Ed Conroy of Retrontario joins us to talk about the Golden Age of Kids TV in Toronto. We'll be looking at Uncle Chichimus, the Friendly Giant, Mister Rogers, Butternut Square, Mr. Dressup and more on this episode of Muddy York.
You can find more information about ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids' TV here: https://imagination.retrontario.com/#purchase
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Kit Coleman was a woman; she was also a journalist. When she began her career in 1889, this made her a trailblazer and even a subversive figure. For some people, female journalists were only slightly higher than streetwalkers in the Victorian social hierarchy. For 22 years, she wrote for The Mail and The Mail and Empire newspapers. Then, she struck out on her own as one of the first syndicated columnists in Canada. This episode is about Kit Coleman, the Queen of Hearts.
We would like to thank Barbara Freeman, author of Kit's Kingdom, who provided the voice of Kit Coleman for this episode.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
The Zoo is a Scarborough institution. But it raises the question: what is a zoo in Toronto’s eyes? Is it an animal sanctuary? A school field trip factory? A conservation lab? On this episode of Muddy York, we'll look at the history of the high-minded, ethically ambitious and chaotically managed mega-zoo that we know today as well as the Riverdale Zoo that came before it.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
In our last episode, we covered the history of Yonge Street up to 1867. This episode will focus on the last 150 years. We’ll talk about how it became the city’s main shopping street, how streetcars and urban development moved north, and how the Yonge Street Strip was left to decay before a massive shopping mall helped to kickstart a recovery.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Is Yonge Street the longest street in the world? Hard to say. But it is the most important street in Toronto. On this episode of Muddy York, learn more about the history of this thoroughfare, including how it was built in the middle of winter, what it was like to travel during the 19th century and the corrupt businessman who managed to steal it.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
If you went to the Ex from the 70s to the 90s, you may remember seeing a clown’s head logo with red hair, a black hat and plus signs over his eyes. The clown was named Conko and he was the logo for Conklin Shows, the company that managed the CNE midway alongside a host of other fairs across Canada and the U.S. John Thurston, author of Carnie King, joins us to talk about Patty Conklin, the huckster and showman who created Conklin Shows and built a carnival empire with Toronto and the CNE at its centre.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
Today is the first day of the CNE. If you’re one of the millions of people who will plan to visit the Ex, you might want to take the opportunity to check out the oldest building in Toronto. Built in 1794, it’s called the Scadding Cabin and it’s located on the Exhibition Grounds, just west of the Bandshell and next to the large wind turbine. For the next two weeks, the cabin will be open to the public and the York Pioneers will be there to show you around and answer any questions you might have.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
Caribana is about artistry, community and joy. It began in Canada's Centennial year of 1967 as a gift from the Caribbean community to the people of Toronto. Since then, it's grown into the largest cultural festival in North America - we're talking about more than a million people, a $400 million economic impact and more feather than a Vegas revue. Learn more about this Toronto cultural institution on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
Joel Cummins – Resolve
Joel Cummins – Looping Ascent
GE – Festivities in Belize
Carmen María and Edu Espinal – Oh Fire
Quincas Moreira – Irie
Quincas Moreira – Jah Jah Bangs
Dan Lebowitz – Land of a Loss
An Jone – Time to Spare
Ryan Mccaffrey – Where’d the Sun Go
Myuu – Falling Rain
Anno Domini Beats – Drop
Nana Kwabena – Timpani Beat
The Mini Vandals – High Life
TrackTribe – Little Umbrellas
This episode of Muddy York is about a cholera epidemic that struck Toronto from 1832 to 1834. If we had written this episode ten years ago, it would have been very different. But then Covid arrived. While you’re listening to how people reacted to the appearance of a new disease in the 19th century, you may notice some things that seem familiar from our own experience.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
Myuu – Falling Rain
Chopin – Funeral March
Jimena Contreras – Golden Cage
Ami – No.2 Remembrance
The Westerlies – Dover
The CN Tower is probably the most recognizable symbol of Toronto. Every Torontonian also knew that it was the tallest free-standing structure in the world; we memorized that phrasing. But why was it built and what is it used for besides selling postcards? Today, we look at the history of the CN Tower on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
Dover – The Westerlies
Classic 1985 Movie Soundtrack – Freedom Trail Studio
Looping Ascent – Joel Cummins
Resolve – Joel Cummins
Don't Fret – Quincas Moreira
Circa 1983 – Freedom Trail Studio
On this episode, we explore the history of the Don River Valley. Jennifer Bonnell, author of Reclaiming the Don, joins us to talk about the river, the valley, the parkway and the people who've lived and worked there. Learn more on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
The Westerlies – Dover
We’re kicking off a new series that we're calling When Toronto Tore Down the Fancy Stuff — a deep dive into the beautiful, bold, and totally doomed buildings this city once had … and then promptly erased. In this episode, we're talking about Moss Park, Crystal Palace, Government House and Hanlan's Hotel. So buckle up, we’re heading into the age of grandeur — and the wrecking balls that followed. Many sources were used, but special thanks to Lost Toronto by Doug Taylor.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
The Westerlies – Dover
Freedom Trail Studio – Classic 1985 (Movie Soundtrack)
Zachariah Hickman – Argonne
Joel Cummins – Gaiety in the Golden Age
Brian Bolger – A Fool’s Theme
Jimena Contreras – Hopeless
Quincas Moreira – Central Park
Jesse Gallagher – Divine Life Society
Joel Cummins – Resolve
Dyllah – Randy Flutternubs
Is it The Beach or The Beaches, singular or plural? We're calling it The Beaches and this episode of Muddy York is dedicated to the history of this distinctive Toronto neighbourhood, from amusement parks to racetracks to stylish water treatment plants. There's a lot more to The Beaches than the beach, although there are plenty of beaches.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
The Dover – The Westerlies
Classic 1985 Movie Soundtrack – Freedom Trail Studio
Resolve – Joel Cummins
Looping Ascent – Joel Cummins
Everything – Joel Cummins
Looping Ascent (Repeat) – Joel Cummins
Argonne – Zachariah Hickman
Allégro – Emmet Fenn
Resolve (Repeat) – Joel Cummins
The Dover (Repeat) – The Westerlies
Potato Deal – Unknown Artist
What comes to mind when you hear Castle Frank? A TTC station? An area of Rosedale? Bob Georgiou joins us to talk about one of those little corners of Toronto whose story touches on the man who founded the town of York, a lost landmark of pioneer days, and two of the biggest infrastructure projects in Toronto's history.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
"Dover" – The Westerlies
Used as theme music at the beginning and end of the episode
"Cylinder Three" – Chris Zabriskie
Genre: Ambient Minimalism
CC BY 4.0 – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"Resolve" – Joel Cummins
Genre: Cinematic Ambient / Piano
Free to use via YouTube Audio Library
"Looping Ascent" – Joel Cummins
Genre: Piano / Ambient
Free to use via YouTube Audio Library
"Argonne" – Zachariah Hickman
Genre: Classical / Chamber
Free to use via YouTube Audio Library
"A Fool’s Theme" – Brian Bolger
Genre: Reflective / Indie Instrumental
Free to use via YouTube Audio Library
We're doing something a little different for this episode of Muddy York. We got our hands on a copy of the city budget from exactly 130 years ago and we're going to look at some of the ways that the government used to raise and spend money. There is some interesting stuff - well, it's interesting if you're the kind of person who listens to history podcasts.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
The Westerlies – The Dover
Aaron Kenny – Gaiety in the Golden Age
Aaron Kenny – The Curious Kitten
Freedom Trail Studio – Classic 1985 Movie Soundtrack
Joel Cummins – Resolve
The Westerlies – The Dover
Florence Linehart is one of Toronto’s greatest unsung visionaries. And yet … outside of a very specific group of academics, subway historians, and people who take brunch way too seriously, her name has been completely forgotten. She shaped the Toronto subway system and she fought the souls minions of orthodoxy at City Hall. On this episode of Muddy York, she joins us to discuss her overlooked contributions to this city.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres were built to host vaudeville as the Canadian flagship of the Loew's theatre chain. The building would become one of top cinemas in Toronto before being converted back into a theatre to host the Canadian premiere of Cats during the 1980s. Learn about the last stacked theatres in the world on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
The Westerlies - Dover
Arron Kenney - Gaiety in the Golden Age
Doug Maxwell - Honky Tonkin'
Dough Maxwell - Rag Time Time
E Jammy Jams - Dark Town Strutters Ball
Zachariah Hickman - Argonne
Track Tribe - Members Only
Joel Cummins - Resolve
In 1886, employees of the Toronto Railway Company went on strike. They weren't fighting for a pay raise or shorter hours; this strike was over their right to even join a labour union. Greg Koabel from The Nations of Canada podcast joins us to talk about this important event in labour history on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
The Westerlies - Dover
Next week's provincial election inspired this episode which is about an election campaign that was fought in the riding of St. Andrew all the way back in 1955. This race was significant because the local Tory candidate wanted to defeat the last communist MPP at Queen’s Park. This campaign was about what it meant to be a communist elected official and it reflected a ferocious debate that was taking place within the Toronto Jewish community about who they should support and about who would support them.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music:
Argonne - Zachariah Hickman
Dover - The Westerlies
Classic 1985 Movie Soundtrack - Freedom Trail Studio
Looping Ascent - Joel Cummins
Resolve - Joel Cummins
Allégro - Emmit Fenn
Earth Appears - Brian Bolger
E Minor Prelude - Chopin
Set in the school hallways of Toronto, Degrassi is less about teenagers attending school and more about the architecture of growing up. Join us to learn more about one of the most successful media franchises in Canadian history on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast.
As a bonus, Sarah Fisher, who played Becky Baker on Degrassi: TNG, joins us for an interview at the end of the episode.
You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: Toronto_History, Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/.
Music: