Flower Plus at Leaside - Shared History

Leaside is a neighbourhood in Toronto and one of the most and popular at it! Being such a sought after neighbourhood in the city, it is not surprising that Leaside has quickly become one of the most expensive real estate districts in Toronto.

Leaside is especially in demand by upper-middle-income families that see the neighbourhood's abundant green spaces, parks, schools and recreation facilities an ideal place to raise children. Besides all that, Leaside also neighbours the bustling Bayview avenue, with big box and boutique stores alike, restaurants that take you in a worldly experience, and excellent public transit access.

HISTORY

Leaside was first settled by the Philapdelphian pioneer John Lea in 1819. A few decades later, in the 1850s, Lea's oldest son William built an eight-sided octagonal shaped house near today's Leaside Memorial Gardens. This octagonal-shaped house was appropriately named Leaside, which has been the neighbourhoods name ever since. 

In 1923 the Canadian Northern Railway incorporated the Town of Leaside on the land that had formerly been owned by the Lea family. The town has historical significance as the only town planned in complete detail before a single building was built.

The company wanted to attract both industrial and residential growth. Although several factors prevented a rapid residential growth (especially the fact that it was isolated), industrial development picked up along the Canadian Pacific corridor, which was accelerated by the First World War munitions factories. 

In 1913 the Canada Wire and Cable Company became the first of many firms to establish themselves in Leaside. During World War I, the Canadian Government set up several airfields to train pilots, mechanics and maintenance crews for the Royal Flying Corps, and Leaside was one of them. In 1918 the Leaside Airfield made Canadian aviation history as the terminus of the first airmail flight in Canada, which travelled from Montreal to Toronto. 

The town didn't see much growth until the late 1930s, remaining at a population of only 500 or less until around that time. That scenery changed during the World War II and the establishment of defence industries in the area, such as Research Enterprises Ltd. It resulted in significant population growth, and by 1946 Leaside had a population of over ten thousand.

After the war, Leaside became an important bedroom community for the city of Toronto before merging with the Township of East York to become part of The Borough of East York in 1967. In 1997, The Borough of East York amalgamated with the City of Toronto.

Interesting Fact: Over the years, Leaside has been home of several interesting characters - Prime Minister Stephen Harper was born in Leaside, and former Toronto Maple Leafs players Darcy Tucker and Doug Gilmour also used to live in the neighbourhood. Former NHL player Nick Kypreos is another well-known Leaside resident.

LEASIDE LIFESTYLE

Bayview Avenue and neighbouring areas feature an excellent selection of shops and restaurants. Since this is a popular neighbourhood with families, many local stores are geared towards children and families. Bayview Avenue is also locally famous for its specialty stores, antique shops and neighbourhood cafes and eateries that attract a clientele from all over the city.

Eglinton Avenue is another local shopping destination. Bayview and Eglinton's intersection was also home to Toronto's first strip mall, known as Sunnybrook Plaza, located at the intersection's north-eastern corner. 

Amongst the many quaint shops in the neighbourhood, you will find Flower Plus on Bayview. Established in 1985, Flower Plus has provided special floral arrangements that inspire and delight the senses to Leaside and Toronto's families, friends, loved ones and corporations since its early days. 

Located in Bayview Avenue's core, Flower Plus is a family-owned and operated flower shop committed to our customers' total satisfaction. We believe in offering the highest standard in arrangements, creating innovative, modern and classic florist designs using only the freshest flowers in the market.

Our store is at the Bayview Leaside area's heartbeat, located just a few steps off Eglinton Avenue. Throughout the years, we saw the many changes in our neighbourhood and city and were an integral part of thousands of memorable moments for our clients and friends. 

Flower Plus is synonymous with DESIGN, INSPIRATION and DISTINCTION, which are the core principles that guide our creative source in meeting our client's every need. We buy our fresh flowers daily from the Ontario Flowers Grower Co-Op to ensure the best quality.

A variety of styles and designs can be easily achieved through traditional, contemporary, and innovative techniques ranging from custom-designed fresh arrangements, beautiful hand-tied bouquets, decorative arrangements, plants, and orchids. Flowers Plus also offers high-end permanent floral arrangements.

At Flower Plus, we strive to exceed our clients' expectations and pride ourselves in offering a personal and friendly experience with exceptional customer service.