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.
Tickets: $15 per lecture or $50 for the
series of four. They can be purchased Saturdays at the museum (10 am -
5 pm), from a CHP member or by calling 416-515-7546 or just pick them
up at the lecture (if room available). Tickets
are limited to a maximum of 30 people per lecture.
Where: The Tollkeeper's
Cottage, NW corner of Bathurst and Davenport.
When: Starting promptly at 7 pm.
There will be a break part way through the evening for tea or coffee.
After each lecture, the lecturer will accept questions from the
audience.
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The Tollkeeper’s Cottage is a museum
wholly owned and operated by the Community History Project – a local
history society serving on a volunteer basis. The museum is in a
restored historic building dating from around 1835 and is a rare
remnant from the beginning of the 19th century tolling system in Upper
Canada. The restoration has been to the building’s earliest start –
1835 – but has been furnished with antiques up to 180 when a family of
nine lived in the building’s three rooms.. Designated by the City of
Toronto, the Tollkeeper’s Cottage is of national significance as it is
the only historic tollhouse known to have survived into the present
time, and it is also rare for its vertical plank construction. In
period dress, trained docents are on duty every Saturday (non pandemic) from 10 am
until 5 pm (4pm winter--closed between Christmas and New Year) and will take visitors on a tour for a modest donation. The
museum is not subsidized by governments and raises its own operating
costs through these donations and various fundraising programmes. Some
items now part of the museum are extremely rare and interesting, but
you will have to visit to find out what they are! And yes, very selected furnishings
are still being accepted into the collection but only after being
vetted by an expert. Some of the annual programmes that may be offered at the museum are: a series of lectures by experts in a spring and fall series on various historical subjects, knitting, rug-braiding, a Food Focus series of events featuring indigenous Canadian foods (berries, nuts, etc. and actual recipes using these foods as taken from historic sources. Special arrangements can be made for school classes, seniors and other group tours or special programmes preferably by emailing tollkeeperscottage@gmail.com or calling and leaving a message for rates and dates. The modern addition to the historic building can also be rented for special events such as meetings, receptions. The museum is open at special times throughout the years, for example for selected Wednesday evening lectures. The museum has events such as Victoria Day Tea, St. Patrick's Day Tea, December Cookie sale, Strawberry Social. Visit this website periodically to learn more about these and other events. Contacting us by email at tollkeeperscottage@gmail.com . article in Town Crier by Eric Emin Wood about the cottage.Watch this site for changing tidbits on
local history, announcements of new programmes etc. |
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Feb/Mar -2021
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Please be aware that 2021 memberships are available. We have some new and updated Slideshows on the site!! (Thanks to all ).. You can find them here If you would like to make a donation or pay a membership fee, you can now do it in the modern way online! We can now receive an etransfer at our email address! Donations and membership fees will receive an income tax receipt next February.
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