In 2016/17, artist Adrian Hayles painted the Yonge Street Music History murals on the building’s south and north sides. The south-facing mural showcases various musicians and bands, including Lonnie Johnson, Jay Douglas, Salome Bey, Goddo, RUSH, Dizzy Gillespie, Kim Mitchell, Carole Pope, Cathy Young, Jon & Lee from The Checkmates and The Five Rogues (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 3, Item 2)
In the late 1940s, before the tavern became one of the most renowned rock’n’roll venues in the heart of the Yonge Street strip, Le Coq d’Or was a fine dining restaurant and cocktail lounge. The venue closed in 1976.
In more recent times, the building was home to HMV, and today, it’s a Tokyo Smoke storefront (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 574, File 18, Item 49376 – Brigdens Limited photography)
The archive photo shows when the century-old, three-storey building was home to the Powell Chemical Company, a pharmaceutical drug manufacturer. The building got its uniquely angled façade in the early 1920s when the city took a portion of it to accommodate the new diagonal piece of roadway for the crosstown streetcar line.
In later years, it housed various businesses, including Teela Digest Publications and Hakim Optical and recently stood vacant. The city-owned property was sold to Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) in 2023; however, the building was deemed unsafe and was in the process of being demolished in May 2024 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 372, Sub Series 3, Item 500 – Dept. of Public Works photographs)
The archive photo shows when the century-old building was home to Teela Digest Publications. Its unique angled façade came about when the city acquired a portion of what was known then as the Powell Building (a pharmaceutical drug manufacturer) to create a new diagonal roadway for the crosstown streetcar line. In more recent years, the building served as a Hakim Optical storefront before becoming vacant.
Deemed unsafe, the building was sold to Toronto Metropolitan University in 2023, and as of May 2024, the demolition process had begun (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 9, Item 13)
The archive photo captures a row of stores, including Spencer Wilfred men’s furnishings, Little Grey Shoe Shop, Seniors Style ladies wear, Albany Florist, Boulevard Grill, Boulevard Apartments, and Bake-Rite in a building that also housed the Ocean House hotel. Originally constructed around 1885 as Scholes Hotel, the building’s architecture once featured a tower. Notice the street cleaning worker with his cart, providing a glimpse into the daily life of that era.
The building received heritage designation from the city in 1989 and today, it serves as a mixed-use property (City of Toronto Archives, William James Family fonds, Fonds 1244, Item 1564)
The construction of this Richardson Romanesque-style building designed by architect Edward James Lennox began in 1889 but wasn’t completed until a decade later due to many delays. It is interesting to note that the clock had not yet been installed in 1889.
The building became a dedicated courthouse in 1965 after the new Toronto City Hall opened. In 1973, the city granted the building heritage status (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-822 – Baldwin Collection of Canadiana)
The archive photo shows when the building was home to Les Cavaliers Steak House. It was later the popular gay nightclub, the Barn and the Stables. More recently, it housed The Marquis of Granby before its closure. Constructed in 1891 as Stephen Murphy Houses and Store, the building’s Second-Empire style and cultural value earned it heritage status from the city in 2006.
There are plans to integrate the heritage properties at 414-418 Church St into a 32-story tower at the site (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 51, Item 29)
The streetscape has not changed much over the past 50 years. A few of the shops in the archive photo include the Liquor Control Board, Jordan Wines and Becker’s. Notice the LCBO is in the same location today (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 31, Item 18)
The archive photo captures the IGA Super Market on the left side. The stairs leading to the Wallace Avenue Footbridge are on the right side of the photo. It is interesting to note that the footbridge had a second staircase on its north side during that period. Constructed in 1907, the bridge provided essential pedestrian access between Dundas St W and Wallace Ave in an area with a bustling railway corridor (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 372, Sub Series 100, Item 296 – Dept. of Public Works photographs)
The McLaughlin Planetarium, which was established in 1968 and funded by Colonel R Samuel McLaughlin with $2 million, closed its doors in 1995. In 2009, the University of Toronto took ownership of the building, and it currently serves as a space for housing various artifacts under the Royal Ontario Museum’s care (City of Toronto Archives, Roger Jowett fonds, Fonds 68, File 21)
The ghost sign is on the north side of the building and can be seen very well from the street level; however, there’s a good view of it from the deck of the Wallace Avenue Footbridge, which looks south. According to the ghost sign, this factory made aluminum cooking utensils.
Today, the building is the Dundas West Arts Building. The factory was converted into living spaces (City of Toronto Archives Fonds 200, Series 372, Sub Series 3, Item 1379 – Dept. of Public Works photographs)
Constructed in the early 1890s for Alexander J Heydon, the Heydon House initially served as accommodation for single men employed at the nearby factories and railways. The hotel was designed by architect James A Ellis. The three-storey building was later home to George Smith drug store and offices, including WV Muir Real Estate, as shown in the archive photo.
Today, a neighbourhood landmark and mixed-use building, it was added to the city’s heritage list in 1983 (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-3511 – James Victor Salmon photographer)
The archive photo showcases several distinct features, such as the streetcar tracks that used to run along Front St. The construction of the west and central sections of the Royal York Hotel was completed in 1929, a detail shown in the historical photo.
The 400-room east wing, prominently visible in the right foreground of the current image, was not added until the late 1950s. Since the early 2000s, the landmark has been known as the Fairmont Royal York Hotel (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 372, Sub Series 100, Item 109 – Dept. of Public Works photographs)
Built in 1908, the two-storey Edwardian Classical style building was originally the Imperial Bank of Canada and designed by the Toronto-based architecture firm Darling & Pearson. In 1961, the bank merged with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, and until 2000, the building served as a CIBC branch.
Today, the building’s historic facade has been preserved and repurposed as the entrance to the Kings Court Condo (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 8, Item 5)
The Fairbanks United Church has its origins dating back to its establishment as the Fairbank Methodist Church. The cornerstone of this structure was laid on June 27, 1889, and its inaugural service was held in October of the same year. Recognized for its historical significance, the city designated it as a heritage site in 2006. It also serves as the home for the Rising Sun Korean Congregation (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-6410 – James Victor Salmon photographer)
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Heritage Toronto: Imperial Bank of Canada plaque
- The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: Oct 26, 1968, pg A1 (McLaughlin Planetarium)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jan 27, 2009, pg A10 (McLaughlin Planetarium)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Nov 15, 1922, pg 14 (Powell Building, northeast corner of Dundas St E & Victoria St)
- Fairbank United Church Toronto: Our History
- Photos: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photos: City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Public Library, Archives of Ontario & CNE Heritage
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
