fort york
Canada Invaded on the Eve of Confederation
The Intertwined Stories of the Fenian Invasion of 1866 and Thomas D'Arcy McGee–journalist, poet and Father of Confederation
A revolutionary in Ireland and a conservative in the United States, Thomas D’Arcy McGee re-emerged as a voice of moderation and Father of Confederation in Canada. But he was uncompromising in his hostility to the Fenian Brotherhood, as invaders from the United States and as members of secret revolutionary cells in Canada. In 1868, he was assassinated by a Fenian who believed that McGee had betrayed the cause of Irish independence.
To find out more about these tense, interconnected Canadian stories that resonate with issues today, join CHRISTOPHER MOORE, author of 1867: How the Fathers Made a Deal (M & S) in conversation with DAVID A. WILSON, author of the new biography Thomas D’Arcy McGee (McGill-Queen’s University Press, volume 1: 2008, volume 2: 2011) and PETER VRONSKY, author of Ridgeway: The American Fenian Invasion and the 1866 Battle that Made Canada (Penguin, 2011). A regiment of University of Toronto students, hastily called out from their final exams, suffered the most killed and wounded at Ridgeway.
Admission: $10
Free for students, compliments of Penguin Canada and McGill-Queen's University Press.
RSVP to 416-392-6907 ext. 221 or fortyork@toronto.ca
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FacebookIsaac Brock: Astonishing General, "Saviour of Upper Canada"
A historian and a novelist explore the making of a Canadian hero
Nearly 200 years have passed since the death of Sir Isaac Brock - the "saviour of Upper Canada" (today's Ontario). Brock's legacy lingers in the hundreds of streets and institutions that bear his name across the Province of Ontario - including a newly re-named bridge adjacent to Fort York National Historic Site on Bathurst Street.
As a commander of the British land forces in colonial Canada and civil administrator in the years that led up to the War of 1812, he prepared for war with the United States from his posts across the frontier, including Toronto (York) where he resided at Government House located archaeologically on the grounds of Fort York today.
Historian WESLEY TURNER, author of The Astonishing General: the Life and Legacy of Sir Isaac Brock (Dundurn, 2011); TOM TAYLOR, author of the historical novel, Brock’s Agent (Hancock & Dean, 2011); and RICHARD GERRARD, the City of Toronto’s historian for the Bicentennial Commemoration of the War of 1812, explore Brock the man, the general, the hero.
Admission: $10
Free for students, compliments of Dundurn Press.
RSVP to 416-392-6907 ext. 221 or fortyork@toronto.ca
Recommended Design Chosen for the New Visitor Centre at Fort York
Patkau Architects Inc, with Kearns Mancini Architects Inc., will design new Centre
A jury has unanimously recommended the conceptual design submitted by Patkau Architects Inc., Vancouver, with Kearns Mancini Architects Inc., Toronto, for the new Visitor Centre at Fort York National Historic Site.
Fort York National Historic Site is the birthplace of urban Toronto and the site of Canada's largest collection of 1812-era military structures. The Visitor Centre is key to the planned revitalization of the entire 43-acre (17-hectare) site, and is scheduled for completion in 2012, for the Bicentennial Commemoration of the War of 1812.
In the recommended design, the Visitor Centre forms a new escarpment of weathering-steel, re-establishing the original sense of a defensive site. The jury noted that the success of the Patkau/Kearns Mancini collaborative design lies in the use of the steel-escarpment and a simple foreshore of grasses, which when combined with the recently launched multi-media art installation Watertable, interpret the historic site condition of the original Lake Ontario shoreline bluff, and provide a strong visual presence for the Fort.
Garrison Garnishings – reclaiming unloved history at Fort York
What lies beneath tells the hidden history of the Fort
The place near the foot of Bathurst Street that we call Fort York was known for most of its history simply as the Toronto garrison or the Old Fort (as distinct from the New Fort, which was built in 1841 -- the only structure of which survives being Stanley Barracks). The walled fort we see today within Fort York National Historic Site contains one of the largest collections of War of 1812 buildings in North America. It is this brief period of investment in military infrastructure that Fort York's seven original buildings, dating to 1813-16, recalls today (other buildings from this time of war and its aftermath, built to house hundreds of soldiers, are gone). Many other buildings, built inside and outside today's walls throughout the nineteenth century, also did not survive.
Fort York Visitor Centre Design Competition
Have your say at open house December 4-6
Mayor David Miller and Members of Toronto City Council invite you to view and comment on designs from the finalists of the Fort York Visitor Centre Design Competition at an open house on Friday, December 4 to Sunday, December 6 from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day.
The Fort York Visitor Centre, key to the revitalization of Fort York National Historic Site, is scheduled for completion for the Bicentennial Commemoration of the War of 1812 in June 2012. Five design teams were selected to participate in the competition from a field of 31 who submitted their proposals following a Call
for Expressions of Interest. The five firms are: Baird Sampson Neuert Architects; Diamond and Schmitt Architects; du Toit Allsopp Hillier/du Toit Architects Limited; Patkau Architects Inc with Kearns Mancini Architects Inc; and rawdesign with Gareth Hoskins Architects.
The Open House will be held at:
Members' Lounge
Toronto City Hall
100 Queen Street West
12:00 p.m. remarks on Friday, December 4.
For further information, please contact Sandra Shaul at 416-392-8231.
City of Consolation
Archaeology in Toronto
Michael Redhill's novel Consolation, a tale of Toronto told in two centuries, was the starting point for a group of presentations by local archaeologists at the Society for Historical Archaeology annual meeting in Toronto earlier this month. David Robertson of Archaeological Services, Inc., was inspired by this book to herd these cats into a morning's exploration of Toronto's past through their presentations.
The pace and scope of archaeological investigation of this city has increased since the Archaeological Master Plan was introduced in 2005 and digs have been going on all over the city. The presenters gave us some insight into the following places:
Blockhouse reverie in Toronto's grid-land
The true meaning of "gridlock"
We like to think of the possibilities of breaking down barriers, making connections and bringing communities together. These are worth striving for. On the other hand, we sometimes like to set things apart, gain perspective on places and admire things from a distance. We like architectural and other landmarks that distinguish places and neighbourhoods.
"Toronto Then and Now"
Fort York to Distillery District Walking Tour
Join The Friends of Fort York and David Crombie on a 5 km walk, from Fort York National Historic Site to the Distillery District National Historic Site, exploring the then and now of Toronto's waterfront along the way. This heritage walk is part of the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure, the first end to end bike ride from Niagara to Quebec along the Waterfront Trail.
The walking tour will leave Fort York at approximately 9:45 am, proceeding down Bathurst Street to Queen's Quay, along Queen's Quay to Jarvis Street, north to the Esplanade, and then along the Esplanade to the Distillery District.
*Wear appropriate footwear
*Rain or shine
*Plan for a 2 hour walk
Photo courtesy of www.fortyork.ca
“Toronto Then and Now” - “Fort York to the Distillery District” Walking Tour
Part of the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure
Join The Friends of Fort York and David Crombie on a 5 km walk, from Fort York National Historic Site to the Distillery District National Historic Site, exploring the then and now of Toronto's waterfront along the way. This heritage walk is part of the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure, the first end to end bike ride from Niagara to Quebec along the Waterfront Trail.
The walking tour will leave Fort York at approximately 9:45 am, proceeding down Bathurst Street to Queen's Quay, along Queen's Quay to Jarvis Street, north to the Esplanade, and then along the Esplanade to the Distillery District.
*Wear appropriate footwear
*Rain or shine
*Plan for a 2 hour walk
Fort York
The year 1793 saw the founding of the Town of York and the construction of Fort York, a military establishment west of the Town site at the mouth of Garrison Creek which was intended to control entry to the town's harbour. Much of the fort was destroyed during the War of 1812. The current fort was rebuilt between 1813 and 1815 and now represents the best preserved fort of that era in North America. The army continued to use Fort York for training until the 1930s, and in 1934, it was opened as a historic site museum.