The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.1954, Blaðsíða 41

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
39
The name “Toronto” is of Huron Ind-
ian origin, meaning “a .place of meet-
ing”. It appeared officially on Gal-
inee’s map of the lake region prepared
in 1670 for Louis XIV of France and
was well known to that intrepid ex-
plorer La Salle. In 1750 the French
established a fortified trading post at
the foot of Dufferin Street, naming it
Fort Rouille, after the Colonial Min-
ister at that time. The Treaty of Paris
in 1763 brought an end to the French
regime, and in 1791 the Constitutional
Act divided Canada into the provinces
of Lower Canada and Upper Canada.
Upon the direction of the Governor
of Canada, Lord Dorchester, the form-
er Guy Carleton, Toronto, because of
its strategic geographic location and
its excellent harbour, was selected as
the capital of Upper Canada. In 1793
the name was changed to York, in hon-
our of the Duke of York, son of
George III and in the following year
building commenced. Building con-
tinues, for a lady who recently visited
Toronto was asked, upon her return,
what she thought of the place. She
replied, “It will be fine when they get
it finished.’ A trucking contractor
whose vehicles are often seen on
Yonge Street and elsewhere was asked
when one might be able to travel un-
obstructed on Toronto streets. His
reply was brief but decisive: “Never,
I hope.”
In 1834 the population having in-
creased to 9,000, the thriving town of
York was incorporated into the City of
Toronto, with the volatile reformer
and later rebel, William Lyon Mac-
kenzie as its first mayor. The popula-
tion is now about 700,000 while
twelve adjacent municipalities add a
further half million. Various annexa-
tions of nearby towns were made but
the twelve neighbours referred to,
preferred to maintain their respective
autonomous positions and the result
was the creation on January 1st, 1953
of the Municipality of Metropolitan
Toronto, a bold experiment in muni-
cipal government. It has a Chairman
appointed by the provincial govern-
ment for the years 1953 and 1954 (then
elected), and a council consisting of
the mayor, two of four controllers and
nine of eighteen aldermen of Toronto,
and the twelve reeves of the various
municipalities involved. The metro-
politan area is 216 square miles.
So in about a century and a half,
we witness a transformation from wig-
wam to modern homes, long houses to
towering skyscrapers, rude huts to
luxurious hotels and apartments, fron-
tier trails to superhighways, travel by
pony, canoe and batteau to Cadillacs,
streamlined street cars and a sixty mil-
lion dollar subway, an Indian meeting
place to an ultra modern and beautiful
metropolis upon which are fixed the
eyes of an admiring and sometimes,
sad to relate, an envious world.
What makes Toronto tick? The
Civic motto is “Industry-Intelligence-
Integrity”. Laudable words to be sure,
but to them could be added several
others, such sa Ingenuity, Initiative,
Independence of thought and action.
The late Dr. John W. Dafoe, editor of
the Winnipeg Free Press, frequently
drew attention to the Colonial Mind,
which he claimed, was fostered in Tor-
onto. One will also find champions of
Imperialism who are ever ready to
fight the war of 1812. The fanaticism
displayed in the parade of Orangemen
on July 12th is a sight to contemplate.
These facts of insularity are strangely-
offset by a degree of urbanity seldom
witnessed elsewhere and an energy
that causes almost every one to appear
that he is in a constant hurry. Some