History
Liz remembers historic days at LHS
Liz Fletcher remembers the Ides of October 1954 for a myriad of reasons, most of them to do with sports and socializing. Fletcher, then Liz Brown, was in Grade 11 at Leaside High School. “It …more
Articles by Mitch Bubulj
History
The man whose dad “sold” Leaside
Before staging, bully offers and virtual tours were commonplace in the housing market, there was Ferguson Real Estate. And in the Leaside of the ’50s and ’60s its president, Ernest J. Ferguson, was the only …more
Community
In praise of older semis
It all began with the semi. Lest we forget from whence we came, Leaside was first and foremost a factory town. And just one year into its incorporated young life, Leaside got its first housing …more
History
“The Factories” circa 1966: the good, the bad and the toxic
Nostalgia is a funny thing. At best it evokes warm-hearted memories of a bygone era. At worst it clouds our judgment, glossing over harsh histories. The story of the Leaside industrial area is like that: …more
Development
The Committee of Adjustment just ‘cain’t say no’
While a song about a character’s inability to rebuff a “suitor” in the classic Broadway musical Oklahoma was vaguely comedic, Toronto’s Committee of Adjustment’s seeming indifference to the word “no” is nothing for Leasiders to …more
Schools
The community comes to LHS, LHS comes to the community
Good things are growing at Leaside High School, literally and metaphorically. The garden circle at the front of the school is getting a revamp; the visual arts program is expanding in a myriad of creative …more
History
Norbert kept Leaside tuned in, turned on
There is nobody in Canada who could repair a tube radio like Norbert Batsch – known as Mike by most – and that fact probably still holds true. Throughout the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s Norbert …more
Community
The grass is always redder on Des’s side of the hedge
Since 2020 and the rise of “that” word – no need to spell it out – the entire world is rearranging, readjusting and reconsidering priorities. Leaside is no exception. I am reminded of it every …more
Schools
LHS visual artists picture Leaside
“Draw a place in your neighbourhood” was the pitch to students at Leaside High. The young artists did not disappoint. In a creative way to teach water colour skills, perspective and an appreciation for place, …more
History
A Leaside house reunited
“Home is where one starts from,” wrote T.S. Eliot. While the phrase was part of his epic poem Four Quartets grappling with themes like the rise and fall of empires, it seems fitting to tell …more