1933/2022 – Looking northeast along Bloor St W towards Avenue Rd in The Annex and Yorkville neighbourhoods of Toronto. The archive photo shows Diana Sweets and, in both photos, Park Plaza Hotel (today known as the Park Hyatt) and the Church of the Redeemer on the north side of Bloor St W (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 9875)2022/1972 – Looking northeast towards the corner of Adelaide St E and George St, in the Old Town/St Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto. The group of buildings ranging from 252 to 264 Adelaide St E were initially known as the Bank of Upper Canada (built in 1825/27), De La Salle Institute (built in 1871) and Toronto’s First Post Office (built in 1833/34 and is once again a post office today). The buildings received heritage status from the city in 1973 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 20, Item 3)1930/2022 – Tip Top Tailors building is located at 637 Lake Shore Blvd W, just west of Bathurst St, in the Bathurst Quay neighbourhood of Toronto. Built in 1929, architect Roy H Bishop was commissioned by David Dunkelman, founder of Tip Top Tailors, to design the structure for the men’s clothing company’s headquarters, factory and warehouse.
The Art Deco-style building received heritage status from the city in 1973. In the early-2000s, the building was converted to Tip Top Lofts, and an additional five storeys made of industrial frame and glass was added to the top. The archive photo shows the construction of the streetcar line with the former Maple Leaf Stadium in the background (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1266, Item 21234) July 5, 1922/2022 – Looking northwest towards Christie Pits Park at 750 Bloor St W, bordered by Christie St, Barton Ave and Crawford St in Toronto. The land was originally Christie Sand Pits quarry, then Willowvale Park and today, Christie Pits Park (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 372, Sub Series 52, Item 1026)August 12, 1929/2021 – Looking southwest towards the Princes’ Gates at Strachan Ave and Lake Shore Blvd W in the Niagara neighbourhood of Toronto. The monumental east entrance to Exhibition Place was opened in 1927 and was initially named “The Diamond Jubilee of Confederation Gates.”
Edward, Prince of Wales and his brother Prince George, Duke of Kent, attended the official opening, and since that time, the gateway has been known as the Prince’s Gates. The classical triumphal arch is flanked by nine Doric columns, which represent the nine provinces in 1927 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 7108)1930s/2022 – Looking southeast along Yonge St, between Bloor St E and Hayden St in downtown Toronto. The archive photo shows Tamblyn Drugstore, once located at 725 Yonge St (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 52)1950s/2023 – Looking northwest towards the corner of Church St and Wellington St E, in the St Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto. The archive photo shows the former Bank of Toronto building, constructed in 1863 and designed by architect William Kauffman. The building was the bank’s headquarters for decades and later became a branch.
In 1955 after a merger, the financial establishment was called the Toronto-Dominion Bank. In the early 1960s, the previous bank structure was replaced with the present-day building. For several years it continued as a bank branch, then a Pizza Pizza, and today it’s home to The Works Craft Burgers & Beer.
George Gooderham, who was both the president of the Bank of Toronto and constructed the Gooderham Building across the street in 1892, built an underground tunnel between the two buildings (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1128, Series 380, Item 159)February 14, 1913/2023 – Looking north from Spadina Rd and Davenport Rd towards the Baldwin Steps and the Casa Loma’s east wall in Toronto. The staircase in the archive photo was constructed in 1913 to replace wooden steps. The Baldwin Steps we know today were rebuilt and opened in 1988.
Made of concrete, they rise to a circular landing flanked by retaining walls and pillars and contain a small amphitheatre. There are 110 steps that zigzag from landing to landing up the steep hill, all surrounded by beautiful trees, plants and flowers (City of Toronto Archives, Series 372, Sub Series 52, Item 4)1972/1950s – Looking northwest towards the corner of Church St and Wellington St E, in the St Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto. The 1950s photo shows the Bank of Toronto building. Constructed in 1863 and designed by William Kauffman, it was the bank’s headquarters until 1912, later becoming a branch. After a merger in 1955, the financial institution became known as the Toronto-Dominion Bank. In the early 1960s, the bank replaced the previous building, opening a branch in the present-day glass and steel structure.
Today it’s home to The Works Craft Burgers & Beer. In 1892, George Gooderham constructed the Gooderham Building across the street. He was also the president of the Bank of Toronto and built an underground tunnel between the two buildings (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 68, Item 1 & Fonds 1128, Series 380, Item 159)2023/1972 – Looking southeast toward the Millichamp Building at the corner of Victoria St and Adelaide St E in Toronto’s St Lawrence neighbourhood. Built in 1874/75, architects Smith & Gemmell designed the office building for Wallace Millichamp. His silver plating and display case manufacturing business remained there until the 1890s. It later became a CIBC branch, occupying the building for over 50 years. In 1984, the structure received heritage status from the city. Today, a glass atrium connects the Excelsior Life and Millichamp Buildings (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 17, Item 32)Between 1950-63/2021 – Looking northeast towards the University Avenue Courthouse – Superior Court of Justice, once the site of University Avenue Armouries at University Ave and Armoury St in downtown Toronto. The castle-like Armouries were built between 1891 and 1893. The Armouries were in a prime location, just north of Osgoode Hall, and more land was needed for Provincial Courts. The grand structure was demolished in 1963 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 492, Item 310)September 19, 1950/2023 – Looking south towards the intersection of Queen St W and Jameson Ave, in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto. The building in the foreground on the left is The Connaught. It was constructed circa 1911 and was one of Parkdale’s first apartments (City of Toronto Archives, Series 372, Sub Series 58 File Item 2086)Early 1980s/2022 – Cabin D and the tool shed are on display at Roundhouse Park in downtown Toronto. The archive photo shows the structures at their original location in the railway corridor, just west of the Bathurst Street Bridge. Built in 1890 by Grand Trunk Railway, Cabin D controlled track switches and signal lights near Union Station.
In 1983, the cabin and shed were retired and relocated to the John Street Roundhouse, where they were stored for several years. The structures were fully restored and put on display in 2010 during the Toronto Railway Museum’s first year (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 59, Item 54)1990/2023 – Looking northwest towards the intersection of King St E and Berkeley St, in the Old Town neighbourhood of Toronto. In the left foreground is the Reid Lumber Company building, constructed in 1891/92. The four-storey Eclectic Victorian-style building was the offices and halls for merchants John and George Reid.
For decades, the Nienkämper showroom was located in the 1845-built Charles Coxwell Small House and has since relocated a few doors east. In the distance is the former Berkeley Street Fire Hall No. 4, today’s Alumnae Theatre, located at 70 Berkeley St (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 693, Item 3) September 12, 1910/2020 – The Don Station is on display at Roundhouse Park in downtown Toronto. The archive photo shows the station at its original location on the south side of Queen St E and the west side of the Don River. Built by Canadian Pacific Railway in 1896, the station was added for the convenience of passengers on the city’s east side so they didn’t have to travel to Union Station.
When Don Station closed in 1967, the structure was moved to Todmorden Mills. It remained there for over four decades until it was relocated to Roundhouse Park in 2008. The park also features the John Street Roundhouse and the Toronto Railway Museum (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 73)Between 1988-90/April 2023 – Looking southeast towards the corner of Cherry St and Front St E in Toronto’s West Don Lands neighbourhood. The building, once home to the Canary Restaurant (as shown in the archive photo), has quite a long history and has undergone several construction phases.
It began as the Palace Street School in 1859. An extension was added in 1890 for The Irvine House, later becoming the Cherry Street Hotel, D’Arcy Hotel, then the Eastern Star Hotel. In the early 1920s, a warehouse was added to the building’s east side. Today the heritage-designated building is being incorporated into the Canary House development (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 666 Item 9)May 5, 1983/2023 – Looking southeast towards the corner of King St E and Berkeley St, in the Old Town neighbourhood of Toronto. In the background of the archive photo, notice the Toronto Star trucks parked at their garage parking lot (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 73, Item 70)Between 1920-26/2022 – Looking towards the northwest corner of King St E and Berkeley St, in the Old Town neighbourhood of Toronto. The three-storey, Georgian-style building at the corner is the Charles Coxwell Small House, built in 1845.
The archive photo shows the building home to J.H. Greenshield’s Grocery, which remained there until 1956. Notice advertising for Wrigley’s Nips Candy Coated Gum painted on the exterior wall (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1488, Series 1230, Item 2545)1944/2020 – The Canadian Pacific Rail #7020 switcher type locomotive is on display in front of the Toronto Railway Museum at the John Street Roundhouse in Toronto. The archive photo shows #7020 being delivered brand new to the railway company’s Parkdale Yard. CPR used the workhorse engine to pull out freight cars until a complete train was made. The locomotive was manufactured by the American Locomotive Company in Schenectady, New York (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1257, Series 1056, Item 190)1972/2023 – Looking northeast towards the corner of Jarvis St and Wellesley St E in the Upper Jarvis neighbourhood. Located behind the gas station is The Keg Mansion at 515 Jarvis St. Built in 1868, the Gothic-style mansion was designed for Arthur McMaster, the nephew of William McMaster, who founded the university.
In the early 1880s, the home was purchased by the Massey family, who built one of Canada’s most influential entertainment venues, Massey Hall (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, File, 49 Item 25)October 3, 1974/2020 – The Riverside Bridge on Queen St E over the Don River was built in 1911 and was once known as the Queen Street Viaduct. The plain truss-style steel bridge was the gateway to the east side of Toronto, where many industrial businesses like factories and brickyards existed.
In the mid-1990s, the Riverside BIA held a public art contest. Eldon Garnet was one of the artists who won, and he contributed the now iconic art/phrase on top of the bridge, greeting everyone with “This River I Step In Is Not The River I Stand In.” The art refers to the notion of the Greek Philosopher Heraclitus that you cannot step in the same river twice since it’s in constant movement (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 9, Item 4) 2023/May 7, 1925 – Looking north towards the Legislative Building located at 111 Wellesley St W and is surrounded by Queen’s Park in the Bay-Cloverhill area of Toronto. The Richardson Romanesque-style building was built between 1886 and 1892 and officially opened in 1893. The Legislative Building was one of the 490 structures on Heritage Toronto’s initial induction list in June of 1973 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 3783)March 1987/2020 – Looking northeast on Yonge St between Dundas Sq and Shuter St in the Downtown Yonge area of Toronto (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 124, File 3, Item 131)Between 1988-90/2023 – Looking northeast towards 425/441 Cherry St at Front St E, in the West Don Lands neighbourhood of Toronto. The building has quite a long history with several phases of construction, beginning with the Palace Street School in 1859 and the second-storey school addition in 1869. An extension was added for The Irving House (hotel) in 1890, and a final addition for Thomas Davidson Manufacturing in the early 1920s.
The building has been home to several other businesses, including the Cherry Street Hotel and Canary Restaurant. Today, the heritage-designated building will be incorporated into the mixed-use development called the Canary House (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 666 Item 10)April 1951/2022 – Looking southeast towards Stanley Barracks at Exhibition Place in Toronto. Stanley Barracks was originally the Officers’ Quarters and one of seven limestone buildings at what was known as the New Fort. It was built in 1841 as a British military post by the Royal Engineers to supplement Fort York.
In 1893, the fort was renamed Stanley Barracks. Throughout the years, many structures within it were demolished until the only building left standing was the Officers’ Quarters, commonly known as Stanley Barracks. The tall building in the 2022 picture is the Hotel X Toronto (Toronto Public Library R-2736)1972/2023 – Looking southeast toward the Riverdale Park stone entrance at Winchester St and Sumach St in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood of Toronto. The park is also home to Riverdale Farm (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 841, File 29, Item 28)
