Knox United Church 175th Anniversary Tour

Join us May 28th, 7 pm for a free tour of Knox United Church, Agincourt . The 175 year old church is located at the corner of Church Street (oops, Midland Avenue) and Main Street (uh oh, Sheppard Avenue), just north of the sawmill (oh no that’s long gone!)

Take this opportunity to discover:

  • the connection of this area with King Henry the V
    • what movie star is buried here
    • a tombstone competition
    • an unusual bank robbery
    • who was John Hill

Picture an area which esentially was fields, forests, streams, rivers and scattered settlements. Together let’s figure out what brought people together to create the Village of Agincourt.

Flyer for SHS tour of Knox United Church

A Century of learning at St. Augustine’s Seminary

St. Augustine's Seminary in its 100th year, 2013. Photo: Jeremy Hopkin.

St. Augustine’s Seminary reaches the century mark, 2013.   Photo: Jeremy Hopkin.

On August 28, 2013, St. Augustine’s Catholic Seminary enters its 100th year of operation in Scarborough. To highlight this occasion, we look back to a newspaper article written by Rick Schofield, Scarborough’s Archivist.

1913 Catholic Seminary has world influence
St. Augustine’s first institution of higher learning

Richard Schofield: Scarborough’s Heritage
(Originally published in The Toronto Star, July 9, 1979)

“High above Lake Ontario near the edge of the Scarborough Bluffs stands the first institution of higher education to be built in the borough. It is not only historically important but also architecturally significant and thus has been recommended for designation under the terms of the Ontario Heritage Act.

A dedication notice for St. Augustine's Seminary. c/o Toronto Star.

A dedication notice for St. Augustine’s Seminary, 1913. -c/o Toronto Star.

St. Augustine’s Seminary was begun in 1910 and was one of the first reinforced concrete buildings in Toronto. The idea for the seminary for English-speaking Catholics was actually conceived in 1890 but it was not until Eugene O’Keefe gave his financial support that the dream became a reality. His generosity was heralded across the country and when the building was completed in 1913, it was the pride of Catholics across Canada.

Although the building has been open to the public on only three or four occasions in its 70-year history, its influence has been felt around the world. Although most of its graduates have been channeled into Ontario, the United States and around the globe.

 

During its early history, the seminary received the right to confer its own Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree and in 1938 was permitted to enroll some seminarians for arts degrees at the University of Toronto.

The military-style discipline ensures that seminarians act as ecclesiastical students at all times and the courses offered are not likely to appeal to the average university-oriented student. Latin, canon law, dogmatic, ascetic, moral and pastoral theology; scriptures, church history, sacred liturgy, ethics, languages and English literature all form part of the students program. Despite the concentration on studies and prayer, the seminary provides a wide variety of recreational activities and its library is thought to be one of the finest of its type in North America.

Early fundraising advertisement for St. Augustine's. c/o Toronto Star.

Early fundraising advertisement for St. Augustine’s Seminary, which highlights the role that O’Keefe played. – c/o Toronto Star.

Not disturbed by the heavy traffic along nearby Kingston Rd. and the new subdivisions and apartments that have sprung up in the area, St. Augustine’s has maintained its original 130-acre site with only a few minor alterations. Chine Drive Public School, St. Theresa’s Shrine Separate School and the Scarboro’ Foreign Mission Society all occupy small parcels of land adjacent to St. Augustine’s.

The main building was designed by architect A.W. Holmes and has been described as an educational-ecclesiastical building resembling the Ecole des Beaux-Arts style in France with some Italianate detailing. The bold dome, columned portico and beautifully proportioned windows are hallmarks of the classical style. The dome, especially, draws attention to the building and it’s almost impossible to drive along the Kingston Rd. without noticing this impressive building.”

*Editor’s notes:

1. The Seminary was purposely dedicated on August 28 to honour the death date of St. Augustine of Hippo, who lived from November 13, 354 – August 28, 430.
St. Augustine was an early Christian theologian whose writings are considered very influential in the development of Western Christianity and Western philosophy.
He was bishop of Hippo Regius (present-day Annaba, Algeria) located in the Roman province of Africa.

2. As its project to mark the centennial of St. Augustine’s Seminary, the Priests’ Alumni Association was entrusted with the restoration of the Seminary windows, 16 in total. Fundraising for the project began in 2009, restoration work began in July of 2013.
The restoration will not only bring the appearance of the building back to its original state, but will also greatly improve energy efficiency. Deterioration was visible both in the windows themselves and in the frames which enclose them. The original frames and sills, constructed in 1913, were weathered, dry rotted and entombed in sheet metal; a futile attempt to extend the life of the windows.

In the news: Highland Creek Heritage Festival – June 8, 2013

Miller Lash house, Highland Creek valley. Photo: Jeremy Hopkin

Miller Lash House, Highland Creek valley.   Photo: Jeremy Hopkin

100 Years in the “Valley” – The Miller Lash House Celebration!
Text excerpt from The Villager newspaper, March / April 2013:

The University of Toronto Scarborough celebrates 100 years of history in the community. The historic Miller Lash House was built in 1913 to be the summer home of Miller Lash, Toronto lawyer and industrialist, and his family. Located in the scenic Rouge River Valley, the house was enjoyed by the family for many years. Subsequently it was purchased by the University in 1963 and became the residence for the first few Principals of the University of Toronto Scarborough. In 2002 the University decided to transform the house into a meeting and event venue, and as such it has become one of Toronto’s popular choices to host weddings, events and meetings.

The University wants to recognize this historic event on campus and hold a day of celebration for not only the campus community but to invite our friends and neighbours from the surrounding communities to join in on the fun. To that end we have begun working with the organizers of the Highland Creek Heritage Day Festival. The date is Saturday, June 8th, please mark it in your calendars and plan to come down and see the House and take part in the Festival.

The Miller Lash 100th Anniversary Celebration will include many of the popular aspects of Heritage Days and plans to offer a festival of fun and entertainment while taking some trips down memory lane and acknowledging the great history that is very much a part of this community. Stay tuned for further updates as plans are finalized and we hope to see you “In The Valley” on June 8th…

More information:

– Highland Creek Heritage Festival
Miller Lash House

– Highland Creek historical image gallery

In the news: Future of The Guild property

13-C-2.1 Guild Inn / Bickford house

*Excerpt from The Scarborough Mirror, Thursday, April 4, 2013
Article by Mike Adler

Group Holds meeting on Guild’s future
‘Whole park thinking’ sought by Friends of the Guild Park and Gardens

“Realizing the potential of Guild Park requires a new vision for the entire Guild property, says a group hosting a meeting on the subject next week.

Friends of the Guild Park and Gardens wants to use “whole park thinking” to enhance the park, 88 acres on the Scarborough Bluffs once owned by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority but managed by the City of Toronto.

ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY

The land contains architectural fragments of Toronto buildings which can claim national importance, but the park itself has no drinking fountain or permanent public washroom, said John Mason, a Friends member.

Remnants of the 1919 Bank of Toronto building (left) were saved by Spencer Clark when demolished in 1966. The parts were reconstructed in 1981 as a Greek Theatre, one of the several architectural remnants that populate the Guild gardens.

Remnants of the 1919 Bank of Toronto building (left) were saved by Spencer Clark when demolished in 1966. The parts were integrated in 1981 to form a classic Greek Theatre, one of many architectural salvage pieces that still populate the beautiful Guild gardens.

The Guild Inn, formerly a private home and centre of an arts colony, has been shuttered for more than a decade, though the city is making a third attempt at finding a private partner who will restore or replace the building.

The new Friends group can meanwhile start working on ideas for the property that can complement work other local organizations, the Guildwood Village Community Association and Guild Renaissance Group, have done on the park’s behalf, Mason said. “It’s got to be used more effectively than it’s being used now.”

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS

The Friends are asking residents to bring questions and comments about the park to Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church at Guildwood Parkway and Livingston Road for the meeting at 7 p.m. next Thursday, April 11. Speakers will include Dave Harvey, founder and executive director of Park People, an alliance of volunteers with similar groups who “work cooperatively together to make our parks the best they can possibly be.”

The Guild, still the annual site of performances and an annual arts festival, may see a variety of improvements if the city decides this summer to partner with Dynamic Hospitality and Entertainment Group, a company expected to bid next month to operate a restaurant where the Inn now stands.

The city has for years planned additional investments in the park’s “cultural precinct” which are worth millions, and Paul Ainslie, the local city councillor, has also proposed replacing the Toronto Public Library’s Guildwood branch with a new library building at the park.

Residents of the surrounding Guildwood subdivision are applying to have the Guild recognized as a national historic site and students from nearby Sir Wilfred Laurier Collegiate almost finished supporting research for Heritage Canada, Mason said.

More about the group is posted on www.facebook.com/GuildPark…”