After 15 years on Millwood, Lena’s Barber Shop to close

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Lena’s Barber Shop, 909 Millwood Rd /Google Maps 2019
Note at Lena’s, December 2025

After more than a decade serving the neighbourhood, Lena’s Barber Shop on Millwood Road will be closing permanently as Lena prepares for retirement. A typewritten note on the door thanks the community for years of trust, friendship, and support, and shares that the shop will officially close on January 1, 2026.

Lena’s has long been a familiar stop for many local residents, and her message makes clear how much those relationships have meant to her over the years. For anyone hoping to stay in touch, Lena is sharing her contact information with clients who drop by the barbershop.

📍 Lena’s Barber Shop
909 Millwood Rd, East York

Wishing Lena all the best in her next chapter.

A compassionate proposal for empty Glazebrook homes

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2-20 Glazebrook Avenue, March 2024

A CBC News story this week spotlights an idea gaining quiet traction close to home: using a row of vacant upscale houses on Glazebrook Avenue, near Bayview & Eglinton, as temporary housing for refugee and low-income families while a stalled redevelopment waits for approvals.

The proposal involves housing advocate David Walsh, the FCJ Refugee Centre, and Geoff Kettel of the Leaside Residents Association, who has been pushing City Hall to think more creatively about empty homes sitting in planning limbo. Local Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin describes the concept as “interesting,” but also raises practical questions around liability, resources, and whether the City is realistically positioned to broker such arrangements.

It’s an undeniably compassionate idea — but also a reminder that good intentions often collide with legal, financial, and administrative realities. Whether this becomes a pilot project or remains aspirational depends largely on the property owner and the City’s willingness to step into unfamiliar territory.

👉 Read the full CBC article here:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/housing-refugees-developer-9.7012473

Virtual Consultation for 922 Millwood Road

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The City is hosting a virtual community consultation for the proposed 8-storey development at 922 Millwood Rd. The meeting runs 6:30–8:30 p.m. and all residents are welcome to join.

922 Millwood Road
Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment Application
Community Consultation Meeting
December 10, 2025, 6:30 pm

➡️Register to attend or participate

BACKGROUND

The site has seen several proposals over the years. A six-storey plan was first put forward in 2019, later scaled back to five storeys in 2020, and it has sat vacant since Stanley’s Cleaners closed. The latest application now calls for an eight-storey building.

Recent coverage & background reading:

Rexall’s Moore Avenue makeover continues

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Rexall at 325 Moore Ave. /Rudy

Longtime reader Rudy sent in this photo of the Rexall at 325 Moore Ave., where new exterior signage has been installed. The pharmacy has remained open throughout the renovation, which includes expanding into the former Dove Cleaners space next door.

Construction is still underway, with a new walk-in clinic planned as part of the upgraded location. We’ll share more updates as the project progresses.

Neighbourhood pharmacy now filling pet prescriptions

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Pet owners in Leaside have a new way to save on their furry friends’ medications. Pace Pharmacy, located at 40 Laird Drive, has recently launched a pet-focused division, VetMeds.ca, now able to dispense a wide range of veterinary prescriptions.

Adam Silvertown, owner of Pace Pharmacy, says the expanded service could save families “hundreds, even thousands” over the life of a pet by allowing them to fill vet-issued prescriptions at a community pharmacy rather than exclusively at clinics.

This local launch follows broader national changes: distributors and drug makers have opened access to veterinary medications for pharmacies across Canada after Competition Bureau pressure. As reported by The Globe and Mail (Chris Hannay), Ontario is also updating regulations so pet owners can more easily request prescriptions to take elsewhere — including to accredited pharmacies like VetMeds.

Sources: Reader submission from Adam S.; reporting by Chris Hannay in The Globe and Mail.

Now Open: Bayview Holiday Market (All December!)

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The Bayview Holiday Market popped up today at 1541 Bayview (between Cobs & Starbucks). Find gifts, home décor, toys, books, and games all December long — open Dec 1st – 31st, 2025! 🎄

Bayview alum Fritz Lev seeks right buyer for Prop Room

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Inquisitive Antiques /Google Maps 2009

Do you remember Inquisitive Antiques on Bayview?

Its former proprietor, Fritz Lev, runs The Prop Room, at 42 Industrial Street in the Leaside Business Park — and after 40 years in the film industry, Fritz is getting ready to retire. From “Anne of Green Gables” to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” his unique stock has appeared on countless productions — and now he’s looking for the right film buff to take over his unique 35,000-piece prop rental business.

Read more in the CP24 story:
A Toronto prop shop owner is retiring after 40 years

A remarkable podcast project with a Bayview connection

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David Illiatovitch-Owen, De La Mer Fresh Fish Market /Facebook @delamerTO
David Illiatovitch-Owen /Mount Pleasant Group

We’re excited to share news of an extraordinary project in honour of David Illiatovitch-Owen: a new podcast, My Brother David, coming in 2026 from Sarah Illiatovitch-Goldman in partnership with iHeart Media.

Many long-time Bayview readers will remember David as the spirited proprietor of De La Mer Fresh Fish & Seafood. While he had a soft side, his friends and family fondly remember his razor-sharp wit, unapologetically unfiltered opinions, and language spicy enough to require its own disclaimer — in other words, the ideal co-pilot for this podcast.

His presence in the community left a lasting mark, and now his voice and story will reach even farther. In 2023, at age 48, David passed away after fighting a courageous and lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.

iHeart Media is co-producing My Brother David, providing major support for recording, production, promotion, and distribution, with the potential to reach hundreds of thousands of listeners. Sarah’s team, including world-renowned podcaster Julie Shapiro, is hard at work bringing the project to life — and additional donations to Cue6 Theatre (a registered non-profit) will help ensure the podcast reaches its full potential. Contributions are tax-deductible and deeply appreciated.

Read more about the project, in the words of David’s father, Jeff:

Dear Family, Friends and Colleagues,

As you may recall, when my son, David, was informed in 2022 that his treatment for pancreatic cancer had been unsuccessful resulting in a terminal prognosis, he asked his younger sister, Sarah, to record his thoughts and experiences so that others might learn from his journey and receive some measure of comfort from someone fighting a similar battle. It was David’s wish that, if possible, these recordings be transformed into a podcast with as wide a reach as possible. To assist in facilitating that dream, Sarah started a Go Fund Me campaign to obtain seed money for production and you were kind and generous in donating to this cause. Sarah and her team used the contributions from you to produce high quality samples of what the podcast might be and then knocked on countless doors in search of media companies that would want to move the project forward.

Read more →

132nd Scouts Christmas Tree Sale is on now!

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The 132nd Scouts’ annual Christmas Tree Sale is officially underway! There are just two weeks left to place your order for a fresh, beautifully cut tree. 🎄

Order your tree here:
132nd Scouts Christmas Trees Order Form

Please share the link with family, friends, and neighbours — your support helps the Scouts continue their community programs.

Not taking a tree this year? Donations to the group are gratefully appreciated.

Remembrance Day: Sea of red & white for those who served

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Each year on Remembrance Day, thousands of Canadian flags 🇨🇦 are planted across the Sunnybrook campus — a moving tribute to the Veterans who stood on guard for our country. Through Operation Raise a Flag, donations help support quality-of-life programs at Sunnybrook’s Veterans Centre (2075 Bayview Avenue) — one of Canada’s largest facilities dedicated to the care of war Veterans.

Originally opened in 1948 as a war Veterans’ hospital, Sunnybrook continues its proud legacy today in partnership with Veterans Affairs Canada, providing specialized cognitive, physical, mental health, and stroke care to those who have served.

There’s still time to take part or make a tribute gift in honour of Canada’s Veterans. Visit raiseaflag.ca to learn more or share a message of thanks.

Remembrance Day marked with solemn ceremonies in Toronto (Global News)



From birdseed to bedlam: Leaside’s rat ruckus

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🐀 When “feeding the wildlife” backfires…

CBC reports on a rat infestation right here in Leaside — and the bylaw that’s meant to keep things from getting out of hand (or out of the walls).

👉 Read the article on CBC News

Monarch House Leaside now open on Industrial Street

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There’s a new addition to Leaside’s growing health and wellness community. Monarch House, now open at 204 – 25 Industrial Street, provides assessment and therapy therapy and support for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental needs. Their team offers services such as developmental screenings, autism diagnostics, speech-language and occupational therapy, mental health support, and applied behaviour analysis (ABA) programs — all designed to help individuals and families grow with confidence and thrive in their community. For more information, visit monarchhouse.ca.