Kensington Hidden Histories

Kensington Market has a rich history of being the first settlement site for new immigrants to Toronto and prior as the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, and most recently, the territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. To understand more about this unique part of our city, Canadian Studies students at the University of Toronto researched into 32 physical sites in the Market, including both buildings and where buildings used to be, looking for archival traces of past residents and businesses over the past 150 years. Some sites are already well known in Toronto for their historical importance. Others, we discovered along the way.

We looked to the city's first Park Lot maps, Goad's Fire Insurance Maps (late 19th & early 20th c), searched in The City of Toronto Archives looking at Directory listings and Property Assessment records, which together map demographic and immigration shifts over time. We found details of surprising resident histories, the rich interconnections between diverse communities, religious centers, and political and social movements. Within the scope of the class project, it became clear that we were just scratching the surface of the extraordinary history and cultural heritage hidden in the often century old brick buildings that make up much of the Market. As many of these hidden histories have no visible marker on site, we hope that our project can archive and share some of the wealth of Kensington's vital cultural heritage to those visiting the Market now and in future.

Features:

12 Historical Locations in Kensington Market
Augmented Reality Content
Timelines with full of history and photos
Interactive Maps with all Locations and directions
Videos
Interviews
Updated Content and Locations

and many more...