Last Sunday’s Sun column was devoted to the various plans put forward by Toronto’s city planners and staff of the TTC as they attempted to solve the city’s ever-worsening traffic problems that began soon after the end of the Second World War. The reason was simple — too many vehicles now trying to squeeze through thoroughfares that had been laid out more than a century before.

For example, as early as 1968, it was recognized that some improved form of public transit to serve the citizens of Scarborough was needed. My previous column described several attempts and modes of transit that were presented. It wasn’t until March of 1985 that the Scarborough RT became operational. The suggestion now is to build a one-stop subway extension to the Bloor-Danforth line and a 17-stop light rail line, light rail being a modern and larger version of the electric streetcar and one that operates at high speeds on its own dedicated right-of-way.

Through this trio of old photos, I’ll look back more than a century at the evolution of electric transportation in Scarborough.

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The origin of the Toronto All-Star Big Band goes back three decades. Interestingly, many of its present members weren’t even born when the original All-Star group of musicians and singers first began playing the music of such perennial favourites as Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw and the Dorseys. One of the organization’s biggest fans and its longest serving volunteer was the late Scotty Woods. When Scotty passed away several years ago, members of the band agreed to set up a special music scholarship that would be awarded to the band member who most exemplifies the personality traits that endeared Scotty to the Toronto All-Stars. To this end, the 4th Annual Scotty Woods Scholarship Dinner Dance will take place at the historic Palais Royale on the evening of March 19. All details and tickets are available online at torontoallstarbigband.com or by phoning 416-231-5695.

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Many of Mike’s Sunday Sun columns have been published by Dundurn Press in a series titled Toronto Sketches, the Way We Were. Volume 12 in the series is now in bookstores. Further details at Dundurn.com