The Heart of Toronto

From the sidewalk to City Hall, in the corporate boardroom, and around the kitchen table, The Heart of Toronto traces the power dynamics and projects that have transformed downtown Toronto.

Daniel Ross is an associate professor in the Department of History at the Université du Québec à Montréal. His research on cities, urban culture, and local politics in Canada has been published in the Urban History Review/Revue d’histoire urbaine, BC Studies, the Bulletin d’histoire politique, and Spacing magazine.

Ross Fair, Toronto Metropolitan University:

"Daniel Ross’ Heart of Toronto is a much needed analysis of a critical aspect of downtown Toronto’s postwar development."

Shawn Micallef, author of Frontier City: Toronto on the Verge of Greatness:

Big stories for the big city. The Heart of Toronto is filled with grand visions and forgotten details about a street that the city has always fretted about. This book explains why Yonge has endured.

Steve Penfold, author of A Mile of Make-Believe: A History of the Eaton's Santa Claus Parade and The Donut: A Canadian History:

The Heart of Toronto is a fascinating history of a central street. By capturing Yonge in all its glory – from the Eaton Centre to strip clubs, from nighttime fun to urban danger – Ross skilfully dissects the forces that have shaped our cities.