West Toronto Junction Historical Society

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.

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.