On July 1st, Canada celebrates another glorious year with a mid-summer statutory holiday. Canada as a country 'officially began' back on Monday, July 1, 1867 with the enactment of the Constitution Act. People have been celebrating this day each year and called it Dominion Day for 115 years until 1982. 1889 Queen's Park Dominion Day Celebration […]
Obsolete: manual typewriter in a discarded pile in the Toronto Star's newsroom (1988) On April 25, 2011 news broke that the last typewriter manufacturer had closed their doors. For many, this story stirred outrage. National Public Radio (NPR) published a skeptical response to the news. Minyanville's article, "Contrary to Reports, Typewriter Industry 'Far From Dead'", reported that prisons were […]
Royal Tour – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (Canada, May 1939). Three months before Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth arrived by ocean liner, The RMS Empress of Australia, to Canada. At Windsor Castle, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose remained behind. Both Princess Elizabeth (later crowned Queen […]
Clogged 1978 Blizzard in Southern Ontario This April arrives not bearing flowers, showers or any indication of warming powers. Blowing winds and snow dance across the sky and tingle our eyes. If this is a dour warning of more coldness to come, we are assured that as Ontarians we have the fortitude and resilience to […]
Niagara Falls (1792-1885)
Niagara Falls has been visited and depicted by many people and from many different artistic perspectives. The changes in the landscape over time are preserved digitally courtesy of Toronto Public Library Digital Archives.
Just over two weeks ago, Daylight Savings Time reverted back to Eastern Standard time. It is that time of year again when the skies turn grey and cool. In fact, there is a chill and gloom in the air as most of the leaves have fallen off the trees.
To inspire you to embrace the cooler changes in weather and scenery, here are some images taken from Toronto Public Library on Pinterest to illuminate your spirits:
ANNIE EDSON TAYLOR (1838-1921)
Over a century ago today on October 24, 1901, a 63 year old teacher climbed into a wooden rowboat accompanied by two men with a half submerged pickle barrel in tow. Annie Edson Taylor decided that in order to procure more funds to ensure a healthy retirement, she had to perform an amazing act to draw attention to herself. The pickle barrel was fully insulated by a rolled-up mattress, a heart-shaped pillow, and possibly her cat for moral support.
Henry Hudson traveled on four voyages on three different ships to try to locate a trade route through the Northeast and Northwest Passage to the Orient, but he never made it to this final destination. Instead, Henry Hudson located trade routes through Canada and the United States. On his third voyage on September 12th in 1609, he sailed down a river that will be named after him, the Hudson River.
August 1, 2016 is a great day to relax and spend away from the office to bask in the sun before the colder temperatures return. In contrast to this fine day of comfort, warmth, and leisure, on August 1, 1914, a different scenario occurred–hostile events culminated in starting the first day of World War I in Britain. Recruitment posters began appearing in distant locations around the world requesting young men to join in the fight.
Photo courtesy of Bart Everson on Flickr under cc Generic 2.0 licence. While temperatures soared above the 30 degree Celsius mark after Victoria Day on May 23rd, summer officially begins at 6:34 pm today. As the commuter traffic dwindles, the Summer Solstice pours through the City hurling us into hot and humid weather. Today starts the season of swimming pools, bug bites and scorching […]