The archive photo shows when the corner was home to the Sunnyside Restaurant. By the 1930s, the TTC Car House, the Sunnyside Bus Terminal with B & G Coffee Shop Milk Bar (today a McDonald’s restaurant) and the Edgewater Hotel (presently Hotel Shelter) had been constructed at the corner. It’s interesting to see how much has changed in 100 years (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 1979)
The building at the corner was constructed in 1859 and was originally the Garibaldi House, which operated as a tavern. Other businesses that later occupied the structure included a druggist and restaurant and, today, a graphic design agency.
The row of grey stucco houses from 55 to 79 Berkeley St were built in 1871/72 for John Irwin. They were simple cottages that reflected the working-class character of the neighbourhood in the late 19th century. Early occupants of the homes would have included labourers, distillers and machinists. All of the mentioned properties have been listed on the city’s heritage register since 1973 (City of Toronto Archives, Ellis Wiley fonds, Fonds 124, File 3, ID 40)
Notice the railing in the left foreground of the archive photo. It surrounded a stairway that led to the underground public lavatory that was at the corner from 1910 until 1981 (Toronto Public Library R-5860)
Originally called Dingman’s Hall, the building was constructed in 1891/92 for Archibald W Dingman. In its early years, along with its upper assembly halls, Dingman’s Hall was also home to a Canadian Bank of Commerce branch, a cigar maker, barristers, real estate brokers, dentists, and many social clubs.
In 1907/08, the building was converted and renamed The Broadview Hotel. The property had a few name changes throughout the years, including the Lincoln Hotel, the Broadview House Hotel, and the New Broadview Hotel. In recent decades, it was also home to Jilly’s. In 2014, the hotel was sold. The historic building underwent a major restoration under new ownership and reopened as The Broadview Hotel in 2017 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 7, Item 146)
The three-storey brick Georgian-style rowhouses at the corner were constructed for Charles Coxwell Small in 1845. In 1879, the rowhouse directly at the corner was extended to the sidewalk and occupied by Greenshield’s Grocery until 1956. It was home to the Nienkämper/Klaus showroom in recent decades.
The two-storey building in the background on the right is the historic Garibaldi House. It was built in 1859 and was originally a tavern and inn. All of the mentioned buildings have been listed on the city’s heritage register since 1973 (Toronto Public Library R-2832)
The section of Yonge Street in the right foreground features several 19th-century buildings. Among these is Frogley’s Bakery, prominently situated at the corner. Adjacent to this building is the James Weir Buildings, which is followed by a series of commercial structures. These heritage-designated properties are undergoing careful restoration to serve as retail spaces, integrated into the façade of the 62-storey condo tower known as 11 Yorkville (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 1, Item 131)
The archive photo shows streetcar track construction in front of the Wilton Court Private Hotel, which today is Filmores Hotel. The building was originally called the Wilton Court Apartments and was constructed in the mid-1910s. Over the years, the property was known by different names, such as Westover Hotel and Stage 212, before finally becoming Filmores Hotel in the 1980s. There are plans for a mixed-use tower at the corner, including incorporating Filmores facade into the structure.
The small curve on Dundas St E, from George St to Sherbourne St, was once known as Wilton Crescent, which explains the origin of the property’s early names (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 2538)
In the centre of the archive photo is The Coffin Block. It was built in the 1830s, designed by architect John Ewart and became known as The Coffin Block due to its resemblance to a coffin. The Coffin Block was torn down to make way for the Gooderham Building, designed by architect David Roberts Jr and completed in 1892.
Today, the Gooderham Building is one of the city’s most recognized and photographed structures (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 7335)
The Georgian-style rowhouses at the corner were constructed in 1845 for Charles Coxwell Small. In 1879, the corner rowhouse was extended to the sidewalk and was occupied by Greenshield’s Grocery until 1956. In recent decades, it was home to the Nienkämper/Klaus showroom (which has since moved a few doors west). The two rowhouses received heritage designation from the city in 1973.
In the right background, also notice the building with the tower. It was originally Berkeley Street Fire Hall No. 4 and, since 1972, has been the Alumnae Theatre (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 21, Item 18)
The northeast corner of Yonge St and Gould St has gone through some changes over the years, and today, it’s home to Toronto Metropolitan University’s (formerly Ryerson) Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 19, Item 28)
Construction began on the school in 1922. It was designed in the Collegiate Gothic style by Charles Dyson, the Chief Architect for the Toronto Board of Education. On opening day, April 28, 1924, about 800 students walked 450 m north from the old school, once at 355-365 Jarvis St, to the present-day school. A few notable grads from Jarvis CI include Roy Thomson, Conn Smythe, Mayor Olivia Chow, Chris Makepeace and Aubrey Drake Graham.
Jarvis Collegiate Institute was founded as the Home District Grammar School in 1807. The school began with five students in a one-storey building attached to the headmaster’s home, which once stood at the southeast corner of King St E and George St (Toronto Public Library R-5694)
Built in 1890, architect Frederick Henry Herbert designed the building in the Romanesque Revival style. The building received heritage status from the city in 1984. There are plans to incorporate the building’s historic façade into a mixed-use development
The 1923 archive photo shows when the corner was home to the Sunnyside Restaurant. By the 1941 archive photo, the TTC Car House, the Sunnyside Bus Terminal with B & G Coffee Shop Milk Bar (today a McDonald’s restaurant) and the Edgewater Hotel (presently Hotel Shelter) had been constructed at the corner (Library and Archives Canada PA-054693 & City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 1979)
A few points of interest in both photos are the building currently home to Burrito Boys, built in 1910. Architect Frank Darling designed it for the Imperial Bank and, in 2020, was listed on the city’s heritage register as part of the Parkdale Main Street Heritage Conservation District.
Also, notice the building on the right. It was constructed circa 1885 and originally Scholes Hotel, later the Ocean House. Today, it’s used for residential and commercial purposes and was given heritage status in 1989 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 1978)
Notice the McKnight Building in the foreground. It was constructed in the mid-1920s and designed by architects Smith & Everett. Early tenants of the five-storey commercial building included dentists, fashion businesses, a music instructor, a tobacco shop and a post office substation. Additionally, it’s worth noting that one of the building’s architects, Sandford Fleming Smith, was the grandson of Sir Sandford Fleming, the Scottish-Canadian engineer, scientist, and inventor.
The two-storey structure next to the McKnight Building was the Toronto Coach Terminal. The Art-Deco-style building was designed by architect Charles B Dolphin and opened in 1931. After 90 years in operation, the bus terminal closed its doors in 2021. However, there are plans in place to preserve and adaptively reuse this heritage-designated building (City of Toronto Archives, Series 648, File 168, ID 1)
On the north side of Queen St W is the Campbell House Museum. The late Georgian-era home was built in 1822 by Sir William Campbell and originally located on Adelaide St E, opposite Frederick St. To save the historic house from demolition, it was transported to its present-day location in 1972.
Directly behind the Campbell House is the monumental Canada Life Building. The Beaux-Arts style landmark was considered a skyscraper when it was completed in 1931. Canada Life, an insurance and wealth management company, still operates from the building today (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 70, Item 9)
Construction on Casa Loma began in 1910, and by 1913, the Pellatt’s moved into the not-quite-completed castle on the hill. Completed the following year, it took 300 men to build the 200,000-square-foot mansion at the cost of $3.5 million.
The archive photo shows Casa Loma at Christmastime (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1567, Series 648, File 150, Item 1)
The two-storey industrial building was constructed in the early 1930s and designed by architect Albert Edward Salisbury. Its facade is made of brick and stone and features Art-Deco details. Since 2021, the building has been listed on the city’s heritage register as part of the St Lawrence Neighbourhood Heritage Conservation District. Substations are primarily responsible for converting electricity into different voltages. Notice The Cathedral Church of St James steeple in the distance, on the right (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 20, Item 7)
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- City of Toronto: Inclusion on the Heritage Register: 40 Colborne St, report dated Nov 15, 2016
- National Grid: What is an electricity substation? (233 Adelaide St E)
- Jarvis Collegiate Institute: History
- Heritage Toronto: 300 King Street East (Charles Coxwell Small Houses)
- Heritage Toronto: Dingman’s Hall (later Broadview Hotel) plaque
- Heritage Toronto: 55-79 Berkeley Street plaque
- Oakwood Collegiate Institute: Our History
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photos: City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Public Library, Archives of Ontario, CNE Heritage & Canadian National Exhibition Association Archives
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
