Ever wonder about Ashbridge Estate, the well-preserved heritage home on Queen East?
It was, in the memory of a 43-year-old recalling his early teen years, a pastoral haven in the big city, a refuge from the bustle, a Dickens-like slice of life in an unlikely corner of Toronto.
In many ways, the Ashbridge Estate remains just that. Preserved now by the Ontario Heritage Foundation and housing the offices of four different community groups, it stands majestically across from the Connaught streetcar yard as a reminder of one family’s — and our city’s — rich history.
Believe it or not, Riverdale Farm was once a proper zoo with lions, tigers, bears and other animals that don’t belong in the heart of a major city.
