Kismet brought lawyer Angela Lam to Leaside

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Angela Lam. Photo: John Perieteanu
Angela Lam. Photo: John Perieteanu

Serendipity played a big part in Angela Lam’s becoming a Leasider, in 2015.

The first instance was her mother deciding to move from Victoria to Toronto (Willowdale) when Angela was nine. When the time came for university, she chose McGill because “it was a chance to get out of the city,” and “they offered me a full scholarship.” While her double major was in Economics and Political Science, near the end of her last year a friend mentioned that he was going to sit for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), and why didn’t she, too? She did and was quite surprised by how well she did. A budding law student was born.

Angela had a boyfriend in Montreal, so she chose law school at Queen’s as it was two hours from home and two hours from Montreal. She completed her J.D. in 2005 and returned to Toronto to complete her articles in 2006.

And here is where the serendipity comes in. Her driving route to downtown from Willowdale was via Bayview, where she noticed a law firm, Stainton & Murray, as she slowed down in traffic. After she decided to quit her job and break up a 10-year relationship, she began looking for a new job and a new start. Two days later, she saw an advertisement that Stainton & Murray was hiring. John Murray hired her, even though his main business was estates and trusts, and she had little experience in this specialty. She originally only planned to stay a few years and move on.

That didn’t happen. She became the principal lawyer in 2008, with the firm name now being Stainton, Murray & Lam.

She and her husband, John Perieteanu, met through an online dating site, but as they were getting to know each other, John happened to mention his favourite teacher in elementary school was Mr. Smith.  Quite the surprise, as it turned out that they had both been taught by the same Mr. Smith at the same school, had lived three blocks apart, yet had never met. They married on September 18, 2010, and are now the parents of two daughters, 6 and 3. After maternity and paternity leave, both daughters were in daycare at ABC Academy on Bayview, as it was close to work for Angela, but the family was still living in Willowdale.

As the commuting time increased, they decided that since they spent so much time in Leaside already, with children and with friends, it would be a good idea to live here too.  And that’s how they’ve become a Leaside family.

About Lorna Krawchuk 174 Articles
Lorna Krawchuk is publisher of Leaside Life. She is actively involved in St. Cuthbert’s Church. Her volunteer activities with the Leaside Property Owners’ Association led to her being elected a Councillor in the Borough of East York for 9 years before amalgamation in 1998. She also held a variety of volunteer leadership positions with the Girl Guides of Canada for over 30 years. Lorna has been a Leasider since 1968.