Issuu

S E P T E M B E R 20 19

Leaside Life

No. 88

leasidelife.com

Leas ide Com munity Corn Roas t,

Page 3

LIZ TOPP

The Cup comes to Leaside!

Jordan Binnington, the Stanley Cup-winning goalie for the 2019 St. Louis Blues, brought the legendary cup home this summer to his mother’s house in Leaside. These lucky neighbourhood kids got a chance to meet and greet the hometown hero and touch the cup. BOOT CAMP IN THE 'HOOD! PG. 18 GARDENS OF DISTINCTION WINNERS IN LEASIDE PG. 20 BACK TO SCHOOL REPORT FROM OUR TRUSTEE PG. 27

VISIT US AT LEASIDELIFE.COM: COMMUNITY DIRECTORY • UP TO DATE EVENTS • ARCHIVED STORIES

The play’s the thing at St. Anselm’s new schoolyard

Leaside Life • September 2019

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO When my kids were much younger, I used to think I was the world’s worst mother as I delivered them to the schoolyard on the first day of school each September. While other parents were bemoaning the fact that school was beginning, I would be singing (and not in my head) “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” while skipping home. I literally skipped. All of the kids, not just mine, were depressed that school was starting up again. But I, the cold-hearted mom, couldn’t hear the objections over my thoughts of lying in the middle of my living room, soaking up the quiet. But this year, the kids at St. Anselm’s school will have one massive reason to look forward to school. A brandnew playground. A spot with new play possibilities. New challenges. New nooks and crannies to explore. New heights to climb. After a campaign which originated in late 2015 to raise the funds necessary to plan and build a state-of-theart playground, the new play space is now a reality. (See Leaside Life,

April 2018.) A hard-working team of volunteer parents, including committee members Michelle Raino, Tom Teahen, Chris Burkett and Nicole Watts, has worked tirelessly to raise the necessary funds, and to finalize the features of the space with design company SerdiKa Consulting. The committee has been supported throughout the project by Ward 11 TCDSB Trustee Angela Kennedy,

school staff including former principal Richard Walo, current principal, Donato DiPaolo, school parents, and several corporate and private donors. The playground has gone from a tired, unsafe, concrete space, to a new design which includes a soft-surface turfed play area, a new play structure, an outdoor teaching space with benches, designated basketball courts and games areas, as well as green and shaded areas. The playground is accessible to kids of all abilities and will bring new life to a small schoolyard. In a worldwide movement to offer children more options for play, the new playground at St. Anselm’s will provide the entire community with a new, fun, and safe space. So, while parents may be sad dropping their kids off for a new year of school (who are these people?), the kids at St. Anselm’s will definitely be excited to have a great new play space. And, as I drop off my more self-sufficient older kids at their schools, maybe I’ll be less happy to see them go. But, most likely, I’ll still be skipping. ■

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Published once a month in Leaside, Toronto ON, by FH Publishing Inc., 1444 Dupont St., Unit 11A, M6P 4H3 • 416-504-8047 Circulation 10,000 to every door in M4G PUBLISHER: Lorna Krawchuk EDITOR: Jane W. Auster GRAPHIC DESIGN: Robin Dickie ADVERTISING: Karli Vezina leasidelifepublishing@gmail.com ph. 647-978-4487 or 416-504-8047

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www.leasidelife.com No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication.

Do you have fond memories of running or watching a threelegged race, a sack race, or any of those other old-fashioned community picnic games? If so, make a beeline to the Leaside Community Corn Roast, hosted by the Leaside Rotary Club on Sunday, September 15. The event runs from noon to 5 p.m. at Trace Manes, with plans to feature the races between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. All are free to enter, and there will be ribbons for the winners. If you’ve been to the corn roast other years, you know all about the fresh corn and the inflatables for those under a certain age – all will be at the roast, along with the other favourite booths. Buy tickets to play fish pond, visit the guessing jars, or get your face painted. New this year will

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be peameal bacon on a bun to accompany the fresh corn. For more information, check the ad in this issue on page 7, plus flyers are being sent home with children in local schools. ■

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Leaside Life • September 2019

New old-fashioned fun at the Leaside Rotary Corn Roast

Leaside Life

Absolute Beauty - like mother, like daughter Jessica Puentes in her new space.

Lorna Krawchuk

Absolute Beauty by Nancy Penny on Bayview Avenue has now closed. But Absolute Beauty by Jess is now up and running on Millwood, thanks to an agreement with Bella Rouge owner Rhona. You can even see the sign “Absolute Beauty by Jess” on the front window of the salon. When Nancy Penny decided to retire and spend more time at home with her husband Tim, her two employees, Nia and Nancy’s daughter Jessica, had decisions to make. Nia chose to move to Fiorio on Bayview, while Jess wanted a working arrangement that would allow her more time to be with her two small children and still do the

LORNA KRAWCHUK

Publisher Leaside Life

facials that are her specialty. She has now created the perfect space at Bella Rouge. The owner was very generous in allowing Jess

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Leaside Life • September 2019

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and her husband, Carlos Puentes, a contractor and designer, to turn two small treatment rooms into one larger room for her use. The walls are painted “Jamaican aqua.” The window is opaque custom-designed stained glass by Glass Dreams, which lets in the light, but keeps out the view of the back garage and staircase from upstairs. Beautiful small chandeliers provide soft lighting. Jess started her training in aesthetics at Edith Serei, where her mother had also studied. Since then, Jess has continued upgrading her skills, taking courses here and in Europe. She feels very fortunate to be starting her own business with an existing client base from the Bayview location. “Who gets to start a business with all the clients?” she asks. She even jokes that by being in a hairdressing salon, if clients tease her, saying she has ruined their hair after a facial, there’s a ready fix nearby. Look carefully at the picture of Jess to see the good luck jade earrings she is wearing – a gift from her mother for the new business. ■

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Six Leaside-East York members of Central Toronto Athletic Club took part in the 2019 Canadian Track and Field Championships in Montreal from July 25 to 28. Four advanced to the semi-finals. Mark Richardson went on to compete in the men’s U20 1500 metre final, finishing ninth. Congratulations to: (l to r) Zoe Doorenspleet, Mark Richardson, Arden LaRose, Connor Pribaz, Aidan Goslett, Liam Rivard. ■

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Leaside Life • September 2019

Shoppers Drug Mart’s Brian Mok enjoys Leaside’s small-town vibe by LORNA KRAWCHUK Brian Mok is where he wants to be. The owner of two local Shoppers Drug Mart locations – one on the Bayview strip and the other at Bayview and Broadway – celebrates 13 years of owning the Bayview strip location this November. Brian has practically grown up in the Shoppers family. He started with the company as a cashier at their Bloor and Spadina location while at university and more or less fell into pharmacy as a career. He enjoyed the idea of being able to help people one on one, so he applied for and was accepted in the pharmacy program at the University of Toronto. One of his favourite extracurricular activities while doing his degree was being part of a 20-person dragonboat team. After graduation, he returned to dragonboating to help coach an undergraduate pharmacy

LORNA KRAWCHUK

Leaside Life • September 2019

MEET A LEASIDE BUSINESS

team, where he met the woman who was to become his wife. They are now the parents of two small children.

While he grew up in North York and attended Newtonbrook Secondary School, Brian knew this area because his grandparents lived on Soudan and an aunt lived on Cleveland. When the chance came to become the owner of the Shoppers on lower Bayview, he leapt at the opportunity. Recent changes within the Shoppers organization meant he could also apply to own the upper Bayview location as well. All Shoppers are owned by pharmacists. Head office makes many decisions that affect individual stores, such as their actual location, but Brian gets to make the hiring decisions for his business, and is a big believer in building long-term relationships with his staff. He has known his cosmetic manager, for instance, since they both worked at Bloor and Spadina, and the other two full-time pharmacists, Barbara and Harriet, worked at the store before he became the owner. Each Shoppers must participate in women’s health initiatives fundraising, but Brian is permitted each year to choose the local charity his stores will support. Tree of Health at Wellspring and Michael Garron Hospital Breast Cancer Centre are recent examples. Provincial regulations for pharmacies mandate that there always has to be a pharmacist on duty and on site. This means careful time management – no professional staff rushing out to do an errand unless there is another pharmacist present. Those same regulations are the reason the pharmacy is located upstairs at the Fleming location. Certain non-prescription medications need to be within a fixed distance from the actual pharmacy, and that configuration wasn’t possible on the main floor. He’s proud that health regulations now give pharmacists more of a role in active healthcare, such as the 2,000 flu shots administered last year. And Brian makes a point of talking to other local businesspeople, especially to newcomers. He loves this neighbourhood and the relationships customers and neighbours enjoy with each other. “It still feels like a small-town community.” ■

Leaside Life • September 2019

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Leaside Life • September 2019

Sharing the sidewalk with cyclists? by HOLLY REID Depending on whom you talk to, riding a bike on the sidewalk is either a necessary safety measure or an unpredictable threat to those who walk. In reality it’s both. People who bike often revert to the sidewalk when conditions on the road appear hazardous, either because of the amount and speed of traffic, or roadwork. But on Toronto’s already narrow sidewalks, a cyclist weaving around pedestrians can feel like an unsafe intrusion to those on foot. In late June, Ward 16 Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong pushed the debate about sidewalk cycling to the forefront, with an amendment to the City’s Cycling Network Plan. Councillor Minnan-Wong asked that “City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to develop a pilot project to allow bike traffic on sidewalks, for example, where there is a high volume of car traffic and few pedestrians and report back by the fourth quarter of 2020 on the merits of

Share the Sidewalk Riding a bike on the sidewalk is illegal in Toronto for anyone age 14 and older. If you must use the sidewalk for safety concerns… • Walk your bike when the sidewalk is busy or too narrow. • Always yield to pedestrians, taking extra care around seniors, children and people with dogs. • Go slowly and ring your bell to let others know you are approaching.

allowing cyclists to ride on designated sidewalks.” At first glance, this sounds like an easy and inexpensive way to expand cycling options without offering up any space on the road. With the absence of bike lanes on busy arterials such as Bayview Ave., Leslie St. and Don Mills Rd., you already find people riding bikes on the sidewalk because they feel safer there. But City Council, in a 22 to 4 vote, deleted this amendment from the Cycling Network Plan. Walk Toronto, the advocacy group for pedestrian safety, opposed the amendment, seeing it as increasing conflict between cyclists and pedestrians. In their submission they note, “From the safety perspective, investing in protected cycling infrastructure will achieve higher safety levels (for both cyclists and pedestrians).” Others saw liberalizing sidewalk cycling as a way for the City to get out of building proper bike lanes where cyclists and other wheeled users could get from A to B safely. Some questioned whether riding on sidewalks is actually safer, noting that drivers may not anticipate cyclists there when exiting driveways or approaching intersections. Questions were also raised about which sidewalks would be designated for cycling and how to deal with conflict zones such as transit stops and intersections – questions that a pilot might have answered. The battle for cycling infrastructure in Toronto is almost always about available space, so it’s worth asking whether those underused sidewalks, which offer up considerable real estate beside arterials, could be repurposed as multiuse paths, widened to the City of Toronto’s default standard of 3.6 metres and protected from the roadway, providing a shared, safe space for people on bikes and on foot. It won’t be cheap and it’s not legalized sidewalk cycling, but it could be a way of bringing better and more attractive mobility options to the suburbs. See Events Listings on page 28 for the latest Ward 15 and 16 Cycling News. Holly Reid is a recreational road rider and cycling commuter. An advocate for safe cycling, she is a member of Cycle Don Valley Midtown, Cycle Toronto’s advocacy group for Wards15/16. ■

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Leaside Life • September 2019

by SUSAN SCANDIFFIO I am the ultimate rink rat. But until I met Scott Greenfield, the thought of keeping an arena and all its moving parts running seamlessly had never entered my mind. For the new general manager of Leaside Memorial Gardens, the scope of his job is immense. Not only is Greenfield the manager of one rink, but his responsibilities cover two rinks, a pool, a snack bar, a banquet space, and the grounds. He is the person in charge of overseeing the day-to-day management and administration of one of the most prized spaces in Leaside. Among his various roles, Greenfield works with the facility’s various employees and the board of the Gardens. He reports to and makes recommendations to the board on the centre’s financial status. He oversees the Garden’s operations, programs and services, repairs, maintenance, and renovations. He is responsible for creating work

schedules for full-time and parttime maintenance, operational, and snack bar staff for the arena, auditorium and pool. He prepares payroll reports, determines the need for work on the facilities, works with contractors and suppliers, and ensures all operating objectives set out by the City of Toronto are met. Greenfield comes to the job with an impressive background in the field. Having most recently worked as the chief operator and environmental manager of the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Greenfield also has over 25 years of facility management, operations, and supervisory experience at other locations. And he has an ambitious, energetic, and enthusiastic outlook on life and the job. It’s important, Greenfield notes, “to try to make incremental improvements every day.” Bringing that notion to the facility, Greenfield will engage with user groups and the community to see what value can be added. As Janice Ivory-Smith, the chair

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of community relations and operations on the Gardens board, notes, “Leaside has a great deal of pride of ownership in the arena.” The board, she adds enthusiastically, has “a lot of confidence that Greenfield will be a good addition to the community.” While he knows that so much hard work is the mandate of the Gardens team – staff, the board, and volunteers – “it’s the customers,” Greenfield notes, “who bring life to the building.” And when activity gets going this fall, he is excited to meet more and more people in the community…and especially the rink rats. ■

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Leaside Life • September 2019

My rock star dreams never panned out Music was a big part of my life growing up. We had an upright Steinway piano in our family room for my entire childhood. Our father was a great piano player who paid his way through medical school playing for kids’ gymnastics classes at Toronto’s West End Y. My twin brother Tim and I took, or should I say, endured, piano lessons until we were adolescents. And we sang in the church choir for many years. Back in the early ’70s, Tim and I never missed an episode of the Partridge Family TV show and that fueled our popstar ambitions. After all, our choir-trained singing voices weren’t bad. We were probably about 11 or 12 when we started working up songs and trying out fledgling harmonies in our bedroom. We thought we might just be the next big teen heartthrobs following in the wake of Donny Osmond and David Cassidy. It really had nothing to do with dreams of screaming girls. It was all about the music...We even saved up our allowance and purchased a cheap Radio Shack cassette recorder equipped with two tape decks. In one deck, Bert Kaempfert

Terry Fallis Columnist

and his Orchestra would be playing the hits of the 1970s. Then Tim and I would sing overtop and record it all on the second tape deck. As you might imagine, it sounded just like two young kids whose voices hadn’t yet changed singing over muffled elevator music. High-fidelity it wasn’t. At Sunday night dinners, we’d perform our songs for our family, and any other unsuspecting guests who joined us, just after dessert. Not exactly the Ed Sullivan show, but we thought of it as paying our dues and honing our craft. Ahhh, the optimism of youth. Tim actually stuck with the piano while I picked up the guitar in my late teens. We performed a couple of times at high school music nights, and while it seemed to go reasonably well, there was absolutely no

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swooning in the audience. We both started writing songs and probably have amassed 30 or 40 songs between us. Writing songs was how we dealt with whatever was going on in our hormone-driven teenage years. Naturally, most of them were love songs of the unrequited variety. Enter Schoolboy While in university, some of my engineering classmates and I formed a rock band – Schoolboy. No, I’m not sure who came up with the name or why we agreed to use it. I was the original lead singer, but my voice was a little too John Denver to pull off Jethro Tull’s Aqualung or The Animals’ We Gotta Get Out of This Place, which were both part of the band’s repertoire back then. So, in a moment of inspiration, we advertised on campus for a lead singer. And man did we find one. He was amazing, and filled with talent, passion and energy, as he still is. Andy Maize, co-founder of the great Canadian band, The Skydiggers, was the lead singer in our university rock band. It’s true. We like to think we gave him his start in the music business. Schoolboy played several gigs on campus, sometimes performing to huge crowds who had come to hear the band for which we were opening. To this day, most of Schoolboy gets together at least once a year to relive our glory years and play some tunes. I’ve often said that playing in that band was just about the most fun I’d ever had. As the decades pile up, I find the subject matter in my songwriting evolving. In recent years, I’ve written a song about a good friend who turned 60, and a love song to my ball hockey league. You might think the hockey song was written as kind of a joke, but it really wasn’t. Entitled More than the Game, it’s about a community of great guys staving off age by playing ball hockey once a week. We don’t play in public very often (for very good reason), and when we do, it’s still a “swoon-free zone.” I still play my guitars once a week or so and have a few unfinished songs I’ve been working on for years. But the roots of a nearly lifelong love for music stretch back to that upright piano and a cheap Radio Shack tape recorder in our childhood Leaside home. Terry’s seventh novel, Albatross, was published by McClelland & Stewart in August and is available in bookstores everywhere. ■

Remembering Edna Beange In 2001, Edna received the Governor Generals’ Caring Canadian Award. Like Agnes Macphail, she was a woman of firsts: the first woman tto serve on the board of governors of Toronto East General, now Michael Garron Hospital, and later an honourary director. I have a fond memory of Rob Oliphant’s Canada 150 July 1 celebration at the Toronto Botanical Garden. Edna was one of 20 Don Valley West recipients of the Canada 150 Award for Citizenship. Always with a sense of fashion, Edna wore red and white. In addition to her ‘day job’ Edna was very involved in Leaside United Church, where she took on many positions of responsibility and contributed to its social life. In 1968, she and husband George took over the leadership of the Married Couples Club. They aptly renamed it the Saturday Night Club, which sounds more modern, inclusive and fun. I don’t doubt that leading a balanced life was a key to Edna’s resilience. She remained fit and fashionBEANGE page 22

Leaside Life • September 2019

Sheila Lacroix knew Edna Beange for years, both at Leaside United Church and as winners of the Agnes Macphail Award. Sheila delivered this tribute to Edna at the 2019 Agnes Macphail Award Ceremony in March. I know I am not alone in feeling the loss of the strong presence of Edna Beange on this 2019 Agnes Macphail Day. Edna was the first award recip- Edna (centre) and her family in 1994. ient in 1994 for her citizenship and leadership and continued to “Edna was an East York icon, an work tirelessly for the public good East York alderman for three terms in the spirit of Agnes Macphail until and later a councillor, and a great the end of her long, full life. On this activist. She lived her 98 years fully day last year, Edna was not just here, and continued to advocate for change but helping as usual. I am certain and helping others, even during her she rarely, if ever, missed this event. final days at Sunnybrook Hospital. AND she was an active member of Edna is a model of active life-long the Agnes Macphail Recognition community service. Committee almost to the end. “Edna served as a leader with Imagine having your life and numerous agencies concerned with work acknowledged in the House housing, seniors and youth, including of Commons! On January 30, Rob the Toronto Council on Aging, East Oliphant, MP for Don Valley West, Metro Youth Services, the Canadian rose in the House to celebrate the life Mental Health Association, the of Edna Beange. I cannot improve on Children’s Aid T:6.875” Society and Stay at Rob’s presentation, so I have borHome in Leaside.” rowed from his words:

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Leaside Life • September 2019

Let’s face it – Leaside is changing Rat-a-tat-tat-tat. My colleague Geoff Kettel goes down the list. Mid to high intensification around the new Crosstown stations per the GTHA provincial growth plan: Concert Properties at Sunnybrook Plaza, Diamond at Eglinton & Brentcliffe, and RioCan at Eglinton & Laird. Moderate intensification on the collectors and main streets as guided by the Laird in Focus vision. Adding to the barrage of fire, terms such as “gentle intensification” around the “yellow belt” to meet the housing needs of the “missing middle” appear to be more than just whispers. Whenever I read the word “intensification” as it pertains to residential development in Leaside, I can’t help snickering. Face it: at the heart of the matter is the population densification of Leaside and what that will mean for us. Just as Thomas Malthus must have felt back in 1798 – I’m a bit concerned. Sure, there will be eventual benefits, but we should also be prepared for potential costs. Simple ‘arithmetic density’ calculations are used to compare countries, cities and even neighbourhoods. For example, in 2016 the Fraser Institute

showed Leaside-Bennington had a population density of 3,596. For comparison, “Mt. Pleasant East” was 5,411, “Forest Hill South” was 4,380, and “Yonge-Eglinton” was 7,162. Experts note it is questionable that countries or even cities can be compared using such a blunt

Glenn Asano The Business of Leaside

Increased Urban Population Density Advantages

Disadvantages

Increased economic activity

Strain on shared infrastructure

More convenient access to shopping

Higher housing costs

Increased transportation options

Worse air quality

Larger variety of leisure activities

Increased traffic (vehicles, bikes, pedestrians)

Better access to medical centres

Delays in emergency response

Ability to support more community programmes

Higher crime rates

Less energy use & greenhouse emissions per capita (debatable)

Higher stress rates (noise, safety)

Larger tax base to work with

Higher unhappiness rates

reported the population density of Toronto was 4,457 people per square kilometre. For comparison, the same report listed Hong Kong at 25,719, New York at 10,935, London at 11,054, and Vancouver at 5,493. Statistics Canada’s 2016 Neighbourhood Profiles report

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tool because all geographies are not created equal (e.g., can’t account for a non-usable area such as the CPR railway, or varying housing types, proximity to city centres, employment zones, or infrastructure). Fastest growing community Even so, curious and armed with these numbers, I ran a few scenarios for my own analysis. I applied the Yonge-Eglinton density ratio to Leaside and found we would need to add 16,600 net new residents to arrive at a similar level of density. Using the Lawrence Park South ratio, we would need to add 5,050 new residents. Using 10,825 as the midpoint of net new residents between the two, I calculated that the average growth rate of new Leaside residents would be 6.1 per cent per year over an eightyear period to reach the target. Coincidently, last week Maclean’s published its 2019 list of the fastest-growing communities in Canada over the past five years. Should our population grow at a 6.1 per cent rate, Leaside would top the list – ahead of first place Airdrie, AB (5.7%) and Milton, ON (5%). For a more comprehensive view of population densities for comparative purposes, we need to consider the concept of “lived density,” which incorporates the ideas of ‘standard of living’ and ‘quality of life’ so that a community’s overall “livability” can properly be considered, before a sensible discussion comparing population densities can occur. The International Making Cities Livable movement acknowledges

factors that improve quality of everyday life (i.e. safe streets, human-scale mixed-use, 10-minute neighbourhoods, pedestrian and bike networks, places to foster community) designed to improve residents’ health and wellbeing. So, even if a city or neighbourhood is densely populated, it may still be able to offer strong characteristics that make living there worthwhile. In the examples I reviewed, high livability cities included Sydney, Stockholm, Brussels, and Vancouver. Although Singapore, Tokyo and London were much more densely populated, they still were deemed livable. Now’s the time to secure the resources we need Regardless of the final scope and pace of change, the point is that the decision to move down this path has been made. As a result, our collective attention needs to focus on ensuring that Leaside’s ‘carrying capacity’ will be able to sustainably support the total number of new residents we expect in the future, without further degrading our current level of resources, many of which are already aging and under strain. I remain somewhat confident the City has the expertise to ensure infrastructure and our public services such as schools, police services, utilities, transportation, increased parks & recreational facilities, upgraded community spaces like ice pads, churches, and the library, as well as contributions towards protecting the environment, our community character…will be ready to handle the increased load. If not, then NOW is the time to identify foreseeable shortcomings, and to bring this to the attention of the individuals and entities responsible for resource budgeting and allocation. NOW is the time, while the planning is taking place, to secure the resources we need to ensure that Leaside remains a place we all can live, work and play – happily ever after. The end. How will an increase in our population density will affect Leaside’s liveability? Where should additional funding be directed to ensure we have the adequate carrying capacity to support future growth? 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. ■

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Leaside Life • September 2019

CHANGING continued

Every gardener in Leaside understands the challenges of gardening in the north. But climate change has given us more than just rising temperatures and strange seasons, it’s given us record-breaking extremes and weather events that are costly both environmentally and financially. Back in March, I mentioned that Climate Change Gardens were identified as the number one garden trend for 2019. This got me thinking. Did Leaside gardeners embrace this trend? Who better to ask than Carla Rose of Davenport Garden Centre on Bayview Ave. Her plant assortment is always inspiring and I’m personally drawn to her large selection of neonic-free plants (look for the blue containers), the organic herbs and vegetables, and this year, more pollinator plants including native Ontario ones. According to Carla, there was a definite change in plant purchases this year and a shift in the way people thought about plants. Drought-tolerant plants were the biggest request, followed by pollinator plants. Green plants outsold colour, and almost daily, someone

The Leaside Gardener: Debora Kuchme Columnist

DEBORA KUCHME

Leaside Life • September 2019

Climate change gardens: would yours pass my test?

would ask specifically for Ontario native plants. Sounds to me that Leaside gardeners are definitely embracing the trend, but are we doing enough? Would your garden pass my climate change test? Could your garden survive a drought? It won’t be long before we have water restrictions, which, with higher

temperatures, could cause some of our favourite moisture-loving plants to suffer or even die. The climate change solution is to choose more drought-tolerant plants and make good use of rainwater by harvesting and redirecting it to areas that need it most. If you greatly love a plant requiring an abundance of water, select a more efficient location. For example, hydrangeas in part sun need less water than those planted in full sun. Could your garden survive a flood? Flash floods are an increasing event and with so many aging storm sewers, our homes and gardens are at risk. Though many plants can recover from a short flood while plants are dormant, many cannot survive a warm weather flood. Consider some raised beds for plants that are succulents or require good drainage. Another solution is to create a rain garden and make good use of your garden’s flooded area. Most important, remember that many of our local native plants are hard-wired for both floods and droughts. Using more of them just makes sense. Would a specific plant disease devastate your garden? If you have mostly one type of plant material in your garden (monoculture) and if that plant were hit with a disease, what would your garden look like? Mine would be a mess and this is my biggest Climate Change Garden fail because I have too many cedars. Even though a disease may never happen to them, a good climate change garden requires diversity in order to minimize risk. I have some work to do to get my garden climate change-ready and it’s mostly about adding more native plants for greater diversity, introducing a few more raised garden beds, and slowly reducing my cedar supply. We may never be able to design a garden with the same elegance and efficiency as Mother Nature does, but this is what we need to aim for. Climate change gardens do so much more than look pretty; these are gardens with a purpose that can help us and help the planet to restore itself. That’s more than pretty…that’s beautiful! Visit leasidelife.com for the extended version of this article along with the 12 design principles of permaculture! ■

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Leaside Life • September 2019

by NANCI GUEST When it comes to parks, trails, and bootcamps, Leaside is situated in a nature-lover’s paradise. You may think of outdoor fitness as running, cycling or team sports, but you can also get personalized fitness training outdoors, in Leaside’s parks. Think Sunnybrook, Crother’s Woods, Trace Manes, and even smaller green gems. My personal bent is bootcamps, and here are some top reasons why: 1. You can challenge yourself Your body needs to challenge itself in different ways. Bootcamp-style outdoor training may seem intimidating at first, but persevere and soon you’ll be an outdoor fitness pro. A good coach can assess your current fitness level and set you up for success by modifying your exercises to be easier or more difficult to match your abilities. For the best results, aim to work out two to three times per week along with some additional exercise (e.g. walking, running or cycling) on your own.

2. Escape from indoor pollution An hour in the fresh air trumps pounding the treadmill. We spend roughly 90% of our time indoors, where concentrations of pollutants are often two to five times higher than outdoor concentrations. Recent studies also concluded that fatigue and reduced physical and cognitive performance resulted from spending time indoors with reduced air flow.

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4. They save money No extra gym fees means outdoor classes can be affordable and personalized. The cost of private sessions can add up, but in small groups, you don’t have to compromise the personal attention that makes workouts safe, effective and fun. Tony, a Leaside bootcamper, agrees. “My outdoor group sessions cost far less than a trainer at the gym.”

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3. You can’t beat the feelgood factor Exercise in a natural environment provides a mental health boost and ‘feelgood factor’ beyond that of indoor gyms. It has been shown to reduce anger and depression and improve mood. Exposure to sunlight enhances vitamin D production, which may have mood-enhancing effects. We also tend to exert more effort outside likely from the oxygen or maybe the healthy competition in small close-knit groups. Leaside bootcamper Juliet agrees. “Small groups allow an individualized approach while adding fun by working out with others. I seem to work harder and get fit faster when I train outside.”

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Leaside Life • September 2019

Seven “Gardens of Distinction” recognized in Leaside Several front gardens in Leaside are the recipients of the Leaside Garden Society 2019 “Gardens of Distinction” awards. These awards are a tribute to the loving care that Leasiders provide to create interesting, beautiful, and welcoming gardens that all can enjoy. This year’s Gardens of Distinction were selected by an eight-member volunteer committee of the Leaside Garden Society who travelled the streets of Leaside and Bennington Heights looking for special front gardens.

See page 31 for more pics!

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You can spot the winners by the sign in front of each one. The garden society encourages everyone to have a look, but please respect the privacy of the owners by not walking on the property! Congratulations to this year’s winners: 46 Bennington Heights Drive 219 Donlea Drive 106 Airdrie Road 5 Divadale Drive 50 Rykert Crescent 36 Rumsey Road 1 Annesley Avenue ■

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where people buy, sell, trade or give away their unused or unwanted items • People who shop local • People who walk or ride their bikes instead of driving • People who shop with reusable bags • Local businesses like Dollarama, Home Depot, Sobeys and Loblaws, which ask if I want a plastic bag or charge for it and donate a portion of the proceeds to environmental charities, or plan to eliminate plastic bags altogether • Local businesses like Bulk Barn and Rowe Farms, which support bringing our own food containers • Local coffee shops like

Less is more in Leaside I love a community that comes together to make a positive impact on the planet. I love a good slogan to rally the troops. And I am a titch competitive. After all, we are Leasiders and we don’t want to be outdone by the west end! So, I got out my Thesaurus, found the only word meaning ‘reduces’ starting with an L, and came up with the slogan: “Leaside Lessens.” Then I thought about all the ways Leasiders are already “lessening”: • The Leaside Facebook sites OLIPHANT 2019 Ad 1 v2.indd 1

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Leaside Life • September 2019

Cheryl Vanderburg

Starbucks, which offer discounts to encourage customers to use their own reusable mugs or tumblers • Clothing donation bins • Churches with rummage sales or those which collect clothing, furniture and medical devices for reuse • The Leaside Library, which sells used books to fundraise • People who leave items for free curbside pickup • Thrift shopping at the Thorncliffe Salvation Army • Used shoe, book and hockey equipment drives by local residents • Local businesses like Cobs Bakery, which donate fresh goodies to local food banks • The residents of the Millwood condo who return their empties to the Beer Store to buy plants for their garden on Krawchuk Lane • The Leaside Pub, which eliminated plastic straws Will you take the “Leaside Lessens” challenge? Let me know. ■

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For the first time ever, I spent the entire summer at our cottage – some might call it a cabin – on Glanmire Lake. Our environmental footprint is small as we are off the grid, powered by solar; we have no grass to water; we have a rhubarb patch and small vegetable garden; we compost; and our HVAC consists of opening and closing curtains and windows. My daily litter picking-walks around Trace Manes Park are replaced by ‘forest bathing’ along the cottage road, looking for wildlife and swatting at blackflies, mosquitoes, horseflies and deer flies. And our Thursday morning ritual of putting out the garbage and recycle bins is replaced by a dump run to the local landfill site on Wednesday or Sunday. If you ever want to see the impact of human consumption on the planet, try visiting a waste disposal site. According to a discussion paper released by the Ministry of the Environment, each person in Ontario produces nearly one tonne of waste per year. At our dump there are big metal bins to collect recyclables including electronics, plastic, cans and paper; large piles of scrap metal and furniture/textiles; and big holes in the ground where people drive up to and throw in their household trash. When one hole is full, it is covered with dirt and a new hole is dug. I am embarrassed every time I go there and put my stuff in the earth. I was intrigued and inspired by an article on cbc.ca about an initiative in the west end of Toronto – Roncy Reduces – founded by a local resident. Businesses are encouraged to ditch plastic and think green, and customers are encouraged to shop with reusable containers including hot and cold beverage cups, cloth bags and food containers.

Beange...

Leaside Life • September 2019

From Page 13 able, loved theatre, her cottage and her family and friends, and had a strong faith. According to Edna, those of us of a certain age, myself included, still have many decades – yes, decades! – ahead to work for change. She always had a goal to work towards, and a key to her success was her leadership in recruiting others to help. Her goals were never insignificant. Most recently it was a national, annual scholarship in the name of Agnes Macphail in recognition of the 100th anniversary in 2021 of her election to the House of Commons. Edna’s expectation was that some of us in this room do something about it! Every time I walk past SAHIL (Stay At Home In Leaside, a life lease building for seniors) at McRae and Bayview, I think of Edna. She was an active participant in this challenging and risky project and, late in the process, decided to live there. Aren’t we happy that she was able to reap the benefits of this project and spend her last years in her lovely suite overlooking the gardens of Leaside? ■

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Leaside Life • September 2019

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LETTERS

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Re: Getting on in Leaside I am responding to the July 2019 issue of Leaside Life, and in particular to Glenn Asano’s article in which the magazine posed the question “Do you have ideas or resources that could benefit our senior community?” I am a Leasider, and founder of Inclusive Aging, an occupational therapy company that helps older Canadians stay healthy, safe and functional at home and throughout the community. My clients include seniors, families and businesses. I’m also a huge advocate of age-friendly communities, which looks at several dimensions of healthy aging – to keep older adults active and involved. I’ve reached out directly to Glenn, and already know Michel Tordjam, who was featured in one of the articles by Ken Mallett. Lorna [Krawchuk’s] article on Leaside churches also caught my eye re: Karen’s Loan Cupboard at Northlea

United. I think your July issue has started a conversation about aging in Leaside. While I’m still an aspiring PROBUS member (maybe in another 10 to 15 years), I welcome any opportunities to connect with yourselves and/or others who are interested in supporting seniors to live life to the fullest in our community. Thank you for your work! Margot McWhirter Re: Talbot apartments redux not going well for tenants I live at Kelvingrove apartments and felt compelled to respond to the article in the June 2019 issue. Personally, I was less surprised by the facts presented, than the mixed conversations it stirred among neighbours here and elsewhere. While some people expressed concern over the theme, potentially reflecting negatively on the community, others shared their sense of relief that they aren’t alone and there is indeed a community which they are part of. It’s articles like this which bring up the interesting social dynamics we live in today. One person may endure an injustice while their next door neighbour is unaware, or

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unconcerned, about an issue until it affects them. But an even greater truth feels like it’s been revealed; that even in stressful circumstances, happiness and joy still exist. Inner qualities that ebb and flow can never truly be taken away. Yet, it’s clear to me that the rights of tenants to live comfortably in a happy home – a basic human need – is being exploited via the letter of the law, rather than being upheld, by the intended spirit in which the law was written. Name withheld Your June 2019 issue regarding the Talbot Apartments is misleading and poorly researched. The “We Rock Tenants’ Association” is not official, has not published a list of members, or conducted a proper election of officers. The person(s) interviewed were unnamed. The repeated references to “tenants’ complaints” do not appear to have been checked with tenants. The Talbot apartments are a bright, delightful and airy spot in what is becoming a neighbourhood of highrise condos. After 4 years I am still a happy tenant. The complex had been allowed to deteriorate, but requests to tear it down were wisely rejected. The buildings required considerable upgrading. The contractors hired by previous Management (before RealStar) were lacking and renovations proceeded slowly. The buildings are being renovated within heritage regulations, to current Toronto building codes. New technologies are replacing or combining with old systems; not a trouble-free process. Any problems we experienced were promptly rectified. Some original renovation work-permits were never signed-off by City Inspectors, causing upgrade catch-up problems. The “Tenant’s Associations’” genesis was RealStar’s application to increase rents beyond government guidelines. Our increased rents are relatively conservative compared to some other Toronto rent increases. Tenants of Crestview Apartments recently went through a similar experience. Some inaccuracies and biased comments: • “…concerns about maintaining affordability in Leaside’s increasingly unaffordable market.” Toronto has the largest and fastest population growth in North America, and Leaside is a very desirable area. Yet, compared to similar rentals around Toronto, our complex provides relatively affordable rents. • “tenants back in their apart-

ments enjoying...Not so much.” The majority of tenants - returnees and new – are enjoying their homes. • If/when windows are replaced, they must match the appearance of the original windows (heritage). Other outside upgrades have matched “heritage” requirements. • These are old buildings – land settles, walls crack (even in new buildings). A crack is not necessarily unsafe. • Basements were never planned for renovations – they host laundry rooms (new), storage lockers, and are well lit and being cleaned. • The rent increases agreed to by all parties at the January 30, 2019 hearing, cover capital upgrades and increasing operating costs. And we have a well-maintained, large, secluded lawn and newly re-roofed gazebo for tenants’ enjoyment. The apartments are well designed. Visitors are impressed with my abode. Tenants work to embellish their base – adding flowers etc – because they like, and are proud of, their home here. Robi Roncarelli ■.

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Leaside Life • September 2019

Rehabilitating the Don River In 1987, an International Joint Commission classified the City of Toronto’s waterfront as an “Area of Concern in the Great Lakes Basin,” owing in part to the Don River’s poor water quality – a classification which remains today. As the Mayor’s designate to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI), I work with mayors across Canada and the U.S. to advocate for the protection and restoration of our shared freshwater system. Locally, the City of Toronto is undertaking various initiatives to protect and rehabilitate the Great Lakes. The 25-year Don River and Central Waterfront Project was introduced in 2008 as part of the City’s Wet Weather Flow Master Plan to improve storm water management and mitigate the impacts of combined sewer outflow (CSO) on our freshwater systems. I first moved a motion in 2012 directing City staff to accelerate the rehabilitation of the Don River, originally projected to be completed in 2038. As the former Chair of Public Works and Infrastructure, I again directed staff to fast-track this project as one of Toronto’s top infrastructure pri-

Jaye Robinson Councillor

orities. The DR&CW project is the largest and most significant storm water management program in the City’s history. This summer, City Council adopted an accelerated implementation plan for the DR&CW project. To continue pushing this initiative forward, I moved a motion directing staff to report back on opportunities to secure additional funding for the multibillion-dollar project from the provincial and federal government. The accelerated plan and updated delivery schedule anticipate a completion date of 2030, eight years ahead of the original proposal. One of the primary goals of the DR&CW project is to eliminate combined sewer overflow (CSO) in the Don River. Most combined sewers were constructed as long as

a century ago and utilize one pipe to carry both sewage and storm water. Usually this combined water is diverted to wastewater treatment plants, however, the volume of water may exceed the system’s capacity during periods of intense rainfall. In this circumstance, untreated sewage and garbage water will be deposited, untreated, into the Don River. This process can pollute our freshwater lakes with bacteria, pathogens, heavy metals, oils, pesticides, and nutrients which can cause undesired algae growth. The City’s long-term plan to improve our stormwater infrastructure is an important step towards delisting Toronto’s waterfront as a polluted Area of Concern. With the accelerated project timeline, the DR&CW project will achieve significant water quality improvements in the Lower Don River, TaylorMassey Creek, and along Toronto’s Inner Harbour within the next 10 years. I am committed to advancing initiatives to improve water quality conditions and ecosystem health in Toronto and am pleased to report that the City is moving forward on this critical project. ■

Back to school!

French Review Recommendations The second major document passed by the trustees in June was the “French Review Recommendations.” Once implemented, these recommendations will lead to a number of changes over the next several years. Perhaps most importantly for Leasiders, we will be moving to one stream of intensive

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French programming that will begin earlier than it does now. Specifically, French Immersion will become the only specialty intensive French program and will be changed in the next couple years to have TWO entry points — Junior Kindergarten and Grade 4, replacing the current

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Leaside Life • September 2019

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Senior Kindergarten entry to this program. All other intensive French programs will be phased out, including Extended French (it is expected these will be replaced, in many cases, with Grade 4 entry French Immersion programs). As a result, it is likely that JK French Immersion at Northlea EMS may begin as early as the 2020-2021 school year. One of the benefits of this change would be that children who don’t have French Immersion at their home school would not have to change schools after JK to enter French in SK, and would instead simply enter French Immersion right away, enabling a stabler early school experience by cutting down on the number of school transitions. Staff are still working on the rollout of these changes, but parents of 2020 Kindergarten-age students interested in French Immersion should stay abreast of these changes as they unfold as their children may be entering this program earlier than previously expected. I will do my best to keep our community updated and informed of any coming changes in our schools. ■

SHUTTERSTOCK

As I sit down to work on this column, the start of school is still a few weeks away. Still, as my own kids remind me, back-to-school season has already begun! At the TDSB, central staff have been busy as ever planning for not only this coming school year, but also for the 2020-2021 school year and beyond. This long-term planning should be of interest to all Leaside parents as we may see some significant changes in our local schools soon. In June, trustees approved two major documents. The first was the “Secondary School Review.” This review seeks to ensure that our secondary schools align with the board’s strategic vision and that each of our schools can offer a strong and varied program to all students. With the provincial government’s recent cuts to secondary school staff, the average class size will increase from 22 to 28 over the next four years. To enable our high schools to continue delivering a necessary variety of both core and elective courses, we will have to reconfigure high schools across the board. Our smaller schools and those with multiple streams (such as French Immersion, Extended French and English, all running currently at Leaside High School) will perhaps be the most strongly impacted by these cuts in our ward, especially since variety of courses was already limited at Leaside HS. As our staff allocations from the government become slimmer and slimmer, this trend will become particularly problematic, so it is important that central staff look at ways to ensure students have access to rich and varied programming at all our schools, including Leaside. Recommendations coming out of this review are not completely clear at the moment, but may involve suggestions like narrowing the number of programs on offer or reconfiguring catchment areas for secondary schools, and Leaside HS will likely see some potential changes as part of this planning process.

Bootcamp...

Leaside Life • September 2019

From Page 18 Whether it’s completing a circuit workout at Sunnybrook, mountain biking through Crother’s Woods, or joining a bootcamp, any movement counts, so what are you waiting for? Nanci Guest is a registered sport dietitian, personal trainer and athletic conditioning coach. She is a Leaside resident who provides in-home personal training and outdoor bootcamps. www.nanciguest.com. ■

EVENTS WANT TO MAKE CYCLING BETTER WHERE YOU LIVE? Join fellow cyclists from Wards 15 and 16 to advocate for safe and connected cycling routes in our neighbourhoods. Next meeting: Wed. Sept. 25th, 7pm. Trinity Grace Church, 826 Eglinton Ave. E. (north side, just west of Laird). For more info or to RSVP contact cycledonvalleymidtown@cycleto.ca

ST. AUGUSTINE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, 1847 Bayview Ave Groove Room Coffee House Listen to great live music by local artists and have a coffee and dessert with friends. Fri., Sept. 13th 7-8:30 pm. Cost: $5, all proceeds to the Flemingdon Park Food Bank. We are looking for performers. Contact office@saintaugustine.ca. Community BBQ Sept. 8: 12-2:30 pm. Free Family Fun! Bouncy Castle. Games. Free burgers and hot dogs.

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Love Jazz? Sept. 22, 4:30 pm. A Tribute to Autumn: Celebrating Cool with vocalist Faith Amour & Alexander Brown on trumpet. Refreshments from 4:00 pm. Free will offering appreciated.

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Taizé Worship an evening of reflection. Wed., Oct. 9, 7:45-8:30 pm. Looking for an oasis of candlelight, prayer, meditation & music in your busy life? Come for Taizé. Additional date: Nov.13th.

Broker

Northlea United’s Annual Welcome Back Community Corn Roast! Wed., Sept. 11, 5:00–7:30 pm. Come for lots of fun, foods, music, face-painting, crafts, games and visit with the animals. Suggested donation: $10/person, $20/

family, can be made at the event. Net proceeds donated to Youth Without Shelter. All welcome!

LEASIDE UNITED CHURCH 822 Millwood Rd. Welcome Back Sunday Sept.8 at 10:30 am. All welcome. The first rehearsal of the Chancel Choir is Thurs., Sept. 5 at 7:30 pm, and the first rehearsal for the Junior Choir is Thurs., Sept.12 at 6:30 pm. New members are welcome. Looking for a piano? Leaside United would like their upright piano to go to a good home (you are responsible for the cost of moving only). Please contact the office at 416-425-1253.

CANADIAN FED. OF UNIV. WOMEN LEASIDE-EAST YORK The Power of Women Working Together Monthly meetings at 7:30pm begin Thurs. Sept. 19, at Northlea United, 125 Brentcliffe Rd. We’ll introduce our interest groups for you to join. Speaker: Dr. Romila Verma, Environmental Geographer, speaking on Ontario’s Drinking Water: Journey from Source to Tap. Visitors and new members welcome! Visit www.cfuwleasideeastyork.ca, email joincfuw@ gmail.com, or phone Janice Mitchell at 416-930-8581.

CALLING ALL HEROES! The Brain Injury Society of Toronto (BIST) Heroes 5k Run, Walk or Roll Sun., Sept 29 at Wilket Creek Park! Join and form your own Super Hero Squad: capes, masks, wings and super powers encouraged! All proceeds support BIST programs. Chip-timed, prizes for best human/dog costumes and fastest runners; bouncy castle and face-painting, medals and great swag! Race Start: 10 am. Registration: 8:30 am www.bist.ca/5k, info@bist.ca 416830-1485. ■

REGISTRATION OPEN Scouts Canada Programs for boys, girls and young adults. Ages 5 and up

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The 132nd Toronto Scout Group Leaside’s largest and most active youth group www.132nd.com 416.425.6881

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How do you handle ravine lot redevelopment? Geoff Kettel

Saving old Leaside bour group for the Rykert application waited for the item to be called for some four hours after the posted time for the 15 or so scheduled items. About 15 minutes before the item was eventually called, the architect for the applicant came over and asked to speak to the group outside the hearing room. He said his client had agreed to changes – which were mostly to reduce the total length of the building slightly, resulting in a reduction in the FSI from 0.81 to 0.79. The group pointed out that they were “minor” changes compared with the requested variances, and objected that changes were coming at such a late hour. The presentation from the group, led by the next door neighbour to the east, who has a background in physical geog-

raphy and geology, questioned the appropriateness of the “stable top of slope line” as well as the variances themselves. In my (humble) opinion it was the most impressive presentation (from either proponent or opposition) I have seen in the course of attending multiple Committee of Adjustment hearings. A motion was made to refuse the application, but this failed to get a seconder. The second motion was to approve the application with the modifications as proposed by the applicant. It passed, likely because the Committee bought the applicant’s argument that this was not an average lot, and because of the ravine there was less land to develop. Sure – but let’s face it – that is the “baggage” that comes with developing a ravine lot! Each decision of ever larger permitted density creates a precedent, yet the fact that this is a ravine lot with its unique situation gets missed. What do we learn from this? The Committee is perverse and cannot be relied on to listen to the community’s one voice. How sad! ■

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THIS YEAR AT GYMKATS!

Leaside Life • September 2019

It is said that “ravines are to Toronto what canals are to Venice.” Ravine lots tend to be large, with extensive tree cover, even providing opportunities for exciting wildlife encounters! No surprise that ravine lots are some of Leaside’s most sought after properties. Residential ravine lots in Leaside are restricted basically to Rykert Crescent and Killdeer Crescent, which hug the south bank of the West Don River. Ravine lots are also ‘hazard lands’ and subject to the policies of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and as a result the developable land tends to be much reduced compared with the total area of the property. This means that the redevelopment of original homes in the Rykert/Killdeer area (which were built in the early 1950s) frequently involves applications for “minor” variances for higher density (Floor Space Index–FSI). A recent Committee of Adjustment application for minor variances at 112 Rykert Crescent illustrates both the higher density application and also the strong resident engagement in the protection of the ravine and its greenscape, and avoiding over-development of the ravine lots. This application first came to the North York Committee of Adjustment on April 4, 2019, when, facing neighbour opposition, it was deferred at the applicant’s request to make adjustments, and then again on July 4, when it was approved by the Committee with, in my opinion, minor modifications proposed by the applicant. While the allowable density (FSI) for the area is 0.6, the original application for 112 Rykert requested FSI of 0.82, which was reduced to 0.81 in the second application, both being 33% over the allowable. There were also variances in length, front yard setback and height. Neighbours were significantly opposed, with 15 letters of opposition submitted, plus letters from the LPOA and Councillor Jaye Robinson. Note: the letters from the neighbours were individually composed and written submissions, not form letters applicants sometimes try to have neighbours sign. Five families also attended the July 4th meeting. The procedure of the hearing is such that applications where there is “opposition” are held, to follow those where there is no one present to speak to the item other than the proponent. As a result, the neigh-

Leaside Life • September 2019

Autumn is upon us It is encouraging to note that over the summer City Council gave the Vision Zero 2.0 program strong support, with its recommendations to reduce speeding on Toronto streets. As I suggested in last month’s column, now that autumn is upon us it’s a good time for Leasiders to show our support for this initiative. Let our councillor know that we not only support the principle but also the practice of the policy, and ask for the shortening of the Vision Zero timeline. Our neighbourhood streets carry too much fast-moving traffic. We need relief sooner rather than later. Leasiders can start by pushing the City to implement at least some of the traffic-calming proposals included in the plan proposed by the Leaside Property Owners’ Association last December. Let’s hear from you! Ticket-happy? Is on-street parking in Leaside being ticketed more often this year? The LPOA has been hearing from a lot of you lately. Theoretically, there is a three-hour parking limit GREETING CARDS • STAMPS

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unless signage indicates otherwise, and City sources report that there is little police enforcement unless a neighbour makes a complaint. If this is so, and more of you are discovering parking tickets on your cars, can it be that more people are calling to complain? Just asking! We are not alone In August I was on holiday in a small village in Dorset, England, with lots of opportunity to compare people power there with our situation in Toronto. No, I’m not referring to Brexit (although it was impossible to avoid, and too interesting to ignore). Just as the City of Toronto is a “creature of the province,” with limited means of opposing provincial decisions, much of Britain is ruled from the national government, which sets

each county’s budgets, targets and policies. All too often, local planning matters which have gone through lengthy local meetings and detailed local processes are reversed or altered from above, sometimes without any consultation whatsoever. Sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it? We are not alone…. Speaking of empowering citizens, the federal election will be happening in a matter of weeks. The LPOA’s All Candidates’ meeting will take place on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The next monthly LPOA board meeting is on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd, at 7:30 p.m., in the Trace Manes building on Rumsey Rd. We invite you to attend and learn what is happening in our community. Our board meetings, which are always open to the public, take place on the first Wednesday of each month. ■

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