June 2024

PLAQUES

Discover a new plaque–under the clock

Walking down Yonge Street, have you noticed the clock tower? This Pride Month, we're celebrating its history with a new plaque. 

Originally part of the Yonge Street Fire Hall in the 1920s, the clock tower later stood over the St. Charles Tavern, which was a symbol for Toronto’s queer community. Beginning in the 1960s, patrons at the nearby Red Lion Room, nicknamed the “Pink Pussy” by the gay community, often moved to the St. Charles to eat. The St. Charles could legally stay open when other bars had to close for dinner. 

The tavern soon grew popular with gay men and it held many drag shows, but it was not always a safe space. Police were hostile to the community and surveilled inside. In the 1970s, the tradition of Halloween drag shows began to attract malicious crowds, forcing drag queens to enter in secret or be pelted with eggs. Several discos used the upper floors in the 1970s and 1980s, including Maygay, Charly’s, and Y-Not. 

The St. Charles was designated in 1974 and closed in 1987. The clock tower was eventually incorporated into a new housing development. See the St. Charles Clock Tower plaque for yourself at 488A Yonge Street.

TOURS

Garbageland

NEW FOR 2024



$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Start: Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Avenu)

Did you know that June is Bike Month in Toronto? Celebrate the joys of cycling with us while exploring the trashy history of our city. Making our way alongside the Lower Don River, we'll discover the truth behind the saying–one person's trash is another's treasure.

Campus and Cosmos

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Start: Munk School of Global Affairs (315 Bloor Street West)

Journey through the University of Toronto campus while learning about the history of astronomy in Toronto and how the field has grown in parallel with the university and the city. Discover hidden astronomical features in the downtown core, including where to find official "Toronto time".

It Takes a Village

$9.85 FEE($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Start: Barbara Hall Park (519 Church Street)

Join us for a Pride Month walk through the Church-Wellesley Village! Discover how this area emerged as Toronto's gay life hub after WWII. Explore the social, political, and cultural conditions that allowed it to flourish, and the challenges the community faces today.

Being Black on King

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Start: Inglenook Community School (19 Sackville Street)

Discover the Black history that spans King Street East: from the first Underground Railroad site excavated in Canada, to one of Toronto’s first soul food restaurants whose name, design, and atmosphere surfaced the history of slavery in the US and Canada, while also celebrating the community leaders who risked everything to ensure freedom.

Creating Toronto

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Start: Market Lane Park (149 King Street East)

Walk through the history of Toronto as we explore the hidden gems of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood, once the old Town of York. Learn how remnants from the early city connect to today’s bustling metropolis.

Presented by

Stories of South Hill

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Start: Sir Winston Churchill Park (301 St. Clair Avenue West)

What do wealthy heiresses, war heroes, and everyday families have in common? Find out as you wander through the leafy streets of South Hill and learn about the early 20th-century history and architecture of the neighbourhood.

Presented by

Baby Point Uncovered

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Start: Étienne Brûlé Park (10 Catherine Avenue)

Journey with archaeologists through an ancient transportation route in this garden-inspired suburb and learn about the Indigenous presence buried along the Humber River, including settlements like the 17th-century Seneca village of Teiaiagon.

Jewish Life on Lawrence

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Start: Eitz Chaim School (1 Viewmount Avenue)

Follow the postwar development of the Jewish community on Lawrence Avenue West and learn about the area's many yeshivas, synagogues, iconic bakeries, and kosher restaurants like the United Bakers Dairy Restaurant.

Presented by

Big Stories in Little India

NEW FOR 2024

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Start: Greenwood Park (150 Greenwood Avenue)

Explore Gerrard Street East! Discover how a former industrial brickyard is now a hub for Toronto’s South Asian community. Learn how one of Toronto’s first Bollywood movie theatres transformed this East End neighbourhood to an international destination for South Asian culture during the 1970s and 1980s.

Presented by

Greektown on the Danforth

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Start: Pape Subway Station (743 Pape Avenue)

Learn about Toronto’s Greek community and its settlement on the Danforth during the postwar years. This walk will explore Greektown, from its foundations in faith and family, to milestone community events, and the evolution of businesses and restaurants, including the creation of Flaming Opa Cheese as a tourist spectacle.

Presented by

Yonge Street Architecture

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Start: College Park (44 Gerrard Street West)

Explore the architecture of the neighbourhood that surrounds Toronto’s iconic road, Yonge Street, including a large university campus, beautiful churches, and numerous parks. Get an in-depth look at the side streets, laneways, and the spaces between to discover a side of the area you haven’t seen before.

Presented by

Rail Lands

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Start: Chinese Railway Workers Memorial (9 Blue Jays Way)

Learn how the railways transformed Toronto from a small British settlement to a cosmopolitan city, including their critical role in today’s modern commute.

Did you know? In 1967, the Ontario Government launched a new commuter rail service called GO Transit. Cab Car 104 (seen above) was one of GO Transit’s original single-level cab cars. In operation until 1994, it was sold to another transportation company in Montreal, then reacquired by GO Transit in 2017, restored, and donated to the Toronto Railway Museum to celebrate GO Transit’s 50th anniversary.

St. James Town

$9.85 FEE ($8.00 ticket + $1.85 Eventbrite transaction fee)

Start: Rekai Family Park (625 Bloor Street East)

Discover the history of the largest high-rise community in Canada. Once featuring grand Victorian houses on every corner, in the 1960s, St. James Town became the centre for young, single lifestyles. It’s now home to many diverse cultures, welcoming new immigrants from around the world.

Presented by

EXPLORE

City Kids to Farm Hands: The Home Children

Between 1869 and 1948, over 100,000 children were brought to Canada from Britain through a juvenile emigration program. Dr. Barnardo, whose organization sought to alleviate child poverty in England, had his group's headquarters based in Toronto. Barnado's was the largest sender of these children, distributing them to work on farms or serve as domestic help. Known as the "Home Children", learn more about their survival and perseverance in this new digital story.

This story was researched and written by emerging historian Georgina Warner and made possible by the generous support of our Emerging Historians Champions:

HERITAGE TORONTO AWARDS

Nominations Still Open!

DEADLINE: Sunday, July 14 | 11:59 PM

Don't miss this opportunity to celebrate the remarkable contributions of individuals and organizations to our city's cultural landscape. Submit your outstanding project for the 49th Annual Heritage Toronto Awards!

Nominations are open for three categories: Book, Built Heritage, and Public History. Be a part of this prestigious event and help us celebrate Toronto's heritage.

PLAQUES

Softball at Sunnyside Stadium

We had a BALL on June 1 at our first 2024 plaque unveiling at the Boulevard Club. The plaque commemorates the history of Sunnyside Stadium which was home to several women's softball leagues in Toronto.

Before the 1920s, women were often excluded from organized team sports. After the WWI, women's sports entered a golden age as companies and schools rallied their own teams. Softball became extremely popular for women as a non-contact yet athletic sport. By 1930, the games at Sunnyside regularly drew large crowds, rivalling any other baseball or softball league in Canada.

Sports historian, Paula Warder, threw one of the ceremonial pitches to commemorate the event. She also shared some history and personal anecdotes on the impact softball has had on her life, and women’s in general. Guests were invited back into the club for refreshments, the opportunity to see more artifacts, and have a ball signed by some former Sunnyside stars. 

You can see the Sunnyside Stadium Softball plaque later this summer when it is installed on the Lakeshore, east of the Boulevard Club.

Do you have a Century House?

Spruce up your old home this spring with our new Century House plaques. These elegant address markers are not only a talking point, but support our charity that works to celebrate the history and diversity of our city. They now feature a reworked design. Locally sourced and handmade, each ceramic plaque is 11.2″ x 9.75″ and comes with mounting hardware.

Image Credits

St. Charles Clock Tower, September 21, 2023. Image by Oscar Akamine.

The Don Valley Brick Works factory, c.1890s

Campus & Cosmos tour, Galbraith Building, May 13, 2017

Mural by Christiano De Araujo, created for World Pride in 2014, September 21, 2023. Image by Oscar Akamine.

Tour participants at the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, Being Black on King, July 22, 2023. Image by Johnny Wu.

Tour participants at St. James Cathedral, Creating Toronto, August 12, 2023. Image by Oscar Akamine.

Tour participants, Stories of South Hill, August 26, 2023. Image by Agnes Manivit.

Tour participants, Baby Point Uncovered, July 29, 2023. Image by Oscar Akamine.

Tour participants, Jewish Life on Lawrence, July 9, 2023. Image by Oscar Akamine.

Tour participants, Big Stories in Little India, May 19, 2024. Image by Hammad Khalil.

Tour participants, St. Irene Chrysovalantou Greek Orthodox Church, July 16, 2022. Image by Ashley Duffus.

Hermant Buildings, 19 & 21 Dundas Square, May 10, 2018. Image by Herman Custodio.

Tour participants, Rail Lands, June 25, 2022. Image by Ashley Duffus.

Tour participants, St. James Town, August 26, 2023. Image by Ashley Duffus.

The first group of girls sent to Canada through Barnardo's, July 21, 1883. Courtesy of Canadian British Home Children.

Brad Keast of Dream Unlimited accepting for 80 Richmond Facade Restoration and Storefront Renovation, Heritage Planning and Architecture Award, October 30, 2023. Image by Herman Custodio.

Paula Warder, Joyce Richards Borland, Rita Taurian Murphy, Donna McGraw, Softball at Sunnyside Stadium, plaque unveiling, June 1, 2024. Image by Hammad Khalil.

Century House plaque, May 30, 2024