North Toronto Historical Society Monthly Meetings
 
     April - May 2026



Meetings are held from 7 - 8 p.m. in Rm. 200 at Northern District Library, 40 Orchard View Blvd. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. No refreshments are served - you may wish to bring your own. Co-sponsored by The Toronto Public Library.

 

Wednesday, April 29   7 p. m. 

Chinese Canadian Pioneers in Aviation


 
In 1950, few Torontonians were aware that the largest flying school in Canada was on the Toronto Island Airport (now Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport), a short ferry boat ride away from the foot of Bathurst Street. Owned and managed by two brothers, Robert and Tommy Wong, it trained over 8,000 pilots by the time they retired in 1982. In 2024, Robert (Bob) and Tommy were posthumously inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame, the first Asian Canadians. Evelyn Wong, Robert’s daughter, will present the story of these pioneering Chinese Canadians and stories behind the well-researched watercolour illustrations and historical photos in her children’s picture book Reach for the Sky: How Two Brothers Built an Airplane in Chinatown.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase from 6:30 to 7 p.m.

Wednesday, May 27   7 p. m. 

A Tent on Keewatin: Building A Life in North Toronto
 
This talk is about one family’s immigration from Scotland to North Toronto in the 1920s, illustrated with old and restored family photos. Using family materials, NTHS member David Penny will discuss his family’s humble roots in Aberdeenshire and early exploratory trips made by his relatives beginning in 1906, including their work as teamsters hauling stones for Casa Loma. He will cover the historical forces that led to his family’s immigration after World War I and how the family built their first house on Keewatin Avenue. The talk follows the family’s life in North Toronto, including stonemasonry projects near Sunnybrook, union organizing, cottaging on Georgian Bay and the gradual establishment of later generations through schools such as Lawrence Park CI and through public service in Ontario. It is the story of one family, but also a story that reflects how North Toronto itself was built.