Notes, Disclaimers, Sources & Acknowledgements

Farewell to Rock Oasis took significant research to assemble. As with any endeavour of this nature, some prudent meta-commentary is always useful.


Notes and Disclaimer 
When I refer to 'the Rock Oasis' I am speaking about the Bathurst-era Rock Oasis, not the transitional gym on Carlaw.  I also use the present tense, even though the Bathurst gym will shortly no longer exist and the usage will seem incorrect in due time.

What I've presented here is my version of events. It is by no means authoritative.

Errors in my interpretation of the facts may have easily crept in during the compilation of this work. I gratefully appreciate the submission of any amendments or relevant additions to areas where I have been a little fuzzy -- or wrong -- in the comments. At times, different sources provided contradictory dates or information.

Even after all this research, I am still not absolutely certain of the exact year the Oasis structure was built! It looks like 1890, based on the Goads insurance maps and the Property Assessment rolls. But it might be a year or two earlier. Nor is it 100% clear whether the south tower was built as part of the original construction by John Doty, or later by the Bertrams -- or even the Berg family.

Construction in that era, particularly relating to the industrial waterfront, was often unregulated. Permits for some buildings exist, and not for others.

Because the web offers a fairly unlimited medium of communication, I have not edited the entries for brevity. In some cases, I have pursued the details to a degree that may not be of interest to everyone.

Lastly, it will be obvious that this history is maddeningly incomplete. I ran out of time -- as has the climbing gym at Front and Bathurst -- and I chose to focus my research on the Victorian and early 20th century time periods, which interest me the most. I am planning to investigate if there is additional information at the Fort York archives regarding the Rescue Inn; if I discover new data that I feel is interesting, I promise to update the appropriate sections.


Acknowledgments and Sources
Obviously, thanks go to Karen McGilvray -- for having the entrepreneurial tenacity to build and run a great rock climbing gym, in the face of countless obstacles. There will be other gyms that come and go in the GTA, but Oasis is the one she built, and I thank her for that. Her time and prior research regarding '27 Bathurst' were invaluable for this essay.

Thanks to the staff at Rock Oasis. You have always made the gym a friendly and welcoming place to climb. Cort, Sam, Jamie, Josh, Erika, Rami, Daniel, Grace, Max, Geoff, Adrian, Jean, Susan, Adrian, and the rest of you -- you guys are awesome.

Thanks to my many, many fantastic friends in the climbing community. I know you all share in this loss -- even if you don't climb at Oasis. When a climbing gym shuts down, it sucks for everyone. Thank you for your support and for the encouragement.


Primary Sources
If I've overlooked any obvious sources, excoriate me in the comments and I'll rectify the situation if warranted.


Photo Credits
Most of the historic street and map photos come from the City of Toronto Archives, who were gracious enough to put up with my bumbling presence and endless questions. Technically speaking, I was supposed to fill out an Image Reproduction Request form for every single photo from them, which I did for a good chunk of them, but I'm pretty sure I missed a few. Additionally, each photo is supposed to have a citation adjacent to or in close proximity to the image to which it refers, e.g. City of Toronto Archives, Series 372, Sub-Series 5, Item 74. "A reference to the 'City of Toronto Archives' in the final credits or acknowledgements is insufficient."

Err... How about my paying $28.25 for the digital image of Series 372, Sub-Series 5, Item 74, and we'll call it even?

The modern photos were taken by me except where otherwise noted.

If anyone needs to know the provenance of any photo in this essay, contact me and I can instruct you on how to find it... Fair use, fair dealing, academic provisions, expired copyright, public domain, etc. etc. Welcome to the digital age! Arrrrr....


Corrections welcome
Alas, I am no methodical, trained historian. Any omissions, errors of fact or deficiencies of scholarship regarding the gym, its history, or Toronto history, are mine entirely. Any opinions expressed are mine, or are an interpretation of opinions expressed based on my notes.

Please submit any corrections in the comments, or to me directly. I would also gladly welcome additional information about or more old photos of the Oasis building from the past. I looked as hard as I could, but the Archives stymied me.



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That's it! There isn't any more to this essay. Check out the rest of my blog, recursion!

Update (Nov 24, 2011): I’ve added an epilogue: The Wreck of Rock Oasis -- In Pictures

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A History of Front & Bathurst - Victorian/Early 20th Century Era

The Rock Oasis is housed in a hulking industrial building on the north-east corner of Front and Bathurst, Toronto. The structure is over one hundred years old, and, as we shall see, the site of the building has been associated with some of the most prominent figures and stories of Toronto's industrial past.

Rock Oasis at Front and Bathurst

The surrounding neighbourhoods, known as the Wellington Place Neighbourhood, and the Niagara Neighbourhood, are vibrant with heritage legacy. Nearby Fort York and Victoria Memorial Park combine to form a National Historic Site that effectively straddles the lot on which the building sits.

1894 Goads Fire Insurance Map

The story of Front and Bathurst is surprisingly convoluted. It is filled with tangential details, intermingled relationships, and 'n degrees of separation' linkages. The site has been a bystander and occasional participant in the very development and evolution of our city.

In the following posts, I examine several notable historical events, characters, and uses that the site and neighbourhood have witnessed. In the process, I hope to provide a certain historical context, to bring these stories to life, and to foster an appreciation for what we're about to destroy.

Aerial view of Front and Bathurst



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Context - The Military Reserve & Victoria Square

In 1793 the Fort York garrison was built by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe. Initially, the areas surrounding Fort York were reserved, and largely kept free for military use, as "an open piece of land swept by the guns of Fort York."


Pier and Fort, Toronto, August 1839 Philip John Bainbridge
 (National Archives, C-2801)

Being within rifle-shot of the fort, Front (or Ontario Terrace, as it was known then) and Bathurst would have seen many of the comings and goings of the soldiers housed within, particularly on their peregrinations to nearby York.

Detail of a Plan of the Military Reserve, 1833 Captain RH Bonnycastle. Edith Firth, Ed., Town of York, 1815-1834, 1966

The sole area in proximity to the Fort that saw regular usage lay just north east of Oasis -- Victoria Square, the first European cemetery in Toronto. Originally serving as a military burial ground for dead from the War of 1812, the cemetery was officially named Victoria Square in 1837 in honour of the princess and heir to the throne, and it holds an estimated 500 graves -- including that of Simcoe's infant daughter, Katherine.

Old Soldier, 1906 Victoria Square Monument by Walter Allward
Twenty Niagara in background

In 1905 the name was officially changed to 'Victoria Memorial Park' to honour the queen, who died in 1901. The Square remains extant and recently underwent extensive landscaping and memorial renovation.

James Cane 1842 Map extract. Rock Oasis sits between Victoria Square and The Old Garrison

Front and Bathurst sits betwixt these two key Toronto historical landmarks, both designated as part of the Fort York National Historic Site. It should be no surprise that the corner has witnessed a lot of history.


The Hon. Peter Robinson purchases the lot in 1833 for £605 
As mentioned above, the area immediately surrounding Fort York was part of the Garrison Reserve -- it was not until 1833 when Lieutenant Governor Sir John Colborne began placing numerous lots of the former Reserve up for sale, hoping to fund construction of a ‘New Fort’ (the existing Fort was seen as inadequate due to size and other factors) and to accommodate the expansion of burgeoning York to the east.

In the 1834 York Commercial Directory, Street Guide and Register by George Walton, the last entry on Front St. W. prior to the Garrison is the “Hon. Peter Robinson, Commissioner for the sale and management of Crown Lands and Clergy Reserves; Surveyor General of Woods and Forests”. 

Sitting on the Legislative and Executive councils of Upper Canada, Robinson was appointed the task of disposing of crown properties, typically through auction, with the aim of encouraging immigration. His brother was Sir John Beverley Robinson, 1st Baronet, chief justice of the Court of King’s Bench.

1833 Proposed Sketch by Deputy Surveyor Henry James Castle shows the north east Front and Bathurst lot (labelled A1) as having been sold to the Hon. Peter Robinson for the princely sum of £605
The above plan by Henry James Castle “shewes the Lots in... Blocks A and C Sold by public auction on the 25th of Nov. 1833”. Observe the proximity to the former Garrison Bake House -- noted as condemned and not worthy of repair.

Walton’s 1837 directory lists Robinson on Front Street, but doesn’t indicate a specific location -- it’s unclear whether this meant the lot he purchased, or a house further east on Front nearer to Toronto. [A list of Robinson’s extensive holdings in 1837 recorded more than 7,592 acres and several additional properties in Toronto.]

Robinson passed away in 1838. His brother John Robinson then sold a portion of that lot to James Hickman, who proceeded to construct a longstanding tavern known as the Rescue Inn.


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The Rescue Inn and Its Eagle Sign: 1843-1885

The Rescue Inn was likely the first ‘permanent’ structure built on the Oasis site at Front and Bathurst. The Inn was a tavern famous for sporting a distinct sign with a prominent eagle on it.

Robertson's Landmarks of Toronto, Vol. 3 p.94 flyout - The Town of York (Toronto), Upper Canada (Ontario) in 1820. Was the Wheat Sheaf the closest tavern to Fort York? No! It was the Rescue Inn (far right). 

The above pen and ink sketch is from a tracing of an oil painting by a Scotch artist named Irvine, depicting an early view of York. Robertson gives this description of the two buildings on the far right:
"The first building east of the Garrison Creek, not numbered, is apparently a one-storey building, with one chimney, occupied about the site of the red brick house built by the Hon. J.H. Dunn, receiver general of Upper Canada, and afterwards occupied by Mr. (Sir) D.L Macpherson. … The Massey works now occupy the ground. 
The small building immediately to the west (sic) of this, also unnumbered, was a tavern, which stood on the north side of Front street, at the north-east corner of what is now Bathurst. It was long frequented by the soldiers stationed in the fort. It was known for years as the Rescue Inn, and had a sign descriptive of a mother rescuing her child from an eagle's nest in the mountains."

Have you ever been swept up by the urge to go for a beer after climbing at Rock Oasis? It turns out that drinking, socializing, and having a good time is historically linked to the corner!

Note: Robertson’s labeling of the sketch is perhaps inaccurate with respect to the date. His account was written in 1895, and relied on the recollections of several third parties. The sketch was in fact a subsequent tracing of Irvine’s original painting, with modifications. The available evidence suggests the Rescue Inn was established in the early 1840s, rather than 1820.

The Harbour of Toronto and Adjoining Coast,
by Sandford A. Fleming, 1851
The 1842 Cane map does not show this building.

Elsewhere in Landmarks, Robertson adds further detail to his coverage of the tavern -- and his description of the sign will astonish you:
"Another well-known Front street tavern […] was the Rescue Inn, a little to the east of the foot of Bathurst street, kept in the fifties by Mrs. Hickman. The most noticeable feature in connection with the Rescue tavern was its conspicuous signboard, which was noticeable not only for its great size, but for the wonderful and sensational style of its drawing.
The subject was the rescue of her infant by a mother from the nest of some enormous eagles in a rocky pass at the head of some apparently inaccessible mountains. How the woman had climbed the mountains was a mystery, and how she was going to descend them was even more mysterious still.
But the sign served one good purpose, at any rate, and that, so far as the proprietor was concerned, was the chief one: it drew attention to the house and custom to its proprietor. So long as the Rescue was in existence it was a favourite resort for the troops stationed at the Old and New Forts, and it was always the first place a picquet made for when soldiers were reported as being absent from "tattoo." Like so many more of the old time places, this inn long since disappeared, and is now (1895) only remembered by those who lived in or had business associations with the neighbourhood."

Imagine that -- climbing at the Rock Oasis, even before it existed!


The Hickmans establish the Rescue Inn -- 1840s
It is in the 1843 Toronto Directory and Street Guide by Francis Lewis that we find the first mention of the Rescue Inn, on “Front street, near the Garrison”:

1843 Toronto Lewis Directory listing for the Rescue Inn
The corresponding listing for Hickman
The listing identifies a Wm. Hickman as the proprietor. This appears to be a transcription error by Lewis -- George Brown’s 1846 directory lists James Hickman as the owner of the Rescue Inn.

[The other Hickman family at that time in Toronto was led by William Hickman (Church St.), a black barber who came to Toronto from Virginia in the early 1830s. He had fought on the American side in the War of 1812 and been freed, but former slaves were not permitted to stay in Virginia. According to The underground railroad: next stop, Toronto!, this Hickman played an active role in the city’s early anti-slavery activities. His son (York St.) and grandson were also also named William, which may have contributed to confusion on Lewis’ part]

1846 Brown’s Directory listing for James Hickman 
James Hickman operated the Rescue Inn through the late 1840s and early 1850s. He and his wife Catherine had a son in 1843 -- James Henry Hickman -- who would later partner with Captain Solomon Sylvester; a former wharf at the foot of Church St. was once named after their mutual enterprise.

James Hickman (Sr.) died in 1855. The widowed Catherine -- the “Mrs. Hickman” referred to by Robertson -- consequently took over the Rescue Inn for a number of years, until 1858.

1856 WR Brown Directory listing for Catherine Hickman


Remains found from War of 1812 - Dillon's tavern
On August 13, 1860, The Daily Globe reported a grisly discovery "opposite Dillon's tavern" -- which was actually the Rescue Inn, but under a new manager, William Dillon (the Assessment Rolls list Archibald Taylor as the owner of the property):

Aug. 13, 1860 Daily Globe report of 15 bodies found 'opposite Dillon's tavern'

A William Dillon had previously been cited for ‘Furious Driving’ in June of 1858. It’s entirely possible that he was, in fact, rushing to get beer delivered to the Rescue Inn -- the description notes that Dillon drove at full gallop ‘up Front street towards the Garrison’.

June 7, 1858 Globe report of Dillon’s Furious Driving

1858 Map of the City of Toronto extract, WS / HC Boulton,
via Ontario's History in Maps, showing the Rescue Inn's location.
The map's colour key tells us the Rescue Inn was a wooden edifice.

Comparing Boulton’s 1858 version to the previous 1851 Fleming map, notice how the structure seems to have an additional section. This may account for the curious entry in the 1859 WCF Caverhill directory for William Dillon:
Is 426½ Front the extra section?
Does the 426½ Front listing represent this additional section?

And is the 2nd William Dillon his progeny (notice he’s listed on Niagara St.)? Which of them was the Furious Driving Dillon?

Mrs. Hickman had moved on to a residence on High Street, according to the same Caverhill directory. Her young son (still 15 in 1858) was apparently not ready (or legally able) to assume the reins of the establishment, and as a result, the Rescue Inn passed through a number of hands over the following decade.

Mr. Dillon ran the Rescue Inn until 1860, when Valentine Caldwell (a widower lumber merchant, as well as a former member of the Queen’s Light Dragoons) took charge. In 1861 the name was modified to the ‘Rescue Hotel’, and it was run by Francis Loader. In 1863 George Steel and Mrs. Sarah Orpen were the innkeepers; they were followed by Samuel L. Bedson in 1865.

The Queen’s Wharf Hotel
1876 Fisher directory Listing for
Edward Williams. Note P Burns entry.
In 1867, Edward Williams took control of the establishment, and he changed the name to the Queen’s Wharf Hotel -- the Queen’s Wharf lay at the foot of Bathurst only a few hundred meters to the south. Williams proved to be rather more persistent than the previous innkeepers; he would successfully run the renamed tavern for the next ten years. (Interestingly, the street number for the tavern would change over this time period, from 426 to 500 Front St. W; later this address would become 580 Front.)

from Bird's Eye View of Toronto, 1876, P.A. Gross
U of T Maps Library
This sketch from 1876 shows the Queen’s Wharf (bottom left), Old Fort York, and the Northern Railway piers (bottom right) that would be used later on by the Doty and Bertram shipworks.

On the north east side of Front and Bathurst, you can discern a couple of small buildings. One of these is almost certainly the Rescue Inn -- or rather, the Queen’s Wharf Hotel.

After Williams came Abram Orpen in 1877 (perhaps related to Sarah Orpen? Could it even be the Abram Orpen of racetrack fame?), then H Bennett in 1878. 

Finally, in 1881 Michael Donnelly took over, and renamed the place the Eagle Hotel -- a hint, perhaps, that the old Rescue Inn sign might have still have been in use, with only the name changing over the years. This lasted for a couple of years, when in 1883 Donnelly apparently decided to call the tavern ‘Sherman House’. Donnelly continued to operate it until 1885. 

The 1886 Polk directory lists the house as Vacant, and the structure remained unused until it was torn down somewhere around 1889 -- to make way for John Doty’s Engine Works. Over the years the Inn also shared the corner with several transient neighbours, including the Patrick Burns coal yard.


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