05/22/2026
🦁 Did you know this unique golden lion sculpture used to be housed at the Sharon Temple? Meet Henry, the Golden Lion! He has a truly remarkable past.
The original lion was carved in 1825 from a pine stump and stood outside the Golden Lion Hotel at Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue. Unfortunately, the first one was stolen, but a second was later carved from oak around 1834. That second lion is the one pictured here! The Golden Lion Hotel was a real hub of history. During his time there, Henry witnessed parties, dances, stagecoach traffic, political gatherings, and the turmoil of the 1837 Rebellion. In fact, the hotel actually served as a meeting place for William Lyon Mackenzie and his reform supporters during the Upper Canada reform movement of the 1830s. William Lyon Mackenzie even obtained a horse there to escape government forces after the 1837 Rebellion! The lion was later donated to the York Pioneer and Historical Society for the Sharon Temple Museum, where it stayed for some time. Since 1997, the Golden Lion has been in the care of the North York Public Library. 👑
