Beach United Church is very grateful to have received a grant to support our Thursday Lunch Program through the federal government’s New Horizons for Seniors Program. The grant provides funding for projects that make a difference in the lives of seniors and their communities. A big thanks to our volunteers and to our MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith for his support of this community program.
From the Beach Metro Community News, June 25th, 2024 (Volume 53 No.9)
By ALAN SHACKLETON
A couple of months ago a man walked into Beach United Church with a time capsule he had found in southwest Scarborough which gave a glimpse of the history of the community and the church from 100 years ago.
The time capsule had been placed at a building at 181 Courcelette Rd. on May 4, 1924 to mark the laying of the cornerstone of the Kew Beach Presbyterian Church Extension Sunday School at the site.
The man who discovered the capsule was redeveloping the house now on the property and thought that Beach United Church was the best place to drop it off, said Rev. Greg Daly who is the current minister at the church located at 140 Wineva Ave. in the Beach. Before becoming Beach United the church was formerly known as Kew Beach United (from 1925 on) and before that as Kew Beach Presbyterian.
“We opened the time capsule at our May 5, 2024 service with one of our oldest and one of our youngest members,” said Daly, who pointed out that there was not one member of the present congregation who had had a direct connection the Extension Sunday School on Courcelette Road.
Inside the time capsule were a number of newspapers including the May 3, 1924 editions of the Mail and Empire, and the Globe and Mail. There were also copies of what was then a community newspaper called Smiles. The May 3, 1924 copy of Smiles had a schedule for the first half of the Beaches Soft Ball league printed on its front page along with a story about the upcoming opening day of the Scarboro Beach Amusement Park on May 17.
“A forty-piece band has been engaged for the afternoon and another one for the evening performance,” read the Smiles story about the amusement park’s opening ceremonies for the 1924 season.
“The ads in the papers were just fascinating to see,” said Daly of the newspapers from a century ago.
For example, the ad for Ferguson’s Markets (with locations at 2070 and 1885 Queen St. E. and at 873 and 1020 Kingston Rd.) showed it was selling a Porter House Roast for 34 cents a pound, 10 pounds of sugar for 94 cents, a package of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes for 11 cents and two “good size” grapefruit for 15 cents. Ferguson’s also offered free delivery on orders of more than three dollars.
Also, there was an ad for the Beach Theatre which would be showing the movies The Hunchback of Notre Dame (with Lon Chaney) and Bright Lights of Broadway (with Lowell Sherman, Doris Kenyon and an actor named Harrison Ford – no relation to the later Harrison Ford of Star Wars, Indiana Jones fame) that week in May of 1924. The Beach Theatre was located at 1971 Queen St. E. and operated from 1919 to 1970. The site is now the location of the Beach Mall.
An ad for the Riverdale Garage at 755 Danforth Ave. reminded readers that “A Ford car is the best spring tonic.” Though not listing a price for the vehicles it was selling, the Riverdale Garage ad went on to say: “Spring is here – Buy a Ford. Get out into the country every minute you can spare. You will tackle your business with greater zest – your wife will forget the monotony of house work – your kiddies will lose their city pallor and have the time of their lives.”
Daly said that while no current members of the Beach United Church congregation had a direct link to the Kew Beach Presbyterian Church Extension Sunday School, a copy of the speech from its opening ceremony on Courcelette Road was included in the time capsule and explained some of the reasons why it was built.
The main reason was the growing number of congregation members as the population of the Beach and southwest Scarborough increased, and the fact that Sunday School at Kew Beach Presbyterian Church was full to bursting with children. At first the Extension Sunday School was housed at a home Blantyre Avenue to deal with the large number of children but it was felt a location further east was needed and that’s why it was eventually built on Courcelette Road.
For a while Sunday School classes took place in Courcelette Public School, but it was felt by the church congregation that a dedicated space was needed.
“The attendance kept increasing steadily until it became quite apparent that a Sunday School building would be needed before long,” said the speech in the time capsule.
“So a Women’s Association was formed to raise money for a building fund. Kew Beach Church also lent money to help pay for a new building. A lot was purchased on Courcelette Road, and on May 3, 1924 the cornerstone of the new brick Sunday School was well and truly laid by Rev. J.A. Cranston.”
The staff of the Extension Sunday School in May of 1924 were listed as Supt. L.J. Potts; Secretary T.M. Hamilton; Treasurer James Hamilton; Teachers Geo. Edmonds, Mrs. Hampton, Mrs. Iland; Mrs. Napier, Mrs. Hamilton; Mrs. Edmonds; Mrs Meikle; Stanley White; Miss Lennox; Mrs. Beverly; Mrs. W. Riddell. The Sunday School’s music committee was made up of Mrs. Hampton, Mrs. Fortier; and Miss McPhail.
The builder and architect of the Extension Sunday School on Courcelette Road in 1924 was Duncan and Napier, Carpenters, Builders and General Contractors located at 44 Chester Ave.
As you know, Beach United Church is one of the founding members of The Beach Cares, a refugee sponsorship group established in 2015 to sponsor refugee families fleeing violence in Syria. Since that time refugee sponsorship has been supported by many people from the Beach community, including members of St. Aidan’s Anglican Church and Beach United Church. I’m writing to give you an update on the work of The Beach Cares.
Since 2016, we have supported three Syrian families to find safety and a new life in Toronto. Our first 2 families are now well settled, raising their children, and thriving in their new homes. Most recently, our efforts have been focused on a large family that came to Canada through a less direct route. First, we sponsored one daughter, about 5 years ago. Next, her oldest brother arrived last year with his Ukrainian wife, fleeing war once again in Ukraine.
Then, at the end of January of this year, their parents arrived, with the youngest 3 members of their family: 2 young women aged 28 and 22 and a son aged 20. After 9 years of displacement in Lebanon, they are now happily settled in a lovely 3-bedroom apartment near Eglinton and Victoria Park. The 3 younger members are all in high school and the whole family is focused on learning English.
The Beach Cares is overjoyed to see this large family reunited after so many years of separation and suffering. We are working hard to support them to settle well in Canada.
While the work is a labour of love for the members of The Beach Cares, it is also a big financial commitment. Unlike our earlier sponsorships, there is no contribution from the Federal Government for this newest family. There are also unexpected medical and dental costs, some of which are not covered by government health plans. Altogether, we are expecting to need an additional $25,000 this year.
Will you, please, consider a contribution to support our work with refugees? Donations can be made:
Whatever way you choose to provide your support, please note that the contribution is for The
Beach Cares.
Thank you for helping us to support this family!
Paul Dowling, Co-Chair
The Beach Cares
On Saturday, July 20th from 9am-12pm, bring your broken small appliances and household items, clothes that need mending, or bike that needs fixing, and learn how to fix it yourself – or we can fix it for you!
ALL FOR FREE!
Visitor registration ends at 11:30am; one item per person please.
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We are also looking for volunteer fixers! Please contact Mary Anne if you are interested in volunteering.