Do you like to read? It’s an amazing skill that allows us to communicate with friends and family (via text, email) and learn more about the incredible world we live in. If we read regularly we improve our general literacy skills, learn about the society we take part in and we get better at and more interested in the reading process at large. Reading has many benefits. There are many genres as well, from fiction to non-fiction, self-help to crime to adventure to graphic novels, and everything in between. Personally, I often enjoy getting into local and Canadian history via non-fiction writing, whether that’s in books or blogs.
As a teacher I often make recommendations to my students about book s to read or articles to check out. We read generally for pleasure and skill improvement and we seek out specific readings for their tutoring sessions that cater to their background and interests. Contact me and I’ll work with you on developing your reading while we explore how to improve your English and communication skills.
I have been enjoying Substack, the platform for writing that takes the form of newsletters. These short bites of writing hit my email inbox regularly and cover a range of topics. Often I simply enjoy the short summaries in the emails and regularly I click through to read the long-form articles. One newsletter that has appealed to me is Toronto History by Adam Bunch.
About the Toronto History newsletter
The following is from the creator’s substack site:
The Toronto History Weekly
Fascinating stories from the city’s past, including murder, rebellion, scandal and plague — from the author of The Toronto Book of the Dead & The Toronto Book of Love. Plus all the latest heritage news and events.
Adam sent out his recent newsletter which summarized his stories of the past year: “My Favourite Stories of 2024… From hockey heroes and cursed operas to monsters, ghosts and more.”
Quirky, Moving and Educational Reading
I think the content of Toronto history can be widely enjoyed. Browsing the archive one gets the strong sense that the author has curated the subjects well and gone fairly deep into understanding their subject matter.
Some articles of interest to me include “The Youngest Steeplejack in the Wor;d” and “Two Toronto Spies and their Fight Against Fascism.” The touching “Remembering My Dad on Christmas Eve” is a personal memoir, reminiscing about the life of the author’s father in extended essay format
for anyone interested in Toronto mixed with human interest stories this collection of writing i worth checking out.
The Mother of the Ward
One of my favorites from recent issues of The Toronto History Weekly profiles Grace Bagnato, a remarkable Italian-Canadian woman who became a central figure in Toronto’s diverse Ward neighborhood in the early 20th century. Bagnato’s multilingual skills and unwavering support for her community transformed her home into an unofficial immigration office, assisting newcomers with navigating city bureaucracy. The article also details her unexpected participation in the “Great Stork Derby,” a bizarre contest fueled by a wealthy lawyer’s will, highlighting the discrimination she faced alongside other families. Ultimately, the piece celebrates Bagnato’s legacy and its profound influence on shaping Toronto’s multicultural identity.
Read “The Mother of the Ward”
https://substack.com/home/post/p-151478931
Excerpt from “Remembering My Dad on Christmas Eve”
Read at https://substack.com/home/post/p-153137097
“My dad was the youngest of them. He was born on that kitchen table in their little house on Sixteenth Street, just a couple of blocks from the Goodyear plant where his parents met. He spent his childhood in New Toronto, and it can’t have been an easy time. The Depression was coming to an end, but the Second World War broke out when Dad was just a year old. While his father headed off to war, his mother worked as a machinist in a munitions factory and was left to raise five kids on her own. One of my dad’s earliest memories was of a day when he was five years old, playing in the front yard when a stranger walked up to the house. He didn’t recognize the man, so he nervously ran inside to warn his mom. It turned out to be his own father coming home from the war, discharged on compassionate grounds just after D-Day so he could help raise the kids.”
Image of some stories from Bunch’s Substack
How to read Adam Bunch
You can access Adam’s writing at Substack:
https://substack.com/@torontohistory
How Substack works
Most writing available on Substack is free but some articles may be reserved for paying members who support individual authors. you can read a limited amount of contact without a subscription or choose to pay monthly to support your favorites. I have found there is a happy medium where I support by subscribing to receive ail newsletters and occasionally become a member of a specific author.
I encourage you to check out Adam’s writing and consider subscribing to fully support the author.
Happy reading! Be sure to check out Substack and the work of Adam Bunch.
