StoryPosts

These audio files, skilfully created by Nicole Schulman, splice together clips from the interviews to let you hear the mix of different voices and perspectives on topics that recurred in our oral-history interviews. Click on the links below to hear moving and amusing mini-dramas on these themes. You can also point your smartphone at the QR codes on small yellow StoryPost plaques posted through the neighbourhood to listen on the spot. Or print out our map and carry it with you for a family treasure hunt. (Note that as time goes on, some of the plaques will have been moved to new locations.)

Albert Jackson
Anti-Semitism
Bakeries
Black & White
Boys of Major Street
Candyshop
Chestnuts
Chickens

Convent
Cornerstores
Crowded Homes
Dating
Discipline
Drugstores
Education
Fish

Horses
Laneways
Milk
Movies
Playing
Porches
Shopping in Kensington
Traffic Maze


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Albert Jackson
Escaping slavery & confronting prejudice — Albert Jackson’s family, in our neighbourhood's history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Faith Jackson and Jay Jackson.

Anti-Semitism
Cultural tolerance and intolerance, in our neighbourhood's history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Norman Cook, Frances Gotkin, Hindy Hirt, Mario Porretta, Gerald Sperling, and Ann Sobel Stone.

Bakeries
Fresh bagels and bread, in our neighbourhood’s history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Percy Brik, Connie Cardoso, Bev Chernos, Marsha Ginsberg, Barry Goldlist, Helen Goldlist, Hindy Hirt, Marion Kashin, Rose Rodriguez, John Scalpello, Rosie Schwartz, Mathilde Stephanian, Rakel Stephanian, Wilson Quan, and Bobby Whyte.

Black & White
Racism and integration, in our neighbourhood's history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Norman Cook, Frances Gotkin, Faith Jackson, and Bobby Whyte.

Boys of Major Street
The boys of WWII, in our neighbourhood's history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Susy Sky Fagan, Feige Kay, Flora Lewis Kay, Joey Kay, Ann Sobel Stone, and Ella Wolfish.

Candyshop
Recalling the local candy shops, in our neighbourhood’s history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Rachel Brass, Connie Cardoso, Susy Sky Fagan, Faith Jackson, Ann Karner, Florie Lewis Kay, Mathilde Stephanian, and Rakel Stephanian.

Chestnuts
When the cool toy was a chestnut, in our neighbourhood's history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Ruth Reingold Brudner, Norman Cook, Paulo Fernandes, Sandra Foster, Marsha Ginsberg, Harvey Jacobs, Rose Rodrigues, and Ella Wolfish.

Chickens
Back when chickens were raised right here, in our neighbourhood's history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Anna Barnett, Jack Brass, Norman Cook, Susy Sky Fagan, Marsha Ginsberg, Barry Goldlist, Frances Gotkin, Mutt Greenberg, Hindy Hirt, Bill Karner, John Karner, Flora Lewis Kay, Wilson Quan, and Ella Wolfish.

Cornerstores
The role of the corner grocery store, in our neighbourhood’s history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Rachel Brass, Janice Dembo, Susy Sky Fagan, Faith Jackson, Ann Karner, Florie Lewis Kay, Rose Rodrigues, and Rosie Schwartz.

Convent
Legacy of the Anglican Sisters of St. John, in our neighbourhood's history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Anna Barnett, Bob Barnett, Bev Chernos, Celia Denov, Karen Raxlen Fejer, Harvey Jacobs, Tillie Karasik, and Ella Wolfish.

Crowded Homes
Crowded homes: How many people shared a house, in our neighbourhood’s history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Rachel Brass, Ruth Reingold Brudner, Paulo Fernandes, Marsha Ginsberg, Barry Goldlist, Helen Goldlist, Frances Gotkin, Hindy Hirt, Jay Jackson, Feige Kay, Joey Kay, Mario Poretta, Rosie Schwartz, and Wilson Quan.

Dating
Postwar dating in the Jewish community, in our neighbourhood’s history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Bev Chernos, Norman Cook, Michael Farberman, Susy Sky Fagan, Frances Gotkin, Harvey Jacobs, Tillie Karasik,  Feige Kay, Florie Lewis Kay, Joey Kay, and Ella Wolfish.

Discipline
Physical discipline once allowed at school, in our neighbourhood's history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Ruth Reingold Brudner, Bev Chernos, Rosie Schwartz, and Wilson Quan.

Drugstores
Local druggists as essential neighbours, in our neighbourhood’s history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Jack Brass, Paulo Fernandes, Saul Glass, Hindy Hirt, Tilie Karasik, Marion Kashin, Elaine Levison, Rose Rodrigues, Mathilde Stephanian, and Rakel Stephanian.

Education
Careers for boys, marriage for girls, in our neighbourhood’s history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Ruth Reingold Brudner, Bev Chernos, Norman Cook, Frances Gotkin, Ann Karner, and John Scalpello.

Fish
Visiting the popular Harbord fishmonger, in our neighbourhood's history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Janice Dembo, Paolo Fernandes, Frances Gotkin, Hindy Hirt, Rafi Kosower, Alf Kwinter, Rose Rodrigues, Mario Porretta, and Betty Pratt.

Horses
The horses of our laneways and streets, in our neighbourhood's history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Harvey Jacobs, Feige Kay, Ann Karner, Bill Karner, John Karner, Joey Kay, Alf Kwinter, Rose Rodrigues, Rosie Schwartz, Bobby Whyte, and Arthur Zimmerman.

Laneways
Hanging out: laneway social life, in our neighbourhood's history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Rachel Brass, Norman Cook, Janice Dembo, Rafi Kosower, Sheldon Silverman, and Bobby Whyte.

Milk
The delivery milkman and local dairies, in our neighbourhood's history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Jack Brass, Rachel Brass, Debbie Cowitz, Faigy Kay, Joey Kay, Betty Pratt, Rose Rodrigues, Joe Santos, Bobby Whyte, and Arthur Zimmerman.

Movies
Cinemas before the age of television, in our neighbourhood’s history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Jack Brass, Rachel Brass, Bev Chernos, Barry Goldlist, Mutt Greenberg, Hindy Hirt, Harvey Jacobs, Ann Karner, and Joe Greenberg.

Playing
The inventive games children played, in our neighbourhood’s history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Ruth Reingold Brudner, Bev Chernos, Susy Sky Fagan, Marsha Ginsberg, Mutt Greenberg, Harvey Jacobs, Tillie Karasik, Florie Lewis Kay, Rose Rodrigues, and Rosie Schwartz.

Porches
The social life of the front porch, in our neighbourhood’s history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Isme Benny, Percy Brik, Ruth Reingold Brudner, Norman Cook, Sandra Foster, Saul Glass, Florie Lewis Kay, and John Scalpello.

Shopping in Kensington
Fish, fowl and frenzy, in our neighbourhood’s history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Percy Brik, Janice Dembo, Mercedes de Melo, Christine Duffield, Susie Skye Fagan, Helen Goldlist, Jay Jackson, Rose Rodriguez, John Scalpello, and Rakel Stephanian.

Traffic Maze
The first traffic calming maze in Canada, in our neighbourhood's history. With edited excerpts from the interviews of Isme Benny, Jack Brass, Marsha Ginsberg,  Mario Porretta, and William Wright.

  

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