Historical Plaques of the
City of Toronto

To learn more about the history of De La Salle and the 8 cannons unearthed in 1996 and Fort St. Louis please visit this Texas Website.

To learn more about the Grand Trunk Railway please visit the Historical Background of the Grand Trunk Railway - St. Marys

Settlers were attracted to this vicinity in the 1790's by the areas rich timber resources and water power potential of the Humber River here. By 1792 a sawmill was established on the west bank and within two decades a small hamlet known as "The Humber" had developed. About 1815 James Farr, a prominent local mill-owner, named it Weston after his English ancestral home. The community subsequently expanded along both sides of the river until 1850 when a disastarous flood destroyed the west bank settlement. Improvements to the Weston Road and the arrival of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1856 stimulated substantial further growth on the east side. Incorporated as a village in 1881 Weston became part of the Borough of York in 1967.

A prominent businessman and philanthropist, Howland was a leading reform politician and a father of Confederation. Founder of Lambton Mills, he was elected to the Provincial Legislature in 1858. He served in the great coalition government of 1864, which achieved the Federal Union, and attended the 1866 London Conference , where the text of the British North America Act was finalized. Elected to the first Federal Parliament , he resigned in 1868 to become the Second Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. The remainder of his life was devoted to business and charitable work.

Deputé libéral, homme d'affaires, fondateur de Lambton Mills et philanthrope réputé, Howland fut l'un des pères de la Confédération. Il fut élu à l'Assemblée législative en 1858 et fit partie de la Grande Coalition de 1864 qui réalisa une union fédérale. Il fut aussi délégué à la conférence de Londres en 1866, où fut parachevé le texte de l'Acte de l'Amérique du Nord britannique. Élu au premier Parlement fédéral, il démissionna en 1868 pour devenir le deuxième lieutenant-gouverneur de l'Ontario. Ses dernières années furent consacrées à ses affaires et à des oeuvres de charité.

To learn more about the Montgomery's Inn and take an online tour or for tour information please visit their website. The Montgomery Inn

The main section of this building, one of the province's finest remaining examples of Loyalist Georgian architecture, was erected about 1832. Its original owner, the innkeeper, Thomas Montgomery (1790-1877), was a native of Ireland and a Captain in the York Militia. Situated on Dundas Street, one of Upper Canada's principal highways, the Inn was a favourite stopping place for travellers and its large rooms providied space for public meetings. The Home District Council designated Montgomery's Inn as the site of Etobicoke's annual Township Meetings of 1847 and 1849. Surrounded today by a rapidly expanding metropolis, it provides visual evidence of early nineteenth century life in this region.

To learn more about the Colborne Lodge and High Park and view a photo of the lodge please visit the website of Heritage Toronto

Built by John Howard (1803-1890), it was named after Sir John Colborne, Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada. Howard an architect and engineer, emigrated from England 1832 becoming Toronto's first city surveyor 1834 and city engineer 1838. He was an art collector, painted scenes of Toronto and devouted himself to improving his estate, which forms part of present-day High Park. In 1873 he offered his property to the city for a public park, but retained possession of the Lodge and 45 acres until his death.

A Father of confederation, William McDougall was born on a farm in this vicinity. He became a solicitor and in 1850 founded the North American, a newspaper which became the voice of the "Clear Grit" Liberals. A leading reformer, McDougall became Provincial Secretary in the coalition government that sought confederation. He attended the Quebec and London conferences which negotiated the terms of Federal Union. Appointed first Lieutenant-Governor of the North West Territories in 1869, he was prevented from under taking his duties by the outbreak of the Red-River Rebellion. He returned to politics as a private member in the Ontario Legislature, 1875-78, and in the Federal Parliament, 1878-82, thereafter withdrawing to his legal career.

Almost the entire 200 acres of land now comprising Mount Pleasant Cemetery, extending from Yonge Street to Bayview Avenue was purchased in 1873 in what was then the Village of Deer Park. Following three years of development, the first interment took place on March 13, 1876.
At the time the City of Toronto had a population of about 68,000 people with its northern boundary at Bloor Street. A toll gate stood on Gallows Hill on Yonge Street just south of St. Clair Avenue.
Much is owed to the prudence and foresight of the Trustees of the Toronto General Burying Grounds of that time:-

      Hon. William McMaster          John MacDonald, Esq. 
      Andres Taylor McCord, Esq.     James Michie, Esq. 
      Thomas Dick, Esq.              Robert Wilkes, Esq. 
      John Patterson, Esq.           Warring Kennedy, Esq. 
                     Robert Walker, Esq.

This school was constructed in 1929 by the Collegiate Institute Board of the Township of York as a Memorial Institute of higher learning to commemorate the youth of the York community who gave their lives for the cause of peace and freedom.

A gristmill and sawmill, built by David Holley in 1810-11, stood in the valley below. James Farr to whom the mill belonged from 1815-1828, operated five run of stones in his mill. The lower and older part of the Village of Weston, formerley known as Farr's Mills, was destroyed in the flood of 1850. In 1828, William Wadsworth bought the mill rebuilt and operated the sawmill, 1830-1870 and built a larger grist mill in 1856. The Wadsworth Mills operated in this vicinity for 87 years.

This monument marked the eastern entrance to the Queen Elizabeth Way, opened in 1939 by Her Majesty Elizabeth, the Queen Consort, in the company of His Majesty, King George VI. It was designed by W.L. Somerville, architect, and Frances Loring, Sculptor. Florence Wyle assisted in modeling the Royal Profiles and the crown. When the Queen Elizabeth Way was widened, the monument was moved to this site by the Ontario Mnistry of Transportation and Communications in July, 1974.

Loyal residents of York (Toronto) were encouraged by early British victories in the War of 1812, but in 1813, they expierenced first-hand the hardships of war. On the morning of April 27th, an American fleet appeared offshore and began to send 1700 soldiers ashore 2 kilometers west of here. At first only a small force of Ojibwa warriors was in position to resist the landing. After fierce skirmishing the invaders advanced, overcoming defensive stands by outnumbered British and Canadian troops. As they closed in on the main garrison near here, the retreating British ignited a gunpowder storehouse. It exploded, killing 38 Americans and wounding 222 more. Victorious nonetheless, the Americans occupied York for six days. They looted and set buildings ablaze, including the Parliament buildings.

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 Sweetheart". She was instrumental in founding and directing a major film production company and starred in over fifty feature-length films including "Hearts Adrift", "Pollyana" and "Coquette". For the last named film, she received the 1929 Academy Award as the years best actress.

An outstanding Canadian architect, civil engineer and railway manager, Cumberland was born in England and practised there before immigrating to Toronto in 1847. He quickly gained recognition, designing such notable buildings as St. James Cathedral (1850-53) and University College (1856-59), Toronto. In 1860 he completed this house, Pendarvis, in which he lived for 21 years. As an engineer, Cumberland became increasingly involved in railway construction and management, and after 1858 achieved wide prominence as managing director of the Northern Railway. He caried his railway interests into politics and served as member for Algoma in the Ontario Legislature (1867-72) and the Dominion Parliament (1871-72). A man of varied interests, Cumberland was a founder and first commanding officer of the present-day Royal Regiment of Canada.

Sir, John A. MacDonald, Canada's first prime minister, purchased this house in 1876 and lived here 1876-78. It was built in 1872 in the French Second Empire style by Nathaniel Dickey, a Toronto iron founder. MacDonald owned the property until 1886 and it was occupied by his son, Hugh John, 1879-82. The Hon. Oliver Mowat, prime minister of Ontario, bought and occupied the house in 1888 and retained ownership until 1902. The property was leased, 1897-98, to the Hon. Arthur Sturgis Hardy who succeeded Mowat as prime minister and sold to Knox College in 1910.

Born near Otterville, Ontario, Innis was one of Canada's great scholars. He joined the faculty of the University of Toronto in 1920 and became head of the Department of Political Economy in 1937. Deeply interested in the economic development of this country, he pursued his concerns through extensive field trips and research. In his published works, including "The Fur Trade in Canada", "The Cod Fisheries" and "Empire and Communications", he left a wealth of information and theory that has significantly influenced the study of economics, history, geography, politics and communications in Canada and beyond.

Né près d'Otterville en Ontario, Harold Adams Innis, l'un des grands érudits du Canada devint professeur à l'université de Toronto en 1920 et directeur du Département d'Économie politique en 1937. Il s'intéressa beaucoup au développement économique du pays. Dans ses ouvrages, notamment The Fur Trade in Canada, The Cod Fisheries et Empire and Communications, il a laissé le résultat de ses études et de ses recherches ainsi que de nombreuses théories qui ont beaucoup influencé les études en économique, en histoire, en géographie, en sciences politiques et en communication au Canada et à l'extérieur. Il est mort à Toronto.

This institution, the first general infirmary in Upper Canada, began operation in 1829. It was periodically hampered by administrative and financial difficulties but through the initiative of the influential businessman, Sir Joseph Flavelle, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (1904-21), services were reorganized and steps taken for the construction here of a new hospital. Designed by the firm of Darling & Pearson, it was begun in 1911 and officially opened two years later. Toronto General Hospital quickly moved to the forefront of Canadian medicine as an outstanding teaching and research center. In association with the University of Toronto, Connaught Laboratories and other institutions, it achieved international recognition in the fields of radiology, heart surgery, and the treatment of diabetes, arthritis, and kidney and vascular disease.

The ruins standing here today are all that remain of a seven story flour mill built in 1848 to replace an earlier mill, both built by William Tyrell of Weston for William Gamble, Etobicoke's first Reeve. In 1861, the mill suffered the fate of earlier mills and was destroyed by fire. The ruins were designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1983.

The King's Mill, Toronto's first industrial building, was built in 1793 near this site, on order of Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe, to mill lumber for the proposed town of York. German-speaking Nicholas Miller was the millwright, assisted by Queen's Rangers.

The Old Mill tea garden restaurant was opened in 1914 as a community amenity by Robert Home Smith, the developer of the Kingsway area.

What came to be known as the Toronto Route or Carrying Place actually consisted of two alternate passages: one ascended the Humber River to the Holland,while a lesser one began 40 kilometers to the east and followed the Rouge River. The route connected Lakes Simcoe and Ontario and was an important trade route for the Indian nations and later the French. Etienne Brule travelled it in 1615 and the Iroquois reputedly used it on their way to attack Huronia in 1649. Although of lesser importance to British fur traders, it still contributed to the favourable position of the settlement which became Toronto.

Le Portage de Toronto comprenait en réalité deux sentiers reliant les lacs Ontario et Simcoe: l'un longeait la rivière Humber jusqu'à la rivière Holland et l'autre, moins important, remontait la rivière Rouge, 40 kilomètres à l'est. Pour les Indiens et les Français, les deux portages constituaient d'importantes routes de commerce. On sait qu'Étienne Brûlé emprunta le Portage de Toronto en 1615 et que les Iroquois l'utilisèrent en 1649 pour attaquer la Huronie. Même s'il eut une importance moindre pour les marchands anglais, le Portage accentua tout de même la position favorable de Toronto.

The first university in the province, King's College was chartered in 1827 through the efforts of the Rev. John Strachan. This site was acquired by the College the following year. Sectarian and political criticism of the Church of England's control of the college delayed construction, but in 1843 classes commenced in the former Parliament Buildings on Front Street. The only completed portion of the college complex, designed by the Toronto architect, Thomas Young, was built here in 1845. A leading academic institution, King's College offered instruction in the arts, science, law, theology and medicine and in 1850 it became a secular institution, the new University of Toronto. The building, appropriated for use as an asylum, six years later, was demolished in 1886.

The Village of York Mills grew up on the west bank of the Don River about six miles north of Toronto. From the opening of Samuel Heron's Mill in 1804 until 1926 when George Pratt's operations closed, the sounds and aromas of flour mills, cider mills and saw mills filled the valley. In 1870 the Village of York Mills had a population of 100.

James Hogg owned property in the vicinity from 1824. After the Hogg brothers began to Develop it in the 1850'S the area was also known as Hogg's Hollow.

On this site stood Montgomery's Tavern, headquarters of William Lyon MacKenzie, leader of the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837, and scene of the brief skirmish in which, on 7 December 1837, the rebels were overcome by a force of militia commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel James Fitzgibbon. Though unsuccessful in its primary objective, the uprising, by forcing the issue of unrequited grievances against the dominant "Family Compact", contributed significantly to the legislative union of Upper and Lower Canada in 1841 and to the establishment in Canada of responsible government.

C'est ici que s'élevait la taverne Montgomery, quartier général de William Lyon Mackenzie, chef de la rébellion au Haut-Canada. L'insurrection, dirigée contre l'oligarchie qui régnait dans la province, contribua à la fusion des Haut et Bas Canadas en 1840 et à l'établissement ultérieur du gouvernement responsable. La taverne Montgomery fut témoin, le 7 décembre 1837, de l'escarmouche où les miliciens commandés par le lieutenant-colonel James FitzGibbon vainquirent les rebelles.

The British army established a military post here in 1840-41 to replace aging Fort York. Known as the New Fort, it consisted of seven limestone buildings around a parade square, and a number of lesser structures. Massive defensive works were planned for the perimeter but never built. In 1893 the fort was renamed Stanley Barracks in honour of Governor General Lord Stanley. Canadian forces resumed responsibility for the post in 1870 and garrisoned it until 1947. The barracks then served as public housing until the early 1950's, when all but this building, the Officers' Quarters, were demolished.

This entrance to the Canadian National Exhibition grounds was built in 1927 to commemorate 60 years of Canadian Confederation. The stone and concrete gates were designed by the Toronto firm of Chapman and Oxley and are a fine example of monumental architecture in the Beaux-Arts mode. Sculptor Charles D. McKechnie created the statues. The Winged Victory atop the central arch is flanked by figures representing the C.N.E.'s commitment to progress through industry, education and the arts. The gates were opened officially on August 30, 1927 by Edward, Prince of Wales, and Prince George. They have been known ever since as the "Princes' Gates".

On the morning of July 13, 1813, a U.S. invasion fleet appeared off York (Toronto) after having withdrawn from a planned attack on British positions at Burlington Heights. That afternoon 300 American soldiers came ashore near here. Their landing was unopposed: there were no British regulars in town, and York's militia had withdrawn from further combat in return for its freedom during the American invasion three months earlier. Yhe invaders seized food and military supplies, then re-embarked. The next day they returned to investigate collaborators' reports that valuable stores were concealed up the Don River. Unsuccessful in their search, the Americans contented themselves with burning military installations on nearby Gibraltor Point before they departed.

Reputedly the greatest all-round athlete Canada has ever produced, Conacher was born near here. As a child he was seized by the desire to excel in sports and, taking up football, lacrosse, wrestling, hockey and baseball, he developed remarkable endurance and superb physical skills. In 1920 Conacher won the Canadian light-heavyweight boxing championship and the following year he led the Toronto Argonauts to a Grey Cup Victory. "The Big Train" then devoted himself to professional hockey. A defenseman for National Hockey League teams in Pittsburgh, New York, Montreal and Chicago, he gained a reputation as an aggresive player and a brilliant tactician. In 1937 Conacher retired from professional sports. Thirteen years later he was named the outstanding Canadian male athlete of the half-century.

Toronto's first Roman Catholic Cemetery was beside St. Paul's Church in east downtown Toronto which was established as a Parish in 1822. This cemetery was rapidly filled as a result of the many deaths following the hardships suffered after the 1847 Irish potato famine. By the mid-1850's another catholic cemetery was needed to serve the growing number of Parishes in Toronto.

Purchased in 1854 by the Bishop of Toronto, Rt. Rev. Armand Francois Marie, Comte De Charbonnel, St. Michael's Cemetery was opened in 1855 at the present location in Deer Park, then well north of the City of Toronto. His successor, Bishop John Joseph Lynch, enlarged the cemetery in 1866. To meet the needs of the ever increasing catholic population Mount Hope Cemetery was opened in 1900 in north Toronto.

Originally St. Michael's Cemetery was administered by the Rector of St. Michael's Cathedral. The Toronto Catholic Cemetery Association assumed the responsibility in 1961. Over the years some 29,000 pioneer catholics of the Toronto Archdiocese, priests, religious and laity, have been buried in these ten acres.

As a monument to the dedication of earlier generations to their faith this plaque was blessed and dedicated by Most Rev. Robert B. Clune, D.D., Auxillary Bishop of Toronto, on the Vigil of the Feast of St. Michael, Sunday, September 28, 1980.

This plaque was dedicated as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the archdiocese of Toronto to serve as a permanent reminder of the heritage of the Toronto Roman Catholic community.

The winter vault was used to store the bodies of the deceased during the winter until graves could be dug again in the softened soil the following spring.

It has long stood as a small but particularly attractive architectural monument which over the years has been admired by many for its striking beauty and simplicity.

This plaque was blessed and dedicated on Sunday, June 14, 1992, by Auxillary Bishop M. Pearse Lacey

"This tablet is dedicated to the volunteer firefighters of the former Township of York.

Volunteer fire brigades with their handpulled carts served for many years to protect the community against the ravages of fire. It was not until this hall was built, c. 1920, that mechanized firefighting equipment became available to the volunteers.

To those unsung heroes, York will be forever grateful."

The Thomson Settlement, the first in Scarborough, consisting of early mills and homesteads, centered around this point. The library, fostered by the Thomsons and used by the Mechanics Institute from 1878, was housed in its present building in 1896.

West of this point passed an Indian Trail leading to prehistoric Indian villages of which traces have been found. This was the trail by which David Thomson, the first white settler in Scarborough, came to the site upon which he built his house in 1796.

St. Andrews Presbyterian congregation established in 1818, built a frame church in 1831 in the grounds which lie behind this monument. Within these church grounds are buried many of the pioneer families of Scarborough. The existing brick church built in 1849 to serve the growing congregation has nurtured the spiritual life of Scarborough.

In this area of the cemetery are buried many of the inhabitants of "Muddy York".
They were originally buried in " The Potter's Field" a plot of six acres in Yorkville at what is now the north-west corner of Bloor and Yonge Streets, during the period of 1826-1850. As a cemetery it was obliged to close because of steady municipal growth. The remains of 364 persons were removed to this location and some 984 others were removed to the Toronto Necropolis between the years 1851 and 1881. The individual monuments were also moved, but being made of soft stone, most of them became illegible from erosion and have been laid flat on the plots. "The original purchase price in 1825 of "The Potter's Field" was 75 pounds currency or $300.00, the whole amount being raised by subscription in no case exceeding $1.00"

Canada's longest serving prime minister and perhaps its shrewdest political tactician, William Lyon Mackenzie King was prime minister for over twenty-one years in three separate terms of office; 1921-1926, 1926-1930 and 1935-1948. King became Minister of Labour in 1909, and party leader in 1919. He rebuilt the Liberal Party, and led the nation in the Second World War, and prepared for postwar economic expansion. He died in retirement on July 22, 1950, at his beloved home "Kingsmere" near Ottawa.

One of Canada's most influential newspapermen, Atkinson became managing editor of the Toronto Star in 1899, and its majority owner by 1913. Originally hired by supporters of Sir Wilfred Laurier, he sought to make the daily an instrument of social reform. His many and often sensational innovations changed the face of Canadian journalism, and made the Star Canada's largest circulation newspaper by the 1930s. A tough taskmaster in life, he generously bequeathed his fortune to the Atkinson Charitable Foundation, which endows an array of cultural, medical and educational institutions in Ontario.

Atkinson, l'un des journalistes les plus influents du Canada, devint directeur et rédacteur en chef du Toronto Star en 1899, puis actionnaire majoritaire en 1913. Engagé par des partisans de Laurier, il chercha à faire du quotidien un outil de de réforme sociale. Ses nombreuses innovations, souvent à sensation, modifièrent le visage du journalisme canadien et firent du Star le journal au plus fort tirage au pays dans les années 1930. Malgré son autoritarisme, Atkinson dévoila sa générosité en léguant sa fortune au Atkinson Charitable Foundation qui dota plusieurs hôpitaux , universités et institutions culturelles de l'Ontario.

Born in Ireland, Timothy Eaton came to Upper Canada about 1854, eventually becoming a partner in his brothers' general store at St. Mary's. In 1869 he established his own business in Toronto. Through merchandising innovations, such as cash sale for a fixed price, the company prospered and became one of the country's first department stores. Eaton introduced a mail order department in 1884, extending the benefits of popular prices and a wide selection of goods to the rural market. His energies were devoted almost exclusively to the company which, at his death, was Canada's largest retail business.

Né en Irlande, Eaton vint au Canada vers 1854 et devint l'associé de ses frères dans un magasin général de St. Mary's. En 1869, il établit son propre commerce à Toronto. Par des initiatives comme la vente sans crédit ni rabais, le commerce prospéra et devint l'un des plus grands magasins à rayons du Canada. En 1884, Eaton mit sur pied un service de vente par catalogue, faisant ainsi bénéficier la population rurale de ses prix populaires et de sa grande diversité de marchandise. Il consacra presque toutes ses énergies à son entreprise qui, à sa mort, était devenue la plus grande du genre au Canada.

Born in Toronto, Baldwin devoted his political life to a single cause. As a member of the assembly (1829-30 and 1841-51) as Executive Councillor (1841), as Solicitor General (1840-1), and as Co-Premier (1842-43 and 1848-51), he remained true to his vision until the second Baldwin-LaFontaine Administration established the priniciple of Responsible Government in Canada. That ministry also passed the Rebellion Losses Bill and laid the foundation for the municipal system in Ontario. Tired by the struggle, sick and unsympathetic to a rising tide of radicalism, he resigned in 1851. He died at Toronto.

NOTE: Fench text to be posted later due to illegible copy..

A German immigrant and veteran craftsman, Henitzman founded one of Canada's longest lived and most prominent firms of piano manufacturers. He first immigrated in 1850 to the United States where he worked for a time in a piano factory, before he established his own business. This failing, he came to Toronto, virtually penniless, in 1860. From the sale of a paino built in his daughter's home he financed the beginning of a piano factory. The company he established rapidly expanded and soon Henitzman pianos were being sold across Canada and abroad.

En 1850, Heintzman quitta l'Allemagne pours les États-Unis, où il travailla dans une manufacture de pianos puis eut sa propre entreprise. En 1860, il vint à Toronto. Il était alors un artisan expérimenté mais indigent. Par la vente d'un piano qu'il avait fabriqué chez sa fille, il finança l'ouverture d'une manufacture de pianos, qui devint l'une des plus importantes et des plus actives au pays. Bientôt les pianos Heintzman se vendirent à travers tout le Canada et à l'étranger.

Born in Toronto, Bengough, a cartoonist, journalist, poet and lecturer, demonstrated a remarkable versatility of talent. In 1873 he founded Grip, the weekly magazine of homour in which many of his celebrated cartoons first appeared. In 1892 he moved to Montreal as cartoonist with the Star but subsequently returned to Toronto to resume his work for the Globe. The author of A Caricature History of Canadian Politics (1886), he also published, among other works, two volumes of poems, Motley ... (1895), and In Many Keys (1902). He died in Toronto.

Caricaturiste, journaliste, poète et conférencier, Bengough est né et décédé à Toronto. Doué de talents multiples, il fonda en 1873 et dirigea pendant vingt ans un hebdomadaire humoristique Grip, où ses caricatures lui assurèrent la célébrité. Auteur de A Caricature History of Canadian Politics (1886), il passa en 1892 au Montreal Star. Revenu à Toronto, il pratiqua encore la caricature au Globe. Il publia aussi des études sur les questions politiques d'actualité et des poèmes, Motley ... (1895) et In Many Keys (1902). Il mourut à Toronto.

Born in Scotland, Mackenzie came to Upper Canada in 1820. He became a prominent radical journalist and was first elected to the assembly in 1828, building up a strong popular following. He was the first mayor of the city of Toronto in 1834. Frustrated by political setbacks, Mackenzie led an abortive rebellion in 1837, and fled to the United States. From there he watched the achievement of Canadian self-government, which he had sought ardently but without success. Returning under amnesty if 1850, he sat in Parliament again until 1858.

Né en Écosse, Mackenzie émigra au Canada en 1820. Il y eut une carrière influente et tumultueuse comme journaliste radical, membre de l'Assemblée, où il fut élu en 1828, et premier maire de Toronto en 1834. Déçu par des échecs politiques, il prit la téte d'une rébellion en 1837. Vaincu, il dut s'exiler aux États-Unis. C'est de là qu'il suivit la conquète du gouvernement responsable, pour lequel il avait combattu avec tant d'ardeur mais sans succès. Amnistié, il revint au Canada en 1850 et siegea de nouveau au Parlement jusqu'à 1858.

THE DEFENCE OF YORK

LA DÉFENSE DE YORK

PRO PATRIA

In memory of Captain Neal McNeal, Volunteer Donald Maclean, and the soldiers of the Royal Artillery, 8th Regiment, Royal Newfoundland Regiment, Glengarry Light Infantry, York and Durham Militia, and Indians, killed in action, and their comrades who fought here, facing fearful odds, in defence of the Capital of Upper Canada, 27th April, 1813.

À la mémoire du capitaine Neal McNeal, du volontaire Donald Maclean et des morts de l'Artillerie Royale, du 8e Régiment, du Royal Newfoundland Regiment du Glengarry Light Infantry, des Milices de York et de Durham et des corps francs indiens; à la mémoire de leurs camarades d'armes qui ont combattu ici, face à des forces redoutables, pour la défense de la capitale du Haut-Canada, le 27 avril, 1813.

Born at Quebec, Gordon Drummond had a distinguished military career in various parts of the Empire before becoming Administrator of Upper Canada and commander of the British forces in the province in 1813. That winter he drove the enemy out of the Niagara peninsula and carried the war into American territory. In July 1814 he checked the American advance at Lundy's Lane. Drummond was knighted in 1815, and named Administrator of Lower Canada, a post he held until 1816. He died in London.

Né à Québec, Gordon Drummond eut une brillante carrière militaire en diverses parties de l'Empire avant de devenir administrateur du Haut-Canada et commandant des forces britanniques dans cette province, en 1813. Au cours de cet hiver, il repoussa l'ennemi de la péninsule du Niagara et porta la guerre en territoire américain. En juillet 1814, il arrêta l'avance américaine à Lundy's Lane. En 1815, Drummond fut créé chevalier et nommé administrateur du Bas-Canada, poste qu'il occupa jusqu'en 1816. Il mourut à Londres.

This station was built between 1915 and 1920 to the designs of Ross and Macdonald, H.G. Jones and J.M. Lyle. Subsequent to the relocation of the tracks, it was opened in 1927. It is the finest example in Canada of stations erected in the classical Beaux-Arts style during an era of expanding national rail networks and vigorous urban growth. Its sweeping facade and imposing Great Hall exhibit the monumental architecture and dramatic use of enclosed space characteristic of the Beaux-Arts movement.

Cette gare est la meilleure illustration des nombreuses gares de style classique construites au Canada pendant l'ère d'expansion ferroviaire et d'urbanisation du début du siècle. Elle a été construite entre 1915 et 1920, selon les plans des firmes Ross et Macdonald et H.G. Jones et J.M. Lyle. Elle fut inaugurée en 1927 après que l'on en ait relocalisé les rails. Sa façade imposante et ses vastes espaces intérieurs témoignent bien des tendances de l'architecture née du mouvement des Beaux-Arts.

On 24th September, 1905, James Henry Fleming placed band No. 1 on the foot of a robin in his garden at 267 Rusholme Road, Toronto. This was the first wild bird in Canada to be marked with a numbered and recorded band. From this beginning has come a greatly increased knowledge of bird migration.

Le 24 septembre 1905, James Henry Fleming passa à la patte d'un rouge-gorge, dans son jardin du 267, Rusholme Road, à Toronto, la bague numéro 1. Ce rouge-gorge fut le premier oiseau sauvage au Canada à porter une bague numérotée et enregistrée. Ce modeste début a permis d'accroître la connaissance de la migration des oiseaux.

Vincent Massey, diplomat, philanthropist and patron of the arts, was born in Toronto and educated at the University of Toronto and Oxford. He served as Canada's first Minister to Washington (1926-30) and as Canadian High Commissioner to London (1935-46). Later he was named chairman of the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences, whose Report (1951) was a landmark in the cultural history of Canada. In 1952 Massey became the first native-born Governor General of Canada, and held that office until 1959. Hart House was the gift of the Massey Foundation, in which he played a leading part.

Diplomate et mécène , Vincent Massey est né à Toronto et il a étudié aux universités de Toronto et d'Oxford. Premier ministre plénipotentiaire canadien à Washington (1926-30), puis Haut-Commissaire à Londres (1935-46), il présida la Commission royale d'enquête sur l'avancement des arts, lettres et sciences au Canada dont le rapport, déposé en 1951, fut un point tournant de l'histoire culturelle du Canada. En 1952, il devint le premier gouverneur général d'origine canadienne et il détint le poste jusqu'en 1959. Hart House est un don fait par la fondation Massey alors qu'il en était le principal artisan.

19 December 1846 marked the inauguration of the telegraph in Canada. This major development in communications was pioneered by the Toronto, Hamilton and Niagara Electro-Magnetic Telegraph Company whose line then being built between Toronto and Queenston carried the first message, from the mayor of Toronto to his Hamilton counterpart. To most Canadians the early telegraph was an expensive novelty but both the press and business soon adapted it to their use. In 1852 the successful but limited Toronto, Hamilton and Niagara enterprise was bought by the larger Montreal Telegraph Company.

PREMIER TÉLÉGRAPHE ÉLECTRIQUE CANADIEN

Le 19 décembre 1846 le télégraphe fut inauguré au Canada. La Toronto, Hamilton and Niagara Electro-Magnetic Telegraph Company, instigatrice de cette importante évolution des communications, transmit le premier message, du maire de Toronto à son homologue d'Hamilton, par la ligne en construction entre Toronto et Queenston. Pour la plupart des Canadiens, le premier télégraphe était une nouveauté couteûse, mais le presse et le commerce ne tardèrent pas à l'adopter. En 1852, la Toronto, Hamilton and Niagara, passa à la Montreal Telegraph Company.

After rioters burned the legislative building at Montreal in 1849 during the Tory protest over the Rebellion Losses Bill, the seat of the provincial government alternated between Toronto and Quebec. The sessions of 1850, 1851 and 1856 to 1859 were held in buildings originally erected (1829-1832) for the Legislature of Upper Canada in York, later Toronto. These buildings, which occupied the block bounded by Wellington, Simcoe, Front and John Streets, were demolished in 1904.

Après que des protestataires anglophones eurent incendié le Parlement à Montréal, au cours de l'émeute provoquée en 1849 par l'adoption de la loi d'indemnité aux victimes des insurrections de 1837-1838, le siège du gouvernement provincial alterna entre Toronto et Québec. Les sessions de 1850, 1851 et de 1856 à 1859 eurent lieu dans les immeubles construits entre 1829 et 1832 pour le Parlement du Haut-Canada à York, plus tard Toronto. On démolit ces édifices, qui occupaient le quadrilatère des rues Wellington, Simcoe, Front et John, en 1904.

The building of University College in 1856-59 largely assured the future of the University of Toronto and drew it, in time, into a federal pattern which was widely followed in Canada and the Commonwealth. Here was realized a major nineteenth century aspiration: The establishment of a non-denominational institution of higher learning supported by Government. The building was designed by F.W. Cumberland and demonstrates his skill in freely adapting the Romanesque style to the purposes of a college in the new world.

L'édification de University College entre 1856 et 1859 a pour une large part assuré l'avenir de l'Université de Toronto, permettant de l'organiser en une fédération de collèges, système imité par la suite en plus d'un point du Canada et de tout le Commonwealth. Ici, s'est réalisée l'une des aspirations essentielles du dix-neuvième siècle: La création d'un établissement laique d'enseignement supérieur subventionné par l'Etat. Les bâtiments conçus par F. W. Cumberland, témoignent de l'art avec lequel l'architecte a su librement adapter le style roman aux exigences de l'Université dans le Nouveau Monde.

Soldier, surgeon, and scientist, Banting in 1920 became convinced of the existence of a substance now known as Insulin. A laboratory provided by Dr. J.J.R. Macleod of the University of Toronto enabled Banting and Charles H. Best, in 1921, to prepare an active anti-diabetic extract of pancreas, purifed by Dr. J.B. Collip. This was first used successfully on January 11, 1922, by Drs. W. R. Campbell and A.A. Fletcher. Banting shared with Macleod the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1923 and was knighted in 1934. Born near Alliston, Ontario, he died in the crash of a military aircraft in Newfoundland, on February 21, 1941.

Chirurgien durant la première grande guerre, Banting se convainquit, en 1920, de l'existence d'une hormone plus tard appelée insuline. Dans un laboratoire fourni par le docteur J.J.R. Macleod de l'Université de Toronto, Banting et Charles H. Best tirèrent du pancreas un extrait antidiabétique actif que purifia le docteur J.B. Collip. Les docteurs W.R. Campbell et A.A. Fletcher furent les premiers à traiter avec succès un diabétique à l'insuline, en janvier 1922. Récipiendaire du Prix Nobel avec Macleod, en 1923, Banting fut créé chevalier en 1934. Né à Alliston (Ontario), il périt dans l'écrasement d'un avion militaire à Terre-Neuve, en février 1941.

Born in Kingston, where he was trained as a lawyer, Oliver Mowat served as a Toronto alderman before his election to the legislature of the united Canadas as a Reformer in 1857. He joined the Great Coalition in 1864 and attended the Quebec Conference. From 1872 to 1896 he served a premier and attorney-general of Ontario, a period of office noted for the introduction of the ballot (1874), the extension of the franchise (1888), and a determined fight for provincial rights. In 1896 Mowat was named to the Senate and became Minister of Justice in the Laurier cabinet, but he resigned the next year to become Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

Oliver Mowat naquit à Kingston où il étudia le droit. Il fut ensuite échevin de Toronto et, en 1857, député réformiste à l'assemblée du Canada-Uni. Il participa à la Grande Coalition de 1864 et assista à la Conférence de Québec. De 1872 à 1896, il fut premier ministre et procureur général de l'Ontario. Pendant ce mandat, il introduisit le scrutin secret (1874), élargit le droit de vote (1888) et lutta sans arrêt pour l'autonomie provinciale. Nommé au Sénat en 1896, il devint minstre de la Justice dans le Cabinet Laurier, mais il démissionna l'année suivante pour devenir lieutenant-gouverneur de l'Ontario.

As its general manager from 1886 and then president of the Canadian Bank of Commerce from 1907-24, Walker was an authority on banking theory and practice in Canada. Also interested in culture and the arts, he was instrumental in the founding of the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Champlain Society, which publishes historical Canadian documents. In 1909, he became an original member of the National Battlefields Commission which brought about the development of the Plains of Abraham. Knighted in 1910, Sir Edmund died in Toronto.

Directeur général de la Banque canadienne de commerce de 1886 à 1907, puis président jusqu'en 1924, Byron Walker fut un expert en questions bancaires. Il avait en outre une vaste culture et un grand amour de l'art. Il a contribué à fonder l'Art Gallery of Ontario, le Royal Ontario Museum et la Champlain Society, qui publie des documents d'histoire du Canada. Walker fut parmi les premiers membres de la Commission des champs de bataille nationaux, chargée d'assurer le développement des plaines d'Abraham de Québec. Il fut crée chevalier en 1910. Il mourut à Toronto.

Ned Hanlan was born in Toronto. In an era when rowing was a highly popular spectator sport in the English-speaking world, he was the sport's greatest exponent. He became Canadian champion in 1877 and shortly thereafter American and English champion. He won the world title in 1880, retaining it until 1884. When Hanlan retired from skulling in 1897, after approximately 350 matches, he had been defeated only some six times. Popularly known as "The Boy in Blue", he was one of Canada's first national sporting heroes and was the focus of public adulation in his home city until his death.

Ned Hanlan fut le plus célèbre rameur de l'époque où l'aviron était un spectacle sportif fort populaire dans le monde anglophone. Cet athlète de Toronto fut champion du Canada en 1877, puis de l'Aémrique et du Royaume-Uni. Il gagna le titre mondial en 1880 et le conserva jusqu'en 1884. Lorsqu'il se retira en 1897, on ne lui connaissait que six défaites en 350 courses. Connu sous le nom de Boy in Blue, il fut un des premiers héros sportifs nationaux du Canada et demura très populaire dans sa ville natale jusqu'à sa mort.

Writer, artist, and illustrator of historical novels and textbooks, Charles Jefferys emigrated to Canada from England in 1879. After studying at the Toronto Art Students League, he joined the New York Herald as an illustrator in 1892, but returned to Canada in1900 to work as a freelance artist for the Globe and the Daily Star. From 1911 to 1939 he taught drawing and painting at the University of Toronto. He painted landscapes and historical subjects across Canada, but is best known for his carefully researched drawings, such as those in his three volume Picture Gallery of Canadian History.

Auteur, artiste et illustrateur de romans historiques et de manuels d'histoire, Charles Jefferys émigra d'Angelterre en 1879. Il étudia les arts à Toronto et devint illustrateur au Herald de New York en 1892. De retour au Canada en 1900, il collabora comme pigiste au Globe et au Daily Star, puis enseigna le dessin et la peinture à l'université de Toronto de 1911 à 1939. Paysagiste canadien et interprète de sujets historiques divers, il est renommé pour la qualité documentaire de ses illustrations, notamment celles de sa trilogie Picture Gallery of Canadian History.

The third generation of a prominent Toronto family, Denison commanded a local cavalry regiment and served during the Fenian Raids (1866) and the Northwest Rebellion (1885). Also active in poitics, he was one of the founders of the nationalist Canada First movement. Convinced that the only way in which Canada could preserve her sovereignty in North America was as part of the British Empire, he became prominent in the Imperial Federation League, which flourished until the early part of this century. Although never elected to office, he was a Toronto police magistrate for 43 years.

Troisième dans la lignée d'une famille en vue de Toronto, il commanda un régiment local de cavalerie pendant les invasions des Fénians (1866) et la Rébellion du Nord-Ouest (1885). Également actif en politique, il fut l'un des fondateurs du mouvement nationaliste "Canada First". Convaincu que le Canada ne pouvait assurer sa souveraineté en Amérique qu'au sein de l'Empire britannique, il devint un membre éminent de l'Imperial Federation League. Il n'accéda jamais à la scène politique mais il occupa un poste important à la police de Toronto pendant 43 ans.

The Grange was built about 1817 for D'Arcy Boulton Jr. At one time the town of York (now Toronto) was surrounded by residential estates belonging to prominent citizens and The Grange is one of the few to survive. Its symmetrical five-bay facade and central pediment reflect the conservative influence of the British classical tradition of the 18th century. The west wing represents two later additions. Given to the Art Museum of Toronto in 1911, The Grange is now owned by the Art Gallery of Ontario and is restored to the 1835-1840 period.

The Grange fut construite vers 1817 pour D'Arcy Boulton Jr. Cette demeure est l'une des rares illustrations qui restent des magnifiques domaines que possédalent alors les citoyens les plus influents de York (Toronto). Le classicisme cher aux architectes britanniques du XVIIIe siècle se manifeste dans l'harmonie de la façade, percée de cinq baies, et dans le fronton central. L'aile ouest est de construction plus récente. Versé au Art Museum of Toronto en 1911, l'édifice, restauré selon l'aspect qu'll présentait entre 1835 et 1840, appartient au Art Gallery of Ontario.

Born and educated in England, Goldwin Smith taught history at Oxford and Cornell before moving to Toronto in 1871. He married Harriette Boulton in 1875, widow of William Henry Boulton of The Grange. From The Grange, Smith wrote in a controversial, compelling style for periodicals such as the Canadian Monthly, the Week and his own Bystander. Initially a proponent of Canadian nationalism, he later became, contrary to growing imperial sentiment, a strong advocate of commerical union with the United States. This view in 1891 inspired his best-known book, Canada and the Canadian Question.

Né en Angleterre, Goldwin Smith y fit ses études puls il enseigna l'histoire à Oxford et à Cornell. En 1871, il vint à Toronto. En 1875, il épousa Harriette Boulton; au manoir que celle-ci reçut en legs de son mari, The Grange, il écrivit des articles à controverse et fort suivis pour divers périodiques dont le Canadian Monthly, le Week et pour son propre Bystander. D'abord partisan du nationalisme canadien, il devint ensuite, malgré l'impérialisme grandissant, un défenseur de l'union commerciale avec les États-Unis. Cette option lui inspira en 1891 son livre le plus connu, Canada and the Canadian Question.

Chartered in 1821, the Bank of Upper Canada was, until its demise in 1866, one of British North America's leading banks. It played a significant role in the development of Upper Canada -- supplying currency, protecting savings and making loans -- and aided Toronto's rise as the commercial centre of the colony. This building, opened in 1827, was the second home of the bank. Its design reflects the image of conservative opulence favoured by financial institutions of the time. The portico, designed by John G. Howard, a leading architect of the period, was added about 1844.

L'ÉDIFICE DE LA BANQUE
DU HAUT-CANADA

Fondée en 1821, la Banque du Haut-Canada compta jusqu'à sa fermeture en 1866 parmi les banques les plus prospères de l'Amérique du Nord britannique. Elle contribua de façon notable au développement du Haut-Canada (émission de monnale, protection de l'épargne, prêts) et contribua à faire de Toronto le centre commercial de la colonie. Cet édifice, ouvert au public en 1827, est le deuxième qu'occupa la Banque. Le style du bâtiment témoigne du luxe traditionnel des établissements financiers d'alors. Le portique, ajouté à l'édifice vers 1844, fut conçu par John G. Howard, architecte renommé de l'époque.

Originally all post offices in Upper Canada were owned by the postmasters in charge, who were imperial appointments. This building was constructed for postmaster James Scott Howard during 1833-1835 and functioned as the town's post office until Howard's dismissal in 1837. A typical example of a small public building of the time, combining public offices with a private residence, it survives as a rare example of an early Canadian post office. In 1876, it was incorporated into the present block of buildings. The mansard roof is a later addition.

LE BUREAU DE POSTE DE YORK

Dans les premiers temps de la colonie, chaque bureau de poste appartenait au maître de poste, dont la nomination était politique. Ce bâtiment, construit en 1833-1835 pour le maître de poste James Scott Howard, servit de bureau de poste et de bureau des douanes de Toronto jusqu'au départ de Howard en 1837. Rare témoin des premiers bureaux de poste canadiens, il est caractéristique des petits bâtiments publics de l'époque, qui abritaient bureaux publics et résidence privée sous un même toit. En 1876, on incorpora la construction à ce groupe de bâtiments en rangée. Plus tard, on ajouta le toit en mansarde.

Named after the province's first chief justice, Osgoode Hall was begun as the headquarters of the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1829. The east wing was built by 1832, with the centre and west wing being added between 1844 and 1846. The centre section was reconstructed in grand style from designs by the prominent Toronto architectural firm of Cumberland and Storm between 1856 and 1859. This edifice ranks among Canada's architectural and historical treasures. Osgoode Hall continues to house the Law Society, and has since 1846 been the seat of provincial superior courts.

Cet édifice, nommé en l'honneur du premier juge en chef de l'Ontario, fut mis en chantier en 1829 pour abriter le siège social de la Law Society of Upper Canada. L'aile droite date de 1832 et le reste du bâtiment a été ajouté plus tard, en 1844 - 1846. La magnifique partie centrale a été conçue par le groupe d'architectes prestigieux Cumberland and Storm et érigée entre 1856 et 1859. Par son architecture et son histoire, Osgoode Hall figure parmi les richesses du Canada. Depuis 1846, l'édifice abrite, outre l'association du barreau, des cours provinciales.

Since its opening in 1894, Massey Hall has served as one of Canada's most important cultural institutions. A gift to Toronto from wealthy industrialist Hart Massey, it provided the city with professional concert facilities. Its presence gave a new impetus to the city's budding music community which led to the founding of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Although criticized for its plain exterior, the concert hall has earned widespread renown for its outstanding acoustics. Over the years it has attracted orchestras, soloists and speakers from around the world.

Offert à Toronto par le riche industriel Hart Massey et inauguré en 1894, Massey Hall devint une salle de concert importante pour musiciens professionnels. La présence stimula la vie musicale dans la ville et amena la fondation de l'orchestre symphonique et du choeur Mendelssohn de Toronto. L'extérieur de Massey Hall est modesté, c'est son acoustique qui lui a valu sa grande renommée. Au fil des ans, elle a attiré des orchestres, des solistes et des conférenciers du monde entier, devenant ainsi l'un des établissements culturels les plus renommés du Canada.

Born near Cobourg, Hart Massey took over his father's farm implement manufacturing business in 1856. He soon made it the most dynamic firm in its field, a leader in the transformation of Canadian agriculture. After the company's move from Newcastle to Toronto in 1879 and its 1891 merger with rival firms, he became the head of the largest farm machinery business in the British Empire, the Massey-Harris Company. A great philanthropist, Massey supported many religious, charitable and educational institutions. His legacy includes Massey Music Hall and the Fred Victor Mission.

Hart Massey naquit près de Cobourg. Il prit en charge l'entreprise familiale en 1856, et il en fit bientôt la firme d'outillage agricole la plus dynamique et la plus influente dans la transformation de l'agriculture canadienne. En 1879, la compagnie déménagea de Newcastle à Toronto, puis absorba des firmes rivales en 1891. Dès lors, Massey dirigea la plus grande manufacture de machinerie agricole dans l'Empire britannique, la Massey-Harris Company. Grand philanthrope, il a soutenu de multiples institutions religieuses, charitables et educatives. En témoignent le Massey Music Hall et la Fred Victor Mission.

The IODE, a Canadian womem's volunteer organization, was founded by Margaret Polson Murray in 1900, during the Boer War, in order to encourage public service, patriotism and loyalty to the Crown. Throughout the two world wars members raised considerable funds for medical and personal supplies for military personnel. Between and after the wars they directed much of their attention to the care of veterans and their families. Once a symbol of imperial unity, today the IODE is a national service organization which maintains projects in the areas of education, social service and citizenship.

Cet organisme bénévole composé de femmes canadiennes fut fondé par Margaret Polson Murray en 1900, pendant la guerre des Boers, afin de promouvoir le service à la population, le patriotisme et la loyauté à la Couronne. Lors des deux guerres mondiales, I'IODE rassembla des fons considérables afin de répondre aux besoins matériels et médicaux des troupes. Par la suite, l'organisme se préoccupa du bien-être des vétérans et de leurs familles. Jadis symbole de l'unité impériale, I'IODE est aujourd'hui un organisme national, dont les objectifs englobent l'éducation, le bien-être social et la citoyenneté.

Davidson Black was born and educated in Toronto. He had begun a career in medicine when Sir Grafton Elliot Smith interested him in the problem of fossil man. After World War I, Black accepted a post at the Pekin Union Medical College, considering China to be a likely field for his studies. There, in 1927, on the basis of a fossil tooth found at Chou Kou Tien, he identified a new genus and species hominid, Sinanthropus pekinensis. This discovery of "Peking man" was subsequently confirmed by the excavations of W.C. Pei and a team Chinese and European scientists working with Black. He died in China.

Né et éduqué à Toronto, Davidson Black avait embrassé la carière médicale quand sir Grafton Elliot Smith éveilla sa curiosité pour les fossiles humains. Après la Première guerre mondiale, il accepta un poste au Pekin Union Medical College, considérant la Chine comme un champ de recherche idéal. En 1927, à partir d'une dent fossilisée trouvée à Chou Kou Tien, il identifia une nouvelle espèce d'hominidé, le Sinanthropus pekinensis. Cette découverte fut subséquemment confirmée par les fouilles de W.C. Pei et d'une équipe de savants chinois et européens, qui travaillaient avec lui. Black mourut en Chine.

Father of Confederation
Père de la Confédération

Sir William Pearce Howland 1811 - 1907

Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada

Father of Confederation
Père de la Confédération

George Brown 1818 - 1880

Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada

Father of Confederation
Père de la Confédération

James Cockburn 1819 - 1883

Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada

Father of Confederation
Père de la Confédération

Sir Oliver Mowat 1820 - 1903

Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada

American born Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), internationally renowned author, lived in this apartment building, 1597 - 1599 Bathurst Street, in 1923 - 24, while working as a journalist for the Toronto Star. While here he became friends with novelist Morley Callaghan and writer/broadcaster Gordon Sinclair. He returned to Paris, France, where he began his career as a novelist, producing such masterpieces as "The Sun Also Rises", "A Farewell To Arms" & "For Whom The Bell Tolls".

Knighted in 1935 for services to music in Canada, Ernest MacMillan was a familiar figure to adults and school children alike. A composer and organist, he was for many years conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, principal of the Toronto Conservatory of Music and dean of the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto. MacMillan worked tirelessly to promote music and musicians at all levels. He supported new national music organizations, published widely, conducted local orchestras and choirs and adjudicated at music festivals in cities and towns across the country.

Créé chevalier en 1935 pour son apport exceptionnel à la musique au Canada, MacMillan fut un personnage fort connu au pays. Lié de près à Toronto, il y dirigea l'Orchestre symphonique et la Chorale Mendelssohn pendant plusieurs années; il y fut aussi directeur du Conservatoire de musique et doyen de la Faculté de musique de l'Université. Compositeur, organiste, ardent promoteur de la musique et des musiciens à tous les niveaux, il appuya les organismes musicaux naissants, publia plusieurs ouvrages, dirigea nombre de chorales et d'orchestres et fut juge à des festivals dans diverses villes du pays.

Built between 1889 and 1899, this impressive Richardsonian Romanesque structure by local architect E.J. Lennox was the solution to the need of both the city of Toronto and York County for new quarters. Its superb downtown site, richly carved sandstone surfaces, and variety in colour and texture combine in a clear expression of the region's late 19th century self-confidence. "Great buildings", stated Mayor John Shaw at its opening, "symbolize a people's deeds and aspirations". This structure is among Canada's most important examples of monumentally scaled city halls.

Ancien Hôtel de Ville
Palais de Justice du comté de York

Construit entre 1889 et 1899 selon les plans de l'architecte E.J. Lennox cet édifice néo-roman d'inspiration richardsonienne a servi d'hôtel de ville à Toronto et de palais de justice au comté de York. Il figure parmi les principaux exemples d'hôtels de ville monumentaux à la fin du XIXe siècle. Ses façades de grès richement ornées, la variété des couleurs et des textures, la beauté de l'emplacement expriment la confiance qui régnait dans la région au moment de la mise en chantier du bâtiment. À l'inauguration, le maire John Shaw proclama que les grands édifices symbolisent les réalisations et les aspirations d'un peuple.

The "Beaver" was developed in 1946 at Downsview under P.C. Garratt of DeHavilland Canada for flying in the Canadian north. The single engine, high wing monoplane, built for bush work, achieved world-wide civil and military sales. Use in some 60 countries from the Arctic to the Antarctic, it served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. It was noted for its simplicity, ruggedness and short take-off and landing ability. Over half of the 1,692 produced from 1947 to 1968 were sold to the U.S. armed forces. Designed and built without government aid, the "Beaver" was an ideal workhorse of the air.

Le Beaver fut conçu à Downsview en 1946, sous la direction de P.C. Garratt de la compagnie DeHavilland Canada. Construit pour le Nord canadien, ce monoplan à aile haute eut une carrière civile et militaire mondiale. Il fut utilisé dans quelques 60 pays et servit dans les guerres de Corée et du Vietnam. On aimait sa simplicité, sa résistance et sa capacité de décoller et d'atterrir sur de courtes distances. Les militaires américains achetèrent plus de la moitié des 1,692 avions fabriqués de 1947 à 1968. Conçu et réalisé sans aide gouvernementale, le Beaver fut un excellent avion polyvalent.

The son of Loyalists, pupil and protégé of John Strachan, John Beverley Robinson was the embodiment of the values of the early Upper Canadian tories known as the Family Compact. For almost half a century he played a leading role in the public life of the province as Solicitor General,Attorney General, member of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative and Executive Councils and, from 1829-1862, as chief Justice. A defender of British institutions, of the rights of rank and property and of an established church, he was also an early proponent of British North American union. He was made a baronet in 1854.

SIR JOHN BEVERLEY ROBINSON, BARONNET (1791-1863)

Fils de Loyalistes, éléve et protégé de John Strachan, Robinson personnifia les valeurs prônées par les Tories du Haut-Canada, connus sous le nom de Family Compact. Pendant plus de 50 ans, il joua un rôle de premier plan sur la scéne publique provinciale, ayant été adjoint puis procureur général, député A l'Assemblée 1égislative, membre des conseils législatif et exécutif, et juge en chef de 1829-1862. Défenseur des institutions britanniques-- hiérarchie,droit A la propriété et tglise établie--, il préconisa trés tét l'union des colonies de l'Amérique du Nord britannique. Il fut créé baronnet en 1854.

Built in 1851-1853 for the Province of Canada, the Seventh Post Office was designed by Toronto architects Frederic Cumberland and Thomas Ridout. The building, in the then popular Neo-classical style, resembles a Greek temple. The elegant symmetry of the Ionic columns, corner piers and the entablature topped with the Royal Arms of England demonstrates an ease with classical forms. The building served as a post office till 1873, and housed government offices until 1937. It was then sold to the Bank of Canada and later purchased and refurbished by Argus Corporation Limited.

Ce bureau de poste a été construit en 1851 - 1853 pour la province du Canada, d'après les plans de Frederic Cumberland et Thomas Ridout de Toronto. Conçu dans le style néo-classique populaire à partir des années 1820, l'édifice ressemble à un temple grec. L'élégante symétrie des colonnes ioniques et des piliers ainsi que son entablement couronné des armes royales montrent les tendances classiques des architectes. L'édifice servit de bureau de poste jusqu'en 1873 et abrita des bureaux de gouvernement jusqu'en 1937. Il fut alors vendu à la Banque du Canada, puis acheté et restauré par Angus Corporation Limited.

In its vigorous, harmonious composition, this small funeral chapel is a splendid example of High Victorian Gothic design. Its sense of strength and spirituality is derived from the subtle contrast of its stone walls, enveloping roofs, and soaring spire. The chapel was erected in 1860 to plans by Cumberland and Storm, one of Toronto's leading 19th-century architectural firms. Situated on a slight rise, St. James is enhanced by the picturesque seting of its cemetery, which was opened in 1844 and is the oldest established cemetery in the city.

LA CHAPELLE
DE ST. JAMES-THE-LESS

D'une composition vigoureuse et harmonieuse, cette petite chapelle funéraire offre un magnifique exemple du style néo-gothique de l'apogée victorien. La force et la spiritualité qui s'en dégagent tiennent au contraste subtil de ses murs de pierre, de ses toits enveloppants et de son haut clocher. Elle a été construite en 1860 d'après des plans de Cumberland and Storm, une des principales firmes d'architectes de Toronto au XIXe siècle. Située sur un petit promontoire, elle est mise en valeur par le cadre pittoresque de son cimetière, le plus vieux de la ville, ouvert en 1844.

The "Mac-Paps" were a unit of the International Brigades, a volunteer force recruited world-wide to oppose the fascist forces bent on overthrowing the government of Spain. Formed in Spain in 1937, the battalion was named for the leaders of the 1837 rebellion in Upper and Lower Canada. Despite their government's opposition, more than 1,500 Canadians volunteered to fight with the Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War. They fought courageously for their ideals, suffering heavy losses in major battles. About half survived to return home in 1939.

Le "Mac-Pap" était une unité des Brigades internationales, formations de volontaires du monde entier recrutés pour combattre les forces fascistes qui cherchaient à renverser le gouvernement espagnol. Il fut constitué en Espagne en 1937 et on lui donna le nom des chefs des rébellions de 1837 au Haut et au Bas-Canada. Plus de 1500 Canadiens s'y joignirent, malgré l'opposition de leur gouvernement. Ils luttèrent courageusement pour leurs idéaux aux côtés des républicains et subirent de lourdes pertes lors de batailles importantes. Environ la moitié survécurent et revinrent au Canada in 1939.

In its rich Edwardian Baroque details, classical composition, steel frame and fireproofed surfaces, the Birkbeck Building represents a transitional period of urban commercial design which combined historical style with modern technology. Built in 1908 for the Canadian Birkbeck Investment and Savings Company, this four-storey office building is typical of many small financial institutions prevalent in central business districts of Canadian cities before Worl War I. Designed by George W. Gouinlock, the Birkbeck Building was restored by the Ontario Heritage Foundation in 1987.

L'ÉDIFICE BIRKBECK

Avec ses riches détails baroques de l'époque édouardian, sa composition classique, sa charpente d'acier et ses surfaces ignifugées, cet édifice à bureaux de quatre étages est représentatif d'une période de transition où la conception des immeubles commerciaux alliait style historique et techniques modernes. Construit en 1908 d'après les plans de George W. Gouinlock, il offre un exemple typique des nombreux petits établissements financiers que l'on trouvait dans les quartiers d'affaires des villes canadiennes avant la Première Guerre mondiale. ll a été restauré par la Fondation du patrimoine ontarien en 1987.

This building is one of the few surviving air terminal buildings dating from the formative years of scheduled air passenger travel. It was constructed in 1938-39 by the Toronto Harbour Commissioners to service the new Port George VI Airport, now known as the Toronto Island Airport. Geared to efficiency, it centralized passenger, baggage, and air traffic control services in a structure which was placed close to and in full view of the runway. Its horizontal massing, central projecting control tower and attractively landscaped setting are typical of air terminal buildings before the advent of jet aircraft.

Cet édifice est l'une des rares aérogares remontant au début du transport aérien régulier de passagers. Il fut construit en 1938-1939 par la Commission du havre de Toronto pour desservir l'aéroport de Toronto Island, créé sous le nom de Port George Vl. Son plan, axé sur l'efficacité, centralisait les services des passagers, des bagages et du contrôle de la circulation aérienne à proximité de la piste. L'accent horizontal de sa composition, la projection de sa tour de contrôle au-dessus de l'aire centrale et son attrayant aménagement extérieur sont typiques des aérogares bâties avant l'apparition des avions à réaction.

Fort York constituted the primary defensive position in early York (Toronto). The present buildings, erected between 1813 and 1815 to replace those destroyed during the American occupations of York in 1813, are among the oldest in Toronto and are important survivng examples of British military architecture. At the turn of the 20th century, the fort was threatened with demolition. The fight to save it led to one of the first victories of the Canadian heritage movement. The fort was bought by the city in 1909 and restored between 1932 and 1934 as part of Toronto's centennial celebration.

Le fort York constituait le principal ouvrage défensif de la ville de York (Toronto) à ses débuts. Les bâtiments actuels, construits entre 1813 et 1815 pour remplacer ceux détruits lors des occupations américaines de 1813, comptent parmi les plus vieux à Toronto et offrent des exemples importants de l'architecture militaire anglaise. En 1909, le mouvement canadien pour la conservation du patrimoine connut l'une de ses premières victoires lorsque le fort, menacé de démolition au début du siècle, fut acheté par la ville. Il fut restauré entre 1932 et 1934 dans le cadre des fêtes du centenaire de Toronto.

Lionel Conacher, the "Big Train", was voted Canada's All-Round Male Athlete of the Half-Century in 1950. He excelled at six professional sports. Particularly gifted in football and lacrosse, he was a key participant in many championships including the 1921 Grey Cup. Between 1925 and 1937 Conacher concentrated on a career in the National Hockey League during which he pioneered many modern defensive techniques and was a member of two different Stanley Cup-winning teams. On his retirement from sports in 1937 Conacher was elected to the Ontario Legislature and in 1949 to the House of Commons.

Lionel Conacher, nommé en 1950 l'athlète masculin canadien du demi-siècle, a excellé dans six sports professionnels, en particulier le football et la crosse. Il a mené ses coéquipiers à de nombreux championnats, dont la coupe Grey, en 1921. De 1925 à 1937, il a évolué dans la Ligue nationale de hockey, où il a lancé nombre de techniques défensives modernes et fait partie de deux clubs qui remportèrent la coupe Stanley. À sa retraite de la vie sportive, en 1937, il fut élu à l'Assemblée législative de l'Ontario et, en 1949, il remporta un siège à la Chambre des communes.

Journalist, essayist, lecturer and academic, B.K. Sandwell is best remembered as the influential editor (1932-1951) of Saturday Night, which he made the voice of English Canadian liberalism. B.K. was a prolific writer, whose ambition was to achieve clear thinking on human problems and who was read widely for his great wit, shrewdness and grace of expression. His views on a wide range of subjects guided the options of an exclusive but important audience. In his ardent defence of civil liberties, he was ahead of his generation.

Journaliste, essayiste, conférencier et universitaire, B.K. Sandwell est surtout reconnu comme le directeur influent (1932-1951) du Saturday Night, dont il fit le porteparole du libéralisme canadien-anglais. Auteur prolifique, il fut beaucoup lu tant pour son esprit es sa finesse que pour l'élégance de son style. Son but était d'acquérir une connaissance approfondie des problèmes humains et ses vues sur une foule de sujets ont formé l'opinion d'un auditoire restreint, mais important. Il fut en outre un précurseur dans la défense énergique des libertés civiles.

The British Army began regular meteorological and magnetic observations on this campus in 1840, stimulating colonial society's fascination with science. After the Province of Canada took over the program in 1853, it built a new observatory, which became the headquarters of the Meteorological Service of Canada. Superintendent G.T. Kingston set up a system of stations, many telegraphically linked, which enabled the Service to issue both storm warnings and daily forecasts by 1876. Opened in 1909, this building was the Service's headquarters until its centenary in 1971.

L'armée britannique fit ses premières observations météorologiques et magnétiques ici en 1840, à une époque où les habitants de la colonie étaient fascinés par les sciences. En 1853, le Canada-Uni prit le programme en charge. Il construisit peu après un nouvel observatoire, qui devint le siège du Service météorologique du Canada. Son directeur, G.T. Kingston, mit sur pied un réseau de stations dont beaucoup étaient reliées par télégraphe et qui permirent au Service de diffuser des avis de tempête et des bulletins quotidiens dès 1876. Ce bâtiment, inauguré en 1909, abrita l'administration centrale du Service jusqu'à son centenaire, en 1971.

HMCS Haida is the last of the Tribal Class destroyers which saw heavy action with the Australian, British and Canadian navies during Worl War II. Built for the Royal Canadian Navy at Newcastle, England in 1942, this ship served on the frigid Murmansk run and in clearing the English Channel for the Normandy invasion. She helped sink 14 enemy vessels. Haida was recommissioned in 1952 and served with the United Nations in Korea, taking part in shore bombardment, blockade and attacks on trains. Opened as a museum in 1965, the ship was relocated here in 1971.

Le NCSM Haida est le dernier des destroyers de classe Tribal qui participèrent à des combats importants aux côtés des marines australienne, britannique et canadienne pendant le Seconde Guerre mondiale. Construit pour la marine canadienne à Newcastle (Angleterre), en 1942, il a escorté des convois vers Mourmansk, participé aux préparatifs d'invasion de la Normandie dans la Manche et aidé à couler 14 navires ennemis. Remis en service en 1952, il a pris part à des opérations de tir côtier, de blocus et d'attaques de trains à l'appui des forces des Nations Unies en Corée. Il a été converti en musée en 1965 et est amarré ici depuis 1971.

Designed by New York architect Thomas Lamb for the Loew circuit, this double-decker complex was unique in Canada, and included many features later found in movie palaces. The lower theatre, with "Renaissance" decor, opened in late 1913. It shared its vaudeville and movie shows with the smaller Winter Garden above, which opened in early 1914 and was extraordinarily decorated with real beech leaves and garden murals. The Winter Garden was closed in 1928, and remained essentially untouched for over half a century.

Thomas Lamb, architecte de New-York, conçut ce complexe à deux étages pour la chaîne Loew. Unique en son genre au Canada, il comportait des éléments précurseurs des cinémas-palaces. Le théâtre inférieur, à décor dit Renaissance, ouvrit à la fin de 1913. Il partageait ses séances de cinéma et de vaudeville avec le Winter Garden, situé à l'étage supérieur et de dimensions moindres. Ouvert en 1914, celui-ci était décoré de façon extraordinaire, avec de vraies feuilles de hêtre et des murales représentant des jardins. Il ferma ses portes en 1928, mais il resta essentiellement intact pendant plus de 50 ans.

The seeds of Canada's largest 19th-century distilling firm were sown in 1837 when a still was set up on this site to convert surplus grain from an 1832 grist mill into whiskey. Exploiting new technologies and commercial opportunities, Gooderham and Worts grew steadily, parallelling Toronto's rise as a manufacturing centre. With the large stone distillery erected in 1859-61 and brick malthouse, kilns, warehouses, shops and offices built before 1900, this complex is an outstanding example of Victorian industrial design in terms of integrity, historical associations and aesthetic qualities.

L'origine de la plus grande distillerie canadienne du XIXe siècle remonte à un moulin érigé en 1832 et auquel on ajouta un alambic en 1837. Exploitant des techniques nouvelles et de nouveaux débouchés, Gooderham and Worts connut un rythme constant de croissance, parallèle à celui qui éleva Toronto au rang de centre manufacturier. L'édifice de pierre, érigé en 1859-1861 pour les alambics, et les bâtiments de brique construits avant 1900 pour les malteries, fours, entrepôts, ateliers et bureaux, forment un ensemble industriel victorien remarquable par son intégrité, son esthétique et ses liens avec l'histoire.

Constructed in 1906-1907, this theatre is an intimate but lavish version of the traditional 19th century theatre, with two balconies as well as side boxes. John M. Lyle (1872-1945), one of Canada's most distinguished architects of the 20th century, designed the Royal Alexandra Theatre following the Beaux-Arts style, thus providing an elegant setting for Toronto's sophisticated theatrical and musical events. Since its rescue and rejuvenation by Ed Mirvish in 1963, when it was to be demolished for a parking lot, this theatre again plays a central role in the social and cultural life of the city.

Construit en 1906-1907, ce théâtre, avec ses deux balcons et ses corbeilles, est une verson réduite mais luxueuse des théâtres du XIXe siècle. John M. Lyle (1872-1945), l'un des architectes canadiens les plus renommés du XXe siècle, en a fait les plans d'après le style Beaux-Arts, fournissant ainsi un élégant décor aux activités les plus recherchées de Toronto dans le théâtre et la musique. Préservé et rénové par Ed Mirvish en 1963, alors qu'il devait être démoli pour un parc de stationnement, ce théâtre joue de nouveau son rôle de premier plan dans la vie sociale et culturelle de la ville.

As a composer, organist, choir master and teacher, Healey Willan waged constant war on mediocre church music. In the process he elevated the position of the church organist and set the standard for his profession. Educated in the musical traditions of nineteenth-century England, Willan came to Canada in 1913 to take up a teaching position with the Toronto (now Royal) Conservatory of Music. While serving as organist and choir master here at St. Mary Magdalene (1921-1968), he composed the sacred music for which he is best remembered, and for which he was awarded a Lambeth Doctorate in 1956.

À titre de compositeur, organiste, maître de chapelle et professeur, Healey Willan milita toute sa vie en faveur d'une musique sacrée de qualité. Il fixa ainsi les normes de la profession d'organiste et en rehaussa le statut. Éduqué selon la tradition musicale britannique du XIXe siècle, il arriva au Canada en 1913 et devint professeur de musique au Toronto (Royal) Conservatory of Music. Il fut aussi organiste et maître de chapelle à St. Mary Magdalene de 1921 à 1968. C'est là qu'il composa la musique sacrée qui fit sa réputation et qui lui valut un doctorat Lambeth en 1956.

St. Anne's vibrant wall paintings make this church a place of national historic significance. They were executed in 1923 by ten Toronto artists, including J.E.H. MacDonald, F. Varley and F. Carmichael from the Group of Seven. Their decorative composition inspired by Byzantine art, complements the church's architectural style chosen in 1907 by Canon Lawrence Skey, the rector for more than 30 years. The art reflects the revival of mural decoration in the late 19th century, and is also a manifestation of the Arts and Crafts movement which united painting and Sculpture with architecture.

L'ÉGLISE ST. ANNE

L'église St. Anne s'avère d'importance historique nationale grâce à son admirable ornementation inspirée par l'art religieux byzantin. Celle-ci fut réalisée en 1923 par dix artistes torontois, dont J.E.H. MacDonald, F. Varley et F. Carmichael dy Groupe des Sept, animant le style architectural choisi en 1907 par le chanoine Lawrence Skey, le pasteur pendant plus de trente ans. Elle témoigne du renouveau de l'ornementation amorcé à la fin du XIXe siècle et du mouvement. Arts et métiers qui cherchait à intégrer la peinture et la sculpture à l'architecture.

This magnificent dome represents an extensive legacy of stained glass produced by the McCausland family and their employees for buildings throughout Canada. In business under various company names since 1856, the Toronto-based firm Robert McCausland Limited is credited with the earliest and most numerous examples of Canadian stained glass and the longest record for glasswork in North America. Richly adorned with mythological figures and provincial emblems, the dome was executed in 1885 by Robert McCausland, while working for his father, Joseph, the firm's founder.

LES VITRAUX MCCAUSLAND

Cette magnifique coupole est un exemple remarquable de l'abondante production de vitraux créés partout au Canada par la famille McCausland et ses employés. Établie depuis 1856 sous différentes raisons sociales, l'entreprise torontoise Robert McCausland Limited compte parmi celles qui furent le plus longtemps en activité en Amérique du Nord. On lui attribue aussi les plus anciennes et les plus nombreuses réalisations de vitraux canadiens. Richement ornée de figures mithologiques et d'emblèmes des provinces, cette coupole fut exécutée en 1885 par McCausland, fils de Joseph McCausland, le fondateur de l'entreprise.

Designated as the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre in Women's Health, Women's College Hospital is recognized as a leader in Canada and around the world for its dedication to the health of women and their families. After nearly a century of care and innovation, Women's College Hospital's focus on women's health will become a cornerstone of the newly created