Painting of Fort York, 1804. Library and Archives Canada, C-014905. For nearly 20 years, the settlers around the town of York expected an invasion by the Americans. Yonge Street had been conceived in 1793 as…
1813, The War of 1812
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Avenue Road & Lawrence – Community Consultation Meeting
The Preliminary Staff Report regarding First Capital’s proposal for the development of the northeast corner of Avenue Road and Lawrence was adopted by the North York Community Council at their meeting, September 10, 2020. The…
1811, Hill’s Tavern Reflects an Imbibing Society
Sketch of the Sun Tavern on Yonge Street, circa 1830, typical of an early 19th century tavern. Illustration courtesy of Toronto Public Library Digital Archives. Thomas Hill opened the neighbourhood’s first tavern – near today’s…
Avenue Road & Lawrence – Letter to City Council
Collaborative letter to North York City Council. BACKGROUND The City of Toronto released their Preliminary Report regarding First Capital’s development proposal for Avenue Road and Lawrence. The report can be seen in our previous posting…
Avenue Road & Lawrence – Preliminary Report
Preliminary Report for the development at Avenue Road & Lawrence. BACKGROUND First Capital submitted detailed plans for their proposed development at Avenue Road and Lawrence on June 9, 2020. PRELIMINARY REPORT BPRO has received a copy…
1804, The Area Gets its First Sawmill
York Mills plaque, Sam Heron’s Mill. Source torontoplaques.ca. Hauling lumber, McGlashan Road, Hogg’s Hollow, c 1896. Courtesy Toronto Public Library Digital Archives. As the pioneer farmers continued to push the treeline back from Yonge Street,…
1804, The Neighbourhood 200 Years Ago
Leonard Marsh and Mary Kendrick, Marriage Bonds 1803-1806 (RG 5, B 9, Vol. 13), Public Archives Canada. Attempting to describe what most Bedford Park area properties looked like exactly 200 years ago isn’t too difficult.…
Celebrating 2020 Graduates
Photos by Jess Hungate & John Mills. In the midst of a pandemic, when all schools (and much of everything) was closed, lawn signs popped up all over the neighbourhood marking where graduates lived. BPRO…
1800, Seneca Ketchum, the Neighbourhood’s First Merchant
Illustration of Seneca Ketchum’s younger brother, Jesse Ketchum, 1782 – 1867. Reproduced courtesy of the Toronto Public Library Digital Archives. When Seneca Ketchum arrived in the village of York in 1796, he really wasn’t in…
2019/2020 Volunteers
A great big thank you to everyone who has volunteered with us this 2019/20 year. We had a great group of people who have taken on so many tasks: from way back when at the…