Welcome to Tollkeeper’s Cottage b

a charming, registered heritage house open to the public at the corner of Bathurst Street and Davenport Road in Toronto. We are one of the few remaining examples of a Tollhouse on nineteenth century roads. See the unique vertical plank construction, and hear about the lifestyle of a working class family.

Come to visit the oldest tollhouse surviving anywhere in Canada, when roads were muddy and farmers paid to go downtown amid great hardship to market. See how one tollkeeper’s family lived, up to nine people, crowded, without electricity or running water. Examine their tools, their cookware, their clothing and bedding as our all-volunteer staff take you on a tour back in time to mid-nineteenth century Toronto. View the huge, rough planks that came from a single giant pine tree, a testament to the ancient forests of that time. Look out from here, as they would have, at one of the oldest roads in Ontario, a vestige of the last ice age. 

Wishing all our Tollkeeper Friends a 2026 filled with good health, new adventures and great joy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    COOKIE DAY Thank you to our bakers and buyers for a successful Cookie Day this year. We made almost $900. for the care and maintenance of the Tollkeeper's Cottage. And also a big thank you to those who decided to support us by taking out or renewing their membership. This Spring, members will be able to attend our AGM and vote on the issues that have arisen this year.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Membership is valid from January to December 2026 and may be purchased at any time! $20. individual, $35. family. Receipts for tax deductions will be sent by email in February. THANK YOU FOR DECIDING TO CONNECT WITH, PRESERVE AND CELEBRATE OUR UNIQUE HERITAGE COTTAGE! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          PHOTO FIESTA  Congratulations to David Raymont for his winning photo "Tollkeeper Window"(bottom left). David has received his prize, a gift certificate kindly donated by our local Fiesta Farms Grocery Store. THANK YOU TO FIESTA FARMS FOR YOUR GENEROSITY AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT!  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COTTAGE CLOSURE As in other years, our hard working volunteers take a break for the holiday season. We closed at the end of Cookie Day, December 13 and we'll remain closed during January, as the Tollkeeper's Cottage is cold and dark during that month.  We will re-open on Sunday February 1, from 1-4 pm. We'll see you next year! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tollkeeper Window," the winning photo by David Raymont Have a favourite sweater with a small hole in it? Need your blue jeans mended? Want to learn how to knit, crochet, do mending? We'll have our docents ready in February to offer their services again to help you keep those wardrobe pieces, or to teach you the skills to do it yourself. Stay tuned for more information in our next newsletter. What is this? We've acquired a new item for our collection. Email us your guess, or wait til next month's reveal!