A New Name for the Newsletter!
Plus a missing monument, resisting American expansion, and more...
Welcome to The Toronto Time Traveller! This week marks three years since I first launched The Toronto History Weekly and I thought I’d mark that anniversary by giving the newsletter a fresh name. When I first launched it at the beginning of 2022, I wanted a name that quickly and efficiently described what it was: a weekly round-up of local history news and events. In time, as the newsletter has grown and found its footing — while also giving me a place to share bigger and more ambitious stories — I’d been starting to think it deserved a new name. Something a little more fun, a little more imaginative, and maybe a little more me.
And so, The Toronto History Weekly is becoming The Toronto Time Traveller!
Don’t worry, the newsletter itself won’t be changing. There will be a new name, a new logo and some new branding, but I expect everything else to stay the same. The newsletter will still have everything it had before: usually, a big story followed by local heritage news and event listings, as well as updates on my own work, like upcoming talks, tours, and courses.
I don’t expect my posting schedule to change much either. I’ve spent the last three years working hard to publish a new post every week, but I haven’t always quite been able to live up to the promise of The Toronto History Weekly name. The average has been one new post every 8.25 days. And while I know that’s not much of a difference and no one has ever complained, I’ve still felt guilty every time I’ve had to miss a day — especially as the stories in the newsletter have begun to get longer and involve more research. So, the new name will also let my pulse calm down a little bit during my busiest periods.
I’ve got lots of exciting projects lined up for 2025. The Festival of Bizarre Toronto History will be returning this spring, I’ll be giving lots of new talks and leading plenty of new walking tours, and offering new public courses, too. It looks like I’ll be playing a role with Doors Open again this year, and our Canadiana team is planning to release new episodes of our documentary series as well. Plus, there are a few other big ideas I have in the works… but I should probably keep those secret until I know I actually have the time to dedicate to them.
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported the newsletter over the last three years, whether you’ve clicked on a single link or become a regular subscriber — especially those of you who have made the switch to a paid subscription. It’s thanks to you that The Toronto History Weekly has been able to grow and to evolve. And it’s with your help that the The Toronto Time Traveller will continue to explore the city’s past long into the future.
It’s only thanks to the heroic 4% of readers who support the newsletter with a paid subscription that The Toronto History Weekly The Toronto Time Traveller is able to survive. If you’d like to make the switch yourself, you can do that right here:
Toronto’s Missing Monument
One of Toronto’s most familiar landmarks is currently missing from its spot in the middle of University Avenue. The Ontario Line construction at Osgoode Station has meant that the South African War Memorial has been temporarily removed from the island in the middle of the road. It has towered over the intersection for more than a century, designed by Walter Allward — the same sculptor who did the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France — and commemorates the Torontonians who fought in the South African War. Often called The Great Boer War, it was a particularly horrifying colonial conflict fought in the days when many people in our city were proud to fight and die on behalf of British imperialism.
It’s a story many people who pass the intersection every day have likely never paused to think about. So, I was happy to have the chance to be interviewed by Ben Spurr of The Toronto Star about the history behind the monument.
“From Hogtown To Downtown” With The LIFE Institute!
I’m kicking off the new year by bringing back my most popular course — and this time it’s thanks to the LIFE Institute!
From Hogtown To Downtown: A History of Toronto in Eight Weeks is an overview of the history of our city. And I’m thrilled to be offering it through the LIFE Institute, which provides educational programming for “older adults” (50+) and is affiliated with Toronto Metropolitan University’s G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education.
Description: The history of Toronto is filled with fascinating stories that teach us about ourselves and our community. In this eight-week, online course, we'll explore the city's past from a time long before it was founded, through its days as a rowdy frontier town, and all the way to the sprawling megacity we know today. How did Toronto become the multicultural metropolis of the twenty-first century? The answer involves everything from duels to broken hearts to pigeons.
When: Tuesdays at 12:30pm from January 28 to March 18.
Where: Online over Zoom.
How Much: $99 with a membership.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LIFE INSTITUTE
LEARN MORE ABOUT CURRENT COURSES, INCLUDING MINE
QUICK LINKS
The best of everything else that’s new in Toronto’s past…
THE GHOST OF ZEBULON PIKE NEWS — In The Toronto Star, Shawn Micallef writes about Trump’s recent annexation threats and the history of tensions between our city and the United States. “We have to take Trump seriously. It would be foolish not to, and there are reminders on Toronto streets that real conflict with our American neighbours has never been a thing of fiction and was present early on.” Read more.
POWER NEWS — There’s a big new plan for the site of the old Hearn Generating Station in the Port Lands: a massive new development that would include housing, retail, offices and more. Read more.
MARKET NEWS — It looks like Kensington Market is on its way to a heritage designation, as CityNews reports. “After a decade of study Toronto city staff recommend creating a heritage conservation district to protect the character of Kensington Market. Staff insist the plan won't freeze Kensington in time, but will allow it to grow in unexpected ways.” It’s heading to City Council later this month. Watch the report.
ALLIGATOR PIE NEWS — Patrick Cain writes that “City heritage planners have recommended three Victorian houses owned by the University of Toronto [on Sussex Avenue near Robarts Library] be given heritage designation to protect from demolition or significant change.” One of them is the home in which poet Dennis Lee wrote his famous children’s book, Alligator Pie! Read more.
DEAD BIGOT NEWS — On Bluesky, Jamie Bradburn shares a disturbing connection between Toronto and the homophobic activist Anita Bryant, who died this week. A North York city councillor wanted to give her a medal during her visit to the city in 1978, an idea that was initially supported by Mayor Mel Lastman:
(Click to read the full thread on Bluesky.)
And as Minor Leaguer points out, that wasn’t the only issue over which the councillor found himself on the wrong side of history:
(Click to open on Bluesky.)
PALACE PIER NEWS — Also on Bluesky, Jeremy Hopkin reminds us of the days when an enormous dance hall reached out into the waters of Humber Bay:
(Click to read the full thread on Bluesky.)
FACELIFT NEWS — I’m fascinated by the history of changing architectural tastes in Toronto, and the fact that some of our most beautiful old buildings were once thought to be ugly and out-of-date. A new post by Ela Gach for Heritage Toronto takes a look at that phenomenon’s impact on the CNE, where many historic buildings were given modern facades. “By the 1940s and 1950s, visitors to the CNE didn’t see its old buildings as treasures—they saw outworn buildings and a fairground that wasn’t keeping up with the times.” Read more.
FAMILY BARRACKS NEWS — Here’s another story with a connection to the CNE grounds. Karen Black writes that the housing crisis at the end of the Second World War drove the government to turn old military sites into emergency housing for families. The sites included the Stanley Barracks on the Exhibition Grounds, as well as Little Norway, munitions plants and other wartime facilities around the city. Read more.
FUTURE OF THOSE BARRACKS NEWS — The future of the Stanley Barracks is currently up in the air, Becky Robertson writes. The last remnant of the nearly 200-year-old complex is the Officers' Quarters, which just recently hit the market. Read more.
VAULT NEWS — Taylor Lucas writes about one of my favourite hidden historic treasures: the enormous old bank vault in the basement of One King West. Read more.
CATCHING UP ON PODCASTS NEWS — There are a few recent episodes of the Muddy York podcast to catch up on: Chinatown with Arlene Chan, Christmas Window Displays, and Toronto Hockey Before The Leafs.
TORONTO HISTORY EVENTS
TORONTO’S FOUNDING MYTH
January 15 — 6:30pm — Innis Town Hall — The Toronto Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge
“What are the origins of Toronto? Join us as Matthew walks through Toronto the land between the rivers and explains the real story of Toronto East vs West. Matthew Jordan is the founder of Hidden River Tours a tour company transforming the way people see the city of Toronto. Previously he has taught Taylor Swift to student at Harvard, AI to students at McMaster, and history to technologists in Silicon Valley. You GOTTA explore your city.”
$22.60
NEWSGIRLS: GUTSY PIONEERS IN CANADA’S NEWSROOM
January 22 — 6:30pm — Don Mills Library
“Toronto author Donna Jean MacKinnon documents the lives of leading female reporters who began their careers during newspapers' Golden Age (1920-1960). Her fascinating presentation recounts how these trailblazers covered every beat from art, fashion, and crime to social issues and politics.”
Free with registration!
55+ TEA TIME: DIGGING DEEP INTO RUNNYMEDE’S HISTORY
January 23 — 1pm — Lambton House — Heritage York
“Local historian/author Jim Adams has been researching the history of one of west Toronto’s smallest neighbourhoods, Runnymede. He is documenting its geographic, cultural, business and residential history. Join in a lively quiz and learn about his first graphic little book about local war hero Fred Topham.”
Free for people 55+
ILLUMINATING THE NIGHT: THE MAGIC LANTERN SLIDES OF WILLIAM JAMES & THE HISTORY OF TORONTO
January 23 — 7pm — Toronto’s First Post Office – Town of York Historical Society
“Join Richard Fiennes-Clinton as he discusses William James, the notable Toronto photographer who took thousands of images of the City in his career spanning several decades. Richard will discuss how James often made his images viewable to the people of Toronto by displaying them on his "magic lantern", a projector that used kerosene for the power of illumination and hand-tinted dozens of theses slides. William James and his luminary slides will be the subject of this presentation bringing light and colour to this often darker and wintry time of year.”
$22.63 for non-members; $17.31 for members.
CURATORIAL TOURS OF BLACK DIASPORAS TKARONTO-TORONTO
January 25 & February 22 — 1 & 3pm — Museum of Toronto
“Join us at Museum of Toronto for a curatorial tour of the Black Diasporas Tkaronto-Toronto exhibition. Led by a member of Museum of Toronto, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at this exhibition while learning about the importance of oral histories and community archives.”
$10 recommended admission.
THE HOWLAND LECTURE
January 26 — 2pm — Lambton House — Heritage York
“Howland Lecture with Darin Wybenga, Heritage Interpreter for the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation on the Mississaugas and the Humber.”
Free, I believe!
C.W. JEFFREYS: FOUR GENERATIONS AT 4111 YONGE ST.
January 29 — 7pm — Northern District Library — North Toronto Historical Society
“Nancy Baines, granddaughter of artist and illustrator Charles William Jefferys, will give an illustrated talk on Jefferys and the four generations of their family who lived in the heritage home on Yonge St. just north of York Mills Road.”
Free, I believe!
AN OVERVIEW OF 400 YEAR OF BLACK HISTORY IN CANADA
February 1 — 2pm — Richview Library
“Historian and author Channon Oyeniran (The Time Travel Adventures of Ara: Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad) provides an overview on the rich and expansive history and experiences of people of African descent in Canada over 400 years. The presentation will the topics of Black enslavement and the history of slavery in Canada, and the stories and achievements of significant individuals and groups that have contributed to various aspects of Canadian society (e.g. science, business, politics, art & culture, etc.).”
Free with registration!
OUT FROM THE SHADOWS: WOMEN AND THEIR WORK IN 19th CENTURY TORONTO
February 4 — 2pm — Yorkville Library
“Author Elizabeth Gillian Muir discusses her book, An Unrecognized Contribution: Women and their Work in 19th-century Toronto, which details the work that women did in the city that has not been recognized in early histories. While women did own factories, taverns, pubs, stores, market gardens, butcher shops, brickyards, and other commercial ventures, their contributions to these industries have been hidden for decades. The presentation will include photos and time for a Q & A.”
Free!
FINDING 19th-CENTURY BLACK HISTORY IN TORONTO
February 5 — 7:30pm — Online & Swansea Town Hall — Swansea Historical Society
“February is Black History Month, and we have invited Hilary [Dawson] to share her interesting and little-known stories concerning the contributions of Toronto’s Black community in the 1800s. Hilary spoke to the Swansea Historical Society on a related topic more than 20 years ago, and we are delighted that she will be returning in February.”
AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN: COL. JAMES FITZGIBBON’S TRIUMPHS AND FAILURES IN CANADA
February 13 — 7pm — Toronto’s First Post Office — Town of York Historical Society
“Join historian Dr. Jane McGaughey as she discusses the life and times of Colonel James FitzGibbon, one of the best-known soldiers in 19th century Upper Canada, and a familiar face to many in Toronto. Arriving in in the colony as a dashing young officer, he was the protégé of General Sir Isaac Brock and first rose to prominence as a hero in the War of 1812. He further earned the public's esteem for his roles in stemming sectarian violence, helping others during the cholera epidemic of 1832, and defending Toronto from rebels in 1837. In private, he lived a life of adventure, romance, and tragedy more befitting a character from a Jane Austen or Bridgerton novel than someone in real life. Given all that, Dr. Jane McGaughey will ask the pertinent question as to why James Fitzgibbon has become one of the more forgotten characters in Canada's past.”
$17.31 for members; $22.63 for non-members.
THE LETTERS: POSTMARK PREJUDICE IN BLACK AND WHITE
February 20 — 7:30pm — Montgomery’s Inn — Etobicoke Historical Society
“Author Sheila White will present from her book, The Letters: Postmark Prejudice in Black and White, a biographical novel about the courtship and marriage of her white mother and black father in 1947. Set in Nova Scotia and Toronto, the novel references characters and events significant in Canadian history, among them The Halifax Explosion; No. 2 Construction Battalion and its chaplain, Rev. Captain Dr. William Andrew White, who was the author's grandfather; internationally acclaimed classical singer Portia White, and civil rights icon Viola Desmond.”
Free for members; annual memberships are $25.
BLACK DIASPORAS TKARONTO-TORONTO
Until February 22 — Wed to Sat, 12–6pm— Museum of Toronto
“Black Diasporas Tkaronto-Toronto presents films and archives told and created by over 100 Black Canadians. More than 500 personal narratives document the rich histories that have shaped the spaces and places of contemporary Toronto. Visitors are encouraged to take time for intimate listening and viewing in areas throughout the show. They will discover personal stories from across multiple generations, highlighting the depth of Black history in this city and across Canada, and representing over 20 countries that represent this city’s Black diaspora. Visitors are also encouraged to share their origins if they wish, highlight moments of Toronto’s history that aren’t noted here, and identify events, organizations or even food that exists in Toronto because of Black histories.”
Free! (Donation suggested.)
THE LETTERS: POSTMARK PREJUDICE IN BLACK AND WHITE
February 25 — 2pm — Mount Pleasant Library
“Author Sheila White will discuss and read a passage from her newly published biographical novel, The Letters: Postmark Prejudice in Black and White which depicts and reflects upon the relationship of her parents --her mother from a traditional Nova Scotia family, her father a member of a prominent Black family-- in the face of racism and pervasive bigotry during the late 1940's.”
Free with registration!
Love the new name and thanks so much for the info on relevant events coming up.
Great name, Adam! Very apt. And thank you for all the event listings.