History
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The cold war siren system Toronto never used
At Dundas West and Shaw, near Trinity-Bellwoods Park, there’s a conspicuous piece of Canada’s Cold War history. On top of a 15-metre pole sits...
By Chris Bateman -
The killing of Aune Newell
She was found beneath a coat hidden under dogwood and sweet clover. Toronto parks department employee Harry Lemon saw her shoe first, carelessly discarded...
By Chris Bateman -
Bautista’s bat flip and the making of history in Toronto
The very first legendary home run ever hit in Toronto was hit in 1887. More than a century before Joe Carter’s famous World Series walk-off at the...
By Adam Bunch -
5 subtle signs of lost rivers in Toronto
Like many North American cities, the street grid in downtown Toronto is (for the most part) rigidly geometric. Where there’s an unexpected deviation...
By Chris Bateman -
The tragic tale of Toronto’s first big baseball star
The bases were loaded. It was the bottom of the eight. This was it: first place was on the line. Toronto and Newark headed into that Saturday afternoon...
By Adam Bunch -
Magna Carta special: Fall 2015 Edition of Fort York’s newsletter Fife & Drum
The fall edition of the Friends of Fort York’s quarterly newsletter, Fife and Drum was released last week and is a special one as the Magna Carta exhibit...
By Shawn Micallef -
How the Eaton Centre nearly wrecked Old City Hall
Ever since Toronto city council moved over the street in 1965, Toronto hasn’t quite known what to do with Old City Hall. The exquisite heritage...
By Chris Bateman -
What Amsterdam taught a Torontonian about urbanism
Tulips, windmills, and all those salacious, smoke-filled thoughts aside, Amsterdam is internationally regarded as a haven for urbanism and as a hub for...
By Katerina Ryabets -
Joe Carter’s World Series-winning dream
The Blue Jays had won the World Series. For the first time in history, Major League Baseball’s championship banner was flying north of the border...
By Adam Bunch -
The mysterious case of the grave of Stella Vanzant
When little Stella Vanzant died of causes unknown some time in the early 1800s, her bereaved father interred the girl’s young body in a six by...
By Chris Bateman -
That time Toronto City Hall starred in Star Trek
EDITOR’S NOTE: This articles was originally posted in October 2013; it’s being re-posted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of New City Hall...
By Adam Bunch -
What Philadelphia can teach Toronto about art, history, and public spaces
Among North American cities, few can boast the depth of history that’s on offer in Philadelphia. The compact downtown, plotted out by William Penn in the...
By John Lorinc