Chapman and Oxley – Toronto’s Forgotten Architects
Toronto architect Alfred H. Chapman and engineer James Morrow Oxley formed a partnership in 1919 and in the next twenty years went on to design and build some of Toronto’s most iconic buildings. Yet today they are virtually unknown. We will look at the career of these artistic overachievers through vintage pictures of their many buildings. As we stroll down the streets of yesterday’s Toronto, we will be sure to encounter plenty of pleasant memories of Sunnyside, and the CNE, among many other interesting places.

The Boyd Gang – Toronto’s Notorious Bank Robbers
Edwin Alonzo Boyd, born and raised in Toronto, had a problem with authority. The son of a policeman, he gave up a job driving a TTC streetcar to rob banks in the early 1950s. Caught and sent to the Don Jail, he escaped with a pair of robbers and his gang became the scourge of Canada. They pulled off Toronto’s largest bank robbery and lived a wild life on the run. Caught a second time, they escaped from the Don Jail again before they were finally brought to justice.

Hurricane Hazel
October 15, 1954 was the day that Toronto faced its greatest natural disaster, a massive hurricane that caused severe flooding and killed 81 people in Southern Ontario. We will look at how a hurricane forms, what Toronto was like in 1954 and then recall tales of tragedy, heroism and survival on a day that many people are still be able to vividly recall today. We’ll also look at the strong measures that have been taken since Hurricane Hazel to prevent a recurrence of the disaster.

The Mighty Humber
This is a tour (via vintage photographs) circling the Humber River between Dundas Street and Bloor. We will be visiting four mills, Toronto’s first shipyard, a Seneca village and some colourful taverns among other sites. We’ll talk about the millers’ two great enemies, fire and flood, as well as the massive destruction on the river caused by Hurricane Hazel in 1954. We’ll also visit the exclusive Kingsway and Baby Point neighbourhoods.

Sir Henry Pellatt – The Man Who Built and Lost Casa Loma
Sir Henry Pellatt (1859-1939) was a Toronto financier and soldier who became fabulously wealthy. He built Canada’s largest private home, which he called Casa Loma. At the height of his fame, he took a 640-man regiment to England for three months of training completely at his own expense. But as quickly as he rose, his empire came tumbling down and Sir Henry died a pauper in a rented room at the Mimico home of his former chauffeur. This is a story of old Toronto told with vintage photographs and some stunning colour pictures of the present-day castle.

The West Coast of Ireland
Ireland is the Emerald Isle and no place in Ireland is more beautiful and unspoiled than the West Coast. We’ll briefly look at the history and geography of this famous land before talking an adventurous drive to see ancient castles, modern towns and the highest cliffs in Europe as well as miles and miles of spectacular scenery.

Three Soldiers From Islington and the Origins of Remembrance Day
This is the story three men with strong ties to the village of Islington who went to war. The Rev. R.W.E. Greene fought in the 1866 Fenian invasion and was later immortalized by humourist Stephen Leacock. Col. J.E.L. Streight fought the Boers, witnessed the first German poison gas attack in World War 1 and eventually became a Member of Parliament. Major Stewart B. East was with the 48th Highlanders in Italy and became the most decorated Canadian padre in World War 2. All three men went on to become pillars of the Islington community.

The Secret History of Santa Claus
St. Nicholas was a real-life Greek bishop who lived on the coast of Turkey in the Second Century AD. How did he develop into the “Jolly Old Elf” who flies around the world on Christmas Eve, in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, delivering gifts to deserving children? We’ll look at Father Christmas, pagan customs that became Christian and the modern commercialization of our folk traditions in this absorbing presentation.

Christmas and New Year Traditions
How did our earliest Canadian pioneer families celebrate Christmas? How did the tradition of the Christmas tree come to Canada? What was the significance to our Scottish settlers of their first visitor of the New Year? And where did Santa Claus originally come from anyway? These questions and many others will be answered as we explore the rich history of our Canadian Christmas and New Year Traditions. We actually draw them from many cultures and some of the connections we will make might surprise you!