By GENE DOMAGALA Thirty years ago, in 1989, the Cold War ended. It was the collapse of one of the most tyrannical empires the world has seen – the destruction of the U.S.S.R., the Communist oligarchy of Eastern Europe that enslaved tens of millions of people and was also responsible for the annihilation of tens […]
Category: Beach Memories
Beach Memories: As Remembrance Day approaches, think of those who sacrificed for peace
By GENE DOMAGALA As we approach Remembrance Day on Monday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m., we recall all the horrific wars that were fought and the millions of soldiers that died and the millions of civilians who also died – and to what end? Throughout the last decade, and the last 10,000 years of recorded […]
Beach Memories: Remembering the eagle (not Thanksgiving turkey) attacks in southwest Scarborough
By GENE DOMAGALA The area in the east end of Toronto around the Scarborough Bluffs, the Beach, and Birchcliff, has long been a haven for all types of birds, butterflies, insects, beautiful trees and flowers. In one area known as Rosetta McClain Park, and also the lush green grounds of the Toronto Hunt Club on […]
Beach Memories: Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church celebrates 100 years in the community
By GENE DOMAGALA We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ) Roman Catholic Church in the Beach named in honour of its founder Jesus Christ who started the Roman Catholic Church 2,000 years ago. We try to emulate all the great teachings, works and charities that Jesus taught us. […]
Beach Memories: High water, floods and storms nothing new for Beach residents
By GENE DOMAGALA Many Beachers think that they are having problems with the wind, the water, the storms, the sand, uprooted trees, climate change and issues all around the eastern Beach. Let me give you a little lesson in the climate area in the Beach – history is the teacher! The present Boardwalk as we […]
Beach Memories: A look at the union movement in Toronto
By GENE DOMAGALA This is an article about the early union history in the City of Toronto and the names of some of the different unions and associations. I was asked many years ago to write on the union movement so finally I am. This is dedicated to that person who was a great union […]
Beach Memories: Remembering a royal visit to the King’s Plate at Woodbine Race Course
By GENE DOMAGALA Eighty years ago in May of 1939, for one of the first times in Canada’s and Toronto’s history, a reigning monarch visited the city and the Beach area. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited over the Victoria Day holiday in May of that year. This was an unprecedented event which gave […]
Beach Memories: Fred Urquhart, Winter Stations and the Monarch butterfly
By GENE DOMAGALA It is an amazing fact how nature can bring people from different countries together on a single theme – the Monarch butterfly. Let me preface this article by saying I know very little about birds, insects, animals and absolutely nothing about plants, trees and vegetation. I only know about some people who […]
Beach Memories: Does the Beach need to have a community museum?
By GENE DOMAGALA I have been asked many times over the past years about having a museum where people can donate historical artifacts about different aspects of the east Toronto area, particularly the Beach. This idea has come up many times in the past, and again I begin to ask should there be such a […]
Beach Memories: Plaques pay tribute to Dr. William D. Young, Beach Hebrew Institute
By GENE DOMAGALA During the past 100 years ago or so there was in 1918-19-20 a couple of historic events which involved the Beach area. One was a world-wide catastrophe, the other was a local issue, but both deserved an historic plaque. One was the First World War and at the same time the Spanish […]