London, England has a BBC show, The Secret History of Our Streets. The series claims to explore “the history of archetypal streets in Britain, which reveal the story of a nation.” Our streets are just as interesting and our stories goes back millennia before Austin Avenue existed to when Leslie Creek was full of salmonContinue reading “The Secret History of Our East End Streets: 1 – 17 Austin Avenue”
Author Archives: Leslieville Historical Society
Austin Avenue’s Ghost Creek
by Joanne Doucette This is a follow up to: https://leslievillehistory.com/austin-avenue-subdivision-549-by-joanne-doucette/ Part 1: Austin Avenue blocked by A Creek Did you know that there was a creek at the east end of Austin Avenue? In 1918, the foreman of George Leslie’s nursery recalled Leslie Creek: a creek … also started near the sandpit and ran throughContinue reading “Austin Avenue’s Ghost Creek”
Urban Beekeeping, Austin Avenue, Leslieville, 1912
Perhaps nothing illustrates the value of knowing the background to your life and future than the environmental crises facing us today, including global warming and mass extinction. The bees of 32 Austin Avenue have a story to tell us about remembering the background to our lives. Collective amnesia is as if we suddenly forgot everythingContinue reading “Urban Beekeeping, Austin Avenue, Leslieville, 1912”
Toronto 1921
A map of what was and what might be, 1908 Abrey and Tyrell Map
Some Leslieville Street Names
Originally posted on Leslieville Historical Society:
From Tremaine’s Map of the County of York, 1860 It is sometimes difficult to trace the origins of street names. Clearly most Leslieville streets were named after families who lived here or after the builders who put up the houses on the street. Only a few, such as Eastern…
Riverdale Collegiate
by Joanne Doucette There is an urban legend that Myrtle, Ivy and Harriet Streets were named after local women (true) who argued so much that they could never meet so the streets don’t meet (not true). The deep ravine called “the Devil’s Hollow” had more to do with keeping the streets from meeting. The womenContinue reading “Riverdale Collegiate”
On this place: Riverdale Collegiate…
Did you ever wonder what was here in days gone by? Who lived here? What buildings stood here? Why did they build here? This picture shows Riverdale Collegiate on the far hill on December 22, 1919. We are looking from Prust Ave. Landfill with large concrete rubble fills the ravine in the immediate foreground. TheContinue reading “On this place: Riverdale Collegiate…”
Leslieville Historical Society 