Articles by Jeanne Hopkins

Divadale was at one time one of the most luxurious estates in the Bayview area. It was the home of Capt. James Wainwright Flanigan, who worked for Andian Corporation, a subsidiary of the Imperial Oil …more

The Town of Leaside was laid out in 1912 as a railway town by entrepreneurs Sir William Mackenzie and Sir Donald Mann, owners of the Canadian Northern Railway. They had purchased 1,000 acres of land …more

As many Leaside kids get ready to hit the books at Rolph Road Elementary School, they should take a moment to reflect on the street after which their school is named. Rolph Road officially opened …more

While not technically in Leaside, Bennington Heights Drive is close enough to share an M4G postal code. This curving road is the “main street” of the neighbourhood known as Bennington Heights. Thousands of years ago, …more

One of Leaside’s most interesting streets has to be Laird Drive, a major artery running north and south and incorporating the commercial and industrial streetscape (slowly changing) south of Eglinton to the quiet, residential section …more

If you’re on your way to Serena Gundy Park you may find yourself on one of Leaside’s smaller streets, a crescent named Rykert, abutting another crescent, called Thursfield. When the Town of Leaside was laid …more

Many streets in Leaside were named for those involved with the building of the railways. When Frederick Todd laid out the model town of Leaside, he named streets for those working with the Canadian Northern …more

Like many streets in Leaside, Hanna Road was named for a railway executive – David Blyth Hanna. David Blyth Hanna of Thornliebank, Scotland (1858-1938) held various positions in railway companies in Leaside and across Canada. …more