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Dispatching the Police Radio
Inspector Charles Greenwood on motorcycle, circa 1932. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 1009. Imagine a Toronto City Council that almost turns down a request for additional funding from the...
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Vintage Toronto Ads: A Cake Safe for Mrs. Moody’s Pie
Sources: (left) the Globe, June 23, 1932, (right) the Globe, November 28, 1932. During a scorcher of a summer like the current one, the kitchen stove may be one of the last places you want to hang...
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Lying in State at Old City Hall
Before Jack Layton, the public mourned two former mayors at our main municipal building."Some of the thousands of citizens who passed through City Hall today to pay their final respects to Mayor Sam...
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Historicist: Extending Church Street
How a traffic-relief plan for a growing city became reality.Source: the Mail and Empire, July 17, 1931. As Toronto grew in the 1920s and its population pushed northward, traffic pressures on the few...
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Historicist: A New Home for Coaches
As the Toronto Coach Terminal approaches its 80th anniversary, a look back at its beginning.Acting Premier, Attorney-General W.H. Price, severing silk tape that officially dispatched the first coach...
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A Gardens Gallery
Shoppers join sermons, Shakespeare, singers, and skaters as part of the eclectic history of Maple Leaf Gardens.Sketch of Maple Leaf Gardens as it was first unveiled in the press. The Telegram, March 5,...
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Historical Holiday Hints: Carving a Turkey
Looking to the past for tips on how to slice a holiday bird.Source: the Telegram, December 19, 1931. With the holiday season upon us, local media is full of advice on how to celebrate. From picking the...
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Linc at Home in Toronto
Pioneering public servant Lincoln Alexander, who died yesterday at 90, had his roots in east end Toronto. From an early age, Lincoln Alexander stood up for himself. Growing up in the east end of...
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Toronto Invents: Table Hockey
How a homemade Great Depression Christmas gift turned into an iconic Canadian game.We look at concepts and products that, for better and worse, were developed in Toronto. Diagram of the original table...
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Toronto Invents: The Whoopee Cushion
A west-end rubber factory devised a classic practical joke.We look at concepts and products that, for better and worse, were developed in Toronto. Photo by Stephen Depolo, from Flickr. You’re sitting...
View ArticleOntario Bike Summit Aims to Change the Conversation on Cycling
Bike Summit organizers say that drivers and cyclists are often the same people.Eleanor McMahon thinks it’s time to change the conversation around cycling in Ontario. McMahon is the founder of the Share...
View ArticleKAMP: Horrors at the Hands of Humans
Three puppet masters portray a day in the life of Auschwitz through a detailed miniature construction of the grounds and thousands of tiny handmade puppets.When telling the story of the Holocaust, one...
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Vintage Toronto Ads: Furs on the Cheap
Source: the Telegram, January 9, 1930. Though you are under no obligation to buy, you can’t help but notice the hovering salesman as you wistfully glance at coats you can barely afford. Like...
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Historicist: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Casa Loma?
Every weekend, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Casa Loma, southern exposure with garden in foreground....
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The Toronto Festival of Clowns Is Definitely Not for Kids
If you thought birthday-party clowns were terrifying, just wait until you see what this year's Toronto Festival of Clowns has to offer.Over the next few days, don’t be surprised if you see a lot of red...
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Vintage Toronto Ads: Furs on the Cheap
Source: the Telegram, January 9, 1930. Though you are under no obligation to buy, you can’t help but notice the hovering salesman as you wistfully glance at coats you can barely afford. Like...
View ArticleA New Film Festival Wants Your Homemade Instructional Movies
If you've always wanted to make a film about safe sex or construction safety, Trash Palace has a festival for you.Trash Palace is a back-alley basement space that screens everything from horror...
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An Interview With Carmen Choreographer Davide Bombana
A new, full-length ballet version of the classic opera debuts at the Four Seasons Centre in June. Even if you aren’t familiar with the opera Carmen, chances are you’re familiar with at least some of...
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Vintage Toronto Ads: Furs on the Cheap
Source: the Telegram, January 9, 1930. Though you are under no obligation to buy, you can’t help but notice the hovering salesman as you wistfully glance at coats you can barely afford. Like...
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Historicist: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Casa Loma?
Every weekend, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Casa Loma, southern exposure with garden in foreground....
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