On our way back to Toronto, the porcupines found butter tarts that were just their size (Willow Tree, Kingsville)

Saturday afternoon at North Ridge Dairy Freez…

Side research find: advertorial restaurant "reviewer" Brett Halliday's writings were always full of odd expressions. Take this one for Dessert Dessert from the May 30, 1986 Toronto Sun, where the ambiance is described as "California liberated"... #TOHistory

Join us this summer for one of our FREE house history workshops! Whether you live in a house, highrise, or anything in between, we can show you how to use archival records to dig into the history of an address in the city. Registration, dates, and details: https://ow.ly/Enhy50Z4SM7

Reasons I love my hometown’s book store (River Bookshop in Amherstburg)

Trying not to write a post to deflate the nostalgia factor some people are experiencing with the latest attempt to resurrect Zellers.

Checking out the Star's list of 100 eats for under $100 and there are a few faves I highly recommend - especially Fearless Meat (burgers and smoked meat sandwiches are excellent) and Okonomi House (probably my favourite place to go after a research session downtown). www.thestar.com/interactives...

Thursday morning silliness: would you trust a band with this name to be your city's #1 party band? Toledo Blade, June 6, 1983. #vintagead

Amherstburg sunset

Happening tonight - hope some of you will check this out! #TOHistory

Bari Weiss and AI are two phenomena well suited for an age where powerful people mistake sycophancy for intelligence.

It's another update to my guide to online historical Toronto newspaper resources and...is that the Sun I'm seeing start to rise? #TOHistory #cdnhistory jamiebradburncreative.wordpress.com/online-newsp...

Things I hate about the modern world: businesses who remind you an absurd amount of times to post a positive Google review. Especially when their service was unsatisfying.

NEW! My latest entry for the Canadian Encyclopedia @historicacanada.bsky.social is an update to their look at the Globe and Mail. thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/g...

After seeing a questionable anti-Chow cart outside the Eaton Centre festooned in Canadian flags and claiming to seek truth while declaring the mayor has destroyed the city…while it was probably nuts at work, why is my gut telling me this is going to be a very ugly election year in Toronto?

Happy to be taking part in this year's edition of The Festival of Bizarre Toronto History on Wednesday night, where I get to talk about kidnappings! Which one will I be covering? You'll have to check it out to see... #TOHistory

Past Toronto political headlines department, following the 1914 municipal election. Toronto World, January 2, 1914

Never, ever driving on 407ETR again unless it is a dire emergency. Beyond ludicrous tolls and extra charges, when I went to pay just now, rather than a final confirmation screen for my payment (which I did get via email), it tried to push me into signing up for direct withdrawls. (Cue obscenities)

My latest newsletter is out (edition #50), which features some thoughts about visiting the United States - or at least western New York - right now. jamiebradburn.substack.com/p/50-america...

Next weekend will be full of weird walking tours for The Festival of Bizarre Toronto History — including my own walk filled with the "greatest hits" of strange stories from the city's past. Learn more here: bizarretoronto.com/index.html

My latest newsletter is out (edition #50), which features some thoughts about visiting the United States - or at least western New York - right now. jamiebradburn.substack.com/p/50-america...

Spending tonight preparing for this upcoming event next week - I'll be participatiing in @adambunch.bsky.social's annual Festival of Bizarre Toronto History. Which kidnapping will I be talking about? You'll have to check this out to find out! #TOHistory

Evening research tonight...and I've just stumbled upon another big Toronto historical newspaper digitalization gap that appears to be being filled in. Guess I'll be updating the guide again next week...

We put together a new office chair today. My assistants made sure we were doing everything safely!

Apply now — or nominate a project Initiatives that spark a greater public interest in the past could earn a spot on a national stage. Deadline: July 15, 2026 Learn more through link in the comments.

I still have room for new projects for the rest of this spring and into the summer. If you require historical research, a consultant who can tie the past to your present needs, audience-targeted writing, or an interesting presentation, I can help! Drop a private message and let's talk. #hireme

NEW! MOBA (Mapping Ontario's Black Archives) asked me to write a post about my experiences writing and researching black history...which also turned into a love letter into how my father and my hometown of Amherstburg inspired my career path as a historian. mobaprojects.ca/amherstburg-...

Coming soon...

Research hell is a book that is infomative and provides you with good info but is so deadly boring to read that you know almost anybody else could do a better job writing it.

The meat lady means it's about an hour to downtown Toronto.

NEW! MOBA (Mapping Ontario's Black Archives) asked me to write a post about my experiences writing and researching black history...which also turned into a love letter into how my father and my hometown of Amherstburg inspired my career path as a historian. mobaprojects.ca/amherstburg-...

The sort of day where, at the city archives, I find notice of my great-grandfather’s retirement from the TTC (Coupler, July 1946)

I’m not sure if tonight’s walk will span 200 years of history…but maybe we’ll learn a thing or two tonight as I venture into the Necropolis to start tonight’s Bluesky walk. Care to come along?

One project I'm excited to see grow is Canada Commons, which is digitizing numerous publications, including several historic Toronto newspapers. I recently did a video with Salvy Trojman of Trojman Corporation to unbox some of their latest titles... www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

I still have room for new projects for the rest of this spring and into the summer. If you require historical research, a consultant who can tie the past to your present needs, audience-targeted writing, or an interesting presentation, I can help! Drop a private message and let's talk. #hireme

One project I'm excited to see grow is Canada Commons, which is digitizing numerous publications, including several historic Toronto newspapers. I recently did a video with Salvy Trojman of Trojman Corporation to unbox some of their latest titles... www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

Monday morning brainstorming: would there be interest amongst readers to donate to create an ad-free version of my guide to online historical Toronto newspapers where I could also write posts about Toronto's newspaper history? #TOHistory

Coming soon...

Currently experiencing the geeky excitement of looking at a historical Toronto newspaper that I knew existed but had never actually seen a copy of. Let's just say there's another update to my newspaper guide coming soon...

The closest Doors Open participant to me this weekend sounds like it's worth a peek... www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/...

The Festival of Bizarre Toronto History returns June 1–7! Weird photos, wild kidnappings, secret tunnels, bizarre buildings and more! Online talks & panels, a weekend of walking tours, and a FREE opening night at the City of Toronto Archives! Learn more: www.bizarretoronto.com

1) Newspapers_dot_com's current uploading of the Telegram is helping several projects I am currently working on. But it has also provided an opportunity to look up some fun family stuff. Exhibit A: my father's birth notice, published the same day he arrived! Talk about speedy publication...

The latest update to my guide to online historical Toronto newspaper resources includes: * A new home for the Multicultural History Society of Ontario's collection * Has the Telegram finally made it onto the internet? #TOHistory #cdnhistory jamiebradburncreative.wordpress.com/online-newsp...

Historians: which non-Google search engine works best for you when it comes to finding relevant articles for what you are searching for? #history

The latest update to my guide to online historical Toronto newspaper resources includes: * A new home for the Multicultural History Society of Ontario's collection * Has the Telegram finally made it onto the internet? #TOHistory #cdnhistory jamiebradburncreative.wordpress.com/online-newsp...

Just finished an update to my online historical Toronto newspaper guide. While compiling it, made a discovery that, if it goes the way I hope, will fill in one of the largest holes...

Two murals on opposite sides of Manning Avenue at Bloor mark the start of a long weekend Bluesky walk, just as beautiful strolling weather finally arrives in Toronto. Care to come along?

Things that didn't age well department: reading mid-1970s far left Canadian newspapers that were excited that the group which became the Khmer Rouge was about to gain control of Cambodia. Also: getting 300 votes in a Toronto municipal election is not a sign your movement is gaining traction.

ICYMI...

Last night's find: what is the most important letter in "Muzak"? Editor and Publisher, June 14, 1980.