3rd Annual George Turrell Memorial Food Drive is Mar 26

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The Annual George Turrell Memorial Food Drive for the TNO Food Bank in Thorncliffe Park will be held on Sunday, March 26th from Noon to 5:00 p.m. at the Leaside Memorial Community Gardens (1073 Millwood Road).

Leaside Memorial Community Gardens along with user groups, the Leaside Hockey Association, the Leaside Skating Club, the Toronto Leaside Girls Hockey Association, Edge Power Skating and Hockey Extreme are commemorating George Turrell the “King of Leaside” by hosting the 3rd Annual Food Drive in his honour. 70th Anniversary Cake and Beverages will be served from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. They look forward to the community’s enthusiastic participation. Visit www.leasidegardens.com for more info.

Dr. Shakhlo Sharipova wins 2023 Agnes Macphail Award

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The 2023 Agnes Macphail Award recipient, Dr. Shakhlo Sharipova /City of Toronto

On Sunday, March 19, the City and the Agnes Macphail Recognition Committee will host an awards ceremony to recognize Dr. Shakhlo Sharipova’s contributions to the East York community. The City’s annual Agnes Macphail Award is presented to an individual in East York for their volunteer leadership in community-building and social justice issues.

A skilled ophthalmologist specializing in the treatment of glaucoma, Dr. Sharipova came to Canada from Tajikistan in 2009. A mother of four and grandmother of two, she has lived in East York since 2010. Dr. Sharipova founded the Thorncliffe Park Autism Support Network (TPASN), which stemmed from her experience as a mother with a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. TPASN provides information and inclusive activities for children living with autism and their families. During the pandemic, she organized outdoor and inclusive camps for children living with autism with special needs and their siblings, providing respite opportunities for families.

Dr. Sharipova supports her community by organizing a toy drive for low-income families and the Ramadan Free Hot Meal Project. With a team of volunteers, she has provided 4,240 meals since the program started, delivering meals door to door during the pandemic. Dr. Sharipova also fundraises to provide food and supplies to families and seniors in need. She is also dedicated to creating opportunities for youth to engage in community development.

Dr. Sharipova’s contributions to the East York community are nothing short of inspiring. From toy drives for low-income families to hot lunches during Ramadan – her heart has always been in community service. Her dedication to the East York neighbourhood is incredible and I couldn’t be prouder to see her honoured in this way.Councillor Paula Fletcher (Toronto-Danforth)

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Donate those old prom dresses and tuxes before April 3rd

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Glow up for Prom is on again this year. You can help newcomers/students who are facing financial barriers attend prom, looking and feeling their best. The Prom Boutique helps more than 500 youth city-wide at no cost to them. Donate clothing, or give financially. Glow up for Prom is looking for

  • New or lightly worn dresses
  • Slim fit suits / tuxes
  • Slim fit shirts & pants
  • Ties & accessories
  • Evening bags & jewellery
  • Shoes
  • New makeup
  • Socks

Drop off your donations at: Bosley Real Estate at 103 Vanderhoof Avenue, Bayview ValuMart at 1500 Bayview Avenue, or New Circles at 161 Bartley Drive by April 3, 2023.

Town halls, coffee & conversation, food banks & shamrocks

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Local politicians Stephanie Bowman, MPP for Don Valley West, and Rob Oliphant, MP for Don Valley West have sent out their March event reminders. Town halls, coffee & conversations, a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at McSorley’s and a reminder to support the Thorncliffe Park Food Bank are included in this month’s updates. See the photos for more.

City of Toronto’s fun and affordable March Break activities

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This March Break, I encourage Toronto kids and families to take advantage of the programming we have across the city, including at recreation centres, community spaces, libraries, and musuems. I’m wishing all residents a fun and safe March Break.Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie

(City of Toronto News Release – March 8, 2023) Elementary and secondary schools take their annual March Break from Monday, March 13 to Friday, March 17, the City of Toronto offers students and families many free and affordable activities:

  • City community centres offer free or low-cost programs for all ages, such as swimming, skating, basketball, volleyball, floor and ball hockey.
  • Conservatories and greenhouses
  • High Park animal display
  • Riverdale Farm
  • All indoor leisure skating programs, including caregiver and tot, family skate and shinny, are free for all ages. Hockey helmets approved by the Canadian Standards Association are mandatory for children under six years of age.
  • Earl Bales Ski and Snowboard Centre
  • City pools will offer free leisure swimming during March Break
  • Toronto Island Park
  • Toronto Zoo
  • The Terra Lumina night walk experience
  • Toronto Public Library programs, workshops, books and more at a local branch or online during March Break.
  • Toronto History Museums
    • Fort York National Historic Site
    • Todmorden Mills
    • Mackenzie House
    • Scarborough Museum
    • Montgomery’s Inn
    • Spadina Museum
    • Colborne Lodge
    • Gibson House Museum
  • Guild Park & Gardens and Clark Centre for the Arts
  • Cedar Ridge Creative Centre

More information, prices and hours of operation can be found here: www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto-offers-fun-and-affordable-march-break-activities

TD Bank taking over former Hasty Market (Bayview/Moore)

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Hasty Market, 1213 Bayview Avenue, captured in 2021 by Google Maps

A building permit application submitted for alterations to 1213 Bayview Avenue (at Moore Avenue) indicates that TD Bank is moving in. The application, submitted in November 2022, is for a “complete fit-up of two floors in existing building for new TD Bank Branch”.

Area locals may remember when this corner was home to Kuzins chicken restaurant. Ah, memories.

Kuzins, Bayview & Moore. /Bonnie Byford Real Estate, date unknown

“Friends of Josh Matlow” urging him to run for Mayor

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Councillor Josh Matlow told CP24, he is “strongly considering running to replace John Tory for Mayor of Toronto”.

Josh Matlow was Councillor of Ward 22 St. Paul’s (which included Davisville Village, west of Bayview) from 2010-2018. In 2018 and 2022 he was elected Councillor for Ward 12 Toronto—St. Paul’s. The eastern boundary of the new Ward 12 is Mount Pleasant Road.

Apartment building proposed for former Trull parking lot

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The site is 184 Chatham Avenue, southwest of the Danforth and Greenwood.

Apartment Building Proposed for Danforth-Greenwood Area Parking Lot, UrbanToronto

Proposal for re-imagined Regent Theatre submitted to City

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We reported about Terra Bruce‘s snazzy vision for a revitalized Regent Theatre (551 Mount Pleasant Road) back in October 2022.

In February 2023, they submitted their official proposal to the City:

Proposal to fully renovate and partially reconstruct the existing theatre. The existing historic front (west) facade fronting on Mount Pleasant Road will be retained. Construction plans include a new roof, full/new excavated basement, replacing the north, east and south walls, and full interior renovation. A new, 3 storey building addition to the rear (east) is proposed of approximately 1,076 sqm, which includes back of house and new loading area. A small addition is also proposed at the front of the building to create a third floor seating and lobby area. No parking spaces are proposed.

(NORR/Hariri Pontarini Architects, 2023)

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Leaside Garden Society’s “Proud of my Pruning”, March 9th

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Leaside Garden Society will continue their Speaker Series with an on-line-virtual Zoom meeting on March 9, 2023. The special guest is Sean James. The topic is Proud of my Pruning. The meeting will commence at 7p.m.

Speaker Bio:

Gardening has been Sean James’ hobby and profession for almost 40 years. A graduate of Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, a Master Gardener, writer, and teacher, Sean focuses on eco-gardening techniques, which makes sense since he grew up surrounded by nature near Crawford Lake in Campbellville.

Sean has spoken from the Maritimes to Seattle, has landscaped from Nova Scotia to California, and has helped to create publications ranging from the ‘Grow me Instead Guide’ to the ‘Master Gardeners Reference Manual’. He has participated in chairing the Environmental Stewardship Committee for Landscape Ontario, the Environmental Committee for the Perennial Plant Association, in moderating the Master Gardeners of Ontario Facebook page, and judging the All-American Selections garden competition and Hamilton’s Monarch Awards. He has been the Ontario spokesperson for Garden Days Canada and has appeared on many radio shows and on television. Sean owns ‘Sean James Consulting & Design’ and instructs at Mohawk College.

Sean was named by Landscape Ontario as 2020 and 2021’s Garden Communicator of the Year, so we know we will be getting the best expert advice as he talks us through how to prune woody ornamentals – shrubs to trees – young and old, demonstrates how to make proper cuts and maintain aging shrubs and helps us identify diseases and how to deal with them.

Leaside Garden Society always welcomes Guests and New Members to join the Society for their meetings. Visit: www.leasidegardensociety.org for more info, or email: leaside@gardenontario.org.

GO’s new Don Valley layover facility nixed by Metrolinx

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Bulldog photo of the Don Valley Parkway and Don River, looking south from the Leaside Bridge, May 2020.

Metrolinx has announced in a March 1st, 2023 news release, that they have identified a new location for the Don Valley GO layover facility. New location will proceed to planning and design phase to increase service and support GO Expansion.

“As part of the development phase of the GO Expansion – On-Corridor Works Project, Metrolinx has been working with ONxpress to optimize GO service expansion levels and a new location for the layover facility has been identified in that process. This means that Metrolinx will no longer pursue planning and design work for the layover facility originally planned for the Don Valley.

“The new proposed location is on the Richmond Hill GO Line, near York Mills Road and Leslie Street, and is in a light industrial area. This location is within the required proximity to Union station to accommodate train movements, has available space for the facility and minimizes service impacts on GO operations. The location also meets TRCA flood requirements and has less community and environmental impacts.

“To enable rail service increases during design and construction of the new layover, the Rosedale Siding (located between Bayview Avenue and the Don Valley Parkway) will be used temporarily to stage GO trains during the day. GO Trains will be staged at the Rosedale Siding for about two hours in the morning peak period, and another two hours in the afternoon peak period.”

The Don Valley site in question was described in a 2022 City report:

Metrolinx plans to locate the Facility north of the Prince Edward Viaduct at Bloor Street East, between the Don Valley Parkway and Lower Don Trail, along the Don Branch Rail Corridor (currently not operational), and within Toronto’s park network with a variety of informal names, including Lower Don Parklands, Don River Valley Park, or “Wonscotonach Parklands”. City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation and Transit Expansion Report dated April 9, 2022

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Leaside Life: This Leaside teenager brought Elvis to Toronto

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This month’s edition of Leaside Life features a wonderful story about the teen who brought Elvis Presley to Leaside High School. Who knew?

This Leaside teenager brought Elvis to Toronto