HomeOnce Upon a Time in Toronto

Once Upon a Time in Toronto

June 23, 1971 – Looking east from Elm St towards A & A Books & Records at 351 Yonge St in downtown Toronto

A & A Books, Records & Tapes – A Piece of...

Circa 1945 - A Good Hotel was once located in downtown Toronto at 572 Bay St, south of Dundas St W. Notice the painted Coca-Cola sign on the side of the building

A Good Hotel – Once on Bay St, south of Dundas...

Circa 1945 - Alexandra Hotel was once located at Queen St W and Elizabeth St on the northwest corner when the two streets intersected

Alexandra Hotel – Once at Queen St W & Elizabeth St

2022 - Looking northwest at Lake Shore Blvd W and Kipling Ave towards the former Almont Hotel. Today the building is home to the Humber College Fashion Institute

Almont Hotel – Once at Lake Shore Blvd W & Kipling...

1907 – Looking northwest toward the Arlington Hotel, once located at King St W and John St in Toronto

Arlington Hotel – Once at King St W & John St

Circa 1945 - Babloor Hotel was once located at 1163-1167 Bay St, just south of Bloor St W on the east side, in the Bay-Cloverhill neighbourhood of Toronto

Babloor Hotel – Once on Bay St, south of Bloor St...

July 14, 1965 - The Barclay Hotel just before its demolition. It was located on the northeast corner of Front St W and Simcoe St in downtown Toronto. Notice the content auction signs on the hotel that closed that year. The hotel site became a parking lot for decades

Barclay Hotel – Once at Front St W & Simcoe St

The Lux Burlesque Theatre was once located at 360-362 College St in Toronto

Bellevue Theatre & Lux Burlesque – Silver Screen to the Burlesque...

Circa 1968 - Beverly Hills Motor Hotel was once located at 1677 Wilson Ave, west of Jane St, in the Oakdale-Beverley Heights area of Toronto. Notice the illuminated sign promoting singer Billy Daniels. The Hook & Ladder Club was once the largest in the Toronto area at 850 seats and attracted big-name entertainers

Beverly Hills Motor Hotel – Once Had Toronto’s Largest Lounge

Circa 1885 - Black Horse Hotel was once located at the northeast corner of Front St E and George St in the Old Town neighbourhood of Toronto. The structure was built about 1820 by George Monro as a residence. It became the Black Horse in the early 1840s when William Rolph converted the building into a tavern

Black Horse Hotel – The Last of Old Toronto’s Taverns

1910 - A postcard showing the busy streets in front of the Board of Trade Building

Board of Trade Building – The Toronto Jewel That Once Adorned...

1922 - Hotel Brockton, originally Brockton Club House, and lastly, Brockton Hotel, was once located at 1541-1553 Dundas St W and Sheridan Ave on the southeast corner in Toronto's Brockton Village neighbourhood. The three-storey building was clad with brick. Notice the Brockton Café on the right and the for sale sign on the centre-left

Brockton Hotel – Once at Dundas St W & Sheridan Ave

June 23, 1971 – Looking northeast towards the Brown Derby Tavern once at the corner of Yonge St and Dundas St E

Brown Derby Tavern – Hats Off to the Landmark Once at...

Between 1988 and 1990 - The Canary Restaurant sign (notice the sign has lost its neon tubing) and the Cherry St sign

Canary Restaurant & Palace Street School – Over 165 Years of...

1984 - Captain John's second floating restaurant and the Toronto Star Building on Queens Quay at the foot of Yonge St, looking northeast

Captain John’s Harbour Boat Restaurant – Once a Waterfront Icon

2020 – Looking southwest towards the former Christie, Brown & Company Factory, now the George Brown College at Adelaide St E and Frederick St in the St Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto

Christie, Brown & Company – Once Canada’s Largest Biscuit Maker

December 6, 2019 – Club Matador's iconic sign

Club Matador – Toronto’s Historic Live Music Venue

1872 - Looking west along Front St E and Wellington St E from east of Church St towards the Coffin Block

Coffin Block – A Unique Intersection Well Before the Gooderham Building

July 1973 – Looking northeast towards The Colonial Tavern during the Yonge Street Mall (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1118, Series 377, Item 782)

Colonial Tavern – The Historic Venue’s Part in Toronto’s Music Heritage

January 2, 1955 - The Columbia Hotel was once located at 2 Ossington Ave and Queen St W on the northwest corner in the Beaconsfield Village neighbourhood of Toronto

Columbia Hotel – Once in Beaconsfield Village

1960s - The Conroy Hotel was once located on the west side of Dufferin St, just north of Lawrence Ave W. The owners of the hotel, former NHL hockey players Charlie Conacher and Roy Worters, combined their names to create the hotel's charismatic name. The Conroy featured nightly entertainment and was where regular people could mingle with sports legends that frequented the bar

Conroy Hotel – Once a Favourite Hangout for Sports Stars

1970s – The Constellation Hotel was once located on the northeast corner of Dixon Rd and Carlingview Dr. When this postcard was printed, the hotel had "600 luxury rooms, indoor-outdoor pool, tennis and Mediterranean Garden, health club, sauna, 6 licenced bars and dining rooms, 24-hour room service and coffee shop, boutiques, free parking, golf course nearby"

Constellation Hotel – The Former Luxury Hotel Began as a Posh...

1884 - The Crystal Palace was once located at Exhibition grounds. The beautiful building faced Lake Ontario and stood where the Horticulture Building stands today

Crystal Palace – The Beautiful & Ornate Building Once at the...

$\Circa 1895 – Looking east along Front St W from just west of Simcoe St. Notice Grand Union Hotel on the left, the Daly House on the right, and the old Union Station (with the tower) in the background$

Daly House – Once at Lower Simcoe St & Front St...

Circa 1912 – The Dufferin Hotel was once located at 1130 Bloor St W and Dufferin St on the northwest corner in the Bloordale Village neighbourhood of Toronto. Notice the sign above the top verandah says "DUFFERIN - ANGUS KERR - HOUSE HOTEL". Also, "Dufferin St" is marked at the east side front corner of the building

Dufferin Hotel – Once at Bloor St W & Dufferin St

1941 - The Dufferin Park Racetrack, once where Toronto’s Dufferin Mall stands today

Dufferin Park Racetrack – Once Where Dufferin Mall Stands Today

College Park, formerly Eaton's College Street, southwest corner of Yonge & Carlton Streets in Toronto (2020)

Eaton’s College Street Store – An Art Deco Architectural Treasure

1982 - A night view of Ed's Warehouse, Ed's Folly, Old Ed's and Ed's Seafood on King St W at Duncan St, looking west

Ed’s Warehouse – The Beloved Restaurant That Was an Attraction in...

October 13, 1957 – Looking northwest towards the Edgewater Hotel, once at 14 Roncesvalles Ave, just north of The Queensway in the Sunnyside and Parkdale neighbourhoods of Toronto. The Edgewater had a neon sign that lit up the top of the building. Next to the hotel was the Sunnyside Bus Terminal, and inside was the B & G Coffee Shop Milk Bar. Today, the former Edgewater is Hotel Shelter, and McDonald's is located in the former bus terminal

Edgewater Hotel – Once at Roncesvalles Ave & The Queensway

Circa 1903 - Looking southwest towards the Empringham Hotel, once at Danforth Ave and Dawes Rd in what's known today as the East Danforth neighbourhood of Toronto. When the Empringham Hotel opened in the 1870s, the area was known as Little York and, later, East Toronto. Notice the water pump on the Dawes Rd side and the posts to hitch horses under the porch

Empringham & Danforth Hotel – From Farmers Lodging to Adult Entertainment

Exhibition Stadium & Grandstand in Toronto

Exhibition Stadium & Grandstand – Hosted Legendary Concerts & Events

Mid-1970s - Looking southeast towards the former Friar's Tavern at the corner of Yonge St and Dundas Sq. Nickelodeon also shared the building's second floor. In December 1975, an entertainment listing in the Globe and Mail shows that Dublin Corporation was performing at Friar's, while Mike Lewis was performing in the Drawing Room

Friar’s Tavern – Playing Its Part in Creating the Yonge Street...

1910 - The General Post Office once stood at 38-42 Adelaide St E, opposite Toronto St

General Post Office – A Gem That Once Stood at Adelaide...

May 13, 1977 - Looking west towards the intersection of Dundas St E and Sherbourne St with George's Spaghetti House on the right. Doug Cole, known as the founder of Toronto’s jazz movement, opened the live jazz club in 1956. In 1983, he sold the restaurant, and a year later, the jazz club moved upstairs

George’s Spaghetti House – Canada’s Premier Live Jazz Club

June 15, 2024 - The north facade of the two-storey brick warehouse at 80 Lynn Williams St in Liberty Village features a ghost sign with the words “The A.R. Williams Machinery Co. Liberty St. Plant"

Ghost Signs – The Faded Ads That Reveal Toronto’s Commercial Past

1920s – The Gooderham Fountain was once located at Exhibition grounds. It sat on an octagonal base ringed by a pool. The fountain's smaller upper basin was inverted and decorated with scales. When water sprouted from the top over the scales, the water would shatter, spray and sparkle before falling into the larger lower basin and into the pool below. Notice the former Graphic Arts & Photography Building in the background

Gooderham Fountain – Meet me at the Fountain!

1921 - Looking southwest towards the Grand Opera House once at 11 Adelaide St W

Grand Opera House & the Century-Old Cold Case of the Missing...

Circa 1867 - The Great Western Railway Station at the northeast corner of Yonge St and The Esplanade

Great Western Railway Station – Later the Toronto Wholesale Fruit Market

1957 - Horses breaking from the starting gate with a crowd watching at Greenwood Raceway

Greenwood Raceway/Old Woodbine Racetrack – 119 Years of Horse Racing

1905 - Hanlan's Point Stadium and Amusement Park. At the time, the stadium was the home field of the Tecumseh Lacrosse Club. The Toronto baseball club had moved to Diamond Park for a few years, from 1901 to 1907, before returning to Hanlan's Point on Toronto Island in 1908

Hanlan’s Point Stadium – The Diamond Once at Toronto Island

Circa 1900 - Looking southwest towards Toronto's first public underground lavatory. It was on the south side of Adelaide St E, at the head of Toronto St in the St Lawrence neighbourhood. Built in 1896, the men-only lavatory was accessed through a one-storey tower located directly in the middle of Toronto St

History of Toronto’s Public Lavatories Begins Underground in 1896

Between 1961 and 1971 – The Hockey Hall of Fame was once located directly across from the Food Building at Exhibition Place. Notice inside the entrance the "Face-Off" mural by Canadian artist Ronald Satok. The mural and entrance have been preserved at Gate 5 of BMO Field

Hockey Hall of Fame – Once at Exhibition Place

1960s – Looking southwest towards Honest Ed's between Bloor St W and Markham St in the Mirvish Village neighbourhood of Toronto

Honest Ed’s – The Landmark Discount Store Once in Toronto

February 10, 1974 – The demolition company Teperman & Sons Limited fencing and scaffolding surrounding the former Hotel Ford. The up-close photo is looking north from Dundas St W and Bay St. Notice the red and white "Hotel Ford" sign still on the building

Hotel Ford – The Rise & Steep Fall of a Once-Great...

September 26, 2020 - Looking northeast towards the Ideal Bread Company Factory once located at Dovercourt Rd and Argyle St. Today, the building is home to Argyle Lofts

Ideal Bread Company Factory – Now Edwardian Classical Lofts

June 25, 1973 - The Imperial Six, located at 263 Yonge St, during the theatre's open house to see Canada's largest Theatre Complex

Imperial Six Theatre – One of the World’s First Multiplex Theatres

Early 1950s - The Island Theatre was once located at 4 Iroquois Ave on Centre Island

Island Theatre – Once on Centre Island

1908 - Looking southeast towards The Lakeside Home for Little Children, once located at Gibraltar Point on Toronto Island

Lakeside Home for Little Children – A Beloved Landmark Once on...

August 1972 - Crowds watching the parade for the Scottish World Festival as it passes by Le Coq d'Or Tavern and the Edison Hotel, on Yonge St just south of Gould St

Le Coq d’Or Tavern – The Heart & Soul of Yonge...

2022 – Looking north towards the building that once was home to the Lombard Street City Morgue at 86 Lombard St, between Church St and Jarvis St. The two-storey Edwardian-style building is clad with red pressed brick and features classic stone details

Lombard Street City Morgue – Toronto’s Third “Dead House”

1890s - The Crystal Palace was once located where the Horticulture Building stands today on Saskatchewan Rd, between Dufferin St and Princes’ Blvd. The history of the Crystal Palace dates back to 1858 when the thirteenth Provincial Agricultural Exhibition was held in Toronto. Sir Collingwood Schreiber and Sir Sandford designed a grand structure made of iron, glass, and wood for the fair, which stood north of King St W, west of Shaw St. In 1878, the new larger exhibition site was chosen by the shores of Lake Ontario to permanently house the event - today's Exhibition Place. So the original Crystal Palace was dismantled and relocated to the site. The building was expanded with reconstruction designs by architects Stewart and Strickland and featured a main floor and two tiers of galleries crowned by a Baroque-styled cupola. The Crystal Palace was the primary exhibit building and the pride of Toronto's Industrial Exhibition. The beautiful building burned to the ground on Thanksgiving in 1906, and a year later, the Horticulture Building was built on the site

Lost Buildings at the CNE & Exhibition Place: A Glimpse into...

August 29, 2020 - A sign advertising theatrical costumes and dance supplies at Malabar in the window at 10-14 McCaul St

Malabar – The Magical Shop that Costumed Toronto for Nearly a...

2021 - The south facade and main entrance to Maple Leaf Gardens

Maple Leaf Gardens – Toronto’s Iconic Cathedral of Hockey

September 4, 1925 - Sign for the future site of Maple Leaf Stadium, once located at the foot of Bathurst St and Lake Shore Blvd W

Maple Leaf Stadium – Home to One of Toronto’s Greatest Baseball...

1969 – The main entrance of the Royal Ontario Museum's McLaughlin Planetarium at 90 Queens Park in Toronto. The planetarium was established in 1968 with over $2 million in funding from Colonel Samuel McLaughlin. The structure was designed by architects Allward and Gouinlock

McLaughlin Planetarium – Where Toronto Once Gazed at the Stars

2019 - Looking northeast towards the Old Don Jail, now Hennick Bridgeport Hospital Administration Building

Old Don Jail – Toronto’s Intimidating & Imposing Prison on the...

Circa 1890 - Named the Pines Hotel in the mid-1890s, it was once located on the southwest corner of Dundas St W and Bloor St W in the High Park-Swansea and Roncesvalles neighbourhoods of Toronto. The property was also referred to as "Bell's Hotel" after its proprietors, Haigh and Mary Bell. Notice Brown's Tallyho in front of the hotel

Pines Hotel – Once at Dundas St W & Bloor St...

1930 - Princess Theatre was once located at 167 King St W. After a fire in 1915, this was the 1917 reconstructed building

Princess Theatre, originally the Academy of Music

Circa 1950 - The Donnybrook at Riverdale Zoo

Riverdale Zoo – The Site of the Old Zoo is Riverdale...

2022 - The Robert Barron Building, once Coles Books and today home to Shoppers Drug Mart, is located at 728 Yonge St and Charles St W on the southwest corner in the Bay Cloverhill neighbourhood of Toronto

Robert Barron Building – Built in 1889 & Designed by G.W....

1913 – An illustration looking south towards the Royal Lyceum, which was once located at 99½ King St W, between Bay St and York St in downtown Toronto. From 1849 to 1874, the theatre stood behind the businesses along King St W. In today's terms, it was situated in the TD Centre block, about 55 m east of The Pasture statues

Royal Lyceum – One of Toronto’s First Purpose-Built Theatres

Runnymede Theatre once at 2223 Bloor St W in Toronto - now Shoppers Drug Mart (2021)

Runnymede Theatre – The Historic Theatre is Now a Drug Store

December 6, 2019 - Sam the Record Man's twin neon spinning record signs are located atop a building at 277 Victoria St, overlooking Yonge-Dundas Square (as of December 14, 2023, known as Sankofa Square)

Sam the Record Man – Once Yonge Street’s Music Store Mecca

Between 1955 and 1960s - Looking west on Princes' Blvd towards the Shell Oil Tower and the Flyer roller coaster once located at Exhibition Place. The contemporary tower was designed by architect George Robb and later became the Bulova Tower

Shell Oil/Bulova Tower – The Contemporary Landmark Once at The Ex

March 23, 2025 - Looking northeast towards St Lawrence Market south on the right and St Lawrence Market north in the background

St Lawrence Market North – Rich in Toronto’s Food History

1980 - Originally built for the St Patrick's Market, A Stork and Sons Ltd occupied the building at 238 Queen St W from 1929 until 1988

St Patrick’s Market – On Land Bequeathed to the City in...

February 1971 – Looking southwest toward Stollery's Menswear at Yonge St and Bloor St with the Uptown Theatre in the background

Stollery’s – Iconic Menswear Store Once on Canada’s Most Desired Corner

2021 - Decorative panel on the archway entrance of the Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion

Sunnyside Amusement Park – History of Toronto’s Lake Shore Playground

1925 - Tamblyn Drugstore was once located at 489 Danforth Ave, just east of Logan Ave in the Greektown neighbourhood

Tamblyn Drugs – Once Canada’s Largest Drugstore Chain, Began in Toronto

July 17, 2020 - A piece of the Temple Building on display at the Guild Inn Estate - notice the initials IOF, the acanthus leaves ornamentation and the society's symbol, the moose head

Temple Building – A Lost Gem & Toronto’s First Skyscraper

January 1963 - Looking southeast along Bay St, towards Melinda St and The Telegram, also known as "The Grand Old Lady of Melinda Street"

Toronto Telegram – The Newspaper Once at Bay St & Melinda...

Circa 1922 - The old Cyclorama building at 131 Front St W, when it was home to HW Petrie Limited Machinery showroom (City of Toronto Archives, William James Family fonds, Fonds 1244, Item 1099)

Toronto’s Cyclorama – Art Exhibitions that Took Spectators a World Away

March 1961 – The front facade of the University Avenue Armouries built between 1891 and 1893 and demolished in 1963

University Avenue Armouries – Downtown Toronto’s Lost Fortress

1983 - Looking northeast towards the University Theatre once located at 100 Bloor St W. On the marquee, “Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi,” starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, was playing

University Theatre – Toronto’s Magnificent Theatre Along Mink Mile

February 1971 – Looking southwest from Yonge St towards Bloor St, notice the Uptown Theatre in the distance. Also, observe Stollery's Menswear Store located at the corner of Bloor St W and Yonge St

Uptown Theatre – Once a Grand Vaudeville & Movie Palace on...

The Victory Burlesque Theatre once at 287 Spadina Ave in Toronto

Victory Burlesque Theatre – Once Began as a Live Yiddish Venue

2021 - Winchester Hotel & Hall with lantern back on the domed tower, looking southeast from Winchester St and Parliament St

Winchester Hotel & Hall – A Historic Cabbagetown Treasure

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