January
25, 2007
Presenting: Sheila Blinoff and Carole Stimmell
from the Beach Metro News - A Nerve Centre of Information Gathering
and Community Involvement in the Beach
One of the central organizations in the Beach is Beach
Metro Community News, a non-profit, non-partisan community newspaper
founded in 1972 that is distributed throughout major portions of
East Toronto. The newspaper is available throughout the entire delivery
area at various merchants and public access points, and more than
23,000 families receive the newspaper delivered to their front door
for free.
My request for an interview was graciously answered by Sheila Blinoff,
the General Manager, and Carole Stimmell, the Editor for the Beach
Metro News. We sat down around a big table in their premises near
the intersection of Gerrard and Main Streets. Sheila explained that
the Beach Metro Community News originally started in 1972 when a
group of volunteers got together to fight the Scarborough Expressway
that was supposed to cut a swath through all of East Toronto. This
issue galvanized the entire neighbourhood, and a group of volunteers
started publishing a free newspaper from the offices of the East
City YMCA at 907 Kingston Road.
The community had come together to rally against the construction
of the Scarborough Expressway, and their collective efforts were
successful. The dreaded construction of a major highway that would
have destroyed over 750 homes between Coxwell and Victoria Park
was averted. Today the Beach Metro Community News is a non-partisan
paper that does not feature editorials. A copy of the paper goes
to almost every business and residence in an area that extends from
Lake Ontario to a few streets north of Danforth Avenue, and from
Coxwell Avenue in the west to Midland Avenue in the East.
The Beach Metro News team: Carole Stimmell, Sheila Blinoff, Judy
Doucette, Jon Muldoon, Dianne Marquardt, Melinda Drake, Bill MacLean
Of the 30,000 papers delivered, 7000 are delivered to libraries,
churches and other public institutions while the rest goes out to
private homes. An extensive network of about 400 volunteers looks
after free delivery, with each volunteer donating their time and
effort. Every second Tuesday just after publication a team of about
30 volunteer captains receives dozens of bundles of newspaper which
they then distribute among their individual neighbourhood volunteers
who in turn take the paper and deliver it street to street, house
to house.
The volunteer stories are amazing. Sheila and Carole recounted
so many fascinating tales of individuals who dedicate their spare
time towards delivering the community news. The oldest of these
volunteers is 96 years old and enjoys the opportunity to interact
with neighbours and make a connection. Another delivery volunteer
had a baby in the morning, and the same afternoon she delivered
the Beach Metro Community News, just as she would any other second
Tuesday. Another female delivery volunteer requested to get her
papers early on Tuesday since she was going to have a Cesarean delivery
the very next day on Wednesday. An elderly man once called in and
said he would not be able to deliver the paper this time since his
wife had just died, but he promised to be there to deliver the next
edition of the Beach
Metro Community News.
Sheila added that her co-workers and the volunteer carriers not
only help with the production and distribution of the paper, they
are also her eyes and ears in the community, resulting in a network
of hundreds of volunteer news gatherers. Carole summed it up by
saying that “not a leaf falls in the Beach without us knowing
about it”.
I needed to find out more about these two women who are the driving
force behind the Beach Metro Community News and asked them to tell
me more about their own personal history and connection to the Beach.
Carole admitted that she is a relative newcomer to the Beach as
well as to the Beach Metro Community News: she has lived and worked
here for “only” eleven years. Originally from Wisconsin,
Carole Stimmell moved to Toronto in order to complete a Ph.D. in
archeology at the University of Toronto. She and her husband had
met at the Washington Post where Carole was completing an internship,
and they decided to jointly move to Toronto to complete their postgraduate
studies. Carole's husband studied communications with Marshall McLuhan,
the famous Canadian educator, philosopher and scholar who coined
the expressions “the medium is the message” and the
“global village”.
Carole Stimmell, the Editor of the Beach Metro Community News
Carole’s first impressions of Canada were that it is vastly
different from the United States: Canadians are more accepting,
more reticent to judge as compared to the more dogmatic and aggressive
stance of people in the United States. She added that Canada’s
liberal outlook suits her personally very well, and it would be
hard for her to move back to her birth country.
After completing her doctorate Carole worked on archeology projects
for 20 years; these assignments took her to Japan, the Arctic and
the United States. Her archeology projects in Toronto included digs
at Trinity Bellwoods Park, in Leslieville and at the Ashbridges
House, the original homestead of the Ashbridges family who had come
from Pennsylvania and become the first settlers in Toronto’s
Beach neighbourhood. For several years Carole was also the editor
of the Canadian Journal of Archeology.
Her connection with the Beach
Metro Community News came about because she was originally a
volunteer carrier for the paper. When the long-term editor of the
paper retired, a new editor came in and started taking the paper
into a tabloid-like direction with a strong focus on crime and negative
news. Carole and many others did not like this new slant and felt
that the Beach Metro Community News was about positive news stories
and an emphasis on the good things that were going on in the community.
This editor did not last long, and Carole threw her hat in the ring
for this position. In the process she beat out 50 other candidates
and succeeded in getting the job because she understood what the
paper was all about.
Today Carole still has an interest in history; she was vice chair
of the Toronto Historic Board, and she now sits on the board of
the Ontario Archeology Society. She also has an extensive collection
of historic post cards of the Beach; these photos are sometimes
featured under the heading of “Deja Views” in the Beach
Metro Community News, juxtaposing historic streetscapes with a current
photo of the same location.
Sheila Blinoff came to Toronto from Great Britain in the 1960s
and married into a German-Canadian family. She and her husband moved
to Balsam Avenue in 1969, making her a bona fide Beach resident
for almost 40 years. In 1971 Sheila had her first child, and when
the Beach Metro Community News started in 1972 Sheila connected
with the paper since they were in need of a volunteer typist. Sheila
offered her services and also started helping with the volunteer
delivery of the paper. Several months into her assignment, the paper
received three local program grants that enabled them to hire three
people for six month. Sheila figured she could do the job and beat
out 30 people who had applied.
Sheila Blinoff, General Manager of the Beach Metro Community News
Around that time Sheila had her second child; the grant meanwhile
had run out of money. Sheila continued working on the paper for
six months from home without pay. Finally a fundraiser generated
$7000 which enabled the paper to pay two staff members - Sheila,
and Joan Latimer who was the editor for 22 years. Advertisers came
on board, and the Beach Metro Community News finally had a viable
economic base. Several more employees were hired over the years.
In the early years the entire production of the paper was a community
affair. Several interested neigbours would come together and jointly
handle the manual cut and paste layout of the paper. They would
also decide which stories should go into the paper, and opinions
would often diverge widely. Sheila concedes that trying to reconcile
these viewpoints was often tough going.
Several years into the publication the name was changed from the
original name ”Ward 9 News” to “Beach
Metro Community News”. The official administrative name
of the Beach neighbourhood had changed from Ward 9 to Ward 32, so
the original name of the newspaper was no longer applicable. For
Sheila and many other "oldtimers", however, this publication
will always be the “Ward 9 News”.
With years passing by the paper became more professional, and specialized
employees were hired to take over advertising sales, accounting,
photography, and news and entertainment reporting. Since the 1980s
the organization has been doing its own typesetting. Sheila’s
eyes light up when she says that she has met so many wonderful people
through her work with the Beach Metro Community News; she adds that
she has truly seen “the good side of human nature”.
One of her favourite experiences has been her opportunity to participate
in the selection committee of a contest to name five streets in
a new housing development that went in on the former Woodbine Race
Track premises, just west of Woodbine Avenue and Queen Street. The
new street names were to have a local or historical connection with
the area. As the secretary of the contest committee, Sheila had
the best job of all, inputting all 660 suggestions into the computer
and then verifying the accuracy of the historical background of
the submitted names. Sheila chose the name “Sarah Ashbridge”
in honour of the Quaker widow and United Empire Loyalist from Philadelphia
who settled in the Beach in 1793 and obtained a Crown land grant
in 1799 for a farm. “Northern Dancer” honoured all the
horses that ever raced at the Woodbine Race Track. “Boardwalk
Avenue” was chosen for the area’s proximity to the famous
East Toronto waterfront promenade.
Both Carole and Sheila love their neighbourhood, and they proudly
told me that Queen Street East in the Beach was chosen the Best
Main Street in Ontario by TV Ontario. One of the judges summarized
it like this: “The Beach is an all-round winner. A fantastic
inner-city neighbourhood with a great retail market, a great place
to visit and a fabulous festival”, referring to the Toronto
International Beaches Jazz Festival, one of Toronto’s
largest music and entertainment events.
Judy Doucette works in the Accounting Department
The importance and influence of the Beach Metro Community News
cannot be understated. After all, the individuals running the paper
had a major hand in stopping the Scarborough Expressway. Extensive
coverage of dredging in Lake Ontario at the foot of Beech Avenue
also resulted in an outcry in the community, and the government
cancelled the project. Coverage of the Ashbridges Bay Incinerator
also mobilized many concerned citizens in the neighbourhood, and
their collective action resulted in the closure of the unwanted
incineration facility. Stories of important local issues are kept
in the public eye, and the community starts rallying around these
issues.
What makes this neighbourhood really special are the people and
organizations that donate so much of their time to the community.
Sheila and Carole recounted a multitude of community initiatives
that illustrate that the spirit of charity and neighbourly assistance
is strong in the Beach. One example includes a major fire a few
years ago at the eastern end of Queen Street where two people died
and several others were rendered homeless. Several fundraisers were
held for the affected families, and money was raised to help them
pay for their first month’s rent and furniture in their new
apartments.
When the big Indian Ocean Tsunami struck in 2005, Centre
55 immediately set up a fund to collect money for the victims
and thousands of dollars were sent to the affected areas. The local
Balmy Beach Club raised money
for school computer labs when the government cut back its educational
budget. Together with strong parent volunteers at each school in
the area, initiatives like these make a huge difference in the community.
In the Beach community spirit manifests itself in many different
ways. The annual “Carolling in the Park Event’”,
held at the local Glen Stewart Ravine, attracts more than 2000 people
for a holiday sing-along. Flashlights and candles in the ravine
create a magical atmosphere and an event that the community loves.
Carole adds that there are so many interesting people in the Beach;
a collection of media people, artists, actors, entrepreneurs and
other eclectic people provide a lot of fodder for interesting and
inspiring stories. Sheila mentions the example of a local man who
owns the world’s largest typewriter collection. Another young
man from the community, a gifted musician, had attended the Julliard
Music School in New York City and recently debuted in a big concert
at Carnegie Hall. The Beach Guild of Fine Arts is a large group
of artists who hold shows twice a year. Musicians, actors, painters
and artists of all kinds are well represented throughout the Beach
community and provide many story opportunities throughout the year.
Bill MacLean coveres entertainment for the Beach Metro News
The philosophy of the Beach Metro Community News is to provide
news of interest to local residents and businesses. All revenue
comes from advertising, which is kept affordable so that local merchants
and tradespeople remain able to advertise their products and services.
Sheila and Carole are selective as to which advertisements they
accept, and sometimes advertisers have to wait to get into the paper.
One of the key community initiatives of the Beach Metro Community
News is the “Citizen of the Year” award which is a joint
initiative with Community Centre 55
and the Beaches Lions Club to honour volunteers who have made a
significant difference in the community over a number of years.
The Citizen of the Year is honoured with a plaque on the Beach Walk
of Fame in the Community Garden in Woodbine Park. They also get
a special space in the Beaches Lions’ Easter Parade. People
such as Gene Domagala, Glenn
Cochrane, Arie Nerman and Marie
Perrotta have all been honoured with this exclusive distinction.
But not only does the Beach
Metro Community News bestow awards upon others; its contribution
to the community has also been noticed and gotten recognition. In
2002 Sheila and Carole were themselves honoured with the Queen’s
Jubilee Medal as part of Queen Elizabeth’s 50 year anniversary
as the Queen. At this occasion every Canadian riding awarded medals
to its top volunteers and community builders, and Sheila and Carole
were honoured together with other prominent Beachers.
As a non-profit organization, the Beach Metro Community News donates
some of its excess revenues right back into the community. In 2006
the organization donated more than $14,000 to a wide range of organizations,
including the Arthritis Society, the Beaches Easter Parade, the
Churches by the Bluffs Food Bank, the Share-A-Christmas Program
run by Community Centre 55, the Glen
Rhodes Food Bank, Malvern High School Scholarships, the Pegasus
Community Project, Senior Link, the Toronto East General Hospital
Foundation, the Woodgreen Red Door Shelter for Women and many more.
Dianne Marquardt, the Advertising Manager of Beach Metro Community
News.
The Beach Metro
Community News not only covers the local news, it also makes
news: as a volunteer organization that acts as the virtual glue
of the community, as a champion of important neighbourhood causes,
as an organization who identifies and honours volunteers who make
the community work, and as a significant donor that contributes
much-needed funding to important neighbourhood organizations.
The Beach Metro Community News is much more than just news.
Related Articles:
Celebrate Toronto
- An article series to celebrate my chosen home town
Gene Domagala - A human convenience
store of charity and community involvement in Toronto's Beach
Arie Nerman & the Beach Hebrew Institute:
The People's Synagogue
Vivetha Bistro: A popular spot
with eclectic food
Glenn Cochrane - Media
personality, author and expert fundraiser – a champion of
the Beach for almost 40 years
Michelle Gebhart: A
true Renaissance woman: from army brat to expert renovator, biker
lady, successful restaurateur & dedicated youth volunteer
Michael Prue: A working class success
story - from Regent Park to Queens Park
Alex Winch & the
Beach Solar Laundromat – Unstoppable when it comes to championing
renewable energy & innovative entrepreneurship
Mary Lee: A restaurant owner with a heart
for the arts
Marie Perrotta from the Pegasus
Community Project reaches for the stars
Burgie and Benedetta from the Konditor
coffeehouse create Austrian delicacies in Toronto's Beach
Bob Murdoch from Community Centre
55 - 25 years of community service in the Beach
Steve and Paul from Accommodating
the Soul B&B: hospitality with a personal touch
John Dowding: A private lesson in
photography from a true master
Lucille Crighton: A textile
arts Hall of Famer in Toronto's Beach
Lido Chilelli: Founder
of the Toronto International Beaches Jazz Festival
Fire Station 227: History, heroism
and local connections in the Beach
The Green Eggplant: Healthy Mediterranean
food and big solid portions
The Balmy Beach Club - Legend
by the Lake & Toronto's best-kept secret
The Garden Gate Restaurant a.k.a. "The
Goof" - Good food in the Beach since 1952
Ralph Noble: Firefighter,
lifesaver and creator of the most famous mural in the Beach –
a noble man indeed
Sandra Bussin
- City Councillor and Deputy Mayor shows me her neighbourhood
The Toronto Beach Rotary Club:
Service above Self and the joys of volunteering
The Beaches Lions
Club: Charity and community projects in the Beach since 1935
The Beach Business
Improvement Area: A general overview of the Beach and the merchants
and activities on Queen Street East
Maria Minna:
An Italian-Canadian immigrant story and a life-long fight for social
justice
The Beach Metro Community
News: Much more than just the news
The Kingston Road Business Community:
A neighbourhood undergoing revitalization and an integral part of
the Beach
Andrew Smith and Rachel Howard:
Creative entrepreneurs and dedicated community builders
Nevada's Ristorante: Where
hospitality is a family affair
Maria Minna: Another neighbourhood
walk and talk and discoveries along Queen Street East
St. Aidan's Church:The spirit of charity
in the Beach comes full circle
Gene Domagala takes me on a history
tour of the eastern and northern part of the Beach - a perfect day
of discovery
The Beaches Library: A centre
of learning for all ages
A walk along Kingston Road:
A shopping district definitely worth a visit
55 Division: Serving and protecting
- community policing in action
|