When was the Toronto zoo built?

Answer 1

The Toronto Zoo was originally founded by Mr. Hugh A. Crothers. In 1963 he proposed a Private Citizen's Brief to the Metropolitan Toronto Council to create a new zoo to replace the dirty, old Riverdale Zoo that had been operating since 1887 in downtown Toronto. Eleven years later, after much hard work by many people, "The Metropolitan Toronto Zoo - The World's Largest Zoo" opened to the public on August 15th, 1974.

Answer 2

On Thanksgiving Weekend 1962 Mr. Hugh Crothers took one of his daughters downtown to the Riverdale Zoo and was so saddened by the condition of the animals, their cages and the smell of the zoo that in 1963 he proposed a Private Citizen's Brief to the Chairman of the Council of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, William Allen to build a new zoo. Mr. Allen asked Mr. Crothers to head up a committee to investigate the feasibility of a new zoo. By 1966 a group of 11 people became the The Metro Toronto Zoological Society with Mr. Crothers as the first Chairman. In 1967 the Rouge Valley was chosen as the new site and plans started to come together in 1968 with the purchase of property. Construction began in 1970 and the zoo opened on August 15th of 1974 as the World's Largest and Greatest Zoo.