By BERNIE FLETCHER What scares you? Horror films are popular these days, but zombies and monsters and demon clowns don’t do much for me. What is really frightening is the oppressive society of a dystopian future in the TV series The Handmaid’s Tale from the 1985 novel by Margaret Atwood. Fans of the horror genre […]
By BERNIE FLETCHER Summertime and the livin’ is easy for music lovers. Maybe the fish aren’t jumpin’, but the bands sure are. Whatever your musical taste you can find your groove at music festivals. Summer kicked off on June 22 with the 50th anniversary celebration of the Legendary Downchild Blues Band at the Toronto Jazz […]
By BERNIE FLETCHER Some dads receive a tie on Father’s Day, but Rocky Johnson was given a new home by his actor son Dwayne Johnson. Hey, the Rock can afford it. Did you know the king of summer action flicks is proud of his Canadian roots, eh? His grandmother and uncle even lived in our […]
By BERNIE FLETCHER In May we welcomed the royal baby Archie (a good ‘heir’ day) and celebrated Mother’s Day. Back in 1926 a prominent lawyer who lived in Balmy Beach didn’t show much respect for motherhood. In his will, Charles Vance Millar left a fortune “to the mother who has since my death given birth […]
By BERNIE FLETCHER We Beachers love our dogs and cats, but does living close to a Great Lake and wooded ravines give us a special appreciation of nature? It is amazing that so many local naturalists, artists, authors and filmmakers have been influenced by the natural world around us and have devoted their lives to […]
By BERNIE FLETCHER When I was growing up in the Beach it was a great adventure to play in the Glen Stewart Ravine or ride bikes up to the mysterious Warden Woods (north of the Danforth off Pharmacy Avenue). The big world out there seemed ripe for exploring, though there were scary rumours of a […]
By BERNIE FLETCHER As awards show season winds down, try this quiz about some legendary actors who have filmed in our neck of the woods: 1. During the tax shelter era of the 1970’s and 1980’s Toronto became known as “Hollywood North”. Oscar-winning stars like Marlon Brando, Orson Welles, Jane Fonda, Robert De Niro, Ellen […]
By BERNIE FLETCHER Toronto’s Sandra Bezic is one of the most influential people in the competitive world of figure skating. She has played many roles: five-time Canadian Pairs champion with her brother Val, television commentator, producer, director, author, Emmy Award-winner for Stars on Ice, choreographer for three Olympic gold medalists and co-creator of Battle of […]
By BERNIE FLETCHER A flying sleigh? A rugged Santa who looks like he just stepped out of a Quentin Tarantino western? Yes, there were some strange sightings reported from the Leslieville area last winter. Santa was the talk of the neighbourhood around Coady Avenue and Queen Street East. A wisecracking Santa (Kurt Russell) came to […]
Has there ever been a more anticipated hockey season for long-suffering Leaf fans? Dare we dream? It’s been over half a century since Toronto last held a Stanley Cup parade. Who remembers Bobby Baun scoring with a broken leg? I have fond memories of those long ago Saturday nights, the last strains of the Hockey […]
