Posted by John Stevenson on Sep 14, 2015
 
 
 
Six of our intrepid club members cooked and served hot dogs for over 400 people at Montgomery’s Inn Corn Roast on Thursday, September 10th to celebrate the Inn's 40th anniversary.
 
 
 
 
Young and old came out to enjoy the corn roast, hear old-time music, and buy items from the bake sale and market, kids’ crafts, and to see the heritage displays and more! MPP Yvon Baker and "Thomas Montgomery"  (1790-1877) was on hand yielding a long sword to cut the celebration cake.
 
Our Rotary "BBQ cooks" were so good and turnout so great that they ran out of hot dogs and buns, sending Monty’s Inn staff off hunting for more food and charcoal at local stores.  Everyone got fed in the end! The event was highly successful in both attendance and fundraising for this historical museum and inn. Our club hopes to help out next year – hopefully with more hotdogs and charcoal on hand!
 
 
 
The Rotary Club of West Toronto is proud to call this iconic and historic inn  "home" for our weekly meetings. 
 
Visitors are always welcome to drop in for a free breakfast and enjoy a brief presentation on a wide variety of interesting topics. Come out and learn, meet and make new friends in this active club working to help others in both our community and internationally.
 
Check out our events calendar to see what we're up to!
 
 
 

 
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MONTGOMERY'S INN
 
 
THE MONTGOMERY FAMILY
​Thomas Montgomery (1790-1877) was born in Country Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. Family tradition holds that he came to Canada when he was about 25 years old and spent his early years working in the salt trade and as a surveyor. In 1829 Thomas married another Irish immigrant, Margaret Dawson (1808-1855).
 
THEIR INN
Montgomery’s Inn was built about 1830 for Thomas and Margaret Montgomery. As the business prospered, a new bar room, ballroom, and a second kitchen were added in 1838 (the east and south wings). The Inn served as a meeting place for the local community and also provided food and shelter to travelers.
 
THEIR TIMES
The years 1847-1859 marked the heyday of the Inn. This was a momentous time for the Irish, with the highest ever immigration from Ireland to Canada, due to the potato famine and typhus epidemic. Many thousands died en route to Canada, and in the summer of 1847 nearly 1000 Irish immigrants died in Toronto itself.
 
THEIR HOUSEHOLD
The Montgomery's had seven children, but only two sons, William (1830-1920) and Robert (1837-1864) survived to adulthood. The household also included various servants, farm labourers, and billeted workers from local businesses. The family employed Irish famine refugees and emancipated American slaves.
 
THEIR FARM
The Montgomery land extended from Bloor Street north to Dundas Street West, and from Kipling Avenue in the West to Royal York Road in the east. The 400-acre property served as a farm, which provided food for the family and customers and for sale. It was farmed by the family, and later by tenants until the 1940s.
 
THEIR LEGACY
Montgomery’s Inn operated for about 25 years, until the mid 1850s, closing shortly after Margaret died. Today, thanks to the foresight of local citizens and to ongoing government support, the Inn remains a tangible link with the early days of Etobicoke and a significant heritage resource for visitors from near and far. 
 
More info at  MONTGOMERY'S INN