Tollkeeper’s Cottage

Conservation / Preservation:

Architecture

The cottage itself is Ontario’s oldest-known example of the rare “vertical plank construction.” Only a handful of extant structures in Ontario were built in this unique style.

Environment

The cottage grounds have been planted with species indegenous to the area or with plants and flowers the pioneers would have brought with them in the nineteenth century.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

  • The cottage is decorated with many furnishings unique to the mid nineteenth century.
  • Docents in period dress describe the road system and life of ordinary Torontonians of the 19th century,

Educational Programming

  • School groups can arrange visits to the cottage.
  • Evening lectures.
  • Workshops on knitting, rug braiding, and other heritage skills.

Other

  • Check the website for special events such as Strawberry Socials and Victoria Day Tea.

Canadian Automotive Museum

Conservation/Preservation:

Archives

Extensive collection of Canadian automotive reference materials including periodicals, books, advertisements, manuals, and sales literature.

Artefacts

Artefacts include:

  • Over 75 vehicles dating from 1903, including motorcycles, trucks and cars. The museum highlights  Canadian manufacturers such as McLaughlin-Buick, Brooks, Redpath, Tudhope, McKay, Galt, Gray-Dort, Brockville, as well as foreign automakers including Rolls-Royce, Bugatti, Alfa-Romeo, and Bentley.

West Junction Historical Society and Archives

Conservation / Preservation:

Archives

The Archives contains

  • Photographs of area residents and buildings, including photographs from the TTC and City of Toronto photograph collections.
  • Files on local people, places, and events.
  • Reports, maps, photographs, documenting the history of the local rail yards and CPR engine house.
  • Audio interviews with area residents documenting life in the early twentieth century Junction and the area’s transportation history.
  • Back issues of the Society’s newsletter, The Leader and Recorder.
  • Detailed area building histories.
  • Rare books and directories, including a special, fire insurance Goad atlas which depicts the Junction in great detail.
  • clippings from old, out-of-circulation Junction newspapers.

artefacts

This society maintains a small collection of artefacts documenting the history of the Junction, including trophies from local sports teams, and goods produced at local factories.

Public Programming

Lectures

Approximately eight public lectures on area and Toronto history, to coincide with membership meetings.

Tours

Occasional walking and driving tours west Toronto. The society typically partners with Heritage Toronto to organize a tour at least once per year.

Publications

Occasional publications on the history of the Junction neighbourhod. The Society also regularly publishes a journal for Society members, The Leader and Recorder.

Digital Exhibits

Searchable database of photographs from the Archive’s collection of photographs and digital copies of The Leader and Recorder.

Toronto Marine Historical Society

Public Programming:

Publications

The Society publishes The Scanner, a journal dedicated to the history of Great Lakes Ships and Shipping eight times annually. Each issue is anchored by a major research piece entitled, ‘Ship of the Month’. Back issues of The Scanner are available on the society’s website.

Toronto Railway Historical Association

Conservation / Preservation:

Artefacts

This museum houses a collection of artefacts relating to nineteenth and twentieth century railway history, including a roundhouse, an 1896 railway station, an 1894 interlocking tower, a steam locomotive, cabooses, passenger and freight cars, a gatehouse, cranes, and railway machine shop equipment and machinery.

Archives

A nascent archive will ultimately offer an extensive library of railway-related material. The collection will be made available online. A special collection will be dedicated to the history of the United Aircraft TurboTrain, Canada’s fastest train, which operated between Toronto and Montreal from 1968 to 1982. Presently, the collection includes internal Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railway documents, drawings, artefacts, and other ephemera.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

  • Visitors can explore and interact with several displays, including, the restored Canadian Pacific Railway John Street Roundhouse, and several historic locomotives and passenger and freight cars, with signs and plaques documenting their origin and history.
  • A ride on a miniature railway through Roundhouse Park
  • The TRHA Facebook page is updated daily with information about museum events as well as photographs and information about Toronto railway history.
  • Occasional public lectures on railway history.

Canadian Transit Heritage Foundation

Conservation/Preservation:

Artefacts

Conservation and preservation of a collection of four vintage models of Canadian transit buses.

Public Programming:

Events

Provides special events typically involving the chartering of vintage transit buses for enthusiasts and members.

Brampton Historical Society

Conservation/Preservation:

Architecture

  • Custodians of the historic CPR Railway Station since it was dismantled and remain dedicated to the rebuilding and restoration of the station.
  • Acquired and restored the Historic 1857 Bristow Fitzgerald Map of the Town of Brampton which now resides in the Peel Heritage Complex.
  • Responsible for the repair of the tower clock atop the 1888 ‘Dominion Building’.

Public Programming:

Lectures/Tours

Various public speakers and lecture events on a variety of topics concerning Brampton’s heritage (e.g. topics of historical family genealogy, historical buildings in Brampton, Ontario conservancy of heritage buildings). 

Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Canada

Conservation/Preservation:

Archives

Online library of links to related digital archives, related literature, videos and related aerospace museums of Canada, historical information regarding aircraft built between 1945 and the mid-1960s in Canada.

Artefacts

Canadian aviation memorabilia pertinent to Canada’s aircraft industry from 1945 to the mid 1960’s.

Lambton House

Conservation / Preservation:

Artefacts

A few historical objects such as historical furniture and household items.

Public Programming:

Education

During special events such as Doors Open Toronto and Heritage Walks, historical talks are given at Lambton House recalling its significance and history.

Other

On the first Friday of every month, members from the public can gather and use Lambton House as a pub.

Ports Toronto

Conservation/Preservation:

Archives

  • Harbour Trust, Harbour Commission and Port Authority board minutes and correspondence
  • Legal and financial papers
  • Central registry files
  • Departmental records
  • Textual records
  • Over 20,000 photos, plans, books and reports
  • Original documentation dates back to the creation of the Toronto Harbour Trust in the 1850s
  • Duplicated documentation dates back to the early 1830s, such as engineer drawings

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

Display cases are located on the ground floor of the Ports Toronto building, and consist of images of Toronto and Toronto’s waterfront. Occasionally archival material is on display in the lobby of the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. The Ports Toronto Archives also participates in publicity events such as Doors Open Toronto, and also regularly supplies images for online use on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Archival material has also been used for Public Affairs displays created for public viewing in places such as BCE Place, the CN Tower and the PATH system.