Leaside Life Issue 32 October 2014

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No. 32 • October 2014

Leaside Life leasidelifenews.com

Angels of charity - Page 38

COME ON IN By JEFF WALKER Attention South Leaside and Bennington Heights walkers, joggers, and stroller-pushers: Unlike your northof-Eglinton ‘kin,’ you may be unaware of a nature wonderland right on North Leaside’s doorstep. Other nearby nature walks such as the Rosedale Ravine and the Belt Line have more obvious entranceways. This one, at the very northern tip of Sutherland, at Glenvale, features two black-lantern-topped brick arches beckoning. But only the Toronto Rehab or Lyndhurst Centre seemingly lie beyond. Not so. Hang a right past the arches and your journey begins. Take the paved path past the car-gate or cut across the sprawling lawn studded with pine. You’ll soon come to a blue Dogs Must Be Kept on Leash sign near a pile of loose stones. Go past the open iron gate and you’ll find yourself on a paved nocars-allowed road that winds rather steeply downward, affording a brac-

Walk the wilds of Leaside ing view of a forested sheer drop, at the bottom of which you might make out romping dogs. More on that shortly. Bear in mind that you’ll eventually be walking back up that same hill, though I did see a cyclist managing to puff his way to the top. After

several minutes you arrive at a small bridge with concrete abutments and a concrete flow-way beneath, your first babbling brook with pleasing views on either side. Proceed along the path until a spacious fenced-in field appears on your left: the Sunnybrook Park Dogs Off Leash Area, three football fieldsworth shaped into a triangle. Owners I talked to enthused that it’s a great space where dogs can really let loose, and socialize. The downside? A faulty water fountain and a fence on the woodsside that’s too low to contain larger friskier canines. (Interested dog owners, go to www.facebook.com/ groups/sunnybrookdogpark/.) Just before the dog park, an initially-paved path heads left (west), and presents the option of a 20-minute add-on walk, along Burke Brook, which meets the West Don a bit further east. The trail shadows the tributary closely and pic-

Four new inductees in our Sports Hall of Fame, Pages 2-3 The Leaside Gang that made Canada Happy, Page 14

WALK, Page 4

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LEASIDE SPOR SPORTS TS HALL off F FAME AME

Leaside Life, October 2014

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Four new inductees

Great Gifts For Nature Lovers of All Ages

Four new 2014 inductees to the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame will be honoured at a reception at Leaside Gardens on Nov. 21. The four are Jack Caffery who played in the NHL for the Leafs and Bruins, Joe Krol who won five Grey Cups with the Toronto Argonauts, Christine Pellerin of the Toronto Leaside Girls Hockey Association and Dr. Sidney Soanes, a founding member of the Leaside Skating Club. "There seems to be no end of athletic talent in Leaside past and present,” said Professor Michael Bliss, community advisor on the selection committee, "and in future the job of our selection committee is only going to get harder." Tickets for the induction ceremony and reception will be available through any of Leaside’s sports clubs and associations, and at the arena for $25 each. Leaside’s Athlete of the Year, who will also be honoured at the event on Nov. 21, will be announced in October.

Everything for Folks Who Love WILD BIRDS

JACK CAFFERY, Hockey (1934 – 1992) Jack Caffery grew up in Leaside and attended St Michael’s College School, where he played hockey for the Junior B Buzzers and the Junior A Majors. He was also an effective left-handed baseball pitcher and played semi-pro for St. Thomas in the Ontario Intercounty League. At age 20 he signed professional contracts with the Toronto Maple Leafs (hockey) and the Milwaukee Braves (baseball). Unwilling to give up baseball, he was traded by the Leafs to the Boston Bruins in 1956 and played a full season there. His baseball career (1955-64) was played mainly at the AA and AAA level and his hockey ca-

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Joe Krol played football at high school in Windsor, Ontario and for the University of Western Ontario (1938-42). After two seasons of professional ball in Hamilton and a brief stint with the Detroit Lions, he took up a career with the Toronto Argonauts and led them to five Grey Cups as a quarterback, running back, defensive back, place kicker and punter. He was most noted for his versatility, and was twice named Canada’s Male Athlete of the Year. His other honours include induction into the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. He retired in 1953. Joe Krol lived in Leaside for most of his playing career and following retirement from football. DR. SIDNEY SOANES, Figure Skating (1922 – ) Dr. Sidney Soanes received a doctorate in physics from the University of Toronto in 1946 and was a founding member of the Leaside skating club in 1952. For over 50 years he served the sport of figure

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JOE “KING” KROL, Football (1919 – 2008)

skating as an author, committee member, judge and referee. As an International Skating Union judge Soanes oversaw thousands of competitions and tests. One of the most highly-respected authorities on ice dance judging, he wrote Ice Dancing – A Manual for 3 Judges and Skaters, which continues to serve as the ice dance judges’ bible. In 1967 he was awarded a Centennial Medal for his contribution and in 1992 he was inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of fame for his contributions to the sport of figure skating. CHRISTINE PELLERIN, Female Hockey (1964 – ) Christine Pellerin is a major contributor to female ice hockey in Leaside and Ontario, and to ball hockey in Canada. She has served as a coach, head trainer and board member of the Toronto Leaside Girls Hockey Association, as supervisor and instructor for the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association, and as a vice-president of the Ontario Ball Hockey Federation. Pellerin was on three national championshipwinning ball hockey teams as an athlete, three more as coach, and on three world championshipwinning teams as head coach of Women’s Team Canada. She is also one of Ontario’s top women’s ice hockey referees. She was inducted into the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame in 2013 and is a mentor to female athletes of all ages. ■

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Leaside Life, October 2014

reer (1954-61) in the AHL. Caffery was the first “homegrown” Leasider to play in the NHL, and is credited with being the originator of the “backward” grip for face-offs.

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Walk Leaside Life, October 2014

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From Page 1

turesquely, Burke being almost detritus-free. Within a few minutes, it even presents a bonus for dog-walkers, though I would surmise that it’s an ecological no-no. Twice at a broadbut-shallow bend in the river, I saw several dogs way beyond the path’s fence frolicking in the water with their owners. Moving on, you’ll pass an algaecovered pond and many fallen trees, before the sometimes wooden-planked path and fencing end in a spoon shape. There you can view a steep irregular embankment that only the most energetic and perhaps foolhardy would dare clamber up to reach Bayview or Sunnybrook Hospital. At present there are no formal links. Returning to the dog park, you continue north to a small parking lot. To your left is a paved road for cars that disappears up the hill and connects to Sunnybrook Hospital. Turn instead to a bridge, with rusty-green iron railings. Once again: lovely views on either side. Moreover, the swift-moving water

A Leaside waterway is ideal for a friendly game of Poohsticks. Cross the bridge and head for the Sunnybrook Stables, bearing left on the main park road, and sidestepping any traffic since there’s no sidewalk. Soon you’ll be at the seating overlooking the enclosure where horses and riders do their jumping. HORSES CAN BITE. DO NOT FEED THE HORSES reads a sign on the corral’s every second post. To see basic riding-lessons in progress, walk all the way around the back, behind

the huge red, brown and white barn of a stable, till you reach the arena, where visitors can enter the open end for a look-see. Upon returning to the park road, you can check out another outside horse enclosure at the far end of the complex. The afternoon I stopped by, I saw 20 horses there, ambling about and grazing. Across the road is the closed-down Sunnybrook Café, but adjoining washrooms (plus a port-apotty) are open and well-maintained.

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Make your way back across the bridge. On the other side the first path to your right, a meandering dirt path hugs the West Don for a mile or so. This is the hiking highlight of the excursion. However, to ford gullies, there are a few iffy wooden-plank crossings that might be unsafe to guide a stroller over. Stroller-pushers should instead take the more formal path just a bit further past the bridge, and also heading right (north). It will join the meandering path about halfway to Glendon College. Neither is for cyclists. As for this forest, the signs say that the higher trees include old growth mature sugar maple, American beech and eastern hemlock. Below them range choke cherry, red ozier dogwood and eastern white cedar. In wetlands stretches on the west side, cattails dominate. Also, there’s Joe-Pye weed and boneset. Come here next spring and you may see blue heron, Mallard ducks or noisy red-winged blackbirds, monarch butterflies and green frogs, one of which I caught peering out from the knothole of a tree. There are all kinds of invasive plants as well. But for the likes of me, the experience is mainly the wind in the trees, and the sights and sounds of the West Don, gently rippling here, rapids gushing there. There are oddities. A few mysterious white stone benches appear along the way. A fallen and snapped tree provides an archway over the path. Watch out for those piles of horse poop. Some pebbly ‘beaches’ are quite accessible, but given that too much wear-and-tear has closed down the path on the east side of the river, perhaps best to avoid any tramping along the actual riverside. We don’t want the west-side path closed for restoration too. A half-hour stroll from the bridge takes you to the edge of Glendon College’s property. Another several minutes would take you all the way to its playing fields and field house. For any nature/exercise-loving Glendon students living in Leaside, the main path described here is the perfect alternative to commuting via Bayview. Time for the rest of us Leasiders to amble back and notice some things we missed on the way out. There are other trails to explore in the vicinity, but those can wait for another day. After two hours of cardio-vascular communing with nature in our midtown setting, hopefully there’s a parked car waiting for us on Glenvale. â–

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In our Hood 6

Leaside Life, October 2014

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The community welcomes its 14th annual Bayview Art Tour and Sale Oct. 4, and 5, featuring the work of different artists in different venues. Leaside locations incude 53 Aidrie, 109 Rumsey, 19 Kenrae, 51 Laird and 1 Laird (All Canadian SelfStorage with several artists on display). One of this year’s participants, Linda Lundstrom, is no stranger to Leasiders. For many years a resident of Bennington Heights, Lundstrom’s original head office and factory used to be in the Business Park. After reinventing her company in 2010, Lundstrom now focuses on natural fabrics, linens, leather and furs. “I’m having a ball,” she says, noting that her design philosophy today celebrates the Japanese idea of “imperfections as beauty,” known as Wabi Sabi. The newly renovated Sobeys on Laird Dr. “re-opened” with fanfare mid September, expanding by 10,514 sq. ft into the space formerly occupied by the LCBO. A highlight of the morning was the presentation of over-sized gift cards to both the North York and Daily Bread Food Banks. Originally from Cape Breton, store manager Joe Hastie was on hand with his Maritime charm to greet well-wishers. Parents and kids in North Leaside have a new crossing guard at the corner of Sutherland and Broadway. Northlea Public School principal and the parent council had brought the need to the attention of Councillor John Parker, who managed to get the request to the chief of police to the top of the list. Following a one-day study, consideration was granted that same day. There are now five crossing guards in Leaside. Another for the corner of McRae and Millwood is pending.

Leaside Life Published once a month in Leaside,Toronto ON, by Ruth G. Publishing Inc., 66 Donegall Drive, Toronto ON, M4G 3G5

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Leaside Life, October 2014

Most people have now noticed the new no turn on the red light rule at the corner of Millwood and McRae. Police are stationed “watching the corner,” initially just giving out warnings. But that will change! Consider yourself warned. There’s no end to the wide variety of music in Leaside. Local singer/songwriter Kelly Allen is contributing her talents to a fundraiser in memory of Georgia Walsh. The event will be held at The Leaside Pub Oct. 18 with proceeds to the Sick Kids Foundation. Carmen Lasceski recently renovated her violin studio at 1560 Bayview, where she’s been giving violin lessons the past two years. Lasceski lives in Leaside and describes her work as “not a typical commercial endeavor” but one that is highly artistic in nature and also involves giving back to the community in an artistic setting. Northlea Public School Home and School Council held its annual “welcome back” BBQ and fun fair Sept. 11, an annual event that draws hundreds of families, even past alumnae of the school. The bouncy castles, face painting, great food, animal show and music all made going back to school just a little more pleasant! ■

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Who knew? Little Free Library all over Leaside Life, October 2014

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8 Little did we know when we put a short article and photo of the Little Free Library on Southvale Dr. in our September issue of Leaside Life that it was not alone. In fact, there are at least six more similar libraries scattered around Leaside. It appears that Leaside’s original library, attached to a picket fence in the front yard of the Barb and James Mason house on Donlea Dr. has been there for several years. It’s in the block between Rumsey and Hanna and when I was checking held 14 books. That library was the inspiration for the Thursfield library, which has been up for about a month. Mary Edwards had also looked at the Little Free Library website, and was enthusiastic about continuing this concept, especially since her daughter Kate, who had always enjoyed reading, is now the associate director of the Association of Canadian Publishers. Out with a friend one day, Mary saw a terrarium for sale, and it seemed like the perfect start for a library. Her husband Paul did the necessary work from there, including adding four sparkling white support poles. Mary was excited when the first person stopped to look at the books, and she enjoys the friendly chats that happen as people go by, or stop to check her book stock. There are almost-twin libraries on Donlea just west of Sutherland and on Divadale, east of Sutherland. Both were created by a contractor who was making back decks for

Lorna Krawchuk Publisher Leaside Life

homes there. These are big book houses – each two shelves deep, and high enough to hold picture books. They’re even painted to resemble the house they go with. Sue Gray on Divadale got the idea about a year ago from her sisterin-law who had a library at her house on the Danforth. Sue officially registered in the winter (with littlefreelibrary.org to get on their map) and the library went up this summer. It even has ivy to grow up its post and eventually around the housing. People stopping by put books in the library, or if there isn’t room, leave them for her to re-stock later. Kids books move quickly, but the turnover of all books is surprising. Sue’s friend on Donlea, Sherri Stevenson, has the almost-twin Little Free Library that is also officially registered. When the library was ready to be installed, her nine-year old son was appointed to be the height regulator, so that kids smaller than he could also see the books, but adults wouldn’t have to kneel either. Sherri’s husband, Dave Cassie, said that they’re considering doing some landscaping around the library that might include a seating area for browsers. There are regular borrowers, including a man who comes by every Sunday morning asking for specific authors.

Back in South Leaside, the library house that went up in August at Parkhurst and Cameron has a notice that says “Take a book, leave a book, but close the door.” Says everything necessary. The choices I saw ranged from Chris Hadfield’s An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth to Beverly Cleary’s Ramona and her Mother. I’m sure they’ll both be gone by the time you read this, but they may show up at another library later on. My last call was on Fleming Cres., where Sarah Crane’s father was the builder. The inspiration for this one came from her parents’ home in Oakville, where there is a Little Free Library across the street. This library has a shingled roof, and is deep enough for two rows of books. On installation day, grandfather and grandson worked together to finish the project. Sarah says that some days the library is jammed with books in the evening and nearly empty the next morning. Her children always take a look to see what’s new and their friends check it out too. For all these libraries, their owners have reported no vandalism, and each mentioned the new people they meet and chat with and the sense of community they feel their library builds. And the latest? A cardboard box full of books appeared briefly at the south-west corner of Donegall and Fleming. Who knows, maybe we’ll have a guided tour of Leaside Little Free Library one day soon. ■

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They are returning to our roots

Leaside Life, October 2014

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MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS By BETH PARKER

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Once upon a time, back in 1940, there was a restaurant called The Leaside Tea Room. It was the first commercial building on Laird. Over the years many more commercial businesses have appeared on the street, but few would have as interesting a history. The Tea Room (where you couldn’t buy liquor) became Leaside Restaurant and Tavern and then Fox and Fiddle, before becoming The Leaside Pub (where you can buy tea) this past June, thanks to three people who met at Bessborough School’s Mayfair several years ago and developed a dream. 

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Leaside Life, October 2014

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The first of the three was Param Ratna, the franchise owner of the Fox and Fiddle at the corner of Laird and McRae. He was a generous donor for 10 the event’s BBQ. Two neighbours on Bessborough Dr., Sue Barrett (who ran the fair for many years) and Jeff Hohner, were side-by-side, flipping burgers. “Because we all met at Mayfair, we started talking about joining as business partners,” says Hohner. “Param’s the real hero. It was because of his commitment to community fundraising that we came together.” They joined Ratna as franchise owners, but waited for the contract to end so they could make changes. “There had been a place to eat in Leaside at the corner of McRae and Laird since around 1940,” says Hohner. “Many of our friends and customers told us our location was a hub, the neighbourhood local, so we thought it was right to return it to its roots as a ‘Leaside’ restaurant.” The history of service to the community began back with the original tea house. At the time, people employed in the industrial area commuted to Leaside by train and needed a place to eat as well as a bank.

The Leaside Tea House was built first at 190 Laird. Some years later the Canadian Bank of Commerce was attached to it, at 188. When the two buildings were combined in 1961 to make The Leaside Restaurant and Tavern the wall was opened up with large arches. Today both buildings are original and the brick arches still in place. Customers may notice the thickness of the wall and a ridge along the floor. The original bank safe is clearly visible along the back wall. “And they tell me that there is a second safe in the basement,” adds Barrett, “but I wouldn’t know. Apparently it is in the men’s washroom.” The Leaside Restaurant and Tavern owners retired in 1999 and sold the building to the Fox & Fiddle group, which added the English pub decor, including the large iron chandeliers and tin ceiling. “There is so much history here,” says Hohner, “when you think of how many years it served the neighbourhood, in particular the employees in the area including Canada Wire and Cable, Sangamo Electric, Tremco, Lincoln Electric, Imperial Oil (in the building where the Golden Griddle is), Phillips and other surrounding businesses.”

Since becoming business partners, Hohner, the Barretts (Sue and her husband Ed) and Ratna have worked to make the place similar to a British pub. It appeals to all age groups. Seniors come in for lunch, families and friends gather for meals and celebrations, and young kids meet up with their friends. One of its biggest draws are sports teams - rugby, basketball, soccer, baseball, hockey, as well as dart leagues. Fundraising remains a core part of how the pub gives back to the community, “It is expensive and difficult to find a venue in the neighbourhood,” says Hohner, “So we offer the pub to local groups holding fundraising events.” “And we just had our second request to host a wake here,” notes Barrett. “The community continues to see a lot of change,” Hohner notes, “but by turning this place into The Leaside Pub, we hope we can help remind people that some things are still the same.” ■

Leaside Life has a web site too

www.leasidelifenews.com

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Ways to reduce aircraft noise over Leaside and neighbouring areas are being sought by the Canadian government and airlines, says Lisa Raitt, Canada’s minister of transport. She was speaking at a roundtable discussion, hosted by Don Valley Wests MP John Carmichael, with the Leaside Property Owners’ Association and other interested groups early in August. Carmichael reported after the meeting that Raitt said she “was working with key industry stakeholders to develop practical solutions and greater transparency in the decision-making process for flight paths, something that was well appreciated by all those in attendance. “The discussion highlighted efforts by the air industry to reduce noise, such as the use of new technologies, more efficient and quieter planes, and mandatory noise abatement procedures by airports.” ■

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Leaside Life, October 2014

Looking for ways to stop airline noise

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Deadline for November, October 10

leasidelifenews@gmail.com

Leaside Life, October 2014

LEASIDE LIBRARY, 165 McRae, 416-396-3835 FOR ADULTS AND TEENS – Youth Employment Essentials Workshop Series: For 15-30 year olds. Learn job search skills 12 and have resumes reviewed by a professional. No registration required. Two sessions: Wed. Oct. 1, 4:30–6 p.m., Wed. Oct. 15, 4:30–6 p.m. – Searching for Earth 2: How Astronomers Hunt for Exoplanets: Lecture by Dr. Duy Cuong Nguyen, Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics. No registration required. Thur. Oct 2, 7-8 p.m. – MAP Family Saturdays, Museum of Inuit Art: For children 5-12. Docent on hand. Touch museum artifacts and make your own piece of art. 416-3963835 or register at the library. Sat. Oct. 4, 2-3 p.m. – Staying Balanced: How seniors can improve balance and co-ordination, by Eric Daw, personal trainer and older adult specialist. No registration required. Wed. Oct. 8, 7-8 p.m. – Escape From the Bedside: A Memoir: Dr. Sharon Baltman, MD. No registration required. Wed. Oct. 22, 7-8 p.m. – Youth Advisory Group Meeting: Volunteer and collect community hours. Ask staff for an application. Wed. Oct. 29, 4-6 p.m. FOR CHILDREN – Ready for Reading Family Time: 19 months-5 years. Stories, songs and rhymes for children with parents or caregivers. No registration required. 9:30-10 & 10:30–11 a.m. Recurring Wednesdays Oct. 1 to Nov. 5 – Ready for Reading Baby Time: (birth-18 months). Bouncing and tickling rhymes, songs and stories for babies with their parents or caregivers. Drop in. 9:30-10 & 10:30-11 a.m. on recurring Thursdays, Oct. 2 to Nov. 6. – Paws 4 Stories: Reading Stories to a Dog: ages 6-10 (grades 1-4). Children can improve their reading skills and increase confidence, interest

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and enjoyment in reading. Registration required. Sat. 10:30–noon, Oct.4, 18. OUTSIDE GROUPS – Leaside Garden Society: Preserving our natural roots, Edith George, Ontario Urban Forest Council. Thur. Oct. 9, 7:30-9:30 p.m. – Heritage Ontario: Ontario of yesterday and today with Barry Penhale and special guests. 2-4 p.m. Recurring Tuesdays Oct. 7 to 28. Leaside resident Robert Fripp reads excerpts from his books Wessex Tales and Power of a Woman, Oct. 14. FOR EVERYONE – Landscapes and More: Nature expressionist collection. Paintings by Catherine Marfleet. Ongoing Wednesdays Oct. 1 to Fri. Oct. 31. ________________ ArteMBASSY, 28 Industrial St. Ste. 219: Christopher Hume, architectural critic for the Toronto Star, hosts three lectures on Toronto in the 21st Century, starting Thurs. Oct. 25. 416-998-5045, info@artembassy.ca ST. CUTHBERT’S CHURCH CHRISTMAS FAIR, 1399 Bayview: Christmas crafts, gift baskets, knitting, quilt raffle, home baking, homemade soup and cheese, silent auction, kitchen items, jewellery, boutique and treasures, church calendars,

paperback books, Ted’s art gallery, toys, electrical items and a famous luncheon. Sat. Nov. 8, 11-2. 416-485-0329, www.stcuthbertsleaside.com/. LEASIDE UNITED CHURCH, Fall Awesome Sale, 822 Millwood Rd. Fri.-Sat. Oct. 17, 3-7 p.m., Oct. 18, 10 a.m.- noon. Proceeds support local and outreach programs. NORTHLEA UNITED CHURCH, 125 Brentcliffe Rd.: Canadian Federation of University Women, Leaside-East York, monthly meeting, Thurs. Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m. Rachel Gotlieb, curator Gardiner Museum, Clare Twomey, Piece by Piece. www.leaside.org/cfuw/. ST. CUTHBERT'S CHURCH, 1399 Bayview Ave.: Women's Dinner, Fri. Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m. Dinner and wine $20. Men of the parish are servers and wine stewards. 416 485 0329, stcuthberts@bellnet.ca/. NORTHLEA PUBLIC SCHOOL, 305 Rumsey Rd.: Blood Donor Clinic Tues. Oct. 7, 2-8 p.m. 1888-2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283). ROLPH ROAD SCHOOL, 31 Rolph Rd.: 75th anniversary. – Fri. Oct. 24, 1 p.m. Assembly for current students, includes a time capsule sealing, tree and sitting rock dedication and an art unveiling. – Fri. Oct. 24, 7 p.m. Adult social for alumni and current student parents. Music by Indecision, food stations and a cash bar. $50 ticket, http://bit.ly/1rkm0Gq/. – Sat. Oct. 25, 11:30–2 p.m. Open house. Photo booth, light refreshments. ST. CUTHBERT'S CHURCH, 1399 Bayview: Leisurely group walk, Mon., Wed. and Fri. mornings starting 9 a.m., one hour for exercise, weather permitting. MORNING GLORY CYCLING CLUB: Used Bike Drive, drop off at GEARS Toronto,109 Vander-

LeasideLife issue 32 draft 3_LeasideLifev1 14-09-22 10:54 PM Page 13

Corrections |

Leaside Life does things royally, especially making goofs. Last month we 13 got all the addresses wrong for the winners of the Gardens of Distinction in Leaside. Here are the correct addresses:

100 years old! Long-time Leaside resident George Hart will enjoy his 100th birthday party on Oct. 15 with his six children, one coming from China and another from the Canary Islands. He moved to Rumsey Rd. in Leaside from Montreal in 1975 when he became executive director of the Social Planning Council of Toronto. In 2010 he moved into SAHIL (Stay At Home In Leaside) at Bayview and McRae, where the party will be held. ■

1 Kenrae Rd.

34 Parkhurst Blvd.

5 Divadale Dr.

35 Heather Rd.

142 Glenvale Blvd.

36 Donlea Dr.

Sarah wins Me to We Sarah Jordan, the 11-year-old who started Sarah’s Food Drive five years ago in Leaside, has beaten two other young Canadians to win the Canadian Living magazine’s 10th annual Me to We award in the Youth in Action category (under 12). Six awards are given by Canadian Living to individuals who have worked hard to make a difference in their neighbourhoods and the world. Last year Sarah, a student at Northlea, spearheaded the annual drive that raised 27,000 kilograms. ■

"The man behind the signs" article last month made the following mistakes: Signarama GM Wally Tomaszek donated the first 200 signs free, not at cost. All following signs are being made at cost. The proper spelling of two names mentioned are Jen Avveduto and Andrei Sherwin. Money donated is not for Sick Children's Hospital but to help pay for new signs. The email address is leasidekidsatplay@gmail.com/.

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Leaside Life, October 2014

hoof Dr., Sun. Oct. 5, 1-4 p.m., East York Town Centre Plaza, Thorncliffe Park. ST AUGUSTINE'S (Bayview at Broadway): The Blessing of Animals on St Francis' Day, Sat. Oct. 4, 4 p.m. bring all your pets, invite friends. LEASIDE UNITED CHURCH (Millwood and McRae): I’m Still Here, a research based play about dementia by Act II Studio. Wed. Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m. Free, but $10 donation suggested. Refreshments provided. ■

LeasideLife issue 32 draft 3_LeasideLifev1 14-09-22 10:54 PM Page 14

The Leaside Gang that made Canada Happy Leaside Life, October 2014

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Alan Redway Former East York mayor and federal cabinet minister

During the 1940s when I came home from school for lunch our radio would always be tuned to CBL. After the BBC news “direct from London,” and the Farm and Home broadcast, the Dominion Observatory in Ottawa would intone: “At the beginning of the long dash the time will be exactly one o’clock.” Immediately after the long dash we heard, “Knock, knock – who’s there? It’s the Happy Gang. Well, come on in.” Then the gang would burst into song: “It’s the Happy Gang with the boys and Kay Stokes. We hope you’ll like our music and our songs and our jokes – yuk, yuk, yuk. Keep happy with the Happy Gang, keep happy, start your day with a bang. ‘Cause if you’re happy and healthy the heck

GEORGE TEMPLE BLAIN MATHÉ BERT PEARL EDDIE ALLEN

with being wealthy so get happy with the Happy Gang – la, la, la.” That was the opening number for their radio program which was broadcast five

BOB FARNON KAY STOKES

days a week coast to coast in Canada on the CBC. The majority of the Gang lived in Leaside. 

Come for the Leafs home opener on October 8 and enjoy your Leafs game special We welcome teams, call us to arrange parties, dinners or meetings. Don’t forget we serve Weekend Brunch from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm Saturday and Sunday BRING THE FAMILY

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Or on the Web for our menus at:

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LeasideLife issue 32 draft 3_LeasideLifev1 14-09-22 10:54 PM Page 15

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Leaside Life, October 2014

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Leaside Life, October 2014

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Kathleen Wynne MPP Don Valley West

Wishing a

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in Don Valley West!

Don Valley West 795 Eglinton Ave. East, Unit 101, Toronto ON M4G 4E4 Tel 416-425-6777 kathleenwynne.onmpp.ca

The Happy Gang began broadcasting during the dark days of the dirty ‘30s and continued during the equally dark days of WW II. We all needed cheering up in those days and that’s why the Happy Gang came into existence. Kay (Kathleen) Stokes, the only member of the Gang mentioned in their opening number, played the organ. She lived at the corner of Sutherland and Bessborough and could frequently be seen walking her two huge white Chow Chow dogs. It was quite a sight since virtually no one else in Leaside used to walk their dogs in those days and these huge animals were intimidating to little kids like me. Blain Mathé, the Gang’s violinist, lived on Bessborough just a short distance north of Kay Stokes on the east side of the street. By tapping twice on the back of his violin he provided the knock, knock to open each program. His daughter Joan was a classmate of mine at Rolph Road School and later at Leaside High. Joan and her husband John Turbach resided in the Mathé family home for many years but now live in the Garden Court apartments on Bayview where together with the other residents they have been fighting the Garden Court’s conversion to a condominium. ‘These days Joan and John can be found virtually every morning sipping coffee at Rosie’s on Bayview. Joan will be reading the paper while John completes the crossword puzzle. During their heyday, Hugh Bartlett, the Happy Gang’s announcer, also lived in the Garden Court. Unlike other radio programs the Happy Gang performed in front of a live audience. Bartlett’s job included warming up the audience and getting it laughing before air time. One Easter break, as those days were called back then, my mother took me to one of these performances at the CBC’s old McGill St. studio. Bartlett got us all laughing by pulling the bottom of his trousers up above his knees. Today no one would think that was funny, but times were different in the 1940s. We all needed something, anything to laugh about. The Happy Gang’s founder, Bert Pearl, known to the listeners as “that slap happy chappy, the Happy Gang’s own pappy,” played the piano. He lived on Millwood across from St. Anselm’s Church.

Pearl wrote that opening song and planned every show in great detail. When he finally left the show in the 1950s he moved to Hollywood to write for Jimmy Durante and many others. During the Great Depression and WW II two million Canadians would tune in every week day to listen to Leaside’s Happy Gang. After the war was over the “boys and the girls” came home to Leaside and to cities, towns, villages and farms right across the country. The economy started to boom. There were jobs for everyone who was able to work. People were happy again. That marked the end for Leaside’s Happy Gang. Apparently Canadians had become so happy that they didn’t need cheering up anymore. ■

To advertise in Leaside Life: 416-486-7387 www.leasidelifenews.com We deliver to all homes, apartments and businesses in the M4G postal area.

ArteMbassy Art Courses and Resources

28 Industrial Street #219 Toronto, Ontario M4G 1Y9 416 998.5045 info@artembassy.ca www.artembassy.ca

LeasideLife issue 32 draft 3_LeasideLifev1 14-09-22 10:55 PM Page 17

17

It's time again for the

LEASIDE UNITED CHURCH AWESOME FALL SALE! Oct. 17th 3 to 7 pm and Oct. 18th 10 am to Noon. There's jewelry, furniture, books, DVD's, CD's, clothing, Baked Goods and so much more. Drop into the Tea Room for Hot Dogs, Hamburgers and Homemade Treats - one of the most reasonable meals in town! Located at the corner of Millwood and McRae. Hope to see you there!

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LeasideLife issue 32 draft 3_LeasideLifev1 14-09-22 10:55 PM Page 18

LEASIDE STOCK INDEX Leaside Life, October 2014

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Tim has made our Canadian index boom By WILL ASHWORTH Summer’s come and gone; threequarters of the year is already in the books. Fear not because the Leaside Stock Index is just getting started. August saw the LSI deliver its biggest gain of 2014 thanks to Burger King’s (BKW) $12.5 billion offer to acquire Tim Hortons (THI.TO). The offer, which calls for $65.50 in cash plus 0.8025 common shares in the soon-to-be-merged company pushed Timmy’s stock up 44 percent in a single month providing more than a few double doubles for its shareholders. It’s too bad the LSI is only a hypothetical portfolio. These kind of quick strikes don’t come around very often. Kudos for anyone holding its stock. You’ve done well. So, let’s forget about reality for a second and think about what should be done with the LSI’s position in Timmy’s? I have three options: 1. Sell the 170 or so shares received in the newly merged company investing that cash along with the

$13,780 received for the 210 shares held in Tim Hortons in another stock that’s LSI eligible; or 2. Keep the 130 shares in the newly merged company and use the $13,780 to buy more shares in a Tim Hortons/Burger King tie-up; or 3. Keep the 130 shares of the newly merged company but invest the $13,780 in another stock that’s LSI eligible. John Heinzl is a business columnist with the Globe & Mail. He recently wrote (http://bit.ly/1nK8BAp) that he sold his Tim Hortons stock after the takeover announcement because once merged the new company wouldn’t pay nearly as nice a dividend as Tim Hortons routinely did because it would be too busy paying off a boatload of debt. If you’re an income investor — as Heinzl most definitely is — the logic is sound. However, both Tim Hortons and Burger King possess excellent management. The combination should make for a very formidable opponent to McDonald’s (MCD) and I for one

think Tim Hortons is in better hands with 3G Capital (which owns 51 percent of the new company) behind the scenes making sure costs are kept under control. 3G Capital’s Jorge Lemann is one of the smartest minds in business having orchestrated several big takeovers including Anheuser-Busch in 2008. With Warren Buffett lending $3 billion in the form of preferred shares, the merged business is going to do just fine, taxes aside. While I’m leaning toward rolling everything into the merged entity I don’t have to make a decision for several months as the deal’s not expected to close until early 2015. In the meantime let me quickly update other significant happenings for the LSI in August. The LSI gained 5.5 percent in August, handily beating its ETF benchmark (XIC.TO, SPY) by 268 basis points (almost three percentage points in layman terms) and is up 6.2 

LeasideLife issue 32 draft 3_LeasideLifev1 14-09-22 10:55 PM Page 19

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Leaside Life, October 2014

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LeasideLife issue 32 draft 3_LeasideLifev1 14-09-22 10:55 PM Page 20

percent year-to-date through August 29. While the LSI still trails its ETF benchmark by almost eight percentage points it managed to close that gap by a significant margin in August. The American stocks had a bangup month from top to bottom with nine out of 10 delivering positive gains including contributions of 5 percent or more from Home Depot (HD), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), Best Buy (BBY), Lincoln Electric (LECO) and PetSmart (PETM). This compares to only two Canadian stocks: Canadian Tire (CTCU.TO) and Tim Hortons. In fact, if you take Tim Hortons 44 percent gain out of the equation it wasn’t even close. The Americans ran away with August. After a terrible start to 2014 the 10 American stocks in the LSI are making their may back to within striking distance of positive returns. They are down 2.91 percent through August 29. While this pales in comparison to the 11.84 percent total return for the LSI’s Canadian stocks as well as 14.1 percent for the ETF benchmark, three months ago I wouldn’t have believed they’d have any chance of making it into positive territory by the end of the year. Now, it’s entirely possible and that’s great news for the LSI. ■

Leaside Life, October 2014

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ENTER

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LeasideLife issue 32 draft 3_LeasideLifev1 14-09-22 10:55 PM Page 21

By JETHRO SEYMOUR

Our friendly volunteers deliver professionally prepared meals at noontime. Hot and frozen meals special diets available personal preferences happily accommodated

Summer doldrums had little effect on house prices in Leaside and Bennington Heights this year, according to MLS figures. Comparing this past August with August 2013, the average price increased by 10.3 percent to $1,409,346. There were also 13 homes sold that month, compared to nine the year before. Only one semi-detached home sold in August this year, but for just shy of a million dollars, $987,000. The value of 2014’s year-to-date 139 detached homes was up slightly by 1.9 percent to $1,469.806. Only 114 detached homes were sold in the first eight months of 2013. The 27 semi-detached homes sold saw a 28.9 percent decrease in sales activity but a 14.3 percent gain in average value through to the end of August. For the current last 12 months of August 2013 to August 2014, compared to the same period the previous 12 months, semi-detached home sales were down 9.1 percent but the average price rose by 11.6 percent to $822,721.■

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Summer doldrums? Forget it – the prices just keep booming

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Leaside Life, October 2014

REAL ESTATE SALES

LeasideLife issue 32 draft 3_LeasideLifev1 14-09-22 10:55 PM Page 22

Leaside Life, October 2014

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Ward 26 - Candidates answer questions

✓ Elections ●

Jon

John

BURNSIDE PARKER

1. Many Leaside residents are forced to leave their homes because of property tax hikes. What do you think of freezing their rates?

Tax relief that relates to one’s level of income should only be undertaken by the levels of government that collect income based taxes. Given the massive capital demands of projects (i.e. public transit and upgrading our aging infrastructure), I'm not in favour of any property tax freezes at this time.

The City of Toronto has comprehensive and generous policies in place now that provide tax and water bill deferrals, rebates, and in some cases outright exemptions to low income seniors and persons with disabilities. I fully support retaining these policies and reviewing/updating the applicable thresholds regularly.

2. Traffic congestion and speeding are becoming worse. How would you alleviate these problems?

A police officer for 10 years, I established a network of relationships and gained an understanding of police protocol, keys to better safety enforcement. I'll take an aggressive, multi-faceted approach: immediate action on Leslie and Redway extensions, peer-reviewed traffic studies before new developments and implementation of proven traffic calming strategies.

I have implemented a number of measures to address traffic pressures and have arranged for others that will be implemented in the future, such as a median on Laird to keep traffic off Parkhurst. Most important: I am working to extend Redway Rd. to get commuters off Leaside streets altogether.

3. Would you help businesses along Eglinton that are suffering most from construction of the LRT?

Yes. As a business owner myself, I understand the challenges faced by small businesses in the community. These same small businesses are the ones who support the community and they definitely need to be compensated for any losses which are the result of the LRT construction.

The Crosstown will be good for Eglinton businesses. The single most important thing is to expedite the project and minimize the disruption. I am working closely with Metrolinx, TTC and city staff to this end. St. Clair taught us that communication throughout is key; we will be emphasizing that.

4. What is your opinion about replacing the Ontario Municipal Board with the proposed Local Development Permit System?

I agree. OMB has consistently failed the people of Ward 26 and City of Toronto. I'm in favour of: --dramatic reform to restore accountability and community interests as central priorities in the planning and approvals processes, --a system where decision makers are directly accountable to the public they’re supposed to be serving.

I favour the development permit system. That’s why I’ve written and spoken on it and why I voted for it at council. It’s currently under appeal; implementation will therefore be delayed. Implementation will also be gradual and will start in high growth areas. It is not coming to Leaside soon.

5. What is your opinion about the increasing retail presence in the Leaside Business Park industrial area?

People and the community come first. I favour projects that deliver better job density and less outside traffic than big box retailers. All future development must include planning for more recreational facilities and green spaces and I will aggressively pursue Section 37 funds from developers to achieve these important priorities.

Before I was elected, Toronto adopted an official plan that allows retail on edges of employment lands. The criteria for approval are objective factors concerning which developers have recourse to the OMB. Working with city staff, I subject these factors to rigorous review and demand design excellence from successful proposals.

LeasideLife issue 32 draft 3_LeasideLifev1 14-09-22 10:55 PM Page 23

Ward 26 - Candidates answer questions Vania

SPARROW

VELSHI

WASIM

A plan to freeze tax rates for seniors on lower fixed incomes is something I would welcome, along with better, more affordable homecare options and more assisted living spaces to allow residents to age in places in the communities they know and love.

I do not support increases above the cost of living index.

We would have to evaluate/study the effects of freezing the rates to best serve Leaside residents, while being fair to other residents in the city. If those “forced to leave their homes” refers to seniors, in fairness to them, I would lobby the provincial government.

Better enforcement of driving laws. Permanent signage identifying Leaside as a pedestrian friendly, family neighbourhood. Change gateway intersections to slow and alert traffic to the community they’re entering. Say NO to more big-box stores and the traffic they invite. Demand new residential development be in keeping with the character of our community.

A comprehensive traffic study needs to be conducted. Collaborate with the Leaside Traffic Committee and the Transportation Department to develop a short-term and long-term plan. Convene a town hall meeting to discuss and recommend that we reduce the speed to 30 kph immediately. Insist on better enforcement and camera monitoring.

Traffic congestion and speeding could be eased by promoting safer driving, encouraging car pooling / taking public transit, and having stop signs and speed bumps installed as requested by the residents on those streets. Where children are involved, have the speed limit lowered and enforced.

I support and encourage local businesses. LRT construction is here for 4-6 years. I commit to standing with the community, including local small businesses, as we adapt to the constant change this project will bring. If/when specific businesses suffer, I will work to see they are compensated and/or facilitated.

I am willing to meet with the businesses to hear what their suffering entails. I will work with my provincial counterpart and Metrolinx to discuss what can be done to alleviate the ‘suffering’. This project involves two levels of government and decisions must be made in consultation with all parties.

The city requires an improved transit system. However, pushing for a construction system causing minimal disruption, and encouraging businesses to have patience would be vital, by reminding them that upon completion, they will benefit from the “stop and shop” practices of Metro pass holders.

The OMB does not live here. Hodgepodge development must stop. Local Approval Boards and a Development Permit System where limits are firmly established and ruled on by neighbourhood stakeholders seem appropriate. Developers have their lawyers, the city has their bureaucrats, we deserve an advocate who will stand with our community.

I support replacing the OMB with the proposed local DPS. However, in the case of Leaside, the establishment of the DPS needs to incorporate both the Leaside Business Park and the residential areas. The impact of development in the industrial area will have a direct impact on the residential area.

I would need to review the details further. Would there be any benefits, costs and impact to the services already provided?

Let’s think outside the big-box! We’re about to build our seventh big grocery store and a Walmart. Meanwhile small businesses are closing, and traffic from all over the city is drawn through Leaside. Let’s consider new options, better jobs, accessible greenspace, community amenities. Let’s ensure our voice is heard!

We need a comprehensive collaborative review by relevant city staff and Leaside residents to develop a strategy for the area allowing for sustained economic growth. We need to establish an approach based on the economic viability of various manufacturing and retail alternatives that will protect the tax base.

I assume this is referring to the Sobeys and Longo’s plazas situated along Laird Ave. They’ve already benefitted Leaside residents by converting previous industrial areas to shopping malls within walking distance of some and easy driving distance of others. Convenient and aesthetically pleasing, they provide additional tax revenue, employment, services/growth.

Leaside Life was unable to communicate with the sixth candidate for election, Dimitre Popov.

Leaside Life, October 2014

Ishrath

David

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Leaside Life, October 2014

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28 Industrial St.: Not what it seems on the outside.

ALL PHOTOS BY WILL ASHWORTH

The changing inside face of the industrial park The industrial area east of Laird has undergone changes in recent years that have resulted in a mix of tenants different from the norm, most of which probably wouldn’t have existed 25 years ago among a bunch of messy industries, but do now because of the movement to more of a mixed-use neighbourhood. Originally this column was to provide information on some of these businesses. But then I visited 28 Industrial St., a massively long and narrow two-storey warehouse/ loft smack dab between Kreitmaker, a supplier of concrete mix, to the south, and to the north Apco Industries Co. Limited, which supplies oils to metalworkers, etc., and I knew I had to write about this building and the people within its walls; everything else could wait.

Sitting in Julie McMeekin’s unit on the second floor staring out at the pipes running here and there across Apco’s property it struck me how different the industrial area truly has become. Julie runs ArteMbassy, a visual arts program for kids and adults

Will Ashworth The business of Leaside that’s been going strong for the last nine years, all at 128 Industrial. Carefully selected art teachers deliver classes on varying subjects to generally no more than 12 students at a time providing instruction that is very much hands-on and participatory. She used to do some of the teaching but as its grown she’s stepped aside to handle the bigger picture of her business. McMeekin also opens the studio for speaking engagements, photo shoots, parties and tours both locally and beyond Leaside. Two week-long tours of Cuba are currently planned for November and February. If you look out on those pipes while simultaneously gawking at the high ceilings, cool floors and old school floor-to-ceiling windows, you can’t help but be impressed by her business. The fact that she’s been able to thrive amidst this industrial, gritty environment is a testament to her passion for art.

Second on my list of interesting tenants at 28 Industrial St. is Lee Munroe, a 60-something artist, sailor, advertiser, mother, and allaround renaissance woman. Julie introduced me to Lee; we met up a few days later to discuss her art and life. Let’s just say that anyone who can sail the world for five years (with her husband and daughter) has got to be full of life and positive energy, especially since it wasn’t her idea, rather her husband’s, for embarking on the five-year journey. Smart as a whip, Lee was able to extract from her husband his agreement that upon their return she would do nothing but paint. Since 2004 that’s exactly what she’s done, all of it at 28 Industrial. Her paintings are vibrant in colour covering landscapes, portraits and whimsical snippets of moments in time. Self-admittedly not a commercial painter, she nonetheless

continues to sell her work to those who share her same fascination with life. Lastly is Kevin Charles, proprietor of My Favourite Trainer, a fitness 

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and personal training business he set up in 2009 after five years doing the same type of work with the Sports Clubs of Canada. Most of Kevin’s work involved visiting clients at their homes or workplaces running them through bootcamp-style fitness workouts. About a year ago Kevin decided to take the plunge. Nervous about whether he could get clients to come to a gritty area, his decision was a leap of faith that’s worked out remarkably well. Soon he will be moving downstairs to a slightly bigger unit with much greater natural sunlight and direct access to a very large parking lot immediately in front of his unit. Admittedly, Kevin chose this rough around the edges building because the rent was reasonable, not to mention close to most of his customers, 80 percent of whom are professional women living in the Leaside and North Toronto areas. But he’s been very happy with the image his business projects to customers. Anyone who’s lived in Leaside for a decent amount of time has probably driven by 28 Industrial St. numerous times and never once stopped to check out what’s inside. Well, the next time you do, stop by and say hello. There’s more to Leaside than just Bayview and Laird. ■

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Last month we featured Rumsey Rd. resident Cheryl Vanderburg’s one-woman crusade to clean up Leaside. This month we start updates about the Adopt-a-Park/Roadway program being set up in conjunction with the city. Here are some interesting notes from Vanderburg’s email she sent us in September: “The article has certainly started a dialogue. I have three volunteers: Audrey MacKinnon, who lives on Randolph Rd., my husband Doug Harris, and Jeff Walker of Donegall Dr. There’s been interest from the Leaside Garden Society about refurbishing Trace Manes with new furniture, flower beds, etc. The permit holders at Trace Manes (Pedalheads and baseball teams) have been contacted and are leaving the field pristine. The Boy Scouts have committed to leaving their Christmas tree site clean. “My clean up efforts have resulted in less litter reappearing on Rumsey Rd. and in the park. I have been expanding my efforts to the little dark and dirty public spaces in the area. I have lots of 'brand recognition as I walk along with my garbage bag. People stop to tell me they read the article, that I am doing a great job and they thank me for my good work. “I shall keep going with these small and incremental improvements and hope at some point I create a litter “happening”. Kind of like Ghandi. And I am enjoying my new normal litter-free neighbourhood.” “I also spoke with a manager of the Loblaws store on Redway Rd. I told him I don't shop there any more because the litter stuck in the fences along Redway and in the parking lot make the experience most unwelcoming. He agreed and said he would send in his cleaning crew.” 

CHERYL VANDERBURG

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Update on Cheryl’s litter-free progress

Getting help from birds Back and forth correspondence between Cheryl Vanderburg and Pedalheads early in September. Hello Pedalheads, Thank you for doing such a great job cleaning up Trace Manes Park after your camp this summer. I thought you would enjoy this picture of a bird’s nest I found this morning. It had blown out of a tree at Trace Manes Park. As you can see the birds have been assisting me in my litter crusade by picking up the handlebar streamers and weaving them into their nest. Although it is quite beautiful, it illustrates the fact that the handlebar streamers break off and litter the field. I hope you will consider banning them next year. I know the kids and parents love them, however they do break off all over the field and continue to glitter in the sun and will never biodegrade and are impossible to pick up completely. Or you could convince Dollarama to build them more sturdily so they don't break off. Thank you for your consideration of this request to keep our parks clean and welcoming for other people to enjoy. Sincerely, Cheryl

Hello Cheryl, Thank you for taking the time to email us about your concerns. I appreciate you taking the time to send us a photo of the results of the ribbons from the bikes. It's definitely something to look into for next summer's camps. We obviously want to leave Trace Manes Park as clean as it is when we arrive at the beginning of the summer. I will be passing along your concerns to the Ontario Manager. Regards, Mira Atlantis Programs, Pedalheads Hello Cheryl, Thanks again for the feedback. It's great that you are caring for your neighbourhood. We are having our strategic planning next month so maybe that's something that I can put on the table to discuss. Cheers, Mira Hello Pedalheads, Thank you! Love the camp and love to see the kids having so much fun and learning bike safety. Could you also consider litter-free lunches to avoid all of the cellophane wrappers from juice box drinks and cracker/granola bar wrappers? They are tedious to clean up. A lot of schools are going to litter-free lunches so you would not be alone. Thanks for being a good neighbour and a good citizen of the planet. Sincerely, Cheryl

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park. I think that's a great offer. I hope that Leaside High will advise students and that there will be some takers. “Other suggestions most wel- 29 come.” If you missed the contact information information in the September issue, you can reach Cheryl Vanderburg at 416-425-3022 or cheryl.vanderburg@hotmail.com /. ■

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ald’s at Bayview and Eglinton to help reduce litter at the baseball field area. “She cannot take responsibility,” said Vanderburg, “for keeping city property litter free even though some of the litter is McDonald’s takeout containers. “What she is willing to do is offer free garbage bags and disposal and community service hours to students who are willing to adopt the

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Vanderburg filled a green garbage bag with litter at Leaside Gardens and found a smart phone and two VHS tapes. The bag was so heavy she left it outside the Gardens office door and is asking Gardens staff to organize a weekly clean-up, plus a spring and fall one. She has offered to participate. She wrote to and received offers of help from the manager of McDon-

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Why Costco would be a big headache Leaside Life, October 2014

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30 The death of Georgia Walsh was a wakeup call to all Leasiders. The Slow Down. Kids At Play signs hit a chord in Leaside and demand for these signs has “gone viral” with demand from across the city. City council has approved a “no right turn on red” at McRae and Millwood, and has requested staff to report back to the next meeting on several legislative measures, like a reduction in speed limits on local roads in Leaside from 40 kmph to 30 kmph. These are good measures but we need to take a larger perspective, and ask, “What is causing the traffic in the first place?” People are going “somewhere,” whether to work, to shop, or for other reasons. The Eglinton Crosstown will eventually help with travel to work, but in the meantime drivers seeking an alternative route to Eglinton will increase traffic in our community for years. The travel to shop issue is affecting Leaside big time and is the only one that the city could affect if there is a determina-

Geoff Kettel

Saving old Leaside tion to do so. The city has allowed development of power centres along arterial roads, and the Laird development is the local result. Leaside gets local shopping but mainly it gets the traffic from elsewhere. The next wave of power centres is already underway and it is on Overlea Blvd. The advance guard, a Costco warehouse store on the former Coca-Cola Canada property, has already applied for planning approval. The proposed Costco Warehouse store would have a gross floor area of 14,752.4 square metres and a four-island, eight-pump gas bar. A detailed analysis by Wayne Robbins of the Traffic Impact study dated

June 2013, and its revision dated May 2014, submitted to City Planning by the developer, indicates that the operation of the Costco retail store and gas bar will result in an increase in traffic of 39 percent for weekdays and 47 percent for Saturday over ‘background,” or nonCostco-related, traffic on Overlea and Thorncliffe Park Dr. A Costco on Overlea would result in an estimated additional 2,246,400 vehicle trips per year into the Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood, with the majority coming from the west, that is, through Leaside. Overlea Boulevard is only 1.9 kilometres in length with T intersections at both ends plus one at Millwood at Laird controlled by traffic signals. It has six traffic-light controlled intersections, that is to say, at present you can be stopped by six red lights as you drive from Millwood, at Laird, to Don Mills Rd. The traffic consultants point out that “within the immediate study area, there are capacity constraints

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noted at a number of intersections, which will require signal timing improvements to meet the traffic demands of the Costco site and other background developments”. These “improvements” would include increases of up to 33 percent in how long a red light would last at the five intersections on Overlea and the Laird/Millwood intersection. So yes, this is a “Leaside problem”. There are direct effects on travel in Leaside, not just the increase in traffic passing through Leaside to get to the store. And these traffic light changes will have a major negative impact on TTC bus routes using or crossing Overlea, which include the South Leaside (88) bus. So where does this development proposal stand at present? As with any rezoning application there are two phases: city staff analyze the developer’s application and prepare reports to council, with recommendations. The North York community council will make a recommendation to city council, either agreeing with or not with staff recommendations. In this case we understand that the city manager decided that this application would not go forward before the civic election. So at this time we do not know what the staff will be recommending, and the council decision could depend on who is elected as Ward 26 councillor. You will have an opportunity to ask the Ward 26 candidates at the LPOA’s All Candidates Meeting on Oct. 21 where they stand on this issue. I hope you do so!

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________________

Condo at 25 Malcolm Rd. Where is that? It’s the former post office site at 2 Laird Dr., which has been re-addressed as 25 Malcolm, and that’s a good thing. As the LPOA pointed out in its submission on the re-zoning, the site was located at the corner of Malcolm and Millwood, not on Laird. Regardless, the site is an important entry point to the Leaside community and when we last wrote about the project in this column in April of this year, it was to announce that the developer had won its appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board and the development would proceed as submitted, despite the concerns of neighbours and the LPOA. However that is not the end of the approvals process and in large developments such as this, a Site Plan Application is required.

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Normally site plan applications are approved by staff, without public input, but by request of the councillor they can be bumped up to community council. The LPOA wrote to Councillor Parker requesting bumping up, which he got approved. There are no more meetings of community council or city council till 2015 so we do not know when it will come back.

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________________

Volunteer opportunities Are you looking to gain experience volunteering in a client-based program, helping kids with special needs participate in activities to the best of their ability? Then we are looking for you! To learn more about Holland Bloorview’s volunteer opportunities, please visit www.Hollandbloorview.ca/volunteer

In W Ward ard 26 - Don Valley West

Elect as Y YOUR OUR Councillor

Ishrath Ishrath VELSHI

Email: vote@ishrathvelshi.com votte@ishrathvelshi.com Tel: 647-454-2662 EVERYONE EVERY RYONE DESERVES A VOICE E

Residential infill construction can be disruptive, especially for immediate neighbours and nearby homes. I get lots of comments from Leasiders about how fed up they are with construction activity on Leaside streets. Noise, dust, damage to property and trespassing are all issues. The City of Toronto has announced that it will be increasing its enforcement of construction activity within the city's right-ofway to make sure those areas are safe for all road users. City staff will be making sure construction sites are cleared of litter and other debris, construction vehicles are parked in the proper locations, hoarding is properly located, and that signing and other traffic control measures are clearly visible, working properly and in the correct locations. These measures relate mostly to large developments like condos and office buildings, not as much to small infill renovation/demolition projects that are so common on Leaside streets. However Ward 25 Councillor Robinson brought forward a motion at council committee earlier this summer to ask staff for a report to improve and streamline the city's response to problem residential infill construction sites, including the feasibility of identifying a single lead to better coordinate the city's response and requiring key information to be posted on hoarding boards. It also asked for improvements to the city's response to infill residential buildings that are not built according to approved plans or permissions. As it stands, discrepancies are often noticed too late in the construction timeline to be resolved. If you have any ideas or suggestions about this please let me know and I will make sure it gets to city staff for the report back to council. â–

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Karen Fraser

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Spooky contest back again It’s back! The second Leaside Halloween Home Decorating Contest begins Oct.18. Visit www.halloweencontest.org for contest details. People whose spooky creativity had entertained their neighbourhood for years appreciated the online recognition. The winners enjoyed prizes like tickets to a Leafs’ game, dinners for two in local restaurants, gourmet pies and artisan jewellery. This year you can nominate a neighbour, enter your own efforts and vote on the site. There will be prizes again. ________________

I had never attended a high school reunion. When asked to do a presentation on their era at Leaside High for the class of 59 Reunion I was both honoured and curious. I wore a plaid jacket to honour the Scottish fiefdom of founding Principal Norman McLeod. Forty-five graduates gathered at Against the Grain at 10 a.m. on Sept.16 Against the Grain could be their class motto if they had taken to heart the “dark and dankâ€? plots against teachers by their classmate, my cousin Jane Chamberlain. The greatest surprise of the morning was special guest teacher Bill Andrews. His career took him to other schools but he still lives in North Leaside. I asked Mr. Andrews if he had any comment about the gathering. Between muffins he said that looking at the group he realized that those with the highest marks did not necessarily do well in the work world. Several who worked very hard and still fell short on marks had done as well or better. The 59 Reunion was organized by volunteer Anne Hamilton Fowler and her committee. It took endless hours and heartfelt dedication to create the flawless event. But then Anne is so good at it (enjoyanne.honduranhope.net). Following lunch the group had a tour at Leaside High conducted by ď ľ

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Principal Jeannette Plonka and the school captain. The 59 class had many siblings of my class of 65. Conversations with them quickly led to story filled emails exchanged with my former classmates. Laughter ages well! It made me think about today’s opinion that Facebook made reunions obsolete. Recent grads know everything about former classmates, including what they ate for lunch. A young friend dismissed that theory saying that her class uses Facebook to organize their reunions right down to selling the tickets. Knowing recent events in a classmate’s life is an excellent starting point for reunion conversations. â–

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The property at the corner of Laird Dr. and Wicksteed, Four Seasons Auto Collision at 199 Laird, has been sold. Pat Ricci, a member of the family that own the property, won’t disclose the name of the buyer or the price until the sale closes Oct. 8. SmartCentre, owner of the adjacent property now being developed, says it is not the new owner. The Ricci family has operated the company since 1964. â–

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Carol Burtin Fripp Vice-president, LPOA

What you should ask candidates at Oct. 21 meeting Are you ready for election day, Oct. 27? Do you know where the candidates stand on the issues that matter to you? The Leaside Property Owners’ Assciation’s constitution does not allow us to endorse specific candidates. However, the LPOA is offering an election page on our website this year, in an effort to assist candidates in making their messages available, and to provide you with contact information if you’d like to reach them directly. We’ve invited each candidate to supply a 500-word message for our election page. As well, the LPOA is holding two municipal election debates, both at Leaside Gardens’ William Lea Room. On Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 7:30

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Leaside Life, October 2014

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reduce both speeding and throughtraffic? The TTC plans to eliminate most of the surface bus routes along Eglinton once the LRT is built, which would reduce Leasiders’ access to convenient public transit. Will you take on the TTC to maintain a reasonable level of service? Will you work to halt the encroachment of more retail in the Leaside Business Park? How will you do this? Where do you stand on the Ontario Municipal Board? Are you in favour of replacing the OMB with a more Toronto-compatible alternative? When a developer applies to build in Leaside, Section 37 payments are sought to help the community. Who should decide how much those payments should be, and who should decide where that money is spent? Should the local community have a say? If you are our councillor, will you commit to regularly attend ratepayer groups’ monthly meetings, or at least to send someone from your office to inform and to answer questions? What about improving infrastructure such as water and sewer lines? What about replacing lead water pipes where they still exist? Do you support providing city loans so that homeowners can afford to replace lead pipes on their property? What is your position on the application for a large Costco store and gas bar on Overlea Blvd., and why? What is your position on bicycle lanes, both in Leaside and throughout the city? Separated lanes, or just painted lines? What is your stand on bicycling safety (including the common practice of bicyclists going through stop signs or on sidewalks, for instance). These are just some of the questions you might ask. Do not be shy about holding out for real answers! Let the candidates know that we’ll hold them to their promises. On Oct. 27, please vote. It’s important. â–

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| Leaside Life, October 2014

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Angels of charity in Halloween run It’s only the third year running, but the Holland Bloorview Kids rehab hospital expects to see up to 1,000 people this year at its Monster Dash and Spooky Mile on Oct. 26. The highlight of the day will be lots of bumblebees, princesses, superheroes and other costumed kids and parents crossing the finish line for the Spooky Mile, an adventurous lap around the hospital grounds on Kilgour Rd. After the race, everyone’s invited inside Holland Bloorview, where live entertainment, prize draws, cheque presentations and more cap off the event. The Monster Dash, with runs of 5K and 10K, is Toronto’s first Halloween-themed run, complete with decoration of the course that skirts Serena Gundy Park and the area surrounding the hospital. Holland Bloorview’s roots in Leaside go back to 1957, when the Ontario Crippled Children’s Centre was established at 350 Rumsey Rd. Four years later the name was changed to Bloorview Children’s Hospital. The current state-of-the-art facility, winner of many international accolades, was opened on Kilgour Rd. in 2006. Peter Donato, who came up with the idea of the Monster Run, says 100 percent of all donations and pledges go directly to the hospital. Most sponsorship dollars go back into the event “to create a better event each year,” he says. ■

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