Villages Within

The Villages Within is an irreverentversion of Torontos past that willnot improve anyones knowledgeof history, but its fabrications andexaggerations may provide anamusing insight into the lives ofthose who built the town of York. Itis an expos of historical untruths,a book that no school should everpermit its students to read.

Discover Lord Dorchesters unusualmethod of staying warm while hisunderwear froze during his firstwinter in Canada. Learn aboutElizabeth Simcoes struggle withthe intoxicating evils of gooseberrywine. During the War of 1812, whydid Laura Secord deliver a cow toJames Fitzgibbon in the dead ofnight? Why did the residents of Yorkfear an American invasion in 1813,even though they needed theirdollars to support the towns touristindustry? Why did the colonists, whonever bathed at the best of times,become truly revolting in 1837?

In a more serious vein, thisbook chronicles the history andarchitecture of the Kings WestDistrict, the Kensington Market,and the proudly tacky QueenStreet West. The narrative detailsthe events in the life of the oldSt. Andrews Market, allowingthose who visit the area today toappreciate its rich heritage.