The History of UTSC Project
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The Spaces & Places guided walking tour explores the history of locations on and around the UTSC campus by sharing the personal recollections of members of our campus community — reflecting a variety of perspectives, positions, and points in time.
The intersection of Military Trail and Ellesmere Road once marked the boundary of the quiet northern end of the UTSC campus. Today, the busy roadway sits at the centre of the university, functioning as a vital vein of access in the campus’ larger body. It is seemingly busy at all times of day: cars can constantly be seen zooming by amidst a steady stream of red and green buses, while pedestrians of all sorts hurriedly squeeze through the traffic in order to get to where they need to be. There has, moreover, been significant development on either side of the intersection, with numerous buildings springing up on either side, turning what was once a peripheral boundary into a lively hub of endless activity for both the campus and the larger Scarborough community.
Credits: Conceived and produced by Amena Ahmed. All images courtesy of Scarborough Historical Society and John Fox.
Maureen, who attended Scarborough College in the 1960s, recalls the infamous tavern that was once located near campus and was a popular fixture for both students and faculty.
Ann MacDonald, who works as an Associate Professor in UTSC’s Department of Arts, Culture, and Media and is the current Director of the Doris McCarthy Gallery, recalls her first impression of the UTSC campus, drawing particular attention to the immediate environmental difference she felt stepping on to the school grounds.
I still have a pretty vivid memory of stepping off the TTC bus [in 2002]. I was living in the west...and it smelled like the north. There were many gardens and fewer buildings, and it felt like leaving town to come to this place. It was such an inspiring moment every morning just to breathe in that freshness. Since then, many buildings have been built, but the loss of the gardens, I think, has been mitigated by the improved access to Highland Creek and the way that the forest is now highlighted.
Jennifer, who attended Scarborough College in the 1970s, talks about the transportation options to and from the College in its early years, including the university-operated shuttle bus that transported students to the different campuses from the 1970s to the 90s.
Credits: Conceived and produced by Maria Bacchus. All images courtesy of the UTSC Library, Archives and Special Collections, Memory Collection.
