Following message is from Jonathan Giggs, President, Mississauga South Historical Society
Please join the Mississauga South Historical Society on Tuesday November 27th at 7 PM at the Lorne Park Library (1474 Truscott Road). Map: https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Lorne+Park+Library/@43.530995,-79.6299407,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x882b443fd43c6d29:0x4cf975c8d01e4175!8m2!3d43.530995!4d-79.627752
Author and Professor Ted Glenn will speak about his new book Riding Into Battle: Canadian Cyclists in the Great War. The book was released in September and is published by Dundurn Books: https://www.dundurn.com/books/Riding-Battle. Ted will tell the story of the training on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition, and training exercises in High Park, and cycling along the Humber River, and one excursion to T.L. Kennedy`s farmhouse in Cooksville. Ted will also show a rarely-seen “talkie” of the soldiers demonstrating their bicycles and calisthenics! By the way, the first British casualty in World War One was also a cyclist, according to this short video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ultF4QB3xS8(4min19sec). This year, the City of Mississauga released its new Master Cycling Plan Update (https://yoursay.mississauga.ca/cycling-master-planfor those interested) where the goal is to prevent causalities of a different kind!
While we have looked back 100 years in our past two presentations and referenced terrible causalities , October 15th, 1954 was also another infamous date: Hurricane Hazel that killed 81, washing away roads, bridges, houses, and even the trailer park in Lakeview. The CBC Archives has a 9 minute and 13 second news report from the day: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2671536903/?fbclid=IwAR12m5TlMkPPIIEQju0dxNHG-yjQlrZQV2bxGbjEw3o-0rYGsmEU44S1zHM. Another interesting site is aerial photographs of Toronto, with a screen, that can compare then with now. http://yuriyczoli.com/Toronto1954/.
Thank you to Timothy Stewart for his presentation at our September meeting, based on his book, Toronto’s Fighting 75th in the Great War 1915-1919. https://www.wlupress.wlu.ca/Books/T/Toronto-s-Fighting-75th-in-the-Great-War-1915-1919. Tim mentioned that he could arrange a tour of the Armoury and Archives of The Toronto Scottish Regiment and he can be contacted here: dieppe42@rogers.com. The book was nominated for the 2018 Heritage Toronto Historical Writing: Book Award. Here is the list of winners: http://heritagetoronto.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Heritage-Toronto-Awards-Winners_PR_Oct3018.pdf and all the nominees: http://heritagetoronto.org/programs/heritage-toronto-awards/2018-historical-writing-book-nominees/. There might be books that you want to add to your reading list, and perhaps the Lorne Park Library already has copies. The Mississauga South Historical Society has been in discussions to have some authors present to us next year so stay tuned!
It was wonderful to meet so many first-timers at our September meeting, and hope that we welcome even more on Tuesday. Please feel free to bring a friend and forward to any that you think might be interested. Our events are open to all and free, but as a small volunteer-led group, we would be happy if you would join us as Members. Jenny Dale will be happy to register you tomorrow and accept renewals for 2019.
I hope that I have not provided so many extra materials that you will be too busy to join us! Look forward to seeing all tomorrow for an interesting talk, stimulating discussion and interesting and engaged people!
Jonathan Giggs, President
Mississauga South Historical Society