UrbanToronto has partnered with Heritage Toronto to capture a moment in Toronto's past. On a weekly basis, we highlight historic photos of the city's people, places and events, and tell the stories behind them.

Aerial views of Toronto tell us a lot about the development of the city through the
years. Seen here in 1930 is the historic Eglinton Hunt Club located on Avenue Road,
north of Eglinton.

The Toronto Hunt Club was originally founded in 1843 by British Army Officers
who worked at the Garrison at York. For many years, the club was located in
Scarborough between Kingston Road and the Waterfront. Then, the club relocated
in 1919 to a burgeoning neighbourhood area.

Surrounded by open fields, the Eglinton Hunt Club came to include stables, arenas,
and an elegant club house designed by architects Vaux and Bryan Chadwick. At the
onset of World War 2, The Royal Canadian Air Force bought the site. Interestingly
at that time, some incredible scientific work was done. The famed Dr. Frederick G.
Banting led research on the physiological effects of combat flying and Dr. Wilbur R.
Franks developed the first anti "G" flying suit in the world.

After the war in the 1950s and 60s, Royal Canadian Air Force auxiliary squadrons
were located here. Then from 1960 to 1994, the RCAF Staff School, later the
Canadian Forces Staff School was housed here.

Today, the Eglinton Hunt Club has evolved into luxury townhomes and
condominiums that preserve many historical and architectural features. A Heritage
Toronto plaque at the site placed in 1998 tells of the history of this Toronto landmark.

Sources:
http://torontohistory.org/Pages_DEF/Eglinton_Hunt_Club.html
http://torontohunt.com/

Many thanks to both Gary Switzer of MOD Developments and Maya Bilbao for putting together the photos and research.