lost toronto

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Adelaide and Sheppard/Then and Now

Looking east at the north side of Adelaide at Sheppard in the late 1940's.
The building on the left is The Concourse Building. This is before Adelaide was a one way street.

Today.

Richmond and John/Then and Now

The S/E corner of Richmond and John in 1935.

The same corner in 2010.

King and Church/Then and Now

The south side of King Street from Church at the turn of the century.

Back in the late 1960's when this was taken, King and Church was somewhat rundown and dreary. This had once been the main shopping street in the city and quite fancy.
Pasquale Brothers (seen here) later moved to 217 King Street and then to Etobicoke.
D. Pike Company is still in business as Pike's Awnings and now located in Woodbridge.

40 years later it's been revitalized.

King and Bathurst/Then and Now

The Wheat Sheaf Tavern (1848) sometime in the late 1960's.
It was rumoured that a secret tunnel connected the Wheat Sheaf to nearby Fort York...

The Wheat Sheaf in 2010.

King and Dowling/Then and Now

Looking south down Dowling Avenue from King in the 1940's.

The same view in 2010.

Adelaide and Portland/Then and Now

The N/W corner of Adelaide and Portland in May of 1933. Some repairs are definitely needed.

Six months later.

And now 78 years later, no longer a laundry it's now Sadie's Diner.

Friday, July 9, 2010

The Toronto Arcade/Then and Now

The Toronto Arcade , the first in Canada was built in 1883 on the east side of Yonge Street at the intersection of Temperence Street.

As seen in the 1920's.

By the 1950's it was no longer fashionable and was demolished in 1955.

The same view in 2010, and now this building's coming down.

An interior view from 1888.

A collection of period ads.

This is the Manning Arcade, designed by E.J. Lennox and built in 1882 on the north side of King just west of Yonge Street.

Old Gas Stations

Simcoe and Adelaide/Then and Now

Bishop's Block on the N/E corner of Adelaide and Simcoe circa 1890. Built in 1833.
According to Patricia McHugh in her excellent book "Toronto Architecture-A City Guide"
"These two brick and stucco row houses are Toronto's oldest example of the genre. though now sadly bereft of their three original sisters and most of their Georgian dignity as well. Joseph Bishop was a butcher who built these houses for speculation."

Bishop's Block some time in the late 1960's when it operated as the Pretzel Bell Tavern.

The remaining houses of the block shortly before demolition.

Sadly, since the book was written, the remaining two houses were torn down last year to make way for more condos. The developers are supposed to re-build the original facades and incorporate them into the new structure.
The city did conduct an extensive archeological dig at the site.
Details can be found here.