Looking northeast towards the corner of Bloor St W and Avenue Rd in the Yorkville neighbourhood of Toronto.
The archive photo shows the corner as it appeared over 65 years ago, featuring the Church of the Redeemer, the homes that once stood nearby and the streetcar track that once ran along Bloor St. The Church of the Redeemer, an Anglican church, was built in 1879 and designed by architects Smith & Gemmell in the English Gothic style. The neighbouring house was constructed circa 1910 and, before it was torn down in the early 1960s, it housed various doctors’ offices.
Since 1983, the 25-storey Renaissance Plaza has surrounded the historic church, as shown in the present-day photo. This building was designed to enhance the intersection and complement the church’s architecture. Its vertical glass centre reflects the church’s features, including its bell gable.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Ontario Heritage Trust: 162 Bloor St W
- Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Nov 5, 1983, pg H8
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory, courtesy of Toronto Public Library
