After the Etobicoke Historical Society (EHS) was founded in 1958, one of its first accomplishments was to oppose and reverse a developer’s plan to demolish Montgomery’s Inn at the southeast corner of Islington Avenue and Dundas Street West. Today this building is an important City of Toronto Museum.

In continuing this tradition of advocating for the preservation of Etobicoke’s heritage, the Society’s Heritage Committee is on alert for threats to Etobicoke’s historic buildings. In 2020, EHS learned of a development threat to 4946 Dundas Street West - one of the oldest heritage structures in the Village of Islington that is today the home of the Fox and Fiddle.

The original and oldest part of the building was a frame Methodist Church built in 1843. It was later bricked and then purchased by the Township of Etobicoke to serve as the first Township Hall. In 1947, a major expansion occurred under Hanks and Irwin, Architects.  A second story was added to the 1843 building and large two-story additions were constructed at the rear and front. As urbanization intensified and expanded, Etobicoke opened a new Civic Centre at 399 The West Mall in 1958.

To protect the building as an integral part of Islington’s heritage landscape, the building was listed in 1979 on the City of Etobicoke’s Heritage Register under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The historic value of the building was further recognized in 2017 during a plaque unveiling by Heritage Toronto and The Etobicoke Historical Society. The plaque can be seen on the south side of the building facing Dundas Street West.

Amica Retirement Homes had purchased the property as part of a larger land parcel with plans to develop a large multi-unit retirement home. The plan proposed to largely demolish 4946 Dundas St West leaving only the front façade of the 1947 Township Hall intact. At a public meeting in October 2020, the EHS opposed any demolition to the heritage protected building and petitioned that the entire structure should remain.

In March 2022, Amica issued a revised plan which altered the impact of the development to retain the entire front 1947 Township Hall addition as well as a portion of the west wall that was the 1843 building. This ensured the visible heritage aspects of building would be preserved. The revised plan was approved the City.

​In May, EHS met for our 64th Annual General Meeting. With every AGM, we welcome new people and say goodbye to others.  This meeting was particularly bittersweet as this was James Geneau’s last AGM after almost 10 years as a member of the EHS Board.   
 
James joined the EHS Board in 2012 as President and his impact on the Society was immediate.  Under his stewardship, James was responsible for the digital transformation of the Society, this included the launch of our new website, implementation of an easy and user-friendly online portal that enhanced our membership outreach, established our online and social media presence on facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as launching our very successful and well-received virtual events.  James was President for 5 years and then stepped down to become a regular member of the Board for 4.5 years as our Marketing/Communications/Social Media guru.
 
We are sorry to say goodbye to James but thank him for his dedication to the Society and the incredible amount of work he achieved during his tenure on the Board.  While no longer living in Etobicoke, James is not forgotten. He has moved back closer to his original home on the East Coast and has already become involved in new projects and is very active with the local heritage society.  

​Last evening, the board of directors of the Etobicoke Historical Society unanimously agreed on the following resolution related to the current conflict in Ukraine.  
 
“The Board of Directors of the Etobicoke Historical Society expresses its unequivocal support for the ethnic Ukrainian people amid the ongoing invasion of their country by Russia.
 
The Board asserts that the Ukrainian people alone have the right to determine their future as an independent and sovereign state, including the preservation of their linguistic heritage and culture, and condemns all acts of violence that threaten the lives and liberty of the citizens of Ukraine.”
 
In addition, the society is asking its members and followers to help provide humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine as well assist in protecting the culture and rich history of its people and land.
 
To provide HUMANITARIAN AID, please visit one of the following local Etobicoke groups or international aid organizations:
 
Help Us Help is providing urgently requested medical supplies to volunteer medical units in Ukraine. We are working with trusted and established networks on the ground to distribute supplies to those who need it most. You can make a financial donation at their website or drop off supplies and donations at their temporary emergency support centre at 911 Islington Avenue, at the corner of Evans Avenue in Etobicoke next to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Headquarters. Donations can be dropped off from 10AM-7PM, Monday to Sunday (7 Days a Week). For online giving, you can DONATE HERE.
 
The Canadian Red Cross has set up a special Humanitarian Crisis Appeal. The support from donations made online could include preparedness, immediate and ongoing relief efforts, long-term recovery, resiliency, and other critical humanitarian activities as needs arise, both in Ukraine and surrounding countries, including supporting populations displaced. DONATE HERE
 
In addition to the humanitarian crisis, Ukraine’s symbols and artefacts of cultural and ethnic heritage are also at risk. Ukraine is home to seven Unesco world heritage sites, including the St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv with its wonderful golden domes, the stunning Byzantine fresco of the Virgin Mary as well as the historic architectural showpiece at the centre of Lviv in the west. It is also home to countless museums of significance where the history of the Ukrainian people is being preserved and shared with the world.  Ukraine’s museums and historic sites are under threat of destruction by Russia.
 
To help with PRESERVING AND SUPPORTING AT-RISK HERITAGE & CULTURAL ARTEFACTS, the Museum Association recently provided an update. Many staff of these valuable museums and heritage sites have stayed behind to help protect them. The International Council of Museums (Icom) Polish branch has been asked by the Polish Ministry of Culture to coordinate evacuation plans for museum employees from Ukraine, and the Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews has sent two transports of goods to Ukraine. Financial support for these efforts is being channelled through the Polish Red Cross.
 

The Etobicoke Historical Society (EHS) was one of the first historical societies to launch a social media program to enhance its reach within the local community. Today, the society is active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, with a continuously growing and engaged following. This, combined with the society’s website, are important channels for sharing information and knowledge related to the history of Etobicoke and the work of EHS. More recently, EHS launched a new podcast series which is also being shared online through our various social and digital channels.

The board is currently seeking a dedicated volunteer to manage our social media and web presence. This is an ideal role for someone with a passion for online community engagement, creativity, and most importantly…. history! In this volunteer role, the right individual will act as the voice of EHS. They will develop campaigns and share information that is engaging and of value to our followers.  They will also be responsible for regularly updating the website and helping to build future programs to further improve our online presence and grow our audience.

Qualified candidates should have:

• Working knowledge of the Weebly CMS for the website as well as management of Google Domains.
• Knowledge of Square payments and ability to support our basic eCommerce needs through Weebly.
• Have experience and interest in posting both organic and paid content to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
• An understanding of what makes great social content that engages the audience and grows overall followers in an organic fashion.
• Both creative and analytical flair for understanding what engages our audience and how to present content that gets lots of likes and shares.
• A passion for history and the work of the Etobicoke Historical Society.

Due to the ongoing growth of our audience and the demands of our board, this role is being created to give a new individual an opportunity to own the EHS digital experience. This role is ideal for someone who is in marketing or communications and is looking for the opportunity to “own more” by being the single point of access for all things “online” at EHS. If you’ve always wanted to gain experience and credibility for being the manager of a major not-for-profit digital program, this is a great opportunity. Candidates with an interest will be interviewed by our current board member responsible for our digital programs. If selected, they will help you transition into the role over the coming months, as well as be an ongoing resource to help you be successful!

This role requires an individual who is committed to a long-term volunteer opportunity where they can truly evolve and build a voice of the audience experience. In applying, we ask that volunteers make a commitment of 2-3 years in helping to build and execute a social media and web strategy for EHS. The opportunity is great, and we hope to find the right person to be able to get the most of it!

Interested individuals should send their information (Resume, Career Summary, or an Outline of their Experience and Interest) via email to marketing@etobicokehistorical.com.

The Board of the Etobicoke Historical Society (EHS) is currently seeking a dedicated volunteer to act as our Membership Coordinator. In this volunteer role, the right individual will be responsible for maintaining and growing the list of active EHS members.
 
Qualified candidates should have proficiency in using Microsoft Word and Excel.
 
The Membership Coordinator is responsible for:  
 

• Maintaining in Excel a master list of each member’s name, contact information, type of membership, and details of dues and donations paid.
• Processing annual membership renewals and new membership applications received both from paper forms and online via CanadaHelps
• Updating the EHS Email List on Mailchimp
• Preparing and mailing membership cards for new and renewing members.
• Updating membership-related forms in Word format.
• Preparing newsletter mailing labels and delivering to Montgomery’s Inn.
• Providing president with a monthly membership report.
• Providing treasurer by mid-January an Excel spreadsheet that reflects all monies received for membership dues and donations the previous calendar year.  

 
This role is ideal for someone who is looking for an opportunity to become involved in a progressive group of history enthusiasts engaged in researching, preserving and celebrating the heritage of Etobicoke. Candidates with an interest will be interviewed by our current board member responsible for our membership program. If selected, they will help you transition into the role over the coming months, as well as be an ongoing resource to help you be successful!
 
This role requires an individual who is committed to a long-term volunteer opportunity where they can truly evolve and we ask that volunteers make a commitment of 2-3 years.

Interested individuals should send their information (Resume, Career Summary, or an Outline of the Experience and Interest) via email to membership@etobicokehistorical.com.

The Etobicoke Historical Society is thrilled to see the City of Toronto reveal a new statue next week celebrating the history of Joshua Glover, a noteworthy figure in Etobicoke’s history.
 
The Etobicoke Historical Society, one of the largest and longest serving historical not-for-profit organizations in Canada, is looking forward to the unveiling of a major project they initiated more than four years ago, a public art piece dedicated to Joshua Glover. The unveiling of the art piece by the City of Toronto will take place on July 30th at 8:30 am, at the new Joshua Glover Park at 4208 Dundas Street. West in Etobicoke.

In 2017, Joel Winter, then President of the Etobicoke Historical Society, presented to the board of this not-for-profit group an idea for a series of public art installations. The goal would be to use public art to celebrate noteworthy people and events shaping the history of Etobicoke. The History and Art in the Parks project was born, and after a review of several different historical figures and events, the board agreed unanimously to proceed with plans to see an art piece installed to celebrate Joshua Glover, a slave who ran away from his owner in St. Louis, Missouri in the spring of 1852 and ended up in Etobicoke.

While initiated by the Etobicoke Historical Society, the project could not have become a reality without the involvement of the City of Toronto. While it was a very long and complex process involving lobbying from the Etobicoke Historical Society and community leaders, the city did decide to make it a priority and worked on establishing the committees and processes for selecting the artist and placement of the piece.
“The Etobicoke Historical Society is thrilled to have this new piece of public art finally being revealed for all to not only enjoy visually, but as an important tool for learning about the history of our area.”, commented Joel Winter, former President of the Etobicoke Historical Society. “Back in 2017, we knew it would be a long haul to see this realized, but the board was committed to see it through. We could not be happier that the City of Toronto listened and acted, to help it become a reality. It really shows how local interest groups and the City can work together to create lasting legacies like this”.

Not only does the artwork celebrate an historic figure from Etobicoke’s past, it is also being realized by local Etobicoke artistic talent. Rexdale-born and raised artist Quentin VerCetty, who won the City of Toronto artist competition for the piece, said he felt a kinship with Joshua Glover as he designed his sculpture of the runaway slave wearing a suit and hat, clutching his freedom papers and books and looking toward the future, a mangled cyborg arm dangling chains behind him. In 2020, Mayor John Tory announced that Quentin VerCetty’s vision, unanimously chosen by the panel of art and history experts, would become a statue and a central part of a new Joshua Glover Park in Etobicoke.

In celebration, the Etobicoke Historical Society is encouraging all of its members, partners, and those in the local community to attend the opening of the park and the unveiling of the artwork. For more information on the society and its work, please visit www.etobicokehistorical.com

For more information on this release, please contact:

James Geneau
Board Member and Marketing Chair
Etobicoke Historical Society
marketing@etobicokehistorical.com

Since its formation in 1958, the Etobicoke Historical Society has been a volunteer-run organization. Its administration and activities depend upon and reflect the ideas and energy of its members. The Society is always open to individuals who would like to volunteer some of their time and talent to further its goals.

The Society is governed by a Board of Directors, elected by the membership. While the directors’ focus is on managing the Society to advance its goals, they usually also take on responsibility for various activities - whether core ones such as treasurer and membership secretary, or other important functions such as speakers coordinator and website maintenance. But the directors can only do so much. The members of the Society play a major role in its success by helping to carry out ongoing activities and to develop new ones. 

The following is a short list of some areas that the Board believes would benefit from further attention. If you would like to learn more about what’s involved in them, please contact the individuals listed below. If you have other activities you would like to champion, the Board would be pleased to learn of your ideas.

Exhibit Designer and Coordinator

The Etobicoke Historical Society is usually asked to set up a display at 3-4 events per year. These displays make use of artifacts, documents and photos from our collections. Past exhibits have included slide shows, pictures and information about the oldest houses in Etobicoke, quizzes, objects about which visitors are asked to guess their use, as well as information about the Society and items for sale.

​We are looking for a volunteer to coordinate the preparation of these displays and to develop new ones as required. The coordinator could expect help from other Society members, especially in attending to the display on the event day. But the coordinator’s chief task would be to take the lead in designing and preparing the displays.

For further information contact Philip Enros (archives@etobicokehistorical.com)

Photo Collection Curator

The Etobicoke Historical Society has a collection of well over 2000 photos. Most of these have been digitized and posted on the Society’s website. The Curator’s duties would include: maintaining the inventory of the collection, adding new donations, identifying photos, and responding to inquiries about the collection.   

For further information contact Philip Enros (archives@etobicokehistorical.com)

Historical Plaques Coordinator 

One of the Etobicoke Historical Society’s main goals is to communicate the history of our community. For many years this has included championing the erection of plaques to commemorate significant people, events and places from Etobicoke’s past. The Coordinator’s task would include: identifying priorities and preparing suitable text for plaques, monitoring and seeking section 37 funding for plaques, and working with Heritage Toronto and other partners.

For further information contact Joel Winter (aldernews@etobicokehistorical.com)

Archivist

The Etobicoke Historical Society’s archives consist of two collections: the Society’s records and a collection of historical papers and artifacts relating to Etobicoke. The collection is housed at Applewood/Shaver House. The Archivist(s)’s duties include: maintaining an Excel spreadsheet of the collection, accepting and cataloguing donations, keeping the collection organized, responding to inquiries, and assisting those who wish to use the collection.
For further information contact Philip Enros (archives@etobicokehistorical.com)

Writers for The Aldernews

The Aldernews is the Society’s primary means for sharing Etobicoke’s history. This newsletter is published seven times a year and depends on volunteers for its articles. If you have looked into a person, place or event from Etobicoke’s past, you are encouraged to write up your findings and submit it to the editor for publication in The Aldernews.

For further information contact Joel Winter (aldernews@etobicokehistorical.com)

On October 3rd, the Etobicoke Historical Society issued an official objection to Jennifer Renaud, Senior Planner with Toronto City Planning Division in advance of a community consultation meeting regarding the planning application for 4916-4946 Dundas Street West and 4-16 Burnhamthorpe Road. 

The Etobicoke Historical Society Board, on behalf of its many members, strongly disagrees with the Heritage Impact Assessment’s view that the demolition of the church/old town hall central section of the designated heritage building would “not negatively affect the heritage values of the site”. This can be found on Page 32 of the assessment - please CLICK HERE to read in full.

Walking tours of Islington Village often stop to view the walls of this section of the building while the guide talks about the community, religious, and governance history of the site. The destruction of the central section would remove one of the very few old physical reminders of a significant place in Etobicoke’s history. The demolition would take place in order to construct – as shown by the proposed floor plans – a space for lockers, a restaurant kitchen and, a “memory care” terrace. 

The Society believes that the central section of the designated building should not be demolished.
 
The Society has also asked about the required archaeological assessment for this area. None of the documentation provided for the consultation discusses what will be done in this regard. It is EHS's understanding that the entire Islington Village area is designated by the City for such assessment. As such, we have asked for the plans for archaeological work. Should demolition proceed with the central and back portions of the designated building, the EHS would want detailed, careful archaeological work to be done there and in its surroundings, as has been done at other sites in the city.

Taking Action:

Members of the Etobicoke Historical Society and concerned citizens my share their opinions at a special online virtual community consultation meeting, taking place on Thursday, October 15th, between 7:00pm and 8:30pm.  To learn more about attending, please refer to the notice below:

As a major project spearheaded by the Etobicoke Historical Society, the new sculpture of Joshua Glover will be a major historic landmark and art piece for Etobicoke. In 2017, EHS initiated the History and Art in the Parks project and partnered with the city on the Glover commission. Rexdale-born and raised artist Quentin VerCetty, who won the City of Toronto artist competition for the piece, said he felt a kinship with Joshua Glover as he designed his sculpture of the runaway slave wearing a suit and hat, clutching his freedom papers and books and looking toward the future, a mangled cyborg arm dangling chains behind him.

In this feature article by Toronto.com, EHS President Joel Winter shares some background on the project and its importance to Etobicoke history - now, more than ever!