Until our world got turned upside down mere months ago, if you had asked me to name heroes, I would probably have offered some of the usual suspects…with a sprinkling of Marvel and DC superheroes thrown in for good measure.
But today our heroes are frontline healthcare workers, grocery store and restaurant personnel, public transit workers, and so many others who are risking their health and possibly lives for all of us.
Closer to home, Leaside has more than its share of heroes, on the frontlines and behind the scenes, engaging in activities to help us during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. In this issue of Leaside Life you’ll meet some of them. You probably know many of them already. Like Ben Chan. Last issue Ben was one of our “green” heroes, who, with his family, has turned green living into a way of life.
Lorna Krawchuk discovered that he is also a “COVID-19 hero.” “As a researcher at the University of Toronto, Dr. Chan is working with other U of T researchers to develop a simplified, low-cost ventilator that is easy to mass produce, as a backup option in case we run out of regular ventilators in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she writes.
And what about the many local sewers who have taken up the Michael Garron Hospital Mask Challenge to create 1,000 face masks per week for the hospital? A number of Leaside stitchers partnered with a team of sewers working through The Neighbourhood Office in Thorncliffe Park to make what must be some of the most colourful, beautiful face masks.
Also in this issue, Susan Scandiffio features a host of other Leaside heroes who are more than doing their bit to make a difference. They live among us, they are not celebrities, they are just going about their business.
We owe them our appreciation and gratitude. Thank you!
