Dr. Barnardo's Toronto, Ontario Homes & Offices
214 Farley Ave, Toronto Boy's Home, Receiving and Distributing
1889 to 1908
A. B. Owen Manager
1889 to 1908
A. B. Owen Manager
50-52 Peter Street Boy's Home, Receiving and Distributing
1909 to 1922
1909 to 1922
538 Jarvis Street, Toronto - Canadian Headquarters for both boys and girls
1922 to 1945
J.W. Hobday & Rose Hobday Managers
1922 to 1945
J.W. Hobday & Rose Hobday Managers
534 Jarvis Street
1946 to 1950
George Black Manager
20 Spadina
1948 to 1952
1948 to 1952
Office at 466 Briar Hill Avenue
1963
1963
Article written for the Toronto Star August 11 1984
by Donald Jones
Written by Brian Rolfe for the Roots Mailing List August 9th 2003
re Barnardo Homes in Toronto
Hello List,
There are photos of 50-52 Peter Street. I believe that the magazine section of the Toronto Star of Aug 11 1984 had a picture of it as part of a column written by Donald Jones. He says there that "few buildings look less important than an old red brick building on Peter Street," that is falling into ruin from neglect, Nevertheless it was once
"handsome." The photo shows a plain 3 storey cube of brick with many windows; at one time before the Barnardo
occupation, it had been Mrs Nixon's Ladies School. According to other press reports, it was in 1907 that
Barnardo's bought the property, intending to bring the girls' home from Peterborough to the big city. But this did
not happen. Hazelbrae stayed where it was and was renamed, the Margaret Cox Home for Girls, and refitted on money provided by the Coxes; it did not move to Toronto until the 1920s. In 1908 or so Peter Street became the boys' headquarters. It seems likely that 214 Farley was not vacated by the organization; the shelter for Barnardo
servants who had become pregnant moved to the vacated 214 Farley, later known as 664 Richmond Street.
At the time that the Barnardos occupied nos. 50 and 52, say 1908-1922, it must have been to the south of King St. and north of Wellington, on what is now called Blue Jays Way. It looks to me that a 360 seat theatre known as The Second City, (at no. 56 Blue Jays Way) today occupies the land; there is little likelihood that the old Barnardo house is still standing.
Brian Rolfe
There are photos of 50-52 Peter Street. I believe that the magazine section of the Toronto Star of Aug 11 1984 had a picture of it as part of a column written by Donald Jones. He says there that "few buildings look less important than an old red brick building on Peter Street," that is falling into ruin from neglect, Nevertheless it was once
"handsome." The photo shows a plain 3 storey cube of brick with many windows; at one time before the Barnardo
occupation, it had been Mrs Nixon's Ladies School. According to other press reports, it was in 1907 that
Barnardo's bought the property, intending to bring the girls' home from Peterborough to the big city. But this did
not happen. Hazelbrae stayed where it was and was renamed, the Margaret Cox Home for Girls, and refitted on money provided by the Coxes; it did not move to Toronto until the 1920s. In 1908 or so Peter Street became the boys' headquarters. It seems likely that 214 Farley was not vacated by the organization; the shelter for Barnardo
servants who had become pregnant moved to the vacated 214 Farley, later known as 664 Richmond Street.
At the time that the Barnardos occupied nos. 50 and 52, say 1908-1922, it must have been to the south of King St. and north of Wellington, on what is now called Blue Jays Way. It looks to me that a 360 seat theatre known as The Second City, (at no. 56 Blue Jays Way) today occupies the land; there is little likelihood that the old Barnardo house is still standing.
Brian Rolfe
Click on photo for larger view of the Donald Jones article
Sources
Nation Builders - Barnardo Children in Canada - Gail H. Corbett
Roots Mailing List - Brian Rolfe
The Toronto Star Archives
www.britishhomechidren.org
Nation Builders - Barnardo Children in Canada - Gail H. Corbett
Roots Mailing List - Brian Rolfe
The Toronto Star Archives
www.britishhomechidren.org
