Beach Memories: Residents have made local, national and international impacts
By GENE DOMAGALA
In my last article in the Jan. 20 edition, I asked readers what they knew about the Beach’s many “famous” people.
Now, there were a few errors on some of the names (and I will attribute that to my bad handwriting which has to be transcribed before being printed).
The column should have named Alfred E. Ames, and Patricia Locke. Now they are correct.
Dear readers, I just don’t use the computer and I guess I am behind the times when it comes to writing my column by hand, but please bear with me.
In this article, I want to write those names I mentioned on Jan. 20 and let you know what they contributed to making the Beach what it is today and always will be – one of the best places (if not the best place) to live in all of Toronto. I will attempt to do my best for these “famous” Beachers.
However, dear readers, if you do spot any errors then let me know. And also feel free to elaborate if you have more information about the people I am writing about.
Sarah Ashbridge – One of the first women pioneers to settle in Ontario in 1793. After her husband died, she took her children by wagon from Pennsylvania to take advantage of the hundreds of acres of land being given to settlers by Lt.-Gov. John Graves Simcoe in Upper Canada. Sarah settled in the area now known as the Ashbridge Estate in the present-day Coxwell Avenue and Queen Street East area. One of the Ashbridge residences is at 1444 Queen St. E. The family donated their house and three-and-a-half acres of land to the Province of Ontario at that address which is the location of the Ashbridge Estate. Also, Ashbridges Bay is named after the family and the area is gateway to the Beach. There’s also a street named Sarah Ashbridge Avenue in the residential area where the old Woodbine Racetrack was once located. Those are all fitting tributes to a woman who was an iconic pioneer and led the way for many others.
Henry Mill Pellatt – Better known as Sir Henry Pellatt, he was the builder of Toronto’s Casa Loma. He also built a smaller version of Casa Loma in the Beach, and was a financier and director of several large companies.
Joseph Williams – A British soldier who came to Ontario and settled in the Beach area in 1853. He purchased 10 acres of land in the present Lee Avenue and Queen Street East area. He turned that into one of the city’s best-known picnic and recreation areas – naming it Kew Gardens after his birthplace in London, England.
John Sewell – A longtime Beach resident who was involved in city politics, he was Toronto’s mayor from 1978 to 1980. He won that election because of his fine reputation and is known as a public activist, representing the views of the less fortunate.
Dorothy Thomas – She is a person who devoted her life to making Toronto, and especially the Beach, a great place to live and work. She ran for public office in what was the City of Toronto’s Ward 9 and was elected by the people of the Beach in 1972 and 1980. She was councillor for Ward 9 from 1972 to 1975 and again from 1980 to 1985.
Rod Travers-Griffin – He is a longtime Beach resident and a member of The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society. He was one of the pioneers of the society and was instrumental in many of the programs and meetings for decades including being on the society’s executive.
Arnold Nerman – One of the first people to help start the current-day Beach Interfaith group. The group’s goal is to help those who needed lunch programs more than 30 years ago. And it continues to this day. ‘Ari’ as he was known to all was president of the Beach Hebrew Institute for decades. He was also instrumental in helping with the city’s seniors’ program in Kew Gardens. He was also involved in historic walks, talks and plaques in the Beach area.
Ruth Thomas – Another pioneering resident in the Beach, she was one of the first teachers in the area. She was also one of the first women to be involved in Girl Guides, being in charge of the Brownies for many years. She was also active in other parts of Beach life including being with The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society for many years.
William Williamson – He was a prominent builder, and was responsible for many of the homes and ‘cottages’ in the Beach area. He’s also the Williamson who Williamson Road (and of course Williamson Road Public School) is named after.
Patricia Locke – She was the City of Toronto’s first woman director of a parks and recreation centre. That centre was the Beaches Recreation Centre which has been in the community for more than 50 years. She later became the guiding force for many new programs and innovations in the city’s parks and rec department and at its recreation centres.
Norman Jewison – He probably needs no introduction as he is one of the world’s most famous film directors. He was born and raised in the Beach, going to Kew Beach Public School and then Malvern Collegiate. He travelled the world and directed and produced so many well-known movies. He always considered that his work came from his living and growing up in the Beach.
Ted Reeve – He was known by a number of nicknames, including the Big Train, and is one of Toronto’s best known athletes and sports reporters. He famously played football for the Balmy Beach Club where he won Grey Cup championships in 1927 and 1930. He also played lacrosse and coached many successful lacrosse teams as well. He also served as a soldier in the Second World War and was a legendary sports writer with the Toronto Telegram and Toronto Sun. Of course, Ted Reeve Arena on Main Street is named after him and he played a key role in it being built.
Jennie Reeve – An early Beach resident and pioneer, she was the first woman to run a post office in the Beach. It was located on Queen Street East. And she was also the mother of Ted Reeve.
S. Bruce Richardson – A longtime member of Canada’s Armed Forces, he served in the Second World War and Korea. He was also involved in Peacekeeping in the Middle East. He was a highly decorated Canadian soldier.
Joseph Duggan – He was the owner of the old Woodbine Racetrack, and Joseph Duggan Road in the residential neighbourhood near where the track was once located in the Queen Street East and Kingston Road area is named after him. He lived in the Beach Triangle area and eventually leased the racetrack to the Ontario Jockey Club in 1888 and it was later sold to the jockey club.
Alex Christie – A highly respected citizen of the Beach, Christie was noted for his philanthropy and helping those considered down-and-out. He was a member of the Beaches Lions Club for many years and owner of the Mecca Grill. The Alex Christie Bandstand in Kew Gardens is named after him.
Myrtle Cook – One of the first women athletes to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field for Canada, she attended Riverdale Collegiate. She won her medal as a member of the women’s 4×100-metre relay team at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.
Dr. William D. Young – He was a Beach physician who was noted for caring for the poor and those in need. He never accepted money from those who couldn’t afford it. Due to his impeccable reputation as a person who helped others, the Beach community erected a drinking fountain memorial in his honour in Kew Gardens.
Penny Oleksiak – She is one of Canada’s greatest Olympians ever. As a swimmer she has won seven Olympic medals (one gold, two silver, four bronze), and is tied as Canada’s most decorated Olympic athlete with runner Andre De Grasse. She grew up in the Beach and attended Monarch Park Collegiate.
Glenn Gould – He is one of the world’s most famous classical pianists. He travelled the world performing and is considered a musical icon all around the world. He grew up on Southwood Drive (where there is a plaque in front of his family’s former home) and attended Malvern Collegiate.
Hiram McCallum – One of our community’s early politicians, he lived in the Beach and was Toronto’s mayor from 1948 to 1951.
Frank Darling – He is considered a top international architect in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He was born in 1850 and died in 1923, buried in St. John’s Norway Cemetery. In 1915 he was awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects Gold Medal.
Bruce Kidd – He is perhaps one of Canada’s most famous distance runners, and he grew up in the Beach – often training on the Boardwalk – and attended Malvern Collegiate. Kidd is a member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and competed in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.
Joan Latimer – In the world of newspapers, Joan stands out as one of the best in her field. She was editor of Ward 9 News (now Beach Metro Community News) from 1973 to 1994.
Frederick Hubbard – Hubbard Avenue just north of the Boardwalk in the Beach is named after Frank. Now many will think Hubbard Avenue was named after William Peyton Hubbard (who was Toronto’s first Black alderman elected in 1894) but that’s not the case. Frank Hubbard (William’s son) was Toronto’s first Black TTC Commissioner, appointed to the role in 1921. He was also the general manager of the Scarboro Beach Amusement Park.
