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The Toronto Ornithological Club (TOC) was established by Toronto area birders in order to facilitate cooperation and communication concerning ornithological studies within the Toronto area and between Toronto and other ornithological centres. The club maintained records of bird sightings each year in Toronto and adjoining areas until 2011. Present records by members are now submitted to E-Bird. Meetings generally include a short paper on an ornithological topic by one of the members or a guest speaker.

The formation of the TOC was first proposed in the fall of 1933 by Jim Baillie, Ott Devitt, Stu Downing, Bill Emery, Hubert Richardson, and R. Art Smith, who met to discuss the purpose of such a club, its proposed constitution, and to draw up a list of possible members. The first meeting was held on January 5, 1934; in addition to the founders, the meeting was attended by Albert Allin, Ed Deacon, John Edmonds, J.H. Fleming, Paul Harrington, Cliff Hope, Bob Lindsay, Thomas McIlwraith, Ross Rutter, Terry Shortt, Lester Snyder, Herb Southam, Murray Speirs, and Stuart Thompson. The charter members immediately voted to make J.H. Fleming an honorary member.

The TOC was managed by an Executive Council, with the secretary-treasurer responsible for collecting membership dues, paying bills, attending to correspondence, reading the roll-call at meetings, and appointing a chairman for each meeting. Women were not permitted as members until 1980, when Phyllis E. Mackay joined the Club. The TOC did not have a president until Hugh Currie’s appointment in 1991. It was at this time that Currie rewrote the by-laws creating and defining the post, as well as setting out the roles for the rest of the executive. Currie served until January 2000. He was followed by Marcel Gabhauer (2000-2002), Don Burton (2002-2005), Bob
Carswell (2005-September 2007), Margaret Kelch (acting President, 2007-2008), Kevin Seymour (2008-2013), Anne-Marie Leger (2014-2016), John Nishikawa (2016-2019), Justin Peter (2019-2020), and Emily Rondel (2020-present).

The Toronto Ornithological Club was incorporated by Ontario letters of patent of incorporation on November 23, 1987 and holds Ontario Corporation Number 741676. The original letters patent were amended by supplementary letters patent dated July 28, 2004, giving the organization charitable status so that it could receive donations and issue tax receipts to donors.

In 1934, the TOC ran its first ‘Fall Field Day’, during which the members went birding in different areas of York County. By 1944, the Fall Field Day was being held in the Durham region. The Field Day traditionally ended with a social gathering; from 1944-1979, the ‘round-up’ was held at Alf Bunker’s home in Ajax.

In 1958, the TOC took over the management of the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) from the Brodie Club. The purpose of the CBC was to count as many birds as possible within a 30-mile radius of the Royal Ontario Museum. In 1989, the area was reduced to 7.5 miles, centred on the ROM.

The first Reporting Guidelines were issued by the Bird Records Committee in 1989-1990, establishing the format for sending in monthly bird sightings to the editor of the Newsletter. Early attempts to start a TOC journal had been unsuccessful, but in 1990 the first TOC newsletter was issued, with George Fairfield as editor. It published the monthly bird records as well as other articles.

The first Bird Checklist for the GTA to be published by the TOC was issued in 1996. In 2000, the checklist and reporting guidelines for bird sightings were updated by Glenn Coady & Roy Smith, and published as the Greater Toronto Area Checklist and Reporting Guidelines.

A short-lived journal, Toronto Birds, was produced by the Bird Records Committee from January 2007-February 2011, and incorporated the ‘Greater Toronto Area Bird Report’ that had formerly been included in the Newsletter. The journal also included more scientific articles on bird sightings and populations.

The TOC held its 700th meeting in November 2002, and on January 5, 2009, celebrated its 75th
anniversary.

The TOC Historical Membership List, 1934-2008, compiled by Joan Winearls and Barbara Kalthoff, was issued in electronic form for that anniversary.

The 800th meeting of the Club was celebrated on November 12, 2012

After completing postgraduate studies in dermatology at Columbia University, Dr. Ricky Schachter joined the staff of Women’s College Hospital (WCH) in 1946. She operated two weekly dermatology clinics out of the hospital’s outpatient department. The clinics proved to be so successful that a division of dermatology was established within the year with Dr. Schachter as its head.

Under her leadership, the WCH’s dermatology program grew from a small outpatient clinic to Toronto’s largest and most diverse academic dermatology program. When WCH achieved its status as a fully affiliated teaching hospital with the University of Toronto, Dr. Schachter became the first woman to head an academic division of dermatology in Canada. Former colleague Dr. Neil Shear explained, “Her energy, commitment and vision stimulated students to enter the field of dermatology.”

Dr. Schachter is also remembered for her commitment to developing new and innovative approaches to patient care. Her greatest professional success came in 1976, when she established the Phototherapy Education and Research Centre (PERC) at WCH. It was the first program of its kind in Canada to provide complete psoriasis care in an ambulatory setting.

Dr. Schachter was also a founding member and first president of the Toronto Dermatological Association and in 1978 she became the first woman in Canada to lead specialists in dermatology when she was appointed President of the Canadian Dermatological Association. During her career, she also received the Lifetime Achievement Award of Merit from the Toronto Dermatological Society in 1989, the Order of Canada in 1998 and Canadian Dermatology Foundation Practitioner of the Year in 2005.

Dr. Schachter remained head of WCH’s dermatology program until her retirement in June 1985. Her passion for the field was apparent through her outstanding ambition and care for her work, students, and patients. In recognition of her leadership and contributions to WCH, the Ricky Kanee Schachter Dermatology Center officially opened on November 1, 1991.

Dr. Florence Marguerite "Peggy" Hill was born in Toronto on May 24, 1919. In 1936, she enrolled in the University of Toronto on a scholarship to study Arts. In 1941, she graduated with a Master's in Psychology. She then worked for a year as a psychologist in the Juvenile Court system.

In 1942, F. M. Hill joined the Canadian Women's Army Medical Corps, where she was in charge of personnel selection. While in the military, she achieved the rank of Captain, and in 1944 she served a tour overseas in England.

After being discharged in 1946, F. M. Hill returned to the University of Toronto. As a veteran, she was entitled to a free education and could now afford to attend medical school. She graduated with a medical degree in 1952 and was awarded that year's gold medal for the highest academic standing in the Faculty of Medicine.

From 1952-1957, Dr. Hill completed postgraduate training in internal medicine, specialising in kidney disease. In 1957, she became the first woman to be appointed Chief Resident at Toronto General Hospital. She also became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in Canada in 1957.

Dr. Hill joined the Department of Medicine at Women's College Hospital as a staff physician in 1958. In 1965, she became Physician-in-Chief of the Department of Medicine. She would remain Physician-in-Chief until her retirement in 1984. During her time at Women's College Hospital, she turned the Department of Medicine into a strong clinical and teaching unit. She also served on the Women's College Hospital Board of Directors (1966-1982, 1990-1997).

In addition to her activities at the hospital, Dr. F. M. Hill was appointed to the University of Toronto as an Associate Professor in 1965, and was promoted to full Professor in 1968. She was named Professor Emeritus upon her retirement in 1984.

Dr. Hill became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1958 and served for many years as an examiner in Internal Medicine for the College. She was a founding member of the Canadian Society for Nephrologists and was a member of the Federation of Medical Women of Canada and the American College of Physicians. In 1968, Dr. Hill was the first woman appointed to the board of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

In 1994, Dr. Hill was awarded the Order of Canada for her work in teaching and patient care.

Dr. F. M. Hill died in her home on January 15, 2012, at the age of 93.

It is believed that the Guelph Fountain Committee operated in the early to mid 1980s. Originally referred to as the Guelph Italian Fountain Committee, the group was charged with raising money for a fountain and statue called the family located today at St. George’s Square in Guelph. The Guelph Fountain Committee was believed to have been headquartered on Victoria Road. There pledge cards, publicity kits, and receipt forms were distributed. The Guelph Fountain Committee was a registered charity. It is believed the committee ceased operations once its fundraising goals were met.

Wally Duffield was a member of the Lakehead Search and Rescue Unit for 40 years. Duffield was the second president of the Lakehead Search and Rescue Unit.

Marion Poutanen hails from Northwestern Ontario. Having attended high school in Fort Frances she later moved to Thunder Bay. She co-authored with Elsie Di Blasio, A Time and Place 1909-1970 History and Memoirs of the General Hospital of Port Arthur School of Nursing.

Pat Eisenbach and her husband, Bob, were friends of Wendell Beckwith and Roselyn Chaltry-Minar. Living in Thunder Bay, the Eisenbachs were closer to the Beckwith Camp than most other associates of Beckwith’s after the latter’s death. Some of the responsibility for maintaining the camp shifted to them.

Robert K. Dewar was born in Calcutta, India in 1898 to a Presbyterian minister, and moved to Canada in 1912. Dewar graduated from Truro Nova Scotia's Agricultural College in 1916, then received his B.Sc. from Edinburgh University in 1920. He received his MD from Manitoba University in 1923. As a young man Dewar served in WWI in the 47th Infantry Battalion (Nova Scotia Highland Brigade) and was stationed in France from 1916-1920. He practiced medicine and served as Fort William Alderman from 1951-1956 and was active within the Liberal Party. Dewar passed away in 1965.

Ralph H. Parker became "Canada's youngest announcer and radio-operator" in the 1930s when he worked as the first official broadcaster of the CKPR radio station located in the Royal Edward Hotel in Fort William.

Roy H. Piovesana was born in Fort William, Ontario in 1942. He was educated at Fort William Collegiate Institute and Lakehead University where he received his Master of Arts in History in 1969. He taught history at both Westgate and Hammarskjold High Schools, and lecturer at Lakehead University. Piovesana served as president of the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society from 1979-1983, and was the archivist for the Thunder Bay Roman Catholic Diocese. From the age of 15, Piovesana played the saxophone professionally, later joining the Roy Coran Big Band. In 2015 he came a Fellow of Lakehead University during the school's 50th anniversary. Roy passed away on Jan. 20 2020 at the age of 77.

Patricia Vervoort (née Mulcahy) was born in Boston, Massachusetts on Mar. 26 1942. During her years in the United States she studied English, Art History, and Library Science. She married Gerry Vervoort in 1965 and the couple relocated to Thunder Bay in 1970 when he was offered a professorship at Lakehead University. Patricia also joined the University's faculty as an Art Historian from 1975 to 2006. Vervoort had a special interest in architecture and the preservation of historical buildings and served on the board of the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee composing essays on the preservation of buildings around Thunder Bay. She was awarded by the Ontario Association of Architects for her achievements in 1995. She passed away on May 8 2013 having left her research to the Thunder Bay Museum.

Robert Carlson claimed to be subject to CIA brainwashing experiments while prisoner between 1968-1974.

Lynne Moss-Sharman was born April 4 1947, and grew up in Hamilton, Ontario. After leaving an abusive relationship and the birth of her daughter she opened a photographic gallery at the Wesley Community Centre in Hamilton. Through the gallery she helped create the Native Indian/Inuit Photographers Association. Moss-Sharman moved to Thunder Bay in 1987 and began working at Definitely Superior Art Gallery and also began attending Indigenous healing circles in the community. While participating in the healing circles she was able to uncover memories of medical experiments she underwent as a child during the Cold War and began documenting her trauma through drawings. Her sketches of doctors, experiments and tools used were later employed in claims made by other survivors of similar trauma. Moss-Sharman later completed a degree in Social Work at Lakehead University, and used her knowledge to assist children and become an advocate for trauma victims in the community. Lynne passed away on Mar. 14 2014 in Thunder Bay at the age of 66.

Ray Leslie McMahon was born Sept. 22 1917. He was a navigator in the 419th Squadron (The Moose) of the RCAF during WWII. The majority of his bombing runs were conducted at night. While a part of his squadron he received several battle honours. After the war he lived in Fort William working as a repairman for Buchanan and Johnson Electrical. McMahon passed away on Feb, 28 1991 at the age of 73.

Charles Winnans Cox was born in Westminster Township, Middlesex County, Ontario on July 7 1882. During his teenage years he ventured out west to work as a ranch hand in Alberta before eventually relocating to Port Arthur in 1908 where he worked as a timber contractor by 1912. By the early 1920s, Cox was a prominent timber operator in the area, and incorporated his own company, Charles W. Cox Co. Ltd., in 1924. He won the Port Arthur riding in the 1934 Provincial Election as part of the Liberal party and was appointed Minister Without Portfolio by Premier Hepburn in 1936. In 1937 Cox's face was burned and scarred by an acid attack from a local school teacher, and the incident proved to hurt his political career as when he was re-elected he was not made a cabinet minister. He held his seat until 1943, the entire term concurrent with his service as Port Arthur Mayor. Cox was elected as Port Arthur Mayor in 1934 and served 16 years in office, nearly all consecutively. As Mayor, he persuaded the government into building the new mental hospital in Port Arthur rather than Fort William. By 1948 Cox decided to retire as the mayor but later chose to run for the Fort William Mayoral election, later being defeated by Hubert Badanai. He was elected again as Port Arthur's Mayor in 1952. Cox passed away on March 28 1958 in Port Arthur at the age of 75.

Dr. Anthony Walter Rasporich, PhD was born in Port Arthur, Ontario on Jan. 9 1940. He attended Queen's University in Kingston receiving his B.A. in 1962 and his M.A. in 1965. He taught at Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute from 1962-1963 and University College, University of Mantoba from 1964-1965 before joining the Department of History at the University of Calgary in 1966. He received his PhD from the University of Manitoba in 1970 and was promoted to Associate Professor at UofC in 1971 and then to Professor in 1977. Rasporich served as the head of the History Department from 1973-1976 and then as Associate Dean of the Faculty of Social Science from 1976-1981 and later as Dean from 1986-1994. Dr. Rasporich held a CD Howe Post-Doctoral Fellowship from 1969-1970, an External Affairs Fellowship at the University of Sussex in 19179, and was a Killam Resident Fellow at the University of Calgary in 1979. He has refereed and evaluated manuscripts for a number of journals and granting organizations, and was co-editor of the Canadian Ethnic Studies/Etudes Ethniques au Canada journal from 1980-2002. Rasporich retired from the University of Calgary in 1997 as Emeritus Professor of History. His research interests encompass Western Canadian history, Canadian social and political history, and Croatians in Canada. He has contributed to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Canada's Visual History, and wrote a history of the University of Calgary in 2006 titled Make No Small Plans.

George Wardrope was born Nov. 2 1899 in Montreal, Quebec and educated in Ottawa and Belleville, Ontario. He attained a diploma as a Chartered Life Underwriter at the University of Toronto. Wardrope served overseas during WWII and as a recruiting officer in the Thunder Bay district. In addition to being an insurance salesman, he established the Red Lake Transport Co. He ran for several political offices unsuccessfully, and was finally elected in 1951 as a M.P.P. Wardrop was appointed the Minister of Reform Institutions and the Minister of Mines. He was a member of several community organizations. Wardrope died in Oshawa on Jan. 1 1980.

Frederick Brent Scollie was born in April 1940 in Fort William, grandson of Frederick Lewis Scollie, founder of Scollie's Dairy. In 1958 he graduated from Fort William Collegiate Institute and in 1962 he received a degree from Queen's University. Scollie taught at Selkirk Collegiate and the Fort William Collegiate Institute from 1962-1969, serving as head of the latter school's French department. In 1973 he moved to Ottawa, entering the federal public service where he served in numerous positions. He retired in March 1997. Mr. Scollie has written an extensive number of articles published in a variety of sources including: the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Ontario History, and the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society's Papers and Records. He has also published a book titled Thunder Bay Mayors and Councillors, 1873-1945. He is a lifetime member of the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society and of the Ontario Historical Society.

Barbara Mitchell Pollack is a former political activist in the Thunder Bay area who was particularly interested in the anti-nuclear movement. She was a drama and arts teacher. She currently resides in Victoria, British Columbia.