The archive photo shows the King Edward Hotel on the left, the Cathedral Church of St. James’ steeple in the centre distance, and the Gooderham “Flatiron” Building on the right. All three structures are still standing today (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 13, Item 16)
The archive photo features a Tippet Richardson truck on the left and a Teperman Wrecking sign on what was then known as the Fidelity Insurance Building.
The building that formerly housed Letros Tavern still exists today, alongside the Cathedral Church of St. James, whose steeple can be seen on the right side of the vintage photo (City of Toronto Archives, Ellis Wiley fonds, Fonds 124, File 01, Item 99)
The archive photo shows Angelo’s Tavern and the homes that once lined the two streets, including when Chestnut St extended north of Edward St. Angelo’s opened as an Italian restaurant in 1921, founded by Angelo Belfanti. It later became known as Angelo’s Tavern. However, in 1957, the beloved tavern, where customers “pushed through beaded and string-corded curtains,” closed due to land expropriation. Since 1959, the site has been occupied by the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry building, as seen in the present-day photo.
On a side note, the restaurant reopened as Old Angelo’s in 1959, a few blocks northeast, once at 45 Elm St (Toronto Public Library Pictures- R-3614 – James Victor Salmon photographer)
A few of the establishments in the archive photo, from mid-right to left, include T. Edwards Real Estate, R. Kidney & Co. Real Estate, Lewis Restaurant, Birt Chop & Luncheon Rooms, Corin Painting, J.B. Boustead Real Estate (which also issued marriage licenses), and John M. McFarlane & Co. Auctioneers (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-5899)
A few of the establishments in the archive photo on the east side of Yonge St include Muirhead Cafeteria, Kern’s Dress Shops, Parker Jewellers, Maclean’s Linens, and, in the distance, the Imperial Theatre. The old photo also showcases the decorations for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth’s visit and the streetcars that once travelled along Yonge St (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-5746 – James Victor Salmon photographer)
The archive photo shows Graf Bobby Café Restaurant Tavern, which specialized in Austrian cuisine, was once located at 36 Wellington St E; today, Playa Cabana occupies the storefront.
Built in 1855, architect John G Howard designed the building at 36-40 Wellington St E, which received heritage status from the city in 1973 (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 61, Item 52)
A few of the establishments in the archive photo, from right to left, include Central Business Broker, Jarvis Hand Laundry & Cleaners, Melody Quick Lunch and LaSalle Taxi (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 812 – James Victor Salmon photographer)
The archive photo features the Letros Tavern, which moved to this location in 1948 and later became one of the city’s first prominent gay, lesbian, and queer bars. Letros Tavern closed its doors in the early 1970s. Additionally, the Letros family opened the first Greek restaurant in Toronto around 1907, near Yonge St and Shuter St.
The five-storey commercial building dates back to the mid-1880s and was originally home to the Quebec Bank. There are plans for a new development at the site that will preserve the heritage-designated building (City of Toronto Archives, Ellis Wiley fonds, Fonds 124, File 1, Item 113)
The archive photo shows 60 Queen St E, with its distinctive turret when Thrifty’s Sport Shop occupied the storefront. Over the years, the building has housed various businesses, including Public Optical, Gino’s Pizza, and Shawarma’s King. In the vintage photo, also notice the Sears truck and the pawnshops along Church St.
Plans are underway to preserve the building’s historic façade and its neighbouring structures as part of a new development named Queen Church Condos (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 71, Item 61)
The archive photo shows the streetscape from over 70 years ago. In the foreground, on the left, is a building constructed in two phases. The first three stories were built between 1860 and 1861 to house the Royal Insurance Company. In the early 1900s, the building became the head office for Gutta Percha & Rubber Limited, which added two additional stories to the structure. One of the building’s interesting features was a window at the top front corner shaped like a Maltese Cross, the company’s trademark. It later became known as the Sainsbury Building, as seen in the vintage photo, and served as a hub for various offices until it was demolished in the early 1960s.
The other notable building in the archive photo is in the right background, with the cupola. Completed in 1891, it served as the home of the Board of Trade until 1914. In the early 1920s, the newly established Toronto Transportation Commission set up its headquarters there. In 1955, the building was sold, and within a few years, the TTC moved out. The structure was demolished in 1958.
The block later became a parking lot, and since the early 1980s, the site has been occupied by an office building (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-6305- James Victor Salmon photographer)
In the five years between the two photos, a few new developments have been added to the area. This includes the Elm-Ledbury two-tower rental building, visible in the centre background. Additionally, on the right, you can see 80 Queen St East, a 52-storey building, which features a six-storey podium that is planned to house a hotel.
The yellow corner building, which was previously home to Shawarma King, is part of a new development called 60 Queen St East Condos. According to a City of Toronto Heritage Report, the first two stories of the yellow corner building were built in the 1840s, with a third story added around 1901.
In both photos on the left, you can also see McTamney’s Jewellers & Pawnbrokers, which has since relocated to 837 Danforth Ave, as well as the vintage red neon sign for Williams Pawnbrokers
The archive photo shows the street as it looked 70 years ago. While a few of the buildings (or their facades) still stand today, one standout structure is the Womans Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) building on the right with the pillars, which is today home to Covenant House.
This building was constructed in phases from 1911 to the early 1920s and originally served as the headquarters for the WCTU and Willard Hall, which provided safe shelter for women moving to the city. It was named after Frances E. Willard, who once served as the organization’s world president.
What was the WCTU? It was a women’s organization that advocated for temperance—total abstinence from alcohol—believing it to be a root cause of various societal issues. The Toronto branch of the WCTU was established in 1875. In addition to promoting temperance, the WCTU fought for women’s public roles and was a leading advocate for women’s voting rights. However, membership declined in the 1920s as Prohibition came to an end.
Since 1994, the building has served as Covenant House, an organization founded in 1986 that provides housing and opportunities for young people (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 372, Sub Series 58, Item 2620 – Dept. of Public Works photographs)
The archive photo shows the three-storey building that once stood at the corner, when it was home to Teela Digest Publications. Its unique angled façade resulted from the city’s acquisition of a portion of what was then known as the Powell Building (a pharmaceutical manufacturer) to create a new diagonal roadway for the crosstown streetcar line. In recent years, the building housed a Hakim Optical store before it became vacant.
The building was deemed unsafe, and in 2023, it was sold to Toronto Metropolitan University. The following year, the building was torn down (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 9, Item 13)
The archive photo shows Jarvis St when it was still a dirt road, featuring horse-drawn wagons. In the distance, a horsecar can be seen heading west on Carlton St.
Although over 125 years separate the two photos, a few structures still stand today and appear in both images. That includes Grace Toronto Church, whose steeple is visible on the left, and Jarvis Street Baptist Church, whose steeple appears in the distance. Also, the homes in the right foreground, which were built in the 1860s and 1870s, remain (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1478, Item 12 – F.W. Micklethwaite photographs)
These buildings date back to the 19th century and are a rare example of the city’s early commercial architecture. When a large portion of downtown Toronto was destroyed by the Great Fire on April 19, 1904, including two-thirds of this block, these buildings survived. Their facades have been incorporated into BCE Place, today known as Brookfield Place, which was completed in the early 1990s (City of Toronto Archives, Ellis Wiley fonds, Fonds 124, File 3, Item 110)
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada
- RENX: Sunray Group buys podium at 80 Queen St. E for Toronto hotel (Queen St E & Church St, northeast corner)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Aug 28, 1958, pg 23 (Angelo’s Tavern, northwest corner of Edward St & Chestnut St)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Oct 29, 1959, pg 25 (Angelo’s Tavern, northwest corner of Edward St & Chestnut St)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: May 13, 1948, pg 11 (Letros Tavern, northwest corner of King St E & Toronto St)
- The Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Jun 20, 2002, pg L7 (Letros Tavern, northwest corner of King St E & Toronto St)
- ERA Architects: Heritage Impact Assessment: 34-50 King St E, report dated Oct 24, 2016, pg v (Letros, northwest corner of King St E & Toronto St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Oct 26, 1875, pg 4 (WCTU, looking west along Gerrard St E towards Yonge St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Dec 4, 1912, pg 5 (WCTU, looking west along Gerrard St E towards Yonge St)
- The Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Jul 22, 1994, pg A24 (Covenant House, looking west along Gerrard St E towards Yonge St)
- Parks Canada: Canadian Womans Christian Temperance Union (WCTU, looking west along Gerrard St E towards Yonge St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Nov 15, 1922, pg 14 (Powell Building, northeast corner of Dundas St E & Victoria St)
- The Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Mar 4, 1992, pg B4 (southwest corner of Yonge St & Wellington St W)
- 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
