Old Sorauren Store Update/Going, Going, Gone

This old corner store on Sorauren finally closed down recently after 40 years of business.

The old Ukranian lady that ran the place made most of her money from cigarettes and bootlegging beer out the back door. The interior is virtually untouched as the exterior signage.
The day it sold someone came in a and stripped all of the vintage displays and pushbars .

The store has recently re-opened as an organic plant store.
Sadly the interior of the store was ripped out last week....

The final days....

 The bin arrived last week so I knew the store's days were numbered..

I came home last night after work to find the entire facade of the store ripped out.

I had a look in the bin for anything salvageable but the workers had gone at it like rottweilers at a cat show.

And so it goes.

Cool Cars Around Town

 A 1936 Ford with right hand drive...

Parkdale House Restoration

This Parkdale house is currently receiving a very tasteful restoration of the front porch and facade. Including some expensive copper work.

Yonge and Davenport/Then and Now

 Yonge and Davenport 1959 with the old Canadian Tire main store to the left and a British Austin Car Dealership on the south east corner.

2010.

The Russell Williams Family Restaurant

You can't make this stuff up...

More Vintage Dairy Queen

 These two are both in Hamilton Ontario.

The former site of the Mt. Dennis DQ as mentioned by Rick M below.

This one's at St. Clair and Pharmacy.

The Ray Belmonte Duo

 I found a sealed copy of this LP at the Goodwill.

A quick internet search reveals this:

The Ray Belmonte duo was a classic lounge comedy from the mid-60's with great one liners, song standards, and general buffoonery.

They were an early sixties Canadian lounge act.  With bad jokes and  musical parodies (Hello Dolly, Shanty In Shanty Town, etc.) the Duo were seen as up-and-comers.

A link to the MP3 can be found here.

Sadly there is more to the story...
I'm sure that this sealed copy actually belonged to Ray Belmonte who passed away late last year. I also bought a book on old bicycles at the same Goodwill in Etobicoke and inside found a change of address card addressed to... Mr. Ray Belmonte. His remaining possessions were obviously donated. In any case have a listen to his act, although dated there are some choice moments...

The address card and the
obituary below.

Ramon “Ray” Belmont

Suddenly, at home, on Wednesday, November 23, 2011, at the age of 79. Beloved companion of Barbara. Dear brother of Eileen Infuso, the late Verna Giunta, the late Corinne Mackie and the late James Belmont. Ray will be missed by his many nieces, nephews, family and friends. A celebration of Ray’s life will be held at 11 o’clock on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at the Mimico Cruising Club, 200 Humber Bay Park Rd. W., Toronto, 416-252-7737. For those who wish, donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Society of Canada or the Heart & Stroke Foundation.

Vintage Dairy Queen

Bloor and Margueretta/Then and Now

The north side of Bloor at Margueretta in 1928,when a small Canadian Tire outlet was located here.

Today.

Old Parkdale Maps

 1878

 1879

 1910 with a good view of south Parkdale demolished to make room for the Gardiner in the early 1950's.

Queen and Shuter/Then and Now

 Looking north on Yonge past Shuter in the spring of 1939, decorated for the King's visit that May. Muirhead's Grill (later the Silver Rail)

is on the right. By September 1,  Britain and France would be at war with Germany.
Canada joined the conflict on September 10, 1939.

2010.

Queen and Church/Then and Now

 The south side of Queen east of Church circa 1909.
In the billboard Cohan and Harris refers to George M. Cohan (Yankee Doodle Dandy) and his partner Sam Harris, Tin Pan Alley songwriters and Broadway musical Producers.

George Cohan.
Thomas E. Shea was an actor with a very brief film career.

From the New York Times, September 1909.

A current view reveals the building on the corner remains.

Queen and John/Then and Now

A watercolour from 1851 looking N/E across Queen.

 Sometime in the 1980's and the two little shops have survived. Photo by P. Cummins.

A somewhat current view reveals at least one of the stores has survived .

(St Patrick's Grocery, now a BMV)

The building to the right (Angus McIntosh Groceries) survives today as East! and formerly the Beverley Tavern. The roofline tells the story.