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The Toronto Book of the Dead
Exploring Toronto’s history through the stories of its most fascinating and shadowy deaths.
If these streets could talk....
With morbid tales of war and plague, duels and executions, suicides and séances, Toronto’s past is filled with stories whose endings were anything but peaceful. The Toronto Book of the Dead delves into from ancient First Nations burial mounds to the grisly murder of Toronto’s first lighthouse keeper; from the rise and fall of the city’s greatest Victorian baseball star to the final days of the world’s most notorious anarchist.
Toronto has witnessed countless lives lived and lost as it grew from a muddy little frontier town into a booming metropolis of concrete and glass. The Toronto Book of the Dead tells the tale of the ever-changing city through the lives and deaths of those who made it their final resting place.
If these streets could talk....
With morbid tales of war and plague, duels and executions, suicides and séances, Toronto’s past is filled with stories whose endings were anything but peaceful. The Toronto Book of the Dead delves into from ancient First Nations burial mounds to the grisly murder of Toronto’s first lighthouse keeper; from the rise and fall of the city’s greatest Victorian baseball star to the final days of the world’s most notorious anarchist.
Toronto has witnessed countless lives lived and lost as it grew from a muddy little frontier town into a booming metropolis of concrete and glass. The Toronto Book of the Dead tells the tale of the ever-changing city through the lives and deaths of those who made it their final resting place.
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First published September 16, 2017
43 people are currently reading
581 people want to read
About the author
Adam Bunch
3 books40 followersAdam Bunch is an award-winning storyteller who brings the history of Toronto and Canada to life. He's the author of The Toronto Book of the Dead and The Toronto Book of Love, the host of the Canadiana documetnary series, and the creator of the Toronto Dreams Project. He's taught history at George Brown College and created writing workshops for the Toronto Public Library. He's spoken at the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Royal Ontario Museum, and his writing has appeared in publications such as Spacing Magazine and The Huffington Post. His work popularizing Canadian history was recognized with an honourable mention for a Governor General's Award in 2012.
In a previous life, he was a music journalist: editor-in-chief of SoundProof Magazine and The Little Red Umbrella, a contributor to PopMatters and Sun Media's 24 Hours commuter newspaper, and a member of the jury for the Polaris Music Prize.
He's lived in Toronto since he was a few weeks old, growing up along the Humber River, rasied on stories of snowstorms, jazz clubs and wartime romances.
In a previous life, he was a music journalist: editor-in-chief of SoundProof Magazine and The Little Red Umbrella, a contributor to PopMatters and Sun Media's 24 Hours commuter newspaper, and a member of the jury for the Polaris Music Prize.
He's lived in Toronto since he was a few weeks old, growing up along the Humber River, rasied on stories of snowstorms, jazz clubs and wartime romances.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
August 18, 2020
The book wasn't what I expected it was much better. I didn't look too much into the description and when I started reading it I expected to read about some true crime stories through history happening in Toronto. Unsolved and especially gruesome murders etc.
The book ended up being more historical following the history of Toronto from the days when Indigenous people lived here and dealt with their dead through the times when Toronto was built, all the wars and to our time. The stories were told concentrating on death of historical figures and people of Toronto.
It was really well written and engaging. The author has a great way of writing. I really learned a lot about the city I lived in and it sure seems to have a more interesting history for me now because until now I looked at it as a very young city, nothing compared to European ones where I come from. But Adam Bunch really turned my view and made me very interested.
From now on I will probably never pass Yonge and College without thinking that this is where Samuel Jarvis killed John Ridout in a duel. Or have a beer on Yonge and Eglinton without remembering that this is where the Rebels got together before attacking the government.
Some parts are better than others. I found the older history to be more interesting than the modern times about jazz clubs in Yorkville or punk rock scene. But it was still worth reading and finding out about Toronto's culture.
Definitely enjoyed reading the book and am looking forward to The Toronto Book of Love coming out next year. History of love in the city may be just as exciting as history of death.
The book ended up being more historical following the history of Toronto from the days when Indigenous people lived here and dealt with their dead through the times when Toronto was built, all the wars and to our time. The stories were told concentrating on death of historical figures and people of Toronto.
It was really well written and engaging. The author has a great way of writing. I really learned a lot about the city I lived in and it sure seems to have a more interesting history for me now because until now I looked at it as a very young city, nothing compared to European ones where I come from. But Adam Bunch really turned my view and made me very interested.
From now on I will probably never pass Yonge and College without thinking that this is where Samuel Jarvis killed John Ridout in a duel. Or have a beer on Yonge and Eglinton without remembering that this is where the Rebels got together before attacking the government.
Some parts are better than others. I found the older history to be more interesting than the modern times about jazz clubs in Yorkville or punk rock scene. But it was still worth reading and finding out about Toronto's culture.
Definitely enjoyed reading the book and am looking forward to The Toronto Book of Love coming out next year. History of love in the city may be just as exciting as history of death.
May 9, 2019
A fascinating history of Toronto: the good, the bad and the truly horrible...and sometimes the funny. I’m not sure where the phrase “Toronto the good” originated but whoever created that phrase wasn’t considering the city’s history, at least as it is recounted in the context laid out in this book. As someone who grew up in the city and remembers the events from the most recent decades, I found I learned much I didn’t know.
The book covers the Indigenous people who were here long before anyone else, the clash of cultures, the Europeans’ arrival and creation of York, the war with the Americans, stories of immigration, slavery, wealth, poverty, politics, disease epidemics, plunder, war and social change, and of course the demise of many. And more!
Not lighthearted reading but rewarding nonetheless.
I especially appreciated the author placing the locations of events in the context of today’s city.
The book covers the Indigenous people who were here long before anyone else, the clash of cultures, the Europeans’ arrival and creation of York, the war with the Americans, stories of immigration, slavery, wealth, poverty, politics, disease epidemics, plunder, war and social change, and of course the demise of many. And more!
Not lighthearted reading but rewarding nonetheless.
I especially appreciated the author placing the locations of events in the context of today’s city.
December 15, 2021
This was fascinating! I only wish I knew more about Toronto’s landscape to better appreciate some of these stories. If you have morbid curiosity…this is for you.
August 8, 2022
Very interesting book. I wanted to learn more about the history of Toronto and this book does just that while remembering a few people who lived on the land and helped shape it, shining a light on their lives and their legacy.
July 26, 2021
A fascinating journey through layers of Toronto history with each new era of people, places and events building upon what came before them. The book begins with a Wendat First Nation burial mound that is now in a park in the east end of the city, and ends with a lawyer who accidentally fell to his death in the 1990s after throwing himself against a conference room window in a skyscraper, confident that the glass would not break. The stories are well researched and the writing is engaging and immediate, allowing the reader to imagine what it was like when Fort York exploded during the War of 1812 or Hurricane Hazel swept away houses and families in 1954. There is a good balance between well known historical figures, and little known people who fell victim to shipwrecks or cholera epidemics in Toronto. Highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about Toronto's history.
February 10, 2018
I live in Toronto and I'm always looking for books about the history of Toronto so that's why this one caught my eye.
The stories are all focused on death with a Toronto connection. The first story is about the discovery of a 700-year-old mass grave while they were building a subdivision in Scarborough in the 1950s. The last story is about the death of Garry Hoy, a 38-year-old lawyer who in 1993 tested the window on the 24th floor in his downtown office building by hurling his body at it only to have the window pop out.
Other stories include the War of 1812 when the Americans attacked Fort York, the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse ghost, cholera in the early 1800s, a connection of Toronto's first black licensed doctor to Abraham Lincoln's death, passenger pigeons (which are now extinct), Sir Henry Pellatt of Casa Loma fame, Ruth Lowe who wrote the song that launched Frank Sinatra's career, Lucy Maud Montgomery's suicide, Hurricane Hazel, the fire that destroyed the ship the Noronic, Jim Black who was first Canadian AIDS patient to go public, and more. At the back of the book, there is an extensive bibliography and suggestions for further reading.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but I found it interesting. I liked the writing style. It was written in a straight-forward manner with not a lot of details but just enough. When I came across something especially interesting I wanted to know more about, I would stop and Google the subject for more information. I think anyone living in Toronto (and elsewhere) would find this book worth reading.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2018/02...
The stories are all focused on death with a Toronto connection. The first story is about the discovery of a 700-year-old mass grave while they were building a subdivision in Scarborough in the 1950s. The last story is about the death of Garry Hoy, a 38-year-old lawyer who in 1993 tested the window on the 24th floor in his downtown office building by hurling his body at it only to have the window pop out.
Other stories include the War of 1812 when the Americans attacked Fort York, the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse ghost, cholera in the early 1800s, a connection of Toronto's first black licensed doctor to Abraham Lincoln's death, passenger pigeons (which are now extinct), Sir Henry Pellatt of Casa Loma fame, Ruth Lowe who wrote the song that launched Frank Sinatra's career, Lucy Maud Montgomery's suicide, Hurricane Hazel, the fire that destroyed the ship the Noronic, Jim Black who was first Canadian AIDS patient to go public, and more. At the back of the book, there is an extensive bibliography and suggestions for further reading.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but I found it interesting. I liked the writing style. It was written in a straight-forward manner with not a lot of details but just enough. When I came across something especially interesting I wanted to know more about, I would stop and Google the subject for more information. I think anyone living in Toronto (and elsewhere) would find this book worth reading.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2018/02...
December 30, 2017
I live in Toronto so I was very excited to read this book.
I have worked in the downtown area for many years and have lived in the city for 20 years now. I had no idea how little I knew of it's history until this book. Many of the statues I pass frequently honour those who fought to make Toronto what it is.
Tales of sadness, heartache, heroics, death, disease and murder fill this book. Adam leaves you glued to each chapter with a great mix of famous Canadian politicians, artists, musicians, and authors. Besides being a strong history lesson it reminded me just how much has and hasn't changed in this great city.
It was an absolute pleasure to read and I hated it to end.
Highly recommended! Must read.
I have worked in the downtown area for many years and have lived in the city for 20 years now. I had no idea how little I knew of it's history until this book. Many of the statues I pass frequently honour those who fought to make Toronto what it is.
Tales of sadness, heartache, heroics, death, disease and murder fill this book. Adam leaves you glued to each chapter with a great mix of famous Canadian politicians, artists, musicians, and authors. Besides being a strong history lesson it reminded me just how much has and hasn't changed in this great city.
It was an absolute pleasure to read and I hated it to end.
Highly recommended! Must read.
October 13, 2017
The book wasn't what I was expecting, but despite that it was amazing. The Toronto Book of the Dead is a must-read not only for Torontonians, but anyone who loves history, which comes alive in this book. Author Adam Bunch did an amazing job of weaving Toronto's history into stories that were enjoyable, informative and memorable.
September 24, 2021
I loved this! This was such a great collection of history about Toronto. I was engaged and never lost interest. It felt like Bunch was having a conversation with me; telling me all these cool stories about Canadian history. If history textbooks were like this in school, we’d definitely have more history fans. I can’t wait to read more from him.
December 28, 2023
The last hour plus of the audiobook is a bibliography read along.....
November 28, 2023
This book has been tabbed within an inch of its wonderful life. Or should I say death? Doesn't matter, books are only alive metaphorically.
I adore these Toronto books. I get so, so much out of them and love being able to see my city in a different, more expansive way. Adam Bunch makes reading nonfiction feel like fiction at times with how it reads. Funny yet respectful, and morbid. My kinda narration.
My family reads these by extension because I never shut up about little tidbits I discover, and oh man, is there some excellent evidence on here when people say my generation really fucked things up. Oh. Man. Turns out humans just generally suck, and we do it consistently across time. This shouldn't be news to you, but if you need a good resource to confirm that little factoid, I direct you to this book, 'cause we are a MESS, from the very beginning to the right now. And we die a lot. Sometimes spectacularly. Sometimes after being an asshole. Sometimes when we don't deserve it. Sometimes everyone remembers, and sometimes it takes someone like Bunch to remind us of them and their stories.
It's a really special thing to go past a building or a park or stare out at a Lake nearly every day and then suddenly getting the opportunity to look at it completely differently. I feel very grateful to have more knowledge of my city and excited to go visit all the locations I've marked (green tab) and re-read their histories. I did similar things when I read the companion book, The Toronto Book of Love, sat on benches imagining exactly how it was and all the people and then seeing how and who we are now. It's a damned cool experience and I hope this is not the last opportunity I'll get to learn about Toronto from Adam Bunch.
I adore these Toronto books. I get so, so much out of them and love being able to see my city in a different, more expansive way. Adam Bunch makes reading nonfiction feel like fiction at times with how it reads. Funny yet respectful, and morbid. My kinda narration.
My family reads these by extension because I never shut up about little tidbits I discover, and oh man, is there some excellent evidence on here when people say my generation really fucked things up. Oh. Man. Turns out humans just generally suck, and we do it consistently across time. This shouldn't be news to you, but if you need a good resource to confirm that little factoid, I direct you to this book, 'cause we are a MESS, from the very beginning to the right now. And we die a lot. Sometimes spectacularly. Sometimes after being an asshole. Sometimes when we don't deserve it. Sometimes everyone remembers, and sometimes it takes someone like Bunch to remind us of them and their stories.
It's a really special thing to go past a building or a park or stare out at a Lake nearly every day and then suddenly getting the opportunity to look at it completely differently. I feel very grateful to have more knowledge of my city and excited to go visit all the locations I've marked (green tab) and re-read their histories. I did similar things when I read the companion book, The Toronto Book of Love, sat on benches imagining exactly how it was and all the people and then seeing how and who we are now. It's a damned cool experience and I hope this is not the last opportunity I'll get to learn about Toronto from Adam Bunch.
June 19, 2023
When I picked up this book, I didn't have high expectations. I wanted to learn more about Toronto and be transported to the city I've come to cherish.
This book managed to defy my expectations. It's one of the best books I've read in a while! Adam Bunch managed to transport you to different times in history, by telling the story of the people who lived, rather than having a historical retelling. I found his writing style great and it kept me entertained.
Overall it's a great book and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about Toronto.
This book managed to defy my expectations. It's one of the best books I've read in a while! Adam Bunch managed to transport you to different times in history, by telling the story of the people who lived, rather than having a historical retelling. I found his writing style great and it kept me entertained.
Overall it's a great book and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about Toronto.
November 17, 2023
This book started really well. The first chapter or so focuses on toronto cemetaries and how the city works with/around them.
Somehow it ended up in ramblign stories that had some sort of attachment to toronto or the GTA... barely. Kind of. The breathed here once.
So I listened to the audiobook... and then the man READ THE BIBLIOGRAPHY! FOR TWO HOURS! WHO DOES THAT?
Somehow it ended up in ramblign stories that had some sort of attachment to toronto or the GTA... barely. Kind of. The breathed here once.
So I listened to the audiobook... and then the man READ THE BIBLIOGRAPHY! FOR TWO HOURS! WHO DOES THAT?
April 2, 2022
A really engaging read. Knew a lot and learned a lot. I fucking love my city!
October 15, 2024
I loved this book. The latter chapters felt a little light (most recent death was in '93), but I hope that can be remedied with multiple sequels.
January 14, 2018
Adam Bunch makes Toronto's history very readable. All while reading this book I wondered why Torontonian's don't know and share these stories. You visit anywhere else and strangers you bump into onto the sidewalk all act as local guides. Not just outside our borders but outside our city limits. I've always felt as Torontonian's we have no excuse not to know our history - it's not that long!
I learned a few things about Toronto from reading this book - I didn't know the connection between Sir Henry Pellatt and the collapse of the Home Bank. And I really haven't appreciated Yorkville's past as a music mecca. By the time I moved to Toronto in 1988, The Purple Onion had moved to the upscale Collonade building (I saw Tito Puente there, my boyfriend/now husband was introducing me to jazz music); I didn't know it started as one of the first coffeehouses in Yorkville. I also do not know much about Emma Goldman, other than "who" she was and did not know that she spent most of her later years in exile in Toronto.
The bibliography and selected reading list is a good resource for those who want to read more about any of the topics introduced in this book.
I learned a few things about Toronto from reading this book - I didn't know the connection between Sir Henry Pellatt and the collapse of the Home Bank. And I really haven't appreciated Yorkville's past as a music mecca. By the time I moved to Toronto in 1988, The Purple Onion had moved to the upscale Collonade building (I saw Tito Puente there, my boyfriend/now husband was introducing me to jazz music); I didn't know it started as one of the first coffeehouses in Yorkville. I also do not know much about Emma Goldman, other than "who" she was and did not know that she spent most of her later years in exile in Toronto.
The bibliography and selected reading list is a good resource for those who want to read more about any of the topics introduced in this book.
October 27, 2017
This was a really delightful, fascinating book. If you're remotely interested in Toronto history, I would recommend giving it a read! The links to the "dead" part of the title are sometimes a bit tenuous, but the wandering, far-reaching look at the past never fails to be fascinating and engaging. The book is basically a collection of snippets from the history of Toronto, arranged by time period. I really appreciated the wide range of topics covered, from the Wendat burial traditions that start the book, to the demise of passenger pigeons in the habitat around Toronto, to the crooked life of Casa Loma's original owner. Each vignette is personal and engaging, providing you with a very human look at each topic and character. You will learn an immense array of history, even if you think you already know it, and will gain a new appreciation for the wide variety of people (and animals!) that have walked the streets and grounds of Toronto in the past.
November 29, 2017
This book delivers what it promises readers, stories from Toronto’s past with a focus on death and the macabre. The stories are told with a mostly European focus and point of view. There are some Indigenous stories included as well as some of the injustice and racism Indigenous people face. Indigenous peoples are often ignored in these kinds of “popular history” (or any European history if I’m being honest) stories and I appreciate that local Indigenous people’s are specifically acknowledged.
If you are a Canadian history buff you will probably recognize many of the stories. If you know very little about Canadian and Toronto European history, you will learn a lot from this book while also being entertained. The book is 377 pages but it’s interesting and could make for a fast read.
If you are a Canadian history buff you will probably recognize many of the stories. If you know very little about Canadian and Toronto European history, you will learn a lot from this book while also being entertained. The book is 377 pages but it’s interesting and could make for a fast read.
January 19, 2022
When I went to a book signing at the Guelph indigo at Stone road (as I do as often as I can) I ran into Adam Bunch, his books title caught my attention, I couldn't wait to read it.
So it was a complete page Turner's,I had a hard time getting some sleep,it is about some very interesting history of Toronto that I had never heard before and I have had so many people ask me where to get this book. Each chapter is very detailed and interesting. You have to read this,after you will want to visit as many of the places mentioned in the book. thank you Adam for an amazing book.
This is my original review, after a second read I totally want to add ..You have to pick this book up it is absolutely the best book of Toronto that I have read. You will not be disappointed.
So it was a complete page Turner's,I had a hard time getting some sleep,it is about some very interesting history of Toronto that I had never heard before and I have had so many people ask me where to get this book. Each chapter is very detailed and interesting. You have to read this,after you will want to visit as many of the places mentioned in the book. thank you Adam for an amazing book.
This is my original review, after a second read I totally want to add ..You have to pick this book up it is absolutely the best book of Toronto that I have read. You will not be disappointed.
January 15, 2018
A fun and informative read with a good breadth of stories about people from Toronto’s past. Bunch has an engaging and suspenseful story-telling style that brings vignettes of Toronto history to life.
Full disclosure: Adam is a good friend of mine and I got a mention in the acknowledgements for our Toronto explorations starting in our high school days. He’s been researching and honing his story-telling for years. Telling friends about really cool things while out for a drink or a walk, through his blog www.torontodreamsproject.com and now through Canadiana https://youtu.be/UAf2SzRBU5U, a web series about amazing stories from Canadian history.
Full disclosure: Adam is a good friend of mine and I got a mention in the acknowledgements for our Toronto explorations starting in our high school days. He’s been researching and honing his story-telling for years. Telling friends about really cool things while out for a drink or a walk, through his blog www.torontodreamsproject.com and now through Canadiana https://youtu.be/UAf2SzRBU5U, a web series about amazing stories from Canadian history.
February 27, 2018
This books is a collection of highly entertaining snippets of Toronto's history, from its founding to the 20th century. They're loosely grouped under the theme of deaths, but that can mean the extinction of an animal or events connected to a world war, so it's really just a way to tie together a bunch of unrelated historical anecdotes. This reminded me a lot of A Curious Guide to London in that respect.
I'd highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun way to learn more about Toronto's history.
I'd highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun way to learn more about Toronto's history.
March 26, 2018
Well this book was very misleading. I still enjoyed it, and it was very interesting to see the history of Toronto. I came to this book hoping for more of a haunted areas of Toronto, or strange and mysterious deaths that are still unsolved. What this book presented was a history of Toronto through it's deaths, but if you wait long enough, all history is based on those deaths. This talked a lot about the lives of those who met their demise, and not so much on the demise itself.
Still, it was a grand book. I really enjoyed the first half, but the closer we got to the present day the less I felt myself connecting and enjoying it.
Still, it was a grand book. I really enjoyed the first half, but the closer we got to the present day the less I felt myself connecting and enjoying it.
February 8, 2019
Was a bit disappointed in this, from the title and cover, I was expecting a bit more towards ghost stories or a grisly past. But this was a loose history of Toronto - and some of the stories seemed to have only a vague connection to Toronto. I found the earlier stories the most interesting, around the indigenous peoples and then the settling of Toronto. And I was surprised to learn the lawyer story is not just an urban legend! Definitely some gems in here, but maybe better to pick and read sections rather than the whole book at once.
This is my pick for the TO Library Reading Challenge from “The List: Great reads for youth”
This is my pick for the TO Library Reading Challenge from “The List: Great reads for youth”
July 9, 2025
4/5 - an interesting book on the history of death in Tkaronto / Toronto. It may sound like an overwhelmingly morbid topic, but it isn't really. The book takes you from the pre-settler days to modern history. The author, Adam Bunch, treats the retellings of death and tragedy with lots of respect but still keeps it very engaging.
It would be a great book to for a Canadian history lover to have on a coffee table.
The decision to open and close with chapters on the Wyandot (Wendat or 'Huron') was a great one - the perfect bookends.
It would be a great book to for a Canadian history lover to have on a coffee table.
The decision to open and close with chapters on the Wyandot (Wendat or 'Huron') was a great one - the perfect bookends.
October 29, 2017
From ancient First Nations' burial mounds to notorious duels to a tragic high rise accident, this book is an amusing and highly readable history of Toronto tracing its growth to through the stories of those who lived - and died - here. A must read for anyone interested in Toronto's stories.
January 11, 2018
The book consists of a series of profiles of different people and locations in Toronto's history. Well-researched, clearly written, the book answers several of the questions I had about how Toronto works. Highly recommended.
October 20, 2017
Thankfully, this book challenges the oft-repeated "truth" that Canadian History is boring. I learned more from these pages than any of the history classes I took in University.
November 8, 2017
Adam.. thank you for your stories of Toronto. Well told and well written!!
May 12, 2018
Not exactly what I thought it was, but I really enjoyed it. It gives any reader who is interested about Toronto history a really good insight about how the city was born and became what it is today.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews