Letter from the editor
As I sit down to write this note, there is a full moon outside my window — and that has me thinking about the solstice that will soon mark the shortest day of the year. Though we are still a week away, I do know that it won’t be long before we see the days moving inch-by-inch to the sunlight.
This publication marks the third anniversary of A letter from George. A quarterly note that is intended to contribute to a sense of neighbourliness within the building and the townhouses. Diana’s drinks, Noëlle’s playlists, and Nancy’s ability to connect people and services within the neighbourhood have all been highlights of building content each quarter. And you won’t be disappointed with this edition!
Thank’s to each of you for your contributions!
On a more somber note, we are also sharing the sad news of the loss of one of our neighbours. You will find Nancy’s tribute to Andrei here.
Susan Prince
In Memorium — Andrei Baitchik
Earlier this fall, this vertical neighbourhood lost one of its neighbours. Andrei Baitchik died unexpectedly on September 23, 2024, after falling ill and spending two weeks in ICU.
Hailing from Belarus, Andrei travelled and worked throughout the world. With a UCLA MBA and Engineering degree, Andrei was an accomplished professional, devoted partner and proud doggie dad.
Andrei and Wade Cole met fifteen years ago while both working in South Africa. As original owners, Wade and Andrei made The George their home in 2021. After settling in here, they added sweet Rudy, their labrador, to their family.
Andrei and Wade volunteered at The Good Shepherd Ministries, a 60 year old institution that began as a shelter in near-by Riverside for men and a place to get a hot meal. It has grown to be much more thanks to volunteers like Andrei and Wade. At the Good Shepherd, Andrei’s final legacy was the donation of most of his clothing and footwear to those in need.
Wade, we offer you our most heartfelt condolences and support.
This holiday season let’s take a moment to reflect and remember those who have left us but will never be forgotten. May those who knew Andrei carry with them happy memories of time spent in his company.
Nancy Lee-Sing
Hanukkah in the lobby
Our trees are up in the lobby, the planters out front have festive greenery and wreaths adorn some of the unit doors. It’s beginning to look a lot like the winter solstice!
Last year, there was a Menorah in the lobby and rest assured, it will be displayed again. This year, the first lighting lines up with Christmas day. At sundown, the Menorah will be lit and Rupam has volunteered to take the lead on this first day. Anyone and everyone is welcome to join in on the lighting for all eight days. Should you wish to say a blessing, the floor will be yours, just let us know.
Wishing everyone a happy holiday season.
Nancy Lee-Sing
GREETINGS FROM THE BOARD:
Season’s Greetings, Neighbours!
We’re in a festive mood as 2024 draws to a close. We hope everyone enjoys the seasonal greenery in the front entry planters and we’d like to thank Nancy Lee-Sing and David Prince for getting our trees set-up in the lobby.
For your own Christmas trees, should you be putting up a real tree, please remember to wrap your tree in a tree bag for transferring both to and from your unit. This will prevent needles shedding throughout the building. There will be a designated spot in the loading dock for tree disposal starting January 6th. All real trees are to be brought to the loading dock for disposal by no later than January 15th. Please remove your tree bag once you’ve deposited your tree in the designated area as the service that picks up the trees will not take them if they are bagged or wrapped.
Our AGM will be held on January 8th at 6:30pm. AGM notices have been sent via email from Condonexus. We have a director position opening up as our Secretary/Treasurer, Kelsey McRae, will be stepping down from the board. Kelsey’s expertise and presence on the George board will be greatly missed and we’d like to thank Kelsey for her contributions over the past 3 years. To any owners wishing to run for election, please be sure to notify management and the board and submit your name, address, resume and disclosure information form by no later than Thursday, December 19th .
Finally, please join us in welcoming to the George staff, our new Superintendent/Cleaner, Benigno (Ben) Gil.
We’re proud of the diverse and inclusive community that continues to thrive at the George and would like to wish the happiest of Holidays to all.
Sincerely,
James, Kelsey & Noëlle
V(ery) I(mportant) P(et)
I am Bonny and I am a VIP, Very Important Pet.
Let’s get ready to rumble!!! That’s the announcement I hear in my head when it is dog park play time and I have all my friends around. It’s kinda like I hear a bell in the ring and it is wrestle time!
I couldn’t love my humans Susanne and Matt anymore. It’s just not possible. I love them so much I wake them up at 4am just for cuddles. Ahhhh, life is good.
They call me Bons and Bonny Girl and those names make sense…Snoofs, Snoofy Wooferson are my other nicknames and not quite sure how they came to be but I love them all. I also love my neighbour Eric. If he doesn’t pet me through our shared fence, I have to admit, I get a little sad. I woof you Eric.
I am skilled at destroying toys but there are a few Fluff and Tuff stuffies that I hold near and dear to my heart. I have Morley the Mallard and another that was once a narwhal but it lost its tusk (I wonder how, ha ha ha) and now it’s living life as a whale. If not playing with those, remember this, “ball is life”.
I have a goal in life and that is to trick my mom and dad into giving me a second dinner. If I can accomplish it, know what I’ll do? I’ll act out the whole Lady and the Tramp spaghetti scene and invite my sweetie Ella. She may live floors up above me but I can always sense her being around. Even if I am out, I smell her from around the corner or down the street. My little tush starts wiggle-waggling and whoever is walking me knows, Ella is near.
I want to wish all my friends, two and four legged, a very safe and happy holiday season.
Nancy Lee-Sing
The Red Door Shelter Donation Drive – Message from Nancy
Dear neigbours,
I am encouraging you to help support The Red Door Shelter located in our neighbourhood and I’d like to tell you a little about how donating to this shelter had a big impact for me.
Several years ago, I was renovating top to bottom and had furniture, cabinetry and many household items that I was replacing. Donating was the way to go. My contractors and I loaded two trucks and headed to a shelter location – which is kept secret from the public. We were buzzed through a gate and waited in front of steel doors to be unlocked by the staff — I was shocked by the amount of security that was necessary to keep these women and children safe. The three men I had with me were not permitted beyond the loading dock area. They unloaded everything and waited for me as I was allowed in. I went through two sets of doors that would close upon emergency lock downs. There I saw the dorm-like rooms that housed the individual families, some without any personal belongings. These women and children fled with only the clothing on their backs. Heartbreaking.
The donations I brought would go to helping set up housing for these families as they move on out of the shelter. For their sake, I hoped it would be sooner than later. For some reason, I had a collection of stuffed animals and toys that came along with the furniture. While not usually accepted, I was allowed to distribute them to the kids. What are the odds of me having 14 items and there being 14 kids there? Pretty darn good. I gave something to each child and watched their eyes well up with tears or their smiles stretch from ear to ear. It was December and I suppose I brought a little gift of Christmas to their temporary home.
Back to my guys. They watched this on the security cameras, saw the appreciation and gratitude. I was overwhelmed – sad that these families were in this situation yet happy I was able to help and fortunate that I was able to make a difference. I just said I was overwhelmed but my three burly guys were in tears, uncontrollable tears. One wrote a substantial cheque and left it with admin. Another cried the entire way home and the third one began collecting whatever was suitable from his future jobs. All this to say, once eyes are opened, hearts are opened and while sounding a little pollyanna-ish, the world can become a bit better.
Please consider a donation to The Red Door Shelter – it will go a long way to helping families through a very dark time. The shelter is in great need of personal care items, food and baby formula and diapers. They are also asking for gift cards to our local groceries. Our help will go a long way to keep the Red Door and the work they are doing going and help women and their kids set up new lives, safe and happy. Now that is a great holiday gift!
The Martini: A Festive Holiday Cocktail
As the holiday season approaches, the martini is a versatile and festive cocktail perfect for any celebration. Whether you prefer classic gin or a vodka version, the martini can easily be customized to match the spirit of the season. Add a splash of cranberry juice or infuse your spirit with rosemary or citrus. It’s both sophisticated and elegant, perfect for toasting at holiday parties, cozy gatherings, or New Year’s Eve celebrations. Serve it in a chilled glass garnished with olives or a twist of lemon and it will easily become the star of your holiday festivities. Cheers to a season filled with joy, laughter and perfect martinis – both shaken and stirred.
CLASSIC MARTINI
Ingredients:
2 oz gin or vodka
½ oz dry vermouth
Olives or lemon peel for garnish
Method:
Fill a martini glass with ice and cold water; set aside for a few minutes. Fill a metal shaker with ice. Add the gin or vodka and dry vermouth to the shaker and stir. Empty the ice water from the cocktail glass and strain the cocktail into the glass. Add a lemon twist or a cocktail olive or two for garnish.
To pair with this simple, classic cocktail I’ve chosen an app that my parents served at many a cocktail party.
LARAINE HARRIS’ OLIVE BALLS
Ingredients:
Manzanilla cocktail olives
½ cup butter
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup flour
1 tsp paprika
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix cheese and butter into dry mixture. Wrap mixture around each olive. Freeze for 20 minutes prior to baking. Bake for 20 minutes. Recipe makes approx. 20 olive balls.
Diana Harris
Holiday Pop Playlist
Hosting a Holiday Party? Need an energized soundtrack to tackle your pre-Christmas To Do List? Look no further than our curated festive playlist:
Noëlle Jenkinson
The Little Drummer Boy drumroll please…
As of December 1st the total in the recycling kitty was $257.70. This was after our successful and fun Fall social in September and generous donation of $700 to The Daily Bread Food Bank on behalf of the residents of The George. This donation will go a long way in helping feed Torontonians dealing with food insecurity.
Currently, Christine Oddy heads up the recycling and is looking for help with taking care of the returns. Carol Fitzpatrick has been a great asset and they are looking for more people to help with the return duties. If interested, your assistance would be welcomed.
As we head into 2025, let’s continue to be diligent in our disposal of our recycling and drop your alcohol/beer/wine/cider vessels in the appropriate bins.
Thanks to all who participated in the past year. Most appreciated!
The George Condominium and Towns Staff
Another year at The George has been a year of management and staff changes. At this time, we’d like to thank the team that works hard to keep it all running.
Building Manager: Ivan Lara
Weekday Security: Rupamdeep “Rupam” Kaur Nagi
Weekend Security: Krishma Rajput
Cleaner: Benigno “Ben” Gil
Board Members:
James Cooper
Kelsey McRae
Noëlle Jenkinson
A Letter From George 