Nassau Street/Then and Now

A couple of row cottages in need of repair in Kensington Market July 1943.
2010.

Weston (Keele) and Gunns Road/Then and Now

Looking north on Weston Road (Keele) in 1925. The overpass is part of the Guelph Radial Line.
The building to the right can still be seen today as ABC Lumber.

2010.
The old Belt Line Station at the N/E corner of St. Clair and Weston in the 1960's.
A nice Art Deco gas station as well.
The Guelph line near Islington and Dundas.

Bay and Dundas/Then and Now

A selection of photos of the Bay and Dundas intersection with some excellent storefronts and vintage sign details. Click on images for a better look.

The S/E Corner of Bay and Dundas in 1964. Lorenzo's Pizza House and Pape Clothes.
2010.

Looking south down Bay. On the left is Jerry Purcell's Restaurant featuring Shopsy's Foods.
on the right is a great sign for the Belvedere Italian Restaurant. This is form the late 1950's.
2010.

Looking west along Dundas.
2010.

High angle looking south.
The Ford Hotel stood on the N/E corner from 1928-1973.
1928
2010

A Moment in Time

Looking south down Yonge from the corner of Carlton sometime in the 1950's. Kresge's on the left and Eaton's College to the right. Who's the little boy with the balloon looking at the camera.?

Plaza on Evans/Then and Now

A little strip plaza on the south side of Evans just esdt of the East Mall in the late 1960's

Just as grim in 2010.

Bloor and St. Thomas/Then and Now

A shot of the once famous La Provencal Restaurant located across the street from the equally famous Windsor Arms Hotel sometime in the 1970's. We shot an episode of
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues in both the restaurant and the Windsor Arms when they were both quite abandoned in the early 90's.

2010.
A postcard of the restaurant interior from Chuckman's Collection.

Yonge and Hayter/Then and Then

The N/W corner of Yonge and Hayter prior to the building of Eaton's College in 1920 or so.
A Maxwell Car dealership, my Grandfather sold Maxwell's for a time. William Long Piano's also had a branch in New York on Broome Street in Brooklyn.

Sometime in the 1960's.

St. Clair and Ford Street/Then and Now

The S/E corner of St. Clair and Ford in the 1920's prior to St Clair being widened.
These houses would soon be demolished.
2010.
Ironically there's a Chevrolet dealership on Ford St.

Dufferrin and St Clair/Then and Now

The S/W corner of Dufferin and St Clair in 1911 when St Clair was still just a muddy road.
2010.
This could be the same building buried underneath years of renovations and additions.
The proportions are similar......
This photo from the archives from the same period is labelled Ossington and St. Clair
and indicates how far north of the city this area was.

The Spadina Hotel/Then and Now

I've published this post before but think it deserves a second look.

An early shot of the Spadina Hotel, then known as the Falconer on the N/W corner of Spadina and King Street West
The same view in 2010.

Here's a shot of The Spadina Hotel as it appeared in the 80's.

Several well known bands (and 100's of lesser known) played their
first shows upstairs at the legendary Cabana Room on the second floor..
In 1973 several scenes form The Last Detail were filmed here in Toronto
including one where Jack Nicholson slams his gun on the bar.
The Spadina Hotel is now a backpacker's hostel
but the bar remains in the lobby.
Now used as a check in desk the dents in the
formica top remain, stop in and have a look.

The Spadina Hotel today.
Handbill from 1983.
A vintage matchbook cover from Chuckman's Postcard Collection.
Some of the bands I remember playing at the Cabana Room in the 80's.


A music video from Tulpa. Initiation Rites 1984.
Tulpa consisted of John Bottomley,(guitar) his brother Chris Bottomley (bass) and Mike Severin on Drums. I'm sad to report that John Bottomley passed away two weeks ago.

A music video from K. Voice in the Bush 1984.

Sounds from the Streets, 1984.
An interview with the late Steve Banks from Ministry of Love.

This is by Jolly Tambourine Man and features Jerry Spew, who if I remember correctly, drove cab. Parts were filmed in a then abandoned house at the S/W corner of King and John pictured below.
1984.
Once a haven for dope smoking and depravity it's now a Subway and a Second Cup.

College and Bellevue/Then and Now

Looking at the north side of College from bellevue in th mid 1960's. A great shot of the Lux Burlesque Theatre as well as some great vintage storefronts.
Click on image for a better view.

2010.

Kensington Market/Then and Now

The west side of Augusta looking north in 1958.

A similar vantage point in 2010.

St. Clair West/Then and Now

A very attractive vintage storefront, Danforth Radio, located on St Clair West sometime in the late 1950's.

Now it's Centro. A great selection of Italian products and they have a good hot table at the back

Weston Road/Then and Now

Looking north on Weston Road north of Lawrence in the early 1900's.

Quite a change but I believe the peach building on the left is the same as the one above as well as the church in the background.
Another angle on the peach coloured building.