Explore Toronto’s dark past with former Detectives. Uncover crime stories from the 1800s to today on this unique 2-hour walking tour.
- CF Toronto Eaton Centre - The shocking murder of a 12-year-old shoeshine boy in 1977 shakes the city but leads to the cleanup of the dirty downtown area.
- Yonge Street - The 2005 Year Of The Gun and the tragic death of a 15-year-old girl caught in a street gang shootout on Boxing Day.
- Yonge Street - Riots in Toronto’s history, from the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837 to the G20 riots of 2010.
- The Path - An exploration of how the mentally ill are treated in the criminal justice system.
- Downtown - Toronto’s greatest unsolved mystery: the disappearance of wealthy theatre owner Ambrose Small in 1919.
- Old Toronto - At Courthouse Square, the last public gallows in Canada, we delve into the bizarre list of crimes that carried capital punishment, such as stealing turnips and cattle.
- Old Toronto - The trial of the century in 1915: the murder of Bert Massey of the wealthy Massey Ferguson empire.
- Old Toronto - No crime tour of Toronto would be complete without mentioning the infamous Boyd Gang, their numerous bank heists, and their two escapes from The Don Jail. Media sensationalism doesn’t overlook the fact they were killers—two would hang for killing a Toronto Police detective.
- St. Lawrence Market - The Jarvis Duel of 1817, the last such duel (once common) in Toronto.
- Old Town - Hear the shocking details of Canada’s first “gangland” slaying in 1939 and the sordid state of “The Corner” at Dundas & Jarvis.
- Old Toronto - The incredible story of how a riot between circus clowns and the Hook & Ladder fire company in 1855 led to a revamp of the Toronto Police structure, which is still in effect 166 years later!
- Old Toronto - A serial killer was targeting gay men in The Village, but the police claimed there was no proof or links among the victims. Then they found eight victims buried in a ravine.
- Old Toronto - Topless sunbathing in the park. Illegal? Immoral?
- Distillery Historic District - In 1832, whiskey making rapidly grew with Gooderham & Worts. But is Wort’s ghost still here?
- Distillery Historic District - Part 2 of the large historical Distillery complex, focusing on its rougher past with bootlegging in 1922.
- All fees and/or taxes
- Bottled water
Welcome to the only crime tour in Canada hosted by former Detectives! We know these streets like no other tour guide, since we policed these very streets throughout our careers. With a total of 15 stops, we cover the early days of a growing city, with the Upper Canada Rebellion, through some dark decades where bookmakers and bank robbers were making headlines. We have more current stories too, such as the G20 riots that erupted in 2010, and the serial killer who shook the LGBT community in 2017, killing 8 men. We do have some more unusual tales as well, like circus clowns vs firefighter riot from 1855, which actually modernized the Toronto Police to a standard still in place today.
- must be able to walk for 2 hours
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.