Wednesday, January 26, 2011

City Morgue on Lombard/Then and Now

The City Morgue on Lombard west of Church sometime in the 1970's.
2010, at least they took the sign down.

Bay and Hayter/Then, Then and Now

The S/W corner of Bay and Hayter September 1937.
One year later and there's been an Art Deco makeover.
2010.

Yonge and Roxborough/Then and Now

The west side of Yonge south of Roxborough in the 1970's. For years the bungalow in the middle was an antique store that was called the Prince of Serendip. A great source for film and movie props.
2010.

Bathurst and Barton/Then and Now

Looking north on Bathurst from Barton 1935.
There's a horse-drawn milk wagon on the right.
2010.

Shaw Street/Then and Now

These houses on Shaw Street north of Bloor were already showing signs of trouble in 1933.
They were built on unstable land fill over a ravine that was formerly Garrison Creek. Their problems have only worsened over the years.

1933.
2010.
1933.
2010.
1933.
2010.
At the time of the original photos the city building inspectors chose to label them as "defective houses".

The original path of the creek.
Boys canoeing on the creek before it was buried.

Superior Restaurant/Then and Now


A vintage matchbook.
The Superior Restaurant on Yonge Street just south of Dundas in the 1930's.
2010.
The Superior closed last year and has reopened as the Paramount.
Another shot of the Superior from the late 1950's with Tip Top Tailers to the south.
Making uniforms during the war.

High Park 1910/King and Duncan/Then and Now

A Russel Car in High Park 1910.
The Russell Motor Car Company was a Toronto automobile manufacturer that produced cars from 1904 to 1916. The company is considered to have produced Canada's first successful automobile.
A row of Russells in front of Old City Hall.
T. Russel in one of his cars.
A newspaper ad.
More information on the Russell Motor Car can be found here.
Employees outside the plant at King and Duncan.
A similar perspective in 2011.

Joy Gas Stations/Then and Now

I don't remember this one being here in front of tip Top Tailors.

A selection of photos of Joy Gas Stations that were located throughout the city. They've all been torn down with the exception of one that's recently been moved and restored.

Roncesvalles and Howard Park in Parkdale. I used to buy gas here.
It's now a convenience store.
St. Clair West.
Danforth and Donlands.
Queen Street East near Pape.


Construction form below of the Bloor and High Park location.
The blueprints.
According to Toronto historian Mike Filey:
"One of the smaller gas stations that I neglected to mention was Joy, a creation of Charles Austin, a businessman and entrepreneur living in Detroit. He had established the Sunny Service Oil Company in that city in 1928. Seven years later his wife Margaret crossed the border and set up a Canadian company with the same name in Windsor, Ontario. On May 16, 1936 that name was officially changed to the Joy Oil Co. Ltd. Soon there were Joy stations operating in Montreal and Windsor with the largest number right here in Toronto. A distinctive feature of all Joy stations was their small French chateau-like design. The last remaining Joy station has recently been moved from its original location at the northwest corner of Windermere and Lake Shore Blvd. to the south side of Lake Shore where it awaits a new life."
The restored station on Lakeshore near Windemere.
The old Joy Station can be seen here at the foot of Windemere during construction of the Gardiner in the late 1950's.
That's the Palace Pier Dance Hall to the bottom left.