Fort York: Difference between revisions

 

In 1903, an agreement was reached between the [[municipal government of Toronto]] to purchase the old fort, as well as New Fort York.{{sfn|Sendzikas|2011|p=89}} As a part of the deed of transfer from the Department of Militia and Defence, the city agreed to preserve, and "properly care for" the old fort.{{sfn|Sendzikas|2011|p=89}} The agreement also allowed the military to continue to use as much of the property as they needed until newer facilities were built for them.{{sfn|Sendzikas|2011|p=89}} The Canadian militia continued to occupy the fort as a storehouse for ammunition and supplies, and as dwellings for military families until the 1930s when restorations of the fort were underway.{{sfn|Sendzikas|2011|p=90}}{{sfn|Benn|1993|p=130}}

In 1905, a proposal to build a [[Toronto streetcar system|streetcar]] through Fort York prompted historical, and military organizations to form the "Old Fort Protective Association".{{sfn|Sendzikas|2011|p=89}} Although the streetcar proposal never came to fruition, appeals from the association, political figures, and the Toronto media led Canadian prime minister [[Wilfrid Laurier]] to place new conditions on the fort's deed of transfer, requiring the city to restore the old fort to its original condition, or have the adjacent commons revert to federal ownership.{{sfn|Sendzikas|2011|p=90}} The property was formally transferred from the Department of Militia and Defence to the municipal government in 1909.<ref name=canen>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fort-york-national-historic-site-of-canada |title=Fort York National Historic Site |last=Dale |first=Ronald J. |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher=Historica Canada |date=4 March 2015 |access-date=8 June 2020 |archive-date=4 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504183706/https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fort-york-national-historic-site-of-canada |url-status=live }}</ref>