Beach Metro News, March 3, 2026

Lunar New Year celebration in East Chinatown

The annual Lion Dance and Parade hosted by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of East Toronto made its way down Broadview Avenue on Saturday afternoon. The Lunar New Year celebration welcomed the Year of the Horse, and started at the Zhong Hua Men Archway on Gerrard Street East by

By Jessica Shackleton

MICHAEL GARRON Hospital

is partnering with students from Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in East York to highlight the hospital’s equipment needs.

The Vital Venture Fund 2026 saw the high school students work with physicians at MGH and create 90-second videos presenting

the need for different pieces of medical equipment. Community members will vote on the video that makes the best case for the equipment to be purchased.

The project with the most votes will receive immediate funding from the Moez & Marissa Kassam Equity Fund. The Kassams’ investment into Michael Garron Hospital directly supports the diverse

population of East Toronto.

Mitze Mourinho, President of Michael Garron Hospital Foundation, said it’s important for the community to have a voice in its local hospital.

By Matthew Stephens

DISCUSSION ABOUT the Queen Street East Urban Design Guidelines (UDG) and their connection to a proposal for a 10-storey building at a high-profile intersection in the Beach will continue at Toronto City Council this month.

The proposal for the northwest corner of Queen Street East and Kingston Road (the Murphy’s Law site) was the subject of a public meeting on Thursday, Feb. 19, prior to that day’s meeting of Toronto and East York Community Council.

At that meeting, community councillors heard from members of the public and city staff regarding the Murphy’s Law proposal, and voted to send the item without recommendation to the full Toronto Council meeting on March 25.

City councillors will gather at the March 25 meeting to discuss whether the Queen Street East UDG are still considered relevant in the city’s planning process for new developments in the area.

“It’s hard to see how a 10-storey building complies with the intent of the Queen Street East Urban Design Guidelines,” said deputant Jeffrey Levitt, Vice-President of the The Beach Triangle Residents

“MGH is a real community hospital. That’s something I came to learn very quickly when I joined. The community is heavily involved in everything that we do,”

she said.

“We often talk about how the work of the hospital is beyond the four walls. The care that is provided does not just happen here at the hospital, it happens in the community.”

Having local schools involved in the Vital Venture campaign made sense, as it serves as an opportunity to teach students about

Council to continue debate over Beach development rules

Association, at the Feb. 19 community council meeting.

Further uncertainty arose about whether the UDG still applies to Queen Street East in the Beach when city staff acknowledged that some aspects of the local guidelines were considered in the developer’s updated proposal for the Murphy’s Law site at 1684, 1689, 1700 and 1702 Queen St. E.

Adopted by the city in 2012, the Queen Street East UDG was the result of a collaborative effort between local residents, the local councillor at the time, and the city’s planning department. The guidelines limited building heights along Queen Street East in the Beach to six storeys between Coxwell and Neville Park avenues, and also set design standards to preserve the area’s character.

Several deputants and two East Toronto councillors at the Feb. 19 meeting questioned whether the 2012 guidelines had been “superseded” by the city’s all-encompassing 2024 Mid-rise Building Design Guidelines (which define a midrise property as five to 14 storeys in height).

“The 2024 Mid-Rise Guidelines are the standard for reviewing mid-rise buildings, but the other guidelines are still to have regard,”

Continued on Page 4

Hospital partners with students for Vital Venture Fund

the need for hospital funding and how it impacts patient care.

Gillian Evans is the principal of Marc Garneau Collegiate, located at Don Mills Road and Overlea Boulevard and the third-largest high school in the TDSB, and she said the school welcomed the opportunity to have students take part in the campaign.

Continued on Page 4

Great grandson o Nelson Mandela visits with students in Scarborough

By Matthew Stephens

IN HONOUR of Nelson Mandela’s insurmountable legacy, his greatgrandson Dr. Siyabulela Mandela has embarked on a weeks-long tour of Toronto to advocate for truth and reconciliation – bringing him to East Toronto’s Teach Me to Fly preschool in southwest Scarborough recently.

“We’re talking about peace; we’re talking about reconciliation. This year, we came back to see how we can continue to remember the legacy of Nelson Mandela at a time when the world is becoming more divided,” said Siyabulela in an interview with Beach Metro Community News.

He visited the preschool at 2560 Gerrard St. E. on Thursday, Feb. 19, to read the kids a short story about Nelson Mandela’s onerous mission to fight for human rights in an apartheid

(institutionalized segregation) South Africa in the mid- to late-1900s.

Siyabulela was also at Neil McNeil Catholic High School last Thursday to share a message similar to the one heard by young students at Teach Me to Fly. “It’s important that we continue to build bridges between communities. So, we’re having talks at local schools on the importance of reconciliation and the protection of fundamental values that guide humanity,” said Siyabulela.

Following in his great-grandfather’s footsteps, Siyabulela is a scholar and social justice activist for leadership and world peace. He has worked as the Regional Project Manager for East and Southern Africa at Journalists for Human Rights, and recently finished his position as a lecturer for politics and international relations at the University of Kurdistan Hewlêr in Erbil, Iraq.

Now focused on his Toronto tour, he is holding his presentations where he believes truth and reconciliation awareness is needed most.

“During this tour that we’re doing, I’ll be engaging with schools, universities, government entities like police departments across Toronto. I’ll be speaking at Toronto Metropolitan University on the role that Nelson Mandela played as a lawyer fighting for justice, peace and freedom,” said Siyabulela.

Nelson Mandela (through the African National Congress party) laid the groundwork for truth and reconciliation in 1995, when he established South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission just one year after being elected as the country’s first Black president.

In 2008, Canada introduced its own

Continued on Page 3

Fun on ice at Toronto Beaches Lions Club Family Day Skate

Students learn o Mandela’s legacy

Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was formed through a legal settlement between Residential School Survivors, the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit representatives and parties responsible for the creation and operation of residential schools, the federal government and the church bodies.

“Truth and Reconciliation was later adopted by Canada back in the early 2000s, when they realized that they also have to follow through the example that South Africa had presented to mend the injustices of the past,” said Siyabulela.

He said the goal of his presentations is to help break down underlying barriers prevalent amongst marginalized communities by talking about how members of society can come together and help build a better world.

“We are touching every layer in the sector of society,” said Siyabulela. “From the schools to the police; from the police to the universities; from the universities to the corporate companies – focusing on the role that they play in transforming societies.”

While minority groups across North America were still recovering from the lasting impacts of racial segregation throughout the 1900s, Nelson Mandela was leading the charge against South Africa’s apartheid laws.

Similar to America’s Jim Crow laws, which lasted from the 1870s to mid-1960s – South Africa’s apartheid laws (from 1948 to 1994 following the election of the whiteonly National Party) also enforced strict institutionalized racial segregation and white supremacy.

Throughout his life and political career, Nelson Mandela fought against segregation in South Africa as an African Nationalist. He studied law at the University of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand before working as a lawyer in Johannesburg. He became a crusader for anti-colonial and African nationalist politics, joining The African National Congress (ANC) Party in 1943.

Following the National Party’s establishment of apartheid laws in 1948, Mandela and the ANC swore to overthrow South Africa’s governing party by appointing him

as the president of the ANC’s Transvaal branch, which led to further anti-apartheid efforts such as the 1952 Defiance campaign and the 1955 Congress of the people.

Through his efforts to end apartheid laws, Mandela was repeatedly arrested by the South African government for seditious activities. In 1956, he was unsuccessfully prosecuted for treason in the Johannesburg Treason Trial, in which 156 people were arrested in a raid.

His career later saw him secretly join the banned South African Communist Party. Despite his initial commitment to non-violent protest, he co-founded the ANC’s paramilitary wing known as the uMkhonto we Sizwe in 1961, which would later become involved in a sabotage campaign against the apartheid government. This led to Mandela’s arrest in 1962, and following the Rivonia Trial two years later, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for conspiring to overthrow the state.

He served 27 years of his life sentence. However, amongst growing international pressure and civil unrest, President F. W. de Klerk released him in 1990. Following his release, Mandela and de Klerk worked to negotiate an end to apartheid laws, which resulted in the 1994 multiracial general election and Mandela’s victory as South Africa’s first Black president.

He declined a second term and would later go on to become an elder statesman focused on addressing poverty and the HIV/ AIDS crisis through his charitable Nelson Mandela Foundation. He is now widely recognized as a historic icon for world peace and social justice, receiving more than 250 honours and winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his work with de Klerk to end the apartheid regime in South Africa.

And now, 13 years after his passing, Siyabulela continues to share his great-grandfather’s idea of world peace and harmony, hoping that his story will help shape future generations to come.

“We’re looking at the philosophy of Madiba (Nelson Mandela’s clan name), talking about the role that the community should play in building peace and creating a better world – not only for this generation, but for generations to come,” said Siyabulela.

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Affordability, parking concerns also raised regarding proposal

said Bousfields’ planning consultant David Morse at the meeting. In his deputation, Morse said the latest iteration of the Murphy’s Law application included changes reflective of the Queen Street East UDG, such as lowering the street wall height to three storeys and ensuring the area’s “character” is maintained.

“The 2012 Queen Street East Urban Design Guidelines were specific to the character of Queen Street at the time, and they implemented the objectives of the

Official Plan at that time,” said Morse in response to Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford’s questioning of which guidelines took precedence in review of the application.

“Nonetheless they do include some important pieces of information, including helping animate the street, having low street wall heights, and ensuring that the character of the area is reinforced.”

Reference to the Queen Street East UDG sparked confusion among deputants and councillors, who stressed the importance of establishing a clear set of design guidelines for residents.

“While the city and the province clearly have the right to establish land use laws and policies, residents of the city have the right to know how these laws and policies will be applied,” said Levitt.

Both Bradford and Toronto-Danforth Councillor Paula Fletcher shared deputants’ uncertainty about how the Queen Street East UDG are applied to new developments in conjunction with the city’s Mid-Rise Guidelines.

“We heard from deputants this morning about the 2012 Queen Street East Urban Design Guidelines – lots of confusion there… Are the 2012 guidelines still referenced in the Official Plan?” Bradford asked city staff.

Staff said the Queen Street East UDG are “still relevant,” and the Murphy’s Law application is a sitespecific approval due to lot depth and location.

“This specific site at 1684 Queen Street is unique. It’s very deep. It’s located at the gateway to the Queen Street East area, and again, had a different configuration and condition to be

able to accommodate taller elements,” said a member of city staff.

Staff also said they would not approve a 10-storey building further east on Queen Street East in the Beach.

Fletcher told staff and fellow councillors that better communication is needed to clarify the city’s planning criteria for the area, and that she will work with Bradford to ensure the community is better informed about how the city’s MidRise Guidelines and the Queen Street East UDG are considered when reviewing development applications.

“I’m a little disappointed that planning staff have simply said ‘Well, here’s what we’re doing’ without taking that context as to why that’s shifting,” said Fletcher.

“We have not had a large community-based process on any of this. So, Councillor Bradford, I will be speaking with you between now and Council (on March 25), just to look at how to help everybody understand that things have changed, without making them feel badly. And how to help planning be a little more sensitive to the community that they spent years working with to develop guidelines that the community feels are still in place, when indeed, they are not in place. That is a communications issue…for the city.”

Plans for the Murphy’s Law site have been a topic of discussion for years, with proposals back to 2019. The first proposal was approved by the city for a six-storey residential building in 2022, but developer Sud Group returned two years later with an updated plan seeking an 11-storey mixed-use residential building. After a community consultation meeting, the final proposal discussed at community

council on Feb. 19 sought a 10-storey mixed-use residential building with 168 rental dwelling units, 56 vehicular parking spaces and 186 bicycle parking spaces.

In addition to lowering the building’s height by one storey and removing 48 units from the previous 11-storey proposal, Morse said the updated application also removed balconies on the north facade of the building to prevent overlook impacts, and increased the percentage of two and three-bedroom units to 42 per cent two-bedroom and 21 per-cent three bedroom units. The application also includes the closure of the adjacent laneway (Penny Lane) for a pedestrian connection, “townhouse” and “landscaping” features, retail space at grade, and the reopening of the Murphy’s Law pub/restaurant.

Although the application currently does not include any affordable housing, Morse said the property owner would work with Bradford and city staff to include affordable units “prior to council approval.”

Morse said the applicant is also looking to include increased parking at the site following Bradford’s reiteration that the building and its residents would not be included in the city’s permit parking program for the area.

“The applicant is looking at several different solutions, which could include mechanical solutions, but it could also include either a partial or full additional underground level,” said Morse in response to Bradford’s question about parking.

“There’s still more work with respect to affordable housing and some of the parking stuff here on this site that I want to work on between now and (Toronto) Council,” said Bradford.

Community can vote on students’ videos

“They had this wonderful idea to have the Thorncliffe/Flemingdon Park area to be a part of it and have a say,” said Evans. “It’s fundamental to have a voice in the wider community and see the work they’re doing have a direct impact on it.”

Marc Garneau students in Grade 9 and 10 with an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and health sciences were chosen to work on the campaign. “We started with those groups and asked if there was interest. Every single person put their hand up,” said Evans. “There’s a large appetite to be part of something bigger than themselves. It’s always great as a school community to be part of something wider.”

Mourinho said the Vital Venture Fund video project came together nicely, and she hopes the students involved see and understand the issues healthcare is

facing and nurture a continued interest.

“They were engaged right from the start. They came prepared, they had already done their homework when we introduced them to the clinicians. They really came prepared and super enthusiastic, armed with questions, curious, and certainly creative in their approach as they engaged with us on this journey,” she said of the students.

The needed hospital equipment the students chose to champion are fetal monitors, vascular ultrasounds, continuous ECG cardiac monitors for emergency rooms, essential instruments for operating rooms, non-invasive bladder scans, EMG Machines and NIM Monitors, newborn warmers, and diagnostic scopes.

Results from the fundraiser Vital Venture Fund 2026 will be shared at a March 5, event at the hospital. Voting by the community is open until March 4, and the videos can be viewed by going to https://mghf.ca/vote

Gerrard Street East.

Community meeting hears resident’s views on plan for Main Street building

By Matthew Stephens

RESIDENTS EXPRESSED disappointment at a recent virtual community meeting for a proposed 11-storey mixed-use building just south of the Main and Gerrard Street intersection.

“Replacing a two-storey building with an 11-storey building is just greedy, going so far over the limits,” said local resident David Kendall at the Thursday, Feb. 12, virtual meeting.

Submitted for city approval in December 2025 by urban planning consulting firm Batory Planning, the proposed mixed-use residential development at 143-147 Main St. – south of Gerrard Street East and north of the library – includes 56 units (seven of which are rental replacement units), four visitor vehicle parking spaces, 62 bicycle parking spaces, and a retail unit on the ground floor.

A portion of the existing building, which is listed on the City of Toronto Heritage Register, will be incorporated into the proposed development.

During the virtual public meeting, Batory Planning met with residents, Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford and Toronto city staff to discuss details of the proposal and provide context for future development in the area.

According to the city’s Main Street Planning Study, the mixed-use area surrounding the Main and Gerrard intersection has been designated for mid-rise development. The city generally defines a mid-rise building as any structure that is five to 14 storeys in height.

The area has also been designated by the city and provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing as one of Toronto’s Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSAs), identified to support future growth and density.

“This is a site that’s in a major transit station area. It’s intended to experience some degree of intensification that’s different than areas that are not within walkable distance of transit and services,” said Greg Uens, a member of Batory Planning’s management team.

He said the site’s proximity to transit is just one of several reasons behind the developer’s decision to include just four visitor parking spaces at the site – a decision that annoyed existing tenants of the twostorey building who currently have access

to parking.

“Currently, out of the seven tenants, four of us have parking spots,” said the tenant. “So, we were just wondering what would happen to those parking spots. Would we be assigned another parking spot somewhere else?”

Uens said parking replacement for existing tenants would be part of an exclusive tenant meeting to discuss rental replacement, and that the developer’s decision to not incorporate vehicular parking is meant to attract tenants who don’t drive.

However, with transit serving as the most viable option for those seeking affordability, many residents have argued that new developments near PMTSAs require a significant portion of affordable housing.

Although Uens said determining rental costs is “ultimately up to the owner,” it remains unclear whether the development proposal includes any affordable housing units.

In recent months, changes to provincial and city policy has left many local residents and councillors concerned about a lack of accommodations incorporated into new residential developments – with new buildings within transit areas no longer required to provide any parking, and Ontario’s latest legislation to temporarily ban the city from requiring any affordable units in developments near transit hubs (Inclusionary Zoning).

With fewer regulations, many residents at the Feb. 12 meeting worried that the proposal could be the beginning of a new context for buildings in the area, where the current “character” only consists of “two-storey commercial buildings,” according to Uens.

He said Batory’s proposal responds to the “city’s priorities,” and told residents the area has been “designated for growth” in the coming years.

However, with the area’s surrounding buildings only two storeys in height, East Toronto resident and meeting attendee Adam Smith said a building five times larger will stand out for years until new developments are approved.

“As there is no guarantee the other developments directly to the north will ever actually happen, if this gets built alone, it will stick out like a sore thumb for the foreseeable future,” said Smith at the meeting.

“I feel it’s a little too big for this site and does not integrate with the existing streetscape.”

Some more information on Beach’s ‘famous’ people

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 Patri-

cia 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

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Letters to the Editor

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

Impacts o Portlands Energy Centre must be considered

The Ontario government has ignored health and climate concerns raised by local residents and Toronto Council about the Portlands Energy Centre (PEC) on Toronto’s waterfront.

Now they appear to be rubber stamping the renewal of the gas plant’s licence - with no opportunity for public consultation.

PEC is a gas burning electricity plant that is located in the Port Lands area, close to Tommy Thompson Park.

PEC is the largest emitter of harmful nitrogen oxides and greenhouse gases in Toronto. Its output capacity was increased from 550 to 600 megawatts (MW) last fall although it is currently licensed by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to only operate at 550 megawatts.

Atura Power, the wholly owned subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation that operates the plant, did the absolute minimum to meet the Environmental Screening pro-

cess requirements prior to the expansion. The Ontario government has acquiesced to Atura completely, ignoring concerns raised by the community, public health experts and Toronto councillors on PEC’s climate, health and cost impacts.

PEC’s OEB licence expires on March 10 of this year. There is currently no publicly scheduled hearing for its renewal and increasing its operation limit to 600 MW.

TERRE (Toronto East Residents for Renewable Energy) has sent many requests for information to the OEB to determine the status of Atura’s licence, which have gone unanswered. Will the OEB hold a public licence hearing or just rubber stamp the renewal, undermining democratic participation in Ontario?

Even if they do hold a hearing, the OEB does not consider environmental or health concerns in its licensing review. It is all about the financial viability of Atura and whether they are a dependable

generator of electricity for the Ontario market and “carry on business in accordance with the law, integrity and honesty”.

While the plant may meet the official business requirements, PEC’s development and operating history is one of double-speak, false promises and evasion.

When the plant was first proposed, it was promised to be a peaker plant that would run only a few hours a day, thereby supposedly minimizing local air pollution concerns. Over time the plant has steadily increased its electricity production to the point where it is running 21 hours or more a day during periods of high demand.

Atura claimed there had been no public health and safety concerns raised about the recent expansion. The hundreds who participated in public meetings and made submissions raising those very concerns prove this claim to be false.

While Atura reports greenhouse

gas and nitrogen oxide emissions from the plant, there is no ongoing air quality monitoring in the area - the nearest monitoring station is five kilometres away.

The waterfront area near PEC is being redeveloped, including the beautiful new Biidaasige Park and a number of proposed housing developments. When the issue of community impacts in the evolving neighbourhood was raised with Atura Power, they commented that they were there first, so others would have to adapt. But people have lived in the area long before the plant existed.

Furthermore, PEC’s continued use of American fracked gas for electricity generation has impacts far beyond the city limits, including poisoned water and lands in the areas being fracked, and climate impacts from pipeline methane leaks.

During the first licensing hearing for PEC back in 2006, then Toronto-Danforth MP Jack Layton

opposed the licence on health and environmental grounds. This was ruled inadmissible to the process. What kind of licensing process does not consider these impacts relevant? Can we afford to allow PEC to continue operating without considering its impacts on existing and future communities? From our perspective, Atura and PEC have lost their social licence in our community and we demand a robust review of its air quality and health impacts on existing and future communities.

Join TERRE, the Ontario Clean Air Alliance (OCAA), and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) on Monday, March 9, at 2:30 pm at Leslie Lookout Park nearby PEC to speak out about these issues.

In My Opinion

I’ve got

problems, but the Beach isn’t one o them

the Beach.

If you want to know what’s up in the East End, head to the Boardwalk or one of our high streets. The early morning running groups, the sunset strollers, and the patio season gab-fests, are a few of the groups using our openair boardrooms where the dress code is unpretentious and the agenda is “Everything.”

In most parts of Toronto, “community engagement” is a sterile term found in city planning reports. In the Beach, it’s an obsession.

A neighbour of mine who works for Municipal Licensing and Standards once mused that for every 5,000 complaints hitting 311, it feels like 4,500 of them come from BeachesEast York.

Some might call us “difficult,” but I call it a high level of ownership. We don’t just live here; we manage ourselves. We pay attention to the details because we know a great community happens not by accident but because we’re too nosy to let it be anything less.

In social psychology, the “bystander effect” suggests that people are less likely to help when others are around. Clearly, the psychologists never visited

We don’t wait for someone else to fix the leaning sign or address the park maintenance. If there’s a problem, we own it, we report it, and we probably discuss it for 45 minutes at the dog park.

This “Beacher reflex” is our superpower—and it’s one that every neighbourhood deserves.

We saw it when parents at Bowmore Road Public School rallied for transparency over school staffing. It wasn’t about panic; it was demanding accountability.

We see it in the way we show up to help. This past year, I arrived for my volunteer shift with the Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund only to find that every single box was already gone. The Girl Guides had beaten me to it and cleared the place out. When you’re getting out-volunteered by 10-yearolds, you know you’re in a high-performance neighborhood.

Our brand of meddling is inclusive, too.

You see it at Centre 55’s Share a Christmas, where the volunteers packing hampers look like they’re having more fun than people at a holiday party.

It’s in the Beaches Danforth Chabad, which manages to bring the Jewish community together while simultaneously making the whole neighbourhood feel

Letters to the Editor

like they are invited to the table.

It’s in the vibrant stretch of Banglatown, where the local participation is as rich and inspiring as the food.

And I know first-hand, there is nary an activity or a parade, the Toronto Beaches Lions Club doesn’t wish to participate in.

The best part? All this meddling is actually a health hack.

Volunteering is the ultimate defence against the isolation of a big city. It’s hard to feel lonely when you’re locked in an early-morning “TED Talk” at Cassels Park, debating how to keep our streets walkable or how to support our neighbours sleeping in doorways or in parks without making them feel shunned.

The truth is, everyone should find a way to “meddle” like a Beacher; the city gets smaller and the heart gets bigger the moment you decide that a local problem is your problem.

I’ve seen this appetite for action firsthand with 100 Women Who Care Toronto East.

Since our website went live this year, we’ve averaged several new members a week. These are local women who are ready to put their resources into local solutions. It turns out, when you give us a way to help, we don’t just sign up;

Don’t be afraid to use the Woodbine Avenue right turn lane at Danforth Avenue

Now that the City of Toronto has cleared the right-hand lane of northbound Woodbine Avenue at Danforth Avenue, I ask drivers to please use it properly.

It is marked with a separated white line, meaning that a vehicle turning right onto Danforth Avenue is to enter that inside lane, freeing the traffic behind to go north through the intersection, instead of stopping, waiting for pedestrians to cross Danforth, thereby holding up all northbound

traffic, stacking it back down the Woodbine hill to Gerrard Street East.

Please do not be afraid to go into this lane because you think it is for buses or bikes only. It is a shared lane. Be Careful! But do not sit in the middle lane, holding up a whole line of rush-hour traffic!

(This is about question #4 on the Ontario written driver’s exam; What does a separated line mean you can do?)

Jim Pearce

Kurelek mural in Corpus Christi Church

Re: ‘Kurelek painting brings memories of heavy snow, Balsam Avenue and more’, Beach Metro Coummunity News, Feb. 17.

Great article on William Kurelek, and a great find of the painting showing the Glen Stewart Ravine.

But there is another Kurelek painting closer to home!

Corpus Christi Church on Queen Street East has a Kurelek mural showing the

we bring our friends (and we have lots of friends).

As we move through 2026, we should embrace our reputation.

We’re more alike than we are different. We all want the same thing: a neighbourhood that looks out for the person in the doorway just as much as the neighbour next door.

So, to my neighbours: keep filing those reports. Keep being “difficult.”

And to everyone else: come join us. Keep showing up for the rallies, the hampers, and the parades.

Our neighbourhood is vibrant because we refuse to stay silent, and we refuse to let each other walk alone.

See you around. I’ll be the one with the dog and a list of things we should probably look into.

-- Summer Nudel is a local resident and a member of 100 Women Who Care Toronto East and the Toronto Beaches Lions Club.

Beach, as your own paper reported in a 2019 column by Gene Domagala. “It was in the 1970s when the beautiful side mural was done by William Kurelek. This extraordinary work of art is in two stages. On top is the resurrection, and on the bottom it represents the clergy and the parishioners in Woodbine Park in prayer,” he wrote.

Aidan Wakely-Mulroney

Community Calendar

MARCH 4: The Neighbourhood Group Senior Health Fair at Royal Canadian Legion, 1083 Pape Ave., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Join us for engaging activities, informational presentations, health & nutrition resources, free raffles & prizes, and delicious food. RSVP: Jordan.kinney@tngcs.org or 416-925-2103 ext 5431 by Feb. 20.

MARCH 7: I Love to SING! at Community Centre 55, 97 Main St., 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Kids from 8 to 16 are welcome to this free program that is fun, empowering, and great music instruction from some of top singing teachers in Canada. Come once or for every session – no experience or commitment necessary. Info: singtoronto.com/i-love-to-sing

MARCH 7: Jazz & Reflection at Beach United Church, 140 Wineva Ave., 4:30 p.m. Featuring acclaimed Canadian artists Colleen Allen (Saxophone) and Alana Bridgewater (vocals) accompanied by Michael Shand. Tickets are pay what you can, suggested amt. $15. Info: beachunitedchurch.com

MARCH 11: The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society (TBETHS) at the Beaches Sandbox, 2181 Queen St. E., 7-8:15 p.m. Historian and Board Member of the Cabbagetown Preservation Association will do an illustrated talk entitled: Where History Comes Alive, The Cemeteries of Cabbagetown. Admission is free. Info: www.tbeths.com

MARCH 12: Centre 55’s Seniors Active Living Fair, hosted by Beaches Sandbox, 2181 Queen St. E., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. With 30 exhibitors, 10 active workshops & presentations, spring program information and FREE food & refreshments, this is a can’t miss event for seniors interested in lifestyle and wellness info! Free admission. Info: jennifer@centre55.com

MARCH 15: Wonder Church at St. Aidan’s Anglican Church, 2423 Queen St. E., 4 p.m., a service designed for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, early elementary children and their families. This 30-45 minute service includes puppets, music, and prayers. Coffee and treats are provided. All are welcome. For more information, contact children’s minister Elizabeth at children@staidansinthebeach.com

MARCH 16: Jam Nite at Beach United Church, 140 Wineva Ave., 7 p.m. Bring your voice/instrument and join us for a fun, relaxed jam session led by Dr. Steven Webb. All skill levels are welcome – even complete beginners – a free evening to make music and connections! Info: beachunitedchurch.com

MARCH 16: ‘East York Garden Club – 100 Years of History’ at Stan Wadlow Clubhouse, 373 Cedarvale Ave., 7:30-9 p.m. Join us for our 100th anniversary celebration. Speaker: historian and gardener Malcolm Geast. Free admission. MARCH 18: Ageing in Place – How to Assess Your Long-term Care Options at Danforth Coxwell Library, 1675 Danforth Ave., 6:30-7:30 p.m. Where do you want to spend your retirement years and how can you make that happen? An expert in long term care options will share knowledge and resources to help you make an informed decision. Info: 416-393-7783

MARCH 21: 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 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.

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. Ticket $35 advance, $40 at door. Tickets and info: acousticharvest.ca

MONDAYS: WEE FOLKS DROP IN at Fallingbrook Presbyterian Church, 35 Wood Glen Rd., 9:30-11 a.m. except holidays. For ages up to 3 years old, with care givers. Play and story time with snack. Info at 416-699-3084.

MONDAYS: MINDFULNESS MEDITATION at Kingston Road United Church, 975 Kingston Rd., Feb. 23-April 27 (no session April 6), 7-8 p.m. Beginning guided Meditation drop-in classes with Kim Dunlop, by donation. Inperson donations go to Kingston Road United Church for the use of their space. Online donations go to the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Foundation. All are welcome. THURSDAYS: CALVARY GRACE FOOD BANK, 72 Main St., 6-8:30 p.m, by appointment only, through Daily Bread Food Bank. Info: 416-691-2899, gpcc@calvary-baptistchurch.ca, www.gracepascoefoodbank.ca/access-our-services

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

SATURDAY CONNECTION PLAY AND LEARN DropIn at EarlyON Family Resource Connection, 184 Main St., Saturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Anyone caring for children from birth to six years old are welcome. Free stay and play early learning program for children, families, and caregivers. Supervising adults must be 18 years+. Info: daycareconnection.net/family-resource-centre, 416-690-0102

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 BUNDLE UP at St. Dunstan’s Catholic Church, 3150 Danforth Ave. Collecting donations of clothing, towels, drapery, sheets, blankets, footwear, and new toys. Saturday, March 28, before and after the 5 p.m. Mass, and Sunday, March 29, before and after the 10 a.m. and 12 noon Masses. Info: ssvpdunstans@hotmail.com

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 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 3, 17, 31, April 14; St. Aidan’s Anglican Church (2423 Queen St. E.) March 10, 24, April 7 •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

EARLYON FAMILY RESOURCE CONNECTION, 184 Main St. Play Learn Explore: Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Friday & Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. All children from birth to six years are welcome. Info: 416-6900102, Jennifer.hooker@familyresourcecentre-dcc.net

GERRARD ASHDALE LIBRARY, 1432 Gerrard St. E. •March 7 & 14: Chess Club, 1-4 p.m. Drop in for a couple games of chess. All levels welcome. •March 10: Seniors E-Connect, 4-5:30 p.m. Teens help seniors with their tech questions. Call us or register online. •March 12: The Cozy Corner Club, 2-4 p.m. Socialize with adult neighbours and enjoy a variety of activities on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Call us or register online. Info: 416-393-7717

BEACHES LIBRARY, 2161 Queen St. E. •March 6: The Golden Paintbrush: Painting Classes for Seniors, 1-2:30 p.m. A structured acrylic painting class designed specifically for seniors, focusing on beginner-friendly techniques and project-based learning. •Budgeting Skills Workshop For Teens and Young Adults, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Youth Education Supports Program (YESP) aids teens and young adults in overcoming educational barriers and encouraging postsecondary education. Teens will learn how to save and invest in future educational expenses, understand credit and debit while avoiding debt trap. Info: 416-393-7703

DANFORTH/COXWELL LIBRARY, 1675 Danforth Ave. •March 18: Ageing in Place – How to Assess Your Longterm Care Options, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Where do you want to spend your retirement years and how can you make that happen? Karen Henderson, an expert in long term care options, shares her 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

MEDITATIONS FOR WORLD PEACE class at Atisha Buddhist Centre, 1823 Gerrard St. E., on Sundays from 10-11 am (Free). Wednesdays “Simply Meditate” on Wednesdays from 10-11 am ($10). Thursdays Lunchtime Meditation 12:15-12:45 pm ($5). Drop-in classes. Everyone is welcome. Info: atisha.ca, atisha.centre@gmail.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 stjohnsto.archtoronto.org or call 416-698-1105

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

THE CHURCH OF ST. AIDAN (Anglican), 2423 Queen St. E., is 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. (enter from the northeast side door, $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.

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. 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 programming for our younger members and guests during the Sunday service. All are welcome! Beach United Church offers a variety of inspirational music and educational programs open to the entire Beach community. Info: beachunitedchurch.com

The Main Menu

Hearty soup recipes for St. Patrick’s Day and the blustery weather o March

JAN MAIN

is an author, cooking instructor and caterer

janmainskitchen@ gmail.com

March is a blustery month flipflopping back and forth from winter to springraising our spirits when the sun shines and dashing them on snowy days.

If you are not planning a sunny escape during March Break (or do not even have a break!) then make the most of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations to put a smile on your face.

Prepare these hearty soup recipes using potatoes, an Irish staple and one of the cheapest Canadian foods on the market (they also a source of vitamin C and fibre), served with Irish soda bread of course!

Leek and Potato Soup

What could be more soothing on frosty days but a hearty bowl of potato soup? It’s a perfect food for St. Patrick’s Day!

2 tbsp (25 ml) butter

1 leek, white part thinly sliced. Reserve part of the green stem to slice for garnish

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced

4 potatoes, peeled and diced

4 cups (750 mL)

chicken stock, additional water if necessary

1 cup (250 mL) 5 per cent light cream or mixture cream and milk

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) fresh black pepper, nutmeg

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add leeks and onion, cook covered until leeks and onion are tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir in potatoes and chicken stock. Bring mixture to boil; reduce heat to simmer; simmer 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender, adding a cup more water if necessary.

Stir in cream or milk or

mixture with pepper, nutmeg and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Garnish soup with a sprinkling of reserved sliced leek. Makes 4 servings.

Corn Chowder

Another hearty potato-based soup, this is my grandmother’s recipe which we loved in our family on bitter winter days. Enjoy each serving with a hunk of freshly made Irish soda bread to fight off the chills.

Note: Evaporated milk called for in this recipe is an excellent source of calcium because of the evaporation process the milk is double the source of calcium of the same quantity of regular milk. Keep a can or 2 of evaporated milk handy for many cream-based sauces because of the increased calcium, creamy taste and texture without all the fat calories of whipping cream!

2 each, good sized potatoes, carrots and onions

1/4 cup (50 mL)barley

Water to cover 1 bay leaf

1 can (14 oz/398 mL) creamed corn

1 can (354 mL) evaporated milk, whole or 2% milk

Garnish: paprika

Peel potatoes, carrots and onions. Cut vegetables into fine dice or chop in a food processor.

Add vegetables to a large, heavy saucepan, add barley and cover vegetables and barley with cold water. Add bay leaf and bring to boil; reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until barley is tender about 35 – 40-minutes.

Stir in creamed corn and evaporated milk. Season with salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil. Taste. Adjust seasoning. Discard bay leaf. Ladle soup into bowls garnished with a sprinkling of paprika.

Soup may be made up to 2-3 days ahead and kept covered and refrigerated until ready to serve. Heat over medium heat to boiling. Makes 4-6 servings. May be kept covered and

refrigerated for up to one week.

Irish Soda Bread

There are a number of variations for soda bread: some recipes call for all white flour while others use a mixture of whole wheat and white. Some recipes call for raisins, currents or caraway seeds to be added but all soda bread is quick and simple to make.

The bread is served hot and inviting from the oven with a dollop of butter. Soda bread is a tasty companion to soup.

2 cups (500 mL whole-wheat flour

2 cups (500 mL) allpurpose flour

1 cup (250 mL) dried fruit such as raisins or currants (optional)

1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar

1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder

1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1 3/4 cups (375 mL) buttermilk or substitute, 1 1/2 cups milk and 1/4 cup vinegar 1/4 cup (50 mL) melted butter or vegetable oil

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 F(180C). Line baking pan with parchment paper. In large mixing bowl, stir together all-purpose and whole-wheat flour with sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In liquid measuring cup add buttermilk or milk and vinegar (if using) with melted butter or oil and egg. Beat together. Stir liquid into flour mixture until moistened and knead about 10 times.

Form into circle on prepared baking sheet and make about a 9- inch (23 cm) circle. Cut a deep cross in the centre of bread and place in oven for 45 -50 minutes or until toothpick in centre comes out clean. Let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting into slices or wedges to serve. Any bread leftover is good toasted the next day.

Cabbagetown cemeteries focus o historical society event

THE BEACH and East Toronto Historical Society (TBETHS) will host a presentation about the cemeteries of Cabbagetown on Wednesday, March 11.

Virginia Van Vliet, a historian and board member of the Cabbagetown Preservation

Association, will be the guest speaker. The presentation is from 7 to 8:15 pm at Beaches Sandbox, 2181 Queen St. E. Admission is free. For more information, please visit www. tbeths.com

Vigil held in Kew Gardens for victims of Tumbler Ridge shooting

Proposal for 10-storey building near Coxwell and Eastwood made

By Matthew Stephens

THE CITY of Toronto has received a proposal to build a 10-storey residential apartment in the Coxwell Avenue and Eastwood Road area at 4 Newbold Ave. where a fourstorey residential building currently stands.

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

The new application is the third development proposed for the general area in recent years.

There are also proposals to the west of Coxwell Avenue for 1291-1311 Gerrard St. E./243-247 Greenwood Ave., and 1012, 1014, 1016, and 1018 Gerrard St. E. – all of which are within less than twokilometres of one another.

Both Gerrard Street East applications received approval from Toronto Council on Dec. 17, 2025.

The development at 1012-1018 Gerrard St. E., just southeast of Gerrard Square, is for a 14-storey mixed-use residential building with 112 units, nine vehicle parking spaces and 136 bicycle parking spaces.

The development at Gerrard Street East and Greenwood Avenue is for a 14-storey mixed-use building consisting of one level of underground parking with 51 vehicle parking spaces and 322 bicycle parking spaces.

Nonprofit organization Habitat for Humanity also recently broke ground on a six-storey building just to the north of the proposed development at the corner of Coxwell Avenue and Gerrard Street East.

At the time of reporting, the city has not yet scheduled a community consultation meeting with the developer for the Newbold Avenue proposal. Those who wish to receive notice regarding the progression of the proposed application can make a request to the city clerk at RegistrarCCO@toronto.ca

proposal to replace this existing

Residents reminded to declare property status under Vacant Home Tax

RESIDENTS ARE being reminded by the City of Toronto that they must make a declaration regarding the status of their residential property or properties under the Vacant Home Tax.

The city is encouraging property owners to ensure declarations are made well ahead of this year’s deadline of April 30.

All residential property owners must submit a declaration every year, even if the home is their primary residence. Properties that

aren’t declared as occupied before the deadline may be considered vacant and taxed.

The Vacant Home Tax does not apply if the property is the owner’s primary residence, the principal residence of someone permitted to live there, was occupied by a tenant for at least six months, or qualifies for an exemption.

Exemptions may apply in the case of an owner’s death, major renovations, long-term care or hospitalization, court orders restrict-

ing occupancy, or occupancy by a tenant or eligible family member.

The Vacant Home Tax applies to homes that remain unoccupied for more than six months within a calendar year unless they meet specific exemption criteria.

Properties that have not been declared will be deemed vacant and issued a VHT Notice of Assessment. As part of the 2025 taxation year, the VHT rate is set at three per cent of a property’s Current Value Assessment.

According to a city news release, more than 80 per cent of residential property owners have already submitted their 2025 occupancy declaration. The Vacant Home Tax came into effect in 2022 as part of a city initiative to increase housing supply by encouraging property owners rent or sell unoccupied properties.

The City of Toronto website states that approximately 820,000 properties within Toronto currently require an annual declara-

tion of occupancy status. Those looking to declare occupancy status on their property can do so by calling 311 from within Toronto or 416-392-2489 from outside the city to declare in 180 different languages.

Declarations can also be made in person at a Tax and Utility counter at Toronto City Hall or any civic centre, or by going online to www.toronto.ca/servicespayments/property-taxes-utilities/ vacant-home-tax

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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-Gri n – 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 4x100-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.

Winter Stations a family affair for Beacher Will Cuthbert

By Alan Shackleton

WINTER STATIONS 2026 is officially up and running on Woodbine Beach.

The opening ceremonies on Family Day (Monday, Feb. 16) drew a big crowd to the beach to take in the five outdoor art installations which will be on display until the end of March. The installations are located along the beach, from approximately the Donald D. Summerville Olympic Pools to the Woodbine Beach Bathing Station.

The theme of this year’s Winter Stations was Mirage, and it invited artists to “play with the boundary of what is seen and what is real in the age of AI, and explore public art as infrastructure that gathers people” into a shared reality.

For Beacher Will Cuthbert, designer of the Embrace installation, Family Day was the perfect date to celebrate the opening of Winter Stations as he had a large number of family members and friends for the launch.

“It’s really exciting and fun to be here, and to have such a big entourage that came out today. It’s really nice,” he told Beach Metro Community News while standing beside Embrace.

“It’s great to have all my family and friends here, and also for me to stay connected to the Beach. Everybody I know has been coming up to me and high-fiving me.”

Embrace is about viewers of the installation seeing change and gaining new perspectives depending on the angle they view the two hands coming up out of the sand (and snow and ice) and seemingly embracing the lifeguard station.

Approached from behind the hands seem to be entirely black but as one walks around, more colours

Will Cuthbert, designer of

reveal themselves.

“I wanted to take the theme of Mirage and create something that would change depending on where you looked at it,” said Cuthbert.

“As you start to come in you see the silhouette from the back side and then as you get closer you start to see hints of colour and as you come around you get the full spectrum.”

For Cuthbert, this is the second time he has had an installation be part of Winter Stations.

He previously was part of Winter Stations in 2022 for The Hive installation, designed with fellow Beacher Kathleen Dogantzis. Both Cuthbert

and Dogantzis attended Malvern Collegiate Institute, and they are now married to each other.

Cuthbert moved to Saskatchewan with Dogantzis as she works there as a scientist. Her work schedule meant she was too busy to work on the Embrace design with him for this year’s Winter Stations.

Along with Embrace, the other installations making up this year’s Winter Stations are Crest (University of Waterloo); Specularia (United States); CHIMERA (Germany/ Ukraine); and Glaciate (Toronto Metropolitan University).

Specularia designer Andrew Clark, from Portland, Maine, said design-

(clockwise from above left): Andrew Clark, designer of Specularia, speaks about the installation during the opening ceremonies on Family Day; a child interacts with the CHIMEREA installation; a visitor sits inside the crest of the wave at the Crest installation; Toronto Metropolitan University students Marko Sikic, Finn Ferrall, Nicholas Kisil, Muhammad Haniza, and Julia Sukovski at the Glaciate installation during the opening ceremonies of Winter Stations on Woodbine Beach.

their position.

Crest, designed by the University of Waterloo team of Clay te Bokkel, Isabella Ieraci, Matthew Lam, Sasha Rao, Simon Huang, Oskar Peng, and David Shen, is a large wooden structure appearing as like a cresting wave.

There is a bench inside the “cresting” wave for viewers to sit and “share a fleeting moment of reality” before the wave breaks on the shore.

Glaciate, designed by Toronto Metropolitan University students Finn Ferrall, Nicholas Kisil, Marko Sikic, and faculty supervisor Vincent Hui; Toronto Metropolitan University, Department of Architectural Science, in collaboration with Ming Chan University; Taiwan, examines the freeze and thaw cycle of Lake Ontario through a series of translucent panels that can be viewed from different positions. From outside Glaciate, the red metal of the life guard station can only be seen in fragments, and from inside the view of the lake appears as if a mirage.

ing artworks near water is a familiar concept for him. “A lot of what I do is connected to water and coastline,” he told Beach Metro Community News.

The Specularia installation invites viewers to walk through and experience five different views of the lake which blend “deception and reality” with only one of the views depicting the truth.

CHIMERA, designed by Denys Horodnyak from the Ukraine and Enzo Zak Luz from Germany, has mirrors on different angles surrounding the lifeguard station.

Those mirrors present viewers with a “fragmentation of physical and digital realities” depending on

Since 2015, Winter Stations has been displaying outdoor art installations on Woodbine Beach and it has become a launching pad for new ideas in public art. Every year, the hundreds of submissions are reviewed by a jury. This year’s jury was made up of Jason Thorne, Katriina Campitelli, Alana Mercury, Luisa Ji, and Janna Hiemstra.

Winter Stations are made possible by RAW Design, kg&a, Northcrest Developments, City of Toronto, Mechanical Contractors Association of Ontario, Ontario Association of Architects, MicroPro Sienna, Feeley Group, Sali Tabacchi Brand & Design, and Meevo Digital.

To learn more about this year’s Winter Stations at Woodbine Beach, please visit https://winterstations. com

Soup Supreme Competition supports Centre 55

By Kat Bergeron

CENTRE 55’S annual Soup Supreme Competition took place last Thursday, with three local restaurants competing for the honour of winning the coveted Silver Ladle Award.

Corbin Catering and Foods took home the trophy at the event held on Thursday, Feb. 26, at Centre 55 on Main Street.

It was the third time Corbin Catering and Foods has won the Silver Ladle.

Last year’s champion was The Kingston House, which also took part in this year’s competition along with Hutchie Catering & Caribbean Restaurant.

The event is a fundraiser for Centre 55 and sees local residents pay an entrance fee to sample the soups from the restaurants competing.

The guests then vote on which soup was their favourite, and the restaurant with the most votes at the end of the evening is awarded the Silver Ladle.

The competition also helps bring community members together while supporting both Centre 55 and helping to promote local businesses.

Centre 55’s Special Events Coordinator Jennifer Jeynes said the hub has a unique ability to bring people together, with strong mutual support encouraging community members to come out and participate.

“We’ve had this competition for many years now. It is always a great way to bring the community together,” said Centre 55’s Executive Director Reza Khoshdel.

“Food is just such a great way to connect people. It’s one of those things where regardless of whatever walks of life you come from, cultural background, age doesn’t matter. Food brings people together.”

Along with the three competing restaurants and their soup offerings, Cobs Bread provided the bread for the event.

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Registration now on for Beaches Easter Parade

REGISTRATIONS FOR community groups and local businesses planning on taking part in next month’s Toronto Beaches Lions Club’s annual Easter Parade are now being accepted.

This year’s parade will take place on the afternoon of Sunday, April 5 – Easter Sunday.

The parade will start at Queen Street East and Victoria Park Avenue, in front of the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, at 2 p.m.

The parade route will then head west along Queen Street East through the Beach, ending on Woodbine Avenue at Kew Beach Avenue.

Also, the parade is marking its 60th anniversary this year.

A Beach tradition since 1967, the Toronto Beaches Lions Club has been organizing the parade since 1973.

Huge crowds regularly line the parade route along Queen Street East.

The parade is part of a number of Easter celebrations planned locally for next month,

including the annual Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt on Good Friday, April 3.

The Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt will take place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m, and participants are invited to complete assigned tasks within a geo-fenced area of the Beach community.

Those taking part in the scavenger hunt can do so in teams of family members and will be able to visit numerous local businesses for a chance to meet with the Easter Bunny and receive a special treat. The scavenger hunt covers an area of approximately three kilometres in the Beach and takes about an hour to complete.

There are number of options for parade participants this year with a range of registration fees. Proceeds from the parade support community programs run by the Toronto Beaches Lions Club.

For more information on registering for this year’s parade or take part in the scavenger hunt, please go to www.beacheseasterparade.ca

Seniors Active Living Fair hosted by Centre 55 slated for March 12

CENTRE 55’S annual Seniors Active Living Fair is set for Thursday, March 12.

The fair will take place Beaches Sandbox, 2181 Queen St. E., and will include crafts, cooking, health and wellness, workshops, and more.

Thirty exhibitors, 10 active workshops and a number of presentations are planned for the fair which will take place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Admission is free and those attending will be also be able to enjoy free healthy snacks and beverages. For more information on the Seniors Active Living Fair, please contact Jennifer at Centre 55 by email at jennifer@centre55.com or call 416-691-1113.

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

Arts & Entertainment

Pizza & Pyjamas party with Chris McKhool planned

THE KINGSTON Road Village Concert Series is hosting a Pizza & Pyjamas – JUNO Nomination Party for veteran musician and Beach favourite Chris McKhool for his new family album Little Leaf this Friday.

McKhool has just been nominated for 2026 Children’s Album of the Year, and this accomplishment also marks his 30th anniversary as a family entertainer, and his second JUNO nomination in this category since his Canadian Folk Music Award (CFMA) winning album entitled FiddleFire!

“Those of us at the Kingston Road Village Concert Series couldn’t be more excited to be hosting a free family concert with the modern-day Raffi, Chris McKhool”, said KRVCS founder Tim Dawson.

“His beautiful spirit and incredible generosity, not to mention his fabulous songwriting skills will bring joy to you and your family.”

The March 6 event at Kingston Road United Church, 975 Kingston Rd., includes free pizza at 5:30 p.m. before the show, for those who register in advance.

Doors will open at 5 p.m., to allow time for the pizza party, and the one-hour concert performance will start at 6 p.m.

McKhool will be supported by band members from his other JUNO nominated project Sultans of String, including Saskia Tomkins on fiddle and ancient Swedish nyckelharpa, Kevin Laliberté on guitar, and Drew Birston on bass.

They aim to capture the hearts and minds of young families with what past audiences report to be an enchanting performance.

“The Little Leaf album speaks to the miracle of life on Earth, and how all living beings around us are part of our community, celebrating the wonder of the natural world” said McKhool, who was recently awarded the Key to the City by Burlington’s mayor for his work creating community through music.

“The title track is inspired by my long-

time collaborator, Ojibway Elder Dr. Duke Redbird. The lyrics are based on conversations with Duke, and pulled from his poems.”

The lyrics speak to how all living beings around us are part of our community.

“You can pick up a leaf, and name it –when you name the plants and the animals around you, they become personal, and you see them as part of your circle. Our children also represent little leaves, falling free from their parents and becoming independent, while forever connected to their family and natural environment,” said McKhool.

“Another one of my favourite songs on the album, A Place in the Choir, sings of belonging, where every creature – large or small, ordinary or strange – has a note to add to life’s great chorus. The variety of animal voices is a metaphor for the many shapes of human difference, and reminds us that what seems odd or uncommon is beautiful when joined with others.”

That song is a celebration of community: the magic that emerges when each distinct voice, instead of being hidden, is woven into a shared harmony, said McKhool.

“In today’s fractured world, where everyone is living in their silos, diversity can seem like a challenge, but is actually the very source of strength and joy in society,” he said.

McKhool’s career has always held an environment ethos at its core, with the City of Toronto presenting him with an Environmental Award of Excellence for playing a valuable role in the greening of Toronto.

He also provides a global vision of cooperation in his performances. Children are exposed to various grooves from across the world, and join the band on stage playing various percussion instruments, while others dance to the various grooves, and sing songs about taking care of our planet.

For three decades, McKhool has aimed to take his audience to a new level of under-

standing of our global connection to forests, air, water and animals, with everyone leaving with the feeling that they can make a difference.

McKhool is a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient for creating community through music. Heralded as one of Canada’s hottest musicians for kids, he has been hailed as a “Children’s musical star” (National Post) and “Canada’s greatest eco-troubadour for young people” (Mississauga Living Arts Centre).

Everything McKhool does comes from the heart, and he has been delighting audiences with his joyful songs and exotic world instruments for three decades, reaching more than 1 million children live in concert, with hit performances on YTV’s Treehouse, TVO’s Crawlspace, Mr. Dressup, CITY-TV and the CBC.

To reserve a spot for the Friday, March, 6 pizza party and concert at Kingston Road United Church, please go to http://FreeFamilyShow.eventbrite.ca

Scarborough Players’ Good People takes the stage this week

SCARBOROUGH PLAYERS’ production of Good People opens this Friday.

It’s been a rough road for Margie, a single mother living in South Boston. Having just been fired from her job at The Dollar Store, Margie scrambles to find a way for her and her daughter to survive.

She decides to contact Mike, an old fling from her high school days, who has become a successful doctor, in the hopes that he (or someone he knows) might have a job for her. As they reconnect, secrets and sacrifices are revealed.

With Good People, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, David Lindsay-Abaire, has created a “masterpiece of contemporary theatre” that explores the themes of class, morality and resilience.

In our world, where the rift between the haves and have-nots grows ever wider, Good People is bound to resonate with today’s audiences.

The original Broadway cast included Frances McDormand as Margie and she won the Tony Award for best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play.

New to Scarborough Players for this production is director Katherine Bignell who brings years of experience to the stage.

“It is such a blessing to be directing Good People for Scarborough

Players. The script is so well written, the cast and crew are brilliant, and I humbly get to relish the joy of leading the creative process of bringing our Southie story to life,” said Bignell.

“The set design is more than just functional, it is a work of art. We have all had such great fun

learning the dialect together, playing with the texture of the characters, and delving into what makes these good people tick.

“Our audiences shall have the opportunity to see, feel and react to how life changes us; but how time can’t erase or change our personal history, or what makes us

who we are. Come delve into real life with us, no matter how tough it gets! It is everything a director can ask for in a show. It is what every audience member should want to see.”

The talented Scarborough Players’ cast includes veterans and newcomers.

Returning are Meg Gibson as Margie, last seen as Mary Hayes in Screwball Comedy; Will van der Zyl as Mike, last seen as Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice; Barbara Horsburgh as Dottie, most memorable as Gay Wellington in You Can’t Take It with You; and Laura Wilde, who was last seen in Scarborough Music Theatre’s Sound of Music. New cast members are Amia Ogieva as Kate and Nic Sajonas as Stevie.

A talented team supports Bignell in this production including Katherine Turner, producer; Greg Nowlan, set designer and master carpenter; Larry Westlake, sound designer; Beau Morrish, lighting designer.

Turner is also sourcing costumes and props with creative help from rabbit-maker, Vivian Lockton.

All of this production work is held together by the watchful eye of stage manager, Chanel Sheridan, with help from her assistant stage manager, Bodene Corbitt.

Good People will stay with audiences long after they leave the theatre.

The production runs from March 6 to 21 at Scarborough Village Theatre, 3600 Kingston Rd. To order tickets, or for more information, please visit www. theatrescarborough.com/scarboroughplayers or call 416-267-9292.

Local musicians to perform at Toronto Reference Library

By Jessica Shackleton

LISA SCHETTNER and Mark Towstego, musical artists based in the Upper Beach, will be performing a Modern Fairytale concert at the Toronto Reference Library this month.

Though they are separate acts, they have found common ground with their music.

Modern Fairytale will be a free show on Thursday, March 19, featuring original folk, rock, and Celtic-inspired songs. The show will tell a story through music and from two different perspectives.

Schettner’s style is folk, while Towstego is more indie-rock.

Schettner was born in France and has a French and Czech background. Growing up, she moved around a lot, living in Bogotá, Vienna, and Prague. She released her first Extended Play (EP) in 2016 while living in Vancouver.

“Being exposed to different cultures and meeting so many people really impacted my songwriting. All my songs are about my connection with other people,” she said. She moved to Toronto about three years ago, settling in the Upper Beaches. “Moving to Toronto was a big change for me because it was my first time really living on my own. I travelled a lot as a kid, but I was always surrounded by family and friends. It took a couple of years for me to figure out how the city worked,” said Schettner. “Now I know what makes its heart beat, I can understand it and write about it.”

Schettner met Towstego when she opened for his band, New Delta. He has since acted as a Toronto tour guide for her and helped her appreciate the city and find good spots to perform.

Towstego is the lead singer, songwriter, and second guitarist of New Delta. The band started releasing music last year, and he arranges the songs. Towstego grew up in Richmond Hill and attended Seneca Polytechnic for music production.

“I’ve been doing music since I was very young. For a while, I was producing and working with other artists. It wasn’t until more recently that I decided to pursue my own original music as my own focus,” he said.

The two recalled how they started to work together.

“New Delta was performing, and she was billed as an opener. We met that night, and she asked me to collaborate after that, so we started working together,” said Towstego. “At first, I was just accompanying her, but then we realized we have a similar songwriting philosophy, so it makes sense for us to be performing our songs together.”

They collaborate in various ways, with Towstego currently helping produce

Schettner’s next song.

“We have been performing on and off at several venues, sometimes outside performances,” said Schettner.

Both fans of Christmas, they performed at the Distillery Winter Village this season. Their March show at the Toronto Reference Library is their second one at the venue.

“It’s such a nice place. Good acoustics. We wanted to get more people from this neighbourhood this time,” said Schettner.

Their songwriting styles are both melodic, and while the sounds are different, they pair well together and tell stories with their music.

“There are so many things about it. Being able to share your music and seeing people respond to it. The best part is when people come forward after a performance and say, ‘That song resonated so much,’ or find me on social media and message me: ‘That song helped me through a difficult time.’ I hold those messages close to my heart,” said Schettner.

Though different people like different kinds of music, everyone can agree that music is powerful.

“I won’t boast to be a doctor, but art in general is kind of like healing the soul. We’re kind of like soul doctors in a way,” said Schettner. “So, everyday life is less painful, less boring. If you ever need to disconnect, just listen to your favourite song, and everything’s alright.”

Towstego has found the best part of him for performing is sharing his music and feeling truly himself. “When I was younger, I was a little more shy to perform my music. As much as I was always writing, performing it was another step. As I’ve become more comfortable putting my music in front of people, it feels like by releasing it into the world in a way people can enjoy, it’s like I’m putting my true self out there.”

As musicians, they have worked hard and dreamed big to get to where they are today. Here’s the advice they have for younger people entering the music world.

“People always enjoy seeing someone put themself out there. There’s nothing to be afraid of. They’re not going to ridicule you, or think there’s something wrong with what you’re doing. Just by putting yourself out there, people will be impressed and feel like they’re seeing the true you,” said Towstego. “When somebody puts themself out there, people tend to think nothing but ‘That person is a brave person for doing that.’”

“As far as I’m aware, we live only once, and I don’t want to have any regrets,” said Schettner. “Just go for it and see what happens. So far it’s been beautiful.”

The March 19 show is free and goes from 6:30 to 8 p.m.. The Toronto Reference Library is located at 789 Yonge St.

Beaches Bookfest on this month at Queen Street East Starbucks

By Natasha Jackson

FOLLOWING THE success of the 1st Annual Beaches Musicfest at Starbucks this past fall, the Beaches Starbucks at 1960 Queen St. E. will be the site of an authors’ festival this month.

Dubbed The 1st Annual Beaches Bookfest at Starbucks, the free-to-attend authors series will run on Sundays, starting at 2:30 p.m., until March 29.

The festival opened this past Sunday (March 1) with a presentation by graphic novelist Stephanie Cooke.

Remaining dates for the festival are March 8, March 15, March 22 and March 29.

Beaches Musicfest inspired the creation of a sister-festival centred around books to bring people together during the dark winter months.

“Cold winter months are perfect for curling up with a warm drink and a good book. We are overjoyed and humbled at the incredible literary talent the east end and Toronto has as a whole. Again, there are so many talented writers that live among us that people aren’t aware of,” said de Szegheo.

“We hope the 1st Annual Beaches Bookfest will be a welcome highlight for the literary culture that exists in our community and city.”

ney to uncover the life of Dag Aabye, an 81-year-old marathon-running hermit living in a school bus in the British Columbia wilderness. Critics have called the book Into the Wild meets Born to Run meets The Stranger in the Woods Sunday, March 22 – Royal historian and author Carolyn Harris will be reading from Raising Royalty: 1,000 Years of Royal Parenting. The book examines how royal parents raised their children over the past 1,000 years.

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

You Can Say That Again!

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Each session will feature a different Toronto author reading from one of their published works, followed by a question-and-answer period afterwards.

Damon de Szegheo, head of Oak Artist Management, who is organizing the Bookfest, explained how the success of the

by Barbara Olson

The remaining four sessions of the Beaches Bookfest and the authors attending are: Sunday, March 8 – Linda Schuyler (co-creator and producer of the Degrassi TV show franchise) will reading from her memoir The Mother of All Degrassi: A Memoir Schuyler will share her personal stories about the grit and determination necessary to make it as a woman and entrepreneur in the burgeoning independent Canadian television industry of the early 1980s.

Sunday, March 15 – Brett Popplewell, author and associate professor of journalism at Carleton University, will read from his award-winning national bestseller Outsider: An Old Man, a Mountain and the Search for a Hidden Past In the book, Popplewell embarks on a six-year jour-

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. Not only did Northern Dancer horse win the 1964 Kentucky Derby in record time, but his descendants today dominate horse racing all over the world. 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. All ages are welcome to attend the Beaches Bookfest, and all presentations are free. However, seating is limited in the Starbucks at Queen Street East and Kenilworth Avenue. For more information on this month’s Beaches Bookfest, please visit and follow www.instagram.com/beachesbookfest

THE SLOCAN Ramblers will be bringing their “bluegrass with grit”, groove and Canadian soul to this month’s Acoustic Harvest in southwest Scarborough.

The concert is slated for Saturday, March 28, at St. Paul’s United Church, 200 McIntosh St.

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

Tickets can be bought in advance for $35, and at the door for $45. For more information on this Saturday’s concert, and to buy tickets in advance, please go to www.ticketscene. ca/events/53318/ahnews

Solution is on page 24.

Taking a look back to The Beaches Library in the 1970s

By David Van Dyke

This image of the Beaches Public Library was taken by Ann Patterson some time in the 1970s.

A rare view from the back that now captures the full scope of the annex that was added in 2004 (see photo below).

Do you have an old photograph of the Library or Kew Gardens that you’d like to share with our readers? Please contact me at gdvandyke61@gmail.com

Presentation on history o Upper Beach set for afternoon o Thursday, March 5

HEAR YE! Hear Ye! The Morning Parade Coffee Bar on Gerrard Street East near Woodbine Avenue is hosting an afternoon of historical tales, tracing back the history and heritage of the Upper Beach area.

Hosted by Beach realtor and local musician, composer and poet Mark Battenberg, the A Tale of Two Villages History in the Upper Beach From Glaciation to Amalgamation presentation will take place on Thursday, March 5, from 2 to 5 p.m.

The presentation will cover the timeline of how the Upper Beach and Beach area developed from the decline of the great glaciers and how its effect shaped the area, to the First Nations People and the arrival of the French and British fur traders in the 1600s.

Battenberg will also explain the Toronto

Purchase by the British Empire, and how that led to the Kingston Road being forged to allow military movement between York and Kingston during the War of 1812. As well as the villages of Norway and Benlamond, which were the cornerstones of the Upper Beach as it grew along The Kings Highway in the mid 1800s will be discussed. Also to be discussed will be Coleman’s Corners, Little York village, the founding of the East Toronto Village, and the rise and fall of the Grand Trunk Railroad through the area.

The Morning Parade Coffee Bar is located at 1952 Gerrard St E.. To find out more about the March 5 event or to book your seat for the presentation, please contact gerrardcommunity@morningparade.ca or markbattenberg@rogers.com

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Next advertising deadline is Monday, March 9

Above

Feed The Dream Paralympics event slated for this Saturday Sports

By Natasha Jackson

VARIETY VILLAGE is bringing community members together to help kick off the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games with a free event on Saturday, March 7, in southwest Scarborough.

Variety Ontario is partnering with Sobeys as part of its Feed The Dream 2026 campaign and the March 7 event is an immersive, Paralympic-inspired sports experience for people of all abilities.

It will also be a chance to show support for Team Canada at this year’s Winter Paralympics which are taking place in Italy from March 6 to 15.

Fifty athletes are set to compete for Team Canada and will compete in each sport at the Paralympic Winter Games including Para alpine skiing (eight athletes), Para ice hockey (17), Para nordic skiing – including Para biathlon and Para cross-country skiing (15), Para snowboard (five), and wheelchair curling (five).

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 7, Variety Village (3701 Danforth Ave.), is inviting community members to watch Day Two of the Paralympic Games together and to try a range of adaptive parasports and experience firsthand the skill, strength, and precision required by Canada’s Paralympians.

The event is free to attend, but those taking part must register in advance to

reserve a spot and present a ticket issued to them after they do so in order to be admitted.

Archie Allison is the director of access and awareness at Variety Village. He has been involved with Variety Village since 1984, and has spent decades dedicating his life to accessibility advocacy and inclusion. As a youngster he saw firsthand how access to sports, recreation and fitness can change lives physically and socially.

“What inspired me was realizing how many barriers existed simply because spaces and programs weren’t designed with everyone in mind. I became passionate about helping create opportunities where people of all ages and abilities could participate fully, feel welcomed, and be seen for what they can do. That belief has guided my work ever since,” said Allison.

As director, Allison focuses on creating pathways to participation for children following a diagnosis, injury or new interest in a sport or activity. He also offers support and program management for sports such as wheelchair basketball, athletics/track and field, weightlifting, Taekwondo, swimming, and VOLT hockey.

Variety Village works with donors, volunteers and local-community driven organizations to create welcoming spaces for children with disabilities. They do this by running programming for adults and youth of all ages and abilities. This includes fitness activities

and sports, developing new programs, educating communities and working with schools and organizations to teach about sports inclusion and participation.

“What really resonates with us at Variety Village is the campaign’s focus on the people behind the athletes, the families, friends, coaches, and communities that help make those dreams possible. That aligns closely with our mission to create inclusive spaces where people of all abilities feel supported, encouraged, and empowered through sport,” said Allison

Allison hopes that those attending on March 7 will take what they’ve learned at Feed the Dream and implement it into their daily lives. He wants to remind people that parasports isn’t just a one-day event, it is a community that everyone can be a part of all year long.

“The Paralympics deserve the same attention, respect, and celebration as the Olympics. Paralympic athletes demonstrate extraordinary skill, dedication, and resilience—and their stories matter because they challenge perceptions of ability and redefine what excellence looks like in sport,” said Allison.

For more information on the March 7 Feed The Dream event, and to register to participate, please go to www. varietyvillage.ca and then click on the Sobey’s Feed the Dream Experience link under Upcoming.

Beaches Spring Sprint to celebrate 40 years

THE BEACHES Recreation Centre

Advisory Council hosts the 40th Annual Beaches Spring Sprint on the morning of Saturday, April 11.

A timed five-kilometre walk or run, the Beaches Spring Sprint gives serious runners the chance to use their time in other runs. But it is also for anyone who would like to participate recreationally as there is a two-kilometre kids run, and a two kilometre walk.

Starting and finishing in front of the Leuty Pavilion, the event takes place along the Boardwalk and has been a fundraiser for Beaches Recreation Centre since 1986.

Previously named The Beaches

Splash and Dash, the first event was held on June 8, 1986. It later evolved into the Beaches Spring Sprint, with more than 590 participants last year.

The event is sponsored by local businesses and community members including Norseman Construction, Boardwalk Running Club, Beaches N’ Cream ice cream cafe, Daniela Kim at Royal LePage, as well as Giselle Vidad and Heather Kerr of the Beaches Recreation Centre.

Registration takes place in person only at the Beaches Recreation Centre on April 1 and 2, and April 7 and 8.

The Beaches Recreation is located at 6 Williamson Rd. Registration times

are 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Upon registration, participants will receive a coupon for a burger or hot dog at Beaches N’ Cream as well as a Tshirt for the event, while supplies last. Registration is only available at the listed times and dates, and not on the day of the event.

The registration fee is $30, in cash or by cheque.

For more information on the Beaches Spring Sprint, please call 416-3920740.

To volunteer or become a sponsor, please email the Beaches Recreation Centre Advisory Council at beachesspringsprint@gmail.com

Malvern snowboarder Chace Scoffield wins OFSAA gold

MALVERN

COLLEGIATE’S Chace

Scoffield recently won the gold medal at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) Snowboarding Festival.

A Grade 11 student, he took the gold over a field of 125 racers at the festival held last Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Devil’s Glen Ski Resort near Stayner.

Racers in the snowboarding event at OFSAA were timed on two runs down the hill and the totals were then combined, and the boarder with the fastest total time was awarded the gold medal.

In his first run, Scoffield finished in a time of 30.08 seconds and he was even faster in his second run with a time of 29.37 seconds.

Scoffield told Beach Metro Community News he has been skiing since the age of seven and took up snowboarding for fun when he was nine.

“If you had told me at the start of the Malvern snowboard season that I would win gold at OFSAA, I would have said that’s insane. I never imagined I would achieve something like this, especially in a sport that started out as just something fun for me,” he said.

Scoffield said he bought the carving snowboard he uses to race on in Grade 9 as he thought snowboard racing would be a fun challenge to take on and something new to learn.

“I ended up loving it and started practicing a lot more seriously,” he said.

“Snowboarding has always been some-

thing I’ve done for fun, which makes winning OFSAA even more special. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities the Malvern snowboard team has given me.”

Scoffield first began skiing at the Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride hill north of Haliburton. He took to skiing naturally, but not as much to snowboarding at first.

“I decided to learn (snowboarding) when I was nine because I thought it would be fun to try something new at a smaller hill. It wasn’t until I was about 11 that I really felt confident and competent on a snowboard,” he said.

Now he is both a skiing and snowboarding instructor, but he only races with the Malvern Collegiate team.

Scoffield said he is not sure what his skiing/snowboarding future will be but he does not currently have plans to continue racing competitively.

“I would love to spend a year or two instructing out west and continuing to build my skills while sharing my passion for skiing and snowboarding with others.”

Malvern coach Luke Hartley said the entire coaching staff was proud of Scoffield and his OFSAA gold medal.

“His achievement is a testament to the hard work, determination, and team spirit this young man has for the sport,” said Hartley.

“We, the coaches, are incredibly proud of his success and the positive representation he brings to our school and community.”

Canadian Pride Curling Championships begin this week

By Jessica Shackleton

THE ROYAL Canadian Curling Club in East Toronto is hosting the 20th Canadian Pride Curling Championships (CPCC) beginning this Wednesday, March 4.

The CPCC is the only tournament of its kind in the world, and is part of a national Pride-curling network that has 20 leagues across every province in Canada.

The hosts of this year’s championships at the Royal (Queen Street East and Broadview Avenue) are the Riverdale Curling League and the Rotators Curling League, which is the largest and longest running 2SLGBTQIA+ curling league in the world.

The Canadian Pride Curling Championship is a bestof-the-best competition, and teams from across the country qualify based on rankings from the previous year, national points, and league playdowns.

Mark Field, president of the Riverdale Curling League, said it’s important to have a safe sporting space for queer folks to play the game.

“Queer participants in spaces not allocated to them experience homophobia and at higher levels of competition, there’s aggression. When the environment is too competitive, it’s detrimental to the enjoyment of the sport,” said Field.

“At Riverdale, we’re able to be ourselves and provide a place with better understanding and enjoy it.”

The top 16 teams from Canada will be back in Toronto for first time since 2015, and this week’s CPCC will be the third time that the city has hosted the event.

“It’s a privilege to host. It’s a great feeling to be able to welcome others into your home because the curling club in the winter feels like home,” said Field.

“As more cities join the CPCC, we become closer and bring everyone together.”

Field has gone to nine championships across Canada and said it’s a fantastic experience to see the teams curl and to watch both the recreational and competitive draws of the tournament.

The 2026 CPCC (also know as the “Gay Grand Slam”) will be opened by Olympic bronze-medallist and three-time World Champion curler Emma Miskew.

She will throw the ceremonial first rock on March 4 at 1 p.m., along with pioneers of the event, to officially open the tourney at the Royal Canadian Curling Club.

Those wishing to watch the draws and the opening ceremony are welcome to do so from the curling club’s lounge.

The Royal Canadian Curling Club is located at 131 Broadview Ave., just north of Queen Street East.

Pool play in the CPCC begins on Wednesday evening, and Championship Sunday is slated for March 8.

Along with the CPCC,

the Riverdale and Rotators leagues’ recreational bonspiel Do It On The Ice will also be taking place this week at the Royal as part of the ongoing curling celebrations.

“It’s about getting people out and playing the game,” said Field.

Last year’s CPCC took place at the Granite Curling Club in Edmonton, and Apollo Curling from Calgary took home the title.

The two Toronto teams that participated in the 2025 CPCC finished fifth and eighth. A Toronto team won CPCC titles in 2023 and 2024.

To learn more about Pride Curl and this week’s national championships, please visit https://toronto. pridecurl.ca/riverdale-do-iton-the-ice/

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Improved access, new walkway to Danforth GO station sought

By Matthew Stephens

WITH NEW buildings and increased density coming to the Main Street and Danforth Avenue area, one local resident is advocating to improve infrastructure and make the Danforth GO station more accessible for residents coming from the southwest side of the intersection.

“With all these developments going up in the area, the infrastructure around the station needs to be improved,” said Dan Balcaban. “There’s a lot of congestion in that single entry point, especially for that current residential building that already exists.”

Balcaban is petitioning to improve accessibility to the station by constructing a direct sidewalk path from Stephenson Avenue (just southwest of the Main and Danforth intersection) to the Danforth GO platform, running alongside the renovated Hydro One transmission station.

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He also wants to expand the parking lot just north of the GO station, which currently also serves as a lot for the Main Square Community Centre and has minimal vehicle parking spaces for pick up and drop-o s.

Since last year, Balcaban has been discussing his proposal with city o cials and Metrolinx, as well as starting a petition to advocate for the new pathway.

Balcaban said his proposal received a “not very positive” response from Metrolinx, despite their interest to “see if it could be done.”

“There were a lot of barriers put up by Metrolinx, like ‘who’s going to pay for it’ and ‘the cost of this is going to be high, so we don’t know. There’s probably like four agencies that will have to get involved.’,” said Balcaban. “If anything, it seemed like there were more barriers going up, so I didn’t really take it as a yes or a no.”

Metrolinx said that although Stephenson Avenue is municipally owned land, the provin-

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“Metrolinx is always looking for opportunities to enhance GO infrastructure for the communities we serve. The possibility of a pedestrian connection from Stephenson Avenue to the Danforth GO Station platform has been discussed with the City of Toronto,” said Metrolinx in a statement to Beach Metro Community News

“Metrolinx does not own the land west of Main Street and south of Stephenson Avenue, however we continue to work with our partners to identify feasible solutions.”

Balcaban also spoke with Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford, who “seemed very interested” in the idea, and sent a member of his team to meet with Balcaban on Stephenson Avenue several months ago to discuss the project further.

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Bradford said he supports Balcaban’s proposal, and that he’s currently working with Hydro One, city sta and Metrolinx to determine how the project could be facilitated.

“It’s always fantastic when residents champion an idea to make their neighbourhoods better. And this is a good idea – it would be a big help to residents to have better access to the Danforth GO station from the west side of Main Street,” said Bradford.

“Since Dan shared this idea with me, my team has been working with Hydro One, city sta and Metrolinx to figure out which entities own the land, what would be involved in designing a pathway, and who would be willing to cover the costs. Those conversations are ongoing and I’m hopeful we can find a path forward to get this built.”

For more info about Balcaban’s petition, head to www.openpetition.org/ca/petition/ online/safer-access-to-danforth-go-build-asidewalk-path-from-stephenson-ave

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