Hi friend,

I've been researching the story of a place you probably know by name, but not by its full history: Sunnyside.

Back in the mid-1800s, John George Howard (official surveyor and civil engineer for the government of Toronto, and the first professional architect in the city) bought a big piece of land just west of what was then Toronto.
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To the east of his High Park property, he owned what he called Sunnyside Farm.

There, he built a villa overlooking Lake Ontario: Sunnyside Villa.
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He sold the villa years later, and eventually the land became what is now St. Joseph’s Health Centre.
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The villa is gone, but the name Sunnyside stuck.

Over the years, the land changed a great deal: farmland, villa, orphanage, amusement park, and eventually the beach, park, hospital, and neighbourhood we know today.
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Even though buildings came and went, the name and the idea of Sunnyside stayed alive.

Here’s a simple lesson: what we start today (an idea, a project, a space) can live on in ways we may not fully see.
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Change is normal, but that doesn’t mean the meaning disappears.
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Sometimes, all it takes is a name, a memory, or a story to keep something alive.

Three suggested action items:

1. Take a walk through history​
   Join the #ExperienceTO: Sunnyside Historical Tour and see the land, the beach, and imagine the community's past.
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2. Think about your own Sunnyside​
   Write down one project, initiative, or idea you started. Ask yourself: how might it grow or change? How could its “name” or identity carry forward?
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3. Give meaning to a name​
   Pick one part of your work or life and make sure its name reflects why it matters. Share that story with someone; it helps anchor it beyond today.

Sunnyside shows us that even when the old buildings disappear, the heart of the place can live on.
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We can do the same with what we build, whether it’s a project, a relationship, or a little corner of our world.

I wish you the very best!
Alex Răşcanu
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P.S. If you would like to read all the past life lessons-focused e-newsletters, you can find them ​here​.

P.P.S. If you are interested in attending one of the upcoming free historical tours, you can find them here.