The Beaches: Creation of a Toronto Neighbourhood

by Richard White

The Beaches is one of Toronto’s best known and most admired neighbourhoods. It has no striking works of architecture or splendid public spaces, no must-see galleries or public institutions, and no associations with historic events or great celebrities – the sort of things that create neighbourhood reputations and draw visitors. It does, however, have an attractive character, and it is this character that Richard White seeks to understand, offering insights into how it came to be and why it has endured. With an eye to the broader historical context, The Beaches recounts the neighbourhood’s initial colonial settlement, its development as a lakeside recreational community in the late nineteenth century, its emergence as a streetcar suburb after 1900, its maturation in the 1920s and 1930s, its relative decline in the 1950s and 1960s, and its revival in the 1970s and beyond. Utilizing a wide range of archival records, including council minutes, plans of subdivision, newspapers, public land records, city directories, assessment rolls, and historical photographs – as well as the present-day landscape – The Beaches reveals the various forces, public and private, local and international, that shaped this cherished urban neighbourhood.

Genres: History

256 pages, Paperback

Published May 6, 2024

About the author

Richard White is the author of many acclaimed histories, including the groundbreaking study of the transcontinentals, Railroaded, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Francis Parkman Prize, and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. He is Margaret Byrne Professor of American History, Emeritus, at Stanford University, and lives near Palo Alto, California.

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An economic/land use history of a quirky Toronto neighborhood. I was hoping for more stories about occupants than about how the land was subdivided. I'm sure that this book will be useful to readers seeking to understand urban planning and land use.

[Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical research could have VASTLY been improved upon as well I felt that the author could have reached out to indigenous communities in the area to share their oral history and traditions tied to the land. I felt that the author breezed past this because they didn’t have the time to fully flesh it out and instead said that little was none, when it made me question if little was known to the AUTHOR or to the collective US.

Despite this, I felt the authors acknowledgement in the final pages that the historical research and analysis was deeply flawed in the book refreshing. Truly its a story of urban design - and urban design in North America. It feels very much like noted from various classes mashed together with the case study of the beaches neighbour hood being used. Perhaps I am craving nostalgia of my undergraduate degree, but I enjoyed the book - mostly as a starting point to further research and delve into topics themed into the book. As well I hope that this sparks further research and interest in one of my favourite Toronto neighbourhoods