Comments

Dear Bill Gladstone,

My name is J— G— and I’m a freelance visual researcher working on behalf of ABC, a bilingual online educational resource project by XYZ, a not-for-profit organization based in Toronto. We are currently working on an article about Hamilton mobster Besha Starkman/Bessie Perri, and I see that you have an entry about her on your website with some great photos. We are looking for photos of her to include in our article, and were hoping you could let us use the photos from your website now that they are in public domain? Please let me know and thank you so much. (J.G., Mar 2020)

I hope all is well. Recently some Chinese porcelain has come into my possession. On one of the vases there is a sticker that reads “Red Parlor, Queens Hotel”. I then came upon the article A Glimpse Into The Early Days of the Queens Hotel on your website which made reference to the red parlour. I would welcome any insights you could provide on whether or not there was Chinese porcelain in the red parlour of the royal suite and whether or not there had been any auctions of the hotel’s decor. (A.G., Sept 2019)

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Hi Bill,

Just passed by your website . . . lots of great stuff!

Just wondering about the article from 1911, Toronto’s oldest building gives way, modern structure to rise. It says that was the oldest structure in Toronto. Do they have any proof of it? Also, are there any construction photos of Victoria College, or any of those really old buildings that look like they are from fairy tale times? Cheers (G.K., Aug 2019)

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I am sorry to bother you but as you appear to be the maven on all things Jewish in Canada I wondered if you knew of any Jewish locations of interest in Newfoundland. I am coming through on a cruise ship and we dock in St Johns, St Pierre, Corner Brook and Havre St Pierre ( all good Jewish names!) proceeding on to Saguenay, and I would love to visit any local Jewish points of interest in those areas. Thanks in advance and greetings from London UK. (S.A., Aug 2019)

My reply suggested she read these articles on St. Johns Jewish Community and Robin McGrath and also that the writer contact the Atlantic Jewish Council. 

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Hi Bill,

My name is T– M— and I work in Kensington Market and have an interest in the history of the community. I sometimes tell our customers about the market and want to get my facts right. Is this something you have information on? I read that at one time there were up to 30 synagogues serving the Kensington community. Is this number accurate? If so, what happened to most of them? I am aware that there are two remaining: Kiever on Bellevue and Anshei Minsk on St Andrew. Is there any information available on the other synagogues, such as where they were originally located? Did they simply close down or move somewhere else? (T.M., July 2019)

In my reply I mentioned other former synagogues whose buildings are still standing (Ostrovtzer Synagogue, Spadina and Cecil; Henry Street Synagogue, at Cecil), and referred the writer (as I often do) to the Ontario Jewish Archives for further information; as well as to the Kensington Market Historical Society.

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Dear Mr. Gladstone,

My name is I— and I came across your obituary of the film production designer Bill Brodie (Globe and Mail). I was wondering if you could put me in touch with any members of the Brodie family? (I.G., June 2019)

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Hello Bill Gladstone,

Last year I found the following article on your website: Camp Arrowhead holds 50-year reunion, by Cynthia Gasner. I am in the Innisfil Historical Society, and we are preparing a book that is to be an update to our series of Historical Reviews of Innisfil. I am requesting permission to reprint part of the article and reference it on our website. (D.G., Feb 2019)

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Hello Mr. Gladstone,

I recently read your article on the RCMP bigamy files which contained this passage: “For example, when Capel B. St. George of Renfrew County heard that William Jannup had taken a second wife, he wrote a letter right away. ‘The first Mrs. Jannup is alive and holding the farm, and I recently heard that she was talking of action, but she is so glad to get rid of him, I do not think she will do anything,’ he explained.”

I am interested in investigating the William Jannup story. Would you kindly provide a reference to help me locate the files to which you refer? (R.G., Feb 2019)

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A friend led me to your maps and your 1914 Map of Toronto in particular. I had been searching for a street that was on it in 1914 but had disappeared by the 1921 census. Thanks ever so much. Love your site. (M.B., Nov 2018)

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Good Morning Bill,

Hope you and yours are doing well. I find myself cataloging a fine Rabbinic library with origins in Toronto and I find myself referencing your site and articles many times a day. Just wanted to express my thanks for the work you do and for preserving our past. All the best (I.M., Nov 2018)

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To Bill Gladstone,

Hello, my name is J– C– and I am emailing you from California. I came across an article on your website, Some Famous Police Captures by Toronto Police, originally published in the Toronto Star in 1903. The article told of how the Toronto Police and Inspector William Stark would receive many telegrams and letters requesting the Toronto Police to arrest various criminal aliens who come to town. It was said that there were a phenomenal number of arrests of aliens in Toronto in the years 1888-89.

Might these 1888-89 letters and telegrams to the Toronto Police and Inspector Stark somehow preserved after all of these years and, if so, where do you think a likely storage site would be?  Maybe the National Archives of Canada?  Or possibly there is a police museum somewhere in Toronto? Thank you for your time.  (J.C., Sept 2018)

Referred the writer to Library and Archives Canada as well as the Toronto Police Museum.

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Dear Bill,

In 2011 you wrote a piece about Mr. Selim Sassoon, taking his whole family back to Egypt where he grew up (Egyptian-born grandfather returns to Egypt). I was wondering if you had contact information for Josette, his daughter? I am involved with the Sephardi Voices project and would very much like to talk with her about documenting memories of Jews who left Arab lands. (L.N., Oct 2017)

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Hi Bill,

I hope you are well. We have a created a Wiki page on Rabbi Yehudah Yudel Rosenberg. I was wondering if we could add some of the pictures of him from your page here? Thanks! (E.R., Aug 2017)

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Dear Bill,

Stumbled upon your blog entry about the Jews of Nagasaki. My family was there at the marvelous time you write about.  Rabbi Tokayer came to my home about six years ago and provided me with some information and a beautiful woodblock print of the synagogue which my relatives were involved in. I am curious to know about your interest in this area.  Is it, too, a personal one? In your research have you come across the names Naftaly or Komaroff? (B.T.E., Aug 2016)

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Dear Mr. Gladstone,

My name is A– R– and I am originally from Toronto.

I just read your fascinating article Christian missions proselytized Jews in ‘the Ward’ from October 11, 2015. As it turns out, my grandmother S– R– (nee Glicksman), who came to Toronto around 1919 from Poland was sent to a summer camp called The Nathaniel Institute in Clarksburg, Ontario some time after her arrival in Toronto. I believe this was a missionary group, but I can’t find any evidence. I have letters written to my grandmother from a non-Jewish woman she met and befriended while in Clarksburg. They corresponded for a number of years following their meeting in Clarksburg and my grandmother kept the letters until her passing in 1977. My grandmother, incidentally, married my grandfather, B– R–, in 1924 and remained Jewish. She was very involved in the Arbeiter Ring, Pioneer Woman for Israel, and later, volunteering at Baycrest.

Do you know anything about the Nathaniel Institute? I would truly appreciate any information you have for my family research. This is a fascinating piece of history and I want to learn more about it and the impact that it had on my grandmother’s life. (A.R., Aug 2017)

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Hi Mr. Gladstone,

I just came across your site for the first time. It amazed me to find an active website about Jewish Canadian history, books and people. I’m personally very interested in the former and current jewish presence in Canada.Being an antique Judaica dealer, I get to deal a lot with Canadian Jewish books and manuscripts. So it just amazed me to find a a site like yours. Thanks for a good read, looking forward for more. (M.D., May 2016)

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Mr. Gladstone,

I was searching for some information on my family recently and came across Gas Light and Radiant Stars, an article you put together online in December 2011. The original was published in the Toronto Telegram in 1924 and was written by Thomas H. Scott Sr.  Well, Thomas H. Scott Sr. was my great-grandfather!

I was very please to see what you put together and I do appreciate seeing some interest in this part of Toronto’s history. I wondered if you would have any interest in taking this story further. It is an interesting part of Toronto’s history and my great-grandfather was an interesting character. I would very much enjoy hearing back from you. (D.C.S., May 2016)

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Hi Bill,

I just read your article on writing and publishing the family history (Publish your family history). Very nice! I agree wholeheartedly. I have also found it’s [publishing your book] a great way to get responses from relatives who ignored your plea. Once they see the book, they contact you to complain about being “left out.” 🙂 J.N., April 2016

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Hi Bill!

I just read your article on the Jewish Public Library (Books gather dust in Toronto’s ghostly Jewish public library) . . . . I was the president of the Library for many years and withdrew my involvement when I felt I was getting nowhere with the board and with our benefactor and with Federation. It is so sad to see this no longer a part of the Jewish community. (J.N., April 2016)

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Dear Mr. Gladstone,