The Beach Daily Updates
The latest news, views and things to do in the Beach neighbourhoods
Streeter news:Feeding any wildlife, anywhere in city to be banned
On April 1 a new city bylaw comes into effect prohibiting the feeding of wildlife anywhere in Toronto.
And for good reason, according to wildlife experts. You may think you’re helping the animals but you’re not.
Even the traditional practice of throwing bread crumbs to birds is not helpful, the experts say.
Read Dennis Hanagan’s full story in Streeter news about the bylaw and the dangers of feeding the animals.
Three girls subjected to indecent exposure, police report
Police have released video of a man they suspect followed three girls, age 13 to 14, to their home and looked through their window while committing an indecent act.
The girls, age 13 to 14, were walking home for lunch near Dundas Street East and Woodfield Road at 11:07 when they were followed, police said.
Investigators are asking for public help identifying the man. For more information, including images and video, see the police news release.
Armed suspects sought in Beach Hill home invasion
Two armed males and a female are sought by police after a home invasion near Norway and Elmer avenues early on March 20, police reported yesterday.
The incident began with a female befriending a man and going to his apartment. When two other men showed up, armed with a machete and firearm, the victim “left his apartment in fear,” police reported.
Police have released several images of the suspects.
For more details and images, read the story in Streeter News.
Registration starts for Spring Sprint
The Spring Sprint is back with registration starting today and March 22, 29 and 30.
The run itself takes place April 1 to raise money for supplies and activities at the Beaches Recreation Centre. For more information see the Streeter Things To Do listing.
Outdoor skating continues to Sunday — if the ice holds up
The city is encouraging skaters to enjoy the last few days of the official outdoor skating season at our local rinks. However, the weather seems poised to end the season earlier than the scheduled March 19 deadline.
Sunday evening is when the city starts to close its outdoor artificial ice rinks, natural ice rinks and skating trails and begin its annual conversion of spaces into skateboarding parks, tennis courts and pickleball spaces.
Meanwhile the forecast for the next four days calls for rainy and overcast days with temperatures mainly above zero.
Malvern Juniors take city championship
The Junior Black Knights team at Malvern Collegiate Institute hockey won the TDSSAA city championship on March 8, Beach Metro is reporting today.
This came just six days after the Varsity Malvern girls took home gold, the paper is reporting.
See Beach Metro Community News for the full report.
Local veggie burger hailed among the best
It may have made its name for its love of meat, but a local eatery also offers one of the city’s top vegan burgers — made with Beyond Meat served on an Ace Bakery bun. So says BlogTO in s story today.
The site placed Fearless Meat, 884 Kingston Rd., at number 3 in its rundown of the best veggie burgers in Toronto.
Registration on for Easter parade
With one month to go before the 57th Beaches Easter Parade, registration is on for local groups and businesses to take part in the parade.
Community groups can register for $250 while businesses pay $450. They have until March 31 to sign up on the float registration site.
The parade takes place on Queen Street East on April 9.
Posters oppose Bradford’s mayoral run
Flyers have appeared on streets in Beaches-East York calling councillor Brad Bradford two-faced, headed “Deceive in the East” — a takeoff on “Believe in the East,” his slogan in the 2022 council race.
They have also popped up on social media, including on Twitter.
The posters are apparently intended to oppose Bradford’s expected campaign for mayor.
They purport to show his record of voting runs counter to the image he presents as a progressive politician.
Summerlicious applications open
Winterlicious seems barely over and it’s already time for local restaurants to sign up for the summer edition of the fixed-price dining festival.
Applications to participate in the Summerlicious program will be accepted from today to March 22, the city has announced.
This year’s Summerlicious runs from July 7 to 23 and there’s good news for participating restaurants: the fees have been cut to less than half the pre-pandemic rates. The new fee is $550. The city says this reduction should “make it easy and affordable for restaurants to participate and will encourage more Toronto residents to dine out and celebrate Toronto’s diverse culinary scene.”
Restaurants can find more information on the City’s Summerlicious 2023 Restaurant Participation webpage.
Will he or won’t he run?
It appears more certain than ever that Brad Bradford will indeed try for the top municipal job — though he is still hedging his bets somewhat.
The Beaches-East York councillor released a statement today in which he announced he is putting together an advisory committee, including some business and political heavy-hitters from across the Liberal-Conservative spectrum, seemingly in preparation for a run for mayor.
He says he’s building a “winning team … that will ensure any campaign I lead represents the broad diversity and perspectives found across the entire city.”
Asked directly by media whether this means he is in the race, he has replied he is considering it very seriously and talked of what he intends to do “if I am running.” See CP24 video for one such interview.
Fundraiser for Turkey at St. John the Baptist Norway
A fundraising event is planned for St. John the Baptist Norway church on March 4, from 2 to 6 p.m.
Baked goods and other items will be sold to support earthquake relief in Turkey. See the Streeter Things To Do listing for more information.
Federal rep ponders what he could do as provincial leader
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith appears closer to declaring himself a candidate for the Ontario Liberal leadership, though he won’t make his final decision until next month when the party sets the rules for the race.
That’s what may be gleaned from a CBC story today in which the Beaches-East York MP, who has been touring the province for a possible run, touted his experience as an outspoken backbencher in Ottawa as showing he could bring democratic renewal to the Ontario political scene.
Soup-tasting competition to return to Centre 55
Some talented soup chef is going to win a Silver Ladle (and some cash) for making the best soup in town — and the rest of us get to taste all the entries on March 2.
That’s when Community Centre 55 holds its annual soup-tasting competition. Becoming a judge (a taster) costs just $5, with the money going to support the centre’s programs.
More about the competition in Streeter’s Things To Do listing.
Local home prices dropping, real estate board says
Home prices are down by 12 per cent from last year in this area, according to figures recently released by the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board. The report indicates the year-over-year decrease for the real estate “E02” area, including Beaches, East End-Danforth and Woodbine Corridor.
As of January, the average home here is now about $1.3 million, TRREB reports. Single, detached houses have taken the biggest hit, dropping 13.8 per cent to about $1.6 million.
More Winter Stations rise on Woodbine Beach
The Winter Stations public exhibition has officially opened on Woodbine Beach today.
So here are two more of the art installations, as pictured by local photographers.
This is the seventh year for Winter Stations.
The works will be displayed on the east-end beach until April 3. Others are to be displayed in Mississauga in the west end.
Parking restrictions eased for Family Day
Police have announced they will not be ticketing vehicles parked on the street on Feb. 20 on rush-hour routes and in areas with posted Monday–Friday regulations.
Goodbye, Honey Bee
The Honey Bee is leaving. The Chinese food restaurant, a 43-year staple in the Beaches, is closing its doors at 1978 Queen Street East with the retirement of its owner, Michael Lau, a community newspaper reports today.
February 28 is the last day Honey Bee is to be open.
See the full story in Beach Metro.
Winter Stations appearing on the beach
Some of the Winter Stations art projects have already been installed on the beach, as shown by a couple of local photographers.
Erskine-Smith says he won’t run for mayor
Beaches-East York Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, whose name has also been tossed around as a possible contender to replace Mayor John Tory, appears to have taken himself out of the running.
Earlier he put himself forward as running for the leadership of the Ontario Liberals. On Twitter he says today he is “focused on serving my home community and Canadians in Parliament and bringing much needed change to the Ontario Liberal Party.”
As a voter in Toronto, I want more ambition at City Hall.
I will vote for a Mayor who looks after our most vulnerable, cuts red tape and builds more housing, and makes Toronto a global leader in sustainability and public health.
— Nate Erskine-Smith (@beynate) February 13, 2023
Bradford touted for mayoralty run
Beaches-East York councillor Brad Bradford says he’s received calls asking him to run for mayor, since John Tory’s sudden resignation, according to a Toronto Star article about possible candidates yesterday.
Bradford, who was supported by Tory when first elected to council in 2018, reportedly told the Star he hasn’t decided yet whether to run for mayor.
Skate Day is back at Ted Reeve
Beaches-East York’s city councillor, MPP and MP are joining together to host their annual Skate Day at Ted Reeve Arena.
It takes place on Feb. 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
See more information on this event at the Streeter Things To Do listing.
Report our potholes to be fixed
You may see repair crews out on the roads today as the city launches its first pothole-fixing blitz of the year.
Chances are, though, plenty of Beaches potholes will remain unless they are reported. To get those car-wrecking eyesores filled, report them via the 311 Toronto mobile app, online at Toronto.ca/311 or by calling 311.
The city says most repairs are carried out within four days of potholes being reported.
Winter Stations to rise on the beach
This year’s winners of the Winter Stations art installation contest have been chosen and you can watch six of their works being built on Woodbine Beach. They’re to be installed by Feb. 20.
Three university teams are involved in this year’s Winter Stations. See the Toronto Observer story for more about this prestigious event.
Local romances 
SLATE Restaurant and Bar, 2237 Queen St. E., and La Sala, 1975A Queen St. E., are two of many restaurants across town offering a special Valentine’s Day menu and romantic atmosphere for Feb. 14.
But spaces are filling up everywhere, so get your reservations in as soon as possible.
This ward soon to have three cameras to catch speeders
The city is adding 25 automated speed enforcement cameras, one for each ward in Toronto. The most recent ASE site in Beaches-East York is on Main Street south of Swanwick Avenue.
It joins two other such cameras in the ward, currently located on Wolverleigh Boulevard, west of Glebemount Avenue, and on Gerrard Street East, east of Beaton Avenue.
See the full Streeter story on the new cameras.
Two arrested in alleged home invasion
Three days after a reported home invasion near Woodbine and Norway avenues (see Jan. 29 item below), the man and woman suspects have been arrested, police say.
Police received information from the public that led to finding the two in the area of Danforth and Cedarvale avenues, according to a news release.
Arrested on Jan. 31 at about 7:30 p.m., the Toronto man, 38, and Toronto woman, 3o, face a total of 14 charges, including breaking and entering, robbery with an offensive weapon and assault with a weapon.
For more details, see the police news release.
Man and woman sought in home invasion investigation
Investigators are looking for a 38-year-old man and 30-year-old woman after an alleged home invasion, police said yesterday evening.
In the early hours of Jan. 28, two people armed with knives allegedly broke into a residence near Woodbine and Norway avenues and attacked a tenant. The tenant suffered serious injury, police said.
More information and images of the suspects are available in the police news release.
Town hall budget meeting for east-end residents
Have your say at the town hall meeting on the city’s 2023 budget, co-hosted by Toronto-Danforth and Beaches East York councillors. The meeting’s on Feb. 3. See more about it in Streeter’s Things To Do listing.
JAN. 27 REMINDER: Winterlicious starts today at restaurants across Toronto and in Leslieville. See Jan. 20 item below.
New CafeTO fees to hurt local eateries: Fragedakis
Local restaurants may be hit hard by the changes to the city’s CafeTO program this year, says Mary Fragedakis, executive director of the GreekTown on the Danforth BIA. She was talking to John Moore on Newstalk 1010’s Moore in the Morning program today.
City council is considering a staff report that proposes charging new fees for restaurants participating in CafeTO.
“Many small businesses are struggling terribly right now … and this is another stressor,” Fragedakis said. She predicted the new fees would put CafeTO out of reach for many of them.
Hear the interview on iHeart radio, including Mayor John Tory’s defence of the fees.
Start making reservations for Winterlicious
Winterlicious is back, set to offer prix fixe lunches and dinners from Jan. 27 to Feb. 9.
Beach-area restaurants participating in Winterlicious Toronto include Delhi Bistro and Chowpatty Culture on Queen Street East, plus The Beech Tree and Bowl of Karma on Kingston Road.
You can find the entire Toronto list on the city’s Winterlicious page.
CampTO registration set to open
It’s time to start planning the kids’ summer camp activities at local parks and centres this summer. The city has announced its CampTO programs are online for your consideration, ready for registration beginning Feb. 11.
Some new programs have been added to the CampTO lineup for the programs that run from July 4 to Sept. 1.
Camp locations in and around the Beaches area include:
- Beaches Recreation Centre, 6 Williamson Rd.
- S.H. Armstrong Community Centre: 56 Woodfield Rd.
For more information on the program and registration, see the Streeter calendar listing.
Pizza shops’ original location moved from area
Queen Margherita Pizza, specializing in Neapolitan-style pizza, closed its doors at 1402 Queen St. E. as of Dec. 31. Its original location was opened in 2010 and additional shops were opened elsewhere in Toronto.
View this post on Instagram
The company said it is opening at another site in the east end, but so far we see only one west-end location listed on Queen Margherita Pizza’s website as being open.
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