Looking northwest towards the corner of McCaul St and Renfrew Place just north of Queen St W in the Queen Street West neighbourhood of Toronto.
The archive photo shows the building when it was home to Malabar Costumer. Sara Mallabar founded the costume shop in Winnipeg, and her son Harry expanded to Toronto in 1923, opening on Spadina Ave. As the business grew, it relocated to a larger space at 309-311 King St W. Unfortunately, this location was severely damaged by a fire in 1956, prompting another move to 10-14 McCaul St. After nearly 100 years of operation in Toronto, the store closed in 2022. However, the Ottawa location continues to operate to this day.
The three-storey building, clad in buff brick, was constructed between 1912 and 1913. It was designed by architect Charles Willmot to serve as a showroom and office for Harold F. Ritchie & Co., a Canadian dealer specializing in grocery products from British and American sources.
While some of the building’s windows still feature Malabar signs, as seen in the present-day photo, the property has been on the market for several years. As of writing this post, it is currently listed at just under $17 million. It is important to note that this century-old building is not listed on the city’s heritage register.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
