The archive photo features the Royal Oak House, located directly at the corner. This Second Empire Style building dates back to approximately 1876, when it was originally known as the Derby Arms. Over the years, the hotel has been known by several names, including Wilton House, Royal Oak Hotel, Royal Oak House, and Soupy’s/Stoopy’s Tavern. In the 1980s and 1990s, the hotel’s dive-bar atmosphere attracted filmmakers, and it can be seen in movies like The Fly, Cocktail, and A History of Violence.
In 2013, the hotel underwent renovations, during which its exterior was covered with stucco. It was renamed the Royal Oak Inn. Fast-forward to 2024, when the building was painted a dark grey with orange trim (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 12, Item 22)
The three-storey, red brick building located directly at the corner features a mansard façade and was constructed in the late 1880s. It originally housed Gerrard Noble’s grocery store until around 1902, after which it became Good Bros Grocery and later Jonathan Everington Grocery.
From the mid-1910s until 1932, the building hosted various furniture shops and an upholstery company. Following a period of vacancy, it became home to Metropolitan Glass in 1935. Founded in 1914, the glass company, shown in the archive photo, operated from this location until the late 2000s.
Today, while beautiful vintage signs from Metropolitan Glass Ltd still adorn the building, it has served as the location for Aikido Tendokai, a Japanese martial arts studio, for the past several years (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 12, Item 25)
The streetscape has undergone significant changes over the past 120 years or so. The archive photo showcases the businesses and residences that once lined the streets. To the far right, the building with the decorative parapet was home to Duggan Bros., a carriage-making company. In the centre stands a three-storey building at the corner, which is last mentioned in the 1928 City of Toronto Directory. By 1930, this corner had become the site of a service station. In 1958, a portion of the gas station’s land was expropriated by the city to remove a jog in the road, allowing traffic on Richmond St E to flow smoothly.
Additionally, it is worth noting that until 1965, this section of Richmond St E between Jarvis St and Parliament St was known as Duchess St, named after the Duchess of York (Toronto Public Library, B4-65B)
Over the past 50 years, the streetscape has changed significantly. However, one notable similarity between the two photos is the cupola of St Lawrence Hall, which can be seen in the left distance. Another point of comparison is the building on the far left; in the archive photo, it features a Coca-Cola ad, while today it is home to Mystic Muffin.
Additionally, in the vintage photo, you can see the outline of the house that once stood next to the industrial building before the jog on Richmond St E was put into place (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 22, Item 4)
One building that remains constant in both photos is the five-storey warehouse in the centre distance. It was constructed over a century ago for Robertson Bros Limited, which was once one of Canada’s largest confectionery manufacturers. Today, the heritage-designated building is part of the Queen Richmond Centre (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 22, Item 15)
According to the 1971 and 1972 Toronto City Directory, some of the establishments in the archive photo included the Pure Food Meat Market, The Isaacs Gallery, Christopher Beacom Barber, Peter Edelmayer Hair Design, Fiesta Restaurant, and Carmen Lamanna Gallery.
This stretch of the street, specifically between 826 and 850 Yonge St, is lined with 19th-century buildings. These heritage-designated structures, or their facades, have been beautifully restored and now serve as commercial spaces in front of modern condominium towers (City of Toronto Archives, Ellis Wiley fonds, Fonds 124, File 2, Item 114)
The archive photo shows a parking lot at the corner. Directly next to it, on the left, is the Mackenzie House, which is today a city-operated museum. On the right side is the Mission Press building.
In the summer of 1975, the 18-storey Bond Place Hotel opened at the corner. The 300-room budget hotel cost $5.5 million to construct, and initially, single rooms started at $18 per night. The hotel property at 65 Dundas St E, as seen in the present-day photo, was acquired by the City of Toronto to address the need for permanent affordable housing (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 13, Item 34)
In the archive photo, the building on the right is a set of eight three-storey brick commercial structures located at 100-114 Queen St E, known as Mussen Terrace. These buildings were constructed between 1886 and 1887. The four-storey building in the distance, featuring an arched window at the top, is known as the Bigley Building and was built in 1889. Both of these heritage-designated buildings remain standing today and are visible in the present-day photo. A portion of Mussen Terrace, along with the Bigley Building, is being incorporated into a 34-storey mixed-use development called Queen Central Condominiums.
The vintage photo also features two other noteworthy structures. The first is the tower of Cooke’s Presbyterian Church, visible in the background. This church was built in the early 1890s but was demolished in 1984, and a parking lot replaced it. The second is the two-storey building in the left foreground. It was constructed in 1837 by Mr John Kidd; however, it has long since been torn down (Toronto Public Library PC_4541)
According to the 1885 Toronto City Directory, a few of the establishments in the archive photo include the Pacific Hotel, John Terry stoves and Thomas Labin grocer. Also, notice the Collins Express horse-drawn wagon.
The building on the left, which once housed the hotel, was constructed in 1832 and originally served as the official residence of Alexander Macdonell, the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Upper Canada. His statue can be found at St Mary’s Church. Since 1993, the heritage-designated building at 113 Jarvis St has been home to Mystic Muffin, which is renowned for its apple cake (Toronto Public Library, Pictures-R-2705)
The archive photo captures the streets during the construction of the TTC Line 1 (Yonge–University) Subway, with contractor access along Gould St.
In the vintage image, the Canadian Bank of Commerce is visible on the left, while part of the Edison Hotel appears on the right. These buildings have long since been replaced; today, the left corner is home to the Toronto Metropolitan University’s Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre, and the right corner is occupied by the World Food Market, which features over 18 food kiosks (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 574, File 82, Item 491037 – Brigdens Limited photography)
The archive photo showcases various shops and businesses along Yonge St, with Sam the Record Man featured in the left foreground. This iconic music store operated from this location from the early 1960s until 2007. Today, the corner is the site of the Toronto Metropolitan University Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre. Two of Sam’s restored neon spinning record signs can be found atop a building at 277 Victoria St (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1581, Series 2196, Item 35 – Peter MacCallum photographer)
The archive photo showcases the Wellesley Public School. The original school building was constructed in 1873. However, due to a growing population, a major addition designed by architects McCaw & Lennox was completed in 1876, allowing the school to accommodate 600 students. This attractive building featured a mansard roof with towers topped by iron railings, and although it may not be apparent, it was made of white brick. The school continued to operate until approximately 1956, after which it was temporarily used by the Ontario Water Resources Commission. The vintage photo also shows a British American gas station sign in the left foreground and a Coca-Cola sign in the right background.
The school building was replaced by the Sutton Place Hotel, which opened in 1967. Today, the former hotel has been converted into The Britt, a 41-storey condo (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-3410 – James Victor Salmon photographer)
The archive photo captures the period when Elgin Motors was located at the corner. The Ford dealership moved to its new “automobile showplace” in 1961 and remained in operation there until the early 1980s. In 1990, the present-day 18-storey office tower, part of Minto Plaza, opened at 655 Bay St (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 59, Item 26)
The archive photo showcases several notable features, including the wooden boardwalk in the right foreground and the rail tracks running along Yonge St. In the distance on the left, you can see a three-storey building located at the southwest corner of Yonge St and Yorkville Ave. This building, which dates back to the 1850s, was originally a residence. In 1885, Charles Frogley added a mansard roof to the structure. This building is still visible in the present-day photo; it is the one topped with the cream-coloured pediment.
The taller building in the centre background of the vintage photo was the Yorkville Town Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1941. A remnant of the town hall, a carved stone crest, can still be found today at the Yorkville Fire Hall (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-1985)
The archive photo showcases a residence known as “Dunedin.” This impressive home was built in 1879 for dry goods merchant and future mayor of Toronto, Warring Kennedy, and was designed by architect James Avon Smith. In 1888, the homestead, which included stables, was sold to Frederick Wyld. In 1926, Mr Wyld’s family sold the property for a reported $75,000. That same year, the house and stables were demolished, and the St George Apartments were constructed on the site. In the 1960s, the University of Toronto acquired the apartments, and in 1969, they were renamed the St George Graduate Residences.
In 2002, the residence building was also torn down and replaced by the present-day structure, the 17-storey Woodsworth College Residence, which opened in 2004 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 2083 – James Victor Salmon photographer)
A few of the establishments in the archive photo, from right to left, include Coronet Theatre, Lynn Gold, Lindy’s Restaurant, Hong Kong Importers, Torpedo Cafeteria and the Federal Trust Building.
The theatre, which opened in 1951, was initially named the Savoy and was part of the Biltmore chain. In 1964, the Odeon chain took over the 700-seat theatre and renamed it the Coronet, where it screened second-run movies. In 1978, Odeon sold the theatre, and over the next five years, it changed ownership several times. The Coronet closed in 1983, after which the building was converted into a jewellery exchange and commercial space. As of 2025, the building is vacant, with plans for a mixed-use development at the site (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 310, Item 1 – Urban Design photographs)
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- City of Toronto Heritage Register: 113 Jarvis St
- City of Toronto: Inclusion on the Heritage Register: 3 Mutual St, 98, 100, 102 and 104 Queen St E, report dated Aug 7, 2020
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Dec 31, 1963, pg 9 (Coronet Theatre)
- Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Aug 6, 1983, pg F3 (Coronet Theatre)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jan 5, 1984, pg L3 (Coronet Theatre)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Feb 9, 1926, pg 10 (Bloor St W & St George St, southeast corner)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Dec 4, 1876, pg 3 (Wellesley Public School, The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: June 20, 1958, pg 49)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Aug 23, 1967, pg B5 (Wellesley Public School, northeast corner of Bay St & Wellesley St W)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Apr 5, 2013, pg G5 (The Britt, northeast corner of Bay St & Wellesley St W)
- The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: Mar 17, 1927, pg 37 (Bloor St W & St George St, southeast corner)
- The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: Apr 18, 1969, pg 59 (Bloor St W & St George St, southeast corner)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jun 22, 2001, pg A16 (Bloor St W & St George St, southeast corner)
- Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Sep 19, 2004, pg B4 (Bloor St W & St George St, southeast corner)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jul 6, 1961, pg 8 (Elgin Motors, northeast corner of Bay St & Elm St)
- Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Nov 7, 1981, pg A6 (Elgin Motors, northeast corner of Bay St & Elm St)
- Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Oct 7, 1989, pg F7 (Minto Plaza, northeast corner of Bay St & Elm St)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Mar 22, 1984, pg M2 (Cooke’s Presbyterian Church, northwest corner of Queen St E & Jarvis St)
- The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: Jun 20, 1958, pg 49 (Jarvis St & Richmond St E, northeast corner)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jun 26, 1965, pg 5 (Jarvis St & Richmond St E, northeast corner)
- Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Aug 1, 1975, pg C7 (Bond Place Hotel, southwest corner of Dundas St E & Bond St)
- City of Toronto: Affordable Housing in Toronto 65 Dundas St E Fact Sheet, Jun 2024 (Bond Place Hotel, southwest corner of Dundas St E & Bond St)
- Landmarks of Toronto: Volume 1 by J Ross Robertson (1894), pg 520 (Jarvis St & Richmond St E, northeast corner)
- Wellesley Public School
- Photos: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photos: City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Public Library, Archives of Ontario & CNE Heritage
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
