Hi friend,
While preparing for the upcoming Riverdale historical tour, I spent time reading a carefully researched paper by T.A. Reed titled “The Scaddings, A Pioneer Family in York”
Reed begins with a sentence that feels remarkably contemporary:
“In these modern days we are prone to forget those who went before, to whose vision, foresight and courage we owe the foundations which were so well and truly laid.”
That observation reminds us that the Toronto we move through so confidently rests on the disciplined labour and moral steadiness of people whose names are barely remembered. One of those people was John Scadding.
From Riverdale Today to Lot 15 in 1793
When we walk through Toronto’s Riverdale neighbourhood today, we see established streets, mature homes, and a fully formed community. In 1793, however, the east bank of the Don River was designated as Lot 15 in the First Concession of York Township. It was wilderness bordered by the Don, what would later become Broadview Avenue, the line of Danforth Avenue, and the Bay.
John Scadding, a farmer from England’s South West who had managed the Wolford estate for Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe, accompanied Simcoe to Upper Canada (now Ontario) in 1792. When Lieutenant Governor Simcoe moved the colonial capital from Newark to York in 1793, John Scadding received a Crown grant of 253 acres on the east bank of the Don River. In 1794, he constructed a farmhouse and large barn “with a view to making here a homestead for a future family.” (The original house was later moved to Exhibition Place by the York Pioneers.)
The crossing over the Don at that location became known for many years as Scadding’s Bridge.
Scadding was not described in heroic or romantic terms. Reed records that he was a man of excellent executive ability and one of the best informed agriculturists in England.
In other words, he was competent, disciplined, and steady. Those traits do not generate headlines, but they build cities.
Let’s Reflect
Consider this: if your life were summarized in a single sentence two hundred years from now, what would remain? Position and achievement may fade. Character tends to endure.
Years after Scadding’s death, Sir John Kennaway offered a simple assessment:
“I can say that he was an honest man, and that, the poet says, is the noblest work of God.”
That epitaph does not emphasize wealth, influence, or innovation. It emphasizes honesty.
Scadding’s death itself was sudden and unspectacular. In March 1824, while giving instructions to workmen who were felling trees on his property, the tree under which he stood, being nearly chopped through, suddenly fell and struck him. Despite efforts to save him, he expired shortly thereafter.
Reed notes that nearly all York followed him to his grave.
His life ended abruptly. His reputation did not.
How to Lay Foundations That Endure
Reed’s account allows us to extract a practical framework.
1. Build with a Long Horizon
Scadding’s farmhouse was constructed explicitly with a view to establishing a homestead for a future family.
His work on the land was not temporary or speculative. It was oriented toward continuity.
In modern professional life, it is easy to make decisions that optimize short term recognition. Scadding’s example encourages a different question: will this decision strengthen the next generation? Foundations that endure are laid with patience and foresight.
2. Practice Steady Duty Rather Than Dramatic Ambition
Scadding crossed the Atlantic, managed estates, returned to England when duty required, and came back again to Upper Canada to continue improving his land. His work was repetitive and practical. Reed’s tone itself reflects this steadiness.
Cities are not built by occasional bursts of enthusiasm. They are built by consistent attention to responsibility. The same is true of families, organizations, and communities. Faithful repetition forms structural strength.
3. Guard Your Name Through Integrity
When Reed describes Scadding, he does not highlight self promotion or public acclaim. In fact, even his son Henry, who later wrote extensively about early Toronto, avoided self praise and publicity
The family seemed to assume that service spoke for itself.
In terms of one’s legacy, having a good name is better than great riches. Scadding’s enduring reputation for honesty suggests that character functions as a long term asset. It compounds quietly and becomes the lens through which every achievement is interpreted.
Reed’s opening warning remains relevant: we are prone to forget those who laid our foundations.
Yet the physical and institutional structure of Toronto rests on their foresight and courage.
John Scadding did not leave behind a monument in marble. He left cleared land, improved property, strengthened institutions, and sons who contributed significantly to Toronto’s religious and civic life. His story reminds us that foundations are rarely dramatic at the moment they are laid. They become visible only over time.
Three Suggested Action Items:
- Identify one area of responsibility in your life that requires long horizon thinking. This could be financial planning, mentoring a younger colleague, strengthening family rhythms, or building systems in your organization. Make one decision this week that benefits those who will come after you.
- Conduct a brief integrity audit. In the past month, were there moments where convenience tempted you away from truth? Correct course where needed. Protecting your name is foundational work.
- Join the Riverdale Historical Tour on Saturday, March 28th at 10:00 a.m. and walk the ground where Lot 15 once stretched along the Don. Seeing the geography transforms abstract history into lived reality. Register here at no cost.
We inherit foundations every day that we did not lay. The question before us is whether we will lay ours with equal foresight, courage, and integrity.
Thank you for taking the time to read and reflect.
Until next time,
Alex Rășcanu
