The iconic “Leslieville dollhouse” is being given a final sendoff this Sunday as its new owners endeavour to clear the hundreds of dolls, toys, teddy bears, and signs from its front yard and porch.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., everyone is welcome to stop by, snap a photo, and take home a keepsake from the unique dwelling at 37 Bertmount Ave.
Bradley Sutherland and his partner recently purchased the semi-detached, three-bedroom house near Queen Street East and Jones Avenue and plan to renovate it. But first, they said they need to remove the trinkets.
“We wanted to make sure people have an opportunity to come out to say goodbye … to honour the previous owner’s goal of (bringing) joy and fun,” he said, adding that the farewell event also dubs as a fundraiser for MLSE’s Change the Game campaign, which raises funds and awareness to address systemic barriers preventing youth from reaching their full potential.
In exchange for one of the toys, people are asked to pay what they can, either with cash or through an online donation.
Sutherland told CP24.com earlier this week that he and his husband, who is a builder, had been looking for a home where they could put down roots and decided to check out 37 Bertmount at the urging of their realtor.
“We had taken a break from looking for a house, but we went to see it and we just went for it,” he said.
Currently, the couple live in a condo on Queen’s Quay. This is their first house.
“We want to have a family and this place made sense,” Sutherland said, adding the plan is to re-do the house room by room.
Sutherland also noted that they wanted a “project … something that we could make our own,” adding that the inside of the house “definitely needs some TLC.”
And while it is livable, Sutherland said for the next six or so months or so, they’ll focus on renovating it before moving in.
37 Bertmount was previously owned by Shirley Sumaisar, who lived there for more than five decades.
Initially, she grew a large garden out front, but her son, Tom, said that became too hard to manage.
Sumaisar then started putting toys and signs on her home’s porch and front yard about 20 years ago, and things just progressed from there.
During a recent interview with CTV News Toronto, Tom said that they decided that the time had come to sell his mother’s home to spend more quality time with her and take care of her.
Taking this step is “very emotional” for her, he said, but it must be done.
“This is (my mom’s) life … She’s very upset that she’s going to leave, but it’s for her health and to be safer and closer to family,” Tom said.
“It is a sad time for us. My mom loves her house. She wishes she could stay here, but it’s just too big to maintain.”
One of Toronto’s most well-known and most-photographed houses, the property was put up for sale in July for $999,000. It sold for $900,000 after about a month on the market.
