This is the story of a town dropped by the hand of government into the midst of a virgin forest. It is the story of Toronto from its earliest days to the present, and of the generations who worked to bring it from clearing to town, from town to city, from city to metropolis.

George Glazebrook has drawn on unpublished papers and correspondence, as well as old newspapers, books, and pamphlets, to recount in vivid detail the evolution of the city, describing its characteristics at each stage of growth, and telling how it changed, and why. The story opens at the very beginning of Toronto's urban history, and goes on to present a fresh and graphic picture of life in the town through the years.

Fifty-nine black-and-white photographs illustrate the city's ever-changing environment. Torontonians young and old will enjoy this presentation of their history, and Canadians everywhere will find much of interest in the story of one of the major cities of our country.

George Parkin de Twenebrokes Glazebrook (1899-1989) enjoyed two full careers between 1924 and 1967, when he retired. He taught at the Department of History at the University of Toronto and he also worked for the Department of External Affairs, as special assistant, minister in Washington, and assistant under-secretary. Professor Glazebrook is the author of many books including an authoritative study on the history of transportation in Canada, Canadian External Relations to 1914, Canada at the Paris Peace Conference, A Short History of Canada, and A History of Canadian Political Thought. He also turned his attention to social history and wrote Life in Ontario: A Social History and edited, with Katharine B. Brett and Judith McErvel A Shopper's View of Canada's Past.

G.P. deT Glazebrook's profile page