|
|
 |
 |
|
| |
|
Etobicoke Records |
|
| |
|
Etobicoke has included a number of different landscapes and communities: prosperous farms, resorts clustered on the lakeshore, mill villages on the Humber, a commercial byway along Lakeshore Road (later Boulevard). |
Humber River, June 1891,
Fonds 1128, Series 379, Item 1202 |
| The City of Toronto Archives has many records, created by municipal governments as well as private groups and individuals, about Etobicoke, including government reports; personal papers; books; and visual material, including maps and photographs. |
Important Dates
- Pre 1850: Etobicoke is part of York County
- January 1, 1850: Etobicoke is incorporated as a township
- 1911 to 1930: Long Branch, Mimico, and New Toronto separate from Etobicoke and incorporate as villages or towns
- April 15, 1953: Etobicoke, Long Branch, Mimico, and New Toronto become four of 13 municipalities in the new Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto
- January 1, 1967: Etobicoke, Long Branch, Mimico, and New Toronto amalgamate and become the Borough of Etobicoke
- June 29, 1983: Etobicoke incorporates as a city
- January 1,1998: Etobicoke ceases to be an individual municipality and becomes part of the amalgamated City of Toronto
Types of records
Council proceedings and by-laws
The Archives has Council proceedings and by-laws for Etobicoke, Long Branch, Mimico, and New Toronto. To find them, search the Gencat database. Subject indices for by-laws are available in green binders on shelves on the south wall of the Research Hall.
Assessment rolls
The Archives has assessment rolls for Etobicoke, Long Branch, Mimico, and New Toronto. To find assessment rolls, search the Gencat database.
Other municipal records
Many records created by Etobicoke are currently being assessed for transfer to the City of Toronto Archives, where they will be listed in our database, conserved if necessary, stored under appropriate environmental conditions, and made available to the public. These records will include parks and recreation files and photographs; financial records; and planning records, among other topics. The Archives also holds records of former municipalities that amalgamated with Etobicoke, Long Branch, Mimico and New Toronto.
The records of the former Metro (regional) government and its agencies, boards, and commissions also include information about matters relevant to Etobicoke, including public works, such as water mains; transportation, such as roads and the TTC; planning; parks; and social services. To find these records, search on your research topic in the Gencat database, or speak to Reference Desk staff.
City directories
| Parts of Etobicoke are listed in the Toronto city directories in a separate suburban section (see each year's table of contents for page numbers) from 1890 to 1929. Starting in 1930, Etobicoke listings are part of the main directory. Between 1983 and 1995, Etobicoke listings appear only in the "west" edition of the directory, which is not published every year. After 1995, Etobicoke listings appear in one separate volume.
|
Toronto City Directory 1926
|
|
Directories before 1960 are available on microfilm, found in the self-serve cabinets in the Microfilm Room at the back of the Research Hall. Directories from 1960 to 2001 are available in hard copy on the shelves in the Research Hall.
Fire Insurance Maps
The Archives has fire insurance maps on microfilm for parts of Etobicoke for 1944, 1953, 1954, 1962, and 1973. There are also fire insurance maps for Lambton Mills in 1910, and Mimico and New Toronto in 1913. They are found in the microfilm (boxes are titled "Goad's" or "Underwriters'") in the metal cabinets in the Microfilm Room at the back of the Research Hall.
Each set of maps begins with a key map and an index of street names. You can use either to find your area. A key to the symbols used in the maps is found on the bulletin board in the Microfilm Room at the back of the Research Hall.
Maps
To find maps showing Etobicoke, look in the binder in the Research Hall labelled "Cartographic Collection," or use the Gencat database. Reference Desk staff can show you how to use the database. The Archives also has several atlases that may be useful. They are found in the section titled "Atlases" in the main area of the Research Hall.
Aerial photos
The aerials cover the Etobicoke area from 1947 to 1992. Each aerial shows a part of the city, not the entire city. Use the index maps for each year, available on the large tables by the lockers, to find the identification number of the aerial photograph(s) you wish to see. The identification number for a particular area changes from year to year up to 1983, so before 1983, you must look up each area separately for each year. Starting in 1983, the identification numbers stay the same for each year. Once you have an identification number, you may then look at the aerials, which are arranged by year and identification number in the large map cabinets by the lockers.
When using the aerials, please wear the white cotton gloves provided, to protect the photographs from fingerprints.
An additional but small group of aerial photographs show areas around the Humber and Don rivers from 1937 to 1942. These aerials are known as Series 97, Aerial Photographs of Valley Lands. They are available on computers in the research hall.
Reports
The Archives holds published reports regarding Etobicoke, including those on topics such as the lakeshore "motel strip," the Islington community, Woodbine Centre, and the Humber River watershed, as well as official plans. Look in the Research Hall Library in the "Government Reports" section under the category you are interested in, or search the Gencat database.
Books These general reference books are available in the Archives Research Hall Library and are a good place to start your research: |
Construction on the Kinsgway, June 17, 1947, Fonds 1266, Item 40448 |
Ron Brown, Toronto's Lost Villages
(Toronto: Polar Bear Press 1997)
971.3541 B81 1997
Robert A. Given, The Story of Etobicoke
(Etobicoke: Municipality of Etobicoke 1950)
971.354 G43 1950
Esther Heyes, Etobicoke: From Furrow to Borough
(Etobicoke: The Borough of Etobicoke 1974)
971.3541 H51 1974
K.M. Lizars, The Valley of the Humber, 1615-1913
(Toronto: William Briggs 1913)
971.354 L76 1913
Villages of Etobicoke (Weston: Argyle Printing 1985)
961.3541 V71 1985
Books on more specific Etobicoke topics may be found by searching in the Gencat database. These topics might include places, organizations, landmarks, and events.
Photographs
To find photographs of Etobicoke places and events, search on your research topic in the Gencat database. |
Flooding of Humber River, June 2, 1947, Fonds 1266, Item 115655 |
Other Information
For general information, see the information file titled "Etobicoke." You may also find other information files about more specific topics, such as smaller communities within Etobicoke (such as Mimico and the Kingsway), landmarks (such as Montgomery's Inn), people, and events. For a list of information file titles, please consult Reference Desk staff.
The green binder "Etobicoke Street Name Changes" will help you determine if a street name has changed.
For a list of Etobicoke mayors and other municipal information, please ask Reference Desk staff for the binder entitled "Etobicoke Reference Highlights."
Highlights
Photographic highlights include construction of the Humber Sewage Treatment Plant (Series 160 and 163). Other highlights include a film of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visiting Etobicoke in 1959 (Series 230, Item 17). Other highlights include photographs of the Humber Valley surveys of 1912 (Series 23) and records of the homeowners' group The Thorncrest Homes Association Inc. (Fonds 55).
|
|
|
|
