ABOUT US
The York Pioneer and Historical Society (YPHS) is composed of volunteers with a common love of local history. For over 150 years, we have steadfastly carried our history forward for current and future generations to appreciate, to enjoy, and from which to learn. We invite you to join us on this multi-generational experience as we carry on this legacy through the 21st century.
2024-2025 Board of Directors
President: Angus Palmer
Elected President of the York Pioneer and Historical Society in April 2023, Angus is a Life Member of the YPHS, and served on the Board since 2019 as a member-at-large, Membership Chair, and CNE Association Representative.
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Graduating from the University of Toronto in 1981, he has worked for over 40 years in the non-profit housing sector, first as a Development Consultant in Northern and Central Ontario, where he assisted in the development of over 800 non-profit and co-operative housing units, and for over 25 years as the General Manager of Wigwamen Incorporated, Ontario’s oldest and largest urban Indigenous non-profit
housing provider. His roles there include affordable housing development, human resource management, long-range financial planning, and government relations.
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His volunteer experience includes having served on the Board of Directors of the Sudbury District Housing Authority, Agincourt Community Services Association, Access Housing Connections Inc., and more recently, Circle Community LandTrust Inc. In his spare time, he enjoys exploring Manitoulin Island with his family, reading, and listening to classical music.
Vice-President: Brent Cunningham
Brent Cunningham has been serving on the Board since 2019. Born in Brampton with a genealogical link to the original pioneering founders of nearby Streetsville (known at the time as Toronto Township, York County), Brent has had a lifelong interest in local history. He wanted to get involved somehow in a historical organization, eventually landing on the YPHS as a life member in 2016.
A professional engineer who supports several local charities, Brent has a particular fondness for the Scadding Cabin, where he can often be found volunteering during the CNE, Doors Open, and Ghost Walks.
Past-President: Fred Robbins
Biography coming soon.
Recording Secretary: Robert Horwood
Some are born to the to be a York Pioneer; some acquired it by early immigration; and others have it thrust upon them. Bob is in that latter category. Born in northern Quebec of old stock Newfoundlander parents he had the great good fortune to marry Marilyn, the great, great, granddaughter of Richard Oates, founder of the York Pioneer Historical Society. That stimulus has led to a keen interest into the early history of the town of York with a focus on the arrival of the Oates family in 1817.
Corresponding Secretary (Website & Social Media): Bob Georgiou
Bob Georgiou is a public servant by day and an avid local historian the rest of the time. He was born and raised in Agincourt, Toronto and continues to live in the city. He has been writing about Toronto history -- both for his website and on a freelance basis -- for more than ten years and has given historical walks and talks. Bob can be found on most social media platforms as @BobGeorgiouTO where he posts his curiosities and adds to the conversation about Toronto’s rich and layered history. In his spare time, he (lamentably) follows the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Treasurer: Jennifer Horwood
Born in Montreal and raised in Ottawa, Jennifer has resided is Toronto and Markham since 1979. A student of history and the lessons it can teach us, Jennifer is proud to serve the York Pioneers in their mission of preserving the history of the original Countyof York.
As an entrepreneur turned bookkeeper, Jennifer brings a wealth of experience in financial management and a passion for helping organizations succeed. Her aim is to use her expertise to ensure the York Pioneers’ finances are managed transparently and sustainably, enabling it to thrive and preserve our shared history for generations to come.
Archivist: Erin Baxter
Erin Baxter is a heritage specialist working in Toronto with a BA in Archaeology and a certificate in Museum Management and Curatorship. Growing up in a 100+ year old house and regularly taken on visits to the ROM and AGO by her parents, the history bug bit Erin early and deeply.
After learning that she was NOT enough of an outdoors person for field archaeology, Erin has had the honour of working with artefact collections belonging to several Toronto institutions, such as the Bata Shoe Museum, the Royal Canadian Military Institute, the Ontario Science Centre, the Queen's York Rangers Regimental Museum, and the 7th Toronto Regiment, RCA, as well as promoting the work of the Ontario Archaeological Society. She loves learning about history and enjoying all of the multicultural experiences that Toronto offers, as well as cooking, reading, and learning how to knit.
Editorial: D. Bruce McCowan
As a kid, Bruce McCowan rather enjoyed looking through his grandmother McCowan’s stash of Scarborough history – an old scrapbook, a family photograph album and so on. But he only took a history course up to grade 10. Sporting a Canadian flag on his back-pack and hitchhiking in the UK in 1974, he told a “lorry” driver, “my family came to Canada from a place called Lesmahagow in Scotland”. The lorry driver said – “we’ll be going past it in a couple of minutes”. “That’s nice” Bruce thought at the time. And on they went to Glasgow. “Well, now that I’m here in Scotland, I might as well take some time to look into the family background and their circumstances.” Since then, off and on, he has done a good deal of research and writing on various themes in connection with the lives of ordinary Scots and their descendants in Canada. One of his recent books (as Editor) is We're Not Here to Put in Time: Ramblings on a Scottish-Canadian Work Ethic, With William David "Bill" McCowan (his late father). Bruce particularly enjoys digging so deep as to reveal and discuss historical myths, such as “it was the wealthy landlords who launched Scotland’s agricultural revolution” and “the landlords had always curled right alongside the common folk”. As the new Editor of the York Pioneer, he will encourage potential contributors to be on the look-out for previously unquestioned “statements of fact” that may, indeed, need a fresh perspective and a more critical examination.
Membership: Marilyn Horwood
What’s in a name? My mother gave me the middle name of Oates. An incomprehensible name to a little girl. Then in a grade 6 history class about Antarctica, on the topic of the ill-fated Scott Expedition the teacher told of courageous Captain Oates, suffering from severe frost bite, walked away into the snow to ease the burden on his colleagues. And she said, “one of our class is an Oates: Marilyn”. For 40 or more years I was convinced I was related to Captain Laurence Oates. I lived on the west coast in Victoria, then moved to England. The York Pioneers were never mentioned. Tracing roots led back to Richard Hocking Oates founder of The York Pioneers. My Grandmother’s Grandfather was Richard H Oates. Now there is a duty to Richard, to accept the torch “to preserve the past for the future”.
Publicity: Brent Cunningham
See Vice-President above.
Scadding Cabin: Kayoko Smith
I have been privileged to serve on the Board of the YPHS for over 9 years. Being the Scadding Cabin committee chair is a great pleasure in my life. From 2019-2021, I also had the opportunity to serve as a director of the board for the Toronto Field Naturalists (TFN) and am currently volunteering as an outing committee member, involved with the TFN’s outings program.
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While a volunteer at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), in early spring 2012, I met another volunteer, Edna Rigby, who was also the Cabin’s chair. Edna invited me to become a member of the YPHS. (This year I was awarded 20 years of volunteer service from the AGO). The Society was looking for a volunteer for the historical garden. As a professional floral designer, I was also interested in the natural world which was a perfect prelude to studying pioneer gardens for the Scadding Cabin. In return, I was rewarded by learning about the hidden life of resilient plants which the pioneers brought with them. Moreover, it has been a pleasure to share this interest with like-minded passers-by, while working at the Cabin.
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“Preserving the past for the future” makes perfect sense to me. We have a story to tell, many, our members from far gone made a definite mark to build Canada. The Scadding Cabin is one of such milestones to be studied for many years, as the wealth of research material in recent years continues to give us new perspectives.
Representative to the Board of the Sharon Temple: Glenn Bonnetta
Glenn Bonnetta is a retired Librarian. He has always been interested in Canadian history and joined the York Pioneers in the 1980s in order to find out more about the history of Toronto and environs. He hasvolunteered at the Scadding Cabin for 20 years.
Representative to the CNEA: Liam Peppiatt
Biography coming soon.
Programme: Beth Alaksa
Beth Alaksa was born and raised in Toronto. Growing up she did not learn much about Toronto's past and then one day she heard about Elizabeth Simcoe and the rest, as they say, is history! Beth has done her best to spread the word about the Simcoes and Toronto history ever since. She was excited to find the York Pioneer and Historical Society in 2017 and begin volunteering at the Scadding Cabin. She joined the Board in 2020 and has enjoyed getting to know people with similar interests and much more knowledge and bringing Toronto history to more people.
2024-2025 Members at Large
Sebastian Aguanno
Sebastian has been a Life Member of the York Pioneer and Historical Society since September 2022 and currently serves as a Board Member-at-Large and Assistant Editor for the York Pioneer journal. As a passionate historian, he has contributed to the Society’s mission through research, writing, and editorial efforts, including his published article in the 2024 edition of the York Pioneer journal: William Lyon Mackenzie, Upper Canada’s Reform Movement, and the Upper Canadian Rebellion of 1837.
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For over 18 years, he has pursued amateur historical studies with a focus on ancient history, the Middle Ages, the Age of Enlightenment, Mediterranean (mainly Greek and Italian) history, world religions, fraternal societies, modern geopolitics, and the local history of York. Sebastian's academic background includes two years at Humber College (2010–2012), where he studied Multimedia Design and Development and Psychology.
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In addition to his historical pursuits, Sebastian is an Independent Book Publisher, a role he has held since 2015. He is also a member of the ISC2 Cybersecurity Training Community and holds a Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) certification.
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Sebastian brings a multidisciplinary approach to his work with the York Pioneers, combining historical expertise with creative and technical skills.
Robert Murphy
Bob Murphy boasts a remarkable legacy of volunteer service. His journey began as an Assistant Cub Master and later as a Cub Master for the Boy Scouts of Canada. Bob’s commitment extended beyond scouting when he assumed the role of Toronto Scout District Representative for the Beaches area of Toronto. His dedication didn’t stop there; he was subsequently elected District Commissioner for the Quebec Scouting Office in Dorval, Quebec.
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Driven by a passion for family genealogy, Bob joined the Ontario Genealogy Society. As a Director, he represented not only the Toronto Branch but also the Simcoe, Halton-Peel, and York Branches. His tenure as a Director spanned an impressive 6 years, marked by three re-elections. Later, Bob took on the role of Treasurer for the Toronto Branch, where he served diligently for 4 years.
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Beyond his volunteer work, Bob has a fascinating connection to the Scadding clan: his great-great aunt, Jane Bright, married Charles Scadding, the middle son of John and Millicent Scadding. Bob Murphy’s unwavering commitment to community and heritage exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism.