There was a well-attended meeting at Hope United Church on Jan. 10, which discussed the development of the southwest corner of Danforth Avenue and Main Street. The city planners and representatives of the developers gave a good account of what their aims are from both sides. One thing I noticed, however, was that more could […]
Tag: Beach Memories
Beach Memories: To my wonderful wife, Pat
I was asked recently about all of the different charity and volunteer work I have done. I have been distributing Toronto Star Santa Claus Charity Boxes for close to 60 years. I have been involved in Community Centre 55 Hamper and other charity works for over 30 years. I have volunteered for the Daily Bread […]
Beach Memories: Paper pioneers, past and present
A newspaper, like a business, institution, city, or hospital, is made by the people who stand behind it, and Beach Metro News, aka Ward 9 News, is no exception. I have been associated with Beach Metro News from nearly its beginning, in one form or another. During this time, I have never met finer people. […]
Beach Memories: When Hurricane Hazel came crashing in
In the last month or so there have been terrible hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. These calamities have taken hundreds of lives and cause billions of dollars in damage to parts of the United States, Mexico and islands in the Caribbean. They are hard to understand and even harder to reason. Are they […]
Beach Memories: What do you remember about East Toronto gas stations?
This brief history of garages and gas stations in the Beach area requires your participation, dear readers. I’d like you to give me your opinions, recollections, and any pertinent information you may have about the area’s gas stations and garages. Keep this in mind as you read through – I will let you know how […]
Beach memories: When cyclists ruled the Beach
This is not the full history of the bicycles, or the riders, or the cycling trails and infrastructure – it’s simply some local stories about men and women cycling in the East End and the Beach, who, from the 1880’s to the 1920’s, became infatuated with the sport and made a go of it in […]
Summer time to remember life savers
This story was first published July 2013 There have been great scullers, oarsmen, swimmers and athletes who lived in the East End and on the Toronto Islands. There have been stories about shipwrecks in Lake Ontario, and of the sailors who nearly drowned, but were saved by a few people living around the islands and […]
Happy birthday, Canada
This issue, for Canada’s 150th birthday, I am writing about my great country – the land of my birth and, to me, the greatest country in the world. As an amateur historian, I thought I would write about some of the different parts of our history. Canada has gone through many changes since 1867, and […]
Remembering St. Denis on its 50th birthday
While it is the 150th birthday of our great country, Canada, St. Denis Roman Catholic School on Balsam Avenue is celebrating its 50th birthday. Did you know that at one time there was going to be a different name for St. Denis? It’s true. Originally, there used to be one Roman Catholic school in our […]
Amusement parks, geology and settlers: Ashbridges Bay and the Beach
One of the most interesting geological and historical questions I often hear is, What is the connection between Ashbridges Bay and the Beach? Well, dear readers, I will try to explain this controversy as well as I can. Ten thousand years ago, there was a great ice age in what is now Ontario. When this […]