Our Story

A place where connection comes to play...

Welcome to Beaches Sandbox—a place in the heart of the Beaches where people of every age can come together to make, move, learn, cook, play and feel part of something.

On any given day, you might find toddlers making music, kids getting creative, adults trying something new, older neighbours staying active or families sharing an experience together. From camps and workshops to wellness, cooking and community events, there is always something bringing people through the doors.

As a registered charity, we exist to create high-quality experiences that help people build healthy, meaningful connections with one another and with our community. Because a community is more than the buildings in it. It is the moments people share, the friendships that grow and the feeling that you belong.

Why call it the Sandbox?

Think about what happens in a sandbox. Imaginations run wild. Castles are built. Plans change. Strangers become playmates. Nobody worries too much about getting a little messy.

That spirit inspired us to call our wonderful centre "Beaches Sandbox". The name connects us to the sandy shores of the Beaches and to a bigger idea: play, curiosity and creativity should not end with childhood.

This is a place where children can explore, adults can rediscover their playful side, older adults can stay active and connected, and neighbours can become friends.

Everyone is invited to find their own place in the Sandbox.

The idea behind the Sandbox...

Beaches residents Jason Schuy and Paulette O’Leary shared a vision: bring new energy to Queen Street East and create a place where people could have fun, try something new and feel genuinely welcome.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of human connection became impossible to ignore. What began as an ambitious idea became a community-supported mission to create a place where people could come together again.

With the support of neighbours, partners, the Paul W. O’Leary Foundation and an extraordinary team, that idea became Beaches Sandbox—a place built for the community, shaped by the community and always ready for a little more fun.

From empty building to neighbourhood Sandbox...

2019 - An underused building on Queen Street East, waiting for a new purpose.

2023 - A colourful, accessible community space filled with programs, people and possibility.

The transformation was physical, but the real change happened when neighbours began walking through the doors.