Toronto History Walks

**The Toronto History Walks Yearly Pass is available. Get it now for $125.00 for 1 year of unlimited tours, email
torontohistorywalks@gmail.com
for more information or for signing up!**

** Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket amount when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:
torontohistorywalks@gmail.com

Elizabeth Simcoe named the area now known as Mimico for the thousands of pigeons that blackened the sky at the western end of the settlement. Mimico was originally located at the confluence of Mimico Creek and Dundas Street.

William Gamble, opened a sawmill and built a settlement for the workers nearby. Etobicoke's first church, Christ Church was opened on Church Street which became Royal York Road. Mimico is a walkable neighbourhood and a great place to stroll and discover our amazing history.

The Lakeshore Hospital was built in 1888 as the Mimico Asylum, its doors opened on January 21, 1889.

The original idea for the hospital was a series of cottages designed by Doctor Joseph Workman who wanted a resort type feel to the hospital. The architect was Kivas Tully, who worked with gardener Samuel Matheson. Most of the buildings were built by the patients themselves, and helped with laundry duties, and tended to the vast gardens.

This walking tour is for all levels and walkers. The tour begins and ends at the New Toronto Public Library Branch at 110 Eleventh Street just south of Lakeshore.

This tour has a ticket price of $15.00 per person!

** Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket amount when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:
torontohistorywalks@gmail.com

**The Toronto History Walks Yearly Pass is available. Get it now for $125.00 for 1 year of unlimited tours, email
torontohistorywalks@gmail.com
for more information or for signing up!**

** Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket price when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:
torontohistorywalks@gmail.com

This tour has been revised and updated to reflect new scholarship on the history of the area.

John Lea Sr. was born in Lancashire England, and immigrated to York, in 1819, via Philadelphia. Mary Hutchison, his wife, and John had their first child on May 28, 1814 and named him William.

Lot 13 in the third concession was purchased from Alexander McDonnell on January 23, 1820 and the new family, John Lea Sr, William, John Jr. and Mary settled the land. William Lea bought land to the south and began constructing a large, octagonal brick house, which he named Leaside. The house was completed in 1854. John Lea Sr. died soon after.

The property became the possession of William's eldest son Joseph in 1893, and he lived in the house until 1903. In 1913 it was abandoned and demolished by Canadian Northern Railway. The company set fire to the historic landmark in order to clear the land for the townsite. A shame indeed! It seems that we have a history of eliminating our history piece by piece!

Leaside was also, in addition to Liberty Village to the west, part of the great armament industry that contributed to the victory in world War 2.

Leaside is one of Toronto's most historic neighbourhoods, with plenty to discover and explore. Make the most of winter and let's walk and learn about an area of Toronto that is not well known, and certainly not on the history walking tours agenda for most companies.

This walking tour is for all levels and walkers. The tour begins and ends at the Leaside Branch of the Toronto Public Library at 165 McRae Drive, north of Millwood Road. We will return to this location after our walk!

This tour has a ticket price of $15.00 per person!

** Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket price when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:
torontohistorywalks@gmail.com

**The Toronto History Walks Yearly Pass is available. Get it now for $125.00 for 1 year of unlimited tours, email
torontohistorywalks@gmail.com
for more information or for signing up!**

** Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket amount when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:
torontohistorywalks@gmail.com

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Ontario and Toronto governments proposed building a six-lane north–south expressway to the east of Grace Street, an extension of Highway 400, and named the Christie Expressway and Crosstown projects.

After the Spadina Expressway was cut, the Crosstown and Christie Expressway projects were abandoned soon after. Like the Spadina expressway, these transportation projects would have forever changed the face of Toronto. Palmerston Avenue, and Little Italy would have been destroyed.

Palmerston Avenue and Blvd is one of the nicest tree lined streets in Toronto with its ornate stone gates and Victorian and Edwardian era homes. It's an historic street to explore and to walk. With a rich history that dates back to the early 19th century Palmerston is a surprisingly rich area to wander through and get lost in.

Our walk begins at the Palmerston Library, 560 Palmerston Avenue north of Bloor Street.

The walk ends at the corner of Queen and Palmerston Avenue.

This walk has a ticket price of $15.00 per person!

** Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket amount when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:
torontohistorywalks@gmail.com

**The Toronto History Walks Yearly Pass is available. Get it now for $125.00 for 1 year of unlimited tours, email
torontohistorywalks@gmail.com
for more information or for signing up!**

** Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket amount when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:
torontohistorywalks@gmail.com

Castle Frank Brook meandered through Cedarvale Park, and Ernest Hemingway, loved the urban tranquility this park oasis offered. At the time it was a cattle path in the heart of the city. In the 1920s and the 1930s plans to destroy the park and ravine with development was halted due to the Depression in the 1930s.

In the 1960s and 1970s, there were plans to build the Spadina Expressway which would have destroyed the park and the surrounding area.

Today, this walk is a soothing retreat into the heart of Forest Hill. And learn about Mr. Hemingway, the man, who will be the TOUR GUIDE on this tour, yes you read it correctly, he is leading this tour, and he will tell you all about his experiences, how he felt about walking in this part of the city and his strong feelings about life and Toronto in general!

This walk is for all fitness levels with some hills and inclines. And for guests wishing to bring their furry 4 legged friends, all dogs must be leashed for the walk!

We begin this walking adventure outside the St. Clair West Subway Station at the HEATH STREET NORTH EXIT in Forest Hill on Tichester/Heath Street west of Spadina Avenue.

This tour has a ticket price of $15.00! per person!

** Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket amount when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:
torontohistorywalks@gmail.com