Muddy York: A Toronto History Podcast

Welcome to a special holiday episode of Muddy York, the podcast where we dig into Toronto’s hidden stories and, let’s be honest, let ourselves get swept up in a little nostalgia. Today, we’re peeling back the frosty layers of one of Toronto’s most magical holiday traditions: the department store Christmas window displays. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Blue Sky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Music: Carol Of The Bells - Audionautix Christmas Village - Aaron Kenny Christmas Homecoming - Aaron Kenny Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy - Kevin MacLeod O Christmas Tree - DJ Williams Central Park - Quincas Moreira The Dover - The Westerlies

Arlene Chan joins us to talk about the history of Toronto's Chinatown. The Chinese presence in Toronto goes back to at least 1878. However, the first Chinatown would become a victim of urban redevelopment during the 1960s. Learn more about the people who built this community and the fight to preserve it on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Music: The Westerlies - The Dover The Soundlings - Deck The Halls

On this episode of Muddy York, we’re plunging deep into Toronto’s underground story—the tale of our city’s sewers. It’s a story that’s all about overcoming the gritty, grimy obstacles of urban growth. It's also an opportunity for us to make loads of puns. So join us to learn more about the Toronto Sewer System. It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: The Westerlies - The DoverCooper Cannell - The Plan's WorkingQuincas Moreira - The MetamorphosisJoel Cummins - ResolveJimena Contreras - HopelessJoel Cummins- Looping Ascent

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/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠