A Ghost in the Fire

Ivan Reznikoff used to be a huge man. He was a groundskeeper and builder for UC College in the late 1800’s but was murdered by his co-worker after a fight over a woman. Now he was a pile of human remains, with a belt buckle on top. Ivan lay in the bottom of a well in UC College while the institution evolved over the years. Cows were still grazing in the fields behind the UC College building when it was first opened up to students in 1859. Women were finally admitted in 1884 and the spirit of the college started to come through as its main mission was "openness".

After roughly six years of the open policy on women, the University’s Literary and Scientific Society had the idea of hosting the Annual Student Conversazione Ball, which fell on a Valentine’s Day. While Ivan Reznikoff ’s remains lay undisturbed, the Literary and Scientific Society was preparing to showcase concerts, readings, scientific exhibits, and demonstrations of the latest visual wonders in science. One example was bacterial and microscopic slides presented to the students and teachers through magnified lenses. To be able to light these slides, a significant amount of light was needed for the time, but nothing was standing in the way of having a glamorous night. An electricity provider was needed, and so the eventual discovery of Reznikoff ’s remains began with an argument over how to light the bacteria slides. The electricity provider in the region was away and the only other available electricity provider had a line that could not reach the college. As a result, they went with kerosene lamps.

George Godwin and Archibald Pride, two lab assistants, carried the lamps on a tray up a narrow staircase in the southeast end of the building. Godwin looked at Pride and warned him to blow out the lights before carrying. Pride got cocky and decided to carry the lamps without blowing them out. Reznikoff ’s remains were still undisturbed, when at the top of the stairs the lab assistants tripped and the lamps went crashing and igniting. The dense black smoke evacuated everyone as fire fighters came to scene to meet a blazing fire destroying nearly half the building. While the wind helped, they two fire engines had to share one fire hydrant and there was not enough water pressure. Students ankle deep in snow and slush watches the raging fire and a sight that would be with them forever. The heat from the flames began to warm up Reznikoff ’s bones.

By 11pm, the fire was gone. Students who planned to dance remembered that night as a glowing destruction in the night Many books were lost, including the president of the college’s archeological collection. Over the next few days, thousands of people came to see the burnt wreckage. Newspapers printed headlines like “How A Merry Dance Doomed”. The college’s architect D.B Dick inspected the building and deemed it sturdy enough to renovate. The entire town was in a panicked fascination, especially at the fact that nobody was hurt. As soon as the entire event was to be remembered forever, there was a discovery in a well. Somebody was hurt, just not from the fire.

Officials brought out Rezinkoff ’s remains from the well, along with a silver belt buckle. As students had to go back to school to following days, a rule issued by the president of the college, there was at least an excitement over the discovery over a dead body. While the fire itself was seen as major event to draw attention to the institution, Reznikoff ’s remains led to the emergence of his own ghost story which led to a cafe in his namesake standing on St George St. By Sidney Smith.

Professor W.J. Loudon suggested that the fire was “a great disaster and a blessing in disguise” for University College. Famed writer on UC College also suggested that “The destruction of the library led to the creation of a larger collection in a new building...[and] It drew public attention to the needs of rapidly growing institution.”Works Cited Bradburn, Jamie. “Out of the Ashes: University College Rebuilt.” York University's Front Door at Vari Hall | Toronto in Time, citiesintime.ca/toronto/story/out-ashes-un/. Bradburn, Jamie. “Historicist: ‘Varsity in Ruins.’” Torontoist, 15 Mar. 2014, torontoist.com/2014/03/historicist-varsity-in-ruins/. John. “Remembering the 1890 Fire at the University of Toronto: February 14: Snapshots in History.” Toronto Reference Library Blog, torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/local-history-genealogy/2017/02/remembering-the-1890-fire-at-the-university-of-toronto-february-14-snapshots-in-history.html. Q&A: What Woke University of Toronto Chemist John Polanyi on the Morning of Oct. 15, 1986? It Wasn't His Alarm Clock., www.greatpast.utoronto.ca/bios/history6.asp.