LEASIDE
JANE PITFIELD
A NATURAL HERITAGE BOOK
A MEMBER OF THE DUNDURN GROUP
TORONTO
Copyright © 1999 Jane Pitfield.
Second Edition 2000
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanic, photocopying, or otherwise (except for brief passages for purposes of review) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press. Permission to photocopy should be requested from Access Copyright.
Published by Natural Heritage Books
A Member of The Dundurn Group.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Leaside / Jane Pitfield, editor. -- 2nd ed.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-55002-875-1
1. Leaside (Toronto, Ont.)--History. 2. Toronto (Ont.)-- History. I. Pitfield, Jane
FC3099.L43L43 2008 971.3’541 C2008-904200-X
2 3 4 5 12 11 10 09 08
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and The Association for the Export of Canadian Books and the Government of Canada through the Ontario Book Publishers Tax Credit Program and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
Front cover illustration: painting of “Leaside,” William Lea’s octagonal home by artist David Peacock. Collection of the Pitfield family.
Design by Blanche Hamill, Norton Hamill Design
Printed and bound in Canada by Hignell Printing Limited
Care has been taken to trace the ownership of copyright material used in this book. The author and the publisher welcome any information enabling them to rectify any references or credits in subsequent editions.
J. Kirk Howard, President
Dundurn Press
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Dundurn Press
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With appreciation to Jim Hannah for his contribution to this book and to the community of Leaside.
CONTENTS
1 FROM PRE-SETTLEMENT TO SETTLEMENT
3 THE RAILWAYS OF LEASIDE JUNCTION
4 FROM THE YORK LAND COMPANY TO FREDERICK TODD TO LEASIDE
6 THE WAR EFFORT: World War I and World War II
7 INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS AREAS EXPAND
8 MERCHANTS OF BAYVIEW, MCRAE, MILLWOOD AND SUNNYBROOK
9 A PLACE To WORSHIP
10 EDUCATION FOR OUR YOUTH
11 THE LEASIDE LIBRARY: A Community Resource
12 THORNCLIFFE PARK: From The Racetrack to Residential
13 THE ORIGINS OF STREET NAMES
14 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Service Clubs and Local Groups
15 THE PARKS OF LEASIDE
16 LEISURE TIME IN LEASIDE: Sports and Recreation
17 SAFETY AND SECURITY: Police and Fire Protection
18 SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS OF LEASIDE COUNCIL MEETINGS
19 RALLYING TO THE CAUSE: Issues to be Resolved
20 PROFILES OF PEOPLE AND BUILDINGS OF HISTORIC INTEREST
21 MEMORIES OF LEASIDE
APPENDIX A—The Lea Family Tree
APPENDIX B—Leaside Town Councils 1913–1967
APPENDIX C—Members of Provincial Parliament for York East 1913–1967
APPENDIX D—Population of Leaside: 1913–1967
APPENDIX E—Residents of Leaside Killed in World War II
APPENDIX F—Leaside Public School Board: 1920–1966
APPENDIX G—Additional Clubs and Other Activities
APPENDIX H—Leaside Baseball Honour Roll
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments
About the Editor
IN THE spring of 1997, I realized that there was a need for a book about our community “Leaside.” Being much aware of the amalgamation with Toronto looming later in the year, I was struck by the fact that Leaside had previously been amalgamated with the Borough of East York in 1967, and yet had managed to retain its unique character. I felt it was very important to provide a comprehensive account of the development of the town of Leaside so that its residents, especially those new to the area, could understand the fascinating chain of events that have taken place over the years.
Fortunately, there were some previously published materials to provide background material. John Scott wrote a book titled The Story of Leaside for the Leaside Council in 1931. Charles Clay wrote The Leaside Story in 1958 on the occasion of the town’s 45th anniversary. In 1982, Jack Rempel’s book, The Town of Leaside: A Brief History, was published