Maple Cottage, Leslieville

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 Muir, The Maple Leaf Forever

On the occasion of  Toronto’s 175th birthday last Friday, I felt like I really ought to mark  the day in some kind of special way, and Maple Cottage is very much part of Muddy York’s colourful history. So I finally got around to something I’ve been meaning to do for a couple of years now, which was to track down the very maple tree that is reputed to have inspired Alexander Muir to pen Canada’s patriotic anthem, The Maple Leaf Forever. This huge tree can be seen on the right side of the picture above.

Possibly a sucker maple – hard to tell for sure this time of year - this tree  is definitely very big and almost as big as the myth surrounding it! If you follow the link below, you will discover that some would think you sucker to believe this quaint piece of local lore. Call me a romantic, but I don’t doubt the authenticity of the story for a moment. And funny how things turn out – just by chance I found myself back in Leslieville only two days later, exploring an abandoned church over on Jones Avenue, almost as if Muir himself was taking me on a guided tour of his old neighbourhood.

At the corner of Memory Lane and Laing Street, just south of Queen out in Leslieville, you can discover Maple Cottage for yourself. Now a vibrant art school, it’s hard to believe that this charming century home was once slated for the wrecking ball.