Nov 20, 1914/2023 – Looking northwest on Parliament St, just south of Queen St E, in Toronto’s Moss Park neighbourhood. In the archive photo, notice the public underground lavatory entrance, ventilation shaft and a horse trough.
Architect Henry Simpson designed the building on the corner at 339 Queen St E for the Home Furniture Carpet Co Ltd. It was constructed in 1907, and in 1926, an extension was added on the west side, which included more retail space and a bowling alley. The word “BOWLING” is inscribed over the entrance at the northwest corner of the building. From 1978 until 2014, Marty Millionaire was located in the building. In 2017, after a restoration, the heritage-designated building was home to the WE Global Learning Centre (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 1295)1921/2023 – Looking northeast towards the Coliseum’s West Annex, today’s Coca-Cola Coliseum at Exhibition Place in Toronto. Built in 1921/22, architect George FW Price designed the structure. The archive photo shows rides and food stands on the CNE Midway in front of the Coliseum during construction. The building received heritage status from the city in 1973 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 945)August 24, 1974/2023 – An aerial view from Shell Oil Tower towards the Flyer, the CNE Midway and Exhibition Stadium & Grandstand. The Flyer roller coaster began thrilling CNE-goers in 1953 and continued for 39 years. Its four-car trains sped along the ride’s 796 m long track and could reach up to 104 km/h. At the 2023 CNE, one of the Flyer’s signs was put on display by the Princess Margaret Fountain at Exhibition Place (Courtesy of the Canadian National Exhibition Association Archives)June 25, 1978/2022 – Looking northeast towards the corner of King St E and Sherbourne St in the Old Town neighbourhood of Toronto. The archive photo shows 230 King St E as a branch of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce; however, the building was originally the Imperial Bank of Canada.
Built in 1908, the Toronto-based architecture firm Darling & Pearson designed the two-storey Edwardian Classical style building. In 1961, the bank merged with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, and until 2000, the building served as a branch. In 2005, the former bank building’s buff brick and stone trim façade was restored and became the entrance of Kings Court Condo. Another preserved element is the original mosaic floor with the initials “IBC” in the condominium’s lobby (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 52, Item 94)1964/2023 – An aerial view of the CNE Midway at night, highlighting the Shell Oil Tower and the Flyer roller coaster. The Flyer was unveiled at the 1953 CNE. It cost about $185,000 to construct and could thrill over 26,000 riders on a busy day. In 1992, the mighty wooden roller coaster was dismantled. One of the Flyer’s illuminated signs was put on display at the 2023 CNE, near the Princess Margaret Fountain at Exhibition Place (CNE Archives)Between 1950-60s/2023 – Looking northeast towards the corner of Front St E and Jarvis St in Toronto’s St Lawrence neighbourhood. In the archive photo, notice the Graymar House Hotel on the left. From 1934 until approximately 1969, the building was home to the hotel and tavern; however, the heritage-designated structure was constructed in the 1830s/40s for commercial and residential purposes. It’s one of the last surviving buildings that once formed part of Market Square.
Another building to note in the vintage photo is the one-storey stone building in the centre foreground, the City Weigh House. The building was constructed circa 1850 and situated close to the market. According to an 1858 Toronto Handbook and an 1861 City Directory, farm produce, hay, straw, etc., was weighed, and taxes were levied. The Weigh House was taken down in about 1963. The two other buildings behind the former Weigh House still exist today (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 492, Item 138)2023/1980-90s – Looking northeast towards the corner of Dufferin St and Liberty St, in the Liberty Village neighbourhood of Toronto. The building at the corner was once Barrymore Cloth Co Ltd and, before that, the Russell Motor Car factory. Today, behind the façade is a parking lot (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 37, Item 37)1972/2023 – Looking towards the intersection of Front St E and Jarvis St in the St Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto. Many of the commercial buildings in the archive photo were constructed circa 1840, except for the white building on the right (Turner Wines), which was built in 1879. These buildings all have heritage designations today (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 2, Item 13)1972/2023 – The illuminated “FLYER” roller coaster sign on display at the 2023 CNE, next to the Princess Margaret Fountain at Exhibition Place. When the mighty roller coaster debuted at the 1953 CNE, it was the world’s fastest (up to 104 km/h) and highest (19 m). The Flyer thrilled over 9 million riders in its 39 years and was dismantled in 1992 (Canadian National Exhibition Association Archives)Circa 1965/2021 – The Princes’ Gates entrance to Exhibition Place is located at Strachan Ave and Lake Shore Blvd W in Toronto’s Niagara neighbourhood. The grand Beaux-Arts style gateway opened in 1927.
The archive photo shows Victor Borge’s “Contraption” car on the left. Mr Borge was a world-famous Danish-American comedian and pianist who headlined at the Ex. The car on the right is the “Untouchable” jet dragster built by Romeo Palamides. Notice the driver’s cockpit on the tip of the spear.
One interesting item that almost goes unnoticed in the vintage photo is the aluminum-suited man in the Bell Rocket Belt soaring to the right of the sculptures high atop the Princes’ Gates. The flyer wearing the backpack-like device was a Bell Aero Systems scientist (CNE Archives)1972/2023 – Looking northeast towards the Garibaldi House at the corner of King St E and Berkeley St, in the Old Town neighbourhood of Toronto. Built in 1859 and originally a tavern, the Garibaldi House was named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian General. The building received heritage status from the city in 1973, and today it’s home to Neglia Design, a graphic design agency (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 21, Item 19)2023/Between 1978-87 – Exhibition Stadium & Grandstand was once located at Exhibition Place in Toronto. This version of the stadium was built in 1948. The venue was home to the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club from 1977 until 1989, when they moved to the SkyDome (today’s Rogers Centre). Exhibition Stadium & Grandstand was torn down in 1999. Today, stone plaques in Lot 2, south of BMO Field, mark the exact position of where the three bases and home plate used to be (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 363, Item 12)June 7, 1981/2023 – Looking southeast towards the corner of Front St E and Church St, in the St Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto. The three-storey commercial building at 65 Front St E was built circa 1869. It was originally a warehouse for Smith, Fair & Co., wholesale grocers. Within a few years, the building became home to Cramp, Torrances & Company, “importers of tea and produce from East and West India.”
The building is clad with red brick and features Gothic Revival-style elements, including pointed arch details over the third-storey windows removed during alterations; however, the arches’ outlines remain visible today. Over the last 150 years, the former warehouse has been home to various businesses, including the Musterring Gallery, as shown in the archive photo (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 8, Item 73)1954/2023 – Looking west along Front St E from Market St in Toronto’s St Lawrence neighbourhood. The focal point of this vista is the Gooderham “Flatiron” Building which is located where Wellington St E, Church St and Front St E intersect. The wedge-shaped building was completed in 1892 and originally served as the headquarters for Gooderham & Worts Limited, once Canada’s largest liquor distilling company. Today the heritage-designated Gooderham Building is one of the most photographed structures in Toronto (Toronto Public Library R-2262)1954/2023 – Looking southeast along Queen St W towards the corner of John St, in the Wellington Place and Entertainment District neighbourhoods of Toronto. The archive photo shows the former Fire Hall No. 6. In both photos notice the Wesley Building, today home to Bell Media Headquarters, in the background (Toronto Public Library R-371)1937/September 3, 2022 – The Administration Building is located at 210 Princes’ Blvd at Toronto’s Exhibition Place. Built in 1904, this was the first of several structures at the Canadian National Exhibition designed by architect George Wallace Gouinlock.
The Beaux-Arts style building was home to the CNE Association until 1957, when they moved their offices into the newly built Queen Elizabeth Building. That same year, the Administration Building was renamed the Press Building when it became the media headquarters during the annual fair. In 1992, CNE staff returned to the grand building, which continued to be called the Press Building.
In 2022, the “PRESS” sign was removed to uncover the “ADMINISTRATION” nameplate (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 1449)2023/1952 – Looking southwest towards the Imperial Theatre, today’s Ed Mirvish Theatre, at 244 Victoria St in the Garden District of Toronto. Built in 1919/20, the theatre was originally known as Pantages and was part of the Pantages chain that operated more than 120 theatres throughout North America. It later became known as the Imperial and then, in the early 1970s, the Imperial Six when the 3,500+ seat theatre was converted into one of the world’s first multiplexes.
By 1989, the theatre was rebuilt for live productions, renamed the Pantages, and the Phantom of the Opera started a ten-year run. In more recent years, it was known as Canon Theatre and, since 2011, the Ed Mirvish Theatre (CU110867856, by Panda Associates, Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary)1972/2023 – Looking southwest towards the corner of Wellington St W and Simcoe St, in downtown Toronto (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 52, Item 36)1972/2023 – Looking southeast towards the corner of Front St E and Jarvis St in the St Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 2, Item 14)1972/2023 – Looking southwest towards the corner of Bond St and Shuter St in the Garden District of Toronto. The six-storey Shuter Wing of St Michael’s Hospital was built over 100 years ago. Since the building was no longer cost-effective to renovate, the decision was made to demolish the structure and create a new building to house the ambulatory area of St Michael’s emergency department (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 13, Item 29)Between 1930-35/2022 – Looking southeast along Bloor St W towards St Thomas St, in the Yorkville neighbourhood of Toronto (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1488, Series 1230, Item 4069)1972/2021 – Looking southwest towards the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce at the corner of Queen St W and Simcoe St in downtown Toronto. Built between 1929 and 1930, the branch was designed by architect Victor Daniel Horsburgh. The stone-clad building resembles a Greek temple and is an architectural gem. It features a pair of fluted Doric columns flanking the entrance, and minimal but complex stonework details over the main Queen St W entrance and above the three centre windows along Simcoe St. The roofline is topped with bronze trim and ornamental finials.
The building was a CIBC branch for over 90 years and closed in 2022/23. Mr Horsburgh is credited with designing over 70 buildings in Toronto and across the country for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 44, Item 23)2022/1935 – Looking southwest towards the Dominion Public Building located at 1 Front St W, between Bay St and Yonge St in Toronto’s Financial District. Built between 1929 and 1935, architect Thomas W Fuller designed the building in the Beaux-Arts Classicism style. It was Toronto’s third customs building.
The landmark received heritage status from the city in 1973 and was later listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 2011. There are plans to construct two mixed-use towers over the existing Dominion Public Building (Library and Archives Canada PA-068224)1972/2023 – Looking northeast towards the corner of Queen St W and John St, in the Entertainment District of Toronto. The building that is now home to Star Bucks at 250 Queen St W received heritage status from the city in 2007 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 41, Item 13)1949/2022- Looking south on St George St from just north of Bloor St W in The Annex neighbourhood of Toronto. Notice in the 2022 photo the Bata Shoe Museum on the right and the CN Tower in the distance (City of Toronto Archives, Series 372, Sub Series 58, Item 2020)
