2020 – Central Hospital Lane and Gerrard St E in the Cabbagetown South neighbourhood
Many of us use street signs every day whether we’re walking, driving or cycling, but have you noticed how many types and vintages there are? While we use them all the time, they’re generally overlooked.
The Early Years
In 1800s Toronto, historical photos of Yonge St corners show street names on signs fastened to buildings. They were pretty small, making them hard to read and depending on the type of structure, the street signs were placed at various heights, making them hard to find. Sometimes they weren’t even there at all. In the residential areas, street names were also added to corner fences or wooden posts.
2019 – An old blue and white Queen St E sign affixed to Toronto Fire Station 227 at 1904 Queen St E and Herbert Ave
Blue & White Street Signs on Businesses & Houses
Some of Toronto’s earlier street signs are the blue with white lettering enamel style attached to corner homes, shops and buildings. These have been in use for over a century, and several of this type can still be found around the city today.
These signs weren’t visible at night though, and citizens and visitors would still need to ask for directions. Even by day, citizens said they couldn’t be seen because they were covered in ivy or by an awning. It was thought that they were placed higher on the structures because people in horse-drawn carriages or the early style of automobiles would have sat higher.
1916 – Glass plates on the lamp posts showing the street names Queen St W and Bay St. It’s front of Bowles Lunch that was once on the southeast corner (City of Toronto Archives, Series 372, Sub Series 41, Item 50)
Illuminated Glass Plates on Street Lamps
In the 1910s, there were decorative five-globe cluster lights on ornamental iron poles on Toronto’s busy downtown streets. Attached to the top globe were four glass plates with the names of the streets painted on them. While these were attractive and visible day or night, they were also easily broken.
Beneath the Street Lights
In the 1920s, to try and remedy the issue of the hard-to-see blue and white street signs on buildings, the city started placing them on “hydro” poles underneath the street light. The city came to an agreement with the Toronto Hydro Commission to mount new signs on hydro poles, but due to the costs, no real action was taken on it.
This old grievance of illegible street signs continued for decades affecting everyone from Torontonians to tourists. They were weather-worn, or they simply disappeared. Even taxi drivers were baffled. City Council candidates often made it part of their election platform.
2019 – Ojibway Ave and Omaha Ave at Algonquin Island, on Toronto Island
Black and White Acorn Sign
In 1947, the city began testing out a new style of street sign at Toronto’s principal intersections. The sign had a white background with embossed black lettering and a separate black frame topped with a 3-D acorn. Along with bearing the street name, it also showed the number of the nearest building.
By 1948, the long campaign for better street signage was over. The neat and uniform signs were being installed conspicuously at street corners throughout the downtown area on their own metal standard. Streetcar riders and motorists could readily see them. They were later mounted to posts at intersections throughout the city’s neighbourhoods. This style was very popular and went on to have two more versions. The lettering was no longer stamped in the second form, while the third version (released in the 2000s) was a 2-D style, laser-cut reproduction.
2020 – An illuminated Danforth Ave street sign once located at Logan Ave in the Greektown neighbourhood. The yellow background with black lettering signified the street was in an east-west direction. Those that were a blue background with white lettering meant the street was in a north-south direction
The Illuminated Box
In 1964, Toronto’s first lighted street signs were installed at Queen St W and Bay St. The rectangular illuminated or back-lit box-style sign initially featured Toronto’s familiar blue background with white lettering and was later added to the major downtown intersections.
Within the next few years, the colours of the signs were updated to show the direction the street was travelling – the blue background with white lettering meant north-south, and the yellow background with black font stood for east-west.
These little gems couldn’t handle Toronto’s freeze and thaw cycle. They became an expensive nuisance between replacing the burnt-out bulbs to the metal boxes splitting open to the plastic breaking.
The last remaining one we found in the city was located on Danforth Ave and Logan Ave. It was taken down in 2020.
2020 – George St and King St E in the 1793 Town of York neighbourhood
Neighbourhood Branding Style
In 1965, a special street sign designating Adelaide St E and Frederick St in the “1793 Town of York” neighbourhood was unveiled.
Throughout the years, a numerous assortment of decorative styles of street signs commemorating the various neighbourhoods began popping up all over the city.
The Latest Style
In 2007, the very visible and clearly legible street sign used today was introduced. It’s made from extruded aluminum and has three parts:
The highly reflective blue sheeting with reflective white lettering showing the street name. This part of the sign is retro-reflective meaning it reflects light back, glowing like a cat’s eyes at night when lit.
The upper curved “blade” of the sign are for neighbourhood, community or Business Improvement Area identification.
The lower “blade” shows the number of the closest street address.
On major Toronto thoroughfares with multilane cross-sections and higher speeds, more prominent signs 96 cm or 38 inches in length are used for better visibility. On local streets, the signs are 76 cm or 30 inches long.
Did You Know?
Hydro-powered street lamps began to be installed on Toronto’s streets in 1908.
During the 1920s, the city also started putting the house number on the hydro poles.
Before Toronto amalgamated in 1998, each of the other municipalities outside of the City of Toronto (Etobicoke, York, North York, East York and Scarborough) all had their own styles of street signs too.
Blue and white are the colours of the City of Toronto. The blue is Pantone 647.
Generally, signs are replaced by the city on an as-needed basis.
Did you know the city auctions off decommissioned street signs?
The blue and white enamel signs that are affixed to homes and businesses are no longer looked after by the city. It’s the property owner’s responsibility.
When John Graves Simcoe founded the Town of York in 1793, he ordered a road built to replace the ancient aboriginal trails that led north to Lake Simcoe and beyond. That road is Yonge St. One of the longest streets in the world, it extends over 1,890 km to Rainy River and is named after the British Secretary for War, Sir George Yonge.
Toronto Street Sign Photos
1916 – Jarvis street sign on a hydro post at Wilton Ave (today’s Dundas St E) on the northeast corner. Also notice the Jarvis St sign attached to the second storey of the corner house (City of Toronto Archives, Series 372, Sub Series 41, Item 57)2020 – An illuminated Danforth Ave street sign once located at Logan Ave in the Greektown neighbourhood. The yellow background with black lettering signified the street was in an east-west direction. Those that were a blue background with white lettering meant the street was in a north-south direction2019 – An old blue and white Queen St E sign affixed to Toronto Fire Station 227 at 1904 Queen St E and Herbert Ave2022 – Leader Lane in the St Lawrence Market neighbourhood of Old Town Toronto1930s – Notice the Richmond St W street signs attached to the building and lamp post. Simpson’s department store on the northwest corner of Yonge St and Richmond St W (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1488, Series 1230, Item 4212)2021 – Richmond St and Yonge St are carved into the capitals on The Bay store. This building was originally home to the Simpson’s department store, and the initials “RS” in the stonework stand for Robert Simpson2020s – A mix of Toronto’s acorn-topped neighbourhood street signs, including Duncan St, Baldwin St, Bloor St W and La Plante Ave2021 – An old blue and white street sign on Trinity-St Paul’s United Church at 427 Bloor St W and Robert St2021 – An old blue and white Bloor St sign along with a 2-D laser-cut Bloor St W sign at the northwest corner Carling Ave1980s – Bloor St W and Kennedy Ave in the Bloor West Village neighbourhood (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 384, Item 27)1908 – Bloor St and Avenue Rd signs on a corner fence post. Today, the northwest corner is home to the Park Plaza Hotel (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 7138)2020s – Toronto’s old blue and white street signs attached to corner buildings include Bathurst St, Harbord St, Simpson Ave, Richmond St, Dupont St and Liberty St1980s – Honest Ed’s at Markham St and Bloor St W. These street signs are the 3-D acorn-topped style (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 515, Item 3)2022 – Markham St and Bloor St W, looking east towards the former site of Honest Ed’s. These street signs are the latest “blade” style2019 – Yorkville Ave and Bellair St in the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood2020 – Central Hospital Lane and Gerrard St E in the Cabbagetown South neighbourhood2020 – Parliament St and Derby St in the Corktown neighbourhood of Old Town Toronto. Northcote Ave and Afton Ave in the Beaconsfield Village neighbourhood2020s – Liberty St, Beech Ave, Castle Frank Rd and Dupont St. This is Toronto’s latest style of street sign that features a blade showing the neighbourhood, community or BIA along with the street name and if applicable, the closest street number1880s – The northwest corner of Yonge St and Queen St W. Notice the Yonge St signs affixed to the corner of the building. Today this corner is home to the Eaton Centre (Toronto Public Library R-6815)1899 – The northwest corner of Yonge St and Richmond St W. Notice the street signs fastened to the corner of the building (Toronto Public Library B3-22E)Early 1970s – An illuminated Dundas St E sign at Yonge St. A yellow background with black lettering meant the street was in an east-west direction while a blue background with white lettering signified north-south (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1465, File 312, Item 64)2019 – Front St E and Jarvis St in the St Lawrence Market neighbourhood of Old Town Toronto1888 – The northeast corner of Front St E and Yonge St. Notice the Front St sign on the former American Hotel building (Toronto Public Library R-6699)2019 – Yonge St and Montgomery Ave in the Town of North Toronto 1890 area2019 – An old blue and white Nassau St sign affixed to the building at Nassau St and Spadina Ave2022 – Walmer Rd and Bloor St W in The Annex neighbourhood2020s – Toronto’s old blue and white street signs fastened to corner buildings include Jones Ave, Ossington Ave, Cowan Ave, Kintyre Ave, Spadina Rd and Pape Ave2021 – Spadina Rd and Delavan Ave in the Forest Hill neighbourhood1890 – The northeast corner of Richmond St E and Yonge St. Notice the street sign on the Richmond St side of the building (Toronto Public Library R-4571)2019 – Old blue and white Queen St E and Empire Ave street signs attached to the building at 825 Queen St E2021 – Gilda Radner Way and Lombard St at Church St in St James neighbourhood of Old Town Toronto1980s – The Queensway and Roncesvalles Ave street signs in the 1879 Village of Parkdale neighbourhood (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 384, Item 28)2019 – Roncesvalles Ave and Howard Park Ave in the Roncesvalles Village neighbourhood1916 – Glass plates on the lamp posts showing the street names Queen St W and Bay St. It’s front of Bowles Lunch that was once on the southeast corner (City of Toronto Archives, Series 372, Sub Series 41, Item 50)1964 – Illuminated Queen St W and Bay St signs. These were the earlier back-lit versions that had a blue background with white lettering. In the next version, streets that travelled in an east-west direction had a yellow background with black lettering (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 124, File 15, ID 16)1990 – Illuminated Queen St W sign at Bay St (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 596, Item 8)2021 – Hagerman St and Elizabeth St behind new Toronto City Hall2019 – Old blue and white Queen St W and Elm Grove Ave street signs attached to the building at 1267 Queen St W. Also notice the ghost sign under the overhang for one of the building’s former occupants, Premier Fur Company2019 – Queen St E and Leslie St in the Leslieville neighbourhood2019 – Corrigan Close street sign. This is the second version of the acorn-topped, white with black lettering sign2019 – Sherbourne St and King St E in the Town of York neighbourhood of Old Town Toronto2019 – Princes’ Blvd in Exhibition Place2020s – A few vintages of Toronto’s acorn-style, neighbourhood street signs including Claremont St, Indian Road Cres, Givens St and Spadina Rd2019 – Parliament St and Amelia St in the Old Cabbagetown neighbourhood1880s – The northeast corner of Yonge St and King St E. Notice the street signs mounted on the corner of the building (Toronto Public Library R-4606)2020/1972 – John St and King St W are carved into the building at 287-289 King St W (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 67, Item 40)2019 – Ojibway Ave and Omaha Ave at Algonquin Island, on Toronto Island2019 – Old Brewery Lane and River St in the Corktown neighbourhood of Old Town Toronto1980s – Illuminated Church St and Queen St E signs. Blue background with white lettering signified the street was in a north-south direction, while the yellow background with black lettering meant east-west. The Metropolitan United Church is in the background (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 469, Item 30)2019 – Church St and Alexander St in the Church-Wellesley Village neighbourhood1921 – The northwest corner of Yonge St and Bedford Park Rd. Notice the street signs attached to a post on the corner (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 1549)2021 – Melinda St and Yonge St in the Financial District. Melinda is one of the oldest streets in the city2020s – Toronto’s old blue and white street signs fastened to corner buildings include Allen Ave, Dovercourt Rd, Sheridan Ave, Northumberland St, Waverley Rd and Ritchie Ave1980s – The former Pretzel Bell Tavern at Adelaide St W and Simcoe St. The street signs are the first version of the acorn-topped, white with embossed black lettering (City of Toronto Archives, Series 2523, File 8. Item 52)2020 -The many styles of Linnsmore Cr street signs. Notice the sign in the lower-left corner; Linsmore is spelled with one “n”2020 – An old blue and white King street sign attached to the building at 50 King St E and Toronto St2020s – An assortment of Toronto’s acorn-topped street signs including College St, Richmond St W, Mount Pleasant Rd and Trinity St2020 – An old blue and white College St sign affixed to the building and the larger blue and white sign on the traffic light pole at Dovercourt Rd1937 – Westmoreland Ave sign on a hydro post at Bloor St W, on the northeast corner (City of Toronto Archives, Series 372, Sub Series 58, Item 1440)2021 – An old blue and white Dufferin St sign fastened to the building at 1485 Dundas St W2019 – Dundas St W and Gladstone Ave in the Rua Acores neighbourhood2019 – An old blue and white Dewson Ave sign attached to the building at 42 Dewson St and Concord Ave. Notice also the black and white signs on the pole2021 – Yonge St and Mill St in the Historic Community of York Mills2020 – George St and King St E in the 1793 Town of York neighbourhood2020s – A few of the acorn-topped neighbourhood street signs including Dovercourt Rd, Mayfield Ave, Brock Ave and Lawrence Ave E2020 – Old blue and white Woodgreen Place street sign attached to the building at 785 Queen St E. Notice also the blue and white street sign on the poleLate 1970s – An illuminated Adelaide St W sign at Yonge St. Yellow background with black lettering meant east-west and a blue background with white lettering signified the street was in a north-south direction (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 304, Item 9)2019 – De Grassi St and Queen St E in the Riverside District2021 – Concord Ave and Bloor St W in the Bloorcourt Village neighbourhood2022 – To honour the site’s historical past, streets in the area, once home to Greenwood Raceway/old Woodbine Racetrack, have been named Sarah Ashbridge Ave, Winners Circle, Joseph Duggan Rd and Northern Dancer Blvd2022 – Bloor St W and Montrose Ave in the Korean Business Area2021 – Grand Opera Lane street sign on the south side of Adelaide St W, between Yonge St and Bay St2021 – Lake Shore Blvd E and Cherry St in the Port Area2021 – An old blue and white George St sign on the Filmores Hotel building at Dundas St E2022 – Yonge Street 1796 plaque
