BRIDGEPOINT HOSPITAL
WHAT YOU'LL SEE AT 1 OF THE 3 BRIDGE CROSSINGS INTO TO WARD 30

Bridgepoint Health has a rich, 150-year history and is a significant landmark within Toronto's Riverdale community. Its role has evolved considerably over time, and Bridgepoint is embarking on the next phase in its evolution. An ambitious and comprehensive redevelopment of its facilities and its site will see the corner of Broadview Avenue and Gerrard Street East completely revitalized


See more at Cicada Designs

RIVER CITY
WHAT YOU'LL SEE AT 1 OF THE 3 BRIDGE CROSSINGS INTO TO WARD 30

River City are not the tallest new condominiums under construction in this city - and it is still the tallest new buildings that normally get the most attention on Urban Toronto - but they are amongst the most eagerly anticipated new condominiums in the city nevertheless. Why? Easy: River City's sexy, avant garde, modern architecture by Montreal-based Saucier + Perrotte has many readers more than a little excited.

Read more at Urban Toronto

WHERE TO BUY NOW?

LESLIEVILLE NO LONGER MAKES THE LIST by TorontoLife

BUT THIS IS GOOD NEWS... I GUESS!!
TorontoLife published its 2012 Where to Buy Now: the inside scoop on the city’s next 10 neighbourhoods by Monika Warzecha. Leslieville does not make the list but this is because Leslieville has now gentrified to the point of being in the big leagues of Toronto Real Estate. Prices for a homes in Leslieville are no longer a steal. It's in the same league as The Junction and Roncasville nowadays. They have all graduated into the mid leagues. 

Read the article here: 2012 Where to Buy Now: the inside scoop on the city’s next 10 neighbourhoods by Monika Warzecha

501 QUEEN STREETCAR EXPOSED

The Toronto Star has written a great article about the 501: It’s one of the longest streetcar routes in North America, and arguably the coolest public-transit ride on the continent. The 501 Queen car, which extends from the Long Branch Loop in the west, near the eastern border of Mississauga, to the Neville Park Loop in the east, just shy of Scarborough, passes through an amazingly varied urban landscape.

Read the story

picture by Gorbould

Port Lands Public Meeting

Port Lands Public MeetingSaturday, March 31
Port Lands Public Meeting #2
Saturday, March 31 from 9:30am-12:00pm and 1:30pm-4pm
Design Exchange
234 Bay Street, Toronto

http://paulafletcher.ca/2012/03/march-31-port-lands-public-meeting/

RIVERSIDE's REAL JERK
is CLOSING DOWN

Photo by Redroom Studios from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

Many people will miss the Real Jerk. It is a reminder of the old days when Leslieville/Queen East were gritty. I personally think the building itself was hideous and irrelevant to the architecture in the neighborhood. The food was mediocre at best. The iconic…hideous uh hum!! sunburst mural painted on the restaurant’s west wall was added in 1991 by an Australian woman, a fan of theirs who painted it for the cost of materials alone. Yeah, thanks for that.

Now if only we could clean up the other 3 corners (Jilly’s, Dangerous Dan’s and StarBanks).

For those of you that love architecture…check out the building that was torn down in the early 1900’s to accommodate the newer architecture of the Real Jerk building. What a shame……

REMEMBER WHEN STARBUCKS
FIRST SAID IT WAS COMING TO LESLIEVILLE?

I wasn't living in this area at the time but i remember the buzz. Leslieville was getting a Starbucks and many locals were pissed. Interestingly enough, I was looking through some old websites and found this article by famous Leslieviller- Joe Clarke...I have posted some of my favorite excerpts below:

- The construction workers are building a Starbucks Corp. café – and anyone considering buying or selling a home in Canada’s frothy real estate market would be wise to take note. [...] “When I see a Starbucks going in, I rub my hands together because I know property values are going up,” said [in-no-way-greedy] real-estate agent Diane Walton.

Company executives work with networks of real-estate brokers and agents, and when the coffee chain decides it wants to expand into a new “trade zone,” it asks the real-estate professionals to find the right location.

“Sometimes we’re a little early, but that’s okay. We’re going to be in business for a long time,” [Starbucks president Colin] Moore said.

- In the downtown’s west end, the Drake Hotel spearheaded the revival of a gritty section of Queen Street. The popular restaurant and bar attracted other retail businesses to the area, including a Starbucks.... While under construction, the Starbucks was a frequent victim of a persistent graffiti artist who kept spray-painting “Drake, you ho, this is all your fault” on the store.

[...] Clark said he thinks a Starbucks would be a good thing for the area. “It’ll be a benefit to the neighbourhood. There’s no reason to fear Starbucks,” said Clark, underlining the gentrification of Riverside and Leslieville, like what’s currently taking place in Queen West and West Queen West, is a non-issue. With mixed uses throughout the area including a variety of social-housing developments, light industry, garages, gas stations, parks, and community centres, Clark assured [me?]“Queen East will never become Queen West.”

- Leslieville already has coffee shops and bars that attract low-income people, many of them vulgarians and borderline drug dealers who look fresh off the boat from Newfoundland. (I’m a poor boy from New Brunswick; I know the type.) By implication, opponents of gentrification are opponents of establishments that cater to people other than these. But the establishments that do cater to the Baymen of Leslieville aren’t going anywhere. Is it so much to ask for some of the rest of us to have a pleasant place to sip a cup of coffee?

article: A Starbucks in Leslieville. What me Worry? Joe Clarke

photo: by SSPBOYD

[that]

I WAS HAVING A HARD TIME

DECIDING ON GIFTS FOR PEOPLE

SO WHAT DID I DO?

I WENT UP AND DOWN THE QUEEN EAST STRIP
AND BOUGHT GIFT CERTIFICATES
TO A VARIETY OF RESTAURANTS IN THE HOOD

Now all my closest friends, family and co-workers can have the chance to come down to Queen East and experience our great restaurants. Remember shop local if you can.

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

SHOP LOCALLY

LESLIEVILLE HAS SOME OF THE GREATEST GIFT IDEAS

Whether you choose a wine bottle alternative- olive oil from Olive&Olive...
Or a great executive gift basket from Ruby Eats...
Or a Teepee for your little one at little peeps...
Or a gift certificate to one of the many great restaurants in the neighborhood....
PLEASE MAKE IT A LOCAL DECISION...
LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO KEEP LESLIEVILLE BUSINESSES..IN BUSINESS

Is home ownership really a smart investment?

If Toronto fireman Alexander Gunn was alive today, he might well feel like the Warren Buffett of his times.
The semi-detached home he bought in Toronto’s Riverdale neighbourhood for $1,200 in 1906, sold in November for $825,000....read more here

IF YOU CHOSE TO HAVE KIDS
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU TEACH THEM TOLERANCE

WITH 7+ BILLION PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET

NOW MORE THAN EVER

WE WILL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER

LET'S MAKE THE GAY ISSUE A NON ISSUE

SO WE CAN FOCUS

ON WHAT REALLY NEEDS TO GET DONE

LESLIE SPIT FREEZES OVER

Winter Is Coming To Leslieville

photo by Syncros

How I Made Two 10-Foot Christmas Trees In An Evening

In our home this year the budget has been tight as we've been renovating our new space. (It's an old church that we're turning into a home.) So instead of spending money on a live tree, we decided to build one from the scrap lumber we had laying around... and by one, I mean two. They're 10' tall and were completed in a single evening!

by Re- Nest
read more... here

COOL THINGS!!

LESLIEVILLE Gets Its Name.......

Leslieville gets its name from prominent businessman George Leslie, owner of the Toronto Nurseries that fuelled the growth of the village during its early days.

The eclectic houses in the area display different styles of 19th and 20th century architecture, from Ontario Cottages to Victorians. The tree-lined streets, charming architecture, picturesque shops and indie cafés make it feel more like a small town out of movie than part of a big city. This may be one of the reasons the area is known as the nerve centre of the film industry in Toronto.Though it’s the definition of hip today, proud east-enders still pay tribute to their history through historic signs, plaques, and landmarks like the Alexander Muir maple tree.

The village is full of unique specialty shops and cozy restaurants that draw people from all across the city. Local foodie favourites include the grilled cheese at the Leslieville Cheese Market, the five-star brunch at Lady Marmalade, Ed’s real scoop for arguably the best ice cream in the city, and Te Aro for some quality coffee and free wifi to boot.

COOL STUFF!!!

I AM GLAD TO LIVE IN A COUNTRY THAT DOES NOT HAVE MARRIAGE DISCRIMINATION

MY FAVORITE HOUSE IN WARD 30

This is one of my favorite homes in Ward 30. Located on the south end of Boulton Avenue- there is something nostalgic about this home. In spring the magnolia on the north end is almost magical in full bloom.

GERRARD AND BROADVIEW NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD!!

picture by Jason Allies

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

A year ago I posted a song by Adele, long before she would become a household name. I only post music here when I feel like it is years ahead of what is out there.


Can I tell you I loved this Katy Perry video...repeat- loved this video...It is not often you watch a music video that makes you cry.

LESLIE JONES
-what a great little neighbourhood restaurant

My wife and I were here recently for dinner. It's nice little spot with a great atmosphere and terrific food. They also have great "Happy Hour" specials. The only thing to be aware of is that it is cash only, so be prepared.

Absolutely love this restaurant. Avocado salad is a must try. The "surprise" drinks were fantastic. Everything from our Server to the Food was terrific! .

My girlfriend and I had dinner on the patio last weekend and it was a delight. The polenta appetizer with red pepper pesto is a must and had my girlfriend eying it throughout the first course. She had the Gnocci, which judging from the review, seems to be their winner dish; she enjoyed very much. I had the ratatouille and enjoyed very much. Service was great, friendly and prompt. Pretty much everything you want in a good night out for dinner.

picture by Jason Verwey

FALL IN WARD 30

Rivers, Peninsulas, Beaches and Ravines- we have it all

TURN YOUR PORCH LIGHTS ON AT NIGHT

MAKE YOUR HOME AND NEIGHBOURHOOD SAFER
IT ONLY COSTS YOU 1 PENNY/NIGHT

LIGHT THE NIGHT

A Fluorescent bulb turned on between the recommended hours of 9 p.m. to 8am uses 75% less energy than a regular bulb, plus it’s cheaper to use it will cost LESS THAN ONE PENNY!

I had an incident recently where a friend of mine's car was robbed. The thief ripped through the soft top in his car and took only $3 in change. The cops refused to show up for this type of crime. Instead they took the report over the phone. They told me that there is an explosion in petty crime in Leslieville because it is gentrifying so quickly. The old rift raft that used to live in these hoods is having a field day committing small crimes.

For Safer Neighbourhoods

Toronto Anti-Violence

Intervention System

Learn more about Light the Night...here

picture of Broadview Lofts by Gorbould

THE LIBRARIES OF WARD 30

Some of the most Beautiful Architecture In Toronto

Pape Library

Ralph Thornton Library

Riverdale Library

Good Karma by the Dalai Lama

1.     Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2.     When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3.     Follow the three R’s:
-  Respect for self,
-  Respect for others and
-  Responsibility for all your actions.

4.     Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5.     Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6.     Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

7.     When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8.     Spend some time alone every day.

9.     Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10.  Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11.  Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and
think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12.  A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13.  In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14.  Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

15.  Be gentle with the earth.

16.  Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17.  Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18.  Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

19.  If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.

20.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

ROB FORD'S PORT LANDS FIASCO

HAS BEEN HALTED :)

On Wednesday, City Council voted unanimously to pass a motion that reaffirms Waterfront Toronto’s role and plan on our waterfront. The consensus is consistent with the three-point statement released by CodeBlueTO over the weekend.
Thank you Toronto for standing up and making your voice heard - calling councillors, signing the petition, and spreading the word. Over 7,300 signatures were presented by Councillors Fletcher and McConnell at City Council. Councillor after Councillor spoke and reflected on the thousands of Torontonians that contacted them and told them to stay the course. 
We’ve passed this hurdle, but we must remain vigilant. We, the people of Toronto, are the guardians to the future success of our waterfront.

Stay tuned.

courtesy of the CODEBLUE TORONTO website

LET'S STOP ROB FORD FROM
FU%$**%* UP OUR PORT LANDS

I received the below email from Paula Fletcher (my Ward30 Councillor) this afternoon and was saddened at the state of the land regarding Toronto's Portlands. Please sign the CodeBlue petition below:

September 20, 2011

Dear Friends

We have only one waterfront. It will only be done once. It must be done right. This was the sentiment of the 200 people jammed into the Ralph Thornton Centre last Sunday.
After years of smooth sailing, with a tri-partite public agency solidly at the helm, the redevelopment of Toronto’s waterfront has entered very stormy seas on the Port Lands.

As local Councillor for the Port Lands, my role is to ensure that the waterfront is planned in an open, comprehensive and public manner and that the process be held to the highest standards.

Sadly, out of the blue, right after Labour Day, Toronto’s Executive Committee voted to diminish the role of Waterfront Toronto and allow the Toronto Port Lands Company, a City owned property management company, to take over development of the entire Port Lands. In business terms this would be characterized as a hostile takeover. It certainly does not meet the test of transparency or accountability which Torontonians deservedly expect.

Allegedly this is being done because it is taking too long to develop the Port Lands. In reality, a multi-year effort has produced a new Official Plan for the Lower Don Lands and zoning for the Keating Channel Precinct is ready to go.

Many are concerned that this move is nothing more than an old fashioned land grab.   Some Councillors have said that there are hundreds of millions of dollars in land in the Port Lands that could be sold to ease Toronto's budget pressures.

A fire sale would be dreadful. It would jeopardize the prospect of a seamless and spectacular waterfront in Toronto; something citizens have dreamed of for years and one which is now becoming a reality with projects in Queens Quay, West Donlands and East Bayfront.

The development of the Port Lands must benefit from the same rigorous process, high standards, expertise, beautiful design and public input that are evident on the rest of the waterfront.
I will not support removing Waterfront Toronto as the lead agency for Port Lands planning and development.

The redevelopment process has already started. Just over a year ago, after six years of required public discussion and expensive technical studies, City Council approved an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the award winning plan for the Lower Don Lands.

It naturalizes the mouth of the Don and ensures flood protection for the eastern waterfront and Riverdale. It is the probably most complicated EA the City has undertaken.

This plan was chosen because it provides flood protection at the lowest cost of all options considered in the EA. It will bring 19,000 residents and 13,000 workers into the Lower Don Lands and unlock billions of dollars of value in the rest of the Port Lands in an orderly and transparent way that all Torontonians can take pride in.

Literally thousands of Torontonians have been a part of shaping the future of Toronto's magnificent waterfront. Things are well underway on the Port Lands. Let’s not let them blow off course.

Code BlueTO is a community group actively trying to preserve the WaterfronToronto plan. You can get involved through  CODE BLUE TORONTO PETITION
Working for you,
Paula Fletcher

Abandoned WARD 30

picture taken by William Self

The Importance of Diet Diversity

by The Etsy Blog

So what can we do? For starters, shop at your local farmers’ markets. Seek out farmers and purveyors of heirloom vegetables: not just tomatoes, but beans, eggplant, squash, radishes and potatoes as well. If none are to be found, grow heirlooms yourself by joining a seed bank in your area or purchasing transplants of heirloom vegetables from your local farm or greenhouse. And this extends to the meat-eaters as well; while Angus and Wagyu beef are as tasty as they come, grass-fed Longhorn and Pineywood varieties aren’t too bad either. (And with their smaller amounts of saturated fats, they’re healthier for you, too.) If you can grow chickens, look for the heirloom varieties, like the Light Sussex or Pekin Bantam breeds.

Eating (and growing) less common, non-supermarket varieties not only opens up a world of flavors, textures and dishes, but by creating a demand for these products, you’re actually helping to expand that narrow base of the pyramid. If each one of us starts to incorporate a few heirloom varieties in our diet and share our discoveries within our communities, we’d collectively be taking a bigger, concrete step towards securing our future food supply than any agricultural policy or seed bank can do.

read more at THE ETSY BLOG

I AM OFF TO ALGONQUIN PARK

Looking Forward to Continuing the Ward 30 Updates when I get Back

This is a great Globe &Mail article
Our national parks are the envy of the world....

And this weekend, great waves of migrant birds will descend onto the sandy shores of Point Pelee in southern Ontario; flocks of grebes and gulls, canvasbacks and pintail. Many will continue north toward the magnificent but little-known arctic lands of Auyuittuq, Tuktut Nogait and Sirmilik, which are creaking to life with the approach of equinox. Honeymooners and March-breakers will wander driftwood-littered Long Beach on the exposed outer shores of Vancouver Island, while across the country Nordic skiers will float through Gros Morne's wind-stunted tuckamore forests in Newfoundland.

This is the stuff of our national parks. ...read more at the Globe & Mail

pictures by Peter Bowers

RUBY eats

Another hotspot in RIVERSIDE

Grand Opening July 29, 2011

RUBYeats is located in the heart of Riverside and I can't wait for the opening....Promises FRESH, LOCAL ingredients.
I want to know What’s in the Chef’s pantry?
check out the website to RUBY eats

SOUTH COAST opens up in vibrant RIVERSIDE

South Coast is a home decor store on Queen East from the same owner as the now closed Bullet. Inside are plenty of soaps, bath accessories, picture frames, bowls and more....read more at BlogTO

LESLIEVILLE STRIKES OIL

by Toronto Life Magazine

Fine Olive Oils are very similar to wine. When you taste the oils you can taste the variety of the fruit....read more at Toronto Life

SOUTH RIVERDALE POCKET GETS ULTRA MODERN FREEHOLDS

Urbancorp has barely launched its development on Queen East (three sites- South Riverdale (aka Riverside), Leslieville, Beaches) and already they have almost sold out.

This  was predominantly from word of mouth sales.

Most impressive is the South Riverdale neighborhood development- Here Urbancorp managed to snag some land in a private pocket in south Riverdale (aka Riverside) that has been one of the east ends greatest hidden secrets. It is flanked by a cul-de-sac and Victorian homes, reminiscent of Toronto’s Cabbagetown. For decades this little pocket was hidden in obscurity with little fanfare, a lot of appeal and huge demand from savvy buyers trying to get in.  Now Urbancorp has proposed 44 new homes on the site of the elusive St. Ann’s Catholic School.

What is the appeal, you ask, for this particular site?

1) Quiet streets with Victorian and Edwardian architecture- this site is slated to become a Heritage Neighborhood in the next few years

2) A rare cul-de-sac (Howie Avenue) giving this downtown neighborhood some advantages of suburban life

3) Flanked by the famous Degrassi Street

4) Located ‘Riverside’ which is home to several outstanding Heritage buildings and some of the best historic architecture in Toronto’s east end

5) A ‘real’ neighborhood minutes from downtown, historic Riverside, Riverdale, Corktown, Leslieville, and central access to highways and TTC routes

6) Unusually quiet and cozy streets- only a few steps from the most gentrified parts of Queen East

7) A neighborhood of families, parkettes and hidden streets where kids and pets can play without the fear of traffic

The good news?? This cul-de-sac neighborhood is a harder to find (than the other proposed sites) and therefore there is a higher probability that there are ‘some’ houses still left for prospective buyers.

read more at Urbancorp