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:

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.

The turnout at Toronto the Good - the annual bash at the Distillery - is a sign that not all is bad in the city. A passion for history, architecture, planning and public space was clearly on display during this Festival of Architecture and Design (fAd) event, thanks to Spacing Magazine and its generous and creative partners. Thinking about an "urban centre," as explained by Shawn Micallef in the Toronto Star, was its theme: creating a place for history, information and debate; a beginning point for telling the story of Toronto.