Synopses & Reviews
An informative and surprising journey through Torontos waterfront communities and districts Along the Shore examines the Toronto waterfront, past and present, through the lens of four lakefront communities and districts the Scarborough shore (including the Bluffs), the Beach, the Island, and the Lakeshore (New Toronto, Mimico, Humber Bay, and Long Branch). Each retains a direct and immediate connection with Lake Ontario and the natural world. Exploring the history, landscape, geography, and people of each of these waterfront areas reveals a rich heritage that has gone largely unrecognized and is for the most part forgotten. The book brings to life the stories, many of which have never been told, of the lakefront and the people who have inhabited these special places. It features original interviews with wellknown Canadians like director Norman Jewison, who was raised in the Beach, and swimmer Marilyn Bell. Attention is also paid to the early First Nations presence in each of the featured areas. Historical, anecdotal, descriptive, and at the same time deeply personal, Along the Shore is more than a local history, it is a layered journey that focuses on the connection between Torontos natural waterfront heritage and its people.
Review
“And though there are a wealth of photos, paintings and archival images, it's not simply a coffee table book, it's a visual historical study well worth taking the time to read.” —Beach Metro Community News (July 2013)
Review
“Jane Fairburn has produced an extraordinary account of Torontos waterfront experience. Creatively drawing from new primary research and the gleanings of oral tradition, she has provided us with an accessible, informative, and compelling story which not only reconnects us to our shared waterfront heritage but prompts us to reimagine its future possibilities.” — David Crombie, former Mayor of Toronto
Review
“Jane Fairburns work is a powerful gift of hope for Lake Ontario. Through it, she has found a way to reengage us with our shorelines, our water, our communities. She reminds us not only of what our connection to Lake Ontario is, but what it has been — and most excitingly, what it can be again.” — Mark Mattson, President and Waterkeeper for Lake Ontario Waterkeeper
Review
Along the Shore: Rediscovering Torontos Waterfront Heritage is Fairburns ten-year literary labour of love . . . A marvellous book that generously evokes the nature of the four shore communities she chronicles.”
Literary Review of Canada"And though there are a wealth of photos, paintings and archival images, it's not simply a coffee table book, it's a visual historical study well worth taking the time to read." Jon Muldoon, Beach Metro Community News
Synopsis
Along the Shore examines the Toronto waterfront, past and present, through the lens of four lakefront communities and districts -- the Scarborough shore (including the Bluffs), the Beach, the Island, and the Lakeshore (New Toronto, Mimico, Humber Bay, and Long Branch). Each retains a direct and immediate connection with Lake Ontario and the natural world. Exploring the history, landscape, geography, and people of each of these waterfront areas reveals a rich heritage that has gone largely unrecognized and is for the most part forgotten.
The book brings to life the stories, many of which have never been told, of the lakefront and the people who have inhabited these special places. It features original interviews with wellknown Canadians like director Norman Jewison, who was raised in the Beach, and swimmer Marilyn Bell. Attention is also paid to the early First Nations presence in each of the featured areas. Historical, anecdotal, descriptive, and at the same time deeply personal, Along the Shoreis more than a local history, it is a layered journey that focuses on the connection between Toronto's natural waterfront heritage and its people.
Synopsis
Bringing the Toronto lakefront to life, this survey presents the stories of a largely unrecognized and forgotten legacy. This book examines the Toronto waterfront, past and present, through the lens of four nearby districts—the Scarborough Bluffs, the Beach, the Island, and the Lakeshore (New Toronto, Mimico, Humber Bay, and Long Branch). A rich photographic journey supplements the history and explores the geography and landscape of these waterfront districts, revealing a thriving culture of people who relied upon Lake Ontario for survival. Anecdotal, descriptive, but also deeply personal, this is more than a local history, it is a layered trip into time and place.
About the Author
Jane Fairburn is a lawyer and has spent the better part of her life along the north shore of Lake Ontario. She lives in Toronto.