Looking northeast up Yonge St from Dundas St, in the Downtown Yonge area of Toronto.
The archive photo was taken over 75 years ago by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to document the facades of retail and commercial establishments on Yonge St during the underpinning for the construction of the Yonge Street Subway, today referred to as Line 1 or the Yonge–University Line. It also shows the streetcars that once travelled along Yonge St. Some of the businesses visible on the right side of the vintage photo include the Silver Grill, Biltmore Theatre, Disney Shop (a men’s wear store), Olympia Bowling & Billiards, Le Coq d’Or Tavern and the Edison Hotel.
Since 2007, the northeast corner has been home to what is now known as The Tenor, a retail, office, and entertainment complex. The large building with the glass facade in the centre background of the present-day photo is Toronto Metropolitan University’s Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory, courtesy of Toronto Public Library
