1907/2023 – Looking south down Spadina Rd from north of Davenport Rd in the Casa Loma and Dupont by the Castle neighbourhoods of Toronto. The present-day photo was taken from the Baldwin Steps. The staircase was named after William Warren Baldwin, who emigrated to Canada from Ireland in 1799. In 1818, Baldwin built a home on the land near the top of today’s Baldwin Steps and called it Spadina House. When the house was named, it was pronounced “Spadeena,” which comes from the Ojibwe word “ishpadinaa.” It means high hill or ridge (Toronto Public Library R-1462)2022/1930 – Looking northwest from Yonge St towards the construction of the Eaton’s College Street store in the Downtown Yonge area of Toronto. The Art Deco gem was designed by the architectural firms of Ross & Macdonald and Sproatt & Rolph. The building was supposed to be much taller; however, due to the Great Depression, it was scaled back to seven floors.
Eaton’s sold the College St property in 1973 and closed this location in 1977. The building became known as College Park in 1979. Notice in the archive photo that Hayter St once intersected with Yonge St (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1266, Item 19440)Between 1970-72/2022 – Looking southeast on Yonge St between Dundas Sq and Shuter St in the Downtown Yonge area of Toronto. In the archive photo notice, Teraulay St once intersected with Yonge St. Today, this area on the west side of Yonge St is home to the Eaton Centre. The archive photo also shows the Imperial Theatre, which is presently known as the Ed Mirvish Theatre (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 312, Item 53)1920s/2022 – Looking south towards the Palais Royale located on the south side of Lake Shore Blvd W, at the foot of the Roncesvalles Pedestrian Bridge, in Toronto’s Sunnyside neighbourhood.
The archive photo shows spectators at an event at the Sunnyside Bandstand with the Palais Royale in the background. When the Palais Royale was built in 1921/22, it was also home to Deans’ Sunnyside Pleasure Boats. The Palais dining and dance hall later took over the entire building when the boat company left.
At the height of Palais Royale’s popularity in the ’30s and ’40s, big swing and jazz bands like Bert Niosi, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Jimmy Lunceford and The Dorsey Brothers played there. Palais Royale is one of two remaining buildings from the Sunnyside Amusement complex, the other being Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion (Toronto Public Library R-610)2022/1950 – Looking towards 359 Yonge St, south of Gerrard St E, in the Downtown Yonge area of Toronto. Before being the Zanzibar, the building was home to the Rosticceria Tavern and Hunter’s Studio around 1950. In 1960, it became the Zanzibar Tavern, a live music venue featuring jazz and blues. It later became a go-go dancer club with rock’n’roll music. The Zanzibar became an adult entertainment nightclub in the 1970s (City of Toronto Archives, Series 574, File 19, Item 49383)Circa 1867/2022 – Looking east towards the Officers’ Quarters or what’s known today as Stanley Barracks at Exhibition Place in Toronto (Toronto Public Library R-3029) 1965/2022 – Looking northeast towards Stanley Barracks at Exhibition Place in Toronto. Built in 1841, the limestone building was originally the Officers’ Quarters in what was known as the New Fort, a military post established to supplement Fort York. In 1893, the fort was renamed Stanley Barracks in honour of Governor General Lord Frederick Stanley – the same Lord Stanley who donated the NHL’s most prized cup. From 1960 until 2000, the barracks were home to the Marine Museum of Upper Canada. Today Stanley Barracks and its beautifully landscaped gardens are part of Hotel X (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 333, Item 1)2023/1955 – Looking southeast towards the gates at Winchester St and Sumach St in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood. The archive photo shows when Riverdale Farm and Park was home to the Riverdale Zoo. The zoo opened in 1884 and closed in 1974 when the animals were moved to Metropolitan Toronto Zoo (Toronto Public Library R-1158)November 14, 1973/2023 – Looking towards the northeast corner of Shuter St and Dalhousie St, in the Garden District of Toronto.
The archive photo shows the Cooper and Gillespie Houses. Edward Cooper, a merchant, built his homes at 68 and 70 Shuter St in 1850. Architect John Tully designed them in the Georgian Revival style. His family owned the houses for nearly seven decades. Malcolm Gillespie built his houses adjoining the west at 64 to 66 Shuter St in 1851. After he passed away in 1892, his widow added Romanesque Revival-style elements to the facades. The residences later became boarding houses, then in the 1970s, were extensively modified for commercial purposes.
In 2014, the houses were dismantled. Today the heritage façades of Edward Cooper’s houses were incorporated into the present-day condo (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 62, Item 103)2009/May 27, 2023 – Looking towards the southwest corner of Bathurst St and Bloor St W in Toronto’s Mirvish Village. In 1948, Ed and Anne Mirvish opened their first store near the corner and gradually acquired several properties along Bloor. Eventually, the landmark discount store, Honest Ed’s, occupied a city block. The store was in business for 68 years and closed on December 31, 2016. The property was sold, and today, Mirvish Village Condos are nearing completion (2009 photo courtesy of Google Maps)Between 1980-98/2022 – Looking south from Bloor St W and Bedford Rd towards Varsity Field’s old and new signs. A portion of the red brick wall from the original stadium, built in 1911 and demolished in 2002, was kept for historical purposes (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 278, Item 19)Between 1980-98/2023 – Looking east along Bloor St W from Devonshire Pl with the Varsity Stadium wall on the right. The athletic grounds are located at 299 Bloor St W, at the University of Toronto’s St George Campus. In 2002, the stadium was demolished, and the red brick wall was kept for heritage purposes (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 278, Item 17)1950s/April 9, 2023 – Looking northwest towards the corner of Front St E and Jarvis St, in the St Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto. The archive photo shows the former fourth St Lawrence Market North (1904-1968), which closely resembled the South Market building. Notice St Lawrence Hall in the background. Today, the sixth St Lawrence Market North is nearing completion (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1128, Series 380, Item 293)1972/2023 – Looking southeast on Dalhousie St from Shuter St (east of Church St) in the Garden District of Toronto. Notice the steeple of the Cathedral Church of St James in the distance (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 27, Item 5)1898/April 9, 2023 – Looking northwest towards the corner of Front St E and Jarvis St, in the St Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto. The archive photo shows the former third St Lawrence Market North (1851-1904) with the Cathedral Church of St James steeple and St Lawrence Hall cupola in the background. Today the sixth St Lawrence Market North occupies the corner (Toronto Public Library R-6039)1884/2022 – Stanley Barracks is located at Exhibition Place in Toronto. Built in 1841, the limestone building was originally the Officers’ Quarters in what was known as the New Fort, a military post established to supplement Fort York. The building was renamed Stanley Barracks in 1893 in honour of Governor General Lord Frederick Stanley. The barracks later served as public housing, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame/Hockey Hall of Fame and the Marine Museum of Upper Canada. The building received heritage status from the city in 1973. Today, Stanley Barracks is part of Hotel X Toronto (City of Toronto Archives, Series 327, Sub Series 1, Item 19) Between 1939-41/2022 – Looking northwest towards the corner of Bay St and Bloor St W, in the Yorkville neighbourhood of Toronto. The archive photo shows Holly’s Lunch and, on top of the building, a Neilson’s Jersey Milk Chocolate neon sign (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1488, Series 1230, Item 5494)1928/May 28, 2023 – Looking southwest towards the corner of Yonge St and Bloor St W, straddling the Yorkville and Bay-Cloverhill neighbourhoods of Toronto. The archive photo shows Stollery’s Menswear Store, which occupied Canada’s most desired corner from the early 1900s until 2015. Today, The One Condo Tower is being constructed at the site with the address of 1 Bloor St W. When completed, it will be the tallest building in Canada. At 338 metres and 94 storeys, it will be taller than First Canadian Place, which has been Canada’s tallest building since 1976 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 7393)September 1952/2023 – Looking north towards the Toronto Necropolis Chapel and Cemetery at 200 Winchester St in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood of Toronto. The cemetery dates back to 1850, while the chapel was constructed in 1871/72 and designed by architect Henry Langley in the Gothic Revival style. The chapel received heritage status from the city in 1973. It’s across from the Riverdale Farm and Park (Toronto Public Library R-5774)Between 1950s-60s/2021 – Looking northeast towards the corner of Bay St and Dundas St W in the Downtown Yonge neighbourhood. The corner was once home to Hotel Ford, which opened in 1928. At the time of its opening, it was one of four hotels in the R.T. Ford & Company hotel chain, the others in Rochester, Buffalo and Erie. Hotel Ford in Toronto closed in 1973, and the building was torn down by the summer of the following year. Today the corner is home to the Atrium on Bay (Toronto Public Library TSPA_0113469F)1972/2023 – Looking northwest towards the Massey House Apartments at the corner of Jarvis St and Isabella St, in Toronto’s Upper Jarvis neighbourhood (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 49, Item 15)2018/May 27, 2023 – Looking southwest towards the corner of Bathurst St and Bloor St W in the Mirvish Village neighbourhood of Toronto. The corner was home to Honest Ed’s for decades until the landmark store closed on December 31, 2016. Today Mirvish Village Condos is being constructed at the site (2018 photo courtesy of Google Maps)2023/1960 – The Danforth Mennonite Church is located at 2174 Danforth Ave, east of Woodbine Ave, on the north side in the East Danforth neighbourhood of Toronto. Originally known as Mennonite Gospel Mission, the small-frame structure was built in 1910 when the area was mainly farmland. The church received heritage status from the city in 2020 (David L. Hunsberger/Mennonite Archives of Ontario CA MAO 1984-1 273)
