By Tracy Chen

Kei Yano recalls her parents' stories about living in internment camps

Kei Yano and her son, Kenji Ferguson

By David Wencer 

For over one hundred years, Heintzman & Co., Ltd. was a Toronto-based company which produced some of the highest-quality pianos ever manufactured in Canada.

Theodor Heintzman (courtesy of the West Toronto Junction Historical Society)

The early years of the company's founder, Theodor August Heintzman, were spent in Germany learning the trade of manufacturing pianos from the man who became his father-in-law. Around 1850, already in his 30s, Heintzman emigrated to New York with his family, seeking an opportunity in North America.

After brief business ventures in Greenwich Village and in Buffalo he came to Toronto in 1860, apparently at the invitation of Frank Thomas, whose owned a piano factory downtown. Heintzman company advertisements credit this as the beginning of Heintzman & Co., although the company would not be officially incorporated until 1866.

By Tracy Chen

As I watch Stan's past performances, I am amazed by the way he genuinely feels music - his fingers and hair fly wildly as he delivers powerful, gritty guitar riffs. As the evening goes by, his eyes light up as he sings along with old recordings and reminiscences about being on the road...

Stan Endersby was born on July 17, 1947 in Lachine, Quebec. His father, Paul Endersby, a former WWI ace was a prominent figure in the Canadian Radio and Television industry. His mother, Jeanne Miquel was a veterinarian (the only female to graduate in 1936 from a class of 500 at the acclaimed La Faculte De Medecine in Paris, France). Along with his four brothers, Endersby enjoyed a successful career as a child actor while in theatre productions such as ‘King of the Hearts' (at the Crest Theatre) and having parts in television shows such as ‘On Camera', ‘Hit Parade', ‘The Jackie Ray Show' and the ‘Wayne and Shuster Show'.

Stan Endersby, second from the left in the stage production "King of Hearts"

One evening last summer I sat on the bench in the South Oaks courtyard of the Bain Co-op in Toronto's East End, enjoying the flowers, the serenity of green, the peace of twilight. It was one of those magic moments - just me and the kitties keeping contented company. I heard the comforting domestic sounds of dinner preparations and muted talk between parents and children (techno rumble was blessedly absent). The roar of the city seemed far away from the shelter of our small valley and it felt so safe. I had an overwhelming sense of gratitude - for so many reasons.

By John Michailidis

Its rare that ordinary citizens have the financial means or the passion to make contributions of land to their community. One such rare individual is Billy McKay 1862-1943, an East York farmer, born of Irish parents, in what is now the community of East York. His contribution of land in the early 1920s set the stage for the pattern of development of the eastern part of the old Township of York, creating a hub of public buildings at Coxwell Avenue and Mortimer Avenue to serve the community. His contribution of land may have played a significant role in the province's decision to establish the Township of East York in 1924.

By Doug Hum

Tuey Ping Lee-Hum- she was a star Cantonese opera performer. (Photos by the Hum family)She came to Canada from Asia (China) in 1936 with a Cantonese opera troupe to rally support for China against Imperial Japan which was threatening to conquer and subjugate China.

Prior to and during World War II, she performed on stage in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal in Canada. At the end of the War. the entire opera troupe was invited to perform in the United States where they performed in New York City, Boston and Detroit. Tuey Ping Lee Hum on stage. She played mainly male roles.

Frank O'ConnorIn his late 20s he met and married a young widow, Mary Ellen Hayes from Belleville. They moved to Toronto in 1912 and the next year opened the Laura Secord Candy Store on Yonge Street, north of Elm. They used only the best ingredients and they hand-chose their workers - many of whom became long-time employees. Benefiting from the good business acumen of his wife, Frank opened Laura Secord shops across Canada; within a decade they branched into the USA where, their enterprise was known as Fanny Farmer Candy Stores. Eventually the O'Connor fortune was in the multi-millions. Mr. O'Connor recognized that his success was in great measure due to his good and faithful workforce, and in 1923 he was the first candy manufacturer in the world to introduce a profit-sharing plan. Frank and Mary Ellen had a daughter, Mary; and Frank adopted Mary Ellen's young son William.