Beach Metro Community News June 11, 2024

Parade and Memorial Service mark 80th anniversary of D-Day

The Royal Canadian Legion Zone D-3 held a Parade and Memorial

June 6, 1944,

For more

June

to mark the 80th

Support for Grace Pascoe food bank includes produce from Malvern Collegiate garden

By Amarachi Amadike

AMID TORONTO’S affordability crisis which has seen food insecurity steadily increase over the past two years, East Toronto community members have continued their show of support for neighbours in need.

Two Malvern Collegiate Institute teachers, Stephanie Cox and Virginia Dawe, as well as their students, have started an initiative that aims to create a community garden for local food bank Grace Pascoe.

“We have six vegetable beds that we put together, plus we have four pollinators,” said Dawe. “They’re small, but it’s a start. This is the beginning of something bigger – something that we want to continue and grow.”

According to the environmental science teacher, the initiative began after her colleague, Cox, applied for TDSB’s Community Connected Experiential Learning Grant and offered to collaborate with Dawe’s class on a project that would benefit both the students as well as their community.

“In our class we talk about food security, especially because it’s a very timely topic given that there has been such a huge increase in food bank usage due to the (rise) in food prices” said Dawe.

She said that growing food for the food bank was a “perfect collaboration” that will give their students an insight about the community they live in as well as “empowering” them with tools to become part of the solution to Toronto’s affordability crisis.

“I think in Malvern’s area, we don’t often think of it as a food insecure place,” said Dawe. “But there is an unseen level of poverty that not everybody is aware of.”

Grace Pascoe Care Centre Food Bank (at 72 Main St. at the site of Calvary Baptist Church), is located just a few minutes west of Malvern Collegiate and has been experiencing increasing pressures to address the community’s unmet needs. The food bank is open on Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Two years after the organization reopened post-COVID, demand for their service has been more strained than ever, according to Grace Pascoe volunteer Boafoa Kwamena.

“When we first reopened, we were

Continued on Page 3

Community Centre 55’s Slobberfest celebration slated for Saturday

COMMUNITY CENTRE 55’s annual celebration of dogs and everything to do with them, Slobberfest, is set for this Saturday.

The fun will be taking place on June 15, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Leuty Pavilion on the Boardwalk (foot of Lee Avenue).

The event is free to attend and is organized by Community Centre 55 as a fundraiser.

Slobberfest will feature a number of activities for dogs and their owners, and also dog-related displays by vendors.

The schedule of events for Slobberfest includes the Pack Parade and crowning of the Slobber King and Slobber Queen beginning at 9 a.m. There will be a costume and fashion show starting at 9:30 a.m. and a number of other activities including the pet-owner look-alike contest and more taking place during the festival.

Please contact jennifer@centre55.com for more information.

PHOTOS: ALAN SHACKLETON

Service on Sunday,

9,

anniversary of D-Day. The D-Day invasion of France on

by Allied troops marked the beginning of the liberation of Europe and the end of the Second World War. Photo above left, Legion Zone D-3 representatives salute during the service in the Veteran’s Section of St. John’s Norway Cemetery. Photo above right, Cadet Corps members march out of the cemetery after the service.

photos from Sunday’s parade on Kingston Road and the service at the cemetery, please see Pages 14 and 15.

Familiar Faces

Lynda Grimard-Watt’s

Children’s French Book Corner

By Erin Horrocks-Pope

Familiar Faces is a column inspired by our beloved local pizza maker, Siya Elahy of Pizzaville. Walking past his shop earlier this year, I was reminded of the many local figures who make our neighbourhood exceptional.

Having lived in East Toronto for three decades (my whole life), I recognize many faces, but certainly not all. So, I was thrilled when someone reached out to me to nominate Lynda GrimardWatt, a local business owner and a familiar face to many, as a feature in this column.

Although I don’t know Lynda personally, I wanted to understand her impact on the community through the unique bookstore she runs – the only one of its kind in Toronto.

I spoke with Andrea Kwok, a local parent and educator who has been a regular customer at the Children’s French Book Corner for several years. Her children are enrolled in French immersion programs, and she finds significant support from Grimard-Watt in selecting appropriate books for their French literacy development. Kwok also purchases books for the school where she works.

“She really knows her stuff,” Kwok told me during our chat. Grimard-Watt’s expertise extends to knowing the specific literacy expectations for French in Ontario and helping parents choose the right books for their children’s needs.

Kwok highlighted Grimard-Watt’s ability to match books to a child’s level, even offering discounts for schools, which is particularly appreciated given the cost of French books.

ERIN HORROCKS-POPE

Lynda Grimard-Watt, owner of Children’s French Book Corner in East Toronto, is celebrated for her unique and supportive approach to enhancing French literacy among children, drawing families from across the Greater Toronto Area to her store.

During my conversation with Kwok, one of her children also expressed his sincere gratitude for GrimardWatt’s support in developing their French literacy skills. He loudly told me over the phone from somewhere in his mom’s office that Children’s French Book Corner “is so so so awesome.”

I recently met with Grimard-Watt at the Children’s French Book Corner on Danforth Avenue, just a few blocks east of Woodbine Avenue. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she moved the store from its original location on Main Street south of Gerrard Street East.

Grimard-Watt, a francophone from Quebec’s SouthEastern Township, moved to Toronto after high school as part of a nanny exchange program aimed at supporting bilingual development in children.

She fell in love with the city and eventually married an anglophone, raising their children to be fluent in English and French. GrimardWatt’s passion for literacy and child enrichment led her to spend significant time on parent committees to enhance school French language development.

“When my kids were

Fabulous detached bungalow with a warm mix of traditional charm and modern upgrades. Finished basement with separate entrance as well as an additional studio in the back garden, gazebo covered deck. Short walk to subway, acres of greenspace, and fantastic Danforth amenities.

young, I realized the need for better ways to connect learning French at school to home,” said Grimard-Watt.

She has become a familiar and essential figure for many families, drawing people from across the Greater Toronto Area to benefit from her consultations and services. GrimardWatt helps assess children’s French reading levels and recommends books that resonate with their interests.

Her services were particularly popular during the pandemic when children struggled with online learning.

“Kids are still recovering the literacy skills that they couldn’t learn properly from computer classes,” she said. That was a sentiment I understand well as a former educator and stepmother to a child who started kindergarten during lockdowns.

Grimard-Watt believes in a gentle approach to literacy development. “Every child has their own level, and if you put too much pressure, it will just lead them to feel stressed and discouraged,” she said, noting that children often fall further behind when pressured to “catch up.”

Speaking with GrimardWatt made it clear why customers like Kwok continue to support her store. Beyond offering a remarkable selection of French books and resources, Grimard-Watt is an absolute joy to chat with. She left the corporate world to follow her passion for supporting children.

“It’s what guides me,” she said, smiling. “It’s our job as humans to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and that’s my mission here: to help kids learn French, which is a lifelong tool, in a fun and encouraging way.”

I’m glad to have added Lynda Grimard-Watt to my collection of Familiar Faces and look forward to returning with my children to diversify our bookshelves at home.

You can visit Children’s French Book Corner in person at 2205 Danforth Ave. or online at https://www. childrensfrenchbookcorner. com/

— Familiar Faces is an occasional column written by Erin Horrocks-Pope, a lifelong east ender and frequent Beach Metro Community News contributor. If you know a Familiar Face you’d like to see featured in this column, you can reach Erin at erin@beachmetro.com

Bluesfest slated for East York Civic Centre

By Sean Sandieson

THE TORONTO BluesFest is set for Saturday, June 22, in East York.

Presented by the Toronto East Rotary Club, BluesFest is a free event running from noon to 9 p.m. at the East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Ave.

The day starts with five leading Canadian blues artists alongside a youth talent session. There will also be food available, a beverage terrace, a community marketplace, and a kid’s fun zone.

Performers will include the Daniel-Raum Trio, University of Toronto Schools Big Band, Gene Hardy and Sparkjiver, the Swingin’ Blackjacks, the Blues Miners, the Root Down Trio featuring Kelly Kavanagh, and Left Turn.

For more information on the Toronto Bluesfest, please visit https://torontobluesfest.com

PHOTO:

Need for food banks increasing

‘Support’ from Page 1

serving about 130 individuals a week,” said Kwamena. “We’re only open for two and half hours. In mid-April we served 450 individuals.”

Kwamena, who’s also a board member at Daily Bread Food Bank, said that just two weeks after this record turnout, Grace Pascoe served 496 people in one day, breaking their record once more and marking an almost 400 per cent increase in demand from the same period two years prior.

Grace Pascoe’s experiences coincide with other food banks across the City of Toronto.

According to Daily Bread’s Who’s Hungry Report, food bank visits in Toronto increased by 51 per cent between 2022 and 2023, “the highest year-over-year increase on record.”

The report revealed that during this same period, one out of 10 Torontonians relied on food banks – Scarborough having the highest demand. This was an increase from the one out of 20 in 2022.

Prior to reopening, Grace Pascoe mostly served “neighbours” who reside in close proximity to the food bank. However, being one of the few food banks that serves at night, the food bank has since been attracting people who work during the day and can only seek food assistance in the evenings.

“People are unable to feed themselves,” said Kwamena. “A lot of them are working and, in their own words, doing the right things but are still unable to make ends meet.”

The increase in food costs and salaries

that have failed to keep up with inflation has forced many employed Torontonians to rush to food banks after shifts in hopes of alleviating some of their financial pressures.

“We had people coming to us from Eglinton and Etobicoke because they work and this is the only food bank that they could attend because we’re open till 8:30 p.m,” said Kwamena.

This “unsustainable levels” of service demand has forced Grace Pascoe to set boundaries on food bank eligibility. Since May 16, Grace Pascoe has only been serving people who live between Coxwell Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue, and south of Danforth Avenue to Lake Ontario.

Kwamena said that although a difficult decision, applying this address requirement helps ensure that “we can continue to serve our neighbours.”

“We open at 6 p.m. and people start waiting in line from 2 p.m.,” said Kwamena. “We were worried that people were going to wait and by the time they got to our doors there wouldn’t be enough food.”

Although the lines outside Grace Pascoe are getting longer by the season, Kwamena said she finds hope and optimism in community initiatives such as that of Cox, Dawe, and their Malvern students. “What has allowed us to continue to serve our neighbours is the community support,” said Kwamena.

Donations of food or money can be dropped off at Calvary Baptist Church (72 Main St.) on Wednesdays between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Nicole

MiMi LiLiefeLdt mimi@missfit.ca

“I am enough” is a statement, tagline, warrior cry that can be seen and heard all over social media. It is often used as a counteractive against the sentiment that has been impressed upon and proliferated by society since the beginning of time that we as women are not in fact “enough”.

For a Black woman this message is amplified even more so.

This month I met with the bright, beautiful, and brilliant Nicole Johnson. Nicole is an educator, entrepreneur, and single mother who despite her multitude of talents and experiences has known the feeling of not being enough.

The daughter of a Black man with Indigenous ancestry from Nova Scotia and a white woman from Toronto,

Nicole was born and raised in the Upper Beach. She attended the local elementary and high schools, watched her brothers play hockey at Ted Reeve Arena, and had many friends in the neighborhood.

When Nicole and I met, I was struck by how friendly and confident she was but as we talked about life and growing up in a very white community I could hear and relate to what it was like for her as a young biracial person.

“I didn’t really know where I fit in. With some friends I never felt cool enough, skinny enough, or that my hair was straight enough. Boys thought I was intimidating, they were always after all of my friends who were mostly shorter, thinner, or whiter. I had to go to Scarborough to find other Black teenagers. It definitely played with my self worth but thank God my parents were always so loving and supportive. They made me feel smart and beautiful and cared for,” she said.

What and who we see most in our environments impacts what we believe about the world and ourselves.

Nicole shared, “I only had two Black teachers growing up in the Beaches. They inspired me and saw me for who I was, it was absolutely incredible. They encouraged me and truly believed in me. They are the reason I became an educator and wanted to make the same difference in Black students’ lives.”

“When I look back (at her first Black teacher) almost 30 years ago, she made me feel safe that I could express myself. If I was upset about something I could confide in her, it wasn’t about the academics all the time, it was about building that relationship with her students.”

As a young person it is so important to be able to see yourself in your mentors, this is why representation is so crucial for self esteem and development.

Nicole also said, “Out of all the teachers I had in all my schooling, the ones I connected with the most were Black. That’s not by coincidence. . . Knowing that it’s possible, literally lived experience. It’s not just saying, ‘You can be anything’, you’re actually seeing it face to face and experiencing it. And now it’s, ‘Oh I can go to university’. . . And seeing a Black person in a leadership

role.”

After university Nicole went to Australia to do her Master’s in Education where she lived on two Indigenous reserves as part of her learning experience. When she returned, she couldn’t get a teaching job in Toronto and subsequently applied in British Columbia.

“I taught in Bella Bella (on the east coast of Campbell Island, B.C.) for four years and that’s where I met my ex-husband. I was adopted into two different Indigenous families. They have traditional (custom) adoptions at Potlatches, which is a celebration similar to a Pow Wow. The only reason I came back was because I missed my family and my friends here, but it was amazing, and I just immersed myself in the culture.”

Though Nicole’s family lost ties with their Indigenous heritage, it was important to her to find a way to reconnect and especially after she had her daughter, who’s father is Heiltsuk (First Nations).

The domino effect of Nicole having had two Black teachers as a young child went on to increase her chances as a Black person to attend post secondary education. Beyond her undergrad degree she went on to do a master’s and ultimately found a way to connect with her Indigenous heritage. That kind of encouraging representation cannot be under valued.

According to a study done by Cassandra Hart, an associate professor of education policy at the University of California, “Black students who were exposed to Black

teachers by third grade were 13 per cent more likely to enroll in college. If kids had two Black teachers by third grade, Hart said, the likelihood of college enrollment jumped to 32 per cent. Hart and her colleagues call this the role-model effect.”

There are some who oppose the mechanisms that are employed to increase representation such as affirmative action, but what they fail or refuse to recognize is that many racialized groups have been systematically repressed from being in many positions of power or leadership. It requires intentionality and action to right that imbalance.

This idea of hierarchy brings about another muchlauded term, ‘Black excellence’. The term emerged out of the civil rights movement and has gained popularity over the last few years.

Before our conversation, I wasn’t sure how the phrase sat with me, but Nicole was able to give her perspective. “I struggle with the whole idea of Black excellence. There’s too much pressure put on us, especially as Black women to overachieve.”

The idea of ‘excellence’ is not sustainable. We might all have moments of excellence but it’s not realistic or fair to expect a whole race of people to maintain a certain level of being at all times. This pressure to show people we are worthy of fair treatment by going above and beyond what the average white person has to do to be respected is a gross injustice.

Which lead me to con-

PHOTO: MIMI LILIEFELDT

Educator, entrepreneur and single mother Nicole Johnson has a multitude of talents and experiences.

Representation and role models are of critical importance

sider, ‘What is my interpretation of Black people claiming their excellence?’

‘Nicole’ from Page 4 and things like a tuck shop,” she said. “I take the kids to the market, and we get vegetables, and they learn how to clean them and peel them, and we package them up for healthy snack packs. They learn how to run the cash register, it’s really fun to run.”

I believe we are saying, “Just by existing, we are excellent enough. Our beauty and self worth are every bit as valid as anyone else’s. When you allow us to live and thrive, we will delight, inspire, and change the world in ways you can’t even imagine. Because we have something that you (white folks) do not. We have the grit, education, and determination that was thrust upon us from generations of systematic oppression. We have and will continue to overcome. This is our excellence.”

When I think of this meaning it fills me with hope.

Nicole is an exceptional full-time special education teacher at an all-special education school.

“I started a new program called Experiential Learning, it’s life skills. I started a student run store where the kids work at the store, and we have a consignment section, and we also sell snacks

Running a business isn’t new to Nicole. In 2021 she launched her own small company making skin care products. She had been creating all natural balms for her daughter’s diaper rash since 2016 and spent four years gifting them to her friends and family.

The products (body butters, lip balms, soaps etc.) are all carefully made and packaged by Nicole. She named the company Sweet P, after her daughter Patience whom she makes part of the business. The result being her daughter will grow up watching her mother be an educator, entrepreneur, and an incredible role model.

Role models and representation are such basic ideas but ones that have too often in our history not

been widely accessible to young Black and Indigenous people.

When I think of my younger self not feeling white enough or Black enough or even Asian enough to fit in, never seeing teachers or people in positions of authority who looked like me, I am comforted by the idea that Nicole and people like her are raising their children with awareness and intentionality.

Nicole shared with me a book (Black Berry, Sweet Juice: On Being Black and White in Canada by Lawrence Hill) that she felt really helped change how she felt about herself. After reading it she finally understood, “I never really knew where I fit in, and then I realized, I don’t need to fit in. I can just be me.”

She now knows, she is enough.

Nicole and her business can be found on Instagram @sweetp.ca

— Mimi Liliefeldt is a Beach resident and business owner. She can be reached at mimi@missfit.ca

Residents concerned about future plans for beach area east of Boardwalk’s end

By Alan Shackleton

SOME RESIDENTS in the southeast corner of the Beach are concerned about the impact Bluffs Revitalization plans and the possible extension eastwards of the Martin Goodman Trail could have on their neighbourhood.

They are very concerned that the extension of the trail could forever change the beach area between Silver Birch Avenue and Nursewood Road.

Both the paved Martin Goodman Trail, used by cyclists and walkers; and the Boardwalk have their easternmost end at the foot of Silver Birch Avenue.

The beach in the area east of the end of the Boardwalk has a more natural feel than some other parts and is also a permitted off-leash dog area.

Speaking on behalf of a number of others, a local resident who uses the off-leash dog area on the beach east of Silver Birch said a Martin Goodman Trail extension along the beach would completely change the natural form of the area and limit direct access to the lake for people and pets.

188 SILVER BIRCH

at https://cotsurvey.chkmkt. com/?e=393131&d=e&h=9F C68D1A7C73B5E&l=en

“The fenced-in dog park at Kew Beach has ruined that stretch of beach, sand has gone to pot with weeds. Now when you stroll through Kew Gardens you can’t even see the water anymore.”

Beach ‘too narrow’

The resident said the beach east of Silver Birch is “too narrow” for a paved trail extension.

“With rising water levels it gets smaller every year,” said the resident about that stretch of beach.

“We also have concerns with potential misuse or such a trail. We now see ebikes and e-scooters speeding along the path with no or minimal bylaw enforcement,” said the resident.

The Scarborough Bluffs West Revitalization Study is being undertaken by the City of Toronto and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

Residents who want to comment on the study are invited to take part in a survey that is available online until the end of day on Tuesday, June 11.

The survey can be found

“The path would go through our off-leash dog park. We are worried this would necessitate fencing off the dog park. The fences and gates would limit access to the water, be an eyesore and possibly lead to the loss of our sandy beach,” said the resident in a letter sent late last week to Beach Metro Community News

The Scarborough Bluffs West Revitalization Study aims to “explore improvements and enhancements to the Scarborough Bluffs West shoreline, from the Eastern Beaches (Silver Birch Ave.) to Bluffers Park.”

More information on the Bluffs revitalization study can be found at www.toronto.ca/community-people/ get-involved/public-consultations/infrastructureprojects/scarborough-bluffswest-revitalization/

A number of public consultations on the Scarborough Bluffs West Revitalization Study have already taken place in East Toronto, including one late last month, and others are scheduled throughout 2025.

The resident who is concerned about what might happen to the beach east of Silver Birch Avenue said they and others “all want to save the Bluffs”, but wondered how a “multi-use trail” on the far east end of the beach would do that.

“Perhaps the project should only involve east of the filtration plant (the R.C. Harris Water Treatment on the shores of Lake Ontario at the foot of Victoria Park Avenue) to the Bluffs and leave the east end of the beach out of it,” said the resident.

Date: July 7 th , 2024 Time:

Historic walk along Main Street set for June 29

Gene doMaGaLa Beach Memories

On Saturday, June 29, at 1

p.m. I will be leading an historic walk on Main Street.

We will meet at the northwest corner of Main Street and Danforth Avenue to start the walk.

Main Street was literally the main street of a large town known named East Toronto that existed because of what was once one of the largest railroad yards in the Province of Ontario. The railroad had its headquarters in the area of

Main Street and Danforth Avenue.

The Town of East Toronto had a population of approximately 5,000 people and was in existence from 1888 to 1908. It was taken over and made part of the City of Toronto in 1908.

Main Street was originally a part of Dawes Road and was started around 1885.

The Main Street area is one of the most historic sites in the City of Toronto and deserves street signs indicating its exact location in what was the former Town of East Toronto.

The town had many interesting features including buildings, people, and events which we will learn more about on the walk. Some of

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Letters to the Editor

that history has been demolished, but some is still in existence.

Did you know the Main Street area had its own race track and was the site of the Queen’s Plate horse race in 1868?

On the walk we will also see the site of the first library prior to the Main Street Library.

How many people know that one of the first hospitals was located in East Toronto on Main Street? We will see the site and hear the story on the walk.

We will also see the historic buildings written about so informatively in the April 30 edition of Beach Metro Community News by reporter Amarachi Amadike. The story included quotes from

Barbara Myrvold of The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society (celebrating 50 years this year).

The story gives a good account of and insight into some of the buildings and people of Main Street in the early years.

We will also visit a park on Main Street to honour the memory of a Black Canadian activist named Stanley Grizzle.

Also on the walk will be a stop at the first post office in East Toronto, just off Main Street.

Did you know there was a theatre on Main Street and the building is still there?

There will also be a couple of Masonic temples on our walking tour and you can learn more about

them.

We will note some of the religious structures on our East Toronto tour.

Also, we will meander down one of the oldest and most historic streets known as Lyall Avenue.

There will be many places featured on our walk of this historic Main Street area.

Here’s a question for you: Where was the original Malvern Collegiate located? Find out the answer on the walk.

Of course, we’ll also stop at Community Centre 55 on Main Street which used to be a police station. I look forward to seeing you on the walk on June 29. Historically yours!

Closing highways for charity ride caused mess on Toronto roads

An Open Letter to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow: Sunday, June 2, saw another added mess on city roads with two major arteries closed for cyclists.

This and the marathons are nothing but an inconvenience to the majority of citizens and businesses.

Oh yes, Toronto Council will say it brings in business but I’m not sure about that. Try asking the businesses if business was up on that Sunday and I’ll bet it wasn’t or it was the same.

At this point I want to say that I’m all for raising funds for charities but let’s be reasonable in the way we hold these events.

Firstly move the cyclist events to the waterfront trail -one end to the other -- or cycle around the Indy track, or 20 times around High Park or north of the city somewhere but please not the very important highways. This was especially true for June 2 when the Toronto Blue Jays were

playing at home.

Your roads department is in a real mess and they don’t seem to know how to re-route traffic especially with the construction that goes on.

My last point is if you insist on allowing the major highways to be closed, please organize all cycling fund raising events to take place on the same weekend. The donors can still donate to their preferred charity but it all takes place in one ride. Or you make it a night event that starts after 8 p.m.

But please just sit down with these organizers and organize these closures properly.

On June 2, it took me two hours to get from the Beach to Mississauga to see my family and about the same to return.

A frustrated motorist!

An Open Letter to Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford: I am writing to express outrage at the obvious political motivation of Toronto Council and Mayor Olivia Chow agreeing to name a park/stadium after Rob Ford.

He was a total embarrassment as a mayor, descending into drug addiction and he made our city a laughing stock internationally. Whatever the political motivation behind appeasing his brother as leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative party, it is an insult to the people of Toronto.

What kind of example did Rob Ford set for the highest office in our city? What kind of aspirational leader is he for future generations that will use this park?

Councillor Bradford, I am generally a supporter of your work, and particularly support your efforts to fix the horrendous lack of planning that went into creating the morass of construction that has virtually rendered our city traffic impassable. I do feel your heart is in the right place on many issues, but this Rob Ford memorialization is ridiculous and an affront.

Keep fighting the good fight.

Ian Kelso

In My Opinion

Busting the stigma over breastfeeding in public

Last summer brought a precious addition to my life, my beautiful daughter, Aedyn. She’s been such an incredible joy in my life, but I’m not writing this article to discuss my journey into parenthood. Instead, I want to shine a light on a societal issue close to my heart as a mom and friend of other moms: the challenges mothers face while simply nourishing their children.

Opting out of breastfeeding myself, I’ve not experienced discrimination or judgement firsthand, but I’ve indeed observed the stigma surrounding it, and it’s time we address this matter head-on.

As mentioned, for reasons of my own, I chose not to breastfeed my daughter. But, I know if I had decided to, I likely would have found myself in situations of public breastfeeding, feeling nervous at times due to cold stares or unkind remarks from others.

And that really bothers me - especially because no one’s judging anyone for eating an apple on the bus or giving their kid a granola bar at the playground.

Moms face so much unnecessary judgment, especially regarding public nursing, and it’s time we talk about it. Earlier this spring, I was made aware of a campaign that took place at a Toronto Blue Jays game.

Moms from across Toronto brought their littles out for a ball game, where they would openly breastfeed their children in a setting of tens of thousands of people.

The campaign, Bust the Stigma, organized by Mayana Geneviere, founder of motherhood clothing brand Mayana, was arranged to highlight a statistic from the 2015 Lansinoh global breastfeeding study showcasing that 42 per cent of Canadian moms have experienced criticism, shaming, or prejudice for nursing in public.

While I may never have been in a situation such as this due to my choice not to nurse my daughter - I’ve seen instances of it firsthand and heard countless accounts of mothers feeling unwelcome or unsafe either by passiveaggressive remarks or body language or being flat-out targeted.

I recently caught up with two East Toronto moms, Caitlin and Tanya, who participated in the Bust the Stigma ‘flash mob’ at the Blue Jays game with their babies.

Both recounted attending the event as a mixture of “empowering” and “awkward” - Caitlin highlighted that the experience was “empowering, but it definitely highlighted that there is a lot of social stigmas.”

Caitlin is a mother of three, and Tanya is a mother of two. So, both have gone through the first-time motherhood experiences of figuring out public breastfeeding.

At this stage, they’re “over the feelings of awkward shame” in public breastfeeding that is forced upon parents, particularly mothers, in our society - something I really want to stress here that should have zero shame attached.

They shared that, for the most part, the Blue Jays day went pretty well for moms and their kids. However, there was lots of unnecessary and uncomfortable staring, and unfortunately at least one mother was blatantly yelled at while feeding her child. But the moms took whatever came at them in stride - because ultimately, they were there to de-stigmatize public nursing by taking “a bold step against the unfair judgement mothers face for their choice to breastfeed in public.”

The campaign also received some great media attention and was covered by CBC, Breakfast Television, and Toronto Culture.

While the Bust the Stigma campaign happened on a much larger scaleliterally a Major League Baseball game - I wanted to hear the experiences of these two moms breastfeeding their babies in our communities.

While both acknowledged that overall our neighbourhood is a wonderfully supportive and inclusive place, they weren’t shy to share that they do unfortunately experience some uncomfortable situations, from strangers rolling their eyes or moving away from them, to one recent experience both Caitlin and Tanya shared while dining at a local establishment where some “women of an older generation” made their disapproval very clear through passive aggressive and demeaning comments targeted towards the two friends feeding their children.

“It’s sad that breasts are so oversexualized to the point that feeding

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our kids is now something moms are expected to hide,” Tanya said, emphasizing that breastfeeding is one of the most natural things that women’s bodies do and it is something that should be celebrated not punished.

Like many moms, Caitlin and Tanya both went through the awkward stage of hiding their breastfeeding with their first children, from hiding in bathrooms at events to going to the car to breastfeed; they hid this natural act - and postponed feeding their children because it “what’s expected of us.” When they had children again, they quickly forewent the “common courtesy,” putting their families’ needs above others’ judgement.

“As a first-time mom, I was definitely timid to breastfeed,” Caitlin told me at a local cafe while nursing her daughter.

“When I had my second one, and now my third - I realized I have no choice and meeting their needs is my priority, so (screw) it.”

This is a sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with and support.

Both Caitlin and Tanya hope that through educational campaigns like Bust the Stigma, ongoing conversations within communities, and empowering other moms to not shy away from feeding their children - our communities can continue to grow in how they support moms and break this boring, outdated, and harmful stigma.

Toward the end of our chat, I asked Caitlin and Tanya if they could share a message with other moms who might be experiencing struggles within this realm.

“You do you! Parents should never be prevented from doing what they need to for the children,” Tanya said while Caitlin nodded in agreement with this message, which I think is the overarching theme of this article.

“You do you.”

However, even though moms may be superheroes, we’re ultimately just people, so if you find yourself struggling with mom-hood in this way or any of the other million-and-a-half crazy brutal ways that we experience motherhood, know that there are tons of supports out there for you, such as East End Mom Friends, a mom and baby group for local moms which Caitlin and Tanya are both members of.

You can check out East End Mom Friends on Instagram if you want to find your village - because all of us moms definitely need one.

Community Calendar

JUNE 12: Annual General Meeting of the members of Community Centre 55 at 97 Main St., 7 p.m. for the purpose of considering and taking action with respect to the following: to approve the financial statements of Community Centre 55 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023; to receive our Program report; and to fill 1 vacancy on the Board of Management. Info: Reza Khoshdel, Executive Director, Community Centre 55: 416-691-1113 ext. 225

JUNE 12: Scarborough Garden & Horticultural Society at Scarborough Village Recreation Centre, Kingston/Markham Rds., 7:30 p.m. “More Scams and Frauds” by Pat Foran, award-winning journalist with CTV News Toronto “Consumer Alert”. Free. Refreshments included. Guests welcome.

JUNE 12: The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society presents author Richard White discussing his new book: The Beaches, Creation of a Toronto Neighbourhood at The Beaches Sandbox, 2181 Queen St. E., 7:30-9 p.m.

JUNE 15: SlobberFest at the Leuty Pavilion on the boardwalk (foot of Lee Ave.), 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Presented by Community Centre 55. Events include Best Costume, Fashion Show, Longest and Shortest Tail, Best Canine Trick, Dog/Owner Look-a-Like, and more. Pet product vendors and services, too. Free admission. Vendor info: jennifer@centre55.com. Info: www.centre55.com

JUNE 15: Grant AME Church Plant Sale at 2029

Gerrard St. E., side yard, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. There’ll be a variety of perennials like hostas, bleeding hearts, coral bells, tomatoes and herbs.

JUNE 15: Council of All Beings workshop. Community ritual developed by Joanna Macy and John Seed. The day will also include live music and singing, simple mask making, time in Withrow Park, and “brainfood” on defending the rights of Mother Earth. Begins at Bain Coop Community Centre. Hosted by Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Info and registration: www.tinyurl.com/councilofallbeings

JUNE 20: East End CHC 2024 AGM at 1619 Queen St. E., 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:10 p.m.). Come out to learn more about our programs and services. Become a member or renew your membership. Hear guest speakers Yulia and Justin talk about Nutrition for Brain Health. Enjoy refreshments with Centre staff & volunteers.

JUNE 21: ‘A Whisper in the Willows’ by guitarist Mark Battenberg at St. Saviours Anglican Church, 43 Kimberley Ave., 7:30 p.m. A musical meditation for the Summer Solstice. Please bring non-perishable food items for the food bank. Admission free. Donations welcome.

JUNE 21: Scarborough Harmony Chorus presents ‘Strawberry Moon’ at Jubilee United Church, 40 Underhill Dr., 7:30-9 p.m. Special guest quartet: Constructive Criticism. Bake sale, coffee and tea. Entry by donation. Info: www.scarboroughharmonychorus.com

JUNE 22: Least of the Apostles: A modern retelling of the life of Paul of Tarsus at St. John The Compassionate Mission, 155 Broadview Ave., 11-11:30 a.m. Join us for this unique community-based theater experience, followed by a free community BBQ. Free admission. Donation of food towards our food bank is welcome. Info: 416-466-1357

JUNE 22: A Senior Moment luncheon at the Stone Lion, 1958 Queen St E, 1:30 pm. To R.S.V.P., please text Colleen 647-829-8042. Visit us on Facebook.

an outdoor event. Please bring your own outdoor seating/blankets! Info: https://panoplycollective.com/ CIVIC LIGHT OPERA CO. presents Broadway’s hit comedy thriller ‘Deathtrap’ by Ira Levin at Red Sandcastle Theatre, 922 Queen St. E., July 3-28, Wednesdays 7 p.m., Thursday to Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. Tickets $20. Tickets and info: 416-755-1717, www.clotoronto.com

SCARBOROUGH PLAYERS present ‘Shakespeare in Love’ at Scarborough Village Theatre, 3600 Kingston Rd., June 13-15, 20, 21 at 8 p.m., June 16, 22 at 2 p.m. Tickets $24. Box office and info: 416-267-9292, www.theatrescarborough.com

COMMUNITY HEALTH EXPO on Saturdays – June 15, June 29 and July 20 – from 1-4 p.m. at Grace Church, 700 Kennedy Rd., Scarborough. Learn about health age, anti-stress massages, hydrotherapy, nutrition, how to measure body fat, how to lighten blood cholesterol, learn about blood pressure and more.

OCCULIS PORTRAITS OF CONSEQUENCE at Foy House, 92 Isabella St., June 14-TBA. Opening with poetry reading and open mic featuring the artist and David Bateman, 8 p.m. Refreshments. Info: www.occulis.net

KEW BEACH LAWN BOWLING CLUB & Croquet is ready to welcome new players! Located by the boardwalk at Lee Ave. For more info and to give it a try: kewbeachlbcinfo@gmail.com, www.kewbeachlbc.ca, 416-694-4371

GERRARD ASHDALE LIBRARY, 1432 Gerrard St. E. •June 15 & June 22: Chess Club, 1-4 p.m. For all ages. Enjoy a few games of chess. Drop-in. •June 22: Rainbow Bead Bracelets, 2-3 p.m. This program is aimed at children ages 4-12 but all ages are welcome to craft with us. Register: 416-393-7717 •June 24: Adult Crafternoon, 2-3 p.m. Paint a flower pot! Register: 416-393-7717

THE MEETING HOUSE EAST TORONTO: we are a Christian Church in the Anabaptist tradition, part of the Be In Christ family of churches. We meet Sundays 10-11 a.m. inside The Beach Cineplex, 1651 Queen St. E. Join us for contemporary music, Jesus-centred teaching, and great discipleship programs for children and youth. We hope to see you soon! Info: bit.ly/tmheasttoronto NEIGHBOURHOOD UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION, 310 Danforth Ave. Sunday services 10:30 a.m. We are a vibrant, family-friendly, and welcoming community of individuals all on the same path. Unitarian Universalism (UU) is a liberal and inclusive religious movement that emphasizes individual spiritual exploration, social justice, and the inherent worth and dignity of every person. With no creed or dogma, it brings people with diverse beliefs together, through shared values. Info: www.nuuc.ca

ST. JOHN’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, 794 Kingston Rd., 2 blks. east of Main St. Weekend Masses: Sat. Vigil at 4:30 pm, Sun. 9 & 11 am. Weekday Masses with Rosary: Tue. - Fri. Doors open and Rosary begins at 7:45 am followed by Mass at 8:15 am. Confessions every Sat. 3:45 to 4:15 pm or by appt. Church website and phone: https://stjohnsto.archtoronto.org/ 416-698-1105.

JUNE 22: Milverton Art Walk. Two blocks of Milverton Blvd - between Woodington and Glebemount & Monarch Park and Coxwell. 11am-4pm. An outdoor art and craft show featuring east end artists. Follow @eastorontohandmade on Instagram or Facebook to see more about our vendors.

JUNE 22: Toronto BluesFest at East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Ave., 12 noon-9 p.m., rain or shine. Featuring Gene Hardy & Sparkjiver and six other bands. Food, beverage terrace, marketplace, and kids fun zone. Presented by Toronto East Rotary Club. All proceeds support local community projects. Free admission. Info: www.torontobluesfest.com

JUNE 22: Free Community BBQ at Danforth Gospel Hall, 2237 Danforth Ave., 12 noon-4 p.m. Food and refreshments for all. Come by we’d love to see you!

JUNE 27: Under the Italian Sun - Cooking Workshop at Beaches Sandbox, 2181 Queen St. E., 6:30-8:30 p.m. Guided by culinary expert Ava Chilelli, learn to make crostini, handmade pasta and tiramisu during this handson culinary workshop. Suitable for all skills-levels. 19+. Register at beachessandbox.com or call 416-928-0755.

JUNE 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. Saturday before and after the 5 p.m. Mass, and Sunday, before and after the 10 a.m. and 12 noon Masses. Info: ssvpdunstans@hotmail.com

JUNE 29: Historical Walking Tour along Main Street with Gene Domagala, 1 p.m. Meet at the NW corner of Main St. and Danforth Ave. See Gene’s column on page 6. JULY 7: Scarborough Garden & Horticultural Society Garden Tour. Visit eight gardens, chat with the gardeners and enjoy a tea or lemonade. Passport is $10. Hours: Tickets 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Tour 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Tea 3:30-5 p.m. Tickets are available at St. Boniface Parish Church parking lot (Kingston & Markham Rds.).

BEACH CITIZEN OF THE YEAR nominations are now open. Do you know someone who has worked hard, over a period of time, to improve life in the Beach community? Nomination forms and info are available at www.centre55.com. Deadline for submissions is Friday, August 23, 2024 by 5 p.m.

BARD IN THE PARK presents Prove A Villain: A Radical Reimagining of Shakespeare’s Richard III by Panoply Theatre Collective at Kew Gardens, June 11-14 at 7 p.m., June 15, 16 at 2 p.m. Admission is free. This is

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST NORWAY Anglican Church, 470 Woodbine Ave. Welcome to St. John the Baptist Norway! We are a growing community which enjoys the Anglican expression of the Christian faith. We gather to connect with one another and worship God on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. In-Person/Livestream and at 5 p.m. In-Person for The Table, a contemporary service followed by a simple community supper. •June 23: St. John’s Fest, a fun, free, family-friendly event following our 10:30 a.m. service, with a BBQ, face painting, a bouncy castle, and more! Info: stjohnsnorway.com, 416-691-4560

THE CHURCH OF ST. AIDAN (Anglican), 2423 Queen St. E., welcomes you to join us for Sunday worship at 9:30 a.m. (with music and children’s programs). Nursery care for infants and toddlers is available during the service. Our energetic, active faith community is 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. Info: www.staidansinthebeach.com, 416-691-2222

BEACHES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 65 Glen Manor

Dr. 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. Info: www.beacheschurch.org, 416699-5871. Minister: The Reverend Katherine McCloskey

FALLINGBROOK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 35 Wood Glen Rd. Worship Sundays 10:30 a.m. with the Rev. Angela J. Cluney. All are welcome! Fallingbrook is an affirming congregation and is accessible. Please join us on Live Stream via Facebook or through our church website at 10:20 a.m. for our Prelude with our Music Director Nick Jessome. We are thankful to have our Church Choir lead the music in our worship services. Info: 416-699-3084, www.fallingbrookpresbyterianchurch.com

BEACH UNITED CHURCH, 140 Wineva Ave., invites you to share in worship with us each week. We offer a combination of in person and YouTube livestream opportunities on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Services are led by our creative and passionate music director Steven Webb and our minister Rev. Greg Daly. Special outdoor service June 17 for the Blessing of the Pet - all pets are welcome. Links and info: beachunitedchurch.com KINGSTON ROAD UNITED CHURCH, 975 Kingston Rd., welcomes you to their weekly 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. We are a welcoming, inclusive community and have various programmes which include weekly Sunday children’s programming, an adult choir, a junior choir, and a Youth Group. Our minister, Rev. Debra Schneider, and all of us would be delighted to meet you!

Local artist Anne-Marie Olczak’s Kodachrome exhibit now on display

By Erin Horrocks-Pope

ANNE-MARIE OLCZAK, a self-described abstract painter, has been a vibrant East Toronto arts community member for decades. Based in the Beach, her current project and exhibit uses colourful grids as a framework to explore colour and the application of paint, drawing inspiration from her family’s old Kodachrome slides.

Olczak’s current exhibit, Kodachrome, at the Elora Centre for the Arts, encapsulates her journey through her memories with colour representation, blending traditional and modern artistic techniques.

The work is deeply personal, rooted in the saturated hues captured in her father’s amateur photography from her youth. “It started with a tube of cabin red paint I was given as a sampler, which reminded me of a corner of a hat I had when I was about seven or eight years old that I got at Ontario Place and instead just triggered this idea about colours from my childhood,” she said.

This journey through her family’s photographed memories took her back to her childhood in the 1970s in Scarborough, with vibrant reds, playground oranges, and brilliant blues reminiscent of the era.

In her exhibit, Olczak uses old family slides to challenge her usual palette, matching these super-saturated colours with her paints and pigments.

“What started as an exercise in exploring colour became more about memory and nostalgia,” she said.

The grid provides a structured canvas for this exploration, said Olczak, containing the emotions tied to the colours and memories from the slides.

PHOTO: MICHELLE QUANCE

Anne-Marie Olczak, local artist behind the Kodachrome exhibit currently on display at the Elora Centre for the Arts, with her paintings on the exhibit’s opening day.

By layering colour and working deliberately with grids and lines, she creates a depth in her paintings that prompts emotional responses.

According to Olczak, visitors to her Kodachrome exhibit have noted how the colours she selected resonate with their personal experiences, emphasizing the powerful connection between colour and memory. She said each colour within her paintings is carefully chosen to represent specific experiences and memories from Olczak’s life, yet they manage to evoke a sense of shared nostalgia among viewers.

Olczak has been an active participant in the East Toronto art scene for years, with past showings at local art establishments such as Cobalt Gallery and Blue Crow Gallery.

She has also participated in local events such as the Beaches Art and Craft Fair and the Danforth East Art Fair.

Currently, she serves as the curator for the art on The Gallery Wall at the Might and Main Coffee Shop on Main Street and The Gallery Wall on Location at Mark Richards Real Estate on Queen Street East. She

said her role as a curator allows her to feature local and out-of-town artists, bringing a rotating array of art to the community.

“I like it (being a curator for local spaces) because it can bring in local artists into there specifically, but also people from outside Toronto to just, you know, see something a little different on the wall in there, and we do it on a rotating basis,” she said.

“And, last year was the first year I was completely booked for the year, like at the beginning of the year, which is kind of cool for me.”

Living in the Beach for nearly 30 years and raising her family here, Olczak’s connection to the community is profound. She first moved to the neighbourhood from east Scarborough while attending high school at Notre Dame Catholic High School.

Kodachrome is Olczak’s third solo exhibit. She has also had past solo exhibits at the Cobalt Gallery, formerly in Kingston Road Village, and Michelle Quance’s Studio in the Upper Beach.

The Kodachrome exhibit runs until July 14 at the Elora Centre for the Arts in Elora, Ontario. Admission is free.

Blue Crow gallery to celebrate grand re-opening

THE BLUE Crow Art Gallery is celebrating its grand re-opening on June 21. The celebration takes place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the new location, 1330 Gerrard St E. which is only a few blocks west of the formere location on Gerrard Street East.

art school for kids, summer camps, and art workshops for adults.

First opened in 2016, the Blue Crow Art Gallery exhibits works by local Canadian artists and also offers an

For more information on the Blue Crow Art Gallery, please visit www.bluecrowgallery.com

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

Ask Psychotherapy Hub Individual, Couples & Group Therapy Specializing in ADHD, Anxiety, Eating Disorders 1529 Danforth Ave. (near Coxwell Stn) admin@asktherapyhub.ca 416-465-8482 www.asktherapy.ca Carolyn Dallman Downes Registered Psychotherapist Depression, Anxiety, Grief, Relationships. www.CarolynDallmanDownes.com 416-363-0065

COUNSELLING

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

William F. Deneault

Chartered Accountant

• Corporate & Personal Tax

• Specializing in small to medium business

• Financial advice 21 St. Clair Avenue East, Suite 502 Tel: (416) 962-2186

Kriens LaRose, LLP

Chartered Professional Accountants

• Accounting services for owner-managed businesses.

• Personal and corporation income tax preparation.

• Audit and consulting services for not-for-profit organizations www.krienslarose.com 416-690-6800

Melani Norman CPA, CMA

Catherine Allon, BSc, MEd Caring Counselling for Life & Relationship Issues 416-694-0232 www.energyawakening.com Spiritual Counselling

647-221-5516

/ Residential / Investor Services P: 416-315-0355 955A Kingston Rd, Toronto, M3E 1S8 E: info@guardianmortgages.ca W:www.guardianmortgages.ca Serving the Beaches & GTA Powered by Mortgage Architects License #12728

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

Dashwood & Dashwood

Barristers & Solicitors

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

Snider & DiGregorio

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

O’Reilly, Moll & Mian

Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries Public 300 Main Street 416-690-3324

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

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

KAMRULHAFIZAHMED

REAL ESTATE LAWYER 416 690 1855 [P 416

QUINN Family Law

Shelley C. Quinn, LL.B., LL.M. (Family Law) 662 Broadview Ave. t. (416) 551-1025 www.QuinnFamilyLaw.ca

KATHRYN WRIGHT

Barrister & Solicitor Family Law & Mediation 416-699-8848 2239 Queen Street East www.kathrynwrightlaw.com kathrynwrightlaw@gmail.com

GARRY M. CASS

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

Glover & Associates

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

Enjoy your summer worry free

With summer here we tend to get more active and spend more time outdoors. This can be a challenge if you need to use the bathroom frequently, have overpowering urgency, or struggle with annoying bladder leaks. There’s nothing worse than finding yourself in the middle of a golf course with no bathroom in site, or out in nature and all you can think about is where will I go if I have to pee?

You don’t need to live like this. While these issues are common, they are not normal. They are a sign of possible dysfunction in your pelvic health, and you deserve to have this dysfunction treated.

Five things you likely didn’t know

1) Both women and men can struggle with these challenges.

2) Over time your brain can become poorly “trained” to signal you when your bladder is not actually full. This incorrect signal can result in frequent bathroom trips and strong urgency.

3) Your brain, bladder muscle and pelvic floor muscles should be coordinated and working together like great friends. They can fall out of sync as we age, after we have babies, or even after surgeries. It is possible to “re-educate” these old friends, so they work like a team again.

4) A full bladder should take at least eight seconds to empty. If your stream lasts just a few seconds, you received an incorrect signal.

5) A healthy bladder should empty every 2 to 4 hours depending on how much water you drink. A heavy hydrator would go every 2 hours. If you are more dehydrated; every 4 hours. If you are going to the washroom ev-

ery hour you are getting incorrect signals.

UROSPOT is a private clinic in the Beach that treats common urology and pelvic health issues in a non-invasive and modern way. At UROSPOT you remain fully clothed. No one is touching you and nothing goes inside your body.

UROSPOT has a team of pelvic health experts and world class non-invasive technology that combine to change your life and help you live with freedom from these issues. By sitting fully clothed on a medical chair lovingly called the “Kegel Throne”, your pelvic floor muscles are stimulated using electromagnetic energy. This energy moves through your clothes and contracts your pelvic floor muscles the equivalent of 11,000 kegels in just 28 minutes. This treatment restores and strengthens your pelvic floor but it also reeducates the connection between your brain, bladder and pelvic floor so they signal you correctly and work together again. If you want to get out there this summer without worrying where the nearest bathroom is, if you want to go for long walks without bladder leaks, or if you want to spend a day at the beach without five trips to the public restroom, a complimentary consultation at UROSPOT is what you need. You will leave educated, empowered and excited about the freedom and confidence available to you.

UROSPOT is located in the heart of the Beach at 2128 Queen St E. Call 416-521- 3176 to book your complimentary consultation. Or, visit UROSPOT online at www.urospot. com/thebeach. – BMN Sponsored Content–

PHOTOS: JESSICA SHACKLETON

Photo above, the East End Kids Pride Parade took place in Dentonia Park on Saturday, June 1. Presented by East End Arts, Shadowland Theatre, and Workman Arts, the event celebrated the beginning of Pride Month in June with a fun family celebration. Photo below, Nylah was among the many youngsters posting for a photo by the Dentonia Park baseball diamond and the East End Kids Pride sign.

PHOTO: ALAN SHACKLETON

Photo above, St. Denis Catholic School held a Pride celebration on the afternoon of Friday, May 31, that included the dropping of the Pride flag and a dance party for students, staff and parents.

Photo by Cass Rudolph

Photo above, the Royal Canadian Legion Zone D-3 D-Day Memorial Parade is led along Maehle and Bill Shikitani. The Parade and Memorial Service on Sunday, June 9, was held D-Day. Photo above right, a wreath at the Memorial Service held Sunday afternoon in St. below, the Ulster Accordion Band played the music at the Memorial Service. Photo at right, Memorial Service.

PHOTOS: ALAN SHACKLETON

along Kingston Road by pipers Michael held to mark the 80th anniversary of St. John’s Norway Cemetery. Photo right, Rev. Alex Bisset speaks at the

Beach Metro Community News Annual General Meeting on June 20

THE ANNUAL General Meeting of Ward 9 Community News Inc (publisher of Beach Metro Community News) will take place on Thursday, June 20, at 5 p.m.

The meeting will be held at the newspaper’s office at 2196 Gerrard St. E.. Current members of the newspaper are eligible to attend and vote for officers of the volunteer Board of Directors. Following are the bios for the new candidates running for election on the Beach Metro Community News Board of Directors:

TIM DOYLE is a career journalist and educator who has lived in the Beach for more than 15 years.

He worked as a reporter and editor in print journalism for 20 years before moving into digital media in 1999 as the

THE FOLLOWING is the agenda for the Beach Metro Community News Annual General Meeting:

• Motion to Accept the Minutes of 2023 AGM (June 14, 2023)

• President’s message

• Report from Treasurer / Approval of 2023 Financial Report (Motion).

(South of Queen, West of

• Election of Board members for 2024-2026 (Motion)

• New business

• Motion to adjourn

The meeting is for members of Ward 9 Community The meeting is for members of Ward 9 Community News Inc. For info, see our May 14 and 28 editions or contact alan@beachmetro.com. Deadline for memberships ($5) is 5 p.m. on June 13.

the years ended

founding executive producer of hockey website Faceoff.com. Later, with media companiess Canwest and Postmedia, he held a number of senior roles including editor-in-chief of new media.

Tim joined the faculty at Centennial College in East York in 2014 as a professor and program co-ordinator and teaches in the college’s journalism programs, including the school’s joint program with the University of Toronto Scarborough. He developed the college’s innovative Contemporary Journalism postgraduate curriculum in 2018 and has spearheaded a partnership between Centennial’s journalism programs and Beach Metro Community News to provide students with internships and the news outlet with eager, additional resources.

117,705124,104

545,512521,989

2,0525,646

Receivable 11,83212,604

Expense 2,4002,805

and NET ASSETS

378,358344,642

29,77720,120

Beach Metro Community News Lucky Volunteer for June 11

This edition, Beach Metro Community News honours long-time volunteer Sue Stuart. For over 35 years, Sue has been part of our distribution team as both a carrier (delivering the newspapers door-to-door), and as a captain (the driver who drops off the bundles of papers to the street carriers).

“Delivering the BMN has been a family affair,” said Sue. “Mom well into her eighties in the 1990s, husband Bob now on our street, and our young sons helping with my captain’s route south of Queen and east of Glen Manor over 35 years ago. It has always been a pleasure.”

Our thanks go out to Sue and to the more than 200 volunteers who make up the Beach Metro Community News distribution team. If you’d like to join us, please email Melinda Drake at melinda@beachmetro.com for all the details.

Variety Village’s DanceAble party planned for June 25

By Jack Skinner

VARIETY VILLAGE presents its DanceAble all-inclusive free dance party later this month.

The dance party will take place on Tuesday, June 25, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Cabana Pool Bar on the Toronto waterfront right off Cherry Street.

Admission is free but there will be a $10 parking charge for the evening for those who drive to the event.

There will be an Emcee, DJs, a special guest BAMDance, and free pizza.

“This party is specifically created for those with varying ability levels to be able to let loose and enjoy”, said the Variety Village website.

In 2022 DanceAble and Variety Village hosted more than 1,200 people for their dance party.

Variety Village located on Danforth Avenue in southwest Scarborough has been open for 75 years. It was a project designed to create opportunities for boys and girls from ages 16 to 18 with physical disabilities.

For more information on Variety Village and DanceAble, please visit https://varietyontario.ca/event/danceable

Toronto Beaches Ribfest set for this weekend in Woodbine Park

THE TORONTO Beaches Rib and Beer Fest will take place at Woodbine Park, 1695 Queen St. E., this coming weekend. Set for the Father’s Day weekend, the rib fest is slated to take place from Friday, June 14, through to Sunday, June 16.

Hours will be 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on June 14; from noon to 11 p.m. on June 15; and from noon to 7 p.m. on June 16. Along with the award-winning barbecue ribbers there will be live music, family fun, a fully licenced beer market, and other food options.

For more info, please visit www.northernheatribseries.ca

PHOTO: ALAN SHACKLETON

of

Beaches Under-13 boys team earns silver medal at Ontario Minor Field Lacrosse League tourney

THE BEACHES Lacrosse Under-13 boys team recently earned the silver medal at the Ontario Minor Field Lacrosse League championship tournament.

The Beaches team finished second overall in the provincial championship tournament in Brampton which ran over three days during the Victoria Day long weekend in May.

Members of the Beaches team are Tristian Anderson Roy, Thomas Axell, Christopher Davis, Gabriel De Carvalho, Taylor Driscoll, Rhory Gage, Hudson Holmes, Colton Livingstone, Jack Robert McRae, Brodie Mitchell, Brin Mowbray, William Patterson, Zach Pho, Parker Stevenson, Crosby Stiff, Bowie Vitello-Craig, Kingsley Wellwood, Thomas Wheatley, Colton Wilcox and Andrew Wilson. Team coaches are Carter Livingstone and Scott Driscoll. For more on Beaches Lacrosse, please go to https://beacheslacrosse.com

PHOTO: SUBMITTED

Members

the Beaches Lacrosse Under-13 boys team are shown with their silver medals from the Ontario Minor Field Lacrosse League championships in May.

The Main Menu

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

Early morning, bird song, sun coming up and flooding the sky with a warm pink glow. Finally, its time. Time to have breakfast in the garden. A long waited for moment, complete with the first, luscious, juicy, sweet Ontario strawberries. This is paradise! Granola

Lily Levitt Keisler has kindly sent me her recipe for granola which I believe is the best ever.

It is all that more enjoyable when served with our own Ontario strawberries and yogurt for a sublime summer breakfast! However, as later fruits become abundant: blueberries, raspberries, plums, peaches and melons, serve them too.

In addition to breakfast, this granola is delicious sprinkled over a green salad. It is also a welcome

ingredient to a fruit crisp topping or simply to munch as a treat! Keep a batch on hand for sweet additions to recipes.

3 cups (750 mL) large flake oats

1 cup (250 mL) shelled pistachios or natural almonds

1 cup (250 mL) flaked coconut or substitute another nut

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1/2½ cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar

1/3 cup (75 mL) pure maple syrup NOT table syrup

1/3 cup (75 mL) vegetable oil or olive oil

2/3 cup (150 mL) dried sour cherries or substitute other dried fruit

Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Line a rimmed baking tray with parchment paper. In a bowl, stir together oats, nuts and coconut. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt sugar, maple syrup and oil together until everything is well blended and melted.

Pour hot syrup over dry mixture and stir to combine well.

Sprinkle mixture evenly over prepared baking sheet and bake 30 to 40 minutes stirring once or twice to brown evenly. Cool on rack; stir in cherries and/or raisins or other dried fruits. For long storage, granola may be frozen for up to 3 months. Makes about 6 cups (1.5L)

Tea Scones

On a recent trip to England, I had the pleasure of having scones hot from the oven with clotted cream and jams served in a glorious garden. The setting and the scones were outstanding! I can think of only one thing to make them more perfect and that is fresh sliced Ontario strawberries. I bought my first batch of berries yesterday and plan on serving them this afternoon with scones and a cup of tea in the garden. Here for your enjoyment is an English scone recipe using self-raising flour. Please note, self-raising flour is found in supermarkets beside all -purpose flour. Self-raising flour is cake and pastry flour with salt and baking powder

Ontario strawberries perfect for a breakfast in the garden

added. It is a more tender flour than all-purpose flour which, as the name suggests can be used for all baking, but self- raising produces a more tender, lighter product good for cakes and cookies.

3 cups (750 mL) self-raising flour

3 tbsp (45 mL) granulated sugar

1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder

1 egg

3/4 cup (175 mL) milk

1/4 cup (50mL) plain yogurt

1 tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar (topping)

Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put aside.

Scones:

Tip: To measure flour accurately, use a dry measure and spoon flour into measuring cup leveling it with a straight edge such as a knife. This way you do not compact the flour and get more than you need which makes a dry product. Add flour to mixing bowl.

Stir in the sugar and baking powder; combining well. In a liquid measuring cup, add the egg, milk and yogurt

stirring with a fork. Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture and pour in the egg-milk mixture reserving about 1 tbsp liquid to brush on top of the scones.

Using a spatula, combine flour and milk mixture to make a dough, kneading dough 6 to 8 times to make a smooth dough then turn onto a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper; pat into a 1 inch (2.5 cm) high rectangle.

Using a 2- inch (10 cm) cookie cutter or a glass cut out about 12 dough circles cutting out close together. Re-roll scraps. Place scones about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on prepared baking sheet. Using pastry brush, brush tops with reserved egg-milk mixture; sprinkle lightly with remaining granulated sugar.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until a deep brown on bottom and light golden on top. Remove to cooling rack.

Slice horizontally, butter (if desired) and serve with whipped cream or clotted cream and fresh sliced, lightly sweetened strawber-

Makes 10 to 12

Best made and served warm from the oven. Leftovers may be frozen. Whipped Cream

Use 35 per cent whipping cream cold from the refrigerator and beat with an electric mixer or a whisk (with plenty of muscle) to whip the cream.

2 cups (500 mL) 35 % cream

1/4 cup (50 mL) sifted icing sugar

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

In a deep mixing bowl (such as a 750 mL yogurt container) pour in whipping cream. Put whisk or beaters into cream then turn beaters on increasing speed and whip on high until peaks form then gradually add icing sugar and vanilla. Whip until stiff peaks form, that is you can turn the container upside down and the cream stays in.

You now have whipped cream ready for spooning onto scones (also doubles as cake frosting). It will keep covered and refrigerated for about an hour.

Makes about 3 cups (750 mL).

ries.

scones.

Arts & Entertainment

Scarborough Players’ Shakespeare in Love now on stage at Scarborough Village Theatre

SCARBOROUGH PLAYERS’ production of Shakespeare in Love is now on stage at the Scarborough Village Theatre at Kingston and Markham roads.

The play runs until June 22.

Based on the 1998 Academy Award winning movie of the same name, the play Shakespeare in Love follows young playwright Will Shakespeare as he discovers his muse in the beautiful Viola De Lesseps.

Plagued by debt and consumed by writer’s block, young Shakespeare needs a hit play and the audience is invited to join him as he finds a story of true love with the help of De Lesseps, Marlowe, Queen Elizabeth I, Burbage, Ned Alleyn and the actors of the 1590s.

What begins as Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter becomes the greatest love story ever told, Romeo and Juliet “Shakespeare in Love is first and most importantly a comedy, second, a tragic love story and third, a homage to the great playwrights of the Elizabethan Era,” said Scarborough Players’ director Meg Gibson.

Thanks to the brilliant screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, adapted for the stage by Lee Hall, Shakespeare is removed from the pedestal upon

is on stage at the Scarborough Village Theatre until June 22.

which modern education has placed him, making him and his writing not only accessible but wildly entertaining.

A talented cast, a dedicated design team, stage management, director, producer, fight director, dance choreographer, singers, – an amazing team of more than 50 people are collaborating to bring this show to life on the Scarborough Village Theatre stage.

It is impossible to name everyone involved in this production, but here a few to be highlighted.

Jeff Grugicich and Misha

Harding last seen as Ed Boone and Siobhan in Players’ production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time return as the love-struck Will Shakespeare and his muse, Viola de Lesseps. With a cast of 28 actors, the company is welcoming many new faces to the Scarborough Players stage along with many familiar ones and a dog.

Director Gibson not only supports actors in creating memorable characters to tell this story but is also choreographing the Elizabethan dances and supporting the chorus of four min-

strels to sing in harmony.

Fight Director and Intimacy Coordinator, Mercedes Davy, is working to keep actors safe while sword fighting and feeling comfortable and respected in the more romantic moments.

Anthony Jones’ set design will conjure Elizabethan London with help from Head Carpenter, Greg Nowlan and the team of builders and painters.

Adding to the vision will be Carol Kim’s props, lighting design by Jennifer Bakker, sound design by David Rudat and Gibson and costumes from a talented Costume Squad of 9 – again, 28 actors with some playing multiple roles! And all this held together by the watchful eye of Stage Manager Wendy Miller, with help from Assistant Stage Manager Cindy Miari, and crew.

Shakespeare in Love is swoonworthy, crowd-pleasing theatre, and there will be a scene-stealing dog. The play is recommended for those 14 years of age older due to some of the content.

To order tickets, or for more information, please visit www. theatrescarborough.com/scarboroughplayers or call 416-2679292.

The Scarborough Village Theatre is located at 3600 Kingston Rd.

Bard in the Park performances in Kew Gardens

By Sean Sandieson

PERFORMANCES OF Bard in the Park, presented by the Panopaly Theatre Collective, are taking place this week and weekend in Kew Gardens.

The annual Bard in the Park Shakespeare performances are sponsored by Community Centre 55, the Willowdale Central Ratepayers Association, and the Ontario Historical Society.

This year’s production is Prove A Villain, a “radical reimagining” of Shakespeare’s Richard III

All performances are free to the public.

The performances are outside, so it’s recommended that attendees bring their own blankets or seating since only a limited number of cushions/seating is available for audience members.

Performances in Kew Gardens, 2075 Queen St. E., are slated for Tuesday, June 11; Wednesday, June 12; Thursday, June 13; and Friday, June 14, at 7 p.m. Performances at Kew Gardens will also take place on Saturday, June 15; and Sunday, June 16, at 2 p.m.

After that, there will be performances at John McKenzie House, 34 Parkview Ave. in North York, on Friday, June 21, at 7 p.m.; and on Saturday, June 22, and Sunday, June 23, at 2 p.m.

While performances are free, those attending can reserve tickets in advance, and also purchase a ticket as a donation to the cast and crew if they wish, by going online to https:// panoplycollective.com

PHOTO: BRIAN WHITMORE

From left, Jeff Grugicich (as Will Shakespeare), Misha Harding (as Viola de Lesseps), and Stephen Martin (as Wessex) in the Scarborough Players’ production of Shakespeare in Love. The play

Deja Views

Scarborough Road memories

By David Van Dyke

Please enjoy this 107-year-old postcard (photo above) of a house on Scarborough Road. As you can see from the back of the postcard (photo at bottom), 1917 was apparently the age that only your name and the city you lived in was required to post a card. I imagine not too many people lived in Barrie at the time. The postcard is from the Victor D Caratun Collection. Do you have an old photo you would like to share with our readers? Please contact me at gdvandyke61@gmail.com

Scarborough Harmony Chorus concert slated

THE SCARBOROUGH Harmony Chorus will present its Strawberry Moon concert later this month.

The concert takes place on Friday, June 21, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Jubilee United Church, 40 Underhill Rd., in North York.

Special guests at the concert will be the quartet Constructive Criticism. Along with the musical performances, the

concert event will also feature a bake sale and coffee/tea.

Admission cost for the concert is by donation to the chorus.

The Scarborough Harmony Chorus is based out of Scarborough Bluffs United Church, with members from across the city. For more information, please go to www. scarboroughharmonychorus.com

PHOTO: DAVID VAN DYKE

Private profits, rental housing and the ‘monolithic’ proposal for Woodbine and Danforth

By Adam Smith

IN THE public consultation about 985 Woodbine Ave. (at the northeast corner of Danforth Avenue), Andre D’Elia, architect from Superkul, said they “wanted to make sure that it didn’t feel monolithic”, an ironic choice of words as “monolithic” is the only apt phrase I see for a 35-storey tower nestled amongst two-and-three-storey buildings.

It’s so tall that in the artist’s rendering they chose not to show the top of the building. While there are plans for even taller buildings, at 125 metres currently this would be the tallest building in all of East Toronto from the DVP to Victoria Park and as far north as Sheppard, and will dominate the view for kilometres in every direction.

The original proposal was a 15-storey condo, while the new proposed all-rental development is more than triple the height of the nearby Carmelina building on Danforth Avenue, and will cast a shadow far into the ward.

When asked about the change in height, the planner did not mention the change from condos to rentals, and instead cited examples of other plans for tall towers in the area and stated the new height is appropriate simply because the location is on the subway line and is in line with the official plan of Ontario’s focus on rapidly increasing density.

The northeast corner building at 2078-2086 Danforth Ave., where the Workaround is located, was on the way to being designated a heritage building in 2019, because it was built in 1927 and has architectural and historical significance. But the March 2019 heritage impact statement from the developer claims “that neither property has sufficient design, historical or contextual value to merit designation under Part IV of the OHA. As such, their removal does not constitute a significant impact on the cultural heritage value of the area.”

In April of 2019 CP REIT Ontario Properties Ltd and a couple other partners took Toronto to the LPAT (Local Planning Appeal Tribunal –check this) to protest the heritage designation. It was decided to go to arbitration, and five years later those properties are not on the heritage list.

To create some extra space on the sidewalk leading to the subway station the new building will be set back, which means the historical corner building will have to be moved. The west elevation of the architectural drawings mentions the “extent of the heritage façade to be reconstructed”, so it’s not clear if the building will be demolished and rebuilt anew or removed in chunks to be reassembled. In either case, the preservation of the building is in question.

The street level façade makes an attempt to fit the character of the area and recreate some of the details of that corner building, however the uninspired design of the towers is identical to most new

buildings: boxy and flat, with neutral colours of beige, brown, and grey. The previous design suffered the same flaws, but it was stepped on almost every side to lessen the visual impact, whereas the new design has completely discarded any concern for visual domination of the streetscape.

The new design proposes 646 units and 98 residential parking spaces, with a few thousand more units planned in new towers across East Toronto. With our congested streets, inadequate transit, and insufficient infrastructure, it’s not clear how we’re supposed to absorb all this new density.

The strain on our aging and ailing infrastructure, in particular storm water management, is given scant consideration despite being a serious and growing problem. Like all new towers, this one will have basement storage tanks to handle excess storm water, 240 cubic metres worth, because our storm water system already can’t handle our current density.

There’s also the issue of carbon emission targets; how many emis-

sions will be involved in the demolition and construction of this building, not to mention the embodied carbon in the new materials themselves?

How many years of dust and dirt and constant pollution will this development add to the air?

Originally a condo building, the city recognized the need for more purpose-built rentals and the failure of the investor/landlord system of renting out expensive condo units. Developers favour condos because they recoup their costs and make all their profits the moment every unit is sold, whereas a rental building can take years if not decades to turn a profit. Enter the REIT.

REIT stands for “real estate investment trust”. It’s when investors pool their money to invest in rental properties.

As housing is an essential need and buying a house is increasingly out of reach for the average person, rental income produces a steady, ongoing, and reliable return for the investors. It’s even more lucrative when a lack of rent controls, in par-

ment and increase the rent on new tenants without limit, something that wasn’t possible until former Premier Mike Harris removed vacancy decontrol. Not a single tenant spoken to had anything good to say about having a REIT as their landlord.

In order to satisfy the return on investment the REIT desires to extract from renters, the proposed building at 985 Woodbine Ave. had to increase in size. It’s the only way to entice a developer. Other than 14 units to replace what is being lost, the city and developer admit they have not determined what if any affordable units will be included, nor at what level of affordability, nor what the rent would be on regular units.

Considering the lack of numbers it’s clear the developers have proposed 35 storeys as a safety measure to ensure the volume of units necessary for their desired income, especially if an unknown number affordable units are going to eat into that profit. They mentioned market rates, but due to the proliferation of condos and lack of rent controls, the rental market in Toronto has become unaffordable to those of average income. It is said that rent plus utilities shouldn’t be more than 30 per cent of your gross annual income. In Toronto the average one bedroom goes for $2,013 per month, requiring a $90,000 gross annual income. The average annual salary in Toronto is $57,550. Clearly the math doesn’t add up, and at this rate renters in Toronto can expect to never have enough savings to buy their own home.

To build 985 Woodbine Ave., the Valumart will have to close down for years, which removes an anchor business and the only large grocery store in the area for many blocks.

ticular on newer buildings, ensures REITs can raise rent easily at their whim.

It’s not just a lack of rent controls driving up prices for renters. There is also the above guideline rent increase, which enables a landlord to raise rent on their tenants by more than the prescribed amount if they have costs they need to recoup from improving the building.

However, as the tenants of a certain East York building can attest, the REIT can allow their units to languish in disrepair while still qualifying for an above guideline increase by improving the façade of the building.

One woman showed me her broken kitchen cabinets; another man showed me the large crack in the stucco of his living room ceiling. They had both been asking for these repairs for years, only to be ignored, while their rents kept going up because the REIT refinished the outer surface of part of the building.

This is a strategy of landlords to drive out existing tenants so they can renovate the vacated apart-

If this “monolithic” building is to serve the purpose of providing much-needed rental units to the city’s housing stock, then residents need to see the math.

Before any demolition begins the city and developer must provide the number of affordable units and at what level of affordability, the rental costs of regular units and what utilities will be provided, and make some kind of binding agreement to maintain rental rates at levels affordable to the average Toronto income that cannot be raised upon vacancy, to ensure ongoing affordability. Anything less ensures increasingly unaffordable housing in the city.

There is only one solution to this dynamic: Public housing built by a public developer.

Like any corporate entity legally beholden to its shareholders, a REIT can only be trusted to do one thing and one thing only -- make profits for its investors. This makes it the wrong choice to provide an essential need like housing.

Only when private profits are removed from rental housing will we see any return to reasonable rates affordable to the average income.

IMAGES CREATED BY ADAM SMITH

Image above shows the view looking northwest from Cedarvale Avenue towards the corner of Danforth Avenue and Woodbine Avenue. Image below shows the view with the proposed residential buildings, including one of 35-storeys at 985 Woodbine Ave., in the frame.

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Historical society hears from author of Beaches book on June 12

By Sean Sandieson

LOCAL AUTHOR Richard White

will discuss his new book The Beaches: Creation of a Toronto Neighbourhood during a presentation set for this Wednesday evening.

White will speak at an event presented by The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society (TBETHS)

on Wednesday, June 12, starting at 7:30 p.m.

The event will take place at the at the Beaches Sandbox, 2181 Queen St E. Doors will open for registration at 6:30 p.m. for the annual meeting of the TBETHS in advance of White’s presentation.

A reception and refreshments will be available after the presentation.

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For more information on The Beaches: Creation of a Toronto Neighbourhood, please go to the University of Toronto Press website at https://utorontopress. com/9781487508944/the-beaches

For more information on Wednesday’s meeting of The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society, please go online to www. tbeths.com

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