Kew Gardens and Scarboro Beach

Last week Heritage Toronto unveiled a plaque at the Kew Williams House.
My previous blog entry was for this event, and most of the information is there.

Afterwards Barbara Myrvold, a local author, historian, and Librarian took us on a tour of the Beach, or as I like to call it "The Beaches".
This alternative name stems from the smaller beach neighbourhoods that most folks (as well as myself) remember as Scarboro' Beach, Balmy Beach, Kew Beach, and Woodbine Beach.
Having spent the first twelve years of my life residing on Woodbine Avenue, I recall people's references to the Beaches.

So, the group meandered through the gardens that surround the Kew Williams House, and we stopped to marvel at the giant redwood trees near the lawn bowling club.
These are known as Dawn Redwood or Metasequoia glyptostroboides, a genus of the Sequoia tree in California.

Across the way, we can see the remnants of the Kew Beach Park Boat House.
It was built by the City as part of the Eastern beaches Park development in 1932.
It had ramps for the boats (since the shoreline was higher at that time) and eight large doorways. Later, the sides were removed and the building was converted into a picnic shelter.

 This Life Saving Station has been a Beaches icon for as long as I can remember. It almost always appears in a picture of the beach somewhere by someone.

At the foot of Scarboro' Beach Boulevard sits a 1993 Toronto Historical Board Plaque for the amusement park that once operated here.

The attractions at this park were numerous, ranging from rides such as the Scenic Railway, which was just another name for a roller coaster. There were performers, games, and musicians, but the most popular attraction was the Water Chute Ride.

The group then walked north on Glen Manor Drive to Queen Street, and stopped at the Ivan Forrest Gardens.
The original stream and pond can still be seen in this little ravine.

The tour continued along Queen Street, we (Marcia and I) decided to stop for coffee and search the street for a used clothing shop.
The rest of the folks followed Ms. Myrvold to visit the first Beaches Telephone Exchange and the Library....both of which I had covered in another post.