Our post about how Scarborough resident Kclairmo suspects there is preferential Hydro treatment for Leaside has had responses ranging from resentful to dismissive. One Rolph Road man was indignant. He says Leaside is being taken advantage of by other parts of the city when it comes to paying for “modern schools, indoor swimming pools, community centres and covered rinks.” We’re not sure just which places he’s thinking about but we see in his words the mirror image of Kclairmo’s frustration and envy. It is hard to see how the privileged people of Leaside, whatever their personal means, could envy those elsewhere in the city. And in fact we in South Bayview are as well-treated as any when it comes to getting new facilities. The new arena required an enormous community fund-raising but it was voluntary. The money was loaned by the city at almost no cost. It should also be remembered that the wonderful new artificial turf field at Maurice Cody in next-door Davisville Village was bankrolled by residents, businesses and the city. Our hard-earned dollars make this facility all the more precious in our minds. So we do well to dismiss Kclairmo’s suspicions as born in frustration. Even now in Moore Park, some on Moore Ave, live in the cold and dark because their homes are one-off disconnects. They wait and worry. It is true many schools like Northern Secondary School, Hodgson Public, Rolph Road others need repairs. The TDSB certainly bears a lot of responsibility for more careful management of repair monies. It would be better if some property were sold off, as many recommend, and these fine schools and others brought back to first-class condition. But let’s count the blessing as well.
