“We are grateful to the Pashby Fund Board of Directors for making this extraordinary gift possible,” said White; “it will be a lasting legacy to Doc Pashby, his community spirit and important work in sports safety.”

Bill Pashby, Pashby Fund Chair and son of Doc Pashby said: “Doc was passionate about head and neck injuries in hockey and he hated seeing young athletes cut down in their prime and confined to wheelchairs. He wanted to prevent these paralyzing injuries that had crept into the sport he loved
so much.”

The $500,000 gift and naming of “Rink A” as the “Dr. Tom Pashby Play Safely Rink” will set the stage for the Leaside Gardens to be a leader in the promotion of safe play and best practices for the prevention of catastrophic injuries in sports and recreation. A safety committee will be established with representatives from the Pashby Fund, the Arena Board and user groups to ensure that the Arena is a showcase for best safety practices, equipment and programs, and a constant reminder to Have Fun – Be Safe.

Dr. Pashby (1915 – 2005) was a lifelong Leaside resident and an advocate for mandatory helmets and face guards for minor hockey players; and for penalties for cross-checking. For his pioneering efforts he was awarded the Order of Canada, inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and was an inaugural inductee into the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.

The Donor Wall has five levels:
Platinum – $250,000 – $1,000,000
Gold – $50,000 – $249,999
Silver – $10,000 – $49,999
Bronze – $1,000 – $9,999
Wood – $500 – $999

In June, 2014 the Donor Wall will be changed to reflect the following:

• donors who wish to increase their donation to a different level
• donors who wish to have their name added to the wall by donating $500 or more
• donors who wish to alter a name that is currently on the wall

Donations can be completed online here or by sending a cheque to The East York Foundation, 50 Merritt Road, Toronto, ON M4B 3K6. Charity receipts will be issued.

If you wish to alter a name that is currently on the Donor Wall, please email elainesnider@rogers.com.

As you know, Leaside Gardens has a board of management who hire a general manager – in this case, Henry Stachelbeck, who has been with the Gardens for 25 years. Under him are Anna Donadio, the banquet hall coordinator/staff support assistant (18 years) and three arena pool operators – Jim Swartz (30 years), Ed Newell (26 years) and Mario Zinga (23 years), along with 17 part-timers who are everything from rink guards to bartenders.

Click here to read the full article.

Who was Bert F. Grant?

He was president and later chairman of what is today known as the Crestview Group of Companies. In the early 1950s, as Lawrence Construction, this company built the Crestview apartments and the homes on both sides of Leacrest Rd., the long parcel of land in South Leaside on the brow of the Don Valley, south of Moore between Pottery Rd. and backing on to the Leaside Gardens arena property.

Click here to read the full article.

This is my first email update to our Leaside Arena users and friends since being appointed as chair of the Leaside Memorial Community Gardens Board of Management on January 1st, 2013. I would like to use this opportunity to thank our outgoing arena board chair, Brooke Biscoe, to give you a brief update on expansion and fundraising, to let you know about the 4th annual Laugh out Loud in Leaside event on Friday, February 22nd, and finally to provide an update on the pool closure.

A big “Thank-You!” to Brooke Biscoe

Brooke Biscoe served as chair of the arena board from January 1st 2010 until the end of 2012. It was during this time that the Arena Expansion Project went from the dream of the community to the concrete and steel reality that is now rapidly taking shape beside the original rink. Brooke has put in countless hours during this time meeting with municipal officials, potential donors, architects, contractors and community members in a determined pursuit of building the second rink. This is all in addition to his regular responsibilities as board chair related to the current arena, pool and banquet hall. On behalf of the arena board and, indeed, the entire Leaside Gardens community, I extend a sincere and heartfelt “thank-you” to Brooke for his dedication, hard work and leadership over the past three years. Brooke will now serve on the board as past chair and his experience and knowledge in matters related to the expansion project continue to be available to us.

An Update on the Second Rink and on Fundraising

Construction has moved forward quickly over the past few weeks and no-one driving by the arena can any longer doubt that the second rink will soon be a reality! The community fundraising goal of $3.5 Million is within reach as we recently passed the $3.1 Million mark. This means we have just under $400,000 still to raise between now and the summer to achieve our goal. It is not too late to donate! Donations in any amount will be gratefully received. And there remain a number of naming opportunities for those who may be considering a major gift. As you may know, when the expanded Leaside Gardens opens in the fall, the original rink will thereafter be known as the Bert F. Grant rink in recognition of the major legacy gift made by his three children in his honour. The second rink has not yet been named. If you would like to have this new rink named for your company or in honour of a family member, please contact me or a member of the fundraising committee.

Fourth Annual Laugh out Loud in Leaside – Fundraiser for the Second Rink

The Fourth Annual Laugh-out-Loud in Leaside comedy fundraiser, with all proceeds going toward the community fundraising goal of the Arena Expansion Project, will be held on Friday, February 22nd at 7:30 p.m. at Fantasy Farm (Pottery Road in the Don Valley between the Bayview Extension and Broadview Avenue). Each of the first three LOL in Leaside events has proven to be a great evening of good food, music and laughs, and each has also proven to be a successful fundraiser. Charlene Kalia of the arena board is again taking the lead in organising this event. Our thanks to Charlene and her volunteer team for their unfaltering dedication to the cause. A flyer with more details is attached. I hope you will join us on February 22nd.

Leaside Pool Closure Update

The repairs to the pool’s damaged ceiling has recently begun and the arena board has been informed by the City of Toronto that it will take approximately six weeks to complete. We estimate that the pool will reopen sometime in late March.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time with your comments or questions regarding the programs and activities at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens. I may be reached through the arena at 416-421-4944 or by contacting me directly at raymond.white@sympatico.ca.

Best wishes for a successful 2013.

Sincerely,
Ray White,
Chair of the Board of Management
Leaside Memorial Community Gardens.

Expansion Committee Chair Paul Mercer thanked all the donors and volunteers who have worked on this project for so long and who helped get to this point of breaking ground. Arena Board Chair Brooke Biscoe said that the original Leaside Gardens was built through the volunteer financial contributions of Leaside Residents more than sixty years ago and also thanked the city officials who have worked on the project. Charlene Kalia thanked the family of Bert F. Grant which has just made a major donation of $250,000 and announced that the existing rink will be named in his memory when the new facility opens. MPP Kathleen Wynne said that infrastructure is more than just roads and bridges, it’s also community facilities like the arenas and said she was pleased that the province was able to be involved by loaning money to the project. Local Toronto Councillor John Parker said this was a great model for future community projects and thanked all those City officials who worked so hard. MP John Carmichael said he was pleased to have been personally involved with the fundraising committee and focused on the volunteer effort needed to complete a project like this — he presented Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals for volunteer service to Paul Mercer, Brooke Biscoe and Charlene Kalia.

The City of Toronto has awarded the contract to build the second rink to Aquicon Construction and it is expected that construction will begin in July with the new rink being ready for use beginning in September 2013.

Description of the attached photo:
“Participating in the Ground-Breaking Ceremony for the second rink at Leaside Gardens were from left: Kathleen Wynne, MPP for Don Valley West, Paul Mercer, Chair of the Leaside Arena Expansion Committee, Brooke Biscoe, Chair of the Arena Board, John Parker, Councillor for Ward 26, and John Carmichael, MP for Don Valley West.” Credit for the photo goes to Hiep Vu.

Quick Facts:

– The Arena Board and user groups at Leaside Gardens have been talking about building a second rink at least as far back as 1999.

– The City of Toronto purchased the property of the former Ontario Film Review Board in 2010 on which the new rink will be built.

– The Expansion Committee committed to raising $2.5 million from the local community in order to get City Council approval.

– The rest of the funding for the project comes from a $7.5 million loan from the City to be paid back from future operating revenue, and a $1.5 million loan from Infrastructure Ontario.

– Community fundraising will continue through the construction phase of the project to reduce financing costs and keep ice rates down into the future.

For further information, or to arrange an opportunity to speak with spokesperson Paul Mercer, contact:

Allan Williams, Chair, Community Relations Committee of the Arena Board:
allan@proximuscanada.com or 416-467-6335 (mobile), or

Contact Paul Mercer directly:

Paul Mercer, Chair of the Leaside Arena Expansion Committee:
paul.mercer@graniteclaims.com or 416-464-2156 (mobile)