LeasideLife issue 41 final use this_LeasideLifev1 15-08-21 9:03 AM Page 1
No. 41 • September 2015 leasidelifenews.com
The fun Moose on Moore Page 17
NOW WHAT?
Will Leaside be split up? FIVE CITY PROPOSALS WOULD DO JUST THAT By ALLAN WILLIAMS Leaside is in danger of being split apart by ward boundary changes. In August the Toronto Ward Boundary Review, set up by City Council in 2014, came out with its first report outlining five options for redrawing Toronto’s ward boundaries in time for the next municipal election in 2018. The proposed options vary from as few as 38 “large” wards of about 75,000 people each to as many as 58 “small” wards of about 50,000 people each, but all five options would see Leaside split up. How does each proposal effect Leaside? The following is an outline only. For the detailed boundary maps associated with each proposal visit www.drawthelines.ca. Under Options 1, 2, 3 and 5 Leaside would be split in two along Eglinton. Option 1: North Leaside stays with Thorncliffe Park, Flemingdon Park and Wynford-Concorde (as currently) while South Leaside joins Old East York across the Leaside Bridge as far east as Coxwell. Option 2: North Leaside joins neighbourhoods to the north as far as the 401, west to Avenue Rd. and east as far as Don Mills, while South Leaside goes west all the way to Yonge St. joining Davisville, Moore Park and the north half of Rosedale. SPLIT, Page 10
Jon Burnside Councillor, Toronto Ward 26 Don Valley West
Can we trust Metrolinx? The benefits of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT to our city have been mentioned many times over, but what is less clear and even less welcome are the consequences to our community. The biggest issue we currently face is intensification along Eglinton, namely, enormous condominium development. Developers are naturally pointing to BURNSIDE, Page 10
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Rotary helps send 360 Thorncliffe kids to camp Funds raised by the Leaside Rotary Club helped send Thorncliffe Park kids to day camp this summer, building ties between the two communities, a long-term goal for Leaside resident Bill Pashby, the volunteer chair of the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office (TNO) . “I believe it’s a good idea for Leasiders to learn more about our neighbours in Thorncliffe Park,� says Pashby. “And this initiative by the Leaside Rotary Club has been a great contribution to that process.� With donations from club members and others, 360 children 7-14 years old attended Camp Explorer, run by TNO in two three-week sessions. TNO camp director Nawal AlBusaidi says the highlight of the camp for the kids was participating in outdoor activities, like canoeing and learning about plants and biology in High Park, which many had never experienced before.
“Thanks to the generosity of the Leaside Rotarians and others,â€? she added, “these children had a camp experience they will remember for ever.â€? “I was delighted by the enthusiasm of the kids taking part,â€? said Leaside Rotary Club treasurer George Hurst. “The program was very well run by capable staff who had everything under control.â€? â–
Candidates meeting October 7 The William Lea Room on Wednesday, Oct. 7, starting at 7:30 p.m. That’s the date for the LPOAsponsored candidates meeting for the coming federal election. â–
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LeasideLife issue 41 final use this_LeasideLifev1 15-08-21 9:03 AM Page 3
Serena Gundy would be very unhappy
| The stone wall cut back for heavy equipment In addition, it appears as if approximately three feet of the original stone wall has been removed but not replaced. To Rick Price, a Rykert resident and local activist, the repair job is “nothing short of an eyesore”. According to Dave Nosella, project manager for capital works with Parks, Forestry and Recreation, “partial removal of the wall was required to permit equipment access to replace a failing bridge in the park, and was ap-
Leaside/Davisville's Leaside/Davisville's T Top o op Re Realtor* altor**
proved on the basis that the contractor restore the wall to match preconstruction conditions. The city recognizes that the quality of the restoration is substandard, and is working with the contractor to reinstate the wall to an acceptable standard.” But Rick Price, after talking to various city departments, says he discovered that there may be a more serious issue than shoddy work by GUNDY, Page 4
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The grey stone walls marking the Rykert Cres. entrance to Serena Gundy Park are special. The commemorative plaque on the wall to the right of the entrance has on it written: “This was Serena Gundy’s garden. She loved it and would be happy to share it with others”. The Gundy family owned the lands, and the plaque, dated March 8, 1960, marks their transfer to Metropolitan Toronto. However, if she could check it out now, Serena Gundy might be less than happy with the current condition of the entrance. The stone wall there was cut back to allow heavy equipment to enter the park, and partially reinstated, but with stone that is different from the original wall, and the workmanship is sub-standard.
DAVE NOSELLA, CITY OF TORONTO
By GEOFF KETTEL
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A David Stickney math class
Street named for Stickney? Changing the name of Markham Ave. in Leaside to Stickney Way is among possible memorials being planned for David Stickney, the former math teacher and baseball coach who died suddenly May 11. Other ideas include placing a memorial park bench and a plaque in a suitable location and looking into supporting a scholarship fund at Leaside High School, where Stickney taught, said Larry Hurd, one of the organizers. “To fulfill these goals we invite all members of the Leaside community, David’s friends, students and colleagues both past and present to join us for an evening of fund raising and celebration of his extraordinary life on Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Leaside Pub,” said Hurd. Tickets are $75 per person for light refreshments, a cash bar, raffles and a live auction. Tickets are limited to 200 and must be purchased before Sept. 14. www.davestickney.ca. ■
Gundy From Page 3
the contractor. The work may have violated the terms of the transfer of the lands from the Gundy family to Metropolitan Toronto. He says that Toronto Water told him that according to the bequeath the entrance could not be changed. So Price has asked the city for a copy of the bequeath document to find out. And in any case surely smaller equipment could have been used, or access to the bridge could have been afforded from another entrance, even if that would have been further to travel, he says. If the entrance walls can be restored to their original condition Serena Gundy would once again be happy. ■
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In our ’hood 5
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A library gift Martha McCabe
Rachel Honderich
Medalists from Bennington Two athletes who grew up in Bennington were part of Canada’s PanAm team. The two women have something else in common too – they both won silver medals, finishing second to a fellow-Canadian and teammate. Swimmer Martha McCabe, daughter of Joe and Nancy McCabe of Heathbridge Park, who was in the London Olympics in 2012 and was named Leaside’s first Athlete of the Year in 2013, competed in the 200metre breaststroke finishing just 0.13 seconds behind Kierra Smith, who won the gold medal. Rachel Honderich, daughter of David Honderich and Terri Bulger of Moorehill Dr., competed in badminton, losing an all-Canadian final to friend and training partner Michelle Li. Both McCabe and Honderich are working hard to be part of Canada’s Olympic team in Rio de Janeiro next year.
Fundraising for Georgia
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The latest Free Little Library in the neighbourhood has been spotted at 214 Airdrie Rd. This one, installed last winter, was a birthday gift to 16year-old Shannon Broughton from her parents. Shannon and her father built it from leftover scraps after a rebuild of their backyard shed. Shannon, a voracious reader, reports that her library is visited by locals who “sometimes take one book and leave 10 behind! A book for a book will suffice according to the Free Little Library website,â€? she says. The success of Shannon’s library is a testament to her dedication to keeping it wellstocked. – CHRISTINE FORD â–
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It’s been over a year now since 6year-old Georgia Walsh was killed while crossing the street at Millwood and McRae. Now a volunteer team is seeking to raise $1 million in her memory to rejuvenate and improve safety in Trace Manes Park where Georgia liked to play. Among the in-
Published once a month in Leaside,Toronto ON, by Ruth G. Publishing Inc., 66 Donegall Drive, Toronto ON, M4G 3G5
Leaside Life, September 2015
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tended upgrades are fencing around the park perimeter, a new splash pad, a rubber tile ground cover to replace the current sand and facilitate handicapped access, improved seating and a rebuild of the playground structures. Fundraising plans included a memorial baseball tournament on Saturday, Aug. 29 (after our deadline) with activities for the whole family and special guests. For more information and to donate: www.rememberinggeorgiawalsh.com .
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Deadline for October, September 10
leasidelifenews.com
FREE LISTING SERVICE HAVE A LOCAL EVENT TO PROMOTE? SEND US THE DATE, TIME, LOCATION AND EVENT NAME
LEASIDE LIBRARY, 165 McRae, 416-396-3835 ADULT and TEEN PROGRAMMING: – Culture Days -- Creativity Unlocked: Writing for Yourself. Workshop by writer Carolyn Grisold. Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 a.m.-12. Leaside Writer’s Club: Saturdays,10-11:45 a.m. Sept. 05, 19. Leaside Needleworx Group: Knitting and crocheting. Bring your own projects or start something new. Limited supplies/instruction available for beginners. Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m., Sept. 14, 21, 28. Fridays, 10-11:45 a.m. Sept. 18, 25 Removing the Terror from the Senior Licence Renewal Process: Ages 70+. Testing requirements for 80+ and collision reporting for 70+ years. Friday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m. No registration required. Toronto’s Ravines and Urban Forests: Author Jason Ramsay-Brown. Wednesday, Sept. 9, 78 p.m. No registration required. Youth Advisory Group Meeting: Ages: 13-19. Volunteer to receive community hours and get creative with your peers. Wednesday, Sept. 30, 4-6 p.m. CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING: TD Summer Reading Club: Free reading passport for all summer, collect 12 stickers and win a bracelet. Ends Saturday, Sept. 5. OUTSIDE GROUPS – Discover Your Ontario Heritage: Barry Penhale and special guests. Tuesdays, 2-4 p.m., Sept. 22, 29 – Leaside Garden Society: www.leasidegardensociety.org. Thursday, Sept. 10, 7-10 p.m., Hot New Hostas with Cindy Deutekom. Free for guests. Saturday, Sept. 12, annual flower show, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Free. Canadian Federation of University Women Leaside-East York: Monthly meeting 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, Northlea United Church,125 Broadway. Speaker Dr. Dennis Pilon: A Look at Proportional Representation. Visitors, new members welcome. University degree is not a prerequisite for membership. http://www.cfuwleasideeastyork.ca/ Pat Price 416 385-1055. St. Cuthbert's Anglican Church: Community BBQ Sunday, Sept. 13 on the Green for lunch and children's activities, 11:30 a.m. following 10 a.m. worship. 1399 Bayview. All welcome. 416-485-0329 stcuthbertsleaside.com St. Augustine's Church, 1847 Bayview: The Groove Room Coffee House, Friday, Sept. 11, 7-8:30 p.m. Live music by local artists. All proceeds to sponsor a Syrian refugee family. Coffee and desserts.
LeasideLife issue 41 final use this_LeasideLifev1 15-08-21 9:03 AM Page 7
The front garden at 36 Donlea
Our best front gardens Signs were out recently for the eight winners of this year’s Leaside Garden Society’s Gardens of Distinction awards. The society says the awards “give public applause to residents who have front gardens with that ‘something special’, that is, beautiful, interesting, or particularly creative from a gardening point of view. Only the front yards are judged.” Look out for them. The LGS asks
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LEASIDE STOCK INDEX
Canadian shares shine
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By WILL ASHWORTH
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The Leaside Stock Index had a wonderful June and July gaining 5.8 percent (including currency) over the generally quiet two-month period. If not for some of the Canadian stocks in the portfolio, the LSI wouldn’t have nearly as good year-to-date performance numbers. Four of the 10 Canadian stocks delivered returns over the twomonth period in excess of 10 percent: Loblaws, Dollarama, Restaurant Brands International (Tim Hortons) and Alimentation Couche-Tard (Mac’s). Together, the four winners averaged 16 percent appreciation in June and July, almost 20 percentage points in excess of its Canadian benchmark, the S&P/TSX Capped Composite Index ETF. Any way you slice it the performance of the index’s Canadian stocks in June and July, at a time when most stocks in the Canadian benchmark were going sideways or backwards, makes a big statement. ■
LEASIDE STOCK INDEX 2015 YTD Performance through July 31, 2015 Total % Return June/July
Total % Return YTD
Leaside Stock Index Including Currency 5.83% Excluding Currency 3.51%
10.81% 4.44%
American Stocks Including Currency Excluding Currency
5.14% 0.44%
11.95% -0.11%
Canadian Stocks
6.74%
9.36%
ETF Benchmarks Including Currency Excluding Currency
1.09% -1.89%
8.12% 0.78%
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Including Currency Excluding Currency
4.33% -0.33%
14.75% 2.39%
S&P/TSX Capped Composite Index Fund
-3.77%
-1.16%
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| Fruit vendor Jessica, on right, with Emma, Katie and mother Dayna Whitney
Pop-up fruit stand is our farmers’ market Leaside may not have its own farmers’ market, but this summer it’s had a pop-up fruit stand operating from the parking lot on the northeast corner of Sutherland and McRae. BerryFresh Fruit Co., the brainchild of Tracy Premdas and her partner Brian Gay, is actually in its fourth season in Leaside but for the previous three it operated from the Canadian Tire parking lot at Eglinton and Laird. They’ve been busier this year, they say, probably due to the improved visibility of the new location. The locally-harvested produce come from a handful of farms around Southern Ontario and is typically picked the same morning it’s delivered to the stand. – CHRISTINE FORD ■
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ALLAN WILLIAMS
Councillor Jon Burnside announced just before our deadline that he has arranged for city parks staff to do a onetime clean-up of the weedovergrown gardens at Leaside Arena, date to be determined. Burnside said, “My vision long term is that other community groups will also take responsibility for a section – the Rotary Club will look after a plot, Boy Scouts or Girl Guides, or maybe some hockey teams.” Cate Woodward, whose aquafit group was featured in our July issue weeding the beds next to the pool, welcomed the news. “We are pioneers here!” she noted in an email. If you or your group are interested in helping contact Burnside (416-392-0215) or the arena (416-421-4944). ■
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Split Leaside Life, September 2015
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From Page 1
Option 3: North Leaside again joins neighbourhoods to the north as far as the 401 while South Leaside remains with Thorncliffe Park, Flemingdon Park and Wynford-Concorde (as currently). Option 4: North Leaside and most of South Leaside together join areas to the north and east,
while Bennington Heights would be hived off and join areas to the south down to Bloor and west to Christie. Option 5: North Leaside joins areas to the north and east, while South Leaside remains with Thorncliffe, Flemingdon and WynfordConcorde, and gets areas to the west as far as Yonge. Councillor Jon Burnside knows redrawing the ward boundaries is necessary but, he says, “I will vigorously oppose any proposal that includes carving up Leaside. Having
two councillors represent different parts of Leaside makes no sense at all. It shows a basic lack of understanding of what makes Leaside special, which is the sense of community. “We have survived two amalgamations and I will fight hard to ensure we survive ward boundary changes too.” Consultations are planned for this fall to gather public feedback on the proposals. A final report is expected to go to City Council in May. ■
Burnside
Five options for change
From Page 1
Redrawing the Toronto ward boundaries is long overdue. Toronto’s current 44 wards are based on population information taken from the 1991 census so it’s hardly surprising that some disparities have arisen. According to the 2011 census, Toronto had 2.615 million people or about 59,400 for each of the 44 wards. Leaside’s Ward 26, with 65,000 people, is above the average though not egregiously so. Some wards have up to 79,000 people while declining neighbourhoods have as few as 45,000. Hence the report with its five options summarised below. SUMMARY OF OPTIONS OPTION NAME
AVERAGE POP. POPULATION RANGE
# OF WARDS
(1) Minimal Change (2) 44 Wards (3) Small Wards (4) Large Wards (5) Natural/Physical Boundaries
61,000 70,000 50,000 75,000
51,850 - 70,150 (+/-15%) 63,000 - 77,000 (+/-10%) 45,000 - 55,000 (+/-10%) 67,500 - 82,500 (+/-10%)
47 44 58 38
70,000
63,000 - 77,000 (+/-10%)
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OPINION
A simple solution By ALLAN WILLIAMS A simple solution that could both keep Leaside intact and minimise disruption is to stick with two wards per riding on which the current boundaries have been based since 2000. This federal election is using new boundaries based on the 2011 census, which give Toronto 25 ridings, up from 22. Premier Wynne has already said that Ontario will adopt these same boundaries, with some minor exceptions in northern Ontario, before the next provincial election in 2018. The city could easily do the same – simple, logical and easy to understand. Under those new riding boundaries Leaside stays whole within Don Valley West. The new city report considers the idea of following riding boundaries but doesn’t include it among the proposed options for reasons that are not made clear. OPINION, Page 12
“higher level transit” as their justification for proposed massive intensification. What is even more disconcerting is the role Metrolinx may have in all of this. Of particular concern is the McDonald’s property on the southeast corner of Bayview and Eglinton. The community had understood that this was to be the location for the LRT station and nothing more. However, rumours began in July that instead of actually buying the property (which we were led to believe), Metrolinx had entered into an agreement with the property owner whereby Metrolinx would build the station but the property owner had the rights to build above it. While nothing has been formally proposed, the “overbuild” in the foundation is said to accommodate upwards of 20 storeys. In early August I was contacted by a resident in the adjacent rental building to the south of McDonald’s. Her concern was that Metrolinx was attempting to buy properties south on Bayview. When I spoke to a Metrolinx official I was assured that this was not the case. However, I am disappointed to say that when I pressed for written confirmation the story changed and Metrolinx confirmed that they had in fact purchased the adjacent property (which is not necessary to the construction of the LRT station). I have scheduled a meeting in the next couple of weeks to get a full and honest account of the situation. I am concerned that Metrolinx has morphed into a developer in our community. This is extremely problematic given the fact that any development the city opposes can be appealed to the OMB. We would be at an obvious disadvantage as one provincial agency (the OMB) would be adjudicating on an appeal by another provincial agency (Metrolinx). I will keep you informed in the next edition of Leaside Life. In the meantime, please sign up for my e-newsletter at ward26.ca to receive regular updates. ■ See GEOFF KETTEL column, Page 16
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It would mean 50 councillors, up from 44. Some people are reflexively against adding more politicians. One councillor per riding? “Twenty five councillors would be too few,â€? says Councillor Jon Burnside, noting that “most of the concerns that people care about and contact their representative about are municipal issues, so it would be too great a workload for just 25.â€? So back to the two wards per riding idea – essentially the status quo. “I haven’t said I oppose more councillors,â€? Burnside says, “but if they went that route the mayor should have more than one vote. He or she needs the equivalent of three to five votes, because they’re the ones that truly have the mandate on large, city-wide issues. Not one person from Leaside asked me where I stand on the Gardiner, for instance. So the mayor somehow needs more power than just one vote.â€? Visit www.drawthelines.ca for the full report, and for the consultation schedule once it becomes available. â–
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Our ‘garden city’ landscape on show This past summer a part of Leaside that most of us never think about became the subject of international study. Visitors from around the world were here to check out our ‘cultural landscape’. GEOFF KETTEL explains: Leaside was the focus of international attention by landscape architects recently. The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF), based in Washington, DC, examined Leaside as one of the Come Try Leaside’s best kept secret: Get Fit, Get Stronger and Stay Motivated!
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“world class landscape architecture projects” in its What’s Out There walking tours, on May 24, following its first international conference, held in Toronto on May 22. What are cultural landscapes? UNESCO (the United Nations agency focussed on educational, scientific and cultural matters) has defined three types of cultural landscapes: designed landscapes, which are intentionally designed; evolved landscapes; associative landscapes, with powerful religious, artistic, or cultural associations, such as sacred sites. TCLF categorizes Leaside as a designed landscape. What makes it distinctive as a cultural heritage landscape? Leaside is believed to be (and according to Paul Dilse, a Toronto heritage planning consultant, probably is) the first new town in Ontario based on garden city principles. First: It was designed in 1912 as a complete community with residential (west) and industrial (east) uses by American-born Frederick Todd, one of the founders of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, who was also responsible for other model towns in Canada: Mount Royal (Montreal, PQ), Shaughnessy Heights and Port Mann (Vancouver, BC), Bowling Green (Port Claire, PQ) and Point Grey, BC. Second: Leaside presents gently curving and diagonal streets with a rhythmic consistency of uniform setbacks and Modern Classicism style architecture including Tudor and Georgian Revival, Art Moderne (e.g. the Agnes Macphail house at Milwood and Donegall).
The planned diversity of housing types includes single, semi, multifamily and bungalow house forms, and one/two/three-storey heights. Unique (for Canada) is a concentration of “garden apartment” style multi-family walk-up apartment buildings, i.e. Garden Court Apartments (1477 Bayview); the Talbot Apartments (three blocks – Kelvin Grove, Strathavon, and Glen-Leven) (also on Bayview) and Crestview Apartments (Leacrest/Mallory). TCLF focussed on the Garden Court Apartments on Bayview, the Modernist masterpiece, designed by Forsey Page & Steele, with landscaping by Howard Burlingham Dunington-Grubb . Third: several “stranded” houses of early settlers (John Lea Jr., James Lea, Thomas Elgie) were placed in relation to their farms, and the lanes by which they were connected to Bayview and ultimately to Yonge St., but misplaced now after new developments. The Toronto conference and the walking tours were a great opportunity to enrich the understanding of the concept and the value of cultural landscapes of a large number of people, including walking tour leaders (Connor Turnbull of Leaside Matters, Stewart McIntosh of the City of Toronto, Agnes Vermes of the LPOA , and me. And we worked with Leaside Matters (led by Connor Turnbull and Kim Auchinachie) to develop a special commemorative booklet, called The Cultural Heritage Landscape of Leaside, copies of which will be available at the Rotary Corn Roast on Sept. 20. ■
The Cultural Landscape Foundation What’s Out There? Toronto can be accessed at http://tclf.org/sites/default/files/microsites/wot-guide-toronto/ index.html https://tclf.org/sites/default/files/features/WOTW-booklets_Toronto_ download.pdf
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Geoff Kettel
Saving old Leaside
A part of our fabric
ALEX GRENZEBACH
Leaside Life, September 2015
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By GEOFF KETTEL Recently we have been approached by tenants in the quadraplexes south of Eglinton with reports that Metrolinx may be close to reaching a deal with a developer for redevelopment of properties south of McDonald’s, as part of the Bayview station LRT development. We know that Metrolinx wants to develop the LRT station sites to recover some of Ontario’s investment.
The quadraplex at 1783-1785 Bayview But heritage values of the existing built form on the east side of Bayview may be a significant issue for Metrolinx and their development partners as they proceed. In the stretch from Eglinton to Parkhurst is an intact row of 10 double duplexes (also called quadraplexes), which are important to the
Leaside community for several reasons. They represent the second set of apartments associated with Henry Howard Talbot, a former mayor of Leaside. Talbot was responsible for the TALBOT, Page 18
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You have probably seen Flo the Moose on Moore Ave. at the Integracare building, just west of the gas station on the corner of Bayview. It’s always in different costumes, ready for a party, thanks in part to Sandra Hyslop, RN and HR manager at Integracare. Philip Russel, managing director there, says, “The ideas, construction methods and finding crazy accessories and materials tend to be a collaborative effort with Sandy, Martha (his wife) and me, but Flo would not be dressed without Sandy. She has been the main driver behind costume sewing.” Flo used to be changed every six weeks or so for the different seasons and celebrations like Halloween and St. Valentine’s Day, but less often now says Russel. ■
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Leaside Life, September 2015
The fun Moose on Moore
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Talbot From Page 16
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Kelvingrove, Glen-Leven and Strathavon apartments on Bayview near Sutherland, which are rare “garden apartments”, as well as many of the single family homes in the area. Like the apartment buildings and many of the Talbot built single family homes, the quadraplexes are good examples of the Georgian Revival style. Paul Dilse, a heritage planner stated at the OMB hearing for the Talbot apartments in 2009 that the Talbot duplexes “extend the domestic appearance of the neighbourhood’s single-detached houses ... out to Bayview”. The quadraplexes occupy a highly visible site on Bayview near the Eglinton corner and adjacent to and overlooking Talbot Park. They are an integral part of the fabric and history of the neighbourhood. Situated in the dip of a “lost river” valley, Eglinton marks the beginning of Bayview as Leaside’s “high street”. North of Eglinton are larger-scale commercial developments, followed by the institutional
lands. The Talbot quadraplexes are contemporaneous with the historic high street and the contiguous streets of single family homes. Last but not least the existing buildings provide comfortable rental housing at a reasonable and relatively affordable price, and are an integral part of the Leaside housing mix. So why aren’t the quadraplexes already designated as heritage properties? They were nominated for the Inventory of Heritage Properties by the North York Community Preservation Panel (full disclosure - I am chair), and endorsed by the Toronto Preservation Board in 2011, but like so many potential heritage properties and districts they sit on a wait list. Will the city get around to designating them, or like Stollery’s at Yonge and Bloor, will it be too late? ■
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LeasideLife issue 41 final use this_LeasideLifev1 15-08-21 9:06 AM Page 20
YOU, our dining critics
Leaside Life, September 2015
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It’s big – and cozy Against The Grain, the big restaurant on Laird, IS big. It seats 500. But it didn’t feel like a cavernous food mess hall to Ella Maggay, of Millwood Rd. Think of a nice, cozy bonfire. This is how she sees that. “The décor,” she said, “has been described by online reviewers as industrial chic, modern rustic, urban chic. Personally, I would call it functional.” “Overall the place is fairly simple and unadorned, but what gives it its ‘chic’ allure is precisely the fact that simple is in. Natural light blends in seamlessly with the indoor lighting which has been set low to create a warm, bonfire feel. “The fir wood furniture and spaciousness of the restaurant unassumingly replicate the experience of being in the outdoors.” But, she said, “Don’t be fooled though. The décor is one thing… this restaurant is not for vegan types who live off seeds and kale. They offer the heartier stuff we all secretly salivate
Left to right, Ella Maggay, Rhea Viegas and Elaine Snider We give $100 to help pay for a meal for three at any restaurant in our area, the M4G postal code, which includes Leaside, Bennington Heights and the Leaside Business Park (known also as the industrial area). over when nobody is watching: burgers, fries, steak, and pork ribs.” As it turned out, she didn’t order one of those for her main dish. She got spaghetti carbonara because she had been craving a good carbonara all week. She said it was “savoury, with just the right amount of cream and lemon. The bacon was flavourful, but did not take over the texture and taste
of the spaghetti.” But that doesn’t mean she entirely resisted the artery-cloggers. On what was a new menu she found an appetizer of beef tartare that came with wonton chips. However she was “a little disappointed” with a mayonnaise that overpowered the raw beef so that it “lacked some kick (and lemon)”.
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A new Indian room When Leaside Life reviewed the Amaya Indian Room in our July issue, owner Hemant Bagwani told us that changes would be coming soon. Now he’s followed up. The location at 1701 Bayview will reopen the first week of September as Indian Street Food Co. “The idea is to recreate the lights, the sights, the smells of the streets of India,” says Bagwani. “We have included the best of street food, and the food that used to be served in the oldest eateries of our grandparents’ youth. The treatment is my own. Our menu is ready and we are practicing in the kitchen while the space is given a new life.” ■
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Sales volumes down, prices up By JETHRO SEYMOUR Let the figures speak for themselves. These show the last 12 months, July 2014 to the end of July 2015, compared to the previous 12 months, July 2013 to the end of July 2014. SALES VOLUMES CHANGES All Homes Sales – down 15.1%, to 186 sales Detached Home Sales – down 15.6%, to 144 sales Semi-Detached Home Sales – down 14.6%, to 35 sales DOLLAR VALUE CHANGES All Home Values – up 2.7%, to $1,360,267 Detached Home Values – up 2.2%, to $1,489,001 Semi-Detached Home Values – up 6.4%, to $866,532 There’s just more of the same. Sales volumes down, prices up.
Monthly changes During the months of June and July this year, 29 homes changed hands in Leaside and Bennington Heights. June saw a 54.8 percent decrease in detached home sales over last year. But once again the average dollar values of those June detached home transactions were up 6.4 percent to $1,551,321. Year-to-date changes The average price of the 81 detached homes sold was up slightly by 5.2 percent, or $1,548,864 compared to the 127 detached homes that sold in first seven months of 2014. The 23 semi-detached homes saw a 11.5 percent decrease in sales activity but a 7.3 percent gain in average value through to the end of July. __ Jethro Seymour is a broker at Johnston & Daniel. All figures are from the Toronto Real Estate Board’s Multiple Listing Service. ■
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seasonal fresh berries served with a lovely warm crumble topping.” Viegas: “Taking the classic brownie to the next level, I treated myself to the Black Forest brownie cake.” “Everything about this dining experience was enjoyable,” Snider summed up, “including the excellent service.” All three said it was a pleasant and positive experience meeting each other and sharing a meal together. And each said they would be back. ■
Leaside Life, September 2015
Before we get to dessert, lets see what the others ate. Elaine Snider, of Southlea: “While some of the favourites remain (on the menu)… I chose the Mezze appetizer platter which offered different tastes of feta cheese dip, edamame hummus, olive tapenade and olive mix served with heated fresh naan flatbread garnished with a delicate herb. “For my main course I chose a classic: steak frites served with handcut fries, sautéed onions and a demiglaze. The NY striploin was top-notch, cooked to my liking, tender, juicy and delicious. The sautéed onions and hand-cut fries were crisp and tasty.” Rhea Viegas, of Leacrest: “I ordered the fish tacos as my appetizer. The mango pineapple salsa was heavenly and the spicy mayo was the perfect touch. I couldn’t resist ordering the savory turkey burger with bacon jam and crispy onions. I relished the local, fresh arugula, the delicious brie, which made all the difference.” So to dessert. Maggay: “I ordered house-baked cookies with Collingwood whiskey chocolate ice cream. The cookies, even though warm, were still a little hard to eat with the fork, so the server had to bring me a steak knife to cut it. I’m not particularly fond of sweets, but I was delighted with the ice cream which was light and not too sweet.” Snider: “My dessert was a treat:
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Will Ashworth The business of Leaside
Leaside Life, September 2015
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Wrong once, hope I’m wrong again By the time this issue goes to press Ron White’s latest shoe store will have been on Bayview for three months. I remember when it first opened walking in and thinking what a beautiful store it was and how much work and money must have gone into getting it ready for the Leaside customer, who, I’ve come to learn, can be very fickle indeed. “The store is doing exceptional sales after only being open for a month, and there's a reason why -the area's patrons are typically upper-middle class and mature, which mirrors the brand's primary target market,” White told Retail Insider in June. White then described how in a popular mall roughly 25 percent of shoppers may be within his brand's target market, while in Leaside, it's in excess of 95 percent. Anyone who’s followed my Business of Leaside column knows that I haven’t been very complimentary at times to the Bayview shopping experience. Almost my entire argument why the creation of the Bayview Leaside Business Improvement Area made sense was, I felt, due to the lack of a common vision amongst retailers and property owners on the street. So, when I read Ron White’s comments discussing the Leaside demographic in Retail Inside, an online digital publication covering the Canadian retail scene and one that I respect, I was impressed. Here was a Bayview retailer describing with absolute certainty his target market. I immediately emailed a friend who’s been living and doing business in Leaside for almost as long as the Blue Jays have been in existence to tell him the great news. My friend’s reaction was less than positive. What a load of crap,
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was the general thrust of the return email. I thought about the reaction for a minute and realized his observation may have been more on point then I was prepared to admit at the time. In recent years it’s been commonplace for several stores to be vacant on the Bayview strip at any given time as rents either became too high for tenants or, in the case of big box stores such as Sleep Country Canada, they simply moved to locations where there was more parking and quite possibly more traffic. Is White wrong in his observation? Well, not exactly. There’s no denying that the surrounding neighbourhoods have a lot of wealth. According to Canadian Business magazine, the five wealthiest neighbourhoods in Ontario are all within a five-kilometre drive. The closest Leaside gets to making the list is in what Canadian Business dubs Sunnybrook, which is really just another part of the Bridle Path, the richest neighbourhood not only in Ontario but Canada as well. White argues that people from these neighbourhoods and adjacent ones such as Rosedale and Moore Park come to Bayview for the relaxed shopping environment far away from the hustle and bustle of Yorkdale. He’s not wrong on that count. My cousin and her family live in north Rosedale and shop on Bayview on a regular basis, but they hardly spend a fortune and certainly not $500 for a pair of sandals. Like many people who’ve worked hard to squirrel away a few bucks, they prefer to hang on to it, generally living within their means. As for Leaside I reached out to a top real estate agent in the area for his take on the spending habits of those living in the immediate neighbourhood. He was quick to point out that although the household income in Leaside was quite high, there wasn’t much left after the mortgage, private school, sports, the cottage, RRSPs, taxes, tutors, travel, etc. In other words their plates were pretty full. The Bayview Leaside BIA clearly has a steep hill to climb before it can claim victory. For White’s sake and that of Bayview, I hope he’s right about the demographic. But the same wealthy neighbourhoods he speaks about have been around for years and yet shops on Bayview still opened and closed with regularity.
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Michael Bliss
Living in Leaside
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Leaside Life, September 2015
Ultimately, Bayview’s success will have less to do with the wealthy neigbourhoods that surround it, and more to do with providing things to buy and services to use that people actually want and need — including expensive shoes. It’s tough to know how Bayview will turn out in the years to come but I do know one thing, wealthy neighbourhoods in proximity to a shopping district can’t hurt, but history has shown that it’s much less important than retailers would care to admit. Take Yorkdale for example. It’s proven people will go out of their way if the experience is a good one. Leaside doesn’t need more wealthy prospects, it needs ones that will actually spend money. Evidence suggests that’s not who live here but for the sake of the BIA I’m more than willing to be wrong. ■
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Adventure in Corks wine bar Hungry for adventure – actually just hungry – after a morning of yoga, my wife dragged me away from my desk for a luncheon out in Leaside. It was a cold, grey day, so we decided to bypass the patios and people-watching on Bayview. Where to go for visual stimulation and gustatory satisfaction instead? Answer: We decided to try Corks Beer and Wine Bar in Longo’s supermarket in the old industrial area. It’s in the balcony overlooking the shopping floor of the beautifully-converted old Canadian Northern Railway building. So we sat at a very comfortable table, ordered beer and sliders for me, pizza for her, and watched the world go buy below us. We appreciated the heritage setting: 2015 happens to be the centennial of both the completion of Mackenzie
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and Mann’s Canadian Northern transcontinental railway, and its bankruptcy, which helps to explain why it took Leaside a little longer to be developed. The action on the produce floor became intensely interesting. One by one the shoppers glided up to the displays, checking out the pears, apples, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, oranges, grapefruit, onions, asparagus, watermelons, honeydew, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, and more. We marvelled at the abundance on display. We discussed this issue: should a customer who handles a piece of fruit have to buy it? Is she allowed to put it back? Ethics plus suspense: would that woman fondling and sniffing the melons, one after the other, now putting one in her cart, now putting it back on the display, ever buy one? And what was that lady doing moving cherries from one package to another? It was not clear. At least no one bit into a cherry or a melon. Most of the action this noon hour, however, was in bananas. A busy banana man was restocking the display even as bunch upon bunch of them seemed to bolt into shoppers’ carts. At least a hundredweight of bananas disappeared during our luncheon. Longo’s must import them by the truckload. Only asparagus, more likely a local product, was anywhere near as popular. We decided that it’s morally all right to break up a bunch of bananas, buying only one or two. Nor did we observe any outright crime – no fellow Leasiders slipping bananas into their purses or down their boots; thus no bootleg bananas! I thoroughly enjoyed my back bacon sliders and my dark ale, and I recommend Longo’s as a pleasant place for an off-beat luncheon. Liz Bliss, instigator, decided that she was completely at fault in ordering a pizza she didn’t like. So she came home and poached an egg. We were out of bananas. ■
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LeasideLife issue 41 final use this_LeasideLifev1 15-08-21 9:07 AM Page 27
Carol Burtin Fripp
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Co-president, LPOA
TTC: a problem and some good news Another summer draws to a close, but your LPOA directors didn’t have much chance to lie back and enjoy the “lazy, hazy days,” as the old song goes. The articles in this issue of Leaside Life are proof that too much has been going on in and around Leaside. My column this month focuses on transit and getting around on the TTC. If you have just returned from your holidays you may not have yet taken an 88 South Leaside bus to or from St. Clair subway station. Beware! The TTC has closed the bus bay. From now through at least December the platform is officially fenced off. Every bus passenger will require a transfer to be able to get into the station, because the bus will drop you on Pleasant Blvd., outside the station. Similarly, if you are returning on the subway to get the bus, you will need to arm yourself with a transfer, because you’ll have to leave the station and go to Pleasant Blvd. to wait for the bus, and then show your transfer. Pleasant Blvd. is a busy street. There’s a Sobeys supermarket at the east end, a variety of townhouses and an apartment building, a multilevel parking lot, a Mac’s Milk store and mini-lot, a restaurant’s rear driveway, and some small retail. There’s also on-street parking. So there’s a lot of truck and car travel, and not that much free sidewalk for pedestrians. There’s certainly not enough sidewalk space for two bus stops (our Route 88 and the Mt. Pleasant 74), and crowds of bus and subway passengers. At the moment there is no shelter or roof, so passengers waiting for the bus will be exposed to the hot sun, or rain, or (come the winter) snow. I spoke with a TTC official on the site in early August, who agreed that this arrangement is unsustain-
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able , and that structural changes will have to be considered. In the meanwhile we’ll have to remember to always have a transfer with us. On a more positive note, I have good news about an improvement in TTC service on Bayview.. Regular readers of Leaside Life may recall that more than a couple of years ago I wrote a column about the lack of TTC service along Bayview between Sutherland and Davisville. This service gap meant that South Leasiders who needed or wanted to get to Sunnybrook Hospital, or shop along Bayview, either had to drive and pay for parking, take a taxi, or embark on a complicated and time consuming route: the 88 bus to St Clair subway, north on the subway to Davisville station, and finally the Davisville bus to Sunnybrook, through the Bayview shopping district. All sorts of people have been inconvenienced by this TTC “dead zone”: people with doctors’ appointments, people – regardless of age - who can’t walk that far, people who can’t readily afford hospital parking or taxis, people who’d prefer to shop locally. With Councillor Jon Burnside’s support, I met with the TTC and deputed at the TTC board. As a result, by this winter there will be a bus service to connect South Leasiders (and Bennington residents) to the rest of Bayview. Not only will this make travel more convenient, it is an investment: it will boost the new Bayview BIA, whose shops have to compete with the big box stores on Laird and their free parking; it will reduce the need for private automobiles on Bayview and our residential streets; increase the connectivity of the TTC; it will give us more efficient transit availability in Leaside. It is very good news indeed. As the new route’s inception approaches, full details will be in Leaside Life and the LPOA web site. __ The LPOA Board of Directors meets monthly, in the Trace Manes building. Meetings are generally scheduled for the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Because September’s first Wednesday is before Labour Day and many Leasiders are not yet back in town, we have re-scheduled our next meeting for Wednesday, Sept. 9. Our meetings are public and we encourage you to join us with your questions and concerns, or just to watch! ■
LeasideLife issue 41 final use this_LeasideLifev1 15-08-21 9:07 AM Page 29
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by REGISTERED NURSE with special training. In your home.
DVA accepted For an appointment call
(416) 421-4243
est. 1938
fruit@badalis.ca 1587 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4G 3B5 Tel: (416) 488-4232
JON BURNSIDE COUNCILLOR ward26.ca 416.392.0215 councillor_burnside@toronto.ca
Your neighbourhood travel agency Tours, cruises, travel insurance 1569 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4G 3B5 (416) 485-5057
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Leaside Life, September 2015
Leaside Life
LeasideLife issue 41 final use this_LeasideLifev1 15-08-21 9:07 AM Page 30
51 years in the old Aerodrome Quonset hut Leaside Life, September 2015
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We’ve all been past Four Seasons Auto Collision on the northeast corner of Laird and Wicksteed, where it cozies up to the SmartCentre north site. Some of us have been clients over the years. We’re also heard lots of rumours about the place being sold. So far, Four Seasons, with an interesting history, is still owned by the three Ricci brothers, who also have an interesting history. The Quonset hut that you see from Wicksteed is a leftover from when the Leaside Aerodrome was in operation. After the airport closed various businesses made use of them. Pat Ricci had a friend working at an auto body shop there, and he and his brother, Mike, decided this would be a good place for them to work too. They bought the tools from the previous owner and started their business on Dec. 1, 1964. That was 51 years ago. It took until 1984 for them to expand to their present size, and to be able to buy the whole property. The Ricci family came from a small town south of Rome, Civitanova del Sannio. Their father arrived in Canada in 1952 and sent for his wife and three boys in 1953. As
on Laird, to customizing a car for Bob Bannerman, the car dealer, to race at Mosport. He will also tackle non-automotive jobs, including fixing piano pedals or a sound board for Robert Lowrey, the piano specialist on Eglinton. All three brothers have adult children who have worked summers at the business, but have no interest in being the next generation owners. So, at some point, the business will be sold. They have had various offers, but none are appealing enough so far. Mario says with a smile that they are each waiting for a “wheelbarrow of cash”. In the meantime, the three brothers enjoy coming to work every day, even though they are all now past technical retirement age. They still own property in their small town in Italy, so spending more time there is a possibility. Mike fondly remembers a seven-week family holiday there in 1997. With the misunderstood traffic signals at their intersection, there is the potential for direct referrals every day. There are always horns blaring and the sounds of hasty braking, if not always the actual collisions. ■
Lorna Krawchuk Publisher Leaside Life
youngsters, they were some of the original squeegee kids, cleaning windshields, and keeping an eye out for good locations, like a beer store, or something like Eaton’s College Street around Christmas. But as Mike says, “That’s not too promising a career.” So, the two older boys went more or less directly from high school at Central Tech to working with cars. Mario, the baby, went to Ryerson to study business and finance. It took him until 1970 to decide to join his brothers at Four Seasons. Along the way he picked up body repair skills too. Pat correctly says, “Our place doesn’t look like the Taj Mahal, but we do good work.” They are the longest operating auto body shop in Leaside. Pat has tales to tell of the special cars he has worked on over the years, from restoring a big old Imperial for the father of Paul and Roger Martin, who own companies further south
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LeasideLife issue 41 final use this_LeasideLifev1 15-08-21 9:07 AM Page 31
RBC Dominion Securities Securities Inc. Inc.
TH HE E VA ALUE LU E O OF F A FINANCIAL INANCIAL AN? PR RICELESS ICELESS. PLLAN A recent study found that Canadians who engage in comprehensive financial planning report higher levels of financial and emotional well-being than those who do limited or no planning.
DAAVID VID GODDARD ODDARD, CIM CIM Investment Advisor RBC Dominion Securities 416-699-4105 david.goddard@rbc.com
As investment advisors in your Leaside community, we see the benefits of financial planning every day. Along with wealth and portfolio management services, our clients with $500,000 or more of investable assets receive a complimentary financial plan that helps them: Q
Minimize taxes and maximize investment returns
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Make retirement more comfortable and secure
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Increase savings and optimize the growth of wealth
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Accumulate funds for special goals, like higher education for children
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Transfer assets to heirs in the most effective way
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Have more confidence in financial decisions
Contact us today in our Leaside office to find out how you can
MARK ARK CO OYLE YLE FCSI FCSI, CIM CIM, CFP CFP, FMA FMA, H HBA BA
There’s Ther e’s W Wealth alth in nfinan Our cial Approach. Aplpr A ppeace aceh. hof aechieve ac cia peoace o. mind.
Investment Advisor RBC Dominion Securities 416-699-4997 mark.coyle@rbc.com
RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bankk of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company off RBC Wealth Management, a business segment off Royal Bankk of Canada. ®Registered trademarks off Royal Bankk of Canada. Used underr licence. © RBC Dominion Securities Inc. 2015. All rights reserved. 15_90415_KQD_004
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