On Saturday November 16, twenty-one hardy people came out on a cold wintery day to unveil a plaque commemorating George Corsan. The plaque is located in Echo Valley Park in Islington – the original site of Corsan’s unique farm of nut trees which earned him the nickname “The Nut Man of Islington”. Corsan was also an accomplished swimmer, and in the early 1900s became renowned as an innovator in techniques for swimming instruction and lifesaving widely used throughout North America. The plaque project was a collaboration between Heritage Toronto and the Etobicoke Historical Society.

On hand to officiate the unveiling was Toronto Ward 2 Councillor Stephen Holyday; Chris Bateman, Heritage Toronto; Brian Yawney, Etobicoke Urban Forest Activist; EHS President Joel Winter and EHS Chief Historian Denise Harris. The unveiling was witnessed by EHS members and some residents from the local neighbourhood.

​Some in attendance had grown up in the area and remembered George Corsan as an eccentric character who made a connection with local children who played on his property. He distributed the nuts from his Black Walnut trees to the children with the instructions they should take them home and plant them. There are many large Black Walnuts in the Village of Islington neighbourhood today which are most likely a lasting legacy of this unique former resident of Islington.

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This book is a collection of 92 short articles touching on various facets of Etobicoke’s history, including indigenous and early european settlement, farming, businesses, public services, society and culture, buildings, transportation and waterways. The articles were selected from The Aldernews, the newsletter of the Etobicoke Historical Society. Offering glimpses into Etobicoke’s past, they have informed and delighted members of the Society for several decades. Through this compilation, the Society aims to share them with a wider audience.
 
Glimpses into Etobicoke’s Past will be of interest to current and former residents of Etobicoke who want to know more about that community, and to anyone curious about the history of Toronto and of Ontario.
 
The book is available in paperback ($20) or in ebook ($8) from Amazon by clicking the button below:
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