Posted for our friend RFC:

Please find below information on the special tours that we are offering for December, 2008.

Please remember that if you are going to come out to any of these events, you have to confirm your booking ahead of time. You can't just show up on the day of ... except for maybe the History Shopping Trip on December 7th.

If you're going to go the afternoon Rebellion Tour on December 7th, you have to reserve and buy tickets through Mackenzie House. Their telephone number is (416) 392-6915.

If you want to sign up for one of the Afternoon Teas, get in touch with me (416 487 9017 or richard@muddyyorktours.com), and I'll let you know what you need to do to reserve your spaces.

Thanks again!

There are a few special events that we’re organizing for December. One of them is purely historical, and just happens to fall in December. Another is a combination of historical and seasonal fun, while a third is just to help celebrate the Christmas season. Read on for information on all three!

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SATURDAY DECEMBER 6th 2008
"UP THEN BRAVE CANADIANS" - A Commemoration of the Rebellion of 1837

In the first week of December, 1837, William Lyon Mackenzie organized a rebellion in an attempt to overthrow the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada and what he considered to be a corrupt government. In many circles, Mackenzie is considered to be a hero and a champion of democracy. But to some, he was nothing more than a traitor and a rogue who set back the cause of Canadian democracy by several years. Join us on December 6th, and we’ll try to show you both sides of his character.

The event starts at 1:00 p.m. with attendees gathering in the Market Gallery, on the second floor of the Saint Lawrence Market complex. A walk visiting several sites related to Mackenzie will last for about an hour, and then at 2:00 p.m. we’ll arrive at Mackenzie House where Jeffrey Canton will reenact Mackenzie to tell his side of the story. After the reenactment there is an optional tour of Mackenzie House. Refreshments will also be served at Mackenzie House.

You can contact me for more information (I’ll be conducting the walking tour), or you can contact Mackenzie House Museum to make reservations. For more information please call Mackenzie House (416) 392 6915.

DATE : Saturday December 6th, 2008
TIME : 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
COST : $26.67 plus GST
TO RESERVE PLEASE CALL MACKENZIE HOUSE MUSEUM (416) 392-6915
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SATURDAY DECEMBER 6th 2008
HISTORY AND HOLIDAY SHOPPING TOUR

Do you have anybody on your holiday shopping list who is impossible to buy for? Do you often find yourself "regifting" over the holidays, because there are always one or two people you forget about? This might be a solution for you. Join me on a tour of the Saint Lawrence Market neighbourhood on Saturday December 6th, 2008. I’ll tell you the story of the oldest part of Toronto, but also take you to some of the most unique shops in the city. There’s a honey merchant who used to supply honey to Pope John Paul II. There is a mustard shop that uses the world’s second most popular spice to make condiments and also beauty care products. Another merchant sells gourmet salts and peppers for cooking, as well as for health and medicinal purposes. You’ll be amazed at what you can find, and the best part is, if you don’t end up giving any of these things away, you’ll find you want to keep them for yourself.

We end our tour at Toronto’s First Post Office, located at 260 Adelaide Street East. For the true history nerd, this is a great place to mail your Christmas cards from, as the post office has a special cancellation and marker.

The market is very busy on a Saturday morning, so there is limited space on this tour. Please try and reserve your space early.

DATE : Saturday December 6th, 2008
TIME : 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
COST : $10 per person
TO RESERVE PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT richard@muddyyorktours.com or call me at (416) 487 9017

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AFTERNOON TEA AT TORONTO’S FIRST POST OFFICE
DECEMBER 13th and 14th, 20th and 21st

Join us for the highlight of our Christmas programming. Once again this year we’re featuring an afternoon tea at one of the oldest surviving buildings in Toronto. Learn about the history of early Toronto, and the Victorian origins of our modern-day Christmas. Come in from the cold and warm yourself by the fireplace in the intimate surroundings of Toronto’s First Post Office, constructed in 1833. Participants can enjoy a late afternoon tea, before settling down to live again the spirit of a Toronto Christmas past. The programme includes the founding of the Town of York and the Battle of York, Toronto’s Rebel Christmas (December 1837), Charles Dickens, Toronto, and "A Christmas Carol", and Robertson Davies’ Christmas Ghost Stories.

Tea includes your own teapot filled with your choice of various teas or apple cider. The menu also includes tea sandwiches (a selection of egg salad, tuna, salmon and cream cheese and lox), scones served with butter and jam, and an assortment of cakes, pastries and tarts.

Space is very limited so reservations are essential. We recommend making reservations early.

Also, if you have a group we may be able to put together a special date and cost for you.

DATE :
Saturday December 13th, 2008
Sunday December 14th, 2008
Saturday December 20th 2008
Sunday December 21st 2008

TIME : 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
COST : $35.00 per adult ($50 for one adult and one child up to age 12)
TO RESERVE PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT richard@muddyyorktours.com or call me at (416) 487 9017

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Richard Fiennes-Clinton
Muddy York Walking Tours
www.muddyyorktours.com
telephone : 416 487 9017
richard@muddyyorktours.com