Documenting, preserving, and promoting the local history of the Roncesvalles area
Mission
- To gather documents and history from local residents associations
- To collaborate with existing groups working on similar projects
- To build a repository of primary source material
Our Work
We have worked on a number of historical projects including:- In 2009, to celebrate the founding of Sorauren Park, we:
- Researched the pre-history of the Sorauren park site;
- Traced the evolution of the site from the late 1800s;
- Gathered archival material, personal stories, and artifacts about the site; and
- Displayed an exhibit at the Sorauren Park Fieldhouse.
- In 2010, for our second major project, we created the Roncesvalles High Park Historical Photo Exhibit, which featured 120 photographs.
- Highlights included High Park, Sunnyside, St. Joseph's Health Centre/Orphanage, the High Park Curling Club, Mineral Baths, Upper Roncesvalles, and the Toronto Forrest Schol.
- Photos and accompanying text were displayed for over two months at the High Park Library, and later the Grenadier Restaurant in High Park.
In addition to these two major projects, in 2010, we:
- Assisted Doug Bennet with a "Jane's Walk" along Sorauren; and
- Participated in the Sorauren Park Festival with a historic photo costume booth
We regularly present guest speakers at the High Park Library and at RMRA meetings. Past speakers include:
- Alec Keefer in 2010 who spoke on researching the history of one's house;
- Keefer again in 2011 to speak on the politics of preservation and the 12 oldest houses in Roncesvalles;
- Andrew Borkowski in 2010 who spoke on growing up in the Roncesvalles neighbourhood in the 1960s from the perspective of the Polish community; and
- A panel of authors who spoke on the Roncesvalles connection in their writing.
