Consider this a sequel. Or, maybe a prequel. Whatever the case, if Wishing Well Acres is the Sullivan in Tam O’Shanter-Sullivan, here’s the Tam O’Shanter part.
We begin at Agincourt Mall. The shopping centre dates back to 1966, likely making it the third enclosed mall in Scarborough after 1954’s Eglinton Square and Golden Mile (Cedarbrae Mall predates Agincourt by four years but didn’t get its ceiling until 1972). The mall’s anchors are Wal-Mart and No Frills, but I can recall a time – in 1994, specifically – when they were Woolco and Loblaws, respectively. Walmart bought Woolco that year. No Frills came in the 2000s.
As much as malls like Agincourt are seen as shabby and sad (Agincourt Mall as of 2016 has a number of empty tenants), I’ve found that they are still appreciated locales. A lot of nostalgia fills their walls. The comments in this BlogTO article about Agincourt Mall by Robyn Urback prove that. Everyone has a story, or a store they enjoyed frequently, or an odd memory about something that isn’t there anymore. Mine is the RadioShack that was there in 1990s and 00s, reminding me of lost Canadian retailers. There is a Source in the mall now, but not in the same space as its predecessor.
Agincourt Mall was built on the Kennedy farm, with the farmhouse once located just north of the mall and south of the West Highland Creek. A walk down the street named for the family leads to a trail that lines the creek.
The path is sandwiched between an apartment and townhouse complex on one side and the creek and Tam O’Shanter Golf Club on the other. A look down at the shallow waterway produces a shiny sheet of ice over the surface and the occasional group of ducks in the non-frozen bits. But there’s also something that doesn’t quite belong.
Several pillars jut out on either side of the creek – two on one side and two opposite them. I count three sets of these abutments along the way. Their meaning isn’t hard to figure out: 3 sets of abutments, 3 phantom bridges. There is one question, though: what’s the story?
The answer: In the 1930s to the 1970s, this was the site of the Tam O’Shanter Golf and Country Club, the precursor to Tam O’Shanter Golf Course.
In addition to golf, the Tam O’Shanter Country Club complex had swimming, ice hockey, and curling. In 1971, the club erupted in flames, destroying some of the complex. In researching the fire, I’ve read many stories about people seeing the flames from afar. Like Agincourt Mall, the country club meant something to many people.
In 1973, the Province of Ontario, Metro Toronto, and Scarborough jointly acquired Tam O’Shanter and converted it into a municipal golf course. In the coming years, the complex would be gradually demolished and a new clubhouse would be built around 1980. Today, a couple of apartment towers on Bonis Avenue stand in the club’s former location.
Back to the abandoned abutments, the creek was located just behind the clubhouse and its bridges led to and from the golf course. Shortly after the course’s acquisition, the bridges were removed, presumably because the course layout would be reorganized.
But the creek hasn’t always run the same course.
The West Highland at one time swung north up into the golf course before dropping back down and resuming in a northwest direction. Around 1967, the creek was straightened and bridges were installed. The orphan bend remained as a sort of oxbox for some time, but since has been mostly filled in. One can still see the imprint of the bend today, though, notably through the pond and the ‘etched’ curved outline north of it.
There is one remaining bridge, however – a wider, sturdier construction. There is a gate in the fence on the other side, so one can guess that at least it might have been a vehicular corridor. As of 2015, though, both ends have been barricaded to prevent any sort of use.
As the West Highland continues into the golf course and beyond, the trail comes to Ron Watson Park, renamed from Tam O’Shanter Park in 2005 in recognition of the long-time Scarborough resident, trustee, and councillor. Watson was honoured with a star on Scarborough’s Walk of Fame in 2011. The park forms the field of Tam O’Shanter School, featuring a nice playground…and a stone turret.
This viney tower became an instant curiosity to me. It looked old and misplaced. No doors (although, perhaps a sealed opening), a couple of ‘windows’ near the top. What was/is it?
I had to do some digging. Google presented nothing, so I consulted some aerial photos to try and date it. It’s been around since at least 1947, the first year on record for aerials in the Toronto Archives.
Next, looking at the 1878 Map of Scarboro Township, Ron Watson Park was once part of the Samuel Horsey farm on Concession 3 Lot 30. Whether Horsey built the mystery tower is unknown. His house had a parlour, though!
@ScenesFromACity To add to you exploration, Samuel Horsey's parlour. Perhaps you walked 'through' it today! pic.twitter.com/ToRk5Jwum3
— Scarborough Archives (@ScarbArchives) January 7, 2016
Posting my findings and curiosities on Twitter, answers came in from the Scarborough Archives.
@ScarbArchives @ScenesFromACity Ironically siio built on Charles Watson farm but he not related to Ron Watson (Park) pic.twitter.com/7aBK9y0w6j
— Rick (@CorpSectry) January 7, 2016
So, Horsey sold his farm to Watson, who likely built the silo. When Watson’s farm was subdivided, the tower was never torn down with it. My guess is the task proved too difficult. It doesn’t fully answer the ‘when?’ part, but mystery solved!
Leaving the park and silo, the two-in-one Stephen Leacock Collegiate/John Buchan Senior Public School has had a place on Birchmount Road since 1970. It is built in the Brutalist (or, Heroic) style that was indicative of Toronto architecture in the 1950s to 1970s. The schools’ namesakes were a Canadian author and humourist and Scottish author and historian, respectively.
And while I’m profiling, Tam O’Shanter is a Robbie Burns poem. Another Scottish connection. The Anglo-Saxon roots and references of the Tam O’Shanter community is interesting though, considering what it became. Today, it is one of the more diverse areas in the city of Toronto.
Next, a derelict structure stands across the school. I don’t know its full context, but it’s most definitely another rural leftover.
On Bonis Avenue, there’s Agincourt Library and another great turret. Although the building opened in 1991, the library itself dates back to 1918. Within that time it has moved locales a few times, including a stay in Agincourt Mall. The branh carries three copies of A History of Scaborough. Its editor is a Mr. Robert Bonis, who lends his name to the street.
Down at Birchmount and Sheppard, a strip mall has gone through a makeover in the last few years. It’s about to get a new tenant, too: Starbucks. The sight is initial shock for me, if only because it’s strange to see one in this neighbourhood. My mind shoots to the old idea that a Starbucks is tell tale sign of gentrification, but I question whether it applies here. We’ll have to see.
Foregoing a stroll down Sheppard, I backtrack to Bay Mills Boulevard. The curved street offers a sort of ‘backstage’ view of Tam O’Shanter, showing off the apartments, church, school, field, playground that all front Sheppard. The intersection of Bay Mills and Sheppard is the start of the Sheppard Avenue East Avenue Study zone. On one side there’s another strip mall; on the other, a car dealership. They’ll surely be part of the plans.
Warden Avenue is further down the way, but that adventure lies in the mentioned Wish Well exploration. For now, that’s a wrap on this one.
If you have memories of Agincourt Mall, Tam O’Shanter Country Club, Stephen Leacock School, or Tam-O’Shanter-Sullivan in general, I would like to hear about it. Leave a comment below or tweet me!
Wonderful detective work on the silo. There is a lot in this city that has been “left over” and forgotten form a time long ago.
Definitely. Often stuff we know of but haven’t considered on any deep level.
y husband is looking for a photo of the GIANT Golf Ball that was at Sheppard & Kennedy and read “Tam O’Shanter Golf Club”
Hi Laurie, I do know about the giant golf ball, but haven’t located a picture yet. I’m curious about it, too!
I worked at the golf course.
Hi Mark, thanks for commenting! Any memories? When did you work there? -Bob
Worked there in the late 60’s till the fire. What a great time there. Two good families that I knew. The Sparkhalls, and the Sellers. Great people. I worked on the golf course, and the curling rink. So much fun, and what a life I had there. Do it again in a sec. HAHA.
I enjoyed reading your articles. My father built our home on Pharmacy Avenue, north of Sheppard in 1955, on the west side of the street, before Bridlewood was built. He and my mother purchased the 1/2 acre of land with money from their wedding – $500.00. We lived in that house until the home was sold in 1977, after my father passed away. I have many happy memories of that area, Wishing Well Plaza and Agincourt in general.
Hi Margaret, thank you very much for sharing. I write in hopes of soliciting memories like yours. From what I’ve gathered there’s a lot of fondness for the area 🙂
Another great read. You do some serious researching!! Now I want to go and look for that abandoned silo 🙂
Go for it! It’s one of my favourite findings for sure! Rural leftover!
Hi Bob and thanks for a walk down memory lane! During the 60’s I lived in the residential development directly across from Agincourt Mall south of Shepard Ave. The “Tam” as we all called it back then was a popular spot year round. Public skating and tobogganing in the winter and swimming at the pool during the summer. For your info, the derelict structure you described in the picture is actually the remains of property owned by a local farmer named Paul Chepak. His farm was in Stoufville and he used to sell his produce at this location. His son Terry was a friend of mine. We used to have some great corn roasts here!
Hi Eric! Thanks for the message — this is amazing! Your info about the building on BIrchmount matches with my research. Has been there since the 60s, possibly the 50s.
When I was a kid in the late 70’s and into the 80’s we all called this the ‘Corn Place’. I remember waking up Birchmount with my mom to get a paper bag full of sweet corn…the smell from that bag walking back home is one of my favourite memories.
I would appreciate hearing from anyone who knew the Sparkhalls of Tam O’Shanter, Scarborough.
My father is William Sparkhall.
I am writing a book about curling and would like to know about Bill Sparkhall’s early years at Tam O’Shanter. You can contact me at bmccowan@netrover.com. Thanks.
Bruce McCowan
Hi Nicky, I hope I did his history justice. – Bob
Absolutely. I loved seeing his photos. Handsome man–wasn’t he?
Yes! Nicky, I have an article where people are sharing their memories of The Tam. If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to read it: https://scenesto.com/2021/10/03/fifty-years-since-the-fire-memories-of-the-tam/
And if you’re so inclined, add a memory in the comments or email me at bob@scenesto.com.
I also did my best at telling some of the story of The Tam: https://scenesto.com/2021/03/07/the-rise-and-fall-and-rise-again-of-the-tam/
Thanks!
– Bob
This is the landscape of my childhood and teen years. As a child, we used to go to the Tam O’Shanter swimming pool, it was marvellous. I have such fond, but somewhat foggy, memories of the place. I remember inside the Tam O’Shanter club, one room had a giant moosehead on the wall.
As for Woolco and Agincourt Mall, I worked there in the 1970s. I was a high school student (Agincourt Collegiate) and worked at Woolco two evenings a week and all day Saturdays (from 10 am to 10 pm!!) In those days, both Woolco and Agincourt Mall were bustling, thriving, fun places to shop in, eat at, and meet your friends. Loblaws too was super-busy. How sad that that is no longer … what the heck happened???
Now I live in Paris and all that seems so far away. But thanks to your very well-researched blog posts, it all came back.
https://julietinparis.net
Hi, thank you for sharing! It’s neat to read about Agincourt Mall as a hangout. Different than what I grew up with and especially with what’s there now!
Thank you for this wonderful trip down memory lane. Question for you. Around 1976 I lived in the high rise towers to the West of Agincourt mall and attended Tam o’shanter elementary. I remember sneaking into the golf course property behind Agincourt Mall (North). I came across a large fenced area covered with vegatation growing up and all around it. I was skinny enough to squeeze through the locked chain link fence and behold, there was a pool! It was full of giant goldfish and there size scared me. We moved to British Columbia shortly after, and I never went back. Do you or anyone else remember, or did I make it up?? Still have the scar from the bob wire fence😉 Jay
I remember that well. It was the old, original Tam O’Shanter Golf and Country Club… remnants. The structure was mostly destroyed by fire in 1971. The pool, filled with giant goldfish ( koi?) .. remained for many years afterwards.
My earliest memories of the Tam would be in the very early ‘60’s. My Mom and Dad both curled, and I have distant memories of going to the Tam with my mom as a pre-schooler while she curled on a weekday morning. I was born in ‘57 so I guess that must have been 1960-61.
Later, my brother and I both played in the Wexford Hockey League so we were at the Tam every Saturday through the winter. NHL legend Howie Meeker ran his hockey school there too which we both took part in.
We moved from Warden & 401 (south side) to Bridlewood in ‘68, so in addition to hockey in the winter, we also went there swimming in the summer because we could ride our bikes there. Played golf more than a few times too.
When the Tam burned down, the smoke could be seen for miles. I remember the ash falling from the sky at our house on the other side of Warden. We rode our bikes over to find the fire and were both amazed at the size of the it, and saddened that the place we had spent so much time in was falling down in front of us.
I remember the Agincourt Mall being built (we went right past the site to get to the Tam nearly every week) and went there countless times. It was the first Woolco that I can remember and we went there pretty regularly. I think the supermarket was originally a Dominion store.
My friends and I would ride our bikes there regularly and would go right past the Stephen Leacock site when it was under construction.
Gordon Sinclair (well-known TV & radio personality) was coming there one Saturday and they had roped off a parking space for him right in front of the Dominion for his Rolls Royce. I’d never seen a Rolls so I talked my dad into going to the mall. We were there for a while but never did see him or his car.
I think that the beginning of the slide for Agincourt mall was when Fairview Mall opened. It isn’t very far away and I recall when it opened, my friends and I went there to hang out rather than the Agincourt.
I can still picture the giant golf ball on the tee and remember the silo.
A bit of a long post Iguess but hopefully others will see this and have their own memories tweaked. Great job on the original research!
Scott, thank you very much for sharing your memories! Truly phenomenal to read. I’m amazed that a common thread in people’s recollection of the Tam was the fire and how everyone travelled distances to see it.
My child goes to Tam O Shanter and her friends tried to break open the door in the silo…
The supermarket at Agincourt Mall was actually a Loblaws store. It stood all alone for a few years before the Mall was built.
I remember it as a Loblaws — I didn’t realize that it predates the mall as a whole. I see it now through the old aerial photos. Nice!
Debbie and Kim Logan. We grew up on Agincourt Drive. Both parents were curlers at the Tam. We usually swam and skated at the Glenwatford pool/arena. Our father – Bill Logan was the principal of Agincourt Public School during the 50’s. We were excited when Agincourt Mall opened. It was the place to hang out, before Scarborough Town Centre was built.
Hi Debbie and Kim, thank you for sharing your memories. It must’ve been a neat place to grow with everything I read and heard about the Mall and the Tam! -Bob
I did not grow up in Toronto but I attended a summer hockey school at Tam O’Shanter in the mid sixties prior to the fire. Attendees came from both Canada and the States. Notable instructors at the school included Kent Douglass and Peter Mahovolich. One of the ice surfaces was set up as a dorm if you stayed overnight which I did. Conditioning included running the golf course – sometimes in full hockey gear.
Hi James,
Thank you for offering your memories. Running on the course in full gear — wow!
Bob
I still remember that fire and the sad feelings seeing the burned out buildings and empty pool years after. As a mall rat, we used to scour the creek for lost golf balls to sell back to golfers for pinball change at the arcade. Played my first round at the Tam. Worked in men’s wear at Woolco with dozens of other kids from the neighbourhood. Leacock was home field for the Agincourt Eagles Football team of which I played in the late 70s. Probably wouldn’t recognize the area now.
Hi Geoff, I was the QB of the Eagles during the mid-late 70’s, Brian Furlong…did we play together or did you play with my younger brother John Furlong afterwards?
Hi Brian, I played two years with the Eagles. We never lost a game. We also won the Ontario championship and in my first year we travelled to Cincinnati for an exhibition game against the Tomahawks. We won that game by a single touch down. They hadn’t lost a game in 5 years and were National Champs. I can’t recall the name of the QB in my first year but the 2nd year it was Damon Smith. Other names were Chuck Wust, Roy Borowski, David Seminuk. I believe the coaches last names were Conley and Watkinson.
Hi, I grew up in Agincourt as well. Midland and 401 area. Midland was a dirt road at the time . Early 60s. I believe the store at Agincourt mall was a Woolworths before Woolco. I swam at glenwatford outdoor pool all summer . 25 cents to swim all day. I remember when the tam o shanter club house burnt fown as well. Its a shame as many people used the facility.
Hi Nancy! A shame indeed — thanks for sharing! Bob
Hey Nancy. Your memories are the same as mine! I too grew up in Agincourt all throughout the 60s and 70s (went to North Agincourt Public School then Agincourt Collegiate.) I too swam at the Glen Watford outdoor pool all summer (loved that pool.) You wouldn’t be Nancy Raitt would you?
Bob Georgiou, would you happen to have archival photos of the Glen Watford pool during that time? Beside the pool was an outdoor skating rink. (I’ve been looking for photos without success.) Such happy memories …
Hi Juliet! I haven’t located any yet, no. Where was it located specifically? – Bob
Hi Bob, thanks for writing. It was located at 31 Glen Watford Drive where there’s now a large, indoor covered pool complex. They replaced the original outdoor pool and skating rink in the 1980s, I think, with this new complex. Have a great day and thanks for your interesting blog!
Moved to Agincourt in 1956 on Reidmount Ave , four houses from the 15th green at the Tam. Played 3 rounds a day through most summers. Yearly membership for Juniors, $20. Curled there only a few times while at ACI. As I remember there were 12 sheets of ice. Am I wrong on that? I worked part time at Loblaws from the day it opened, the only store in the area until I left for university. Years later returned to live in Agincourt and sadly witnessed the smoke rising in the sky but often wondered about the suspicious cause of the fire.
I grew up in the Tam area in the late 70’s and into the 80’s, and went to Tam. There is a worn path around that silo, because we (and other grades for who knows how long) played a game called ‘silo tag’. There was a painted box on the wall that was a ‘safe’ spot to stop while running around the perimeter.
The ruins of the gold center were our playground. I remember finding forks and broken plates and odd trinkets. There was also a small shack just at the point where Bonis originally ended, and a man we called ‘Old Man Shack’ who lived there with a dog. He would scream and chase anyone who came near his shack, and he scared the crap out of the neighbourhood kids to the point where we developed our own urban legends about him.
The derelict building you posted was indeed a farmer’s building. They had the best corn ever…we called it ‘The Corn Place’.
So many memories growing up there 🙂
I grew up in the Tam area in the late 70’s and into the 80’s, and went to Tam. There is a worn path around that silo, because we (and other grades for who knows how long) played a game called ‘silo tag’. There was a painted box on the wall that was a ‘safe’ spot to stop while running around the perimeter.
The ruins of the gold center were our playground. I remember finding forks and broken plates and odd trinkets. There was also a small shack just at the point where Bonis originally ended, and a man we called ‘Old Man Shack’ who lived there with a dog. He would scream and chase anyone who came near his shack, and he scared the crap out of the neighbourhood kids to the point where we developed our own urban legends about him.
The derelict building you posted was indeed a farmer’s building. They had the best corn ever…we called it ‘The Corn Place’.
So many memories growing up there 🙂
Hey Eric: “Terry” was Greg Chepak’s nickname. Terry was good buddies with my best friend Frank Young. Frank Young Junior and Frank Busch Junior lived on either side of our house on Dempster Street in the Inglewood Heights neighbourhood. That’s why naming my son Frank was a done deal!
We all played in the Agincourt Lions Hockey League at Glenwatford arena. Twin outdoor rinks. The Inglewood dads maintained the natural ice rinks at Inglewood Heights PS all winter long. The Borough of Scarborough would put the boards up in the fall. Dempster Street had a wide elbow turn near our house. Kind of a cul de sac, but open at both ends. We played road hockey for hours, then watched cartoons. Remember Commander Tom and Rocket Ship 7 out of WKBW in Buffalo?
Before the City took over the golf course, the first hole of the Tam paralleled the back parking lot of Agincourt Mall. We used to sit on our bikes and wait for golfers to slice one into the parking lot. We would race each other to retrieve the ball. Most of the golfers would give us a tip for bringing their ball back. The odd crank would scold us for touching his ball. He wanted to play it off the pavement like Moe Norman.
Entered Grade 9 at Leacock CI when it opened in 1970. Going to be 50 years in fall of 2020! Principal John Anderson (aka “J.A”) would encourage the whole student body to sing “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” at assemblies. Good on ya Burt Bacharach and Hal David: Do you know the way to San Jose?
The Canadiana Motor Hotel (aka “the Anna”), and the pool hall in Agincourt Mall were the local dens of iniquity. My dad hauled my older brother out of the pool hall one day in front of his friends!
My mom always bought our running shoes on $1.44 day at Woolco. How else could a family of 5 kids afford shoes on one non-professional income? Thank goodness for Kraft Dinner.
The one question that identifies a real old “Agincourter” is: “Did you see the Tam burn down?” Yeppers.
Thanks for creating this wonderful site Bob. Each post triggers a zillion fond memories.
Yes David a lot of great memories. As a matter of fact, your Dad was my first hockey coach at the Glen Watford arena. Your brother Steve was on our team too. I remember that area of Dempster St., as I used to date Pam that lived at #1. Richard Coleman was down in that area as well as Graham Hole (eventually changed to Hall). Bob Wright, whose Dad was another of my hockey coaches. Can’t remember what I had for dinner last week but those days long ago are still vivid memories! LOL!
I grew up in the 60’s and skated, swam at both the Tam O’ Shanter and since I lived on Glen Watford…..skated and swam there as well. It was a great place to grow up. I recall 2 pools at the Tam? There is a woman who lived at the Tam O’Shanter in the 50’s and early 60’s who lives where I do now. She may have pictures from then? I will ask her.
Hey, Gail. You lived on Glen Watford Drive? I lived just off Dennett Drive and also grew up in the 1960s. May I ask what your last name was back then?
Photos would be nice, thanks! I went to North Agincourt Public School then ACI.
Thanks for your kind response Eric. That was probably the first season my dad coached. He always coached with his good friend Harry Fairman. I am guessing that Morgan Lumber sponsored that team. Pretty sure I had a copy of the team picture at some point. Yellow sweaters with green letters. Think Roger Barnes was on that team too.
I still have the team picture from my first year. Frank Young and Frank Busch were on my team. We won the Championship up at Crosby Arena in Unionville. The Championship game was always played at Crosby because it was an indoor rink. The outdoor rinks at Glen Watford would be swimming pools by the end of the playoffs. Reason we won the big game was Davey Reagan was on our team. Best player in Agincourt! Scored every shift. Dave and his brothers Pat and Tim went on to stellar careers in the MTHL, along with Kim Blackman, and Graham and Bill Hall/Hole. Bill and Graham founded a dental practice in the Ottawa valley. Smiths’ Falls I think.
The sad thing about the first season was the death of one of the dads. Guy Timbers’ dad died in a small plane crash. Guy was a cousin of Kelly Coburn. Kellys’ dad Frank was a great guy. Frank and my dad Jack shared Referee- in-Chief duties one year. They would split Saturday game day into morning and afternoon shifts. If a coach caught up to Frank and wanted to protest a game, Frank would tell him he would have to see Jack Bond, as he handled the protests. My dad would do the sane when he was on duty! Too damn funny.
Yep, Morgan Lumber and the Purina grain elevator were at the tracks by old Agincourt station. Agincourt Bowl was up in behind. That’s where the Agincourt GO station is now. Good to hear from you Eric. Pam was beautiful 🙂
I just noticed that I posted in a previous reply…oppsy, so here we go again 😉
Thank you for this fantastic article, brought back many memories. I have a question for you and your viewers:
Around 1976 I lived in the high rise towers to the West of Agincourt mall and attended Tam O’Shanter elementary. I remember sneaking into the golf course property behind Agincourt Mall (North). I came across a large fenced area covered with vegatation growing up and all around it. I was skinny enough to squeeze through the locked chain link fence and behold, there was a pool! It was full of giant goldfish and there size scared me. We moved to British Columbia shortly after, and I never went back. Do you or anyone else remember, or did I make it up?? Still have the scar from the bob wire fence😉 Jay
Hi Jay; I think you were in the Sparkhalls back yard ( owner of the Tam). They had a huge set of three ponds right behind where their house was.. (right beside the farthest end of the banquet halls and men’s golf lockers were behind there). They kept goldfish in there and by the time you found them I imagine they were carp size.! You didn’t imagine it!
Best
Kandie
Thank you Kandi…after all these decades I can finally put this mystery to rest.
I have some scoreboards that were removed after the fire.
I also swam at Glen Watford every day in the dummer and took lessons. There was a Woolworths before the Woolco. My parents also curled at the Tam. It was a sad day when it burnt down. I lived at Midland and the 401. Midland was a dirt road in the early 60’s.
Sorry but the best player in Agincourt lived on Earlton just down from me.
His name is John Etcher…and the only thing that kept him from the NHL was that he was only 5 foot 3…he could skate like the wind.
His dad was a president of the GTHL, so John had daily access to ice time…something that would not happen today.
John played in the ECHL for several years in the 70’s and is currently coaching in Switzerland ….the next best was David Bellamy…who lived on Dempster…#5 I think…3rd house down from the Inglewood parking lot
Cool post Wayne. I remember the Etcher and Bellamy families very well. Yes, the Bellamys lived at 51 Dempster. David’s sister Anne was in my grade at Inglewood Heights PS. I lived at 5 Dempster.
I knew John Etcher’s sister Jackie. She was a real peach. Good old Inglewood Heights!
My dad curled at Tam for years in the 60s and 70s. Sometimes, he’d bring me to play with the other kids who were sent with their fathers to get out of Mom’s hair. If I recall correctly, there was a huge bear skin/head mounted on the wall of the snack bar. I was signed up for skating lessons one year but 12 prior, Tam burned. I grabbed my Kodak Instamatic 44 and as many neighbourhood kids as I could find and scrambled down to Prince Hal Crescent where I knew I could hop the tall chain link fence. Mid climb, some bossy matron in an apron barrelled out her front door and proceeded to berate us about our attempts to circumvent the boundaries. She demanded our parents’ phone numbers and I was left wondering just how she became the neighbourhood authority. Many years later, Joyce Trimmer became the Mayor of the City of Scarborough.
I remember the huge bear skin/head mounted on the wall of the snack bar. Do you remember the wonderful swimming pool? It had an original shape, but I can’t remember what the shape was. Does anyone recall? I’ve been unable to find photos of the place.
I have an old aerial photo of the “Tam” which shows the pool.
Really? Can you post it somewhere?
Hi; my name is Kandie Learmonth born and bred at the Tam, literally. My parents Alastair and Elizabeth ( Big Al and Libby) built and named the Tam O Shanter after being asked by Bill Sparkhall to come to Canada from Scotland when it was a pro shop shack and rough farm fields. My 6’4” father named the property and I have pics of lots of the property ( including the golf ball) We lived on the site across from the Sparkhalls. My Dad was the manager from 1952 – until just before the fire. At that time he was working for Sparkhall but in St Jerome PQ at another of his businesses. Contact me if you would like some archival photos of the Emerald Pool or the Heather skating rink. 12 sheets of curling ice, The Clan dining room and banquet halls, the bowling alley. The embankment down the back of the Sparkhalls led directly to the creek and in the spring swans would nest there. We lived in our own little bubble of river rafting in the spring and the golf course was our back yard. An idyllic life for children. I am not a “ blogger” but would be happy to provide photos for the people who are curating this blog. My mom 92 years young is still brimming with memories of this place that took a central part in her life for the first 25 or so years of her marriage. It was their life’s work and quite amazing given they were only 23 when they came out from Scotland newly married with no real notion of Canada at the time.
Hi Kandie
I am working on a history of curling (Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Scarborough for the most part).
Would you be interested in working with your mother to compose a short chapter for the curling book about Tam and the Sparkhalls in the ’50s and ’60s?
Of course a couple of ’50s photos would be of great interest. Would you happen to have photos of old curling trophies that were at Tam? Do you know if any curling records were rescued from the burning building?
PS: My grandmother, Janet Purdie McCowan, was a first cousin of Mary Sparkhall, Bill’s mother.
Best regards,
D. Bruce McCowan, P.Eng., Former Chair (2010-12)
Professional Engineers Ontario Education Committee
Reviews of Latest Publication: http://mccowan.org/we're_not_here_to_put_in_time.htm
Yes! Photos, please. I remember that amazing large swimming pool that was a different shape from usual pools. And the Agincourt Heather skating rink and pool too – photos would be great to take us all down memory lane. Happy, happy days! My mother curled at the Tam. Thanks so much in advance.
Hi Kandie, I shall send you an email as I am very interested in hearing and seeing more via your family memories!
In the meantime, I have written a quick history of The Tam O’Shanter: https://scenesto.com/2021/03/07/the-rise-and-fall-and-rise-again-of-the-tam/
Hope it is accurate!
– Bob
Thanks Bob; I am happy to share whatever pics I have but am not sure how to send. I have a bunch of stuff already to go on my phone but not sure how to forward in this venue. I do know how to send to an email address if you will provide. Most of what I have now is promotional info that are aerial shots of the Tam when she was in full operation ( including the Golf Ball! and the kidney shaped pool etc.) but I also have family photos that are also taken in and around the Tam. If you email me personally I will be happy to send these to you. I will also read your stuff and give any F/B my mum and I think would be helpful. One thing I already got wrong was it was already named TamO’Shanter when my parents arrived but as I said my 6’4” auburn haired, freckled Scottish Geordie of a Dad kind of became the embodiment of the Scottish themed Club. I know he did contribute many of the subsequent names of many of the units. The Heather Curling Club was named after/ for Bill Sparkhalls’ eldest daughter. We knew the Hylands ( skating pros) the Sellers ( greens and course maintanance, )the Evelyn’s (golf course pro and pro shop), and so many other great folks who worked there for years. Not to mention all my teenage friends who worked P/T jobs on the various snack bars, banquet set ups, hockey school waiters etc.
So if you email me personally I can forward pics you can post to this site
Thanks Kandie
Hi Kandie. I just sent you an email! 🙂
Hey Kandie:
Thanks for sharing your family’s history with the Tam. So cool. My mom will be 92 this month too. Still going strong.
I think the first curling rink in Agincourt was located at the corner of what is now Heather Road and Glen Watford Drive (now site of Glen Watford Arena). Scottish names for sure. I wonder if the Sparkhall family had a hand in naming Heather Road? I had always assumed that the present day Tam Heather Curling Club was named to remember the Tam O’Shanter CC, and the original Agincourt curling facility at Heather Road and Glen Watford Drive.
On a different Scottish tangent, my dad was one of the few Canadian-born guys to work at Howden Parsons at 1510 Birchmount Road. Howdens of Glasgow had partnered with C.A. Parsons of Newcastle to build steam turbines in Canada for Ontario Hydro. The place was full of “Geordies”. The lathes and milling machines in this huge plant were plastered with Rangers and Celtic calendars. Apparently their respective fans weren’t overly fond of one another. Too funny.
Charles Algernon Parsons of Newcastle invented the steam turbine. The renowned WW2 Canadian Navy destroyer Haida was powered by C.A. Parsons steam turbines.
The Laura Secord factory was immediately south of Howden-Parsons. The sweet smell of chocolate wafted through the air over Birchmount Road.
Howdens and Laura Secord are long gone now, but the buildings are still in use.
Best wishes,
Dave Bond Leacock C.I. Grad, 1975
I was a friend of your brother Scott .
I do recall your giant of a dad.
Even got out to Cherry Valley a few times !
Hi- i lived a little north of the Tam in the new subdivisions north of Huntingwood. I recall my dad taking me down there as it burned. Question: is it my imagination, or was there a restaurant that operated on the site in the 70s after the fire? I recall the name “Matterhorn” on a red sign facing Kennedy that was there for a few years. I really enjoy reading these comments.
Hi- i lived a little north of the Tam in the new subdivisions north of Huntingwood. I recall my dad taking me down there as it burned. Question: is it my imagination, or was there a restaurant that operated on the site in the 70s after the fire? I recall the name “Matterhorn” on a red sign facing Kennedy that was there for a few years. I really enjoy reading these comments.
Hello! I’m looking to put together a piece to mark 50 years since the Tam O’Shanter fire next month. I am looking for any memories, stories, photos about the Tam, the fire, Agincourt, the time period, etc. If you’ve already shared memories on this article or other articles, feel free to share with me again! Thank you!
Bob – bob@scenesto.com
I asked about the property behind Agincourt and no one ever replied.
Hi Jay! Apologies for missing your message! Looks like you had a reply to your first message corroborating the old goldfish pool!
If anyone is able to help Jay, let him (and us!) know!
My wife’s grandfather was Robert Bonis. Great historian. I grew up in the Tam area. We all rode our bikes to watch the fire back in 71