Fort York

A blockhouse at Fort York in 2004

Fort York is a historic site of military fortifications and related buildings on the west side of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The fort was built by the British Army and Canadian militia troops in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, to defend the settlement and the new capital of the Upper Canada region from the threat of a military attack, principally from the newly independent United States.

Contents

1 Founding
2 Buildings
3 The War of 1812 and after
4 Units
5 Fort York Today
6 See also
7 Related links
8 References

Founding

In 1793, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe authorized a garrison on the present site of Fort York, just west of the mouth of Garrison Creek on the north eastern shore of Lake Ontario. Simcoe recognized Toronto was an ideal site for settlement and defence because of its natural harbour and relative distance from the United States. Simcoe had decided to make Toronto (at that time called York) the capital of Upper Canada, and the government, the first parliament buildings and the town were established one and a half miles east of the fort.

Buildings

Early buildings were built by Royal Engineers:

Brick Barracks 1815
Officers Barracks and Mess 1826
Junior Officers Barracks 1930
Blockhouse # 2 1813
Brick Magazine 1814
Blockhouse # 1 1813
Stone Powder Magazine 1815

Rebuilding of Fort York began in 1932-1934 and restoration in 1985. These buildings represent some of the oldest structures in Toronto still standing.

The War of 1812 and after

During the War of 1812, on April 27, 1813 combined American Army and naval forces attacked York from Lake Ontario, overrunning Fort York (see Battle of York). As the British abandoned the fort, they set the powder magazine to blow up, killing and wounding several hundred American soldiers. The Americans destroyed Fort York and burned much of the settlement of York including the parliament buildings during their five days of occupation. They had defeated outnumbered British, Canadian militia and First Nations forces. Following several more US raids over the summer, the British garrison returned to York and rebuilt the fortifications, most of which are still standing today. The rebuilt fort was sufficient to repel a further attempted invasion in 1814.

The British Army occupied Fort York from 1793 to the 1850s and transferred it to Canada, who used it until 1932. However, the City of Toronto owned the Fort from 1903 onwards.

Fort York was used as a military establishment until 1880, and again during the First and Second World Wars.

Units

Army units stationed at Fort York over the years:

British

Queen's Rangers
1st Foot
6th Foot
8th Foot
13th Hussars
19th Light Dragoons
24th Foot
30th Foot
32nd Foot
43rd Foot
49th Foot
66th Foot
68th Foot
71st Foot
82nd Foot
83rd Foot
93rd Foot
104th Foot
Canadian Voltigeurs
Glengarry Light Infantry
Royal Canadian Rifles
Royal Canadian Artillery
Royal Engineers
Royal Newfoundland Fencibles
Royal Supply and Miners

Canadian

2nd Battalion of Provisional Militia
3rd Battalion of Provisional Militia
6th Battalion of Provisional Militia
10th Royal Grenadiers
48th Highlanders of Canada
Durham Militia
Enrolled Pensioners
Garrison Battery of Artillery
Home Guards
Incorporated Militia
Queen's Lancers
Royal Canadian Artillery
RCA Dragoons
Royal Canadian Regiment
Royal Volunteers
Toronto Calvary
York Militia and Colours
Toronto Field Battery

Fort York Today

Fort York now houses Canada's largest collection of original War of 1812 period buildings. The fort offers casual visitors and booked groups a number of exciting services year round. During the summer months, the site comes alive with the colour and the pageantry of the Fort York Guard and is complimented with tours by professional historical interpreters. In the off-season months, the fort is busy providing educational programs for booked tour groups including school, scout, guide, and day care groups.

In the 1950s Fort York was almost torn down to make way for the Gardiner Expressway. Highway planners eventually rerouted the elevated highway to the south of the grounds, and the highway continues to be a visual barrier to Lake Ontario to this day.

The reclaimed land to the south of the fort are also in the process of being developed with new condo towers eventually limiting any possible reconnection with Lake Ontario.

References

Historic Fort York 1793-1993 by Carl Benn, National Heritage and National History Incorporated 1993

Toronto landmarks

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