Beach Memories: Walking tour of Balmy Beach this Saturday will ask and answer some historic questions

By GENE DOMAGALA

I will be leading an historic walk on Queen Street East in the Balmy Beach area on Saturday, Aug. 9.

The walk starts at 1 p.m. and we will meet in front of the Beaches Branch Library on Queen Street East just west of Lee Avenue.

However, my dear Beachers, this walk will be a little different than some of my others as it will be ‘quiz-ical’ and please pardon my spelling. To give you the idea, it will be asking and answering some questions (a quiz about the area for the walkers on the tour).

For example, on Queen Street East heading east from Lee Avenue there were three theatres and one is still in existence. What is the name of the theatre still operating and the addresses of the other two?

Now this next question is for Beachers with French Canadian links. There was a Beach resident of French Canadian origin who had a local business that employed more than 30 people. What was his name and the address of his business on Queen Street East?

Also, there was a prominent jurist who donated several acres to the residents of the Beach around the 1870s, and that land later became the home of the Balmy Beach Club. What was his name and position?

There used to be a funeral parlour on Queen Street East not so long ago. On the north side of it was an animal food factory. What was the name and address of the funeral parlour?

Now, most of the people who live in the Beach are aware of Glen Stewart Park and Ravine, but this was not its original name. What is the original name of the park/ravine and who were the owners of the land? His family was very well known in Toronto’s history.

Here’s an easier question about a person who lived in the Beach and was probably one of the best-known city commissioners. He has a water filtration plant named after him. Tell me his name and title and his two places of residence in the Beach.

Now for a hard question. There was a merchant who had a store on Queen Street East, and prior to that he was the personal cook to the lieutenant-governor of one of Canada’s former territories (not provinces). What is that merchant’s name?

Beach residents will know there is a local real estate company known as DeClute Real Estate. Why is the building in which they are located an historic site?

Just across the street from the DeClute offices is the famous Beach restaurant The Goof. Where is the exact location, the restaurant’s proper name, and what do the initials G.O.O.F. represent?

For the religious Beachers, there is a church by the name of St. Aidan’s in the Beach. But that is not the original name or location. Tell me what the original name was and where it was located.

Once there was a very colourful character who lived in the Beach for a time, and he is well known for building a large castle in Toronto. What was his name and what was/is the name of his castle-mansion?

As many Beachers will know, we once had many amusement parks in the area. Give me their names and locations.

Now I could go on with many other questions, but come and join my walk on Aug. 9 for the answers to the questions above and some others I will be asking.

Historically Yours!