Learn a little of Toronto's history as told through its plaques.

Irish Immigrants and the Fever Sheds 1847

Photos by Alan L Brown - September 2006

Here, in a nice patch of vegetation in Toronto's downtown core on the south side of King Street West across from Duncan Street, is a 1997 Heritage Toronto plaque. It tells the story of the arrival in Toronto in 1847 of nearly 40,000 impoverished Irish immigrants. As well, in St James' Cemetery a memorial plaque was unveiled in 2007. Also, at 383 Queen Street East at the south-east corner with Power Street is a related plaque on the grounds of St. Paul's Basilica and in Ireland Park on the waterfront just east of the foot of Bathurst Street are five statues representing the state of the immigrants as they came ashore. Photos of these are at the end of this page. Here's what the Heritage Toronto plaque says:

Fleeing disease, poverty, the failure of the potato crop and government indifference, over 100,000 Irish immigrants arrived in Canada in 1847. Of these, nearly 40,000 passed through Toronto, a city of some 20,000. Many thousands died on the 'Coffin' ships on the journey from Ireland to Canada. Many more died at the quarantine station at Grosse Île, a small island northeast of Quebec City. From Grosse Île and Quebec City, immigrants came by steamship to ports along the St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario. In the summer of 1847, 863 Irish immigrants died of typhus in the fever sheds erected by the Toronto Board of Health at the northwest corner of King and John Sts. There were at least 12 sheds, 22 metres long by 7.5 metres wide. Immigrants landed at the foot of Simcoe Street. The healthy were assisted out of the city as soon as possible; the sick were treated in hospital or at the Fever Sheds. They were allowed to stay a maximum of six days, receiving a daily ration of three-quarters of a pound of bread and meat. Survivors were sent to the Convalescent Home at the corner of Bathurst and Front Sts. Most of the dead were buried beside St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church at Queen and Power Sts. Among those who died ministering to the sick was Toronto's first Roman Catholic Bishop, the Right Reverend Michael Power, D.D. He contracted typhus and died on October 1st, 1847 and is buried in St. Michael's Cathedral.

Plaque Location Co-ordinates: 43.646755 -79.388022

Photo by Michael Hudson - August 2010

Here's what the 2007 Toronto Irish Famine Memorial plaque in St. James' Cemetery says:

Fleeing poverty and disease as a result of the failure of the potato crop over 100,000 Irish immigrants arrived in Canada in 1847. They landed first at the quarantine station at Grosse Île, a small island northeast of Quebec City. Many died there but the survivors travelled by steamship to ports along the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. In the summer of 1847 some 38,000 immigrants passed through Toronto, a city of only 20,000. By the end of the year over 1,100 had died of typhus, many in the fever sheds constructed by the Toronto Board of Health at the northwest corner of King and John Streets. Most of the dead were buried beside St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church at Queen and Power Streets, but 281 were buried on this site. Among those administering to the sick was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto, Michael Power and Dr. George Grasett, Chief Medical Officer at the Emigrant Hospital and the brother of the Dean of St. James' Anglican Cathedral, Dr. Henry Grasett. Both contacted typhus and died. This plaque was donated by Ireland Park Foundation to commemorate the Irish immigrants buried here and whose names are inscribed on the memorial wall in Ireland Park, Toronto.

Plaque Location Co-ordinates: 43.669105 -79.369719

Photos by Alan L Brown - August 2007

Here's what the St. Paul's Basilica plaque says:

To the memory of the Irish Immigrants who were buried in the adjacent ground during the year of 1847 and in honour of the Right Rev. Michael Power D.D. first bishop of the diocese of Toronto who laid down his life for the fever stricken members of his flock this monument is devoutly dedicated.

Plaque Location Co-ordinates: 43.655515 -79.362960

Here's a link to information about the five bronze statues above created by Irish sculptor Rowan Gillespie.

Plaque Location Co-ordinates: 43.634638 -79.395962

Related Toronto plaque pages
St. Michael's Cathedral
St. Paul's Basilica

Related Ontario plaque page
Typhus Epidemic 1847

More Disaster pages

Here are the comments for this page.

Posted July 10, 2009
The numbers speak for themselves.

Posted June 26, 2009
Dear Sir I object to the wording on the commemorative plaque stating "due to government indifference". Sir Robert Peel lost a non confidence vote in an attempt to change the "Corn Laws" in an attempt to lower or control the cost of grains in order to alliviate the COMING blight that had started to ravish europe. The government of Lord John Russel reacted too late for many Irish. The British Government spent about 8 million pounds on relief. In todays funds that amounts to over 685,000,000 pounds. Private charities raised over 200,000 pounds, most of which went to Ireland with the remainder going to Scotland. According to the historian Jeff Chapman, "by the 1840's almost half or the Irish population was entirely dependent on the potato". The population almost doubled between 1780 and 1847. JUST 67 YEARS. The age of marriage dropped considerably as potatos were so easy to cultivate and a family could survie on a very small plot of land. This is the main reason so many poor Irish died from maltutrition and desease. There are two ways to tell any story. If you were to investigate "Scottish coffin ships" you will find similar numbers and conditions as the Irish ships. The difference is that in Scotland the landlords were paying for passage to Canada to give the scots a chance to survive, if they had not sailed they would more than likely have starved. The Irish version is that the landlords were just trying to throw them of the land. I am sure that in some instances this was true, I am also sure that Rebublicans told the story to their advantage. In telling Toronto,s history you have a responsibility to accuracy and to verify the statements made on public plaques.
Frank Brennan Eales
Toronto

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