Podcast: Play in new window | Download (10.8MB)
Today we’re hearing stories about Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood and its former stock yards. We’re shining the spotlight on interviews Spacing producer Mieke Anderson recorded for [murmur] when the digital storytelling and place-making project collaborated with the Junction Arts Festival to celebrate the area’s centennial.
In this episode of SUMMER SHORTS we introduce you to James Christie and Ian Wheal. Back in the 1950’s, James Christie was just a boy. He grew up around the corner from the abattoir, often helping out at his family’s restaurant that catered to slaughterhouse employees. Meanwhile, Ian Wheal worked at the stock yards in the 1960s as a young man and remembers his shifts vividly.
Note: This SUMMER SHORTS episode brings us to the end of our summer series. Full-length programs of Spacing Radio will return in the fall with the launch of Season 4. Stay tuned!
Links to stuff from Spacing Radio’s Summer Shorts 019:
- About [murmur] and their Junction project
- West Toronto Junction Historical Society website
- Background on the Junction stock yards and the connection to the railway
3 comments
Ian Wheal’s name is misspelled.
Our apologies!
The transformation of the Stockyards is a dismal failure of preservation. There was a good collection of brick midrise buildings and railway buildings which were all demolished. Almost nothing remains from this once vibrant industrial area.
But if the big box stores can be redeveloped, a great pedestrian-friendly could emerge.