Allan Gerald Levine - Toronto : biography of a city

TORONTO

Biog raphy of a City

By Allan Levine

Text copyright 20 14 Allan Levine

1 2 3 4 5 18 17 16 15 14

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Douglas and McInt yre (2013) Ltd.

P.O. Box 219,

Mad eira Park, BC,

V0N 2H0

www.dougl as-mcintyre.com

Jacket illustration of Toronto skyline by paulrommer/ThinkstockPages iiiii, complete view of Toronto harbour showing the eastern and western entrances circa 1910, courtesy Library of Congress, Geography & Map Division; page iv, Maple Leafs Stanley Cup victory parade on Bay Street, 1948, courtesy Archives of Ontario F 223-3-2-10; page viii, detail from 1893 birds-eye view of Toronto, looking north from harbour, courtesy Toronto Public Library.

Edited by A udrey McClellan

Jacket design by Anna Comfort OKeeffe and Carleton Wilson

Text design by Diane Robertson

Indexed by Ellen Hawman

Printed and bound in Canada

Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Ltd. acknowledges financial support from the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, and from the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publish ing Tax Credit.

Cataloguing information available from Library and A rchives Canada

ISBN 978-1-7710 0-022-2 (cloth)

ISBN 978-1-7716 2-043-7 (ebook)

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the many archives, libraries and individuals that granted permission to reproduce copyrighted images and illustrations from their collections, and to the following authors and publishers for granting permission to use extended quotations from cop yrighted works:

My Life as a Dame: The Personal and Political Writings of Christina McCall edited by Stephen Clarkson, copyright 2008. Reproduced with permission from House of Anansi Press, Toronto. www.ho useofanansi.com

The Perilous Trade: Publishing Canadas Writers by Roy MacSkimming. Copyright 2003 Roy MacSkimming. Reprinted by permission of McClel land & Stewart.

The Acquisitors: The Canadian Establishment. Vol. II by Peter C. Newman. Copyright 1981 Peter C. Newman. Reprinted by permission of P eter C. Newman.

Cabbagetown by Hugh Garner. Copyright 1950 Hugh Garner. Reprinted by permission of McGra w-Hill Ryerson.

The Battle to be Megamayor by John Lorinc, Toronto Life , October, 1997. Rob Fords Powers of Persuasion by Sarah Fulford, Toronto Life , October, 2010. Editors Letter: The Real Spadina Expressway Legacy by Sarah Fulford, Toronto Life , September 2011. What Toronto Needs Now by Richard Florida, Toronto Life , November 2012. Reproduced with permission fro m Toronto Life .

The Heather & Gerry Show by Marci McDonald, Toronto Life , June 2005. The Incredible Shrinking Mayor by Marci McDonald, Toronto Life , May, 2012. Reproduced with permission from Toronto Life and Marci McDonald.

No tears here for Gardens farewell by Christie Blatchford, National Post , February 13, 1999. Protest coverage fails fairness test by Christie Blatchford, National Post , June 17, 2000. This is why people hate Toronto by Robert Fulford, National Post , June 9, 2007. Drop the witch hunt, its decided; Time to get over Mayor Fords small error by Kelly McParland, National Post , January 26, 2013. Letters to Editor: Voice from Ford Nation National Post , May 30, 2013. Reproduced with permission from the Postmedi a Network, Inc.

Here Be Dragons: Telling Tales of People and Power by Peter C. Newman. Copyright 2004 Power Reporting Limited. Reprinted by permission of McClel land & Stewart.

In memory of Professor J.M.S. Careless (19192009), who first introduced me to the his tory of Toronto

ALSO BY ALLAN LEVINE

Non-Fiction

THE EXCHANGE : 100 Years of Trading Gr ain in Winnipeg

YOUR WORSHIP : The Lives of Eight of Canadas Most Unforgettable Mayors (editor)

SCRUM WARS : The Prime Minister s and the Media

FUGITIVES OF THE FOREST : The Heroic Story of Jewish Resistance and Survival During the S econd World War

SCATTERED AMONG THE PEOPLES : The Jewish Diaspora i n Ten Portraits

THE DEVIL IN BABYLON : Fear of Progress and the Birth of Modern Life

COMING OF AGE : A History of the Jewish Peo ple of Manitoba

KING : William Lyon Mackenzie King: A Life Guided By The H and of Destiny

Fiction: Histo rical Mysteries

THE BLOOD LIBEL

SINS OF THE SUFFRAGETTE

THE BOLS HEVIK S REVENGE

EVIL OF THE AGE

I am frequently asked whether I find Toronto sufficiently exciting. I find it almost too exciting. The suspense is scary. Here is the most hopeful and healthy city in North America, still unmangled, still with options.

JA NE JACOBS, 1969

I think of Toronto as a big fat rich girl.

ROBERTSON DAVIES, THE TABLE TALK OF SAMUEL M ARCHBANKS, 1949

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

T his book had its genesis in a conversation I had with Trena White, my former editor at Douglas & McIntyre. One day a few years ago, not long after the publication of my biography of Mackenzie King, which we worked on together, Trena and I discussed my next project, and the idea of writing a biography of Toronto came up in a conversation about biographies of other cities. I thank Trena for her initial interest, enthusiasm, and belief in me and this book. Likewise, I continue to be grateful for the support, advice, and friendship of my wise literary agent, Hilary McMahon of Westwood Creative Artists.

I also thank the new D&M team, including managing editor Anna Comfort-OKeeffe, as well as Brianna Cerkiewicz, Carleton Wilson, Diane Robertson, and Patricia Wolfe. Anna paired me with Audrey McClellan, a talented and skillful editor, who has been a pleasure to work with. Her diligence and keen eye have immensely improved t he manuscript.

A number of individuals have offered me advice, answered my questions, made recommendations, suggested research angles, put me in touch with key people, and offered expert opinion on a variety of Toronto-related topics. I am most appreciative to Peter C. Newman, my friend and writing colleague of thirty years, Jonathan Kay, Kelly McParland, Rosemary Sexton, Royson James, Richard Gerrard, an d Chris Gainor.

I thank the following for taking the time to read different sections of the manuscript and for their able assistance and expertise: Dr. John Steckley of Humber College; Dr. Ronald Stagg of Ryerson University; Dr. John Zucchi of McGill University (my old friend from graduate student days at the U of T); Dr. Jay Young, co-editor and public outreach coordinator of ActiveHistory.ca; Bill Gladstone, writer, genealogist, and publisher, whose website billgladstone.ca is a treasure trove of history about the Jewish community of Toronto; journalist John Lorinc, who answered my never-ending queries in a timely manner; and journalist and Toronto expert Mike Filey, who reviewed the enti re manuscript.