George H. Corsan Commemorative plaque, 2018.
Resource ID
4305
Access
Open
Address
1124 Kipling Ave, Etobicoke, ON M9B 3M5
Credit Line
Heritage Toronto
Date of Creation
2018
Historical Themes
Education, Parks and Natural Heritage, Sports History
Keywords
swimming, vegetarianism
Program Category
Historical Plaques
Rights
Heritage Toronto
Time Period
1835-1899, 1900-1953
Caption
George H. Corsan Commemorative plaque, 2018.
Description
1867-1952
George Corsan was an accomplished swimmer, author, newspaper columnist, and health food advocate. Born in Ontario, he became known in the early 1900s as an innovator in swimming techniques and lifesaving skills. His methods were widely adopted in both Canada and the United States. He developed group swimming programs for the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and taught swimming to students at the University of Toronto and to United States Army soldiers in training during the First World War.
An early advocate of vegetarianism, Corsan wrote articles and gave lectures across North America promoting the latest nutrition theories. In 1911, he established Echo Valley Farm on this site to promote the value of nuts in the human diet. Over 400 different nut varieties grew on this unique farm, many resulting from Corsan’s efforts to produce larger, tastier nuts in the Canadian climate. He also established a fruit and nut farm in Florida.
His farm here became Echo Valley Park in 1959. A larger-than-life character, Corsan cherished his nickname “the nut man of Islington.
Produced with the Etobicoke Historical Society
Marker lat / long: 43.652625, -79.543126 (WGS84)