Lives were lost in Toronto durign the Battle of York
The Battle of York was fought on April 27 , 1813 , in York ( present-day Toronto ) , the capital of the province of Upper Canada ( present-day Ontario ) , during the Anglo-American War of 1812 . They themselves suffered heavy casualties , including force leader Brigadier General Zebulon Pike and others killed when the retreating British blew up the fort 's magazine . Toronto . During the War of 1812 , the town was the site of the Battle of York and suffered heavy damage by U.S. troops .