Archive - The Toronto Time Traveller

The Greatest Disappointment in Popular Film History

It was just a year after the end of the war that Ivan Reitman was born on the same side of town where Miriam Rosenthal grew up. His parents, too, were…

Jul 14 •

How Hemingway Broke His Lease

A train pulled into Union Station. It had been travelling overnight from New York City, bringing the British prime minister to Toronto as part of his…

Jul 6 •

June 2025

Gunfight at the CIBC

At first, Gifford Hobday didn't even realize what was happening. It was a little after noon on what seemed to be an ordinary summer Friday in 1940…

Jun 26 •

The Mysterious Mr. Raffles Helps Win The War

A huge crowd was gathered at the corner of Queen & Bay, thousands of people braving the autumn chill on an October night in 1918. Their attention was…

Jun 20 •

May 2025

The Full Line-Up for The Festival of Bizarre Toronto History 2025!

The Festival of Bizarre Toronto History starts on Monday! We’ll spend seven days diving into some of the strangest stories our city has to offer — a…

May 31 •

The Man Who Paddled from Toronto to New York

It was a little after sunrise when they set out, paddling away from shore on a summer morning in 1919. It was the beginning of an extraordinary journey…

May 22 •

The Victorian Plot to Kidnap Famous Liberals

The doorbell rang. It was a little after ten o'clock on a summer night in 1879, a bit late for visitors. But Robert Jaffray was still up. He'd come home…

May 11 •

April 2025

The Heartbreaking Secret of Taddle Creek Pond

This is Taddle Creek Pond. You’ll find it at the heart of Wychwood Park, a leafy enclave near Bathurst & Davenport. It was created by damming Taddle…

Apr 18 •

The Festival of Bizarre Toronto History Is Back!

The Festival Of Bizarre Toronto History is coming back for 2025! Just like we’ve done for the last two springs, we’ll spend a week digging into the…

Apr 5 •

March 2025

The Bloody Burlington Races & the War for Lake Ontario

This time, they came at dawn. Just a few months after the Battle of York, as a black September night gave way to the light of day, the American fleet…

Mar 22 •

The Revolt of the Eighteen

A tense hush fell over the House of Commons. It was a winter afternoon in 1911 and parliament was in session in Ottawa. Debate was underway on a…

Mar 11 •

February 2025

The Snowy Night Neil Young Was Conceived

It was the last winter of the Second World War. The first week of February 1945. Far away in Europe, the Nazi war machine was crumbling; the Soviets…

Feb 17 •

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