The cemetery has a lonely, slightly eerie feel even at midday. That is likely because of the large old trees that provide lots of darker shaded areas as well as a number of secluded small valleys throughout the grounds. Even so, this place is definitely worth the trip. As you will see in the video it is full of beautiful old reminders of long ago.

The estate’s title was once held by Alexander Milne, a Scottish weaver who settled here after the War of 1812, and left in 1832. The land and the woolen/saw mills were obtained by Rupert E. Edwards in 1944, who created his country home. Edwards home was left in neglect and was purchased by the Municipality of Metro Toronto in 1955 and became Edwards Gardens in 1956.

Also on the site is the Toronto Botanical Garden, a private not-for profit organization previously called the Civic Garden Centre. In 2006, the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) opened a series of 12 contemporary themed gardens spanning nearly four acres. These unique green spaces are designed for Torontonians and visitors to enjoy and engage in the splendour of nature, while learning practical applications for their own gardens. The gardens reflect the scale of a typical urban setting, making it easy for visitors to translate the ideas presented into their own gardens. The gardens are open year-round from dawn until dusk and admission is free of charge.

While Yonge Street is the emotional heart of the city and Bay Street is the financial hub, University Avenue is arguably Toronto’s most prestigious thoroughfare. The boulevard is unusually wide for Canadian cities as it expands to 8 lanes wide.

The northernmost part of the street is dominated by a series of very large hospitals. These include the Toronto General Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto Rehab, and the Hospital for Sick Children. This stretch is occasionally referred to as "Hospital Row" by locals and the Media. The intersection of University and College is also home to the headquarters of Ontario Power Generation.

The rest of the street is home to a variety of corporate offices and provincial government buildings. Restaurants now dot the southern end of University Avenue. Recently completed at the intersection of University and Queen Street is the Four Seasons Centre, which is the new home of the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada. Osgoode Hall presents stately architecture and a welcome green space. During the holiday season, festive lights illuminate the trees and shrubs of the boulevard. Unlike most major streets in Toronto, there are no rooftop billboards visible from University Avenue due to a city bylaw.

Constructed as a downtown ’revitalization’ project, the square was created from the demolition of a block of commercial buildings and opened as a public square to the public in November 2002. The Square is designated for use as a public open space and is used for music concerts, film screenings and other public events. You’ll discover a wide range of activities on the Square at any given time: community celebrations, theatrical events, concerts, receptions, promotions – events that appeal to residents and tourists alike.

The centrepiece of the square is the array of ten fountains that are spread out across the main walkway of the square so that visitors have the opportunity to walk through or around the fountains. Unlike many other city fountains, the Dundas Square fountains were meant for waterplay. The fountains usually run from around mid April to the end of October.

Baldwin Street is a relatively small street, hidden among the towers and hustle & bustle of Toronto’s downtown, but it a great example of an urban oasis. It seems secluded and inviting. You will hardly believe that you are right near the downtown core. The restaurants all have great patios, and you can get a variety of foods, from Italian to Japanese to Thai to Indian to Vegetarian and more ... there really is something for almost everyone.

Baldwin also has a number of unique little businesses, like a used record store, an art gallery and a small hotel. All are one-of-a-kind and are definitely worth checking out.

If you have just come from a day at The AGO or are just in the Dundas Street West neighbourhood you should absolutely check out Baldwin Street. Few streets anywhere have so much character and charm in such a small area.

It is modelled after a Norman French chateau with rounded turrets and grand halls, and though it originally started as a summer residence and working farm it became a focal point for steeplechase days, hunter trials and a place for the Toronto and North York Hunt Club meets. During the Second World War Eaton Hall served first as a refuge for British children who had been sent to Canada to escape the London bombings and later the Royal Canadian Navy was given use of the house and grounds as a burn convalescent hospital and rehabilitation centre. Lady Eaton donated the funds for all the medications and staff. At war’s end, Eaton Hall returned to its role as a private residence and working farm. By 1971 it was purchased and used by one of Canada’s outstanding community colleges, Seneca College. By the summer of 1991 it became a more public hotel and conference centre and is a popular destination for corporate meetings. Eaton Hall is likely now the second largest castle/chateau in The GTA. Any guesses on what the #1 castle is? You’ll see it in a future episode of TLTV. Stay tuned!

Opened in 1855, it replaced St. Paul’s Cemetery at Queen and Parliament, which had been filled to capacity by the influx of Irish Catholic settlers fleeing the Great Potato Famine. Some 29,000 people are currently buried at St. Michael’s. It is the final resting place mostly for working class Irish Canadians, Toronto’s Catholic pioneers.

One of the most notable features of the cemetery is the octagonal winter mortuary vault designed by Joseph Sheard, who later became mayor of Toronto. The winter vault was used to store the bodies of the deceased during the winter until the graves could be dug again in the softened soil the following spring. The octagonal shape of the winter vault offered extra wall space for platforms to place coffins.

In this episode we’ll venture inside the cemetery to take a look at some of the more interesting markers and quiet corners. We’ll get a look at the outside of the winter mortuary vault, as well as the beautiful row of trees leading up to it. All in all, it is a very unique and peaceful place in a busy modern metropolis.

We’ll start at the busy intersection of Yonge and St Clair, with it’s medium-sized skyscrapers. From there we’ll wander south toward Summerhill Avenue, stopping to look at some of the interesting places along the way, like the restaurants The Monk’s Table and The Rosedale Diner. Torontonians will walk and drive by as we look at some shop windows, all while we make our way under the railway bridge to view the steeple overlooking the huge new LCBO outlet.

Finally, we’ll spy a small nondescript alleyway that holds a clue to our next episode…