June 2025 - Project Launch
At the June 2025 SLNA Community Meeting, Toronto City Councillor Chris Moise officially launched SLNA's Shoreline Commemoration Project.
The first visual component of the project is the appearance of images of Indigenous moccasins across the neighbourhood, along the historic shoreline where First Nations Peoples have walked for centuries. Starting in Taylor's Wharf Lane and extending across the neighbourhood south of Front Street from Yonge to Berkeley, the Moccasin Identifier has been painted by neighbourhood children and adult volunteers.
The Moccasin Identifier is a leading reconciliation initiative focused on Treaty education and Indigenous place-knowing, created by Carolyn King C.M., a former Chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
At the June 2025 SLNA Community Meeting, Toronto City Councillor Chris Moise officially launched SLNA's Shoreline Commemoration Project.
The first visual component of the project is the appearance of images of Indigenous moccasins across the neighbourhood, along the historic shoreline where First Nations Peoples have walked for centuries. Starting in Taylor's Wharf Lane and extending across the neighbourhood south of Front Street from Yonge to Berkeley, the Moccasin Identifier has been painted by neighbourhood children and adult volunteers.
The Moccasin Identifier is a leading reconciliation initiative focused on Treaty education and Indigenous place-knowing, created by Carolyn King C.M., a former Chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
| historic_toronto_shorelines.pdf |
Original Shoreline Commemoration
For several years, there has been an aspiration to commemorate the ‘original shoreline’ of Lake Ontario in the St Lawrence neighbourhood. There are currently three commemorations in and around our neighbourhood: sculptural commemorations on the Church Street frontage of the Berczy condominium at 55 Front Street East (see https://www.torontojourney416.com/shoreline-commemorative/) and Wavelengths, celebrating the Lake itself, at 18 Lower Jarvis (Market Wharf) (see: https://www.e-architect.com/toronto/wavelengths-sculpture-ceiling-in-toronto) and an ‘in-ground’ commemoration in the Distillery District at Rack House Mews and Distillery Lane.
As the filling in of the Lake was a fairly gradual process, deciding exactly where the original shoreline was is not easy but, after several years of trying to find a City map that gave enough information to clearly identify it, the SLNA is now working with Heritage Toronto and others to commemorate the “Top of the Bank” (of Toronto Bay) and the “Water’s Edge" as described in the January 1841 Survey by Thomas Young. The 'Young Lines’ are used in current property surveys as seen in this City plan of George and Front.
Discussions are now in process to determine the exact form of commemoration, but the current suggestion is to erect plaques in appropriate locations on buildings on the north-south streets running from Yonge to Berkeley to commemorate the approximate locations of the “Top of the Bank” and the “Water’s Edge” on these streets.
To get a good bird's eye view click on this MAP.
For several years, there has been an aspiration to commemorate the ‘original shoreline’ of Lake Ontario in the St Lawrence neighbourhood. There are currently three commemorations in and around our neighbourhood: sculptural commemorations on the Church Street frontage of the Berczy condominium at 55 Front Street East (see https://www.torontojourney416.com/shoreline-commemorative/) and Wavelengths, celebrating the Lake itself, at 18 Lower Jarvis (Market Wharf) (see: https://www.e-architect.com/toronto/wavelengths-sculpture-ceiling-in-toronto) and an ‘in-ground’ commemoration in the Distillery District at Rack House Mews and Distillery Lane.
As the filling in of the Lake was a fairly gradual process, deciding exactly where the original shoreline was is not easy but, after several years of trying to find a City map that gave enough information to clearly identify it, the SLNA is now working with Heritage Toronto and others to commemorate the “Top of the Bank” (of Toronto Bay) and the “Water’s Edge" as described in the January 1841 Survey by Thomas Young. The 'Young Lines’ are used in current property surveys as seen in this City plan of George and Front.
Discussions are now in process to determine the exact form of commemoration, but the current suggestion is to erect plaques in appropriate locations on buildings on the north-south streets running from Yonge to Berkeley to commemorate the approximate locations of the “Top of the Bank” and the “Water’s Edge” on these streets.
To get a good bird's eye view click on this MAP.