Our Stories

Snow‑covered cemetery scene at dusk featuring a tall stone grave marker in the foreground commemorating James Aikins. The monument is topped with a rounded cap and surrounded by evergreen trees and bare branches, with additional headstones visible along a snow‑covered path in winter light.

James C. Aikins: Statesman, Visionary and Guardian of Toronto’s Cemeteries

1823–1904 Mount Pleasant Cemetery Plot V Lot 2 Born in Toronto Township, James Cox Aikins rose from modest beginnings to become a towering figure in
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panoramic view of Los Angeles Olympics

Edward Cudworth: The Runner Who Defied the Odds

old street and horse drawn carriage

Charles Empringham: Scarborough’s Blacksmith and Carriage Maker

people holding up a big sign that says thank you canada

Kenneth Taylor: Canada’s Quiet Hero Behind Argo

Autumn landscape showing a large silver maple tree with yellow and brown leaves dusted by fresh snow, standing in an open grassy park. Fallen leaves scatter across the snow‑covered ground, with additional trees and open space visible in the background.

The Earlscourt Silver Maple: A Living Memorial

Rolled architectural or technical drawings resting on a table, showing printed measurement markings and curved line diagrams on aged, slightly torn paper.

Handwritten Records at the Toronto Necropolis: Preserving the Past

a house in the snow surrounded by trees

Michael Shepard House: York Cemetery’s Hidden Heritage Gem

a big building with brick and stone

Henry Langley: A Lasting Heritage in Toronto

old newspaper clipping

James Brown: The Last Public Hanging in Toronto

a butterfly in the palm of a hand

Annual Butterfly Release: A Celebration of Life

Weathered gray stone grave marker with an arched top, partially obscured by pine tree branches, standing in a snowy cemetery; the engraved inscription is faint and difficult to read.

Following the Robinson Family History from Potter’s Field to Mount Pleasant

houses sinking in flood

Ken and Joan Edwards: Tragedy on Raymore Drive – Hurricane Hazel

big monument surrounded by trees

O’Born Family: Champions of Print and Innovation

Exterior view of the Bata Shoe Museum, a modern concrete museum building at a city street intersection, with large graphic banners displayed on its walls. Cars and traffic lights are visible at the crossroads, and a tall residential tower rises behind the museum under an overcast sky.

Thomas J. Bata and Sonja I. Bata: Shoemaker to the World and the Woman Who Preserved His Legacy

corner store in black and white

Frank Stefano Darrigo: From Pushcart to Grocery Empire

gravestone

Jesse Nilsson: A Rising Star Gone Too Soon

William Peyton Hubbard historical plaque

William Peyton Hubbard: Toronto’s Trailblazer for Equality and Public Power

Simple black‑and‑white line drawing showing a person standing at a podium reading from a sheet of paper, facing a small group of seated, doll‑like or scarecrow‑style figures with round heads and straw‑like hair. The figures appear loosely posed, creating a whimsical, hand‑drawn scene.

Shaunt Basmajian: A Voice for Canadian Poetry

tree stump

Snags: The Hidden Life in Standing Dead Trees

boulder with trees and shrubs

The Children’s Garden: A Place of Memory and Peace 

two plaques with text

Thornton and Lucie Blackburn: Toronto’s First Taxi and Champions of Freedom