Letter from the editor
With a mere week away until summertime is official, I think we are all hoping to tuck the cardigans away and enjoy some warmer weather. Nancy’s musing have reminded me about the power of noticing my surroundings — it doesn’t need a trip to a faraway place to be taken by the beauty around us. And when you stroll around the ‘hood you can do so with a bit of a history behind the street names thanks to Nancy’s research.
It’s patio season — and Diana has created a new summertime cocktail and appetizer, perfect for a Friday night wind-down.
Nancy also previewed the Canadian cottage summertime playlist — and rumour has it there was dancing in the kitchen!
My grandmother used to refer to the page in the newspaper with the births and deaths as the ‘comings and goings’ section. We have a new (baby) arrival and some (canine) departures you can read about in this edition of the Letter.
Enjoy the summer and we will return to your in-box in September.
Susan Prince
Beauty is all around us
Not that you need an excuse to walk around Leslieville but personally, I am grateful for my dog Moose. Sometimes, I let him lead the way and we end up walking along streets I normally would not walk. Along our travels, I began snapping a few photos of what makes our neighbourhood so beautiful at this time of year. So many blossoms are opening, the air is fragrant with lilacs and pockets of colour can be found popping out of green, pressed up against houses or high in the sky. Take a moment to take a stroll without blinders and without the sense of urgency to get from point A to B. Enjoy what is around, soak it in, clear your mind and just marvel in what Mother Nature has brought us!
Nancy Lee-Sing
Summer snacks and sips
Each year brings new food and drink and trends, and 2025 is no different. This year’s popular trend highlights two of my favourite snacks: Hummus and Dill pickles to create a wildly addictive flavour. Whether you’re a pickle fanatic, a hummus loyalist, or just snack-curious, this unique dip deserves a spot in your fridge. Whether you make it yourself or buy it at your local grocery store, give it a try, your taste buds will thank you.
Here is my recipe for Dill Pickle Hummus:
Ingredients:
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2–3 dill pickles, chopped
- 2 tbsp pickle brine
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1–2 tsp dried or fresh dill
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Toss everything in a food processor.
- Blend until smooth. Add water or extra brine to thin as needed
- Taste and adjust seasoning
- Garnish with thin slices of pickles
- Chill and serve with crackers or veggies
- Snacks and cocktails go together like peas and carrots or in this case cucumber and dill.
I’ve paired the dill pickle hummus with a Cucumber Lemon Gin spritz. Cucumber echoes the freshness of the dill, lemon adds brightness and intensifies the lemon in the hummus making it the perfect counterpart.
Here is my recipe for a Cucumber Lemon Gin Spritz:
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Empress Gin (or any cucumber-infused Gin)
- 1 oz St Germain Elderflower
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 0.5 oz simple syrup
- 6 slices of muddled cucumber
- Strain and top with club soda or sparkling water
Garnish: Edible flower (violet to matches the Empress purple) and/or a cucumber ribbon and dill sprig. Serve over plenty of ice and enjoy!
Diana Harris
Cottage Weekend Playlist
Canada Day is just two weeks away. That means celebrating our national pride – which has seen renewed passion in the current political environment. For many it also means packing up and heading north for a long holiday weekend – a truly iconic Canadian summertime ritual. What better way to do both than to load up the car and cue up a Canadian soundtrack for the road trip with our curated playlist, George’s Canadian Cottage Weekend:
Noëlle Jenkinson
Greetings from the Board
Hello Neighbours! It’s mid-June and we’ve heard a rumour that summer is merely days away – we can only hope.
With the anticipated summer weather, comes time spent outside enjoying all mother nature has to offer. We’re pleased with the landscaping under way with our new contractor, and George resident, Christine Oddy. We hope you’ve noticed the planting and much needed restorative work that Christine has undertaken with the various planters and garden beds.
Recently, we were made aware of an intruder who gained access to the building and stole packages delivered for residents. Through investigation, we can confirm that the intruder gained entry by following a resident into the building. Please do not let anyone into the building unless you know them to live in the building. We cannot stress enough that vigilance on this matter is key in keeping our vertical neighbourhood safe.
We were very saddened to see our Property Manager, Ivan Lara, move on to another position with First Residential, but we do wish him every success. We do have a temp PM in place who is being overseen by our Regional Manager, Angelo Kaja. We can now announce that our new Property Manager will be Rossana Galleguillos. Rosanna will start at the George on June 23rd. We look forward to welcoming Rossana and working with her as she familiarizes herself with the George and we begin working on budgets for the next fiscal year.
As a reminder, the minutes of the monthly board meetings – which are held toward the end of each month – are available via Building Link under “Building Library”. Please note that minutes for each meeting are approved at the following month’s meeting. This means that minutes are posted to Building Link approximately one month after each meeting.
Finally, we’d like to congratulate former board member Kelsey McRae and partner, John Torrens, on the birth of their son, James.
Please have a happy and safe summer!
Sincerely,
James, Noëlle and Stephen
Coffee + Pasta + Toast = Tatsuro’s
Walking into 1378 Queen Street East is like walking into a Japanese Panya San. No wait, walking into an Italian Trattoria. No, walking into a specialty coffee house or Kissaten. What you’re actually walking into is Tatsuro’s, Leslieville’s newest gem and the brain child of Oscar Lau. “It is a Japanese meets Italian daytime diner with the tagline Coffee+Pasta+Toast” says Lau. Right before the pandemic, Oscar helped develop an Italian-Japanese menu for Café N’ One, his Aunt’s Markham restaurant. Lau continues, “The success of that venture inspired me to step out on my own. We spent years perfecting key recipes, particularly the shokupan and mochi waffle recipes”.
In February Tatsuro’s doors opened. The goal was to make “people feel like they’re in our house. My design aesthetic is simply ‘living room’. Decorated with finds from Value Village, the green and white space is reminiscent of mom and pop Kissaten coffee shops and tea rooms” says Lau.
Oscar who studied culinary management at George Brown and his dream team, chef Maggie Wong, partner and chef Charlie Fung, have created what they call a modern take on a 1950’s Japanese listening bar. The trio share a love of both Italian and Japanese food and Oscar is an accomplished bread-baker, skills picked up while working at Crust Baking Company. So when they came across this location with what Oscar calls “a Toronto white whale – a kitchen that could accommodate my bread-baking obsession”, it was a no brainer. That doesn’t mean they didn’t have challenges. Not realizing that, as he puts it that “brunch is a veritable blood sport” in Leslieville. Upon opening they weren’t prepared for the line ups and the crowds, especially since the Ashbridge’s Bay Flea Market was on. As they don’t take reservations, the management of wait lists was a learning curve. Not the worst problem an establishment can have.
As Oscar says, “We like to keep it simple. I think that’s the philosophy with most Japanese food. You don’t need to put a lot of garnish on things. If you do everything right, then you don’t need any extra distraction – the food will speak for itself”. Maggie, a former corporate photographer has captured this beautifully. Check out Tatsuro’s on Instagram.
If Japan and Italy had a pasta baby, I think it would be the Wafu Carbonara, one of their standout dishes. Oscar describes it as, “A lighter take on the Roman classic using citrus soy sauce and nori instead of traditional heavy cream. Citrus soy sauce lightens the traditional carbonara and nori adds salt and brininess”. My opinion, a must try.
The Minimalist highlights the technique of onsen eggs, soft cooked eggs that form custard-like whites and a creamy yolk. These eggs are gently poached over a low temperature with soy and shichimi broth. Served with garlic butter brushed shokupan bread and garnished with nori and salt, every bite makes your mouth dance with glee.
Karaage Muffle is one more item to highlight. It is crispy Japanese fried chicken with miso syrup on Tatsuro’s signature mochi waffle. Delish!
I’d be remiss if I didn’t speak to the standout staple that is the Shokupan bread. The subtle sweetness of this milky, airy and beautifully fluffy bread is heavenly. This bread is gently toasted and served four different ways. A definite go to in my books. Paired with a specialty coffee or matcha, prepared by head barista Nahro Hakimi, it is perfect.
Natsuki Nakanishi, FOH Manager and team are on point with offering suggestions and tending to your dining needs. They make you feel welcomed and your business valued. When you leave, it will be with going back in mind. The desire to try everything on the menu is real.
Hours of Operation:
Monday, Wednesday-Friday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Tuesday: Closed
Saturday-Sunday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
No reservations
Nancy Lee-Sing
Leslieville BIA events update
I did a little check in to see what the BIA has going on in the ‘hood:
Leslieville2Win
Shop Leslieville2win is back. It started in mid-May but you’ve still have a couple weeks to get in on the chance to win. Weekly draws of $1,000 to split with the local business you’ve visited/reviewed and entered in the draw online and there is a $1,500 grand prize. All you’ve got to do is photograph/scan your receipt of $10 or more from a local business and submit it on the Leslieville2win website.
In Spring of 2024, there were just over 3,000 total entries and this go round, almost 1,400 in the first two weeks. The odds of winning are pretty good.
This is a BIA event with sponsorship from Jenny and Shane, local realtors and devoted Leslievillers. FYI – Shane was one of the original owners of a unit in this building!!!
Queen East Eats
The Annual Queen East Eats event is back! In partnership with the Riverside BIA, al fresco dining along Queen Street East is forefront in our minds as the weather continues to improve. If you follow the Leslieville BIA IG account, you’ll be able to see weekly patio features and get to participate in the monthly giveaways of a gift card pack of 4 gift cards to 4 different restaurants/cafes/eateries in both Leslieville and Riverside. Supporting local is the Leslieville way.
Arrivals at the George
Our Community is growing! On May 16th at 6:11pm, Kelsey McRae and John Torrens welcomed their son, James John Torrens. At birth, James weighed in at a healthy 8.5 lbs and measured 52.7 cm.
According to his spokespeople, wee James enjoys long walks in the bassinet. His parents would like to apologize to all their fifth floor neighbours for any crying noises as they navigate parenthood for the first time.
Welcome to the George, sweet baby James – and congratulations to Mom and Dad!
V(ery) I(mportant) P(ets) – In memoriam
In the recent weeks The George has lost two canine friends.
Chester
Born: September 10, 2010 Died: May 26, 2025
Chester was a stereo-typical Jack Russell, feisty to outsiders, but gentle and cuddly to those he trusted. Chester was an original resident of The George – and like us, he found the transition to condo living was a little tougher than he had anticipated. As neighbours Chester and I weren’t sure what to make of each other, he wasn’t sure whether he needed to be feisty or friendly with me. Over time, we got to know each other better – a little scratch behind the ear, a little conversation in the hallway with Chester’s people, Alex and Nicole, and slowly but surely Chester opted for friendly – and we got to see his softer side.
In his final year as his health declined, Alex and Nicole always made sure Chester was comfortable. We will miss you Chester.
Fergus
Born: September 26, 2014 Died: February 24, 2025
Fergus was the Boston Terrier companion of Catherine and Mo. Full of personality Fergus could be seen around the neighbourhood happily checking out the gardens and people in the neighbourhood. He had surmounted illness last year and was able to give his people a few more months of companionship before he declined in February of this year. Catherine and Mo made sure that his final weeks were comfortable and filled with love. Fergus, you will be missed.
Our ‘hood. Street names explained
It has been a little while since we covered off some Leslieville history. I thought it would be fun to enlighten all of us on the streets around our block and how they got their names. Just a little tidbit of our history.
Agnes Lane
“The Maple Leaf Forever”, penned by Alexander Muir in 1867 was inspired by the maple tree (sadly now a trunk) in front of the home, Maple Cottage, he shared with his first wife Agnes Thompson. In 2000, Toronto City Council approved the recommendation that the lane which runs from Queen to Maple Leaf Forever Park be named after Agnes.
Eastern Avenue
Up until November 27, 1876, Eastern Avenue was known as South Park Street. The name change was quite logical as it was the ‘eastern route’ out of town.
Knox Avenue
John Knox Leslie was the son of George Leslie Sr. who was the founder of Toronto Nurseries. He was an alderman and prominent businessman in Toronto and played a key role in the development of Toronto. It was for these reasons that Lake Street was renamed Knox Avenue.
Laing Street
Our street to the west was named after boat builders and fishermen, the Laings. The boats were actually built just down the street at Laing and Eastern.
Memory Lane
Named by residents for just that, the Memory of Leslieville from years gone by.
Queen Street
Prior to 1884 what we know as Queen Street was known as Kingston Road. The named changed from Kingston Road to Queen Street after Queen Victoria. It was at this time that the street became the gateway to the Beach.
An additional bit of information, what we know as Kingston Road was originally called Governor’s Road.
Sears Street
In 1866 Charles Sears, a brick-maker, left Somerset and came to Canada. He his wife Sarah and their children lived in Leslieville. Upon arrival, Charles continued with his brick-making and his additional skill of building tunnels. Sadly he came to an untimely death on Jones Avenue. While digging to repair a dried well some forty-two feet down, he hit a pocket of natural gas and suffocated.
That’s a little history to our immediate surroundings. I know it has encouraged me to do a lot of research into the neighbourhood we call home.
Bottles + Cans = Cash
The effort continues. According to Christine Oddy, as of May 31, there is a total of $614.10 in the recycling collection.
It appears that we have quite a few new owners and tenants in the building, so here is a little information for you.
We encourage all residents to bring all of their alcoholic vessels (bottles, cans and tetra packs) down to the garbage area. There are bins, labelled for different types of vessels in the vestibule adjacent to the compactor room. Please place your booze containers there for weekly returns to The Beer Store. The money collected goes towards an annual party. It’s a great way to spend time with your fellow George people and enjoy our fabulous amenity space on the 8th floor. There will be an end of summer gathering and planning is in the works. Details will be provided in due course.
Additionally, directly across from there, you’ll find black bins for the disposal of other household items such as batteries and lightbulbs and small electronics. There is a blue drum for cooking oils/grease. Bring down your oil/grease (in a container you won’t get back) and leave it on top. Ben will take care of it. Lastly, there is also a large bin for household textiles, ie clothing, towels, bedding which is picked up by an outside source.
Let’s continue to keep these items out of landfills and we’ll all benefit.
Happy Recycling!
A Letter From George 