John Hallam (died 1900)

John Hallam (1833–1900) was a merchant, and alderman, living in Toronto, Canada. He is best known for being the prior owner of Chorley Park, a large estate, that backed on to the valley of the Don River, acquired after his death, on which was constructed an opulent official residence for the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.[2][3]

John Hallam
Born
Chorley, Lancashire, UK
Died
Toronto
NationalityCanadian
Occupation(s)Merchant, Alderman
Known forAfter his death one of his properties was turned into Ontario's most opulent vice-regal residence
View from Hallan's extensive property, Chorley Park.[1]

He was born in Chorley, Lancashire, UK, and started work in a calico print mill at the age of seven. He emigrated to Canada in 1856.[4] In 1882, Alderman Hallam prepared a report for Toronto city council on free libraries.[5] In 1883 Hallam championed a ballot initiative that authorized the city to start providing a free library service.[6]

In 1894, The New York Times noted that Hallam was a prominent Toronto resident backing a plan to build a canal from Collingwood, Ontario, on Lake Huron, to Toronto.[7] The New York Times described this canal as representing competition to New York state's Erie Canal and Oswego Canal.

In 1896 Hallam stood in for mayor Robert Fleming, and introduced a mock Parliament, that debated whether men should have the vote.[8] The event was a fund-raiser for the women's suffrage movement.

References
  1. Graeme Mercer Adam (1891). Toronto, Old and New: A Memorial Volume, Historical, Descriptive and Pictorial, Designed to Mark the Hundredth Anniversary of the Passing of the Constitutional Act of 1791, which Set Apart the Province of Upper Canada and Gave Birth to York (now Toronto) with Some Sketches of the Men who Have ... Mail printing Company. p. 174. Archived from the original on 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  2. Carol Vyhnak (2016-04-21). "Once Upon A City: Opulent estate was doomed from inception". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2018-10-08. Bought for $125,000 from the estate of Alderman John Hallam, the property was named Chorley Park after his birthplace in England. The French chateau-style designed by architect F.R. Heakes was budgeted for $215,000 but even as shovels dug in, costs climbed and the grumbling began.
  3. Chris Bateman (2017-05-14). "How Toronto demolished the finest mansion in Canada". Blog TO. Archived from the original on 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2018-10-08. The province, however, had other ideas. It rejected Gage's offer and forged ahead with the Rosedale site, known as Chorley Park, after the town of Chorley in Lancashire, England, the birthplace of Toronto alderman John Hallam.
  4. "A Chorley cotton operative turned Canadian merchant". Preston Chronicle. 23 October 1869.
  5. Taunton (1882). "Municipal Register Containing the Mayor's Address and Annual Reports for ... with the City Officers for ... Issue 39 of City document". City of Toronto government. Archived from the original on 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
  6. Jamie Bradburn (2011-07-21). "Threatening the Toronto Public Library". Torontoist. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-09. Championed by Alderman John Hallam, a bylaw to create a public library was placed on the January 1, 1883, municipal ballot.
  7. "WANT THE STATE CANALS DEEPENED". The New York Times. 1894-09-03. Archived from the original on 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
  8. David Wencer. "Historicist: Should Men Have the Vote?". Torontoist. Archived from the original on 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2018-10-09. Mayor Robert Fleming had originally intended to attend the evening and introduce the musical program, but was called away to Ottawa; alderman John Hallam assumed this duty.
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