Many successful people have lived in Leaside over the years. I’ve written about some of them in Leaside Life. But this is the first time I’ve written about a successful Leasider who also happened to be a dog. His name was Irish Battler, and in the late 1930s he briefly became quite the celebrity. They say every dog has his day. This one certainly did.
James Martin and his dog kennel
As his name implies, Irish Battler was an Irish Terrier. His owner, James A. Martin, operated a dog kennel – Martin’s Irish Kennels – from his homes at 19 Bessborough Dr. and, later, 189 Bessborough Dr. Home kennels were not uncommon in Leaside back then. In addition to Martin’s, there were at least two similar operations in the community – O’Bonnyrigg Kennels at 41 Hanna Rd. and Carson Kennels at 111 Hanna Rd. These enterprises often served as side hustles for their owners. Martin’s primary occupation, for example, was running a bicycle and sporting goods shop at 701 Danforth called Bicycle Martin. Despite this, he and his wife, Ivane, found time to be active players in the dog business – raising, selling and displaying their dogs in competition.
Before Irish Battler, James Martin found success with two other Irish Terriers – Irish Kitty and Irish Lass, both of whom achieved high scores at Canadian and American dog shows, including competitions at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) and the Ohio Irish Terrier Club. The latter dog, Irish Lass, was Irish Battler’s mother. According to Kennel and Bench magazine – Canada’s national dog publication at the time – she was considered by many to be “the best producer of winners in Canada.”
Irish Battler, the champion
This assessment proved more than accurate. Irish Battler won his first competition at the 1937 Royal Winter Fair while still a puppy. From there, he went on to achieve numerous other wins, including:
- -Best of Breed at the Toronto Ladies’ Kennel Club.
- -Best of Winners at the Canine Breeders’ Association of Canada, and
- -Best of Breed at the London Kennel Club, the Oakville Kennel Club and at the CNE.
In February 1938, he capped off these successes by capturing a coveted Best of Breed award at the Associated Terrier Club specialty dog show in New York City. This was the kickoff event for the World Series of dog shows, the Westminster Kennel Club exhibition at Madison Square Garden. In winning the award, Irish Battler beat 72 other Irish Terriers from around the world. He was only 20 months old at the time.
News of the victory spread quickly across Canada. Waxing poetic, the Canadian Press wrote: “Irish Battler, his red coat shining like the sunset on the Shannon, today held for Canada the prize for the best Irish Terrier entered in the Associated Terrier Club dog show.” The Globe and Mail, Hamilton Spectator, Windsor Star and Toronto Star all reported the story, with the Toronto Star’s headline exclaiming: “Leaside Terrier New York Winner.” In addition, a large photo of Irish Battler, James Martin and his wife appeared in the Ottawa Journal and the Montreal Star. Not to be outdone, Kennel and Bench featured the dog on the cover of its March 1938 issue.
Epilogue
Returning to Toronto, Martin capitalized on his terrier’s success by marketing his breeding services to select customers. Then, in May 1941, he abruptly sold his Bessborough Drive home and moved from Leaside (where he had lived since 1934) to Glenwood Ave. Martin continued to operate his Danforth Ave. sporting goods store until the late 1940s; but after that, little is known of him or his championship dog.
Thus ended Irish Battler’s 15 minutes of canine fame. Despite his brief moment in the sun, I like to think he went on to live a long and happy life basking in the glory of his achievements.
Which just goes to show that every dog really does have his day.
Correction: In last month’s heritage article, the Leaside high school yearbook was mistakenly referred to as The Clansman. The yearbook’s actual title is Clan Call. The author apologizes for this error.
