Print | Ontario Jewish Archives

Scope and Content: This accession consists of eighteen black-and-white photographs that document Sol Shiner and Esther Shiner. They include early photographs of Sol Shiner and his friends and family as well as photographs of Esther Shiner during her political campaign.

Administrative History: Esther Shiner was born in Toronto during the early 1930s. She graduated from Harbord Collegiate and completed a BSc at the University of Toronto. She married Sol Sheiner in 1947 and together they had four children. Sol operated a fur-cleaning and storage business, and Esther worked as a housewife during the early years.; In 1971, she became a driving force in the Go Spadina Committee, which fought to extend the Spadina Expressway. In 1972, she decided to run for office for City Council and won. She remained in office from 1972 until her death in 1987. During that time, she was responsible for having the Spadina Expressway re-named the William R. Allen Expressway. She also re-launched her Go Spadina Committee in 1986. In turn, she also campaigned to reduce the legal age of drinking in Ontario, for safer bumpers on Toronto street cars, and to include photographs of drivers on Ontario licenses. By the end of her career, she had attained the position of North York senior controller and deputy mayor

Descriptive Notes: Associated material note: Detailed documentation of Esther Shiner’s life and political career may be found at the City of Toronto Archives within Fonds 36, the Esther Shiner fonds, which contains over 10 m of textual and other records and includes several hundred photographs

Name Access: Mandolin Orchestra.; Ronald Propas.; Cantor Kirshblum.; Rabbi Schild.; Adath Israel.; Spadina.; Baycrest Hospital; Streetcar.; Allen Road.; Paul Anka.; Jerry Grafstein.; Mel Lastman.; Marilyn Lastman.; Engelbert Humperdink.; Huck Shiner.; King Edward School.; Roches Point.; Hyman Shiner.