Beach Metro News March 4, 2025 by Beach Metro News

O Canada.

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Beaches Spring Sprint slated for April 5

By Cole Hession

THE BEACHES Spring Sprint will be back again in the East End this April.

Hosted by the Beaches Recreation Centre Advisory Council, the Spring Sprint is a five-kilometre run along the Board walk.

It will start at the pavillion at the foot of Lee Avenue, near the Leuty Lifeguard Station, on the morning of Saturday, April 5.

The run raises funds for programs at the Beaches Recreation Centre and has been doing so since 1987.

Along with the main five-kilometre run for adults, there are also two-kilometre walk/runs for children and seniors as part of the Beaches Spring Sprint.

The five-kilometre run, and the seniors two-kilometre run/walk start at 9:30 a.m. The two-kilometre walk/run for children will start at 10:30 a.m.

The registration fee to take part is $30 for all participants, via cash or cheque only.

Those wishing to take part must register in person at the Beaches Recreation Centre, 6 Williamson Rd. Registration dates at the centre are March 25 and 26, and April 1 and 2. Registration times on those days wil be 7 to 9 p.m.

On average, the Beaches Sprint Sprint sees about 400 participants. Each year the event is supported by the work of about 70 volunteers who organize the registrations and also help out on the day of the run.

For more information on sponsorship or registration, contact the Beaches Recreation Centre at 416-392-0740 or contact the Beaches Recreation Centre Advisory Coun-

Incumbents Begum, McMahon and Tabuns all re-elected as MPPs in provincial election

By Alan Shackleton

LIBERAL MARY-MARGARET

McMahon was easily re-elected to a second term as MPP for BeachesEast York in the Thursday, Feb. 27, provincial election.

With all polls reporting, McMahon had received 21,545 votes (51.21 per cent) compared to second place finisher Kate Dupuis of the NDP with 9,660 votes (22.96 per cent). Progressive Conservative candidate Anna Michaelidis was a close third with 9,001 votes (21.39 per cent).

In the 2022 provincial election, when McMahon was first elected to the seat, she won the Beaches-East York riding by only 898 votes over Dupuis.

In Thursday’s election, McMa-

for

She said going into the vote, she was confident she was going to be

the

“I thought I would win by a larger margin than in 2022,” McMahon

fice on Danforth Avenue, just east of Woodbine Avenue, that was in full celebration mode on Thursday night after the election results came in.

“There was a lot of support for the Liberals and I felt it at the doors,” she said. “There were red Tories who were not happy with the Premier (Doug Ford), and I felt a lot of the NDP voters were coming over to us as they saw the Liberals as the only way to hold him (Ford) to a minority.”

While the Ontario Liberals did not stop the Progressive Conservatives from winning their third straight majority under Ford’s leadership, the Liberals did manage to win enough seats to regain themselves official party status in the province.

“I’m thrilled we got party status

PHOTO: MATTHEW STEPHENS

Doly Begum, second from right, celebrates her re-election to a third term as the Scarborough Southwest NDP MPP with supporters on the night of Thursday, Feb. 27, at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 13 on Kingston Road. Please see the full story on Page 4.

PHOTO: ALAN SHACKLETON

Mary-Margaret McMahon celebrates her re-election as

Liberal MPP

Beaches-East York at her Danforth Avenue campaign headquarters on the night of Thursday, Feb. 27.

Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre hosts Black History Month celebrations

Story idea? News tip? Let us know!

editor@beachmetro.com www.beachmetro.com

The Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre held its Black History Month celebration on Sunday, Feb. 23.

Photo above, singer Chad White performs. Photo at right, drumming group Ngoma Ensemble performs. Photo below right, Shahaddah Jack, Toronto’s Youth Poet Laureate, speaks to those attending the celebrations. Jack has a long connection to the Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre and the BGC (Boys and Girls Club of Canada) Eastview.

PHOTOS: CONRAD MURPHY

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PHOTO: SUBMITTED

The Toronto Beaches Lions Club hosted a Family

Skate

bers at Ted Reeve Arena on Monday, Feb. 17. Shown in this photo are members of Toronto Beaches Lions Club and Family Day Skate sponsor Justin McCarthy second from right. Others in the photo include Jen Rogers; Bob Norman, Summer Nudel, Krishna Gaudel from The Kingston House restaurant (who supplied the beverages for the event); Nick Trainos; Drew Dawson; and Andy Buhot (President of the Toronto Beaches Lions Club).

Begum wins third term as NDP MPP for riding of Scarborough Southwest

By Matthew Stephens

IN ANOTHER steep victory, Scarborough Southwest MPP and Ontario NDP Deputy Leader Doly Begum was re-elected in the riding with 42.9 per cent of the overall vote in Thursday’s provincial election.

the Green Party with 3.5 per cent of the vote.

Begum expressed her appreciation for the other Scarborough Southwest candidates running against her.

campaign.

Support for Begum has been prevalent amongst voters in the Scarborough Southwest riding since she was first elected MPP in the 2018 provincial election with 45.66 per cent of total votes. In that year, she defeated 15year Liberal incumbent Lorenzo Berardinetti.

mismanaged tax dollars, this election was another one where we saw people’s tax dollars go into something that wasn’t necessary right now.”

Many Scarborough Southwest residents filled Royal Canadian Legion Branch 13 at 1577 Kingston Rd., to show their support for Begum’s victory on the night of Thursday, Feb. 27.

“I thought of a lot of things to say today, but, you know, the only thing I think I could say is today’s win is for the entire team, and for Scarborough,” said Begum in her victory speech.

“Throughout this election, you showed what the strength of unity and community looks like, and I am so proud of every single one of you who fought that tough fight.”

“It’s really tough putting your name forward for any political representation or any politics, so I congratulate and thank them for putting their names forward,” said Begum in an interview with Beach Metro Community News

Born in the Moulvibazar District of Bangladesh, Begum immigrated to Canada as a child with her family, residing in Scarborough where she was raised. She studied political science at the University of Toronto and earned a Bachelor of Arts, as well as a Master of Arts in development, administration, and planning from University College London.

The 2022 provincial election saw similar victory numbers for Begum, where she won with 47.68 per cent of votes over the Progressive Conservative (27.60 per cent) and Liberal (18.56 per cent).

“I think this win means a lot for the community. It means that we have got a lot of work to do, and people believe in the work that I’ve been doing. They believe in the hard work that we have shown for the last seven years,” said Begum on Thursday night.

Begum said the most pressing issue afflicting the province is the cost-of-living crisis, and one she and the Ontario NDP (as the province’s Official Opposition party for the third time since 2018) will be working hard on.

This will be Begum’s third term as Scarborough Southwest MPP since she first won the seat in the 2018 provincial election.

Also running in the riding was Addie Daramola of the Progressive Conservative party who finished second with 30.6 per cent of the vote, Qadira Jackson of the Liberal Party was third with 22.9 per cent of the vote, followed by Mark Bekkering of

At the age of 29, Begum established herself as the youngest New Democrat among the party’s caucus and is the first BangladeshiCanadian to be elected to a legislative body in Canada.

Prior to being an NDP candidate, Begum worked as the Co-Chair of the Scarborough Health Coalition, Vice-Chair of the Warden Woods Community Centre, a research analyst at the Society of Energy Professionals, and was chief coordinator of the province-wide Keep Hydro Public

Begum, like many other political candidates, expressed her disapproval of the early election call by Ontario Premier and leader of the Progressive Conservative party Doug Ford.

“I think it was a waste of $189 million. We could have used that money on so many things. People need housing, we need to fix our schools, we need to fix our healthcare system,” said Begum.

“Just like Doug Ford has had priorities that are really missed priorities and

“Cost of living is the most important issue – and that comes with a few things. We need to make sure that we’re supporting people with housing, and that means being able to afford a home; whether it’s renting, mortgage, or just being able to buy a home,” said Begum. Here are the unofficial results from Election Ontario for Scarborough Southwest: Doly Begum (NDP) – 14,557 (42.89 per cent).

Addie Daramola (Progressive Conservative) – 10,400 votes (30.65 per cent).

Qadira Jackson (Liberal) – 7,786 votes (22.94 per cent). Mark Bekkering (Green Party) – 1,194 votes (3.52 per cent).

Elections Ontario said the voter turnout in Scarborough Southwest was 41.67 per cent. In the 2022 provincial election, the voter turnout in Scarborough Southwest was 44.34 per cent.

McMahon happy Liberals have party status back

‘Incumbents’ from Page 1 back,” said McMahon. “Doug Ford had pulled the ground out from under us when he changed official party status from eight to 12 seats.”

In Thursday’s election, the Liberals won 14 seats which was up from the eight they won in 2022, and the nine that they entered this election with as they gained a seat in a Scarborough byelection in 2023. The Liberals also garnered more than 29 per cent of the popular vote across the province.

However, it was not all good news for the Ontario Liberals on election night as their leader Bonnie Crombie was defeated in the riding of Mississauga East-Cooksville by the PC candidate. Later last week, Crombie vowed she would be staying on as leader of the provincial Liberal party.

McMahon said she is energized to get to work at Queen’s Park with the Liberals.

“The Liberals and myself are eager to be doing the work to help Ontarians and we want to be down there serving the people at Queen’s Park,” she said.

The Progressive Conservatives won 80 seats, which is one more than they entered the election with.

McMahon was critical of the election even being called given the PCs already had a majority government which did not need to go to the polls again until June of 2026.

“It was an expensive election and only called to serve the needs of Doug Ford. I heard so often how people wanted to kick him to the curb for calling this ridiculous, expensive election in these tumultuous times,” she said.

As for the next four years, McMahon said she did not know what to expect from a Ford government.

“I’m scared to think about it. I just don’t know,” she said.

The Official Opposition, for the third straight time, to the Ford government will be the NDP. They won 27 seats in this election, which was down from the 31 they had in 2022 and the 28 they went into this month’s election with.

NDP candidate Dupuis spoke with Beach Metro

Community News on election night from a subdued gathering at Local 1794 on Danforth Avenue.

She thanked her campaign workers for their hard and enthusiastic work during a challenging winter election campaign.

“It’s hard to know what voters are going to do,” said Dupuis in trying to explain the huge difference in the results between Thursday’s election results in BeachesEast York compared to the 2022 race.

“All we can do is work hard and have a clear message. I’m proud of everything we did and we worked as a team.”

She said she heard from numerous voters at the doors that they were finding life harder under Ford’s government.

Dupuis said the NDP was offering Beaches-East York voters a chance to have an MPP who was part of the Official Opposition.

Dupuis said she is committed to staying involved in the community but wasn’t going to speculate on her political future on Thursday night.

“I’m going to have a cup of tea tomorrow by myself quietly. I’ve always been a community organizer at heart and I don’t think that’s ever going to stop,” she said.

Other candidates running in Thursday’s Ontario election in the riding of BeachesEast York were Jack Pennings of the Green Party with 1,298 votes (3.09 per cent); Thomas Gregory of the New Blue Party with 231 votes (0.55 per cent); Dragan Cimesa, an independent candidate, with 117 votes (0.28 per cent); Paul Start of the Ontario Party with 117 (0.28 per cent); and Bahman Yazdanfar with the Canadians’s Choice Party with 103 votes (0.24 per cent).

According to Elections Ontario, the unofficial voter turnout in Beaches-East York for this election was 50.01 per cent. The voter turnout in the 2022 provincial election was 49.58 per cent.

“We need effective representation to take the meaningful steps against him and we’ve been doing that since 2022,” she said. “The NDP has provided effective opposition and we will continue to do that.”

Tabuns re-elected for seventh time in Toronto-Danforth

By Josh McGinnis

PETER TABUNS has been elected as the NDP MPP in the Toronto-Danforth provincial riding for the seventh consecutive time.

“I feel great, it is great to work in this community. It is a great community to work with. It is wonderful to have their support and confidence once. I am very thankful for them,” said Tabuns in his victory speech to supporters at The Duke Live on the night of Thursday, Feb. 27, as provincial election results came in.

He praised the work of his volunteers during his speech.

Tabuns finished first in the riding in Thursday’s provincial election with 25,627 votes, accounting for 60 per cent of the Toronto Danforth electorate. He has represented the riding since first being elected as TorontoDanforth’s MPP in a 2006 byelection.

Connor Taras of the Liberals came in second place in Toronto-Danforth on Thursday night with 8,994 votes. Adam Ratkowski of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario was in third place with 6,172 votes.

Fourth place went to Orlando Wright of the Green Party with 1,196 votes, followed by Stephen Graham on the New Blue Party with 424 votes.

While it was another victory for Tabuns locally, the Progressive Conservatives and Premier Doug Ford won a third majority government in a row on Thursday.

Ontarians elected the NDP as the Official Opposition.

Tabuns discussed the NDP’s future and the province’s current issues in an interview with Beach Metro Community News on election night. “For us, it is going to be a process of resisting the damage that Doug Ford wants to do and tries to do.

The Greenbelt shows that he can be beaten back, that he can be stopped. We have to focus on the fights that allow us to do that,” said Tabuns.

“What we need to do in Toronto-Danforth affects the province as a whole. People living in Toronto-Danforth are affected by the cost of living, we need rent control that applies across the province. We need Metrolinx to treat this community with respect and minimize the damage, instead of making life harder. Our health care needs to be taken care of,

and wait times need to be reduced.”

Tabuns also mentioned American President Donald Trump, and his threats toward Canada, and spoke about his lack of confidence in Ford dealing with Trump.

”People in Ontario have been scared of what is happening in the States with Trump, which benefited the Tories. Still, I don’t have confidence that Ford can do what needs to be done. We need to take leadership positions to push an approach to Trump and the States that will benefit the people of this province,” said Tabuns.

Here are the unofficial results in Toronto-Danforth:

Peter Tabuns (NDP) –25,627 (60.42 per cent).

Connor Taras (Liberal) –8,994 (21.21 per cent).

Adam Ratkowski (Progressive Conservative) –6,172 (14.55 per cent).

Orlando Wright (Green Party) – 1,196 (2.82 per cent).

Stephen Graham (New Blue Party) – 424 (1 per cent).

Elections Ontario said voter turnout in TorontoDanforth in this election was 49.74 per cent. In the 2022 provincial election, turnout in Toronto-Danforth was 49.44 per cent.

Strong local journalism a key pillar of our democracy

AlAn ShAckleton Beach Metro News Editor

Iwas asked last Friday morning what were my thoughts on the Ontario election the night before. The person who asked would have been amazed, I believe, by my ability to string curse words together into a coherent sentence. They’re also probably wishing they hadn’t asked in the first place.

But I will share the edited version which is I have no opinion on who won -- it was never in any doubt Premier Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservative government was going to be re-elected to a majority government.

What had and still has me turning the walls blue is the complete and unnecessary waste of time and taxpayers’ money that this provincial election was. There was no need to call it as Ford already had a majority government with more

than a year left on its mandate before we needed to go into another provincial election.

After all the time and money spent on this winter campaign, amid some of the highest snowfalls we’ve had in years in Toronto, the only thing that changed for the Ford government is that they won one more seat than they had before they called the election. Hardly seems worth it to me.

Yet, many are praising Ford for his brilliant strategy of calling this snap election and therefore extending his majority mandate through to 2029. I disagree, and see it as a cynical move to get ahead of the rocky political seas that are ahead.

All of which leads us to our democracy and the role that strong local journalism plays in it.

If you saw our Feb. 18 edition of Beach Metro Community News, you would have noted that we devoted much space and effort to providing voters with information on the candidates running in the ridings of Beaches-East York, Scar-

borough Southwest, and TorontoDanforth. You will also note in today’s paper that we had reporters out on election night last Thursday covering the races in those ridings and getting interviews with those who will be your MPPs for the next four years.

That’s what a good community newspaper does. We have been doing that work since this paper first opened in March of 1972.

The first two pages of today’s edition are reminding our readers of the critical importance of good, independent local journalism.

It’s no joke when we say local journalism is under attack.

That attack is all part of the attempts to dismantle democracy in the free world and replace it with tyranny and dictatorships run by billionaires, organized criminals, and ideological zealots.

You need only look at what happened last Friday in the White House during the “meeting” with American President Donald Trump, his Vice-President JD Vance and President of Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelenskyy to know we are now in very dangerous times. That shocking incident leaves no doubt that Trump’s administration is in support of dictators and against democratic freedoms.

Now is the the time for Canadians, and everyone else in democratic countries who believe in freedom, to stand up and do the right thing in facing down the bullies in the White House and the tyrant in Russia.

As Canadians, we are often accused to being “too nice” but that politeness and willingness to listen and have sympathy for others should never be seen as weakness.

It’s exactly the opposite. It’s easy to be a bully, especially if you have economic or perceived political power over others, but it takes real courage to do what is right. And doing the right thing is a core Canadian value. We need to remember our history and not sucked into the stupidity south of the border.

Canada fought for freedom in the First and Second World War, entering them both long before

the United States joined. Fighting against fascism and evil was at the heart of the reasons for the Second World War and Canada willingingly and bravely took on that task.

Remember we are a strong, brave, true and free country. And we always have been.

Remembering that will be especially important over the coming years as we face challenges from the U.S. on trade tariffs, natural resources, absurd talk of annexation, and attempts to dismantle democracy in the free world. We have stood up to bullies before and we will do it again.

To show your Canadian pride, your values, and strength, we have provided a flag in the centrespread of today’s paper. We encourage you to proudly display it on a window.

At Beach Metro Community News, we are here for you. As we celebrate our 54th birthday, we also ask for your support to help us continue to provide strong local journalism to our community. To support us, go online to https:// beachmetro.com/support-us

Beach Metro Community News, published by Ward 9 Community News

Inc., is a non-profit, non-partisan community newspaper founded in 1972 and published 23 times a year. It is distributed free by volunteers in East Toronto and Southwest Scarborough and paid for by our advertisers.

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Letters to the Editor

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

Re: ‘Celebrating the carriage, the ribbon and the bell at Toronto Typewriters’, News, Beach Metro Community News, Jan. 21.

I really enjoyed Annie Rosenberg’s article about Toronto Typewriters and its mission of keeping typewriters in working order, and typewriter users happy.

While I write everything, including this letter, on a computer now, I still hang on to a cherished Royal

the present

Senior Commander typewriter which my father bought shortly after he immigrated to Canada in 1954.

That typewriter became mine: I used it to type essays in high school and university, and when I became a journalist and then editor of a community newspaper, I banged out the copy on that machine.

As Chris Edmondson says, typewriters make you write in a differ-

ent way.

There is no cut-and-paste, no Back-Space key, no Delete key, and no Insert key. You need to organize your thoughts in your head first, and then commit them to paper without making mistakes.

Thanks for reminding us that typewriters still live in the present, not just in the past.

Ulli Diemer

Reader impressed with Feb. 4 edition of paper

I picked up a copy of the Beach Metro Community News newspaper, Feb. 4 issue, from a box at the northwest corner of Queen Street East and Church Street recently. It was the first time that I got your newspaper and I read it with interest.

Matthew Stephen’s article about the 80-bed homeless shelter, funded by Toronto taxpayers, on Gerrard Street East was informative.

It was also interesting to see the photo of Gordon Quarrington sitting on the steps of a two-storey detached house on Springdale Boulevard sometime in the 1920s. The house was built by Marj Rice’s grandfather.

I found the paper to be informative. It is recommendable reading material for all Torontonians. Fred Saxon

In My Opinion

Canada Post Commission must weigh the common good versus cut-throat anarchy

AgneS krAmer-hAmStrA Guest Column

This past December, Canada Post employees were ordered back to work with the promise of an Inquiry into the future of Canada Post.

Although the work of this very important commission has faded into the background of public attention, it highlights a stark difference. On one side of the U.S./Canada border there are slash and burn practices that weaken democracy and on the other, Canada’s tradition of shaping a democracy for the common good.

In the face of the stark cut-throat dictates of the current U.S. administration, the Commission into the future of Canada Post has this unique institution on the table, one that provides a universal public service.

It delivers to every address from coast to coast to coast. It provides “last mile delivery” to the many far-flung addresses that are otherwise out of reach. Countless small businesses rely on Canada Post in order to succeed.

This service is not financially viable for for-profit businesses. Canada Post also unites this vast country in foundational ways. Within the framework of “the common good,” it meets the isolating challenge of our geography. Canada Post has provided this universal service because it is publically owned: an institution as well as a business.

The crucial role that Canada Post plays to enhance our public life can be compared to another universal service: our health care system.

Granted, both of these systems are flawed and both need creative business minds to constantly strive towards balancing financial viability and universal care.

Yet here they are, warts and all, and I am extremely proud and honoured for the privilege of living within this cultural/political tradition. I have relatives in the U.S. whose lives are made precarious because of health concerns. But I digress.

Here are some immediate concerns

that I hope this commission will address to strengthen Canada Post:

1. Avoid being siloed. Get creative minds to work across the spectrum of public life. How could Canada Post collaborate with other departments to strengthen our public life within each locale? For example, how could it collaborate with health departments to help monitor seniors still living independently within their neighbourhoods? Imagine the post office as a part of a community hub that could include, e.g. a public library branch, and offices for governmental services including all levels of government? How do other countries use their postal services in these ways?

2. Add financial services, providing low-cost banking to all Canadians, especially the rural and remote communities that banks have abandoned.

3. Work internally. For example: when Canada Post management decides to try and streamline, making on-the-ground letter carrier practices more efficient, bring the most experienced letter carriers into this process. Recent changes to sorting practices, for example, have actually made them

We love letters

Please send your letters to us by email to editor@beachmetro.com

more cumbersome and time-consuming. Meanwhile, the protocol for delivering to single residences has created serious physical challenges; long-time letter carriers should be able to provide alternatives. Backstory: my daughter is a letter carrier, and when she started with Canada Post, she was extremely fortunate that seasoned co-workers (informally) trained her in efficiency and in ways to protect her body from the effects of repetitive motion.

4. Maintain universal service at a uniform price.

5. Expand services to diversify and generate new revenue streams, no service cuts.

How fragile a thing democracy is!

Every day we witness all that is being dismantled south of the border. The fabric of daily life, a life that encourages the life of each community and person is easily torn.

Let’s watch carefully as the Commission into the future of Canada Post works out its recommendations: will it creatively solidify the “common good” that has been a hallmark of Canada Post?

You can also send them by regular mail to our office at Beach Metro News, 2196 Gerrard St. E., Toronto, ON, M4E 2C7. Or if you are in our neighbourhood at Main and Gerrard, drop it off personally.

East Toronto resident Agnes Kramer-Hamstra’s guest column looks into what she believes the priorities should be for the Canada Post Commission into the institution’s future.

Community Calendar

MARCH 4: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at Hope United Church, 2550 Danforth Ave., 5-6:30 p.m. $5/person, $15/family.

MARCH 4: Pancake Tuesday! at St. Paul’s United Church, 200 McIntosh St., 5-7 p.m. Pancakes, sausages, and beverages. $10 for adults, $5 for children. We will also be having a bake sale. Info: 416-261-4222, admin@stpaulsscarborough.org

MARCH 4: Pancake Supper on Shrove Tuesday at St. Luke’s Anglican Church, 904 Coxwell Ave., 5-7 p.m. Join us for a delicious celebration! Pancakes with bacon or sausages, freshly brewed coffee, tea, or juice. All welcome. Free will offering.

MARCH 4: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at St. Aidan’s Anglican Church, 2423 Queen St. E., 5:30-7 p.m. $10 for adults, $5 for children. Proceeds benefit our community outreach ministries. All are welcome.

MARCH 6: Seniors Active Living Fair, hosted by Community Centre 55, at Beaches Sandbox, 2181 Queen St. E., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. An informative and FREE day of workshops, active demonstrations, health clinic, healthy snacks and health related exhibitors. Info: Jennifer 416-691-1113, jennifer@centre55.com

MARCH 8: Kingston Road Village Concert Series presents J. S. Bach: Magnificat at Kingston Road United Church, 975 Kingston Rd., 7:30 p.m. Tickets $35 advance, $40 at door. Tickets: kingstonroadvillageconcerts.eventbrite.com

MARCH 12: The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society at Beaches Sandbox, 2181 Queen St. E., 7-8:30 p.m. Former Chief Curator for the City of Toronto and Author, Wayne Reeves will discuss how early business signs influenced the look and feel of Toronto’s streetscapes up to the year 1900. Admission free. All welcome. Info: www.tbeths.com

MARCH 12: Scarborough Garden & Horticultural Society at Scarborough Village Recreation Centre, 3600 Kingston Rd., 7:30 p.m. “Horticulture at the Toronto Zoo” by Shawn Murdy, Supervisor. Free. Guests welcome. Refreshments included plus a birthday cake to start celebrating our 100th Anniversary.

MARCH 12: Free Educational Seminar with Dr. Luis Fornazzari at St. Paul’s United Church, 200 Mcintosh St., 2 p.m. “Hope for the Aging Brain - Preventing and treating Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementias.” Info: 416-261-4222, admin@stpaulsscarborough.org

MARCH 15: Reception for Artifacts, an exhibition by Alan Jon Parker at Gerrard Art Space / GAS INC., 1475 Gerrard St E., 3-6 p.m. The event is free & refreshment will be served for a small donation. Runs to March 30. Children and pets welcome. Info: 416-778-0923, Gerrardartspace@gmail.com, www.gerrardartspace.com/artifacts

MARCH 18: Canadian Civility and Community Support During Times of Crisis Community Town Hall, hosted by St. Paul’s United Church, at 200 Mcintosh St., 7 p.m. The new administration in Washington has brought threats of tariffs, annexation, among other unfriendly actions upon Canadians. This is a time for our community to come together, to share our fears and anxieties. Discuss how to support one another, get information on how to buy Canadian. support local businesses, and more. Info: 416-261-4222 or admin@stpaulsscarborough.org

MARCH 22: Acoustic Harvest presents Garnet Rogers at St. Paul’s United Church, 200 McIntosh St., 8 p.m. Tickets $35 advance, $40 cash only at the door. Info: acousticharvest.ca, garnetrogers.com

MARCH 22: A Senior Moment luncheons for ladies. Our next luncheon will be March 22nd at 1:30 pm at the Beacher Cafe. We look forward to seeing you all there. Please R.S.V.P. by text to Colleen at 647-829-8042

MARCH 22: Bach Walk in the Beaches at Beach United Church, 140 Wineva Ave., 3 p.m., in collaboration with The Royal Canadian College of Organists. Enjoy three separate 40 min concerts on the same day starting from 1 p.m. at St. Aidan’s, 2 p.m. at Beaches Presbyterian, and 3 p.m. at Beach United with organist Jean-Paul Feo. Walk between locations and experience an afternoon full of the wondrous music of J.S. Bach in celebration of his 340th birthday. Info: beachunitedchurch.com

MARCH 28: Jukebox Friday Night with Fraser/Daley and Skylark, Beach United Church, 140 Wineva Ave., 7 p.m; doors at 6:30 p.m. Fraser/Daley are back by popular demand and they’re taking your song requests. Tickets are $50 and help support our year-round community programs, including our lunch program for those in need. There will be a silent auction, 50/50 draw, cash bar & sweets table. Tickets & info: beachunitedchurch.com

MARCH 29, 30: Bundle Up at St. Dunstan’s Catholic Church, 3150 Danforth Ave. Collecting donations of clothing, towels, drapery, sheets, blankets, footwear, and new toys. Sat., Mar 29, before and after the 5 p.m Mass, and Sun., Mar 30, before and after the 10 a.m and 12 noon Masses. Info: ssvpdunstans@hotmail.com

MARCH 30: Wonder Church at St. Aidan’s Anglican Church, 2423 Queen St. E., 4 p.m. This new service is designed for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, early elementary children and their families. The 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

APRIL 5, 6: The Art Guild of Scarborough’s Spring Art Show and Sale at Centennial Recreation Centre –Scarborough, 1967 Ellesmere Rd., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Show features over 400 original, juried works of art by member artists, many of whom will be in attendance. Free parking, admission, and refreshments. Info: https:// theartguildofscarborough.com/upcoming-shows

THURSDAYS: GRACE PASCOE CARE CENTRE

Food Bank, 72 Main St., Thursdays, 6-8:30 p.m, by appointment only, through Daily Bread Food Bank. Info:

416-691-2899, gpcc@calvary-baptist-church.ca, www. gracepascoefoodbank.ca/access-our-services

OPERATION VETBUILD is a Royal Canadian Legion peer-to-peer program by veterans for veterans, run by the RCL’s BSO/OSI Special Section, with an objective to help improve mental health through hobby - in this case, model building. Free to veterans. No experience is necessary! All materials are supplied. Meetings are the last Saturday of the month at RCL Br. 10, 1083 Pape Ave. Next meeting: March 29, 12 noon-4 p.m. Info: James Le Roy torontoopvetbuild@gmail.com, 416-735-7362

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 BEACH INTERFAITH OUTREACH FELLOWSHIP LUNCHES for adults in the community, 11 a.m. •Mondays at Corpus Christi Church (16 Lockwood Rd.) •Tuesdays – alternating locations: St. Aidan’s Anglican Church (2423 Queen St. E.), March 4, 18, April 1; St. Nicholas Anglican Church (1512 Kingston Rd.) March 11, 25, April 8 •Wednesdays at Beach Hebrew Institute (109 Kenilworth Ave.), •Thursdays at Beach United Church (140 Wineva Ave.) •Fridays at Kingston Road United Church (975 Kingston Rd.). No lunch April 9, 16, 21. Lunch format may vary from site to site. Info: 416-691-6869

GERRARD ASHDALE LIBRARY, 1432 Gerrard St. E. •Mar 7: Robotics with Sphero Robots, 4-5 p.m. For ages 6-12, parents welcome to stay. Registration required. •Mar 8, 15: Chess Club, 1-4 p.m. Drop in every Saturday for a casual game of chess. •Mar 11: The Science of Sports, 2-3 p.m. For ages 6-12. Hands-on science activities led by the organization Scientists in the School. Registration required. Info: 416-397-7717

FALLINGBROOK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 35 Wood Glen Rd. Please join us for worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m. with the Rev. Angela J. Cluney. All are welcome! Fallingbrook is an affirming congregation and is accessible by a lift. Please join us on Live Stream via Facebook or through our church website at 10:25 a.m. for our Prelude with our Music Director Nick Jessome. Weekly Worship services and Special Music selections are posted for viewing on our website. For more details about our church activities including Bible Study, Book Club, Tea Time, Hobby Circle, Wee Folks, Choir or more, please e-mail fboffice@rogers.com, call 416699-3084, or visit fallingbrookpresbyterianchurch.com

FALLINGBROOK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 35 Wood Glen Rd. (at Kingston Rd.), on Monday, April 7, 7-9 p.m., invites you to hear Dr. Aileen Burford-Mason speak about The Healthy Brain: Making our brains last a lifetime. Reserve now at 416-699-3084 or fboffice@rogers.com. Pay $30 at the door to hear a world renowned Orthomolecular Nutritionist, PhD (Immunology) on a timely topic. ST. JOHN’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, 794 Kingston Rd., 2 blks. east of Main St. The Pastor is Rev. Fr. Joshua Roldan. Lenten Schedule: Ash Wednesday (Mar. 5) 8:15am & 7pm Masses with distribution of Ashes. Confession is available every Friday of Lent (starting Mar. 7) from 6pm to 6:45pm, also on Friday evenings Holy Mass at 7pm and Stations of the Cross at 7:30pm. Regular Mass times continue every Sat. (Vigil) at 4:30pm, every Sun. at 9am & 11am, Tue. to Fri. 8:15am. Contact church office at: https://stjohnsto.archtoronto.org or call 416-698-1105

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). Nursery care for infants and toddlers is available during the 10:30 service. 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. Out of the Cold dinners are served Mondays from 5-6:30 p.m. Euchre, Tuesdays 7-9 p.m., entrance NE side door. $5 to play, with all proceeds benefiting outreach. Info: www.staidansinthebeach.com or 416.691.2222. BEACH UNITED CHURCH 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. Services are led by our creative and passionate music director Steven Webb and our minister Rev. Greg Daly. Nathalie Zeta, our children and youth coordinator, has Sunday School programming around the weekly worship theme. In addition to Sunday services, Beach United Church offers a variety of inspirational music and educational programs open to the entire Beach community. For links to our upcoming worship services, or information about our upcoming events and programs, please visit our website at beachunitedchurch.com BEACHES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 65 Glen Manor Drive. (S of Queen). We are an inclusive and affirming congregation in the heart of the Beach with strong commitments to community service and social justice issues. We provide non-perishable food for those in need through our Free Food Pantry. On the 2nd Wednesday of every month we host a Coffee Outreach from 1-3 p.m., an

tunity for people in the neighbourhood to gather for

snacks and fellowship. Info: www.beacheschurch.org, 416-699-5871. Minister: The Reverend Katherine McCloskey

Jocelyne Poirier named federal Conservative Party candidate for Beaches-East York riding

JOCELYNE POIRIER has been named as the Conservative Party of Canada candidate in Beaches-East York in advance of this year’s federal election.

Born and raised in East Toronto, and a proud Beaches-East York resident, Poirier has been dedicated to improving her communities.

A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), with nearly a decade of her career in financial leadership across dynamic, high-growth environments, she is dedicated to leveraging her expertise in leadership, strategy, and sustainability to address the challenges facing Canadians today, said a news release announcing her candidacy.

Throughout her career, Poirier has guided organizations through critical transitions, enhancing operational efficiency and managing risk.

Beyond her professional life, Poirier is an award-winning community leader with a deep passion for public service. She has championed or supported various initiatives including but not limited to medical illness detection and

PHOTO: SUBMITTED

Jocelyne Poirier will be the Conservative Party of Canada’s candidate in Beaches-East York once a federal election is called this year. treatment, youth development, poverty reduction, and the environment. From leading philanthropic campaigns to volunteering her time with various organizations, she has consistently demonstrated her commitment to the well-being of people, said the news release

Over the past nine years, Poirier has watched the growing pressures on Canadians—whether it’s rising cost of living, sharp increase in interest rates affecting homeowners and businesses, crime on the rise, record numbers of people lining up

at the food bank or young people struggling to see a future where they can succeed. She believes in the need for fiscal responsibility in government, affordability for Canadians, and a vision for a more prosperous Canada, said the news release.

Fluent in both English and French, she can represent the riding at the national level. She has been active politically as a volunteer for almost a decade. Poirier is also a long-time runner and softball player who enjoys the social, physically active, and outdoor components of these activities.

She is committed to strong representation for BeachesEast York and is ready to advocate for the community and drive meaningful change, said the news release.

The federal riding of Beaches-East York is held by Liberal Nathaniel ErskineSmith, who has been the MP since first being elected in 2015.

Erskine-Smith will be running in the next federal election which will take place sometime in 2025.

SEAN MADIGAN

The Main Menu

Today’s the day to celebrate the world of pancakes

JAn mAin

is an author, cooking instructor and caterer janmainskitchen@ gmail.com

Pancakes are one of mankind’s oldest forms of bread. This versatile flatbread has hundreds of variations and is served for breakfast, lunch and dinner as an appetizer, main course or dessert.

Of course, on March 4 it will be centre stage for Shrove Tuesday, also called Pancake Tuesday, when all fat and eggs need to be used before Lent starts on the next day, Ash Wednesday.

I love pancakes! By the time I was eight I was a competent pancake cook as my English mother preferred the French crepe (another thinner version of pancake) which she served with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of sugar. My younger sister, Susan and I relished the Canadian pancake with lots of maple syrup.

Each country has its own version of this flatbread: the French crepe, the North American pancake (also called griddle cake or flapjack), the Ethiopian injera, the Czech palachinka or the Russian blini are just a few examples.

For your inspiration, here are a few sample recipes to get you started!

Canadian Pancakes with Orange

The secret to these tender pancakes is cake and pastry flour or soft wheat flour grown here in Ontario. If you only have all purpose flour substitute 1 7/8 cup of

all-purpose flour for the 2 cups of cake and pastry.

2 cups (500 mL) cake and pastry flour

(1 7/8 all-purpose)

1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar

2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2 mL) each, baking soda salt

1 cup (250 mL) milk or orange juice

1 tbsp (15 mL) grated orange rind

1 egg

In mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In liquid measuring cup, whisk together milk OR orange juice, rind and egg. Stir liquid into dry ingredients just until moistened. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium- high heat.

For each pancake, pour ¼ cup (50 mL) batter into pan. Cook until bubbles appear and break. Flip and cook until second side is golden brown.

Serve at once or freeze in plastic container separating pancakes with waxed paper for up to three months.

Makes about 12, 4- inch pancakes.

Basic Crepes

Crepes always seem special. They can be filled with a sweet or savory filling- a great way of using leftovers.

It’s worth making a batch and keeping some in the freezer for emergencies. Just wrap crepes in plastic wrap, separating each one with a piece of waxed paper and double wrapping in foil to protect from freezer burn. They will keep frozen for up to three months.

Tip: When preparing crepes, it is best to let the batter stand for at least one hour or overnight before cooking. This time allows the flour to absorb the liquid in the batter

and makes a stronger, smoother crepe.

1 cup (250 mL) all- purpose flour

1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1 1/4 cups (300 mL) milk

3 eggs

2 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil

In mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt. In measuring cup whisk together milk, eggs and oil; pour into dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.

To cook; spray non-stick skillet with baking spray; heat over medium high heat.

For an appetizer crepe, (5 inches) spoon 2 tbsp (25 mL) batter into prepared pan. Use ¼ cup (50 mL) batter for a dessert or dinner size crepe - tilting pan to allow batter to cover bottom of pan.

Cook until pale brown around the edges and starting to pull away from pan. Flip and cook until second side is browned.

Stack crepes on plate, separating with pieces of waxed paper. Crepes can be covered and refrigerated a day before serving.

Yeast Blini

These yeast pancakes are ideal as savory appetizer or main course. They can be spread with soft cream cheese, caviar and smoked salmon then garnished with fresh dill and/or capers.

1/2 cup (125 mL lukewarm water

1 tbsp (15 mL) traditional active dry yeast

2 tsp (10 mL) granulated sugar

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (175 mL) beer

1/2 cup (125 mL) whole-wheat flour

2 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp (25 ml) vegetable oil

A stack of classic Canadian pancakes covered in maple syrup and butter.

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

Rinse large bowl with hot water; dry well. Pour in lukewarm, water. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over water. Let stand in warm place 10 minutes or until yeast is foamy.

Gradually whisk in all-purpose flour, beer, whole wheat flour, eggs, oil and salt until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; set bowl in pan of warm water until batter has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Stir down batter.

Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. For each blini, spoon 1 tbsp (15 mL) batter for mini size; ¼ cup (50 mL) for larger crepes.

Cook for about 2 minutes or until bubbles break on top and the underside is golden brown. Flip; cook until second side is golden brown.

Makes about 16, 4-inch crepes.

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A look back to Fallingbrook and Kingston in the early 1950s

By David Van Dyke

There is little information that I have on this image of the intersection of Fallingbrook and Kingston roads. The photographer is unknown. Judging by the vehicles, I would say this photograph was taken in the early 1950s. Do you have an old photo of Kingston Road you’d like to share with our readership? Please contact me at gdvandyke61@gmail.com

Wayne Reeves to discuss Toronto’s early business signs at historical society meeting

By Cole Hession

HISTORIAN, CURATOR, and author Wayne Reeves will speak about Toronto’s early business signs at a presentation hosted by The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society next week. His presentation will dive deep into how the business signs from 100 years ago

have influenced the signs we see today.

Before signs were plastic, neon, and digital, they were wood and paint, and this is something that Reeves will be discussing at his presentation slated for the evening of Wednesday, March 12.

The presentation is being held in partnership with the Beach and East Toronto

Historical Society and the Beaches Sandbox.

Admission is free and all are welcome to attend Reeves’ presentation which will take place from 7 to 8:15 p.m. The Beaches Sandbox is located at at 2181 Queen St. E. For more information on The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society, please visit www.tbeths.com

Beach United’s Jukebox Friday Night set for March 28

BEACH UNITED Church at 140 Wineva Ave. will host its Jukebox Friday Night event on the evening of March 28. Featured performers will

be Fraser/Daly and Skylark. The event starts at 7 p.m. (with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.). Those attending are reminded to put on their dancing shoes. Tickets are $50. For more information and tickets, please go to www.beachunitedchurch. com

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PHOTO: DAVID VAN DYKE

Beach Memories

Historic walking tours for 2025 to begin on April 12 with a visit to the Kew Beach area

gene DomAgAlA Beach Memories

Iwas asked recently when I would be doing my historic walking tours this year. I answered that yes I will be doing them and the first one will be in April.

For this year I will be leading several historic walks and I hope they will be of interest to the people of the Beach the East End.

I sometimes think of myself as an historic character as I have been doing these walks with The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society for close to 50 years, I have done walks about schools, religious organizations, sororities, etc…

I hope I have brought some useful information, especially to the young people and newcomers in the community.

My first historical walk for 2025 will be on Saturday,

April 12, starting at 1 p.m.

The walk will be about the Kew Beach area.

For those wishing to take part, we will be meeting in front of The Beaches Branch Library, 2161 Queen St. E., on the south side just west of Lee Avenue. On the walk we will be visiting many of the historic sites in the area. We will also learn about some of the people that made the Beach such a popular tourist spot. As this year goes on there

will be several other historic walks in the coming months.

I will be leading walks along Danforth Avenue; Kingston Road Village, and the East Toronto area around Main Street. Also, please let me know if there are any particular areas or people you would like to learn more about. You can contact me by sending a message to Beach Metro Community News, and they will pass on your requests. Historically yours!

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The Beach cenotaph in Kew Gardens will be among the stops during Gene Domagala’s historic walking tour of the Kew Beach area on Saturday, April 12.

reg. Casplo All ages, early language, L.D., articulation, reading, apraxia Leslie Rennie 647-994-8255 leslierennie@gmail.com

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PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

Your gateway to connecting with skilled professionals in our community

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

Dashwood & Dashwood

Barristers & Solicitors

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

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Cynthia McGilvray Acupuncturist

Pain relief, meridian balancing, electrical stimulation, preventative health care. Insurance coverage. 1716 Queen St. E. @Kingston Rd. cynthiamcgilvray.com 647-378-3182

Kriens LaRose, LLP

Chartered Professional Accountants • Accounting services for owner-managed businesses.

• Personal and corporation income tax preparation. • Audit services for not-for-profit organizations www.krienslarose.com kriens@krienslarose.com 416-690-6800

Melani Norman CPA, CMA Accounting Issues and Systems, Bookkeeping, Personal and Corporate Taxes Call 416-471-0337

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

Accepting New Clients Professional accounting and bookkeeping services tailored to your needs. I provide expert financial solutions for individuals and small businesses. www.magnoliabizsolutions.ca Email: magnolia_mbs@outlook.com

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

Snider & DiGregorio

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

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Glover & Associates

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Fairmount Park Winterfest fun

The Fairmount Park Winterfest took place on Saturday, Feb. 8. The snowy weather cooperated for the event which was a true winter celebration for the community in the Beach Hill and Fairmount Park area.

Photo above, Jack, 5, Dell, 3, and Leo, 7, took to one of the two rinks in the park that are made by the Fairmount Park Icemasters for a skate.

Photo at left, Dieter cooks up hot dogs on the barbecue for those attending the Winterfest.

PHOTOS: ALAN SHACKLETON

East End Vets and Red Tape Brewery in East Toronto team up to help pet owners in need

By Conrad Murphy

A COLLABORATION between a local craft brewery and a veterinarian clinic is set to bring a brand-new beer that will help build a support fund for pet owners in need.

“We believe that everyone should have the right to own a pet if they so choose and that pet should have the right to good-quality health care,” said Dr. Matt Spiegle, veterinarian and co-owner of East End Vets at the northwest corner of Main Street and Gerrard Street East.

East End Vets, a relatively new veterinary clinic in the East Toronto neighbour-

and

hood, was founded by Dr. Spiegle and Dr. Lara Zahra.

The two have aimed to integrate the clinic into the community by forming partnerships such as the one they have built with Red Tape Brewery which is just a few store fronts south of the clinic on the east side of Main Street.

Red Tape Brewery, owned by Sarabeth and Sean Holden, has been a cornerstone of the community for the past five years.

The brewery has a history of supporting local initiatives, having worked with food banks, LGBTQ+ support groups, and senior care organizations. The partnership with East End Vets is the latest in a series of efforts to “give back to the community” said Holden.

The collaboration between the two businesses began at a child’s birthday party, where a conversation about the community turned into an initiative focused on supporting pet owners, who may be struggling with the cost of veterinary care.

The result is Benny and

the Vets, a speciality craft beer that will soon be available. The name draws inspiration from Holden’s own award-winning children’s book, Benny the Bananasaurus Rex, as well as the classic Elton John song Bennie and the Jets. Both Sean and Sarabeth Holden noted that the name captures both the family-friendly nature of the brewery as well as the musical atmosphere.

The first batch of the beer will produce approximately 950 cans, with one dollar from every sale going directly to the East End Vets support fund. If the response is positive, Holden said they will “keep it going” producing more batches.

The support fund is still in its early stages but will be used in the near future to help cover medical costs for pet owners facing financial hardship.

To access the fund, pet owners will be asked to fill out an application, where their eligibility will be reviewed.

The goal is for the fund “to go to the animals and people

who need it the most and be dispersed to as many pets as possible,” said Spiegle.

The fund comes along with the East End Vet’s mission to build a stronger and more supportive community. Kristen Likopulos, community outreach director for East End Vets, emphasized the need to “support the momand-pop shops so they can stay around for a long time.”

She added that the initiative is an opportunity to “create even more of a community connection” and support the little guys.

Spiegle echoed those sentiments. “Even though we have very different businesses, we have very similar goals, with a vision of bringing the community together.”

Red Tape Brewery and East End Vets hope this initiative will make a difference for pet owners in East Toronto.

Both businesses say that they are deeply tied to the local community, and hope this collaboration is a way to continue to add to the vibrancy of the region.

Centre 55’s Seniors Active Living Fair set for this Thursday at the Beaches Sandbox

Seniors will have access to healthy snacks and beverages and be able to participate in fun and healthy activities while attending the fair.

CENTRE 55 will present its annual Seniors Active Living Fair on Thursday, March 6. Set to take place at the Beaches Sandbox, 2181 Queen St. E., the fair will include crafts, cooking, health and wellness, workshops, and more.

Admission is free and the fair goes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more info, contact Jennifer Jeynes at jennifer@ centre55.com or visit www. centre55.com/simple-event/ seniors-active-living-fair

PHOTO: CONRAD MURPHY

From left; Sean and Sarabeth Holden from Red Tape Brewery; and Dr. Lara Zahra,

Kristen Likopulos,

Dr. Matt Spiegle from East End Vets.

EarlyON Family Resource Centre on Main Street now offers Saturday program for local families

By Vincent Lin

THE EARLYON Family Resource Connection at 184 Main St. has just started implementing its new Saturday program for the children and families in the neighbourhood.

“It’s really to further reach the community and serve a need in the community,” said Jennifer Hooker, early childhood resource educator and coordinator at the EarlyON Family Resource Connection (FRC).

As part of the EarlyON family resource program, the FRC offers an opportunity for children up to age six to learn, play and socialize in an environment that helps in part to prepare them for traditional daycare.

The FRC offers many outlets for the children to explore, including arts and crafts, singing, story time, puzzles, blocks, STEM activities and many more. The FRC engages with families

Jennifer Hooker of the EarlyON Family Resource Centre on Main Street with parents and children who attend the program.

and caregivers by discussing child development, how to build on children’s interests through play and learning experiences, and navigating the childcare system.

The FRC operates 9 a.m to 3 p.m Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m to 11:30 am on Fridays.

WoodGreen opens new seniors’ care housing units in Leslieville

WOODGREEN COMMU-

NITY Services and Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) have partnered with the federal government to provide a nine-unit Cluster Care site for seniors in Leslieville.

“WoodGreen Community Services, in partnership with Michael Garron Hospital and with the unwavering support of the Government of Canada and the City of Toronto, is proud to welcome seniors to 1080 Queen Street East, our seventh Cluster Care site,” said Anne Babcock, President and CEO of WoodGreen Community Service in a recent press release.

On Feb. 24, Mayor Olivia Chow joined TorontoDanforth Councillor Paula Fletcher, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Nathaniel ErskineSmith (who is also the MP for Beaches-East York), Toronto-Danforth MP Julie Dabrusin, Board Chair of WoodGreen Community Services Nupi Zubair, and President/ CEO of Michael Garron Hospital Melanie Kohn, to unveil the new units at the senior care site located on Queen Street East in WoodGreen’s Jack Layton Seniors Housing building,

“This innovative housing and care model, known as cluster care, provides seniors with affordable housing and 24-hour personal support in a shared living environment. We look forward to welcoming these seniors to their new homes in our community,” said Babcock.

The newly converted Cluster Care site will provide se-

niors with an additional nine units of affordable, supportive housing to the site’s existing portfolio of 52 Cluster Care units.

The new units are converted from what was formerly a commercial space and employment office for WoodGreen staff in the Layton building.

Cluster Care units are specifically designed for older adults transitioning from MGH’s Memory Care Unit, which helps to ease burdens on the healthcare system by diverting patients from acute and long-term care.

These units offer safe, comfortable living spaces with 24-hour personal support in a shared living environment catered to diverse cultural, linguistic, and care requirements.

WoodGreen’s housing model places small groups of seniors (eight to 11 individuals) in private rooms with access to communal dining, common areas, and recreational spaces.

Their goal is to allow older adults who require daily assistance – not long-term care – to maintain their independence and connection to the community while receiving specialized care on-site.

The new units come with an additional $1.6 million in funding from the federal government through the Rapid Housing Initiative; $420,661 from the City of Toronto; operational support from Michael Garron Hospital; and a $250,000 donation from the Dr. Allan Carswell Family Foundation.

thing enjoyable to do on the weekend,” she said.

The Saturday program provides parents in the community with an activity that they can do with their children on the weekend. The FRC also see it as an opportunity for families that are too busy to attend the regular weekday programming to come and see the program on the weekend.

“We recognized there was a need in the community, knowing that families with children from birth to six are looking for free things to do with their children on Saturdays,” said Hooker.

And now, the FRC has also started its new Saturday program that runs from 9:30 a.m to 12:30 p.m.

Hooker described the existing programs and the new Saturday program as “inclusive and welcoming” with equitable access for everybody.

The Saturday program aims to address a need the FRC noticed within the community where families with children up to age six were looking for free activities to do with their children on Saturdays.

Hooker said the program will address this need by giving parents and families an opportunity to spend time together.

“If their children are in childcare it gives them some-

She said it is good for families and children to engage and participate in the EarlyON programs as they help build connections between families and offering an environment where parents and caregivers are able to meet other adults, and children are able to meet and socialize with other children.

The program also helps prepare children for childcare or schooling by fostering learning in a play-based environment where children are able to learn. The program encourages everybody to learn from each other through the richness of diversity and shared connection.

“It’s a safe welcoming place for the community to come together,” said Hooker.

For more information please contact the FRC at 416-690-0102.

PHOTO: SUBMITTED

Arts & Entertainment

Concert brings professional, student musicians together in Kingston Road Village

SOME OF Toronto’s top musicians will join together on Saturday, March 8, to perform the brilliant Bach Magnificat for orchestra, chorus, and soloists at the Kingston Road Village Concert Series.

Members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, instrumentalists and soloists from the University of Toronto, and a full chorus comprised of professional and U of T choristers will be conducted by Kathleen Allan, a Beach resident and internationally recognized conductor at the March 8 concert.

sible in the kindest, yet most pointed, way. He made every piece personal, and while striving for absolute musical perfection, infused each note with meaning and passion,” said Allan.

That education led to Allan to conduct more early music, including an appointment as artistic director of Canzona, Winnipeg’s professional Baroque choir, in 2016. Over her seven-year tenure with Canzona, she led performance of many major Baroque works in collaboration with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, the Winnipeg Symphony, and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.

power, a furious line in the violins cascades down a minor scale. Coming from the previous movement where the powerful are comfortably seated in their regal key of D major, he literally knocks them off their feet and you can hear them tumbling.”

Allan said the Magnificat “is a constant back-and-forth between power and humility, resplendence and tenderness, and I think there is no better parallel for this tension than the journey of motherhood. Perhaps it’s fitting that our performance will take place on International Women’s Day.”

Allan is the conductor of the Amadeus Choir and has a particular affinity for Baroque music. She has conducted the works of Bach and Handel in Japan, and has guest conducted orchestras across the country on programs ranging from Baroque to Romantic to pops.

“Ever since I was a child, the music of Bach has fascinated me. As a young pianist, and then as a singer and conductor, I was drawn to the combination of mathematical perfection and passion contained in the music. You’d think these things would be at odds, but in fact, they enhance each other. Kind of the like the night sky, the more you look at Bach’s music, the more you see.”

She said it has been her lifelong dream to work with choirs and orchestras to bring the major works of composers like Bach to life in new and relevant ways.

After studying composition at UBC, she received a master’s degree in conducting from Yale University where she worked with many of the leading early music experts in the world, including her mentor Masaaki Suzuki.

“Working with Suzuki blew my mind – it was like the curtain was pulled back and the brilliance of Bach was revealed in all its splendour. He had a way of pushing us beyond what we thought pos-

Now the Artistic Director of the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto since 2019, and a member of the Faculty of Music at U of T since 2022, Allan enjoys performing a wide variety of repertoire with an emphasis on commissioning and collaborating with artists from diverse backgrounds.

“I love the process of recontextualizing the great works of the past with new voices that bring relevance to our contemporary audience. We want the music to feel like it was written yesterday, even though sometimes it’s 300 years old. The Magnificat is such a special piece. Bach wrote it in his first year in Leipzig in 1723, the place where he would spend the majority of his career and write his most significant works. The work was so significant to him that he returned to it in 1733, revising it into the version we’re performing,” she said.

“I think all of Bach’s music, especially the Magnificat, has the potential to resonate with people who aren’t familiar with it. If you listen with an open mind, you can hear how he is literally depicting the text with the music. In this piece, for example, when he talks about striking down the mighty from their seat of

The March 8 side-by-side performance brings together some of Toronto’s top professional instrumentalists and singers with students from the University of Toronto.

Along with the Magnificat, they will also perform Bach’s E major Violin Concerto, a CPE Bach Symphony, and some solo Bach.

“I’m so excited about the potential for this concert to create an unforgettable educational experience for the students, a rewarding musical performance for the pros, and a truly moving concert for the audience,” said Allan.

“I’m even more thrilled that it’s happening right in my neighbourhood! Our hope is that through concerts like this, the beautiful venue of Kingston Road United will become a hub for arts in the east end.”

The Kingston Road Village Concert Series thanks the following local sponsors: Karin Schemeit and Larry Williamson, Bob and Mary Gore (Robert Gore and Associates CPAs, CAs) and JOM (Joy of Music).

The March 8 concert takes place at Kingston Road Untied Church, 975 Kingston Rd., starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance at www.kingstonroadvillageconcerts.eventbrite.com or $40 at the door.

PHOTO: TAYLOR LONG

Beach resident and internationally recognized conductor Kathleen Allan will conduct the Bach Magnificat concert at Kingston Road United Church this Saturday as part of the Kingston Road Village Concert Series.

Das helps bring Canadian literature to Bengali readers

By Matthew Stephens

WHAT DO Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, Yann Martel, and Robertson Davies all have in common? For one, they’re just some of the most renowned names in Canadian literature. Second, their works in the have inspired local East York resident and author Subrata Kumar Das to craft his own novel highlighting Canadian literature for Bengali readers, which has now been published in the International Kolkata Book Fair in India.

“There are many Bengalis in India, but I was not associated with the Indian Bengali community. But this year, I have been able to publish the book from Kolkata,” said Das.

“I wanted to publish my book, and have it reach many people, many readers outside of Bangladesh, and this dream has been fulfilled.”

Titled Kanadian Sahityo (Canadian Literature), this is Das’ second book on Canadian literature. His previous 2019 Bengali book on Canadian literature amassed acclaim by Bengali literature-lovers living in Canada and Bangladesh. For Das, bringing Bengali attention to historic Canadian writers was an overarching goal behind his work.

“I started studying Canadian literature in 2014. In my country, and in many other countries, although we have studied English literature, Canadian writers were not very commonplace in our country. The students, the teachers, they are not very aware of the names of the great Canadian writers,” said Das “I wanted to make it available to the Bengali writers living in Canada and in my homeland of Bangladesh. I Also wanted to make them interested in Canadian literature.”

Das is a writer, curator, TV anchor and organizer who works as a member of the Writers’ Union of Canada and the Literary Translators’ Association of Canada. He is also the initiator of Bangladeshi Novels: the first website on Bengali literature published back in 2003. In his previous works, he has joined and lead teams of Bengali writers in the International Festival of Authors (TIFA) in 2020, 2022 & 2023.

For Das, writing books on Canadian literature has been a project 10 years in the making. Since 2014, he has expressed a keen interest in Canadian literature and would often purchase or borrow books written by famous

Canadian authors from Toronto libraries.

“I started reading and learning the literature and going through the history of Canadian literature. As I studied all these things, I gradually developed a concrete idea about Canadian literature,” he said.

At his home apartment near Victoria Park and Danforth avenues, Das has collected more than 1,300 books. As much as he’s done his research to uncover the roots of Canadian literature, Das has also made it a priority to establish himself within that community and make connections with Canadian authors of this generation.

“What I have been able to do is become associated with many major Canadian writers like Anne Michaels, who was awarded a Giller Prize this year and served as Toronto’s Poet Laureate, as well as many other writers and poets of the Canadian writing circles. I’ve been able to become friends with them and work with them closely,” said Das

He said his goal to introduce Bengali readers to Canadian literature has been a lifelong dream.

“It was my personal initiative to learn about Canadian literature, but what was more important was to include many of the Bengali writers who are good with English –I wanted to get them interested in Canadian literature.”

For more information about Das and his latest book, go to www.writersunion.ca/ member/subrata-das.

Queens of Comedy present International Women’s Day show this

HOWL AND Roar Records presents the second annual Queens of Comedy show for International Women’s Day at Comedy Bar Danforth, 2800 Danforth Ave., this Saturday. Starring Ava Val, Nour Hadidi, Amanda Cordner, and a headlining performance by Deborah Kimmett, the all-women comedy show will provide laughs while underscoring the importance of supporting women’s rights on International Women’s Day (Saturday, March 8).

“Every year, we have new people. We try to make it as diverse a group of comedians as we can because it’s International Women’s Day. We’re just trying to have a lot of different voices,” said Kimmett. “I’ve been working with CBC a long time, and they have a really great, diverse group of women that are always performing.”

A Beach resident, Kimmett describes this year’s lineup as a team of “top notch comics” with unique personalities and perspectives in the comedy world.

Tickets prices for general admission are $29. For arts workers and those who are underemployed, tickets can be purchased at a

Saturday

discounted price of $25. The shwo goes from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at https://comedybar.ca

Last year’s show was produced by CBC, but this year will see Kimmet headline and produce.

“I’ve been a comedian for 45 years. I’m 67, and I love living in the Beaches. I just taped a new comedy album called Smoke Show which was all about my life the Beaches over the last eight years. I’ve always lived in the centre of the city, but I just love the East End,” she said.

Kimmett said she’s happy to approach women’s rights with a comedic lens, and to see female comedians get more recognition.

“I think people just love celebrating International Women’s Day with comedy because it can get kind of heavy when you think about women’s rights, so it’s just a really fun, fastpaced 75 minutes. I think when it’s been a male dominated business, women have had to fight harder to get into it.”

She said working closely with younger comedians has helped freshen her material and given her new perspectives.

PHOTO: NILIMA DATTA

Subrata Kumar Das with his Bengali language book on Canadian literature.

Malvern Collegiate girls team wins silver medal at OFSAA snowboarding championships

THE MALVERN Collegiate girls snowboarding team recently won the silver medal at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championships.

The members of the team are Grade 12 student Sienna Srdoc-Walsh, and Grade 11 students Rileigh Honeyman, Charlotte Erochko, Ruby Barbour, and Izzy Frape.

The OFSAA snowboarding championships were held on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the Devil’s Glen Ski Resort which is a little south of Collingwood.

The girls gold medal at the champioships

was won by the Lakefield College School team.

Malvern coach Luke Hartley praised the hard work of the girls snowboarding team and their success in winning silver provincially.

“Their achievement is a testament to the hard work, determination and team spirit these young athletes have demonstrated throughout the season,” he said.

“We are incredibly proud of their successes and the positive representation they bring to our school and community.”

Family Day long weekend skating party fun

PHOTO: SUBMITTED

The Malvern Collegiate snowboarding team of Sienna Srdoc-Walsh, Rileigh Honeyman, Charlotte Erochko, Ruby Barbour and Izzy Frape won the silver medal at last week’s Ontario championships.

PHOTO: SUBMITTED

Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford hosted a Community Skate Day at Ted Reeve Arena on the Sunday of the Family Day long weekend. Though it was a snowy day, many residents came out for a skate on the afternoon of Feb. 16. Celebrating the Family Day long weekend were Bradford, wife Kathryn, and daughters Briar and Bronwyn.

The changing landscape of veterinary care and what pet owners need to know Veterinary Views

Dr. nigel Skinner

www.shoreviewvets.ca

After owning and op-

erating a veterinary clinic for 15 years in the Beach community, I have spent the past few years practicing outside of this area. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to recently open a new clinic in the Beach/Bluffs area and to get back to writing this column as I did in the past.

I have seen more changes in the veterinary landscape in the past five years than I have in the entire 21 years that I’ve been practicing.

If you’ve noticed changes at your veterinary clinic recently—longer wait times for appointments, higher prices, and frequent staff turnover—you’re not alone.

Veterinary medicine has been undergoing a transformation, and while these shifts can be arduous for pet owners, they are the result of deep-rooted challenges that have been building for years.

For decades, the veterinary profession has faced significant workforce issues, particularly among Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs) and support staff.

These skilled professionals are the backbone of veterinary clinics, yet they have historically been underpaid and underutilized.

This profession can be both physically and emotionally challenging and involves a high level of responsibility and accountability. Many leave the profession within a few years, leading to a constant cycle of turnover that puts added strain on the entire system.

The COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated this crisis, pushing many to leave the

field altogether. As a result, clinics across the country are struggling to find and retain experienced staff, which directly impacts appointment availability and costs.

At the same time, the cost of running a veterinary clinic has risen dramatically. Labour costs have increased, not because of excessive wages, but because veterinary support staff—who have long been undervalued relative to their expertise— are finally being compensated more fairly, and job vacancies for veterinarians far exceeds supply. Equipment, laboratory tests, and pharmaceuticals have also seen price hikes that far exceed general inflation.

Unlike human healthcare, which is subsidized by government funding or insurance, veterinary clinics must absorb these costs directly, which means they ultimately affect pet owners.

Another emerging challenge is the increasing corporate consolidation of veterinary practices. In recent years, large, foreignowned corporations have acquired many independent clinics, changing the way care is delivered. While these companies promise efficiency and resources, they often introduce a shift in priorities and have been accused of focusing on profitability over personalized patient care.

This trend, combined with rising costs and staffing shortages, is reshaping the landscape of veterinary medicine in ways that pet owner have really begun to notice.

Despite these challenges; there are solutions. Independent veterinary practices are finding new ways to create sustainable, high-quality care models.

By rethinking clinic operations and prioritizing

work-life balance for staff, we can retain top talent and improve service for pet owners. Shortened work weeks, improved scheduling systems, and better compensation for veterinary professionals are essential steps in addressing the staffing crisis.

Additionally, leveraging technology for client communication and streamlining in-clinic workflows can help keep costs manageable while maintaining the high level of care that pets deserve.

Simply put, treating our teams well and respecting the client’s needs, now stands out in this profession and attracts employees and clients that are both grateful and loyal.

Pet owners play an important role in this evolving landscape. Supporting locally owned veterinary clinics, and recognizing the value of experienced, well-compensated veterinary care teams can make a difference.

Understanding why your clinic has reduced hours or is utilizing virtual pet care is useful information so that you can see how your clinic is creating a work/life balance for their staff which results in you and your pet having the best experience.

Asking about pricing so that it’s clear to you why prices are what they are, can give you peace of mind so that you are comfortable with what your vet clinic is providing to you.

The future of veterinary medicine is at a crossroads, and by working together, we can create a system that supports both the professionals providing care and the pets who rely on them.

- Dr. Nigel Skinner is the Founder/Owner of Shoreview Veterinary.

Town Hall meeting on American threats set for southwest Scarborough church

THE CANADIAN Civility and Community Support

During Times of Crisis Community Town Hall meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 18, in southwest Scarborough.

The meeting takes place at St. Paul’s United Church, 200 McIntosh St., starting at 7 p.m.

Organized by the St. Paul’s United Church community, the meeting is inviting local residents to come together

to talk about and share their concerns, “fears and anxities” over the proposed economic tariffs and other threats being made towards Canada that have recently been coming from American President Donald Trump’s Administration.

“The new administration in Washington has brought threats of tariffs, annexation, among other unfriendly actions upon Canadians,” said the meeting’s organizers in

a news release sent to Beach Metro Community News

“How do we get the information on how to buy Canadian? Support local businesses? What resources can we access in our neighbourhood to help?”

For more information on this upcoming Town Hall meeting, please contact St. Paul’s United Church by calling 416-261-4222 or by sending an email to admin@ stpaulsscarborough.org

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Making tracks in the snow

Ann BrokelmAn is an avid birder and nature photographer naturephotosbyann.blogspot.ca

Iabsolutely love the snow, and these last few weeks in Toronto have been amazing. I don’t remember seeing this much snow since my own kids were still in elementary school.

For any of you who don’t quite understand my fondness for this abnormal snowfall, I have two notable points to add: First, I grew up in North Bay and this amount of snow is nostalgic. Second, and most important, my husband does all the shovelling!

In today’s article, I’d like to talk about tracks I’ve recently seen in the snow, and, if you see some around, you will know who left them.

Now, if you’re thinking I’m going to explain how to recognize bunny prints, or what deer tracks look like: nope! Those are easy enough to look up. I’m going off in strange new directions!

First up: Red tailed hawks. Confused, dear reader? Bird tracks in the snow, not what you were expecting? Good! I’m trying to keep these stories fresh and interesting.

So, I was driving around the other day when I saw a red-tailed hawk fly out of a tree and land on the ground. I didn’t think it had pounced on anything, which was confirmed as it started awkwardly walking around. I’m guessing he thought he saw something, went down to investigate, and tried walking around to look for whatever had gone missing. Either way, after just a few minutes, he flew back up into the trees.

I got out of my car, waded through the snow, and had a look for myself. Next time, I’m going to have to bring my snowshoes.

I didn’t see anything interesting that would have captured the hawk’s attention, but his tracks captured mine! You might easily mistake the look of the tracks for any other birds, but this is where some inductive reasoning should help.

A lot of birds leave the same shaped footprint: a capital Y but with three points instead of two. Chickadees, crows, and bluejays (to name just a few) would all look to be about the same shape, but there aren’t that many birds around here that would have tracks the same size as a red-tailed hawk. Beyond that, you’re only looking at other birds of prey.

Owls don’t often leave any tracks in the snow,

though you might see their wing prints, as they tend to leave wing impressions when they grab a mouse on the go. Furthermore, their footprints often look more like a slanted K. So, that just leaves sharp-shinned hawks and cooper hawks.

But, again, red tails are simply, and significantly, bigger. My boot size is 9.5 for reference.

My next wacky track sighting might make you think that someone tiny had appeared off a ski jump, touched down, and then disappeared. Try to picture two parallel tracks that looked just like those left behind by a skier, only they appeared out of nowhere and seemed to disappear the same way.

PHOTO: ANN BROKELMAN

A red tailed hawk takes a walk in the snow recently.

PHOTOS: ANN BROKELMAN

Tracks from a red tailed hawk can be seen in the snow. For comparison purposes, the boot in the photo below is a size 9.5.

Swan V88 comes in for an ice landing.

Mystery of the ‘ski’ tracks

‘Making’ from Page 24

This adventure began when I went down to the lake to see if any waterfowl were available for a photoshoot. Sometimes I get lucky, as they’ll be clustered together in a small pool that hasn’t been closed up by the ice.

This time, as I approached the shore, I saw the odd ski tracks out on the ice leading to the edge of one of the open pools. Part of me feels I should have figured them out earlier, but maybe my morning coffee hadn’t kicked in yet. I stood there, wondering what could have made the tracks, when I caught sight of two trumpeter swans flying my way.

These beautiful birds came in from a distance, slowly but surely descending, and were heading towards the same pool I just mentioned. As they got closer and closer, and got lower and lower, I watched

ANN

Photographer and columnist Ann Brokelman was wondering what had made these tracks on the ice. That is until she saw a swan come in for a landing.

them lower their landing gear feet.

Of course! Their feet slid across the snow-covered ice, leaving the long trails, before the two plopped down into the water with a splash.

Mystery solved. This has been a great winter for learning about tracks and who has been walking about your property and neighbourhood. Let me know what you see!

Beaches Sandbox set to bring Big Laughs to the neighbourhood

By Cole Hession

THE BEACHES Sandbox will be bringing comedy to the neighbourhood, with the Big Laughs show on Saturday, April 6.

The evening comedy show will be hosted by Kris Siddiqi.

Big Laughs will feature performances by comedians Courtney Gilmore, Clif Knight, Ryan Dillon, and Karen Mitches.

Host Sidiqi is an awardwinning comedian, actor and writer from Toronto. He is a Canadian Comedy Award winner, a Second City Mainstage cast member and has appeared as a series regular on CBC’s Because News

Gilmour is a two time Juno-Award nominated standup comedian, television writer and Canada’s Got Talent finalist. She is recognized as one of Canada’s top comedy talents and made history as the first female winner of

the Just For Laughs HomeGrown Comics Competition in 2017.

Mitches is a Torontobased comedian known for her imaginative style and sharp wit. Along with her stand-up comedy work, she also interviews other comedians on her The Karen Mitches Podcast. Dillon, who grew up in St. John’s, Newfoundland, is known for his clever wit and self-deprecating humour. His critically acclaimed oneshow Collapse enjoyed a sold-out run at the Toronto Fringe Festival.

Knight is a Guyanese-born comedian based out of Toronto, and the producer of Heat Wave Comedy at The Comedy Lab. He is known for his laid-back storytelling style infused with Caribbean flair. His comedy is said to highlight the humour in life’s everyday absurdities.

All proceeds from the show will support the Beach-

es Sandbox’s commitment to provide high-quality, accessible programs for all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

Tickets for Big Laughs are $39.95, and the show is presented in partnership with BMO and supported by the Paul W. O’Leary Foundation, Dolphin Gaming, Triple Bogey Brewing Co., Gruvi, and The Nutty Chocolatier.

The Beaches Sandbox is located at 2181 Queen St. E. The show will take place in the space on the third floor. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m..

Those planning on attending the Big Laugh’s show are reminded that it will be a 19+ event with mature subject matter and some coarse language.

For more information on the Big Laughs show and how to order tickets, please go online to www.beachessandbox.com/workshopsand-events/comedy---biglaughs

PHOTO: ANN BROKELMAN

PHOTO:

BROKELMAN

Wintry Woodbine Beach welcomes opening of Winter Stations 2025

By Jessica Shackleton

WOODBINE BEACH may have looked and felt like a frigid scene beyond the Wall in Game of Thrones, but Beachers didn’t let that stop them from celebrating the opening of Winter Stations on Family Day.

Now in its 11th year, the outdoor art installations are chosen from hundreds of submissions from around the world. This year’s theme was Dawn and the six winners now line Woodbine Beach from the Summerville pool to Ashbridges Bay Park.

Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford, Mary-Margaret McMahon (who helped create the event while serving as local councillor in 2015), and RAW Designs architect Dakota Wares-Tani officially opened Winter Stations on Monday, Feb. 17, in what were wintry conditions featuring high winds and blowing, gusting snow .

“This has grown from a very small concept 11 years ago to something that attracts international talent, more than 300 submissions this year,” said Bradford. “All of our winners are international with the exception of the universities.”

Thanks to the deep snow covering the sand, this year’s opening was less busy than in some previous years, but many people made the snowy trek across the beach to interact with the pieces.

“We got what we asked for – a very wintry Winter Stations,” said Wares-Tani.

“Winter Stations has always been about

Woodbine Beach on Family Day.

activating public space with a free outdoor art exhibition filled with larger-than-life installations.”

The event is always kicked off on Family Day and invites visitors to appreciate the neighbourhood in a new way.

“What has always been my favourite part is bringing all of Toronto, Torontonians, folks from across the region out to experience the beach in the wintertime,” said Bradford. “Most people think about coming to Woodbine Beach in the summertime. It is a different experience coming out here in the

middle of winter with a fresh snowfall.”

After opening remarks, the assembled group made their way through the snow on the beach. They took a walking tour of each of the installations where the artist introduced their piece.

The one winner from the city was Solair by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Solair was designed by second-year architectural sciences students Arjun Jain, Finn Ferrall, Jade Wong, Nicholas Kisil, and Marko Sikic.

Jain is from Mississauga and said he had

never been to Woodbine Beach before starting the project.

“I never really had a reason to come all the way over here,” he said. “We visited and got to work on it.”

The reflectors on Solair face Lake Ontario and shimmer in the wind. The group suggested sunrise as the best time to experience it, but any time of the day will give visitors the same effect.

“It’s rewarding to see the final product, see people looking at it,” said Kisil between gusts of wind on Monday.

Wong seconded the feeling of reward adding that “meeting design goals” of the Winter Stations project was part of that sense of success.

“Being in second year and having this opportunity unrelated to TMU, with all the support…it’s great,” said Jain.

The other winning designs making up this year’s Winter Stations are Peak by the University of Waterloo; Slice of Sun from Portugal; WATCH from the United States; Parade from the United States; and Ascolto from France.

Winter Stations is scheduled to be on display until March 30.

Winter Stations is sponsored by RAW Design, Northcrest Developments, Resident Properties, Crombie REIT & Sobeys, MicroPro Sienna, BEHR Paint.

For more information on Winter Stations 2025, please go online to https://winterstations.com

PHOTO: JESSICA SHACKLETON

Toronto Metropolitan University students (from left) Marko Silkic, Nicholas Kisil, Jade Wong, Finn Ferrall, and Arjun Jain in front of their Winter Stations installation Solair. The opening ceremonies for this year’s Winter Stations were held on a very wintry

Photos clockwise from top left: Visitors check out their reflections in the Solair installation on Monday, Feb. 17, at the Winter Stations opening. University of Waterloo student Ricardo Espinoza speaks about the installation Peak during the opening ceremonies for Winter Stations 2025. RAW Designs architect Dakota Wares-Tani officially opens Winter Stations on Monday, Feb. 17, at Woodbine Beach. Beacher Mackenzie, 6, checks out the Ascolto installation during the opening celebrations.

PHOTOS: ALAN SHACKLETON

Sunday,

Beach Wise

INTRODUCING

Who has to shovel the snow in the mutual driveway?

We haven’t seen this much snow in many years, and certainly did not the last few winters.

As I sat down to write my first article of the year, I decided to re-visit a column I penned some time ago. I think this column is quite topical this winter, as it deals with the responsibility of snow removal between homeowners who share a mutual driveway or reciprocal right-of-way (ROW).

I thought it may be worthwhile to once again re-examine that column of mine, which simply asked the question: “Who has to shovel the snow in the mutual driveway?”

Parking comes in different forms for Beach properties.

There’s “on-street parking” requiring a paid permit issued by the City of Toronto to park overnight or just longer than three hours.

Also private driveway parking (always check to make sure it’s private); parking via a laneway (right-of-way); front-yard parking pads (legal or not); and perhaps the most common form in our neighbourhood, the mutual driveway or right-of-way.

I believe it’s this last type, and its ensuing rights and obligations that is the least understood by homeowners.

The term ‘mutual driveway’ is generally accepted to describe the strip of land located between two adjoining properties, which may be used for vehicles to access the street. Mutual driveway is really a term of convenience used to describe two ‘easements’ that come together to form this driveway. The real description of a mutual driveway is a “reciprocal right of way”. Easements are governed under common law, redefined in Ontario and Canada over time by case law. It is accepted that an easement must have four components: a Dominant and Servient tenement; an easement must accommodate, serve

and be reasonably necessary for the enjoyment of the Dominant tenement; the Dominant and Servient tenement must be different owners; and an easement must be capable of being used for what it was intended for with a clear and discernable route.

There are many types of easements, but it is the ‘private right-of-way’ easement that comes into play most often. The Dominant tenement is the property which derives the benefit or enjoyment of the easement. The Servient tenement is the property that the easement right burdens upon. Simply put, in a mutual drive situation, this easement allows you to drive over your neighbour’s land without trespassing. Without this right to traverse your neighbour’s land, there might not be enough room for your vehicle to pass through. This makes you the Dominant tenement, since you enjoy the benefit of the easement allowing you to pass over that land.

Your neighbour is then

the Servient tenement, since it is at the expense of their land’s bundle of ownership rights. In the case of a mutual driveway or right-of way parking, both adjoining landowners are both Servient and Dominant tenements at once.

Within the deed of land, the obligations of the Servient and Dominant tenements are set out in the ‘covenant’. That covenant may be positive (affirmative) or negative (restrictive) in nature. With most mutual driveways and right-of-ways, the covenant is negative (restrictive) because the Dominant tenement has the right to restrict the owner of the Servient tenement from exercising all the rights associated with their ownership of land.

For instance the Servient tenement may not erect a permanent fence upon land that they own that may restrict the enjoyment of the easement (access by a vehicle or predestrian use) by the Dominant tenement. So, who has to shovel the snow in a mutual drive-

way? Simply, the Dominant tenement has the right to clear the snow from the Servient tenement’s land if they choose to in order to access parking. The Servient tenement who owns the land, also has the choice of removing the snow from their land, or not.

Each of the owner’s cannot damage the other homeowner’s property in doing so, or make the other’s property difficult to access, or pile the snow in a manner that might impare the other owner. For instance, if you shovel your own side of the mutual drive or your part of the right-of-way, you should not pile the snow onto the other owner’s land. Otherwise though, there is no obligation by either property owner to shovel the snow from the driveway.

The simple rule is, since you own the strip of land that makes up part of the mutual drive, you are not required by law to provide snow shovelling for your land in order for the adjoining owner(s) to enjoy the benefit of using that land.

It isn’t under the same municipal rules as your front sidewalk, where snow removal is required.

Calling to complain to the City regarding your neighbour’s lack of snow shovelling will not solve the issue, and the City cannot (and should not) intervene in what is essentially a private ownership issue.

Not every property owner has the ability to have their part of the mutual drive cleared (or may not need to) and they do not have to shovel the snow to placate the adjoining neighbour. If you are able to shovel your side, it’s the neighbourly thing to do, but the law of mutual driveways does not require that you must.

Homeowners with mutual drives should be educated as to their rights and the formalities of such, especially before you buy a property with such an easement.

If you have any questions about this article, or Beach real estate in general, feel free to contact me at dealwithneal77@gmail.com or call my office at 416-690-5100.

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APPLIANCE

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General Services

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MR. FIX-IT

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Peter the Handyman INDOOR / OUTDOOR

General repairs: Drywall / Caulking / Painting / Decks / Fences Odd jobs: Fixtures, TV, Shelf & Picture install / Furniture assembly (IKEA)... & much more! Call/text Peter 416 577 4252 (1)

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Assistant / Companion / Cleaner

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Steve’s Dog Walking Service Walking in the Beaches Between Woodbine & Warden South of Danforth Ave. First walk is free. $30 for a 35-minute walk Call Steve at 437-605-5853 (1)

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Virtual meeting on Ontario Line construction safety set for March 6

EAST TORONTO residents are invited to a meeting about construction safety on the Ontario Line this week.

The meeting takes place on the evening of Thursday, March 6, and is being hosted by Toronto-Danforth Councillor Paula Fletcher, Toronto-Danforth MPP Peter Tabuns and Toronto District School Board Trustee for Toronto-Danforth Sara Ehrhardt.

The virtual meeting will begin at 7 p.m. The meeting is being held in the wake of a local woman being hit last month by a dump truck at Pape and Mortimer avenues that been contract-

ed to work on the Ontario Line subway being built by provincial transit agency Metrolinx.

“As you will have heard there was a horrific accident at Mortimer and Pape when a community member was struck while crossing the street by a Metrolinx construction truck that was not following the approved ‘haul route.’

This terrible incident has highlighted many safety questions with Ontario Line construction,” said Fletcher in her community newsletter of Feb. 28.

“Please join us to discuss your concerns and suggestions to keep our

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Plumbers

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streets safe during the many years of Ontario Line construction,” said Fletcher of this Thursday’s meeting.

Topics to be discussed at the meeting will include safe street crossing plans for school children and seniors, the need for extra crossing guards, TTC bus routing around the construction site areas, and Metrolinx contractor compliance.

To register to take part in the March 6 meeting, please go to https:// us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/ WN_JDEnImQ2Sp2-T1hxdJk4nQ#/ registration

CEJA ELECTRIC

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Roofing

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ROOFING & SIDING? SOLUTION!

Flat and Shingle Roofs

Re-roofing, Repair Eavestrough, Soffit & Fascia Workmanship Guaranteed Gus: 416-910-8033 (1r)

TORONTO ROOFING INDUSTRIES LTD.

Local • Reliable • Professional Servicing the beach for 20 years. 416 694 0906 torontoroofingindustries.com (3r)

K. R. ROOFING

All types of Roofing Eavestrough & Siding Over 40 years in the east end. Martin 416 579-6534 (1$r)

ROOFING, REPAIRS DUN-RITE

Shingles, Flats, Eavestroughs Fascia & Soffit Chimney tuck pointing 15% off for Seniors • All work guaranteed 647-857-5656 (3r)

CITYWIDE ROOFING

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Serving the Beaches since 1974 Family owned & operated (1$)

J. BROW ROOFING

BRICK SPECIALIST

Masonry & brickwork. Experts at matching existing brick. New builds, tuckpointing, colour matching, parging. Stone & Block. scotstonecontracting@gmail.com www.scotstonecontracting.ca Call Scott 416.858.2452 (1$)

GEORGE’S MASONRY AND STONEWORKS Flagstone patios • Retaining walls •

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All types of plumbing work. Smallest leak - complete bath reno. Internal & external drain excavating. Call the professionals 416-480-0622 24 hr. - lic# P1624 (2r) MASTER

Shingles • Flats • Cedar Free Estimates Residential & Commercial Cell: 416-788-9020 Lic# B16393 (1$)

PLUMBER

PLUMBER CONTRACTOR

Fully licensed & insured. Lic #T94

George: 416-278-7057 or Gabston Reno: 647-342-2872 (10r)

Mark The Plumber

Master Plumber • Lic. & Ins.

Complete Bathrooms Small Repairs Renovations 416-456-9999

Electricians

CANADIAN CONTRACTOR

Shingles • Flats Roof Repairs • Metal Work Eavestroughing & Siding Waterproofing • Since 1984 Met. Lic. B-16-964 Steve 416-285-0440 • 416-605-9510 (1)

Beach Co Roofing

Your neighborhood flat roofing specialist. 647-309-8056 (2r)

Masonry

BEACHES BLUFFS MASONRY

Brick • Block • Concrete • Stone www.beachesbluffs.com beachesbluffs@gmail.com 416-988-2589 (1.r)

PHOTO: ALAN SHACKLETON Trucks are seen at the Metrolinx Ontario Line construction site at Pape and Sammon avenues on the morning of Monday, Feb. 10.