West Toronto Junction Historical Society

Video recording now available.

The West Toronto Junction Historical Society is pleased to announce that our Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 7:00 PM.

All members and interested community members are warmly invited to attend. Join us as we review the past year’s activities, seek new executive positions, and discuss exciting plans for the future of preserving and celebrating our community’s rich history.

🗓 Date: Thursday, May 15, 2025
📍 Location: Annette Street Public Library
🕓 Time: 7:00 PM

Coinciding with our AGM will be guest speaker Jim Adams who will be delivering a talk, Runnymede – The In-between Neighbourhood.

The Belt Line Railway

Tucked up in between three well known neighbourhoods and a set of railway tracks,  Runnymede is small but packed with history dating back 13,000 years when it was a beach.   Jim Adams, whose family has lived in the Junction, Bloor West and Runnymede neighbourhoods since the 1880s, is a newly minted historian with training in both journalism and creative writing, will lead you through an overview of the compact area’s history.

A typical horse powered mower used on golf courses around 1905

Jim is a contributor to the WTJHS’s Facebook page and has written two small books on Runnymede – Frederick Topham, A Runnymede Neighbourhood Kid with a Knack for Saving Lives and The Pop-up Golf Course.

Follow Jim’s blog at Everything Runnymede and Jim Adams | Vocal  for memoir writing including his recent essay Friday Nights at Vesuvio’s.

Runnymede looking south from St Clair while railway bridge is under construction.

Video recording now available!

Did you know Gordon Lightfoot once sang for just $25 a day at a Yonge Street dinner theatre? Or that a chance encounter in Toronto shaped The Beatles’ greatest album? Yonge Street has been at the center of music, theatre, and pop culture history, rivalling Times Square and Hollywood Blvd. From jazz and Motown to rock, hip-hop, and alternative, its influence is unmatched. Join Toronto native Mark Vendramini, founder of the Memories of the Yonge St. Strip Facebook group, for a fascinating 40-minute talk uncovering the stories, legends, and pivotal moments that shaped the city’s musical past. Featured on BlogTO, CBC Radio, and Boom 97.3, Mark brings Yonge Street’s history to life.

📅 Date: Thursday, April 3, 2025

🕒 Time: 7:00pm

📍 Location: Annette Branch Auditorium, Toronto Public Library

This meeting will be in-person only, but a video recording will be made available via the WTJHS website.

Light refreshments served after talk.

Join Junction historian and veteran tour guide Neil Ross for an unforgettable night of local true crime on a pub crawl through some of the neighbourhood’s favourite bars. Discover the dark, thrilling, sometimes hilarious stories of the railway town’s murderers, thieves, gangsters and cops!

📅 Dates: Friday, April 11, 2025 or Saturday, April 12, 2025

🕒 Start Time: 7:30pm. Please arrive 15 minutes in advance to check in.

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

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

This event is 19+ and unfortunately not accessible (stairs).

Limited number of tickets available so purchase early.

Drink responsibly.

Video recording now available!

Join us for an engaging evening with Adam Waiser, co-host of Muddy York: A Toronto History Podcast, as he brings his latest episode, “Battle of St. Andrew,” to life in a special talk.

This discussion, inspired by the recent February 27th provincial election, will transport us back to 1955, when an election campaign in Toronto’s St. Andrew riding became a battle to unseat Ontario’s last Communist MPP. The race was about more than just party politics—it reflected deep divisions within Toronto’s Jewish community, raising pressing questions about representation, political identity, and allyship.

Adam Waiser is a passionate history enthusiast who started Muddy York after being inspired by a podcast about NYC history. He co-hosts the show with Grayson Miller, a media professional with a decade of experience in content creation and storytelling. Together, they uncover hidden stories of Toronto’s past, from political struggles to cultural shifts.

Muddy York has grown into a widely followed podcast, offering in-depth research, engaging narratives, and interviews with local historians and authors.

🔗 Learn more & listen to Battle of St. Andrew

📅 Date: Thursday, March 6, 2025
🕒 Time: 7:00 pm
📍 Location: Annette Public Library, 145 Annette Street, Toronto

This is an in-person event only, but a video recording will be made available afterward for those unable to attend.

Stay after the talk to enjoy some refreshments and connect with fellow local history enthusiasts!