Freeman Real Estate is happy to once again host one of its most popular community events, an Historic Walk of Seaton Village led by local historian and retired school teacher Marilyn Spearin.

The walk begins at 1 p.m. on September 28. Participants are asked to meet outside of Freeman Real Estate at 988 Bathurst St. just before that time. It runs about 1 ½ to two hours and explores the area between Bloor Street West to Dupont and Christie Street to Bathurst.

The tour will focus on the neighbourhood’s settlement period, which took place between the 1860s and 1920, and Marilyn will point out important buildings and homes and give the history of street names and other visual clues that tell the tale of the area’s past.

New to this year’s tour will be historical accounts of the names of various lanes. The naming of Seaton Village lanes is a fairly recent occurrence that was set in motion thanks to the Seaton Village Residents’ Association, which also worked at selecting those people and institutions worthy of merit.

Participants can expect to learn about Deborah Brown for whom a lane to the east of Markham Street has been named. Also known as Mammy Brown, Deborah was likely the first black resident of Seaton Village as a runaway slave from Maryland. In the 1860s the population of blacks in the neighbourhood was relatively large with about 50 people, many of whom had been born in the U.S. and escaped slavery by seeking refuge in Canada.

Another lane, the Mission House Lane is named after the Anglican Sisters of St. John the Divine. They ran a mission that provided basic food, clothing and medical aid for the indigent from 1890 to 1912.

On a personal note, we, Dan and Elden Freeman, are proud of the lane named in honour of our grandfather, Max Hartstone, who with our grandmother Sarah Hartstone, opened Steven’s Milk in 1958 on the corner of Bathurst and Olive. Max and his oldest son Marvin ran the store until Max’s death in 1982. The store was closed in 1998 when Marvin suffered a major heart attack. Today, the store is owned and operated by Helen and Steve Moon as Steven’s Groceries. But our family enjoyed a good run there for 40 years.

Marilyn is a member of the Community History Project, a non-profit citizens’ group of people interested in local history. The group runs the Tollkeeper’s Cottage, a museum at Davenport and Bathurst. Marilyn also edited a 40-plus-page booklet detailing the area’s history that is sold at the museum for $15.

In case of rain, the walk will take place at the same time on the following Sunday, October 5.

Calling all Humewood Community School alumni: your alma mater wants you.

Humewood is marking its 100^th year anniversary on October 18 from 1pm – 4pm and the school is looking for alumni to spread the word and to help out.

Organizers of the celebration are asking former students to search the recesses of their minds for memories of their time at Humewood. Here is what they want you to think about:

What is your favourite memory of Humewood?

How did you get to school? What did you do during recess?

What did you do after school?

How was school life different from today? Anything else you would like to share?

Organizers plan to put together poster boards with the answers. Feel free to send in photos as well. Please send your replies to Julia Lalande at humewoodcentenary@gmail.com. You can also contact Humewood’s new principal Julie Whitfield at Julie.Whitfield@tdsb.on.ca. Julie would also like to hear from you if you are interested in getting involved on the actual day.

One of six public schools built in 1914, Humewood originally had 11 rooms including three classrooms, each with seats for 48 students. The building also contained an office, a teachers’ lounge, and an inspection room. The 240- x 568-feet lot was valued at $45,440, the building at $90,000 and the furniture, $1,000.

The school’s name came from Humewood Ave., the street that bounded its eastern side, which was named for the Honorable William Hume Blake, the Vice-Chancellor of Upper Canada. His 50-acre estate, built in the 1850s, was named after his ancestral home in Ireland.

In its early days, Humewood’s classrooms were kept at a chilly 50 degrees Fahrenheit. But the building was magnificent with large windows, high ceilings and wide staircases. The classrooms also had high ceilings and rooms were airy and bright.

Over the years, various improvements and changes were made to the school including the addition of services, a gymnasium, a library, a medical health service and outdoor playing fields. At one time the school served its residents as an informal community centre for various organizations and interests. Thanks to the community’s fantastic growth, a brand new school was built in the early ‘70s to meet the needs of this ethnically diverse community.

On a few occasions, Humewood has been threatened with closure but thanks to its devoted school community, supporters have managed to watch its much-loved school grow and prosper.

In 2011, the Toronto District School Board committed millions toward retrofitting Humewood and the school underwent significant renovations that included eliminating the open plan design, new French immersion and specialized classrooms, lockers, smart boards and Wi-Fi.

Freeman Real Estate hosted a very successful moth night in Vermont Square Park on July 31 2014. This was the fourth year sponsoring this event. We thank world famous moth scholar and expert David Beadle for making lots of big and small kids happy!

The sad but inevitable news of Honest Ed’s pending sale and ultimate closure is a big example of how a neighborhood evolves over time.

The shiny, bright bargain emporium at Bathurst and Bloor, which is now on the market for $100 million, has been a bargain hunter’s retail paradise for 65 years.

Beginning in the days of the five and dime, Honest Ed Mirvish wanted to deliver discounts to customers. He trail blazed the way for in-store markdowns and a following of price-conscious shoppers, many of whom were newcomers to Canada.

I have visions of the store as a child. It was a great space to run around and get lost in. Later, when I began my real estate career in the late ‘80s, I recall seeing long lines streaming around the block from those willing to wait in line to get the store’s special offering that day.

The lines of customers comprised mostly new immigrants and as the composition of the Annex changed over the years, the lines seemed to get shorter and shorter. The changing demographics of the area, and the evolution of the retail landscape with stores such as Walmart, Costco and even the dollar stores, created stiffer competition, eventually weakening the giant pull this discount retailer once had.

Like all good things that must end, I’m saddened by the imminent loss of Honest Ed’s. I still love wandering through the aisles of that great store. For me, many of my memories are marked by special holidays. At Passover time, you could be guaranteed a great assortment of affordable kosher food. I remember those great parties Ed would throw every July to celebrate his birthday and him handing out turkeys just before Christmas. With 160,000 square feet of retail space, it was easy to find neat things to buy and naturally you always came home with way more than you planned.

I remember one Saturday after synagogue driving the retail mogul home in my parent’s car. We all squished in and dropped Ed and his wife off at home. That’s when I learned he lived only a few blocks south of us on the same street.

New development on the site of Honest Ed’s will likely make the neighbourhood even more desirable. Already, we’ve noticed an increase in investor interest looking for deals to take advantage of the neighbourhood’s changing face.

The passage of time always brings with it change. Thanks for the memories, Honest Ed’s. It was good knowing you.

Toronto might be the city of neighbourhoods, but in October that all changes as the city makes way for

the walking dead, ghouls, witches, monsters and a startling cast of very scary characters.

If you’re aching for some macabre fun this Halloween, you’re sure to find it just around the corner this

year as Toronto salutes its dark side. Here’s a look:

In its ninth year, this Toronto fan favourite, kicks off at 3 p.m. from Nathan Phillips Square on October

26. The Toronto Zombie Walk, which saw 6,000 undead stagger and lurch their way along city streets

last year, includes a parade, a zombie photo booth and a stall that lets you slather on blood to better

your look. Best of all, the event is free and open to everyone.

If you’re the type who enjoys the classics, you’ll love this live, interactive production of the zombie

cult flick Night of the Living Dead. Playing now till October 27 at Theatre Passe Muraille is Night of the

Living Dead Live, a live-action horror romp that pits audience members against hoards of – you got it —

zombies.

Halloween with a healthy twist is offered up thanks to the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation

Hospital Foundation, which hosts Monster Dash Toronto, a night run in which participants get to don

costumes and raise funds for a good cause. The event, which is for all ages, takes place on October 27.

The TIFF Bell Lightbox is showing a scary line-up of classic horror films on October 31. Do you remember

the spine-tingling terror you experienced watching Dead Ringers or The Exorcist? You can recapture that

sensation all over again. Other films on tap Halloween night include The Changeling, Ginger Snaps and

Hunted and Hungry.

Speaking of films, how about the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, which runs at the Scotiabank Theatre

from October 17 to 25. Celluloid thrill-seekers can get their adrenaline rush thanks to this line-up of

international horror, sci-fi, fantasy and shorts.

Perhaps you enjoy a melody with your terror? If so, you’ll love Evil Dead: The Musical, a live

performance comedy-musical thriller that follows a group of college kids trapped in a demon-filled

cabin. Performances run from October 24 to December 22 at the Randolph Theater (formerly Bathurst

Street Theatre).

If audience participation is your thing, give The Rocky Horror Show a go. This live performance play,

which is based on the 1975 movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show, encourages the audience to dress

up and yell insults and quips as the performers act and sing. It’s at the Lower Ossington Theatre until

November 10.

Here’s wishing you a fiendishly ghoulish Halloween.