Many Franco-Ontarian authors have described Toronto streets and neighbourhoods in
their short stories, have set the intrigue on their novel in the Queen City or have
been inspired by Canada’s megacity in writing their poetry. The book presents a detailed
history of Toronto through 120 literary extracts from 60 Franco-Ontarian authors.
The first part of this essay is a chronological overview, starting with the French
Regime, then Upper Canada, Confederation and the 20th century. The second part covers
various themes such as “I love to hate Toronto”, famous streets, architecture, multiculturalism,
the Gay Village and the rivalry between Montréal and Toronto. The preface is signed
by mayor David Miller (2007).
