Business
Hooray for Hermie’s on Bayview
In October of 2023, Hermie Baldado and her husband, Chris Suckling, sat on Bayview and were blown away by what they were seeing: hundreds of people on foot shopping, smiling and chatting, enjoying the distinctive ...more
From vroom to boom – RClub evolves in Leaside
In the vibrant heart of the Leaside Business Park, a unique club has redefined the luxury car experience for car enthusiasts and their families. The RClub, which “vroomed” onto Commercial Road in the summer of ...more
Business
Bull’s eye! Leasider Shawn Adams unleashes your inner archer
It’s been said that if you find work you love, you won’t work a day in your life. Take Leasider Shawn Adams. As a master archery teacher and coach, he is living his lifelong dream ...more
Mechanic Craig’s in the driver’s seat of his new business
The customer is always in the driver’s seat, says Craig Rowsell, owner of Craig’s Leaside Automotive Inc. The 52-year-old, who opened the garage doors on his new venture in the middle of February, says cars ...more
People
Katherine Leyton’s Motherlike explores life with a first child
As a preschooler growing up in Leaside, Katherine Leyton longed to read. “Books inspired me to write,” she said. “Starting in Grade 2, I was always reading and writing. My commitment never wavered, even when ...more
Happy 100th birthday, Marjorie Tuck!
Marjorie Tuck will celebrate her 100th on April 23rd. This long-time Leasider has enjoyed an interesting and varied life. After graduating from Humberside Collegiate, she did office work at Manulife before marrying Jim Tuck, the ...more
Community
It’s time to clean up this town!
Spring has arrived in Leaside in all its glory! Mother Nature never fails to disappoint. Walking around the neighbourhood, I see the signs everywhere. Trees in bud. Daffodils, snowdrops, crocuses and tulips peeking their heads ...more
A haven for seniors in Leaside since 1987
Suomi-Koti, or “Finnish Home” in English, on Eglinton just west of Laird Drive, has been a fixture in the Leaside neighbourhood for more than three decades. In 1982, five Finnish churches of different denominations started ...more
Features
I love the Brickworks, a Leaside-adjacent gem
Back when we were kids and our bikes were our tickets to freedom and adventure, my twin brother Tim and I would sometimes escape Leaside’s borders and ride our bikes down what we called the ...more
Is Thorncliffe Park really getting a transit-oriented community?
In case you missed it, the Ontario government recently announced a new development in Thorncliffe Park with six residential towers ranging from 24 to 56 storeys, and one office tower (13 storeys), for a total ...more
Stories
Leaside Events April 2024
Toronto-Leaside Rotary Club – Recycle Your Electronics Saturday, April 6 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. East York Town Centre, 45 Overlea Boulevard. Please – no appliances or light fixtures. 132nd Scouts Garden Products Sale ...more
Editor’s Welcome April 2024
Leaside Litterati returns When I came on board at Leaside Life seven years ago, there were already several stalwarts contributing regularly to the publication: among them, publisher Lorna Krawchuk, Saving Old Leaside columnist Geoff Kettel, ...more
Sports
Elijah Mubarak overcomes fears to win big
Rolph Road’s very own 6-year-old Elijah Mubarak recently placed first in the Next Gen Niagara 2024 Jiu Jitsu Tournament. A sweet and confident kid, Elijah has always been extremely active. “It’s just always been a ...more
LHS girls’ hockey wins impressive championship
For the first time in the school’s history, the Leaside High School Varsity Girls hockey team has won the TDSSAA city championship. On Friday, March 1st, the Leaside team defeated two-year reigning champion Malvern in ...more
Gardening and Cycling
Social entrepreneurship in action – the evolution of BikeMatchWCN
Back in 2020, a group of women from Leaside and Thorncliffe Park launched the first bike match program in Toronto. (See Leaside Life, November 2020) The premise was to connect people who had bikes they ...more
Earth Day brings the return of the Bayview Pixies!
They’re baaaaack! The Bayview Pixies, that is, only this time, it’s to bring gifts and a little piece of magic to every garden in the community, and not just Bayview. In celebration of Earth Day, ...more