Winter is finally here. It’s snowing, the roads are icy, it’s a cool -4. I had to shovel this morning. As the resident historian here, it’s my job to jump into the archives whenever anything particularly strange or interesting happens. And winter this year is definitely strange and interesting (it’s January 13!).

So, we’ve collected a series of images of Toronto during the winter in the first half of the twentieth century. Who knew people used to skate on the Don? That it was someone’s job to dive under the ice to place dynamite? Or that High Park had dedicated tobogganing runs.

 Like these images? Go check out (and support!) the Toronto Archives.