Toronto Leaside Rotary Club
93 Laird Drive M4G 3T7 Toronto, ON, Canada

Rotarian Suzanne Sharples - Leaside's very own Butterfly Ranger When Suzanne Sharples was growing up in Caledon, she spent her summers tending to a large vegetable and flower garden. But since moving to Toronto, gardening has not been a priorityuntil now. Suzanne has recently become a Ranger for the David Suzuki Foundation’s Butterflyway Project. A notice for the project on Facebook prompted her to turn to the Internet to learn more. The project’s website explains that it... was initiated in 2017 to help combat a sharp decline in pollinator insects, specifically bees and butterflies. The goal is to plant patches of native wildflowers and plants in as many neighbourhoods as possible to create a pollinator-friendly corridor or Butterflyway. Suzanne says she is very excited at the response to the Butterflyway. Leaside has been supportive in helping with planting the containers required, and many friends and residents have requested plants and information. I’m looking forward to connecting with businesses and volunteers in the upcoming weeks. To learn more, contact Suzanne at [email protected]. #butterflyranger #ecofriendly #butterfly #gardening #nature #butterflyway #davidsuzuki #davidsuzukifoundation #davidsuzukibutterflywayproject #proudrotarian #makingadifference #leaside #leasidelife #torontoleaside #environmentallyfriendly

Donations in honour of former member of the Toronto Leaside Rotary Club, Robert Chapman, can be made by cheque. Please send a cheque to: Leaside Rotary Foundation... 112 Reeve Dr. Markham, ON L3P 6C7 A tax receipt will be issued. Thank you to everyone for supporting our club! Bob brought so much to this club and will be remembered dearly. He was a true Rotarian. May his soul Rest In Peace.

Like many, AppleTree Group has had to shift gears in their focus for this year. Lesley spoke to our club about the group's new initiative #ReGrowTO - to help rebuild those affected by COVID. The Mission is to reconnect people , especially isolated residents (e.g. seniors), offer sectors a space to recover losses from the pandemic and rebuild a community. Sectors of focus at #reGrowTO... food and hospitality health and fitness arts and culture non-profit This will take place at June Rowland's Park with the abundance of space for programming every Tuesday from May 11 to October 6. Businesses and other like-minded organizations will be invited to participate in this amazing initiative. Some programs that will be offered are #goodgriefgarden to process the trauma of the pandemic, commemorate our resilience and help reconnect isolated residents through innovative and collaborative iniaties CafeTO Market area a space for artists to express themselves and share their art Thank you Lesley for your presentation on all the impactful work you have done and are planning. A lot of thought and care was put into this program and our club wishes Apple Tree Group success, we are sure you will make a positive impact to many! "Let's regrow a safer, stronger and sustainable TO." #reGrowTO #toronto #community #torontocommunity #appletreegroup #appletreeto #farmersmarket #greenspace #cafeTO #supportlocal #localbusiness #supportsmallbusiness #regrowto #sustainableliving #sustainable #supportcommunity

Welcome to our new member, Suzanne Sharples Suzanne was born in Caledon and moved to Toronto for university and never left! She studied nursing at Ryerson and upon graduation, worked in the field of Aids research for the Ontario HIV treatment Network. After a few years, Suzanne made the decision to stay home and raise her three children. It was during this time that she fell in love with the Leaside community. Now that her children are older, she wants to give back to th...e community and is excited to get involved. She loves how involved Rotary is in the community from the corn roast, scavenger hunts and all the positive things we do. She has a keen interest in art, has taught children's art classes over the past couple of years and has taken many classes - a work in progress. Additionally, she is interested in the environment which is one of Rotary's areas of focus. This year, she is enlisted to become a butterfly ranger and hopes to plant 12 pollinator patches in the Leaside community. We look forward to working more closely with Suzanne, welcome to the Rotary family! #newfriends #newmembers #rotary7070 #friendship #torontoleasiderotary #rotarian #proudrotarian #torontoleaside #leasidecommunity #environement #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #rotaryteam #welcometotheclub #welcometorotary

Today, our club inducted one of our new members, Karen Moore! What a day to remember! Welcome Karen, we are so proud to have you on our team. ... #torontoleasiderotary #rotaryinduction #newmemberswelcome #welcome #proudrotarian #leaside #torontoleaside #rotary7070

Highlighting some of the great work Rotary International is doing :)

At our meeting today, Don Bello, Rotary Club of Toronto Leaside received aPaul Harris Fellowship Award ThePaul Harris FellowAwardrecognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, orwho have contributions made in their name,of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation.The Paul Harris Fellowship is awarded toRotary memberswho demonstrate an unwavering commitment to the Rotary Foundation to further the cause of Rotary International projects as well as local Rotary projects.... Don received his award from Rotary Club of Toronto Leaside President, Elizabeth Compton. Don is simply an exemplary Rotarian. He has lead our Tree Planting initiative since 2015. Has been in charge of our website & of late has revamped it, he is doing an incredible job & this is no small feat. He continues to mentor new members. He is much loved by our entire club. Congratulations Don, we are so proud of you! #serviceaboveself #torontoleasiderotary #leaside #leasidecommunity #toronto #torontoleaside #communitysupport #paulharrisaward #rotaryfoundation #rotary7070 #congrats #proud #mentorship #mentor #rotarymentor #succeeding #goodexample

The Thorncliffe Residents Group is hosting their 14th Food Drive on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 @ 43 Thorncliffe Park Drive. This is a cause that The Rotary Club of Toronto-Leaside is committed to supporting. Since April 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have hosted monthly food drive to help those in in need in this community regardless of any religious or political affiliation, ethnicity, colour or creed, including >300 families through * 12 Food Drives * 1 Baby F...ood Drive * 1 Toy Drive for 100 kids on Eid day * donatin g 50 blankets * providingimmediate food and cash vouchers to those families affected by COVID-19 Additionally, they started a COVID-19 awareness, safety and prevention campaign, distributing flyers,1000 face masks and 300 baby face masks and will be a part of a COVID-19 vaccine Q&A forum This initiative is NOT funded by the Municipal or Provincial Government, only by dedicated volunteers committed to help throughout this pandemic. If you would like to help, They are accepting monetary donations through the following means: 1. Through Ansaar Foundation's website : http://www.ansaarfoundation.com by clicking on DONATE button and from "Apply you donation to a fund set up by this charity", by selecting Thorncliffe Food Drive 2. Through Ansaar Foundation's Paypal https://www.paypal.com/donate/ 3. Direct Payment - e-transfer funds to Masood Alam- [email protected] OR [email protected] 4. Cheques payable to : Ansaar Foundation - For Thorncliffe Residents Food Drive 5. Cash to either our Thorncliffe Residents Group's team or Ansaar's team If you know someone who needs support - contact details for the members are in the post above. Together, we can make a difference #fooddrive #thorncliffepark #volunteering #fooddrives #supportthorncliffe #supportthelessfortunate #supportourneighbors #donatenow #donate #helpinghands #covidrelief #covid19response #torontofooddrive #torontolife #torontofood #supportothers

Thank you Leaside for making the Leaside Rotary Family Day Scavenger Hunt such fun! There were over 190 items to find along seven different walking routes. We caught a few families on the Hunt and everyone said it was a lot of fun...a great way to get outside and enjoy our neighborhoods. Thank you to everyone who volunteered to put items on their lawns, doors and windows. We'll do it again next year (maybe even sooner!). ... #scavengerhunt #torontoleaside #leaside #torontoleasiderotary #familyfun #torontofamilyfun #familyday #familydaytoronto2021 #familydayfun #winterfun #rotary7070

One of the key themes of focus this year for Rotary is Diversity and Inclusion. Our club was excited to hear from Courtney Doldron, from the District committee for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Courtney Doldron has been a member of the Rotary Club of Willowdale since December 2015 and has recently transferred his membership to the Rotary Club of North York in September 2020. He has and continues to be an active participant at the club, district and international levels wi...thin Rotary. He started serving as the Director of International Services and later became club president 2018/2019 with the Rotary Club of Willowdale. As a former teacher with TDSB and TDCSB, basic literacy and education has been a passion of his. He is the past chair of the District Literacy Committee and currently serves as the Secretary of the Basic Education & Literacy Rotary Action Group (BELRAG). Additionally, Courtney serves on the Membership Committee, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, as well as an Assistant District Governor in D7070. Internationally, he is a member of Peace RAG, Mental Health RAG and Plant Food Solutions RAG. Courtney is a human rights, multicultural/intercultural, crosscultural consultant, and educator. Coupled with having extensive community development work related experiences, as evident in his work in Canada and Rotary Internationally, his training includes but is not limited to Tools of Tolerance, Safe SchoolAmbassador, Race Relations. Values Education, Multicultural Education and Conflict Resolution Management. He is a Peace Builder with Piece Builder International (Canada). He was awarded a Community Builder Pin by the Federal Government of Canada for Canada’s 150th Anniversary. Courtney’s has held multiple leadership roles in his passion areas including but not limited to the Caribbean Cultural Committee-Caribana, Black Coalition for Aids Prevention (Black-Cap) and Ontario Multicultural Association to name a few. Thank you for speaking to our club today, Sir Courtney! #diversityandinclusion #equity #inclusion #guestspeaker #rotary7070 #education #rotarymeetings #zoommeetings #diversityandequity #inclusivity

Happy Family Day! The Rotary Club of Toronto (Leaside) has organized a walking (or driving) Scavenger Hunt for Family Day. We have over 190 items, divided into seven maps/checklists. Each checklist includes the item to find and the address you'll find it at. Find as many as you can along the route or feel free to break up routes to suit yourself - just have fun! The addresses on the checklists will wind around some nearby streets to make sure you can find as many items as ...possible in that neighborhood. Parents can make it more challenging for kids by telling them what to look for but not indicating the specific house....make it as fun as you like. Be sure to make a special trip to visit our biggest item in the Hunt....a 7-foot tall Olaf from Frozen. He's at 775 Eglinton Avenue (at Sutherland) Please do not venture onto people's property - each item can be seen from the sidewalk. Please be sure to send us some photos of you and your family on the Hunt. [email protected]. If you are posting on social media, please tag us @torontoleasiderotary & use hashtag #torontoleasiderotary and we will repost all the fun! Glenvale Blvd/Killdeer Crescent https://drive.google.com//1BWVKOM5n210kTwPdR2rZTXYX6ENvQdj Broadway Avenue/Bessborough Drive https://drive.google.com//1LgjL-DT8TqHDTiMpwIXhdRp2ryZKrlV Cameron Crescent and Parkhurst Blvd. https://drive.google.com//1WRracYLkTVAmLAdIaVHPcrv8W9B_1WI Randolph Road/Sutherland Drive (north of Millwood) https://drive.google.com//1j7PsKJt0RpNbV3HJuKgARpJwWHG5-Tl Hanna Road/Rumsey Road (north of Millwood) https://drive.google.com//1JB3qqTZKQzKbjvWH65ZOcpUFYsmImzm Millwood Southvale Bessborough Triangle (south of Millwood) https://drive.google.com//1K8Rl3yOtkMB_FW8itLHsR7QXYeHewdd Leacrest Road/Mallory Crescent https://drive.google.com//1JBZLGqcfiZwHGjfQdogV__6mRnpzKrt The full map and list of addresses can be viewed here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit LINK IN BIO!!

Just one week to go until our Leaside Scavenger Hunt! Can you help us by putting something out-of-place on your front lawn or front door for Family Day (next Monday)? If you can help, please let us know by emailing me at [email protected] with your address and letting me know what the item is so that I can add it to the route map/checklist.

If you are reading this, here is a message of hope, kindness and positivity for YOU. :) Feel free to share with those in your networks who may need a little extra encouragement. https://youtu.be/pKuWAnqs75w

https://vimeo.com/468379300 The Big Screen was a night that our club is so proud of. From the organization to the volunteers, our club worked so hard to get all the pieces together. Here is a little video which was put together of the night that highlights our members efforts. Enjoy! ... #thebigscreen #driveinmovie #rotary #rotary7070 #bigscreenready #torontoleaside #torontoleasiderotoryclub #leaside #leasidevillage #volunteers #bigevent #covidsafe #excitingtimes #proudofourteam Credits: CultureShock.tv

Kennedy House is preparing to host their 5th annual CNOY walk on February 20th, 2021. Unlike previous years, this year the event will be virtual which means that participants can walk anywhere and any day in February. On the 20th we they will be hosting an opening ceremony on zoom and posting and sharing lots on social media. This is the largest annual event that they participate in and we are trying hard to meet our goal of 100 walkers and $20,000 raised for the K...ennedy House Youth Shelter and Outreach Programs Check out CNOY location page (NOTE: they are listed as Toronto-Danforth but the event is virtual people can walk from any neighbourhood by themselves or with a small group while maintaining physical distancing). https://cnoy.org/location/torontodanforth Toronto-Leaside Rotary is a proud supporter of the Kennedy House and hope that you too can support their amazing work!! #kennedyhouse #cnoy21 #coldestnightoftheyear #kennedyhouseyouthservices #kennedyhouseyouthshelter #supporttheyouth #covidsafe #walk #virtualevents #virtualwalk #donate #virtualevents #youthempowerment #youthorganization #youthhomelessness #youthjustice #rotary7070 #rotaryhelps #helptheyouth @kennedyhouse1971

This Holiday Season, our club donated to the Scott Mission The Scott Mission is a Christian, non-denominational, faith-based street mission in that serves those in need in downtown Toronto. They have various ministries offering support and provisions for the homeless, low-income families, and children and youth.... #rotary7070 #thescottmission #helpinghands #holidaygiving #supportingthoseinneed #donatingtogoodcauses #supportingthehomeless #supportinggoodcauses #supportingeachother

Another food drive for Thorncliffe is happening TOMORROW (January 4th, 2021)!! If you would like to help, They are accepting monetary donations through the following means: 1. Through Ansaar Foundation's website : ... http://www.ansaarfoundation.com by clicking on DONATE button and from "Apply you donation to a fund set up by this charity", by selecting Thorncliffe Food Drive 2. Through Ansaar Foundation's Paypal https://www.paypal.com/donate/ 3. Direct Payment - e-transfer funds to Masood Alam- [email protected] OR [email protected] 4. Cheques payable to : Ansaar Foundation - For Thorncliffe Residents Food Drive 5. Cash to either our Thorncliffe Residents Group's team or Ansaar's team Together, we can make a difference #fooddrive #thorncliffepark #volunteering #fooddrives #supportthorncliffe #supportthelessfortunate #supportourneighbors #donatenow #donate #helpinghands #newyearfooddrive

Cheers to New Beginnings! May you all have a prosperous new year. Though this year had its share of challenges which impacted meetings, events and staying connected, we have all come together through technology to continue our purpose: service above self. May 2021 continue our work to service the community and make a difference. And may it bring some more positivity to each and every one of you. ... #happynewyear #2021 #positivity #newbeginnings #cheers #rotarynewyear #fingerscrossedforabetteryear #sendinggoodvibes #allthebest

Merry Christmas Everyone! May today bring you lots of joy, health and happiness with those around you. Though this year may look a little different, hope you find ways to make the most out of it! Sending lots of love from the Toronto-Leaside Rotary Club ... #christmaswishes #merrychristmas #christmasseason ##christmasday #safechristmas #covidchristmas

A festive Holiday Lunch for Toronto-Leaside Rotary Club Festive hats, holiday trivia and some giggles. Lots of joy in these meetings during these challenging times #holidaylunch #christmas #rotary #rotarians #holidayseason #christmasiscoming #holidayspirit#friends #fellowship #serviceaboveself #zoommeeting #zoomlife

Happy Holidays from Toronto-Leaside Rotary! This year, we are extremely grateful to be able to support these organizations so far. The beauty of Rotary is a group of diverse people come together for one common goal: service above self. This is shown through this list of organizations we not only have a history in supporting but new organizations which are important to support. Our hope is that the holiday spirit lives on through our initiatives.... #serviceaboveself #rotarygiving #holidayspirit #helpinghands #teamwork #rotary #rotary7070 #happyholidays #makingadifference #rotaryclub #torontoleaside #leasidelife #leasidecommunity #thorncliffe #donation #toydrive #holidayseason #helpingothers #supportingeachother #gratitude #community #makeadifferencetogether #holidaycheer #holidayspirit