While the child is wearing what appears to be girls clothing this was normal dress for young boys, especially from the upper classes during the Victorian era, the chances are this is a boy considering the sailors hat.
The hat he is wearing is from HMS Orion a Belleisle-class ironclad launched in 1879 who served mostly in the Mediterranean, she was broken up in 1913. How the hat came to be in Toronto in 1898 is anyone's guess.
Photo taken by Alex J Miller who's studio was at 452 Queen west Toronto.