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Resource Centre active and growing
Our two energetic librarians, Heather Cirulis (left) and Nancy Baines, have been refining the fort’s Resource Centre since beginning the project in 2005. Colleagues for many years at North Toronto Collegiate, they’ve since devoted countless hours (on Thursdays, mostly) to this stillevolving project of the Friends of Fort York and Garrison Common. Joe Gill and Steve Otto stirred up the original idea. The project began with an old Toronto Historical Board 16 The Fife and Drum July 2019
bookcase in the Officers’ Barracks and a generous donation of photos and maps from Carl Benn. They got a grant in 2006 to hire a summer student; Christine Mosser lent some expertise; David O’Hara freed up a room in the Blue Barracks; and specialized furniture was acquired – including a beautiful table made of recovered Queen’s Wharf timber. The first purpose of the centre is to support research by, and the continuing training of, the staff and volunteers of Fort York. There’s depth to the collections on the War of 1812, local history, military music, military material culture, the Indigenous presence and the British Army. Culinary history is also strong Robert Bell and they’re developing a section on historic gardens. The other focus is the work that has been done on the fort itself – rebuilds, renovations and demolitions. Archaeological records are important to this collection, recently enriched with a generous donation by David Spittal. Even historical postcards, charming in their own right, are an important part of an image bank that tracks how the fort has changed over time. The Resource Centre of the Friends of Fort York is also open to scholars and others by appointment. Photo:
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