The Old Fire Hall

The Toronto Mechanics' Institute, originally named the York Mechanics' Institute, was an educational institution in 19th century Toronto that became the city's first public library. It was one of a series of mechanics' institutes that were set up around the world after becoming popular in Britain. Established in 1830, it was designed to provide technical and adult education.Paying members had access to lectures, courses, and a library. In 1853 the Institute erected a new permanent home at the corner of Church and Adelaide Streets, but it struggled to attract new paying members. In 1883 the Institute was thus transformed into a municipally-supported public reference library. The idea was promoted by alderman John Hallam, but it met considerable resistance in city council. No other city in Canada at this time had a completely free public library. Hallam brought the initiative to a public referendum, and the citizens of Toronto voted in its favour on January 1, 1883. The 5,000 book collection of the Mechanics' Institute became the first books of the Toronto Public Library and James Bain was selected as the first chief librarian. As chief librarian, he focused on building the library's special collection documenting Canadian history. He also applied to Andrew Carnegie for a grant to build more branches and to replace the Mechanics' Institute as the central reference library. The building remained the main branch of the Toronto Public Library until 1909 when the Carnegie grant allowed the library to open its new location at College and St. George (today the Koffler Centre). It remained a library branch until 1927, and was torn down in 1949. Today a condominium complex (84 Adelaide Street East) stands on the site, although it is marked with a heritage plaque.

St. James Park is an urban public park that is owned by both the neighbouring Cathedral Church of St. James and the City of Toronto government. The park has a central fountain and a gazebo.

The Great Fire of Toronto of 1849, April 7, 1849, also known as the Cathedral Fire, was the first major fire in the history of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Much of the Market Block, the business core of the city, was wiped out, including the predecessor of the current St. James Cathedral. The 1831 building of the Toronto City Hall and St. Lawrence Market south of King was damaged and was torn down.

George Street is a north–south street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from south of Front Street, north to Gerrard Street. Its southern blocks are within the grid of the townsite of the original town of York, Upper Canada. George Street was once one of the most exclusive and expensive addresses in the city. Today, the north end of the street, next to Seaton House men's shelter, is an example of urban blight. The City of Toronto government is redeveloping the street with a new Seaton House institution focused more on long-term care. Several abandoned buildings have been bought by the city, and others have been expropriated to facilitate the redevelopment – the George Street Revitalization Project.

Mechanics' Hall was a concert hall on the ground floor of the Mechanics' Institutes building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The hall was used for theatrical productions, music concerts, public meetings, and lectures from 1856 to 1883. Located on the east side of the downtown area at Church and Adelaide streets, the building was designed by Cumberland and Stone. The hall was designed with raised semi-circular seating and sat 500 people. Its construction was finished in 1856 but was later altered in 1861. During the 1860s the hall was the home of the Musical Union, a Toronto-based choral society. In 1874 the Toronto Philharmonic Society made their debut at the hall under conductor F.H. Torrington. In 1883 the Mechanics' Institutes building was sold to the city of Toronto. The city turned the building into Toronto's first public library and the hall was converted into storage space. In 1930 the building was demolished.

The Cathedral Church of St. James is an Anglican cathedral in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the location of the oldest congregation in the city, with the parish being established in 1797. The cathedral, with construction beginning in 1850 and opening for services on June 19, 1853, was one of the largest buildings in the city at that time. It was designed by Frederick William Cumberland and is a prime example of Gothic Revival architecture.The church building is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, and it is the episcopal seat of the Bishop of Toronto. Royal St. George's College, on Howland Avenue, is the church's choir school and is open to boys in grades 3 through 12.

SP!RE is a high-rise condominium building located at 70 Adelaide Street East at Church Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada by Context Developments. Construction was completed in 2007. The structure was designed by Peter Clewes of architectsAlliance and is 145 metres tall with 322 suites (from 42m² to 228m²) in 45 floors.

Moss Park Armoury is a Canadian Forces facility located at 130 Queen Street East in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is at the northeast corner of Jarvis Street and Queen Street East, in the neighbourhood of Moss Park. It currently hosts several units of the Primary Reserve. More than 600 soldiers and reservists train at Moss Park every week.It is located close to the downtown core and financial district, as well as several post-secondary institutions including the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, and George Brown College. The Armoury is within a short walking distance of the Queen subway station. It is also accessible by the 501 Queen and 502 Downtowner streetcar routes. As a prominent military structure in downtown Toronto, it has been the site of a number of anti-war protests.Moss Park Armoury was constructed in the mid-1960s to house several of the regiments displaced by the demolition of the old Toronto Armories on University Avenue. It cost CA$2.1 million to construct. In the spring and fall of 2010, the armoury was renovated and the facade was replaced.

The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada is a Primary Reserve regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces, based in Toronto. The regiment is part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. It is the only reserve regiment in Canada to currently have a parachute role. The regiment consists of the reserve battalion, the Regimental Association, and the Regimental Band and Bugles. The official abbreviation is The QOR of C, but the name is often abbreviated to QOR. The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada parade out of Moss Park Armoury in downtown Toronto. The unit motto is in pace paratus: in peace prepared.

25 (Toronto) Field Ambulance (25 Fd Amb), formerly 25 (Toronto) Medical Company, is a Canadian Forces Primary Reserve (militia) medical unit in Toronto, Ontario. The company-strength formation is part of 4 Health Services Group, which is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. It is the only Primary Reserve medical unit in Toronto. The unit has a medical company, a services support company, and an HQ element. The unit parades out of Moss Park Armoury and is tasked with providing medical support to 32 Canadian Brigade Group. Members of the unit have served on various UN and NATO missions around the world, including Cyprus, Bosnia and the former Yugoslavia, Haiti, the Sudan and for the Canadian component of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

The 48th Highlanders of Canada is a Canadian Forces Primary Reserve infantry regiment based in Toronto, Ontario, parading out of Moss Park Armoury. The regiment is part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. Since its formation in 1891, the 48th Highlanders have had a longstanding tradition of participation in the life of its parent city, Toronto. The regiment has participated in community functions for over 100 years, in addition to fulfilling its operational duties around the world. Since its inception, the men and women of the regiment have been among the first Canadians to step forward and answer their nation's call. Members of the regiment have served on Operation Recuperation, in the Golan Heights, Korea, South Africa, Cambodia, Cyprus, Bosnia, and Afghanistan to name only a few and of course, both world wars and the Second Boer War. The regiment is allied with the British Army's Royal Regiment of Scotland, formerly the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) (formerly the Gordon Highlanders). The relationship with the Gordon Highlanders represents the oldest officially sanctioned regimental alliance in the Commonwealth, and small unit exchanges are conducted frequently. A memorial was erected in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto sometime after 1912 in honour of two soldiers killed returning from a training exercise in 1912 and as a monument to the 48th Highlanders of Canada's veterans and war dead of the South African War.The regiment is nicknamed "The Glamour Boys" or "The Four Dozen". The name "The Glamour Boys" was coined by the other regiments that served with the 48th Highlanders during World War II in the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, 1st Brigade. The brigade was being inspected by King George VI but there were not enough regulation khaki puttees (leg wrappings) for all the soldiers. The 48th had to wear unofficial blue puttees. The King inquired as to why the 48th wore different puttees from the rest of the brigade. He was told that there were not enough khaki ones for all the units. The King replied that he liked the blue puttees better and that they should keep them. The 48th Highlanders continued to wear blue puttees until battledress was eventually phased out. The nickname "Four Dozen" is a play on The Dirty Dozen and "48" being equivalent to four dozen. The regiment provided a guard of honour for the G7 summit in 1988, a full royal guard of honour for Queen Elizabeth II in 1998 as well as the Royal Winter Fair, annually. The Regimental Colour Party has marched in events as far afield as Prince Edward Island and the United States and remains in great demand as a living example of the pageantry and gallantry of the Highland regimental tradition. The regiment's Military Band and the Pipes and Drums have played at every Toronto Maple Leafs home opening game at both Maple Leaf Gardens and the Air Canada Centre. The bands were requested by Conn Smythe, who had been a major in the First World War, to play at the opening of the new Maple Leaf Gardens on November 12, 1931. The regiment's motto is dileas gu brath, which is Gaelic for "faithful forever". The regimental tartan is the Davidson, but pipers wear the Stewart of Fingask. The regiment's colonel-in-chief is Queen Elizabeth II. The regiment supports two cadet corps. These are the 48th Highlanders Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps, which is based in the same armoury as the regiment itself, and 142 St. Andrew's College Highland Cadet Corps, based in Aurora as one of the mandatory activities for students of St. Andrew's College.

The 7th Toronto Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery is a militia (i.e. part-time reserves) regiment of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group, The regiment was formed in 1965 when all the gunner units within the Toronto garrison (29th Field Regiment, 42nd Medium Regiment and 1st Locating Regiment) were merged. The regiment is proud to be the only Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery in Canada to include the name of its home city in its title. The City of Toronto has recognized this distinction by granting the Freedom of the City to the regiment in May 1966.As with all regiments with the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery it has two mottos: Ubique ("Everywhere") and Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt ("Whither Right and Glory Lead"). These mottos replaced individual battle honours carried by artillery units until 1832. Ubique denotes the active service of the regiment everywhere in the world and the major part played by the artillery regiment in all battles. It takes the place of all past or future battle honours and distinctions gained in the field. There are three batteries within the regiment, 9 battery – the howitzer or gun battery, 15 battery – the Light Urban Search and Rescue battery (LUSAR) , and 130 battery – the headquarters battery as well as training and recruiting. Currently all three batteries parade at Moss Park Armoury. The regiment currently operates the 105mm C3 Howitzer along with the 81mm Mortar. As well as 105mm C1 Howitzers for ceremonial salutes such as the one fired in Queen's Park on Remembrance Day. Gun crews are also trained in the C6, C7, C9A1, M72 and 84mm Carl Gustav. The regiment has sent its volunteer citizen soldiers to serve with NATO forces in Germany as part of 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery and to United Nations peacekeeping efforts in Cyprus and the NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia. Gunners have deployed on three civil emergency operations: to Manitoba to stem the Red River flooding, to Eastern Ontario to help communities recover from the devastating ice storm of 1998 and on OP LASER a response to the global COVID 19 pandemic. Other members of the regiment have most recently served with the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.