Articles by Ted DeWelles

By 1960, Leaside had become a bustling town of more than 16,000 people – double the number of residents who lived there during WWII. As the town grew in population and prosperity, so did two …more

Some extraordinary women have called Leaside home over the years: Beth Nealson, Leaside’s first woman mayor; Agnes Macphail, Canada’s first female Member of Parliament; Maureen Kempston Darkes, CEO of General Motors Canada; and novelist Margaret …more

1918 was an eventful year for the Leaside Aerodrome (also known as Camp Leaside), the large military facility north of Wicksteed which trained cadets and airmen for combat during WW1. That was the year, of …more

Inside the Leaside fire hall (Toronto Fire Station #321) at McRae and Randolph, there’s a modest wooden plaque honouring a fallen firefighter named Bruce Catchpole. The plaque only tells us that he died Jan. 26, …more

On the north side of Wicksteed Ave., between Laird and Brentcliffe, is a vacant, waterlogged construction site known to many residents as “Lake Leaside.” The site has been undeveloped for many years, but it was …more

During the heyday of folk music in the early 1960s, the singing duo of Ian and Sylvia ranked among Canada’s musical elite – writing, recording, covering and performing such memorable songs as Four Strong Winds, …more

Most Leasiders know that 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of Bessborough public school. What they may not know is that the school counts among its alumnae one of the world’s most celebrated fashion models of …more

I recently had the opportunity to meet Petra Kruger. Ms. Kruger was “Miss Leaside, 1963.” She won the title when beauty contests were common across Canada. Leaside itself had sponsored one since at least the …more

The Leaside Heritage Preservation Society (LHPS) recently received an interesting item from a generous donor: a certificate of recognition from the Town of Leaside, dated October 1966. This was just before Leaside was to merge …more