Curious Idler – May 2022

Dude, where’s my Leaside Life?

Leaside Life is your community monthly magazine. Thanks to the incredible support of our many advertisers, we can distribute 10,000 copies each month to every home, apartment, and business in both Leaside and Bennington Heights. Our long-time distribution partner, Accurate Distributing, has been with us since day one, more than a decade now. Occasionally, the Idler has learned, you may not receive your monthly copy. If this happens, we want to know. Give us a call at 416-504-8047, email us at , post on our social media platforms, or use our contact link at leasidelife.com. Typically, you should receive the issue at your door the last week of each month. If you do not receive it by the first of any month, then we might have missed you. Let us know, and we will quickly hand-deliver the issue to you, with our apologies and our thanks for helping us get better.

Spring into action with the Leaside Garden Society

Leaside Garden Society Speaker Series will continue to be held online via Zoom. Guest speaker on May 12, at 7 p.m. is Richard Dickinson.

Topic: Space invaders: Invasive species.

New members and guests are welcome to join the Leaside Garden Society and view the Zoom meeting. Visit: www.leasidegardensociety.org. Email: .

Richard Dickinson lives in Toronto and has taught plant taxonomy for more than 25 years. He is co-author of Wildflowers of Edmonton & Central Alberta, Wildflowers of Calgary & Southern Alberta, Plants of Alberta, Weeds of North America and Plants of Southern Ontario. He is also a research associate to the Royal Ontario Museum. 

Bill McGinley. Photo Kim McGinley.
Bill McGinley. Photo Kim McGinley.

No ifs, ands or “butts” when it comes to bum screening

Talking about your colon is not likely at the top of your list, but for 27-year Leaside resident Bill McGinley, bringing awareness about colorectal cancer has become a passion. Diagnosed in 2018 with Stage IV colorectal cancer, Bill has spent the last four years fighting to survive for his wife and four children, and doggedly raising awareness that this type of cancer can be effectively treated if there is early detection. Colorectal cancer is one of the most diagnosed cancers in Canada. It is the second leading cause of death from cancer in Canadian men and the third leading cause of death from cancer in Canadian women. The good news is that nine out of 10 people can be cured of colon cancer if it is detected early enough through a simple screening process. Bill does not stop at raising awareness; he is also raising money and is Toronto’s top fundraiser, raising over $16,000 in the annual 5km Bum Run, in support of the Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN). Bill has also been the chair of their Patient Advisory Council. So, what is the Idler going to do this month? Call my doctor and ask about screening. Visit https://ccran.org to learn more.

Davisville subway stop – show me the love on Saturdays

The Idler recently had a chat with a Leaside resident who informed us that “the Davisville subway stop is often closed on Saturday.” Not a big deal, unless you are one of the riders travelling to or from Leaside on a Saturday. The #11 bus, which originates from Sunnybrook hospital and travels south on Bayview to Davisville and across Davisville to the subway station, is a vital service for more than 25,000 who use the station weekly. But on a Saturday when the station is closed, riders are forced to take a shuttle bus either up or down Yonge Street to be able to board the subway. This reader shared a story about getting home from a Blue Jays game. He reported that on a recent Saturday night, it was faster to get to Oakville than back to Leaside by transit. Numerous calls to the TTC to find out why this stop is often closed on a Saturday only yielded an explanation that it had to do with Metrolinx. Hmmm. Have any other readers had this problem? Let us know because with the price of gas going up, more of us will be travelling by transit.

Big shout-out to Leasiders from Jeff Walker!

The Idler always likes to pass on good news. This came to us from local resident Jeff Walker: “I’d like to thank the dozen or so Leaside (and North Toronto) residents, male and female, who over the past several months saw me limping along the sidewalk with my SONK (spontaneous osteo-necrosis of the knee) and offered assistance, be it carrying grocery bags or giving me a lift, despite our being in the worst pandemic in a century. I must have looked like I was in a lot of pain; in fact, limping is what made my walking largely pain-free, if exhausting. I was awaiting a half-knee replacement at the Sunnybrook Holland Centre on Wellesley, a five-month wait it turned out, thanks to the Omicron, but which ultimately materialized months sooner than I had feared. Having recovered almost completely within three weeks, during my upcoming long walks I will be ever-appreciative of the considerateness shown by my fellow Leasiders at a time when avoiding contact with strangers, even apparently stricken ones, was the overriding imperative.

Retirees make a difference!

The residents of The Millwood Retirement Residence located in Leaside have been busy collecting purses and packing them with essential sundries for the Pack-A-Purse Drive. The goal is to collect and donate 100 packed purses before May 6th. In conjunction with The Teddington Retirement Residence, the group is calling on the community to donate gently used purses, as well as new toiletries, including lip balm, face creams, shampoo, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products. Executive director of The Millwood, Marijana Zivkovic, and The Teddington’s ED, Betty Daignault, will be working with the Red Door Shelter to arrange distribution of the packed purses to local women in need at the shelter. Donations can be dropped off at The Millwood Retirement Residence, 921 Millwood Rd. Call 416-425-8635 to learn more.