New owners of Toronto's beloved 'Leslieville dollhouse' give back

A large crowd of people hoping to collect a piece of Toronto history gathered outside the “Leslieville dollhouse” Sunday, as the new owners of the beloved east-end home gave away the dolls, toys, knick-knacks, and teddy bears that covered the property.

“We wanted to give people an opportunity to come out and have one last look at it, take a piece home, and go from there,” Bradley Sutherland, who purchased the property with his partner last month, told CP24.

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For the last 20 years, anyone who’s walked by the home near Queen Street and Jones Avenue would be hard-pressed to miss the uniquely decorated residence.

The previous owner, Shirley Sumaisar, lived on Bertmount Avenue for more than five decades and began placing her growing collection of trinkets on her front porch and lawn. However, in an interview with CTV News Toronto, Sumaisar’s son, Tom, explained that recently, the family decided the time had come to sell his mother’s home to spend more quality time with her.

“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,” he 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.”

The property hit the market in July for $999,000 and sold for $99,000 under asking the next month.

Sutherland and his partner have said they plan to renovate the semi-detached, three-bedroom home but needed to part ways with the characteristic ornaments first.

To do that, the new homeowners organized Sunday’s giveaway as a charitable event in collaboration with MLSE’s Change the Game campaign. In exchange for a tchotchke, guests were asked to make a cash or online donation to the campaign.

“It’s a great organization that helps youth in the city, and this home has brought so much joy to youth in the city, so we thought it would be a great alignment to give back,” Sutherland said.

With files from Joanna Lavoie