A sizeable crowd converged on Fort York National Historic Site yesterday afternoon for the official launch of the Toronto Museum Project, a virtual home for 100 artifacts and stories (so far) told by a range of Torontonians from every corner of the city. Politicians, city museums staff and TMP storytellers were on hand to introduce the project and help create some buzz about this impressive new site, which was built with support from Canadian Heritage’s Canadian Culture Online Strategy.
Mayor Miller told those assembled, “We’re just scratching the surface of the knowledge that we share collectively . . . the Museum Project gives us a chance to share the true richness of our city with each other. And what better way to start than online? I think this project is terrific. I look forward to even more stories being told and I look forward, a few years from now, to seeing the Toronto Museum established in Old City Hall so that all of us can share those stories in person.”
Joining the officials were four of the people whose stories are captured on the site. Shakil A. (above from left) talked about a prayer rug he brought with him from Pakistan and spoke of feeling welcome to practice his religion in Toronto’s mosques; Evelyn S. told a story about working as a junior bank teller in one of Toronto’s Chinatown’s and how a 1923 bank loan document for a Chinese Canadian resonated with her own family history; former Toronto Mayor David Crombie spoke about William Jarvis’s Queen’s Rangers Uniform Jacket from 1791 making a connection between Toronto’s past and its present: “Toronto’s history is always at work whether we’re paying attention or not,” he said; and Anna B. spoke to a 1960 photograph of the corner of Jane Street and Finch Avenue West, expounding on this community where she grew up, was educated and found her strength and voice. “This street corner has talent, aspirations and skills, this street corner shaped who I am today.”
Mayor Miller greets David Crombie and Evelyn Su, two of the storytellers at yesterday’s TMP site launch. Pictured left, is the Mayor with Karen Carter, the TMP administrator who secured funding for the project and spent two years bringing the site from conception through execution and launch. TMP online features some impressive Web 2.0 functionality with ultra-fast page loading and remarkable zoom capabilities that lets users get closer to artifacts than they could if they stood over an acrylic display case. Visit the site and experience the richness of Toronto — past, present and future — for yourself.
Launch photos by Christopher Jones
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