Help us name the Oakham House dogs
The Ryerson Archives are the proud owners of a beautiful set of matching Labrador Retrievers. They have settled in and gotten used to their new home and now it is time to give them names!
The contest is open to all University faculty, staff and students, and there is only one rule: The names MUST have significant meaning to Toronto Metropolitan University. This can include either historical (The Archives is a good place to look for this!) or contemporary significance. So enter and win prizes for first, second, and third place AND have your picture taken with the Archives’ mascots!
A bit of history on the dogs
The dogs were designed by architect William Thomas to hitch horses to and were located in front of his Oakham House residence. Thomas lived in the house until his death in 1860. The house was sold to another family and then in 1899 the house, along with the dogs, was sold to the Society for Working Boys- a home for disadvantaged youth in Toronto. When Toronto Metropolitan University acquired the building in 1958, the dogs, originally located at the building’s Church Street entrance, were no longer there. They had been removed to the new location of the Boys Home. When Ryerson retrieved the dogs in 1982, the Toronto Historical Board wanted the pair to be mounted in their historical place in the front of the house. In the interest of protecting them from vandalism they were placed inside the house, and then adopted by the Archives in 2010.
Please send your name suggestions, along with an explanation as to why you chose those names, to archives@ryerson.ca. Please include your full name and a number or email address where you can be reached should your submission be chosen. Contest closes April 8th, 2011.