Join us for an engaging evening with Albert Koehl, one of Toronto’s most dedicated cycling and road safety advocates, as he presents “Wheeling Through Toronto: A History of the Bicycle and Its Riders.” This talk will take us through a fascinating journey of the bicycle’s place in Toronto, chronicling its 130-year history from the 1890s to today.

📅 Date: Thursday, December 5, 2024
🕒 Time: 7:00 pm
📍 Location: Annette Public Library, 145 Annette Street, Toronto
This will be in person only, but a video recording will be available for those unable to attend.

What to Expect
Throughout its history in Toronto, the bicycle has gone through cycles of popularity and neglect. Once flaunted as a fashionable accessory, it was later dismissed as outdated during the automobile boom, only to be revived as a sustainable mode of transportation in response to modern challenges. Albert Koehl’s presentation, “Wheeling Through Toronto,” takes us through these transformations, exploring the social, environmental, and practical roles the bicycle has played in the city’s past and its potential to shape a healthier future.

From the bicycle craze of the 1890s, through the rise of car-centric roads in the 1950s, to the push for active transportation in recent decades, Albert’s talk offers insights into how Toronto’s attitudes toward cycling have evolved and the many ways bicycles continue to enrich our city. With compelling stories from archival materials, newspapers, and personal interviews, Albert will discuss why the simple bicycle remains such a beloved (and sometimes polarizing) vehicle and how it can contribute to a cleaner, fairer, and more joyful Toronto.

Don’t Miss This Opportunity to Learn About Toronto’s Cycling History!
This is a must-attend event for anyone interested in Toronto’s history, transportation advocacy, or the environmental and social impacts of cycling. Bring your questions and join us for an enlightening evening as we look back on the history of the bicycle in Toronto and explore its potential for the future.

Light refreshments will be provided, and a video recording will be available after the event for those unable to attend in person.

A video recording of this meeting is now available for viewing via this DropBox link:

About Albert Koehl
Albert Koehl has been an environmental and community lawyer and a former adjunct professor of law for over 30 years, focusing on issues related to climate change, energy use, and sustainable transportation. As one of Toronto’s leading advocates for road safety and cycling, Albert’s work is driven by a commitment to social justice. He believes that transportation should be fair and accessible for everyone, regardless of wealth or power, and that our choices on how to get around should respect our community and climate. His passion and dedication have inspired many to join the movement for safer, more accessible streets in Toronto.

Remembrance Week Project: “They walked these streets… We will remember them”

Join us on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024, for a special event presented by the Remembrance Week Project titled On “Active” Service—Stories from the Field and on the Home Front during World War I and II. This unique evening will share stories of soldiers from Toronto’s west-end neighborhoods—Bloor West Village, Junction, High Park, Roncesvalles, and Parkdale—who served in World War I and II but never returned home.

• Date & Time: Tuesday, November 5th, 2024, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
• Location: Memorial Hall, Runnymede United Church, 432 Runnymede Road, Toronto, ON M6S 2Y8 (Two blocks north of Bloor Street on the west side of the street. Closest subway stop: Runnymede. Take the 71 or 79 buses north. The bus stop is across the street from the church.)

What to Expect:

• Stories of soldiers: Hear about soldiers from all military forces who walked the streets of West Toronto, brought to life by project coordinator Katy Whitfield.
• Historical displays: Explore curated exhibits of artifacts, photographs, letters, and service records from the Runnymede United Church Archives, highlighting the soldiers’ service and community responses on the Home Front.
• Interactive activities: Kids can create pool noodle poppies to be added to neighborhood commemorative displays, participate in a scavenger hunt with info cards, or make a Remembrance Day poster to take home.
• Reflection and community: Join friends, neighbors, and community members to pause, reflect, and honor the memories of those who sacrificed their lives in both World Wars.

All are welcome! This is a free, family-friendly event with light refreshments provided. The venue is accessible (an elevator is available at the northeast entrance off Runnymede Road).

For more information, contact us at: theywalkedthesestreets@gmail.com.

Explore the Junction and its unique history like never before–with booze and boos! Join Junction historian and veteran tour guide Neil Ross for a night of spooky tales from the Junction’s past, told in some of the neighborhood’s favorite watering holes.

Snacks will be provided at one of the stops. Please drink responsibly.

Please note that the event is 19+ and not accessible (involves stairs).

Two Dates to choose from: Friday, October 18, 2024; Saturday, October 19, 2024.

Location: The tour begins at Axis Cafe, 3048 Dundas Street West.

Start time: 7:00pm. Please arrive 15 minutes in advance to check in.

Tickets: $25 for non-members of WTJHS | $10 for WTJHS members.

To purchase tickets, please visit the following link and select the date you want to attend: 

**Limited number of tickets available so purchase early!**

WTJHS thanks Axis Cafe and Shox Billiard Lounge for their generous support and contributions to the event.

Join us at the Annette Street Library at 6:30 pm on October 3, 2024, for a stimulating presentation by Chris Higgins based on his recent book, RIVERSTORYZ.

Most of what people know about the Humber is inscribed on heritage plaques, or published on popular websites. But there are other stories about this river in Toronto’s west end. If you care to search archival newspapers, they turn up in bunches. There were criminals who rampaged along the Humber, and cops that tried to stop them; schools of fish that were driven away; swimmers who drowned, and those that left for cleaner waters; artists and musicians who drew inspiration there; a silent film studio that made it their backdrop; a swinging dancehall that burned to the ground; brawls, liquor, accidents, killings, and drownings.

To learn about the Humber, by all means, read the plaques and surf the web. But for the rare stuff, read RIVERSTORYZ.

Date & Time: October 3, 2024. Doors open at 6:30 pm, event starts promptly at 6:45 pm and will end by 8:00 pm.

Location: Auditorium, lower level of Annette Street Library, 145 Annette Street (two blocks west of Keele Street)

A video recording of this meeting is now available for viewing via this DropBox link:

Meet our Presenter, Chris Higgins

Chris was born in Montreal but has been living happily in Toronto since the 1980s. After a 29-year teaching career with the Toronto District School Board, he retired in 2020 and took up writing. Chris’s first book – “BRICK by BRICK: Swansea Public School, 1890-2020” – was a love letter to a school where he’d taught for 17 years. Next came “RIVERSTORYZ: Conversations on the Humber.” Chris is currently working on “The Gaol Carpenter’s Diary,” a work of historical fiction about a jail employee who witnesses eleven high profile murder cases in nineteenth century Toronto.