Beach Metro Community News July 18, 2023

welcome to uncommon ™ wilderness adventures

Beacher Markus Pukonen completes motor-free journey around the world

By Alan Shackleton

MARKUS PUKONEN paddled a canoe out into Lake Ontario from the shore in front of the Balmy Beach Club on July 18, 2015. Eight years later he made his return to the club, walking east along the Boardwalk late on the afternoon of Saturday, July 8.

In between, he had circumnavigated the globe without the use of any motorized vehicles, motorized boats or even an elevator.

After more than 31 years on Queen Street East in the Beach, Tex Thomas will be moving his Pro League Sports store from the neighbourhood. He is losing his store space due to a major building renovation, and will be relocating later this summer to Dundas Street East and River Street.

Pro League Sports store moving from the Beach after more than 31 years

By Nafisat Alao

AFTER MORE than 31 years, Tex

Thomas, owner of the Pro League Sports store on Queen Street East, is moving his store out of the Beach.

His new store will be located on the northwest corner of River Street and Dundas Street East, just west of the Don River.

He said he hopes to have the move completed by the end of August.

The business has been operating at 1957 Queen St. E. since October of 1991.

“It’s a store that was needed that we felt the neighbourhood would support, and they have,” Thomas told Beach Metro Community News in an interview at the store on Tuesday, July 11.

He mentioned that he is “pretty sad,” in terms of having to move his store out of the community.

Thomas said the move to a new location, after so many years on Queen Street East, can never feel the same as it did when he first

opened up in the Beach neighbourhood.

“It will never be the same feeling because there are a lot of people who have touched us and who we have touched by being here. You just hope you can provide in the new location what you provided in the old location and even more and hope that the friendships we have built here will continue moving onwards,” he said.

Thomas said that ever since his store has been open in the community, he has always received very good treatment from the customers and the community.

“The community has always treated us very well. Our toughest couple of years were our first year of opening just because you don’t know how the community is going to respond to a new business,” he said.

His business had been facing a challenge as the building his store had called home since he first opened up will be undergoing ma jor construction work as an addi

tion is being put on.

The upcoming construction means the building will no longer be usable for the lengthy period of time it will take to do the work and into the future. The situation put Thomas in a position where he had no option but to move his store.

“It’s an addition to the building and I just can’t have the space anymore,” he said in an earlier interview. “It’s not just the store, the tenants above have to go as well.”

Thomas has had a number of customers return to his store to pay their respects and thank him for the kindness and love they have received from him ever since they began shopping, sometimes as kids and now as parents with their own children.

Before the move from the Beach, Thomas will be having a farewell sale at the store from July 21 through to the 28. For more on Pro League Sports and to keep up to date on the moving plans and final

Pukonen has travelled more than 73,000 kilometres in the journey that saw him walk, cycle, pogostick, ski, paddle, row and sail.

He left his home in the Beach at the age of 33 to start the journey, and had not been back to Canada again until he crossed the Rainbow Bridge into Niagara Falls on July 2.

He said he was overwhelmed with emotion when he crossed over back into Canada. The last time he had been in his home country was in March of 2016 when left Victoria, B.C. and headed south to San Francisco.

“It was a special moment to see the (Niagara) Gorge and see Canada again. It really brought back to me all that was happening and had happened,” said Pukonen in an

interview on Monday, July 10, on a bench in Balmy Beach Park at the foot of Silver Birch Avenue — the street he grew up on.

He said he had to wait in line with vehicles crossing the border, and was wondering what kind of reception he would get from the Canada Border Services Agency. Pukonen said he talked to the agent in the booth who was a bit taken aback to hear of his travels and how long he had been away.

“I think he was a bit surprised to hear it, but he saw all the stamps in my passport,” said Pukonen.

And then, just like that, Pukonen was back in Canada.

“I got around the corner and stopped the bike and I just started crying. It was pretty emotional,” he said.

Also emotional was his return on July 8 to the place where the journey started. Many friends, family and supporters joined Pukonen as he walked the final leg along the Boardwalk from Ashbridges Bay Park to the Balmy Beach Club.

“I was in a daze,” said Pukonen of those final steps of the journey.

“Yeah, it was very surreal and felt very emotional to wrap up the trip where it started eight years

Continued on Page 2

Memorial service on July 22 marks five years since Danforth Shooting

By Alan Shackleton

THIS SATURDAY, July 22, will mark five years since the Danforth Shooting that took the lives of two people and injured 13 others.

A memorial ceremony in honour of those impacted by the shooting on the night of July 22, 2018, in the busy area of Danforth and Logan avenues is planned for this coming Saturday.

Killed in the Danforth Shooting were Reese Fallon, 18, a recent graduate of Malvern Collegiate; and Julianna Kozis, 10, of Markham. Thirteen other people were also injured after being shot in the incident. The shooter also took his own life that night after being confronted by police in the area.

PHOTO: ALAN SHACKLETON

Journey ends where it started at Balmy Beach

‘Beacher’ from Page 1 ago. It felt right though because I had the same buddy with me who I started out with in the canoe. There was a crowd of people with us then and we were playing the same song as when we left.”

The song was Around The World by Daft Punk. The buddy is Rein Tammemagi who joined Pukonen in the canoe on the first day of the journey in 2015 as they paddled away from the Balmy Beach Club.

Tammemagi also paddled with Pukonen across Lake Ontario from St. Catharines to Humber Bay Park in Etobicoke on July 5.

After a couple of days rest, Pukonen then began his final walk east across Toronto early on the morning of July 8. He said noticed a number of changes in his first walk in Toronto in eight years. “The skyline has certainly gotten bigger and there’s a lot more buildings,” said Pukonen.

“The Boardwalk and the Balmy Beach Club are the same. This is a beautiful spot here,” he said.

One of the first things he did when arriving back at Balmy Beach was to brush some sand off the plaque in front of the tree planted in memory of his mother. That was also part of the emotion

of the day, said Pukonen.

So why did he do it? And how?

Pukonen, who grew up in the Beach and attended Balmy Beach Junior Public School, Glen Ames Senior Public School, and Malvern Collegiate, said the death of his father Erkki made him evaluate the priorities in his life. His father died of cancer when Pukonen was 26. His mother Margaret had died of cancer when Pukonen was only five years old.

“When he told me he was going to die, I decided on this trip because that’s what I would want to be doing if I was told I was dying,” he said.

Pukonen wanted the journey to help promote and support non-profit environmental and social justice organizations. That led to the creation of the Routes of Change website, which is where information and fundraising for organizations during his journey was coordinated. The website is at https://routesofchange.org

One of the many groups supported through Routes of Change is Prevent Cancer Now, and it is especially important to Pukonen as both his parents died of cancer.

He said his sense of adventure came from his parents. “My mother had spent time

in Africa as a nurse, and had hitchhiked across the Sahara.”

His dad came to Canada at the age of five from Estonia. “They both loved to travel and were very athletic.”

His father also taught Pukonen to sail, a skill that would be crucially important for him on the journey.

“My dad was a sailor and I learned how to sail on Lake Ontario. I was confident in my sailing abilities when I started. I certainly knew the basics,” said Pukonen.

On leaving North America, he sailed from San Francisco to Hong Kong on a 30-foot boat with one other person who was an expert sailor. Pukonen said he learned everything he needed to know about ocean sailing then.

And Pukonen already had extensive experience being on the ocean in a boat as he was part of a team of four rowers that attempted to cross the Atlantic Ocean from West Africa to Florida in 2013. “A sailboat is a much more comfortable way to travel in than a rowboat. Sailing was cakewalk compared to rowing,” he said.

While he often sailed with others, Pukonen also did a lot of solo sailing on his journey. He said the most challenging part was the entry and exit to marinas and harbours since he could not use a motor.

He said being alone on those long solo sails was not

a problem beyond the danger of going overboard. “I can be by myself for months on end,” said Pukonen.

He said the portions of his journey he considered the most challenging was cycling in India and Nepal on roads with no shoulders and unstable surfaces with lots of sand and gravel on them.

“The toughest by far was cycling on roads and dealing with people who were driving. I had nothing to fear in the ocean compared to that…I have spent so much time around vehicles and have seen how dangerous they are,” he said.

Pukonen said the portion he considered the most dangerous from a personal safety point of view was walking

The Appalachian Trail in the United States. Pukonen did not hike the entire trail as he left it to cycle west to the Canadian border.

What many might have thought to be the biggest challenge, the COVID-19 pandemic, proved to have little impact. He said he had determined the journey would take between five and 10 years, and the timing of the pandemic was when Pukonen was planning to take a break at an Ashram in India.

He said his best memories are of the many people (both near and far) who helped him. “I’ve had a lot of support from people I just met. It was the kindness of strangers around the world. They would offer me places to sleep and feed me. It was often the poorest people around the world who were the most caring and giving.”

Pukonen pointed out the journey’s purpose was not to make money for himself, or to be a major fundraiser for other organizations, but to raise awareness and support for the “unsung” heroes of the planet. “This hasn’t paid me anything, but it has been a dream,” he said.

For even more details on Pukonen’s journey, see the story on our website at www. beachmetro.com

PHOTO: SUSAN LEGGE Markus Pukonen, joined by supporters, walks the final leg of his eight-year journey around the world on Saturday, July 8.

Arrest made in shooting death of woman hit by stray bullet while walking in Leslieville A

A 32-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested and charged with second degree murder in the shooting death of an innocent bystander who was walking in the Queen Street East and Carlaw Avenue area on the afternoon of Friday, July 7.

The shooting took the life of Karolina Huebner-Makurat, 44, a Leslieville mother of two young daughters who was hit by a stray bullet at approximately 12:30 p.m. on July 7 and died later that afternoon in hospital. She was a completely innocent victim of the shooting, police said.

The daylight shooting in a crowded area, which took place after an altercation between three men near the intersection, shocked the entire city.

Police announced the arrest in a news release on July 13. Damian Hudson, 32, of Toronto is charged with second degree murder.

Police alleged there was dispute between three men near Queen and Carlaw and two of the men “brandished handguns and discharged them at each other.”

Police are continuing to look for the other two men involved in the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Homicide Squad at 416-808-7400, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 or online at www.222tips.com

A GoFundMe page has been set up in Huebner-Makurat’s memory to help support her husband and daughters ages 4 and 7. “Caroline loved life and was instant friends

with everyone she met. Her great sense of humour always lightened up all situations. She was a kind soul, always eager to lend a helping hand,” said the organizers of the GoFundMe page.

So far the campaign has raised more than $269,000. Those wishing to contribute to the GoFundMe campaign can do so at www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-karolinahuebnermakurat

In her most recently newsletter, TorontoDanforth Councillor Paula Fletcher said the shooting was “a heartbreaking tragedy” that has “left her family devastated and our community shaken to the core.”

Safety concerns in the community regarding the South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) and its Safe Injection Site, located across the street from the shooting, and the role people around it may have played in the incident have been strongly expressed recently.

“While the Health Centre and its programs are provincially funded and not city-run, I’ve done and will continue to do everything I can to help address the local concerns,” said Fletcher in her newsletter. “This includes working to ensure a strong relationship between SRCHC, the residents and the Toronto Police Service.”

A vigil was held Monday (July 17) for Huebner-Makurat at Jimmie Simpson Park. The vigil took place after Beach Metro Community News’ presstime.

challenges and life transitions

Deja Views

Main Street and Kingston Road in 1954

By David Van Dyke

The intersection of Kingston Road and Main Street has changed so much since James Victor Salmon took this image in 1954.

Today, these crossroads are mostly residential with two huge condo developments. But did you know that more than 100 years ago, it was the second busiest intersection in Toronto?

Did you also know that I am always hoping you will share your photos of the Beach with me? Please contact me at gdvandyke61@gmail.com

The Beach BIA’s outdoor summer movie nights set for Wednesdays at Kew Gardens

THE BEACH BIA’s summer outdoor movie nights in Kew Gardens park takes place this month and next.

During the summer, movies will be shown on Wednesday nights at the park, which is located at 2075 Queen St. E., just west of Lee Avenue.

The family-themed movies will begin screening at sunset on Wednesdays and end by 11 p.m.

The movie set for the night of Wednesday, July 19, is Night at the Museum

The movie schedule for the outdoor

films at Kew Gardens for the remainder of this summer is as follows:

• Wednesday, July 19 – Night at the Museum

• Wednesday, July 26 – Top Gun

• Wednesday, Aug. 2 – Top Gun Maverick

• Wednesday, Aug. 9 – Wayne’s World

• Wednesday, Aug. 17 – The Sandlot

• Wednesday, Aug. 23 – Space Jam

• Wednesday, Aug. 30 – The Sound of Music

Those attending the movie nights at the park should bring their own lawnchairs or blankets for sitting on.

There will also be music, lawn games and snacks available at the outdoor movie nights in Kew Gardens.

For more information on the summer movie nights at Kew Gardens, and for other local activities that are being planned for the Queen Street East area of the Beach this July and August, please pay a visit to The Beach BIA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/makewaves.TO

Beaches International Jazz Festival includes StreetFest events in July

EVENTS AT the 35th annual Beaches International Jazz Festival will be continuing through until Sunday, July 30.

This coming weekend will feature performances at the TD Main Stage at Woodbine Park on July 20, 21, 22 and 23.

The following week sees the always popular StreetFest along Queen Street East in the Beach.

StreetFest times are from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., along Queen

Local Journalism Initiative

Amarachi Amadike is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for Beach Metro Community News. His reporting is funded by the Government of Canada through its Local Journalism Initiative.

Street East between Woodbine and Beech avenues, on July 27, 28, and 29.

Road closures will be in effect during StreetFest and

transit routes will be altered.

For more info on StreetFest and the Beaches International Jazz Festival, please go to www.beachesjazz.com

Festival of South Asia slated for July 29 and 30

THE FESTIVAL of South Asia is set for the weekend of July 29 and 30 at the Gerrard India Bazaar.

This is the 21st year for the festival, considered one of the largest South Asian street festivals in North America.

There will be stage performances, kids activities,

an arts and culture market, food, roving entertainers and much more.

The festival goes from noon to 11 p.m. on both July 29 and 30. The Gerrard India Bazaar is located between Coxwell and Glenside avenues. For more information, please visit www.facebook. com/festivalofsouthasia

The Two Fours welcome long weekend

LOCAL BAND The Two Fours will welcome the August long weekend with a show on Aug. 4 at The Dogfish Pub in Bluffers Park.

The Dogfish Pub, downstairs at Bluffers Restaurant, has become a weekend hot spot for lively music.

New operators, husband and wife team Peter Berbatiotis and Dina Giannakakis, took over last July. “We just want to keep it growing as a destination for weekend fun,” said Berbatiotis.

The Two Fours will follow

the precedent of well known local musicians such as Mike McKenna in keeping the place rocking.

The Two Fours “core four” are Susan Litchen, sax and flute; Wally Hucker, bass; Karen Gold, guitar and keys; and Mark Porter, drums.

The Aug. 4 show at The Dogfish Pub goes from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. The Two Fours will be joined on Aug. 4 by Mark Sepic, a Friday night regular at Bluffers Restaurant, after his own show from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Court Dog Gordon touched the lives of countless people

of time without being a distraction, which was one of the major concerns being expressed to me by those in the system.

teers until COVID forced us to stop in March of 2020.

GORDON WAS a truly exceptional dog.

First and foremost, he was my most faithful companion. He was born after the death of my husband Rick, who before he died, chose both his Kennel and call names.

More than anyone Rick knew I wanted to have a dog I could train to be the first dog in Ontario, other than a personal Service Dog, used as a Testimonial Aid in the criminal vourts where I worked with Victims of Violence.

Not only did Rick name Gordon, but he also chose him. Our girl Kelly was pregnant with her first litter. In the late stages of esophageal cancer, knowing he would not live to see the puppies, Rick told me I must be present at the birth and that I must chose the first boy to be my court dog.

He asked me to call him Gordon after a wonderful therapist we know whose specialty is traumatized people, and for his Kennel name, Legacy in Memories. “Everyone wants to leave behind a legacy they can be proud of,” said Rick. “Gordon will be mine.”

Rick died on May 26, 2009. Gordon was born on July 17. Out of a litter of eight he was the first boy.

The next six years I continued my mission to convince the criminal justice system of the benefits to the court process of having a trained, certified dog be an option for victims who faced the often retraumatizing task of testifying.

In the meantime, Gordon and I worked diligently to get him to the point he would be able to sit with a victim in court for long stretches

With the backing of my superiors in the Victims and Vulnerable Persons Division of the Ministry of the Attorney General, my co-workers at the Victim Witness Assistance Program (VWAP) in Brampton, the Brampton Crown’s office, and Peel Regional Police, along with the support of Therapeutic Paws of Canada who certified and insured us, in 2015 Gordon joined the VWAP staff as the first Court Dog in Ontario who was attached to a branch of the Attorney General. He even had a budget!

Over the next six years Gordon went on to set the precedent for the use of dogs as Testimonial Aids that have impacted cases in Ontario and beyond.

In November 2015 he was the first dog in Canada permitted to sit in open court with an adult victim. The following year he was the first dog in Canada permitted to sit with an adult testifying in the presence of a jury, a process that had become increasingly common in the United States but that many said would never be permitted in Canada.

Gordon’s court appearances resulted in two legal rulings supporting the use of dogs as Testimonial Aids. In 2016 Gordon and I were invited to present at the Superior Court Judge’s Annual Spring Conference in Ottawa regarding the use of Court Dogs in cases of human trafficking. In 2016 Gordon and I were honoured to be presented with the Prix Excelsior Award of Excellence in the Innovations Category by the Attorney General.

During his time at VWAP Gordon touched countless lives. Not

only those of his clients, but the entire criminal justice system in Peel. He truly became the mascot of the courthouse.

It was my practice to give each of Gordon’s clients a picture of him at the end of our first meeting. I called it ‘Gordon smiling’. I would tell them to keep it with them as a reminder that as worried or frightened as they were at the thought of having to return to court weeks, sometimes months later, they would know Gordon would be waiting for them. Inevitably when we saw them again, no matter how long it had been, one of the first things the client would do was produce their picture of Gordon.

“I still have it!” they would say and go on to tell me where they had kept it, usually a place where they would see it often. Some on their fridge, or bathroom mirror. One above her bed. “It’s the first thing I see when I wake up dreaming about court,” she said. “It helps calm me down.”

After 21 years I retired from VWAP at the end of 2019, but as Gordon had cases scheduled to be in court over the next several months, we went back as volun-

When we stopped there was one human trafficking case that had me especially worried. The young victim had relied heavily on Gordon at several prior court appearances, and I knew she would be extremely upset he would not be with her at the upcoming trial. One day, after the trial had started, I received an email from the VWAP worker supporting our victim. Attached was a picture taken during a break in proceedings. It showed the back of the victim, thus protecting her identity. She was testifying from a closed court via CCTV. She was sitting at counsel table. Laid out in front of her were court transcripts, a bottle of water and leaning against the microphone was the picture of Gordon. “You see,” said my former coworker. “Gordon’s still working.”

Like many of us, retirement did not sit well with Gordon. Even as his body slowed and getting around became increasingly difficult, he would still muster the energy to bring me a ball to throw, or to wrestle with JT, his younger brother.

As the restrictions concerning COVID relaxed, I decided to have JT certified as a Therapy Dog. As we were waiting to receive JT’’s vest, I obtained permission to use Gordon’s vest when we went out for visits. I noticed that every time I picked up the vest, no matter how tired or slow Gordon was, his head would come up, he would struggle to his feet and make his way to me, tail waving with the familiar glint in his eyes that said “Great, we’re working!” When he saw I was putting the vest on JT he would return to his favourite spot on the couch, curl up, and sigh.

Eventually I decided to leave

the vest in my car so when we left it would not be so clear to Gordon what we were doing. One day in my haste to leave I forgot and grabbed a vest from the closet. When I reached the van,, I realized the correct vest was there and I had mistakenly picked up Gordon’s court vest. I tossed the court vest in a corner of the van.

As time passed, Gordon’s s deterioration became increasingly evident. As difficult as it was I knew the time was coming, though as all of us who have been through this know, no matter how much time we have with them, it is never enough.

That last day, when I helped Gordon into the back of my van out of the corner of eye I saw a flash of red. It was Gordon’s court vest. I reached over and picked it up.

Exhausted from the effort it had taken to get from the house to the van, Gordon was lying with his eyes closed. Sensing my movement as I picked up the vest, he opened his eyes. Seeing what I was holding his tail thumped on the van floor. I placed the vest next to his head and he nestled against it and closed his eyes with a contented sigh.

Parked in front of the vet’s office I opened the back to help Gordon out. He pulled himself to his feet and looked at me expectantly.

“OK,”I said to him. “Why not.”

I lifted him to the sidewalk and bracing himself against my legs, Gordon stood as I put on his vest for the last time. As we walked slowly into the office, Gordon’’s head came up, his tail waved and he looked at me with that glint in his eyes. “Great, we’re working!”

Gordon, (Can Ch Labyrinth’s Legacy in Memories) died peacefully on June 13, 2023. He was a month shy of his 14th birthday.

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

PUBLISHER Susan Legge susan@beachmetro.com

EDITOR

Alan Shackleton (ext. 23) alan@beachmetro.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER

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PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Melinda Drake (ext. 27) melinda@beachmetro.com

ACCOUNTS MANAGER

Hope Armstrong (ext. 21) hope@beachmetro.com

CLASSIFIED AD/PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY LEAD

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NEXT ISSUE: Tuesday, August 22, 2023

ADVERTISING DEADLINE: 5 p.m., Monday, August 14

VOLUNTEER EXECUTIVE: Mary Beth Denomy, president; Desmond Brown, past president; David Morrow, vice president; Karen Cleveland, secretary; Doug Black, treasurer; Sheila Blinoff, special advisor.

Kathy Perry Guest Column

A photo of Gordon smiling.

Ontario is going in the wrong direction when it comes to renewable energy options

As smoke from the forest fires in Ontario and Quebec settled over Toronto last month, the climate crisis was top of mind for many.

The smoke emphasized the need for urgent action at all levels of society, from individuals to corporations to governments, to reduce emissions from fossil fuels and other sources that are rapidly warming our planet.

Unfortunately, the actions taken by the Ontario government of Premier Doug Ford continue to fall severely short of what climate science requires.

As individuals, we can make changes in our daily habits to lower our emissions.

My family, for example, recently switched from an oil furnace to an electric heat pump for heating and cooling our home, with support from Toronto’s Home Energy Loan Program and the federal Greener Homes Grant.

Many residents are working to lower their emissions in other ways, by using public transit, cycling and walking, driving electric vehicles, installing induction stoves, and other conservation initiatives.

The City of Toronto has also embarked on an ambitious plan, Transform TO, to reduce community-wide greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2040.

The positive effect of these efforts to reduce emissions are being undermined by the province, who is pushing

ahead with its short-sighted plan to increase gas-fired electricity production at six plants, including the Portlands Gas Plant in Toronto’s east end. Under the plan, Ontario will experience the biggest increase in gas-fired power in more than a decade.

According to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), seven per cent of Ontario’s power supply came from gas- and oil-fired power in 2020. Under Ford’s plan, this will rise to nearly 27 per cent by 2043 – a 600 per cent increase in our province’s carbon emissions.

Instead of investing in cost-effective renewable options such as wind and solar, energy storage, and energy efficiency – investments other jurisdictions across Canada and globally are already making – Ontario is going in the opposite direction.

In fact, IESO commissioned its own report (the Dunsky Report) which shows Ontario can forgo more gas burning and meet increased demand by rapidly scaling up renewable energy. We can also avoid burning more gas by reinstituting canceled contracts with Quebec to import its surplus hydroelectricity during the summer.

In addition to the ecological and global impacts of increased greenhouse gas emissions, there are direct human impacts of the Ford government’s plan.

Burning fossil gas produces nitrogen oxides, which decreases air quality and

increases respiratory problems for people who live near the plants, especially the elderly, children, pregnant people, and those with underlying health conditions.

This short-sighted plan also comes with financial risks. While the Ford government writes guaranteed contracts for expanded production with plant operators, the federal government is currently drafting its Clean Electricity Regulations (CER), which seek to achieve a zero-carbon electricity grid by 2035. If the federal government’s CERs require the closure of these expanded gas plants, Ontario taxpayers will be on the hook for these expensive contracts.

The Ford government continues to implement policies that work against our individual and collective efforts to address the climate crisis, policies that will exacerbate the effects of a warming planet, and ultimately cost us more in both economic and human health terms.

We need to push back against this plan by contacting our federal MPs to support the release of strong Clean Electricity Regulations, our provincial MPPs to insist on a different path, and our local city councillors to oppose increased gas-powered electricity production in Toronto.

Corey Helm East End Resident and Member of For Our Kids Toronto

Riverdale Arts and Crafts Show set for August

weekend’s Taste of the Danforth celebrations.

Show hours on the Friday are from 6 to 9 p.m. Show hours on the Saturday are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and show hours on the Sunday are from 1

rban Renewals

p.m. to 5 p.m. The church is located on the southeast corner of Danforth and Hampton avenues, near the Chester Subway Station.

For more information, please go to www.stbarnabas-toronto.com

We Sell Ontario

Civic Holiday

Community Calendar

JULY 22: Historic Walk with Beach Metro News history columnist Gene Domagala, 1 p.m. Tour the East Danforth Avenue area, beginning at the northwest corner of Danforth and Woodbine Ave. The walk with travel east toward Dawes Rd.

JULY 29, 30: TD Festival of South Asia along Gerrard St. E., (between Coxwell Ave. and Glenside Ave.), 12 noon-11 p.m. Featuring main stage performances, kid’s zone, arts and culture market, participatory workshops and activities, roaming entertainers, food and clothing stalls. The festival puts the “bazaar” back into the Gerrard India Bazaar. Presented by the Gerrard India Bazaar BIA.

AUG 7: Civic Holiday Event at RCL Branch 11, 9 Dawes Rd., club room 1-7 p.m. Entertainment: DJ - Lester 2-6:30 p.m. Dinner at 4 p.m. MENU: steak, baked potato, salad, corn on the cob & dessert @ $25 p/p (ticket cut off Friday, Aug. 4), NOTE: a meal ticket is not required to come out and enjoy the day! Meal tickets sold at the bar or contact Sandra Durham 647-409-4219

AUG. 11-13: Riverdale Art Show & Sale at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, 361 Danforth Ave., Friday 6-9 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 1-5 p.m., during Taste of the Danforth. Original works from over 19 local artists. Info: www.stbarnabas-toronto.com

AUG. 19: Historic Walk with Beach Metro News history columnist Gene Domagala, 1 p.m. Meet at the Beaches Library at Queen St. E. and Lee Ave., and tour the Kew Gardens neighbourhood.

SEPT. 17: Terry Fox Run at Woodbine Beach, 1675 Lakeshore Blvd. E. Registration 8:30 a.m., run time 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 5 km walk/run, 10 km bike. Accessible for wheelchair, bicycle, rollerblades, dogs on leash. Info: https://run.terryfox.ca/3107

SEPT. 24: BIMBO Global Race by Dempster’s at Ashbridges Bay Park, 3k/5k/10 race. Family Event (3k walk/run)/Competitive (5k/10k race). Registration fee $10. Register at www.bimboglobalracebydempsters.com. Dempsters will donate 20 slices of bread to North York Harvest Food Bank for every registration. Info: hello@bimboglobalracebydempsters.com

BEACHES JAZZ FESTIVAL •July 20-23: TD Main Stage at Woodbine Park. Info: www.beachesjazz. com/tdweekend •July 27-29: Streetfest along Queen St. E. (Woodbine to Beech), 6-11 p.m. The street will close at 6 p.m., bands play from 7-11 p.m. Music, food trucks, vendors, and more. Info: www.beachesjazz. com/streetfest •July 28-30: OLG Weekend Series at Woodbine Park. Info: www.beachesjazz.com/olg

ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION, 243 Coxwell Ave. •July 22: BBQ. Sports and games day. Fun and prizes. Info: 416-465-0120

MOVIE NIGHTS IN THE PARK at Kew Gardens, Queen St. E. & Lee Ave., Wednesdays, sunset-11 p.m. •July 5: PAW

Patrol: The Movie •July 12: School of Rock •July 19: Night at the Museum •July 26: Top Gun •Aug. 2: Top Gun: Maverick •Aug. 9: Wayne’s World •Aug. 16: The Sandlot •Aug. 23: Space Jam •Aug. 30: TBA The Richards Group Selection COMMUNITY TAKEAWAY LUNCH - Thursdays at Beach United Church, 140 Wineva Ave., 11 a.m.-12 noon. Hunger does not stop for the summer, so we at Beach United are planning to continue to provide a takeaway lunch that will include a sandwich, a piece of fruit, and a baked treat. This is welcome to anyone in need of a nutritious meal. We would also very much appreciate your support towards our food programs - donate online at beachunitedchurch.com BEACH CITIZEN OF THE YEAR nominations are now open. Do you know someone who has worked hard to improve life in the Beach community? Nominate a local hero who has volunteered their time. Nomination forms available at www.centre55.com, or mail to Beach Citizen of the Year, Community Centre 55, 97 Main St., Toronto ON, M4E 2V6, or email to jade@centre55. com. Deadline for submissions is Friday, Sept. 1, at 5 p.m. Award ceremony to be held at Millennium Garden in the fall. Beach Citizen of the Year is a Community 55/Beach Lions Club/Beach Metro News initiative.

GRIEFSHARE PROGRAM at Bendale Bible Chapel, 330 Bellamy Rd. N., This 13-week program provides a platform to allow participants to process their own unique journey within a support group environment. Starting Sept. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. (the evening series) and Sept. 14 from 10 to noon (the morning series). Register at www.bendale.com. Workbooks are $25 and the program is free. Info: Cindy Westacott 416-431-1220. More info: www.griefshare.org

GARDENING GROUP MEETINGS at Beach United Church, 140 Wineva Ave., Thursday, Aug. 31 and Saturday, Sept. 16 from 8-10 a.m. New volunteers are

always welcome to our gardening group – no experience is required at all; both experienced gardeners and beginners are welcome! Meetings will happen rain or shine. More info at beachunitedchurch.com

FRIDAYS: GRANTFUL FOOD AND FELLOWSHIP

Food Bank and Soup Kitchen, 2029 Gerrard St. E., is open from 3:30-6 p.m. Registration is required. New clients must present identification for each household member. As of July 31, 2023, all food bank clients will be asked to sign their consent for the Daily Bread Food Bank to use their personal information. The information is used for research purposes to advocate for policies that benefit food bank clients. More information will be provided at the food banks. Links and info: www.grantame.com; email: grantamechurch@yahoo.ca; 416-690-5169 BEACHES MENTAL WELLNESS GROUP meets each Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Community Centre 55, 97 Main St. at Swanwick. Info: www.mentalwellness. help. Or join us most nights of the week on Zoom. Go to: https://www.meetup.com. Ask to join us: Mental Wellness Peer-to-Peer Support-Groups

GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS. If you or a family member are struggling with gambling, Gamblers Anonymous is there to HELP. Call: 1(855) 222-5542 or visit www.gatoronto.ca

A A at Community Centre 55, 97 Main St., Saturdays 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Info: 416-691-1113

AL- ANON at Community Centre 55, 97 Main St., Wednesdays 7:15 p.m. Alateen members are welcome to attend. Info: 416-691-1113

CHURCHES

GRANT AME CHURCH, 2029 Gerrard St. E., invites you to attend Sunday Worship Service every Sunday at 11 am in person or live streamed on Zoom and Facebook. Bible Study every Wednesday at 7 pm on Zoom. Join our prayer line every Wednesday for prayer from 11 am-12 noon. Links and info: www. grantame.com; email:grantamechurch@yahoo.ca.

ST. AIDAN’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, 2423 Queen St. E. at Silver Birch welcomes you to join us for Sunday worship at 9:30 am throughout the summer in person or on Zoom. Our energetic, active church offers varied opportunities for spiritual growth, vibrant Children’s and Music programs, Youth activities, and a strong commitment to action on social justice and environmental issues. Info: www.staidansinthebeach.com, 416-691-2222 FALLINGBROOK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 35 Wood Glen Rd. (at Kingston Rd.). Please join us on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. with Rev. Angela J. Cluney. All are welcome. There is a welcoming service. Join on Live Stream via Facebook or access Live Stream on our church website. For details about Wee Folks, Book Club, Tea Time, Hobby Circle and Bible Study, email fboffice@rogers.com or call 416-699-3084. See: www.fallingbrookpresbyterianchurch.com. Easy access by TTC. BEACHES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 65 Glen Manor Drive. (S of Queen). We are an inclusive and affirming congregation in the heart of the Beach. BPC has strong commitments to community service and social justice issues. We provide non-perishable food for those in need through our Free Food Pantry located outside the church building. Our Refugee Commitee has been in operation for many years helping families and individuals arrive and start a new life in Canada. On the 2nd Wednesday of every month we host a Coffee Outreach from 1-3 p.m., an opportunity for people in the neighbourhood to gather for coffee, snacks and fellowship. For a link to the services and more info please visit our website at www.beacheschurch.org or call 416-699-5871. Minister: The Reverend Katherine McCloskey 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. Info: https://stjohnsto.archtoronto.org/, 416-698-1105

BIRCHCLIFF BLUFFS UNITED CHURCH, 33 East Rd. (Warden Ave. & Kingston Rd.) Sundays @ 10:30 a.m. We are a diverse, open and inclusive Christian community. Join us on Sunday mornings. Our Music program offers special monthly Music Sunday services on the last Sunday of each month. Info: 416-694-4081, www.bbuc.ca

SALVATION ARMY EAST TORONTO, 107 Cedarvale Ave. Sunday Morning Worship, 11 a.m. Other activities include Over 60 program, Ladies Fellowship, Community Lunch, Men’s Breakfast, Scrapbooking, Bible Study. Venue is wheelchair accessible. Info: 416-467-7416

proudly presented by Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford

Black Lives Here

A reflection on three years of writing Black Lives Here and the impact it has had

MiMi LiLiefeLdt mimi@missfit.ca

July 2023 marks the three-year anniversary of this column, Black Lives Here. As I sat down to write this, I wondered what have we accomplished? How do we measure the meaning of this work? More importantly, what impact has been made?

In order to answer these questions, I needed to speak to the Black Lives Here community and the people that support us.

For our past interviewees, the first question I asked was if they felt that people got to know them better and how they responded when they heard the more difficult parts of their story.

Barb Nahwegahbow, an Indigenous artist who shared her story with us back in May 2022 said, “It was important to share my story to the depth that I did, in the interest of helping people understand what one Indigenous person, Indigenous woman has gone through.”

“Some friends said they’d had no idea what I’d been through. I didn’t find that people went into detail about their reactions. I don’t think it’s because it didn’t affect them. I think they just didn’t know how to react,” Barb reflected.

Tex Thomas, my first ever interview and owner of the soon to be moving (to 136 River St.) Pro League Sports said, “People were shocked and surprised that things like that (racist remarks) still happen in this day and age. Some apologized that I went through that.”

Nella Cramer, nurse, and Reiki practitioner from Barbados said, “I did feel people got to know me after my column came out. I got so many acknowledgements from people saying they didn’t know certain things about me and seemed genu-

inely interested and curious to hear more.”

Nella also said, “In sharing our stories we bond with others who share some of the same struggles and triumphs, we form friendships this way too.”

During the course of writing this column, I have shared many of my own experiences and perspectives, and I’ve found what Nella references to be true; in bonding through shared difficulties, we do find kinship.

This has been one of the most unexpected and gratifying things to come out of this endeavor for me.

I’m amused that I didn’t see it coming since the whole point of this column was to ultimately bring people closer together through sharing stories and developing connections.

Helping people feel seen and heard is rewarding, but what about the readers?

Why do they keep reading and what significance has this column had for them?

Alison Collison, therapist at Pape Therapy Centre said, “As a human, I think it

is my responsibility to be informed and educated about our world, our community, and the people I share this world with. I am capable and able to do this, so it would be completely irresponsible (and arrogant) not to.”

She also shared, “This column has enlightened me. It has made issues of racism more personal, by bringing personal stories right to our doorsteps, you CAN’T ignore it.”

Chad McMullan, owner of Rock Solid Productions said, “Yes, it (the column) has enlightened me by showing me the specific personal struggles that racialized people have endured, hard examples of what they have been through. . . I did not expect to be touched so deeply by the wide-ranging experiences brought forth. I know the system is broken, and the articles continue to enlighten me as to how it is more broken than I realized.”

Doug Gore, lead partnership development at the Ontario Trillium Foundation

Continued on Page 10

PHOTO: MIMI LILIEFELDT

Left-to-right, Tex Thomas (owner of Pro League Sports Collectibles); Doug Gore (avid reader and supporter of Black Lives Here); and Nella Cramer (nurse and Reiki practitioner).

We

to let racism hold us captive; call it out and stand in truth

had this to say about why the column is important and how it has helped enlighten him. “Large scale social change, requires individual behaviour change. . . These are personal stories that ground the issues of systemic racism in the experiences of real people. It’s not abstract, this sh*t is real.”

“One of my big takeaways, maybe the most profound, was the broad spectrum of experiences and perspectives from the people in the articles,” said Doug. “As a society, I think we tend to presume that experiences of racism and the corresponding reactions of the oppressed are homogeneous. They’re not.”

Over the course of these past three years, I have interviewed 30 people, and though there have been some similar experiences, homogeneous they were definitely not. Each person came to the conversation with their own wide range of obstacles and joys.

What might be forgotten when we’re busy categorizing and labelling individuals is that though we all have moments, some darker than others, we also have joy, love, happiness, and dreams. These are the things that keep us going and motivated when the pressures and barriers of systemic racism feel like too much to bear.

The hope is that through our persistent efforts we

make lasting, meaningful change. Part of making those changes is ownership of the truths we often would rather gloss over.

As an Indigenous woman, Barb responded with this to say about societal changes, “I think the tide started to turn after the discovery of the remains of the 215 children in the mass grave at a B.C. residential school. People somehow needed that physical evidence as proof that Indigenous people in this country (our homelands) have been treated as less than human. . . I think more people are willing to own up to their ignorance about Indigenous people and issues and their need to learn. First steps – learning the truth.”

For Tex, a man who’s made his career on and off the field, he highlighted the social awareness and responsibility a lot of major league sports teams and organizations have taken around issues of racism.

This is significant because as much as we the people are learning to be proactive and call out racism, it’s the folks in power who have the resources and influence that need to invest in structural and systemic changes, in other words lasting changes.

For our readers they saw this column and efforts like it as a catalyst for change.

Doug said, “I’m encouraged by personal efforts to educate and make change,

less so on changing attitudes of the general public. The former can be addressed immediately, the latter is long-term.”

Ruthie Edlestein, a selfemployed mediator, said: “Your column has been impactful. To the people whose stories you’ve faithfully rendered and insightfully contextualized, to the readers whose world you’ve expanded. I believe work like yours will be a testament to people taking action for change.”

As much as I am encouraged by these words, I am hyper conscious of the fact that we have a long way to go and much more to do. The sad truth is, when you’re not confronted on a daily basis (directly or indirectly) by being Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Colour, it’s all too easy to just forget about it.

Racism is a drag. It drags down everyone from the people affected by it to the ones who deny it and those who wholly stand by their racist beliefs. But we don’t have to let racism hold us captive, we can call it out and stand in our truth.

It is only when you can admit that something exists within you, that you can start the process of freeing yourself from it. No matter what side of racism you find yourself on, the reality is that it persists. I have been moved and educated by the determination and

Historic walking tour

authenticity that so many people have shared with me through their stories. I can only measure the impact of this work by the pride I see in the faces of those whose lives I’ve written about and the readers who have reached out to thank me when they feel they have learned something through these connections.

So, for me personally, this means I must press on. I will continue to do the work in every way I can to unwind my own biases and make this corner of the world, our beautiful Beach neighbourhood, as welcoming as possible for everyone.

Dear reader and anyone who has supported me in the last three years of writing this column, I want to say thank you. I write it because I really hope that hearing these voices, and my own, will help foster more understanding and closeness in our community.

I will be taking a small hiatus and returning with the column in October.

If you know a BIPOC member of our neighbourhood that would be willing to share their story I hope you’ll encourage them to reach out to me. The more voices we hear, the more perspectives we will have and that benefits all of us.

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

of Danforth Avenue area slated for July 22

LOCAL HISTORIAN and Beach Metro Community News columnist Gene Domagala will host an historic walking tour of the East Danforth Avenue area on the afternoon of Saturday, July 22.

The walk is presented by The Beach and East Toronto Historical Society.

The July 22 walk begins at 1 p.m. and participants are asked to meet at the northwest corner of Danforth and Woodbine avenues.

The walk will then head eastwards towards Dawes

Rd. To be noted along the walk will be historic church buildings and the sites of a number of former theatres.

In August, Domagala will lead an historic walk of the Kew Gardens area in the Beach. That walk is set for Saturday, Aug. 19, starting at 1 p.m. Participants are asked to meet at the Beaches Branch Library on Queen Street East, just west of Lee Avenue.

For more information, please visit www.TBETHS. com

Art submissions sought for Neighbourhood Gallery

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Gallery invites local artists to be part of its space for the 2023-24 season.

The gallery, located in the Neighbourhood Unitarian and Universalist Congregation building at 310 Danforth Ave., is interested in exhibiting emerging or established artists who have two-dimensional works. Themes related to nature, human condition, beloved community, inclusivity, spirituality, social justice, art as a spiritual practise (this can be a broad spectrum of subject matter, landscape, still life, portraits, abstraction) are being sought.

As the gallery is in a sacred space where people of Unitarian Universalist and

Jewish faith’s worship; the work needs to be of a nature that is “life affirming” and “beautiful.”

Media can include; drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, photography, textiles, low relief sculpture, and encaustic.

The congregation hopes to host two to three shows this coming year. Shows tend to be eight to 11 weeks in length. If interested, please send 5 to 10 jpegs all under 1MG each from a series, to Lauren Renzetti at mckinleyrenzetti@gmail.com

Submission should include an artist’s statement, resume, a list of works with title, artists name, size of work in inches, media used, year created and price.

don’t have

Beacher Jamie Campbell on his “oops” cancer diagnosis, sports

By Alan Shackleton

Jamie Campbell first got to know the Beach as a teenager coming in from his home in Oakville to visit a sports card shop on Queen Street East.

“I would save up my money from my paper route, jump on the GO train and then take the streetcar along Queen. I’d know I was close when I got to the old racetrack,” he said in a recent interview with Beach Metro Community News

“It was a stop past that monstrosity of a grandstand that was the racetrack. And now, that’s the neighbourhood I live in,” said Campbell, 56, who has been a Beach area resident for more than 25 years now.

The sports card store Campbell used to visit as a teenager was at Queen Street East and Kenilworth Avenue. “That was the only place you could get the Topps American baseball cards. It was O-Pee-Chee baseball cards in Canada.”

Most readers will know Campbell as the host of Blue Jays Central on Sportsnet, and his long broadcasting connection with the Blue Jays. He called the play-by-play of the team’s games on Sportsnet from 2005 to 2009, and then took over as host of what was then the new pre-game show called Blue Jays Central.

What many might not know is he got his sports broadcasting start in the late 1980s and early 1990s working on Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) games at Maple Leaf Gardens.

“I was still in high school when I first applied to Hockey Night in Canada,” said Campbell.

“They said come on in and I dressed up in the only suit I had and sat down with two guys. They said they appreciated my enthusiasm, but they didn’t hire high school students. They said come back when I was older, so I got into broadcasting at Ryerson (now Toronto Metropolitan University)

and I was one of the youngest people with Hockey Night in Canada.”

Campbell said it was a great job for a young person who was as big a sports fan as he was, giving him the chance to meet and work with some hockey legends during a time of change at Hockey Night in Canada in the late 1980s.

“It was 1988 and the year before there was a big controversy as Dave Hodge (the host of Hockey Night in Canada games for many years) had thrown his pen while on the air.”

Looking back more than 35 years ago that hardly seems much when it comes to the way some sports (and news) broadcasters behave on air now, but Hodge’s throwing of the pen in 1987 and his on-air live criticism of CBC Sports (that produced Hockey Night in Canada) became a controversy across the country and he was soon out as host.

Hodge was replaced by a young Ron McLean who quickly established a popular partnership with former coach Don Cherry, that resulted in decades of the popular Coach’s Corner segment on Hockey Night in Canada before Cherry also found himself in trouble for on-air behaviour. Which is another story.

But back in 1988, one of Campbell’s main jobs on HNIC was to keep McLean and Cherry happy.

“They gave me a blue blazer and I had to do several things including getting whatever Ron and Don needed. I also had to hand the referees the beepers before the game that would let them know when it was time for TV commercial timeout,” remembered Campbell.

At intermission it was also his job to stop the player who was going to be interviewed on Hockey Night in Canada between the periods. Campbell said that was fine when it was a Leafs player as the HNIC studio was literally across the hall from the dressing room, but the visitor dressing room was at the end of the rink and the player being interviewed from the visiting team had to skate all the way up the ice and back to get to the studio. The players were not interviewed rink side like they are now.

Campbell also had the responsibility of helping to get each game’s Three Stars organized and ready to skate on the ice when their name was called. Again, the Leafs players didn’t mind it so much but visiting players generally had little interest in the Three Stars at Maple Leaf Gardens, said Campbell. And it was his job to tell the visitors they had skate out onto the ice for the Three Stars.

“And remember the Leafs were terrible back then so some nights all Three Stars were from the visiting team and I had to stop all of them. One night I had to tell (Wayne) Gretzky, (Grant) Fuhr, and (Paul) Coffey they had to wait. I’m telling Gretzky he has to skate on the ice for the Three Stars. I loved it.”

Campbell also had other sports broadcasting experiences with the CBC as his career continued. He worked on the popular CBC Sports Weekend hosted by legendary broadcaster Brian Williams, and eventually caught on to a full-time position with the Edmonton CBC station in 1993.

“It was a chance to be on air, and I drove out to Edmonton in my Honda Prelude with everything I owned. I’d never been to Edmonton before.”

Campbell said the years in Edmonton were great, even though the glory days of the NHL Edmonton Oilers were already in the past by the time he arrived.

“The Eskimos (the CFL team now called the Edmonton Elks) were a championship team then, and the Triple-A baseball team was the Trappers and they were the farm team for the Florida Marlins. That was a fantastic place to be. The University of Alberta was right there, there were community colleges and high school sports,” he said.

“At the CBC, as the public broadcaster, we were more inclined to tell the stories that were local and about amateur sports and didn’t cover the pros as much. We weren’t close to being the ratings leader because we didn’t tell stories about the pro teams, but it was a great way to learn the craft of sports journalism,” said Campbell.

After four years, Campbell left Alberta in the same Honda Prelude he’d arrived in to take a job at CJOH in Ottawa. That station was run by CTV and its sportscaster James Duthie was about to leave to take a job with TSN. “They were in need of a sports commentator to replace him, and I had been wanting to come back to Ontario so the time was right,” remembered Campbell.

The sports scene in Ottawa was also hot in 1997 with the Ottawa Senators starting to emerge as a playoff team and the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx baseball team (farm team for the Montreal Expos) in town.

“There was Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, the Ottawa

67s and Gatineau Olympique (Major Junior also head down to do stories on the Expos Campbell said he saw himself spending ing career in Ottawa. But then he was 1998.

He was asked out for lunch by a man and Sportsnet executive, who would go he wanted Campbell to join Sportsnet on the scene. Campbell said he told him in Ottawa.

“I had really just went to meet him for bered Campbell. “I said no thanks. I loved He then handed me a napkin and a pen salary. I did, and he took it and wrote I wrote down…What Scott wrote was him, ‘I guess I’m going to Toronto.’”

The move back to the Greater Toronto sports broadcasting career, but not his

He was on the show Sports Central Brad Fay, both of whom had or still have

“It was a late-night highlight show, and said Campbell. “We would get out of the hours.”

He was living on Wineva Avenue in hours were taking a toll. “I got to a point said.

At that time both Sportsnet and TSN Agincourt, just west of McCowan Road

There was intense competition between broadcasters at the time, as there still Sportsnet personnel would be getting at the same time, and we weren’t wanted Campbell does not look back fondly really and I’m glad they’re over.”

Eventually Sportsnet was sold by CTV Rogers studios at Jarvis and Bloor streets.

“I stuck it out and it got better I’m glad That was especially true once Campbell Sportsnet’s coverage of Blue Jays baseball, before it went on to obtain Hockey Night 2013.

He enjoyed travelling around North the Jays’ play-by-play voice, and Campbell Buck Martinez was tasked to take over Campbell focussed on the positives in

PHOTO: KADEN CAMPBELL

Blue Jays Central sports broadcaster Jamie Campbell has lived in the Beach community for decades, and can’t imagine calling anywhere else home.

Jamie Campbell is the host of Blue has been involved in sports broadcasting

sports broadcasting and the importance of helping others

the pre-game show including the impact to his home life in the Beach and his young family. “It was definitely a move that benefitted my family life.”

He has two teenage sons, Kaden and Jack. Raising them with his now ex-wife is his main priority, said Campbell.

And living in the Beach is the perfect place for both kids and adults, he said.

“I just love it. The line of work I’m in, I can’t own a cottage but living in this neighbourhood is like being at one. The lake is right there, the Boardwalk and you just dip your feet in the lake…”

He said the Beach is his favourite part of the city hands down.

So things were close to ideal for Campbell, and then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived (along with cancer diagnosis less a year later) and his life was turned upside down.

He called the revelation that he had Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) an “oops diagnosis.”

Campbell had taken a blood test for reasons that weren’t related to him feeling run down or that he had any kind of medical condition in early January of 2021.

“It was Jan. 11, 2021. I had gone to see my physician a week earlier but not to scan for cancer, it was for a check-up and a blood test,” he remembered. “I saw the doctor’s name on my phone and wondered why she was calling…She told me it appeared I had Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia… I didn’t even know what that meant…the only word I heard was leukemia.”

He said it was a frightening experience, especially since the doctor told him to go to an Emergency Room immediately to get it confirmed. And indeed Campbell had CLL.

life differently and I appreciate it more…I look back and I think I’ve been given a gift of greater perspective and the importance of maximizing the time I spend with people and seeing all experiences more clearly.”

But even before that, during the first year of COVID-19 and prior to his diagnosis, Campbell was already reaching out to baseball fans across the country who were missing the broadcasts of the Blue Jays games and feeling isolated.

“Even before the pandemic I’d be in places across this country and people would come up to me and say ‘Oh, my grandmother loves you.’ I always used to say ‘You got a cell phone? Let’s call her.’ And in an instant I’m on the phone with someone I’ve never met and they’re thrilled because they’ve been watching me for years,” he said.

Campbell said he knew fans would be missing not just watching the games being played during the pandemic but everything around the television broadcasts including Blue Jays Central.

“The people who would be really greatly impacted during 2020 were seniors and people who were isolated. They would be people who would be vulnerable from a health perspective so the risk of them trying to stay social was much greater than for someone younger. I also knew that a sizeable portion of our audience for baseball was 65 and older.”

Many of those fans would be life-long followers of the Jays, jumping in right from the team’s very first season back in 1977 and growing with them towards the back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. “Baseball got that hold on them,” said Campbell.

Junior hockey teams)…and we would Expos in Montreal.”

spending the rest of his sports broadcastmade an offer he couldn’t refuse in man named Scott Moore, then a CTV go on to head up Sportsnet. Moore said in Toronto, which was still quite new him he wasn’t interested and he liked it for lunch out of courtesy,” rememloved Ottawa and I loved my life there. pen and told me to write my current a number on it that was triple what more than I had ever seen. I said to

Toronto Area was great for Campbell’s his personal life.

with partner Mike Toth and then have connections to the Beach. and it just killed the rest of my life,” the studio at 2 a.m. or later. I hated the the Beach at the time and the late point where I just couldn’t stand it,” he TSN operated out of the CTV studios in Road on the north side of the 401. between the country’s two sports-only is, said Campbell. “Both TSN and their make-up on in the same room wanted there.”

on that time. “They were awful days CTV to Rogers and the show moved to streets. glad to say,” he said.

Campbell became more involved with baseball, a staple of the broadcaster

Night in Canada rights from the CBC in America calling baseball games as Campbell said he was disappointed when over those duties in 2010. However, the situation that saw him moving to

However, he said he soon learned some facts about CLL that helped to reassure him.

“It’s terrifying to get a phone call like that, but it didn’t take long for me to be reassured by people that would know that the treatment for this type of leukemia is very good,” said Campbell. “I remember somebody saying: ‘If you have to get leukemia, this is the one you want to get.’”

CLL is a blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow and is considered to be the most common form of leukemia in adults who live in the Western world. In some patients it progresses very quickly and in others it moves more slowly.

Canadian hockey legend Paul Henderson was diagnosed with CLL in 2009 and has been undergoing treatment for it since 2013. Henderson turned 80 in January of this year.

Campbell said Henderson was an inspiration for him as he looked to others who had CLL, and he learned more about it and its survival rate.

“It was a year and two months after I got the diagnosis that I had to begin treatment. It’s very slow moving. You don’t actually treat it until it needs to be treated,” said Campbell.

Making his cancer diagnosis public

Campbell said he never planned to keep his diagnosis secret, but wanted to wait until treatment began before making it public in March of last year.

“When it came in March of 2022 we were weeks away from Opening Day. Before that there had been no need to make it public,” he said. “But now I had lymph nodes exploding in my armpits. I was fatigued. I was getting night sweats. I didn’t think I was going to be able to make it out of bed for Opening Day, so I figured the first chance I get to publicize it I should. Just in case people were to turn on their TV and I’m not there because I couldn’t get out of bed.”

Campbell said he felt it was important to let people know what was going on to help them learn about CLL and what it means to those diagnosed with it.

“If I really can live with this thing for 20 or 30 years, maybe I should be a beacon for other people who would get it…For men and women who get this diagnosis, it won’t take them long to figure out they can flip on their TV and see a guy who was living visually with it… I could use my platform as a Blue Jays broadcaster; they would see me showing up and doing well.”

He pointed out that fellow Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez was doing the same thing after being treated for neck and throat cancer.

Campbell said in many respects, the diagnosis of CLL and his journey of treatment for it has been “a weird blessing.”

It has made him appreciate life, the importance of the relationships you have with others and how you treat people.

“This form of cancer, for me, it has altered my life in a positive way. I see

He said with the help of Rogers he set up a second phone at home to reach out to as many fans as he could during the pandemic. “I put something online and said if your parents or grandparents are feeling isolated, forward me the name and phone number and I’ll call as many as I can.”

Keeping in touch with baseball fans across Canada

He said the Jays broadcasts were shut down too and the calls were a “debt of gratitude” to the fans as it also helped keep him engaged with the community that is Blue Jays fans across Canada.

“It was one of those things where you start a little project and it ends up paying you back. I got on the phone with people from across the country…

“I spoke to a guy on Vancouver Island who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour 12 years ago and told he had four months to live, and there I was talking to him. I talked to a woman in Saskatchewan who was 104 and had also gone through the Spanish Flu pandemic.”

He also spoke with a lot of people in Nova Scotia after the mass shooting that took the lives of 22 people on April 18 and 19 of 2020.

Campbell spoke with the children of a couple who had been killed in the shooting – Greg and Jamie Blair who were big baseball fans. He was able, with the help of the Jays, Rogers, West Jet and others, to bring their children to a Jays game once the team was back playing in the Rogers Centre in 2022.

“I was talking to their oldest son, Tyler, and when we were on the phone he told me one of the things on his father’s bucket list was to be able to take the whole family, all four kids, to a Jays game,” said Campbell. “I said ‘You know what? I’m going to fill that bucket for you.’”

That showed Campbell once again that he could use the power of his high profile as a national sports broadcaster, and the connections that come with it, to find ways to help others.

One of the ways he does that now is by auctioning off the scorecards he fills out while covering Blue Jays games. The proceeds have gone to a number of groups including women’s and family shelters in remote or underserviced areas of Canada.

“I was never going to keep those scorecards, it was just something I had always done while watching games. But I put them online and people were interested in purchasing them. Normally I would have just put them in the blue bin, but I’ve found it helps raise money and can get people out of what can be terrifying circumstances..It can make things a little better for them and get them to a place of safety.”

Campbell said the scorecards people purchase also come with a handwritten letter of appreciation from him thanking the buyer for their support of the organization he donates the money to. “I make sure I sit down and write a personalized letter of thanks to them.”

For more on Campbell, and how to bid on the scorecards to help women’s and family shelters in communities across Canada, and other charitable organizations, please visit his Twitter page at @SNETCampbell.

PHOTO: JOE MCGRATH Blue Jays Central on Sportsnet. He broadcasting since the late 1980s.

EAST ON QUEEN STREET EAST

We’re

The Artisans

Neighbourhood Stops and Shops

Vault Mental Health open to serve the Beach community

By Ahmed Dirie

As local, national and global events bring into focus the need to prioritize mental health, business owner, mother and wife Jessica O’Connor returns to Toronto with her burgeoning practice, Vault Mental Health, to serve the Beach community.

Launched in Barrie, ON, last July before quickly expanding to O’Connor’s hometown of Whitby in September, Vault’s Toronto location opened its doors in April at 2234 Queen St. E., just above DeClute Real Estate.

Having established Vault in two areas that had a “pull” for O’Connor, being where she lives and where she grew up, the timing was right to expand into the Beach.

While O’Connor always envisioned bringing Vault to Toronto, the move reunited her with her extended family that resides in the Upper Beach neighbourhood and brings her husband, Matthew who grew up in Leaside, much closer to his family and downtown roots.

“The Beaches have been a bit of a hub and a space that my husband and I re-

ally aspire to live in,” said O’Connor. “We’re actually hoping to move back that way from Barrie. The Beaches has kind of always been our little date spot, close to family and where we truly see our family being in the long term. So when an opportunity presented itself it felt amazing and I thought

that I should try to jump in, get connected with the community in order to see if our lives could then grow there.”

When visiting the Beach, O’Connor always takes the opportunity to enjoy the water as well as to patronize the many shops and establishments lining both sides of Queen Street East.

In addition to its sights and ambience, some of the other draws of the community for O’Connor are its departure from the typical suburban lifestyle, its proximity to family as well as its diversity in contrast to Barrie.

“I love the opportunity to entrench my daughter with culture,” said O’Connor. “The Beaches is so rich with a diverse food, culture and community. With my mother-in-law living downtown still, it gives us an opportunity to really connect.”

O’Connor always had a penchant and passion towards mental health having previously worked at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

“I worked to see the staff’s wellness, while they were helping all their clients and patients,” said O’Connor. “I started to grow and form this idea of how important it really was to have that oneon-one kind of care.”

The insight gained from her time at CAMH led her to a career in social work before transitioning to private practice.

“As I was in private practice, I realized that I could

do so much more especially during the pandemic.”

Vault Mental Health caters to individuals, couples, children, youth and families on an extensive number of issues including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, isolation and loneliness, body image as well as grief and loss and much more.

“When we talk about the services, we do really offer them from a really young age, from children all the way up to more of the adult, elder population,” said O’Connor.

“With kids there’s a lot we can do but we get so much further by including their family,” she continued. “Having their family’s support and including them in the process we have seen so much more positive responses to therapy. Kids are at liberty most of the time to their family and the infrastructure, so it’s really nice to be able to work with kids.”

namics, said O’Connor.

“As a family, we can change our behaviours, our thought processes, our actions, the way that we speak to and communicate with ourselves and to one another, in order to help everyone, but in particular, help someone who’s really struggling,” said O’Connor.

“I’ve been seeing a lot of family dynamics coming forward, as well as couples.

I think, given the pandemic, it’s really been a bittersweet thing for people to say ‘This is my time here on this earth, how do I want to spend it? I want to make sure that I’m spending this time with the right person and being able to communicate the right way.’”

Vault also provides services to first responders. The mental health deterioration of first responders due to the stresses of their jobs is an issue that O’Connor is acutely familiar with.

As families become more involved in the process of maintaining their children’s mental health, it helps to take the pressure off the child or children which can be exacerbated by family dy- Continued on Page 15

Not only has she come across the issue in her prior work, her husband is a firefighter and her father, John Preiss, was a platoon chief in Markham who served for

PHOTO: SUBMITTED

Jessica O’Connor opened up her Vault Mental Health services office on Queen Street East in the Beach in April.

Canada Day celebrated with Ashbridges Bay fireworks

Neighbourhood Stops and Shops

Variety of services offered at Vault for children, adults

‘Vault’ from Page 14

30 years, and she has experienced the loss of a close friend whose unfortunate suicide was a result of PTSD acquired from his occupation.

“A lot of other people have come forward within the department in particular, saying, ‘I want to get help. I see my son’s struggling, I’m struggling with my marriage,’” said O’Connor. “‘Where do I get this help?’”

O’Connor has witnessed the pivot towards openness and mental health maintenance, accelerated by the pandemic, within the mostly male-dominated first responder community.

Even closer to home, her father has become an advocate for both O’Connor’s practice and mental health in general.

“Whether they were struggling with their own PTSD from the job and wanting to get the help or seeing struggles within their own home, family or marriages, the mental health focus wasn’t there,” said O’Connor.

“It’s so nice to see the culture changing in the first responder community.”

As many of these individuals are known to O’Connor through either her husband or father, she cannot see them personally.

“But this is why we have such an influx of individuals on our team that really speak to different demographics, cultures, populations and specialties,” said O’Connor.

In Vault’s Beach location, one such professional is Caitlin Black, a Registered Qualifying Psychotherapist through the College of Registered Psychotherapists.

Black has experience providing support to various groups including children and families, women’s health, LGBTQ+ folks, couples and more, and is currently accepting new clients.

Vault’s care for mental health extends to its staff as well who are able to establish boundaries and abstain from cases that could possibly harm their mental health or affect their ability to be at their best. O’Connor calls this “red tape” with hers relating to Parkinson’s disease following her father’s diagnosis.

“I preached, ate and slept wellness at CAMH and that really stuck with me,” said O’Connor.

“I saw how important it was for the people who are taking care of others to take care of themselves. That’s a really important cultural aspect at Vault.”

With close access to the TTC, Vault’s services are

available in-person as well as over the phone and online with the sessions encrypted to ensure privacy and confidentiality.

While many only address mental health when things start to break down, O’Connor said it’s important to maintain mental health as one would with their vehicles or homes.

“Therapy is like an oil change,” she said.

“People think ‘I’ll have to go when there’s a problem.’ You don’t necessarily think it’s really great to have an opportunity to have open communication and great rapport with a therapist, to be able to then say ‘You know what? I have a problem. Now I trust you, we already have a great relationship and I can bring this to you.’”

Vault offers free consultations. To view Vault’s services, sessions and prices please visit Vault’s website at www.vaultmentalhealth. com

Additional mental health tips, psycho education and updates to the practices can be found on Vault’s social media platforms including the Vault Mental Health Inc. Facebook page and on Instagram @vaultmentalhealth.

– BMN Sponsored Content–

PHOTO: KATE SHACKLETON

The annual Canada Day fireworks display at Ashbridges Bay brought big crowds down to the Beach on Saturday, July 1.

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

HEALTH

DR. KARIN RUMMELL & ASSOCIATES OPTOMETRISTS

1914 Queen St. E. (E. of Woodbine) Mon.- Sat. by appointment 416-691-5757

BALSAM DENTAL Family Dentistry * Open 6 days a week * * Evening hours available * New patients always welcome 2200 Queen St. East (at Balsam) 416-691-8555 www.balsamdental.com

BEACHES OPTOMETRY CLINIC

Dr. Linda Chan, Optometrist and Associates 951 Kingston Rd. (West of Victoria Park) 416-691-1991

DR. LINDA WINTER Psychologist Consultations • Therapy

Individuals • Couples Over 20 years experience. Located at Queen & Wheeler 416-691-1071

Dr. Linda Iny Lempert Psychologist & Psychoanalyst

Individuals & Couples Services disponibles en français Insurance Coverage 47 Main Street (at Lyall Ave) 416-694-4380 www.drlempert.ca

PSYCHOTHERAPY

Tara Shannon

579 Kingston Rd (corner Main) 416 698-6960 tara@tarashannon.ca

WELLNESS missfit.ca

in-home personal trainer 416 888 6465 mimi@missfit.ca

SPIRITUAL

Retired

Monica Dhanraj RN REIKI MASTER/SPIRITUAL HEALER Golden Energy Healing Transformation ~~Raise your awareness of self~~ soulconnections11@outlook.com 647.887.5501

CAROL-ANN’S PERSONAL TRAINING

Specializing in STABILITY, MOBILITY and STRENGTH • CEP-CSEP girlonbike1@gmail.com 416-465-8941

References Available Upon Request

COUNSELLING

Catherine Allon, BSc, MEd Caring Solutions for Life & Relationship Issues 416-694-0232

www.energyawakening.com

Spiritual Counselling

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT Bert van Delft

Complete financial services for the business owner, manager, entrepreneur & self-employed Corporate and Personal Income Tax Services Bus: 416-270-9898 98 Scarboro Beach Blvd.

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 Accounting Issues and Systems, Bookkeeping, Personal and Corporate Taxes Call 416-471-0337

Emily C. Larimer CPA, CGA BOOKKEEPING & PERSONAL TAX RETURNS INCLUDING TAXES IN ARREARS Call: 416-693-2274 emily@eclarimercpa.com www.eclarimercpa.com

Difficult

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

Beaches Family Law and MEDIATION

Linda Bronicheski, J.D. 47 Main Street (at Lyall) 416-763-6884 Linda@BeachesFamilyLaw.com

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 416 690 1866 [F 2972 DANFORTH AVE.

QUINN Family Law

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

Janet D’Arcy DC, FRCCSS (C) Chiropractor Sports Injury Specialist 2455A Queen St. East 416 690-6257 Open Saturdays

John H. BJARNASON, D.C. Chiropractor 1906 Queen St. E. (1 block east of Woodbine) 416-694-2868

BEACHES WELLNESS CENTRE Dr. Johanna Carlo Chiropractic & Registered Massage Therapy 2130 Queen Street East 416-698-7070

ASHBRIDGE’S HEALTH CENTRE

Dr. Emily Howell & Associates Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Orthotics ashbridgeshealth.janeapp.com 1522 Queen St. E. 416-465-5575 www.ashbridgeshealth.ca

MASSAGE THERAPY

Carolyn Dallman Downes

Kirsten Johnson B.Sc, DipTIRP, RP

Psychotherapy for Individuals/Couples

LGTBQ+ / Anxiety / Depression more... Insurance welcome BeyondTheBlueTherapy.com

CHRISTINE KATO, B.Sc., D.V.M. KATO ANIMAL HOSPITAL 2830 Danforth Ave. (East of Dawes Rd.) 416-690-2112

Dogs, cats, pocket pets. Housecalls available.

HOUGHTON VETERINARY HOUSECALL SERVICES

Vaccines, examinations, diagnostics, palliative care, and home euthanasia provided for your pets in the comfort of your own home.

Dr. Barbara Houghton 647-221-5516

Susan J Katz, M.A. Spiritual Care Counselling Professional Chaplain Member Can Assoc for Spiritual Care 437-268-5143 susan@susanjkatz.com www.susanjkatz.com NEXT

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

O’Reilly, Moll & Mian Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries Public

300 Main Street 416-690-3324

DENISE BADLEY-CASTELLO

Barrister, Solicitor, Notary Family • Wills & Estates Real Estate 2069 Danforth Ave. (Woodbine) 416-690-6195 dbadleylaw@rogers.com

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

INVESTMENT ADVICE & FINANCIAL PLANNING

Michael Haier, CFA, CIM, FCSI Raymond James Ltd. 647-289-7191 michael.haier@raymondjames.ca Honest, affordable advice.

Kerry Bowser WEDDING OFFICIANT kerry@kerrybowser.com www.kerrybowser.com

Glover & Associates

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

Stephen G. King, Architect B. Arch. OAA, MRAIC “Serving the Beach since 1987”

Residential, Restorations, Home Inspections, Commercial, Interiors, Landscapes

COMPLETE PROJECT SERVICES FROM DESIGN THROUGH CONSTRUCTION (416) 694-8181

www.stephenkingarchitect.com

Member Ontario Association of Architects

Design

Modify your home in order to stay home, without moving to a retirement home. We will help you design and renovate it nicely! 416-704-5533 diane900000@icloud.com www.designINGenuity.ca

advancedapproaches massage.com Su Willson, B.MUS, R.M.T. & ASSOC 927 Kingston Rd. (W. of Vic Pk) • Open 7 Days a week • Voted “#1 Spa and Best Massage Therapist in Toronto” 416-694-6767

THERAPY LOUNGE Welcome to our new space! 2152 Queen Street East • Open 7 days per week • Book Online www.therapylounge.ca 416-916-7122

URBAN CALM THERAPEUTICS

Stephanie Gage, RMT Kristina Pearsal, RMT 1789 Queen St. East, Unit 6

Jen Goddard, R.M.T. Neville Park Health Group 2455A Queen St. East 416-690-6257

FUNERAL SERVICES

eco Cremation & Burial Services Inc. Life Celebrations.

Reel Beach: Movies in East Toronto

Seinfeld’s Beach and Canadian connections

Bernie fLetcher

During the pandemic some people turned to alcohol. I watched old Seinfeld episodes, time well-wasted…not that there is anything wrong with that.

“Serenity now!” I just think “what would George do” and then do the opposite.

There is something comforting about other people being way more shallow than us. “No learning!”

I always wondered why there were two different actors who played Lloyd Braun, the New York City mayor’s adviser who took up Elaine’s campaign idea that everyone wear name tags. The mayor lost the election to Rudy Giuliani and Braun got fired in The Non-Fat Yogurt (1993). Two versions of the final scene were filmed depending on who won. The Braun character was first played by Peter Keleghan, a Beach resident since 2004, who returned to Canada after his appearance, but “the catastrophe of me not being able to get

a work permit” in time led to Matt McCoy taking over the role.

The Gum (1995) involves George’s old nemesis Braun and an old movie theatre run by Jeffrey Haarwood (Eric Christmas, 1916-2000). Haarwood describes Kramer as having a “Raymond Massey-esque physique” which is funny because Christmas once lived on Victoria Park Avenue not far from where the Masseys spent their summers at Dentonia Farm. My Malvern Collegiate chemistry partner was Eric’s son Stephen.

David James Elliot is best known for JAG, but he played a hunky boyfriend of Elaine on The Couch

(1994). Elliot was born David William Smith at East General Hospital (now Michael Garron) in 1960, but the family soon moved to Milton, Ontario where Elliot grew up. He had to change his name when he arrived in Hollywood.

Elaine breaks up with “Carl” when she finds out his stance on abortion: “You know someday we’re going to get enough people on the Supreme Court to change that law.”

“A Show about Nothing”

Seinfeld told the misadventures of four neurotic New Yorkers who were “bad breaker-uppers.” One of

the funniest episodes is The Puffy Shirt (1993) where Canadian actor Wendel Meldrum (1954-2021) plays Kramer’s low-talking girlfriend and Jerry has to wear her puffy shirt on the Today show: “But I don’t want to be a pirate!”

Linda Kash is best known as the Philly Cream Cheese Angel (imagine her in the clouds). She dumped George with the famous line, “It’s not you, it’s me” in The Lip Reader (1993). Kash grew up in Forest Hill with her famous parents, opera singer Maureen Forrester and conductor Eugene Kash.

“Yada, yada, yada”

What is your favourite catchphrase from Seinfeld? Favourite character? There are so many Canadian guest stars on Seinfeld that I will need another article.

The new Barbie movie may have two “Ken-adians”, but Seinfeld had dozens of Canucks.

Who played the “marble rye lady” or “Babu” or “The Maid” (hint: she broke up Ross and Rachel on Friends)? Any guesses? Stay tuned!

Peter Keleghan, left, in The Non-Fat Yogurt episode of Seinfeld with Jerry and George.

Memorial set for Saturday at Withrow Park

‘Memorial’ from Page 1

One of the 13 people wounded was Ali Demircan who was grazed in the back by a bullet while sitting with friends in Alexander the Great Parkette at Logan and Danforth. Demircan was close to where Fallon and her friends were also sitting when the shots were fired. He tried to help Fallon, but there was nothing he could do.

A southwest Scarborough resident, he will be attending this Saturday’s memorial of the shooting’s fifth anniversary which will begin at 5 p.m. at the north end of Withrow Park where trees have been planted in memory of Fallon and Kozis.

“I go every year (for the memorial) and I will be there for this fifth anniversary,” said Demircan in an interview with Beach Metro Community News last week. “I will be there to pay my respect to the families.”

Demircan said he is still haunted by memories of that July night five years ago.

“All the memories of that night are still alive for me…,” he said. “It’s still hard. People think it’s been five years and you are healing or feeling better but it will always be there. Especially at this time of year as the anniversary comes, it is very difficult to

cope with it.”

He said the level of violence that continues to be seen in Toronto saddens him, and he is frustrated by what he considers to be a lack of action by all levels of government when it comes to dealing with violent crime, its causes, and supporting the victims of it.

Demircan said the lack of victim support services is a serious problem in Toronto and across the province and country. He himself was greatly in need of help after the shooting and found no formal help anywhere. “There is totally no support. I don’t know what the victim services in Ontario and Toronto are doing,” he said.

“There’s a lot of shootings. There are a lot of people who are victims of gun violence,” added Demircan. “It has to be a public health issue and our governments don’t seem to support this.”

Claire Smith, mother of Samantha Price who was shot in the Danforth Shooting, agreed with Demircan regarding the lack of support for victims when it comes to counselling and dealing with the impacts of the violence that has been done against them.

Price was one of a group of friends out with Fallon celebrating a birthday party when they stopped at Alexander the Great Parkette for ice cream on the night of the

shooting. The support of the group of friends who knew and loved Fallon has been critical to helping Samantha and the others who were at the parkette when the shooting took place, said Smith.

“She’s had a lot of friends and family supporting her, and that’s been her best support…That she’s not alone.”

Smith said the families of those killed and wounded face the middle of July with sadness.

“Never easy to have to remember that night, and this is the fifth year,” she said.

“The loss and strain of it, we all try to live with and go forward as best we can,” said Smith.

One way the victims support each other is through the Danforth Families for Safe Communities (DFSC) group. The organization advocates for stronger laws to control handguns, help victims of shootings, and find ways to stop such horrific crimes before they take place.

Some of the areas the DFSC has had an impact on include the federal government’s Bill C-21, which bans the sale and purchase of all handguns in Canada; the new National Day Against Gun Violence, and the Building Safer Communities Fund which provides funding to help steer young people away from guns, gangs and the criminal lifestyle.

Those are all positives, said Smith, but much more still needs to be done. For instance, though Bill C-21 was approved in the House of Commons it still has pass the Senate before becoming law.

“It has now gone to the Senate. We were hoping it would have passed by the summer…there’s a lot of really good things in it,” she said. “We will go to the Senate in the fall and speak on behalf of DFSC. We spoke to the House of Commons committees, and we are willing to go back and press on regarding the handgun freeze.”

Both she and Demircan were especially saddened by news of the shooting death of Karolina Huebner-Makurat, 44, a Leslieville mother of two young daughters who was hit by a stray bullet on the afternoon of July 7 while walking in the area and died later that afternoon in hospital. She was a completely innocent victim of the shooting, police said.

“Gun violence is not limited to specific areas of the city. It can be anywhere and anytime,” said Smith.

This Saturday’s memorial at Withrow Park, 725 Logan Ave. south of Danforth Avenue, is open to members of the community to attend. Smith said some of victims and their families will be speaking. “Some are unable to do so though as it is still too much for them,” she said.

Open Doors: Spiritual Matters

Deep Tissue & Therapeutic Treatments

In the Beaches

Steven Street RMT

1860 Queen st. East unit 10

Commit to seeking the peace and prosperity of our neighbours

Call/text: 647-482-8428

rev ruth BartLett Calvary Baptist Church

In the Beaches

Steven Street RMT

As I sit down to write this column I’m trying to think of what’s important for us to be ponder at this time and in this season, but my mind is elsewhere.

your family? Living in our bustling city of Toronto, we often have a very transient community.

Email: deeptissuemassage@gmail.com

told them to move into the neighbourhood and make the most of it:

1860 Queen st. East unit 10

Call/text: 647-482-8428

We go to university and make friends, only to disperse to different parts of Ontario and the world when our studies are done.

Not a spa experience

In just a few hours, I’ll be hopping on a plane to be reunited with some dear friends who used to live in the GTA, but now live in the United States.

The mature, adult part of me, is so happy for both of them. One is working in social work and just coming off maternity leave with her second child, and the other, whose recent marriage we’re gathering to celebrate, is working together with her husband to get an entrepreneurial venture off the ground.

However, the immature, selfish, part of me wants them to move back home so we can all be next door neighbours and live happily ever after, together forever.

Do you have any friends like that? Or maybe feel that way about members of

We settle down into a neighbourhood, getting to know others through playdates, going for coffee, chatting over the fence or in the hall with the neighbours we are beside… but then, for one reason or another, they leave, find a new home, and make new neighbours, leaving us behind.

Or maybe we’re the ones who leave, and have to find new friends!

It can be hard to invest in friendships with people in the neighbourhood where we live when so many people are coming and going from our lives.

It’s tiring to put ourselves out there, and make friends, only to then have to do it all over again with new neighbours.

In the Old Testament, the people of God were “carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon”. They were in enemy territory, but God

“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters… seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”(Jeremiah 29:4-7)

It’s what most people don’t know they need till they get one.

Email: deeptissuemassage@gmail.com

It’s what most people don’t know they need till they get one.

Not a spa experience

The people of God desperately hoped that Babylon would not be their home for long, and that they would soon return to Jerusalem, but God created us for community, no matter the length of time we are in one place or another.

Putting down roots and settling into the place where we are is so important to our flourishing and the flourishing of one another.

So even if we still miss our long-time friends living in another place, even if the people we meet aren’t around forever, let’s commit to seeking the peace and prosperity of our neighbours for the time that we’re here.

-- Rev. Ruth Bartlett is the minister at Calvary Baptist Church, 72 Main St.

Haslett Summer Block Party planned

THE RESIDENTS of the Haslett Avenue area near Kingston Road and Woodbine Avenue will be hosting their Summer Block Party

next month.

The event takes place on Saturday, Aug. 19, starting at 4 p.m.

Area residents are invited

to the event which will feature food, drink, games and more. For more info, join the Facebook group at Haslett Block Party.

Story idea? News tip? Let us know. editor@beachmetro.com www.beachmetro.com

Balmy Beach Rugby Club’s junior program helping to keep teenage girls playing sports

By Jessica Shackleton

IT WAS an exciting evening of rugby as the Balmy Beach Rugby Club’s new U16 girls team held its home opener versus the Mississauga Blues recently at Tubs & Gee Gage Rugby Field.

Mississauga won the game 19-15, and it was an entertaining match for the spectators who came out the field on Lower Coxwell Avenue on the evening of Thursday, June 29.

For many of the Balmy Beach girls playing that night, this was their first real

introduction to a full-contact game.

The Balmy Beach Rugby Club is known for its men’s and women’s teams, and also hosts a junior rugby program.

“(We) look for players, parents, and supporters who are committed to making a positive contribution in an environment that fosters mutual respect, sportsmanship, and a lasting love of the game,” the Balmy Beach Rugby Club’s website said.

The new U16 team has more than 50 girls from local high schools signed up. A

total of 15 players are on the field at a time during a game. They are playing the sport on a full-sized pitch and focusing on learning correct rugby techniques.

Tanis Hewitt has been a member of the Balmy Beach Rugby Club for more than 10 years and helped start the girls teams this year.

She and other volunteers are dedicated to growing the participation of girls in rugby.

“I wanted there to be a place to play,” said Hewitt.

The Balmy Beach junior program has strong participation numbers of both girls and boys, but this is the first time there has been enough players to filed both U14 and U16 girls’ teams.

“This is around the age where [girls] start dropping out of sports. Here they can learn about leadership, make friends, and have a social network,” said Hewitt.

According to a 2020 report by Canadian Women & Sport,

33 per cent of adolescent girls quit organized sports due to lack of enjoyment and external pressures.

Hewitt is striving to keep girls in that age group involved in sports and is encouraging them to continue playing as it builds confidence along with providing positive experiences.

“That’s all I want – for them to feel confident on the inside,” she said.

Hewitt also thanked the Balmy Beach Rugby Club for its actions to help grow the sport’s popularity among younger female players.

She said she was pleased by the large number of fans who came out for the opening game on June 29 at the club’s home pitch.

“Local support is so crucial when starting new programs like this,” said Hewitt.

For more information on the Balmy Beach Rugby Club and its programs, please go to www.balmybeachrugby. com

Toronto Beaches Jr. A lacrosse taking on Oakville in playoffs

THE TORONTO Beaches Jr. A lacrosse team leads its best-of-five first round playoff series in the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League two games to one over the Oakville Buzz.

Game Four in the series goes tonight (Tuesday, July 18) at 8 p.m. at the Pickering Recreation Complex – which is the home arena for Toronto Beaches this season.

Toronto Beaches won the

first game in the series at the Toronto Rock Centre in Oakville 8-6. The Buzz returned the favour by winning the second game 8-4 at the Pickering Recreation Complex. Game Three in Oakville was won 12-8 by the Beaches. Game Five, if necessary, will be at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre on Thursday, July 20, at 8 p.m. For the latest updates go to www.facebook.com/BeachesJrA

PHOTO: JESSICA SHACKLETON

A Balmy Beach player, yellow sweater, runs with the ball during a game against the Mississauga Blues recently at the Tubs and Gee Gage Rugby Field in the Beach.

On The Wild Side

How wildlife beats the heat

We have now hit the dreaded summer heat waves. I know most people over the summer love the heat, but I love the chilly weather and wind.

But for me it is a fun time to do some editing and cleaning up of old files plus enjoy the silky moths growing in my office. Yes, I have more than 60 silky moths in my office in tents. In the summer I become the crazy moth butterfly lady lol.

But have you ever wondered how wildlife and birds keep cool in the summer? Have you seen squirrels stretched out in full length in a tree or a bird on the ground panting?

I do have water bowls in the front and back yard filled daily with fresh water. I even carry a bottle of water in my car with a small bowl just in case. But most days I just watch and document how they stay cool.

The photo at right is of one of a group of three red-tailed hawk juveniles. He fledged a few weeks ago and I drove by to see how they were doing. I was not surprised by seeing all three of them stretched out on top of the building with their wings hanging over the side. They also like to sunbath and are often seen in the nest spreading their wings like this.

Another adult red-tailed hawk I saw was taking a bath in a water feature. This hawk landed in the water and spent a lot of time splish-splashing away. I have also seen them in puddles and lakes doing the same thing.

The best part of the hawk cooling off in the bird bath was that the lady who lived there had no idea this was happening in her garden until I left her a photo in the

Obituaries

Peacefully in her 88th year, Joan Breedon (nee Bruce) passed away on Saturday, June 24, 2023, just a mere 7 weeks after the loss of her beloved husband Jim. Born and raised in Toronto’s east end, daughter of the late Ernest and Mary Bruce. Sister to Ted (Heather) and the late Patricia.

Joan and Jim were together for over 70 years and married for 66. She was a devoted and loving Mother, Nana and Great Nana, her family was her pride and joy. She leaves behind her 3 children, Randy (Sandra), Kent (the late Annelise), and Nancy (Tim); her 8 grandchildren, Christopher (Liz), Stephanie (Kevin), Amy (Tom) Lorraine (Mike), Thomas (Chelsea), Ben, Adam and Jake, and her 10 great grandchildren Joey, Eddie, Keyanna, Jacob, Cruz, Cali, Mason, Isla, C.J. and Kyla. Joan was loved by many and will be missed immensely. Gone from our sight but never our hearts.

Many thanks to the caring staff at Scarborough Centenary Hospital. A Celebration of the Life of both Joan and Jim will be held at Giffen-Mack Funeral Home, 4115 Lawrence Avenue East, West Hill, Ontario on Saturday, July 22, 2023 at 12 noon with visitation 1 hour prior.

At the family’s request, donations in their memories may be made to the Scarborough Health Network-Centenary Hospital.

Patrick Rose 1944-2023

Patrick Rose passed away peacefully at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto on July 1, 2023 at the age of 79 after a short battle with cancer.

He was born on February 1, 1944 in Dauphin, Manitoba to Betty and Frank Rose who were both accomplished musicians.

While pursuing his BA at the University of British Columbia, he was cast as the lead in the musical “Bye Bye Birdie” and knew he had found his calling! While at University he was already wooing his future wife of fifty-five years, Susan. In 1968 he set out for London, England where he landed the juvenile lead in George Gershwin’s Lady, Be Good! and finally convinced Susan to marry him a year later.

In 1972, back in Vancouver Patrick starred in the Arts Club Theatre production of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living In Paris. In 2022 he had the opportunity to reunite with the surviving members of that influential cast for a 50th anniversary concert.

A composer as well as a performer, Rose created works for the symphony “The Soundstealer” as well as the musical theatre “Jubalay”. One of his works, “Olympiad”, toured Canada and a later revue, “A Bistro Car”, played a run off-Broadway in 1978 and later toured extensively.

In 1977 with Susan and baby Jordan, he moved to Toronto to further his career. Daughter Mary was born in 1981 and Pat helped change diapers while working in variety television and especially on the then-popular cabaret scene, where his shows included Equal Time and Madeira M’Dear.

mailbox. I have also seen wildlife getting a drink from water bowls, puddles not to mention going to the lakes and ponds in the city.

Our night cam has many critters playing in the water bowl. Really important to change it regularly.

So how do I stay cool? I have moths inside my office.

I must go out to get leaves to feed them. I enjoy watching them grow and finally turn

into a chrysalis. Right now, Luna caterpillars totally fascinate me. The caterpillar changes colours and go from green to yellow to red before spinning a sild nest to sleep in for the summer.

I will add a link of how a Luna emerges from the winter cocoon https://youtu. be/4ptWujEoJvc

So, readers, stay cool and have a wonderful summer.

Together with Susan and partner Zoey Adams, he created a Murder Mystery Franchise which was popular across North America. One of his main joys was leading a weekly musical-theatre sing-along at The Avenue Road Arts School. Patrick had an opportunity to celebrate the 30th anniversary alongside participants (and friends) shortly before his death. Always in love with live musical performance, in his later years he established a group called The Retro Ramblers which delighted audiences across Toronto.

“As long as I can get up in front of people with my guitar, I’ll just keep going,” he said in an interview five years ago and that is exactly what he did. He was beloved everywhere, but especially in the Beaches community, where he lived most of his life, for his infectious charm, his virtuoso music-making and his generosity of spirit.

But it was his love for his family which was truly the beacon which lit his way through his 79 years. Patrick loved nothing more than travelling the world adventuring with Mary, Jordan, his wife Magda and especially his grandchildren Della and Oskar.

A Celebration of Pat’s Life will be held at a future date.

ann BroKeLMan is an avid birder and nature photographer naturephotosbyann.blogspot.ca

PHOTO: ANN BROKELMAN

This red-tailed hawk cools off in a garden bird bath during a recent spell of hot and humid weather.

PHOTOS: ANN BROKELMAN

Photo above, a coyote takes a drink from a roadside puddle. Photo below, a juvenile red-tailed hawk spreads its wings on a wall to keep to cool.

C L

A S S I F I E D S

25$16. 00$25. 22 BEACH METRO COMMUNITY NEWS Tuesday, July 18, 2023

(includes HST) for the first 20 words, plus 35¢ each extra word.

Ads are available in two sizes: WORD AD BLOCK AD 1.5” wide x 1” deep (includes

or Deadline for August 22nd is August 14th

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers Needed to deliver BEACH METRO NEWS

Routes available throughout the Beach, Upper Beach, Danforth, Birchcliff

STUDENTS EARN COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS

Contact: melinda@beachmetro.com

Employment Opportunities

ARE YOU ON VACATION?

Do you require house sitting?

Dog walking or cat feeding?

Call 647 949 8787 (10)

SUPPORT WORKER WANTED

Engaging man with an intellectual disability, Pape/Mortimer, looking for someone to hike with him and play board games every Friday afternoon, starting in September. Maturity, enthusiasm, love of walking and nature essential. A car is a bonus. Salary $26/hour.

Please phone Anna at 647 402 8085 (10)

HOME CLEANER REQUIRED

Senior couple requires an individual to clean their newly renovated home weekly. We are located very close to Kew Gardens & can provide parking. Please reply to KewGardensHome@gmail.com stating your experience. (10)

Commercial

Space for Rent

OFFICE SPACE

McArthur & Son Business Centre Air conditioning, boardroom, kitchen area, copier, etc. Individual offices from $425/mth. 577-579 Kingston Rd. @ Main St. Paul McArthur 416-821-3910 pmcarthur577@gmail.com www.mcarthurbusinesscentre.com (r)

UPPER BEACHES

OFFICE SPACE

Ideal for medical professionals, lawyers or accountants 416-690-2880 (r)

Apartment/

Home for Rent

LANDLORDS For Peace of Mind Call

Harding & King

R.E. Services Inc. Brokerage

We make owning real estate & being a Landlord painless, easy & profitable. Call now 416-699-9714 x8 www.hardingandking.com

BEACHES LUXURY APTS

High-Rise - VIEWS - Some New Reno Studio,1,2 Bed, Lake/Gardn/City views.

Some Granite Kit & Bath, A/C, Jacuzzi, Micro, Dishwr, Balc, Marble/Hardwd,

KLEEN

Cleaning specialists •Windows •Eavestroughs •Decks •Siding 416-706-7130 905-706-7130 www.kleenwindows.ca (r)

Vienna Upholstery 2358 Kingston Rd. (w. of Midland) 416-698-9000 (r)

General Services

WAYNE’S

RUBBISH REMOVAL & DEMOLITION SPECIALIST RECYCLING INTERIOR & EXTERIOR CLEANING 416-264-1495

CELL 416-567-4019 (13r)

MR. FIX-IT

PROFESSIONAL, MATURE, RELIABLE RENOVATIONS AND REPAIRS 20+ years experience Plumbing, Electrical, Carpentry, Painting, and Handy Work. Randall 416-450-0599 torontomrfixit@gmail.com (11r)

Peter the Handyman INDOOR / OUTDOOR

General repairs: Drywall / Caulking / Painting / Decks / Fences Odd jobs:

EXPRESS JUNK

REMOVAL

Best Prices/Free Estimat 647-235-6690 (10)

DEMOLITION EXPERTS

Demolition & Removal of Garages, Porches, Fences & Concrete.

Howard 416 565 8569 (10..)

Well Trained Handy Husband Catering to small jobs around your home that others won’t do! Reliable & trustworthy with returning happy customers. $60 hour, one hour minimum. Call, email or text to discuss.

Glenn 416-709-2930 superglenn@bell.net (10r)

CTD Handyman Services

General repairs indoor/outdoor. Drywall, painting, carpentry, pressure washing. Demolition and waste removal.

Call or text: 647-336-8030 (10..)

SCRAP CARS

Call me 416-521-6287

We Pay Top Dollar For Unwanted CARS, VANS, TRUCKS & SUVs FREE TOW in 2 HRS • 24/7 (10r) www.beachmetro.com

MAN WITH PICK-UP TRUCK

For light moves/deliveries, junk removal, cleanups, etc. Efficient. Best rates.

647-806-7620 (13r)

HANDYMAN / HELPER

Garage Cleanups & Junk Removal Other various jobs 20 yrs exp. Quality work. Good prices.

Call Greg 437 230-4824 (10.)

BCM Junk Removal

Friendly, Efficient & Affordable ALL Junk & Renovation Debris Light Demo Landscape Cleanup Call anytime!

Blake 416 873 0205 (10)

Unwanted

Pet Services

Kuri K9 Massage I am a mobile Certified Canine and Feline Massage Therapist working in the Toronto area since 2013. I offer Swedish massage and other massage therapies and modalities to your fur babies in the comfort of your home. Phone/Text 416-471-3955 kurik9massage.com (11)

Pest Control

RACCOON CONTROL

Humane removal of raccoons and babies from ATTICS, DECKS, PORCHES, GARAGES, SHEDS WWW.RACCOONCONTROL.CA

647-557-7932 (22/24)

SQUIRREL

We remove squirrels in a humane way from attics, walls, sheds, decks, etc. 647-496-0815 www.SquirrelControl.ca (22/24)

PEST CONTROL

• Mice • Cockroaches • Rats

• Bed Bugs • Ants • Wasps

• Centipedes • Spiders • more THEEXTERMINATORS.CA 647-496-2211 (22/24)

GOT BEDBUGS?

PESTZERRO.CA 647-200-2687 905-392-1506 (14)

Cleaning Services

HEALTHY

RILEYS’ WINDOW CLEANING

A family business since 1956 Window & Eaves Cleaning Gutter Filter Installation 416 421-5758 rileyswindowcleaning.com (r)

BEACHES LAWN MAINTENANCE LAWN CUTTING 416 414 5883 info@blpm.ca (10r)

Who has the time to clean anymore?

I have the time, so give me a call.

Roxanne 647 886 8303 (10.)

EXTREME CLEANING

I provide excellent cleaning services for residential homes and condos. Contact Martha @ Cell: 647-206-1415 (10$)

EUROPEAN

CLEANING LADIES offer complete and thorough cleaning service for your house • office • condo Call Ilona 416-427-3815 (10.)

Shine & Sparkle

Home & Office Cleaning Solutions 416-831-6279

ImpressYourMotherInLaw@gmail.com

We’ll Make It Sparkle!

Family Owned & Operated (12)

Fresh Housekeeping Home Cleaning Service in the East End 647-878-6432

DirtStandsNoChance@gmail.com

Family Owned and Operated

www.FreshHousekeeping.ca (10.)

www.beachmetro.com

Music

Beaches Suzuki School of Music

We share our love of music using the Suzuki Method by providing gentle encouragement, inspiration, and musicianship in Violin and Piano. Online teaching available Ines 416 726 5729 (10r)

THE TWO FOURS

August Long Weekend Launch Party

Friday, August 4, 7:30-10:30 pm

The Dogfish Pub, downstairs @ Bluffers Restaurant 7 Brimley Rd. S., in beautiful Bluffers Park Special Guest Mark Sepic on Guitar thetwofours@eol.ca • 416-690-5442 https://facebook.com/thetwofoursband

Tutoring

HELP WITH MATH & ENGLISH call ALBERTO 416 690 9389 for • COVID CATCH-UP • • in-depth homework/test help •

Head Start Tutors

One on One Tutoring Grades 3-12

Address summer learning loss and COVID concept gaps by booking a 4 session summer package today! www.headstarttutors.ca 416-272-9589 • hstarttutors@gmail.com

Proudly serving the Beach for over 25 years Neil Bennett B.Ed./OCT Sally Vickers B.Ed./OCT (10r)

THE STUDY STUDIO

Individualized tutoring and programs for grades 3-12 in all subjects. Proven success with thousands of Beach area students for 20 years. On Kingston Rd. just east of Vic Park Andrew English B.Ed. 416-690-6116 www.thestudystudio.com (10r)

TUTOR FOR FRENCH & FI

(Beach area) by high school teacher. (dept head)

20+ years exp. in Public School

Board, incl. AP French. Tutor for French/FI & Gr. 10 History.

German can be taught as well Online Tutoring Available 647-406-4681

References available upon request (10.)

TOP TEACHER TUTORING

Fully qualified and experienced Special Education Specialist is available to provide expert and effective language instruction to elementary students.

References available.

Please call 416-884-1402 (10)

Garden & Tree

BEACH PROPERTY

MAINTENANCE

-Lawn Cutting -Spring/Fall Property Clean-Ups -Hedge Trimming 416-414-5883 info@blpm.ca (r)

Beach Lawn Care LAWN CUTTING SERVICES

*STARTING AT $20 416-691-8503 beachlawncare2020@gmail.com (10r)

FOUR SEASONS

• Grass Cutting

• All tree work

• Gardening

• Hedge Cutting

• Leaf Removal

Steve 647-216-8588 (9)

EVERGREEN TREE CARE

YOUR LOCAL, FAMILY RUN

TREE PRESERVATION SPECIALISTS

Pruning, Cabling, Planting, Arborist Reports, Removals, Stumps,

BEACH PROPERTY MAINTENANCE LAWN CUTTING

24)

416-414-5883 info@blpm.ca (10r)

Lord of the Stone LANDSCAPE SPECIALIST • Patios • • Walkways • • Stone steps • • Retaining walls • www.thelordofthestone.com 647 906 6826 (10r)

THE STONE PORCH LANDSCAPING

Finely Finished Stone Work www.thestoneporch.com thestoneporch@gmail.com 416-988-2589 (10r)

Scotstone

Traditional stone walls, steps, interlocking paths, patios & decks. Landscaping solutions to customize your space. Call Scott 416.858.2452 scotstonecontracting@gmail.com (15)

STONESCAPE

Specializing in Interlocking Stone • Planters Retaining Walls • Steps • Fences Decks • Sodding & Repairs rickscape@hotmail.com Rick 416-821-4065 (10.)

IN THE BEACH

LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE SPECIALISTS

• Weekly & Bi-Weekly Lawn Cutting

• Spring Clean-ups

• Fertilization & Aeration

BEACH HILL PAINTING

WG

PERFECT

WG

Electricians LOCAL

CEJA ELECTRIC

MASTER

ROOFING & SIDING? SOLUTION! Flat

TORONTO ROOFING INDUSTRIES LTD. L

CANADIAN CONTRACTORS

Jobs & Indoor/ Outdoor Spray Painting 35 Yrs Exp • Refs upon request Free Estimates (10.)

THE STONE PORCH MASONRY Brick • Block • Concrete Steel • Stone

www.thestoneporch.com

thestoneporch@gmail.com

416-988-2589 (10r)

UNDERPINNING & WATERPROOFING

Maximum General Contracting Inc.

“Your basement lowering specialists” 416-826-3918 John

www.mgcunderpinning.com

maximumgen@gmail.com

MET# B16348 Since 1998 (13r)

Beaches Brickworks

K.

• brick restoration

• arches, lintels & sills

• openings & enclosures

CHIMNEY SPECIALISTS

416 988-2589 danielmccaf@gmail.com (10r)

S.A.C Masonry

Brick, Block, Stone, Chimneys, Concrete, and all masonry repairs

Call Sergio 416 873 9936(10)

BEACHCOMBERS

PAINTER

BEACH PLUMBING

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLUMBING

Beach resident for 50 years. Discount for seniors and single parent.

J.

CJ DRYWALL & PAINTING

Professional drywall and plaster work. Renovation and Repair. Very clean. No job too small.

Call C.J. 647 222 5338 (10.)

BEACHES HANDY WORKS

Dedicated precise worker.

All your build and repairs. Indoor or outdoor: dry-wall, flooring, built-in, landscaping, interlocking, sheds, fences, decks, etc. at a reasonable price!

Call Hamid at 647-300-2462 (14r)

JDB MASONRY

• Brick / Foundation

• Concrete / Stone

• Chimney & Parging

Restoration & Build

www.jdbuild.ca

416-738-2119 (10r)

BRICK SPECIALIST

Masonry & brickwork.

Trades

(r)

Lic. Master Plumber • Free estimates Patrick 647-404-7139 patrickj480@gmail.com (10.)

TOM DAY

Plumbing & Drains All types of plumbing work. Smallest leak - complete bath reno. Internal & external drain excavating. Call the professionals 416-480-0622 24 hr. - lic# P1624 (10r)

MASTER PLUMBER PLUMBER CONTRACTOR

Fully licensed & insured. Lic #T94

George:

Roofers

LANIGAN’S

Roofing & Aluminum

(15)

An honest family service in the heart of The Beaches www.laniganscontracting.ca 416-569-2181 (r)

THOSE ROOFERS

Experts at matching existing brick. New builds, tuckpointing, colour matching, parging. Stone & Block. Call Scott @ Scotstone 416.858.2452 scotstonecontracting@gmail.com (15)

Can Pro Mechanical

Heating cooling service & install Hvac ductwork

Furnace, boiler, hydronics

Large and small jobs 416 606 4719 (10r)

BLANK SLATE RENOVATIONS

Kitchens & bath, basement apts, doors, trim, crown molding, shelving, paint, drywall repair, tile, hardwood, fences, decks, interlock and more.

Lic. & Ins.

416.274.5929 (10r)

KEW BEACH

GENERAL CONTRACTING

Kitchens - Bathrooms

Basements - Doors, Windows Garages - Fences, Decks

For all your reno needs, no job too small.

Metro lic 416 824-7901 (10.)

ALANO TILE & RENO

• Expert Installation of Porcelain, Marble, Mosaic

• Over 25 years experience

• Total Kitchen & Bath Reno

• Plus Tile Repairs

416-561-8713 (15)

DRYWALL

Replacement and repair. Small to medium jobs only, please. Clean. Professional. 43 yrs experience.

I won’t leave until you are 110% satisfied Please call Colin at 416-347-0974 for a free quote. (9.)

MATTCAM

CONSTRUCTION

Professional Drywall, Taping, Mudding & Painting. General repairs. Very reliable. Call Matt 647-833-2884 (13)

MAT’S HANDYMAN SERVICES Small or big, we do it all! Drywall • Painting • Tiles • Small Plumbing Jobs • Repairs of many sorts. Demolition as well. Reasonable rates. Call Mat Now!! 416

www.purdyhomeimprovements.ca info@purdyhomeimprovements.ca (10r)

Scotstone

Quality Stone Masonry & Brickwork Repairing & matching existing brick, Tuckpointing or new builds. Natural stone. Chimneys, Fireplaces, Foundations www.scotstonecontracting.com scotstonecontracting@gmail.com Licensed masonry contractor Call Scott 416.858.2452 (15)

Jack of all Trades HANDYMAN SERVICES Basements, Kitchens, Bathrooms Fences, Decks, Drywall, Carpentry No job too small. Free estimates. Serving the Beaches for 15 years. 416-278-5328 (10.)

@beachmetro

@beachmetronews beachmetro.com 416.698.1164

/BeachMetroNews