May 2022

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