Tom hosts Tuesday's Treasures.
Summer 2026 - Toronto ON
I had started this project during the pandemic and then it fell to the side. This recap continues to be a WIP and it needs some updating.
Arthur King was a key member of the local Chinese-Canadian community who contributed heavily to the commercial and cultural fabric of the Grange-Augusta neighbourhood.
Named after Thomas Scott (1746–1824), who served as the Attorney-General of Upper Canada and later became the Chief Justice of Upper Canada.
Named to commemorate P.J. Nicholson, a dedicated community leader who served as a former President of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (SLNA). He was also one of the instrumental founders of the nearby St. Lawrence Community Recreation Centre.
Historically, a mew (most commonly used in the plural form, mews) is a type of narrow alley, lane, or courtyard that features living quarters built over a row of stables.
It was named to remember Duke Street, which was the historic, colonial-era name for that exact stretch of Adelaide Street East. In the early town grid of York (early Toronto), Duke Street ran parallel to the waterfront. In the mid-20th century, Duke Street was absorbed into and renamed Adelaide Street East to create a continuous thoroughfare.
Named in honor of the historic Gendron Manufacturing Company Building, one of Canada's longest-standing manufacturers. Producing wheelchairs, canework goods, toy carriages, and wheeled toys from the 1890s to the 1970s, the Gendron Company left a lasting mark on Canadian industry.
The company's success was built entirely on a lightweight, wire-spoke wheel with ball bearings invented by its French-Canadian founder, Peter Gendron, which revolutionized early wheeled transit.
When they built their large factory on Richmond Street in Toronto in 1895, they entered the peak of the global "bicycle boom".
Bicycles & Tricycles: Sold under the Gendron and Reliance brand names, they marketed their bicycles as the fastest in the country due to their special wheel bearing design.Children's Goods: They manufactured high-quality doll carriages, baby buggies, and toy wheelbarrows.In 1899, Gendron sold its Canadian bicycle division to the newly formed Canada Cycle & Motor Co. (CCM).
After moving away from adult bicycles, the company pivoted heavily into the juvenile market and, by 1920, became the world's largest manufacturer of children's pedal cars.
Sold under the brand name Pioneer, these pedal cars were famous for mimicking real full-sized automobiles.They featured high-end details like cylindrical rear gas tanks, miniature toolboxes, imitation cranks, and polished nickel trim.
They also manufactured coaster wagons, playground equipment, and pressed-steel toy trucks.
Wheelchairs and Healthcare Equipment (1940s–Present)As full-scale production of children's toys ceased in 1941, the company transitioned its manufacturing precision over to medical mobility.
They became a massive global producer of wheelchairs, hospital stretchers, and bariatric patient systems.The brand survived numerous acquisitions and Gendron, Inc. continues to produce heavy-duty healthcare equipment.
