Muddy York: A Toronto History Podcast

By 1917, tens of thousands of Torontonians had joined the Canadian forces fighting in Europe and thousands had died. Women were entering the workforce to replace men who had joined the army and the cost of living kept rising as the war consumed ever more resources. This episode will focus on Toronto’s experience during the last two years of the war, as people began demanding conscription to compel so-called shirkers to join the army, and social tensions led to violence as people turned on anyone who opposed conscription or anyone who just happened to be different. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: The Westerlies - The Dover World's Sunrise - Jimena Contreras  Hopeless - Jimena Contereras Nature Nurture - Quincas Moreira

World War I was a cataclysm that fundamentally changed western civilization. Toronto was just a small piece of this massive event, but four years of war would transform the city in ways both big and small. In commemoration of Remembrance Day, our next two episodes will tell the story of Toronto during the First World War – how the city supported the war effort, how Torontonians volunteered to fight and sometimes die overseas, and how the war changed the lives of the people who stayed behind. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: The Dover - The Westerlies Argonne - Zachariah Hickman Hard Times Come Again No More - The Westerlies Oh, It's a Lovely War! - British WW1 Song Look What My Boy Got In France - British WW1 Song What Are You Going To Do To Help The Boys? - British WW1 Song Over There - British WW1 Song Sound Off Alert-March - United States Marine Band Lola - United States Marine Band With Shot and Shell - United States Marine Band

If you listen to this podcast, then you probably live near Toronto. That usually means that you're from southern Ontario, but you could live in PEI. You could be from Indiana, Illinois or Iowa. You could live in Australia or England. You could even be from the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. Yes, there a host of different places called Toronto and we’re going to talking about them on this special bonus episode of Muddy York. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: The Westerlies - The Dover Rolling Heads - Unicorn Heads

Today is the 70th Anniversary of Hurricane Hazel striking Toronto, one of the worst disasters in the city's history. 81 people died and more than 4,000 were left homeless. To commemorate this anniversary, Muddy York is reposting our episode about Hurricane Hazel. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: The Westerlies - The Dover Zachariah Hickson - Argonne  Asher Fulero - Forest Lullaby Emmet Fenn - Allegro  Chopin - E minor Prelude  Brian Bolger - A Fool's Theme

For most of the 20th century, Eaton’s was the most famous store in Canada. At its height, 7% of all retail shopping in Canada was done there. Today, all that remains is the name of the Eaton Centre. This week on Muddy York, we will be talking about Timothy Eaton, the man who turned a small store on Yonge Street into the most important retail business in Canadian history. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: The Westerlies - The Dover Joel Cummins - Resolve Joel Cummins - Looping Ascent Zachariah Hickman - Argonne Brian Bolger - A Fool's Theme

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is a world-famous cultural event that has launched some of the biggest films in cinema history. But it had humble origins as three film producers fought to overcome local skepticism, Hollywood indifference and a censorious province. So, grab your popcorn and settle in as we explore the fascinating history of TIFF. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: The Westerlies - Dover Joel Cummins- The Resolve Joel Cummins - Ascending Loop Freedom Trail - Classic 1985 Movie Soundtrack Audionautix - There You Go

Adam Bunch joins us for this special episode discussing the private lives of John Graves Simcoe, the man who founded Toronto, and his wife Elizabeth. Tune in to learn more about the spy rings, pyromania and thwarted passions of these two public figures. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Next Monday, September 9th, will be the 70th anniversary of a major athletic and cultural event in the history of Toronto. On that date in 1954, a sixteen-year-old girl touched the breakwater near Sunnyside Beach making her the first person to swim across Lake Ontario. She became a media sensation and Canada’s sweetheart, but two years later, she hung up her swimsuit and retired to live an ordinary life. This week on Muddy York, we’re telling the story of Marilyn Bell and the marathon swim that made her a legend. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: The Westerlies - The Dover Joel Cummins - Everything Has a Beginning Aaron Kenney - The Curious Kitten Joel Cummins - Resolve Joel Cummins - Looping Ascent Freedom Trail - Classic 1985 Movie Soundtrack

During the 60s, Yorkville was arguably the most important cultural location in Canada, launching the careers of people that have made such enormous contributions that we can hardly remember what Canadian music was like before they arrived. In our last episode, we didn’t have enough time to give this topic the attention it deserves, so this week will be dedicated to the rise and fall of the Yorkville music scene. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: The Westerlies - The Dover The 126ers - Innocence  TrackTribe - 1968 The 126ers - A Call On Us Aaron Liberman - Lightfoot Dusty Rhymes - Freedom Trail

During the 60s, Yorkville was arguably the most important musical location in Canada, launching the careers of people that have made such enormous contributions to Canadian music that we can hardly remember what it was like before they arrived. Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Rick James are just some of the artists who make appearances in this episode dedicated to the rise and fall of the Yorkville Music Scene. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: The Westerlies - The Dover The 126ers - Innocence TrackTribe-1968 The 126ers - A Call On Us Aaron Liberman - Lightfoot Dusty Rhymes - Freedom Trail