Fort York

Built in the late 18th century, Fort York stood as a principal stronghold for Upper Canada. Coming off the defeat of the American Revolutionary War, the British forces were not willing to give up their advantageous northern territory (what we now know as large areas of Canada). 

With the American’s forceful philosophy of Manifest Destiny, Fort York stood as a quintessential obstacle standing in Uncle Sam’s way. 

Fort York is of course still in existence today, occupying some of the most pristine downtown Toronto real estate. It’s home to many fun summer events and can be visited as a heritage tourist attraction all year round.

The thriving craft beer scene of our fair city can also be traced back to good old Fort York. Part of a British soldier’s salary included the deliciously extravagant allowance of six pints of beer a day. In order to meet this demand, local brewers from across Upper and Lower Canada flocked to the growing city of York (now Toronto) to open shop and supply the thirsty British soldiers with their daily allowance. 

For more amazing stories on Fort York, we recommend grabbing a copy of Fort York: Stories from the Birthplace of Toronto, by The Friends of Fort York and Garrison Common.