My hometown Toronto has a deeper connection to London, England than it does to almost any other city in the world. Or at least that is what Adam Bunch claims in his blog, The Toronto Dreams Project Ephemera Blog. He writes: “Some of the most important moments in the history of our city happened in this city, nearly six thousand kilometers away.”
Colonel John Graves Simcoe, ca. 1881, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, 1791-96. Portrait by George Theodore Berthon. Government of Ontario Art Collection, 694156.
For example, did you know that the founder of Toronto, John Graves Simcoe, rented 53 Welbeck Street in Marylebone in the late 1700s? It was sort of his pied à terre when he wasn’t living at his country estate in Devon.
Or what about the Westminister Palace Hotel that once stood across the street from Westminister Abbey? In 1866, delegates from all over the Canadian colonies met at this grand hotel to work on the final details of Confederation. Mr. Bunch writes: “It was in this hotel that they drafted a bill the British parliament would eventually approve, turning Canada into a country.”
There are 13 other examples of Toronto’s connection to London, links for more information, and where to find each building on Google Maps.
Visit The Toronto Dreams Project Ephemera Blog to learn more.
