Toronto Today - April 2012

TT

oRONTO oday April 2012

ARE YOU IN HIS BOOK?

Sportswriter turned novelist Gare Joyce finds inspiration in midtown

Including SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT on Toronto’s most livable community

Toronto’s failed transit projects

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Vice President of Finance

Doreen Iannuzzi

Vice President of New Media

EDITORIAL Eric McMillan EDITOR-in-chief

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Brian Baker

sports editor

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BLACK HOLE OF TRANSIT HOPES: Why do Toronto’s projects keep disappearing?

7

FASHIONABLY COMFORTABLE: E! host Leah Miller talks style and television.

8

HITTING OUR STRIDE: Keeping Toronto walkable as its development intensifies.

33

ARTFULLY TASTY FRIDA: Mexican restaurant on Eglinton delights.

37

CALENDAR: It’s the start of the rummage sale and walking season.

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But at least we’re raising the longer-term problems.

As this issue of Toronto Today goes to press, city council is meeting to decide (again) the fate of one such transit project.

It’d be nice if residents could have confidence that whatever is decided will soon — or even eventually — be put into effect, rather than be reversed or delayed until a later generation of politicans has to start all over again. TT

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On the cover: Sportswriter turned novelist Gare Joyce Page 10

Eric McMillan, editor-in-chief

on PI Prest PI ston

Plus lots more...

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ometimes an editor doesn’t get the story he thinks he had assigned, but he doesn’t complain because the story received is better than what was expected.

That’s the case with the feature in this issue on Toronto’s transit problems. I thought it was going to be an historical survey of the city’s failed projects over the past decades — a light-hearted compendium of holes dug and filled in, money allocated and rescinded, rail lines drawn on maps and sucked down into a swirling black hole at Queen and Bay. (Yes, you can see I had a graphic in mind even then.)

And that is in fact part of what reporter Omar Mosleh delivered, although it’s hardly light-hearted.

And it asks the more serious question of why. Why does Toronto have such a record of failure? How can we ever break out of this cycle of stopping and starting? What needs to change in our political structure or in our political culture?

I don’t think any of the proposals suggested by sources in the article are magic bullets. They may not even be doable.

Yonge St

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APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY

I

t’s enough to make you want to buy a car.

As city council debates whether to put Light Rail Transit on Sheppard Avenue or extend the current subway line, and Queen’s Park ponders when council will make up its mind, Torontonians have been left wondering when — or if — anything will actually get built.

Now industry spokespeople are saying it’s time to take the politics out of planning.

Some, such as executive director of the Residential & Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario Andy Manahan, believe the political wrangling at city hall and Queen’s Park has resulted in transit-building gridlock in this city.

“By its very nature, transportation planning and delivery is always going to be political,” he said. “I guess the question is how do you take some of the politics out of the process?”

One only needs to look at a long list of dubious transit projects in Toronto to see that decisions regarding transit infrastructure are not always based on sound public policy.

According to a March 2011 TTC report, the Sheppard subway, now at the core of a seesaw debate over its extension, was expected to carry 15,400 riders per hour in one direction at its peak time. Employment around the North York Centre was supposed to catapult from 29,400 in 1986 to 93,400 in 2011.

Those numbers never panned out. In 2011 the Sheppard subway line carried just 4,500 people per hour per direction, while subways are warranted at a demand of 15,000 or greater. Employment in the area grew by only 800 jobs over two decades, rather than by the projected 64,000.

Wildly optimistic

Toronto’s lost transit dreams Generations of plans and projects have disappeared down political black holes.

Why?

By Omar Mosleh

TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

Transit activist Steve Munro says it’s very possible the numbers in the TTC’s Network 2011 plan were “wildly optimistic” for political reasons.

“I can be kind and just say it was simply the enthusiasm of the day for the growth that would come in the suburbs,” he said. “But in retrospect ... you’ve got to ask whether the development projections for North York and Scarborough were just simply not credible, and were numbers that were put there more for political reasons than for planning reasons.”

According to Munro, the real reason was a little bit of political back scratching. When Mike Harris was elected premier in 1995, the Eglinton West subway line was scrapped as part of the Common Sense Revolution. Construction had already started on both the Sheppard and Eglinton subways, but Munro contends the Sheppard line was retained because it was a priority for then-North York mayor Mel Lastman.

“Harris wanted to kill the whole thing, but he needed Mel Lastman in his corner for amalgamation,” Munro said. “ So there was a deal, that Mel would

support amalgamation in return for Mike Harris not killing his subway, and that’s how we got the Sheppard subway.”

The Eglinton West line (now slated to be constructed as Light Rail Transit) was deemed a non-priority, despite consulting, environmental assessments and construction having gone ahead since 1988.

Millions of dollars buried

Eglinton-Lawrence MPP Mike Colle was chair of the TTC from 1992 to 1994.

He said he was “mortified” to see the project scrapped when he was elected to the legislature in 1995 as a member of the opposition Liberal party.

“It was seven years of work and over $160 million worth of money all basically buried,” he said. “I call it (Canada’s) biggest mistake in transit history.”

Colle says that at the time, they were looking at $800 million for the entire line. Depending on whom you ask, the current estimated cost for the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown is $6 to 8 billion.

However, the Crosstown also includes the replacement of the Scarborough Rapid Transit line and will go to Kennedy Station and connect to Scarborough Town Centre.

To some, the Scarborough Rapid Transit line is another example of politics trumping planning in Toronto. In the 1980s, the Ontario Crown-owned Urban Transportation Development Corporation wanted somewhere to showcase its Intermediate Capacity Transit System in order to sell the technology to Vancouver in time for its 1986 Expo Fair. They convinced the TTC to adopt the technology by paying a large portion of its costs.

“It was a prototype the Government of Ontario wanted to export around the world and it just didn’t work out very well,” said Manahan.

Today the technology has been deemed too expensive to replace and is being converted to Light Rail Transit, which was the technology the TTC originally wanted to use for the Scarborough line before being convinced otherwise.

“We have a bad history in Toronto of provincial meddling in transit technology,” Munro said. “The Scarborough RT is a particular example of it.”

Similar to Eglinton West, the downtown relief line is another example of a Toronto transit project that was proposed in the 1980s and is now being revisited — more than 20 years later.

So why is it that Toronto has a pattern of coming up with grand transit projects that never see the light of day?

One issue is that no one can make up their minds what mode of transit is best for the city, says Colle.

“Transit projects are notorious for having differences of opinions,” he said.

“You talk to 10 transit experts, they have 20 different solutions.”

That makes it difficult to come to a decision for all parties — the city, TTC, CONTINUED Page 6

The forgotten subway line

T

Experts agree downtown needs Relief, but that plan too is in limbo

By Karolyn Coorsh

he Downtown Rapid Transit line is the most important lapsed transit expansion plan in Toronto, and likely the one commuters have heard the least about.

Doesn’t ring a bell? You may remember it by another name: the Downtown Relief Line.

Whatever you call it, transit experts say the proposal to add another subway line running parallel to the southern belt of the Yonge subway line and into the downtown core is one of the most vital routes for the whole transit network.

Too bad it seems to be floating around in political no man’s land.

Mayor Rob Ford is adamant the city build subways, but he is advocating for routes travelling north of Bloor. Those in favour of a plan similar to the now-defunct Transit City say we should get funded light rail in motion first, then we’ll talk relief lines.

And then there’s Metrolinx, which has tacked a DRL onto the 16–25 year agenda in the Big Move, the provincial agency’s 25-year regional transportation plan. The TTC too, has it on its radar, wrapped up with an impending report due before the commission on opportunities for expansion in the downtown.

Onslaught expected on Yonge

Despite its low status on the current transit totem pole of funding priorities, experts say it’s critical to relieve pressure off an already squeezed Yonge-University-Spadina route.

Transit guru Steve Munro says with looming expansion projects north of Eglinton and in the 905 as per a planned Yonge subway extension, the city must preparie now for a new onslaught of subway passengers to be funnelled down the Yonge line.

“You can’t get on the line now, southbound at Eglinton during the morning rush hour, so there needs to be more capacity somewhere and there’s a limit to how much more you can stuff just on Yonge,” he says.

An employee within Metrolinx who asked not to be named says Toronto transit planners almost unanimously agree that a downtown relief line should be a top planning priority.

Without it, the Metrolinx employee estimates the TTC will need to spend between $500 million to $1 billion retrofitting Yonge-Bloor station for multi-platforms in order to accommodate the extra train capacity, which will come once automated train signaling is introduced to the subway system.

“If we’re going to need to build the line anyway, we should start before the construction costs get out of hand,” said the employee.

The DRL is by no means off the radar. In November, Metrolinx presented to its board a report on expansion plans for Union Station and related planning studies, including a status update on the Downtown Rapid Transit line. The report assessed the need, indicating downtown core-destined transit demand is expected to increase by over 50 percent to 236,000 peak period trips in 2031. Additionally, the Yonge subway line and much of the downtown TTC

network will be at capacity by 2031.

The relief line made its debut in the TTC’s 1985 Network 2011 plan, along with an Eglinton West and Sheppard subway.

The story, according to Munro, is in the 1990s, when then-councillor Jack Layton and then-mayor Mel Lastman agreed to kibosh the plan in order to prioritize

a Sheppard subway line. According to Munro, Layton feared a subway would attract more density to the downtown (the core intensified anyway), and Lastman was intent on bringing more underground rapid transit to North York. In the end, only a portion of the original Sheppard subway plan was built.

CONTINUED Page 37

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Toronto’s lost transit dreams the province, and its regional transit agency Metrolinx — to agree on.

Another issue is politicians in power can change every four years, and any transit project almost certainly takes longer than that. This allows a new mayor like Rob Ford to arbitrarily cancel a project like Transit City. “Because of the four year electoral cycle, we have been whipsawed from time to time,� Manahan acknowledged.

A step in the right direction, he said, is to give Metrolinx more teeth, so they could mandate where provincial money

V

Cont. from Page 4

goes. “If Metrolinx had control over the funding, they would have a greater level of determination over how that money was spent, and then you wouldn’t get into some of those local political issues that we’re seeing right now.�

Under the current model, there is no clear funding formula. Queen’s Park can earmark funds for transit, but it’s up to city council to determine which transit projects to implement.

Munro says the idea of giving Metrolinx more oversight is wishful thinking. “It’s a lovely idea and I’m sure there’s

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some alternate universe with birds singing and flowering trees where you can create an agency with those kind of powers. The problem is, there is nothing to prevent a change of government from completely changing the mandate and the scope of work in which an agency like Metrolinx operates.â&#x20AC;?

Like kids with money

Ward 11 councillor Frances Nunziata believes the project should be totally handed over to the province. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re paying 100 percent of it, they should make the final decision,â&#x20AC;? she said.

She said city council has demonstrated that they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be trusted with tax dollars by deciding to build Light Rail Transit rather than the mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mandate of subways. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like giving money to kids,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell them what to spend it on, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll spend it on anything.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;What people want to see is something happening and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting very frustrated with the politics we have at city hall,â&#x20AC;? she added.

One of those frustrated people is Kurt Christensen, who served as a Scarborough councillor from 1982 to 1988.

He also says Metrolinx should take over becaus, in his opinion, the TTC is more concerned about its union than about its riders. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about jobs,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Karen Stintz and her people, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about jockeying against the mayor for the next election ... Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all political.â&#x20AC;?

He believes the TTC should only operate the system because â&#x20AC;&#x153;everything they touch is a disasterâ&#x20AC;?, referencing the St. Clair right of way as an example.

The St. Clair streetcar is frequently referred to as a disaster by the mayor due to its time and budget overruns that hurt local businesses. Originally budgeted at $48 million, the project swelled to well over $100 million.

But Munro said itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not fair to blame the TTC for the failure in planning.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;These days, you can basically go into any public meeting and stand in the corner and whisper the words â&#x20AC;&#x153;St. Clairâ&#x20AC;? and its code for all the things that are alleged to be wrong with the TTC,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The actual fact is, the TTC part of the St. Clair project was built on budget.

It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t built on time.â&#x20AC;?

The project ran into complications due to municipal additions to the project such as burying hydro lines, unforeseen water work, road paving, design changes and a court injunction by a public interest group that stalled construction.

To Colle, the issue isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the political favours or lack of coordination between various levels of government and their arms-length agencies.

He says it comes down to the dollars. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The underlying problem that nobody brings up, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like the elephant in the room, is that we are the only country in the civilized world that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a federal government that is a full-time partner in transit.â&#x20AC;?

He noted that everyone supports subways, but when asked if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll support road tolls, congestion or parking fees to pay for them, they say no. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone wants transit, but they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to pay for it.â&#x20AC;Ś Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to remember, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in a city where people threw away a transit plan for $60,â&#x20AC;? Colle said, in reference to the vehicle registration tax.

He believes thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why Toronto has only three subway lines while Madrid, Spain, which is slightly smaller in area but about 700,000 larger in population, has 28.

And if we really want to get transit building on track in Toronto, the former TTC chair says itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for the federal government to get on board. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The province and city canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it alone unless you give the right to have other funding tools and the public doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want that,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a transit wasteland because people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to admit that there has to be a way of funding. And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to cost billions.â&#x20AC;? TT

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TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

Style

Fashionably comfortable E! host Leah Miller talks television, shopping, and track pants

I

By Ann Ruppenstein

n stark contrast to when she’s in front of the camera, Leah Miller can be found lounging around her North Toronto house in track pants without any make up on.

“It changes drastically,” she says. “My style on air is completely different from my style at home because my style at home is like track pants and a t-shirt and Uggs, that’s like my staple, or track tops.”

Although the host of E! could be seen sporting an endless slew of dresses on So You Think You Can Dance Canada, she says she’s more of a jeans, heels and t-shirt type of girl.

“That’s dressed up for me — I know that’s crazy,” she says. “But I can’t really wear jeans and t-shirts everyday on air so I kind of have to step it up a little bit.”

For fashion advice, Miller, who counts Sarah Jessica Parker and Gwyneth Paltrow as style icons, says she turns to her other half, musician Dallas Green of City and Colour.

“My husband actually knows everything,” she says. “It’s funny I always say he’s like a stylist for me because he knows a lot about clothes and designers and yeah, he helps me.”

Although she does occasionally splurge on items, she believes in being smart about the purchases and investing in pieces that can be worn regularly and kept for long periods of time like shoes, coats and bags instead of something like a t-shirt.

For spring, she’s looking forward to breaking out of her typical black and grey wardrobe and into some bright coloured and floral pants.

“I love bright pants and it’s something I never thought I’d wear,” she says. “So that’s something I’m trying to do more instead of just wearing plain black or plain blue jeans.”

Her most recent purchases include leopard Current/Elliott jeans and a pair of grey booties from ShoeMint.

“It’s like a type of nude shoe and I think nude goes with everything,” she says, adding a nude purse is another staple for the season.

Even though she admits Uggs aren’t attractive, she says she wears them because they are comfortable and is the new owner of their moccasins.

“They’re like a shoe but it has all the fur inside so they’re easy and you can just slip them on and I love them because it’s not as heavy as a boot,” she says.

As for her favourite shopping destinations, she says she frequents Yorkdale Shopping Centre for stores like TopShop, H&M, J.Crew and Holt Renfrew. Her favourite designers include Burberry and Alexander Wang but Stella McCartney tops the list.

“She makes the best sweaters, the most massive comfortable sweater coats,” she says. “Every year I’ll get one because I think they’re pieces that you collect and I’ll have forever. They don’t go out of style because they’re almost like a handmade knit your grandmother would make for you and living in Canada when it’s really cold I get a lot of use out of them.”

When she’s not wearing her favourite Free City track pants or Lululemon leggings, she says she also enjoys loose and comfortable maxi dresses in summer. For attending a concert, she recommends her staple jeans and a t-shirt combo, which weather depending includes a sweater. When it comes to date nights, she also believes in keeping it simple.

“Something casual that you are comfortable in and something that is just who you are,” she says.

“It’s best to just dress and be comfortable and express yourself in that way, nothing too crazy, you don’t want to try to hard.”

On the verge of covering the Junos in Ottawa, she says she’s packing light and most of her suitcase will be filled with things for her dog who will be accompanying her on the voyage. Although she hasn’t yet decided what she’s wearing, she says since she regretted wearing a dress to last year’s show, she’s planning on being comfortable.

Since Miller started hosting E! in November, she’s been wearing her own clothes but says they’re currently working on securing a clothing sponsorship.

“It’s not much fun wearing your own clothes on air — I don’t have that many,” she says. “I do have a good collection of dresses over the years from working on So You Think You Can Dance Canada. I was always able to keep the ones that I really, really loved so I have a great collection of really fancy dresses and lots of jeans and stuff like that.”

Some of her career highlights include being at the E! studios in Los Angeles, being backstage at the Golden Globes and interviewing all the winners and being on the red carpet for the Oscars, which she says wasn’t as chaotic as she thought it was going to

be. She also admits she doesn’t get nervous anymore before going on air and covering events.

“Even at the Oscars I was surprised, I wasn’t, it was just like any other day I know that sounds strange,” she says. “I was very relaxed and I think that’s good though. I was working with a great team of producers and people that I started out with at MuchMusic seven years ago so it was a really comfortable atmosphere so it was great.”

Reflecting on her earlier days on TV, however, she says she’d rather not repeat some of her outfit choices, as she’s committed several fashion faux-pas.

“Oh god so many, there’s just so many,” she says.

“You change a lot and your style changes. I used to wear a lot of cropped t-shirts, I think that was in back then when I started at MuchMusic like really tight t-shirts where your belly would show a bit and I just wouldn’t do that anymore. I would never show my belly in an outfit.” TT

Ask the experts Please write to our experts: If you would like to take advantage of their years of experience, send your questions to “Ask the Experts” and they will be happy to reply to you in this space. By E-mail: adsales@mytowncrier.ca, by Fax: 416-488-3671 or write: Ask the Experts, c/o Town Crier, 101 Wingold Ave., Toronto, ON, M6B 1P8.

Kathleen Timmis, a partner in the personal injury law firm of Linett & Timmis, has been practicing accident and insurance litigation in Toronto for over 20 years. Her firm has established a solid reputation, representing thousands of injured victims and their families throughout Ontario.

Kathleen Timmis

Linett & Timmis Personal Injury Lawyers 1867 Yonge St., Suite 1004, Toronto

416-366-5100 1-800-363-5100 www.linett-timmis.com ktimmis@linett-timmis.com

Q

: I had a bad fall on my way to the subway the other day. The sidewalk was very icy and slippery in front of someone’s house.

They hadn’t bothered to shovel or put down salt. I hurt my back and the doctor is sending me for an MRI and physiotherapy. Can anyone be held responsible for the dangerous condition of the sidewalk where I fell?

A

: In Toronto and other municipalities in Ontario, the local by-laws delegate the responsibility for clearing public sidewalks to the adjacent homeowners. However, the municipality remains responsible to people who are injured if the homeowner has failed in his obligation.

In cases involving falls on snow and ice, the injured victim must establish gross negligence on the part of the municipality. This can often be done by examining the city’s inspection policies and procedures to determine whether they have been properly followed. There is a requirement that the city be notified in writing of the claim including details of the accident and its location within 10 days. Failure to give this notice may be fatal to your chances of success. Accordingly, even if you are not sure whether you have a good case, you should immediately notify the municipality to preserve your rights. You should seek legal advice promptly to understand your rights in this complicated area of personal injury law.

APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY

Keeping Toronto a walkable

T

By Sandie Benitah

Hitting our stride

oronto Mayor Rob Ford and his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, have each started regular walking routines in their quest to get fit.

Fitness experts suggest walking is a simple exercise we should all commit ourselves to daily, especially when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a viable alternative to taking public transit or the car.

By all means Toronto is a walkable city, but in light of the number of pedestrians who are reported struck and killed in our roadways, just how friendly is our city to those who take to it on foot?

Experts in suburban culture would argue walking is inspired by a well-built city thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not only safe for pedestrians, but inviting and engaging to all commuters.

In the past two decades Toronto has severely intensified, creating street blocks closer to each other, keeping highways at the edge of the downtown core and expanding sidewalks.

However, suburban Toronto, such as North York and midtown, were built with the car in mind â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with wide roads, large blocks, vast parking lots and several crosscutting highways.

Meanwhile, in midtown Toronto, Yonge and Eglinton is a busy thoroughfare that has enough

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TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

city requires more than building sidewalks entertainment to keep pedestrians preoccupied for blocks on end. Best of all, there is a pedestrian-friendly shopping complex close to where people live — an important ingredient to get people out of their homes and walking as opposed to driving.

Intensification, similar to what is expected on Eglinton Avenue with the new transit line, will be an important part to getting people walking, says Christopher Hume, a long-time urban affairs columnist with the Toronto Star.

“I don’t think it makes sense anymore not to intensify,” he said in an interview with Toronto Today.

Hume grew up in the midtown area and said the neighbourhood has come a long way in making itself remarkably more pedestrian friendly than when he was growing up.

“In an age of climate change and in an age of increasing gas prices, the need to intensify is painfully obvious.”

By intensifying a city’s population, the city starts to develop neighbourhoods in a way that is accommodating to people’s needs. In Toronto, more condos along Yonge Street has meant more storefronts at the bases of the buildings, more underground walkways to public transit and more access to necessary services.

We need reaons to walk

When there are a lot of people on the street, it’s an indication the neighbourhood is lively, Hume said. But it only becomes walkable when all developments are well integrated.

“It’s not just about if walking conditions are acceptable, because they are. But people need reasons to walk,” he said. “We need to find a better way to make use of the land we have.”

Walkable neighbourhoods have made Toronto one of the most pedestrian-friendly cities in Canada.

In fact, in 2010 Toronto was voted Up! Magazine’s most walkable city. In its May 2010 issue, the authors hailed the city’s accessibility as a key factor to its success.

“The series of interconnected neighbourhoods just west of the downtown core — the Annex, Kensington Market, Chinatown and Queen West — remain the pinnacle achievement in Canadian urban walkability,” Chris Turner, a judge on the panel was quoted as saying.

“They are varied and endlessly fascinating to explore, densely populated, with great shopping, world-class nightlife and entertainment commingling seamlessly with everyday family-friendly livability.”

Keeping in mind many of the

The sooner you’re mortgage free, the more you can get out of life.

city’s distinctive neighbourhoods, it was common to see great variations in walkability even when the areas were within blocks of each other.

A walker’s paradise

Walk Score, a website that ranks cities based on how accessible services are to residents by foot, gave the city a 98-percent approval rating overall, calling downtown Toronto a “walker’s paradise.”

Even in midtown, along the Yonge Street stretch residents are always well served by entertainment and corner stores. Walk Score rated that area 94 out of 100.

But cross over a few blocks west to Bathurst and Eglinton and the area drops considerably to 51 percent, with Walk Score calling the neighbourhood “somewhat walkable.”

Leaside fared better, getting rated at 74 percent. North York at Yonge and Sheppard was rated 94 percent and, just to the east at Bayview and Sheppard, Walk Score rated the area 90 percent.

The sizes of these neighbourhoods could impact how walkable they actually are.

“It’s not just a question of short blocks, but also opportunities,” said Hume.

“Why do we walk somewhere?

People go for a walk in the woods because they like to look at things. In a city, it’s to do something,” he added.

An ideal neighbourhood would be one that would be a live-work situation, Hume said.

Coldwell Banker, a real estate company, wholeheartedly agrees. The company put out a newsletter talking about the importance of walkability to the value of a home, especially in cities like Toronto where traffic is a notorious nightmare.

“Walkability can allow residents to spend less time worrying about traffic congestion and make regular outings, such as shopping trips, much more convenient,” the newsletter says.

Coldwell Banker insists those who are looking to buy a home take the “walkability test” before they make an offer on a property.

“Buyers may sometimes focus so much on homes themselves that they forget to look hard enough at the neighborhood,” the newsletter continues to say. “By taking the time to walk around a home’s exterior and surrounding area, as well as the interior, prospective homebuyers can learn what their future neighbours would be like, how busy traffic is and whether common errands, such as grocery shopping, can be performed quickly or would require CONTINUED Page 12

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APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY

Arts&Intertainment

francis crescia/toronto today

KEEPING IT LOCAL: Sports journalist and author Gare Joyce recently saw the release of his debut mystery novel, The Code. He says residents of Leaside and East York should find many names and places recognizable, as he kept a lot of the content local, even though the book takes place in Peterborough and Germany.

A dark side to hockey Sports journalist and author’s mystery novel explores our sport’s subculture

A

By Ann Ruppenstein

t age 11, Gare Joyce started writing a biography on heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson, marking the beginning of his career as a writer and sports journalist.

“I was just the strangest little kid,” he says from a booth at TKO’s, the Sport Pub on the Danforth.

“I loved sports but I loved sports writing more. I remember I was a fan of writers, sports writers, not just newspapers but Sports Illustrated especially.”

Along with collecting and rereading articles to the point of practically memorizing them, he says he learned a lot from a summer he spent going through dozens of books while watching over a

10 TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

pool that wasn’t frequented by kids.

“Literally I could be sitting there reading 300 pages a day,” he says. “I remember the first book I read that summer was In Cold Blood. I think that’s really more than any college or university course or anything. I think that I learned more about books and writing sitting by a wading pool, working on my tan.”

Although the veteran journalist and current features editor and writer at Sportsnet magazine spent most of his 30-year career to date covering sports and writing non-fiction titles like The Devil and Bobby Hull and The Ovechkin Project, he recently

ventured into fiction with his debut mystery novel The Code. It features a former professional hockey player turned scout with a background in criminology.

“Hockey is such a strange subculture crowded with people whose values are distorted by envy and ambition and lust for money and in any sort of subculture like that bad things will happen and in this book a very damaged individual commits an awful crime and my guy solves it,” he summarizes.

Even though the story also plays out in Peterborough, Ontario and Frankfurt, Germany, both Joyce

and protagonist Brad Shade have strong local ties.

“Someone from East York or Leaside could pick the book up and then they might find a real name of someone because with some of my friends I didn’t even bother changing their names at all,” says Joyce, who like Shade grew up in East York and attended East York Collegiate.

He says Shade played hockey at the Ted Reeve Community Arena and the Leaside Arena, where his father coached the Metro Toronto Police hockey team. The character of Shade’s father, Joyce says, is based on the father of one of his best friends, Ivan McAnsh, who was a police officer for 32 years and a longtime coach of the police hockey team they used to play pick-up hockey with on Saturday nights. The book’s local watering hole, the Merry Widow, is also loosely based on TKO’s.

“It just seemed like the right fit,” says Joyce.

“I think you set a book in a place that you know. I think the thing is we just think of it as so everyday but people from not around here, they think it’s exotic.”

Although he previously attempted fiction writing, including a young adult novel, and did publish a short story in ESPN The Magazine’s fiction issue, it was his editor at Penguin Canada, Nick Garrison, who motivated him to delve into the mystery genre.

“He believed when I only suspected,” he says.

“So that’s great. You need to have that sort of support.”

While working fulltime and on two other non-fiction books, he says he wrote the first 15,000 words within three weeks and was then given the go-ahead to finish The Code. Although he admits it was a lot of work, he says it was so fun it didn’t feel like work.

“I’d get up at four in the morning and try and write four, five hours before breakfast,” he says. “Those are my best hours, that’s when you’re least distracted. I love this city in the early morning hours. I’d go out to the Tim Hortons or something and sit there for hours at a time sulking up time and space in a 24-hour establishment just so I wouldn’t go back to sleep.”

Before the book was released in January, Joyce says he was already writing the next installment in the series, which is called The Black Ace and will be available in 2013. He divulges it will be set in a small town in Western Canada.

“A former teammate of Brad Shade meets his maker and only after his death does Brad realize he didn’t know this guy as well as he did and he wasn’t who he thought he was and that holds the key to his demise,” he says.

Although writing mysteries is very plot driven, Joyce says it felt more like he was doing a grand experiment rather than writing fiction the first time around.

“The sequel that I’m writing right now, I’m doing it right,” he says. “This one, it was by the seat of my pants. It was a great leap of faith.”

Joyce says he’s always enjoyed old-fashioned detective series and is a devout reader of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Ross Mcdonald,

whom he calls the three pillars of detective novels.

He recollects having excellent English teachers in high school including Mr. Kofsky, Mr. Demuth and Mr. Rempel.

“They were all really supportive and sort of encouraged me to write and encouraged me not to write other people’s essays,” he says. “I did sometimes.”

Although he first saw a copy of his book in

Book City on Danforth Avenue, which he’s been frequenting for 20 years, he says seeing it in the Chapters Indigo at Bloor and Bay was a memorable experience.

“Seeing it in the best seller section beside Michael Ondaatje or something, that was a trip,” he says. “And to have friends come up and tell me that they liked the book, that was a charge.

“Reading the reviews, that was the scary part.” TT

“Seeing (the book) in the best seller section ... that was a trip.”

APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY 11

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Fiona Chapman, the Manager of Pedestrian Projects at the City of Toronto, has studied cities across Ontario to discover what makes a city and a neighbourhood attractive to people who are looking to move somewhere new. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do a good job in the city, though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit of a challenge in the winter, but still weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pretty darn good,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the suburbs and inner suburbs, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot different.â&#x20AC;?

Chapman echoed the sentiments of the Coldwell Banker report, saying the best neighbourhoods are ones that have a degree of independence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best neighbourhoods to walk in are those that have the best uses: grocery stores, banks, retail,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where you can walk to get milk and there are places to work, live and shop.â&#x20AC;?

But safety is also a key issue, she added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Traffic makes it scary for people.â&#x20AC;?

Part of her work in Toronto includes making sure every street has a sidewalk at least on one side to separate pedestrians from traffic.

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Pedestrian fatalities is a serious issue in any city, especially a crowded one like Toronto. January 2010 was an especially tragic month as 14 pedestrians were struck and killed in Toronto and the GTA. The Ontario Safety League says human error is the most common factor in pedestrian deaths.

Chapman said one way Toronto has tried to resolve this problem is by looking at pedestrian demand and simple demographics. Coupled with feedback from the public, Toronto has been able to improve intersections to help avoid human error.

For example, seniors have complained they are afraid to cross intersections because the signal might change too quickly. Therefore, many intersections in neighbourhoods with a high concentration of seniors have longer crossing times. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Still seniors say thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not enough and they still feel uncomfortable crossing the street,â&#x20AC;? Chapman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we have an opportunity to redesign a road or build a new one, we need to think about it long and hard how we want the street to look like in 50 years. Is there a pedestrian refuge like a median?â&#x20AC;?

Jane Farrow, founding executive director behind Janeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Walk, a popu-

Cont. from Page 9

lar walking tour based on the urban design philosophies of Jane Jacobs, co-authored a study on walkability.

The study was based on highrise neighbourhoods in Toronto. In the study, researchers found most people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t consider walking as a solution to their mobility needs. Instead, the car was most revered as a transportation solution.

Cars still preferred

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our data suggest income is the chief barrier to car ownership. When asked if they wanted a car, almost every person in the focus groups raised their hand. This was also reflected in the survey data; more than half (52 percent) of respondents said that they were hoping or planning to get a car in the future,â&#x20AC;? says the 2010 Walkability study.

The study also found parents and single parents were afraid to let their children walk to and from school.

Only 24 percent of parents said they felt safe letting their child walk to school without an adult.

Young people complained they were reluctant to walk in some neighbourhoods because at certain times, the streets are empty and the situation seems less safe.

In Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suburban neighbourhoods, though many are well lit, they often become ghost towns after dark.

Walking home from the bus stop could be a harrowing experience for unaccompanied pedestrians.

The study found 56 percent of women and 73 percent of seniors avoided walking at night due to security concerns. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no way I would walk home from school at night, especially in the winter,â&#x20AC;? said Mira Horowitz, a York University student who takes the Steeles Avenue West bus to Bathurst Street, three blocks from her home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no one around and I just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel safe,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It might just be three blocks but when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s those kind of conditions, it feels like it takes forever.â&#x20AC;?

Horowitz said her father often comes to pick her up and when he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t she will try to flag down a taxi or speak on her cellphone with a girlfriend until she gets home.

Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pedestrian strategy recognizes the need for people to feel safe and entertained while walking even short distances and it is constantly being studied and evolving to meet the needs of a growing and changing population.

Toronto prides itself on its reputation as a city of neighbourhoods, but its biggest challenge is making sure all of its pockets are as inviting to pedestrians as the downtown core is to the entire city. TT

LEASIDE Today Proof positive

A photographic look at how Leaside has changed

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still home

World renowned jazz musician recalls his roots

CGS

We started at

Join us April 18 for our Preschool and Kindergarten Open House. Find out what makes CGS the place to start.

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APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY 13

Sales Representative

www.ShereeCerqua.com

423-1173 416 443-0300

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Not intended to solicit clients under contract with a real estate broker.

14 TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

Lori Abittan Publisher

Joe Mastrogiacomo Vice President of Finance

Contents

Doreen Iannuzzi

Dear Reader,

16

MAKE ‘EM LAUGH: Comedian Colin Mochrie says he’s not the funny one in the family.

Vice President of New Media

EDITORIAL

22

LOST LEASIDE: Looking back on the familiar sites of a bygone era.

Eric McMillan EDITOR-in-chief

28

Gordon Cameron MANAGING EDITOR

PITCH IT RIGHT HERE DOC: Ron Taylor shares tales of both of his careers.

Ann Ruppenstein Special projects

30

Shadi Raoufi

TASTE OF LEASIDE: Two drink concoctions inspired by our community and its people.

EDITORIAL ART DIRECTOR

Advertising & Sales

Plus lots more...

Don Bettger

Director, GROUP Sales

Jennifer Gardiner

Director, Corporate Sales

Kathy Kerluke

101 Wingold Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M6B 1P8 Tel: 416 785-4300 Fax: 416 785-7350

20

SHE’S GOT THE LOOK: Local clothing line that owes its name to owner’s grandmothers.

(photo courtesy Warren Hill)

Gordon Cameron Managing Editor

APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY 15

F

Business Manager

On the cover: Musician Warren Hill may travel the world but his heart’s still in Leaside.

pring is in the air which means skates get traded in for bats and balls, gardeners start their planting and the patios along Bayview start to fill up with those looking to bask in the sun over a burger and a pint.

For us at the Town Crier, it means something a little different, the return of our popular Today publications beginning with Leaside Today, published this year in conjunction with Toronto Today.

As with our newspapers, we seek to celebrate our communities not only by reminding readers of the special things that are unique to their neighbourhoods but also to let them in on a few things that they might not know.

This year we’ve decided to focus on the people who make Leaside a wonderful place to live.

We’ve profiled comedian Colin Mochrie, who in spite of being an award-winning writer reveals that he really hates doing it. We talked to baseball star turned doctor Ron Taylor about his life on and off the field.

We’ve also gone into the archives and pulled out photographs from Leaside’s past to show how much the area has changed over the last 60 years.

What we hope will never change is how special our community is and that Leaside never loses its unique family atmosphere. For over 30 years the Town Crier has been privileged to be a part of the neighbourhood and that’s something that we hope won’t change either.

S

______

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Diversity Publishers & Printers

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Another

Colin Mochrie

Getting laughs the lazy way

L

• BY Omar Mosleh

Photo courtesy Jonas Public Relations

FUNNY FELLOW: Comedian Colin Mochrie chose to live in Leaside because of the community’s family feel.

16 TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

easide improv comedian Colin Mochrie makes getting on stage without a script look easy.

“It’s the best job for lazy people,” he said over the phone from Red Bank, New Jersey, where he’s currently touring. “You show up, the audience gives you all your ideas and you just goof around.”

The Canadian funnyman, best known for his roles in Whose Line Is It Anyway? and This Hour Has 22 Minutes has been touring North America for the past eight years with friend and fellow Whose Line veteran Brad Sherwood. The pair entertain about 80,000 audience members annually.

While he insists it to be true, it’s hard to imagine Mochrie as lazy. In addition to his touring, he juggles cameos, commercials (including those for Buckley’s Cough Syrup, New York Fries and as the “snack fairy” for Nabisco), voiceovers and is working on a book.

His media appearances were so prolific at one point that it prompted Canadian television show Corner Gas to poke fun at Mochrie by having him appear shortly after a character says he has a cameo in nearly everything.

“People think I’m busy all the time, but I’m really not,” said Mochrie.

When he’s not filming pilots in Los Angeles or touring around the continent, he finds time to shop at his favourite meat and fish markets in Leaside. However, he added that he also enjoys the accessibility to larger chains.

“I’m always at the little mall there that has the Best Buy, Winner’s and Sobey’s,” he said. “That’s where I spend a lot of time ... I do all of the cooking, so I’m constantly buying food.”

The award-winning comedian has lived with his family in Leaside for about 15 years.

His wife, actor and comedian Debra McGrath, takes some of the pressure off him always having to live up to his comedic persona.

“My wife is the funniest one in the family, so I can just sit back and every once in a while throw something in,” he remarks.

That’s a relief when it comes time to sit around the dinner table, as Mochrie explains he’s a laid-back, even shy person when he’s not on stage.

“It’s a little weird when I meet quote unquote normal people, because they sort of expect the whacky guy they saw on Whose line,” he said. “I’m not that guy ... I don’t tell jokes, I’m fairly quiet, so I think I always disappoint people when they meet me.”

That happens fairly often, considering Mochrie is one of Leaside’s most recogniz-

able faces (he’s even on its Wikipedia page, much to his surprise).

“Some people do recognize me, which is always good for the ego, but there’s never any weirdness,” he said. “Actually every once in a while there’s cars that slow down in front of the house, which is weird.”

But he doesn’t seem to mind, adding that he knows his neighbours quite well.

“They’re pretty used to me now. I guess they read about me on Wikipedia,” he says with a laugh.

Born in Scotland and having lived in Vancouver, Montreal and Los Angeles, Mochrie said he and his wife settled on Leaside because of the family feel, with kids playing hockey on the streets and plentiful parks for dog walks and cycling.

“It’s home,” Mochrie said. “It’s where all our friends are, we know the city, and we’re sort of known there so you can get work ... it’s like our own little haven.”

Mochrie hasn’t had much trouble finding work. In addition to touring, he recently rejoined with Whose Line colleague Wayne Brady for an improv comedy program called Trust Us With Your Life. It is expected to debut on ABC this summer.

Penguin Canada has also acquired the publishing writes for his debut book, titled Not Quite The Classics. The project involves Mochrie taking the first and last line from literary classics and rewriting the body with his own trademark humour.

Although performing on stage with no material is easy for Mochrie, writing it is more challenging.

“I despise writing ... It’s sort of a disciplined art and I’m not that disciplined,” he said. “I’ll try and find anything to do other than actually sit down and write.”

Despite his aversion to writing, it seems he’s good at it. He won a Writer’s Guild of Canada award for his work on This Hour Has 22 Minutes “That just made it worse because now people expect things,” he quips.

It’s yet to be seen whether his upcoming book will be as successful, but it’s fair to say that Mochrie’s distaste for writing can be traced back to why he chose improvisation as a career choice.

“It’s the actual typing I think,” he said.

“I’m just too lazy.”

Having said that, it’s probably a good thing he made the choice he did. Initially, he wanted to be a marine biologist.

“I think it worked out for everyone that that didn’t happen.”

Jazzy ex-pat

Warren Hill

A

• BY Ann Ruppenstein lthough jazz musician Warren Hill now lives in Los Angeles, Leaside is still his home.

Hill, who grew up on Cameron Crescent near Howard Talbot Park, recently returned to the community and took part in a benefit concert for Leaside United Church.

“It was a great night and I saw so many friends from my youth whom I haven’t seen in quite some time,” he says. “Afterwards I met up with a small group of high school friends at McSorley’s for a few beers. It sure didn’t feel like 28 years had gone by.”

Hill recalls the days he used to have a paper route in the area and got up every morning to deliver the Globe and Mail with his dog. By collecting the payments every few weeks, he says he got to know many of his neighbours.

While attending Leaside High School he says he learned how to accept all of his classmates regardless of what clique they were part of and says it wound up being a valuable life lesson.

“What I learned from it was how to integrate and communicate with different personalities, which in the music business became an invaluable skill set for me,” he says.

Hill also learned a lot from his favourite childhood teachers including Mr. Lister, Mr. Stickney, Mr. Shahinian and Mrs. Ballstadt, who encour-

photo courtesy warren hill

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC: Saxman and singer Warren Hill still considers Leaside his home although he lives in LA.

BACK FROM VACATION...

aged him as a musician.

“She was also a pretty fantastic concert pianist and gave me an opportunity to perform with her at Roy Thompson Hall, which was incredible,” he says.

Although he’s gone on to work with artists like Chaka Khan and Natalie Cole and has a worldwide fan base, Hill says he still misses the little moments from his past, which revolved around hanging out in the park.

“In the winter if there wasn’t enough fresh snow — always seemed like there was a lot more when we were kids — for tobogganing on the hill we would practice hockey inside the ice rink boards,” he says. “Summer nights you could always catch a baseball game in the park, eating slushy cones.”

Hill, who is about to embark on tour dates in Japan and Europe before touring across the US, says he feels lucky to have been born and raised in Leaside.

“I didn’t know how much I took it for granted until having a child of my own,” he says. “I currently live in Los Angeles with my wife of 18 years and my 13-year-old daughter and it seems as though that kind of community no longer exists.

“Thanks to Leaside for being the best place in the world to grow up. Even though I am somewhat of an ex-pat, I hope Leasiders don’t mind me always referring to it as my home.”

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APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY 17

Volunteer

Charlene Kalia

C

• BY KArolyn coorsh

photo courtesy Roxy/Everlasting Moments Photography

JOB WELL DONE: Mayor Rob Ford congratulates Charlene Kalia on her successful Laugh out Loud for Leaside fundraiser for the second ice pad at the Leaside Gardens.

harlene Kalia is the only person in her family who doesn’t use the ice at Leaside Gardens Arena.

But, one could hardly blame her if she can’t find the time. The married mother of two is raising funds to build the arena’s second ice pad, a facility her community’s been anticipating for the better part of a decade.

Now, with shovels set to be in the ground later this year, Kalia can take pride in her tireless devotion to the cause.

The 17-year Leasider took up the torch to become the lead fundraiser for a new rink in 2009, when she decided that if she were to volunteer anywhere, might as well be in her own community. Her son Mitchell, 18, grew up playing Leaside sports and her daughter Madelyn, 6, attends Northlea Elementary.

“I felt like I wanted to give back to the community that I primarily work with,” says Kalia, who is also a realtor. “And my son has enjoyed playing hockey with Leaside since he was six years old.”

It didn’t take long for Kalia to get

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raises cash for new arena noticed for her work. In winter 2009, soon after conceiving the idea for a rink fundraiser, Laugh Out Loud in Leaside, Kalia successfully applied for a seat on the Leaside Gardens Arena Board of Management. Not a year later, Paul Mercer, Leaside expansion committee chair, and Brooke Biscoe, Leaside Gardens board of management chair, asked her to head up fundraising.

In accepting the responsibility, Kalia was tasked with reaching a $2.5 million target — certainly no chump change.

While several anonymous donors have come through in spades, including one who gave a $1 million kickstart, Kalia and her team of 10 volunteers have been pounding the pavement, canvassing homes and local businesses, with positive results.

Kalia has also been at the helm in creating two more successful Laugh Out Loud fundraisers. Collectively, the three fundraisers have raised over $100,000.

Even though she’s been a big part of the expansion dream, Kalia credits Mercer, Biscoe and many others with getting the project off the ground.

“I’m not the one sitting in those meetings at city hall,” she says. “I get to be out there in the community meeting people, and getting every-

one to feel as passionately as I do about making this a reality for the community.”

A former Davisville resident, Kalia said she and her husband Dino Sergnese chose to live in Leaside because of the great programs that are offered at facilities like Leaside Memorial.

“It’s got a great base of families, you always see kids playing on the street and it’s close to downtown so you can get to where you need to be but it feels like a small town within a big city,” she says.

Kalia says in her volunteer role, she’s gotten to know more about her neighbourhood, including the generous local merchants and the devoted residents who inhabit it.

“There’s a good percentage of multi-generation families that live here so that’s something I knew but I didn’t realize how many people,” she said.

She points to the friends and family of the late John Creighton who raised $25,000 to name a dressing room in the lifelong Leasider’s honour after he died suddenly in March 2011.

“It’s not just about a second rink facility, it’s a bit of a landmark and everybody wants to have a piece of it,” Kalia said.

Calling Kalia a local hero, councillor John Parker said she took on a heady responsibility

with vigour and enthusiasm.

“She has been doing spectacular work of moving that project along, and achieving the goal of raising $2.5 million for the project,” he said. “And she did it with a smile.”

He said it was largely that work that helped move the project forward at city hall, which approved a loan to the organization so construction could go ahead.

Even with most funds secured, Kalia isn’t ready to put up her feet. Additional funding must be raised for other aspects of the construction not included in projected costs, and she’s happy to get to it.

Once the rink is built, she says she’ll look forward to seeing Leasiders use the facility, but also youth from lower income neighbourhoods where they are lacking recreational space.

“I’m looking forward to the shovel in the ground,” she said. “I’m looking forward to this becoming a reality for the community and the surrounding neighbourhoods.”

“She has been doing spectacular work.”

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APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY 19

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Senior Intensive Dance (Intensive 1-8 students or by audition) July 23 - August 10 Junior & Mini Recreational Dance July 9 - July 20 August 13 - August 24 Non-Intensive & Intensive Evening Dance (8 years and up) July 2 - August 24

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20 TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

like fashionable blankets

W

â&#x20AC;˘ BY Ann Ruppenstein kind of came full-circle when she was interviewed for a segment on the show. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m super excited to see that,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably one of the biggest things so far â&#x20AC;Ś itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fun to go back now and see them again and be a designer this time.â&#x20AC;?

Another highlight, she says, was seeing her clothes

in TNT for the first time as she frequented the store growing up, as well as in the Dew storefront near her house when she drove by on Bayview Avenue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was born here, I was born in Bennington and went to Leaside High School and my husband and I just bought a home here,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my home and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my favourite place in the world.â&#x20AC;?

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hen the time came for Lauren McLachlan to name her clothing line, she took inspiration from her family. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Valentine is one of my grandmotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s middle names and she was born on Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day and my other grandmother, we called her Kay,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a mix of the two and they were both very stylish, classy women.â&#x20AC;?

Before launching Valentine K in October 2011, the Leaside-based designer was on the other side of the industry, studying fashion marketing and working in retail as a buyer and seller. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was always searching for something like Valentine K and never finding it so I ended up starting my own line,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just wanted to create something on my own, be my own boss and do something that I could be proud of.â&#x20AC;?

Although her past experience quickly led her designs to get picked up by the stores she used to work for, McLachlan says she was still nervous before launching her debut collection because she wanted to impress her former employers. However, she says knowing what kind of pieces her past customers liked and what did and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fly off the racks had an upside when she was creating her signature cashmere sweaters with leather and suede patchwork. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always knew what my good clients were looking for so I could tell right away when something came in if they would want it or not,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So I feel like hearing them and knowing what that customer wanted allowed me, when I was making Valentine K, to sort of cater it to them.â&#x20AC;?

McLachlan, who describes her designs as being like fashionable blankets since theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re both comfortable and stylish, says sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inspired by rustic and vintage looks as well as trips north to her cottage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of the leathers that I chose are vintage inspired or they look really old like you can find them on your grandfatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old cardigan,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re taking a simple sweater but by adding a leather accent you turn something kind of simple into something unique.â&#x20AC;?

Last month she released her follow-up spring/ summer collection featuring pastel pullovers, cardigans and hooded sweaters, which in addition to being stocked in the city are also available in select stores across the country and owned by the likes of actress Shenae Grimes.

McLachlan hopes people feel like theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve bought a high quality investment piece when they purchase her designs, which they can effortlessly pair with the clothes they own and look put-together. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that a lot of the local stores have been really supportive in taking a chance on me, which really helped,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the sweaters have fortunately kind of spoken for themselves. I can only make them, once theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the store thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing else I can do but they seem to have sold really, really well.â&#x20AC;?

As a former intern working behind the scenes for Fashion Television, she says her career recently

APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY 21

Then & Now James Victor Salmonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collection of Toronto based photographs, which consists of over 13,000 prints and negatives have been preserved at the City of Toronto Archives and the Metro Toronto Reference Library. To relive the good old days we dug up several pictures taken in Leaside and got our photographer Francis Crescia to capture the transformation of the sites today.

The construction of Sunnybrook Shopping Centre, circa 1952.

Sunnybrook Centre in present day at Eglinton Avenue E. and Bayview Avenue.

Leveling the dip in the road to accommodate the Sunnybrook Shopping Centre in 1951.

The southeast corner of Eglinton Avenue E. Bayview Avenue today.

22 and TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

Leaside CPR Station in 1955.

Near the tracks off Millwood Road where the station once stood.

The Canada Wire and Cable Company plant, which was reportedly the first industry to be located in Leaside, in 1955.

The corner of Laird Drive and Wicksteed Avenue today, which is now home to a shopping plaza.

The Leaside Fire Department on McRae Drive near Randolph Road.

A float during the fire prevention week parade in 1955 beside Leaside Municipal Building.

The school today. Alumni include Warren Hill.

Leaside High School from Hanna Road in 1955.

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Homes of Leaside’s past

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o many, Leaside is recognizable by its winding rows of 1940s-era homes.

But what many people don’t realize is nestled among them are a few that are much older and with a rich history.

At the northern end of Bessborough Drive, where the street ends and connects to Howard Talbot Park, sits a sombre old farmhouse shaded by aging trees scattered around the property.

The home is unassuming, and not until one digs into the history of Leaside does it become apparent the building is over 160 years old.

According to local historian and former councillor Jane Pitfield, who literally wrote the book on the history of Leaside, the home belonged to a man named Robert Elgie, whose father Thomas owned about 80 hectares of land, which included Howard Talbot Park and the current location of Leaside High School.

Though Pitfield’s research has found that the home — known as the Elgie Farmhouse — was built around 1849, the current owners are believed to be just the fourth owners of the residence.

Those current owners, she says, have done work on the home, but have ensured it remains looking very much as it did when it was built.

“He told me that the original home at 262 Bessborough is the right side of the home, the left side has been added on and was done so well you can’t see what is old and what is new,” she said. “There had been a garage or a separate building and he took that down, but saved the bricks. And that was what he used to put the addition on.”

But even with all the history on that piece of land, there is a struggle to preserve it.

“I think it has been listed as a historical home, but I don’t think it has been designated (as a heritage site) yet, and it should be,” she said. “When a home is designated, there’s less likelihood that it will be torn down. It stands today on a piece of land that could probably accommodate two or three new homes, and I think it would be regrettable to have that home taken down.”

The struggle to list homes as heritage sites became a reality just a few

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JUST HOW OLD IS IT? The Elgie farmhouse, at 262 Bessborough Dr., is the oldest in Leaside at over 160 years old. It was built by a Robert Elgie, whose father owned the land that includes the sites of Howard Talbot Park and Leaside High School.

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years ago in Leaside. Pitfield says the second oldest home, built in 1902 and found at 33 Heather Rd., was nearly purchased by a developer who wanted to tear it down and build two townhouses on the property. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I said â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;absolutely not, that is an important historic home,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fortunately, the fellow who was living across the street at the time â&#x20AC;Ś was interested in saving the house. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He did a great thing because he purchased the home, they moved across the street,â&#x20AC;? she added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have renovated it, but in my opinion the renovation was done very nicely and is an example of breathing new life into an old place.â&#x20AC;?

That home, as well as Leasideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third oldest, located at 201 Sutherland Dr. and built in 1909, are both unique in that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t face the roads theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re found on.

Pitfield explained that there used to be a couple of lanes coming from Bayview Avenue, then known as Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can imagine a road coming from Bayview, past (201 Sutherland Dr.), then looking over to where William Leaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house was at Millwood and Southvale where Leaside Arena is,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;201 Sutherland faced on to William Lea Lane and that was John Leaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house.â&#x20AC;?

John E. Lea, grandson of Leaside founder John Lea, built the home at 201 Sutherland Dr., while James Lea, also a grandson of Leasideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founder, built the home on Heather Road.

Real estate agent Sheree Cerqua says that people are often drawn to the older homes in the area because of the size of their lots, but added that buying an historic home isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for everyone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is (the history) a positive? Sure. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s positive, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a unique home,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But it does propose a roadblock for people that would look at the lot and say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great big lot, but I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do necessarily what I might want to do,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; so it might eliminate some buyers.â&#x20AC;?

But for Pitfield, who has helped to get heritage designations for places like the Talbot Apartments on Bayview across from Mount Pleasant Cemetery and Garden Court Apartments also on Bayview and just south of Millwood Road, preserving those old homes is what makes them such a draw. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel that when we still have these homes standing, we should do everything possible to protect them,â&#x20AC;? says Pitfield, adding that 201 Sutherland Dr. is also now listed as a historical home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of the heritage of the community.â&#x20AC;?

Pitfield says that for the sake of the history of the old neighbourhood, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to see more homes and buildings follow this path. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once these buildings are gone, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re gone forever,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Before itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too late, we need to assess the Leaside community and do an inventory, make a list of all the heritage buildings and make sure they are designated and protected.â&#x20AC;?

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Lyndhurst Rehab Centre

Miracles happen

L

• BY Nadia Hussein

nadia hussein/leaside today

torontonewschool.com

SHOWING IMPROVEMENT: Tracy Dort-Kyne credits the improvement in the quality of her life to staff at Lyndhurst Rehab Centre.

ast September, while training for a bike race in Collingwood, Tracy Dort-Kyne crashed into a tree which left the 42-year-old single mom a quadriplegic.

She spent nearly two months at Sunnybrook Hospital before being transferred to North Leaside’s Lyndhurst Rehab Centre. With 60 inpatient beds, the centre houses the only spinal cord rehab program in the Greater Toronto Area, and the largest of its kind in Canada.

“This is a hidden gem in the neighbourhood,” says Dort-Kyne. “Miracles are happening here every day. You’re seeing somebody learn to walk again. You’re seeing people sitting up for the first time on their own since an accident. You’re seeing people doing incredible things.”

While Dort-Kyne won’t walk again she has shown improvement. Her neck, which used to lean completely to her left side, is straighter and she credits that improvement to her occupational therapist, Jennifer Holmes.

Holmes says she plays just a part in Dort-Kyne’s rehab and as much as she likes her job, she’d be happy if her role didn’t exist.

“I wish I could not have this job,” she says, while working on Dort-Kyne’s limbs.

“I wish there were no spinal cord injuries, ultimately. If I could find a cure, that would be great … but until they do have a cure, we’re here to help people live the best life they can.”

Along with therapists, the health care team includes dietitians, speech language pathologists, social workers and psychologists.

Lyndhurst’s medical director Dr. Anthony Burns says the depth and breadth of the program is part of what makes the centre special.

“We’re blessed that the staff here are very dedicated,” he says. “It’s not an easy job, interacting with clients and their families after such a horrible thing has happened but

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26 TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

416-960-1867

Leaside Skating Club

is celebrating our 60th Anniversary as a community based skating club with the “Everything Diamonds” Jubilee Ice Carnival.

Shows are at: 7pm Friday April 13th 2pm Saturday April 14th.

We hope that all members of the club, past and present will come out and help us celebrate. Any past “test level skaters” who would like to participate in the show are very welcome!

For further information on the show and our Spring Skating School please contact: info@leasideskatingclub.com Leaside Arena, 1073 Millwood Rd. (at Laird)

itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very important.â&#x20AC;?

The health care team has even worked with hundreds of outpatients including 27-year-old Kristen Cameron, who suffered a spinal cord injury after being struck by a drunk driver while cycling in Pennsylvania. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They offer anything I could think of that I needed,â&#x20AC;? says Cameron, who was an inpatient for six months. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know there is someone at Lyndhurst that can either help me or tell me where to go to get that help. There are so many different resources in that building. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crazy.â&#x20AC;?

Currently residing at a transitional house near Yonge and Davisville, Cameron still visits Lyndhurst four times a week for physiotherapy, occupational therapy and to hit the gym. From only being able to move her wrist, she is now learning how to transfer from her wheelchair to her bed independently and credits the centre for her progress. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think Lyndhurst as a whole is an amazing place and the people are what make it so great,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine where Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be if I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to go there.â&#x20AC;?

While much life-changing work goes on at Lyndhurst, Burns says that the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;recoveryâ&#x20AC;? isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t used because it is a sensitive subject for patients with severe spinal cord injuries. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unfortunately right now, with our current state of medicine and science, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not able to reverse that (type of injury),â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we have to help people adapt to their new reality and learn how to maximize their independence with what they have available.â&#x20AC;?

The centre has been enhancing the lives of patients since 1945 when it treated servicemen who sustained spinal cord injuries in the Second World War. The institution, the first of its kind in Canada, was originally known as Lyndhurst Lodge and located on Lyndhurst Avenue. In order to expand its size the facility moved to Sutherland Drive in 1974. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the history is unique (and) the job we do is unique,â&#x20AC;? Burns says.

Dort-Kyne says her life after Lyndhurst will be wonderful but while her discharge date isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t set in stone, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scared of leaving. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lyndhurst is a world within the rest of the world and everything that you do for the time that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here revolves around this place and the people in it,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody wants to eventually get back to their own life but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also very scared of leaving because everything we need is here.â&#x20AC;?

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From the majors to medicine

W

• BY Tristan Carter hile growing up, many of Ron Taylor’s friends would hit the ice with dreams of becoming hockey players, but Taylor saw himself more as a boy of summer.

“I started to play (baseball) in Leaside — Talbot Park — when I was eight,” said the former major league hurler. “Right from the beginning I knew I wanted to be a ball player.”

As a pitcher, Taylor had an accomplished career. In 1964, his St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Yankees in seven games to win the World Series. He got the save in game 4, giving up one hit in four innings of work. In 1969, Taylor won his second title, this time with the Miracle Mets that went on an improbable run from National League cellar-dwellers to world champions.

However, it’s Taylor’s life away from the field that makes his story so unique.

While still in high school Taylor began pitching for Cleveland’s minor league squad. Rather than end his formal education, Taylor enrolled in the University of Toronto’s electrical engineering program.

“The first year I played minor league baseball I was 18 and I won 17 games so they were very interested in me,” he said. “So they agreed to let me finish my engineering courses.

“I finished out the engineering year and towards the spring I got myself in good shape and then played baseball. I was doing both.”

Four years later, armed with an engineering degree and strong right arm, Taylor was ready for the big leagues. In his first major league game Taylor pitched 11 scoreless innings for the Cleveland Indians, the only time a pitcher has ever done that in his first game.

Education remained a recurring theme in Taylor’s life although he said his book smarts played no part in his pitching.

“I threw hard and I threw to spots,” he said. “There wasn’t a lot of intelligence required.”

After the World Series win with the Mets, Taylor and some of his teammates were invited to tour Vietnam to help boost morale amongst the American troops. That visit may have played a role in determining his next goal.

“It was difficult going and seeing hospitals with injured soldiers that were younger than you were,” Taylor said of the tour. “That was tough to take.”

Upon his retirement from baseball Taylor shifted his sights to a new challenge. A friend of his who had attended North Toronto Collegiate had become a doctor while Taylor was playing ball and convinced him to follow suit. At the time, Taylor’s plans forced some of his former teammates to do a double take.

“They thought I was unusual,” he said, before adding, “I didn’t ask them for any advice I just went out and played baseball and I got a degree in medicine.”

It may also seem unusual that Taylor would choose to return to

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CATCH: Ron Taylor won two World Series as a pitcher with the Cardinals and the Mets before returning to Toronto to become a doctor.

school and study medicine when he already had a degree in engineering. That is, until he explains why he shifted focus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I got my degree in engineering in 1961 and then I played in the big leagues for about 10 years,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The science had changed in those 10 years so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re somewhat obsolete as an engineer.â&#x20AC;?

Taylor returned to Toronto and his alma mater to earn his MD. By 1979 he began working with the Toronto Blue Jays and soon became their official team doctor, a position he held until he retired from the team last year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be 75 in December and I think that a younger man can do a better job getting on and off the field and stuff like that,â&#x20AC;? he said of his decision to leave the position. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was really just time to go, time to change.â&#x20AC;?

But the ex-ball player and team doctor is far from retired. He still practices medicine at his family practice near Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue East and has a sports injury clinic at Mt. Sinai Hospital.

While Taylor no longer has an official role with the team, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still part of the Blue Jayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was fun,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I first joined them I worked out through batting practice and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been with them now 30 plus years.â&#x20AC;?

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Liquid Leaside?

Local drinks

W

• BY Ann Ruppenstein

hile Leaside may simply be described as a neighbourhood in Toronto, it’s the people who live and work in the area that truly define the community. In honour of the locals and its history, we asked staff from two local bars to concoct Leaside inspired cocktails. Cheers!

The drink: The Leaside Lady Created by: The Longest Yard “It’s inspired by all of the wonderful women of Leaside,” says owner Debra DeMonte. “At The Longest Yard here we’ve had a large clientele of families and some fabulous mothers and a lot of professionals in Leaside so this a cocktail for the Leaside ladies.”

francis crescia/leaside today

BOTTOMS UP: Highway 61 general manager Matthew Clappison readies his taste buds for a Chuck Berry Lemonade.

Ingredients and directions: 1 oz mango vodka 1 oz coconut rum

1/4 oz of banana liquor 2 oz of fresh pineapple juice Combine and shake up on ice, strain and pour into a chilled martini glass and then top off with prosecco.

The taste: “It’s a wonderful summer drink especially with our patio open,” says DeMonte. “It’s a lovely leisurely drink to sit on a patio, nice and refreshing.”

The Longest Yard, 535 Mt. Pleasant Road, 416-487-6468 The drink: Chuck Berry Lemonade Created by: Highway 61 Southern BBQ “Named the Chuck Berry Lemonade after the pioneer of rock and roll music, this bold cocktail holds the spirit of local pioneer William Lea, the visionary behind Leaside,”

says general manager Matthew Clappison. “It was inspired not only by the Lea family but also the tradition of pioneers and free thinkers Leaside has become known for.”

Ingredients and directions: Fill a glass with ice and add 1 oz Smirnoff Vodka 1 oz Sour Puss Raspberry Liqueur Fill with lemonade and a splash of soda Stir and enjoy The taste: “This sweet and citrusy cocktail with a raspberry blush tastes best on balmy nights on our Bayview patio,” says Clappison. “Highway 61 raises a glass to our three years of being proud members of the Leaside community.”

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Home&Garden

Don’t wait ’til Victoria Day April is the month to get cracking on perennials and shrubs

By Mary Fran McQuade

A

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and nurseries have the best selection of perennials and shrubs to choose from. You can buy them later, but you may get leftovers or plants that have been in their pots

way too long.

If you haven’t yet ventured into the wonderful world of perennials, you may wonder what the big deal Continued Page 32

Call your local Authorized Distributor at 1-888-PHANTOM (742-6866) www.phantomscreens.ca

APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY 31

F

pril is an iffy thing. This column is written some weeks before it’s published, so I have to use my psychic garden sixth sense to choose the right topic. April could snow.

April could rain. April could be Tshirt-and-shorts warm.

But, generally, April is the month people start taking their gardens seriously.

Yes, Victoria Day is the traditional time for planting flowers.

But that’s not really true any more.

And it never was true for some kinds of flowers, so let’s talk about them.

I was surprised when, as a beginner gardener, I went looking for my first perennials. (Note to newbies: perennials = plants that die down during winter and come back year after year.) Merrily, I went out shopping around the beginning of May and discovered…that I was a month late.

Moral: April is the time to plant perennials and most shrubs. That’s because these guys are used to cold ground and chilly air. Your fingers might get chilled digging them in, but the plants will be perfectly happy outdoors.

Another reason for April planting: That’s the time garden centres

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is. Three things: 1. Money — you don’t have to buy new plants every year.

2. Time — you don’t have to plant new plants every year.

3. Selection — perennials are usually more dramatic and varied than the same old annuals you see everywhere.

They do have a few drawbacks. They don’t flower all summer, the way annuals do. A perennial flower’s bloom time is usually a few weeks, at most. It’s also difficult to get continuous bloom throughout the summer. (An annoying number of perennials are at their best only in spring.) Sometimes they take their sweet time getting established, so you may not get many flowers until the year after you plant them.

Fortunately, a new book on easy-care plants has just come out from authors Ellen Novack and Dan Cooper called Gardening From a Hammock. It’s an allCanadian project. Ellen gardens and writes in Thornhill, and Dan is based in Toronto.

The pair interviewed 17 well-known Canadian gardeners to find out their favourite no-fail plants and their best gardening tips for others. “If it’s in the book, there’s a good chance it’s going to grow for you,” says Ellen.

Don’t get the idea, though, this is another dry list of plants and how to grow them. It’s more like a tour of people’s great gardens, with them talking about what they like and why.

“I found it wasn’t just all about the plants,” Ellen says. “Each person had a story to tell about their connection to gardening.” So you’ll find many styles of gardens featured here, like the poetic garden, the plantaholic’s garden, the naturalist’s garden, the relaxing garden and more. One is sure to speak to you.

Besides the stories, there’s an easy-to-use reference guide that sets out the facts about the 300 or so plants mentioned. Info like uses, size, soil, sun/shade are presented in chart form, along with a colour photo of the plant. Just lie back in your hammock, read the stories, run through the chart, and you’ll be ready to garden in no time. See www.gardeningfromahammock.com for more info on the book. TT

“If it’s in the book, there’s a good chance it’s going to grow for you.”

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Give them the right spot and the right (easy) care, and they’re good to go.

• Geranium Rozanne • Hosta ‘June’ • Golden Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’) • Japanese painted fern (Arthyrium niponicum pictum) • Creeping Japanese sedge (Carex morrowii ‘Ice Dance’) • Maidenhair fern (Adiantum) • Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) • Barrenwort (Epimedium)

BEFORE

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(416) 434-5103 www.Uptown Landscaping.ca

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32 TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

AFTER

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Uptown Landscaping

Dining&Food

Toronto, welcome to Mexico Liz Campbell

L

ike her art, the menu at Frida Kahlo’s restaurant is inspired. The first thing brought to our table is a bowl filled with strips of crisp tortillas along with two dips: a salsa verde and a smoky red chile salsa.

We have a hard time resisting these and they are our first inkling that this Mexican dining is going to be as far from the chain tacos and burritos as one can get.

Take the “Little Bites” menu, which allows you to pick one each of several different tasters. My guests and I choose four different ones, all of which get the thumbs up. Empanada de Champiñones is a small turnover of crisp corn dough filled with delicious mushrooms and topped with salsa verde ($4).

Taco de Barbacoa is a tasty morsel of barbecued lamb tossed with onions and cilantro wrapped in a tiny, crisp tortilla flute ($3). They look as good as they taste.

Tostada de Tinga, my favourite, is a zesty blend of onions, tomatoes

L

and chipotle served on a cracker sized tostada and topped with a tiny dollop of homemade sour cream ($2). It’s crisp and spicy; who knew tomatoes and onions could taste so good?

Volcán de Cabrito is a rather unusual combination of braised goat topped with salsa verde and lots of chewy Oaxaca cheese served on a corn cracker ($3). Unusual it may be, but the combination is yummy, the several flavours blending in perfect harmony.

For the main course, one of my guests chooses Pescado a la Veracruzana ($26). A generous portion of halibut comes topped with a gorgeous blend of olives, tomatoes and capers in lime. The citrus tang of the topping gives the mild halibut a lift to another level. And the combination of roasted vegetables – a half baby beet, half a Brussels sprout, some parsnip potato and green beans – rounds the dish off beautifully.

The same combination of veg-

etables comes with my chicken with Mole Poblano ($22). Mole Poblano is a classic Mexican sauce made with about 20 different ingredients and finished off with chocolate. Don’t think Cadbury’s — this is rich and dark and very zesty with chillies. I have tasted badly executed moles, but this one is so good, I can’t resist scooping every mouthful with the rice on my plate.

My other guest orders Tostada de Pollo ($18) – and, here at least, we come close to the food most closely associated with Mexico. It’s disappointing – there’s so much shredded lettuce, he says, “It’s a bit like eating a salad on a tortilla shell.” The refried beans, shredded chicken and even the cotija cheese get lost in the greenery. Despite a little tang from the pico de gallo, “It’s just not very exciting,” he says.

After the unfortunate tostada, my guest chooses sugar sprinkled churros filled with goat’s milk caramel, blueberry coulis and fresh berries ($7). Forget those “churros” you buy

at The Ex. These are tantalizing little nuggets, each the size of a roll of quarters, filled with rich caramel.

They’re sweet and scrumptious. The berries are a nice addition.

Pastel de Queso y Kahlua is a luscious, creamy cheesecake made with a graham cracker crust studded with walnuts ($7). It wins approval from all of us and is chosen as the favourite by two of the three of us.

I’m the dissenter. But that’s only because my Flan de Naranja ($6) is so good. I have made this dessert many times and, while I am loath to admit it, this one is superior. The custard is silky smooth and there’s lots of tangy orange in the caramelized sugar.

The restaurant is simple in design but its chef, Jose Hadad, is intent on introducing Toronto to the complex flavours of his native Mexico. It’s a welcome introduction.

Frida, 999 Eglinton Ave. W., 416-787-2221. www.fridarestaurant.ca. TT

A sweet twist on an old favourite

By Ann Ruppenstein

ocated near St. Clair subway station, Delica Kitchen focuses on creating natural and fresh food. Chef Graham Bower shared his recipe for a tasty and healthy Maple Ginger Butternut Squash Soup that makes an excellent starter to any feast.

“Ontario butternut squash is a great base ingredient for making a soup,” Bower says. “It really has a very silky texture when cooked properly and it has a really subtle yet rich flavour to it as well.”

Bower added maple syrup to the recipe because he grew up in Quebec and used to drive to the farm every spring with his father and bring back cases of syrup to last for the rest of the year.

“To be honest, we tried to incorporate maple syrup into any meal that we could justify it,” he says. “Finally, I decided to layer fresh ginger over the sweetness of the syrup to provide some contrast as well as bring the soup back to the more savoury and warming side of the flavour spectrum.”

He says the recipe can be enjoyed for lunch or

dinner with a crusty loaf of bread or dressed up with some fancy garnishes for an elegant dinner party.

“I think it’s best enjoyed with family and friends on a cold winter day,” Bower says.

Maple Ginger Butternut Squash Soup 1/4 pound salted butter 4 cups Spanish onion, medium dice 1/2 cup fresh ginger, minced Continued Page 34 APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY 33

Tastebuds doing the salsa?

A

By Liz Campbell

s the warm weather approaches – and this year it doesn’t seem to be waiting until May – I haul out my salsa recipes.

Fresh salsa is a great way to jazz up boring chicken or fish and make it sing.

They’re light and refreshing in warmer weather. And salsas are easy to make and keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Some even improve with age!

Salsa is a general term for a sauce made of chopped fruit and/or vegetables. Salsas can be smooth or chunky; they can be slightly sweet, very salty or tart, and as spicy as you like. There are no rules. Try adding fruits like mango, peaches, pineapple and even pears to salsa for a different flavour and texture.

You can adapt most salsa recipes to suit yourself. Here are a couple of basic recipes.

Classic Pico de Gallo This classic Mexican salsa is usually a blend of raw tomatoes, lime juice, chili peppers, onions, and cilantro leaves. I use two chilli peppers in

Curried Coconut Salsa Try this spectacular salsa with baked salmon. It’s got the zest of lime with the tang of curry and I guarantee your friends won’t leave much for the next day. It comes from my Jan Knox, a cooking teacher and brilliant chef in Hamilton. I’ve never found it anywhere else.

mine – about medium heat. If you’d rather, use only one. Always seed chillies to remove the hottest part. Different chefs might add one or two other ingredients. I like to add some red peppers and switch the onion for green onions so it doesn’t overwhelm the flavour. This is delicious with tortilla chips, grilled whitefish and scrambled eggs. Try it.

6 large plum tomatoes, seeded,

chopped 1/4 cup chopped green onion or ½ cup chopped mild red onion 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 chopped and seeded jalapeño chilies Blend all the ingredients and allow to blend together for at least three hours in the refrigerator prior to using. TT Cont. from Page 33

2 cloves garlic, minced 11 cups butternut squash, medium dice 1/2 cup maple syrup 5 cups water 3 teaspoons coarse salt 1. Melt the butter in a stockpot over low heat.

2. Add the Spanish onion and ginger, cook over low heat until onion is softened but not browned. Stir often to avoid burning.

3. Add the garlic and 1 tsp salt and cook over

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1 cup fresh cilantro 1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut ¼ cup water 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice 1 tbsp. minced jalapeño pepper (use 2 if you want to zest it up) 2 tsp. good quality curry powder 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger ½ tsp salt 1 clove garlic Put everything into a blender or food processor and blend for 1 minute. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

low heat for an additional 2 minutes stirring often. Do not allow garlic to brown or burn.

4. Add the butternut squash and the remaining salt. Mix together with onions and cook over a low heat for about 30 minutes or until the squash has softened completely.

5. Once the squash has softened add the maple syrup and water.

Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil

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F

34 TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

then reduce to a simmer. Cook for an additional 25-30 minutes.

6. Using an immersion blender, blend soup for a minimum of 5 minutes or until it is completely smooth.

7. For extra smooth texture strain soup through a fine mesh strainer.

Serves: 6 main portions or 12 appetizer portions Chef’s Tips Do not over cook this soup.

When making soups try to apply heat only until ingredients are soft and cooked.

This will make for a brighter and more intense flavour.

This soup can be made a day or two ahead of time.

It can also be portioned and frozen for meals during those busy weeks.

Use dried cranberries, fresh thyme and a drizzle of maple syrup to garnish. TT

Travel

A rich history liz campbell/toronto today

SOMETHING ERIE ABOUT THIS PLACE: Finger Lakes is not only home to the locks of the Erie Canal, but is the birthplace of many religious and spiritual groups.

A

A trip to Finger Lakes, New York will get your spirits high

By Liz Campbell

s the sun finally drops below the horizon, the lights begin to appear around Lake Canandaigua. Bright red flares start sprouting everywhere until the circle of fire surrounds the lake.

This annual event honours the Seneca Indians who had a tradition of lighting fires around the lake in thanks for a season of good hunting and fishing.

Held on Labour Day weekend, it marks the end of summer for residents and cottagers. It’s a stirring spectacle and an appropriate spiritual note for our trip.

We’re in the Finger Lakes in New York State, and this area is a bit of a spiritual hotspot. I use the term advisedly.

It was in nearby Palmyra, New York, that Joseph Smith had his first vision in 1820. This led to his publishing of the Book of Mormon nine years later. Another zealot, Jemima Wilkinson, awoke from a fever and announced she was now an angel. She began a sect known as the Universal Publik Friends, which gathered a good many followers.

Then there were the Millerites, the Shakers, the Oneida Society, and for good measure, the Fox sisters — probably the most famous early spiritualists. Theirs were the first rapping, tapping séances and people flocked to the area to communicate with the dead. In fact, the area became such a hotbed of religious and spiritual fervour, it became known as the Burned-Over District.

Today, the fervour of shoppers looking for red hot bargains at the local malls can be every bit as zealous. Outlet malls and shopping areas offer visitors some truly amazing prices for everything from socks to stereos, T-shirts to technology. The parking lot of the Waterloo Outlet Mall, just a few miles up the road by Seneca Lake, is filled with Canadian cars, looking for deals.

But while many burn through their bank accounts, many more are likely to be cooling their thirst at one of the area’s many wineries. Reislings

from the Finger Lakes, according to some experts, are among the best in the world. It’s just one more reason to visit the Finger Lakes.

In fact, with their sparkling waters and gently rolling hills, the Finger Lakes have long been a favourite vacation spot. They’re aptly named — look at the map and the five main lakes (there are actually 11 in all) resemble the fingers of a hand. But there’s much more than pretty lakes and shopping malls to explore.

Then there’s the Erie Canal. Begun in 1808 and completed in 1825, it was called the Eighth Wonder of the World. With 83 locks and a rise of 173 metres from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, it opened up the Great Lakes and became a critical link in the transport of goods.

We cycled one small segment of the canal from Lyons to Newark, N.Y. using the handy, free bike map provided by Finger Lakes Tourism. One reason we chose this particular segment of the canal is the collection of murals that start in Lyons and finish under the bridge in Newark. Beautifully executed, they depict the history of the canal and the businesses that thrived in these small towns because of its existence.

Beneath the bridge in Newark, you’ll find a group of murals, the largest depicting part of the lock and a canal boat in the late 1800s. There’s also one of then Governor Dewitt Clinton, the man largely responsible for the canal’s construction.

As we crossed the bridge back into Lyons, we spotted another mural on the side of the Hotchkiss Essential Oils Co. building. The now-empty premises are being turned into a museum and the curator welcomed us in.

Hotchkiss was once the premier hand producer of peppermint oils in the world; the company won top honours at both the London and the Paris World Exhibitions in the early part of the 19th century; hard to believe that this tiny town in upstate New York was a world beater in oils! While the

Hotchkiss Co. still exists, sadly peppermint cultivation has moved west to Washington and Oregon.

But the history is being preserved in the little museum.

It’s little discoveries like this that make the area ripe for exploration. Indeed, from murals and morals, to both sorts of spirits, this area of New York State is a short drive away and well worth a visit.

If you go: Border crossings: Do you take Buffalo or Lewiston? If you have a twitter account, check at @Niagarabridges for updated wait time info.

Or on your computer go to: http://www.cbsa-asfc. gc.ca/bwt-taf/menu-eng.html.

Where to stay: The area abounds with B & Bs. In Canandaigua, we chose The Inn on the Main because we liked the authentic Victorian restoration the owners had lovingly undertaken. The price ($145-$215 depending on the room or suite) includes a gourmet breakfast and a constant supply of goodies and beverages. www.innonthemain. com.

Where to eat: Warfield’s at High Point does a great tasting menu. The Brown Hound Bistro in Naples is a funky spot with a local focus to the menu. The New York Culinary Institute in Canandaigua offers cooking classes and an upscale dining room.

Things to do: A sunset dinner cruise aboard the Canandaigua Lady takes you up the lake on a real paddle wheeler, passing million dollar homes while you dine ($39). www.steamboatlandingonline.com.

Canoe or kayak Lake Canandaigua; we found a lovely lagoon on the other side of a low bridge near Steamboat Landing. Canandaigua Sailboarding rents these. We paid $22 for 2 hours.

Info: www.fingerlakes.org offers Let’s Go, great cycling and hiking guides with individual small maps that mark points of interest on the route. Visit their website for more information. TT APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY 35

CoolStuff

Don’t let weather stop you Unique indoor and outdoor products to get through spring

T

By Liz Campbell

his time of the year can be iffy. We’re all itching to get outdoors but the weather often leaves us looking for indoor projects. So, whether you’re heading out the door or looking for something interesting to do at home, check out these three rather unique products.

Here’s a cool idea for joggers, hikers and yoga afficianados. You’ve never seen socks like these.

Injinji Performance Toesocks are podiatristrecommended because they offer unmatched freedom of movement and prevent the skin-on-skin friction that causes blisters, athlete’s foot and more.

Runners use the Performance styles because they offer better toe alignment, moisture management and shock absorption.

There are a variety of styles (including Performance, Outdoor and Yoga), styles, lengths and cushion levels. They start at $10 at Mountain Equipment Co-op or online at www.injinjistore. com.

Got a blank wall?

How about putting some elephants on it? Or you can

36 TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

transform it into a canvas for swashbuckling pirates, safari adventures, princess parties, and more. Patti Newton started life as a Disney designer. Now she’s designing murals for the rest of us. Even the most artistically challenged can tape one of her very cool designs onto the wall, trace, then paint. And because this is not a decal, you can use your own colours to make it unique. They work on stucco walls too. Check the website for ideas from people who actually tried this with spectacular results. The patterns start as low as $24.99 for the minis and they can all be used again and again. www.elephantsonthewall.com.

Are you like me? Love your iPod but hate the headset? The wires tangle and twist together and I seem to spend at least five minutes each time I grab them, detangling the cord. So I love this idea. With Zipbuds I can express my individuality while eliminating tangled earphones. Functionality meets fashion, and the sound quality is excellent. Just zip ’em up so the cord doesn’t tangle. $39.99. Check my solution at www.zipbuds.com. TT

Calendar

Rummage around North York Senior Games The objective of the North York Senior Games is participation at the amateur level.

Open to ages 55 and over.

May 4, 12:30 p.m.

Bid euchre: Free. Broadlands CC & Arena, 19 Castlegrove Blvd. Vera Thornton 416-4476640.

May 11, 11 a.m.

Bowling 10-pin: $5.00. Playtime Bowl, 33 Samor Ave. Joe Aye, 416-633-2473.

May 25, 11:30 a.m.

Walking: Free. Go at your own speed and predict your own time. Toronto Rehab Inst. 347 Rumsey Road. Enter at Bayview Ave & Kilgour.

Free parking. Jeff Gruchy, 416-633-9519.

Art Classes April 12–May 17 Acrylic Painting Techniques: Students will learn the fundamentals of painting with acrylics or watercolours: how to mix colours, value & composition, various techniques and styles of painting still life and other subjects. Please register. $65 (six sessions).

Central Eglinton Community Centre, 160 Eglinton Ave East, 416-392-0511.

Art Shows April 21–22 It’s Because I’m Tattooed Isn’t It: A collection of works by the clients of Seven Cont. from Page 5

Crowns Tattoo. Held at Rockie Raccoons, 2579 Yonge St. Free. contact@sevencrownstattoo.com.

May 5–6 North Toronto Group of Artists Spring Studio Tour: Visit www.ntgablogspot.com to download the brochure for the official tour map and artist locations. The Tour encompasses the area of North Toronto from Eglinton to York Mills and from Avenue Road to Mt Pleasant. Sixteen participating artists. Free.

Bazaars and Garage/ Rummage Sales April 14, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

Giant Church Rummage Sale: from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Items include clothing, jewellery, housewares, toys, books, linens, sporting goods and much more. Free. Eglinton St. George’s United Church, 35 Lytton Blvd., www.esgunited. org.

April 19, 4 p.m.

Spring Shopping Extravaganza: North York community fundraiser open to the public.

Unique & useful businesses from the community. All funds go towards outdoor play at Summit Heights P.S. Free. Summit Heights, 210 Wilson Ave, 416-277-4554.

April 28, 9 a.m.–noon Amazing Annual Garage Sale: Huge selection of toys, books, housewares, art and more. Note: No clothing.

Save for a few attempts at getting it higher up the list of priorities, a downtown relief line has largely been a non-entity for the TTC, Munro says.

“Basically, they want to focus all their efforts on expanding the subway system in the suburbs and the [DRT] would be a big, expensive line downtown that doesn’t speak to the suburbs aspirations for ‘we want our subways too.’”

There’s been some movement at the TTC, which is conducting initial studies on a downtown relief line, says TTC spokesperson Brad Ross. Though there is no funding for a formal environmental assessment, the TTC is assessing alignment and where property acquisition may be required in the east for a relief line.

“We are working on a report that will come back to the commission, within the next several months,

Free. Timothy Eaton Memorial Church. Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, 230 St. Clair West, lindasims@rogers.com.

May 5, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

CECC’s Spring Bazaar & Rummage Sale: Free admission, unique vendors, Bloomin’ Cafe, door prizes, bake sale, used books, rummage room, cookie baking contest.

Table rentals, $25.00. Free admission. Central Eglinton Community Centre. 160 Eglinton Ave. East. 416-3920511.

Books & Literature April 26, 7 p.m.

The Eh List: Featuring John Fraser: Preeminent journalist and monarchical authority John Fraser offers a fascinating account of Canada’s ongoing affair with royalty, set against the backdrop of an historic wedding and a Diamond Jubilee year. Call 416-395-5440 to register.

Free. Barbara Frum Library, 20 Covington Rd.

Fun and Games April 11, 4­–8 p.m.

Psychic Fair: Central Eglinton Community Centre. Palms read, fortunes told, tarot cards, astrology — all for fun of course. Free admission, door prizes, tea at the Clairvoyant Cafe. Table rentals, $25. free admission. Central Eglinton Community Centre. 160 Eglinton Ave. East, 416-392-0511.

THINK I’LL GO FOR A WALK: It’s that time of year, so take advantage of seasonable temperatures and get outdoors.

that will lay out for the commission some options and considerations with respect to maximizing transit opportunities that exist today and where other opportunities may exist in the future,” Ross said.

While the TTC and Metrolinx continue to study it, there is also the matter of competing visions of where to run the line.

Its current Metrolinx incarnation is proposed as an underground line that would ostensibly replace King and/or Queen streetcars and be integrated with GO rail services at key stations. According to a mock-up, the line’s most northern terminus would be the Bloor-Danforth line.

That’s a shift from earlier drafts of the route under the Network 2011 plan, which denoted eastern stops in Thorncliffe, going as far as Eglinton Avenue East.

Munro says the latter is the more realistic plan

if the relief line is to one day integrate with GO transit expansion west of Union Station and actually provide a proper diversion for commuters in the suburbs heading to work in the downtown core.

“If the [DRT] is built, it’s got to go to Eglinton,” he said adding that it will account for traffic coming from East York and Don Mills.

Regardless of need, funding is not currently available for a downtown relief line, as indicated by the current struggle on the floor of council to maximize $8.4 billion in provincial money for more current projects. After that, where funds for transit will be derived is anyone’s guess.

The Metrolinx employee says a downtown relief line, whenever it’s built, is inevitability.

“Ultimately anyone involved in planning knows it has to be done it’s just a matter of when and when the political will exists to do it.” TT APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY 37

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40 TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

Heart in Soul?

Kia model gets mixed review

A

By Mathieu Yuill

few years ago Kia decided it didn’t want to be so boring anymore, but instead of slowly moving toward the introduction of hip, cutting-edge models they decided to dump a bucket of Gatorade over our heads and slap us in the face.

It was late 2009 when Kia introduced the Soul (as a 2010 model year) which up against its contemporaries like the Nissan Cube and RIP Honda Element it may not be much of a design departure. But in a Kia showroom beside a Magentis and Sedona it looked like someone let the intern bring a car to market.

The Soul is aimed squarely at young, urban singles or couples who consider themselves ahead of the curve. Trendy came to mind as well the week I tested the Soul; the paint job was called Vanilla Shake and the interior was reminiscent of a Burberry (although Kia calls it Beige Tartan).

Inside the $24,000 crossover (base price on the Soul is $22,695) is an abundance of tech culture features, including some actual cool technology.

The Soul featured a chic black stereo head unit with red accent lighting that includes what Kia calls UVO — your voice. Next to the Ford Sync it does the best job of interpreting your voice commands and actually making what you intended to do happen. Both UVO and Sync are powered

by Microsoft, which might have something to do with its success.

As you give more commands, the unit learns your voice and stores up to two people’s audible signatures as profiles.

In Soul 4u models, the speakers have a light ring around them that changes brightness along with the music. You can alter the brightness and sensitivity, but it’s supposed to make you feel like you’re in a club.

Available engine options include a 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre engine putting out 138 and 164 horsepower respectively. Both are mated to a CVVT engine, which some love while others hate. Basically a CVVT engine has two wheels with a band. One of those wheels moves as the engine revs and the car’s speed increases and decreases. This is instead of a traditional engine with gears like on a 10-speed bike where you would feel the shifts — in the Soul you don’t.

The Soul has a lot going for it: room for five, decent storage in the rear and nice interior features in the price category.

But Kia, why is the driver’s side armrest an option on your lowest three models? It’s a bit nickel and dimey for a vehicle over $20,000. TT

Optional driver’s side armrest seems nickel and dimey.

Sports

Big Cat comes home

Brian Baker

Toronto-born Jamaal Magloire Raps about season here

T

Balking at permit fees

By Tristan Carter

he Big Cat is back in town.

And as Jamaal Magloire wraps up his first season with the Toronto Raptors, another kind of season is set to begin for the Toronto native.

Born and raised in the Don Mills area, Magloire is the second Canadian ever to play in a National Basketball Assocation All-Star game and is the first Canadian ever to play for the Raptors.

Although the team likely won’t make it to the playoffs, Magloire said he’s happy to be playing in his hometown.

“It’s an honour to be back home. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime,” he said. “I’m very blessed they even considered me to come here and I’m going to make the most of it.”

After playing high school ball at Wexford Collegiate and Eastern Commerce, Magloire earned an athletic scholarship with the Kentucky Wildcats, hence the Big Cat moniker. He was drafted by the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets in 2000 and has earned a reputation as a tough interior defender, rebounder and enforcer during his 12 years in the league.

His skill set syncs perfectly with the physical and defensive game plan new head coach Dwayne Casey has been implementing this season. The Raptors have been the butt of jokes across the league for years. Magloire is here to put an end to that and said the hometown pride he plays with has been rubbing off on his teammates.

“Every time I go out there I play with passion and energy because I’m representing people I know in the stands and people that I grew up with,” he said. “It transcends into everyone else. It carries over.”

While this is his first time playing for Toronto it’s not as if Magloire has ever left the city for very long. The 6-foot-11, 265-pound centre has been a visible and vocal member of the Toronto community since the outset of his career.

“I’m involved in Caribana every year,” said Magloire, who started the Toronto Revellers group of masqueraders. “My parents are both from Trinidad and Tobago so I take that very seriously.

“I have basketball camps up in Scarborough at Woburn (Collegiate).

I go to youth correctional facilities. I also go to the schools.”

Magloire has always spent his off seasons in Toronto but now that he is here fulltime he said he hopes to become even more involved.

“I’m planning on having a lot of basketball camps, doing a lot of clinics for free and just being assertive in the community,” he said. “I think helping out this community doesn’t have to be tangible things but just your time and effort and that goes a long way.

“Being able to talk to kids and being accessible to kids is more important than

anything else.”

While he enjoys teaching younger generations about life and basketball he said he’d also like to be able to pass down that knowledge to future generations of Raptors.

Magloire said when his playing career is over he’d like to start a new career with the organization in whatever capacity it sees fit.

“I would like to help this team in any which way that I can,” he said. “I think I’ve learned a lot playing in the NBA for 12 years and there’s a lot I can teach the younger players.”

Magloire joined the Raptors, signing a one-year contract, which will expire at the end of this season. However, he said he hopes to continue playing as long as his body holds up and hopes to end his career in Toronto.

“I’m happy that I’m here now and I just want to give it my all because I represent not only this organization but the city,” he said.” TT

P

ermit me to make a few comments on the corporate ninjas who have sabotaged a perfectly good year of baseball.

The corporation in this case is the City of Toronto, whose clandestine introduction of field permits for youth sports has league executives muttering obscenities behind closed doors, in public or even to journalists such as myself.

I first heard about the unorthodox squeeze play from Leaside Baseball president Howard Birnie, who discovered on Feb. 10 his association will be dinged for an additional $13,000 — $80 per player registration. He was a gentleman over the phone but did speak his mind on the last-minute substitution.

“I don’t like the fees at all, but the way they’ve done it is just mind-boggling,” he told me.

Ball diamonds are given an A, B or C classification, based on whether they have lights, grass infields, fancy stands, booths and other amenities affixed to the baseball culture. Every kid will now be charged $10.52 per hour for A-class diamonds, $7.80 for B-class and $5.31 for Cs. In my honest opinion, regardless of what political ideologies have attempted to run the city, Toronto has always appeared to be anti-family.

My journalist colleague Karolyn Coorsh and I stole away on the story as soon as we caught the signs. I spoke with league reps from High Park, North York, Leaside, East York and the Balmy Beach Rugby Club.

My Town Crier partner in crime, a city bureau chief, thankfully spoke to the politicians and bureaucrats.

Complaints from associations were similar, focusing on timing of the permit fees and the relevance, considering so many organizations Continued Page 26 APRIL 2012 TORONTO TODAY 41

Unseasonable confusion

Cont. from Page 33

already maintain their fields with their own money.

“You hear Doug Ford saying, ‘Oh, they can get $100 more from their sponsors’,” Birnie said. “We don’t get very many of them and it’s just mind numbing. He’s in another world.”

It’s hard enough for the newspaper industry to find advertising, and our staff gets paid to do that. So how does an amateur sports league with volunteers do that?

For East York Baseball Association, they spend $20,000 of their own money a year on maintaining their field, president Andrew Pace told me.

Though he finds the lack of communication from the bureaucrats irksome, adding permit fees is taxing on the 150 volunteers who already spend extra innings working for the league.

Rep is also facing a crunch. Teams are chosen in September the previous year.

“They’re accepting a position on a team based on the budget that was given to them,” Pace said. “And now we’re going to have to go back to these people and ask for more.”

An even bigger problem is the threat against East York’s baseball camp.

“If our fees have to go up $100, $150, in our area that means kids might not go to camp anymore,” he said.

“Their parents can’t afford to do that.

“In the end if we don’t get enough kids because we have to raise fees, then the camp closes down,” he added.

“Then you have less chance for the kids to be active and be a part of the community.”

That could mean more “idle hands” during the summer. I need not reference the old adage tied to those two words.

Birnie admits it won’t be too bad for some associations to weather the rainout, but he fears many parents are going to be unable to enroll their kids in amateur sports.

“In Leaside it’s not a big deal because the money’s there, and North Toronto’s the same, but it’s the fact that we’ve already got our registration being done and the fees, which we set because we didn’t know about these permit fees,” he said. “So it just makes it extremely awkward.

“There are areas in the city where it’s a struggle,” he added. “It’s going to affect some people’s decision whether their kids are going to play.”

And for the kids who love sports, the city has just thrown them the chair. TT

By Shawn Star

“It’s going to affect ... whether their kids get to play.”

42 TORONTO TODAY APRIL 2012

ACROSS 1. Mimic monkey?

7. Thanksgiving staple 10. Famed Network monologue “___ mad as Hell” 14. Writing instrument 15. German grandfather 16. Oft-canned fish 17. Become part of 18. An experience of many Arab nations recently 20. Beans or milk 21. Chinese plum 23. Shopping or killing 24. Winding 28. Pakistani language 31. Park staple 32. Shakespearean fairy, Queen ___ 35. Food without meat or dairy 38. Agog of something cute?

39. Frustrated people usually have one to grind 40. What the ironing police officer was doing?

43. Brain wave device, abbr.

44. Family 45. T.E. Lawrence portrayer 46. There are four to buy in Monopoly 47. Greek girl’s name 49. Slightly less so than 68A? 50. Overspending, maybe

53. One of 50 56. Raw mineral 57. He’s your uncle 60. Being ambitious 64. Lazy 66. Hit with a stun gun 67. Field 68. More curious 69. Work when preceded by – or ’ 70. Allow 71. The season whose letters are found in each of this puzzle’s five longest answers

DOWN 1. Hungarian fathers 2. Prefix relating to children 3. It colours you green 4. Point without a rally in tennis 5. Model of the ’50s 6. Philippine tree with resin used in varnishes 7. Me opposite 8. Cell add-on 9. Ruin 10. Reason an action movie might be a let down 11. Writer of “The Maple Leaf Forever” 12. She was of Green Gables 13. Wise one

19. Tries for the first time 22. Ums 24. Large vehicles 25. One who straightens up?

26. The Mod Squad’s Hayes 27. Potato state 28. An amphetamine is considered this type of drug 29. Less common 30. Ghettoes 32. Poor-sighted Mr. 33. Figure skating manoeuvre 34. Look at 36. One who breaks out of prison 37. Hebrew boy’s name (alt.)

41. Mork’s greeting when repeated 42. Lepcha people 48. In the past 50. Eye nuisances 51. Golf clubs 52. Greeting to New England natives 53. Fill 54. Russian ruler of old 55. Dome over the altar 57. Celtic tribe of the Iron Age 58. Norwegian municipality with no non-Western immigrants 59. Usually comes in ice 61. Ailing 62. Born 63. Gangster’s gun 65. Mid. East country

Check www.MyTorontoToday.ca for the answers.

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