Making Waves at The Beach

About this event

With toes in the sand, join us as we stroll along the lakefront of this trendy Toronto neighbourhood defined by four beaches. Before the 1950s, Torontonians took steamers and streetcars to escape the city to this once marshy cottage area in the east end. On this walk, we’ll dive into its history, from the shoreline engineering that created the sandy beach today, to former amusement parks like Scarboro Beach Park known for its star attractions – the Tickler, Tunnel of Love, and Chute-the-Chutes – and as the location of the first public exhibition flights of airplanes in Canada. A playground for city residents, this leisure area featured public parks like Kew Gardens which offered camping, picnicking, and amusements for tourists, and the Balmy Beach Club, a hub for sports like rugby and canoeing which spurred a legacy of athletic excellence. Hidden beneath the water’s surface, we’ll also expose the dark history of the formation of the Swastika Club in the summer of 1933, when a group of Anglo-Canadian Nazi sympathizers harassed and attempted to drive “undesirables” – recent immigrants but mainly Jewish bathers – away from local beaches. A roller coaster ride awaits you on this tour.