History of Leaside Gardens: The Past and the Present
Leaside Memorial Community Gardens has been a focal point for the Leaside community and surrounding neighbourhoods for more than 50 years, since the arena opened its doors 1951 at the intersection of Millwood and Laird Drive.
That same year, our volunteer Board of Management was created by the Town of Leaside under By-law No. 1374, passed pursuant to Ontario's then Community Recreation Centres Act. Successive generations of volunteer Board members have managed the facilities on behalf of the community, reporting first to Leaside Town Council, later to the Borough of East York Council, and now to the City of Toronto Council.
Leaside Gardens had been built through community fundraising efforts, supported by the Leaside Lions and the Rotary Club. Later, in the 1970s when the arena roof required replacement, the community came together again to raise $500,000 to undertake the project. Later, the community again came through to undertake the replacement of the arena's seating.
Throughout its existence, Leaside Gardens has formed an enduring partnership with three main user groups that, today, account for the vast majority of the arena's ice rentals. The Leaside Hockey Association was formed in 1952 and now boasts 1,280 members in house league and select programs. The Leaside Skating Club was founded in 1951 and today provides figure skating instruction to 590 members, primarily girls and young women. The Leaside Girls Hockey League has grown tremendously since its start in 1974, now fielding house league and select teams comprised of 575 girls. In fact, through the involvement of the Skating Club and Girls Hockey League, roughly half of the Leaside Gardens' current users are girls.
In addition to our single-pad rink the facility also includes a banquet room, the William Lea Room, and a pool operated on a cost-recovery basis pursuant to an agreement with the City of Toronto (which is responsible for all programming in the pool).
As 2001 and the celebration of Leaside Gardens' 50th anniversary approached, the Board's members turned their minds to the next 50 years. For some time, the arena's ice allocation had been static, with all of the available ice rented, save for necessary maintenance time. Even if the Board had wanted to, there was no more ice time to rent. As a result, our main user groups have been forced to rent ice across the GTA at market rates. They cried out for a second pad of ice at Leaside Gardens.
In response, the Board formed an Expansion Committee to consider construction of a second pad of ice. In creating the Expansion Committee, the Board sought out members of the local community with specific backgrounds that would supplement the skills and experience of Board members. The resulting team provides the Board with a broad range of skills to draw upon in undertaking this expansion project.
The Expansion Committee, at its outset, commissioned a Community Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study. That Feasibility Study assessed: i) the recreation needs of Leaside and the surrounding community; and ii) the feasibility of expanding the recreational facilities managed for the City of Toronto by the Board of Management of Leaside Gardens. The resulting consultants' report was approved by the Board in the fall of 2001, and confirmed an overwhelming demand for additional ice time among the current users of the Leaside Gardens arena: if a second pad of ice was available at Leaside Gardens, our existing users' demand would immediately consume all of the prime time ice. The consultants concluded that such overwhelming demand justified the development of a second pad of ice. The authors also identified the need to acquire the property adjacent to Leaside Gardens at 1075 Millwood Road (owned by the Province of Ontario) in order to facilitate construction of a second pad of ice and the requisite parking for visitors to the expanded facility.
In December 2001, in a meeting at City Hall, members of the Leaside Gardens Board presented the Feasibility Study to Commissioner Joe Halstead, then head of Parks and Recreation for the City. Commissioner Halstead endorsed the City's acquisition of 1075 Millwood Road, and directed City staff to begin negotiating that with the Ontario Realty Corporation.
Most recently, Toronto City Council has approved the acquisition of 1075 Millwood Road from the province, with the City expected to take title to the property in the coming months.
Leaside Gardens - The Future
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