The buildings and streetscape at this location have retained their original character over the past 54 years (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 16, Item 4)
The original school, shown in the archive photo, was completed in 1892 and designed by the architectural firm Knox & Elliot. The total cost for the site, construction, and equipment was $35,000. At that time, the school had an enrollment of 120 students and a capacity to accommodate up to 500. The centre tower of the previous building stood 44 metres (146 feet) tall and was topped with a cupola.
The present-day school opened in the early 1930s, featuring a swimming pool, separate gyms for girls and boys, a library, an assembly hall, a lecture room, a music room, laboratories, administrative offices, and classrooms. The construction of the school cost around $420,000, and it was designed by architect C.E. Dyson.
Notable graduates of Harbord C.I. include Phil Givens (former mayor of Toronto), Sam Sniderman (owner of Sam the Record Man), architect Frank Gehry, and comedians Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster. The building was added to the city’s heritage register in 1974. Today, Harbord Collegiate Institute has an enrollment of over 900 students (City of Toronto Archives, Alexandra Studio fonds, Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 272)
A few of the establishments in the archive photo, from left to right, include Rubinoff & Sons men’s and women’s clothing (which, as of May 2026, is now the location of HYVE nightclub and was previously home to The Velvet Underground), Princess Fashion Furs, Hykel Men’s Wear & Shoes, and Haba’s Grill (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 372, Sub Series 100, Item 338 – Dept. of Public Works photographs)
A few of the establishments in the archive photo include Palmer’s Pharmacy and Murray’s Restaurant, which was located in the Park Plaza Hotel, now known as the Park Hyatt, shown on the left. Both photos show the Royal Ontario Museum, the Department of Household Science Building and the Britannia Building visible on the right side (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 492, Item 168 – Dorothea Skinner photographs)
Both photos show the Park Plaza Hotel, now known as the Park Hyatt, with the Royal Ontario Museum on the right. On the left are the Church of the Redeemer, followed by the Department of Household Science Building (City of Toronto Archives, Alexandra Studio fonds, Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 5534)
The archive photo shows Larry’s Hideaway in the left foreground. It was in the Prince Carlton Hotel, which was once located at 121 Carlton St. Larry’s Hideaway opened in 1960 as a restaurant. By the 1970s, it had transformed into a live entertainment venue featuring mostly rock, and was later a “punk palace.” Larry’s Hideaway closed around 1988, and in 1991, a fire destroyed the hotel, leading to its demolition.
Another building to note in the vintage photo is Maple Leaf Gardens, the large, domed building in the centre background. Today, it’s home to the Mattamy Athletic Centre and a Loblaw’s store (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 93, Item 7)
In the 2023 photo, a few of the businesses, from left to right, include Imperial Pub, PARAMUSIC, Burrito Boyz, Rock Da House Barbershop, Crazy Wraps, and Armada Shisha Lounge.
A portion of this Dundas St E block, stretching from Bond St to Victoria Lane, is being demolished to make way for a 21-storey TMU student residence. It is important to note that the First Evangelical Lutheran Church, located at 116 Bond St and completed in 1898, is listed on the city’s heritage register and is NOT part of the redevelopment. The church’s steeple is especially visible in the right background of the 2026 photo.
There are a few notable points to mention. First, the Reliance Engravers ghost sign on the building at 104 Bond St. Second, in the 2023 photo, the condo tower Aura at College Park is prominently visible in the background. However, in the 2026 photo, it is completely obscured by fog and drizzle
The archive photo shows Yonge St and Granby St once intersecting, with Calvert Distillers Ltd followed by the S.S. Kresge Company on the right. In both photos on the left, the former Eaton’s College Street Store building, which is now College Park, as well as Oddfellows Hall, the castle-like building located at the northwest corner of Yonge St and College St (City of Toronto Archives, Alexandra Studio fonds, Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 8936)
The concert hall was constructed between 1893 and 1894 and designed by architect Sidney Badgley for Hart Massey, an industrialist and operator of a large farm equipment manufacturing company. Originally named Massey Music Hall, it was a gift to the people of Toronto to develop the arts. Opening night was on June 14, 1894, featuring a performance of Handel’s Messiah with a 500-member chorus and a 70-member orchestra. Along with once being home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Massey Hall has hosted notable performers and speakers, including Gordon Lightfoot, The Tragically Hip, Rush, Bob Dylan and his band, Oscar Peterson, Nellie McClung, and Winston Churchill.
Over the years, the “Old Lady of Shuter Street,” named by Vincent Massey (the grandson of Hart Massey), has undergone several updates. A revitalization project began in 2013, and in mid-2018, the historic concert hall closed for extensive renovations. It reopened in November 2021 as the Allan Slaight Auditorium & Stage. These renovations preserved the building’s heritage while bringing it into the 21st century.
In 2024, a new 7-storey tower was unveiled on the south side of Massey Hall. This tower features live music venues, including the TD Music Hall and the Allied Music Centre Theatre. It also houses the Deane Cameron Recording Studio and offers creative spaces for artists.
The state-of-the-art performance venue, including the historic music hall, is collectively referred to as the Allied Music Centre (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 17, Item 17)
The building that once housed George’s Spaghetti House, shown in the archive photo, dates back to the 1910s. Originally an apartment building, it also featured commercial space, including a real estate office and a drugstore. In the 1940s, it became George’s Hotel, which operated until the mid-1950s. In 1956, Doug Cole opened George’s Spaghetti House, a live jazz club and popular Italian restaurant. Mr. Cole sold the venue in 1983, and George’s Spaghetti House closed its doors in 1994.
Afterward, the storefront became home to Goody’s Diner, followed by the True Love Café, which operated from 2004 until approximately 2020. Since then, the storefront has remained vacant (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 50, Item 8)
The archive photo shows The Hollywood Dine & Dance. Following the tavern’s closure in the early 1980s, the building became home to the House of Lancaster adult entertainment club, which operated from 1982 until 2017. After, the building was torn down (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 220, Series 65, File 100, Item 47 – Alexandra Studio photographs)
Both photos feature the Church of the Redeemer, an Anglican church designed in the English Gothic style by the architects Smith & Gemmell. The cornerstone was laid in October 1878, and the first service took place eight months later, in June 1879. Newspapers of the day noted the church was located opposite the north gate of Queen’s Park (before the construction of the Legislative Building). The gate can be seen on the left in the archive photo. Since 1983, the L-shaped Renaissance Plaza has stood behind the heritage-designated Church of the Redeemer.
In the foreground of the old photo, a fenced lot is visible across from the church. Since its completion in 1912, the southeast corner has been home to the Department of Household Science Building, also known as the Lillian Massey Building, at the University of Toronto (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-1919)
The archive photo shows the corner building when the storefront housed Tower Records. The original building, constructed between 1895 and 1896, was home to the Philip Jamieson & Company clothing store. Designed in the Renaissance Revival style by the architectural firm Curry, Baker & Co., the building featured a unique rounded corner, a suggestion made by Mr. Jamieson to improve traffic flow. This distinctive design element was featured in many of the store’s ads, which included the phrase “The Rounded Corner – Queen and Yonge Sts.” In 1909, Mr. Jamieson sold both the building and the land lease.
From 1912 until the mid-1970s, the building was home to an F.W. Woolworth store. In 1970, the exterior was clad in porcelain-finished aluminum. During the 1980s, architect Lloyd Alter’s heritage conservation efforts led to the removal of some of this cladding, revealing the brick underneath, as shown in the archive photo. The storefront later had various occupants, including an RBC branch, Tower Records, Coast Mountain Sports, Atmosphere, and SportsChek.
In 2018, major restoration work began to transform the building into a high-end retail space connected to the Eaton Centre. Although the plan was to salvage and restore much of the original structure, it had deteriorated beyond repair due to decades of wear and the overcladding. ERA Architects and Zeidler Architecture collaborated on restoring the terracotta and masonry façade, reconstructing it with replica bricks, stones, and terracotta pieces. The restoration was unveiled in 2024 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 420, Item 18 – Urban Design photographs)
A few of the establishments in the archive photo, from left to right, include the Mini Mart food store, The Millwheel Guitar Centre, Master John and Coach House Restaurant. While both the Second Empire-style corner building at 570 Yonge St and the neighbouring building at 574 Yonge St were built in 1876, the building that housed the Coach House at 574 Yonge St has been altered (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 2 Item 63)
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- City of Toronto Heritage Register: 116 Bond St (First Lutheran Church, looking northwest at Dundas St E & Bond St)
- City of Toronto Heritage Register: 570 Yonge St (looking northwest at Yonge St & Wellesley St W)
- City of Toronto: Planning & Development: 98-100 Bond St & 54-74 Dundas St E (looking northwest at Dundas St E & Bond St)
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Ontario Heritage Trust: 286 Harbord St (Harbord Collegiate Institute)
- Ontario Heritage Trust: 178 Victoria St (Massey Hall)
- National Historic Site of Canada: Massey Hall
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Jan 9, 1892, pg 1 (Harbord Collegiate Institute, at 286 Harbord St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: May 21, 1892, pg 17 (Harbord Collegiate Institute, at 286 Harbord St)
- The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: May 7, 1930, pg 3 (Harbord Collegiate Institute, at 286 Harbord St)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Apr 8, 2017, pg M2 (Harbord Collegiate Institute, at 286 Harbord St)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Oct 1, 1960, pg 20 (Larry’s Hideaway, looking northwest along Carlton St from east of Jarvis St)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Mar 8, 1975, pg 25 (Larry’s Hideaway, looking northwest along Carlton St from east of Jarvis St)
- The Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Oct 16, 1991, pg A7 (Larry’s Hideaway, looking northwest along Carlton St from east of Jarvis St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Jun 14, 1894, pg 8 (Massey Hall, southwest corner of Shuter St & Victoria St)
- Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall: Historical Timeline, Revitalization Update & About Us (Massey Hall, southwest corner of Shuter St & Victoria St)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Oct 16, 1956, pg 18 (George’s Spaghetti House, northwest corner of Dundas St E & Sherbourne St)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Aug 31, 1983, pg 15 (George’s Spaghetti House, northwest corner of Dundas St E & Sherbourne St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Oct 17, 1878, pg 4 (Church of the Redeemer, looking northeast towards Bloor St W & Avenue Rd from Queen’s Park)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Jun 16, 1879, pg 4 (Church of the Redeemer, looking northeast towards Bloor St W & Avenue Rd from Queen’s Park)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Nov 5, 1983, pg H8 (Renaissance Plaza, looking northeast towards Bloor St W & Avenue Rd from Queen’s Park)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Jul 24, 1895, pg 8 (Philip Jamieson & Co., northwest corner of Queen St W & Yonge St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Mar 2, 1896, pg 7 (Philip Jamieson & Co., northwest corner of Queen St W & Yonge St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Feb 2, 1909, pg 1 (Philip Jamieson & Co., northwest corner of Queen St W & Yonge St)
- ERA Architects: 2 Queen Street West (Philip Jamieson & Co., northwest corner of Queen St W & Yonge St)
- Zeidler Architecture: 2 Queen West (Philip Jamieson & Co., northwest corner of Queen St W & Yonge St)
- Photos: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photos: City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Public Library, Archives of Ontario & CNE Heritage
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory, courtesy of Toronto Public Library
