The South Bayview Bulldog

A large crowd of mostly young parents and their toddlers gathered in June Rowlands Park at Davisville Ave. and Mt Pleasant Rd. today to honour and to be entertained by Sharon, Lois and Bram. It was a remarkable turnout for the venerable children’s musical group. The crowd was estimated at perhaps as many 2,000 over the length of the afternoon. The occasion was an initiative spearheaded by Josh Matlow (Ward 22) to name the playground in the park after the Toronto group. Now aged between 73 and 77 years of age, Sharon, Lois and Bram showed they had lost none of their vitality and ability to excite kids and parents alike. The pictures inset show the group rendering “Comin’ Round the Mountain” complete with essential “toot toot” gestures. It seems likely few children’s entertainers have been able to fuse the generations in quite the way Sharon, Lois and Bram did at Rowlands Park. The group was formed in 1978 but received an enormous breakthrough when they were picked up by the CBC in 1984 and created The Elephant Show. The children of that day clapped and sang with their own kids on this fine May Saturday (picture bottom). Wikipedia

The development known as 126 Manor Road has finally begun with the demolition of the home at that address. Local residents will know that this home sits on the northwest corner of Manor and Redpath Ave. It is a three-way intersection where Redpath ends and over the years the old residence and the lot on which it sat went totally to seed. A large amount of growth and at least three unmaintained trees grew on the property. Today, the Davey Tree Service was writing up the final verdict on this strange wood. The scrubby brush has been pretty much removed and as far as Davey is concerned the remaining trees might be nice for squirrels but ít would be hard for anyone else to love them. Right now, they are scheduled to be cut down. Seems like a good call. As recorded here in a previous post, the lot will become the home to semi-detached homes after a previous three-unit plan was turned down. It was nip and tuck to keep the project from going to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). The offices of Josh Matlow (Ward 22) managed to keep negotiations alive with the owner of the property and an alternative plan was agreed on.  Photos: Top and centre, unmaintained tree scheduled for the saw at Manor and Redpath, bottom, old home now demolished.  

John Child

The victory late in April of the Leaside Lightning Girls U18 volleyball team in the provincial championship has thrown a new focus on the Leaside Volleyball League operated by John Child. A three-time Olympian and Bronze Medalist in Beach Volleyball, Child decided to pursue his love of the game in a lifetime of training girls and boys to play the sport. The girls of the Ontario champions LVL Red Team (above) are at the pinnacle of their young time as high school volleyballers in a program that has brought them along from age eight. It’s purpose is to help get boys and girls interested in volleyball at a young age. Like all house leagues the players come from all over but Child says most come from Leaside or nearby. Practices and instruction take place in the early evening. There are seven girls teams housed at the York School on Yonge St. The boys practice at St. Micheal’s College School and at Blantyre Public School in Scarborough,  Each session consists of 45 minutes of warm up and skill development, followed by 45 minutes of structured game play. John has coached for many years at various levels from aspiring Olympians to young beginners, including being the head coach of the Havergal College Volleyball program and their five teams. This year, he is coach of the U16 Leaside Thunder boys team. The U18 girls are in national championship play in Calgary this week and there is high hope they can extend their Ontario championship to a cross country supremacy. Stay tuned. Their coaches are Melvin Lowe and Gaby Jobst, seen with the team above after their victory in the provincial tournament in Waterloo on April 27, 2014. Previous post  Leaside Volleyball League