Anne and Bob Lindsay first viewed the grand house in the upscale enclave of Rosedale in the early 1970s, but it wasn't until 1985 that they were able to purchase it.Supplied
22 Binscarth Rd., Toronto
Asking Price: $7,650,000
Taxes: $29,070.05 (2025)
Lot Size: 71.58 by 150.19 feet (irregular)
Agents: Christian Vermast and Paul Maranger, Sotheby’s International Realty Canada
The backstory
When the family was ready to make some changes at number 22 they hired Toronto-based architect Paul Roth. The house now has 4,155 square feet of living space plus a lower level.Supplied
Anne and Bob Lindsay were young first-time parents in the early 1970s when they viewed a grand house in the upscale enclave of Rosedale.
Mr. Lindsay, a corporate tax lawyer at a Bay Street firm, loved the circa 1910 home on Binscarth Road.
“I was thinking, what would I do with a five-month old baby in this house?” laughs Ms. Lindsay, as she recalls her first visit to the 2½-storey dwelling.
The couple settled in another neighbourhood instead, and Ms. Lindsay, who studied home economics at the University of British Columbia and French cuisine at La Varenne in Paris, focused on her career as a writer specializing in food and nutrition.
In 1985, 22 Binscarth Rd. was once again up for sale. By this time the Lindsays had three children, and the five-bedroom house with a centre-hall plan was well-suited to their expanded family.
The couple appreciated the home’s many original details, including bay windows, a gracious entrance with stained glass sidelights in a cherry motif and a formal dining room.
The Lindsays purchased the house, which came with a history of the property written by a previous owner.
The study revealed that the first owners were Emil and Alice Kantel, who bought a parcel of land on Binscarth in 1906 and hired architect Francis Baker to design a new house for the family of six.
Mr. Baker was considered one of the most respected Beaux Arts architects in Eastern Canada, according to a biography on the Ontario Association of Architects website.
After his studies in Canada and England, the architect designed notable buildings in Toronto’s financial district, along with churches and hospitals in smaller cities, during his 30-year career.
The history of the house describes a building set back on the lot to create a park-like setting. The front façade of rough stone and shingles was more typical of a country residence than a city house, the paper notes.
As the family settled in, Ms. Lindsay was wrapping up her first cookbook.
Smart Cooking: Quick and Tasty Recipes for Healthy Living was created in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society and published in 1986.
“I had always wanted to write a cookbook. I just needed that push,” says Ms. Lindsay of the day a magazine editor on the board of the cancer society tapped her on the shoulder.
Smart Cooking was soon a mainstay in many home kitchens and Ms. Lindsay became a familiar face to Canadians as she made regular appearances on talk and cooking shows across the country.
The house today
The kitchen at 22 Binscarth became the hard-working test lab for Ms. Lindsay as she authored The Lighthearted Cookbook and other bestselling books.
Over the years, she collaborated with the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Medical Association and the United Way. In 2003, she was appointed to the Order of Canada for her contributions to promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Ms. Lindsay preferred not to test recipes in a commercial kitchen, she says, because she wanted home cooks to be able to successfully replicate the dishes.
“I cooked from scratch – that was the healthy way of cooking,” she says.
A friend from her days at UBC, dietitian Shannon Graham, lived nearby and helped create the recipes for soups, muffins, appetizers, mains and desserts that encouraged home cooks to cut back on fat and salt. The flavour came from such ingredients as garlic, ginger and fresh herbs.
“Our families were very good critics because they didn’t mind telling us if they didn’t like something,” Ms. Lindsay says with a smile.
After living in the house for a time, the family was ready to make some changes at number 22.
They hired Toronto-based architect Paul Roth to extend the back of the house and create a larger kitchen, which also provided a better connection with the family room added by a previous owner.
Today the house has 4,155 square feet of living space plus a lower level.
There’s a formal living room with a fireplace and a bow window overlooking the front garden, while the family room at the rear provides a space for relaxed gathering with a walkout to the garden and pool.
Over the years, the formal dining room has been the setting for fundraisers for the United Way, Rosedale United Church and other organizations.
Ms. Lindsay would prepare dinner, and bidders competed for the chance to attend the soirée.
Upstairs the home has a large primary suite with a bedroom overlooking the garden, and an ensuite bathroom with a walk-in shower and soaker tub.
A second bedroom with ensuite is currently used as a library.
That level also has a third bedroom, a renovated family bathroom and Ms. Lindsay’s home office overlooking the front garden.
The third level has two additional bedrooms and a bathroom.
Outside, the house is surrounded by mature trees and perennial gardens.
The L-shaped backyard pool was already in place when the Lindsays moved in. The kids spent lots of time swimming, and now a new generation does as well.
“The grandkids absolutely love it, and we see them a lot more often,” says Ms. Lindsay.
The best feature
Ms. Lindsay has made regular appearances on talk and cooking shows across Canada, and her kitchen layout allows family members and guests to gather without getting in the way of prep.Supplied
The kitchen has white Shaker-style cabinets, a large centre island and plenty of shelves and cupboards for display and storage. The breakfast area has a skylight above and French doors opening to the terrace.
Ms. Lindsay says the layout provides space for family members and guests to gather without getting in the way of the prep.
She worked with the architect to create efficient storage for the vast assortment of pans, dishes, trays and serving platters she used in her work.
“I love my kitchen,” she says of the bright and open space with a view of the back garden.