September 2015 marks the 400th Anniversary of Étienne Brûlé’s arrival at the mouth of the Humber River

View looking south from Old Mill Road in the Kingsway residential neighbourhood. One of the three main entrances to Old Mill Toronto is the entrance where the cars are parked. Jaan Pill photo

The following message is from Edith George:

“The 400th anniversary of the Étienne Brûlé and the Carrying Place Trail will be in September of 2015. The initial meeting of interest groups will be Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. at 12 Division Toronto Police Services. Located at the corner of Trethewey and Black Creek. Sorry for the short notice. I do hope a rep can make if not
please inform me if you would like to be kept on the distribution list re future meetings and the info re results of this meeting.”

[End of text]

Étienne Brûlé at the mouth of the Humber River in 1615, 400 years ago as of 2015, accompanied by First Nations guides. Pen & Ink drawing, circa 1933, by C.W. Jefferys. Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1972-26-1395. Copyright: Expired.

Floor Plan – 1st Floor – Old Mill Toronto. Click on image to enlarge it. Use ‘Back’ button on your browser to return to the page you are now reading.

The map shows location of Old Mill, Toronto, site of MCHS 60s Reunion on Oct. 17, 2015. The reunion coincides with visit by Étienne Brûlé to the mouth of the Humber River, then located close to where Old Mill is now located, 400 years ago. Click on the Google Map to enlarge it. Click again to enlarge it further. Use ‘back’ button on your browser to return to the page you are now reading.

The most direct route to the Brûlé Ballrooms is through the Dining Room and Flower Shop Entrance. Jaan Pill photo

Étienne Brûlé

Given that few primary sources are available about Brûlé’s life, stories about him tend to vary widely based on differing interpretations of the small number of historical facts that are known about him.

Jaan Pill (left) and Scott Munro check out the fireplace at Brûlé Ballroom C.

An incredible number of major events, in which I’m involved as a Toronto heritage enthusiast and volunteer heritage publicist, are planned along the Humber River to commemorate this event.

We can find a way to have some ceremony – a role play of some kind comes to mind, where maybe Étienne Brûlé stumbles into the meeting room looking for Lake Ontario, having been checking his GPS signals – at the Brûlé’ Room at Old Mill, Toronto on Oct 17, 2015 to add to the commemorative festivities!