Ideal Bread Company Factory – Now Edwardian Classical Lofts

By
Denise Marie
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2020 - Looking northeast towards the Ideal Bread Company Factory once located at Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St. Today, the building is home to Argyle Lofts
2020 – Looking northeast towards the Ideal Bread Company Factory once located at Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St. Today, the building is home to Argyle Lofts

The former Ideal Bread Company Factory, now the Argyle Lofts, is located at 183-193 Dovercourt Rd (at Argyle St on the northeast corner) in the Beaconsfield Village neighbourhood of Toronto.

Built in 1919 in the Edwardian Classical style, the Ideal Bread Company Factory was designed by Sydney Comber, a Montreal architect. He also designated the two additions done in 1923 and 1933. The historic building is constructed of steel and concrete with brick cladding, brick, artificial stone and metal detailing. The baked goods factory was owned by William and Charles Curruthers (brothers) and Robert McMullen; however, the company was founded in the early 1910s.

On each level, the windows were uniquely designed to show the separation by factory floors of the processes that went into making the bread.

Bread Making Process by Floor

Circa 1923 - Baker putting loaves into Gas-Fired Traveling Oven at the Ideal Bread Company Factory once located at 183-193 Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St
Circa 1923 – Baker putting loaves into Gas-Fired Traveling Oven at the Ideal Bread Company Factory once located at 183-193 Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1034, Item 820)
  • 5th Floor: The Penthouse level originally had an assembly hall, stage and seating for 400.
  • 4th Floor: Mixing.
  • 3rd Floor: Dough shaping and baking. This level had an extending ceiling to accommodate the gas-fired travelling ovens (slides 4 & 7). The ovens produced 7,000 loaves of freshly baked bread each hour.
  • 2nd Floor: Bread was conveyed to this floor for packaging.
  • 1st Floor: The finished baked goods were moved to the ground floor, loaded through the arched doors onto delivery wagons and, later, trucks.

The factory was a working bakery until 1957, and the building was given heritage status in 2002. Today, it’s home to the Argyle Lofts. The historic building was converted to over 80 lofts in 2007. The bakery’s original clock is still above the front door.

Did you know?

  • Argyle St was once called Cedar St.
  • In the 1800s, the Denison family owned land in the area and built an estate called “Dover Court.” It was named after their ancestral home in Essex, England.

Ideal Bread Company Factory Photos

1923 – Looking northeast towards the Ideal Bread Company Factory once located at Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St. Today, the building is home to Argyle Lofts
1923 – Looking northeast towards the Ideal Bread Company Factory once located at Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St. Today, the building is home to Argyle Lofts (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1034, Item 839)
2020 - Looking northeast towards the Ideal Bread Company Factory once located at Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St. Today, the building is home to Argyle Lofts
2020 – Looking northeast towards the Ideal Bread Company Factory once located at Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St. Today, the building is home to Argyle Lofts
2020 - Ideal Bread Company Factory was once located at 183-193 Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St. Today the building is home to Argyle Lofts
2020 – Ideal Bread Company Factory was once located at 183-193 Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St. Today the building is home to Argyle Lofts
1923 - Gas-Fired Traveling Oven at the Ideal Bread Company Factory once located at 183-193 Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St
1923 – Gas-Fired Traveling Oven at the Ideal Bread Company Factory once located at 183-193 Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1034, Item 840)
1923 - Billboard advertising Ideal Bread Company showing artists' conception of the first gas-fired travelling oven in Canada
1923 – Billboard advertising Ideal Bread Company showing artists’ conception of the first gas-fired travelling oven in Canada (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1034, Item 841)
1921 - Ideal Bread Company wagon on Woodbine Ave
1921 – Ideal Bread Company wagon on Woodbine Ave (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 1212)
Circa 1923 - Baker putting loaves into Gas-Fired Traveling Oven at the Ideal Bread Company Factory once located at 183-193 Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St
Circa 1923 – Baker putting loaves into Gas-Fired Traveling Oven at the Ideal Bread Company Factory once located at 183-193 Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1034, Item 820)
Circa 1914 - Ideal Bread Company billboard showing the famous ovens
Circa 1914 – Ideal Bread Company billboard showing the famous ovens (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1488, Series 1230, Item 849)
1912 - Ideal Bread Company wagon stuck on muddy Earlscourt Ave
1912 – Ideal Bread Company wagon stuck on muddy Earlscourt Ave (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 31¬¬)
2020 - Ideal Bread Company Factory, now Argyle Lofts entrance with clock
2020 – Ideal Bread Company Factory, now Argyle Lofts entrance with clock
Circa 1911 – Ideal Bread Company wagon in front of the Alexandra Park YMCA once at the northeast corner of Dundas St W and Casimir St
Circa 1911 – Ideal Bread Company wagon in front of the Alexandra Park YMCA once at the northeast corner of Dundas St W and Casimir St (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 3021)
2020 - The heritage plaque reads: Ideal Bread Company Factory 1919 “Montreal architect Sydney Comber designed this factory building in Edwardian Classical style. Its facades feature stone detailing and are divided into distinct bays by brick pilasters. Window design is unique to each level and reflects the original separation by factory floors of the processes of bread production. In the final stage, bread wagons were loaded from the ground-level archways on Argyle Street. In use as a bakery until 1957, this building was converted to residential lofts in 2007. The factory clock remains above the front entrance.” Designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, 2003 Heritage Toronto 2008
2020 – The heritage plaque reads:

Ideal Bread Company Factory 1919

“Montreal architect Sydney Comber designed this factory building in Edwardian Classical style. Its facades feature stone detailing and are divided into distinct bays by brick pilasters. Window design is unique to each level and reflects the original separation by factory floors of the processes of bread production. In the final stage, bread wagons were loaded from the ground-level archways on Argyle Street. In use as a bakery until 1957, this building was converted to residential lofts in 2007. The factory clock remains above the front entrance.” Designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, 2003

Heritage Toronto 2008
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