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High Park Walking Tour
Sunday March 5, 2017 10:30 am to 12 noon
“Discover the Park Through Archival Photos”. A guided tour to be led by Terry Fahey.
Meet at 10:30 am at the benches across from the south side of the Grenadier Restaurant in the middle of High Park.
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Tuesday, March 7th at 7 p.m. in the Annette Street Library
The Junction Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Committee is hosting an informal meeting on Tuesday, March 7th at 7 p.m. in the Annette Street Library Community Room.
The Junction heritage district is a tale of two great estates – Keele & Willoughby – that shaped a prosperous village that grew into a vibrant city.
The guest speaker is Madeleine McDowell, a member of the West Toronto Junction Historical Society and the Etobicoke York Community Preservation Panel.
source: WTJHS
august 25th 1925
Auto created transcript by this blog.
Bloor Street, which, with the bridging of the gap, last night entered a new period of expansion, has an interesting history of its own. After being known as at. Paul’s Road, then Sydenham Road, it changed to its present title some time in the forties when Mr, Bloor, a general tavern keeper and brewer, of Toronto, undertook an extensive real estate development at Yorkville. For a time it seemed as if the name Bloorville would take the place of Yorkville, but from this Toronto was saved. In the early days, when Bloor Street lacked a name and was simply a rough concession, farmers turned east at Yonge Street to reach the Town of York.by way of Parliament Street. Then Yonge Street had not been opened to the Bay. It gained the name of St. Paul’s Road after St. Paul’s Church had been erected near its present site, and the citizens of Toronto had been amazed at the engineering feat of raising the steeple of the new church In one day. Its later title of Sydenham Road commemorated the first Governor of the United Canada, while the present name is a memorial to one of the most popular citizens of the early days of Toronto of old.
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EY20.41
ACTION
Adopted
Ward:11
Appointment of Public Members to the George Bell Arena Board
Community Council Recommendations
Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:
1. City Council appoint the following candidates to the George Bell Arena Board, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on February 22, 2021, and until successors are appointed:
Vincent Berry
Maria Gervasi
Brandon Gregory Houser
John Lewis
Tom Vye
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The lakeside cabin, named DublDom 2.110, is the client’s second Dubldom commission following BIO Architects’ completion of a compact 40-square-meter Dubldom house in 2015. Since none of the firm’s standard prefabricated models were suitable for the site, the architects created a custom design that still retained the Dubldom’s iconic gabled shape and full-height glazing. To keep costs at a minimum, the new 185-square-meter build was constructed with natural and affordable materials that help blend the home into the forested environment.
Source inhabit.com full article here.
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TOR 30776097 N24
HISTORY
Introduction The Junction is an area most aptly named, for its history is that of a meeting place of transportation routes; portage trail, colonial road, railroad, streetcar line. The Junction grew beside them, because of them and was shaped by them.
The Portage Trail Even before Europeans arrived in Canada, The Junction was linked to transportation. The Junction is just east of the Toronto Carrying Place, an Indian portage trail that covered the twenty-eight miles between the headwaters of the Humber River and the Holland River, completing a fur trading route from the Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario via Lake Simcoe, Holland Marsh, and the Holland River. At its closest point to our study area, the portage passed where Jane Street now runs.
The Humber portage provided the shortest and flattest overland route between Lake Ontario and an access to the Georgian Bay. The portage was used first by several Indian tribes to travel between the beaver hunting grounds to the north and their more permanent homes around Lake Ontario, and, after 1615, by the French for the same purpose.
Both the Indians and the French established settlements or outposts on the Humber River. The Seneca Indians established the village of Teiaigon
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Sunnyside Improvement to Be Extended Farther West
Alteration to Highway
ADDED BEAUTY ON LAKESHORE
Work which will pave the way for further beautification and improvement of the western end of the Harbor Board’s Sunnyside development is rapidly approaching completion. This is the grading and paving of the new traffic roadway from the Sunnyside bridge to Jane street. This road lies midway between the Lake Shore boulevard and the old Toronto-Hamilton Highway, and the T.T.C. tracks to the Humber run down the middle of it.
For some time paving contractors have been at work on this roadway, and it is now paved continuously from end to end on the south aide, as far as graded, and almost continuously on the north side. All that remains to be done is the ‘short piece of grading to connect this new road with the Lake Shore boulevard, where the latter swings northward at the Humber to connect with the Toronto-Hamilton Highway. When this is completed the city will have done all it can do at present.
There will remain unpaved a stretch about 200 yards along on the north aide of the roadway, immediately west of the Sunnyside Pavilion. This cannot be paved until the Hydro Commission removes two concrete footings of one of its high-tension power line towers from the roadway. Two of the footings of this pole, which Is immediately north of the entrance to the bathing pavilion, stand in the roadway. The Harbor Commission has promised the city that it will have them removed by the Hydro Commission, and it is expected that the Hydro will construct two new footings north of the roadway, and move the tower over, so that it will stand on the two existing footings not on the roadway, and on the two new ones to be built.
The contractors are at work now cutting and grading new roadways from the new traffic road across the Harbor Board’s property to the old Highway to connect Windermere and Ellis Avenues and other thoroughfares leading under the railway tracks with the new traffic roadway.
As soon as this new roadway is open for traffic, which is expected within a short time, the city, by bylaw, will close up the old Toronto-Highway, beside which the radial tracks run.
With this adjustment of highways, the Harbor Board will be free to go ahead with the beautification of the western end of Sunnyside, making whole lake shore playground equally attractive as the area around the amusement park at the Sunnyside bridge.
Contractors have begun work on the erection of a large roller-coaster, which is being built on the north side of the big “’merry-go-round.”
507 PDF
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Every building in the above image is part of Monarch Mills.
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Deciphering the TPL scrapbook notations from the early 1900’s this article moist likely appeared in Feb of 1918 in the Globe
“Casa Loma-I don’t know what to do with it,” wails Toronto’s property chief
CASA-LOMA is to become a city view-place. At twenty-five cents apiece, visitors may tread the chill and echoing waste spaces of Toronto’s wonder building.
Thus the temporary fate of the famous Casa Loma—Spanish for House on the Hill—seemingly has been decided. Proposals or the solution of the problem of if Casa Loma have for ten years included turning it into an apartment house, making it a night club,
which was done for a while; using it as headquarters of the Orange Order, as a monastery, as a school, as a war museum, as an old people’s home for writers, musicians and artists—and complete demolition.
Most recent bright idea was to make it the palatial home of the Dionne quintuplets, giving them the run of the place with a suite each not only for themselves but for Dr. Allan Dafoe, the parents, the guardians, the nurses, servants, police guards
and other persons of their court.
Idea not suggested might have been to tear it down and build it up in Exhibition Park as a permanent building of much note. Probably run a bit expensive, but final intake would justify. After all, if it is going to be a view-place it might be well
to get it down where it can ‘be seen without a big detour for American tourists on their way to Callander.
For the benefit of those who do not know, it may be explained that Casa Loma is a turreted, baronial mansion big enough to billet an infantry brigade, which sits on a hill dominating
Toronto, within the city limits. It is said to be unique in size and style on this continent and to have few peers in England or Europe, where palaces, castles and mansions abound — though many of these are, of course, larger.
Conceiver, builder, former owner and former dweller therein for a few years was Sir Henry Pellatt of Toronto, then a wealthy stock broker. He was also a military fan, an officer in the militia, former commander of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Toronto,
on whom he spent much money. One of his most notable military benefactions was paying the expenses of 750 men of the Queen’s Own ‘to England and back. The late Queen Victoria honored him with an autographed photograph.
Casa Loma, which was begun in 1911 and finished three years later, was said to have cost in those days when building costs were much lower than they are today $1,700,000-and Sir Henry was credited with spending another $1,000,000 on art treasures
and furnishings ,these long since sold by public auction so that today Casa Loma is bare as Mother Hubbard’s cupboard.
In 1925 when Casa Loma was remodelled temporarily into an apartment hotel, a valuation was placed on it of $4,000,000. Today its value is purely an arbitrary one. It is on the hands of the city and at times it has seemed that the city was almost
prepared to pay someone to take it away.
In 1923 Sir Henry Pellatt ceased living in a section of the great mansion, heavily taxed, and in 1933 it was purchased by the city at a tax sale for $27,305. A year later, when the owner failed to redeem it, the city became its reluctant owner.
“I don’t know what to do with it” wailed the city property commissioner. “What can one do with it? I have got to find the money to pay for caretakers.”
At that time Sir Henry Pellatt’s opinion was asked, and he said: “It always had been my ambition to build the finest house in Canada not so much to live in as to leave the city equipped and finished as a war museum.”
He has often said that he intended it as a war museum
Sir Henry is also recorded as explaining how for thirty years he travelled Europe, visited every castle of note and photographed scores of turrets, battlements, windows, moats, drawbridges and other medieval architecture with a view of some day
of building the castle of his dreams on a Toronto hill.
Thus Casa Loma emerged with fragments of Scottish castles, Italian fortresses, English turrets, bits of Picardy, Rhine trimmings, Spanish suggestions, Austrian motifs from Alpine chalets in its gray bulk of stone from the Credit valley.
The architect was the late E.J. Lennox who built the Toronto city hall, which Casa Loma is credited with resembling to a degree, especially in terms of its attic and tower treatment. Mr. Lennox said that Casa Loma was really French baronial style.
At least , it reared itself, a veritable Rock of Gibraltar, as a notable dwelling for one man.
It stands in hillside grounds of six acres, with a frontage of 546 feet and depth of 480 surrounded by a wall of boulders. The house itself is 200 feet long by 100 feet deep and has a height at its highest turret of nearly 300 feet
Its interiors are magnificent . A baronial hall is 80-by 80 by 20 feet. The dining room is 70 by 60 feet and could seat 100 guests. The former library , 80 by 27 feet, is big enough for a convention.
In the baronial hall is a fireplace wide enough to roast an ox whole. One bedroom, formerly Sir Henry’s, is 60 by 40 feet.
The place is credited with having 100 rooms. On the upper bedroom floor were no less than 17 suites of rooms, with from two to five rooms each. There are 15 bathrooms and 25 open fireplaces. Three bronze and glass doors were said to have cost
$14,000 apiece.
In the basement, though never finished, were bowling alleys, shooting gallery, swimming tank, and Turkish baths. From the basement ran a tunnel wide enough to let an auto though underground to the stables, worth $200,000.
In July, 1924, the contents of this modern feudal castle were placed under the auctioneer’s hammer and costly things were bought cheaply by the connoisseurs and ordinary cash customers.
The six days of auctioning brought in a little over $135,000, only a fraction of the original cost.
Since that, except for the brief period when Casa Loma was a dance hall, the place has been deserted The only people entering, if you except inquisitive small boys, have been city caretakers trying to keep at bay the ravages of snow, rain, and
sun.
The other day the writer was permitted to wander through its emptiness.
I was never in Casa Loma before, never saw it when it was humanized by furnishings and the presence of man. Now it is nothing but a vast bewildering, crumbling vault.
Not only is the panelling in places badly warped but here and there souvenir hunters have sliced off a bit of carving. In places the fine hardwood floors are heaved out of place. But beneath each floor is solid concrete and it is said that each
will bear a weight of five …….at any place.
The great entrance hall is two tall storeys high. Aloft are the organ pipes. Not really organ pipes but imitation tubes. An organ was never installed and even if one had been its music would not have come out through these tubes. They were just
to give tone.
On this floor are the great rooms, library, dining room, drawing room, conservatory and the once handsome room that was Sir Henry’s study. From this last room are still two secret passages, each hidden by a panel, which opened to an electric
push button. Now there is no electricity, but it is possible by hand, if you know the panels, to open them. One leads down to the basement. The other leads up to the master bedroom which was once Sir Henry’s. You can still use them.
Once the castle had 5,000 electric lights but now there is not a bulb in place and in the rafter regions of the attics it is necessary to use a flashlight to get around. There is an elevator, panelled, but it does not run. Nothing runs in Casa
Loma except when water comes. trickling in; nothing lives-.but the pigeons in the turrets and attics.
These turrets seem to have no purpose from the inside, what-ever their scenic value. Great places to put trunks, old baseball bats and last winter’s rubbers for storage, but you couldn’t begin to use even a hundredth part of the space available
with all the trunks, old baseball bats and rubbers you could find along the block.
All these things the visitors will see and wonder at for a full quarter’s worth of wonder. It would cost a trip to Europe to see as much of former grandeur. For Casa Loma is not to be sniffed at as a castle. I saw castles of Spain, old buildings
which the tourist treats with awe, which were no more wonderful. Nobody thinks of sniffing at European buildings, however odd because some dead and gone builder let his fancy run free.
Take that church which Ivan the Terrible built at a corner of the Red Square in Moscow, the one with the seven—or is it eight? –onion-topped minarets—the one which was built by an Italian architect whose eyes, legend says, Ivan put out lest
he duplicate it. That church was the result of a man’s inspiration, and so it stands to-day, preserved by th0e Soviets.
Consider the cluster of churches built by various czars within the Kremlin walls, not one church, but half a dozen churches. People look at them with wonder. _ People will look at Casa Loma with wonder and long after Sir Henry is gone and the
grows mystic with memory, it will stand as a monument to his imagination.
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What every citizen should know about the Earth’s atmosphere @ TORONTO: Medical Sciences Macleod Auditorium
Mar 5 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
What every citizen should know about the Earth’s atmosphere
Dr. Hind al Abadleh & Let’s Talk Science
The presentation “What every citizen should know about the Earth’s atmosphere” covers key historical environmental crises since the industrial revolution that led to the birth of nature conservation and environmental movements. In particular, acid rain, its chemistry and how it was solved, the ozone hole, its chemistry and recovery progress to date, and climate change, the greenhouse effect and humanity’s influence in amplifying that effect that are leading to numerous impacts on countries, species, individuals. Finally, the role of human societies in mitigating climate change.
CATEGORIES: WINTER 2017 RCISCIENCE
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Bousfields Inc. PLANNING & URBAN DESIGN RATIONALE for produced in Feb. 2016 to rationalize for city approval the development companies conversion of 248 & 260 HIGH PARK AVENUE is a triumph of design and information presentation. The quality of the report in providing urban design and heritage information, as presented data and throughly thought thru “worded data” makes the report much more important to the community than a mere report as part of a development proposal.
Just take a look at this graphic from the report, depicting our areas LAND USE DESIGNATIONS. Beautiful with clear information.
click for full size
You may not need to regularly, read development texts submitted by developers, as this blog author does, be sure if you want a good balanced view of issues and needs of planning in the Junction and High Park this is a great report to read. It is also a visual coup of report design for those of you interested in the graphic communication of data.
Yep, the blog has no commercial or any other conflicts of interest that would could this opinionated post.
The cover of the report. Salivating.
click image for full size image of the reports cover.
The full report click here, Bousfields High Park
Bousfields Inc.
3 Church Street, Suite 200
Toronto, Ontario M5E 1M2
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Feb 24, 1933
UNION STOCK YARD PROBE
Liberal M.P.P. Promises to Press Kennedy for Investigation.
PRICES UNDER FIRE
Rumor Condemned Meat Used Improperly, He Tells House.
Relief that the Ontario Government should instruct or Influence an inquiry into the administration of the Union Stock ‘Yards in Toronto, to determine if, as rumored, condemned meat Is used for purposes other than properly intended – “possibly human consumption” —was voiced to the Legislature yesterday, by Charles; A. Robertson, Liberal member for North Huron.
Mr. Robertson told the press. following the conclusion of his Debate speech, that he would take the matter up with Hon. Thomas L. Kennedy, Minister of Agriculture, Immediately and would press for the investigation be had suggested before the House.
The North Huron members probe remarks were only part of the general attack to which he subjected Government policy, particularly in respect of school end road grants, but It was sufficient to elicit from Premier Henry the remonstrance that Mr. Robertson surely could not be charging that such condemned meat was “sold to stores” for consumption. “
“ 1 won’t go as far as that, Mr. Speaker.” Said Mr. Robertson. “but I have been told—in fact, its common rumor—that a lot of this condemned meat- is used for purposes it should not be.”
Objects to Prices.
It was also stated by Mr. Robertson that prices obtaining at the stock. yards were equally as high now, is hard times. as they were four and five years ago. That situation also demanded Government attention and inquiry, he believed.
Mr. Robertson’s references to the school and road grants situation—and he charged that the municipalities had been allowed to “run wild” In these connections, to the undoing of many—were, in part, as follows:
“The system of grants as It has ‘operated In Ontario, especially In reference to -roads and schools has been the undoing of many municipalities School boards have been compelled to do many unnecessary things in order to participate in grants.s. Now the grants are reduced but the regulations still exist and the overhead, must be met. High school boards are not responsible to the electors, yet they must obey school laws and regulations Irrespective of their ability to finance the situation. If the reduced grants are to go Into effect, there should be cleaning up of laws and regulations.
“The two-year Normal term should be abolished. If a teacher Is not a succeed after three years’ teaching experience, another Normal course will be of no benefit. A cheaper and more practical course for junior high pupils should be inaugurated. The increased examination fee is a hardship in many cases.
“Inspectors encouraged by the department have too much latitude in condemning schools, school equipment and municipal councils have too little control of school expenses.
Grants Much Fairer
The system of grants for rural elementary schools that went into effect a year ago is much fairer that that which existed in the previous 10 years because now, to a certain extent, they are based upon the
ability of a section to pay. Teachers salaries are nearer to the $600 general school levy than they were, thus tending to equalising school rates something desired by the township school board.
“If the general school levy is lowered to $500 as intimated, teacher’s salaries will be reduced and the Government grant accordingly will be lowered. The pendulum may swing too far and defeat the object desired.
“I would like to call the minister’s attention to the great disparity in county grants given by the Government to the various counties, altogether out of proportion to the contribution they make to highway finances, and I think there should be some relation, one to the other, under approved expenditures, the grants range all the way from $400,000 to $100,000, certainly not according to assessment, population, acreage or ability to pay. When the Government pays 50% of county road cost, they should have a right and an interest in protecting themselves, and in the light of present day knowledge and conditions, they would ne doing a kindness to some county municipalities. A study of expenditure and debenture debt will prove the truth of my statement.
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Quick explainer followed by the full details after the read more jump.
EY20.31
ACTION
amend the existing No Parking Anytime and No Stopping regulations on the north and south sides of Junction Road, between Keele Street and Old Weston Road, to reflect the existing signage in the field
Adopted Ward:11
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Quick explainer 1st followed by full text after more jump
EY20.7
ACTION
application proposes a common elements condominium for a shared driveway, walkways, meter room and landscaped areas to provide legal access to the 56 townhouse units and to ensure shared ownership and maintenance of the common elements by the condominium corporation.
Adopted Ward:17
This is project is part of Phase 7 of the redevelopment of the former General Electric site.
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Humber Bay Park West, closest area to the Junctions to be chosen.
Summary
The purpose of this report is to respond to the request on how Toronto can become a more “paddle friendly city” and provide information on the location and benefits of waterfront recreational nodes that have been selected by Parks, Forestry and Recreation in partnership with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
The installation of five waterfront nodes is funded through the Parks Plan FY2017 sub-project in the Parkland Development project and is included in the 2017 Preliminary Capital Budget and 2018-2026 Recommended Capital Plan.
Each node will cost approximately $75,000-$100,000 and will be constructed in 2017.
There are no additional resources or operating costs required for the waterfront nodes. Any associated maintenance and/or inspection costs can be accommodated within the current 2017 Preliminary Operating Budget.
The Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.
ISSUE BACKGROUND
With Toronto’s growing population, there are
more and more residents wishing to access all that the City’s waterfront has to offer.
However, this increase is putting greater pressure on the existing access points at the water’s edge.
The construction of waterfront recreational nodes will help relieve this pressure. A ‘node’ is a central or connecting point of activity, and as it applies to waterfront recreation, nodes will provide the public with more points of access to the water and opportunities to engage in various recreational water activities such as fishing, kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, and other passive enjoyment.
Paddle Friendly City Parks
, Forestry and Recreation was asked to consider how Toronto could become a “paddle-friendly” city and these nodes will support such an initiative. They will incorporate launches appropriate for paddleboats, stand up paddleboards, and other small vessels and allow the public to explore the waterfront. As additional nodes are installed in 2017, they will collectively provide paddle routes for exploring the city from the water.
Fishing Fishing
is becoming more popular along Toronto’s waterfront as water quality and habitat improve. Fishing is permitted in City of Toronto parkland except where signs are posted indicating fishing is prohibited. Prohibition of fishing is determined in consultation with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), the TRCA, and other stakeholders; and signs prohibiting fishing are only posted where it has been determined that fishing will have adverse effects on the ecology in that area of the shore. The construction of waterfront nodes will provide anglers with more places to fish and mitigate conflicts between anglers and non-anglers.
Aquatic Habitat
The construction of waterfront nodes will also provide much needed aquatic habitats along the water’s edge. This will be accomplished by establishing species-specific structural habitats adjacent to, and off shore from, the waterfront nodes. Such structures could include fish spawning beds, sunken logs, sunken cribs, shoals and rocky reefs. Waterfront nodes provide important focal points for the public and can
Full Background Information link
(February 2, 2017) Report and Attachments 1-2 from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation on Encouraging a Paddling and Fishing Friendly City
(http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2017/pe/bgrd/backgroundfile-101057.pdf
Financial Impact
There is no financial impact resulting from the adoption of this report.
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