For King and Country

For King and Country goes to Traffic Court

Martha — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:53:04 +0000

In the airport-style waiting room of Toronto West (York) Court House—Traffic Division, the security guard searching bags answers my question about the overhead sign “FAW.”

“I think the ‘F’ stands for first offence,” he says.

My first offence? Failing to produce my motor vehicle permit when stopped by police. A court officer quickly dismisses the charge—with a [...]

Vanished Schools and Vanished Times: Wellesley Public School

Martha — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 03:46:00 +0000

A great uncle’s school certificate sparked a search for one of Toronto’s “vanished” halls of learning. Opened in 1874, Wellesley Public School sat like a fancy wedding cake on the north east corner of Bay and Wellesley Streets in downtown Toronto. The “most handsome and best-furnished school building in Toronto” featured the “mod cons” of [...]

The Mystery of Chilton Street School

Martha — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:06:01 +0000

This plaque hangs in Rose Avenue School, 675 Ontario Street, (south of Bloor Street East, between Parliament and Sherbourne Streets) in Toronto’s St. James Town. Chilton Street does not appear on current maps of Toronto. There is a Chilton Road in East York, but it is several kilometres northeast of Rose Avenue School. Did Chilton [...]

Private Ernest Jones: a Toronto “Everyman” at the Somme

Martha — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:19:22 +0000

…I see by your gravestone you were only nineteen When you joined the great fallen in 1916. Well, I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean. —Eric Bogle “No Man’s Land (The Green Fields of France)” ©Larrikin Music

This plaque at McMurrich Public School started the search for Ernest Jones. ©Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical [...]

Neighbourhood churches may fill some gaps…

Martha — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 06:08:14 +0000

Little Trinity Church, Toronto ©Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society

Sackville Street School displays a memorial for World War I, but none for World War II. Little Trinity (Anglican) Church, a three-minute walk (270 metres) northwest of the school, fills some gaps in the neighbourhood history. Of the 581 parishioners involved in World War I, 70 [...]

Every day is Remembrance Day

admin — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 00:44:13 +0000

Every day is Remembrance Day when working with war memorials, but as November 11 rolls around each year, the “For King and Country” team aims for an extra push.

Toronto Branch is pleased to add 3,026 names (from 10 schools) to our database in time for this year’s Lest We Forget observances.

Canada’s “too much geography, not [...]

Your Country Needs You… and Your Pals

Martha — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:22:54 +0000

When war broke out in 1914, Britain’s standing army of about 450,000 was dwarfed by the conscript-heavy armies organizing in Europe. Lord Kitchener, Britain’s new Secretary of State for War, wanted to avoid the political hot potato of conscription, but believed “the last million men” Britain could send into battle would decide success. Manpower was [...]

Degrassi High and De Grassi Spies

Martha — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 05:11:32 +0000

“Degrassi” evokes realistic high school drama for fans of the long running Degrassi TV series. There are no schools on Toronto’s Degrassi Street in Riverdale, though nearby Earl Grey school is one of several used as a setting for early episodes. While teaching at Earl Grey, Linda Schuyler, aware that there were no compelling depictions [...]

Women in World War I

Martha — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:55:29 +0000

More than 3,000 women volunteered for the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in the First World War. All had trained as nurses before the war; average age was 24. Nicknamed “blue birds,” because of their blue uniforms and white veils, they assisted with surgery and cared for convalescing soldiers. Though not in the trenches, they [...]

Amazing Databases at Great War Workshop

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:57:34 +0000

(including For King and Country)

For King and Country will be featured this March in the “Finding Your Great War Ancestors” Workshop presented by the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. This will be an excellent opportunity to update the community on our progress—3,600 names recently added to the database—and remind those who’ve forgotten what [...]