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Mail and Empire Building (former site) in 1913 & 2025

By TorontoJourney416

Posted:

Revisited:

Looking northwest toward the corner of King St W and Bay St in the Financial District of Toronto.

The archive photo features The Mail and Empire Building, shown directly at the corner. Constructed between 1879 and 1881, the structure was initially known as the Mail Building, where The Toronto Daily Mail newspaper was printed and published. Designed by architect Richard Waite in the French Renaissance style, the five-storey building featured a 40-meter (130-foot) tower where, on a clear day, “the American shore could easily be discerned.” During that first decade, the building suffered fire damage on three separate occasions, with one blaze severely damaging the top floor, which had to be reconstructed.

In 1895, The Mail merged with The Empire newspaper to form The Daily Mail and Empire newspaper, whose sign is visible in the old photo. In 1936, The Globe newspaper absorbed The Mail and Empire, which then became known as The Globe and Mail.

Two years later, in 1938, the grand newspaper building was sold to the Bank of Montreal. The following year, it was demolished to make way for a 16-storey structure that served as the bank’s main office and Ontario headquarters. This building remained until 1975, when it too was torn down to make way for the current two-storey Bank of Montreal building, which is part of First Canadian Place at 100 King St W.

Then and Now

December 30, 1913/March 23, 2025 - Looking northwest toward the corner of King St W and Bay St in the Financial District of Toronto. The archive photo features The Mail and Empire Building, shown directly at the corner. Constructed between 1879 and 1881, the structure was initially known as the Mail Building, where The Toronto Daily Mail newspaper was printed and published. Designed by architect Richard Waite in the French Renaissance style, the five-storey building featured a 40-meter (130-foot) tower where, on a clear day, "the American shore could easily be discerned." During that first decade, the building suffered fire damage on three separate occasions, with one blaze severely damaging the top floor, which had to be reconstructed. In 1895, The Mail merged with The Empire newspaper to form The Daily Mail and Empire newspaper, whose sign is visible in the old photo. In 1936, The Globe newspaper absorbed The Mail and Empire, which then became known as The Globe and Mail. Two years later, in 1938, the grand newspaper building was sold to the Bank of Montreal. The following year, it was demolished to make way for a 16-storey structure that served as the bank's main office and Ontario headquarters. This building remained until 1975, when it too was torn down to make way for the current two-storey Bank of Montreal building, which is part of First Canadian Place at 100 King St W
December 30, 1913/March 23, 2025 – Looking northwest toward the corner of King St W and Bay St (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 2037 – James Victor Salmon photographer)
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