Discover Toronto's history as told through its plaques

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The Birthplace of Standard Time

Photos by Alan L Brown - Posted June, 2010

Photo Source - Wikipedia

In front of the parking garage of the building on the east side of Berti Street just north of Richmond Street East, is this Ontario Heritage Trust plaque. This is what it says:

Coordinates: 43.652402 -79.376349

In a building which stood immediately west of this site, Sandford Fleming (1827-1915) read a paper before the Canadian Institute on February 8, 1879, outlining his concept of a worldwide, uniform system for reckoning time. This was prompted by Fleming's observation of the difficulties imposed upon east-west travellers, particularly over long distances as in North America, by arbitrary variations in local time. Circulated among the principal governments of the world, Fleming's proposal gave rise to the International Prime Meridian Conference at Washington in 1884, at which the basis of today's system of Standard Time was adopted. The Conference also endorsed Fleming's idea of a "Universal Day" or 24-hour clock.

Related Ontario plaque
Sir Sandford Fleming 1827-1915

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Here are the visitors' comments for this page.

> Posted June 29, 2011
It seems this one has gone missing within a year of being re-erected. A story from the Toronto Star of June 28, 2011, seems to quote this page.
http://www.thestar.com/news/fixer/article/1016062--the-fixer-time-to-replace-sir-sandford-s-plaque
I'm guessing the first removal was due to construction of a new building. What a shame it's gone and that replacement is difficult and costly. At a plaque unveiling this week, folks from the Ontario Heritage Trust told me a plaque, alone, costs $3,800. New ones cost even more, considering the consultations, research, etc., necessary before one is cast. -Wayne

> Posted June 16, 2010
As of June 11th, 2010: the plaque has been re-erected, this time on a metal pole, but still on the west side of the building. Walk north from the corner along the west side of the new building until you come to a recessed area on the right. That's where the plaque is currently located. - M. Shepherd [Editor's Response: Thanks. I've now re-photographed it in its new location.]

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