Marmaly
New Member
This is the first of what will be many posts detailing the development, architecture and history of a unique site in Toronto.
In 1956, Bert Fine started "Bathurst Manor Day Camp," the first children's day camp in Canada in the Don Valley. The site, located south of Finch and West of Bathurst was surrounded by over 100 acres of forest and was developed at the same time as the neighbouring Bathurst Manor subdivision. The entrance to the camp was located at 50 Blue Forest Drive.
The camp, later renamed, "Forest Valley Day Camp" became the largest in Canada with over 900 campers. Bert Fine essentially created the concept of "Outdoor Education" when he approached the North York Board of Education with the idea of using the site year-round for student visits.
I was fortunate to have worked for Mr. Fine for many years and he served as a mentor to me in many ways. My admiration of his accomplishments led me to amass a significant collection of archives, images and physical mementos, many of which were personally saved from destruction when the camp closed. Several years ago, I began assembling this history on a website, which contains an extremely detailed history of the development and construction of the site. As a long-time UT member, I thought it was finally time to begin sharing this story.
The site was sold to the Conservation Authority in the early 80's and the camp continued to lease the property until 1993 when political wrangling between the city and various other parties made a renewed lease impractical. The development and is a fascinating story which the UT community will find very interesting.
When the site was purchased, the zoning of the valley lands were in flux. Nevertheless, Fine managed to develop the site to include 6 swimming pools, 2 dining halls and a large auditorium / office complex designed by Mandel Sprachman. It is the latter which I will begin with. Built in 1964, the design was modular and featured an exposed concrete block and wood interior.
Below is an aerial photo from the 1970's when the site was fully developed. I have also included an article from the March 1965 issue of Canadian Architect, which describes the office / auditorium project. Several photos of the construction of the complex are also shown.
In 1956, Bert Fine started "Bathurst Manor Day Camp," the first children's day camp in Canada in the Don Valley. The site, located south of Finch and West of Bathurst was surrounded by over 100 acres of forest and was developed at the same time as the neighbouring Bathurst Manor subdivision. The entrance to the camp was located at 50 Blue Forest Drive.
The camp, later renamed, "Forest Valley Day Camp" became the largest in Canada with over 900 campers. Bert Fine essentially created the concept of "Outdoor Education" when he approached the North York Board of Education with the idea of using the site year-round for student visits.
I was fortunate to have worked for Mr. Fine for many years and he served as a mentor to me in many ways. My admiration of his accomplishments led me to amass a significant collection of archives, images and physical mementos, many of which were personally saved from destruction when the camp closed. Several years ago, I began assembling this history on a website, which contains an extremely detailed history of the development and construction of the site. As a long-time UT member, I thought it was finally time to begin sharing this story.
The site was sold to the Conservation Authority in the early 80's and the camp continued to lease the property until 1993 when political wrangling between the city and various other parties made a renewed lease impractical. The development and is a fascinating story which the UT community will find very interesting.
When the site was purchased, the zoning of the valley lands were in flux. Nevertheless, Fine managed to develop the site to include 6 swimming pools, 2 dining halls and a large auditorium / office complex designed by Mandel Sprachman. It is the latter which I will begin with. Built in 1964, the design was modular and featured an exposed concrete block and wood interior.
Below is an aerial photo from the 1970's when the site was fully developed. I have also included an article from the March 1965 issue of Canadian Architect, which describes the office / auditorium project. Several photos of the construction of the complex are also shown.
