Mike Filey: the people’s historian

Filey was born in Toronto in 1941 and spent his early years living near Bloor and Bathurst streets where he got his first taste of travel by streetcar. His family later moved uptown where he attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute and from 1962 to 1965, Toronto Metropolitan University, (formerly Ryerson) where he received a diploma in chemical technology. Following a nine-year stint with the Ontario Water Resources Commission (later renamed the Ontario Ministry of the Environment) Filey got a job doing event planning and public relations with the CNE from 1974 to 1979 and then with Canada’s Wonderland until 1982.

After that “he was one of the lucky people who made his hobby his job,” says Crombie “He never went in to work. He was always at work.”

In addition to writing and collecting, Filey gave lectures and walking tours, often on a volunteer basis. He was heavily involved in the resurrection and restoration of the Trillium Ferry Boat. He served on the boards of both the Ontario Heritage Foundation and Toronto Historical Board. From 2002 to 2012 he had his own radio show on Zoomer Radio called Mike Filey’s Toronto. He was awarded the Jean Hibbert Memorial award from the Etobicoke Historical Society in 2009 for his decades-long contribution to Toronto’s history.

Filey often shared tidbits about his personal life with his readers. And his wife, Yarmila, received regular mention. In one column he recounted the story of how Yarmila surprised him on his 55th birthday with his dream car, a gleaming turquoise and white 1955 Pontiac. Yarmila had gone to the trouble of enlisting the help of a vintage car expert and searched for more than four years to find the exact car in the specific colours Filey had coveted since high school.

His interest in history was all consuming and Yarmila always supported that

The story is symbolic of how vital Yarmila was in Filey’s success. “His interest in history was all consuming and Yarmila always supported that,” says Russell. “She supported everything he did whether by proofreading, spellchecking or others means. She was a significant part of the support system that underpinned his success.”

Filey dedicated each of his books to Yarmila, often referring to her as his greatest fan. Though each dedication was slightly different this one is typical. “For Yarmila who has been my friend and made me look good in print.”

Karen Black is a journalist in Toronto, formerly Manager of City of Toronto Museums.