Mary Pellatt

Last of a line

Mary Pellatt, niece to builder of Casa Loma, didn’t value possessions

By Tom G. Kernaghan

Her independence was like a home with many rooms. When 94-year-old Mary Pellatt passed away in Sechelt, B.C. on December 27 of last year, the former Torontonian had lived a life rich in exploration and discovery.

“She was always an adventurer,” says Christine Chandler, a Sechelt resident and friend who cared for Pellatt in her later years.

Rebels Among Us

Rebels among us

VideoCabaret brings The Red River Rebellion to the Cameron

By Tom G. Kernaghan

Playwright and director Michael Hollingsworth and VideoCabaret return to The Cameron House this month with The Red River Rebellion, the newly devised fifth play from his acclaimed satirical chronicle, The History of the Village of the Small Huts.

Remembering The Unforgettable

Remembering the unforgettable

Local places to mark November 11

By Tom G. Kernaghan

Though it was called “the war to end all wars,” the First World War was just the beginning of modern global conflict. But its magnitude, nature, and horror did give rise to another important beginning—the tradition of Remembrance Day. On Thursday, November 11 at 11:00 a.m., it will be 86 years since the Great War came to an end. With two minutes of silence, we continue to acknowledge those Canadians who have died serving our country. And, around the Annex area, a number of ceremonies will take place to mark the occasion.

Swansea: a local Eden

Swansea: a local Eden

From iron works to brownfield to residential development

By Tom G. Kernaghan

On the east lot of the former Stelco Swansea Works site, Cresford Developments is laying the foundation of “Windermere by the Lake,” a large residential complex that will contain over 200 town homes and condominium units.

Written in bronze

Written in bronze

City’s parks the result of Hurricane Hazel

By Tom G. Kernaghan

A plaque now stands where water roared 50 years ago.

“It doesn’t mean anything until you realize that was the height of the water,” said author Mike Filey, who emceed the Oct. 16 unveiling of the plaque commemorating the night Hurricane Hazel hit the west end. Filey was referring to the seven-metre-high blue waves painted on the nearby Bloor Street viaduct, which mark where the Humber River’s water rose to on the night of the storm. “We are sitting in a lake,” he explained.

Plaque to commemorate 50th anniversary of Hurricane Hazel

Plaque to commemorate 50th anniversary of Hurricane Hazel

Record-breaking storm hit the west end the hardest

By Tom G. Kernaghan

Fifty years ago on the morning of Oct. 16, Torontonians awoke to the inconceivable: their city ravaged by a hurricane. Hurricane Hazel had left 81 people dead, thousands homeless, and a city in shock.

And this year, on Oct. 14 at 1:00 p.m., the Ontario Heritage Foundation (OHF), the Humber Heritage Committee (HHC), and the City of Toronto will mark the hurricane’s 50th anniversary by unveiling a commemorative plaque at King’s Mill Park (under the Bloor Street viaduct by the Old Mill subway station).

It was a dark and stormy night

It was a dark and stormy night

Hurricane Hazel hit with devastating swiftness

By Tom G. Kernaghan

Fifty years ago on the morning of Oct. 16, Torontonians awoke to the inconceivable: their city ravaged by a hurricane. For the unfortunate people on lower ground or near riverbanks, Hurricane Hazel had made its terrifying introduction several hours before. Eighty-one people were dead, thousands were left homeless, and the city was in shock.

A beneficiary of Cooey values

A beneficiary of Cooey values
Grace appreciated a bit of well-timed mischief

By Tom G. Kernaghan

“If only my lower legs were just an inch or two longer,” Grace used to say.

It was never quite clear to me if this quip was really a comment on herself as a woman, or if she simply meant that a couple more inches of leg bone would’ve come in handy in athletics. And Grace was passionate about sports—basketball, baseball, volleyball, badminton, hockey, swimming, golf, and, according to the June 1927 Central Technical School (CTS) Vulcan, riding camels.