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'Dreams going up in flames': Sunnybrook Stables founder mourns losses in fire

Garry Leeson founded the horseback riding school in 1968 and although he sold the stables decades ago, the fire — which destroyed parts of the property and killed 16 horses — affected him deeply.

An overnight fire earlier this week damaged the property and killed 16 horses

Ilina Ghosh · CBC News ·
Garry Leeson, founder of the Sunnybrook Stables riding school, stands on the grounds during a recent visit to the property. (Courtesy of Garry Leeson)

Garry Leeson describes the fire at Sunnybrook Stables as his "dreams going up in flames."

The avid equestrian founded the horseback riding school in 1968 and although he sold the stables decades ago, the fire — which destroyed parts of the property on Monday and killed 16 horses — affected him deeply. 

"I was still very involved in it, emotionally, if nothing else. And to see all of that go up in flames and those 16 horses, that was just terrible. The fact that they couldn't get them out, the fire had developed to the point that there was no getting them out, it was just hard to take."

Leeson founded the riding school after his time as a constable with mounted unit of the Toronto police. (Courtesy of Garry Leeson )

Now in his 70s, Leeson was just 16 when he put in the paperwork to begin the riding school in Toronto's Don Mills area in the early 1960s.

Riding his horse along the Don River, Leeson had stumbled upon the sweeping two-hundred acre Sunnybrook Farm, established in 1909.

"It struck me… 'Jeez, this would be the perfect spot to have a riding school,'" he told CBC Toronto. 

"I don't know what possessed me, but I put together a detailed proposal of what I would do and what should be done to make it into a proper riding school. I submitted it to the parks department and I got a quick dismissal, a disparaging letter. So I forgot about it and years went by."

A brochure for services at the Central Don Stables, now known as the Sunnybrook Stables. (Courtesy of Garry Leeson)

By 1968, Leeson was a constable in the mounted division of the city's police force when his idea received approval from the city. He left his job to build the riding school, now known as Sunnybrook Stables.

Leeson, who has loved horses since his childhood, says it was challenging to ride in Toronto and wanted to establish a school in the city that made riding more accessible and affordable.

"I was a Cabbagetown kid and I had a hell of a time getting a job with horses and learning everything I had learned, so I wanted to have a stable in the city," he said.

"So that's what I did and it actually worked out and we turned out to be the largest riding school in Canada. We had hundreds of students coming in all the time."

The Central Don Stables as Leeson left it. The property would later be known as Sunnybrook Stables. (Courtesy of Garry Leeson)

While the property has changed hands a number of times since he owned it, Leeson says other owners continued with his vision.

"Up until last week, it seemed that the dream that I'd had as a kid was still happening."

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