Monday, March 11, 2024

Dick Day Horse Stable, Another View and a Bit of History – Jim Day

I found this photo of the Dick Day Horse Stable taken about three years ago (May 26th, 2017), a view from Yonge Street; and I thought I would post it in continuation of my previously published images in my photo blog, I Know Nothing About Dick Day Horse Stable, Demolished.

The empty property shown below is set to be developed [By-law passed on July 24th, 2018 to amend By-law Number 6000-17, as amended (14029 Yonge Street – Dormer Hill Inc. General Committee Report No. PDS18-075, Jun. 19/18)]; however, as of 2019 not much has happened after demolition. Image courtesy of Google Street View, July 2019.

As always I enjoy going back in time to research a bit of history on properties I photographed. As time progresses more printed newsprint is archived digitally resulting in more content available to the public; and this time around I found a bit more info about the Day family, Jim Day, son of Dick Day (Source: The Liberal, Sports, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Thursday, March 16, 1937).

Equestrian rider par excellence Jim Day not only didn’t talk to horses when he was a youngster. He ignored them. Just wasn’t interested. Why? “I guess being brought up around horses is the reason,” observed 20-year-old Jim the other day over tea and cookies at his home on the CFRB Sideroad, just north of Oak Ridges. “I didn’t pay too much attention to them,” he said, “until I was about 12 years old and suddenly realized it could be a lot of fun.” Jim has always been “around” horses because his father, Dick Day, is one of Canada’s outstanding professional riders. And it appears Jim is headed in the same direction if his 1966 accomplishments are any indications. Jim rode on the Canadian equestrian team which won the National Cup for the first time in 30 years by defeating the powerful United States team. Jim was also the individual champion aboard Canadian Club.

Source: The Liberal, Sports, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Thursday, March 16, 1937

Since CFRB Sideroad was mentioned in the above column, according to the I Grew Up in Aurora Ontario Facebook Group members CFRB Sideroad is the current Bloomington Road.

Furthermore according to CFRB-AM History of Canadian Broadcasting (CFRB-AM, NewsTalk 1010, Toronto): “On February 19, 1927, 9RB became CFRB (Canada’s First Rogers Batteryless), broadcasting on 1030 kHz with 1,000 watts. CFRB was operated by Rogers Radio Broadcasting Company. CFRB shared the 1030 frequency and airtime with CKGW and CJYC. CFRB’s first studios were situated in the mansion built by the Massey family which had been converted to accommodate the Ryan Art Galleries (Jarvis Street, near Wellesley). The transmitter was sited north of Toronto in Aurora on Bloomingdale sideroad – later named “CFRB Sideroad”. The station used two 98 foot high wooden towers – on the highest point of land in the Toronto area – on a hill in Aurora – 1,040 feet above sea level.

Anna Lozyk Romeo
Aurora, Ontario