TRANSCRIPT AND RESEARCH NOTES
Narrator: Welcome to YU MISSED THE BUS with Tim and Tino. Today Tim and Tino drive, hitchhike, and walk through the mud of the York U Keele Campus in the first four years of its conception and meet some friends along the way. The 1960s was known as a time when society was constantly changing, ever evolving, and progressing, while changes introduced were proven to be divisive. The origin of York University is a product of this notion and in order to understand how to get to York, we must first understand how York itself got to its main campus that today is populated by over 40,000 students. York University was established under the York University Act in 1959 and its first class took place at Falconer Hall at the University of Toronto with just under 80 students. Seeking its own campus, Glendon was built shortly after and opened in 1961. The Glendon campus caught on with the students and faculty, most notably founding member sociologist John Seeley because it emphasized a smaller student enrolment and class sizes to create a tight knit liberal arts university where students were familiar and did not seem like just a number. This was in stark contrast to the University of Toronto, which even back then seemed massive in size, where some of the the students and staff even more so in these times as it was still the only liberal arts university in the Toronto area, felt that it was overwhelming and too big, However, first president of York University, Murray Ross, saw something more; he observed the population of Toronto moving northwest to what would be known as North York, and wished to transform a swatch of farmland into a university city, which would grow the population tremendously. This proved very divisive – even between our own Tim and Tino, who discuss what this change means on the first day of school at the brand new Keele Campus in September of 1965.
TINO: First day of school at York University’s Keele Campus! York at Keele how do ya feel?!
TIM: I mean I know some people at Glendon who feel like they’re not gonna enjoy the bigger class sizes, but I mean I’m not sure how I feel about it. Seems like it could be pretty cool.
TINO: Yeah so like York originally started as a part of UofT at Falconer Hall and then in 61 it moved to Glendon at Bayview and Lawrence and they were known for having you know a smaller class size where students could talk to the professors, and it was more of a community, and it was a lot different from UofT as you were saying, and they’re actually saying they're gonna bring in 3,358 students to York. I can’t even know if I’ll remember everyone’s names, it’s gonna be hard!
TIM: I mean I’m not sure if we’re supposed to know everybody’s names but in all seriousness, I’m not entirely sure if we’re gonna be like okay here because I was sorta looking forward to this small town field and then you tell me there’s gonna be 3,500 plus people joining. I don’t know, I feel like this school might just not work out for me.
TINO: Woah Tim! Woah woah woah! It’s the first day, you gotta give it a try. I mean it’s pretty cool to have a school in North York. Me and you, our families moved to move to North York recently. It seems like everybody is moving up here north of Toronto, so I mean it’s cool to not have to transit all the way down to UofT or Glendon, that’d be kinda far. But I can see what you’re saying.
TIM: No I totally understand you right. In all seriousness, what we can do is book and cram our schedules to the fullest. We’ll be outta here in 3, maybe 4 years tops.
TINO: Yeah I can’t wait to graduate! Hopefully maybe even 4 years, but maybe even 3 years if ya know what I mean.
TIM: Can’t wait to start our adventure at York!
TINO: Yeahhhh!
Narrator: Welcome to YU MISSED THE BUS with Tim and Tino. Today Tim and Tino drive, hitchhike, and walk through the mud of the York U Keele Campus in the first four years of its conception and meet some friends along the way. The 1960s was known as a time when society was constantly changing, ever evolving, and progressing, while changes introduced were proven to be divisive. The origin of York University is a product of this notion and in order to understand how to get to York, we must first understand how York itself got to its main campus that today is populated by over 40,000 students. York University was established under the York University Act in 1959 and its first class took place at Falconer Hall at the University of Toronto with just under 80 students. Seeking its own campus, Glendon was built shortly after and opened in 1961. The Glendon campus caught on with the students and faculty, most notably founding member sociologist John Seeley because it emphasized a smaller student enrolment and class sizes to create a tight knit liberal arts university where students were familiar and did not seem like just a number. This was in stark contrast to the University of Toronto, which even back then seemed massive in size, where some of the the students and staff even more so in these times as it was still the only liberal arts university in the Toronto area, felt that it was overwhelming and too big, However, first president of York University, Murray Ross, saw something more; he observed the population of Toronto moving northwest to what would be known as North York, and wished to transform a swatch of farmland into a university city, which would grow the population tremendously. This proved very divisive – even between our own Tim and Tino, who discuss what this change means on the first day of school at the brand new Keele Campus in September of 1965.
TINO: First day of school at York University’s Keele Campus! York at Keele how do ya feel?!
TIM: I mean I know some people at Glendon who feel like they’re not gonna enjoy the bigger class sizes, but I mean I’m not sure how I feel about it. Seems like it could be pretty cool.
TINO: Yeah so like York originally started as a part of UofT at Falconer Hall and then in 61 it moved to Glendon at Bayview and Lawrence and they were known for having you know a smaller class size where students could talk to the professors, and it was more of a community, and it was a lot different from UofT as you were saying, and they’re actually saying they're gonna bring in 3,358 students to York. I can’t even know if I’ll remember everyone’s names, it’s gonna be hard!
TIM: I mean I’m not sure if we’re supposed to know everybody’s names but in all seriousness, I’m not entirely sure if we’re gonna be like okay here because I was sorta looking forward to this small town field and then you tell me there’s gonna be 3,500 plus people joining. I don’t know, I feel like this school might just not work out for me.
TINO: Woah Tim! Woah woah woah! It’s the first day, you gotta give it a try. I mean it’s pretty cool to have a school in North York. Me and you, our families moved to move to North York recently. It seems like everybody is moving up here north of Toronto, so I mean it’s cool to not have to transit all the way down to UofT or Glendon, that’d be kinda far. But I can see what you’re saying.
TIM: No I totally understand you right. In all seriousness, what we can do is book and cram our schedules to the fullest. We’ll be outta here in 3, maybe 4 years tops.
TINO: Yeah I can’t wait to graduate! Hopefully maybe even 4 years, but maybe even 3 years if ya know what I mean.
TIM: Can’t wait to start our adventure at York!
TINO: Yeahhhh!
Four men at the sod turning left to right: Murray Ross, Robert Winters, Leslie Frost and John Proctor.
Narrator: Tim and Tino thinking they’re gonna graduate in 3, maybe 4 years.. uh try maybe 52 years and counting. Ahh what are we gonna do with these guys? President Murray Ross’ decision to move York to a new campus and enroll thousands of new students received a great deal of backlash and many revolted against his leadership and believed that he was jeopardizing the institution’s academic reputation. This was so serious that it caused a few faculty members to resign. This included dean of Atkinson Neil Morrison, chairman of the English department Hugh Maclean, and even co-founder John Seeley himself who starkly opposed Murray Ross’ decision. This affected the student body as well, according to a July 1963 Globe and Mail article, students thought this decision stressed quantity over quality and wondered how this could maintain the tutorial system of classes that York had become known for. Gary Caldwell, president of the York University student council resigned and told the Globe that, “the matter in which the administration of the University has operated has made a favourable academic environment impossible and as president of the council I was representing the students’ interest, but considering the nature of the administration I found there was nothing I could accomplish, there was nothing I could do but resign. Student protests also extended to acts of vandalism, which created metaphors far better than the one put forth by Tino in this next clip.
TINO: So did you hear what happened at Glendon though because everybody is so angry about York you know getting bigger – everybody feeling like little fish in big ponds as opposed to a big fish in small ponds. Did you hear what they did to the Murray Ross statue?!
TIM: I mean your metaphor aside, yeah I heard they painted a yellow stripe on it to show how chicken he is cause he won’t talk to people about why he’s making the campus so much bigger, but I mean I think it’s probably just what we’re all thinking but you know..
TINO: You know what Tim? That’s a way better metaphor that I can come up with I’ll give you that! I read that UofT was saying that York was too ambitious and then this dream of Murray Ross to make a separate campus north of Toronto wasn’t gonna work and that’s sort of why they split with York, and I mean come on give us some kind of credit. UofT can’t be the only university in Toronto! Gotta try something else!
TIM: I mean I can definitely agree to that.
Narrator: What Tim and Tino were talking about here is the decision of York University to split with the University of Toronto – a bond that was formed back at Falconer Hall in July of 1965, shortly before the opening of the Keele Campus. This occurred because they felt that UofT was starting to have a patronizing attitude towards them and wanted to slow Murray Ross’ plans down. The historian Williard Piepenburg said that UofT was becoming especially hostile towards the history department. WOW as a history major that one hits home. Have some respect UofT! This would also mean that the first class to graduate York University from the Keele Campus would not receive a UofT degree, but would instead be the first to receive a York University degree. Now let’s check back in with Tim and Tino as they discuss York University’s motto.
TINO: Did you hear about what the motto is for our new school?
TIM: I have no idea what it is. It’s probably something in Latin.
TINO: You are correct about that! Our new slogan is “Tentanda via” which if my high school Latin class taught me anything, roughly translates to “the way must be tried”. What do ya think about them apples?
TIM: I mean I’m personally more of an “eat pray love” kind of guy myself, but I can’t imagine that working out as a good school slogan.
TINO: Yeah uh I don’t see that as a good school slogan, or a book, or a movie – that’s a bunch of trash! So did you know how they came up with this motto of ours?
TIM: I have no idea how they came up with such a great and creative motto.
TINO: Well it was from the mind of a grade thirteen student. They had a contest offering a $300 scholarship as a reward to see who could come up with a motto for the university, and this guy came up with this. They loved it! They ate it up like candy and what his reasoning was, why he entered this contest and came up with this slogan was to get his mother and Latin teacher off his case.
TIM: I’m really surprised they didn’t go with something like “carpe diem” or something overplayed like that.
TINO: Wow with a $300 scholarship I could really seize the day!
Narrator: Before we try the way on the first day of school with Tim and Tino, let’s first get their opinion on transit to Glendon.
TIM: So tell me Tino, how is it that people used to get to Glendon Campus?
TINO: Well, I have a friend named Gary who went to Glendon – we kind of call him Glendon Gary and Glendon Gary told me that he had to get off the subway at Davisville station and then take the bus to Sunnybrook Hospital and then walk the rest of the way. Apparently he was really pissed off about it, apparently a lot of people hate it – the buses were overcrowded, they only sat 44 people, and they ran every 2 hours, and there’s another bus that ran east from Yonge Street along Lawrence and let off somewhere near Mildenhall Road, but that was even more infrequent, so they got a lot of problems over there. Hopefully our transit experience will be better!
TIM: Oh yeah definitely! I can definitely imagine them adding like a million lines to York, especially in the next 3-5 years.
TINO: Why wouldn’t they? We’re gonna have a hit universityyyy!
Image of John Court, Heather McClary (background), Steph Hopkins and Bob Witterick (foreground) walk down the path from York's front door at Glendon.
Narrator: Unfortunately for these first four years, Tim’s gonna have to eat his words like a Shopsy’s hamburger. There was construction scattered everywhere in these early years and the main bus, the Keele bus North, did not enter campus. It stopped at St. Lawrence Boulevard, which is now known a York Boulevard and the students faced a huge walk to their classes through a muddy field. Here’s Tim and Tino discussing this a week after the first day of school.
TIM: So Tino, how are you enjoying your trips to York?
TINO: How am I enjoying it?! I’m not enjoying it in the least! I HATE this TTC transit thing that we’re going through. The bus stops at St. Lawrence Boulevard – I gotta walk like 20 minutes to a half hour to walk to get to the couple buildings that are on this wasteland desolate campus of ours and it’s through the MUD. Like there’s mud everywhere, when it rains there’s puddles. The bus won’t come into campus even though I wish it did because there’s dirt roads and then you have people driving their cars into campus – half the car’s covered in mud. It’s a real mess! And even like my shoes are ruined, that’s number one, and even the bottom of my jeans!
Random girl from the 60s: Ugh my penny loafers! I just bought these! They’re ruined!
Random guy from the 60s: Ugh dude! My converse! Bummer!
TINO: Ugh yeah! So how are you enjoying this uh, this pilgrimage of ours from St. Lawrence Boulevard to like Steacie or Burton or wherever you’re going?
TIM: In all honesty, my shoes were ruined by the second day. I’ve been wearing these goulashes since then, and while they may be the least fashionable shoes on earth, my feet are nice and dry.
TINO: Goulashes man?! I guess we can’t all be weather born like you Tim! On the topic of the TTC, have you seen these prices?! They’re outrageous! What am I made of money?! What am I Mr. Monopoly?!
TIM: I know right? Like in all seriousness it’s 30 cents a trip plus you pay 30 cents a zone. That means it’s like 60 or 90 cents a trip man, that’s like $1.20 a day.
TINO: WHAAAAAAAAAT?! $1.20 a day?! I don’t feel sorry for all those people crossing all zones. That’s like $5 or $6 a week! Can you believe that? It should be $5 or $6 a month!
TIM: I know right? Just think about all that money. Do you know how many comics and bubblegum we could buy with that money?
TINO: SOOOOO much comics and bubblegum. I could be chewing Bazooka Joe all day everyday and read every single issue and own it of Amazing Spiderman.
TIM: I mean I hear those things might be worth money one day. I mean at least more than the 5 cents it says on the cover.
TINO: Yeah that could be true.
Random guy: Yo dudes dudes! I hear you talking over here. Listen, have you heard of the Steeles bus?
TINO: Steeles bus? What’s that? Is it better than the Keele bus?
Random guy: Naw dude, it’s even worse!
TINO UGHHH!
Random guy: You know what dude? The thing is though with the Steeles bus, sometimes when I take it, it takes me like totally no jokes like 20-30 minutes way too early for my classes.
Random girl: Woah woah woah! Too early? You mean too late!
Random guy: Naw naw naw! Too early? What are you talking about?
Random girl: I’m late to all of my classes.
TINO: HA late? Early? I cannot be late for my Hellenic Studies class, if I’m late one more time the prof’s gonna send me to hell!
TIM: I know what you mean man. If I wanna make it as a music major, I definitely cannot miss my oboe lessons.
SOURCES FOR SEPTEMBER OF 1965:
Horn, Michael. York University: The Way Must Be Tried. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2009: 11-78
“Board to Meet Today On Staff Complaints About York University”. Globe and Mail, July 3, 1963.
Jansen, Clifford J, and Patricia Pryse-White. Institute for Behavioural Research York University: Housing, Transport and Social Participating At York University. Toronto: Department of Sociology, York University, 1972: 9-10.
Lancaster, John.
“TTC gives us run-around not ride-around”, Excalibur (Toronto, ON), March 8th 1968.
Narrator: Even getting around York at this time would prove challenging. The few buildings that existed on campus were very far away from each other. The appearance of the campus at this time was reported to be sparse and desolate. It didn’t look much unlike the farmland to which it was built on. In contrast to Glendon, which was known to be bright and full of greenery, the Keele campus was quoted as being “utterly bleak” in comparison. In this next clip from November of 1965, Tim and Tino talk about this, as well as the crazy proposed plan for a monorail around campus, and classes that took place in the Joseph Stong House, which is now a designated Ontario heritage site.
TIM: Man there are like four buildings on campus and they’re all like a mile away from each other.
TINO: Yeah you’re totally right. If you wanna go from like Steacie or Founders to Burton it’s quite the walk and what is with this place? I feel like I’m on a farm! I saw cows the other day! I mean I feel like I’m in a Joan Baez song or something.
Random art major: Hey hey! Listen, you think that’s bad? I’m an art major, my class is all the way in Stong.. inside of a barn!
TINO: Inside of a barn?! What are you taking in there Chickens 101? No! It’s an art class and it’s named after some dude named Joseph Stong or whatever. The barn is cool and drafty so they gotta put in a furnace, and get this the other day it caught fire alright!
TINO: Flames started coming out of there? That sounds like a real barnburner. Thankfully the property didn’t burn down. What a mess!
Medicine Hat Mandy: Hey I moved here from Medicine Hat, Alberta and I happen to feel like this is farm paradise! But anyways, did you guys hear about the monorail?
TIM: A monorail? You mean like at Disneyworld?
Medicine Hat Mandy: Exactly!
TINO: Does it… where would it go?
Medicine Hat Mandy: It would go all around the buildings, but the cool thing is, is that it does not stop! You’d have to jump off actually.
TINO: OHHHHHH.
SOURCES FOR NOVEMBER OF 1965:
Horn, Michael. York University: The Way Must Be Tried. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2009: 76-78.
Jansen, Clifford J, and Patricia Pryse-White. Institute for Behavioural Research York University: Housing, Transport and Social Participating At York University. Toronto: Department of Sociology, York University, 1972: 6.
Five students in a convertible with the passenger door open.
Narrator: In this next clip, Tim and Tino talk about York’s first convocation, which occurred in June of 1966, and was a major achievement in York’s independence, as well as the future of Glendon.
TIM: So did you hear about convocation a couple weeks ago?
TINO: Yeah the first convocation at the Keele Campus happened in Burton Auditorium. 119 students graduated, and I was lucky enough to be in attendance, even though I didn’t graduate. It was still really cool to see, and I got to throw a hat in the air, and they had celebrations at both campuses, even Glendon.
TIM: Well I hear that starting in the next couple years Glendon is gonna be more of a bilingual campus, instead of splitting it between the arts and the sciences.
TINO: Huh! Well I gotta say I’m not really a fan of taking the shuttle from the Keele campus to the Glendon Campus for my one natural science course, so I don’t think I’ll be going there anymore cause I can’t speak a lick of French.
TIM: Tino, tu ne parlais Francais?
TINO: Si senor, ne parlais pas!
SOURCES FOR JUNE OF 1966
Horn, Michael. York University: The Way Must Be Tried. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2009: 38-39.
Narrator: In Murray Ross’ memoirs, it is revealed that one of the incentives he saw in the Keele Campus was a future connection to the TTC subway line. This is back in the mid 60s. If he could only see the construction today, which seems to take longer and longer each coming year. Tim and Tino in September of 1966.
Source: Ross, Murray G. 1992. The Way Must Be Tried: Memoirs of a University Man. Toronto, Canada: Stoddart, 1992: 88.
TINO: Hey Tim, did you hear President Murray Ross say that pretty soon that the TTC subway line is gonna extend here to York University?
TIM: I mean I don’t know, I think it could just be a way to get more people here, though I mean even if it does happen it could be a long while.
TINO: Yeah, could you imagine if it took them to like I don’t know 2010? That’d be crazy.
TIM: Right! By that time we’ll have flying cars, who’ll need a train?
TINO: That’s right, true!
Narrator: Well Tim, I unfortunately must report that it is the year 2017, and we do not have flying cars, and instead we have hoverboards that don’t hover and summers where people run around catching invisible monsters on their smartphones. We now take you to September of 1967. One if not the easiest way to get to York was to live at York on the residences and walk to class from home. Residence life and the community it fostered really took off from 1967 to 1969, as student population grew, and more college residences were built, such as McLaughlin, Stong and Winters, joining the already present Vanier and the first college residence, Founders. Alumni who lived at Winters residence, Harriet Lewis and Marie Rickard in the late 60s to the early 70s confirmed that residence life was all the more cozy because of the remoteness from places of entertainment and the problems involved in getting there if you did not own a car and could not hitch a ride with someone. Tim and Tino discuss residence life, a quirky story, and the early state of Founders college in this next clip.
SOURCES FOR SEPTEMBER OF 1967:
Horn, Michael. York University: The Way Must Be Tried. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2009: 77-80.
Jansen, Clifford J, and Patricia Pryse-White. Institute for Behavioural Research York University: Housing, Transport and Social Participating At York University. Toronto: Department of Sociology, York University, 1972: 18.
Ogilvie, Charles. “Residences: They are on time, but expensive,” Excalibur (Toronto, ON), Jan. 27, 1967.
Sherwin, Suzan. “No Booze in residence,” Excalibur (Toronto, ON), Nov. 10, 1967.
TINO: TINO (Tino is so inside of himself that he even calls Tim by his own name!) I’ve been hanging on residence lately with people, and I’m telling you a community is growing, there’s a of of stuff that’s going on, it’s fun.. I really wish we lived on res. We should move to res! It’s $425 a month, which is pretty steep, but it’s ahh it’s a great time!
Source: Ogilvie, Charles. “Residences: They are on time, but expensive,” Excalibur (Toronto, ON), Jan. 27, 1967.
TIM: I mean a couple reasons why we shouldn't: first and foremost, we live like 20 minutes away.
TINO: Yeah you’re right.
TIM: Secondly and way more importantly, crazy stuff is always happening at res. Like last year, did you hear they banned Booze from the residence? There was a baby raccoon named Booze, and someone was keeping it as a pet and they just banned him from the residence.
Source: Sherwin, Suzan. “No Booze in residence,” Excalibur (Toronto, ON), Nov. 10, 1967. (The Racoon Article)
TINO: Wow what a shock! That means I can’t bring Moonshine to the residence. That’s my baby raccoon. That’s his name.
TIM: It’s Founders all over again.
TINO: Oh don’t even talk to me about Founders! I heard when the school first opened up, I had a buddy who lived on Founders, and the residence was in such bad shape. They weren’t even finished yet! We had to use a plank to get up to the door, a plank of wood, like I was building the pyramids. It was crazy! Like the showers didn’t even work, my buddy smelled terrible! I didn’t wanna say anything, but he smelled like GARBAGE!
TIM: That’s why the raccoons are so used to living on campus.
TINO: I wonder how many raccoons there are on campus – both in the residences and out. Anyways Tim, living on res seems likes it’s awesome. I’ve been having intellectual conversations with like students and professors in the common rooms on res, it’s really enlightening.
TIM: Like how enlightening could it be? Like what are you talking about in all seriousness?
TINO: Beatles versus Stones! The important question of the age.
Narrator: Residence was a desirable option for many including Tim and Tino, however it did not cost $425 a month as Tim and Tino said, but it was $425 a year. Back then this was still very expensive. During the December exam time of 1967, Tim and Tino discuss ways to get to York from the convenient means of carpooling, that was taking off at this time to combat the TTC, and a plan to allow sleeping accommodations for those who wished to take part in extra curricular activities at night, to the extreme plan of some students who wanted to live on campus.
SOURCES FOR DECEMBER 1967
Jansen, Clifford J, and Patricia Pryse-White. Institute for Behavioural Research York University: Housing, Transport and Social Participating At York University. Toronto: Department of Sociology, York University, 1972: 5, 19-20.
Horn, Michael. York University: The Way Must Be Tried. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2009: 80, 103.
Howard, Ross. “Five Student “Rats” Living in York tunnel,” Excalibur (Toronto, ON), Dec. 15, 1967.
TINO: Hey Tim! Are you interested in doing any extra curricular activities on campus?
TIM: I don’t know, depends, what kind of thing do you have in mind?
TINO: Well I’m really into hockey and I would be really down to try out for the York Yeoman hockey team.
TIM: That sounds pretty cool, but I mean coming to campus at night, in the cold, when it’s windy outside like that’s just a disaster waiting to happen.
TINO: Oh yeah, walking through the dark in the mud sounds pretty disastrous.
Good sir: Actually dudes, that’s not really a problem you know. For people who aren’t living in res, if you wanna participate in extra curriculars like hockey and stuff, you can just sign up for one of those bunkrooms that they have going right there at the moment. York wants to put in these bunkrooms for people who don’t live on res.
Source: Jansen, Clifford J, and Patricia Pryse-White. Institute for Behavioural Research York University: Housing, Transport and Social Participating At York University. Toronto: Department of Sociology, York University, 1972
TINO: Bunkroom? Thanks good sir! Did you hear that Tim? Bunkrooms! Bunk beds! I call top bunk!
TIM: I mean if you really wanna stay on campus that badly, I heard that this year there were 5 people who lived underground in the tunnels at York. Apparently they were denied student loans and they couldn’t afford rent, so they slept in the tunnels with sleeping bags.
TINO: Sleep in the tunnels?! Like a bunch of rats?!
Source: Howard, Ross. “Five Student “Rats” Living in York tunnel,” Excalibur (Toronto, ON), Dec. 15, 1967.
TIM: I mean this is York, not New York!
TINO: Woah that’s crazy.
TIM: My mom is off work next week so we can try carpooling if you want to.
TINO: Carpooling? Why would I wanna swim in your mom’s car?
TIM: No no no! It’s when two or more people get in a car and they just make the trip down together and split gas and costs and whatever, so you both save money.
TINO: Huh! That sounds like a pretty good idea! Why aren’t more people doing that, and why haven’t I heard about it?
TIM: Apparently only about 1/3 of students are actually doing it, so I mean I’d be down to try it.
Source: Jansen, Clifford J, and Patricia Pryse-White. Institute for Behavioural Research York University: Housing, Transport and Social Participating At York University. Toronto: Department of Sociology, York University, 1972
TINO: Yes! Only shooting stars break the mold!
Two female students in a residence room, consulting a book.
Narrator: As TTC conditions persisted through September of 1968, students remained inventive on how to get to York, such as Tino and his brand new friend, Radical Randy.
SOURCES FOR SEPTEMBER 1968
Horn, Michael. York University: The Way Must Be Tried. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2009: 78.
Jansen, Clifford J, and Patricia Pryse-White. Institute for Behavioural Research York University: Housing, Transport and Social Participating At York University. Toronto: Department of Sociology, York University, 1972: 12
TINO: Hey Tim! You will never guess what I did this morning.
TIM: What did you do?
TINO: You know that horrible walk from St. Lawrence to the buildings on campus?
TIM: I mean I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget it.
TINO: Well I skipped that whole walk this morning, and all I had to do was stick out my thumb out at a car. It picked me right up and brought me right into campus. It’s called hitchhiking!
TIM: What the heck is a hitchhiking?
TINO: Well me and my buddy Radical Randy, he’s the one who introduced me to it, we were like just out there waiting for the bus – oh let me just get you the man himself Radical Randy he’s right here! Radical Randy explain to my best friend Tim what we did this morning.
Radical Randy: Gnarly dude! How’s it going Tim?
TIM: I mean I’m doing alright, how about you?
Radical Randy: Ohh radical nice man! Alright so check this out, this is how this hitchhiking thing works. So pretty much there’s a bunch of signs all around the campus, you stand right beside the sign, you stick your thumb out, and a car comes and picks you right up. Totally low key man! And get this, if you're a chick you get picked up even quicker – wait time 10 minutes max!
TINO: Wow! Radical!
Narrator: In November of 1968, some changes began to occur to the TTC. Services were increased from every 12 to every 8 minutes during rush hour, and normal service on Saturday to every 16 minutes. In addition to this, the weekend bus was reinstated, offering service between Glendon, York, the Eglinton subway and Yorkdale free to York students.
SOURCES FOR NOVEMBER 1968:
Unknown. “Weekend Bus rides again,” Excalibur (Toronto, ON), Oct. 3, 1968.
Unknown. “TTC Service,” Excalibur (Toronto, ON), Oct. 24, 1968.
TIM: Dude did you hear what happened yesterday?
TINO: No what happened yesterday?
TIM: The TTC changed like their entire schedule. They changed like the times the bus come up, where they come, where they drop you off – like a whole new schedule.
TINO: Woah! Am I in Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone?
TIM: Yeah totally! The free weekend bus is still there.
TINO: WHAAAAAT?! We have a free weekend bus?
TIM: I know it’s like super convenient for all those weekend classes I have, but I mean at least it’s still there.
TINO: Yeah I won’t be using that bus, I’ll be partying on Yonge Street during the weekend – don’t tell my dad!
Narrator: This next clip seems like something out of Woodstock. Even I, your faithful omnipresent narrator don’t know what to make of it. All I know is that it takes place in September of 1969, which marked the opening of the Green Bush Inn, the very first campus bar. Prior to its foundation, students drank coffee at the 6 coffee houses that were scattered across campus and offered hot drinks and folk music, much like the ones at the time in San Francisco and more locally in the Yorkville region of Toronto. Now that there is a place on campus that sells beer, Tim and Tino get home from York while embracing the counterculture of the age. Let’s listen.
SOURCE FOR SEPTEMBER OF 1969
Horn, Michael. York University: The Way Must Be Tried. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2009: 81-82
TINO: Eh Tim! Are you ready for the opening of the Green Bush Inn, our very first campus pub? Can’t wait to go there, have a couple beers, probably listen to some good music too.
TIM: As long as it’s only a couple man. We gotta remember where the car is.
TINO: And we gotta be okay to drive home.
TIM: So why are we at Mac anyways?
TINO: We’re at the McLaughlin common room because Radical Randy told me to meet him here.
TIM: *SNIFF SNIFF* does that smell like skunk or like raccoon or something to you?
TINO: Woah hey! Don’t bring raccoons into this, it’s offensive to Moonshine, but you’re kinda right smells like skunk. Woah is that Radical Randy over there?
Why is he lighting incense?
TIM: No no no! I think that’s a big cigar.
TINO: Yo Radical Randy! Sup Double R? How’s it going man? Slip me some skin!
Radical Randy: Yo it’s Tim and Tino how’s it going boyssssss?
TIM: Good good.
Radical Randy: I’d like to introduce you to somebody. This is Shady Shine my girl!
Shady Shine: Hey how’s it going guys?
TIM: Is that your real name?
Shady Shine: Totally.
Radical Randy: Aright boys! Ready for the Green Bush Inn?
TINO: Yeah!
Radical Randy: Alright! But before we go.. do you wanna try my green bush?
TIM: Is that that MARY-JUANA I heard about all over campus?
Radical Randy: Man it’s totally gnarly stuff man, you gotta try it out.
TINO: If I try that am I gonna be okay to drive home? Is it gonna screw with my psyche and make me all loopy?
Shady Shine: No no no listen, it’s no more dangerous than alcohol, tobacco, or sssssex!
Radical Randy: Listen bro, as long as you steer clear of that LSD and alcohol, you’re fine!
TINO: Alright Randy you haven’t steered me wrong yet. I’ll try it out!
Radical Randy: Radical bro here you go!
TINO: Pass the ja! *INHALES and VIOLENTLY COUGHS* That’s a strong bush! Alright Tim your turn.
TIM: That’s alright, if he’s the RR then I’ll be the DD!
Narrator: It’s a good thing that Tim was the responsible one and chose to be the designated driver and arrive alive. For shame Tino, for shame. It is important to check in again with our duo in September 1969 as they discuss one of the most important international events of the mid to late twentieth century – the war in Vietnam. The war, which many saw as unjust sparked protests within York. Many Americans who wished to escape the draft arrived in Toronto in droves. Michael Horn in The Way Must be Tried thinks that an unknown number of these draft dodgers entered York as students. What he didn’t write down was that one of them was Radical Randy.
TIM: Hey man! Did you hear about the war protests yesterday at Winters?
TINO: The one in Vietnam in the Winters dining hall? I was there man!
TIM: No way! Since when are you into activism?
TINO: Well that war is wrong! There were so many people there that it was reported that classes were poorly attended in support. Like STOP HEY WHAT’S THAT SOUND? EVERYBODY LOOK WHAT’S GOING DOWN! You know who spoke at that protest? Radical Randy! He’s a draft dodger! He came here from America to escape that war that’s not right. They’re fighting a proxy war for communism and people are just losing their lives!
Radical Randy: FIGHT THE POWER!
TINO: HECK YEAH RADICAL RANDY! DAMN SKIPPY!
Narrator: Just like current day, in November of 1969 many tried to get to York by parking without paying the fee, which the university has always cracked down on. As 1969 comes to a close, Tim and Tino remark on a future York building built at the time.
SOURCE FOR NOVEMBER OF 1969
Unknown. “7 cars towed away yesterday,” Excalibur (Toronto, ON), Nov. 27, 1969.
TIM: Dude do you know that place we normally park?
TINO: Yeah.
TIM: Well apparently they started cracking down on parking there. Apparently they towed 7 cars yesterday so we can’t park there anymore.
Source: Unknown. “7 cars towed away yesterday,” Excalibur (Toronto, ON), Nov. 27, 1969.
TINO: Oh man! I don’t wanna have to go to the impound lot to get our car.
TIM: I mean that means we’re gonna have to pay $5 a month to pay for parking. That’s like outrageous! $5 a month for parking?! That’s absurd! That’ll be like $100 in 10 years!
TINO: Yeah! What do I look like? Mr. Monopoly?
Poor sap: MY CARRRR! *RUNS*
Tino: Wow look at that poor sap! Gotta run right to the impound lot. Hey have you seen that big fortress thing they’re building called the Ross Building?
TIM: I mean it’s pretty hard to miss. It’s like a prison in the middle of in the middle of campus.
TINO: The prison in the middle of a farm. This is where we go to school.
Narrator: There you have it, Tim and Tino getting to York in the 1960s – through muddy walks, carpools, hitchhiking, walking, dreams about monorails, and the slowly evolving TTC. This has been YU MISSED THE BUS. Thank you very much for listening. YU MISSED THE BUS has been voiced acted by Michael Primiani, Joseph Gurrieri, Randy Ochoa, and Shinedle Sia. This episode was narrated and edited by Michael Primiani. YU MISSED THE BUS is a digital history project for the class Digital History 4085 under Professor Sean Kheraj. For the transcript, citations, and more information about what was talked about in today’s episode, please visit us on the web at www.yumissedthebus.weebly.com. Whether it’s the morning, afternoon, or night – have a good one and we hope you didn’t miss the bus!
All photos from the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, York University.
The photos we used are protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from: ascproj@yorku.ca
