How one robbery forced Toronto to name all its unnamed laneways

Toronto is home to plenty of laneways with interesting names, from Old Sweats Lane and Cream Top Lane to Picking Coke Lane and Magic Lane — but in one particular neighbourhood, you'll notice that the laneways are all named after real people, and there's actually a pretty surprising reason why.

A robbery in a Harbord Village laneway about 17 years ago sparked a grassroots campaign to name the neighbourhood's previously unnamed alleys and, in the process, pay tribute to the people who helped shape the community.

The incident occurred back in 2009, when a woman was swarmed and robbed by a group of teenagers in one of the laneways sandwiched between the Annex and Kensington Market. However, emergency services had a difficult time locating her to provide aid, since the laneway where the crime happened didn't technically have a name.

In response to this newly exposed vulnerability for emergency responders, a Toronto police officer suggested that naming the laneways could make it easier for authorities to locate individuals in need. The suggestion was then brought to the attention of Rory "Gus" Sinclair, who was then chair of the Harbord Village Residents' Association.

Sinclair helped to launch a grassroots movement to name the neighbourhood's laneways, with the residents' association eventually asking that the alleys be named to honour people connected to Harbord Village.

The entire process took roughly two years and involved extensive community consultations. Overall, more than 250 suggestions were submitted, and eventually, a jury of four community activists selected 23 names. The resulting names include a mix of well-known local figures, community activists, and immigrants who lived or worked in the neighbourhood.

One of the laneways is named after Albert Jackson, a former child slave who escaped the U.S. with his family in the 1850s and later became the first Black Canadian mail carrier in Toronto, and continued his career until his death in 1918.

This name was suggested by Patrick Crean, the publisher of I've Got a Home in Gloryland, who, as it turns out, was coincidentally living in a house that Jackson's widow, Henrietta, had owned for multiple decades.

Perhaps one of the most notable laneway names to come out of the project is the Boys of Major Lane, which commemorates six young men from Major Street who served during WWII, many of whom lost their lives.

Photo: Laneway Housing Advisors.

According to the Harbord Village Residents' Association, the young Jewish immigrants spent their youth playing in local playgrounds, and eventually were among the earliest to enlist in the war.

Harold Fromstein, who was known as "Red," lived at 117 Major St. and used his older brother's name to enlist in the war in 1940. Although he was wounded in France in 1944, he went on to survive the war and was decorated for his service.

Red's cousin, Joe Greenberg, enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940. He also survived the war and eventually became a legendary doctor. Sergeants Harold Sobel and Solomon "Solly" Kay, who lived next door to each other on Major Street, never returned from the war, along with their friend, Charles "Chucky" Males. 

Flying Officer Irving Lindzon, also known as "Porky," was shot down over the Bay of Bengal in 1945, just a few weeks before the war concluded.

Other laneways in the neighbourhood honour individuals whose contributions were closer to home, including the Lewis Family. This lane honours Harry and Mary Lewis, who moved to Major Street in 1964 and raised their three sons there. Recognized throughout the community as hardworking immigrants, the Lewises were one of only two families of Chinese descent in the neighbourhood at the time.

David French Lane is named after the Canadian playwright, who lived at 254 Brunswick Ave. until his death in 2010, and wrote in a room that overlooked the laneway.

Graffiti mural on David French Lane in 2010. Photo: City of Toronto Archives.

Douglas Campbell Lane, which sits just north of College Street, honours the Scottish-born stage actor who was one of the original ensemble members of the Stratford Festival in Ontario, and lived on Brunswick Avenue for 30 years.

William James Lane honours the prolific photographer, who lived at 250 Major St., and spent much of his career photographing Toronto's streets and everyday life in the 20th century. Roughly 10,000 of James' photographs and slides are still held in the City of Toronto Archives.

Situated just south of Bloor Street West, Leah Cohen Lane recognizes the Canadian feminist scholar who worked in Harbord Village from 1976 until her untimely death from cancer in 2007. Cohen authored two landmark books, including The Secret Oppression: Sexual Harassment of Working Women and Small Expectations: Society's Betrayal of Older Women.

According to the Harbord Village Residents' Association, since Cohen worked from home on Major Street, she was a regular presence in the neighbourhood's coffee shops.

Notably, three laneways were named by the City at the request of families in 2010 and 2011, just prior to the Harbord Village Residents' Association's project, including one that commemorates Louie Laki, who was known for his unwavering community spirit. Laki arrived in Toronto from Slovenia in the 1950s and lived on Major Street from 1960 until his death in 2002.

Louie Laki on his motorcycle, near Lippincott Street in 1957. Photo: City of Toronto Archives.

The second is Poretta Lane, which was formally unveiled in 2011, and honours Giuseppe Porretta, the owner of Porretta's Pizza on Harbord at Robert Street, which ultimately closed down after three decades in business.

Last but certainly not least, Kosower Lane was also unveiled in 2011 and honours Albert and Goldie Kosower, who immigrated from Poland and took over the Harbord Bakery in 1945. The Annex institution is still open to this day.