A new statue for Old Town

Just inside the courtyard of King George Square at 160 King East is a just recently unveiled and exquisitely designed statue to a man very few Torontonians are aware of.

In 1834 the year of Incorporation when the Town of York becomes the City of Toronto one of the City’s most influential citizens at that time was James Beaty, businessman, politician, and newspaper publisher. His newspaper The Leader was located across the street at 167 King Street East where it still stands today.

The Leader Newspaper considered a moderate Conservative paper was first published as a bi-monthly paper in 1852 and by 1853 became a daily newspaper before it ceased publication in 1878.

The statute of James Beaty is by well known Toronto sculptor Adrienne Alison and was the brainchild of Stephan Callahan whose company King George Square Properties Inc has owned and developed the property at King and Jarvis Streets since the 1980’s.