About Us

The object of The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society (TBETHS) is to arouse interest in, and to preserve material and information related to the natural, built and documentary heritage of the east end of Toronto, specifically defined as within the City of Toronto between Coxwell Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue, and between Lake Ontario and the southern boundary of the former Borough of East York.

Toronto annexation map of TBETHS boundaries, compiled by John Ellis, 2021

The East Toronto and Beaches Historical Society was formed by local residents in 1974, at the invitation of staff at Beaches and Main Street (then Eastern) branches of Toronto Public Library. It was incorporated by the Ontario Historical Society in 1978 (Corporation #467609). In the 1990s, the membership adopted the operating name of The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society. They agreed that “The Beach” was more accurate historically and, since it was better known, should be placed before “East Toronto” in the name. The revision of the Society’s corporate name was formally recognized by Supplementary Letters Patent in 2014.

Our activities include:

Presenting historical talks and walking tours

Maintaining a website and a FaceBook page

Writing about the area’s history

Advocating for local heritage

Nominating properties and districts to the Toronto Heritage Register

Recommending sites for heritage plaques and assisting with the text

Developing indexes and finding aids to local history information

Responding to requests about our area’s history

Maintaining an archives

The Society is an affiliate of the Ontario Historical Society, and a member of the Toronto Historical Association. In 2018, it won Heritage Toronto’s Community Heritage Award in recognition of its extraordinary contribution.

GALLERY OF SOCIETY ACTIVITIES

TBETHS has been nominated for a 2024 Heritage Toronto, Public History Award for its Local History Index	More Homes Built Faster Link to full size summary
TBETHS Submission to Ontario Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure, and Cultural Policy, Bill 23. The More Homes Built Faster Act, November 17, 2022	2018 Heritage Toronto award to TBETHS	Barbara Myrvold, Beach Citizen of the Year
1976 Sports meeting Courtesy TPL Digital Archive	1984 Toronto Sesquicentennial Exhibit Opening at Beaches Library. L to R, Barbara Myrvold, President Rod Travers-Griffin, Mayor Art Eggleton	1984 Toronto Sesquicentennial Exhibit Viewing, Beaches Library
2015 Kew Williams House plaque presentation, Kew Gardens	2017 Gene Domagala leads a walk.	2018 Accepting Heritage Toronto Award Barbara Myrvold, Clyde Robinson, Glenn Chadwick

BOARD of DIRECTORS, 2023
Jonathan Bradshaw, President
Vice-President, position currently vacant
Katherine Vice, Secretary
Julita Tyszewicz, Treasurer, Membership Secretary
Glenn Chadwick, Events Coordinator
Barbara Myrvold, Project Lead Card Index Automation, Website Committee Chair
Mary Campbell, At Large
Samantha Little, At Large

RECENT ANNUAL REPORTS
2022-23
2021-22
2020-21
2019-20
2018-19
2017-18
2016-17
2015-2016
2014

OLDER ANNUAL REPORTS
1983-1984
1982-1983
1981-1982
1980-1981
1979-1980
1978-1979
1977-1978