History

PODCAST: Spacing Radio 044, Corona and the distant city

By

In this episode, we try to gain some perspective on the Covid-19 virus from the safety of our own apartments. We talk to Toronto City... Read More

Hey Presto! The strange history and modest potential of the soon-to-be closed TTC subway booths

By

The future arrived in Toronto in 1948, but it was hidden away from view, in a 19th century transit garage on Sherbourne St. Six years... Read More

Beverly Mascoll, a trailblazing Black entrepreneur

By

At this year’s Academy Awards, Hair Love won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. The six-minute film tells the story of an African... Read More

When Poverty Mattered: The 1970 uprising at the Social Planning Council

By

Editor’s note: Excerpted from the book When Poverty Mattered, Then and Now, by Paul Weinberg (Fernwood Publishing, 2019). There... Read More

PODCAST: Spacing Radio 042, The revitalizing power of heritage

By

This episode was a live panel discussion, moderated by our host in London, Ontario. The “Heritage Matters in Conversation”... Read More

A comparative look at Toronto’s CLRVs

By

At the end of December 2019, Toronto’s iconic CLRV streetcars will depart from city streets after more than 40 years serving the city... Read More

Time for public art: the New Toronto Courthouse construction site mural

By

As readers of my column know, I am an avid promoter of site-specific artworks, and I’m not alone. The kinds of conversations we are... Read More

Fascist neighbours: Thanks to Mussolini’s rise, Toronto’s Italian fascists were energetic in asserting their worldview

By

During the 1920s and 1930s, Italian Torontonians witnessed the establishment and expansion of a sizeable fascist element within their... Read More

Women’s urban citizenship: the history of purpose-built apartments for women

By

From turn of the century boarding houses to today’s condo boom, housing has long been both the gateway and the barrier to the city for... Read More