Archives: Collections

Richard Fung and the History of the Gay Asians of Toronto

Disclaimer: “both GAT and Orientations use a lesbian and gay framework. Since then, sexual and gender identities and the politics around them have shifted and continue to morph as new possibilities become available. Today’s non-heterosexuals are as likely to refer to themselves as queer, non-binary, trans, bisexual and two-spirit”. Richard Fung, 2018

Agnes Clinton and the Women’s College Hospital School of Nursing

How nursing students at Women’s College Hospital broke down barriers and paved the way for the future of Toronto nursing.

The History of Toronto’s Cecil Centre

Located in Chinatown at 58 Cecil Street, the centre serves the catchment area from Bathurst Street to University Avenue, between Bloor and Queen Street West.

Black Military History of Niagara

We recently spoke with the Niagara Military Museum’s Jim and Kathy Doherty about the exhibit, and some of the stories and people we all should know.

The Story of Tom Longboat and Longboat Hall

How a popular Toronto venue holds a special place in First Nations and Canadian history.

The Birth of Medicare in Canada

Learn about the compelling origins of Canada’s healthcare system.

Toronto’s First NHL Game and the Maple Leafs’ Unexpected Beginnings

This is how Toronto’s original “nameless” NHL team won the Stanley Cup and brought the sport to Hogtown.

Toronto’s Christie Pits Riot

In 1933, an anti-semitic race riot during a baseball game left many injured—and foreshadowed a decade of persecution and violence.

The Story of Mary Ann Shadd Cary

As creator & editor-in-chief of The Provincial Freeman, Shadd had her finger on the pulse of the Underground Railroad and used her paper to track escape attempts, follow legal challenges and fight against the slave trade.

The Face of Toronto’s Suffragette Movement

Entrepreneur, social activist, and radical spiritualist, Flora McDonald Denison pushed independence in all forms to give women the right to vote in Canada.