The decision this week to name the original rink at Leaside Gardens Arena after the late Bert F. Grant recognizes a family whose history is intertwined with that of Leaside and the South Bayview area. Mr. Grant was the second generation of the family’s construction and property dynasty in Toronto. It began with Bert H. Grant, an English immigrant who started Lawrence Construction, a firm that built much of the local housing and a number of the signature commercial buildings on Mt Pleasant Rd. His son, Bert F. Grant carried on the family’s work and most significantly, was responsible for the construction of the Crestview Apartments in South Leaside. This tranquil and treed development of modest rental homes is one of the company’s proudest possessions. The present president of Lawrence Construction, Bert A. Grant, speaks of the “quiet pride” taken in Crestview. He notes that the firm keeps a full-time gardener on the property to keep it clean and well-manicured. Although these days Lawrence is more of a property management company, it carries the historic name that built much of our neighborhoods. The naming of the rink after Bert F. Grant is a fitting recognition of the contribution the company has made.
