It's now the Beach, not Beaches

[AlvinofDiaspar]

From CBC Toronto:

Local vote settles argument over neighbourhood's name
Last updated Apr 18 2006 11:11 AM EDT
CBC News

After weeks of voting in a number of local locations, 2,200 residents and visitors to Toronto's historic east-end lakeshore neighbourhood have chosen to officially adopt the name The Beach over The Beaches. Fifty-eight per cent backed The Beach.

That's not, however, going to force the BIA that ran the vote to change its own name.

"We're not," said Deborah Etsten, executive director of the Beaches BIA, who said this was meant all along to be a vote about what name to put on street signs.

"There are lots of places [here] called Beach and lots called Beaches. We aren't going to change people's perceptions." Just their street signs.

Confusion over the moniker came to a head some years ago when the city put up special historic street signs that identified the area as The Beaches.

That instantly brought howls of protest from some local historians and residents who insisted the now-tony area was traditionally referred to in the singular.

The BIA decided it was time to straighten it out once and for all.

There doesn't seem to be a rush to change any business names as a result. Peter Martineau, who eight years ago bought a restaurant on Queen Street East that has its own interpretation of the name (The Beacher Café), is happy with what he has and won't switch.

"Never. The Beacher will always be The Beacher," said Martineau, while his early lunch crowd in the back chanted "Beach, Beach."

"Honestly, I live in The Beach personally, and everybody asks me where I live and I tell them The Beach. We are Beachers living in The Beach."

Martineau said people in the area had a lot of fun with the argument, but don't take it seriously "like the dog-issue."

Residents have been fighting for years over whether dogs should be able to run without leashes in local parks and open areas.

New street signs are expected to go up as early as this fall with the "proper" designation on them, plus the names of the four individual beach strips – Woodbine Beach, Balmy Beach, Scarboro Beach and Kew Beach.

Real estate agents have co-opted the name Beach in recent years, as the neighbourhood became more trendy, by extending its historic south-of-Queen-Street borders to include the "North Beach" and the "Upper Beach."

AoD

 

[Crazy Canuck07]

I've always called it the beaches.

 

[JoeyCuppa]

This whole thing is funny. Like a few street signs will change people's behaviour. Most people in other parts of Toronto and the GTA refer to it as The Beaches, anyhow.

 

[billonlogan]

I always thought it was wierd saying "let's go the beaches for a run" I prefer to say "lets go to the beach for a run"

The Beaches sounds so fake and it always reminds me of that damn song from Bette Midler. arghhhh

 

[samsonyuen]

The Beach is too generic sounding. The beach could be Rouge Hill Park or Cherry Beach. Who's to say whether they mean lower-case "B" or upper-case?

 

[Team Critter]

It's still the Beaches to me. Life goes on.

 

[interchange42]

^^It's all context. If someone tells you she is heading to "THE BEACH" then depending on what you know of her habits and what she is planning to do this time, you make an informed guess. If you're not sure, you ask a simple question.

Sure "The Beach" is more generic than "The Beaches", but that's what makes the claim to the singular version all that more outrageous, and therefore more memorable. And it is one contiguous strip of beach at the south end, despite the fact the beach is split into four areas.

Citytv was doing a poll this morning to ask viewers which of the two they preferred. As the Citytv poll was addressing their GTA-wide audience, the audience overwhelmingly voted for "The Beaches". The fact that in contrast the residents prefer "The Beach" helps establish the area as an exclusive place: outsiders think of the name one way, while residents "know" it's really something else. There's a little local snobbery involved, and that's fine; that helps define the character of the neighbourhood.

Here at MapArt our Toronto mapping has the neighbourhood name indicated as "The Beach", and the BIA's retail strip along Queen indicated as "The Beaches". Looks like we don't have to change it.

42

 

[Ed007Toronto]

While you're at it can you change Britain St to Ed Street? Even for just one edition. My mom would love it.

 

[esplanade guy]

I used to live near Queen East on the edge of the beaches and we always called it the beaches. To me, it's still the beaches.

 

[adma]

 

[samplain]

I prefer the Beaches. The beach sounds exclusive and small.

The Beaches sounds a little more romantic and offers more.

 

[bizorky]

I, for one, am relieved that this major issue has been put to rest. Nevertheless, I have to wonder: will those who pluralize be punished? A severe tongue-lashing would be in order for uttering the offending "s."

 

[wonderboy905]

Well tonight I just went to the Skydome to take in a Jays game and I'll probably be heading out to the beaches next weekend.

 

[21stcenturymichael]

I, for one, am relieved that this major issue has been put to rest.

The informal poll was to decide street signs. Nothing more. Personally, I don't care what the neighbourhood is called. Arguably, there are good historic reasons to call it "the Beach", but the BIA poll is not one of them.

 

[mpolo2]

It is just this kind of incredible waste of time, money and energy that makes people lose the respect and trust of the cities government. Add all the time spent arguing over street names on amalgation as well. Is this really a priority?