Curtiss Flying School, Toronto

Lt Col D J Goodspeed The Armed Forces of Canada 1867-1967 Queens Printer Ottawa 1967

Many Canadian boys in 1915 and 1916 received preliminary instruction at the Curtiss Flying School, Toronto before joining the British Flying services. One of the three Curtiss flying boats operated by the school in 1915 is shown over Toronto harbour. 
Glenn Curtiss had only developed the flying boat 3 years earlier with his Flying Fish, after he modified the boat-type hull with a step to reduce friction on takeoff. At this point Canada had just one  military aircraft.

The aircraft shown was named the Sunfish and was the first flying boat in Canada, the first intercity passenger plane, Toronto to Hamilton, and the first plane in Canada to be used for aerial photography. It was wrecked in Toronto Harbour in October, 1915 by an inexperienced pilot, E L Janney. More here.