January 27, 2010
In order to balance The Game’s required daily exercise and my Wednesday night writing class, I walk to George Brown College from Yonge and Bloor. This evening was considerably colder than the past few weeks and I found that I walked more quickly. The accelerated pace meant that I was early for my class and I decided that I would take the last stretch, from St. James Cathedral, at a more leisurely tempo. As I strolled, I noticed a placard on the side of a furniture shop. Upon closer inspection, it commemorated the rebuild after the Great Fire of Toronto. I am familiar of the details of the Great Fire of London, partially because of high school history class and also from living there, but I was unaware of the details of the Great Fire of Toronto. Today’s question is: what are the circumstances surrounding the Great Fire of Toronto?
A: Well, whaddya know, Toronto actually experienced two great fires in its time. The first fire was in April 1894 (which is the plaque that I read) and burned through 16 city blocks – from Front Street East to Adelaide Street and from George Street to Church Street.
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The cause and origin of the fire is still unknown, although the Bruce Bell society suggests that it began in a stable on King Street in the early morning hours. Ironically, the city’s Water Company burned to the ground, and citizens had to run with buckets to and from the lake to douse the flames. Amazingly, only one person died in the fire, a man named Richard Watson, while trying to save his office.
St. James Cathedral and St. Lawrence Hall were reconstructed on the sits of the predecessors. The fire also lead to the introduction of new fire regulations, which are still in existence today..
The second Great Toronto Fire was in April 1904 – nearly 10 years to the day. The E. & S. Currie Building on the north side of Wellington Street, west of Bay was where the fire originated, however how it happened is still debated. Some say the source was faulty electrical wiring, others say it a stove was left on. Whatever the source, the fire quickly spread and by the end of it, one-hundred and twenty two buildings burned and 230 businesses were lost. Surprisingly, not one life was lost in the fire, but financial loss was estimated at 10-million dollars.
Interestingly, The Great Fire of 1904 was one of the first news events in Toronto to be filmed. George Scott, a local filmmaker, used his camera to film horse-drawn pumper trucks racing down Bay Street.
Sources:
Photos of the fire are courtesy The Toronto Archives (to be posted)
National Post. Back Story: Burning Questions about Toronto’s Great Fires. Barry Hertz. August 21, 2008
City of Toronto Archives: The Great Fire of 1904
The Toronto Star. The Great Fire of 1904. Adam Mayers. August 5, 2008