Harbord Village in Toronto, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Samuel Richardson

1917-1988

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 2, 2026

1. Samuel Richardson Marker

Inscription. Black Olympian Sam Richardson studied at and competed for Central Technical School in the 1930s. The Toronto-born great grandchild of enslaved people who came to Canada via the Underground Railroad, Richardson was a promising athlete from an early age. In 1934, he won gold in the long jump and silver in the triple jump for Canada at the British Empire Games (now the Commonwealth Games). The next year, he set a national long jump record that stood for several decades. One of the most gifted athletes of his generation, Richardson represented Canada at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games in Nazi Germany, running the 4× 100-metre relay against the U.S. team that included Black athlete Jesse Owens. The Canadian team finished fifth. Richardson retired from sport in 1937 and worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He was the first of many Olympic athletes to graduate from Central Technical School.

Erected 2019 by Heritage Toronto.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Sports. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Toronto Heritage series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1934.

Location. 43° 39.714′ N,

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79° 24.498′ W. Marker is in Toronto, Ontario. It is in Harbord Village. It is at the intersection of Harbord Street and Lippincott Street, on the right when traveling west on Harbord Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 183 Harbord St, Toronto ON M5S 1H5, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Toronto

and on the Golden Horseshoe.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Brunswick House (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Beverly Mascoll (approx. half a kilometer away); Healey Willan (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Healey Willan (1880-1968) (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Croft Street (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); 674 Markham Street (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Young Men’s - Young Women’s Hebrew Association

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 2, 2026

2. Samuel Richardson Marker

(approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Dr. Anderson Ruffin Abbott (approx. 0.6 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toronto.

1936

3. Samuel Richardson at the 1936 Olympic Games

Source: Canadian Olympic Association (public domain)

Central Technical High School in 2026 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 2, 2026

4. Central Technical High School in 2026

Credits. This page was last revised on November 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 10, 2026, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 10, 2026, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.