This story was first published July 2013 There have been great scullers, oarsmen, swimmers and athletes who lived in the East End and on the Toronto Islands. There have been stories about shipwrecks in Lake Ontario, and of the sailors who nearly drowned, but were saved by a few people living around the islands and […]
Category: Beach Memories
Happy birthday, Canada
This issue, for Canada’s 150th birthday, I am writing about my great country – the land of my birth and, to me, the greatest country in the world. As an amateur historian, I thought I would write about some of the different parts of our history. Canada has gone through many changes since 1867, and […]
Remembering St. Denis on its 50th birthday
While it is the 150th birthday of our great country, Canada, St. Denis Roman Catholic School on Balsam Avenue is celebrating its 50th birthday. Did you know that at one time there was going to be a different name for St. Denis? It’s true. Originally, there used to be one Roman Catholic school in our […]
Amusement parks, geology and settlers: Ashbridges Bay and the Beach
One of the most interesting geological and historical questions I often hear is, What is the connection between Ashbridges Bay and the Beach? Well, dear readers, I will try to explain this controversy as well as I can. Ten thousand years ago, there was a great ice age in what is now Ontario. When this […]
Get your walking shoes ready
There will be approximately 12 historic walks in the Beach and East Toronto in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday. What is the significance of these walks? The answer is simple – we in the East End and the Beach are a part of Canada. Each part of our area has its own story to tell, […]
Agriculture thanks Charles Saunders
The architects of Canada’s greatness are the many Canadians who contributed to its arts, science, technology, and agriculture industries through literature and inventions. In honour of the country’s 150th birthday, Beach Metro will be profiling different people who were a part of the growth and stability of this country, our Canada. A lot of these […]
Canada’s 150th birthday: What does it mean to us?
On July 1, 1867, the Dominion of Canada – in my opinion, the greatest country in the world – was formed. For years I have been thinking about how we should celebrate this spectacular anniversary – I have even written about it before in the Beach Metro News. We hope to do many activities alongside […]
A tale of two Christmas parades
In this season of giving and sharing, especially for those who are less fortunate, we have had a long tradition here in the Beach where everybody young and old chips in. Here is the story of two Beach Santa Claus parades, one 100 years ago and one just a few weeks ago. Everybody loves a […]
The Beach remembers
One hundred years ago during WWI, one of the most futile and bloody battles was fought – The Battle of the Somme. Canadian and Newfoundland troops engaged in the battle, one of the most formidable actions in history. It counted allied losses at 623,907 and Canadian and Newfoundland losses at 24,713. A long-time Beacher who […]
A different kind of apartment hunting in the Beach
We’ve recently been celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Beaches Public Library with talks and tours of the historic building and neighbourhood around it. Phillip H. Carter spoke about the history and architecture of the Beaches library on October 12. Librarian, historian, and Beach resident Barbara Myrvold, in concert with the Beach and East Toronto […]