From the archives
Until recently, old editions of Ultra Vires were stored away in the basement of Falconer and in the library stacks. It seemed like a shame that so many recent students’ stories and opinions (many of which continue to be relevant) were simply collecting dust, inaccessible to current students.
We are republishing pieces from our archives in an effort to shed new light on stories written by past students in the hope that current students may find them just as interesting and informative today.
This excerpt was first published in September 1999, the inaugural edition of Ultra Vires, as part of a special feature titled “Orientation.” It was originally edited by Andrew Ashenhurst (JD ’01) and Ilana Mantell (JD/MBA ’02), and produced and designed by Adrian Willsher (JD ’00).
In order to contribute to the great future of this institution, we should have a sense of its past. Here is a brief history of the places in which you will spend the next few years.
J.W. and the House that Pork Built
In his day, Sir Joseph Wesley Flavelle was one of the wealthiest men in Canada, and during World War I, the most hated man in the country. Born in Peterborough in 1858, to strict Methodist parents, he was the personification of bootstraps capitalism. Starting from modest circumstances, he built a fortune in the pork and meat-packing industry. As his power and wealth grew he became involved in banking with National Trust and in retailing with Simpson’s. During World War I he was named Director of the Imperial Munitions Board, which essentially made him the “czar” of the industrial aspect of Canada’s war effort. A loyal British subject, he used his position to urge Canadian manufacturers to forgo financial gain for the sake of the British Empire, famously declaring, “Send [your] profits to HELL where they belong”. Unfortunately, he did not practice what he preached, as his own company recorded record profits selling bacon domestically and to the Canadian military. He was also dogged by rumors that his company sent rancid bacon to the boys on the front. A cartoon of the day pictured him as a stereotypical capitalist – a fat man in a tuxedo surrounded by barrels of gold and named him “his Lardship” (Flavelle was actually a very thin man). Although the rancid bacon and profiteering charges were largely unjustified (although he did make a tidy sum during the war), his reputation was permanently sullied.
After the war, Flavelle spent most of his time getting rid of his money, as an active public figure and philanthropist. He was one of the principal architects of the Toronto General Hospital. He served on the board of the University of Toronto, and worked hard to keep the school free of dangerous left-wingers (he was not a big supporter of academic freedom). Nevertheless, he was generous with his money, and supported many causes – in the end he gave more to Toronto and Canada than he received. He was knighted in 1921, becoming the last resident of Canada to receive a hereditary title (as Mr. Black can tell you).
Holwood (as the Flavelle house was originally named) was completed in 1902. The University of Toronto leased him the land. According to U of T history professor Michael Bliss, the house represents Flavelle’s intention to be a public person and an active participant in the community, which is why it was located in such a prominent location, instead of being hidden in Forest Hill. Not everyone appreciated the display of wealth that Holwood embodied and the house soon became known as “Porker’s Palace.” Although large, the house is not extravagant. The pillars at the front are not made of costly Italian marble, but are made of brick and covered with stucco. All told, the house reportedly cost $75,000 (still a substantial sum in 1902). The basement was left largely unfinished, and sadly lacked a wine cellar (Flavelle believed in temperance, apart from the odd glass of sherry). The largest extravagance was a pipe organ, the first of its kind to be installed in a private house in Toronto. In his will, he gave the house to the University of Toronto, and directed that it be used for female staff and students, but this was ignored (although in an odd twist of fate, last year’s class was 60% female). The house was given over to the Faculty of Law in 1961. Although part of the first floor has been restored (one of the few joys of first year is eating lunch in the dining room), most of the house was gutted. The master bedroom is now occupied partly by the men’s bathroom. Regardless of the makeover that Holwood has suffered, its elegance is one of the best things about the law school.
[Note: most of the article has been distilled from “A Canadian Millionaire” by Michael Bliss.]
Wymilwood/Falconer Hall
Falconer Hall (known as Wymilwood until 1951) was built in 1903 to serve as the residence of Edward Rogers Wood. Like Flavellege, Wood was a Peterborough boy who made good. Starting out as a messenger boy, he moved steadily up the corporate ladder, eventually becoming President of the Dominion Securities Corporation. Wymilwood was named after Wood’s two children, William and Mildred. In the same fashion as Holwood, the land for the house was leased from the University of Toronto. In 1925, Wood built a home in the country and presented Wymilwood to Victoria University to be used as a women’s union. When U of T took over the house in 1951, the university re-named it Falconer Hall after Sir Robert Falconer.
Sir Robert Falconer was President of the University from 1908 to 1932. During his term, he faced many challenges, such as political interference and a constant shortage of funds. One notable battle occurred between him and Ontario Premier Howard Ferguson in 1924. Ferguson was outraged when he discovered that an economics professor had allowed a copy of The Communist Manifesto to fall into the innocent hands of a nineteen year-old woman. He demanded that all copies of the book be burned and the professor responsible for the outrage fired. In response, Falconer pointed out that Socialism was an economic theory, and should be taught with all the others. Eventually, the Premier backed off, Falconer’s performance in this episode highlights his commitment to academic freedom, and is perhaps his most important legacy.
After hosting a wide array of activities and schools (including York University), Falconer Hall become the property of the law school in 1972. The house has undergone numerous changes and, as a result, lacks some of the interior beauty of Flavelle House. Perhaps the nicest room is the Solarium – a wonderful place to have class or get jiggy with it during the Halloween party.
The Bora Laskin Library
The Laskin library has not accumulated much of a history, because it was opened in 1993. The most notable things about it are the helpful staff and comfortable chairs. If anything, the library is too nice – during exams it becomes flooded with students from other faculties who hope that some of the brilliance of law students will rub off on them.
Far more notable is the man the library is named after (and whose head is a common meeting place). Bora Laskin is the most distinguished graduate the law school has ever had. He came to Toronto at the age of 17 (with his mom) in 1930 and entered the University of Toronto. By 1937 he had accumulated a B.A., an M.A., a L.L.B. from U of T, a law degree from Osgoode Hall (since a U of T degree alone was not sufficient) and a L.L.M. from Harvard. Despite this, Laskin had trouble finding work (probably due to the fact that he was Jewish and Toronto’s legal community was notoriously anti-Semitic). Laskin did some minor legal work until the U of T law school came to its senses and hired him in 1940. In 1945 he moved on to Osgoode Hall, but returned to U of T in 1949. In 1964, Laskin was appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal and in 1970, he was named to the Supreme Court of Canada. Three years later (!) he was named Chief Justice. He has left an indelible mark on both the law school and Canada’s justice system.
