# 62 ~ "Play by the Bay", Part IV - The Exhibition

This is the fourth and final article that is taken from a presentation that I gave during the week of September 21st, 2015.  Given that we have reached the official end of summer, I presented a look back at some of Toronto's favourite summertime recreational spots - particularly, those located around the Toronto harbour.

This final entry in the subject of waterfront recreation discusses the Canadian National Exhibition.  Just like my preceding articles on Sunnyside Amusement Park, the Toronto Islands and Ontario Place, this article is by no means exhaustive.  I've picked a few highlights but could easily have written several entries on any one of these recreational parks.

The CNE grew out of an early provincial fair that was held near King and Simcoe streets in September of 1846.  The fair promoted agriculture, manufactured goods and decorative arts.  The fair was a success and it was held in different cities around Ontario each year, including Hamilton, Kingston, Niagara and Brockville.  Over the 31 years between 1847 and 1878, the fair was only held in Toronto three times – 1852, 1858, and 1878. 

After the 1878 fair in Toronto, City Council looked to have the fair permanently located in Toronto.  The new “Toronto Industrial Exhibition” opened on September 3, 1879, and lasted for three weeks.  It drew 100,000 visitors and showcased 8,234 exhibits.  1879 was also the first time the fair was held at today’s Exhibition Place.  Back in 1879, Exhibition Place only covered about 50 acres, but now it covers almost 200 acres. 

The Toronto Industrial Fair evolved into today's Canadian National Exhibition, and the name changed in the early 1900s.  At left, we can see a poster from 1892, promoting the Industrial Exhibition.  At right, a poster from 1906 advertises the Canadian National Exhibition.

The early “Ex” promoted agriculture and technology in Canada.  The Ex was always meant as a place to publicly display whatever was new and innovative in terms of agriculture, technology, transportation or communication.  So, the Ex has definitely evolved and changed over the past 136 years, since 1879.  People often comment on “how much the Ex has changed”, but this has always been the case.  In the early 1900s, one reviewer penned an article claiming that the Exhibition wasn't the same fair that he remembered attending back in in the closing years of the nineteenth century.

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Many different buildings have come and gone across the Exhibition grounds over the years.  An exhaustive history of the buildings, past and present, at the CNE would be a massive undertaking.  Here's a short list of a few buildings that can be found on the grounds today.

Perhaps the most iconic structure at the Ex is the Princes’ Gates, which serve as a grand entrance through the east side of the grounds.  The great central Roman Arch of the gates is surmounted by a victorious winged figure.  This arch is flanked on either side by nine Doric columns.  Each of these nine columns represents one of the provinces in Canada in 1927, when the gates were unveiled.  The missing province is Newfoundland, which didn’t enter Confederation until 1949.

The CNE promoted its 1927 fair with the banner slogan “Confederation Year”.  Prior to the gates opening in 1927, they were to be named the “Diamond Jubilee of Confederation Gates”, which was a bit of mouthful.  1927 was of course the sixtieth anniversary of Canadian Confederation in 1867.

At the last minute, though, Edward, the Prince of Wales, and Prince George, the Duke of Kent announced that the Ex would be a stop on their 1927 Canadian Royal Visit, and so the gates became the Princes’ Gates. 

At left is a promotional poster for the CNE from 1927, with the banner advertisement of "Confederation Year".  At right, the Duke of Kent and the Prince of Wales visit the fair in 1927.

Many people now incorrectly refer to this iconic entrance as the “Princess Gates”, though they were named for the two princes who were uncles of the present queen.  

Sixty years after the famed gates were open, Lorne Greene was the host of a special show for the Centenary of Canadian Confederation in 1967.  Here is a publicity video for that show that he appeared in.

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The Enercare Centre was constructed in the 1990s and is actually just about the most contemporary building on the grounds.  It’s one that many people may be familiar with, as it’s the largest convention and exhibition centre in Canada.  If you recognize the building, but don’t remember it ever being called the Enercare Centre, don’t worry.  Up until the past year, it was known as the Direct Energy Centre, and before that, it was called the National Trade Centre. 

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The Enercare Centre stands on a plot of land that was once occupied by the Electrical and Engineering Building.  This building showcased a lot of innovations in – you guessed it – electricity and engineering.  The Electrical and Engineering building was demolished in 1972.

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By the 1920s, the popularity of the CNE meant that grand new buildings and exhibit halls were needed.  In addition to the Princes’ Gates and the Electrical Engineering period, a number of notable buildings were constructed on the grounds in the 1920s and early 1930s. 

The Coliseum Arena went up in 1922, and at the time it had the largest single structure roof in North America.  Almost immediately, it became home to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, which drew even more crowds down to the grounds.  Today it is popular as the home of the Toronto Marlies hockey team.

The Automotive Building was built in 1929.  For nearly half a century, it showcased each year’s new car releases, which became one of the biggest annual events at the CNE.  Eventually, car manufacturers changed the time of year that new models were released, and the Automotive Building was converted into a convention pavilion known as the Allstream Centre. 

The Horse Palace opened in 1931, and as the name suggests, it is home to a number of equestrian events on the grounds, including the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.  It also serves as the headquarters to the Mounted Division of the Toronto Police Service.  The Horse Palace is a striking example of Art Deco design in Toronto.

Many visitors to the modern day CNE lament that some buildings that were once open to the public can no longer be visited while the Exhibition runs.  These include the Horticultural Building, built in 1907.  It’s now a privately run dance club.

The former Arts, Crafts and Hobbies Building, opened in 1912, is now home to the dinner and theatre experience known as Medieval Times. 

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One memorable building that’s disappeared from the grounds is the Grandstand.  Also known as Exhibition Stadium, it was the fourth stadium to be built on the same spot since 1879.  The covered area on the north side of the Grandstand was built in 1948, with bleaches added on the south in 1959.  Some additional seating was also added in the mid-1970s.

The Grandstand was the home of the Toronto Blue Jays from 1977 until 1989, and of the Toronto Argonauts from 1959 until 1988.  Twelve Grey Cup games were hosted in the Grandstand over twenty-four years.

Seating at the Grandstand was often criticized, with some outfield seats over 800 feet from home plate, the furthest distance of any major league stadium.  Over 10,000 seats in centre field and down the right-field line didn’t even directly face the baseball diamond, and were so far from the playing that the Blue Jays didn’t even offer them for sale during the regular season.

With Lake Ontario so close, the Grandstand was often cold at the start and end of each baseball season.  The very first game that the Blue Jays ever played – against the Chicago White Sox on April 7, 1977 – was the only major league game ever played with the field covered entirely by snow.  The Blue Jays had to borrow the Zamboni from Maple Leaf Gardens to clear the field.  Fog and wind played havoc with the stadium too, with pitchers being blown off the mound and players unable to find their way to the home base.

Toronto Blue Jays versus Chicago White Sox, Grandstand, April 7, 1977.

By the early 1980s, there were plans to replace the Grandstand.  The SkyDome – now called the Roger Centre – was completed in 1989 and became the new home to the Blue Jays.  Except for a few concerts and wrestling matches, the old Grandstand lay abandoned and was eventually demolished in 1999.  For a few years the site served as a parking lot until BMO Field opened in 2007. 

Despite all the problems with the seating, and the Grandstand’s exposure to cold air and the elements, and even in spite of the fact that it had earned the nickname “the Mistake by the Lake”, many people hold fond memories of the Grandstand.  For many, it was the first place they ever saw a concert without being accompanied by their parents.  A number of well-known acts have appeared at the Grandstand over the years. 

Along with a lot of happy memories at the Grandstand, at least one riot started within its bleachers.  The infamous shock rocker, Alice Cooper, was due to play a concert there on August 19, 1980.  Fans waited, and waited, and waited, and finally, one luckless roadie was pushed out on to the stage to announce that Alice Cooper was sick, and wouldn’t be performing.  The concert was cancelled.  

You can watch the mayhem that ensued after the concert was cancelled for yourself, in this video clip of local news coverage.

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Now, I’d like to share some historical images from the Ex.  Many of these may bring back memories, while others will highlight just how things have changed.   The first series of photographs introduces just a few of the many famous visitors to the Ex over the years.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent returned to the Ex in 1941, and opened that year's fair.  He would be tragically killed about a year later, in August of 1942, in a plane crash in Scotland.  He was 39 years old.

Another Royal Visitor was Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret, who is shown here on a visit to the Ex in 1958.  She was there to open the Princess Margaret Fountain, also shown, and apparently kept her regal bearing when she touched a button that sent of a series of rather startling rocket explosions.

Legendary entertainer Danny Kaye served as a guest conductor for the United States Air Force band on a visit to the CNE Bandshell in 1950.

The Jackson Five played at the Ex in 1971.

The Osmonds were also a hit at the Ex in 1971.

Sonny and Cher played the Ex in 1972, and Sammy Davis, Jr. appeared there a few years later.

Bob Hope appeared at the Ex on several occasions.  He would also produce one of the promotional videos for his Grandstand show, similar to the one from Lorne Greene, above.

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Some of the simplest, most enjoyable things at the Ex have transcended decades and generations.  However, some of the styles of entertainment that the Ex has showcased over the years may have raised the eyebrows of more reserved parents.  The Striporama show that appeared on the midway, seen here in 1954, may have been kept for the eyes of more mature audiences.

This was the sort of tableau that was yours to enjoy, if you were willing to spend the money for a ticket to the midway's Striporama.

Over the years, certain shows that once graced the CNE have disappeared from the roster.  A few articles back, in my write-up of Sunnyside Amusement Park, I mentioned the Miss Toronto Beauty Pageant, which began at Sunnyside and then moved to the Ex.  It was eventually cancelled over considerations that it was politically insensitive.  

Carnival sideshows, or “freak shows” were traditionally a part of any fair, and the Ex was no exception.  This photograph from 1912 shows an act featuring exotically dressed women, playing with serpents, on the midway. 

This photograph from 1914 shows the fascination with sideshow performers who were either enormous or small.

An exhibit called the "World's Smallest Home" appeared at the Ex in 1930.  This was built as a showcase for those who were, in the language of the time, "midgets".

Of course, quite apart from these sorts of attractions, the midway is probably most strongly associated with the rides that are run up over a couple of days each year before the Ex opens.  Even for those of us who haven’t ridden on one of these amusements in years, the garish and clattering noises and the bright flashing lights of the midway’s rides often define a late summer’s evening spent down at the Ex.

The Round Up Ride first appeared at the Ex by the 1960s and was a feature through the 1980s.

The Polar Express, seen here in the 1980s, was another staple at the Ex.  The operator's cry of "Do you want to go faster?", belted out over the blaring of whatever song was at the top of the charts that summer, could be heard across the midway.

Built in 1953, the Flyer was billed as the “fastest Flyer in the world”, and travelled at speeds of up to 65 miles per hour.  The roller coater was 2,612 feet long, and stood to a maximum height of 62 feet.  On a good day, it would carry 26,000 screaming people, and in its 39 years of operation, well over 9 million passengers rode the flyer.  Eventually, newer and faster rides at the Ex became more popular, and the Flyer’s aging wooden frame was demolished in June of 1992.

Slide # 190 – The Alpine Way opened in 1966.  Its two aerial lines of cable cars ran for half a mile, high above the exhibition grounds, and actually predated the widespread use of gondolas on ski hills.  The Alpine Way lasted for just shy of 30 years before it was torn down in 1994, to allow for the construction of the National Trade Centre (which became the Direct Energy Centre and is now the Enercare Centre).

I'll close my article on the Ex with a television commercial from 1982.  You'll most likely remember the catchy jingle, "Let's Go to the Ex".

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For plenty more great insights into the history of the Canadian National Exhibition, be sure to visit their new archival website, at www.cneheritage.com

Visit the Canadian National Exhibition's Heritage Site here.


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My "blog" on Toronto, Then & Now has developed out of the thousands of historical photographs of Toronto that I have collected over the years, in the course of giving illustrated talks and presentations.

If you have an interest in booking an illustrated talk, please get in touch.  I have many different subjects put together.  Just a few of these include :

- Toronto in the Georgian Era (1793 to 1834)

- Victorian Toronto (1837 to 1901)

- Demolished Toronto

- A History of Old Homes & Estates in Toronto

- A History of Cinema & Entertainment in Toronto

- Toronto During the First World War

- At least two different presentations on True Crime in Toronto

- Ghost Stories of Toronto

Presentations can be tailored to run anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the needs of your group.  I come with all my own equipment - laptop, speaker, and digital projector.  Researching the history of Toronto and going on a detective hunt for old photographs is a passion of mine.

If you don't see a subject that you're interested in listed above, just ask!

You can reach me at :

richard@muddyyorktours.com

telephone : 416 487 9017

You can follow Muddy York Tours on twitter @MuddyYorkTours

Also : join our Facebook group for special information on "secret" events and tours that aren't always announced to the public.  Our Facebook group can be found here.

# 50 ~ Toronto & the First World War, Part III - Preparation

26th Battalion of the Second Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1915.

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This is the third in a series of nine posts leading up to the centenary of John McCrae's writing of In Flanders Fields, on May 3, 1915.  I've planned for articles to be posted over the next several weeks, and to culminate with actives commemorating the centennial of McCrae's poem.

Images of John McCrae or the poppy, or recitals of the poem, In Flanders Field, are usually just relegated to Remembrance Day.  We have come to associate certain images so much with November 11th, that they seem out of place during the rest of the year.  As I publish these posts, I hope that you will find enough about Toronto's history, to make the articles of interest.

John McCrae wrote his poem during the Second Battle of Ypres, which took place between April 22nd and May 25th of 1915.  The battle saw the first massed use of poison gas by German forces on the Western Front.  It was a important engagement for Canadian troops ~ for the first time, a group of "colonial" soldiers defeated a European power, on European soil.  Military experts often refer to how engagements like the Battle of St. Julien or Kitcheners' Wood helped to usher Canada into national adulthood.  

However, instead of focusing on an analysis of military activity in Europe, my series of posts will mostly follow how the war was "fought" on the Toronto home front.

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This is the third instalment in my posts on Toronto during the First World War.  It is called “Preparation”, and it discusses those sites in Toronto where military recruits were assembled and trained before being sent off to war.

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING AT THE UNIVERSITY AVENUE ARMOURIES

Toronto’s University Avenue Armoury opened in May of 1894.  It was located on the east side of University Avenue, just north of Queen Street.  It replaced earlier armouries and drill sheds what were widely scattered around Toronto.  The University Avenue Armoury was largest armoury in North America, when it opened.  It was a Romanesque style building, executed in red stone, with towers, turrets, and several castellated elements that made it reminiscent of a Scottish castle.

Above and below, the University Avenue Armouries.

This aerial photograph from 1930 shows Queen Street West to the right of the photograph, and University Avenue running from left to right through the middle of the picture.  The Canada Life building is clearly identifiable, more or less in the centre of the picture, casting a shadow over Osgoode Hall.  To the left of Osgoode Hall is the University Avenue Armouries building.

Soldiers were trained here for service in the Boer War, the First World War, and the Second World War.  Apart from offices and classrooms, messes, and storage or kit rooms, there were bowling allies and rifle ranges in the basement. The University Avenue Armoury was one of the most impressive buildings to have ever been constructed in downtown Toronto, and its demolition in 1963 made it one of the most lamented “lost” buildings in the city.  Some of the bricks from the armoury that came down when it was demolished were taken home by soldiers who had been trained in the building.  There is little in the way of commemoration of the rich Canadian military heritage that took place in this building, just as there is little remembrance given to those who trained to serve their country here over the span of 70 years.

Every aspect of enrolment and training took place at the University Avenue Armouries.  There was of course a recruiting station at the armoury.  

A Toronto police constable guides a new recruit to the University Avenue Armouries recruiting station.

The recruitment tent at the University Avenue Armouries.

Eager new volunteers queue up to enlist at the University Armouries.

Once properly enlisted, new recruits could learn all sorts of skills that would transform them from civilians into soldiers.  This included a basic physical drill, as well as signal practice, instruction on how to build a pontoon bridge, and artillery practice.  

New recruits go through a physical drill at the University Avenue Armouries.

Drilling at signal practice.

 The following three pictures show recruits learning how to build a pontoon bridge at the University Avenue Armouries.  

The next three photographs show artillery practice at the University Avenue Armouries.

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

The University of Toronto would become a hub of military activity during the Great War.  In his commencement address of 1914, Sir Robert Falconer, the president of the University of Toronto said, “This is the greatest of moral struggles.  Be ready to defend your life, which, with its freedom, has been won for you by others. Live a life of sacrifice this winter and thereby contribute something to help the nation in relieving its suffering. The world is in agony, let this agony reach the depths of our nature also, so that it may purge our selfishness.” With sentiments like these echoing across the campus and country alike, the University of Toronto mobilized for the war effort. 

Sports seasons were suspended until 1919.  Fraternities were closed.  The Faculty of Medicine organized two military hospitals and professional faculties such as engineering and dentistry became involved. The Canadian Officers’ Training Corps operated on campus. U of T professors gave hundreds of war-inspired public lectures throughout the city.

University grounds and buildings were heavily utilized by the military. The Royal Flying Corps established a training centre for the Dominion in the spring of 1917 and put its headquarters in Toronto. They took over the front and back lawns, parts of the Engineering Building, Convocation Hall, most of Burwash Hall, and the University Residences.

The grounds of the University of Toronto were "on loan" to the British government as an aviation school.  Here, below, are photographs showing the camp of tents on the grounds of the University.  This "tent city" would have served as home to those learning the new skill of flying. 

A World War One airplane flies over the tent city on university grounds, and buzzes University College.

Aviation camp at the University of Toronto.

Here is another photograph of the aviation camp at the University of Toronto.  Many of these aviators - or, those who survived, at any rate - would go on to open up the Canadian North.

A lesson in the new field of aviation, or "aeronautics", takes place on the grounds of the University of Toronto in 1917.

Hart House as been a hub of recreational activity at the University of Toronto, from the time that it officially opened on November 11th, 1919.  But, even before the interior of Hart House was complete, it was filled with military activity, and was an epicentre of sorts for military activity on campus. Five different battalions operated from Hart House, and sections of the building were used as infirmaries.  In the upper gym, workshops were given on how to build planes.  Here too was Canada’s first rehabilitation centre, originally designated for returning veterans.

Hart House under construction in 1915.

Hart House under construction in 1915.  It was in this condition that the building sheltered new recruits as they trained to go off and fight in the war.

The following series of photographs shows students - and faculty - being drilled at the University of Toronto.

By 1915, thousands of troops had been trained on the university campus.  In this photograph, 3,000 cadets are reviewed in front of University College in 1915.   

TRAINING ON THE GROUNDS OF THE CANADIAN NATIONAL EXHIBITION

When the 1915 school term began, enrolment was down by 650 men. Six hundred more were absent by September 1916, and another 600 left by next January. By the time conscription was imposed in 1917 by the Military Service Act, it had little effect because there were so few fit men left to serve.

When the war had started in August of 1914, the Canadian government had hoped for a quick campaign that wouldn’t draw on too many Canadian troops.  It was hoped that the training ground at Valcartier, Quebec, would be sufficient enough to train every Canadian soldier who was needed to fight on the homefront.

But, by early in 1915, the military saw that the war would go on, and decided it would make more sense to train troops locally.  The quest was on to find local buildings and facilities.  The City of Toronto offered Exhibition Park, which soon became Exhibition Camp.

Troops march through the Dufferin Gates of the Canadian National Exhibition.

The 15th Battery of Canadian Field Artillery found itself quartered in the cowsheds and stables, where stoves and double-tiered bunks had been hastily installed.  The accommodation was far from luxurious, but the troops had the advantage of being close to the attractions of the city, and during training were able to fire live ammunition at targets out on the lake.

In this photograph from 1915, new recruits inspect the bunks in which they will be sleeping.  These accommodations were set up at the Government Building, on the Exhibition grounds.

Meanwhile, the annual Canadian National Exhibition proceeded as normal, and organizers made use of the forces’ presence.  Fairgoers could take in the newly recruited soldiers being drilled in the various aspects of their trainings.  One activity that was popular with spectators was watching soldiers practice charging with bayonets. 

The Globe newspaper featured a review of this activity.  “The soldiers, by twenties, prepared the way for a charge from the British trench to the German one by rapid fire, bayoneted the Germans in that trench and leaping over it with terror-inspiring shouts bayoneted German reserves in the rear, represented by hanging straw sacks. The sacks had been painted with the names and lifelike likenesses of the Kaiser, Crown Prince and other Huns, and the harder the thrusts these personages received the lustier were the cheers of the crowd.”

Spectators who were visiting the fair could also tour trenches dug by soldiers and watch soldiers as they completed their daily drills.

Watching new recruits train in the art of charging from trenches, with their bayonets fixed, was a popular pastime for visitors to the Canadian National Exhibition, during the years of the First World War.

A crowd of Edwardian fair goers watch as brave new recruits charge out of a trench.

Calisthenics training, Exhibition Camp, 1915.

Rifle drill, Exhibition Camp, 1915.

Rifle drill, Exhibition Camp, 1915.

Fair goers watch as troops get in their practice at digging trenches.

Formation marching near Scadding Cabin and old Fort Rouille, 1914.

The photograph immediately above shows recruits practicing formation marching at the Exhibition Camp in 1914.  This wide open portion of the grounds would have been ideal for formation marching.  This training took place near the Fort Rouille monument, and Scadding Cabin, which are both seen in the background and which are located at the southwest part of today’s CNE grounds. 

In April of 1813, just over a century before the First World War began, the clearing around old Fort Rouille had seen fighting as part of the American invasion of the Old Town of York.  A century later, in 1915, Toronto troops spent time here preparing to fight a completely different enemy in another part of the world.

The 19th battalion was originally raised at the Exhibition Camp on November 6, 1914.  As part of the 4^th Infantry Brigade, 2^nd Canadian Division, the 19^th went from its station at the Exhibition, to West Sandling Camp in England, on May 23, 1915.  They arrived in France on September 14, 1915 and served right up until the end of the war.

Henri the Bear was the military mascot of the 19th Battalion.  Henri is shown here with Private R. L. Smith, one of the soldiers of the 19th Battalion.

Of course, recruits also got in target practice at Exhibition Camp.   It would seem that the grounds of the exhibition would be a relatively safe place for target practice and potentially explosive military training, at least when fairgoers weren’t  wandering around. 

However, as part of their voluntary training, local Boy Scouts spent time assisting soldiers in setting up the targets, as well as collecting the spent bullets of live ammunition, so that the metal could be gathered up and re-used.  The use of young boys in the target practice process had been a tradition in the Toronto area dating back to the late 1790s, when young boys performed the same task at Old Fort York. 

The three photographs above show Boy Scouts working in the target practice area of Exhibition Camp in 1915.

Military camps like the one on the Exhibition grounds were not necessarily safe for adult soldiers, either.  Assisted by cold, wet weather, diseases like pneumonia and meningitis swept through military encampments in Canada, England, and other countries, and many soldiers died before they even left for battle.  There were casualties related to meningitis at the Exhibition Camp in 1915, and an accidental training explosion there in 1915 took lives there, too.  Another accidental death occurred when a private named Tim Stone was struck and killed by a car. 

Shown here is a military funeral for an unidentified soldier on the grounds of Exhibition Camp in 1915.

Shown below is a military encampment on the grounds of the Exhibition in 1915.  The photograph is reminiscent of all the tents that were set up across the aviation camp on the grounds of the University of Toronto.  Canada’s first winter of the war, between the end of 1914 and the start of 1915 proved that the war would require a far greater number of soldiers than was originally thought.  Camps like this one would soon sprout up across Toronto, throughout Canada and around the world.

Just as these soldiers pictured here were eventually trained and left the grounds of the Exhibition Camp, they would be followed by hundreds of thousands more soldiers from across the country.  By early 1915, it became clear that Canada had signed on for a much greater investment in troops, in production, and in sacrifice than had originally been anticipated.

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Coming up : My next instalment of the "Toronto & The First World War" series is entitled "Production".  It discusses industrial military production, and shows some photographs of installations around Toronto that turned out military supplies for the war effort.

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