By Sean Delaney.
Carol McCartney is a musician and former Miss Toronto who has high hopes for a latest CD release, and humble beginnings right here in the streets of Emery.
She grew up on Verobeach Blvd and went to Gulfstream Public School and then Emery Collegiate Institute.
Today, she is a Juno nominated performer and songstress as well as a former Miss Toronto.
The Italian girl remembers groups of friends, her first semi-detached house and a neighbourhood full of familiar smells and tastes.
“I remember wonderful Italian cheeses – Friulano, and once having a grappa cherry,” she said. “My father and one of my oldest and dearest friends’ mothers still live in those houses today.”
She started singing in the Anglican church.
She grew up in the halls of St. Timothy’s and took piano on the side. In high school her talents took her to the Viola and McCartney began playing in the orchestra and chamber orchestra.
“Then I ended up getting the lead in a musical “The Me Nobody Knows “ that was done at Emery, which led to me singing with the stage band and ultimately even singing at the Forum.” 
She idolized Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and Al Green and discovered groove and soul music while continuing to play classical pieces with the orchestra and in her piano lessons.
When she was 16 her father entered her in the Miss Toronto pageant. While humbly describing the room as filled with intimidating beauty, McCartney took the 1978 title and went on to be the third runner up in Miss Canada.
She has guested with John MacLeod’s Juno award winning big band at the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival and been featured with a wide variety of symphonies, including The Sarasota Symphony, Toronto, Vancouver, Kingston, Nashville, Detroit, San Antonio, Grand Rapids, Tacoma, Harrisburg, Albuquerque, and Orlando.
In 2014 she was awarded a Marty Award from the Mississauga Arts Council for best Established Artist and was nominated for a Juno Award with the act Big Band Freeflight on a CD called “Taking Flight.” 
Today she has two very well received solo CD’s of her own. A Night in Tunisia and her latest - Be Cool - released at the Jazz Bistro in Toronto this past October.