Archive for the ‘history’ Category

as it once was, The Ward

Posted: December 19, 2016 in history, public art
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Tucked into a space between City Hall and the Court House, is a construction site.  Up until recently it was a parking lot.  Soon it will be a new Court House.  Like all construction sites in Toronto, it is surrounded by hoardings to separate it from the streets and sidewalks.
a yellow digger, not working at the moment, sits in a vacant lot, slightly snow covered, the back of Toronto City Hall is in the background.

On two sides of the lot, the hoardings have been covered with a mural that was commissioned by Infrastructure Ontario.  It is “Picturing the Ward”and it is an exhibit about the area that once existed here, The Ward.  It was an area where many immigrants first settled.  It was roughly in the rectangle formed by College St., Yonge St., Queen St., and University Ave.   In the 1830’s it was home to Blacks escaping slavery, it saw waves of Irish, Eastern European Jews, Italians, and Chinese to name a few.

On the west side (along Centre Avenue), there are old photos, newspaper clippings, and stories of individuals who once lived in the area.   The content was collected and curated by the Toronto Ward Museum, a new ‘museum without walls’  in the city.   PATCH (part of The STEPS Initiative) designed and installed the mural.  The stories are in both English and French.

below: A segment of the mural with a story titled “Hungering for Success”.   It is the story of Edward and Donna Pasquale nee Bernardo.  Both were born in Italy and both were brought to the Ward by their parents.  They met here and married in 1918.  Edward and his brother Pamphilo founded Pasquale Brothers store on Elm Street.   During WW2 Pamphilo spent three years imprisoned in an internment camp in Petawawa along with other Italian, German, and Japanese Canadians that the government considered enemies of the state.  Edward remained in Toronto running the store.

part of larger mural, small tree branch in front, tall office building behind, mural has old photos in blue tones as well as a lot of words about the history of the area

below: The newspaper story from ‘The Toronto Star’ of 3rd October 1907 describes the death of Mrs. Hazleton, a widow with two children, who was hit by a car at Yonge & Bloor.  The car was driven by Mr. F.E. Mutton.  Yes, back then the driver of the car was named in the newspaper.

old photos in blue tones on a mural, along with a picture of an old newspaper clipping describing an automobile accident at Yonge & Bloor in which someone died.

below: The middle section is a collage of cyanotypes (an old photographic process which results in blue pictures) produced by PA System (aka Alexa Hatanaka and Patrick Thompson) .  The images are of artifacts uncovered during the excavation of the area along with some heirlooms contributed by former Ward residents.  A couple of CBC people were braving the cold that day too!

part of mural on a snowy corner, photos in blue tones, a CBC cameraman and reporter are standing on the sidewalk in front of the mural

below: The south side of the hoardings are along Armoury Street.  This section is called, These Stories Are Not Unlike Your Stories. Old photographs of the area have been reproduced in shades of blue.  Orange ‘bubbles’ contain stories.  Most of the photographs are from the City of Toronto Archives although some come from private sources.

part of a larger mural in Toronto, blue photos, with words written in large capital letters, These Stories Are Not Unlike Your Stories

below: On one side, the pictures are printed in reverse and the accompanying words are in French.  The French stories are translations of the English ones.

part of larger mural, reprints in blue tones of historical photos from city archives of ould buildings from the part of the city called The Ward that was demolished in the 1950's to make way for new City Hall

below: The people who lived in The Ward were poor and their housing was sub-standard.  In 1911 a report by the city’s Department of Health described how bad the living conditions were for the people here.  Largely because of that report, demolition of the area started soon after to make space for office towers and government buildings.  I’m not sure how long parts of The Ward survived, but it was in the 1950’s that the original Chinatown along Elizabeth Street was demolished to make way for Nathan Phillips Square.

part of larger mural, reprints in blue tones of historical photos from city archives of ould buildings from the part of the city called The Ward that was demolished in the 1950's to make way for new City Hall

below: Some of the orange bubbles contain quotes from descendants of former residents of the area.  The bottom quote is: “My mom use to say, ‘We were all poor.  No one had anything.  It was normal.  Everyone was in the same position so we didn’t worry about it too much.'”  by Brian Banks, grandson of John & Mary Colestock, former residents.

 

part of larger mural, reprints in blue tones of historical photos from city archives of ould buildings from the part of the city called The Ward that was demolished in the 1950's to make way for new City Hall

below: There is still a lot of work to be done on the site!   The mural will be on view until at least October of next year. If you are interested in the details of the mural, more about the people featured, or the events described, then the best place to start looking is the section of the Toronto Ward Museum website that is devoted to this project.

two red diggers on top of a pile of dirt on a snow covered vacant lot, large multirise buildings in the background

questions in the park

Posted: November 30, 2016 in history, locations
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The other day when I was walking through the east part of Riverdale Park I wandered over to a statue I hadn’t noticed before.  He stands amongst trees a distance from Broadview Avenue.  With the leaves gone from the trees he’s much more visible now.

below: A grey Dr. Sun Yat-Sen stands in the park on a grey November day.
It was commissioned by the Chinese Canadian Commission and  sculpted by Joe Rosenthal in 1984/5.

statue in a park on a grey November day, trees have lost their leaves, dead leaves on the ground, some green grass in the background, statue is of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, a Chinese man

The transcription of the English portion of the brass plaque that accompanies the statue:

“Dr. Sun Yat-Sen (1866-1925)

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, also known as Sun Wen, was a native of Tsu-Heng village Chung Shan District in Kwantung Province.  A devout Christian, he studied medicine in Hong Kong and took upon himself the task of overthrowing the tyranic Ch’ing Dynasty and of establishing a republic of democracy and freedom.  Having completed his studies, he practised medicine for a few years, since 1893, he devoted himself to the above political ideal and wrote his famous works “Three Principles of the People”, “The Five-Power Constitution”, “Plans For National Reconstruction”, and “Fundamentals for National Reconstruction”.  He planned and led no less than ten uprisings until the Wuchang Uprising in October 1911 brought about the success of the revolution.  He was elected provisional president but resigned soon afterwards and still devoted himself to the cause of the National Revolution.  On March 12, 1925 he died in Peiping and was given a state burial at Nanking in June 1929.”

Why does he stand here?  A political figure with no known ties to Canadian history.  There aren’t too many statues of such people here in Toronto.   Part of the answer probably lies on the back of the statue where there is a list of the names of those who donated to the building of the statue.  Most of them are Chinese, members of the Chinese diaspora in Toronto.   Added note: it was interesting to learn that Yat-Sen had visited Toronto to raise money for his fight in China.

When I was walking toward the statue, I stumbled upon an old cannon in the park.  It’s aimed over the DVP towards the Bloor Viaduct.  Another little surprise on a grey day.

An old cannon from the 1800's stands in a park surround by trees on a grey November day.

Why is there a cannon here I wondered?  Of course the internet has the answer to all questions.  Apparently, “When the Hon. A.P. Caron, Minister of Militia and Defence, made a visit to Toronto in 1881, a local Alderman asked him for cannons with which to decorate Riverdale Park.”  (I assume the Hon. A.P. Caron was a federal minister in Ottawa).   Five were delivered from Quebec City to Riverdale Park where “they were set up on a wooden platform in battery-like formation.”     In 1886 one of those five was moved to its present location on the Broadview side of the park.  (source)

below: This 32 pound cannon bears the cypher of King George III on the top of the cannon.  King George III ruled from 1760 until 1820 for a total of 59 years and 96 days.  He was the third longest reigning British monarch – behind Queen Victoria (63 years and 216 days) and Queen Elizabeth II (64 years and counting).

the insignia on the top of a cannon from the 1880's, markings in the brass of the cannon , royal insignia

Two pieces of history located within a stone’s throw of each other in a quiet Toronto park.  Two very diverse, and different, histories but both part of the political and social history of this city.

Louis Riel day

Posted: November 17, 2016 in events, history
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On this day, the 16th of November, in 1885, Louis Riel was hanged in Regina, the capital of the Northwest Territories at the time and the headquarters of the North West Mounted Police.

During that year, Riel led Métis people in the Northwest Resistance (or Northwest Rebellion depending on which side you were on), which was a stand against the Government of Canada because it was encroaching on Metis rights way-of-life.  The Métis were defeated at the siege of Batoche and the Canadian government captured Riel. He was eventually put on trial where he was convicted of treason and executed. As a result, Métis people across Canada were labeled as traitors and for generations many felt the need to hide their Métis culture and heritage.

Riel had previously led the Métis in the Red River Rebellion of 1869-1870.  In 1869 Canada bought Ruperts Land from the Hudsons Bay Company (Ruperts Land covered most of what is now western Canada).   The end result of this rebellion was the formation of the province of Manitoba under the Manitoba Act of 1870.  The Act included some of Riel’s demands such as separate French schools for Métis children and protection of the Roman Catholic religion.   Manitoba was a small piece of what was once Ruperts Land.  A little province surrounded by a large Northwest Territory.   History is often difficult to condense into a couple of paragraphs but there is a lot of information about Riel and the history of western Canada on the internet if you are interested in learning more.

Now, the 16th of November is Louis Riel Day, a day to look to the past and remember what Riel stood for.  It is also a day to look at the present and to recognize the many contributions of the Métis to Canada and to highlight the continuing struggles that Métis continue to face.

below: The Metis flag is raised in front of the parliament building at Queen’s Park. The flag features a large white infinity symbol and the background can be blue or red. The infinity symbol can be seen as a representation of the faith that the Métis culture shall live on forever and/or the joining of two cultures to form one.

raising a blue Metis flag in front of Queens Park

below: After the raising of the flag, the colour party leads the procession through Queen’s Park .

colour party of 6 men carrying flags lead a procession through the park in front of the parliament buildings at Queens Park, autumn and most of the leaves are off the trees.

below: People congregated at the Northwest Rebellion Monument.  This monument honours the 43 men who fell on the battlefields in 1885.  There is no reference to the Métis defenders who also died during the resistance or the Métis desire to negotiate. It reflects the widespread belief that the Métis were traitors, an idea that was prevalent at the time the statue was commissioned.   It was unveiled in 1895; the figure of Peace on the top of the monument was sculpted by Walter Allward.   Since its inception in 1993 the Metis Nation of Ontario has used this monument as the focal point for its Louis Riel Day ceremony.

statue, memorial to those who died in the Northwest Rebellion of 1885, to the soldiers on the winning side, at Queens Park, with people around it, a flag with picture of Louis Riel is planted beside the monument,

below: The base of the Northwest Rebellion memorial is decorated with a picture of Louis Riel along with Metis flags, Metis sashes, a Hudson Bay blanket and a violin.

base of monument with picture of Louis Riel, a violin and a Hudsons Bay blanket on it.

below: Senator Verna Porter-Brunelle opened the ceremony at the base of the memorial to the Northwest Rebellion.  Other government speakers included the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Dave Levac as well as the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, David Zimmer.
a woman in a pink jacket stands behind a podium draped with the Metis flag, speaking to a group of people outdoors at QUeens Park on Louis Riel day.

#LouisRielDay

down to Coronation Park

Posted: November 16, 2016 in history, locations, memorials, nature
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This is another meandering blog post… a post about being out and about on yet another wonderful autumn day, going wherever my feet and eyes take me.

below: The first picture of my day was this intriguing wall made of old wooden doors.  Bathurst Street.

a tall narrow wall about three storeys high made of old white doors.

below: A small elicser mural tucked away at the end of a parking lot.   The man has his back to the viewer but I can’t figure out what’s behind him or what he might be doing.

small mural on a fence, a man's head is back to the viewer

below: The leaves have fallen off the vines to reveal a yellowish creature with his baseball cap askew.

graffiti painting of a yellow animal like creature wearing a blue and yellow baseball cap. The creature is yellow. On a red brick wall, with spots on its back

below: Toronto’s tallest icon framed by a construction crane.

CN Tower in the distance, condo construction in the foreground, with a red crane

below: And on a similar note, a vacant lot cleared and ready for the next stage of its life.

a box beside a fence that has been scrawled over with blue spray paint. Behind it is a fence around a vacant empty lot. There are some small trees growing in front of the fence.

below: No more cranes here (and not many vacant lots either for that matter).  A view showing how much development there has been on the south side of the railway tracks.   Fort York is between the tracks and the condo towers.

a VIA Rail train passes by on one set of many tracks, in the background is Fort York and then a series of new condo buildings.

below: And what’s this? An old blue canoe beached on the tracks?

looking at the scene from a above, a blue canoe has been used to plant plants in. It lies across an old railway track, a chainlink fence separates the canoe from the main railway tracks that still function.

below: Standing guard over Bathurst Street, Fleet street and the Lakeshore, is one larger than life gold replica of a Royal Newfoundland Regiment and his fallen silver American foe. A sculpture by Douglas Copeland entitled “A Monument to the War of 1812”, a nod to nearby Fort York and the history of Toronto.

Douglas Copeland's sculpture of two tin soldiers, a gold one standing with backpack on and rifle in hand, and a silver one lying on its back on the ground, uniforms circa War of 1812, seen from the back, figures are much large than life sized and they are on a corner at an intersection, Bathurst St. and Fleet St.

below: My favorite example of bad grammar still exists!  Off-leash dog area at Coronation Park.

a wood fence around a dog park, in autumn with lots of leaves on the ground, on the fence is a white sign with black letters re the Toronto municipal code 608,

A beautiful day in the park.  A slight November nip was in the air but it was sunny and the sky was a brilliant shade of blue.  Coronation Park is named in honour of the coronation of King George VI who was crowned on 12 May 1937.  At that time nearly 150 trees were planted here.

Apparently, an oak tree was planted to honour the king.  Surrounding it, a ring of silver maples was planted.  This was to symbolize the countries of the British Empire.  I wish I had known that bit of trivia before I walked through the park because now I am curious if these trees are still there.   Some of the trees are quite substantial.

below: Long shadows for the morning sun, low in the sky.

morning in the park, autumn, trees with some leaves still on, many leaves on the ground, wood railing fence, shadows, Lake Ontario, path, Coronation Park.

below: Looking back towards the city center, past the empty docks of the National Yacht Club to the residences on Stadium Road.   A small group of people were making a video in the dog park.

morning in the park, autumn, trees with some leaves still on, many leaves on the ground, wood railing fence, shadows, Lake Ontario, path, Coronation Park. a small group of people in the distance are filming a video

below: This Victory Peace Monument was unveiled on 14 November 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of World War 2 and honour those who died in that war.   It was designed by John McEwen; the bronze pieces resemble the bow of a ship.

Metal partial cylindrical shapes on a concrete circular monument. World War 2 memorial

below: On the inside of one of the bronze pieces is a map of eastern Canada and the Atlantic Ocean.  Each boat on the map represents a ship or U-boat that was sunk during the war.  The Canadian ships are located on the map at “their last known position”.  I hadn’t realized that so many ships were lost so close to North America.

relief map of eastern Canada and the Atlantic Ocean, in bronze on a WW2 memorial. Little ships are shown on the ocean where they were sunk during WW2.

Trees were also planted to represent the four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (WW1) and its units as well as those who fought in the Fenian Raids of 1866-1870, the Northwest Rebellion of 1885, and the Boer War (1899-1902).  Once upon a time, brass plaques were placed at the foot of each tree to indicate the units the tree stood for.  If any plaques remain, I didn’t see them.

below: Another memorial is close by, a  “Memorial to Lieut. Tommy Hobbs gallant British Canadian soldier in the Great War 1914 – 1918.  Died on active service November 10, 1940.  Beloved and remembered by his comrades.”   Tommy Hobbs was involved in the creation of this park.

a memorial in a park made of a small pile of rocks. The top rock is inscribed, memorial to Tommy Hobbs, died 1940, in Coronation Park

below: A little farther on I noticed another rock, one that was painted red.   The bronze plaque on the rock says that 20 trees have been planted here in commemoration of the G20 Summit held in Toronto in 2010.

a large rock with a bronze plaque on it. The rock has been crudely painted red

below:  A 30 foot tall Inukshuk stands looking out over Lake Ontario.  Approximately 50 tonnes of mountain rose granite was used to create the Inukshuk, which was made by Inuit artist Kellypalik Qimirpik from Cape Dorset, Nunavut.

a tall stone inuksuk on a raised mound of warth

below: Streetcars across the baseball outfield.

Looking across the outfield of a baseball diamond towards a street. A line of mature trees by the street with two red and white TTC streetcars on the street, condo towers behind.

below: A closer look at that brown octagonal structure in the middle of the streetcar loop for the 509 and 511 cars.  Apparently it’s the Queens Wharf lighthouse, one of a pair built in 1861.

a brown structure, the Queens WHarf Lighthouse, sits on a patch of grass beside TTC streetcar tracks in front of a new condo.

The lighthouses marked the entrance to the Toronto Harbour from 1861 until the Western Channel was built in the early 1900’s.   This one stood on Queen’s Wharf which used to be at the foot of Bathurst Street, adjoining Fort York.  The wharf was built by the military; in 1833 it was a pier 42 feet long.    The pier no longer exists; a hundred years ago it was buried under what is now Bathurst Quay.

below:  A picture of an historical map (1886 or 1887) of the area showing Toronto Harbour, Fort York and the railway lands.  Queen’s Wharf is the pier on the left.   At that time, Front Street was the southern most street in this part of the city.   All the present day development south of the train tracks is on reclaimed land.

picture of historical map of part of Toronto Harbour from 1886, showing Fort York, Front St., and Bathurst St., and the railway lands and wharves into Lake Ontario,

below:   Taken from google maps, what the layout of the city looks like now.   As you can see, there have been many changes!

present day map taken from google maps of Coronation Park and Bathurst Quay including Fort York

Lake Ontario in the foreground, trees in Coronation Park in the middle and Toronto skyline in the distance with the CN Tower and a large Canadian flag.
a sticker of a rainbow in a heart shape. A small purple heart is in the center, then a blue heart is drawn around it, moving outwards in rainbow colours.

sitting contentedly

Posted: October 19, 2016 in history, locations, public art
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It’s been a beautiful October to be walking around the city!  With lots of sunny days and above normal temperatures, it’s been a great autumn to be outside…. outside exploring or just sitting contentedly enjoying the sunshine.

below: Life size statue of Dr. Norman Bethune sitting outside the Medical Sciences Building at the University of Toronto (close to Queens Park Circle).   It is the work of Canadian artist David Pelletier.  Bethune is depicted writing in his journal.  Across the bottom of his apron these words are written:

I am content
I am doing what I want to do
Why shouldn’t I be happy – see what my riches
consist of.  First, I have important work that fully
occupies every minute of my time.  I am needed.

a statue of a man sitting is beside a rock and a light post, they are in front of a large tree and an old stone building, on the University of Toronto campus.

Norman Bethune was born in Gravenhurst in 1890.  He graduated from medical school at U of T in 1919, after taking some time off to serve in WW1.    He also served as a doctor during the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and 1937.   The following year, 1938,  he went to China  help the Communist Eighth Route Army during the Second Sino-Japanese war.  It was here that he died of septicemia in November of 1939.   He is credited with helping to bring modern medicine to rural China during his brief stay in that country.

three more on the team

Posted: October 18, 2016 in history, public art
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line of statues of hockey players in front of the Air Canada Centre, Legends Row in Toronto, a few people are standing in front of the statues.

Legends Row in Maple Leaf Square is growing.  Last week, three more statues of Leafs players were added to the line up of statues already there.  This is the fourth installment and now Turk Broda, Dave Keon, and Tim Horton have now taken their place outside the Air Canada Centre.

The unveiling of the latest statues coincided with the opening ceremonies for the 100th season of NHL hockey in Toronto.   That first year, the Toronto team was the Toronto Arenas and their only competition were the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators.   The Arenas didn’t last very long; they folded because of financial problems.  For the 1919-20 season, the Toronto team was the St. Pats and their uniforms were green and white.   They remained the St. Pats until 1927 when Conn Smythe bought the team and changed the name to the Maple Leafs.    (The NHL was formed Nov 26, 1917 so technically we may have jumped the gun by a year, but we can fudge that and call it the 100th season!).

below: Goalies Turk Broda (right) and Johnny Bower (left) have a chat while George Armstrong stands in the background.  Broda (1914-1972) played goal and spent his whole NHL career with the Maple Leafs during which time they won the Stanley Cup five times.

three statues of former Toronto Maple Leaf players in Legends row in Toronto, goalies Turk Broda on the right and Johnny Bower on the left, are standing, George Armstrong is in the background.

below: Dave Keon, number 14, stands behind the bench with his teammates.   Keon (b.1940) pl ayed for the Maple Leafs for 15 years during a career that lasted from 1960 to 1982.  He won the Calder trophy his first year and he was the team’s top goal scorer for many years.

statues of hockey players lined up behind the boards as if they were in a rink, some of the players in the background are jumping over the boards. Number 14 for the Toronto Maple Leafs is in the foreground, Dave Keon.

below: It looks like Tim Horton may have to share his stick.  I suspect that he’s going to have the problem fairly often!  Tim Horton (1930 – 1974) was a defenceman who played for the Leafs during the 1960’s when they won the Stanley Cup four times.  Also during this period he set the record for playing in consecutive regular season games, 486.

a woman in a pink jacket stands in front of a statue of a hockey player, Tim Horton. She is holding onto his hockey stick. There are a couple of other statues in the picture too.

a woman poses for a photo with a line of statues of hockey players

Previous Legends Row posts

  1. Over the boards when the first three statues were installed. (Sittler, Kennedy and Bower)
  2. Leafs expansion, two Swedes, (Salming and Sundin)
  3. Two number tens (Apps and Armstrong)

37,000 tons

Posted: May 30, 2016 in history, landmarks, locations, waterfront
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A sweet post.

This is what 37,000 tons of raw sugar looks like.
The Raw Sugar Shed at Redpath Sugar is 27m high,  155m long, and 43 m wide.  It’s a big space!

a man is leaning on a temporary metal barricade in front of a very large pile of raw sugar in a large warehouse.

Raw sugar is brought to the Redpath Sugar facility by ship.  When it is off-loaded from the ship it is brought into the warehouse by conveyor belts that run down the middle of the ceiling.

below: There isn’t a ship in the harbour at the moment so the green crane waits.

a little girl in the foreground, standing beside a squared opening in the harbour for ships to come in, beside the Redpath Sugar refinery building on the waterfront with its green cranes and greenish blue building

below:  You can see a holes in the foreground of the next photo.  This is one of many holes in the floor of the Raw Sugar Shed.  The raw sugar is pushed through these holes to another series of conveyor belts below.

a large yellow front end loaded is parked inside a warehouse. A large pile of raw sugar is in the background.

three warning signs on the outside of a door of the Redpath Sugar shed, a warehouse for storing raw sugar. One says "Beware of Heavy Equipment", the second says "Sound horn before entering" and the third says "Canadian Government Customs Bonded Warehouse no. 60"

below: Photo taken from the entrance to the Raw Sugar Shed, taken at Doors Open.  Raw sugar is taken by conveyor belt (upper far right) to the processing plant next door.

sugar processing area of Redpath Sugar refinery, some white tents and metal barricades for crowd control as it is Doors Open day.

close up of the white Redpath Sugar processing plant, grey metal covers on conveyor belt tunnels and vents

below: A lingering remnant, railway crossing signs from when a railway ran here.
A guard sits by the entrance to Redpath Sugar.

a wire fence with barbed wire across the top, behind the fence is round yellow railway crossing sign as well as a large blue metal pole and a small shrub. There is also an old warning sign for a railway that once ran past here.

The railway serviced the industries that were built along the Toronto waterfront,  The LBCO, Loblaws, the ‘Toronto Star’ newspaper, Molson Breweries, Dominion Malting and others, relied on the railways.   Completed in 1959, the Redpath refinery was the last industry built along the waterfront.  You can just see the railway tracks in the photo below, running between Queens Quay East and the Redpath building where they dead end.  Since the tracks only dead ended there in 1985, that helps date the picture.   Rail service ended in 2008.

aerial view of the East Wharf portion of the Toronto wateterfront, vintage photo from the 1970's or 1980's

photo credit: Originally from City of Toronto Archives but found online at Old Time Trains.

Today, Redpath Sugar is one of the last industries operating on the waterfront; The area around it is rapidly being redeveloped, including the space right next door that is aptly called Sugar Beach.

people sitting on white chairs under pale pink umbrellas at Sugar Beach. sand, water and blue sky, beside Lake Ontario

a man sits on a chair between a blue shipping containter and a building,

four women

Posted: May 8, 2016 in history, memorials, public art
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Happy Mothers Day!

I didn’t write this blog post specifically for Mothers Day even though it’s about four women, Mary Pickford, Edith Cavell, Florence Wyle, and Frances Loring.  Just because they are women doesn’t mean that they are mothers, in fact only one is.  Mary Pickford adopted two children.  I also didn’t intend to write a blog post on the merits of motherhood vs childlessness so I am going to say nothing further on the subject!

The first woman can be found at the corner of University and Elm.  Here, there is a a bronze portrait bust of Mary Pickford that was sculpted by Eino Gira in 1983.

bust of Mary Pickford with her hand on her cheek, in front of Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, red brick hospital behind her in the photo

The plaque beside her says:

Born in 1893 in a house which stood near this site, Gladys Marie Smith appeared on stage in Toronto at the age of five.   Her theatrical career took her to Broadway in 1907 where she adopted the name Mary Pickford.  The actress’s earliest film “Her First Biscuits”, was released by the Biograph Company in 1909 and she soon established herself as the international cinema’s first great star.   Her golden curls and children’s roles endeared her to millions as “America’s Sweatheart”.  She was instrumental in founding and directing a major film production company and starred in over fifty feature-length films including “Hearts Adrift”, “Pollyanna” and “Coquette”.  For the last named film she received the 1929 Academy Award as the year’s best actress.

below: Just up the street, next to one of the entrances of Toronto General Hospital, is a memorial to British nurse Edith Cavell (1865-1915) and to all the Canadian women who served as nurses in WW1.  The memorial  was installed at University Ave and College St. in 1921 but later moved to its present location.

A memorial to British nurse Edith Clavell and the Canadian nurses of WW1, a bronze plaque mounted on a stone tablet. Picture of Clavell between two upright but wounded soldiers.

In memory of Edith Cavell and the Canadian nurses who gave their lives for humanity in the Great War.  “In the midst of darkness they saw light”

Cavell had been working in Brussels when WW1 broke out.  After the Germans invaded Belgium, Cavell helped wounded Allied soldiers escape to the Netherlands.  She was caught by the Germans, charged with treason, and executed on 12 October 1915.  She became the most well known woman casualty of WW1.

The above memorial was designed by Florence Wyle.  There is a memorial to Wyle and her partner, Frances Loring (also a sculptor), in a small park at the corner of Mt Pleasant and St. Clair.

below: bronze bust of Florence Wyle, by Frances Loring

bust of Florence Wyle, a Canadian sculptor, in a park

below: bronze bust of Frances Loring, by Florence Wyle

bust of Frances Loring, a Canadian sculptor, in a park, in the shade of a large tree

below: There are a couple of small statues by Wyle in the same park, including this one.
“Young Girl”, about 1938.

bronze statue titled "Young girl", showing a girl from the thighs up, holding up a cloth that is wrapped around her body but her breasts are bare

Loring and Wyle are responsible for a number of sculptures around the city.  Two of these used to be on the Bank of Montreal building at the northwest corner of King and Bay. It was built in 1887 by architects Marani and Morris and demolished in 1968.  The building featured a series of sculptures representing the Canadian provinces that were done by a number of artists.  Frances Loring sculpted the panels for Ontario and Quebec.  When the Bank of Montreal building was demolished, all of the panels were moved to the grounds of the Guild Inn in Scarborough where they remain today.

Quebec sculpture - A stone relief sculpture from a series on provinces of Canada, originally on a Bank of Montreal building in Toronto. They were rescued when the bank was demolished and moved to the grounds of the Guild Inn in Scarborough. By Canadian artist Frances Loring. A naked woman upright, with a cloth over her shoulders and looking upwards

A stone relief sculpture from a series on provinces of Canada, originally on a Bank of Montreal building in Toronto. They were rescued when the bank was demolished and moved to the grounds of the Guild Inn in Scarborough. By Canadian artist Frances Loring. Ontario is in the picture, as a man surrounded by symbols of industry such as large gears and architectural plans

Alexander’s scandal

Posted: May 4, 2016 in history
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The dapper, larger than life Alexander Wood has stood on his corner at Church and Alexander streets for 11years now.  The bronze statue by Del Newbigging was unveiled in May 2005.

Wood came to Upper Canada from Scotland and settled in Toronto (known as York at the time) in 1797.  He was a successful merchant, magistrate, and lieutenant in the York militia.  The plaque on the granite pedestal tells his story.

 

statue of Alexander Wood, a young man with long coat, and a hat in his hand. The statue is on a large square pedestal so his feet are close to eye level. Below the statue is a plaque detailing his life as early settler of York, of being a gay, and of being involved in a scandal in 1810.

“Militia Officer, Businessman, Public Servant, Justice of the Peace, Gay Pioneer

Alexander Wood came to Canada in 1793, settled in York in 1797 and started a mercantile business, one of only three stores in York at that time. Within a year he was a lieutenant in the York Militia; he was appointed magistrate in 1800 and by 1805 was a Commissioner for the Court of Requests (a senior planning officer). He was involved in a homophobic scandal in 1810 and fled to Scotland, but in two years he was back in Canada and resumed his duties. In spite of ridicule and discrimination he had a successful career in public service: he was on the executive of nearly every society in York, often as treasurer; he was manager of several businesses and acted for clients in land transactions. Wood died in 1844 at the age of seventy-two while in Scotland. The British Colonist paper called him one of Toronto’s ‘most respected inhabitants’.”

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There is another bronze plaque on the back of the pedestal, complete with shiny bits.  This plaque adds more details to the story of the 1810 scandal that Wood got himself into.

plaques on a statue. The top is of a man with his pants lowered, the bottom is the story of the scandal that led to Alexander Wood having to leave Canada. The bare bum on the plaque is shiny from repeated rubbing by passers by.

“1810 The Scandal
In 1810 a woman reporting a rape to Magistrate Wood said she had scratched her rapist. Wood inspected several suspects privately, requiring them to undress. To avoid the scandal caused by his unconventional behaviour, Wood fled to Scotland. After two years he returned to Canada but suffered ridicule and discrimination for the rest of his life.

Alexander Wood 1772-1844
Militia Officer, Businessman, Public Servant, Justice of the Peace, Gay Pioneer”

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In 1810, word had spread quickly around the town (of 700) and Wood had become known as the “Inspector General of Private Accounts”.    The worst of the scandal blew over while Wood was in Scotland; he was back in York in 1812 and resumed all his previous occupations, including magistrate. At that time, “molly’ was a derogatory word for a gay man and he was nicknamed Molly Wood.

In 1826 he purchased 50 acres of land east of Yonge St. and north of Carlton St. in the neighbourhood where his statue now stands.  It is also the “Village”.  In Wood’s time it was referred to as ‘Molly Wood’s Bush’.  Wood remained in Toronto until 1842 at which time he returned again to Scotland where he died two years later.

Dominion Coal and Wood

Posted: April 13, 2016 in history, locations
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The eastern end of the Kay Gardner Belt Line Park crosses over Yonge St and the subway just south of Davisville station.  It then runs across the north side of Mt. Pleasant cemetery.  It comes to an end at Mt. Pleasant Road where the trail merges into the roads that run through the cemetery.

In 2014 students from Greenwood School painted a mural at this location.  The mural has three main elements.  A train to represent the Belt Line, the name of the community that it is located in (Mt Pleasant Village), and the words ‘use Dominion Coal and Wood’.    The last part is because not long ago, on this site, stood the large concrete silos that the Dominion Coal and Wood company used to store coal and wood.   The shape of the black background is very similar to the shape of the silos if viewed from above.

below: Mural, with Mt. Pleasant Road above it.

blog_domiion_mural_greenwood

mural celebrating mt pleasant village and the old dominion coal and wood silos that used to be at that location. At the end of the belt line trail where it merges into mt pleasant cemetery

below: Plaque located on the site of the old silos (now in the bushes beside a condo)

City of Toronto historical plaque describing the history of the Dominion Coal and Wood silos that used to be on Mt. Pleasant Ave near the old Belt Line Railway tracks.

transcription of the Heritage Toronto plaque:

“Dominion Coal and Wood

Originally located on Danforth Avenue, the Dominion Coal and Wood Company was founded in 1912 by William H. Smith.  In 1929, the company opened a landmark facility on this site.  Its nine adjoining concrete silos were designed by E.P. Muntz Engineering Company.  Coal and wood were transported here by rail car along the former Belt Line Railway and then sold as heating fuel to local businesses and home owners.

Originally just one among many similar suppliers in the city, Dominion Coal and Wood outlasted most of its competitors.  The company expanded into building supplies as coal sales dwindled, but continued to sell coal here until the site was closed in 1999.  Although recognized as an increasingly rare type of industrial architecture, the historic silos were demolished in 2001. “

 

below: The nine silos, about 1972.  The photo is from City of Toronto Archives and was found online at JB’s Warehouse (a good source if you are interested in more information at Dominion Coal and Wood)

picture of the Dominion Coal and Wood silos on Mt. Pleasant, from city of Toronto Archives, taken about 1972. With an old Mt. Pleasant streetcar on the street by the silos.

below: I tried to replicate the above photo, about 42 years later.  The Mt. Pleasant streetcars are long gone as is the gas station on the NW corner of Merton and Mt. Pleasant.  A corner of the tall white apartment building on the right can be seen peaking from behind newer condo buildings.  Of course, the dominant part of the picture is the condo development that was built on the site of the Dominion silos in 2002.

condo building across the street, about 12 storeys high, made of brick and glass, a couple of cars are on the street

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