Military and commercial heritage site.
Details of Site Location: The east bank of the Humber at the foot of Riverside Drive north of the end of Queen Street, Toronto.
Boundary History: As no archaeological investigation has ever been made, the precise boundaries of the fort and environs are unknown, but the area is bounded by the Humber River by the west, by Riverside Drive on the east, by a Petro-Canada gas station on the south and by parkland in a semi-wild state on the north.
Current Use of Property: Parkland.
Historical Description: When fur trade had outgrown the first French fort upriver, this fort was planned on a larger scale. Like the first, it was a store surrounded by palisades, and was probably square in plan. The date at which the French established a sawmill on the Humber is not known at present, so the fort may have been built of logs or of rough-sawn planks. The former is the more likely. It was constructed by the Chevalier de Portneuf and is referred to in documents as Fort Toronto or the Portneuf fort. It is Believed to have been constructed as early as 1730, and no later than 1740. By 1750, the English had relocated their trade depot across the lake to Oswego, and the French were conducting a booming business at this location. So successful was this post that an even larger one was planned for the lakeshore. The few inhabitants of the earlier village upstream had also relocated near this fort; although little is known about them, their accommodation would have been within close range for reasons of security and protection against raids. They may have been clustered further inland or upriver, but this is not certain. In 1759, the French destroyed all of their three forts to keep them from being useful to the British. The ruins of this fort, as well as the fort itself, were used by a fur trader, Jean-Bonaventure Rousseaux who had the trading license to trade along the north shore of Lake Ontario during the French Regime. The ruins of the fort were also used by his son, Jean-Baptiste, who inherited the trading license which was recognized by the British Regime. Eventually, the ruins crumbled and were forgotten. In the early 20th century, other businesses located nearby, and the fort’s existence was unknown. After Hurricane Hazel, the City landscaped the area and brought considerable landfill to the site. It has been estimated that the site is covered by up to 20 feet of landfill, and the extent to which this site, now an archaeological treasure-trove, may have been disturbed – even slightly – is unknown.
Relative Importance: The second building known to have been constructed in the Toronto region, it was the first to use the name given to the region and the portage. as a French Regime site that has been identified and researched, it is rare indeed and its archaeological potential is large.
Planning Implications: Planning for the future must include the fullest protection for this site, and eventual archaeological excavation. Exhibits and public information programmes about the French Regime and the city founded by the French must give special attention to this most significant site as it is the second military and commercial site known to exist in the region.
Reference Sources: The Rousseau Project collections; La Societe d’histoire de Toronto; picture collection, Public Archives of Canada.
Acknowledgements: The Rousseau Project; La Societe d’histoire de Toronto.