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androiduk's My Toronto

Wow, that's amazing. What's really impressive is how techy Canadians have gotten about this kind of thing. If you look at newspapers from the early 20th century, most of the spellings are American... I mean, it's striking how common it is... and you get the impression that long ago the battle was lost. Sometime during or just after WWII, though, lots of British spellings (also referred to here as "proper Canadian spelling") seem to have had a renaissance. I've always been curious what drove that and if it was subtle and just a matter of some decision at the Ministry of Education or someone made a public deal out of it, like... this here, for instance. :D

P.S. Oh, also... if you go over to the maps thread, it's interesting how long there was a vogue for actually spelling the name of Scarborough as "Scarboro", which I've always hated. It's like the whole city was temporarily body-snatched by Toronto Sun editors or something.

Could the sins get any greater? Their Majesties associated with "color", not once but THREE times? :)

010d0ba3.jpg
 
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Lone Primate said:
Could the sins get any greater? Their Majesties associated with "color", not once but THREE times? :)

010d0ba3.jpg
Click to expand...

You don't tell us where this notice was displayed.
Could it have been in the USA, where Royalty also visited?
Oops! I've now noticed the small text in French - I guess that answers my question.
 
Goldie said:
You don't tell us where this notice was displayed.
Could it have been in the USA, where Royalty also visited?
Oops! I've now noticed the small text in French - I guess that answers my question.
Click to expand...

Display a few years ago on the ground floor of the City of Toronto Archives on Spadina... you know, right next to where the the Dupont interchange is supposed to be. :) Presumably it was something they handed out right here in town just before the students all got on the boats for World War II...

The thing I get a kick out of is "Get old papers out of basement." I mean, you just never know when King George VI might swing by to change your furnace filter.
 
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"It's like the whole city was temporarily body-snatched by Toronto Sun editors or something."
QUOTE

The Toronto Sun was founded during the early 70s just after the demise of the Toronto Telegram paper.


"might swing by to change your furnace filter."
QUOTE.

What is a furnace filter?


Regards,
J T
 
Speaking of American English sneaking its way into Canadian contexts, I was quite surprised to encounter "restroom" signs at a couple of Tim Horton's in the Kingston region recently. I've also seen it in signage in PATH at the Sheraton Centre and Costco stores, where it was less surprising since those are American companies, but Tim Horton's was unfortunate. These companies should identify these everyday linguistic differences and produce the appropriate signs for their stores in Canada. It is commendable to see Menkes take immediate action.
 
Another $ store is opening at Yonge & Gloucester bringing the total to 4 at this intersection. The latest one opened right next door to an existing one and as can be seen by the sign in their window they've come out fighting. Considering these two are in the same building you would think the original $ store would have had some kind of exclusivity agreement in their lease.

paydayloans.jpg
 
junctionist said:
Speaking of American English sneaking its way into Canadian contexts, I was quite surprised to encounter "restroom" signs at a couple of Tim Horton's in the Kingston region recently.
Click to expand...

What, is "restroom" particularly American? I tend to use it interchangeably with "washroom", or, if I'm with the fellahs, "the can". :) Haven't gotten around to calling it "the loo" yet.
 
"Well, it's a good thing YOU weren't king in 1939. Where would be now? Freezing!"
QUOTE Lone Primate.

I was wondering who was "going to bite"!


Previous to HVAC and Forced Air oil/gas "systems", there was "The Octopus".

During "The Old Days", home heating was comprised mainly of coal fired furnaces, heating either air or water,

the water being heated in a "hot water boiler" or brought above the disengagement temperature in a "steam boiler".

"Hot air" was the general choice due to it's relative economy, there being no moving parts to service other than "coal - in,

clinkers - out, coal - in". Take note at this "tyme", clinkers could be sifted to recover unburned coal and/or "coke", the coke

being degassed lumps of coal, and thus were recycled. (Recycled - Who knew?)

"The Octopus" was nothing more than a gravity hot air furnace with two sets of ducts, one being for hot air "OUT",

the other for cold return air "IN". The OUT ducts or rather large tubes, ended at lower wall level aka Hot Air Registers

in each room, while the smaller cold air return ducts "IN", were flat on the floor, also from each room. (Hot air takes-up

more space, hence larger ducting, cold air, less space, smaller ducting.) The majority of the heating units having been

installed in moderate sized homes took-up vast amounts of space, so much so that there was little or nothing for anything

as "constructive" as another family-use area, a man's "recreation use area" aka Home Workshop was about it.

BTW, there was never a filter on a Gravity Hot Air Furnace, as it would impede the concept.


The Dead Men knew, it is (mostly) we who have forgotten.


Regards,
J T
 
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And the best thing about the 'old days' (RE: hot-air heating systems) was the absence of telephone marketing by "duct cleaning" firms!
I enjoy telling the annoying sales people that my 50-year-old home will never submit to such an intimate indignity.
 
Goldie said:
And the best thing about the 'old days' (RE: hot-air heating systems) was the absence of telephone marketing by "duct cleaning" firms!
I enjoy telling the annoying sales people that my 50-year-old home will never submit to such an intimate indignity.
Click to expand...

When I told one of these annoying sales people I didn't have any ducts they replied - "your house isn't heated?"
 
J T CUNNINGHAM said:
"Well, it's a good thing YOU weren't king in 1939. Where would be now? Freezing!"
QUOTE Lone Primate.

I was wondering who was "going to bite"!


Previous to HVAC and Forced Air oil/gas "systems", there was "The Octopus".

During "The Old Days", home heating was comprised mainly of coal fired furnaces, heating either air or water,

the water being heated in a "hot water boiler" or brought above the disengagement temperature in a "steam boiler".

"Hot air" was the general choice due to it's relative economy, there being no moving parts to service other than "coal - in,

clinkers - out, coal - in". Take note at this "tyme", clinkers could be sifted to recover unburned coal and/or "coke", the coke

being degassed lumps of coal, and thus were recycled. (Recycled - Who knew?)

"The Octopus" was nothing more than a gravity hot air furnace with two sets of ducts, one being for hot air "OUT",

the other for cold return air "IN". The OUT ducts or rather large tubes, ended at lower wall level aka Hot Air Registers

in each room, while the smaller cold air return ducts "IN", were flat on the floor, also from each room. (Hot air takes-up

more space, hence larger ducting, cold air, less space, smaller ducting.) The majority of the heating units having been

installed in moderate sized homes took-up vast amounts of space, so much so that there was little or nothing for anything

as "constructive" as another family-use area, a man's "recreation use area" aka Home Workshop was about it.

BTW, there was never a filter on a Gravity Hot Air Furnace, as it would impede the concept.


The Dead Men knew, it is (mostly) we who have forgotten.


Regards,
J T
Click to expand...

We had something older than The Octopus... we had hot water radiator heat. Torn them all out when we gutted the place for the second floor.
 
Ah, yes..... Coal bins, clinkers, hot water radiators ........ I've seen 'em all!

And then came 'oil-burners.'
Are they still in use?
 
Goldie said:
Ah, yes..... Coal bins, clinkers, hot water radiators ........ I've seen 'em all!

And then came 'oil-burners.'
Are they still in use?
Click to expand...

I haven't seen a fuel oil truck in years.

'Clinkers'. Is this the stuff they used to spread on City of Toronto schoolyards?
 
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