The archive photo showcases the heritage-designated building located at 425/441 Cherry St. This structure has a rich history, with various uses and phases of construction beginning as the Palace Street School in 1859. It saw further additions for the school in 1869, a hotel in 1890 and a warehouse in the 1920s. The front corner of the building is notably recognized as the former site of the Canary Restaurant, with its signs visible in the old photograph.
This historic building is being incorporated into a mixed-use development called the Canary House. While much of the original structure has been wrapped, as seen in the present-day photo, a beautifully restored section of the building is showing (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 666 Item 10 – Urban Design photographs)
In 1961, Sam the Record Man moved to 347 Yonge St. The store became a landmark for music lovers and, over the years, gradually expanded to occupy the entire corner. In 2007, the store closed, and today, the corner is home to the Toronto Metropolitan University Student Learning Centre.
Sam’s iconic neon record signs still illuminate the area from the top of a building at Dundas St E and Victoria St (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 219, Series 2311, File 2401, Item 8)
The couple built Colborne Lodge in 1837 on their 165 acres of land. They later deeded the property to the City of Toronto under the agreement that it remains free to use and is called “High Park.” The burial monument is located just northwest of the lodge, at the summit of a ravine (City of Toronto Archives, Alan Howard fonds, Fonds 1548, Series 393, Item 10389)
The Flyer was the highest and fastest in the world at the time. Its tallest point was 19 m or 62 ft, and it could reach speeds up to 104 km or 65 miles per hour. Two four-car trains sped along the ride’s 796 m or 2,612 ft long track. Each train could hold up to 32 riders, and the mighty roller coaster could handle over 26,000 people on a busy day. The Flyer was dismantled in 1992 (Conklin Shows & City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 536, Item 98 – Desmond E. Wainwright photographs)
The archive photo shows when Loblaws occupied the corner. The grocery store first appeared at this location in the 1960 Toronto City Directory and was last listed in the 1978/79 publication. A few years later, the site became home to Cawthra Square Park, which was renamed Barbara Hall Park in 2014 and is shown in the present-day photo (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 61, Item 78)
The historical photograph captures 60 Queen St E with its distinctive turret when the storefront was home to Thrifty’s Sport Shop. The building later housed various businesses such as Public Optical, Gino’s Pizza, and Shawarma’s King. Also notable in the old photo are the Sears truck, the streetcar, and the pawnshops along Church St.
Plans are underway to preserve the building’s historic façade, as well as those of neighbouring structures, as part of a new 57-storey tower development known as 60 Queen St East Condos (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 71, Item 61)
A few of the shops in the archive photo include Liberation Garments, Lee Duck Hand Laundry & Cleaners, a barber shop, Student’s Elite, John’s Hardware and Maple Leaf Cigar Store (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 55, Item 19)
The archival photograph depicts the building during its time as The Dell Restaurant and Tavern, which was owned by the De Laurentis family from 1948 to 1986. Today, the storefront is home to Hasty Market (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 44, Item 31)
The building, constructed in 1900 and designed by architect Arthur R Denison for the Canada Biscuit Company, originally featured a 4-storey main building facing King St W and a 3-storey factory at the rear. Following the biscuit company’s receivership in 1905, the building accommodated a variety of businesses, including a knitwear company, a branch of the Bank of Montreal (for over 50 years), a saddlery manufacturer, and most recently, the Banknote Restaurant.
Notably, the building at 663 King St W was included in the city’s inaugural heritage list in 1973. Today, portions of the structure’s facade are being preserved and incorporated into a new 17-storey mixed-use tower
Two of the oldest structures on the block are the three-storey red brick buildings at the corner. The building on the left at 254 King St E was constructed in two phases. The southern portion, known as both Stagg Inn and Noble’s Tavern, was built in 1847 for William Noble. Later, in 1891, the northern portion was added. On the adjacent right at 256 King St E, the building was constructed in 1890 for Charles Steinle, a provisions merchant who operated a pork packing company from the premises. Throughout the years, these buildings have housed a diverse array of businesses.
Today, significant portions of these heritage-designated structures will be preserved and integrated into the Grainger, a mixed-use development spanning 38 and 40 stories that will encompass an entire city block (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 18, Item 8)
The neighbourhood, once known as Gerrard Village, was compared to New York City’s Greenwich. A few of the famous people who lived in the Village included Ernest Hemingway and Pierre Burton. The archive photo shows a few of the colourfully painted row houses that once lined the street, with this particular stretch replaced by a parking lot.
The Benjamin Johnson House, built in 1875, is on the right of the present-day photo. Today, its storefront is home to Jimmy’s Coffee (City of Toronto Archives, Ellis Wiley fonds, Fonds 124, File 1, Item 118)
The two and three-storey row housing located at 79, 81, and 85 Shuter St has a rich history dating back to the 1850s through the 1870s. Originally developed by the Scott family, the facades of these historic homes have been reconstructed and incorporated into the base of the 32-storey Garden District Condos tower (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 53, Item 32)
The archive photo captures Cyrano’s Restaurant on the left, a parking lot in the centre and the King Edward Hotel on the right. In the background, the white facade of the former Tom Jones Steak House on Colborne St adds to the scene.
Presently, the façade of the building that previously housed Cyrano’s has been integrated into a modern office structure. The old steak house building, which is now concealed behind the office tower, and the King Eddy remain intact today (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 299, Item 5 – Urban Design photographs)
The historic 2½-storey buildings at 646-652 Yonge St, built between 1873 and 1875, is a prime example of a Main Street Commercial Row Building. Originally designed to accommodate storefronts or businesses on the ground floor with residential spaces above, it has been home to various establishments such as Fransman’s Shoes, The Books Store, Daico Electronics, and Spring Leather Goods, as shown in the archive photo.
The contiguous row of mixed-use buildings was granted heritage status in 2023 (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 2, Item 20)
The overall appearance of the street has remained largely consistent over the past forty years. The notable exception is 12 Alexander St, which once housed Toronto Workshop Productions from 1967 to 1988. Since 1994, it has been the location of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 6, Item 27)
The archive photo captures the traffic on Bloor St W, including a green Pontiac Firebird and a brown Chevy Impala. Additionally, the old image features the University Theatre sign on the right. The two-story building on the left was replaced circa 1970 by the present-day 21-storey tower that houses TD Waterhouse (City of Toronto Archives, Ellis Wiley fonds, Fonds 124, File 2, Item 40)
The Adelaide Street Court House, also known as the York County Courthouse, is featured in the centre of the photos. This historic building, dating back to 1852/53, is an example of the Classical Revival architectural style and was designed by the renowned architects Cumberland & Ridout. Functioning as Toronto’s city and county courthouse for nearly half a century, it served as the city’s third courthouse. Recognizing its historical and architectural value, the building was given a heritage designation in 1973.
Today, Terroni Restaurant has found its home within this historic structure. In the background of the archival photo, the steeple of the original Church of St Andrew can be seen before its demolition in 1878 (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-4428 – Octavius Thompson photographer)
The vintage photo captures the corner building home to the Ashley & Crippen photographers. In addition, the old image offers a glimpse of a bygone era, showcasing streetcars on both streets (City of Toronto Archives, E.L. Ruddy Company fonds, Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 6860 – Alfred Pearson photographer)
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Heritage Toronto: Adelaide Street Court House 1853 plaque
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Jun 27, 1984, pg D23 (Church St & Monteith St)
- Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Aug 11, 2014, pg GT1 (Church St & Monteith St)
- 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
