Over the years in this space, I’ve reminisced about some of my favourite Bayview haunts, including Claire’s Cigar Store, Danté’s Pizza, Mac’s Milk, Badali’s Fruit Market and Rawley’s Meats. But there was another store on Bayview’s east side that really held my attention as a kid, and unlike my love of pizza, food was never part of the attraction. I don’t know when Leonard’s Hobby Centre opened on Bayview or when it closed, but thankfully, its heyday coincided with my childhood. It was quite a large store, and it was packed to the gunwales with items I coveted.
During my love affair with all manner of flying machines – an affliction that continues to this day – I would spend hours stationed in the aircraft model aisles at Leonard’s drooling over the beautiful and sleek fighter jet models and the classic bombers of World War II. I don’t remember how many I built, but I do recall that I wasn’t sufficiently patient to be a very accomplished model assembler. I’d start out very carefully and methodically, and then start to build faster and faster as the model began to take shape. By the time the last piece was in place and the decals were applied, both the model and I were covered in model glue.
When I was really into stock car racing, long before I’d graduated to the more sophisticated world of Formula 1 racing, I would loiter for hours at Leonard’s Hobby Centre in search of the perfect stock car model to build. And I assembled many of those, too. But perhaps my greatest foray into model building started with the most extravagant purchase I ever made at Leonard’s. I’d saved my babysitting money for months and eventually amassed the princely sum of $28. Coincidently, that was exactly what I needed to buy the huge box containing what seemed like several hundred thousand pieces that would end up becoming a fully functioning, see-through, V8 engine.
The pistons went up and down, the valves opened and closed, the spark plugs lit up, there was even a working dipstick protruding from the oil sump. It took me a very long time to assemble it, and I confess there were moments when I thought I might not ever cross the finish line. But eventually, I got it up and running and felt a sense of satisfaction that I’ll never forget.
But there were more treasures to discover at Leonard’s. They always had a solid supply of balsawood gliders at great prices. My twin brother and I would often head up to Leonard’s when, between us, we could cobble together $1.99 to buy a new glider. The first challenge was to put it together without snapping a wing. When fully assembled, those gliders pushed back the frontiers of fragility. But we’d wind up the propeller powered by an elastic band, step out onto our quiet launch area on Donegall Drive, and let it go. Often the maiden flight would involve soaring high into the air before then stalling and nosediving at Mach 1 into the asphalt, scattering debris for a half block or so.
Finally, I vividly remember standing towards the back of the shop one Saturday morning when I heard the whine of motors coming from behind a black wooden panel. The friendly man behind the counter saw me and opened the makeshift black wooden door to reveal a metal ladder that descended into the basement. I stuck my head down and saw a gigantic eight-lane slot car track with kids standing along the straightaway racing their cars. I nearly passed out from excitement. I had no idea there was a basement, let alone one featuring daily slot car races. From that moment on, Tim and I would spend hours underground at Leonard’s Hobby Centre watching sleek slot cars zip around the track at what seemed like supersonic speeds. I miss Leonard’s Hobby Centre. Those were heady days for Leaside kids like us.
A two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, Terry Fallis grew up in Leaside and is the award-winning writer of nine national bestsellers. He’s busy working on his 10th novel, The Marionette.
