Historic photos from around The Beaches, Toronto
The Beaches (or just 'The Beach') is a residential and tourist area along Lake Ontario east of downtown Toronto. The waterfront is divided up into four beach areas: Balmy Beach, Scarboro Beach, Kew Beach and Woodbine Beach (previously known as The Cut).European development started in 1793 when Alexander Aitken divided the area into lots on behalf of Lieutenant Governor John Simcoe. By the 1870's the area was connected to Toronto by streetcars and boats in the summer, and it became a popular summer daytrip from the city with a number of amusement parks.
West of The Beaches is Leslieville with Fallingbrook to the east. To the north is the Upper Beach.
List of all areas in Toronto or take a look at the historic photos by date. New! You can now access the photos by street address A subset of the photos have also been arranged by subject. Tweet
| 1885 |  | Beech Ave. - out for a walk amongst the trees 140 years ago - 1885 - The Beaches Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1890 |  | Streetcar tracks and paving stones on Queen St east of Lee Ave 135 years ago - 1890 - The Beaches Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1890 |  | Queen Street east of Lee Avenue in The Beaches 135 years ago - 1890 - The Beaches Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1890 |  | Looking down to the lake from Queen Street east of Lee Avenue 135 years ago - 1890 - The Beaches Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1894 |  | The Witches Park, now known as Glen Stewart Ravine, Kingston Road, south side - includes rare witch hazel shrubs (Categorized under: Glen Stewart Park and estate ) 131 years ago - Saturday, January 13, 1894 - The Beaches at 351 Glen Manor Drive south side of Kingston Road Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1900 |  | Balmy Beach Club, Balmy Beach Park, foot of Beech Ave. people out enjoying the canoes 125 years ago - 1900 - The Beaches Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1904 |  | KEW Beach Grocery and Smith - Queen Street west of Lee Avenue 121 years ago - Saturday, February 20, 1904 - The Beaches at 2040 Queen Street East Max temp: -4.4°C - Min temp: -16.1°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1905 |  | Kew Beach fire hall - construction - main storey being built - now Toronto Fire Station 227 120 years ago - 1905 - The Beaches at 1904 Queen Street East Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1905 |  | Kew Beach Station 17 fire hall under construction - 1904 Queen St East 120 years ago - 1905 - The Beaches at 1904 Queen Street East Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1906 |  | Kew Beach Public School (?) looking south-east from Kew Beach firehall (Categorized under: Schools ) 119 years ago - 1906 - The Beaches at 101 Kippendavie Ave Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1907 |  | Illuminated tower and beacon - Scarboro Beach Park 118 years ago - 1907 - The Beaches at 60 Scarborough Beach Boulevard Link to archive record - Map location (From Archives of Ontario) |
| 1908 |  | Spectators watching water chute ride, Scarborough Beach Park 117 years ago - 1908 - The Beaches at 60 Scarborough Beach Boulevard Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1908 |  | Pond in Glen Stewart estate or park (Categorized under: Glen Stewart Park and estate ) 117 years ago - 1908 - The Beaches Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1908 |  | At the end of the water chute ride at Scarboro Beach Park 117 years ago - 1908 - The Beaches at 60 Scarborough Beach Boulevard Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1910 |  | North shore of Lake Ontario - Scarboro Beach roller coaster and tower 115 years ago - 1910 - The Beaches Link to archive record - Map location (From Archives of Ontario) |
| 1910 |  | Crowd watching lacrosse game, Scarborough Beach Park 115 years ago - Friday, July 1, 1910 - The Beaches at 60 Scarborough Beach Boulevard Max temp: 33.9°C - Min temp: 18.3°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1911 |  | Fascinating Women and Charming Gowns snapped at the Woodbine Racetrack 114 years ago - Sunday, June 4, 1911 - The Beaches Max temp: 23.9°C - Min temp: 11.1°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1912 |  | Winter storm and ice at Kew Beach 113 years ago - 1912 - The Beaches Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1912 |  | Glen Stewart park map from 1912 - the Provident Investment Company, Toronto 113 years ago - 1912 - The Beaches Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1912 |  | Glen Stewart Park - water, railing, and horse drawn cart (Categorized under: Glen Stewart Park and estate ) 113 years ago - 1912 - The Beaches Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1912 |  | Silver Birch Ave., looking north from the lakefront 113 years ago - Tuesday, September 24, 1912 - The Beaches Max temp: 15.6°C - Min temp: 14.4°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1919 |  | Lake Ontario shoreline west from Munro Park Ave. - Erosion of the lakeshore 106 years ago - Monday, May 12, 1919 - The Beaches Max temp: 13.9°C - Min temp: 5.6°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1919 |  | Entrance to the Cascades, Scarborough Beach Park 106 years ago - Thursday, August 28, 1919 - The Beaches at 60 Scarborough Beach Boulevard Max temp: 22.8°C - Min temp: 10.6°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1919 |  | Inside the Cascades amusement ride, Scarborough Beach Park 106 years ago - Thursday, August 28, 1919 - The Beaches at 60 Scarborough Beach Boulevard Max temp: 22.8°C - Min temp: 10.6°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1920 |  | Dr. Young Monument, Kew Beach, Toronto 105 years ago - 1920 - The Beaches at 46 Lee Ave Link to archive record - Map location (From Archives of Ontario) |
| 1920 |  | View of lake looking north from Queen Street in Stewart Manor, Toronto, Ontario. (Categorized under: Glen Stewart Park and estate ) 105 years ago - 1920 - The Beaches at 2150 Queen Street East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1922 |  | A.S. Goss, wife and children, in garden of 53 Neville Park Boulevard 103 years ago - Monday, July 31, 1922 - The Beaches at 53 Neville Park Boulevard Max temp: 23.3°C - Min temp: 16.7°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1922 |  | Kingston Rd, looking west, from Victoria Park Ave 103 years ago - Monday, October 16, 1922 - The Beaches Max temp: 18.9°C - Min temp: 7.8°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1924 |  | Kew Gardens grass tennis courts between Waverley Rd. & Lee Ave. 101 years ago - 1924 - The Beaches Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1926 |  | Bicycle race at Velodrome, Scarborough Beach Park 99 years ago - 1926 - The Beaches at 60 Scarborough Beach Boulevard Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1929 |  | Kew Beach Park East - wooden groynes to reduce sand erosion along the beach 96 years ago - Tuesday, November 19, 1929 - The Beaches at 2075 Queen Street East Max temp: 3.3°C - Min temp: -0.6°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1930 |  | Houses on Kewbeach Avenue - numbers 9, 11, 13 - back on to the water and expropriated for Woodbine Beach Park 95 years ago - Monday, March 10, 1930 - The Beaches at 9 Kewbeach Ave Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1930 |  | Houses at 15, 17 Kew Beach Avenue 95 years ago - Monday, March 10, 1930 - The Beaches at 15 Kewbeach Ave Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1930 |  | Houses expropriated for Woodbine Beach park - 19, 21, 23 Kew Beach Avenue 95 years ago - Monday, March 10, 1930 - The Beaches at 19 Kewbeach Ave Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1930 |  | Homes on Lee Avenue north of Lake Ontario 95 years ago - Saturday, March 22, 1930 - The Beaches at 13 Lee Ave Max temp: 0.0°C - Min temp: -8.3°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1930 |  | Leuty Avenue north of the beach with horse drawn wagon 95 years ago - Saturday, March 22, 1930 - The Beaches at 22 Leuty Ave Max temp: 0.0°C - Min temp: -8.3°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1931 |  | Colour sketch of a gate for the Kew Beach athletic field (Categorized under: Architectural drawings --- Ornamental gate ) 94 years ago - 1931 - The Beaches Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1933 |  | Glen Stewart Park, Williamson Road pedestrian bridge (Categorized under: Glen Stewart Park and estate ) 92 years ago - Friday, November 3, 1933 - The Beaches at 72 Williamson Road at Glen Manor Drive West Max temp: 10.0°C - Min temp: 3.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1935 |  | Kew Beach Public School - before 1963 new school was built - was 95 Kippendavie Ave. at the time (Categorized under: Schools ) 90 years ago - 1935 - The Beaches at 101 Kippendavie Ave Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1960 |  | Duke of Connaught Public School - Woodfield Road at Queen Street East (Categorized under: Schools ) 65 years ago - 1960 - The Beaches at 70 Woodfield Road north of Queen Street East Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1972 |  | Glen Stewart Park, Queen Street East - now called Ivan Forrest Gardens (Categorized under: Glen Stewart Park and estate ) 53 years ago - 1972 - The Beaches at 2150 Queen Street East just east of Glen Manor Drive Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1972 |  | Looking east from Glen Stewart Park to the north side of Crown Park Road (Categorized under: Glen Stewart Park and estate ) 53 years ago - 1972 - The Beaches at 8 Crown Park Road Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1977 |  | Ashbridges Estate - built in 1854 and designed by Joseph Sheard - at Connaught Avenue 48 years ago - Thursday, May 26, 1977 - The Beaches at 1444 Queen Street East at Connaught Avenue Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1995 |  | Hubbard Court (apartment) and houses on the boardwalk along KEW Balmy Beach in Toronto 30 years ago - Sunday, August 6, 1995 - The Beaches at 13 Hubbard Boulevard along the Martin Goodman Trail Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |