Arts & Culture

We celebrate Victoria Day on May 24 to honour the birth of Queen Victoria in 1819. She reigned for much of the 19th century over Great Britain and the British Empire, including Canada. Her long reign and the strong connection to the monarchy ensured Victoria Day was a major event in Toronto as can be seen by the vintage photographs and items below (all from the Library's Digital Archive). 

Queen's Birthday 1859 paper ticket "Good For One Loaf" Toronto. This is a very small 4.7 cm x 5.8 cm rare paper ephemera (raffle ticket size)

1854 lithograph of Government House & Grounds Toronto C.W. (Canada West) on the Queen's Birthday.

Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901. Her 50th anniversary in 1887 and her 60th anniversary in 1897 were major events across Canada and the British Empire.

Jubilee Service 1887 Metropolitan Methodist (United) Church Queen Street East

Decorations For Diamond Jubilee Queen Victoria, 1897, Toronto, King St. West looking east from west of Jordan St.

Toronto 1897 Queen Victoria  Decorations For Diamond Jubilee, King St. East looking east from Yonge Street.

Queen Victoria statue, east of entrance to Parliament Buildings, Queen's Park Toronto, decorated in 1913 for Empire Day.

1910 postcard of Queen Victoria Monument, Queen's Park, Toronto. According to the Yale Center for British Art this statue by Mario Raggi was installed September 1902 and unveiled May 27, 1903.  It was commissioned in 1870, paid for and installed after the queen’s death.

Toronto, Queen Victoria Day parade, 1923, looking east across University Ave from north of Elm Street (beside McCaul School).

The original military and imperialist colonial aspect of Victoria's reign was still an element even after her death in 1901.

Soldiers of Toronto Regiments Marching Down University Avenue, 1923 to celebrate Queen Victoria Day

Queen Victoria statue, east of entrance to Parliament Buildings Queen's Park, Toronto, looking east. Photograph circa 1910 hand coloured.

So we still celebrate Victoria Day – although the royal roots  are getting lost in time as we get further away from the Victorian era. And our connection to her weakens as our country and population shifts away from its British roots. Our biggest current memory is now most likely fireworks on a large scale.

 Fireworks light up the sky above Ontario Place, Toronto, 1987 in one of several spectacular Victoria Day shows in and around Metro. Toronto Star Archives.

And fireworks on a local more intimate scale.

1972 Holiday fireworks. The traditional Victoria day fireworks drew an estimated 6;000 persons to Alloa Public School in Bramalea last night where the show was staged by the Chinguacousy volunteer firemen. Money was raised by a door-to-door collection. Toronto Star Archives.