When is a renovation truly a renovation, and when is it a ruse for avoiding additional “minor variances”? This question arose during a recent Committee of Adjustment (CoA) hearing to consider an application for minor …more
Leaside Matters, Leaside’s own volunteer advocacy group, formed in 2015 to foster stewardship of the significant cultural heritage landscape of Leaside. On October 11, 2018, at the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario’s 2018 heritage awards, Leaside …more
“Bonnet on a box.” Yes, you read that right. We’re referring to the shape of the roof and its relationship to the building itself. The very tall and bulky design has a mansard roof (sometimes …more
The usual pattern of development applications goes like this: start with sky high towers and density, and in response to pressure from the public and the City, heights and density are lowered to something more …more
Mining Laird Station Mining Laird Station? Yes, Laird Station is being constructed using a mining method known as Sequential Excavation Method (SEM), one of only three stations employing SEM. The other 12 underground stations, including …more
It would be hard to miss the large “Upper East Village” postcard in your mailbox; it seems to arrive about once a month. The development application that used to be known only by a street …more
Some good news for Leaside heritage! We are well on the way to saving the Talbot quads! This story picks up from the March Leaside Life story, which dealt with 1755-1757 Bayview Ave., the quad …more
As a participant in the wild world of Toronto planning, one quickly learns to recognize the driving role of the province’s Growth Plan and its direction for intensification around major transit station areas. The aims …more
Travel is an opportunity to take in new things…right? Well yes, but it’s also nice to see something in our travels that is suggestive of home. In this case, the sight of the Crazy 8 …more
Mid-June and it’s time for the annual Magical Gardens of Leaside tour, an opportunity to view and admire the most interesting, creative, and beautiful gardens in the community. But are we in danger of losing …more
© Leaside Life 2018