Where Toronto began
Written: Sep 25 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The birthplace of Toronto, haunted
Cons: Too generalized in how it recaptures its history
The Bottom Line: Fort York is definitely a good site to see for anyone who enjoys history and/or the paranormal, but more historical details would be greatly appreciated.
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| adriennefoster's Full Review: Old Fort York |
When I decided to visit Toronto, Fort York became the number one attraction I wanted to see after reading the book Haunted Toronto, by John Robert Colombo. It intrigued me for two different reasons: it was a location of major historical interest and it had ghosts. Three battles between the British and Americans were fought around it during the War of 1812 and former battlefields are usually heavy with the lost souls of the dead. Although it can offer a little more to attract visitors, the Old Fort fulfilled my expectations.
Despite how much I've studied the Regency period of England, about all I know of the War of 1812 is that the British were already in the middle of a conflict with France at the time Congress declared war. I believe the American outrage grew over commerce. The Brits saw Napoleon as a bigger threat, so the resources they put into their campaign against the States were limited. If the Brits' attention had not been divided, the results may have been much different. This Old Fort was built by the British in 1793 as an outpost to face escalating and fluctuating conflict with the USA.
My Fort York experience
Since I was staying at the Royal York while I was in Toronto, the locals told me the easiest way to go to old Fort York was by streetcar, using the 509 line. It was crowded, noisy, and I was unable to hear any announcements over the PA system. I missed my stop and watched in frustration as the streetcar passed the Fort York Armory. The next and last stop on that route was the CNE, which was the happening place that Labor Day. After lots of confusion and wasting time trying to figure out how to turn around, I finally reached my desired drop-off point.
As it played out, the Armory was just a ruse. The Old Fort was about another half-mile (but don't trust me on judging distances) hike up the road, passing fields of makeshift parking lots for whatever was going on at the CNE on that day. Something told me it must be military related, judging by the way the loud jets flew overhead. They looked like the Canadian counterparts to the U.S.'s Blue Angels as they zipped around in the sky doing their aero-acrobatics. It seemed so appropriate to have that kind of demonstration around Fort York, seeing current technology against a background of the old.
As I approached the Old Fort, it was smaller than I had expected. Not that I have visited many forts in my life, but the outer walls seemed short and it was very spacious between the eight buildings contained within them. (I later learned it had 18 during its heyday.) Judging by the big pile of wood between the brick barracks and outer wall, it looked like some work was being done on the place. There were areas of dug-up ground surrounded by temporary orange fencing. On entering, signs direct visitors to the canteen to pay their admission, which was $5.00* per adult with discounts for children and seniors. It was the first building on my left, first door on my left. After the morning rigmarole, I arrived shortly before 2 p.m., just in time for the hourly guided tour, which was included with the cost of admission.
Despite all the commotion at the CNE, things were relatively quiet at the Old Fort. I doubt I saw more than a dozen other visitors. A Scottish family of three waited with me to take the tour. The guide, Peter, was dressed in a period uniform and went into the details of how the soldiers lived in the fort during the early 19th century. The tour started in the enlisted men's barracks, where 32 men--some married with families--lived in a space about the size of a modest living room. The bunk beds there still see some use when students stay overnight during educational programs. We then moved on to the officer's quarters and mess, which accommodated between three and eight unmarried commissioned men, where they had the luxury of privacy and space. The tour lasted about 45 minutes.
When not taking the tour, we were free to wander about the compound as we pleased. Of the surviving eight buildings, there were two blockhouses, two brick barracks, the officers' brick barracks and mess, the blue barracks (for junior officers), the stone magazine (stored weapons and other equipment), and east magazine (stored gunpowder). The most significant building the Old Fort accommodated was the Government House, but that was destroyed by the British in battle against the Yanks on May 1, 1813, to keep them from looting its contents. It's amazing to learn, in those days before nuclear power, that the amount of gunpowder it contained created a "mushroom" explosion similar to the atom bomb. This battle led to the deaths of 320 Yanks, including that of the American leader, Brigadier-General Zebulan Montgomery Pike (who Pike's Peak was named after), and 157 Brits.
Walking at leisure throughout the fort, each building had its own exhibits. It's hard to remember which ones kept what; my notes are skimpy. On entering the center blockhouse, which originally accommodated enlisted men's barracks, the first thing visitors see are antique cannons. It also had a scent that was hard to identify, but it was hard to tell whether it was normal. A video that ran less than 10 minutes on the history of Fort York could be found on the lower level. Visitors wishing to view it only had to press a start button to watch it. Going upstairs, there were few more relics to see. Along the upper level's walls, some of the uniforms exhibited upstairs looked liked they might have survived the period, others appeared to be recreations. The center of the room was mostly vacant.
The east magazine and blockhouse housed exhibits on the archeology digs being done at the Old Fort. Signs and relics explained the work archaeologists were doing there to determine how the men who worked there 200 years ago lived and what resources were available to them. Well, shear my cat and call her baldy. It soon dawned on me that all of that wood and dug up ground I noticed at the front gate was part of the on-going work of these scientists. Some days I'm just slow. Their efforts have recovered things like lost buttons with designs that had long been lost from historical records. A more graphic example of the work they are doing can be found in the basement of the officers' barracks and mess. The building's original kitchen was found there along with the shards of nonperishable items.
The junior officer's barracks is mostly a new building, built on the remains of the original foundation. It appears to be available for hire for functions. Walking through its larger room, the tables and folding chairs were obviously meant for current activities at the Old Fort. Handbills in the canteen promoted extravaganzas that were open to the public.
Food, beverages, and smoking are not permitted inside the buildings, although a picnic area is provided for visitors who bring their own food. The canteen and gift shop sells some bottled beverages and snacks, but what it offers is limited. There were a few hot dogs, hamburgers, and sandwiches in its refrigerator, but their quality looked as good as what I'd find in the vending machines at work. Do not rely on the canteen for a good meal.
As for the gift shop, I was rather disappointed that it overlooked having a reasonably priced souvenir book on the Old Fort. On admission, a one-sheet map is given to visitors. The only available publication that specifically focused on Fort York was a coffee table book that was $30-40.
The ghost stuff
I had to ask about the Old Fort's ghosts. Peter said there were none that he was aware of, although he wouldn't go into the basement of the officer's barracks by himself after dark. As the site of three battles, I found it more likely I was stuck with the tour guide who had little interest in the subject and looked for someone else who spent a lot of time there.
Going back to the canteen, the two gals working there were had a few stories to tell me. The Old Fort had two known apparitions. The first was a dressed-down soldier in the upper story of the center blockhouse and the second was a woman seen in the east blockhouse. Since both of the buildings is where the enlisted men lived, and some had their wives with them. One medium was brought in to provide her impressions on the fort and she saw more soldiers marching outside its walls than she saw in it.
The story of the general and his horses was the sad one. Permission had been granted to return home, yet at that time it was considered an insult for the Royal Army to offer a general any relocation expenses. While this one was stationed at Fort York, he had acquired a large stable of horses. Unfortunately, not coming from a wealthy family and being underpaid himself, he was unable to pay the fare to take them back with him. Disturbed at the thought of them being mistreated after he left Canada, he had them killed to avoid potential abuse or neglect. The sound of horses can still be heard at the Old Fort.
While I was there, the spooky vibes weighed heavy in the atmosphere. During the tour in the kitchen of the officer's barracks, it sounded as if someone pushed against the back door and the door latch rattled like he was about to enter. No one did, so I checked to see if anyone was outside. Someone outside was passing the atrium, several feet away from the door, but it could have been the wind. Sometime after the tour, I went downstairs to see the dig that was on exhibit in the basement. I took several pictures, but suddenly felt frightened when I turned around the wall leading to the area of the kitchen's original entrance. I took another shot, then went back up to the main floor of the barracks. As I passed through the upstairs kitchen again, I once more noticed the sound of someone pushing against the back door, with the slight rattle of the door latch. I immediately looked outside and no one was around. In addition, there was no significant wind outside that day. It's hard to tell if my impressions mean anything, though.
The tranquility at the fort gave me some paranormal results. I looked through my developed photos after I returned home. Of the 40 shots I took in Fort York, three of them have a white mist in the image. Aside from it being a nice day in Toronto when they were taken, they were shot indoors. Two are in the officer's barracks and the third is in the brick barracks.
The bottom line
Allow at least a half a day to see this historical landmark. Anyone really interested in the history, may want to plan on staying there longer to more closely examine its exhibits. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m. (depending on the time of year) seven days a week throughout most of the year, but shuts down for a few weeks around the end of the year. It's a good idea to check its website, http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/culture/fort_york.htm, or otherwise contact the management to check on its seasonal availability.
Considering Toronto is currently Canada's largest city, I find it rather intriguing that it was founded with this little fort that had a purpose. It would be more engrossing to hear more actual names and stories of the people who lived, worked, and fought there, especially during its prime. It was a rough life for the people who lived there and gives visitors a good idea of the hardships our ancestors faced on this yet-to-be settled continent. So tough, in fact, many still remain. It is definitely a good site to see for anyone who enjoys history or the paranormal, but would attract more visitors if it offered a guided tour that is a little more thorough. As an animal lover, on the other hand, I'm glad I never heard the sound of a horse's whinny.
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*All prices provided here are Canadian dollars, which were exchanged at ~75¢ U.S. at the time.
Recommended:
Yes
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