Beach Metro News, March 17, 2026

BEACH METRO

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This March, Beach Metro Community News enters its 55th year of telling the stories that matter in our community. Free, local, independent. Delivered to your door by your neighbours, reminding you that community counts.

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Federal byelection in Scarborough Southwest set for April 13

THE FEDERAL byelection in Scarborough Southwest will take place on Monday, April 13.

The byelection will fill the vacant seat left after a chain reaction of political moves led by the riding’s former Liberal MP Bill Blair, who announced his resignation from the position on Feb. 2 after being appointed as Canada’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

This sparked a number of moves in the riding’s political landscape, with former Ontario NDP Deputy Leader and Scarborough Southwest MPP Doly Begum announcing the next day that she would be leaving the NDP and running for the Liberals to fill Blair’s position.

In this April byelection, the federal NDP candidate taking on Begum for the Scarborough Southwest seat will be Fatima Shaban, who also ran against Blair in the April 2025 federal election.

The Green Party of Canada candidate in the byelection will be Pooja Malhotra, and Lyall Sanders has been announced by the Centrist Party as its federal candidate in Scarborough Southwest. The Conservative Party candidate will be Diana Filipova.

The deadline for candidates to register to run is Wednesday, March 23, at 2 p.m.

According to Elections Canada, voters in the Scarborough Southwest federal byelection can cast their ballots on election day or vote in advance polls from April 3 to 6 at their assigned local polling station. Those who wish to cast their vote by mail must apply to do so by April 7. For more information, call 1-866-281-5089.

Along with the Scarborough Southwest byelections, there will also be federal byelections on April 13 in the Toronto riding of University-Rosedale and the Quebec riding of Terrebonne.

By Alan Shackleton

WELL-WISHERS PACKED the iconic Garden Gate (The Goof) Restaurant in the Beach earlier this month to wish legendary waitress Hazel Hoeg a happy 100th birthday.

Hazel is an icon herself at the Queen Street East restaurant, working there for 68 years from 1952 to 2020, and becoming a beloved member of the Beach community along the way.

Speaking with Beach Metro Community News at the birthday party in her honour on March 4, Hazel remembered that she started working at the restaurant the year it opened.

She lived on Scarborough Road when she first moved to Toronto in 1950 and started working at the restaurant shortly after it opened in 1952 (and before it got its nickname The Goof due to some burned out lights on the Good Food sign out front).

“We came in here one day, my sister and I, on a Sunday and I asked the boss if they needed anybody and he said ‘No, we’re fine.’ Then the next Sunday I came in and he came to me and said ‘Did

Continued on Page 3

By Matthew Stephens

A ROUTINE swim at Main Square Community Recreation Centre nearly cost a local man his life, if not for the swift response of a courageous lifeguard on duty.

“While swimming at our Main Community Centre, I experienced a medical emergency that required I be rescued from the bottom of the pool,” said Ron Hutchison, a local resident and avid swimmer at the Main Square pool.

“Thanks to the swift, skilled, and composed response from the

Happy 100th birthday celebration for Hazel from The Goof

Man saved from drowning at Main Square pool

lifeguard on duty, I am here to write about it.”

Hutchison suffers from a “significantly compromised” vestibular system and oscillopsia: physical conditions that can affect balance and disrupt spatial orientation. Despite his condition, the 75-yearold resident continues to exercise seven days a week, either swimming or riding a stationary bike.

While submerged in the community centre’s 25-metre pool on Monday, Feb. 9, Hutchison accidentally inhaled water and suddenly found himself losing air.

In a state of panic, he attempted

to stand up from the water, believing he was in the pool’s shallow end.

“Unfortunately, it was not,” Hutchison told Beach Metro Community News. “I submerged and quickly became completely disoriented, unable to determine which direction was up.”

Hutchison’s memory of the incident faded slowly as his body began shutting down beneath the water. Miraculously, he recalled awakening moments later to concerned gazes from emergency service workers and the lifeguard who rushed into the pool to save

him from drowning.

“The next thing I recall is coming to – surrounded by paramedics, firemen, and the tall lifeguard looking down at me,” said Hutchison.

“From the report I read, compressions were started by a ‘bystander,’ which I guess would make sense if the lifeguard had retrieved me from the pool.”

According to the Apple Watch he was wearing at the time of the incident, Hutchison’s pulse had stopped for a total of 90 seconds, displaying a flat heart rate while

Continued on Page 2

Lifeguard’s vigilance saved man’s life

‘Man’ from Page 1 rescuers worked to resuscitate him. “At the precise time there was no pulse for 90 seconds. Obviously, the attentiveness and rapid response of the lifeguard made all the difference,” he said.

Hutchison expressed appreciation for the lifeguard’s vigilance that day, in an incident he described as “not just a near drowning.”

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“This incident presents an opportunity to highlight how fortunate we are to have such capable professionals safeguarding our community,” said Hutchison. “Their work is often invisible when everything is routine, yet absolutely critical when it matters most.”

He said he returned to the community centre a few days later to thank the lifeguard who rescued him.

“Unfortunately, he was not there. But his brother was present and gave me the opportunity to Facetime to relay my thankfulness in saving my life,” said Hutchison.

Beach Metro Community News reached out to Main Square Community Recreation Centre to interview the lifeguard on duty that day, but was unable to do so due to City of Toronto confidentiality restrictions.

Although situations like Hutchison’s may be an infrequent occurrence for many lifeguards across the city, drowning-related injuries and fatalities are more common than many would assume.

According to the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) database, there were 1,109 drowning-related

Ron Hutchison stands in front of the Main

credits a lifeguard at the centre’s

life recently after he suffered a medical emergency

cases across the country between 2011 and 2023; 624 (56.3 per cent) of which occurred in residential or public swimming pools.

Aydin Sarrafzadeh, a former lifeguard and the City of Toronto’s current Director of Community Recreation, said efficient training plays an integral role in shaping a lifeguard’s responsiveness and preventing life-threatening incidents.

“It takes a significant amount of training and development to ensure that lifeguards are certified as required by the Ontario Health Regulation,” said Sarrafzadeh.

He said the Main Square lifeguard’s attention to detail and ability to perform resuscitation was imperative to ensure Hutchison survived during the incident. “Lifeguards are required to ensure that they get to the victim in time and perform what they need to

perform. Whether that requires removal from water, first aid, and in this case, I think resuscitation was also necessary.”

But those responsibilities are no small feat, noted Sarrafzadeh, emphasizing the emotional weight that often accompanies a life-saving role.

“It takes quite a bit of emotional support to deal with these types of situations,” said Sarrafzadeh. “When we talk about post-incident stress, PTSD, it’s really important that we factor that both into our training, but also the support that lifeguards may require after responding to an incident, so staff are prepared for that emotional responsibility that goes hand in hand with it.”

For Sarrafzadeh, a former lifeguard with more than 20 years of experience, taking preventative measures to avoid incidents is the best thing swimmers can do to prevent life-threatening situations.

‘Everybody just loves Hazel’

‘Happy’ from Page 1

you find yourself a job yet?’ and then he said ‘If you’d like the job, you can start tomorrow morning,’” remembered Hazel of how she started working at the Garden Gate.

“He didn’t ask me if I could do it or anything. I had not worked as a waitress before but at a bake shop.”

And Hazel never looked back from that day in 1952. She worked there for 68 years and only retired due to the closures that had to take place at the restaurant (and all restaurants in the province) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hazel said she always loved working at the Garden Gate (The Goof), which is, of course, why she continued for so long. “I just loved to work and I wanted to work here.”

She said she cried her eyes out when she made the decision to retire during COVID.

“This has always been my home away from home,” said Hazel of The Goof. “The kids who came in all loved me and came down to get a hug from me and I loved to see them, just loved it.”

Hazel grew up on a farm in southern Saskatchewan with a large family and was never a stranger to hard work and a healthy lifestyle, which she said was one of her reasons for reaching 100 years of age and being able to work into her 90s.

“I was brought up on a farm and I had good food. My family had eight children and I worked on the farm until I was 17. I was baking bread when I was 11 years old. We had to work, eight kids, two girls and six boys.”

Along with restaurant owners Keith and Wendy Chau, birthday party organizers Lise Desrochers and Gail Harvey all spoke fondly of Hazel and her importance in their

lives and the lives of their families.

“We were here all the time. This place was our second kitchen,” remembered Harvey.

“When we came in we were always looking for what section Hazel was working. She’s just been a constant in all of our lives...She’s always so kind and loves life and always so positive.”

Among the many acknowledgments of her 100th birthday, Hazel received a number of scrolls and letters including one from King Charles. Beaches-East York MPP MaryMargaret McMahon also attended the party to present 100th birthday greetings from the province.

Many consider Hazel part of their family, and that’s how she treated them as well.

“Kids and parents knew Hazel would keep an eye on them and that we were safe here,” said Ann MacDonald.

“This is such an iconic place as well and a lot of that is because of her. Everybody just loves Hazel.”

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In Memoriam: Barbara Cheatley 1933-2025

Beacher Barbara Cheatley remembered for her kindness and hospitality

LONGTIME BEACH resident and local volunteer Barbara Florence Cheatley will be remembered at a Celebration of Life event set for this May.

Cheatley (née Savage) died on Nov. 27 last year at Michael Garron Hospital after a brief illness.

“Barb had a bottomless well of kindness and hospitality, living her early years in North Toronto’s Wanless Park, then over 70 years in the Beach,” said her obituary.

“She devoted many decades of charitable work to the Canadian Cancer Society where she was a canvasser and canvasser captain. She worked for the Canadian Cancer Society for 17 years running their Beaches / East York unit. In later years Barb served as a driver taking cancer patients to their hospital appointments.”

Born on May 2, 1933, to parents John and Phyllis Savage, Barb grew up in the North Toronto area and attended Northern Secondary School.

Barb and her husband James first met as teenagers while at a dance pavilion at Elmhurst Beach on Lake Simcoe, near Keswick. They were married in 1951 and moved to the Beach in 1954.

PHOTO: SUBMITTED

A Celebration of Life in memory of Beacher Barbara Florence Cheatley will take place on Saturday, May 2, at St. John’s Norway church.

mandy Boulevard. The house was Barb’s home for more than 70 years.

an Cancer Society goes back decades.

“I’m not sure of the exact details of how or why she started volunteering with the Cancer Society, but since she was always a ‘giving person’ it was a natural fit for her,” said son Mark.

“While continuing her volunteer efforts, she then worked for the Cancer Society three days a week for about 17 years. She ran the Beaches/East York unit office. After retiring, she continued to volunteer for many years, including driving patients to their appointments.”

Barb is predeceased by her husband James and her siblings David and Audrey.

Along with her sons Robert (Marlene), Alan (Patti Lou), and Mark (Margie), Barb is survived by her sisterin-law Sheila Savage; grandchildren Stephanie (Paul), Daniel (Zue), Kevin, James (Heather), Michael (Bonnie), Nicole (Alex), and Angela (Greg).

Barb was GiGi to six great-grandchildren to date: Madelyn, Francis, Adeley, Tate, Mavis, and Liam.

editor@beachmetro.com www.beachmetro.com

Her home on Normandy Boulevard has long connections with Barb’s family as her maternal grandmother lived in the house from 1937 until 1954.

Barb, James and their children Robert, Alan and Mark grew up on Nor-

you think!

Her son Mark told Beach Metro Community News that his mother loved living on Normandy Boulevard.

“Mostly because of the wonderful friends she’s had there through the years,” he said.

Barb’s involvement with the Canadi-

The Celebration of Life for Barb will take place on Saturday, May 2, at 2 p.m. at St. John’s Norway church (Woodbine Avenue and Kingston Road). Community members who knew Barb are most welcome to attend.

Those wishing to make a donation in memory of Barb Cheatley are asked to do so to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Tackle clutter and free yoursel to let things go

EMILIE GLOCKNER

Guest Column

Your kitchen has just been cleaned, yet piles remain on your counters and it’s already starting to feel messy again. It might seem like a cleaning problem, but more often it’s a decision problem.

Surfaces tend to fill up when items don’t have clear homes or when you are unsure what to keep.

For example, you can find permanent homes for everyday items such as storing your box of tissues in a drawer, keeping dish soap and cleaning sprays under the

sink, and placing supplements in the cupboard with your breakfast items.

Create Space for Essentials

Removing unnecessary items can transform a home almost instantly.

When you create white space, the open areas that allow a room to breathe, your home naturally feels calmer.

You don’t have to be a minimalist. You can own plenty of things and still have a peaceful home, as long as each item has a clear purpose and designated place. How to Get Started

A great place to start is your kitchen counter, one of the most frequently used surfaces in the home. Clear it completely, then only return the items you truly use or need.

SERVING THE BEACH, BEACH HILL, BIRCH CLIFF, CLIFFSIDE, CRESCENT TOWN, EAST DANFORTH, GERRARD INDIA BAZAAR, LESLIEVILLE AND UPPER BEACH

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Letters to the Editor

Next tackle a few cupboards and let go of items you rarely use. Sometimes, even after the kids have moved out, plastic cups and plates haven’t left the cupboards!

I often find that most Tupperware collections can easily be cut in half once everything has been sorted. Free yourself of the guilt that comes with letting go of things you’ve spent money on, but rarely use.

Keeping unused items only adds clutter and quiet regret. Donating items to someone who can use them turns it into a positive, and if something must be thrown out, it’s better in the trash than taking up space in your home.

Another common source of clutter is shopping deliveries that pile up. It starts with being selective about what comes into your

home.

Before making a purchase, try leaving the item in your online shopping cart for a week. You may find you don’t need it once the impulse has passed.

Anything you order should be dealt with immediately. For clothing, try it on, remove tags, and wash items as soon as they arrive.

Clothes left with tags rarely make it into your regular rotation.

Handling packages promptly prevents accumulation and keeps surfaces clear.

Three Steps to Clear Clutter

If your space feels messy or disorganized, these steps are a great place to start.

1.) Evaluate what you own. Look particularly at items you rarely use. If you haven’t used them in the last year, consider

letting them go. This helps you focus on what truly adds value.

2.) Give everything a place. Make sure each item has a home so surfaces stay clear and your home feels balanced.

3.) Handle new items immediately. Put away packages as soon as they arrive to prevent clutter from building up.

Let go of what doesn’t serve you and give the rest a home. When everything has a purpose and place, life at home feels simpler and more enjoyable.

-- Emilie Glockner owns White Space Organized in the Beach, helping community members let go of clutter and enjoy lasting, organized calm. She can be reached at www.whitespaceorganized.com, email: emilie@whitespaceorganized.com

Developers can smell blood in the Beach

After reading Feb. 3 issue of Beach Metro Community News, it seems to me that the developers can smell blood in the Beach.

One word on Michael Mouritsen ‘s letter on Page 7 of the Feb. 3 paper. I have a different viewpoint on the matter.

If anyone believes for one second that the developers who are hungry to pounce on the serenity, beauty and importance of the Beach to Toronto are in the least bit excited about building affordable housing because they have altruistic goals, I believe they are sadly mistaken.

I am also firmly of the view that if residents of the Beach are involved and concerned about a place that they grew up in or moved to, it’s because it’s what they want for their community: a small and beautiful place with the beach and lots of green space that is not surrounded by ugly high rise buildings blocking out the sun.

That is why people have chosen to live here. They have a right to try and protect it. Unchecked, we risk the proliferation of new developments that could destroy the natural surroundings with which our neighbourhood has been blessed.

As for the Beach in general, it should be made very clear to all constituents where the MPPs, MPs Councilors and all levels of government who would have a say in how the Beach takes shape stand on overdeveloping the area before elections. They should put their views in writing. There seems to be a lot of flip-flopping going on, depending on the project.

New York City has Central Park. New York would not be the special city it is without it.

But someone had the vision and forethought to realize one day, that this park would be a life line for the city. It is a daily sanctuary for tens of thousands of people

and one of the biggest tourists’ attractions in the world. They had to expropriate hundreds of acres of land, displace thousands of residents and build the park from scratch. And they keep adding on and reshaping the park purpose over time, so even more residents have access to the free open space.

Another good example of New York City’s eyes to the future is their SOHO district. They now have some of the strictest building codes of any major city. Why?

It is because too many developers were just coming in, tearing down the beautiful old buildings and putting up cheap new ones. They realized that by keeping the original architecture and character of that part of the city, they are preserving its past.

SOHO has now become a great place to live with amazing architecture and character. If New York City can realize this, why can’t Toronto?

Toronto’s prestigious west end has High Park. How about they build a few 30-storey high-rise buildings in the park? Who would agree to that?

Toronto has High Park for a reason. It is greatly needed. We also have our beautiful south shore, which could be better utilized for its citizens and visitors. (They are making much needed improvements and making strides to incorporate its accessibility into the city.)

Then we have the Beach. We don’t have to expropriate the land. We don’t have to spend billions fixing it up. It already exists. Of course we have to keep developing its potential and how it can contribute to the quality of life and betterment to the city as a whole, but it’s already here and just has to be managed properly for those that live here now, for all who come and take advan-

Letters to the Editor

A great talent has gone silent

Re: “Rev. Brian Stevens at Hope United Church served with kindness, inclusion and music’, Beach Metro Community News, Feb. 17.

I was very glad to see that you ran the obituary for Rev. Brian F. Stevens in the Feb. 17 edition.

I had the pleasure of singing with Brian for several years as one of B2. Brian and I made our debut at one of the early Jazz Vespers series sponsored by Beach United Church and held at the time at St. Aidan’s Church on Queen East in the Beach.

Once the renovations at Beach Unit-

ed were completed, Brian and I continued being regular performers at their Jazz Vespers, as well as appearing at a local club, Ten Feet Tall on the Danforth.

When Brian was ordained and became the minister at Hope United, we continued to perform there on a regular basis.

It was at Hope that we debuted our CD, Twelve Songs for Christmas. Brian also brought his award-winning radio drama, The Wartime Radio Show to Hope in which I was the emcee and sang a few songs.

Brian was an inspiring and talented pianist who was more than happy to explore the music of the American Songbook with me. We came at the catalog from different musical backgrounds, he musical theatre and me the folk tradition.

I will miss his enthusiasm and piano mastery very much. A great talent has gone silent.

Bill MacLean

Former staff member of Beach Metro Community News

Be prepared to mobilize against plans to expand Billy Bishop Airport

The silence is deafening with regard to the news that Premier Doug Ford wants to expand Billy Bishop Airport to make way for jets.

We should not have to fight this fight, yet again.

Actually, I was surprised when I didn’t read or hear outrage when that plane, accidentally, came down near Coxwell Avenue last September.

Luckily, no one was injured or worse.

Did I miss something someone said or wrote about this near miss?

Where do our representatives, at each level of government, stand on this important issue of the Billy Bishop Airport expansion?

Our community has thrived because of our cohesiveness. It would be nice to hear from the three people into which some, in our community, have put their faith.

It’s been demonstrated that this terrible airport expansion idea would seriously destroy that part of the harbour, contribute an enormous amount of noise to our community as well as destroy the current and vibrant lives of our good neighbours on the Island. If we must, mobilization against this harmful idea certainly is in order.

June Clark

Queen Street East development guidelines should not

be dismissed as a ‘relic’

Re: ‘Are the Queen Street East development guidelines now a relic from the past?’, Beach Metro Community News, Feb. 3. Housing in Toronto is a mess today because our city and provincial governments approve development of buildings that favour developers and investors and not people who want and need them.

One serious issue is the glut of small condo units that are unlivable because of their size.

Instead of addressing the issues, our councillor continues to approve adding to the housing problem.

I question politicians and representatives who continually stand on the side of developers, and are not fixing the problems they, developers and investors, have caused.

I have a lot more confidence in the Queen Street East Urban Development Guidelines that were created with city

planners and input from the community to thoughtfully increase density.

The guidelines are not just about the height of the buildings.

For example, they recommend family-friendly units and streetscape recommendations to accommodate pedestrians, trees and restaurant patio seating.

Is it better to block off a lane of traffic along Queen Street East in the Beach for patios in the summer instead of consider it in the design?

Dismissing the Queen Street East guidelines as a “relic” is for me another example of why “our voice at City Hall” is not my voice at all.

Rosalie McGovern

Overall plan for Beach development needed

‘Developers’ from Page 6

tage of all it has offer and for future generations to come.

They stopped the development of the Kingston Road expressway for a reason. It was a very bad idea.

As for the development of the Beach, I believe that the area from Leslie Street to Warden Avenue and the lake shore to the north side of Danforth Avenue should have a very special committee of its own, and one with lots of teeth.

This large area can become a very special place with lots of room for development, consisting of wide open green spaces, incorporating mainly low rise buildings with beautiful architecture leaving lots of room for affordable housing and high end housing together.

The area around Danforth and Victoria Park avenues also has so much potential to be a great place to live and be a popular destination given its identity as Banglatown. At present it is just another overly congested gateway to the Beach, but it already has so much going for it. It too could become its own special place.

I hope some of our local politicians will step up here.

The old Woodbine race track area is the perfect example of how great things can happen when everyone collaborates to put forth a real plan for the Beach and surrounding area. Our neighborhood truly has the potential to become a jewel in the crown of our great city.

In short, there should be a moratorium on building in the Beach until there is an overall plan and vision in place. The

local politicians, residents and builders should not squander this time to step-back and take a good look at what can be done with lots of involvement from all levels of government and the public.

There is a great opportunity here to not just overdevelop the area, but to think about the future and preserve and build an already beautiful part of this great city.

B. H. Luft

MARCH 21, 22: Art Guild of Scarborough Spring Art Show and Sale at Centennial Recreation Centre, 1967 Ellesmere Rd., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The Spring Art Show and Sale showcases over 400 juried, original works of art created by The Art Guild of Scarborough artists, many of whom will be in attendance. The art is a variety of mediums including watercolour, pastel, oil, acrylic, ink, sculpture and mixed media. Free parking, admission and refreshments. Info: theartguildofscarborough.com/upcoming-shows

MARCH 21: Winter Bowie Celebration with The Bowie Lives at The Duke, 1225 Queen St. E., 8-11 p.m. Sets move through Bowie’s catalogue, from the essential anthems to the darker, stranger corners. Tickets $29. Superfan ticket price available until March 1, after which regular pricing kicks in. Info: www.thebowielives.com. Info on Duke Tavern: 416-466-2624

MARCH 22: A Senior Moment luncheon for ladies at the Wolfe Tone Pub, 1961 Queen St. E., 1:30 p.m. We will be joined by a ‘Special Guest’ to be announced. Always a pleasure to have you join us. Text 647-829-8042 to reserve a spot. Meet friends and make new ones. Join A Senior Moment for coffee and chats every month on the 12th at the Wolfe Tone Pub at 1:30 pm. It’s casual.

MARCH 24: Scouts Canada Open House

MARCH 28: Acoustic Harvest presents The Slocan Ramblers with opening set Alex Sinclair at St. Paul’s United Church, 200 McIntosh St., 8 p.m. Get ready for high-octane bluegrass at its best with The Slocan Ramblers! This Juno-nominated band brings blazing instrumentals, tight harmonies, and a whole lot of heart. Ticket $35 advance, $40 at door. Tickets and info: acousticharvest.ca

MARCH 28: St. John’s Interactive Community Players present: a sacred drama of epic proportions, Easter Play, at 155 Broadview Ave., 11 a.m. Good for the whole family. Refreshments during the play. Lunch after the play. Donation accepted for our homeless programs.

MARCH 28: Toronto Beaches Children’s Youth Chorus Fundraiser for Penny’s Promise at Kingston Road United Church, 975 Kingston Rd., 4 p.m. The event features a 50/50 draw, bake sale, and silent auction. Tickets: $26 adults, $16 youth and children. Tickets and info: tbcyc.com

MARCH 29, APRIL 5: Scarborough Model Railroaders Train Show at 17 Jeavons Ave., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Enjoy two floors of HO and N scale train layouts, featuring passenger and freight trains running through southern Ontario and mountainous scenery. Watch miniature trains that are as long as the real ones! Fun for families and all ages. Admission: Adults $10, Children $5. Info: scarborough-model-railroaders.org

APRIL 25: Cantemus Singers, conducted by Michael Erdman, present “Good Queen Bess” at St. Aidan’s Anglican Church, 70 Silver Birch Ave., 7:30 p.m. A concert of Elizabethan music for Easter and Springtime, featuring works by Tallis, Byrd, Morley and Tomkins. A performance will also be held at Church of the Holy Trinity, Eaton Centre, on Sunday April 26 at 3 p.m. Tickets at the door (cash), or via Eventbrite at www.cantemus.ca. General Admission $35 / Kids under 12 free. Info/reservations: 416-578-6602

St., Wednesdays 7:15 p.m. Alateen members are welcome to attend. Info: 416-691-1113

BEACH INTERFAITH Outreach Fellowship Lunches for adults in the community, 11 a.m. •Mondays at Corpus Christi Church (16 Lockwood Rd.). Closed April 6 •Tuesdays – alternating locations: St. Nicholas Anglican Church (1512 Kingston Rd.) March 17, 31, April 14; St. Aidan’s Anglican Church (2423 Queen St. E.) March 24, April 7, 21 •Wednesdays at Beach Hebrew Institute (109 Kenilworth Ave.). Closed April 1 and April 8 •Thursdays at Beach United Church (140 Wineva Ave.) •Fridays at Kingston Road United Church (975 Kingston Rd.). Lunch format may vary from site to site. BEACH PHOTO CLUB. Are you interested in photography? We invite all shutterbugs to check out our local photo club. We offer a range of activities including guest speakers, mentorship, opportunities to share your work, photo excursions, competitions, practical seminars and more! We meet the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month from September to June, 7-9:30 p.m., at Beach United Church, 140 Wineva Ave. (unless specified in program). Info: beachphotoclub.com or email beachphotoclub@gmail.com

APRIL 25: Once upon a Spring Night, an interactive evening of poetry and music presented by Beaches author and composer Mark Battenberg at Danforth Mennonite Church, 2174 Danforth Ave., 7:30 p.m. Featuring a live reading and symposium of his transcending poetic work A leaf in the Wind, with musical meditations by special guest Shakuhachi Flute Master Debbie Danbrook. You could win a copy of the book A Leaf in the Wind signed by the author. $20 at the door or pay what you can.

TORONTO BEACHES LIONS EASTER WEEK-

END •April 3: Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. •April 5: Parade along Queen St. E. from Neville Park to Woodbine, 2 p.m. Info: www.beacheseasterparade.ca

THURSDAYS: GROUP MEDITATION at the Church of St. Aidan, 2423 Queen St. E., 7:30 – 8:15 p.m. All ages and stages of experience welcome! Type of meditation will vary based on the instructor. Email: office@staidansinthebeach.com

CALVARY GRACE FOOD BANK, 72 Main St., Thursdays, 6-8:30 p.m, by appointment only, through Daily Bread Food Bank. Info: 416-691-2899, gpcc@calvary-baptist-church. ca, www.gracepascoefoodbank.ca/access-our-services GRANTFUL FOOD AND FELLOWSHIP Food Bank and Soup Kitchen, 2029 Gerrard St E., is open Fridays from 3:30-6 p.m. Registration is required. New clients must present identification for members in their household on their first visit and annually thereafter. Time slots are handed out and clients are encouraged to arrive at the food bank the time slot they have selected. Info.: 416-690-5169 BEACHES MENTAL WELLNESS GROUP meets each Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Community Centre 55, 97 Main St. at Swanwick. Info: www.mentalwellness.help. Or join us most nights of the week on Zoom. Go to: https://www.meetup.com. Ask to join us: Mental Wellness Peer-to-Peer Support-Groups A A at Community Centre 55, 97 Main St., Saturdays 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Info: 416-691-1113 AL- ANON at Community Centre 55, 97 Main

DANFORTH/COXWELL LIBRARY, 1675 Danforth Ave. •March 18: Mad Science: Fire and Ice, 2-3 p.m. For ages 4-12. •March 18: Ageing in Place – How to Assess Your Long-term Care Options, 6:30-7:30 p.m. An expert in long term care options will share knowledge and resources to help you make an informed decision. •March 25: NatureTO: Managing Invasive Species Around Your Home, 6:30-8 p.m. Learn how to identify invasive species, understand their impact, and effectively manage them. Info: 416-393-7783 THE CHURCH OF ST. AIDAN (Anglican), 2423 Queen St. E. All are welcome to join us for our Holy Week services. Palm Sunday, March 29, at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Maundy Thursday (with choir & communion) April 2, 7:30 p.m. Good Friday, April 3, 10:30 a.m. (with interactive reading of the Passion story). Easter Vigil, Sat., April 4, 8 p.m. (with choir & communion). Easter Sunday, April 5, 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. (both with choir & communion). We are an energetic, active faith community committed to following Jesus as we gather for meaningful worship, spiritual growth, and community engagement. We live this out through our vibrant children’s and youth programs, diverse sacred music offerings, and active community outreach and environmental stewardship ministries. On Sundays, we welcome you to join us for worship at 8:30 a.m. (spoken service) and 10:30 a.m. (with music and children’s and youth programs). Wednesdays please join us for the Eucharist Service at 10:30 a.m. Weekly euchre on Tuesdays from 7-9 p.m. ($5 to play, all proceeds go to outreach). Busy Bees drop-in playgroup for ages 0-3 and caregivers features stories and crafts on Thursdays, 10-11:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall. Meditation on Thursdays, 7:30-8:15 p.m. BEACH UNITED CHURCH, 140 Wineva Ave., invites you to share in worship with us each week. We offer a combination of in-person and YouTube livestream opportunities on Sunday mornings at 10:30am. Holy Week we will have special services on Palm Sunday, March 29th; Good Friday, April 3rd; and Easter Sunday Communion, April 5th; all services at 10:30 am. We are an inclusive, affirming congregation and our building is fully accessible. Rev. Dr. Ellen Redcliffe offers inspirational and thought-provoking reflections, supported by Music Director Dr. Steven Webb and the church choir, which welcomes new members at all times. Nathalie Zeta, our youth coordinator, offers engaging programming for our younger members and guests during the Sunday service. All are welcome! Beach United also offers vibrant music and educational programs open to the entire Beach community. Info and links: beachunitedchurch.com

ST. JOHN’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, 794 Kingston Rd., 2 blks. east of Main St. Pastor is Rev. Fr. Joshua Roldan. Lent & Easter Schedule: Confession available all Friday evenings during Lent from 6pm to 6:30pm. Also on all Lenten Fridays a Holy Mass at 8:15am & 7pm and Stations of the Cross at 7:30pm. Palm Sunday Masses: Sat. Vigil (Mar 28) 4:30pm, Sun. (Mar 29) 9am & 11am. Holy Thursday (Apr 2) no 8:15am Mass, only Mass of The Last Supper at 7pm. Good Friday (Apr 3) no 8:15am Mass, only Passion of The Lord service at 12 noon & 3pm. Holy Saturday (Apr 4) no 4:30pm Mass, only Easter Vigil at 8:00pm. Easter Sunday (Apr 5) Masses at 9am & 11am. Outside of the Lent & Easter schedule regular Mass times are every Sat. (Vigil) at 4:30pm, every Sun. at 9am & 11am and Tue. to Fri. at 8:15am. Contact church office at: https://stjohnsto.archtoronto.org or call 416-698-1105

FORWARD BAPTIST CHURCH, 1891 Gerrard Street E. Sunday Worship at 10:15 a.m.

The bus arrives at Main and Danforth

By David Van Dyke

This TTC bus (in photo above) is headed southbound on Main Street, just south of Danforth Avenue. This photograph was taken in the mid 1950s. Behind the coach is Hope United Church which was erected in 1930 on the northwest corner of Danforth Avenue and Main Street. Do you have any old photographs of the TTC you’d like to share? Please contact me at gdvandyke61@gmail.com

The Slocan Ramblers to perform at Acoustic Harvest on March 28

THE SLOCAN Ramblers will be bringing their “bluegrass with grit”, groove and Canadian soul to Acoustic Harvest on Sunday, March 28.

The concert will take place at St. Paul’s United Church, 200 McIntosh St., in southwest Scarborough.

The Slocan Ramblers are Frank Evans on banjo and vocals, Adrian Gross on mandolin, and Darryl Poulsen on guitar and vocals, with Charles James on bass and vocals.

Nominated for a JUNO Award in 2019 in the Traditional Roots Album of the Year

category for their album Queen City Jubilee, The Slocan Ramblers are known for their energetic live shows. The performance is described as “high-octane” bluegrass.

Doors open for the March 28 concert at 7:30 p.m., and the performance will begin at 8 p.m.

Tickets can be bought in advance for $35 and at the door for $45.

For more information on the March 28 concert and to buy tickets in advance, please go to www.ticketscene.ca/events/53318/ahnews

Robert Gore & Associates Chartered Professional

In Good Hands

Reel Beach: Movies in East Toronto

BERNIE FLETCHER

t’s been a long, cold winter, a time to curl up with a good book.

Spring is around the corner, though, and things are heating up with screen adaptations of passionate romance novels.

Wuthering Heights opened in theatres and Heated Rivalry has become a streaming phenomenon. How do you feel when your favourite novel is brought to life?

Emily Bronte isn’t around to adapt her 1847 literary classic about romantic obsession, but Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid was a

contributing producer on Heated Rivalry (Crave). She loves the show as a faithful adaptation of her bestselling books saying “just the whole thing was a dream”. Vladimir sounds like a Russian novel, but it’s not. Julia May Jonas created and produced the new Netflix limited series from her 2022 debut novel. The author gives a sly nod to Vladimir Nabokov who wrote about forbidden love in his 1955 novel Lolita. Nabokov (1899-1977) taught at Harvard and collected rare butterflies.

Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz plays an English professor in mid-life crisis. Her ordered life begins to unravel after accusations against her husband (John Slattery), a fellow literature professor. The show explores themes of betrayal, desire, jealousy, secrets and lies. Whose story do we tell? Are we honest with ourselves and others?

“I love a Gothic romance. You know, the fixation, the pining.”

Weisz is the unnamed protagonist and unreliable narrator of her own story. “M” even talks directly to the camera in frequent asides.

She feels she has “lost the ability to captivate”. Once the queen of the faculty, she is losing her throne. She has writer’s block, her students consider her teachings “out of touch”, her daughter rebels against her controlling nature and her husband cheats on her.

A newly arrived, young professor and writer,

Vladimir (Leo Woodall), becomes the object of her steamy fantasies. M wants to curl up by a fire with more than a good book. Is she falling in love…or lust? Things get complicated to say the least!

“All I want is a life free from complications.”

The setting is a small, upstate New York liberal arts college, but most of the filming was done at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus, also seen in Total Recall (2012), Enemy (2013) and The Shape of Water (2017).

A number of scenes feature the Fred Urquhart Memorial Garden and the Valley Land Trail down to Highland Creek. The garden was dedicated in 2014 with a celebration of butterflies.

Dr. Urquhart (1911-2002) was a professor of zoology at U of T Scarborough. Along with his wife Norah, he dedicated his life’s work to understanding the migratory pattern of the monarch butterfly.

The award-winning IMAX film The Flight of the

Butterflies tells the story of the long search to unlock the secrets of migration.

Fred Urquhart grew up close to the lake at the foot of Woodbine Avenue in the Beach and attended Kew Beach Public School. He became fascinated with nature while exploring the marshes that were once at Ashbridges Bay.

The Urquharts lived on Military Trail near the U of T Scarborough campus and released butterflies from Highland Creek.

“I’m coming to the cottage.”

- Ilya in Heated Rivalry. Soon it will be cottage time. The Lake Muskoka cottage in Heated Rivalry is available for rent.

In Vladimir, it’s a RussianAmerican (Woodall) coming to an idyllic, log cabin in Halton Hills after M takes him out for lunch.

Catch the series on Netflix for Weisz’s star performance or go for a nature hike along Highland Creek in Scarborough and look for butterflies. The spirit of Fred and Norah Urquhart will be watching over you.

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

Your gateway to connecting with skilled professionals in our community

Interested in advertising your business in our Professional Directory? Contact carolin@beachmetro.com or 416-698-1164 x 22 for rates. Your Professional Directory ad also appears on our website: beachmetro.com

Dashwood & Dashwood

Barristers & Solicitors

Geoffrey J. Dashwood 961 Kingston Rd. Tel. 416-690-7222 Toronto, M4E 1S8 Fax. 416-690-8738

PSYCHOTHERAPY

Kriens LaRose, LLP

Chartered Professional Accountants

• Accounting services for owner-managed businesses

• Audit services for not-for-profit organizations kriens@krienslarose.com krienslarose.com 416-690-6800

CHRISTINE KATO, B.Sc., D.V.M. KATO ANIMAL HOSPITAL 2830 Danforth Ave. (East of Dawes Rd.) 416-690-2112 Dogs, cats, pocket pets. Housecalls available.

HOUGHTON VETERINARY HOUSECALL SERVICES Vaccines, examinations, diagnostics, palliative care, and home euthanasia provided for your pets in the comfort of your own home. Dr. Barbara Houghton 647-221-5516

Patrick Ruiz Professional Corporation CPA, CA An accountant you can count on For your Small Business Self-employed income & investments Real Estate Rentals 647-300-4062 • patrick@prtaxcpa.com

Snider & DiGregorio

Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries. 978 Kingston Road, Toronto, Ont., M4E 1S9 Tel: 416-699-0424 Fax: 416-699-0285 Email: info@sdlegal.ca

Shelly Pereira, Paralegal

Commissioner/Notary, Small Claims, Landlord & Tenant/other Tribunals, Municipal Offences, Letters & Mediation. Call for a Free 30 min. Consultation 647-693-6240 Toronto info@toronto-paralegal.net

Peter J. Salah Family Law Lawyer 124 Merton Street, Suite 300 We Collaborate, Negotiate & Litigate 416.752.8128 peter@salahlaw.ca www.salahlaw.ca

KAMRUL HAFIZ AHMED REAL ESTATE LAWYER 416 690 1855 [P 416 690 1866 [F 2972 DANFORTH AVE.

Beaches Family Law and MEDIATION

Linda Bronicheski, J.D. 47 Main Street (at Lyall) 416-763-6884 Linda@BeachesFamilyLaw.com

Janet D’Arcy DC, FRCCSS (C) Chiropractor Sports Injury Specialist 2455A Queen St. East 416 690-6257 Open Saturdays

(416) 694-8181 www.stephenkingarchitect.com Member Ontario Association of Architects

Jon Cummings Architecture Residential new build,

GARRY M. CASS

BARRISTER & SOLICITOR, TEP

Wills/Estate Administration/Advice to Estate Trustees 416-767-CASS (2277) x 207 416-795-4899 (cell) 416-491-0273 (fax) garry@garrycass.com

Glover & Associates

Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries Real Estate, Family, Litigation Wills & Estates, Corporate 416-691-3700 Queen and Hammersmith

ARISE Legal Services PC Ayesha (Emma) Abbas Barrister, Solicitor, Notary Wills & Estates • Real Estate Family • General 437-992-1267 info@ariselegalservices.com ariselegalservices.com

Celebrations. Done Differently. In Service with St. John’s Norway Cemetery & Crematorium. 647.660.5056 www.ecofuneral.ca

Game pays tribute to legacy o Neil McNeil teacher and coach Frank Vandersteen

By Matthew Stephens

FOR THE players in Neil McNeil

Catholic High School’s intramural hockey league, this year’s championship game to hoist the Vandersteen Cup also celebrated the legacy of Frank Vandersteen, a beloved teacher and coach who passed away late last year.

“Frank may have passed, but this league will never die. Vandersteen is an icon in our school community,” said Peter Ranson, a teacher at Neil McNeil who helped establish several of

the school’s sports programs.

Frank Vandersteen worked at the Victoria Park Avenue school as a religion teacher and hockey coach before retiring in 2005. His love for Neil McNeil didn’t end there, as he frequently returned to the school as both a supply teacher and a prominent figure in the students’ lives.

“He always came back, he supply taught – and the kids just lit up when they saw him,” said Justin Mihevc, co-founder of the intramural hockey league and faculty member at Neil McNeil.

Grandsons Peter and Aiden Vandersteen, who were also in attendance at the championship game on Thursday, March 5, at East York Arena, praised the league for its inclusionary nature.

“Hockey can be an intensive thing, and this is just a better way to involve as many students as possible, because not everyone is going to be an elite player,” said Peter. “I think it just really opens hockey up to the entire school, and really gets the students to engage

Continued on Page 16

Vandersteen Cup expands hockey experience for Neil McNeil athletes

‘Game’ from Page 15

with one another.”

Players of the White and Gold teams took to the ice for the title game on the afternoon of March 5, with the Gold squad skating to a 3-0 victory.

Moments before the puck dropped, senior student and Gold team coach Noraiz Samir predicted the shutout victory in a locker room interview with Beach Metro Community News.

“I really expect Team Gold to take it to Team White and come out on top by a lot,” said Samir.

Each of the team’s respective student coaches transitioned into a leadership role after having played in the league since its conception three years ago.

Now in his senior year, White Team coach Ryan Mehra said he’s thankful for the opportunity to look back on the league through a coaching lens.

“It’s a cool experience to give back to the younger generation of hockey players at the school,” said Mehra.

“We were part of this league when we were in Grade 10, and so it’s nice to give back to our little brothers, as we call it.”

Team Gold MVP (Most Valuable Player) Lucas Magar said the league has

created a stronger sense of camaraderie at the school, and allowed him to establish new relationships with students he may not have met outside the rink.

“The league was fun and it was nice to build friendships with people I hadn’t met at Neil,” said Magar. “It allowed us to be more social, and it helped create the ‘brotherhood’ at Neil. It felt great to win the league, especially for the kids that never played hockey.”

According to Ranson, Neil McNeil has experienced a sharp increase in young athletes in recent years.

The high school is currently home to eight hockey teams, including senior and junior contact, non-contact ‘A’ and ‘B’, and four intramural teams.

Ranson said the Vandersteen intramural league has helped to create more opportunities for students who aren’t able to play on the school’s varsity hockey teams.

“We’re very strong in our hockey program. We have a total of eight teams servicing kids at different levels of hockey,” said Ranson.

“This league is for kids that are A level and under, and a lot of these kids wouldn’t make some of our competitive teams, so this gives them a sense of be-

longing and makes them feel like part of our school community.”

He said the school’s intramural leagues create opportunities for an additional 100 students to take part in school sports.

“At Neil, if we just had the competitive teams, a lot of these kids wouldn’t have an opportunity to play. Now, through this, we have an extra 100 kids engaged,” said Ranson.

Each of the school’s colour-coded intramural leagues have four teams consisting of 20 players each.

Over a half-year season, the Vandersteen intramural league played games every Thursday from the beginning of October until early March, for a total of 10 games. At the end of the season, the two best teams faced off in a final championship game for the Vandersteen Cup.

Ranson and Mihevc said they hope to see the league expand further in the years to come, creating more opportunities for young hockey players at other schools across the city.

“It would be an awesome thing,” said Ranson.

“We’re looking to see if we can help other schools and do what’s best for kids across the city.”

Beaches Spring Sprint slated for April 11

THE BEACHES Recreation Centre Advisory Council’s 40th Annual Beaches Spring Sprint is set for April 11. The event is for both serious runners, and recreational participants. It takes place along the Boardwalk and has been a fundraiser for Beaches Recreation Centre since 1986.

Registration is in person only at the Beaches Recreation Centre, 6 Williamson Rd., on April 1 and 2, and April 7 and 8 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The registration fee is $30, in cash or by cheque. For more info, please call 416-392-0740.

Black History Month at Eastview

Among those attending the 31st annual Black History Month celebration at Eastview Community Centre on Sunday, March 1, were (from left) Anthony Fagan (Eastview staff and organizer), Peggy Whorpole (former Eastview staffer); Chrysanthi Zora Michaelides (former Eastview staffer); Joan Howard (community member); Neeka Allison (Eastview mentor); Shahaddah Jack (master of ceremonies); Julie Dabrusin (Toronto Danforth MP and Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature); and Laurette Jack (BGC Eastview Community Centre Program Director).

The celebration featured performances, guest speakers and food.

“This is our 31st year of doing our annual Black History Month Celebration, that’s youth-led basically,” said Laurette Jack, Program Director for the Eastview BGC of the event.

“I’ve been here for 26 of those years. It’s just really important for our youth from the African diaspora to have the opportunity to celebrate the culture, who they are, but also celebrate youth and how they move forward. It’s an event where people in the community come out, to support, to celebrate, and to let the youth from the African diaspora know it should be celebrated.”

Virtual community consultation meeting on plan for 10-storey building on Newbold Ave. slated

A VIRTUAL community consultation meeting to discuss the details of a 10-storey building proposal at 4 Newbold Ave., in the Coxwel Avenue and Gerrard Street East area, is slated to take place on the evening of Tuesday, March 31.

A four-storey building currently stands at the site.

The upcoming virtual meeting will be held on March 31 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. via Microsoft Teams.

The 30.2 metre building proposal was submitted on June 2 last year and includes 70 rental units (including 13 rental replacement units) and an underground parking area providing zero vehicle parking spaces and 75 bicycle parking spaces.

During the meeting, residents will have the opportunity to view information panels, provide comments, ask questions, and speak with the project team and Toronto city staff.

Those who wish to join the online meeting can do

so by visiting www.toronto. ca/CPconsultations for the registration link. Upon registration, residents will receive a link to join the meeting via email.

Residents are encouraged to join 10 minutes before 6 p.m. to allow time to log on.

Residents can also join the meeting over the phone by dialing 647-749-7152 and entering the Meeting ID: 908 317 216#.

Those who are unable to attend the meeting can submit comments to the Development Review Staff at Camryn.chin@toronto.ca or to the office of Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford at Councillor_Bradford@toronto.ca.

For more information on the proposal, please visit the city’s Application Information Centre at www.toronto. ca/4NewboldAve.

osest Op

EAST ON QUEEN STREET EAST

ASI Boutique Watch, Jewelry Sales & Repairs has been serving the Beach community for decades

By Kat Bergeron

ASI BOUTIQUE Watch, Jewelry Sales & Repairs at 1949 Queen St E. in the Beach is a family-owned business that’s been in the community for more than 33 years.

Focusing on community, ASI’s owner (who wants the focus to be on the business and not himself) said the policy in store is to “treat customers as family and as we’d want to be treated.”

The store offers a wide variety of services including free watch battery changes on a one-year warranty, seniors’ discounts of 10 per cent and a free ring polish once per year.

“(Community is) very important,” said the owner.

“The history of the store was that we were highly recommended by the neighbourhood to open up a jewelry and watch repair store. That’s why we’d come up with the idea. Before we opened up, we discussed it with the neighbourhood to ask what they needed.”

The owner and his son have been serving the community at ASI Boutique Watch, Jewelry Sales & Repairs since 1992. His father and grandfather previously ran the business.

Over the decades the business landscape in the Beach and along Queen Street East has since changed.

“You know, since 1992 after I opened up, six different jewelry stores have opened up after me. And they were, I have to be honest, they were really, really, really nice, nice showcases,” said the owner. “My situation is not like that. I like to make our customer to feel comfortable with the prices.”

He also mentioned that if a customer struggles with a price, he would happily come to an arrangement or discount that works.

The store will also discount additional work, such as resizing if something is too

big, at no charge, he said. “Once a year we polish your ring. No charge. Then we repair the watch, then we deduct the battery cost from the repair. We focus on our prices first.”

Since opening, the shop has taken in appraisals, engraving orders, jewelry and watch repairs everyday, also offering express battery replacements and servicing grandfather and grandmother clocks.

ASI replaces batteries and repairs any name-brand watch or jewelry in-house. For large items, such as clocks, the store has a pick-up service that collects the item from a client’s home and returns it after the repairs are completed.

The shop also stays busy throughout the year by selling different products for seasonal occasions and special days.

According to the owner, Father’s Day is most busy for watch sales, but jewelry is busier for Mother’s Day, Christmas, and every other holiday. Repairs keep them busy year-round.

“Summer is busy here because it’s a tourist area,” he said. “And over the years, my customers have come from all over since 1978, when I had the restaurant on Eglinton Avenue.

“I have customers from there, from that time—they come in here. And over the years, we had lots of followers.”

As a business focused on serving customers, most of the store’s marketing model is traditional word of mouth, with some newspaper advertising.

As a local fixture in the Beach, community residents drive ASI’s business, and family drives their generational ownership from the restaurant to the shop. “We are very, very proud of my grandfather,” said the owner. “That he’d come up with this watch repair concept in the neighbourhood. And over the years, we followed up. That’s what it was. That’s our main proud section, you know. And we’re following in his footsteps.”

Toronto Beaches Children’s Youth Chorus concert for Penny’s Promise on March 28

By Natasha Jackson

THE TORONTO Beaches Children’s Youth Chorus (TBCYC) is hosting a fundraiser to continue the community’s support of the Penny’s Promise fund.

Penny is an eight-year-old local girl who has Selenon-Related Myopathy SEPN-1, a rare form of congenital muscular dystrophy, a neuromuscular disease that can cause progressive weakness and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time. The condition currently has no treatment.

Last year’s fundraising gala took place at the Toronto Beach Club and raised more than $125,000, with $75,000 going to the charity after gala costs.

On Saturday, March 28, the TBCYC will host a concert at Kingston Road United Church to help fund new research and continuing research into Penny’s condition.

This gala fundraiser will feature a 50/50 draw, a bake sale and a silent auction with prizes including sports tickets, Mirvish tickets and a year of choir classes.

Penny’s family started noticing delays in her development when she was around six to seven months old. When they consulted with doctors, they discovered that Penny’s muscle cell count was lower than normal, making her smaller than average.

However, due to the overburdened state of the hospital system during the COVID-19 pandemic, Penny’s diagnosis slipped through the cracks which resulted in years of testing and a visit to a developmental pediatrician to uncover her condition.

Despite the challenges she’s faced, her parents said Penny continues to live a rela-

and Chris, and her brother Ellington.

tively healthy and normal life. Penny loves to sing and is one of the choristers at TBCYC.

Bronwen Low-Scott is the founder and artistic director at TBCYC and a full-time Orff music teacher for the Toronto District School Board. She has known Penny’s family for more than five years. She said that she wants the family and Penny to feel the love and support from everyone in the choir community.

“It’s the least we can do in a meaningful way,” said Scott. “We’re all parents…and they’re pretty remarkable people… their hope and their strength is really an inspiration.”

Scott has always had a passion for the arts and teaching children. She started teaching music when she was 21 years old.

“I loved it because it’s very kinesthetic. So, especially with younger children, it’s a Continued on Page 20

DRAGON

• We have teams practising on di erent days of the week at Outer Harbour.

• We also run corporate day and birthday party events for 16 to 40 people.

Strokes of LuckLiberty WavesWe Will Rock YouSAT 10:30 AM SUN 10:30 AM TUES 6:00 PM

CONTACT CLUB MANAGER: Tim MacFarlane 647-971-7332 | tim@rustydragons.ca Founded in 2005 by avid dragon boater, Tim MacFarlane, Rusty Dragons Adventures is a non-pro t, recreational organization.

BarracudasFlying DragonsMixed AbilityMON/THU 7:00 PM THU 7:00 PM SAT 12:00 PM

Concert set to take place at Kingston Road United Church

‘Toronto’ from Page 19

great way to teach them through doing,” said Scott.

TBCYC performs a wide range of music from traditional choral singing, which can be described as music from all over the world, musical theatre and African music.

Scott said there isn’t a specific musical theme for this year’s gala.

The focus will be on raising hope, connecting with the community and rallying behind the family.

This will be the third year for the Penny’s Promise fundraising event.

Penny’s Promise is in partnership with the Toronto Community Foundation. It has already raised more than $250,000 to fund research on muscular dystrophy at Boston’s Children’s Hospital and University College Cork in Ireland.

of Penny’s Promise is to fund more scientists, labs and research, and to support efforts to develop new therapeutic treatments that could improve the lifespan and quality of life for those living with neuromuscular conditions.

The March 28 concert starts at 4 p.m. at Kingston Road United Church located at 975 Kingston Rd.

Obituaries & In Memoriam

A space for remembrance and memory sharing. We publish Obituaries and In Memoriam notices online and in print. For details, email mark@beachmetro.com or call 647-988-1835

“I just think the whole concert is a theme of hope and community, and so we’re choosing the sort of songs that fit that. So coming together to really rally behind this family, one of our own, and to hopefully fill the church with as many people as possible to have that translate into financial aid … which is what they need for medical research,” said Scott.

Currently, they are funding the Beggs Lab at Harvard University and are working with Muscular Dystrophy Canada to collaborate with new medical research projects.

In an interview last year with Beach Metro Community News, Penny’s mother Laura Devlin said the goal

Tickets are $26 for adults and $16 for youth and children. To order tickets, please go to https://toronto-beaches-childrens-youth-chorus. square.site

For more on the TBCYC, please contact info@tbcyc. com or visit the choir’s website at https://tbcyc.com/

The Bowie Lives show slated for The Duke

By Kat Bergeron

MICHAEL BELL

will perform The Bowie Lives: A Bowie Spectacular event at The Duke in East Toronto this Saturday night.

Presented by OutShout Entertainment, the performance is on Saturday, March 21, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., and is the opening show of the Bowie Lives’ 2026 tour. The Duke is located at 1225 Queen St. E.

Bell is the performing singer and organizer of Bowie Lives, and has had a connection to David Bowie’s music since he was 14 years old and bought the album Young Americans Inspired by Bowie’s career, Bell took inspiration from Bowie’s showmanship. In the 1980s Bell performed in a tribute show, but then left performing for a long

hiatus. During that time he was founder and publisher of The Wire Megazine

“When David passed (in 2016), everybody came to me and suggested that I should put this together. And I didn’t really want to...I didn’t like the idea of trying to impersonate somebody else,” recalled Bell. However, he worked with a drummer friend who put a “killer band” together and came up with The Bowie Lives which honours the music without being an impersonation. “It’s about the music and the legacy. Sometimes it’s like one big karaoke sing-along, with the audience participation, and some people even dress up,” said Bell.

For more information on the March 21 show, please go to www.thebowielives. com

Erskine-Smith clarifies plans in Q and A with Beach Metro

BEACH METRO Community

News recently asked Beaches-East York MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith to clarify his plans to seek the provincial Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest and to run for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party. Below are the questions we asked Erskine-Smith and his answers:

1.) Critics say you should have stepped down as MP for Beaches-East York once you declared your intention to seek the provincial Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest, why did you choose not to?

I’ve committed to step down as soon as a byelection is called, which will be no later than the summer. The exact timing is in Doug Ford’s hands.

In the meantime, the Prime Minister’s Office asked me to stay on given every vote counts in this minority parliament and I owe it to the Carney government and constituents to do just that. We continue to serve constituents every day, and we’ll manage a transition in a thoughtful way together once the House rises in June so that constituents remain well served.

It isn’t an easy decision to step down as the MP for Beaches-East York. I’ve been lucky to serve this community over the last decade. Thanks to the strong support here at home, I’ve been able to do politics differently in Ottawa and bring a sense of principled inde-

pendence to the role.

With the track record and experience I’ve gained these last 10 years, I’m convinced that the biggest difference we can make right now is by rebuilding our politics in Ontario and I hope many of you will join me in that effort at teamnate.ca

2.) How do respond to those who say you have no connections to Scarborough Southwest or understanding of the riding and how different it is from Beaches-East York?

Anyone who lives here knows that life doesn’t stop at Victoria Park. These are shared communities here in our east end. And Beach Metro serves both for that reason.

I played baseball for Birchmount through high school, as one personal example. My family knows Birch Cliff, Cliffside and the Bluffs all too well, And my kids would live at the Eglinton Town Centre if they could.

As an MP, I’ve advocated for housing, transit, and affordability for residents across our city, and supported organizations that serve both ridings, including BGC West Scarborough, The Neighbourhood Group, and many Bangladeshi, Nepali and other cultural organizations that serve communities spread across our east end.

Every riding has a diversity of communities, of course. I didn’t

know every community in Beaches-East York when I first started out, and worked hard to build relationships. We have a great Scarborough team that is representative of that diversity, and I’m committed to earning the trust of residents across Scarborough Southwest and working relentlessly for them.

We will serve Scarborough well as an MPP. And Scarborough would be well served by a Premier who understands our east end communities.

3.) Tell us what you see as key issues in Scarborough Southwest and how can you make an impact on them provincially given that all of your political experience is at the federal level?

The biggest challenges are affordable housing, reliable transit, accessible health care, quality education, and economic opportunity.

Affordable housing and reliable transit are central challenges in Scarborough. We need to drive down the costs to build homes, renew provincial support for nonmarket housing, protect renters, and connect communities with fast, reliable, and affordable transit. I have experience delivering on these files as Housing/Infrastructure Minister and have consistently made housing and transit a core priority.

We also deserve high quality public education and affordable post-secondary education. My

parents were both public school teachers in the Harris years. As a product of the public school system, I was the first in my family to go to law school and Oxford. I’m committed to supporting educators and delivering excellence in public education for our kids and their future.

Ford’s recent OSAP changes disproportionately hurt lower income families, including many across Scarborough. We will fix the system to ensure equality of opportunity in post-secondary education.

On health care, we need to prioritize access to family health teams, quality long-term care, and timely service, at the same time as we take more seriously preventative health care, the social determinants of health, and ending poverty. Everyone deserves to live in dignity.

Of course, as a waterfront community, we should also expect the provincial government to take environmental protection and climate action seriously.

I have a track record of effective advocacy and getting things done at the federal level. I will bring that same approach to the role of MPP.

4.) If you do not win the provincial Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest, will you remain as MP for BeachesEast York?

I plan to resign my seat in the

summer no matter what happens in the nomination. If we win the nomination and flip a tough byelection, we have a clear path to win the leadership and deliver serious and overdue change at Queen’s Park. It’s past time for smart, fair, and honest leadership in Ontario.

So many of you have supported me over the years here, and I hope I can count on your support again in this nomination process, where local registered Liberals in Scarborough Southwest will select the Ontario Liberal candidate for the coming byelection.

If you’re reading this and you live in Scarborough Southwest, I hope you’ll register to vote in the nomination. If you live in BeachesEast York, I hope you’ll encourage friends and family who live on the Continued on Page 23

Support local healthcare and save on taxes

Michael Garron Hospital is important to Gary Grant. He’s chosen to give back in gratitude for the outstanding care he’s received and witnessed over the years.

Gary is practical too. He knows that leaving a gift in his will to Michael Garron Hospital Foundation is one of several tax-smart ways to support our community’s health.

“I always assumed only the wealthy made charitable gifts in their will. But I discovered I can provide for my kids and still leave a gift as my thank-you to the place that has meant so much to me all my life.”

Learn about tax-smart ways to support local healthcare: scan the QR code or contact Yolanda Bronstein, Legacy Giving Manager yolanda.bronstein@tehn.ca 416-469-6580 ext. 2161

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Greek Independence Day parade slated for March 29

GREEKTOWN ON the Danforth will hold its annual Greek Independence Day parade on the afternoon of Sunday, March 29.

The parade takes place along Danforth Avenue and will begin at 1:30 p.m.

The parade will start on the corner of Danforth and Donlands avenues and will then head west towards Alexander the Great Parkette on Danforth and Logan avenues at 3 p.m. for a wreath-laying ceremony.

The annual parade commemorates Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire following the revolution in 1821.

Greece officially gained independence in 1830 after the London Accords recognized it as an independent state.

Greek Independence Day is celebrated on March 25, and the Toronto parade is usually held on a weekend close to the actual date.

For more information on the Sunday, March 29, parade, please visit the Greek Community of Toronto’s website at www.greekcommunity.org

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Beaches Bookfest continues with presentations over next two Sundays

THE BEACHES Bookfest will continue this Sunday and next.

The free-to-attend authors series has been taking place on Sundays at the Starbucks in the Beach throughout the month of March.

The bookfest features a reading by the author and a question-and-answer session with the audience.

The Beaches Starbucks is located at 1960 Queen St. E., and the presentations begin at 2:30 p.m.

Remaining authors to present are:

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Sunday, March 29 – Author Muriel Lennox, who has spent a lifetime working with and writing about horses, will read from her best seller Northern Dancer: The Legend and His Legacy. The book tells the story of a legendary racehorse dismissed for his small size. Do you want to know why there is a street named Northern Dancer Boulevard in the Beach? Find out about this famous racehorse’s connection to the community. Please visit and follow www.instagram.com/ beachesbookfest for more information on the Beaches Bookfest.

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Jackson touts strong local connections in bid for nomination

By Matthew Stephens

WITH A provincial byelection looming in the near future for the Scarborough Southwest riding, recent political moves have shaken up the Ontario Liberal Party nomination race for candidacy.

“The party made the right decision regarding holding an open nomination. Even though I am the immediate past candidate, I believe that competition is healthy,” said Qadira Jackson, who will be seeking the provincial Liberal nomination in the Scarborough Southwest riding.

Jackson is a lawyer with a background working with children as a social worker in local elementary schools and other settings. She sits on the Parent Council of her children’s school and is a Director at the West Scarborough Neighbourhood Community Centre.

In addition to operating her own law practice, Jackson has sat on many boards, including the Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals, the Canadian Asso-

ciation of Black Lawyers, the Parish Council at her local church, and served as a Councillor on the regulatory body of Professional Engineers Ontario.

Jackson was the Liberal candidate for Scarborough Southwest in the 2025 provincial election. She came third in that race, trailing behind Addie Daramola of the Progressive Conservative Party and winner Doly Begum of the NDP.

Following political moves from Scarborough Southwest’s Liberal MP Bill Blair and NDP MPP Begum, Beaches-East York Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith announced he would seek the Liberal nomination to run in the provincial byelection to fill Begum’s Scarborough Southwest seat.

Jackson, a Scarborough resident with roots in the community going back 40 years, said the open nomination prior to the byelection will allow local Liberals to make “the best choice” for Scarborough Southwest.

“Scarborough is a community; we share values, hopes and dreams that no outsider/ parachuted candidate will truly under-

stand,” said Jackson. “We have different demographics here; we have different values here.”

Jackson said meeting the needs of constituents in Scarborough Southwest requires a balanced perspective on Ontario’s housing needs.

“Before I became a lawyer, I worked as a social worker having experience in child protection, elementary schools, detention centres, homeless shelters, foster homes and group homes. I can identify with almost anyone having been raised in government housing, to now being a professional and owning two businesses,” said Jackson.

“I have lived in the riding as a renter and a homeowner, and personally understand the issues of housing from both perspectives.”

Jackson said that Erskine-Smith, as a nonScarborough resident, is not as well known in the riding as she is.

“As I mentioned already, the party chose not to appoint Nathaniel for a reason. He is not well known in my riding, which I am

noticing while campaigning and knocking doors,” said Jackson. “Playing basketball once a week in a riding as a teen, doesn’t compare to being a parent raising kids here.”

Contested Liberal nomination race expected by Erskine-Smith

other side of Victoria Park to register to vote. Grassroots politics works and if everyone who has supported us over the years signs up one or two friends, we’ll be in good shape to win what is expected to be quite a contested nomination race.

5.) Win or lose either the provincial nomination race or the actual provincial byelection in Scarborough Southwest, do you still intend to pursue the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party?

I’m squarely focused on winning this competitive nomination race and we’ll make a decision as a team after that. Ontario Liberals have come in third in Scarborough Southwest over the last three election cycles, so it’s not a guaranteed win by any means. But if our team keeps growing the way it’s been growing, there’s a path to deliver much needed change.

6.) What makes the position of Ontario Liberal Party leader an appealing prospect given it is the third party by number of seats at Queen’s Park and that the last two leaders were both rejected by voters in the ridings they ran in in the previous provincial elections?

How do you make the biggest difference with the time that you’ve got?

I left law for politics over a decade ago because I was frustrated with Harper and helped a third place federal Liberal team deliver renewal. We’ve shown that politics can be done differently, that it’s possible to work across the aisle to get things done, and that our politics can be about ideas.

There’s the same opportunity here in Ontario right now to build a team and drive change. If there’s any takeaway here, it’s that it’s time for smart and serious people to get off the sidelines and join us. Now is the time.

The Liberal Party at its best delivers smart, fair, and honest leadership. It prioritizes equality of opportunity, with

lasting social progress built on a fiscally sustainable footing. And it welcomes a diversity of perspectives and reasonable disagreement. That’s the party we’re building and people should join us in that effort.

7.) Some have said you are seeking the Ontario Liberal leadership after being denied a cabinet position in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s federal government and that the provincial bid is a consolation prize. How do you respond to that criticism?

I’ve always been driven to make the biggest difference that I can with the opportunity to serve. And I really do believe that politics can and should be a noble profession. It’s why I left law to run federally in 2015 for the first time, and it’s why I ran for the provincial leadership in 2023.

We came a close second in that race, with 46.5 per cent of the vote. We have a much stronger team this time around already. And we’re just getting started.

I had planned to take a break after the 2023 leadership race, and then my life got turned upside down when Trudeau and team asked me to help on the housing file and to help revive a federal party that was really struggling.

We made a difference in that role in the short time we

had. There’s also no doubt that the Premier of our country’s largest province can make a bigger difference on issues affecting people’s lives, from housing to health care to education.

On the question of team dynamics more generally, I’ve had the occasional disagreement with Carney, just as I had my share of disagreements with Trudeau over the years. But I have a great relationship with both, and have always found ways to be collaborative at the same time.

8.) If you do become the provincial Liberal candidate for Scarborough Southwest, what do you think will be the best way to select the federal Liberal candidate to replace you in Beaches-East York given that Prime Minister Carney appointed Doly Begum to that position in Scarborough Southwest?

I’m a product of a grassroots open nomination race, and I believe that local Liberals should decide who our next candidate will be.

There are already a number of interested and capable candidates, and I’ve advised the Prime Minister’s Office and the party that we’d be well served by a competitive nomination process.