Muddy York Walking Tours (Tours of Toronto)

09/23/2024

Join me on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024 for my second annual "Night At the Museum", produced in cooperation with Toronto's First Post Office.

Our evening will include a look back at traditions surrounding death and dying, and spiritualism in Toronto.

For those of you who attended last year, this year's programme will offer some new content that we didn't look at last year.

As of today, October 23rd, the event is half sold out, so get your tickets today.

Visit the following link to register.

https://townofyork.com/wp-event/a-night-at-the-museum-3/

05/25/2024

Had a great time on my first Doors Open Toronto, despite the rain. Thanks to Exhibition Place for the chance to visit the Stanley Barracks.

05/02/2024

Carrot pudding at Fort York.

03/21/2024

Here's a video of a biography that I put together on Lucy Maud Montgomery.

At first, I was somewhat reluctant to put this one together. Lucy Maud Montgomery struggled with depression and mental health issues, and was not always the light-hearted character that I imagined, for some reason, whenever I think about her character of "Anne of Green Gables".

But ultimately, I thought it was important to tell her story, although her story was sometimes bleak.

And yes! I can claim her as a Toronto character because she lived in Swansea for several years.

Lucy Maud Montgomery was a prolific Canadian author and national icon. But despite her success, she had a hard life. She struggled with depression, anxiety...

10/12/2023

There was a whole set of elaborate customs for mourning the dead in the 1800s. Both of my Hallowe'en themed tours explore the customs of how to dress, what to collect, and how long you should grieve for a loved one.

Victorians collected some very personal mementoes to remember their dead - and some of them were really, really personal, and really weird.

Many people today may be familiar with wearing sombre black clothing while in mourning. But back in the 1800s, preparing your clothes for mourning could be lethal.

Sign up for one of my Hallowe'en tours and discover why mourning in the 1800s sometimes came with a deadly sense of fashion.

"Terror in the Town of York"
Saturday, October 14th at 7 p.m.
Sunday, October 22nd at 7 p.m.

"Ghosts, Grief, and Cadavers"
Sunday, October 15th at 7 p.m.
Sunday, October 29th at 7 p.m.

Tours cost $15 per person.
Email [email protected] to register

10/09/2023

Toronto has some pretty famous ghosts. One of them is still reported to wander the halls & grounds of University College. First & second images show how this looming Gothic landmark lies right at the heart of the University of Toronto. But the building is also home to the most famous ghost story on the campus.

legend has it that a man named Ivan, who was one of the college’s stonemasons, was a man in love. He fell head over heels, but his friends heard some rumours that made him suspicious. The gossip was true & our love-worn protagonist was embroiled in a love triangle. Ivan went looking for answers, but he wound up dead. Even his body vanished.

but broken up love often makes the best kindling for ghost stories. Over 30 years after Ivan disappeared, a devastating fire struck University College. Second & third images show crowds gathering to watch it burn. The smouldering ashes of the University College fire left behind some evidence that helps explain what could have possibly happened to Ivan the stonemason.

join me on one of my “Ghosts, Grief, & Cadaver” tours to discover everything that the legends have to say about some of Toronto‘s most infamous ghost stories.

DATES
Sunday October 15th at 7 pm
Sunday October 29th at 7 pm
Cost $15 per person

Email [email protected] to register.

10/09/2023

10/09/2023

Toronto has some pretty famous ghosts. One of them can still be seen wandering the halls and grounds around University College. The first two photographs show this looming Gothic landmark, which lies right at the heart of the University of Toronto. But the building is also the setting of the the most famous ghost story on the campus.

Legend has it that a man named Ivan, who was one of the college’s stonemasons, was a man in love. He fell head over heels, but his friends heard some rumours that made him suspicious. They said his lover had found another. The gossip was true, and our now love-worn protagonist was embroiled in a love triangle. Ivan went looking for answers, but he wound up dead. Even his body vanished.

But broken up love often makes the best kindling for ghost stories. Over 30 years after his alleged murder, a devastating fire struck University College. The remaining pictures in my post show the fire, and how people even came out to watch University College burn. The smoldering embers of the University College fire left behind some evidence that helped explained what could have possibly happened to Ivan the stonemason.

Join me on one of my “Ghosts, Grief, and Cadavers” tours to discover everything that the legends have to say about to one of Toronto’s most infamous ghost stories.

DATES
Sunday, October 15th, 2023 at 7 o’clock
Sunday, October 29th, 2023 at 7 o’clock
Cost $15 per person

Email [email protected] reservation and more information.

10/03/2023

These days, Courthouse Square is a quiet little urban park tucked away a block north of King Street. But in the time of the Town of York, this was the square where hundreds or even thousands of townspeople gathered to watch public ex*****ons.

These ex*****ons were always death by hanging. Sometimes, hanging worked efficiently, but there were plenty of occasions when it was a slow, tortuous death. Death by hanging lasted for over 160 years in Toronto, and you’d think they’d get it right. But Toronto’s last ex*****on went gruesomely wrong.

This is just one aspect of Toronto’s dark history that we explore on the “Terror in the Town of York” tour, but there are plenty of other troublesome tales, too.

DATES:
Saturday, October 14th at 7 o’clock pm
Sunday, October 22nd at 7 o’clock pm
COST = $15 per person
EMAIL [email protected] for more information or to register.

08/23/2023

Great news! Last week I announced the "A Night At The Museum" programme I am doing at Toronto's First Post Office on Friday, October 13th.

The first run has already sold out so we have been able to add one extra night.

We will be doing a single repeat performance on Friday, October 20th.

This special after-hours evening at Toronto's First Post Office will include the early history of Spiritualism in Toronto, the quest to capture ghosts on film, and a special guide on how to Mourn Like A Victorian.

Then, museum staff will help you craft your own Victorian Mourning Wreath to take home and display in time for Hallowe'en.

Our first night sold out in four days. Don't miss out! Register now.

Visit the following link for tickets.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-night-at-the-museum-tickets-704829914247?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwAR1AbTuwa7En-AMYoApGaoYj6iyqLHCNn9XzYyMAua3IUDOdL47Snz2iW1Y

08/21/2023

You’ve never lived till you’ve ridden on a roller coaster that was rickety enough to dislocate a few things and had bits of wood flying off while you were on it. The memories of summers gone by, eh?

As thrilling as the Flyer might have been, even more terrifying is the realization that the early 1990s were 30 years ago.