Urban pleasures, natural beauty

Wheeler Ave

Bellefair Ave

Herbert Ave

Northen Dancer Blvd

Winners Cir

Lark St

Lockwood Rd

Brookmount Rd

Sarah Ashbridge Ave

Joseph Duggan Rd

Boardwalk Dr

Boardwalk Dr

Boardwalk Dr

Kippendavie Ave

Kenilworth AveKenilworth Ave

Elmer Ave

Waverley Rd

Waverley Rd

Dixon Ave

Battenberg Ave Penny Ln

Ashland Ave

Kew Beach Ave

Buller Ave V

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Orchard Park Blvd

Kings

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Coxwell Avenue

Queen Street EastQueen Street East

Eastern Avenue

Lake Shore Blvd East

Woodbine Avenue

Lee AvenueLee Avenue

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Corpus Christi Catholic Church

Woodbine Park

Ashbridge’s Bay Park

Woodbine Beach

Beaches Park/Balmy Beach Park

No. 17 Firehall

Beach Hebrew Institute

Waverley Road Baptist Church

Bellefair United Church

Kew Gardens

The Beaches Library

Kew Williams Cottage12

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1Beach Front

Boardwalk

Bus, StreetcarRoute

Greenspace

Paved Pathway

Municipal Parking

One-way Street

Architectural/Historical Interest

Recreation & Leisure

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MAP ONE

Urban pleasures, natural beauty

Hubbard Blvd

Hambly Ave

Wineva Ave

Spruce Hill Rd

Scarbor ough Rd

Kingswood Rd

Neville Park Blvd

Neville Park Blvd

Nur sewood Rd

Wheeler Ave

Wineva Ave

Scarboro Beach Blvd

Glen Manor Dr

Glen Manor Dr

Maclean Ave

Balsam Ave

Fernwood Park Ave

Beech Ave

Willow Ave

Willow Ave

Beech Ave

Balsam Ave

Silver Birch Ave

Silver Birch Ave

Munro Park Ave

Hamm

ersmith Ave

Isleworth AveCrown Park Rd

Duart Park RdApricot Ln

Violet Ave

Alfresco Lawn

Leuty Ave

Ed Evans Ln

Balmy Ave

Glenfern Ave

Hazel AveAvion Ave

Bonfield Ave

Selwood Ave Fir AvePark Ave

Queen Street East

Victoria Park Avenue

Lee AvenueLee Avenue

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Leuty Lifesaving Station

Kew Beach Park Boathouse

Kew Beach United Church

The Glen Stewart Ravine

Balmy Beach Club

The Fox Cinema

Church of St. Aidan

R.C. Harris Filtration Plant20

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MAP TWO

Beach Front

Boardwalk

Bus, StreetcarRoute

Greenspace

Municipal Parking

One-way Street

Architectural/Historical Interest

Recreation & Leisure

THE BEACHES

How to get thereBy TTC: Take the 501 streetcar west from the Queen Street subway station to any stop between Coxwell and Neville Park.

By Car: Depending on the time of year as well as the time of day, parking can be tricky.There’s street parking (with ticket purchase)except for certain hours, and there are several small “Green P” parking lots dotted along Queen St. E., such as:

• Lee Ave. south of Queen E.;

• Hammersmith Ave. north of Queen;

• three small parking lots 1/2 block south ofQueen just west of Woodbine;

• Eastern Ave. between Coxwell and Queen.

There are also two fairly large parking lots southof Lakeshore Blvd. E.; both of these provideeasy access to the parkland by the lake. In thesummer, however, you’ll need to get there earlyto find a spot.

Urban pleasures, natural beauty

Points of interestCorpus Christi Catholic Church.Built in 1926, this churchpossesses a very large indoormural painted by notedCanadian painter (and onetimeBeaches resident) WilliamKurelek (1927-1977).

Woodbine Park. The WoodbineRacetrack operated at thislocation from 1874 to 1993,and the prestigious Queen’sPlate was run there from 1883to 1955. Over the years, thePark has hosted a great varietyof events—including “BuffaloBill’s Wild West Show” in 1885.The racetrack was renamed“Greenwood Raceway” whenWoodbine opened in its currentlocation in Toronto’snorthwestern suburbs in 1956,and the old track closed in1993; the area wassubsequently redeveloped asresidential housing andparkland.

Ashbridge’s Bay Park. This parkis named after Sarah Ashbridge,a United Empire Loyalistoriginally from Philadelphia,who settled here in 1793. AQuaker widow with two sons,she obtained a Crown land grantfor a farm in 1799; the familylived there until the last sondied in 1861. The waterfrontpark you see today officiallyopened in 1977.

Woodbine Beach. In 2005,Woodbine Beach became one ofthe first beaches in NorthAmerica to be recognized by the

“Blue Flag” program: aninternational award formaintaining high standards forwater quality, safety, beachmaintenance, and environmentaleducation and outreach.

Beaches Park/Balmy BeachPark. The City began acquiringprivately-owned land and waterlots in 1921, demolishing morethan 200 houses and a numberof private boathouses to makeway for Beaches Park, whichopened in 1932. Balmy BeachPark was created in 1903, andhas enjoyed a close relationshipwith the Balmy Beach Club (seePoint 17) since the verybeginning.

No. 17 Firehall. After the GreatToronto Fire destroyed much ofthe downtown core in 1904, theToronto Fire Department beganto evolve from groups ofvolunteers into today’sprofessional organization. No.17 was built in 1905, takingover from the volunteer firebrigade that had been operatingat Queen and Lee since 1891.

Beach Hebrew Institute.Commonly known as “TheBeaches Shul”, the Institutepurchased a small brick-and-timber structure (built in 1895)from Kenilworth Baptist Churchin 1920 (see Point 8 for theearly history of this building).Several years after the purchase,the façade was rebuilt in thetraditional “Shtibel” style,adding the arched entrance,windows, and parapet.

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See Map 1 for points 1-12. See Map 2 for points 13-20

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Why you should goThe Beaches offers all the best features ofa small resort town just 15 minutes fromdowntown Toronto. With more than 400unique boutiques, spas, restaurants, cafés,and pubs between Lockwood and NevillePark, you’ll find everything fromhomemade ice cream to fine dining, fromantiques to one-of-a-kind gifts, from spaservices to homemade pet-treats. But whattruly sets The Beaches apart from everyother neighbourhood in Toronto is theproximity to the parks along Lake Ontario:with kilometres of sandy beaches, aboardwalk, biking/rollerblading paths, andlandscaped gardens, this is a lovely placeto visit at any time of year. The Beachesalso offers quiet, tree-lined streets withgracious Victorian mansions and charming19th century beach-houses and cottages.Whether you’re looking for a unique gift, amouthwatering pastry, an energeticworkout, or a peaceful stroll along thebeach, this area has it all.

What to doShopping, dining, and outdoor recreationare the main attractions of this “resorttown” inside Toronto. There’s so much tosee and do in The Beaches that youshould expect to spend at least fourhours here; if the weather is good, youcan easily spend a whole day browsingthrough boutiques, enjoying a deliciousmeal, and strolling along the Boardwalkand picturesque sidestreets.

The best way to introduce yourself to thisdiverse area is to purchase a TTC DayPass—which offers a single customer ora family/group of customers unlimitedtravel on all regular TTC services—andride the streetcar from Coxwell all theway to Victoria Park where it turnsaround and heads back west. Make anote of establishments or areas thatappeal to you, then you can hop on andoff the streetcar at will as you head backwest. (You can purchase your Day Passat any subway station or fromparticipating TTC ticket agents. For more information, visit:www.toronto.ca/ttc/family_pass.htm.)

THE BEACHES Urban pleasures, natural beauty

More points of interestWaverley Road Baptist Church. Afterthe congregation outgrew theirbuilding on Queen at Kenilworth,they commissioned a new, granderbuilding on nearby Waverley, whichopened in 1908. The old building(see Point 7) was used at varioustimes as a warehouse andcommunity centre for more than adecade. As land along Queen St.became more valuable, the buildingwas raised off its foundations onQueen, moved several hundred feetsouth on Kenilworth, and rotated toface east; the old church thenfound new life as the BeachHebrew Institute.

Bellefair United Church. Originallybuilt in 1906 as the “BeachMethodist Church”, work on thecurrent Neo-Gothic structure beganin 1914. You have to go inside tosee the most unusual and lovelyfeature of this church: three hugestained-glass skylights in thesanctuary.

Kew Gardens. In 1853, JosephWilliams opened Kew Farms in theQueen/Lee area; in 1879, hetransformed part of his propertyinto “The Canadian Kew Gardens”,which offered “innocentamusements in great variety”. TheCity purchased the grounds in1907, turning it and adjoiningproperties into a public park.

The Beaches Library. In 1907, theCarnegie Corporation gave a$50,000 grant to build threelibraries in Toronto. Opened in1916, the Beaches Branch wasmodeled after a 17th-centuryEnglish Collegiate Grammar Schoolwith a Tudor-Gothic great hall. Thisbrick-and-stone building received acomplete makeover in 2005.

Kew Williams Cottage. Built in 1902by Kew Williams, the youngest sonof landowner Joseph Williams (seePoint 10), the stone cottage wassold along with Kew Gardens to theCity in 1907. Used by the parksuperintendent for many decades,the cottage is now used for specialevents such as art exhibitions.

Leuty Lifesaving Station. One of themost photographed landmarks inThe Beaches, Leuty Station hasbeen the scene of more than 6,000successful rescues. In response tothe changing shoreline, the Stationhas been moved four times since itwas built in 1920. In the 1990s, itwas a run-down structure facingdemolition; local residents refusedto let it go without a fight, andformed S.O.S. (Save Our Station),which raised the money to restorethis important historic building.

Kew Beach Park Boathouse.Constructed in 1932, this once-pretty structure originally stoodright on the water; in 1954,however, Hurricane Hazel smashedinto Toronto—and the Boathouse.What Hazel left behind (not muchmore than the roof and walls ateither end) was moved to the northside of the boardwalk.

Kew Beach United Church. Thischurch began life in 1882 as aMethodist Mission; in 1895 itbecame a Presbyterian church, andin 1905, the building was movedfrom Queen St. to its presentlocation on Wineva. The structureyou see today was built in 1914 to accommodate the growing con-gregation. In 1925, it became aUnited church.

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For more information, go to: www.beachesbia.com, www.wineva-oak.com, or www.beachestoronto.com

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While you’re at the eastern end, make apoint of walking down to the R.C. HarrisFiltration Plant to admire the beautiful Art Deco buildings. From there, you caneither head down to the lake and pick up the Boardwalk or walk back up toQueen St.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, thisarea was a series of privately-ownedamusement parks, summer homes, andcottages; all that remains from those daysare some of the houses, the street names,and the boardwalk—which has beenrepaired, restored, and rebuilt many timesover the years.

The Boardwalk. Boardwalks have existedin this area since the 1850s. Today, thisis a 3.5 kilometre (just over 2 miles) pathconnecting all the lakeside parks andbeaches. It really doesn’t matter whichend you start at, and if time is short, youdon’t have to walk the entire distance toget a feel for the area. Take a tip from thelocals, who come here for relaxation andpleasurable exercise: walk, bike, orrollerblade along the paths at your ownspeed. Note: there’s a paved trail thatruns roughly parallel to the Boardwalk forbikes and rollerblades. Look both waysbefore you cross the trail to reach theBoardwalk, since wheeled traffic can bemoving at quite a clip along here. TheCity has created an “Eastern Ravine andBeaches Discovery Walk”—a self-guidedwalk along the Boardwalk and through theparks, ravine, and Beachesneighbourhood. This tour takes aboutthree hours to complete; for moreinformation, click here:www.toronto.ca/parks/brochures/walks/DW_Eastern.pdf

Woodbine Park. Starting at the west endof The Beaches, Woodbine is the first in aseries of linked parks along thewaterfront. Home to the WoodbineRacetrack for almost 120 years until itsclosure in 1993, the park now featureswetlands, naturalized meadows, gardens,and an amphitheatre.

Ashbridge’s Bay Park. Walking south fromWoodbine Park, you’ll find Ashbridge’sBay Park: a great place to play beachvolleyball or to walk, bike, or rollerbladeon the paved paths and woodenboardwalk. There are plenty of sceniclookouts over Lake Ontario; in thesummer, you can also take in aShakespearean play courtesy ofwww.shakespeareworks.com. The parkoffers expansive beaches; public boatlaunch ramps, marina, and moorings;fishing; and a waterfowl habitat.

Woodbine Beach/Beaches Park/BalmyBeach Park. Follow the lakesideboardwalk or cycling trail east along aseries of linked waterfront parks—Woodbine Beach, Beaches Park, and

Balmy Beach Park. It will take you aboutan hour and a half to walk along all thelakeside trails; you can break this up witha picnic lunch, or with a short walk northto Queen St. for shopping or dining.

Kew Gardens. This 20-acre park offerspublic washrooms, a baseball diamond,an ice rink, lawn bowling, a swimmingpool, tennis courts, and beautifullylandscaped gardens. At the north-westentrance to Kew Gardens Park, you’ll finda memorial to Canadians who gave theirlives in World Wars I and II and theKorean War. Stroll over to Lee Ave. andyou’ll discover Kew Williams Cottage: apretty little house with a corner tower witha bell-shaped roof and a wrap-aroundverandah. Just north of the Cottage

THE BEACHES Urban pleasures, natural beauty

More points of interestThe Glen Stewart Ravine. In 1872,the Reverend William StewartDarling bought land south ofKingston Rd. where he built ahomestead known as “GlenStewart”. After his death in 1866,the property was sold to AlfredAmes, who made manyimprovements to the house andgrounds. The City acquired the 8.5hectare park by gift in 1931.

Balmy Beach Club. In 1903, SirAdam Wilson deeded the propertyat the foot of Beech Ave. to theresidents of the Beach; in 1905,the Balmy Beach Club, a non-profitorganization for amateur athletes,opened its doors. The original ClubHouse was destroyed by fire in1936, and the second buildingburnt down in 1963; on bothoccasions, members stepped in torebuild it. The Club House you seetoday was opened in 1965.

The Fox Cinema. Originally known asthe Prince Edward Theatre, The Foxis the oldest continuously running

theatre in Toronto. Built in 1914, itis a popular repertory cinema today.

Church of St. Aidan. Originallyfounded as a mission of St. John’s,Norway in 1891, the presentchurch officially opened for servicesin 1910. The beautiful stained-glass windows—some of which arealmost a century old—have beenadded over the years as memorialsgiven by parish families; the mostrecent window was dedicated in2002. The floor-to-ceiling wallhanging in the Chapel was designedand executed by long-timeparishioner and well-known artistDoris McCarthy.

R.C. Harris Filtration Plant. Thelargest water filtration plant inCanada, R.C. Harris was built in the1930s on the original site of anamusement park named afterQueen Victoria. The Art Decobuildings, with their beautiful greencopper roofs and yellow brick walls,are often used in film shoots.

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For more information, go to: www.beachesbia.com, www.wineva-oak.com, or www.beachestoronto.com

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THE BEACHES Urban pleasures, natural beauty

stands the Dr. William D. YoungMemorial: an ornate Italian-Renaissance-style fountain with a statue of a child inthe centre. Local residents paid for thismemorial to be erected after the ’fluepidemic carried off their beloved doctorin 1918 at the age of 44.

The Glen Stewart Ravine. You can accessthis 8.5 hectare park from the corner ofQueen and Glen Manor. It will take youabout half an hour to hike up to KingstonRd. to the north; then follow the trail eastthen south back down to Queen. You’llencounter some fairly steep hills in theravine, so make sure you’re wearingsensible walking shoes if you’re going tohike this trail.

Shopping/Dining. With more than 400 one-of-a-kind boutiques, spas, and eateries tochoose from, you’re sure to find whatyou’re looking for in The Beaches. Chooseany two-block stretch along Queenbetween Lockwood and Neville Park andyou’re bound to find at least one antiquestore, a jeweller, more than onerestaurant, a café (either chain orindependent), a pub, an ice/creamparlour/bakery/candy store, a health foodstore/restaurant, a clothing boutique, anda garden/flower shop. You can putter forhours in the establishments along QueenSt., and dozens of great restaurants andpubs offer local and exotic delights. Thepace is relaxed; you’re meant to savour adrink on a patio rather than rush in andout to get a caffeine fix. Step off thislively main street and you’ll find sometruly remarkable homes—some of whichdate back to the 19th century.

A short historyThe area began as a relatively isolatedfarming community in the early 1800s. Inthe 1870s—in part due to JosephWilliams turning part of his extensiveproperty into “The Canadian KewGardens” pleasure park—the area beganto take on new life as a summer resort forTorontonians.

In 1880, Queen St. was extended westfrom Woodbine Race Track to NursewoodRd.; by the end of the decade, theToronto Street Railway Company (TSR)had extended its line to Lee Ave. Theimproved street and the streetcar lineopened the door to development of anumber of amusement parks as well asprivate cottages and year-round houses.The Toronto Railway Company (TRC)acquired the TSR’s franchise in the1890s, and extended the line east toMunro Park: a 16-acre site amusementpark featuring a dance pavilion, abandstand, and a 150-foot Ferris wheel.The TRC managed this as well as VictoriaPark to the east. Munro Park was closedand subdivided for development in 1907;Victoria Park closed after the 1906summer season. In 1927, the Citypurchased Victoria Park for use as a waterpurification plant; the west wing wascompleted in 1935, and the symmetricaleast wing was added in the 1950s. The

plant was named for Beaches resident R. C. Harris—who was also Toronto’sCommissioner of Works from 1912 to1945.

The last amusement park to be built inthe area was also the largest and mostambitious of them all. Operated between1907 and 1925, Scarboro BeachAmusement Park offered a hundred ridesand attractions, including freak shows,concerts, games of chance, a restaurant,refreshment stands, and dance andbathing pavilions. Archival photographsshow a 1/4 mile long roller coaster and“Shoot the Chutes”: small wooden boatsthat carried riders down a steep ramp intothe lagoon below.

Today, this prime residential area offerseasy access to every amenity—fromshopping to dining to recreation.Nothing’s more than a short stroll away,so park the car and enjoy the relaxed,easy-going ambiance of The Beaches.

• A tradition since 1989, the BeachesInternational Jazz Festival (BIJF) takesplace the last week of July. One of thelargest free summer street festivals inCanada, the BIJF attracts 800,000+jazz, R&B, big band, hip-hop, African,Caribbean, South American, and Latinmusic fans every year. From concertsin the bandshell to the nightly closureof Queen St. to accommodate thedozens of bands and solo performers,the place is jumpin’! For moreinformation, visitwww.beachesjazz.com.

• Three street names recall the bygoneera of the pleasure parks: Munro Park,Scarboro Beach, and Victoria Park.

• The Donald D. Summerville OlympicPool at Lakeshore and Woodbine isnamed for a former Toronto Mayor andBeaches resident.

• Several feature films have been shotin and around The Beaches, including:“The Tuxedo” (2001) starring JackieChan, Jennifer Love Hewitt; “BetweenStrangers” (2001) starring SophiaLoren and Mira Sorvino; “UndercoverBrother” (2001) starring Eddie Griffin,Dave Chappelle, Denise Richards, andChris Kattan; “Angel Eyes” (2000)starring Jennifer Lopez and JamesCaviezel; and “Frequency” (1999)starring Dennis Quaid and JamesCaviezel.

• As real-estate values along Queen St.rose at the beginning of the 20thcentury, several buildings were literallypicked up and moved to a sidestreetnorth or south of their originallocation, including the Beach HebrewInstitute on Kenilworth, Kew BeachUnited Church, and #173 Woodbine—a wildly-painted house that oncebelonged to William Williamson(1857–1949), a noted Beachesbuilder, manufacturer, alderman, andJustice of the Peace.

A little trivia

For more information, go to: www.beachesbia.com, www.wineva-oak.com, or www.beachestoronto.com

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