Good Homes for Toronto Workers

Patrice Dutil discussed the evolution of affordable housing in Toronto with Don Loucks and Leslie Valpy, the authors of Modest Hopes: Homes and Stories of Toronto’s Workers from the 1820s to the 1920s (Dundurn Press). Among the topics covered are the origins of the architectures for these homes, their affordability, and the need for public policies today to protect the built heritage in light of the stratospheric rise of land values in big cities. The focus of this podcasts is the stories that hid behind the front doors of these cottages, the family and social values they hold, and the effort to preserve them. This podcast was produced by Jessica Schmidt. If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.