The Inner Studio - Riverside Architectural Press

North American cities, native settlements and camps existed here
for thousands of years before European traders arrived. The flat
land surrounding the rivers and lakeshore was decent farming land
and a European settlement grew into an agricultural center as well
as a gateway to northern towns where the lure of fur and mineral
exploitation generated a steady migration of settlers. You could say
there are two kinds of towns in Ontario; mining towns and farming
towns. Toronto took hold as a farming town and developed a
reputation for being earnest and industrious. The Royal Winter
Fair, an annual showcase of animals, farm produce, and horseriding
skills is our reminder that we are tied to the land. The early
folk name for the city was Hog Town. Those less inclined to value
animals came up with the name “Toronto the Good,” a name that
some say reflected how difficult it was to buy an alcoholic drink.
Cities as Siblings
TORONTO: THE CITY WHO IS WHOLE
Three hundred and fifty miles upriver was Montreal, a place that
was everything Toronto was not. Montreal was charismatic,
cultured, and full of grand ambition and natural good looks. It had
a surplus of city riches. A mountain and a river ensured unique
geography and the friction of French and English founders
provided a rich and complex culture. Montreal was the obvious
choice for corporate wealth and the city seemed to dance its way
effortlessly into the “A” division of places in North America and
the world.
Meanwhile, Toronto continued making its unremarkable decisions.
The city became a scrabble of upright Victorian brick houses
on a straightforward grid of tree-lined streets that formed clusters
of small town-like communities, each grouped around its own
main street. The differences from neighborhood to neighborhood
were subtle. Every house was like a proud but modest farm house,
most with wooden porches, perhaps matching bay windows, small
front lawns, and back gardens. Unlike Montreal, which was built in
stone, Toronto’s houses featured red bricks that came from our
abundant supply of clay along the Don River. A special yellow brick
was used for decoration and civic buildings such as libraries. The
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