I was recently asked to participate in a conference in which I explored the concept of place as that might relate to the origin of the word Toronto and the carrying place trails. While acknowledging that there continues to be discussion about the origin and meaning of our city's name, it is essential to recognize that a sense of place is about "memory" and that memory tends to narrow through time, especially across centuries and cultures. If the original term used to describe a trail was actually exceedingly expansive in its original intent, what does that mean for how we think about and interpret the trail today?

A few years back, Archaeological Services Inc. was retained to undertake an archaeological assessment of the Toronto International Film Festival Tower redevelopment site on the northwest corner of King and John Streets in downtown Toronto. Detailed archival research undertaken by Brian Narhi and David Robertson revealed that a portion of Toronto's first general hospital was preserved under the parking lot at that location. While the majority of the Festival property encompassed the formal front grounds of the hospital, the south wall of the hospital appears to extend across the north boundary of the property. Its alignment oriented to magnetic north stood out in contrast to the present-day street grid which is not on true north.

With its rustic woodland trail following the west bank of the Humber River, James Gardens is one of the most attractive parks in the city. Frederick Thomas James purchased the land in 1908 after which he spent four decades transforming his estate known as Red Gables into a family sanctuary. Upon his death, his family sold the property to the City of Toronto on the condition that these lands become a public park.

The estate was eventually encompassed within the Humber Valley Village neighbourhood, which was developed as part of Home Smith and Company's "Humber Valley Surveys." This large land assembly consisted of 3,000 acres along the Humber River from the Queensway north to Eglinton Avenue and included in addition to Humber Valley Village neighbourhood, the Kingsway, Baby Point, Old Mill and Princess Anne Gardens-Manor developments. The St. George's Golf Club off of Islington Avenue was also developed by Home Smith and Company.