Barn in background of 1920s Long Branch photo appears to be located on Samuel Smith homestead

The first photo on this page is an aerial view of Long Branch, which Robert Lansdale has shared with us, from the early 1950s. You can enlarge the photo by clicking on it. click again and the photo will be enlarged further. To return to the page you are now viewing, click on ‘Back’ in your […]

The blurring of boundaries between private and public

A city of one’s own (2008) addresses the distinction between what is private and what is public. The subtitle of the book is: “Blurring the boundaries between private and public.” Chapter 5, by Renaud Le Goix of the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, is entitled  “Gated communities: Generic patterns in suburban landscapes?” The chapter argues that “gated enclaves should not […]

Four Jane’s Walks will be held along the Lakeshore on May 5 – 6, 2012

Four Jane’s Walks will be held in Mimico, New Toronto, and Long Branch on the weekend of May 5 – 6, 2012. The walks are held each year to coincide with Jane Jacob’s birthday. Jane’s Walks are in the nature of a conversation, as contrasted to a top-down delivery of facts and information. We invite […]

The recent Walkable Communities report warrants close study

Pamela Gough is the Trustee, Ward 3, Etobicoke-Lakeshore, for the Toronto District School Board. She has recently been appointed to the City of Toronto Board of Health (BOH). Through that appointment she has had her attention brought to a report on Walkable Communities that came to the Board of Health recently. “You would be very […]

Tree Walks and Jane’s Walks offer great opportunities for social media applications

The Jane’s Walks being planned for May 2012 in Long Branch, New Toronto, Mimico, and elsewhere will include a social media component. When we attended a Humber Valley Tree Walk in 2011, organized in commemoration of Hurricane Hazel, we video recorded brief segments of the walk and posted some of them to Facebook. Every tree tour needs a tour director to […]

Reconsidering Jane Jacobs (2011) offers an overview of her work and legacy

Reconsidering Jane Jacobs (2011) offers a good introduction to Jane Jacob’s work. This book, available at the Toronto Public Library, offers a valuable overview of her life, her growth as a writer, and her legacy. The essays include a fascinating overview of her wide-ranging work as a writer (reaching both general and academic audiences) prior to […]

Barn in background of 1920s Long Branch photo appears to be located on the Smith homestead

(Photo credit: Doris Durance. © Durance family and Robert Lansdale.) Left to right in photo above:  Connie Durance, Cyril Durance, George Durance, Rene Durance, and Florence Morrel. We owe thanks to Barbara Durance for sharing this photo, taken about 1925, with us. The image we have posted is from a 3-inch wide, highly faded photo from the 1920s. Robert […]

May 6, 2012 Long Branch walk has been posted to Jane’s Walk website

We owe thanks to Councillor Grimes’ office for suggesting this walk and to Mike James for agreeing so readily to serve as as a leader on this walk. We owe thanks to Ruth Grier for sharing information from her May 2010 Long Branch Jane’s Walk and to David Switzer for letting us know that there’s a distinction between […]

A Jane’s Walk is in the nature of a conversation

I spoke recently with Fanny Martin, Event Manager, Jane’s Walk. She mentioned something about Jane’s Walks that I find most appealing. She said that a Jane’s Walk is in the nature of a conversation. Everyone’s free to share a thought — it’s not some kind of top-down distribution of information. I like that aspect of the process […]

We can think of Long Branch as a lost beach resort area, with turrets, verandas, and porches

The following notes are from David Switzer, who’s pointed out the distinction between a Jane’s Walk  — such as in Long Branch on May 6, 2012 — and a heritage walk. These notes are derived from what David Switzer recalls from Jane Jacobs’ books and related sources: Long Branch was once a beach resort for […]