Muddy York: A Toronto History Podcast

Parkdale might seem like an ordinary Toronto neighbourhood, but its story includes the Grey Cup, an amusement park, the KKK, mental health and the largest school in Canada. Learn more about this distinctive community on this episode of Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast.

We would like to give a shout out to Brett Craig who first requested this topic and now has a moral obligation to promote this podcast to everyone that he...

Black slavery arrived in Canada with the loyalists. It would be limited in 1793, but not fully abolished until 1834. This is the story of the people who were enslaved, the woman whose defiance prompted the government to take action, and the continuing threats of enslavement faced by Black Torontonians even after emancipation.

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The Royal Alex is the grand old dame of Toronto theatres and the oldest continuously-operating legitimate theatre in North America. In this episode, you can learn about how it was built in a fit of upper-class pique, how it became the only Canadian legitimate theatre to survive the Depression, and how it became the heart of the Mirvish theatrical empire. If you're a Toronto theatregoer, this is the episode for you.

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226 years ago, the Attorney General was shot and killed in a grove near the Distillery District. Everybody knew who did it, but the shooter went free because it happened in a duel. This week’s episode is about the Small-White Duel, a tale of two gentleman who faced each other in mortal combat over a matter of honour and because their wives couldn’t get along.

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Over the years, A Christmas Story has become a bona-fide holiday classic. However, I would guess that most viewers don’t realize that much of the film was made right here in Toronto. Since we’re only four days away from Christmas Day, we decided to make a bonus episode about the different locations where film scenes were shot.

Happy Holidays from Muddy York!

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Leo Chan, professor chef and general food expert, joins us to talk about the history of Chinese restaurants in Toronto - from Sing Tom's Cafe (founded in 1901) to the Big Four (Nanking, Lichee Garden, San Woo and Kwong Chow) to the later waves of newcomers and the vast diversity of Chinese regional cuisines. It's the holiday season, so order some Chinese food with Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast.

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Garrison Creek used to run through western Toronto before flowing into the harbour. Over the years, it would be covered and filled in, but its ghost lingers on. If you know where to look, you can still find traces of it throughout the city. Learn more about Toronto's forgotten river on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast.

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The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is the largest and most-visited museum in Canada. But who built the ROM? Where did the totem poles in the lobby come from and who was the Mr. English who offered to build a planetarium entirely on his own dime? Learn more about Toronto's most distinguished museum on this episode of Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast.

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Ed Conroy of Retrontario joins us to talk about the Golden Age of Kids TV in Toronto. We'll be looking at Uncle Chichimus, the Friendly Giant, Mister Rogers, Butternut Square, Mr. Dressup and more on this episode of Muddy York.

You can find more information about ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids' TV here: https://imagination.retrontario.com/#purchase

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Kit Coleman was a woman; she was also a journalist. When she began her career in 1889, this made her a trailblazer and even a subversive figure. For some people, female journalists were only slightly higher than streetwalkers in the Victorian social hierarchy. For 22 years, she wrote for The Mail and The Mail and Empire newspapers. Then, she struck out on her own as one of the first syndicated columnists in Canada. This episode is ...

The Zoo is a Scarborough institution. But it raises the question: what is a zoo in Toronto’s eyes? Is it an animal sanctuary? A school field trip factory? A conservation lab? On this episode of Muddy York, we'll look at the history of the high-minded, ethically ambitious and chaotically managed mega-zoo that we know today as well as the Riverdale Zoo that came before it.

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In our last episode, we covered the history of Yonge Street up to 1867. This episode will focus on the last 150 years. We’ll talk about how it became the city’s main shopping street, how streetcars and urban development moved north, and how the Yonge Street Strip was left to decay before a massive shopping mall helped to kickstart a recovery.

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Is Yonge Street the longest street in the world? Hard to say. But it is the most important street in Toronto. On this episode of Muddy York, learn more about the history of this thoroughfare, including how it was built in the middle of winter, what it was like to travel during the 19th century and the corrupt businessman who managed to steal it.

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If you went to the Ex from the 70s to the 90s, you may remember seeing a clown’s head logo with red hair, a black hat and plus signs over his eyes. The clown was named Conko and he was the logo for Conklin Shows, the company that managed the CNE midway alongside a host of other fairs across Canada and the U.S. John Thurston, author of Carnie King, joins us to talk about Patty Conklin, the huckster and showman who created Conklin Sh...

Today is the first day of the CNE. If you’re one of the millions of people who will plan to visit the Ex, you might want to take the opportunity to check out the oldest building in Toronto. Built in 1794, it’s called the Scadding Cabin and it’s located on the Exhibition Grounds, just west of the Bandshell and next to the large wind turbine. For the next two weeks, the cabin will be open to the public and the York Pioneers will be t...

Caribana is about artistry, community and joy. It began in Canada's Centennial year of 1967 as a gift from the Caribbean community to the people of Toronto. Since then, it's grown into the largest cultural festival in North America - we're talking about more than a million people, a $400 million economic impact and more feather than a Vegas revue. Learn more about this Toronto cultural institution on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 histor...

This episode of Muddy York is about a cholera epidemic that struck Toronto from 1832 to 1834. If we had written this episode ten years ago, it would have been very different. But then Covid arrived. While you’re listening to how people reacted to the appearance of a new disease in the 19th century, you may notice some things that seem familiar from our own experience.

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The CN Tower is probably the most recognizable symbol of Toronto. Every Torontonian also knew that it was the tallest free-standing structure in the world; we memorized that phrasing. But why was it built and what is it used for besides selling postcards? Today, we look at the history of the CN Tower on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast.

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On this episode, we explore the history of the Don River Valley. Jennifer Bonnell, author of Reclaiming the Don, joins us to talk about the river, the valley, the parkway and the people who've lived and worked there. Learn more on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast.

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