|
Clap your hands and applaud the achievements of the Berczy
Settlers
 Toronto - March 6, 2009 was open house for Toronto’s
heritage, unity and diversity celebration at Toronto’s City
Hall. On the Square there had been vintage vehicles, choral
performances and period re-enactments by the Queen’s Own Rifles
of Canada. Inside Toronto’s City Hall photo exhibits had been
featuring archival photographs, street art and more.
The spirit of the festival takes you back to the year 1834 but
the City fathers had for some unexplained reason forgotten to
add 41 years of Toronto’s history that relates to the City’s
founding in 1793 - An important piece of history that was
described extremely well by the late Dr. John Andre in his book
"William Berczy - Co-Founder of Toronto".
 We can watch folklore performances at Nathan Philips Square and
think about the first oxen and cows that crossed this path.
William Berczy had brought these animals from Connecticut with
the help of Mohawk Chief Joseph Brant Indians - a truly amazing
feat at that time.
The cultural and historic heritage is important to visitor
Reinhart Schmidt and he states a number of reasons for next
year’s celebration:
- Toronto has a large Chinatown and at the other spectrum
there is a variety of old German Canadian history in
downtown Toronto.
- Many ethnic cultures have a festival in almost every
neighborhood in the City. The German Canadians have Berczy
Park and I am dreaming of lying on the grass for a concert
at Berczy Park in the springtime to come.
- Not far from Yonge Street on the SW corner of Sherbourne
and King Street is the location of William Berczy’s former
warehouse. It is the place where the oxen and tools had been
kept to build Yonge Street. This location is also known for
reasons that Governor Graves Simcoe occasionally stopped by
on his way to Castle Frank.
-
 There is a perfect German church with old history on Bond
Street
While observing the highlights of this celebration Reinhart
Schmidt looks at his wife and the smiling crowd in anticipation
of next year’s celebrations.
|
