West Toronto Junction Historical Society

Video recording now available.

What has golf got to do with God and godliness, and the green spaces of Toronto? Through our research into the social history of Toronto, we will show you how the golf courses of the Junction and area reflect the tension between public and private spaces; between godliness and abstinence and the rough and tumble bars of the Junction; between the elites of society and poor school boys with little but dreams; and the demands of urban infrastructure and the need for green spaces.

The talk covers the area within about three kilometres of the Annette Street Branch of the Toronto Public Library through the lens of these courses: Summerlea/Humber Valley Golf Course, High Park Golf Club (two locations), Highlands Golf Club (three locations), Lambton Golf Club, Humber Golf Club (on the Baby Estate), Humber Valley Golf Club (mouth of the Humber River), Kennedy Avenue Golf and Country Club, and Scarlett Woods Golf Course.

📅 Date: Thursday, October 2
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Annette Street Library

Joanne Doucette is a local historian, author of Leslieville: Pigs, Flowers and Bricks, who fell unexpectedly into the world of golf history. When she was leading a walking tour of the old Toronto Golf Club site at Coxwell and Gerrard near her home, a number of men and women showed up – all with great posture and a certain far away look in their eyes. She quickly realized that these were the field marks of the golfer (Joanne is also a Master Naturalist). When she was invited to co-operate with Scott Burk on the history of golf in Toronto she couldn’t help herself. A video recording will be provided after the talk.

We look forward to seeing you for what promises to be a fascinating evening of local history and rediscovery.

PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE (“drop-in” style format)

📅 Date: Wednesday, June 11
🕖 Time: 5:30 – 7:30 PM
📍 Location: West Toronto Baptist Church, 3049 Dundas St. West, Toronto

Heritage Planning invites you to a Community Consultation Open House to introduce the West Toronto Junction Heritage HCD Study. The purpose of the meeting is to share information about the Study objectives, process, and initial findings and to seek community feedback on the Study and Study area.

The WTJHS has mounted a display upstairs at the Annette Library, giving further information about the study, which has been a longtime project of the WTJHS and the Junction BIA. We urge everyone to attend and express your support for making this a priority for our community.

Information from the city can be found here.

Video recording now available.

Join us for a special presentation by Mima Brown Kapches, who will be sharing insights from her new book, The English Trip: Toronto, Sir Henry Pellatt, the Queen’s Own Rifles and the Press Gang.

📅 Date: Thursday, June 5
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Annette Street Library

This meticulously researched work brings to life a remarkable chapter in Toronto’s past: the 1910 50th anniversary celebration of the Queen’s Own Rifles, Canada’s longest-serving reserve regiment. Financed by Sir Henry Pellatt—the visionary behind Casa Loma—the celebration culminated in a spectacular four-week military and cultural trip to England for over 600 young reservists and a team of Toronto newspaper reporters, including Mima’s father, J.N.M. (Jim) Brown.

While researching her father’s journalism career, Mima uncovered original dispatches from the 1910 trip and was inspired to reconstruct this overlooked moment in Canadian history through vivid press accounts and historical context. A video recording will be provided after the talk.

We look forward to seeing you for what promises to be a fascinating evening of local history and rediscovery.

Video recording now available.

We are pleased to present the 2024 Annual Report for the West Toronto Junction Historical Society, prepared for our upcoming Annual General Meeting on Thursday May 15, 2025. This report provides an overview of our activities, achievements, and community engagements over the past year. It also highlights our ongoing commitment to preserving and promoting the unique heritage and stories of the West Toronto Junction community. We invite you to explore the report to learn more about our work and the exciting plans we have for the future.

In addition, please find linked below the slate of candidates for election, the proposed budget for 2025, and proposed updated bylaws. Each will be discussed and presented for consideration and approval at the upcoming AGM.

Thank you for your continued support and interest in our mission.