Weeks away from municipal election on October 22, candidates for Beaches—East York city council are in ward-boundary limbo after a series of unprecedented judicial jigs and political pirouettes. The shake-up, which involved Ontario’s Superior Court, Queen’s Park and Toronto City Hall, was over the provincial government’s decision to reduce the number of wards and city […]
Tag: Beaches-East York
Monarch butterflies can have an aggressive side
While I’ve written stories about Monarch butterflies before, and I’m sure you’ve read or watched something about their amazing migration to Mexico, this story will touch on a much darker aspect of their lives: their uncontrollable aggression. As I lounged on my friend Dianne’s front yard watching the beautiful Monarch butterflies flying around, their orange […]
St. Aidan’s fundraiser presents top local authors
From a Murdoch Mystery guest and a hockey legend biography to a Canadian historical drama, there will be something for everyone at the second annual Authors’ Dinner fundraiser for St. Aidan’s Church which happens on Thursday, September 20. The event will feature three top local writers and their latest books. Maureen Jennings, author of her latest […]
Residents say ‘secret beach’ is a not-so-secret mess
Amanda Jones used to visit “secret beach” when she was in high school. It was a secluded sandy place near the water where she could take time to relax. Today, Jones still likes to visit the beach except now she takes multiple trash bags with her to clean up before she can enjoy it. This […]
Beaches International Jazz Festival marks 30 years of fun
The Beach community came alive to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Beaches International Jazz Festival—one of the few remaining free jazz festivals in the world—with close to one million attendees this year. “The first year in Kew Gardens we had 5,000 people,” said Lido Chilelli, the founder of the festival. “Each decade, hundreds of thousands […]
When one shop closes, another one opens on this strip of Kingston Road
Several business owners that have been staples on the Kingston Road strip for decades closed their shops earlier this month, leaving loyal customers and neighbours wondering what this part of the street will look like in the years ahead. Some shop owners, many of whom live in the neighbourhood, have seen first-hand the significant changes […]
Jonathan Barker’s unique career forged his family’s love of water
Beach resident and founder of SK Films, Jonathan Barker passed away on July 5 from cancer, surrounded by his wife Wendy and children Scott, Tyler, Georgia, Alex and Caleigh. Leaving behind a legacy of award-winning theatrical IMAX, television and digital media productions that specialized in natural history and science related stories, Jonathan was a long-time, […]
Councillor McMahon recounts her successes and surprises
When Mary-Margaret McMahon steps down as Beaches—East York city councillor for Ward 32 at the end of November, it’s no exaggeration to say that it is a more community-driven and culturally rich area than it was at the start of her time in office. To celebrate and honour Councillor McMahon’s eight years as our city […]
A significant summer full of sadness and outrage
Hello neighbours! To begin with, thank you, thank you, thank you for trusting me to represent you at Queen’s Park. It’s an enormous honour and privilege to have been elected MPP for this community which has been my home for 25 years and that I love wholeheartedly. I am grateful to each and every one […]
Local gymnast soars to new heights
Hayden Ashley wasn’t a natural when she took up gymnastics around the age of one. Tumbles weren’t uncommon features of her early routines. “I usually fell on my head,” Ashley said, not sugarcoating anything. You wouldn’t know it looking at her latest results. Ashley, now 11, placed fourth overall out of 150 in the Ontario Championships, which were held from May 31 to June 3 in London. […]
