History of the Site - ENVR203 - Site Analysis Report - Library Guides at Centennial College

Introduction - site history

Researching the history of a site may require research into archival sources. This can be time consuming.

City Archives and local libraries are a great place to start. For help on searching City of Toronto Archives start with the video to the right.

Find the history of your house - CIty of Toronto
Instructional information of resources at the City of Toronto to help you research the history of a property.
Fire insurance plan maps of Toronto - City of Toronto
These historical maps show the types of dwellings in Toronto from 1850-1924. Look at volume 3 for Scarborough.
City of Toronto Directories
City Directories will help you find out who or what was at an address and when a building was probably built. Toronto directories form 1833-1969 are scanned and available online.

Search for the exact address of your site in one of our newspaper databases or search a Toronto newspaper directly.

Hint: Put your entire address in quotation marks for best results e.g. "357 Birchmount Rd"

Newspapers:

Researching Your House: Fire Insurance Plans & Aerial Photographs via City of Toronto Archives

Researching Your House: City Directories via City of Toronto Archives