1972/2022 – Looking northeast toward the corner of Yonge St and Bloor St E, in the Yorkville neighbourhood of Toronto. The archive photo shows the Royal Bank of Canada building. It was torn down in the mid-1970s to make way for the Hudson Bay Centre. Notice the Chevrolet Nova and Dodge Challenger in the vintage photo (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 124, File 2, ID 112)January 3, 1924/2022 – Looking southeast towards the corner of Yonge St and Bloor St E in the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood of Toronto. The archive photo shows the Imperial Bank of Commerce along with shops, including Robbins Haberdashery, Wiancko Bros Stationers and Laura Secord Confections. Notice the officer directing traffic at the intersection. Today, the corner is home to One Bloor, a 76-storey mixed-use skyscraper (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 2175)1907/2023 – The Arlington Hotel was once located at the northwest corner of King St W and John St in the Entertainment District/Wellington Place neighbourhoods of Toronto. Built in 1889, the hotel accommodated 200 guests. The Toronto City Directory has the hotel last recorded in 1932. Today, the block is home to TIFF Bell Lightbox and condo residences (Toronto Public Library PCR-2144)January 26, 1961/2023 – Looking west along King St W, just east of John St, in the Entertainment District/Wellington Place neighbourhoods of Toronto. The northwest corner of the intersection was once the site of Farb’s Car Wash. Today, the block is home to TIFF Bell Lightbox and condo residences (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 24)1972/2023 – Looking northeast towards the Benjamin Johnson House, at the corner of Gerrard St W and Laplante Ave in downtown Toronto. The three-storey brick house was built in 1875 by Benjamin Johnson. The majestic home received heritage status from the city in 1974. Today Jimmy’s Coffee occupies the building (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 67, Item 26)Circa 1928/2022 – Looking northeast towards the corner of Bloor St W and Bellair St, in the Yorkville neighbourhood of Toronto. The archive photo shows Elizabeth Ann Tea Rooms in one of the houses that once occupied the site. Today the corner is home to Harry Rosen, a luxury men’s clothing store (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 1168) 1956/2022 – Looking northeast along Yonge St towards the Masonic Hall Buildings, now Gloucester Mews, located at 601-613 Yonge St and 2 Gloucester St in the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood of Toronto. Built in 1888, architect Richard Ough designed the Victorian-style, four-storey commercial structure with stores, offices and Masonic Hall. The building received heritage status from the city in 1973 and Ontario Heritage Trust in 1982 (Toronto Public Library R-5662) 2021/1953 – Looking north toward the former Almont Hotel, once located at Lake Shore Blvd W at Kipling Ave in the New Toronto neighbourhood (Toronto Public Library R-2207)1955/2022 – Looking northeast towards the corner of Yonge St and Carlton St, in the Downtown Yonge area of Toronto (Toronto Public Library R-4027) 2022/Circa 1960 – Looking southwest on Toronto St, between King St E and Adelaide St E, in the St Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto.
The five-storey building in the archive photo was built in 1857. It was designed by architects Kauffman & Bissell and cost £17,000 to construct. While initially supposed to be a concert hall, it became a mixed-use building and the Masonic Hall. There were shops on the first floor with offices on the second and third floors. On the top levels were lodge rooms and a hall that was said to be the largest in the city. The freemasons met at the Toronto St hall until the completion of the Masonic Temple at Yonge St and Davenport Rd.
The building became insurance company offices until it was demolished in the 1960s.
Notice in both photos the Seventh Post Office on the left. Built between 1851 and 1853, it was a post office for two decades, then became government offices until 1937. The Bank of Canada later purchased the building, then sold it to Argus Corporation Limited, and today the historic old post office is home to an investment management company (Toronto Public Library 964-7-596) August 21, 1974/2022 – Jean Junction once occupied 364 Yonge St, south of Gerrard St on the west side, in Toronto’s Downtown Yonge area. Built circa 1914, the building received heritage status from the city in 1991 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 3, Item 7)1954/2022 – La Salle Theatre, originally Liberty Theatre, was once located at 526 Dundas St W, west of Spadina Ave on the north side in Toronto’s Chinatown/Kensington Market neighbourhood. On the marquee, “The Iron Mistress,” starring Alan Ladd and Virginia Mayo and “Plymouth Adventure,” starring Gene Tierney, Spencer Tracy and Van Johnson, were playing. In the early-1970s, it became the Pagoda Theatre, screening Chinese movies until the mid-1980s (Toronto Public Library R-5365) 1919/2022 – Looking towards the southwest corner of King St W and Bay St in Toronto’s Financial District. The archive photo shows the former Bank of Toronto, built in 1912. It was torn down in 1966 to make way for the Toronto-Dominion (TD) Centre; however, remnants of the old bank building were reconstructed to form the open-air Greek Theatre at Guild Park & Gardens (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 846)1972/2023 – Looking west towards the intersection of Sherbourne St and Linden St, in the Upper Jarvis/St James Town neighbourhood of Toronto. Notice on the right the James Cooper House, the Second Empire style home built in 1881/82 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 7, Item 4)2023/1909 – Looking northwest towards the Toronto Chinese Baptist Church, originally the Beverley Street Baptist Church, located at 72 Beverley St and Sullivan St in the Kensington-Chinatown neighbourhood of Toronto. Built in 1886, the church was designed by architects Langley & Burke. The first Chinese worship was held in the church in the late 1960s. The building received heritage status from the city in 1983 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 2161)1980s/2023 – Looking east towards McGill St from Yonge St in the Downtown Yonge area of Toronto. The intersection where McGill St and Yonge St meet was closed in the early 1980s, and a parkette was created. The stone arch, now known as the McGill Street Arch, came from the former St Andrew’s United Church, once located on Bloor St E. The church was demolished in 1981, and its stone arch was preserved, relocated and rebuilt as a pedestrian gateway (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 36, Item 71)November 1959/2022 – Looking west towards The Masonic Temple, also known as The Concert Hall, located at 888 Yonge St and Davenport Rd in the Yorkville neighbourhood of Toronto. Built between 1916 and 1917, the architectural firm William F Sparling & Co designed the Renaissance Revival style six-storey structure. The building received heritage status from the city in 1997 (City of Toronto Archives, Series 372, Sub Series 100, Item 441)1930-35/2023 – Looking west from east of Yonge St towards The Concert Hall at Davenport Rd in the Yorkville neighbourhood of Toronto. It was built between 1916 and 1917 for the Masonic Temple. In the 1960s, the auditorium became home to various concert venues, including Club 888 and The Rock Pile. In 2013, Info-Tech Research Group purchased the iconic building (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1488, Series 1230, Item 4096)1982/January 21, 2023 – Looking northwest towards the Royal Alexandra Theatre at 260 King St W in Toronto’s Entertainment District. Built in 1907, architect John McIntosh Lyle designed the Beaux-Arts-style building. Visionary Ed Mirvish, the owner of the former Honest Ed’s, saved the theatre from demolition in the early 1960s. His complete restoration of the theatre started the area’s rejuvenation, and today, the theatre is a National Historic Site of Canada. The archive photo shows the former Ed’s Warehouse next to the theatre (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 530, Item 17)
