POTLUCK TORONTO STORIES

TORONTO STORIES

STORIES BY: JASMINE FISHER, REBECCA JACKSON, JOCELYN KENT, STEPHANIE READ, ERIKA ROBERTSON

COMPILED BY: BRENNA PLADSEN

The series of digital stories about Toronto history and culture which make up this project are the work of fifty-three Master of Museum Studies (MMSt) graduate students. The project was inspired by the 2015 Myseum Intersections – Telling Toronto’s Stories and invited each storyteller to select an object from local collections which has significance to Toronto’s past and present. The objects inspired the authors to connect historical events with contemporary context so that they tell stories about the multiple intersections that happen in the city.

Musings will be posting collected stories once a cycle. We hope that, after reading the stories, you will know Toronto a little bit better. And perhaps you will find similar stories in your own objects!

Our partners for this project, to which we are extremely thankful, are:

• Archeological and Cultural Heritage Services 
• Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives 
• John M. Kelly Library, St. Mike’s College, University of Toronto 
• Lambton House 
• Myseum of Toronto 
• Ontario Jewish Archives 
• Private Collection of Russian Artefacts 
• Scarborough Historical Society 
• Scarborough Museum 
• The Multicultural Historical Society of Ontario 
• The Real Canadian Portuguese Museum 
• Toronto Botanical Garden 
• Toronto District School Board Archives

While most of are partners had several objects from their collection researched and profiled, some of the institutions are represented through single objects. To finish off Toronto Stories 2017, we are pleased to present single serving stories from around Toronto. Some stories are from right next door, others are in private collections. Now, without further ado, stories from John M. Kelly Library, St. Mike’s College Archives, University of Toronto, a private collection of Russian artefacts, and the Multicultural Historical Society of Ontario.

THE BALL'S IN YOUR COURT: HANDBALL AND IRISH CATHOLICISM IN TORONTO

BY: JASMINE FISHER

What could a 115 year old ball have to do with Irish immigration into Canada? How can this small object be a powerful marker of the history of St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto? This small leather handball tells a story about sports, religion, and Irish Catholic identity at one of the oldest institutions in Toronto. 

Leather handball c.1900, University of St. Michael’s College Archive.
Photo credit: Jasmine Fisher.

In the mid 1800s, an influx of Irish Catholic immigrants came to Canada in the wake of the Great Famine, bringing with them what would become a popular sport at St. Michael’s College, Gaelic handball.

Irish Catholic integration into the culture of the city was not easy. For example, a proper Catholic-centred postsecondary education was difficult because large institutions such as the University of Toronto was firmly Protestant. St Michael’s College School, founded in 1852, was one option for Catholics in Toronto. It was attended by many Irish Catholic students, but they did not offer University degrees, as their graduates would become part of the priesthood. This changed by 1906, when St. Michael’s College became an official part of the University of Toronto.

Despite this integration, St. Michael’s College was still seen as different from the rest of the University, so in-house sports teams evolved as a way to interact with other faculties. Eventually, the success of St. Michael’s College teams became a instance of pride for much of the Irish Catholic population in Toronto. 

University of St. Michael’s College Handball teams, group photo, 1905. 
Photo credit: University of St. Michael’s College Archive.

Hockey and football had a large following in Toronto, but Gaelic handball was also well known. Similar to squash, players must throw or hit a ball against the walls until one player misses. Rather than the tennis ball and racquet which are used in squash, Gaelic handball’s main equipment is a small leather ball and the players’ hands to hit it back and forth, as can be seen here. This leather handball, 4.5cm in diameter, found in the University of St. Michael’s College Archive dates to c.1900, and it was part of a thriving tradition of both formal and informal teams.

This ball is a perfect example of the sporting equipment used during the early years of St. Michael’s College’s integration into the University of Toronto. The sport is still played today using a small synthetic ball rather than leather, and it even has several official leagues in Ireland.

Leather handball c.1900, University of St. Michael’s College Archive.
Photo credit: Jasmine Fisher.

This leather handball represents the development of a sports culture and the popularity of a quintessential Irish sport at St. Michael’s College, and thus the intersection of Irish culture grounded in Catholicism and the traditionally Protestant education system of Toronto. If such a small, everyday piece of sports equipment can represent such an important cultural connection, what stories can be found in the hockey pucks and soccer balls used by people in today’s Toronto?

Works cited
Wamsley, K. B. and D. P. Ryan. (2008). The Fighting Irish of Toronto: Sport and Irish Catholic Identity at St. Michael’s College, 1906-1916. In P. Darby and D. Hassan (Eds), Emigrant Players: Sport and the Irish Diaspora (163-181). London: Routledge.
Google books link: https://books.google.ca/books?id=Bb6MAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA180&lpg=PA180&dq=university+of+st+michaels+college+irish&source=bl&ots=3tPyu1PDPO&sig=vPuY6QdjudfDMwn56MJHXEqP6go&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CGYQ6AEwC2oVChMI7raBhoPSyAIVw2w-Ch3-AgxO#v=onepage&q&f=false

NOSTALGIA, CHILDHOOD, AND THE PAPAL VISIT

BY: REBECCA JACKSON

Ciboria from St. Michael’s University Archives.
Photo Credit: Rebecca Jackson

The University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) archives, at the University of Toronto, houses two ciboria from the 1984 Papal Visit. These two ciboria were donated to USCM by the Archdiocese of Toronto. The photo here tells us that these ciboria were prepared for the Papal Visit by students in the Archdiocese of Toronto. A ciborium is a metal cup or container used to hold and distribute the Eucharist, the bread that Catholics believe to be the body of Christ, during Mass. Often, ciboria are quite ornate and have lids. While there is no official record of how or where the USCM ciboria were used, I would speculate that these were used at the Mass at Downsview during the Papal Visit of 1984 which drew a crowd of thousands.

Some of you may know that 1984 was the first time a pope visited Canada. The late John Paul II, the only pope to visit Canada, came to Toronto twice on this thirteen-city marathon that spanned from coast to coast.

Much telling footage of the Papal Visit is preserved at the CBC digital archives. This material is worth a peek even if just for a reminder of some fantastic fashion from the eighties. During the first week of the visit, over 13.5 million Canadians tuned in to listen to CBC’s radio coverage of the Papal Visit. Some said the Papal Mass at Downsview, an area in northern Toronto, was the largest gathering of people in Canada to date! The archives reveal that John Paul II arrived at the Mass in a Canadian forces helicopter, like the one pictured here, to find a gathering of nearly half a million people. You can see the crowds for yourself on this CBC broadcast.

The USMC ciboria provide a window into this significant event in Toronto’s history. Events like these are often reported and remembered on a grand scale. These ciboria let us look at a smaller part of this grand event. Imagining a smaller community, like a school, and how it prepared for the Papal Visit can bring it closer to home. Do you remember the bustle and excitement when your school got involved in something like an Olympics, festival or parade? You can read one blogger’s recollection of the exciting event to gain some insight into what this might have meant to the kids who prepared these ciboria.

A moment in a city’s history that brings together so many people is worth remembering. Equally important are all the small moments that helped this event happen. So what do you think? Are you hoping Pope Francis I comes to Canada?

A big thank you to the University of St. Michael’s College Archive for their help and access to their collection.

Works Cited

Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. 30 years since the first Papal Visit [Web log], Retrieved from http://archives-archtoronto.blogspot.ca/2014/10/30-years-since-first-papal-visit.html

CBC Digital Archives. (1984) Pope’s First Visit. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/CBC+75th+vignettes/ID/2157160111/

CityPulse Tonight. (1984, September 14) Rewind [Television broadcast]. Toronto, Canada: CityNews. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O21rufR-tOc

Dmytrenko, K. (2014, September 11). A meeting of Saints in Midland. Retrieved from http://archdioceseoftoronto.blogspot.ca/2014/09/a-meeting-of-saints-in-midland.html

News Staff. (2013, March 6). REWIND: Papal election stirs memories of John Paul II visits to Toronto. City News. Retrieved from http://www.citynews.ca/2013/03/06/rewind-papal-election-stirs-memories-of-john-paul- ii-visits-to-toronto/

Stewart, B. (Reporter). (1984, September 21). The National [Television broadcast]. Toronto, ON, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/papal-tour-wraps-up

BREAKING THE ICE WITH A SHARED HOCKEY HERITAGE

BY: JOCELYN KENT

When Luba’s west-end Toronto neighbourhood announced that its annual Solstice Party would be retro themed, she was at a loss as to what to wear. When immigrating to Toronto from Russia in 1998, she and her family brought very little clothing with them. And of that, none of it was old enough to qualify as “retro.” So she pulled out her recently purchased hockey jersey, a replica of one worn in the 1970s by the Soviet Union’s national team. 

Replica of hockey jersey worn by Vladislav Tretiak of
the former Soviet Union’s national team (Photo Credit: Jocelyn Kent)

Her outfit was an instant hit at the party.

Like many immigrants, Luba says, “I like to feel where I came from.” As such, she and her husband Yuri collect Russian objects. While the jersey evokes a period of their lives in the former Soviet Union, it also reminds them of the particular day in 2009 in Toronto when they bought it at a charity auction at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, hosted by the famous former Soviet goalie Vladislav Tretiak.

Whenever friends host parties to watch Team Canada play hockey, Yuri now proudly wears his red Soviet jersey, no matter whom Canada’s up against. And why wear any old Soviet jersey, when you can wear the jersey worn by Tretiak who countered shots attempted by some of Canada’s greatest players during his career? 

Detail of Tretiak’s name and autograph on reverse
(Photo Credit: Jocelyn Kent)

It’s a humorous jab at his friends’ confidence in the national team, reminding them that Canada’s hockey supremacy is not absolute. Despite sportswriters predicting an easy victory for Canada in the historic eight-game Summit Series with the Soviet Union in 1972, by the end of the tournament’s first game (Soviet Union 7 – Canada 3), it seemed Tretiak and the Soviets might give the Canadians a run for their money.

Tretiak’s skill as goaltender helped the Soviets force Canada to a suspenseful final game. As the tied last period waned, for the millions of Canadians anxiously glued to their televisions and radios in their school gymnasiums, offices and homes, he was the man to beat.

When Canada’s Paul Henderson scored the winning goal in the last minute of play against Tretiak, it became a never-to-be-forgotten moment of national triumph. It confirmed Canada’s self-image as a great hockey nation. To this day, the Summit Series remains etched in Canada’s collective consciousness.

Despite the loss, Tretiak became a hero across the Soviet Union and garnered the respect of Canadians as well. He went on to win three Olympic gold medals and eight world championships between 1972 and 1983. As Luba notes, in Canada, more than any other Soviet athlete or politician, “everyone knows him.” She and her husband feel proud wearing Tretiak’s jersey around other Canadians because he espouses sportsmanship and presents “a good image of Russia” to the world.

The Summit Series is part of the former Soviet Union and Canada’s shared heritage, as reactions to the jersey demonstrate. It is in an object from their homeland, surprisingly, that Luba and Yuri find common ground with their Canadian-born friends.

"THING-UNDER-THE-GLASS": A RUSSIAN TEA GLASS HOLDER AND ITS SOVIET ERA ORIGINS

BY: STEPHANIE READ

Tea drinking in Russia is an important daily ritual and has been for hundreds of years. Since the introduction of tea by Mongolian rulers to the Tsar Michael I in the early 17th century, it had become a staple in high society. In the late 18th century, tea was imported at such a rate from China that most Russians could enjoy a cup.

An intriguing element of Russian tea culture is the use of the podstakanniki, or glass holders. Tea in Russia is typically consumed from a slender cup that fits in the podstakannik, which literally translates to “thing under the glass” (‘pod’ = under; ‘stakan’=glass). It is usually made of silver or nickel-plated metal. The stability of this object, as opposed to narrow-based mugs or cups, led to its prevalent use in Russian trains as they were less likely to tip over. However, the podstakannik is predominantly used at home, sometimes alongside intricately-wrought tea kettles called samovars. The highly individual and beautifully decorated podstakanniki, the plural of podstakannik, demonstrate the importance of tea in Russian culture.

Podstakannik: View from the front of Yuri Dolgorukiy.
Source: Stephanie Read, 17 November 2015 

The owner of this podstakannik is a warm and friendly woman of Russian descent, who purchased it as a memento while studying and visiting her family in Moscow in the early 2000s. This vintage Soviet-era glass holder features whimsical acorns and foliage wrapping around its sides, framing a depiction of a sculpture of the founder of Moscow, Yuri Dolgorukiy. Dolgorukiy sits upon his horse in full armour, one arm outstretched out in a powerful stance.

Podstakannik: View from the side.
Source: Stephanie Read, 17 November 2015

During the Soviet era, many podstakanniki depicting important people and events in Russian history, such as Dolgorukiy and Sputnik’s launch, were sold as souvenirs in Moscow. Such podstakanniki of this time period were made in the Central Russian town of Kolchugino, about 170 kilometers northeast of Moscow. This glass holder would have been made sometime in the late 1950s or early 60s, as the statue of Yuri Dolgorukiy depicted on the front was raised in Moscow in 1954. It is interesting to see as decorations for such everyday objects some of the symbols of Soviet Union’s national identity. 

Statue of Yuri Dolgorukiy. 2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade.
Source: Vitaly V. Kuzmin, 3 May 2015

Luba, the owner of the object, has fond memories of travelling on the trains with her mother and using podstakanniki. In her home, each glass holder is of a different pattern and shape. They make for a pleasantly eclectic set such as many Canadians might have in the form of various souvenir, gift and prize coffee mugs.

Items like podstakanniki, samovars, teapots and other items for tea-making in Russia are ornate confections often depicting flowing organic shapes or complex geometric designs. They are associated with social occasions, and in Luba’s case, travelling in Russia with loved ones. This podstakannik bearing the image of the founder of Moscow is still used for tea-drinking and is a cherished souvenir of home. What is on your favourite tea or coffee cup?

Works Cited

Personal communication with Luba (did not want her last name to be known). Tuesday, November 17th, 2015

Personal communication with Egor Surahev (a Russian friend whose father collects antique podstakanniki) Thursday, November 19th, 2015

Encyclopedia of Contemporary Russian Culture. 2007. Eds. Tatiana Smorodinskaya; Karen Evans-Romaine; Helena Goscilo. Routledge: New York, NY. p. 611 of 693

Gaylard, Linda. 2015. The Tea Book. DK Publishing: New York, NY. p. 104-108 of 224Fodor’s Moscow and St. Petersburg. 2006. Eds. Christina Knight and Mary Beth Bohman. 7th Edition. Random House: Toronto, New York. p. 38

A WOMAN'S PLACE (IS WHEREVER SHE MAKES IT) 

BY: ERIKA ROBERTSON

Standing at the corner of Beverley and D’Arcy Streets, I admire the house Mrs. Csók and her husband owned in 1937. William Lyon Mackenzie King and his family lived here in 1893 while he attended the University of Toronto, but I’m here to honour a less famous life. I imagine the factory workers returning from their shifts at the Swift meat factory in the West Toronto Junction, exchanging a quarter for a hot bowl of Mrs. Csók’s homemade goulash and a pastry eighty years ago.

This historic mansion was Mrs. Csók’s Beverley restaurant.
Photo by Erika Robertson

Elizabeth Csók made her own place in Toronto through hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. Born in Hungary in 1905, at eighteen she fell in love with a Catholic man despite the disapproval of her Presbyterian family. When the Treaty of Trianon divided Hungary in 1920, Elizabeth’s family lost their home. Fifty years later, she told historian Carmela Patrias, “My parents have house and grapes on the other side. They put the stamps on the money. When they get the money to Hungary from Czechoslovakia, it worth nothing.” So at twenty-one, she boarded a ship bound for Canada, where she married her fiancé.

The Great Depression, illness, xenophobia, and language barriers kept Mr. Csók from finding a good job. Elizabeth’s options were also limited: employers often wouldn’t hire married women because they were considered unskilled and expected to raise children. Through ingenuity and hard work, she found a way to do both.

When the Csóks moved to Toronto with their two young daughters in 1937, they saw an opportunity: a Hungarian restaurant on the corner of Beverley and D’Arcy Streets. She recalled, “Very old people owned it and it was for sale and we buy it. All the money that we have. So we start working in that restaurant.” They simply called it the Beverley Restaurant.

Mrs. Buyer, the former owner and cook, taught Elizabeth how to run a business and how much meat to order from the Slovak butcher who spoke a little Hungarian. “Mrs. Buyer show me everything, how much, because I have no idea how to cook for that many people.” After a month, Elizabeth ran the kitchen with the help of another woman and a dishwasher from Quebec. Her husband, who had “no clue to do any cooking” and a waitress looked after the dining room. Forty years later, she remembered the Sunday menu with pride: homemade paprikash chicken, salads, coffee, and strudel for thirty-five cents.

Paprikash chicken. Photo by Kobako (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5),
via Wikimedia Commons

Before hearing Elizabeth Csók’s story, the brick houses of Baldwin Village were anonymous to me. Now, they remind me of an industrious woman who made a place for herself and her family in an inhospitable city. I find myself wondering whose histories occupy other buildings I pass on my way to school.

Discover more stories like hers from the Multicultural History Society of Ontario. MHSO has made a selection of its oral history collection available online. I’m thankful to the researchers at the City of Toronto Archives for their help locating the Beverley Restaurant.

Works Cited
Frager, R. A. & Patrias, C. (2005). Discounted Labour: Women Workers in Canada, 1870-1939.

Henderson, G. F. (1998) Chronology of Mackenzie King’s Life. In W.L. Mackenzie King: A Bibliography and Research Guide. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.

MHSO & Patrias, C. (29 November 1976). “Hungarian Interview—Mrs. Csok” from 1956 Hungarian Memorial Oral History Project. Retrieved from http://multiculturalcanada.ca/node/22425

Patrias, C. (1994). Patriots and Proletarians: Politicizing Hungarian Immigrants in Interwar Canada. Montreal, QC: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

TORONTO STORIES FROM THE TORONTO DISTRICT SCHOOLBOARD ARCHIVES

TORONTO STORIES

STORIES BY: EMILY BERG, KHRISTINE CUTHBERTSON, MAYA DONKERS, CURTIS FREDRICK, & MAIREAD MURPHY

COMPILED BY: BRENNA PLADSEN

The series of digital stories about Toronto history and culture which make up this project are the work of fifty-three Master of Museum Studies (MMSt) graduate students. The project was inspired by the 2015 Myseum Intersections – Telling Toronto’s Stories and invited each storyteller to select an object from local collections which has significance to Toronto’s past and present. The objects inspired the authors to connect historical events with contemporary context so that they tell stories about the multiple intersections that happen in the city.

Musings will be posting collected stories once a cycle. We hope that, after reading the stories, you will know Toronto a little bit better. And perhaps you will find similar stories in your own objects!

Our partners for this project, to which we are extremely thankful, are:

• Archeological and Cultural Heritage Services 
• Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives 
• John M. Kelly Library, St. Mike’s College, University of Toronto 
• Lambton House 
• Myseum of Toronto 
• Ontario Jewish Archives 
• Private Collection of Russian Artefacts 
• Scarborough Historical Society 
• Scarborough Museum 
• The Multicultural Historical Society of Ontario 
• The Real Canadian Portuguese Museum 
• Toronto Botanical Garden 
• Toronto District School Board Archives

Now, without further ado, object stories from the Toronto District School Board Archives.

GOOD VIBRATIONS: MORE THAN JUST A PIANO

BY: EMILY BERG

Did you know that the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Museum and Archives houses the largest collection of public education artefacts in Canada? Amongst them is a Heintzman Square Grand Piano that belonged to the Metropolitan Toronto School for the Deaf in the 1920s. Why is this particular piano important? Well, it was used by hard-of-hearing students in the TDSB to feel the vibrations on the wood and in their bodies while the piano keys were played by the teacher, allowing these children to also have access to music in the school system.

Heintzman Square Grand Piano, Rosewood, built in 1873. Toronto District School Board Museum and Archives, Toronto, ON. Photo by E. Berg

Heintzman and Co. Ltd. was a Toronto based piano manufacturer founded by Theodore Heintzman (1817-1899), a German immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1850 and came to Toronto in 1860, where he applied his wood-working, machinery, and instrument making skills. The world renowned Heintzman pianos were considered some of the finest pianos built in Canada, winning several first prize awards and gold medals while being exhibited in the United States and in Canada, including at what is now known as the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). Canadians no longer had to import high-quality pianos.

The piano at the TDSB Museum and Archives was built in December 1873, and is made of high-quality rosewood, which is one of finest finishes for instruments. It is quite large, and if you think this looks the size of a large desk or couch, you are right.

TDSB Archivist, Greg McKinnon, noted that students would lay across the piano or put their hands and head down against the piano to hear, feel, and experience the musical vibrations. Their bodies acted as resonance cavities and the music creates a tingling sensation in our bones, muscles and nerves. Lower notes are often felt in the legs and thighs, while higher pitches resonate in the chest and face. Learning to “hear” different tones with their bodies teaches hard-of-hearing children about music.

Hard-of-hearing students placing their hands on a piano. Metropolitan Toronto School for the Deaf (N.D.)
Out of the Silence. Toronto: Toronto District School Board. [catalogue]

They were using the Orff-Schulwerk multi-sensory method, whereby children can discover, explore, and create music combining singing, dancing, listening, speaking rhythms, and playing instruments. Children use these playful sensorial intersections to experience the changes in resonances within their bodies. Learning music together creates an important collective experience, opening up creativity and encouraging conversations about music.

Today, music therapists believe that music should be available for hard-of-hearing students to learn more about themselves, as well as aiding in their speech development. How wonderful that the TDSB knew the value and positive experiences that children would have using this piano almost a century ago.

Although the Metropolitan Toronto School for the Deaf closed two years ago, there is a hard-of-hearing program run at Faywood Arts-Based Curriculum public school in North York. Today, a special music instructor uses drums instead of a piano with children to help them learn music and feel the vibrations. Music nurtures and builds self-expression, confidence, and better communication skills in all children, including those with disabilities.

Bibliography
Darrow, A.A. (2007). Teaching Students with Hearing Losses. General Music Today, 20(2), 27-30.

Darrow, A.A. (2006). The Role of Music in Deaf Culture: Deaf Student’s Perception of Emotion in Music. Journal of Music Therapy, (43)1, 2-15.

Heintzman and Co. Ltd. (c. 1880-1899) Archival Collection. Baldwin Collection of Canadiana. Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre, Toronto Reference Library. Toronto, ON.

McKinnon, G. Personal Communication. Oct. 20, 2015, Oct. 27, 2015 and Nov. 3, 2015.

Metropolitan Toronto School for the Deaf. Out of the Silence. Toronto: Toronto District School Board. [catalogue]

Toronto District School Board Museum and Archives. Toronto, ON.

AN ELEPHANT NEVER FORGETS, OR IS FORGOTTEN: ELMER THE SAFETY ELEPHANT

BY: KHRISTINE CUTHBERTSON

“Elmer and I never forget!” was a phrase uttered by schoolchildren across Canada during the 1960s, reminding each other to play safely around roads and busy intersections. So how did this popular pachyderm catch his big break and what has become of him?

Elmer the Safety Elephant is a beloved Canadian mascot that was created by Bas Mason and Vernon Page in 1947 with the purpose of educating Toronto’s elementary school children on traffic safety. As noted by Greg McKinnon, chief archivist at the Toronto District School Board Museum and Archives, the program was so successful in its first year that traffic accidents among schoolchildren in Toronto dropped a staggering 44 percent, even as the number of registered vehicles increased by 10 percent. Word of Elmer’s success in Toronto spread to other municipalities in Ontario, and eventually the Elmer safety program was implemented in other provinces.

Archival footage from a 1955 CBC news story shows how the program included in-school safety demonstrations by local police officers, a song which helped children remember traffic safety rules and most memorably, an Elmer flag which was displayed in front of schools. McKinnon spoke of one example of an Elmer pennant flag housed in the museum’s collection. “This particular example is dated to the 1960s, and was often the pride of the school that displayed it.” According to McKinnon, “the Elmer flag was used as bragging rights among Toronto children” as schools could fly the flag when accruing 30 accident-free days.

“Elmer the Safety Elephant” flag (c.1965), TDSB Archives and Museum,
photo by Khristine Chua

So what exactly happened to Elmer after his years of glory? During the 1980s and 1990s, Elmer’s popularity waned and he disappeared from schools. A resurgence in the program that was prompted by the Canada Safety Council during the early 2000s lead to a revamping of Elmer’s image – he ditched the 1940s Disney duds and traded them in for a baseball cap and sneakers. Elmer still lives on today in the form of an interactive website. He continues to educate children on traffic safety, but updated his topics to include contemporary issues such as internet safety. Some have criticised Elmer as being too tame for today’s youth and no longer relevant, but I think he deserves some credit! Elmer paved the way for other safety initiatives and mascots. Remember McGruff the Crime Dog?. Will Elmer ever reach the fame that he did in the 1950s? It’s hard to predict, but in an ever-growing city with its increasing reliance on vehicles, Elmer’s rules should be practiced more than ever.

A special thanks to Greg McKinnon and the Toronto District School Board Museum and Archives at 16 Phin Avenue, for his help conducting research.

Works Cited
Note: All sources used have been linked in the preceding blog post.

DO YOU KNOW THE DRILL? THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE DENTAL CHAIR IN THE TDSB MUSEUM AND ARCHIVE

BY: MAYA DONKERS

If you’re like me and do not enjoy the dentists, take a minute to reconsider the comfort and security of the dental chair you sit in. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Museum and Archive is home to Child’s Chair No. 2, a dental chair patented December 10, 1907, by S.S. White Technologies, Inc. Founded in 1844 by Dr. Samuel Stockton White, the multifaceted technological company remains in operation today.

Child’s Chair No. 2 is the only dental chair in the TDSB Museum and Archive. It provides an example of the early collaborations between health professionals and educators in the Toronto public school system. The black leather, metal, and dark wooden chair is child-size both in the dimensions of the seat and the distance to the upper headrest. As the aesthetic qualities of the chair give it a ‘creepy’ and austere appearance, is it possible that these early dental chairs contributed to the fear of going to the dentists?

S.S. White. Child’s Chair No. 2, 1907.
Front view. Photo Source: Maya Donkers

Research on this chair led to some unexpected findings. Surprisingly, it is the Annual Report of the Inspector for the Public Schools of the City of Toronto in 1880, which provides some answers to my questions through the record of a general meeting held to discuss school hygiene. This left me wondering: When was an adequate health and hygiene practice introduced into Toronto’s public school system?

The TDSB Museum and Archive highlights that in 1910, the Toronto Board of Education organized a system of school visitations and medical inspections to battle health risks associated with unsanitary living conditions, crowded classrooms, and a general lack of knowledge about health and hygiene. According to the Ontario Dental Association, pressure from the association forced the City of Toronto to open a six-chair dental clinic to treat city children in 1911. The ODA states that within a year, the educational proficiency of children who received dental care and oral hygiene instruction through the clinic increased by 54 per cent. However, it was not until 1913 that dental clinics were designed within schools to test and treat children with severe illnesses and infections.

S.S. White. Child’s Chair No. 2, 1907. Side view.
Photo Source: Maya Donkers

So when did Child’s Chair No. 2 enter the school system? Although the exact date is unknown, TDSB archivist Greg McKinnon informed me that, “It was one of the very first dental chairs to enter Toronto’s school system… between 1907-1913.” I wonder how students would have reacted to this dental chair. Would the chair have been new and exciting or unknown and horrifying? As tooth decay was identified as a major concern at the time, I would imagine the latter. Although this dental chair is only one example of the many objects that record the history of Toronto’s public school system, it certainly provides a fascinating intersection of education and dental health in Toronto.

Works Cited James Hughes. (1881). Annual Report of the Inspector of the Public Schools of the City of Toronto: for the Year Ending December 31st 1880. Toronto: Patterson & Co, Steam Printers, p. 29.

Toronto District School Board Museum and Archive. (n.d.). Health and Wellness [Label]. In Exhibition Room. Toronto, Canada.

Toronto District School Board Museum and Archive. (n.d.). Medical and Dental Care [Label]. In Exhibition Room. Toronto, Canada.

SWITCHING TO AN EXCITING CAREER: SWITCHBOARD OPERATORS AND THE PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE AT THE TORONTO DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

BY: CURTIS FREDRICK

Imagine you have just graduated from a vocational high school in Toronto in the 1920s and are looking for a job in the technology sector. What kind of jobs would be available? What kind of job would you want? For many women, becoming a telephone switchboard operator was a highly desired job. It was not only a profession where the large majority of workers were women, but it was also one of the few technology jobs where women also served in many supervision positions. Women were preferred as they were seen to be “steadier, do not drink beer and are always on hand.” [1] By the 1890s, men were no longer employed as operators, as they had a tendency to swear at and play pranks on callers. The job required manually connecting callers to each other, therefore workers needed a good attention to detail and strong communication skills. The job could be very demanding if you worked in a large city, or be very slow and monotonous if you worked in a small town where there may only be a few people with telephones.

The Private Branch Exchange at the Toronto District School Board Museum and Archives.
 The metallic book on the top right of the image is a directory
of employees working at the Toronto District School Board in 1984.
Photo: Curtis Frederick

Telephone companies were not the only businesses that required switchboard operators. Many large companies, including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), had their own private switchboard systems, known as a Private Branch Exchange (PBX). A PBX connected all the telephones in the office to each other and routed incoming calls to the operator, who then connected them to the correct office. The TDSB’s PBX was likely made in the 1920s or 1930s by Western Electric for Bell Canada and was used until 1984 when it was acquired by the museum after the school board switched to an automatic system.

Detail view of the Private Branch Exchange. The plugs at the back were plugged
into the holes on the switching board, the vertical portion of the PBX,
to connect callers to one another. The operator could also
connect callers directly to an outside phone number  by using the rotary dial.
Photo: Curtis Frederick

To encourage new female graduates to become switchboard operators, many large companies advertised directly to high school students. In the 1950s, Bell Canada advertised to high school girls promising them “a good salary, plenty of opportunities to get ahead, and off-hour social activities.” [2]

According to the TDSB Museum archivist Greg McKinnon, the TDSB was an early adopter of many different forms of technology. In the 1920s, technologies such as the telephone, radio, and typewriters, were used in Toronto’s Commerce and Technical High Schools to teach students concrete skills that they would need to work in different industries. The commerce high schools, which focused more on business and secretarial skills, tended to be more popular with girls. Conversely, the technical high schools, which taught skills such as auto repair, plumbing, and carpentry, tended to be more popular with boys. Do you think that this gender divide still exists today? Which type of school would you want to attend?

The Toronto District School Board Museum and Archives [3] are located in the Eastern Commerce Collegiate Institute. In addition to a large collection of artefacts from schools all over Toronto, the archives hold a number of materials including meeting minutes, yearbooks, and photographs.

Footnotes
1. Chapuis, P.J. and A. E. Joel. (1982). 100 years of telephone switching (1878-1978). Amsterdam, NY: North Holland, p. 54.

2. Your place in the business world! [Advertisement]. (c. 1955). Montreal, QC: Bell Telephone Company of Canada.
3. http://www.museumsontario.ca/museum/Museum-and-Archives---Toronto

MIRROR, MIRROR: EARLY SPEECH THERAPY FOR DEAF CHILDREN IN TORONTO

BY: MAIREAD MURPHY

Today, special education is an integral part of the Toronto public education system; the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) annually updates its Special Education Plan for students with special needs. As it turns out, the antique speech correction board currently located at the TDSB Museum and Archives had its part to play in the history of special education practices in the city. For years, the board was used in Toronto’s Davisville Junior Public School as a speech correction tool for hearing impaired children. Although the exact date of manufacture is unknown, TDSB archivist Greg McKinnon estimates that the speech correction board was made sometime in the 1930s and was housed in Davisville before arriving at the TDSB Archives in the 1980s.

The speech correction board located in the TDSB Museum and Archives.
Photograph by Mairead Murphy.

The TDSB speech correction board consists of a small chalkboard mounted above a large square mirror, which is then joined to two support legs. Using a series of metal hinges and mechanisms, the board can either be locked in place or flipped vertically in order to reveal a large chalkboard surface on the other side, complete with a small shelf for holding sticks of chalk. Since it is made of wood, the whole board could be moved from classroom to classroom fairly easily.

The board appears to be an artifact from the era of the “pure oralist method” of deaf education in Toronto. In the early 20th century, Toronto schools discouraged hearing impaired students from learning sign language. Instead, teachers promoted lip-reading and talking aloud. According to McKinnon, teachers would write words onto the board’s chalk surface. Then, teacher and student would read the words out loud in front of the mirror and the deaf student could observe his or her mouth movements and the formations of the teacher’s mouth simultaneously. Teachers did this in the hope that hearing impaired children would learn how to pronounce words.

This informational pamphlet about Davisville Junior Public School
was found in the TDSB Museum and Archives.
The pamphlet features an image of a teacher and student using a speech correction board
similar to the one found in the Museum.
Photograph by Mairead Murphy.

Today, sign language is an important aspect of deaf education in Toronto and the speech correction board is a relic rather than a tool. The question remains: how effective was the speech correction board? Dozens of chalk stains on the chalkboard show that it was used many times, but anecdotal or personal testimony about how well this specific form of therapy worked is hard to find.

Regardless, the speech correction board was a step toward modern special education practices. Now that the object sits in a museum instead of a classroom, it exists as a representation of a distinct point in time in the development of Toronto’s learning strategies for students with special needs. The board is not only physical evidence of the city of Toronto’s investment in early childhood education but also a piece of history relating to the experiences of its hearing impaired citizens. For decades, hearing impaired students would have met at the common intersection of the TDSB speech correction board and left with a shared experience.

Works Cited
 Ellis, Jason A. 2014. All methods—and wedded to none: The deaf education methods debate and progressive educational reform in Toronto, Canada, 1922-1945. Paedagogica Historica, 50(3), 371-389. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00309230.2013.833273

TDSB Special Education Plan. (2015, July 31.) Retrieved from http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/0/EarlyYears/docs/SpecialEducationPlan.pdf

TORONTO STORIES FROM THE TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDENS

TORONTO STORIES

STORIES BY: SHANLON GILBERT, ANJA HAMILTON, KATHERINE ING, DANIELLE RUTKOWSKI, RACHAEL THIESSEN, ALYSSA TRUDEAU

COMPILED BY: BRENNA PLADSEN

The series of digital stories about Toronto history and culture which make up this project are the work of fifty-three Master of Museum Studies (MMSt) graduate students. The project was inspired by the 2015 Myseum Intersections – Telling Toronto’s Stories and invited each storyteller to select an object from local collections which has significance to Toronto’s past and present. The objects inspired the authors to connect historical events with contemporary context so that they tell stories about the multiple intersections that happen in the city.

Musings will be posting collected stories once a cycle. We hope that, after reading the stories, you will know Toronto a little bit better. And perhaps you will find similar stories in your own objects!

Our partners for this project, to which we are extremely thankful, are:

• Archeological and Cultural Heritage Services 
• Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives 
• John M. Kelly Library, St. Mike’s College, University of Toronto 
• Lambton House 
• Myseum of Toronto 
• Ontario Jewish Archives 
• Private Collection of Russian Artefacts 
• Scarborough Historical Society 
• Scarborough Museum 
• The Multicultural Historical Society of Ontario 
• The Real Canadian Portuguese Museum 
• Toronto Botanical Garden 
• Toronto District School Board Archives

Now, without further ado, object stories from Toronto Botanical Gardens.

A TOAST TO SAFFRON

BY: SHANLON GILBERT

Saffron crocuses. Image credit: Rowan McOnegal, Wellcome Images.
 Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons by-nc-nd 4.0, see http://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/page/Prices.html 

This autumn, look for a small purple crocus with three long, red threads, the stigma, blooming among the foliage of the Toronto Botanical Garden's kitchen garden. This is the saffron crocus (crocus sativa), which produces saffron, the most expensive spice in the world, and an emerging trend on Toronto's cocktail scene.

Saffron has most commonly been used as a spice, giving food a bright yellow colour and a hay-like fragrance. Although no one agrees on its exact origins, by late antiquity saffron had spread across Asia, Europe, and North Africa from somewhere near the eastern Mediterranean. Today it is mainly associated with the cuisines of Iran, Spain, and India. In addition, it has long been valued as a medicinal plant - so much so that in 1671 a German physician penned nearly 300 pages dedicated to medical uses of saffron.

Its medicinal reputation led to saffron's inclusion in herbal tonics. Early modern alchemists believed distilled spirits to be the quintessence, or essential spirit, of plants. [1] Some began adding medicinal herbs to spirits to create flavoured liquors intended for use as herbal health tonics. The spice became a regular ingredient in some recipes. Certain of these survive, as jägermeister, yellow chartreuse, and Drambuie all contain saffron.

Saffron has since become far better known as a culinary ingredient than a medicine, but history has a way of repeating itself, and this time saffron's flavour is at the forefront. According to Joel Kallmeyer, bartender at BarChef, saffron is a nascent trend for cocktails in Toronto. “It's all about the savoury cocktail,” he says. [2] The two saffron-infused offerings on the menu, the Toasted Fizz and the Fox Tail, get their aroma from Chef Frankie Solarik's house-made saffron bitters. When asked about what inspired him, Chef Solarik replied that he already had a cocktail in mind, and the smokey quality of the saffron paired well with the chamomile. [3] Toronto is embracing saffron as part of its culinary cocktail culture, producing new recipes featuring the spice – and history is repeating itself in other ways, too.

BarChef's Fox Tail cocktail.
Photograph by Shanlon Gilbert.

BarChef has had really excellent reviews, but if cocktails aren't for you there are numerous culinary recipes you could try. Multicultural Toronto has no shortage of restaurants offering saffron-based dishes from a wide variety of cuisines: try Iranian bastani sonnati, or some Spanish paella, French bouillabaisse, or an Indian saffron pulao. It may just be of benefit: medical institutions and researchers around the world, including Toronto, are conducting studies into the medicinal potential of various compounds derived from saffron, showing numerous possible uses and benefits.

So here's to the saffron crocus: a small, unassuming purple flower at the Toronto Botanical Gardens with a rich, multicultural history, and a promising medical and culinary future. Cheers!

*Please note that other than the stigma of crocus sativa, crocuses are poisonous and should not be consumed under any circumstances.

Notes
1. Moran, B. T. (2009). Distilling knowledge: Alchemy, chemistry, and the scientific revolution. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

2. Personal communication, 21 November, 2015
3. Personal communication, 21 November, 2015

URBAN BEEKEEPING IN TORONTO: THE BEE HOTEL AT THE TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDENS

BY: ANJA HAMILTON

One third of the food we eat is pollinated freely by bees. However, the world’s bee population has seen a dramatic decrease in recent years, which in turn threatens the future of global food production. Shouldn’t we be concerned, then, that this incredible ability to pollinate is at risk? As citizens of urban environments, this issue may seem removed for us, Torontonians. Nevertheless, many cultural institutions have been part of a grassroots initiative to save the bees. The Toronto Botanical Gardens has joined this effort by building a Bee Hotel! This structure is made out of scrap wood and is designed to house solitary bees when they need to rest. In fact, it looks like a nest hanging from a tree canopy, much like what solitary bees would use in rural areas.

Photo of the Bee Hotel at the Toronto Botanical Gardens, taken by Anja Hamilton

The causes of the decline in bee populations are explained in the panel placed beside the Bee Hotel. It notes that urbanization and the use of toxins, like pesticides for agricultural land, have made rural areas less habitable for bees. There is also some evidence that climate change has also had a significant effect on the amount of pollinating bees can do. Although warmer days earlier in the year can be a blessing for us, it has disrupted the synchronized timing of when flowers bloom during the summer and when rural bees go out to pollinate.

However, city-dwellers can help support a sustainable urban population of bees. Groups such as the Toronto District Beekeepers’ Association and the Ontario Beekeepers Association have set up beekeeping initiatives that help establish and grow urban bee populations. In fact, it was with the help of the Toronto Beekeepers Co-operative that the Toronto Botanical Gardens was able to have on-site beehives, which are kept for the health of bees, as a teaching resource for their beekeeping courses and to harvest honey used in products such as soap sold in the gift shop. These beehives also help pollinate their plentiful gardens throughout the growing season. In an innovative and engaged city like Toronto, the Bee Hotel represents the city’s continuous interest in learning more about global issues. Also, it gives creative examples of what people can do in their own urban environment to help out. Plus, beekeeping is a pretty cool hobby, with some delicious and healthy results. For those who are less adventurous and would rather not have a Bee Hotel in their backyard, the Toronto Botanical Gardens also provides a list of plants that city-dwellers can grow to promote sustainable, healthy bee populations in the city. What else can we do in Toronto to help our local bees?

Check out the Bee Hotel for yourself at the Toronto Botanical Gardens to find out more!

TRANS-"PLANTS": THE GINKGO BILBOA TREE AT THE TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDENS

BY: KATHERING ING

A “Living Fossil”
After surviving through extremes of climate and then migrations across the globe to places like Toronto, little has changed for the Ginkgo biloba tree (Figure 1 below). Ancestors of the Ginkgo biloba date all the way back to China, almost 200 million years ago, and even to the age of dinosaurs. These slowly-maturing trees have the ability to live to advanced ages, and the oldest Ginkgo tree is estimated to be 3,500 years old. [1]

Figure 1: Ginkgo leaves and seeds found next to their fossils from the dinosaur gallery.
(Photo taken by Katherine Ing at the Royal Ontario Museum).

What’s in a Name?
From its inconspicuous appearance, the Ginkgo tree in the herb garden of the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) can be easily overlooked amongst the greenery (Figure 2). The Maidenhair Tree is its common name for its resemblance to the maidenhair fern but its scientific name, Ginkgo biloba is surprisingly much more well-known. The tree can be identified by its trunk which branches into a dense canopy of shady, fan-shaped leaves divided into two lobes or “biloba”, in Latin. The Asian characters in Chinese and Japanese can be translated into “Silver Apricot” which is the source for its species name “Ginkgo.”

Figure 2: An immature Ginkgo tree located in Toronto Botanical Garden’s herb garden.
(Photo taken by Katherine Ing)

A “Memorable” Survivor to the Senses
More mature Ginkgo trees also populate the TBG’s grounds. Ginkgos are among a few species of trees that can be further divided into different sexes. Male trees are known for their cone-shaped stamens while female trees have flowers. In the late fall, rotten-smelling fruits develop from the female flowers and can be a deterrent to those unfamiliar with it. Beneath its smelly flesh, the “Ginkgo nuts” are sold in Asian grocery stores to be cooked in kitchens in many cities across North America, including Toronto, for their benefits to respiratory and kidney issues (Figure 3). Since the trees are tolerant to pollution, road salts, temperate climates, and a range of soil conditions in cities, they can be found in many urban areas. [2] Outside of Asian countries, Ginkgo leaves were transformed into pills to help with memory retention.

Figure 3: Fallen Ginkgo seeds from a mature female tree covered in wrinkly, smelly skin.
After removing the skin with gloves, the “nut” can be cracked open and cooked into a congee (rice porridge).
(Photo taken by Katherine Ing)

Ginkgo trees and its fruits can be found in many sites across Toronto whether growing outside the city’s buildings, filling dinner plates in Chinese homes or Asian restaurants or stocking shelves of local pharmacies or health stores. The story of the tree might be familiar to many Torontonians who have family origins outside Canada, but take root, “flourish” in new soil and grow into their new environment. Gardeners at the Toronto Botanical Garden made a deliberate choice to recognize the local Iroquoian population and more recent arrivals who have contributed to plant knowledge in Canada. The herb garden is recognition of the medicinal usages of different plants who arrived to Canada with different cultures both native and those from afar.

Footnotes

1. Peter Crane, interview by Roger Cohn, Yale Environment 360, May, 1, 2013
2. Missouri Botanical Garden. “Ginkgo biloba.” Accessed November 23, 2015. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=280988&isprofile=1&basic=Ginkgo%20Biloba

Works Cited

Crane, Peter. (Interviewee). Ginkgo: The life story of the oldest tree on Earth. By Roger Cohn. Yale Environment 360, 2013, May 1. Accessed November 21, 2015. http://e360.yale.edu/feature/peter_crane_history_of_ginkgo_earths_oldest_tree/2646/

Del Tredici, Peter. “The evolution, ecology, and cultivation of Ginkgo biloba.” In Ginkgo biloba, edited by Teris A. van Beek, 7-23. Australia: Harwood Academic Publisher, 2000.

Marcelis, David. Ginkgo trees stink up cities when seeds fall. Wall Street Journal, November 24, 2014. Accessed December 2, 2015. http://www.wsj.com/articles/ginkgo-trees-stink-up-cities-when-seeds-fall-1416869012

Missouri Botanical Garden. (2015). “Ginkgo biloba.” Accessed November 23, 2015 from http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=280988&isprofile=1&basic=Ginkgo%20Biloba

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: A CEMETERY RESTS INSIDE THE TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDENS

BY: DANIELLE RUTKOWSKI

Located to the left of the main parking lot, a path leading into the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) guides the way to the burial grounds for the Milne family. This cemetery is a secret that, once discovered, reveals stories about past Toronto landmarks. The Gardens’ librarian Mark Stewart recalls that the Milne’s were the original settlers of the current TBG land. He had also mentioned that the large pavilion located atop the grassy hill behind the Garden’s café was where their home once stood before it burnt down in 1921. I was on a mission to find the cemetery and to discover its story.

The hiding spot. (n.d.) Toronto Botanical Gardens. Toronto, On.
Photograph by Danielle Rutkowski. 

Enclosed by an aluminum fence, the Milne Family Burial Grounds holds the large marble tombstone of Helen, “Daddy” Milne’s mother, Eliza and Hannah Milne. Accompanying their tombstone are three small fragments of slate that are dedicated to the memory of eight different family members, three of which are “Daddy” Milne’s brothers.

Milne family burial plot. (n.d.) Toronto Botanical Gardens. Toronto, On.
Photograph by Danielle Rutkowski.

Charles Sauriol’s Pioneers of the Don recounts the tales of the pioneers in Don Valley, an area that evolved into the town of York, and eventually grew into the city of Toronto itself. The Milne’s are featured in the book as masters of the weaving trade. Born in Scotland in 1777, Alexander, or “Daddy”, as Sauriol calls him, Milne immigrated to United States in 1801 to pursue a career in the weaving industry. The draw of the cotton bleaching business brought him to New Jersey in 1813. “Daddy” Milne immigrated to Toronto in 1817 and the Milne’s built the first of three wool Mills in the Don Valley. This first mill was located slightly south of Lawrence Avenue, about half a mile west of Don Mills Road. It was abandoned due to a lack of hydropower. The second mill was swept away in the great flood of 1878 and the last mill was built by Milne’s son, William and his son, Alexander W. Milne. 

The mill settlement consisted of sixteen buildings, with homes for mill workers, a wagon shop, and a dry goods store. It was even said that the sheep were washed in the river before shearing. Tender boards covered in drying wool would then be tore to shreds by a picker before it was woven into yarn.

We may not see the sheep being washed in the creek anymore, nor hear the shutter of the looms and clank of the spindles but, instead, the memory of the Milne’s is encapsulated in the cemetery of the family burial plot. For those of us who find or stumble upon it, the Milne family burial plot is the hidden link between their prosperous past and TBG’s contemporary landscape. This cemetery is a timeless reminder that people are the foundation of Toronto, bringing together cultures, communities, and places through the stories they share.

Bibliography
Sauriol, C. (1995) Pioneers of the Don. Serv-A-Trade. East-York, Canada.

A COMMUNITY CREATION: "STOOKS" AND "PRUNES" AT THE TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDEN

BY: RACHAEL THIESSEN

When visiting the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG), I expected to see flowers and plants, but not “Stooks and Punes,” a temporary art installation by landscape designer W. Gary Smith.

The “Punes” of “Stooks and Punes.” (Rachael Thiessen) 

According to TBG website, “Stooks and Punes” are representations of “a collection of magic, whimsy and meaning plays on the enticing possibilities of nature, and graces the permanent site of the proposed children’s garden.” It also notes that Smith’s inspiration for his sculpture was derived from the Garden, Canadian agricultural history and “punes,” the childhood name his brother gave to his cowlicks. [1] The creation of Smith’s art piece was possible through the work and contribution of Toronto’s local community and the city’s natural resources.

On my visit, “Stooks” —two circles of coned tree-bunches— were missing, but “Punes” were at their regular place.

The “Stooks” were formally located in the background behind “Punes.” A photo can be found on the TBG website. (Rachael Thiessen)

“Punes” is comprised of a circular and branching, or dendritic, pattern. [2] Smith explains that the dendritic pattern emulates a flow of energy and can make intimate connections between humans and nature. “Stooks and Punes” is the collective work of TBG staff and 300 local volunteers who built it from natural materials. The TBG “is a volunteer-driven charity dedicated to disseminating horticultural and gardening information,” making community participation for such projects common. Smith used natural materials from TBG, as well as materials from gardens maintained by GTA members of Landscape Ontario. Landscape Ontario represents over 2000 horticultural professionals who have developed numerous connections with other GTA organizations and associations to “promote the benefits of landscaping and horticulture.” [3] The dendritic pattern of “Stooks and Punes” emphasizes not only these volunteers’ connection to nature, but also their connection to each other, the material they used and the many places these people live throughout the GTA. 

Smith says his passion for the natural world is rooted in his early childhood in Newark, Delaware. [4] While not a Toronto or GTA native, the construction of his art allowed residents of the community to come together and encounter new areas of their city. With “Stooks” already gone and “Punes” sure to follow, the connection they helped build between communities will be only a memory. [5] Nonetheless, members of the TBG and its community can look forward to the building of the some new children’s garden in the future.

Footnotes

1. Note. All general information on structure and connections to the TBG can be found on their website at http://torontobotanicalgarden.ca/explore/themed-gardens/stooks-punes/
2. Note: These patterns are ones Smith uses in many of his works and are described in his book. Smith, W. Gary, (2010) From Art to Landscape: Unleashing Creative Activity in Garden Design (Portland, Oregon: Timber Press Inc.).
3. Note: All information about Landscape Ontario came from their website at https://landscapeontario.com/about-us
4. Note. All references to Smith and his writings came from his above-mentioned book.
5. Note: With the TBG listing ‘Stooks and Punes” as a temporary exhibit, it can only be assumed that “Punes” will eventually be taken down as well.

TIME FLIES: TEACHING TOOLS AND THE TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDENS

BY: ALYSSA TRUDEAU

“The green grass and the happy skies court the fluttering butterflies.” – Terri Guillemets, Quotation Anthologist, QuoteGarden.com

Famous English playwright William Shakespeare once penned that we will all laugh at gilded butterflies, while legendary American boxer Muhammad Ali advised that we should float like the gentle insects. However, it is the Toronto Botanical Garden that hopes we look to butterflies, one giant Monarch butterfly in particular, to tell the time and learn how the movement of the sun affects the plants that grow in our Toronto backyard gardens.

Although the sundial is the oldest known human invention used to measure time, it remains an important tool for teaching, a neat intersection of ancient customs and modern practices. Today, if we want to know the time we check our watches or cellphones. Few city-dwellers go outside to track the sun’s location to determine the hour. As we move further into the age of technology and our city continues to grow, our interactions with nature become fewer. However, the Toronto Botanical Garden is bringing us back to basics, re-connecting us with nature through an ancient timekeeping gadget. The Garden’s staff employ outdoor exploration and colorful fun to teach about nature in urban environments so visitors can still enjoy nature even in a large city like Toronto!

The giant Monarch butterfly Sundial is located in the Spiral Butterfly Garden, a sub-section of the TBG’s Teaching Garden. Consisting of bright orange and yellow cement tiles, the dial plate of the sundial is laid out like a mosaic. The pattern of the dial plate resembles an open flower or the sun itself. The sundial’s gnomon is a decorative Monarch butterfly with large, closed wings. The tawny-orange and yellow-brown wings with black veins and white spots unmistakably mark this butterfly as a Monarch. The butterfly rests upon the dial plate, drinking the dewy drops that have collected on a bright green leaf placed in the centre of the sundial.

Giant Monarch Butterfly Sundial, Teaching Garden, Toronto Botanical Garden
Photograph courtesy of Alyssa Trudeau [Thursday, November 5, 2015]

The Monarch Butterfly Sundial was crafted by Anvil Artistry & Wrought Iron Designs, funded and installed in 1998 by the Garden Club of Toronto. Founded in 1946, the Club has played a key role in designing and planting gardens that beautify the city. These gardens are not only new and vibrant spaces for Torontonians of all ages to explore, they also get people talking about Toronto’s unique intersections of nature and urban environments. According to Toronto Botanical Garden Librarian, Mark Stewart, the Monarch Butterfly Sundial was one of many installations commissioned by the Club for the Teaching Garden, a space for children to interact with the outdoor environment that allows for hands-on learning and experiential school and recreational programs. The giant Monarch Butterfly Sundial is surrounded by several plant species that are known to attract butterflies, including the Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) and the Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii). In a large, bustling Toronto, the Monarch Butterfly Sundial at the Toronto Botanical Garden reminds us to slow down, appreciate nature and spend our time enjoying simple things like the flowers and butterflies.

Works Cited
Garden Club of Toronto. (n.d.) The garden club of Toronto: about us. the garden club of Toronto. Retrieved November 17, 2015 from
http://www.thegardencluboftoronto.ca/page-18195

Toronto Botanical Gardens. (2015). Teaching garden. Toronto botanical garden. Retrieved November 17, 2015 from
http://torontobotanicalgarden.ca/explore/themed-gardens/teaching-garden/