By MARY-MARGARET McMAHON MPP BEACHES-EAST YORK Hello Beautiful Beaches – East Yorkers! It has been an honour to represent you at Queen’s Park for the past nine months and I am looking forward to continuing to bring your strong and passionate voices to the Chamber to help build a better Ontario. I am proud to […]
Category: In My Opinion
In My Opinion: Supporting local journalism is critical to the strength of our community
By ALAN SHACKLETON EDITOR, BEACH METRO COMMUNITY NEWS As the 50th anniversary year of Beach Metro Community News comes to an end this March, I would like to thank our readers for the fantastic support they have shown to us over the past 12 months. In March of 2022, we celebrated our 50th anniversary here […]
In My Opinion: Reality of playing politics rather than helping people shown on crowded TTC ride
By AMARACHI AMADIKE, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter I was standing inside a packed TTC 52A bus travelling west on Lawrence Avenue this past Saturday. It was a very cold evening. I don’t remember what the exact temperature was with wind chill, but I can say that waiting 30 minutes for the blue lights of that […]
In My Opinion: ‘Black history is 365’: BGC National Youth Of The Year Shahadda Jack shares her thoughts on Black History Month
By SHAHADDA JACK I often ask, “How can you fit crucial conversations of Black history and joy-filled celebrations of Black culture into only 28 days?” The answer is quite clear; you can’t. I grew up in a household where I was raised by a hardworking single Black mother and a resilient Caribbean immigrant grandmother. Within […]
In My Opinion: The Afro-Metis are Black-and-Indigenous Canadians
By GEORGE ELLIOTT CLARKE In his recent Letter to the Editor in the Jan. 10 edition of Beach Metro Community News, Indigenous Peoples Rights Advocate, Michael Cheena, spells out powerfully the history of the “nation-to-nation relationship” between Indigenous peoples and Canadian governments (of all levels). For far too long, that “relationship” has meant the imposition […]
In My Opinion: Why tribute to Conrad the raccoon won’t be on Woodbine Beach for Winter Stations
By ALAN SHACKLETON EDITOR, BEACH METRO COMMUNITY NEWS Everybody is being nice and saying all the right things about next month’s Winter Stations 2023 art installations planned for Woodbine Beach. So let me be the one to address the dead raccoon on the beach. Or lack thereof. Plain and simple, I think the Beach is […]
In My Opinion: Concerns about Toronto’s Strong Mayor System are not going away
By ALAN SHACKLETON EDITOR, BEACH METRO COMMUNITY NEWS I am sorry I have to start off the New Year complaining about the same thing I did to close out 2022. But if Mayor John Tory and some members of Toronto Council believe the anger and disgust over the Strong Mayor System is going to go […]
In My Opinion: Mayor and councillors must reject undemocratic powers
By ALAN SHACKLETON EDITOR, BEACH METRO COMMUNITY NEWS Readers may remember that back in August I wrote a column saying the Strong Mayor System would be a bad idea for Toronto. Now, as that plan has evolved, it has gone from bad to dangerous. Any governing body attempting to push through legislation with a less-than […]
In My Opinion: There are many ways local residents can help Community Centre 55’s Share A Christmas Program
By REZA KHOSHDEL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMUNITY CENTRE 55 Christmas is just around the corner! For some, this holiday season means warm holiday meals with family and friends, and of course, presents under the tree. For others, however, this reality is not the case. The holiday season presents additional challenges for those struggling with food and […]
In My Opinion: Taking the steps to build an inclusive city for everyone
By BRAD BRADFORD COUNCILLOR, WARD 19 BEACHES-EAST YORK If we trusted social media as the litmus test for the cohesiveness of a society, the results would seem grim. Strong opposition to ideas that challenge the status quo, re-emerging sentiments of discrimination and hate, and oversimplification of complex social and political issues are plastered across our […]