Halloween on Kippendavie Avenue in the Beach will never be the same. The ‘witch’s house’ is boarded up, fenced off, and slated for demolition along with five other houses, to be replaced with a recently approved four-storey condominium property development. The witch’s house and its strange inhabitant who haunted my childhood dreams will soon be […]
Category: Features
Bill MacLean’s 5 minutes – 5 questions
Our 5 Minutes – 5 Questions spot is proving to be very popular. People have emailed me (arts@beachmetro.com) with their responses, and I think we may have to take it to a wider audience. While prowling the aisles of St. John’s Norway during the All Candidates Meeting back in September, I happened across Toronto Sun […]
Deja Views
Well, speaking personally, I must say that I’m a little overwhelmed by what these views on Wheeler Avenue reveal. Who could have foreseen such a transformation in three short years? They say change is good, and I must accept the fact that my son is growing into a fine young man.
History of Beach Metro News: 1986
When I look through the old issues of this paper to write its history, I marvel at how young and how thin everyone looks, including me. And so it was in 1986. At the AGM in June Barbara Phillips became president, Tom Howat vice president, Judy Campbell secretary and Kelvin Francis was in the early […]
Bill MacLean’s 5 Minutes – 5 Questions
Our 5 Minutes – 5 Questions spot is proving to be a very popular feature. People have emailed me (arts@beachmetro.com) with their responses – unsolicited – and I think we may have to take it to a wider audience. In the meantime I’ll continue with some of the responses I got while attending the All […]
History of Beach Metro News: 1985
It was 1985. The Ward 9 Community News was now 28 pages thick. This was the year the financial and distribution records were computerized. At the annual general meeting, the treasurer Gord James said that the paper was now on a solid financial base, and then announced his resignation as he was being transferred to […]
Isabel Hayes among the world’s oldest at 111
One of the oldest women in the world spent most of her 111 years in East End Toronto. Isabel Hayes (nee Dunn) was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on June 17, 1900, and came to Canada in her early 20s. In 1931 she married James Hayes and spent a few years at Cherry Nook Gardens (at […]
Deja Views
This view of 1133-1131 Woodbine Ave. was taken on VE day in May 1945. The bunting and flags celebrated the end of the war in Europe. The Union Jacks at 1131 were displayed by an English family whose father served in the British army. The Treadway family, who lived next door, were rejoicing over the […]
Bill MacLean’s 5 minutes – 5 questions
In the last issue we introduced 5 Minutes – 5 Questions. We hope you found it interesting and amusing to hear what Citizen of the Year, Gene Domagala had to say in response. This issue we bring you another Citizen of the Year – and Beach Metro News columnist – Glenn Cochrane. I caught up […]
Ward 9 News must be doing something right by 1984
In 1984 this paper entered its 13th year. The editor Joan Latimer described it as truly a community paper. Many struggling causes had become a success once their plight was mentioned in our 23,000 copies. People from outside the area had asked for delivery. The paper went out to reading clinics all over the city […]