Each year, after the end of March Break, our family usually turned its thoughts to planning summer activities. This often involved researching various provincial parks, looking at the special features of each one and the different activities on offer. 2018 marks the 125th anniversary of Ontario's provincial parks system. In 1893, an Ontario Royal […]
Join author Tom Slee, on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, 7:00 – 8:30 pm at Toronto Reference Library, Beeton Hall, as he explores the personal and societal consequences of the so-called sharing economy. Drawing on his original empirical research, in his book, Slee shows that the friendly language of sharing, trust and community often masks a […]
In 1966, twelve-year-old Chanie Wenjack froze to death on the railway tracks after running away from his residential school. There was an inquest, but the four recommendations that were made were never applied. Between 2000 and 2011, seven indigenous high school students have died in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The students were hundreds of miles away […]
On Tuesday, September 19th, Kevin MacKay will speak about his book Radical Transformation: Oligarchy, Collapse, and the Crisis of Civilization. The program takes place at the Toronto Reference Library, in the Beeton Hall, at 7:00 pm. Kevin MacKay is a sociology professor, union activist, and the Executive Director of a non-profit community development co-operative. He […]
On May 19, a headline from the Globe and Mail proclaimed that flooding threatened more than half of the buildings on Toronto Islands and CBC News reported that more than 40 percent of the islands were under water. “Right now, we have the highest water level that we’ve ever seen in recorded history, and it […]
It happened in early 1997, as I recall, when I was running Author Series here at the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library, as it was then known. I received a call from Greg Gatenby, a friend, yes, but more importantly, a pioneer in the area of literary programming. For it was Greg who invented the Harbourfront […]
Baby boomers are starting to join the ranks of those aged 65 and over, and the 'greying' of the workforce is only just beginning. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 1995 and 2007, the number of older workers working full-time nearly doubled. For the period 2006-2016, their data projects an 8.5 percent […]
Great news! There is still time to get your application in to the Business Inc. program. Due to community demand, the application deadline has been extended to Friday, September 30, 2011. Through Business Inc, you will prepare or update a business plan with the help of professionals. You will also have access to a business adviser and valuable […]
The Toronto Reference Library is offering workshops on the use of electronic periodical publications, or as they are often referred to: "databases." What, you may ask, are "databases"? Put simply, these are publications grouped together by the thousands, under one title. Canadian Periodicals Index Quarterly, for example, is one, and a good source for Canadian […]
The unemployment rate in Toronto was 8.9% in July 2011 according to Statistics Canada. This was the second highest unemployment rate among all eleven Ontario economic regions (The highest was London, Ontario at 9.3%) If you are among those who are unemployed, the Toronto Reference Library may be able to help you in your search. […]