The Curious Idler March 2024

Speed signs in Leaside.
Speed signs in Leaside.

Slow down, you move too fast

Speeding through Leaside is easy to do. Recently the Idler was going down Rolph Road when he noticed a sign indicating that a new municipal speed camera will soon be installed in the area. The Idler was shocked to see his speedometer reading 43 km, or 13 km over the local speed limit of 30 km/h. Slowing down is hard! It took the Idler 21 days of consistent behaviour to break a bad habit. If the safety of our neighbours is not enough incentive to drive safely, then maybe the $200 fine for driving 24 km/h over the posted speed will do the trick. As Simon & Garfunkel sang, “Slow down, you move too fast!” And “you got to make the morning last.”

The snow monster on Randolph.
The snow monster on Randolph.

Snow monster seen on Randolph!

St. Anselm students Mila, 10, and Brodie, 9, used their PA day to create their annual snow monster. Rising to over 10 ft., the apple crate-wearing, tennis-playing snow giant greets Leasiders as they traverse up Randolph Rd.

Applications now open for 2024 Ruth & Harry Goldhar Journalism Award

Leaside Life is proud to support journalism and creative writing, and to that end, we are pleased to announce that applications are now open for The 2024 Ruth & Harry Goldhar Journalism Award. Created in 2022, in honour of the founders of Leaside Life, current owners Stan Flemming and Jeff Hohner are offering an award of $1,000 to a graduating student of Leaside High School who intends to pursue creative writing or journalism in a post-secondary institution. This is the third year for the award, which will be presented in June this year at the LHS graduation ceremonies. Previous recipients were Yoursra Lakhani in 2022 and Alison Ma in 2023. If you know a potential candidate, applications will be available through the Leaside High guidance department. A brief application and a writing sample will meet the requirements for eligibility.

A Nod’s As Good As A Wink ... is author Dennis Sullivan’s tale of discovery, full of pain and humour, as his protagonist Ollie goes from relationship to relationship looking for his place in the sun.
A Nod’s As Good As A Wink … is author Dennis Sullivan’s tale of discovery, full of pain and humour, as his protagonist Ollie goes from relationship to relationship looking for his place in the sun.

Author and lawn bowler Sullivan pens debut novel

It’s the early, swinging 70s in London, and Ollie is riding the wave. There’s a day job and rent to pay, but that never gets in the way of the pubs and women. What does get in the way is the ever-present depression that clouds his daily life with feelings of guilt. And if that weren’t bad enough, add a stalker to the mix, no doubt the result of something else he’s guilty of, and Ollie knows he’s in real trouble. He needs to get his head right, but it’s not until his shrink hypnotizes him that Ollie remembers dark events in his early years and he is able to confront his demons, inside and out. A Nod’s As Good As A Wink … is author Dennis Sullivan’s tale of discovery, full of pain and humour, as his protagonist Ollie goes from relationship to relationship looking for his place in the sun.

At age 78, first-time author Dennis Sullivan, who left England in 1974 and emigrated to Canada, is a 40-year Leaside resident. Sullivan self-published his novel using hybrid publisher Austin Macauley and is learning new skills as he navigates the maze of self-publishing. When he is not writing, you can find Dennis honing his bowling skills at the Leaside Lawn Bowling Club. The novel is available on Amazon and at Indigo.