Toronto Guide
Toronto
Fort York
Opening time: Late May to Aug daily 10am–5pm; Sept to late May Mon– Fri 10am–4pm, Sat & Sun 10am–5pm
Price: $6
Telephone: 416/392-6907
Modern Toronto traces its origins to Fort York, a colonial stockade built in 1793 on the shores of Lake Ontario to bolster British control of the Great Lakes. Since then, landfill has pushed the lakeshore southwards and marooned the fort, which was reconstructed in the 1930s, under the shadow of the (elevated) Gardiner Expressway just to the west of Bathurst Street. There are two entrances – a (well– signed) main entrance off Lakeshore Boulevard W along Fleet Street and then Garrison Road; and a pedestrians' back entrance via a path off Bathurst Street.
Fort York was initially a half-hearted, poorly fortified affair, partly because of a lack of funds, but mainly because it was too remote to command much attention – never mind that the township of York was the capital of Upper Canada. However, in 1811, a deterioration in Anglo-American relations put it on full alert. There was a sudden flurry of activity as the fort's ramparts and gun emplacements were strengthened, but it was still too weak to rebuff the American army that marched on York in 1813, destroying the fort in the process. After the war, Fort York was rebuilt and its garrison made a considerable contribution to the development of Toronto, as York was renamed in 1834. The British army moved out in 1870 and their Canadian replacements stayed for another sixty years; the fort was opened as a museum in 1934. Throughout the summer, costumed guides give the low-down on colonial life and free plans of the fort are issued at reception.