Military heritage site.
Details of Site Location: Located near the point at which Davenport Road rose out of the Rosedale Ravine to cross Yonge Street, at the northeast corner of today’s Yonge/ Aylmer/Belmont intersection.
Boundary History: Built as a blockhouse without palisades. The entire area is estimated to have occupied approximately an acre.
Current Use of Property: Budd Sugarman Park and environs.
Historical Description: Built in 1838, this blockhouse was constructed to serve in battles that never took place. It was one of several ordered by the government to protect entry points to the town during the 1837 Rebellion. Square in plan and two storeys high, it was built of logs and gave clear views up Yonge and along the valley route. Its garrison was made up of militiamen. For some years it was a Yorkville landmark at the southern edge of “The Blue Hill” – huge clay deposits that gave rise to the large Yorkville brickyards. By the 1870s, with no military future in sight, it was falling apart and was demolished. The blockhouse site has been totally destroyed by subway construction and no archaeology is possible at this location, although there is some justification for archaeology in the environs where the land has been less disturbed.
Relative Importance: The site is important nonetheless, since it is located on the world’s longest street and offers great possibilities for public education about the Rebellion and history of the surrounding area.
Planning Implications: Future planning for the area should include a plaque that explains the Rebellion and its scale, and the struggle for Responsible Government. The plaque could include a picture of the blockhouse. Attention to the blockhouse and Rebellion at this location should not overshadow the fact that the park has been named for a local resident and strong community booster.
Reference Sources: Thomas Glegg sketchbook, 1841–42, Archives of Ontario; Royal Engineers’ maps, 1868, 1869, Public Archives of Canada.
Acknowledgements: Community History Project; Toronto Military Heritage Association.