On the journey to leave behind a green footprint, the Axe and Adze strives to produce custom woodwork only from reclaimed, recovered and rescued resources. As a result, some of the Axe and Adze supplies come from the Queen’s wharf in Toronto. Recently the Queen’s wharf has been dug out and many individuals are beginning to salvage the old growth wood that has been buried there for many years. By recovering the wood from this buried wharf site, the Axe and Adze are maintaining sustainability and providing an environmentally friendly alternative to furniture bought in big name stores.
The 8th wharf to be built on the original shoreline and the 3rd to be built by the military, the Queen’s wharf was built in 1833 and originally named the New Pier wharf [1]. Despite the fact that the harbour was already home to smaller wharves at the west entrance, the new wharf was designed to be large enough for both commercial and military use. The Queen’s wharf was built near the front of Bathurst Street and was about 42 feet in length [1]. Key benefits of the wharf were to provide docking facilities for the harbour and to prevent growth of sandbar which often leads to blockage of the port entrance [2]. In 1837, the wharf was extended 800 feet in length and was renamed the Queen’s wharf in honour of Queen Victoria on her coronation day [2]. The wharf was expanded again in 1870 increasing the platform on the south end of the wharf. Unfortunately, the wharf was closed down and buried in 1917 after the Toronto Harbour commission decided to begin closing the western gap. Three major railway companies began to fill the harbour around queen’s wharf to create land for yard and harbour facilities [3].
Due to the rich history of the Queen’s wharf and the value of the old growth wood it is perfect for custom woodwork. With the ability to add uniqueness and character to anyone’s home it is an excellent solution for any homeowner.
Work Cited
[1] “Queen's Wharf Lighthouse.” LighthouseFriends, lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=1064.
[2] “Wood from Queen's Wharf, Toronto, circa 1833.” History in the Making, Better in Mulmur, www.historyinthemaking.jimlorrimanwoodturner.com/queens-wharf.html.
[3] “Queen's Wharf.” Toronto Historical Association, torontohistory.net/queens-wharf.html.