The Newmarket Canal , officially known but rarely referred to as the Holland River Division , is an abandoned barge canal project in Newmarket, Ontario . With a total length of about 10 miles (16 km), it was supposed to connect the town to the Trent–Severn Waterway via the East Holland River and Lake Simcoe . Construction was almost complete when work was abandoned, and the three completed pound Locks , a swing bridge and a turning basin remain largely intact to this day.
158-644: The project was originally presented as a way to avoid paying increasing rates on the Northern Railway of Canada , which threatened to make business in Newmarket uncompetitive. The economic arguments for the canal were highly debatable, as the exit of the Waterway in Trenton was over 170 kilometres (110 mi) east of Toronto , while Newmarket was only 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of the city. Moreover, predicted traffic
316-439: A Toronto firm. The main winners in the local area were landowners who were paid for their share of their properties that were being flooded, with total payouts being on the order of $ 42,000. Accusations were made that the amount paid out was based largely on political affiliation, with a number of cases being presented in which landholders were paid many times the department's own valuations. The start of construction coincided with
474-666: A branch line to Collingwood, splitting off the mainline some distance west of Newmarket , and added optional plans for an extension north from Barrie to Midland . Bonuses from Simcoe County totalling $ 300,000 were given to the H&;NW, along with about $ 150,000 from towns along the route, some indication of the area's upset with the Northern. The line reached Barrie in 1877 and Collingwood in mid-1879. The H&NW never completed their northern expansion to Midland. The Northern went ahead with one portion of their own expansion plans, dropping plans for
632-716: A capital. In 1787, the British Lord Dorchester arranged for the Toronto Purchase with the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, thereby securing more than a quarter of a million acres (1000 km ) of land in the Toronto area. Dorchester intended the location to be named Toronto. The first 25 years after the Toronto purchase were quiet, although "there were occasional independent fur traders" present in
790-633: A channel to the harbour. The peninsula was formed by longshore drift taking the sediments deposited along the Scarborough Bluffs shore and transporting them to the Islands area. The other source of sediment for the Port Lands wetland and the peninsula was the deposition of the Don River, which carved a wide valley through the sedimentary land of Toronto and deposited it in the shallow harbour. The harbour and
948-476: A contemptuous manner of Sir William Mulock and the Holland River improvements, and expressed himself as thoroughly opposed." Walsh considered Butler to be an engineering nobody, and noted that the appointment, arranged by Haney, was to the great amusement of the engineering world. Having little engineering background of his own, Butler came to rely heavily on Alex Joseph Grant, who had become the chief engineer on
1106-560: A crowd of 300 people. The unanimous decision contained two proposals, one for the canal to Newmarket and Aurora, and a second to widen portions of the Western Holland River through today's Holland Marsh area to Schomberg , and a similar widening of the Black River south from Lake Simcoe into Sutton . The organizers then began collecting signatures on a petition to the federal government, presenting it with almost everyone's name from
1264-478: A difficult barrier to cross, one of the many reasons the extension to Aurora was abandoned. It was around this time that someone in the Ministry suggested a better solution would be to install a pump at Lake Simcoe and use that to pump water uphill to a reservoir south of Newmarket. This solution was announced by the newly appointed Graham, to fresh rounds of catcalls. By this time Grant had filed additional estimates on
1422-613: A growing public shift to the Conservative party, and Aylesworth was placed in the position of having to support the canal in order to maintain Liberal support in the area. Mulock was appointed the Chief Justice of the Exchequer and remained active in politics and in the construction of the canal. In July 1905, M. J. Butler was promoted to the position of Deputy Minister and Chief Engineer of
1580-505: A large card reading "Last Train". The crews moved the rails as soon as the train passed them, having already half driven the spikes. The cost of construction, general financial difficulties of the era, and the enormous cost of an expansion to North Bay led the Northern and H&NW to organize a new joint management agreement, forming the Northern and North Western Railway in June 1879. This provided
1738-590: A line through their burgeoning agricultural areas. Cumberland refused, stating that traffic would be too low. This left an opening for the formation of the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway (TG&B), which began construction toward Owen Sound in the spring of 1869. Faced with their first real competition, the Northern chartered their own North Grey Railway on 15 February 1871, with plans to extend out of Collingwood to Meaford and authority to continue to Owen Sound. Construction between Collingwood and Meaford took place over
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#17328698583341896-520: A long boom on such a small scow would be "a circus". They only managed to begin dredging in November and within three weeks the river froze over and work ended. The company continued with their efforts when the river cleared in the spring of 1907, but by the fall they had managed to clear only 3,500 cubic yards (2,676 m) of an estimated 270,000 cubic yards (206,430 m). They abandoned the work, and in May 1908
2054-568: A more complete estimate from Walsh, this time with an eye to reducing the cost as much as possible. Mulock continued to pressure Walsh to complete the estimates, and Walsh continued to stall in fear that he would be held responsible if there were any overruns. Walsh was once again summoned to Ottawa in March 1905 and told to present a new plan with costs cut as much as possible, which he only agreed to after being promised that he would not be held to them. He came up with slight modifications, replacing some of
2212-622: A novel method to raise the funds for construction, using a $ 2 million lottery. The proposition was considered so scandalous it was put to a referendum and defeated. With the passage of the Railway Guarantee Act in 1849, Capreol joined forces with Charles Albert Berczy and chartered the company in July 1849, now having to raise conventional bonds for the first 75 miles (121 km), from which point government funding would be available. Continued difficulties delayed construction, during which time
2370-570: A number of groups in Simcoe County , especially those in Barrie who continually pushed for an expansion of the line into the downtown area. This was eventually solved through the late 1869 formation of the Toronto, Simcoe and Muskoka Junction Railway , or Muskoka Branch , which branched off at the Allendale station and ran north-east to Orillia and then on to Lake Muskoka outside Gravenhurst . The line
2528-529: A number of industries to the town, setting up along the Northern Railway of Canada 's mainline which passed northward through town along the river valley. The remains of these industries are still visible on the local geography; Joseph Hill's lumber mill and later William Cane and Sons factory's mill stock now forms Fairy Lake, the Davis Leather Company's buildings today form the Tannery Mall , and one of
2686-579: A ravine or valley and continue on the other side. Toronto has many bridges spanning the ravines. Large bridges such as the Prince Edward Viaduct were built to span broad river valleys. Despite its deep ravines, Toronto is not remarkably hilly, but its elevation does increase steadily away from the lake. Elevation differences range from 76.5 metres (251 ft) above sea level at the Lake Ontario shore to 209 m (686 ft) above sea level near
2844-525: A route somewhat further to the west closer to Bond Head . The plans later reemerged as the Huron and Ontario Ship Canal, but remained dormant. The town of Newmarket had undergone rapid growth before the start of the 20th century due largely to the efforts of William Mulock , then a sitting member of the Liberal Party of Canada and Wilfrid Laurier 's right-hand man in the province. He used his influence to bring
3002-447: A route was suspect, given that the northward flow of goods was limited to perhaps 20 short tons (18,000 kg) a day, compared to 40 moving south to Toronto. Although the canal would be marginally useful for imports, it would not be very useful for exporting the resulting goods back to market. Mulock invented a number of schemes to drive more traffic, including shipping oats via the Trent to
3160-405: A scathing letter dismissing every change Grant made. He started by pointing out that Grant's desire to straighten the river was made without him ever visiting the site, and Walsh stated he would see such work was entirely unnecessary had he actually looked at the river. His reserved his strongest complaints for the changes to the locks, noting that they would "enormously increase the aggregate cost of
3318-480: A separate project, which led to the very real possibility that it would be cancelled. In response, Mulock organized a group of prominent businessmen from the Newmarket area to travel to Ottawa to meet with Laurier. They arrived on 21 February 1905 and found the Prime Minister more than interested in the project, and he noted: ...instead of asking for a post-office or cut-stone building, the first request ever made by
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#17328698583343476-504: A single enormous lock. These plans were abandoned, and the final plans submitted on 1 April 1907 show Grant's original layout, with no plan for additional water supply at all. Butler's final submission to the Department, filed on 27 April 1907, included most of Grant's suggested changes. The estimate for section 2 was placed at $ 596,826 and optimistically forecast to be completed by 31 March 1908. Contract tenders for section 2 were sent out in
3634-502: A year to operations shipping to Toronto, and the factories in Newmarket complained that this would put them out of business. A series of depositions by business leaders from the towns along the line failed to change the GTR's mind, and alternates began to be considered. At this time the Trent–Severn was in the last stages of being constructed. It was already clear that the era of the barge canal
3792-454: Is a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production, and television production, and is home to the headquarters of Canada's major national broadcast networks and media outlets . Its varied cultural institutions , which include numerous museums and galleries , festivals and public events , entertainment districts, national historic sites , and sports activities , attract over 43 million tourists each year. Toronto
3950-484: Is commemorated by a plaque installed in 1953 at Union Station in Toronto . The Toronto and other locomotives were scrapped after Canadian railways converted from the 5'6" track gauge to the 4'8 1 ⁄ 2 " American standard gauge starting in the 1870s. The railway earned revenues from passenger, freight, postal, and sundry other sources. The total earnings for 1 January to 7 July 1860 were $ 166,108.64, and for 1 January to 6 July 1861 were $ 210,177.46. In 2010,
4108-509: Is its escarpments. During the last ice age , the lower part of Toronto was beneath Glacial Lake Iroquois . Today, a series of escarpments mark the lake's former boundary, known as the "Iroquois Shoreline". The escarpments are most prominent from Victoria Park Avenue to the mouth of Highland Creek , where they form the Scarborough Bluffs . Other observable sections include the area near St. Clair Avenue West between Bathurst Street and
4266-660: Is known for its many skyscrapers and high-rise buildings , in particular the CN Tower , the tallest freestanding structure on land outside of Asia. The city is home to the Toronto Stock Exchange , the headquarters of Canada's five largest banks , and the headquarters of many large Canadian and multinational corporations. Its economy is highly diversified with strengths in technology, design, financial services, life sciences, education, arts, fashion, aerospace, environmental innovation, food services, and tourism. Toronto
4424-579: Is now a museum. The pre-amalgamation City of Toronto covers the downtown core and older neighbourhoods to the east, west, and north. It is the most densely populated part of the city. The Financial District contains the First Canadian Place , Toronto-Dominion Centre , Scotia Plaza , Royal Bank Plaza , Commerce Court and Brookfield Place . This area includes, among others, the neighbourhoods of St. James Town , Garden District , St. Lawrence , Corktown , and Church and Wellesley . From that point,
4582-579: Is one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world. Indigenous peoples have travelled through and inhabited the Toronto area, located on a broad sloping plateau interspersed with rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest , for more than 10,000 years. After the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase , when the Mississauga surrendered the area to the British Crown , the British established
4740-566: Is the third-largest tech hub in North America after Silicon Valley and New York City , and the fastest-growing hub. The word Toronto has been recorded with various spellings in French and English, including Tarento , Tarontha , Taronto , Toranto , Torento , Toronto , and Toronton . The most frequent early spelling, Taronto , referred to 'The Narrows', a channel of water through which Lake Simcoe discharges into Lake Couchiching where
4898-522: The 1908 federal election . It was a factor in Ayleworth's ability to hold the seat, although he won it with a margin of only 306 votes. About $ 185,000 was spent during 1908, and a similar amount was requested for 1909. When these figures were presented, opponents pointed out that Graham had been a continual opponent of the Tay Canal outside Ottawa as an expensive waste of money with dubious traffic; yet now he
Newmarket Canal - Misplaced Pages Continue
5056-646: The 1911 federal election brought Robert Borden to power and changes at the top of the Department of Railways and Canals . They quickly placed a hold on ongoing construction, and a few weeks later, ended construction outright. Today, locals refer to it as " The Ghost Canal ". The East Holland River running through Newmarket had long been used as the eastern branch of the Toronto Carrying-Place Trail , running from Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe and then on to Georgian Bay . Its location on this route led to
5214-400: The 2026 FIFA World Cup . Toronto covers an area of 630 square kilometres (243 sq mi), with a maximum north–south distance of 21 kilometres (13 mi). It has a maximum east–west distance of 43 km (27 mi), and it has a 46-kilometre (29 mi) long waterfront shoreline, on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario . The Toronto Islands and Port Lands extend out into
5372-532: The 42nd Governor General of Canada (1847–1854); she had also lifted a ceremonial silver spade for the sod-turning ceremony of the construction of the railway at Front Street and Simcoe Street on 15 October 1851. Because of the high customs duties and shipping costs for the locomotive, executives of the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Union Railroad decided that subsequent locomotives would be built in Ontario. The James Good foundry Toronto Locomotive Works , located at
5530-622: The Canadian province of Ontario . With a population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the fourth-most populous city in North America . The city is the anchor of the Golden Horseshoe , an urban agglomeration of 9,765,188 people (as of 2021) surrounding the western end of Lake Ontario , while the Greater Toronto Area proper had a 2021 population of 6,712,341. Toronto is an international centre of business, finance, arts, sports, and culture and
5688-569: The Great Irish Famine ; most of them were Catholic . By 1851, the Irish-born population had become the largest single ethnic group in the city. The Scottish and English population welcomed smaller numbers of Protestant Irish immigrants, some from what is now Northern Ireland, which gave the Orange Order significant and long-lasting influence over Toronto society. Almost every mayor of Toronto
5846-555: The Humber River . A dam on this outlet would raise the water level about 3 feet (0.91 m), along with the connected Lake St. George a short distance to the northeast. This would add about 150,000,000 cubic feet (4,200,000 m) of water supply, and provide a constant flow of 66,000 cubic feet (1,900 m) of water an hour, about double the natural flow of the Holland at Fairly Lake. of A small channel would be cut from Lake St. George to
6004-622: The Mississaugas had displaced the Iroquois, who abandoned the Toronto area at the end of the Beaver Wars , with most returning to their homeland in present-day New York state. French traders founded Fort Rouillé in 1750 (the current Exhibition grounds were later developed there), but abandoned it in 1759 during the Seven Years' War . The British defeated the French and their indigenous allies in
6162-577: The Northern Railway Company of Canada in August 1858. Cumberland focused on profitability, cutting any train that didn't pay for itself, strongly resisting any expansion plans, and selling off their small fleet of ships operating on the Great Lakes. This resistance to expansion would ultimately backfire; in 1864 the company was approached by businessmen from Grey and Bruce counties about building
6320-595: The Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway , the aim was to provide a portage route from the upper Great Lakes at Collingwood to Toronto . The plan for the railway was largely executed by Frederick Chase Capreol who was fired as manager of the company the day before the ground broke. Financial difficulties and a government bailout led to a reorganization of the company as the Northern Railway of Canada in 1859. The line saw three major expansions; North Grey Railway extended
6478-400: The Toronto Carrying-Place Trail , led to widespread use of the name. The pronunciation of the city is broadly / t ə ˈ r ɒ n t oʊ / tə- RONT -oh , which locals pronounce [təˈɹɒnoʊ] or [ˈtɹɒnoʊ] , leaving the second 't' silent. The site of Toronto lay at the entrance to one of the oldest routes to the northwest, a route known and used by
Newmarket Canal - Misplaced Pages Continue
6636-589: The York University grounds in the city's north end at the intersection of Keele Street and Steeles Avenue. There are occasional hilly areas; in particular, midtown Toronto , as well as the Silverthorn and Fairbank neighbourhoods, have several sharply sloping hills. Lake Ontario remains occasionally visible from the peaks of these ridges as far north as Eglinton Avenue, 7 to 8 kilometres (4.3 to 5.0 mi) inland. The other major geographical feature of Toronto
6794-482: The 19th century, the city built an extensive sewage system to improve sanitation, and streets were illuminated with gas lighting as a regular service. Long-distance railway lines were constructed, including a route completed in 1854 linking Toronto with the Upper Great Lakes. The Grand Trunk Railway and the Northern Railway of Canada joined in the building of the first Union Station in downtown. The advent of
6952-464: The 22.5 kilometres (14.0 mi) Tiny Beaches Trail with sections south of this also in use. Talk about a line from Toronto to the upper Great Lakes has been recorded to as early as 1834, but no serious effort was taken until 1848 when Frederick Chase Capreol announced he was going to build a line to the Collingwood area under the name Toronto, Simcoe and Huron Railroad Union Company . He suggested
7110-435: The 2nd Concession and one at Green Lane. The biggest problem that Walsh faced, and the major reason for the delays in competing the plans, was the lack of water. To supply the required water, especially south of Fairy Lake where there were few streams; Walsh proposed using Wilcox Lake as a reservoir. Wilcox, about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south of Aurora, normally empties to the west, ultimately flowing into Lake Ontario via
7268-587: The American Cereal Company (later known as Quaker Oats ) in Peterborough . Mulock and the mayor of Newmarket, Howard S. Cane, one of the "Sons" of the local factory, met by chance on the train to Toronto in September 1904. Mulock presented his idea and Cane was enthusiastic. The two put up posters for a town meeting on the issue on 9 September, and in spite of the short notice, the meeting the next day drew
7426-569: The City of Toronto in 1834. Toronto hosted the 4th G20 summit during June 26–27, 2010. This included the largest security operation in Canadian history. Following large-scale protests and rioting, law enforcement arrested more than 1,000 people, the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. On July 8, 2013, severe flash flooding hit Toronto after an afternoon of slow-moving, intense thunderstorms. Toronto Hydro estimated 450,000 people were without power after
7584-613: The County of York for the expenditure of public money was for the more substantial purpose of enhancing the facilities of transportation of their people for the development of commerce. Mulock, meanwhile, began to come under fire in the House of Commons for what the Conservatives called a blatant "bribe to the electors of North York". He had the Minister for Railways and Canals , Henry Emmerson , order
7742-474: The Department of Railways and Canals. Apparently there was deep personal enmity between Walsh, Mulock, Butler and Butler's friend Michael John Haney, whose connections placed Butler in the position of Chief Engineer. Butler and Haney were very much "railway men," having worked together on a number of projects in the past, and the two intensely hated Mulock and his interference in the department's work. Shortly after taking office, Walsh noted that Butler had spoken "in
7900-482: The Don River, and north of Davenport Road from Caledonia to Spadina Road ; the Casa Loma grounds sit above this escarpment. The geography of the lakeshore has dramatically changed since the first settlement of Toronto. Much of the land on the harbour's north shore is landfill, filled in during the late 19th century. Until then, the lakefront docks (then known as wharves) were set back farther inland than today. Much of
8058-669: The Huron had planted tree saplings to corral fish. This narrows was called tkaronto by the Mohawk , meaning 'where there are trees standing in the water', and was recorded as early as 1615 by Samuel de Champlain . The word Toronto , meaning 'plenty', also appears in a 1632 French lexicon of the Huron language , which is also an Iroquoian language. It also appears on French maps referring to various locations, including Georgian Bay, Lake Simcoe, and several rivers. A portage route from Lake Ontario to Lake Huron running through this point, known as
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#17328698583348216-522: The Huron, Iroquois, and Ojibwe . Archaeological sites show evidence of human occupation dating back thousands of years. The site was of strategic importance from the beginning of Ontario's recorded history. In the 1660s, the Iroquois established two villages within what is today Toronto, Ganatsekwyagon (Bead Hill) on the banks of the Rouge River and Teiaiagon on the banks of the Humber River . By 1701,
8374-451: The Minister in charge of the construction, could not help joking about it, commenting slyly that "There is plenty of water in it for all the commerce there will ever be on it." The opposition launched a full attack on the canal in 1909. The 1908 work estimates had been buried in the roughly $ 1 million allocated to the Trent system as a whole, and the government was attempting to do the same for
8532-531: The Newmarket work. The Liberals were only slightly better prepared. As he had predicted, Walsh was blamed for the problems in both debates, with various Conservatives claiming he had submitted a low estimate. This was traced back to Butler; when Graham took over the office he questioned Butler about the problems, and Butler placed the blame on Walsh. Butler quit his position in January 1910, and while Graham quickly appointed Archibald Campbell as deputy minister, he left
8690-529: The Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway was inducted to the North America Railway Hall of Fame . The OS&HR was recognized for its contribution to railroading as a "Community, Business, Government or Organization" in the "National" category (pertaining specifically to the area in and around St. Thomas, Ontario.) Toronto Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the capital city of
8848-669: The Progressive Conservatives' majority. North York mayor Mel Lastman became the first "megacity" mayor, and the 62nd mayor of Toronto, with his electoral victory . Lastman gained national attention after multiple snowstorms, including the January Blizzard of 1999 , dumped 118 centimetres (46 in) of snow and effectively immobilized the city. He called in the Canadian Army to aid snow removal by use of their equipment to augment police and emergency services. The move
9006-552: The Toronto Harbour), and the Rouge River at the city's eastern limits. Most of the ravines and valley lands in Toronto today are parklands and recreational trails are laid out along the ravines and valleys. The original town was laid out in a grid plan on the flat plain north of the harbour, and this plan was extended outwards as the city grew. The width and depth of several of the ravines and valleys are such that several grid streets, such as Finch Avenue , Leslie Street , Lawrence Avenue , and St. Clair Avenue , terminate on one side of
9164-407: The Toronto area. There were a few complaints on the part of locals who were expecting more local workers to be hired, and it was rumoured (but denied) that only Italians would be hired. There were a few minor labour disputes among the workers and management as well, but these did not appear to slow construction. Businesses in Newmarket did get a share of the supply work, but even catering was handled by
9322-622: The Toronto skyline extends northward along Yonge Street. Old Toronto is also home to many historically wealthy residential enclaves, such as Yorkville , Rosedale, The Annex, Forest Hill, Lawrence Park , Lytton Park , Deer Park , Moore Park , and Casa Loma, most stretching away from downtown to the north. East and west of downtown, neighbourhoods such as Kensington Market , Chinatown , Leslieville , Cabbagetown and Riverdale are home to bustling commercial and cultural areas as well as communities of artists with studio lofts, with many middle- and upper-class professionals. Other neighbourhoods in
9480-400: The West Holland and Black River, no longer appears in any of the plans. Mulock had become increasingly disenchanted with the Liberal Party, and in the summer of 1905 he announced he was retiring his position owing to ill health. A by-election on 22 November 1905 was won by Liberal Allen Bristol Aylesworth , but with a significantly smaller majority than Mulock had enjoyed. This was a sign of
9638-474: The West. Like the Irish before them, many of these migrants lived in overcrowded shanty-type slums, such as " the Ward ", which was centred on Bay Street , now the heart of the country's Financial District . As new migrants began to prosper, they moved to better housing in other areas, in what is now understood to be succession waves of settlement. Despite its fast-paced growth, by the 1920s, Toronto's population and economic importance in Canada remained second to
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#17328698583349796-405: The adjacent Port Lands on the harbour's east side was a wetland filled in early in the 20th century. The shoreline from the harbour west to the Humber River has been extended into the lake. Further west, landfill has been used to create extensions of land such as Humber Bay Park. The Toronto Islands were a natural peninsula until a storm in 1858 severed their connection to the mainland, creating
9954-453: The amount of political support for the project. Among many changes, Grant specified concrete throughout the system, including the piers and dams, replacing any timber construction. The entire route was to be dredged deeper and wider. The locks were lengthened from 143 feet to 175 feet (53 m). The reason for this change appears to be similar changes made on the Erie Canal , although they could serve no possible purpose in this case as
10112-405: The architecture of its homes, and for being one of Toronto's earliest planned communities, was designated as an Ontario Heritage Conservation district in 1985. The Casa Loma neighbourhood is named after "Casa Loma", a castle built in 1911 by Sir Henry Pellat , complete with gardens, turrets, stables, an elevator, secret passages, and a bowling alley. Spadina House is a 19th-century manor that
10270-423: The area, with the usual complaints of debauchery and drunkenness. In 1793, Governor John Graves Simcoe established the town of York on the Toronto Purchase lands, naming it after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany . Simcoe decided to move the Upper Canada capital from Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) to York, believing the new site would be less vulnerable to attack by the United States. The York garrison
10428-399: The canal as small as possible. Summoned to Ottawa in January 1905, Mulock ordered Walsh to produce an estimate by 11 January. Continuing to protest over a lack of measurements, he put the figure at $ 328,825. This was apparently a shock to Mulock, and the cost was so high that it could not be buried in the Trent budget. This meant that Mulock would have to push the funding through Parliament as
10586-409: The canal projects. Grant had previously been a flagman on one of Walsh's work crews, and held a junior position during the construction of the Soulanges Canal . Walsh felt his appointment was entirely political, and he appears to have been very upset that he had not been given the position. By January 1906, under intense pressure, the Department of Railways and Canals ordered Walsh to present plans for
10744-426: The canal, making changes that appear to have no rational basis and doubling the cost. Walsh later remarked that Grant "from the confines of his office, and with the connivance of Butler, undertook and did within a few days mutilate the plans and proposals." According to Angus's account, this was done deliberately to make the plan unattractive and make Walsh look foolish when the plan was cancelled, but they underestimated
10902-481: The capital until 1865 (two years before Canadian Confederation). Since then, the capital of Canada has remained Ottawa , Ontario. Toronto became the capital of the province of Ontario after its official creation in 1867. The seat of government of the Ontario briefly returned to the same building that hosted the Third Parliament Building of Upper Canada, before moving to the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park in 1893. Because of its provincial capital status,
11060-617: The central city retain an ethnic identity, including two smaller Chinatowns, the Greektown area, Little Italy , Portugal Village , and Little India , among others. The inner suburbs are contained within the former municipalities of York and East York. These are mature and traditionally working-class areas, consisting primarily of post–World War I small, single-family homes and small apartment blocks. Neighbourhoods such as Crescent Town , Thorncliffe Park , Flemingdon Park , Weston, and Oakwood Village consist mainly of high-rise apartments, which are home to many new immigrant families. During
11218-407: The channel of the Don River have been dredged numerous times for shipping. The lower section of the Don River was straightened and channelled in the 19th century. The former mouth drained into a wetland; today, the Don River drains into the harbour through a concrete waterway, the Keating Channel . To mitigate flooding in the area, as well as to create parkland, a second more natural mouth was built to
11376-458: The chief engineer position open. This prompted Walsh to apply for the position, but Butler and Haney lobbied against him, convincing Graham that Walsh was a closet Conservative. With this avenue blocked, Walsh wrote to H.S. Cane on 5 April 1910, outlining the entire situation and blaming Butler for arranging the entire fiasco "to damn Sir William Mulock, the Engineer who reported favourably thereon, and
11534-735: The city granted the operation of the transit franchise to the Toronto Railway Company . The public transit system passed into public ownership in 1921 as the Toronto Transportation Commission , later renamed the Toronto Transit Commission . The system now has the third-highest ridership of any city public transportation system in North America . The Great Toronto Fire of 1904 destroyed a large section of downtown Toronto . The fire destroyed more than 100 buildings. The fire claimed one victim, John Croft, who
11692-632: The city was also the location of Government House , the residence of the viceregal representative of the Crown in right of Ontario . Long before the Royal Military College of Canada was established in 1876, supporters of the concept proposed military colleges in Canada. Staffed by British Regulars, adult male students underwent a three-month-long military course at the School of Military Instruction in Toronto. Established by Militia General Order in 1864,
11850-470: The city was hit by a massive blackout which affected millions of Torontonians (it also affected most of Southern Ontario and parts of the United States), stranding some hundreds of people in tall buildings, knocking out traffic lights and suspending subway and streetcar service across the city during those aforementioned days. On March 6, 2009, the city celebrated the 175th anniversary of its inception as
12008-449: The city, there exist hundreds of small neighbourhoods and some larger neighbourhoods covering a few square kilometres. The many residential communities of Toronto express a character distinct from the skyscrapers in the commercial core. Victorian and Edwardian-era residential buildings can be found in enclaves such as Rosedale , Cabbagetown , The Annex , and Yorkville . The Wychwood Park neighbourhood, historically significant for
12166-416: The civil service. Walsh considered himself a victim of this patronage, and stated that "My engineering record is unassailable: the works successfully carried out are an uncompromising refutation of any reflection thereon" while going on to state that his superiors in the Department of Railways and Canals were "self-seeking obsequious sycophants". Mulock had leaked the news that Walsh had been hired even before
12324-456: The company re-chartered as the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Union Railroad in 1850. Capreol was fired as manager two days before the official sod turning, which was carried out on 15 October 1851 by Lady Elgin . The occasion was marked with a parade, to which an estimated 20,000 people attended of a total population of the city of only 31,000. Sandford Fleming took the sod and preserved it for history. A party later that night at St. Lawrence Hall
12482-427: The concrete with stone-filled wooden pilings for piers and other features, and the replacement of some of the swing bridges with higher wooden ones. These changes reduced the price by $ 37,000, enough to cross the $ 300,000 threshold that might stop development. He was then instructed to begin the detailed construction planning, which he started in June. From this point, work to continue south to Aurora, as well as work on
12640-430: The constant pressure in parliament, Butler instructed Grant to make a careful measure of water flow, which started in 1908. When the results were presented to parliament in 1909, they revealed an average flow of 540 cubic feet per minute, or 32,400 cubic feet (920 m) per hour, dropping to 445 per minute (26,700 per hour) in late summer, and a peak flow in spring of 139,000 cubic feet (3,900 m) per hour. This limited
12798-620: The contract in June 1907, but failed to raise the capital needed for the construction bond of $ 22,000, and on 12 September wrote that he would not be continuing. In January 1908 the contract was about to be awarded to the Queenstown Quarry Company when Riley sold his contract to Willam Russel, who formed the York Construction Company in April 1908. Construction on section 2 finally began in April, mostly using Italian labour from
12956-483: The contract was "taken out of their hands." Walsh delivered his final plans for section 2 in September 1906. It was relatively similar to the ad hoc plans presented earlier, based on the 143 by 33 feet (44 m × 10 m) lock size used across the Trent system. To address the lack of water, Walsh added large piers leading upstream from the locks, forming small lakes at the entrance to each one. These were built from 15-inch (38 cm) tamarack poles driven into
13114-478: The contractor of the Section No. 1." ending the letter with the suggestion Cane lobby on his behalf or that he would go public with his concerns. This effort was not successful; Graham was told of Walsh's threat and W.A. Bowden was appointed chief engineer late in the year. In response, Walsh sent a 20 January 1911 letter to Graham, placing all of the blame on Butler and absolving himself. When Graham attempted to bury
13272-595: The corner of Queen and Yonge Street , would manufacture nine locomotives for the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron railway at an average cost of $ 5000. The first of these was named Toronto , built in its namesake city and the first locomotive built in Canada or in any colony of the British Empire. Commissioned in February 1853, its construction was completed by 16 April. Over five days, it was rolled along temporary wooden rails on Queen Street and York Street, and on 26 April it
13430-411: The dredging of the Holland, section 1, as soon as possible. He had originally specified this to be 4 feet (1.2 m) deep, but Butler overruled him and ordered them to be dredged to 6 feet (1.8 m), the same as the rest of the Trent system. Walsh returned the plans in the middle of February and on 18 April 1906 the dredging contract for $ 46,487 was won by The Lake Simcoe Dredging Company. This company
13588-571: The elimination of racially based immigration policies by the late 1960s, Toronto became a destination for immigrants from all over the world. By the 1980s, Toronto had surpassed Montreal as Canada's most populous city and chief economic hub. During this time, in part owing to the political uncertainty raised by the resurgence of the Quebec sovereignty movement , many national and multinational corporations moved their head offices from Montreal to Toronto and Western Canadian cities. On January 1, 1998, Toronto
13746-597: The entire surrounding area in January. Two weeks after the meeting, the temporary organizing company known as the Trent Valley Canal Extension, hired E. J. Walsh to produce a preliminary design for the canal. Walsh had been a primary engineer on the later sections of the Trent-Severn, as well as many other major construction projects across the country. He was, however, still working on his own while many of his former underlings had since received appointments in
13904-580: The first mayor of Toronto . Mackenzie would later lead the unsuccessful Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837 against the British colonial government. Toronto's population of 9,000 included some African-American slaves, some of whom had been brought by the Loyalists, and Black Loyalists , whom the Crown had freed (most of the latter were resettled in Nova Scotia). By 1834, refugee slaves from America's South were also immigrating to Toronto to gain freedom. Slavery
14062-518: The flat terrain between the Niagara Escarpment and the southern shore of Georgian Bay, and the line was completed on 1 April 1872. However, the expansion to Owen Sound was never completed; a combination of much more difficult terrain west of Meaford, the impending arrival of the TG&;B, and demand for other expansions that were considered more important. The company had continually been at odds with
14220-506: The following year as well. On 25 February, Graham was asked to separate the Newmarket work out of the rest of the estimate, which he refused to do. On 23 March, when the Minister of Finance moved that the house move to the Committee of Supply, normally a commonplace event. Thomas George Wallace opposed the motion so he could add an amendment cancelling the canal as "a wanton misuse and waste of public money." Members from Toronto and those along
14378-399: The formation of the company, but Walsh did not actually arrive in Newmarket until 17 October 1904. In spite of constant pressure from Mulock, Walsh refused to hurry the survey and spent the next two months making careful measurements. Although no accurate measurement of water flow was made at that time, it was clear the supply was a major concern. This, and the lack of traffic, suggested keeping
14536-468: The founding of the townsite on the bank of the river in 1796. Traffic on this section led William Roe and Andrew Borland to set up a fur trading post under a huge elm tree on the bank of the river at the ending of the War of 1812 . The two spread the word that they would be trading at that site, saving trappers the need to travel all the way to York (Toronto) to sell their goods. This "new market" gave its name to
14694-533: The funding and income needed to begin construction of the Northern and Pacific Junction Railway , which ran between Gravenhurst and Nipissing . This reached the Canadian Pacific Railway transcontinental lines at North Bay in 1886. The Northern Railway was purchased by Grand Trunk Railway in 1888, and through its amalgamation, became part of the Canadian National Railway. CNR operated
14852-680: The hurricane caused more than CA$ 25 million in damage. In 1967, the seven smallest municipalities of Metropolitan Toronto were merged with larger neighbours, resulting in a six-municipality configuration that included the former city of Toronto and the surrounding municipalities of East York , Etobicoke , North York , Scarborough , and York . In the decades after World War II, refugees from war-torn Europe and Chinese job-seekers arrived, as well as construction labourers, particularly from Italy and Portugal. Toronto's population grew to more than one million in 1951 when large-scale suburbanization began and doubled to two million by 1971. Following
15010-407: The increased weight of water. The cost of these thicker walls was compounded by replacing the concrete-over-puddle construction by solid concrete. The result of these changes was enormous, with the estimated cost of section 2 roughly doubled. As if this were not enough, when the original dredging efforts failed and were taken over in May 1908, Grant ordered a new survey of the Holland and came up with
15168-400: The lake, allowing for a somewhat sheltered Toronto Harbour south of the downtown core. An Outer Harbour was constructed southeast of downtown during the 1950s and 1960s, and it is now used for recreation. The city's limits are formed by Lake Ontario to the south, the western boundary of Marie Curtis Park , Etobicoke Creek , Eglinton Avenue and Highway 427 to the west, Steeles Avenue to
15326-461: The letter, Walsh leaked its existence to Wallace, who read it into the Hansard in July. Wallace then used it as the basis for yet another motion of non-confidence, opening with the statement: This House reports that in many cases the government have... used and applied public moneys for the purposes what were not in the public interest. Northern Railway of Canada The Northern Railway of Canada
15484-487: The line from King City and instead splitting off west of Barrie to run north to Penetanguishene as the North Simcoe Railway. Construction began in January 1878. In 1881, the entire line was regauged in sections. The entire mainline to Gravenhurst was converted to standard gauge in a single day on 9 July 1881. Work gangs were located all along the line waiting for the 7:45 AM mail train leaving Toronto, which carried
15642-405: The line reached Allandale in Barrie later in 1853, and Collingwood in 1855. Early traffic was dominated by agricultural products, earning it the nickname "Oats, Straw, and Hay". In spite of reasonable volumes of traffic the line was never very profitable, and by 1858 the company was in financial difficulty. Frederick William Cumberland agreed to take control of the railway, after reorganizing as
15800-474: The line remain: Several sections of the line have been turned over to rail trail use. The section of the mainline from the western side of Collingwood to Meaford is now the high-quality 34 kilometres (21 miles) Georgian Trail , which is being expanded towards Owen Sound as the Tom Thompson Trail . Sections from Collingwood to Stayner have a trail running beside them. The North Simcoe Railway now forms
15958-483: The main lock to four operations per hour during the flood period, but would not even cover leakage and evaporation during the summer. Walsh's own plans to use Lake Wilcox could not be used any more because of the legal suits that would result from rerouting this water away from the Humber. South of Newmarket there was simply no other suitable source of additional water, and the existing millstock in downtown Newmarket presented
16116-438: The main route of the Trent led the attack. The resulting debate continued well into the evening, and the Hansard records over 1,000 words on the topic in the acrimonious debate. The Liberals were just able to defeat the motion when the division bells rang. Having almost lost what turned into a motion of no confidence , Laurier contacted Mulock and asked for all information he had on everyone involved. This indicated that many of
16274-575: The mainline as the CN Newmarket Subdivision, selling off the branches to the west, and pulling up the section between Barrie and Orillia. It is now the Barrie line after its purchase by Metrolinx . The first locomotive of the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Union Railroad was named Lady Elgin and built in Portland , Maine . It was named for Mary Lambton, second wife of James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin ,
16432-409: The majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, over 160 languages are spoken in the city. The mayor of Toronto is elected by direct popular vote to serve as the chief executive of the city. The Toronto City Council is a unicameral legislative body, comprising 25 councillors since the 2018 municipal election , representing geographical wards throughout the city. Toronto
16590-403: The middle of the locks that would prevent downhill leakage. These would sit on the bottom of the lock and be raised using winches, held in place by an inflated India rubber bag at the top, and latches at the sides. Butler responded saying they could not be added unless savings were found elsewhere. These were found by reducing the length of the entrance piers. Butler approved these changes, but it
16748-505: The much longer established Montreal , Quebec. However, by 1934, the Toronto Stock Exchange had become the largest in the country. In 1954, the City of Toronto and 12 surrounding municipalities were federated into a regional government known as Metropolitan Toronto . The postwar boom had resulted in rapid suburban development. It was believed a coordinated land-use strategy and shared services would provide greater efficiency for
16906-617: The north and the Rouge River and the Scarborough–Pickering Townline to the east. The city is mostly flat or gentle hills, and the land gently slopes upward away from the lake. The flat land is interrupted by the Toronto ravine system , which is cut by numerous creeks and rivers of the Toronto waterway system , most notably the Humber River in the west end, the Don River east of downtown (these two rivers flanking and defining
17064-435: The opening of lock 1 in Newmarket would produce only half the water needed to fill the large lock 2, and when lock 2 was opened, the smaller lock 3 could not contain half of the water, which would have to be dumped. Butler gave the letter to Grant, who then made his own changes to address the problem of water supply. His solution was to make a reservoir out of the entire canal, replacing the original lock in Holland landing with
17222-616: The original Office Specialty factory buildings has been converted to lofts just east of Main Street. The Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) took over the Northern Railway in 1888. In 1904 they raised rates from 3 cents per ton-mile to 4 cents. They also charged deliveries anywhere along the line the full fare to Toronto , meaning businesses further north had no pricing advantage over Toronto factories when receiving materials from further north, but still had to pay for their own goods to get that extra distance to market. This would add several thousand dollars
17380-592: The original mainline to Meaford , the North Simcoe Railway ran to the port town of Penetanguishene , and the Muskoka Branch ran northeast to Gravenhurst . This last expansion would be the starting point for the Northern and Pacific Junction Railway , connecting to the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline outside of North Bay . In 1887, the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) gained a controlling interest, and
17538-409: The people complaining about the canal, including Lennox, had signed their names to the original request. Mulock also suggested they raise the possibility of considerable pleasure boat traffic on the canal, but Laurier never used this line of defence. The same sort of fight occurred in 1910, as expected, when the opposition introduced a motion to reduce the allocation for the Trent by exactly the amount of
17696-455: The plan of cutting a channel from the eastern to western branches. The western branch is deeper and wider and would require little dredging, but was some distance to the west across marshy land. His new plan more than doubled the estimated cost for section 1 from Walsh's final estimate at $ 48,295 to $ 131,293. The final report was returned to Butler on 6 December 1906. Butler sent Grant's report to Walsh, who responded to Butler in January 1907 with
17854-449: The plans during Question Period , asking the Minister of Railways and Canals, Emmerson: Hughes: Will the honourable minister be good enough now to give us the estimate of the supply of water in the little creek - it is merely a creek - running down there? Emmerson: The report of the engineer is that there is an ample supply of water. Kemp: There is not enough water supply for this canal. I do not care what engineer reports on it... there
18012-401: The question of water supply upon which the success of the whole project hinges." Walsh had designed the canal with four locks of equal size. That way when the water from one of the locks was released, it would flow downhill into the next. Water would only be lost from the system at lock 4, the last lock. But by replacing the two centre locks with one larger one, this was no longer true. For one,
18170-458: The railway dramatically increased the numbers of immigrants arriving, commerce and industry, as had the Lake Ontario steamers and schooners entering port before. These enabled Toronto to become a major gateway linking the world to the interior of the North American continent. Expanding port and rail facilities brought in northern timber for export and imported Pennsylvania coal. Industry dominated
18328-458: The referendum results and did so in April when it tabled the City of Toronto Act . Both opposition parties held a filibuster in the provincial legislature, proposing more than 12,000 amendments that allowed residents on streets of the proposed megacity to take part in public hearings on the merger and adding historical designations to the streets. This only delayed the bill's inevitable passage, given
18486-462: The region. The metropolitan government began to manage services that crossed municipal boundaries, including highways, police services, water and public transit . In that year, a half-century after the Great Fire of 1904, disaster struck the city again when Hurricane Hazel brought intense winds and flash flooding. In the Toronto area, 81 people were killed, nearly 1,900 families were left homeless, and
18644-510: The rest of the Trent was 143 feet and that was the only route to the Erie. The simple valve system used in the lock gates was replaced by a more complex system using piping in the lock walls, which required them to be much thicker. The two 10 foot (3.0 m) locks in Holland Landing were replaced by a single lock of 20 feet (6.1 m) rise, which meant the walls had to be much thicker to hold
18802-550: The riverbanks and covered with planks. Upstream from the lock in each of the pier areas was a 10 by 6 feet (3.0 m × 1.8 m) box in the channel floor used to capture silt . Three earthen dams would redirect water from local creeks into the system, and the entire system would be lined with puddle , a clay mixture widely used to line channels and canals to prevent water leakage. The canal would be spanned by four bridges; two existing wooden bridges in Holland Landing would be raised, and two swing bridges would be built, one at
18960-485: The school enabled officers of militia or candidates for commission or promotion in the Militia to learn military duties, drill and discipline, to command a company at Battalion Drill, to drill a company at Company Drill, the internal economy of a company, and the duties of a company's officer. The school was retained at Confederation, in 1867. In 1868, Schools of cavalry and artillery instruction were formed in Toronto. In
19118-548: The south during the first half of the 2020s, thereby creating a new island, Ookwemin Minising . Toronto encompasses an area formerly administered by several separate municipalities that were amalgamated over the years. Each developed a distinct history and identity over the years, and their names remain in common use among Torontonians. Former municipalities include East York, Etobicoke, Forest Hill , Mimico , North York, Parkdale , Scarborough, Swansea , Weston and York. Throughout
19276-538: The southernmost point on the Holland, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) due north, just north of the current Bloomington Road. Walsh estimated the total cost of section 2 to be $ 314,200, and the additional work on the Lake Wilcox channel at $ 40,315. Those figures included $ 2,000 for the purchase of land and rights-of-way, $ 1,000 of that being to move the Toronto and York Radial Railway line to avoid flooding, although he had specifically asked for this line to be moved out of
19434-419: The spring of 1907, shortly after Emmerson had been replaced by George Perry Graham as Minister of Railways and Canals. Three tenders were received, all much higher than Grant's estimates; Larkin and Sangster of St. Catharines bid $ 697,302, Brown and Aylmer of Toronto bid $ 694,542, and John Riley at $ 652,009. Additional contracts for concrete added $ 8,000, and three swing bridges added another $ 17,792. Riley won
19592-409: The storm and Toronto Pearson International Airport reported 126 mm (5 in) of rain had fallen over five hours, more than during Hurricane Hazel. Within six months, from December 20 to 22, 2013, Toronto was brought to a near halt by the worst ice storm in the city's history, rivalling the severity of the 1998 Ice Storm (which mainly affected southeastern Ontario, and Quebec). At the height of
19750-521: The storm, over 300,000 Toronto Hydro customers had no electricity or heating. Toronto hosted WorldPride in June 2014, and the Pan and Parapan American Games in 2015 . The city continues to grow and attract immigrants. A 2019 study by Toronto Metropolitan University (then known as Ryerson University) showed that Toronto was the fastest-growing city in North America. The city added 77,435 people between July 2017 and July 2018. The Toronto metropolitan area
19908-399: The suggestion for a South Simcoe Junction Railway , splitting off the existing line at King City or Bolton , and then meeting the Northern again west of Barrie and continuing on to Penetanguishene as the North Simcoe Railway . Comparing the two, business interests in Simcoe County and towns along the route demanded additional work from both companies. The H&NW finally agreed to run
20066-484: The takeover was formalized in January 1888. The line primarily served the port towns on Georgian Bay , where it faced increasing competition over the years. A combination of factors, including the Great Depression and the opening of a wider Welland Canal led to decreased use of the ports, and traffic fell. The closure of Collingwood Shipbuilding in 1986 led to the abandonment of the sections in Collingwood and to
20224-405: The total water use. He returned these plans to Butler in September 1908, having also reduced their length back to 143 feet and adopted Walsh's original valve system and eliminating his own lock-side tubes. Butler rejected these changes, arguing the advantages were too small to be worthwhile. Grant continued working on the problem, and in June 1909 he came up with the plan of installing seals in
20382-863: The town of York in 1793 and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada . During the War of 1812 , the town was the site of the Battle of York and suffered heavy damage by American troops . York was renamed and incorporated in 1834 as the city of Toronto . It was designated as the capital of the province of Ontario in 1867 during Canadian Confederation . The city proper has since expanded past its original limits through both annexation and amalgamation to its current area of 630.2 km (243.3 sq mi). The diverse population of Toronto reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada . About half of its residents were born outside of Canada and over 200 ethnic origins are represented among its inhabitants. While
20540-461: The town's surrender. American soldiers destroyed much of the garrison and set fire to the parliament buildings during their five-day occupation. Because of the sacking of York, British troops retaliated later in the war with the burning of Washington, D.C. York was incorporated as the City of Toronto on March 6, 1834, adopting the Indigenous name. Reformist politician William Lyon Mackenzie became
20698-444: The town. Borland moved on, but Roe stayed in town and set up a new store at the south end of what developed into Main Street, complete with a dock on the river for traders to use. Shortly thereafter, initial planning began for a Toronto and Georgian Bay Canal that would end on the Humber River in Toronto. The Humber spreads out across a wide area north of the city, including the hills south of Newmarket. Kivas Tully 's team selected
20856-589: The war, and the area became part of the British colony of Quebec in 1763. During the American Revolutionary War , an influx of British settlers arrived there as United Empire Loyalists fled for the British-controlled lands north of Lake Ontario. The Crown granted them land to compensate for their losses in the Thirteen Colonies. The new province of Upper Canada was being created and needed
21014-631: The waterfront for the next 100 years. During the late 19th century, Toronto became the largest alcohol distillation (in particular, spirits ) centre in North America. By the 1860s, the Gooderham and Worts Distillery operations became the world's largest whisky factory. A preserved section of this once dominant local industry remains in the Distillery District . The harbour allowed access to grain and sugar imports used in processing. Horse-drawn streetcars gave way to electric streetcars in 1891 when
21172-416: The way a year earlier when it was being built. The figures also included a 10% contingency, which, if removed, made the total price of the system very close to the figure of $ 328,000 that he had presented over a year and a half earlier. When Walsh presented his plans, Butler turned them over to Grant with the instructions "to go over them carefully and make any notes." Grant responded by completely redesigning
21330-557: The west. The line is intact from Barrie all the way to Union Station , with the section between Toronto and Barrie used by GO Transit as the Barrie line . The Muskoka Junction has been combined with the Ontario Northland Railway to form CNR's mainline in the area north of Orillia . Section west of Collingwood now form the Georgian Trail. The Meaford station was dismantled after 1960 and two stations along this section of
21488-491: The work, lessen the water storage for supply purposes, and substitute not the slightest benefit or advantage in any other respect." He concluded that Grant's plan "appears to me illogical in view of the fact that it is based on false premises, and without regard to the nature of the Canal and its requirements, its probable present and prospective traffic, its exceptional uniqueness when compared to other canals in Canada, especially as to
21646-476: The work, raising the total cost of the canal to $ 967,814, but these estimates still did not include any of the required reservoirs. When asked, he stated that "I do not know what this item will cost as no plans or estimates have yet been prepared for storage reservoirs." Grant had also started looking at ways to save water in the system, introducing a second set of gates in the middle of the locks to effectively cut them in half so that smaller boats could lock with half
21804-475: Was "a canal on which nothing but votes will be floated." The News and Telegram ran a cartoon showing Aylesworth and Graham operating a hand pump to fill a dry ditch. Things were no better in the House of Commons of Canada . Haughton Lennox , the longtime member for Simcoe South which included Aurora, remained staunchly opposed to the system, and repeatedly spoke out against it in the House. Even Graham himself, now
21962-420: Was a railway in the province of Ontario , Canada. It was the first steam railway to enter service in what was then known as Upper Canada . It was eventually acquired by the Grand Trunk Railway , and is therefore a predecessor to the modern Canadian National Railway (CNR). Several sections of the line are still used by CNR and GO Transit . First known as the Toronto, Simcoe and Huron Railway , and then
22120-513: Was a member of the Orange Order between 1850 and 1950, and the city was sometimes referred to as the " Belfast of Canada" because of Orange influence in municipal politics and administration. For brief periods, Toronto was twice the capital of the united Province of Canada : first from 1849 to 1851, following unrest in Montreal, and later from 1855 to 1859. After this date, Quebec was designated as
22278-464: Was an explosive expert clearing the ruins from the fire. It caused CA$ 10,387,000 in damage (roughly CA$ 277,600,000 in 2020 terms). The city received new European immigrant groups from the late 19th century into the early 20th century, particularly Germans, French, Italians, and Jews. They were soon followed by Russians, Poles, and other Eastern European nations, in addition to the Chinese entering from
22436-587: Was banned outright in Upper Canada (and throughout the British Empire) in 1834. Torontonians integrated people of colour into their society. In the 1840s, an eating house at Frederick and King Streets, a place of mercantile prosperity in the early city, was operated by a black man named Bloxom. As a major destination for immigrants to Canada, the city grew rapidly through the remainder of the 19th century. The first significant wave of immigrants were Irish, fleeing
22594-435: Was built at the entrance of the town's natural harbour, sheltered by a long sand-bar peninsula. The town's settlement formed at the harbour's eastern end behind the peninsula, near the present-day intersection of Parliament Street and Front Street (in the " Old Town " area). In 1813, as part of the War of 1812 , the Battle of York ended in the town's capture and plunder by United States forces. John Strachan negotiated
22752-472: Was capped by a performance by Jenny Lind organized by P.T. Barnum . In February 1853, the railway commissioned the construction of the first locomotive built in any British colony. Early construction required the line to pass over the Oak Ridges Moraine , and it was not until 16 May 1853 that the first train reached Machell's Corners, today's Aurora, Ontario . Work north of there was much more rapid;
22910-507: Was eventually found that the continual changes in the plans resulted in additional payments to the contractors, who were continually being forced to change plans. As the enormity of the water supply problem became clear, the project became the subject of continual heaps of scorn in the press. The Orillia Packet joked that the builders could dispense with the swing bridges, and people could cross it by simply putting on their rubber boots . Samuel Simpson Sharpe quoted newspapers stating that it
23068-521: Was formed primarily by E.S. Cane and Dr. Philip Spohn of the Penetanguishene Asylum for the Insane , neither of whom had any experience in dredging. By the spring the company had purchased a small scow and began building a steam-powered clamshell bucket on the end of a 100-foot-long (30 m) arm. Grant reported this uncritically to Butler in a June 1906 progress report, but Butler replied that such
23226-561: Was greatly enlarged, not through traditional annexations , but as an amalgamation of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto and its six lower-tier constituent municipalities: East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York, and the original city itself. They were dissolved by an act of the Government of Ontario and formed into a single-tier City of Toronto (colloquially dubbed the " megacity "), replacing all six governments. The merger
23384-458: Was lifted onto the new OSH railway tracks on Front Street. Torontonians would monitor the locomotive's progress from the foundry to the Front Street tracks, and the event was the subject of a later artistic rendering. Its first duty was three weeks later, transporting passengers and freight between the city of Toronto and the community of Machell's Corner, now known as Aurora . This first duty
23542-551: Was not enough water in this stream for two or three boys to bathe in - that when they wanted to get a bath they had to make a dam and collect enough water. Hughes: ... How many cubic feet of water per hour? Emerson: 30420 cubic feet. Hughes: How many cubic feet to fill the lock? Emmerson: 28000. While Emmerson's statement about lock size was true in Walsh's original plan, Grant's changes doubled this 58,000 cubic feet (1,600 m). This would require at least two hours to fill. Given
23700-521: Was officially absorbed into the Northern in 1875. Upset with the Northern remained, and demand for additional shipping routes on the Lakes led to intense building through the entire area. Businessmen in Hamilton took the opportunity to plan a second line to Barrie as the Hamilton and North-Western Railway (H&NW), with their proposed line passing through several towns along the way. The Northern countered with
23858-483: Was passing to the railway; when elimination of tolls on the Erie Canal failed to improve business, the chief engineer of New York stated that "canals as a successful and necessary means of transportation have outlived their usefulness." Whether it was worth the money to complete the Trent was a matter of great debate. While it offered convenient access from Lake Simcoe to trade on the upper Great Lakes , its southern exit
24016-541: Was proposed as a cost-saving measure by the Progressive Conservative provincial government under premier Mike Harris . The announcement touched off vociferous public objections. In March 1997, a referendum in all six municipalities produced a vote of more than 3:1 against amalgamation. However, municipal governments in Canada are creatures of the provincial governments, and referendums have little to no legal effect. The Harris government could thus legally ignore
24174-408: Was ridiculed by some in other parts of the country, fuelled in part by what was perceived as a frivolous use of resources. The city attracted international attention in 2003 when it became the centre of a major SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak. Public health attempts to prevent the disease from spreading elsewhere temporarily dampened the local economy. From August 14 to 17, 2003,
24332-472: Was still not complete, and impractically far to the east at Trenton . It was ultimately completed both for political reasons and as a way to secure water rights for hydroelectricity , the idea of using it as a shipping route was no longer important. Mulock proposed a short canal route from Holland Landing to Newmarket, with the possible extension to Aurora . South of Aurora, the Oak Ridges Moraine would make further progress difficult. The usefulness of such
24490-429: Was supporting the Newmarket construction which had even less potential traffic and cost twice as much. As early as 1905, when it became clear that the project had strong backing within the Liberal establishment and that appealing to reason was not going to work, the Conservatives switched their attacks to the problem of a lack of suitable water supply. On 12 June 1906, Sam Hughes and Albert Edward Kemp led an attack on
24648-609: Was the second-fastest-growing metropolitan area in North America, adding 125,298 persons, compared with 131,767 in the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metroplex in Texas. The large growth in the Toronto metropolitan area is attributed to international migration to Toronto. The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada first occurred in Toronto and was among the hotspots in the country . Toronto was named as one of 16 cities in North America (and one of two Canadian cities) to host matches for
24806-462: Was too little water to keep the system operating at a reasonable rate through the summer months. From then on it was heaped with scorn in the press and became the butt of jokes and nicknames, including " Mulock's Madness ". The canal was one of the many examples of what the Conservative Party of Canada characterized as out-of-control spending on the part of the ruling Liberals. Their success in
24964-453: Was very low, perhaps 60 tons a day in total, enough to fill two or three barges at most. From the start, the real impetus for the project was a way to bring federal money to the riding of York North , which was held by powerful Liberal member William Mulock . That it was a patronage project was clear to all, and it was under constant attack in the press and the House of Commons . As construction started in 1908, measurements showed there
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