Food Focus Days:
The earliest settlers survived because of the indigenous foods they learned about from the local indians. In due course, they introduced new species brought from the old world as their farms and gardens developed.
Food Focus Days are held at the tollkeeper's cottage from 11am to 5pm (or until sold out). Visitors receive a free brochure, and may purchase the foods featured that day plus historic recipes using that food. Also offered at a special price are copies of Dorothy Duncan's history book on Canadian food: Nothing More Comforting: Canada's Heritage Food (which contains recipes).
Tollkeeper's Walking Tours:
These are repeats of the series given in May of the four corners around the tollkeeper's cottage, one area at a time. All the tours begin at the tollkeeper's cottage at 2pm and last approximately two hours. Tours 3 and 4 (northwest and northeast) involve walking up hills.
Each tour costs $5, or passes for all four are $18. Tours are "rain or shine".
Mementos of the tollkeeper's cottage
Help support the project - and reward yourself - with a little bit of Toronto's history. Available from CHP - see Contact Us page.
Souvenir Cut Nails: $10 each.
Salvaged from The tollkeeper's cottage as it was being stripped
down, these are rusty handmade nails dating from about 1835 which could not be re-used in the restoration work - on a card with some history - makes a nice gift of some authentic history.
Cedar Shavings: $5 per large bag.
Produced by the volunteers who made the shakes for the roof, these shavings vary from strips to bits and are good for garden mulch, fire starters, or may be reduced in size mechanically for composting.
Cedar Sachets: $3 each.
Little bags of tiny cedar bits to scent and mothproof a clothes closet, made by volunteers.
Maple Syrup: $9 per 300ml
Each year CHP orders fresh syrup from the Beaver Valley and sells small bottles all year after the Sweet Heritage event.
| The 2008 Schedule of Events has been abbreviated due to the work involved in CHP's office move and preparing for The Tollkeeper's Cottage official opening on July 1. We hope to return to our normal schedule of events in 2009. |
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June 21 - Sat.
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National Aboriginal Day. Visit Wells Hill Park for drumming and dancing sponsored by Na-me-res and Tumavut. |
July 1 - Tues. |
Official opening of the tollkeeper's cottage at 2pm and the renaming of the park The Tollkeeper's Park (if approved) including a plaque unveiling. Tours of the Cottage and nearby heritage plantings. Celebrate Canada Day by enjoying a part of its history! |
July 12 - Sat. |
A walking tour en français of the Casa Loma neighbourhood, including the tollkeeper's cottage: 10am - noon. Starting at the tollkeeper's cottage, conducted and sponsored by La Société d’histoire de Toronto. $5, rain or shine. |
Aug. 4 - Mon. |
Simcoe Day Heritage Event 10am - 5pm at the Tollkeeper's Park. Sponsored by the Toronto Historical Association, 20 heritage groups with displays, costumes, food, plus an exhibit about Simcoe and later Lieutenant Governors in the cottage. Free. At 10am the Mississaugas of New Credit First Nation will conduct a ceremony dedicating the new birch trees planted by the cottage. |
Aug. 23 - 24 Sat. - Sun. |
Mississauga Pow Wow. Visit the Pow-Wow of the Mississaugas of the New Credit on their Reserve near Hagersville - our aboriginal landowners - and learn what is happening in the settlement of the Toronto Purchase. All day, Saturday & Sunday. |
Sundays in September / October - walking tours conducted by Bruce Ferreira-Wells. Each tour begins |
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Sept. 14 - Sun.
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Walking Tour 1. (click for pamphlet)  (click for times, cost, etc.)This walk explores the southwest corner of The Tollkeeper's Cottage area which includes: - The Escarpment, the shoreline of Lake Iroquois that, over 10,000 years ago shrank to form the Great Lakes; - Davenport Road, shown on a map drawn on birch bark by Elizabeth Simcoe in 1796 extending from Montreal to Niagara - possibly the oldest road in the world; - Taddle Creek, the most "muscular" creek around (ask your tour guide!); - The top part of Seaton Village (never incorporated); - The MacNamara Farm, Market Garden, Hillcrest Racetrack, and Toronto Transportation Commission Hillcrest Yards. |
Sept. 21 - Sun. |
Walking Tour 2. (click for pamphlet) (click for times, cost, etc.) This walk explores the southeast corner of The Tollkeeper's Cottage area which includes: - Farm lot 25, part of the amorphous area known as Seaton Village; - Farm lots 23 and 24 which belonged to the great Baldwin family and included parts of The Annex, Yorkville and Seaton Village. - The Tollkeeper's Cottage, being the first building constructed in the area; - The fascinating history of land use and later buildings in The Tollkeeper's Cottage area from the 1800's through 1970's, including a blacksmith, Patterson (truck) Springs, the narrowest house in the City, a bakery (including George Weston and Cawthra Mulock), George Brown College, Cooey's Machine Shop (building WW1 rifles ), a brickyard and Tarragon Theatre. |
Sept. 25 - Thurs. |
The Baldwins - 1:30pm. A Community History Project presentation about the Baldwins and their impact on the local area, including an exhibit. At the Spadina Road Library (click for map). |
Sept. 28 - Sun. |
Walking Tour 3. (click for pamphlet) (click for times, cost, etc.)This walk explores the northwest quadrant of The Tollkeeper's Cottage area which includes: - Taddle Creek, Wychwood Park & Pond; - Tyrrell Street, named after the Squire of Weston; - History relating to the Davenport Street Railway; - The Wychwood Railway Yards (1913 - 1921) and Poverty Pond; - Bracondale, Hillcrest Park & Sir William Gage's Bon Air (1913); - Davenport Square Park. |
| Oct. 5 - Sun. CANCELLED! |
Walking Tour 4. (click for pamphlet) (click for times, cost, etc.)  This walk explores the northeast quadrant of The Tollkeeper's Cottage area which includes:- Crookshank's Lane (Bathurst St.), a dirt path from Crookshank's house....; - Yorkville and Vaughan Plank Road; - Hillcrest School; - Kate Evans and the formation of Hillcrest Hospital in 1884: - Ensign John McGill, and his small frame house (1797)  called Davenport;- The home of E.J. Lennox, who designed the old City Hall and Casa Loma; - Casa Loma and Henry Pellatt - The Baldwins, and Spadina; - 1905 - Ravenswood, Ardwold, and John Craig Eaton. |
| Oct. 11 - Sat. | A Birdhouse Workshop! Elementary school children with one adult are invited to construct their o |
Oct. 25 - Sat. |
Annual Apples and Pumpkins Event, 10am - 6pm. Sale of heritage apples, pumpkins for pies and jack o' lanterns, cook books, heritage recipes for apples and pumpkins, and lots of home baking! Also apple bobbing for children. At the tollkeeper's cottage from 10am - 5pm. |
Nov. 01 - Sat. |
The Community History Project's display on Dr. Frederick Banting's Toronto years will be shown at the Banting Day Diabetes Expo in Alliston, ON. Dr. Banting was born in Alliston and lived within CHP's study area for several years. |
Nov. 11 - Sun. |
Remembrance Day - Sunrise service at Prospect Cemetery - Veterans' Plot to honour the heroes who fought for Canada. |
Nov. 14 - Fri. |
In honour of World Diabetes Day (Nov. 14), there will be a display at the Cottage about Dr. Frederick Banting's Toronto years. Dr. Banting lived within CHP's study area. |
Dec. 13 - Sat. |
Christmas Sale of Home Baking, 10am - 5pm, at the tollkeeper's cottage. Fancy decorated cookies by our volunteers, 6 or 12 per package. Suitable for entertaining or as gifts. Those who pre-ordered Christmas Pudding can pick them up during the cookie sale. At 5 pm the cottage closes for the holiday season until Saturday January 10th, 2009. |
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