Heritage Resources
Heritage Sites
Created by a local resident, historian, author, and part-time university professor, this site includes descriptions and illustrations of ten places that “reveal important but overlooked aspects of the neighbourhood’s history”: Adam Wilson Playground; East of Silver Birch; The Unfulfilled Vision of Balmy Beach; Hubbard Park Apartments; Outfoxed By A Builder; Kenilworth And Kippendavie: An Enclave Of No Certain Age; The Disappearance Of Norway Creek; The Designed District; Beech And Pine: Retaining Walls As History; and The Willow Avenue Barn.
Originally published in 2001 in a limited edition book, A Glimpse of Toronto’s History – Opportunities for the Commemoration of Lost Historic Sites (to which The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society contributed research), fourteen of the 250 sites are within or adjacent to TBETHS catchment area.
- 002 Sandbar Peninsula Islands
- 009 Ashbridges Bay
- 012 Small’s Creek
- 013 Three Leslieville Creeks
- 057 Dundas / Davenport / Kingston Road
- 098 O’Sullivan’s Inn / Tavern
- 102 East Toronto Town Hall
- 174 Morley Family Brickyards
- 204 Greenwood / Woodbine Racetrack
- 215 Ashbridge Houses I and II
- 220 Blantyre Park
- 230 Glen Stewart
- 247 John Small’s Country Home
Local Planning Studies
Libraries and Archives
One place to look for online and library resources for Toronto history and genealogy: pictures, books, city directories, fire insurance plans and maps, neighbourhoods, databases, local history collections, new books, upcoming programs, etc.
Tours
Community newspapers
Online local history books
- The Beach Takes Shape by Jean Cochrane and Carole Stimmell
Chronicles the development of the Beach and East Toronto following their annexations to Toronto in in 1908-9. - Commercial, industrial and progressive edition of East Toronto, the Beaches & surrounding busy districts, Greater Toronto, Ontario. A descriptive review of a number of mercantile and manufacturing interests located in East Toronto, the Beaches and surrounding districts, Greater Toronto, Ontario. 1918.
- Beach in Pictures
- Danforth in Pictures (includes some information beyond the local area)
- Historical Walking Tour of Kew Beach by Mary Campbell and Barbara Myrvold
War service
Beach & East Toronto in World War 1
By Jean Cochrane and Carole Stimmell
Beach & East Toronto in World War 2
By Jean Cochrane and Carole Stimmell
Balmy Beach Club History Series
Lest We Forget by Kevin McConnell
For King and Country is a project to transcribe the war memorials inside Toronto schools, which also provides an excellent history of each school. Neighbourhood schools included in this project to date are:
- Adam Beck Public School
- Balmy Beach Public School
- Blantyre Avenue Public School
- Bowmore Road Public School
- Coleman Avenue Public School
- Courcelette Public School
- Earl Beatty Public School
- Earl Haig Public School
- Gledhill Public School
- Kew Beach Public School
- Kimberley Street School
- Malvern Collegiate Institute
- Norway Public School
- Williamson Road School
Local Residents
Beach Citizen of the Year
The annual award (first handed out in 2001) honours someone who has shown a long-standing commitment to improving our little corner of the city – “The Beach” area in Toronto, Ontario.” Past recipients include several members of The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society. Accomplishments of the most recent winners are not featured on separate pages on the website: Barbara Myrvold, 2022 [link to and David Brown, 2022
Stories and images of the Price family headed by Joseph Price, best known locally as the builders of many houses at the Beach in the first quarter of the 20th century including the renown fourplexes (or “double duplexes) on the site of the old Scarboro Beach Amusement Park
Includes biographies, portraits and maps that pinpoint residences. Two local residents are included – Lister Sinclair and artist William William Kurelek. Also included is architect Frank Darling who designed several early local buildings.
Updated Nov. 29, 2022