The building at 260 Church St was originally The Sterling Bank of Canada, then CIBC and later Pizza Pizza. The building received heritage status from the city in 2021.
The present-day photo shows the heritage-designated former bank building incorporated into the modern 252 Church condo tower, an example of preserving historical buildings while meeting modern urban living needs
The archive photo shows that Colosseum Pizza Spaghetti House once occupied the corner at 372 Yonge St.
In the 1960s, Club Bluenote was located above the restaurant. The after-hours rhythm and blues dance hall played a role in the Yonge Street music scene. It was a popular venue for international artists such as Jimmy Reed, Jackie Shane, Stevie Wonder, the Righteous Brothers, and the Supremes. After performing at major venues in the city, they often played impromptu late-night sets at the club. Club Bluenote was in operation for about ten years and closed in 1969 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 3, Item 21)
The facade of the Toronto Wholesale Fruit Market is visible in the right foreground of the archive photo. The building was originally constructed for the Great Western Railway Station, which opened in 1866. The old image also captures the corner of the Dominion Public Building to the left, the Bank of Montreal Building, and the tall structure in the background is the Canadian Bank of Commerce Building.
Presently, the site where the market building once stood is occupied by the 57-storey L Tower, while the former bank building is now the location of the Hockey Hall of Fame (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1548, Series 393, Item 23594-1 – John Boyd Sr. photographs)
The building on the left, located at 592 Sherbourne St, dates back to 1882 and was designed by architect David Roberts Jr for Charles H Gooderham. It later became the Selby Hotel, as shown in the archive photo. The building received heritage designation from the city in 1976 and today is home to Maison Selby restaurant (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 7, Item 1)
Built in 1905, architects Darling & Pearson designed the picturesque funeral chapel in the High Victorian Gothic style. It became a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990 (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-5783 – Baldwin Collection of Canadiana)
The three-story brick building on the right, constructed in 1889 for Robert Barron, a Scottish-born grocer, was designed by architect George W Gouinlock. Over time, the storefront was occupied by a Dominion grocery store, as shown in the archive photo. This example of Romanesque Revival architecture was given heritage status by the city in 1974. Today, the Robert Barron Building is home to Shopper’s Drug Mart (City of Toronto Archives, E.L. Ruddy Company fonds, Fonds 1488, Series 1230, Item 4138)
The building at the corner, 651 Queen St W, has a rich history, serving as the Occident Hall, the Holiday Tavern, and The Big Bop before becoming CB2 (Crate & Barrel). Built in 1876 and designed by architects McCaw & Lennox for the Masonic Order, the architecture of the building reflects the Second Empire style, and in 2016, it received heritage status from the city (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 51, Item 79 – Urban Design photographs)
In this archival photo, you can see 104 Avenue Rd, which used to be the location of Star Electric Fixtures, alongside the adjacent building housing George MacDonald and Company Commercial Stationery. Today, 104 Avenue Rd is home to Louro & Sons Jewellers.
These charming houses, dating back to the late 1800s, were granted heritage status by the city in 1976 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 220, Series 65, File 56, Item 23 – Collection of Alexandra Studio photographs)
Designed by architect Eric Wilfrid Hounsom, the University Theatre opened its doors in 1949 as one of the first largest post-war movie houses built by Famous Players Limited. In 1986, the theatre closed. The developers of the prime real estate site were tasked with restoring its historic façade. This involved meticulously dismantling each limestone block, numbering them, cleaning, patching, and then rebuilding the facade. The entire restoration process cost $1 million and was completed in 2002.
The facade, located at 10 Bellair St, became part of a condominium and now houses storefront retail spaces. Until 2017, it was occupied by Pottery Barn (City of Toronto Archives, Globe and Mail fonds, Fonds 1266, Item 135159)
The archive photo shows the demolition on the west side of Yonge St for the construction of the Toronto Eaton Centre, which opened in 1977 (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 83, Item 27)
The Charles Frogley Building stands directly at the corner. The magnificent brick structure was constructed in two phases. The original three stories date back to 1855 when it served as a residence. In 1885, Charles J Frogley undertook an expansion, adding Second Empire-style architectural elements. These included oriel windows on the second floor, a mansard roof, and the addition of a west wing. Notably, the pediment displays the name “FROGLEY’S”. Mr. Frogley operated a bakery from this location.
In more recent times, The Cookbook Store occupied the storefront until 2014. Following restoration, the heritage-designated building served as a presentation centre for a condo development (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 1, Item 134)
The archive photo shows the Edison Hotel on the left and the Le Coq d’Or Tavern next door. In the late 1950s and 1960s, the tavern became a wildly popular club, with the music scene exploding in Toronto. The venue hosted many musicians, including Ronnie Hawkins and Bo Diddley. Le Coq d’Or, which translates to The Golden Rooster, closed in 1976.
Today, the building is home to Tokyo Smoke, as shown in the present-day photo (York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Toronto Telegram fonds, ASC01221)
The three-storey building was once home to the pharmaceutical drug manufacturer Powell Chemical Company, as shown in the archive photo. Known then as the Powell Building, its uniquely angled façade resulted from the city’s decision in the early 1920s to take a portion of the building for a new diagonal piece of roadway for the crosstown streetcar line. In later years, the building served as an office for Teela Digest Publications and a Hakim Optical storefront before becoming vacant.
In 2023, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) acquired the city-owned property. However, as of May 2024, the century-old building was in the process of being torn down due to safety concerns (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 372, Sub Series 3, Item 500 – Dept. of Public Works photographs)
The corner building located at 1196-1204 Yonge St was constructed in 1889. Initially, its storefronts housed various businesses, including a stationery store, a grocer, a butcher, and a dressmaker. The archive photo shows the building featuring a Coca-Cola advertisement. According to the 1920 Toronto City Directory, half of the building’s storefronts were vacant when the old photo was taken, while an undertaker, an exporter, and a printing company occupied the remainder.
The city officially designated the building as a heritage property in 2022 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 372, Sub Series 3, Item 236 – Dept. of Public Works photographs)
The buildings and streetscape at this location have retained their original character over the past 50 years (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 16, Item 4)
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Nov 15, 1922, pg 14 (Powell Building at the northeast corner of Dundas St E and Victoria St)
- Photos: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photos: City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Public Library, Archives of Ontario, York University Libraries & CNE Heritage
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
