Case Study

Leaside Strengthens Financial Operations with Scalability

Leaside Memorial Community Gardens is a City of Toronto community sports complex that serves thousands of visitors each year. The centre has grown significantly over the years, expanding to two rinks to support the community demand for ice time.

The Challenge
As Leaside grew, so did the complexity of managing its finances. The organization had relied on paper-based bookkeeping and manual processes for 30+ years, which had worked well when operations were smaller. However, after adding a second rink in 2012, financial management became more demanding.

By 2022, it became clear that Leaside needed a more structured approach to bookkeeping and financial reporting. The increase in transactions, payroll, and administrative work made it difficult to keep up. The organization needed improved financial clarity to support long-term sustainability.

Jennifer Smith, became the Director of Business and Finance at Leaside in Spring 2022. She quickly saw the opportunity to modernize financial processes and ensure everything was organized, accurate, and easy to manage. Working closely with Scalability, the transformation of the arena’s financial transactions and reporting began to take shape.

The Solution
In December 2021, Scalability was contracted during the holidays to help Leaside transition to a more efficient and structured system.

The Scalability team worked closely with the Board and Jennifer to:
✅ Organize all financial records.
✅ Transition bookkeeping from paper & QuickBooks Desktop to a fully digital system (Quickbooks Online, CMO, Electronic Government Filings, Square, and Dext).
✅ Develop and refine a management reporting package, providing clear financial insights to share with the board.
✅ Streamline accounts receivable and integrated digital payments, making it easier to get paid and reducing the need to process dozens of cheques per month.

The Results
Over the next 12-18 months, Scalability helped transform financial operations, bringing efficiency and clarity to the organization.

✔ Helped Jennifer and Leaside complete five years of audits in 24 months by organizing and cleaning up financial records.
✔ Streamlined reporting, and used integrated systems linked to QBO to expedite the month-end process.
✔ Integrated accounts receivable systems into QuickBooks Online, improving payment collection.
✔ Fully digitized financial processes, eliminating manual paperwork.
✔ Provided ongoing controller and bookkeeping support, helping to plan for long-term financial health.

Jennifer describes the Scalability team as her right-hand financial partner, providing the expertise and support needed to keep operations running smoothly.

Final Thoughts
With a modern, well-structured financial system, Leaside now has greater financial clarity, streamlined operations, and a solid foundation for long-term success.

Looking to streamline your financial operations? Contact us for a free consultation.