TORONTO 



5838 



TORONTO 



heavy bridges are swept away and locomotives 

 are lifted from the track. Tornadoes rarely 

 occur in regions which are mountainous to any 

 degree or where there is little moisture in the 

 atmosphere. B.M.W. 



Related Subjects. In connection with this 

 discussion of the tornado the reader may consult 

 the following articles in these volumes: 

 Cyclone Typhoon 



Hurricane Whirlwind 



Monsoon Wind 



FHE STORY OF TORONTO 



,ORONTO, tohrahn'toh, the capital and 

 largest city of Ontario, and, except Montreal, 

 the largest city in the Dominion of Canada. It 

 lies on the north shore of Lake Ontario, near 

 its western end, and is the terminus or a port 

 of call for practically all steamers on the lake. 

 It is also served by three transcontinental rail- 

 ways, the Canadian Pacific, the Grand Trunk 

 and the Canadian Northern, the last having 

 its head offices in the city. By rail, Toronto is 

 334 miles southwest of Montreal and thirty- 

 seven miles east of Hamilton. It is forty-one 

 miles north of the mouth of the Niagara 

 River. The site of the city is most attractive. 

 It slopes gently upward from the shore for 

 nearly three miles, then rises abruptly to hills, 

 which have become a beautiful residential sec- 

 tion. 



The Harbor. The harbor, which was orig- 

 inally responsible for the growth of the city, is 

 picturesque. A sandy island, which converts 

 the Bay of Toronto into a natural landlocked 

 harbor, has many attractive spots, and shelters 

 hundreds of canoes, launches and yachts. To- 

 ronto, in fact, is noted for its aquatic sports, 

 made possible by this lovely harbor. This was 

 the home of Edward Hanlan, the champion 

 oarsman of the world, and of the famous Argo- 

 naut Club. The harbor is also of tremendous 

 commercial importance, and after the organiza- 

 tion of the new Harbor Board in 1911 plans 

 were adopted for the expenditure of approxi- 

 mately $24,000,000 for the purpose of improv- 

 ing the water front. These plans include the 

 construction of massive sea walls and new 

 docks, deepening of the harbor, development 

 of a new industrial district immediately east 

 of the harbor, and the creation of a boulevard 



and park system across the water front. The 

 Harbor Board is composed of five members, 

 three appointed by the city council and two by 

 the Dominion government. 



Commerce and Industry. Toronto is On- 

 tario's chief commercial center, especially in 

 grain, fruits and live stock. Fruits are by far 

 the most important item brought into Toronto 

 by water. The city is the leading wholesale 

 jobbing center in the Dominion, its trade in 

 dry goods and shoes being especially note- 

 worthy. Some of these goods are imported 

 from the United States, but the largest part 

 are made in Canada. The city is an insurance 

 exchange, and its bank clearings, averaging 

 $2,000,000,000 a year, are exceeded in the Do- 

 minion only by those of Montreal. It is noted 

 for its department stores, one of which em- 

 ploys about 15.000 men and women. This is 

 the largest of its kind in the British Empire. 



In manufactures Toronto was for years a 

 close second to Montreal, but now seems des- 

 tined to rank first for years to come. It has 

 more than 1,600 manufacturing establishments, 

 with an average capital of $150,000. Its yearly 

 output of finished goods, valued at $250,000,000, 

 is one-eighth of Canada's total output. It is 

 the great slaughtering and packing center of 

 Canada, and it has a large output of machinery, 

 lumber, books, pianos, carpets, clothing, wall 

 paper, stationery, and various iron and steel 

 products, including stoves, rails and ships. The 

 city's largest establishments make agricultural 

 and other machinery. Power for all these 

 plants is derived chiefly from Niagara Falls 

 through a private company, and also through 

 the Ontario Hydro-Electric Commission. Light 

 and heat are obtained from the same sources. 



