Every Saturday morning, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Photo of The Grange, 1907. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 304. D'Arcy Boulton Sr. recalled his sentiments upon first arriving in Upper Canada in his reminisces, Sketch of His Majesty's Province of Upper Canada. He wrote: "When I first...set my foot on British ground, after residing in the American states,... [continue]

If there's an oasis of calm at Christie Pits, among the kids tearing by on their bikes or laughing at the splash park, it's the back-to-back baseball games taking place in the northeast corner of the park. In Intercounty Baseball League action—essentially an independent version of single 'A' ball—the Guelph Royals are taking on the defending league champions, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs, now in their 40th season since Jack and Lynne... [continue]

The big breweries may have the money to throw away trying to convince Canadian drinkers that consuming this or that brand is a patriotic act, but Ontario's craft brewers—with names evoking heritage and local lore—enjoy greater credibility as local institutions. Likewise, the big breweries may dominate the Beer Stores shelves, but they can't come close to the province's endless selection of distinctive microbrew cream ales, amber lagers, porters, or Belgium-style wheat beers. Nor can... [continue]

Every Saturday morning, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Photo of Orange Parade at Queen's Park in 1912. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 1388. Nowadays, the Orange Order is thought of as a quaint anachronism, a benevolent society that marches every twelfth of July to commemorate the victory of William III at the Battle of the Boyne. But the... [continue]

Photo by John Griffiths. The CFL is a league of second chances. And, more than most teams, the Argonauts are willing to grant an opportunity to players who've discovered how unforgiving other leagues can be towards injuries and indiscretions of personal conduct. With the new season kicking off this evening, the Argonauts look to improve on last year, when the team finished first in the East, but fell apart in the playoffs. Despite an... [continue]

Every Saturday morning Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Photo of Toronto's Peter Pan Statue, City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 716. Those words are inscribed at the base of the Peter Pan statue that stands in the square, now known as Glenn Gould Park, at Avenue Road and St. Clair Avenue. When, in the 1920s, city officials decided to... [continue]

Photo by Andrew Z. There are few emotional highs like watching your horse galloping down the homestretch to win by a nose in a blur of colour and kicked-up dirt. Even losing money when your wing-and-a-prayer long shot leads the race only to falter badly in the final turn isn't so disappointing when you consider the entertainment value of riding an emotional roller coaster. Once a sporting and cultural institution, horseracing has lost some... [continue]

For Torontonians of a certain age, the name Johnny Lombardi is as iconic as Sam the Record Man or Honest Ed. But for more recent arrivals to the city or tourists who don't know his backstory, the grinning statue of Lombardi sitting on a garden bench at College and Grace can seem a little mysterious. Other than a placard thanking sponsors for the erection of this statue and a quotation etched into the stone,... [continue]

Every Saturday morning, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Photo of Sunnyside Beach in 1924 from Wikimedia Commons. When Sunnyside Amusement Park officially opened on June 28, 1922, it was grandly proclaimed to be ushering in a new era for the city. Addressing a crowd of thousands, R. Home Smith, chairman of the Toronto Harbour Commission, said that "Toronto is upon... [continue]

If you can complete that lyric, then you need to be at the Royal Cinema next Tuesday to unabashedly sing along to a special screening of The Sound of Music. The CBC is hosting the event to celebrate next weekend's debut of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, the new series that seeks to cast the lead role of Maria von Trapp in the upcoming staging of The Sound of Music, produced by... [continue]

If you didn't already have an excuse to visit the lower Don Valley, Canadian playright and Fringe favourite Dave Carley will be on hand this Tuesday for a special fundraising performance of After You at Todmorden Mills. Performed by the East Side Players, the resident theatre group at Papermill Theatre, the two-act drama is a reflection on how the aged see things differently than the young. It tells the story of Adele and Jean, two... [continue]

Every Saturday morning, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Canadian Bank of Commerce Building. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 409 Now dwarfed by everything around it, the Canadian (Imperial) Bank of Commerce Building (25 King Street West) once dominated the Toronto skyline. For three decades, its 34-storeys and 141-metre height made it the tallest building in the... [continue]

Photo by Lex in the City. With Bike Month on the horizon and a newly launched advocacy group, cycling in Toronto is undergoing a renaissance (as Val Dodge put it earlier this week). The attention is well-deserved: cycling is one of the most healthy and environmentally conscious methods of commuting. The joys are eloquently captured by Ryerson prof Bill Reynolds in the most recent issue of The Walrus. By listing the hazards of urban... [continue]

Photo of the cast of A Hand of Bridge rehearsing courtesy of Toronto Chamber Opera Productions. Always eager to reach new audiences, local opera companies have been pretty innovative in their offerings recently. First, the well-established Canadian Opera Company and Royal Conservatory of Music teamed up to throw turntablism and improvisation into the opera mix for the Hip Hopera. For busy people who are interested in opera but don't have three and a half... [continue]

Every Saturday morning, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Crawford Street Bridge, West Side, November 16, 1915. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 1615 This Tuesday, May 13, Heritage Toronto will unveil the latest plaque celebrating Toronto's history to commemorate the secret bridge buried beneath the north-west corner of Trinity Bellwoods Park. The unveiling will take place at 4 p.m.... [continue]

Every Saturday morning, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Palmerston Boulevard, looking south from Harbord Street, 1908. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 7200. Palmerston Boulevard is one of the best examples of an intact turn-of-the-century residential street in the city. Stone gates at College and Bloor mark not only a name change—where Palmerston Avenue becomes Palmerston Boulevard—but also a... [continue]

In the latest chapter for one of the area's longest-running bands, Teenage Head are celebrating the release of a new album this week with a concert on Friday at Jeff Healey's. Originally hailing from Hamilton, Teenage Head were one of the seminal bands at the infancy of the Toronto punk scene, along with bands like The Scenics, The Viletones, The Mods, and The Ugly. Frequently cited as Canada's answer to The Ramones—although their new... [continue]

This Saturday marks the return of Heritage Toronto's Walking Tours for the 14th year with a trip into South Rosedale's evolution from wooded ravine to posh residential development over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. It's the first in a full slate of tours taking place across the city throughout the spring. Researched and led by volunteer historians and neighbourhood groups, the tours focus on different aspects of the city's past, including... [continue]

For family fun, you can't beat the sheer adorableness of kids wise-cracking from an open mic. That'll be just one of the activities happening this weekend for kids in the latest edition of the always amazing Bunch Family Salon. Adam Growe, a headlining comedian and father of three, will be on hand to mentor the aspiring comics, in keeping with the annual event's goal of bringing major players from the local arts community—last year's special... [continue]

Torontonians certainly love talking about their city. Now, with this month's publication of a new collection of essays, Toronto: A City Becoming, assembled by David Macfarlane, there's even more to talk about. This latest addition to the urban affairs bookshelf engages the question of whether the period of massive change Toronto has been undergoing—demographically, economically, politically, and culturally—is for good or ill. Following the success of the uTOpia series, another book about the city might... [continue]