Looking back at the archives of a city like Toronto can be a fascinating and enriching experience. From historic photographs and documents to personal anecdotes and stories, exploring the past can give us a better understanding of the present and even inspire us to imagine the future. With a history that dates back to the late 18th century, Toronto has a rich and diverse past that’s well-documented in its archives. Whether you’re a lifelong resident of the city or a visitor looking to learn more, delving into Toronto’s archives can be a fun and rewarding way to explore its history and culture.
I arrived in Toronto from Montreal in 1959, In the Sixties, I remember that a drive from my home in Bathurst Manor to Buttonville airport with my kids was an outing. A genuine event. Buttonville was out in farm country north of Toronto.
Buttonville Airport 1960. Photo: Northway/Photomap/Remote Sensing Ltd.
Now the airport is being overwhelmed by growth. A mixed-use development may replace it in the near future.
Arial photo Buttonville Airport 2017. Photo: Courtesy Google Maps
What about your Toronto? Or your home town?
The Toronto Archives are so rich, looking back can fill days. Just to get you started, enjoy the old photos the archivists have chosen as their own favorites – Toronto Archives’ own favorite photos.
One of their choices: the Bloor Street Viaduct, under construction 100 years ago! Here’s their 1917 archival photo:
Photo: Bloor Street Viaduct, looking east, July 18, 1917
City of Toronto Archives, Series 372, Sub-series 10, Item 841
Photo: Bloor Street Viaduct, looking east, July 18, 1917
City of Toronto Archives, Series 372, Sub-series 10, Item 841
Today, the viaduct, properly called the Prince Edward Viaduct, brings together a much different Toronto:
Prince Edward Viaduct System, commonly referred to as the Bloor Viaduct, photo courtesy Paul Dexxus
Having whetted your appetite, you can learn everything there is to know about the Archives of Toronto here.
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Find your home town’s archive and rekindle memories of your childhood.
What if you feel like looking back to Winnipeg? I’m sure you’d recognize this photos of the Bank of Montreal building at Portage and Main (above), taken in the late Thirties.
Bank of Montreal building at Portage and Main Photo courtesy of Photo: Archives of Manitoba, C.1938
I’m also pretty sure that famous corner looks more like this to you:
Bank of Montreal, Main and Portage. Photo courtesy Google Street View
Or was your home province British Columbia? Well then, while away a little time in the Archives of the Royal B.C. Museum.
Halifax, you say? Do a little looking back in the Municipal Archives of Halifax.
The aerial photo of Halifax Municipal Airport, below, brought back memories of my first flight, a trip to Halifax to visit an aunt. I noticed the tower of the Dingle in the background. If I remember correctly, we used to go to the beach there. I was about ten, shortly after the end of WWII.
Aerial Photo: Halifax Municipal Archives photographic collection CR 6-077o/s by Atlantic Air Survey
I couldn’t recognize it. Can you? The photo was made between 1931 and 1945.
I tried to match the view in the photo to the area on Google Earth.
Old Halifax Airport today, image courtesy of Google Maps
Wherever you may be from, in Canada or elsewhere, there’s an archive (or several) that can fill your day with adventure and recollections. Just to show you, how about the archives of Liverpool, England?
Looking back isn’t only for photos.
All the archives can help you trace your family’s history if they lived somewhere and owned property or paid taxes, had children or passed away. There’s a record of everything recordable!
So start your time traveling ASAP. The time capsule departs any time you’re ready.