"Beneath the deadly dull history of Ontario lies a myriad of fascinating, but little-known stories. Did you know: Sir John A. Macdonald was born in an Ontario town, not in Scotland? Karl Marx was once a visitor to Toronto? The famous poet W.B. Yeats graced the town of Captainstone, Ontario, with a visit in 1933? There was an active volcano in Ontario in 1886? "The book is accompanied by an important caveat: All of these stories are fictitious. "'The book is rather hard to characterize,' said MacGillivary, a professor at the University of Waterloo. 'It doesn't fit into any particular genre. It is best described as a "myth imitation." What I am doing here is inventing myths about the history of Ontario, where the facts are almost entirely false but the emotions are real.' "The book, a humorous romp through the history of Ontario, distills the character of Ontario out of the approximately 120 short vignettes taken, supposedly, from local histories and reminiscences, all of which are fictitious." - Anne Marie Goetz, Whig-Standard Staff Writer

Housing is increasingly unattainable in successful global cities, and Toronto is no exception -- in part because of zoning that protects “stable” residential neighborhoods with high property values. House Divided is a citizen’s guide for changing the way housing can work in big cities. Using Toronto as a case study, this anthology unpacks the affordability crisis and offers innovative ideas for creating housing for all ages and demographic groups. With charts, maps, data, and policy prescriptions, House Divided poses tough questions about the issue that will make or break the global city of the future.

Stunning full-colour photographs and engaging text show readers how to identify Ontario's many unique types of homes. Ontario has a rich history of architectural styles, and is home to some of the most stunning heritage houses in North America. In this book, author Robert Mikel profiles in depth every important house style the province has seen over the past three centuries -- from the grand elegance of the Italianate to the intimacy and coziness of the Ontario Cottage. Readers will see how each house style developed in Europe, came to Ontario, and the variations that are unique to the province. Both an attractive gift book and a solid reference, Ontario House Styles will appeal to those who live in Ontario's tens of thousands of heritage homes and to anyone interested in Ontario's colourful architectural history. Ontario House Styles includes ninety homes from: * Ancaster * Brockville * Cobourg * Cambridge * Dundas * Gananoque * Grafton * Grimsby * Hamilton * Kingston * London * Napanee * Niagara-on-the-Lake * Odessa * Paris * Picton * Port Hope * St. Mary's * Stoney Creek * Stratford * Toronto * Waterloo

The slogan on Ontario's licence plates, 'Yours to Discover,' was designed to promote travel opportunities within the province. Every year, thousands of tourists drive along country roads, past farmyards and through hamlets, en route to popular vacation spots. In Looking for Old Ontario, Thomas McIlwraith shows that many destinations are closer at hand than one might imagine, and invites travellers to rediscover familiar countryside landmarks by 'reading' them as chapters in a rich historical narrative. Surveyors long ago scored Ontario's land, and generations have since inscribed it with residences, businesses, and institutions. This book, the result of thirty years of field work and archival research, is a reflection on and an interpretation of the ways in which the land and its inhabitants interrelate. Looking for Old Ontario guides readers through the vernacular landscape of the province, examining barns, fences, jails, post offices, inns, mills, canals, railways, roadsides, cemeteries, and much more. McIlwraith emphasizes ordinary features of the cultural landscape which communicate social meaning to the observant eye. The landscape tells us that Ontario has been inhabited by thrifty people; this we can conclude by looking at the economical use and reuse of construction materials. Yet the landscape also tells us that Ontario's residents have been inclined to show off: consider the province's unusually large number of elegant brick dwellings. To read a landscape is to think about such connections, and McIlwraith's contemplative style differentiates his work from manuals or handbooks. Since landscape interpretation is a highly visual subject, Looking for Old Ontario is extensively illustrated with photographs, drawings, and maps. It will be useful to general readers interested in recognizing the broader meanings of their communities' heritage, as well as to students of geography, history, and planning.