Fire fighters race towards danger even in times of peace. “First in, last out” is understood. The attitude, skills, and stamina of trained fire fighters are valuable in times of war. The view of fire fighters as everyday heroes is recognized daily in Ypres (Ieper) Belgium, a city devastated by […]
Database updates
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A “gallery” of memorial plaques inside the front entrance to Old City Hall is plain and unassuming. Interested visitors, or those involved in court cases, will see them only if they glance up as they walk down the stairs on their way out. High enough that some of the small […]
In June1974—for the first time in its history—the Toronto Board of Education allowed liquor to be served at one of its schools. The occasion was a bang-up homecoming weekend for Harbord students flocking back to celebrate their beloved collegiate. A stellar barbershop quartet of Louis Weingarten and Frank Shuster (Wayne […]
Two facilities on the University of Toronto’s St. George campus were founded specifically for Roman Catholic students: St. Michael’s College and the Newman Centre. Together they offer academic, spiritual, and social services to those studying away from home. St. Michael’s College—officially the University of St. Michael’s College—is a liberal arts […]
Our 2018 fall collection consists of four memorials from three Lakeshore communities of Etobicoke. The southwest boundary of Etobicoke sits along the north shore of Lake Ontario. A few miles east of “the Lakeshore,” concrete roadways and condo canyons hide the lake, except for occasional glimpses. Mimico, New Toronto, and […]
Toronto neighbourhoods offered both surprises and traditional memorials as we organized 1,508 new names for “back to school” 2017. A happy surprise was solving the puzzle of an unidentified WWI plaque displayed in a local café. The long-forgotten Aura Lee Club, a social and sports group active from 1887 to […]
For King and Country began as a simple project to make available the names of all Toronto students who had served in any war. Our first school “histories” were sketchy outlines only: opening date; name changes; anniversaries or reunions; sometimes a closing date. A pleasant surprise once the project got […]
Thank you Veterans of Canada -sidewalk message in front of Old City Hall cenotaph Toronto District School Board joined the many groups laying wreaths at Old City Hall’s cenotaph ceremony this November 11th. Hours after the crowd had gone, people lingered to “plant” their poppies, take photographs, and read the […]
We start 2015 with three “vanished” schools. The bricks and mortar of Grand Avenue, Humber Bay, and Silverthorn schools have gone, but their war memorials survive to remind us of students who volunteered for king and country. A fourth school, Fairbank Memorial, rounds out our group. In April 2014, an […]
As students and teachers settle into their classes for another year, our project volunteers are celebrating a back-to-school accomplishment—we now have a full 100 schools in For King and Country database! Just added are war memorials and school histories from: The Bishop Strachan School; Davisville Public School; Eastern High School […]