Leaside is a most comprehensive look at the people, significant events and built heritage, all of which contributed to the creation of this distinctive community. Named after John Lea, a successful farmer, whose house, built in 1829, is believed to be the first brick house in York County, Leaside grew from a railway settlement into a prosperous urban town. With its roots embedded in the history of three railways, Leaside has a unique industrial heritage that played a key role in the war ef...

The Toronto Neighbourhoods bundle presents a collection of titles that provide fascinating insight into the history and development of Canada’s largest and most diverse city. Beginning with histories of Canada’s longest street and the early days of what was once called York (The Yonge Street Story, 1793-1860; A City in the Making; Opportunity Road), the titles in the bundle go on to examine the development of particular unique neighbourhoods that help give the city its character (...

The Villages Within is an irreverent version of Torontos past that will not improve anyones knowledge of history, but its fabrications and exaggerations may provide an amusing insight into the lives of those who built the town of York. It is an expos of historical untruths, a book that no school should ever permit its students to read.Discover Lord Dorchesters unusual method of staying warm while his underwear froze during his first winter in Canada. Learn about Elizabeth ...

Unbuilt Toronto explores never-realized building projects in and around Toronto, from the citys founding to the twenty-first century. Delving into unfulfilled and largely forgotten visions for grand public buildings, landmark skyscrapers, highways, subways, and arts and recreation venues, it outlines such ambitious schemes as St. Alban's Cathedral, the Queen subway line and early city plans that would have resulted in a Paris-by-the-Lake.Readers may lament the loss of some projects...

The modest beginnings of the Chinese in Toronto and the development of Chinatown is largely due to the completion of the CPR in 1885. No longer requiring the services of the Chinese labourers, a hostile British Columbia sent them eastward in search of employment and a more welcoming place.In 1894 Toronto's Chinese population numbered fifty. Today, no less than seven Chinatowns serve what has become the second-largest visible minority in the city, with a population of half a million...

Since 2010, Toronto's headlines have been consumed by the outrageous personal foibles and government-slashing, anti-urbanist policies of Mayor Rob Ford. But the heated debate at City Hall has obscured a bigger, decade-long narrative of Toronto's ascendance as a mature global city. Some Great Idea traces how post-amalgamation, and under three very different mayors, Toronto managed to so quickly oscillate from one extreme to another, and how the city might proceed from here. Some Great Idea ...

Quill & Quire cited Unbuilt Toronto as a book filled with "well-researched, often gripping tales of grand plans," while Canadian Architect said that it is "an impressively researched exploration of never-realized architectural and master-planning projects intended for the city." Now Unbuilt Toronto 2 provides an all-new, fascinating return to the "Toronto that might have been."Discover the scrapyard statue planned for University Avenue, the flapp...

"This beautiful book is proof that there is always something more to learn about the cuisine of France, even for a French-trained professional chef." —Jacques Pépin , chef, James Beard Foundation Award–winning cookbook author, and Emmy Award–winning public television cooking series hostRenowned for her cooking school in France and her many best-selling cookbooks, Anne Willan combines years of hands-on experience with extensive rese...

Terry Boyle unveils the eccentric and bizarre in these mini-histories of Ontario's towns and cities: the imposter who ran the Rockwood Asylum in Kingston; Ian Fleming's inspiration for James Bond; the Prince of Wales's undignified crossing of Rice Lake; the tragic life of Joseph Brant; the man who advertised his wife's death before poisoning her; as well as Ontario's first bullfight and the answer to the question, "Why did so many lumberjacks sport beards?"The colourful characters,...

In daily life, we can take control of the resources and services we depend on. Electricity and energy don’t have to come off the public utility grid—alternatives abound in solar, wind, and water generated power. Design decisions can drastically affect power consumption, and bio-diesel and alternative fuels can help break the oil habit. Dave Black describes alternatives for eco-pimping your home and lifestyle for independence, economy, and a more integrated way of life. Equally valuable for...

“This book is ridiculously hilarious, and makes my father look like a normal member of society.” —Chelsea HandlerTuesdays with Morrie meets F My Life in this hilarious book about a son’s relationship with his foul-mouthed father by the comedy writer who created the massively popular Twitter feed of the same name.A few months ago, comedy writer Justin Halpern, 29, found himself living at home with his 73-year-old father aft...

"With six unconventionally religious novels to date, this brave, meditative author has carved a unique niche in American literature." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)If life is a journey—with detours, paths from which to choose, and myriad roadblocks to overcome—then Otto Ringling is most certainly on the journey of a lifetime. His first fifty or so years were pretty good. He felt he had it all, until one day he didn't.