Laskay Emporium...

Laskay Emporium - Weston Road - Laskay, Ontario

The Laskay Emporium general store was located in the hamlet of Laskay, on Weston Road in southern King Township.   It was built in  1856 by Joseph Baldwin and served as a post office as well as a general store.

The Laskay Emporium served as a general store in Laskay, King Township for 104 years before being transported to Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto, Ontario on a cold, snowy February 19, 1960. 

The Laskay Emporium has been located at Black Creek Pioneer Village (now known as The Village of Black Creek) , in Toronto for the past 66 years...and probably good for another century and a half!

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Mulock Park ~ Newmarket, Ontario

Sir William Mulock / 1843-1944

Sir William Mulock was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, educator, farmer, politician,  judge and philanthropist.   He served as vice-chancellor of the University of Toronto from 1881 to 1900, negotiating the federation of denominational colleges and professional schools into a modern university.   He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons and served from 1882 to 1905.

He was cabinet minister, Postmaster General, and  founder of the Department of Labour.   

Mulock Park is a newly opened, state-of-art 16-acre community hub and urban green space located at the northwest corner of Yonge Street and Mulock Drive in Newmarket, Ontario.

Formerly the historic private of the Mulock family, the property was purchased by the Town of Newmarket in 2018 and opened officially to the public in September 2026.

Photo by Pat Cromie

My partner Pat Cromie and I joined several other residents from Delmanor Retirement Residence in Aurora, on October 28, and took a bus ride and tour of the new Mulock Park and restored 17,000 sq. ft. Mulock House in Newmarket.

The house features an art gallery created in partnership with the the Art Gallery of Ontario, a broad viewing verandah with seating, and also the Chickadee Cafe.

The 16-acre urban green space park features nearly 2 kms. of wide paved multi-use paths weaving through a canopy of roughly 950 mature towering tress plu newly planted trees.

It also presents diverse public art installations and a trickling "Riverine" water feature.

The historic Mulock House has an elevator, and universal washrooms equipped with lifts across the grounds.

There are two main parking lots options accommodating 240 vehicles

More information and photos to come soon, in this space, on another occasion.

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Autumn leaves in King Township...

 

                                                                                Photo by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

Spooking up the lobby at Delmanor...

                                                                                 Photo by Barry Wallace

Seasonal decorations by the fireplace, in the lobby 

of Delmanor Retirement Residence in south Aurora

Please if you wish.

Barry Wallace

                                                          Photos by Barry Wallace

Balcony 

flowers 

at Delmanor

Retirement 

Residence

 in Aurora

persist

through

October.

Please comment 

if you wish.

Barry Wallace

My younger daughter's latest and newest book has just been published by Penguin...

Photo by Barry Wallace

I have just purchased a couple of copies of my daughter, Auralee Wallace-Parekh's newest book entitled The Haunted Librarian.

I purchased the two copies at Indigo Books in Newmarket, where they were on sale at 20% off!   I'm not sure what Auralee will think of the discounting of her book on its official release.   Oh well, as long lots of them sell.

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Fall colours - Aurora

Photo by Barry Wallace

Fall colours on Butternut Ridge Trail, opposite Delmanor Retirement Residence in south-west Aurora.

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Barry Wallace

Town of Aurora elections...

 

I am voting for John Gallo as mayor for the Town of Aurora, in the upcoming municipal elections.

I am voting for him because like me, he does not believe in the Doug Ford-mandated 'Strong Mayor Powers' for municipal politicians.

In the past 2 years, the current Aurora mayor, has used 'Strong Mayor Powers' 73 times undemocratically against his fellow councillors wishes.

With respect, 

Barry Wallace

 

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament - Toronto

 

My partner Pat Cromie and I, and a gang of residents from Delmanor Retirement Residence, in Aurora, recently visited Medieval Times in downtown Toronto for dinner and a show.

I'd never seen this theatrical extravaganza before and I was mightily impressed.

The falcon pictured above was allowed to fly about the Medieval Times locale (the old Toronto Coliseum building) several  times just above our heads (within arms length, it seemed!).

This shows has been around for decades in many locations in the U.S., as well as Toronto.

Highly recommended!

Mid-October sunset over Aurora and King...

 

Photo by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

Pumpkin time -Holland Marsh

Photo by Barry Wallace

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BarryWallace

King hydro corrider autumn transformation...

 

Photo by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

Autumn leaves on the moraine in King...

 

Photo by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

Fall turtles in King pond...

Photo by Barry Wallace

There once was a turtle named Myrtle. 

who was a very fertile turtle, 

When her eggs she did lay, 

She was rumored to say,

"I shall never get over this hurdle!"

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace 

 

Swainson's Hawk heads south...

                                                                           Photo by Barry Wallace

A Swainson's Hawk stretches its wings atop Delamanor Retirement Residence in Aurora, before heading out on its migration to south America for the winter.   May of these raptors have been hovering over and nesting in south-central Aurora's wooded areas for many months.

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

 

Late September sunset...

 

View from south-west Aurora

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Barry Wallace

King Yownship horses...

 

Photos by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

King City United Church...

Photos by Barry Wallace

King City United Church traces its beginnings back to a mid-19th century Methodist Episcopal congregation in 1865 when the local area was known as Springhill.

Early records show the congregation started about 1865, with local resident George Garrow leading Sunday school classes inside a local wheelwright's shop.

Springhill got its name because of the high water table and many springs in the area. 

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Autumn leaves in King...

Photo by Barry Wallace

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Humber River

Humber River (near Bolton, Ontario)

The Humber River begins at the Niagara Escarpment in Mono, Dufferin County and ends at Humber Bay on Lake Ontario in Toronto, Ontario.

It was first used by indigenous people at least 12,000 years ago and French explorer Etienne Brule recorded seeing it in 1615.

It was designated a Canadian Heritage River in 1999.   It is 126 km. (78 mi.) long.

The Humber River merges with the East Humber River in Woodbridge, within the City of Vaughan, in southern York Region.

The East Humber River originates on the south side of the Oak Ridges Moraine between Richmond Hill and Aurora, and flows through southern King Township. between turning south into Vaughan

East Humber River (north of Woodbridge)

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace