Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[DSC]

For many years before it was demolished, the building at The Esplanade and Market was Ponterini's garage. This from Google Streetview June 2009 (I love how you can go back with S'view!)

 

[junctionist]

Then: St. George Street at Harbord, looking north, April 7, 1948. St. George was lined with grand Victorian houses and mature trees up to Bloor Street. The trees were cut down to widen the roadway to 4 car lanes. The homes were mostly demolished to expand the University of Toronto's campus, though some have been preserved. The construction of Robarts Library, in particular, involved the large scale demolition of the houses on the left side of the photo.



Now. St. George is a vibrant and leafy campus artery, lined with various university landmarks. The roadway itself was again reconfigured late 1990s for wider sidewalks, new trees and bike lanes.

 

[Goldie]

Thanks junctionist, for those views of St. George St.
I was reminded of this photo I made quite some time ago of the "old & new."
Also found a couple of other Robarts pix in my files.........

The Robarts Library site, 1971

Time capsule - located south side of Robarts

 

[Goldie]

364 Yonge St., 1977

Google street view:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/3...2!3m1!1s0x882b34ca9f1f9131:0xa89eeb4eaf126a44

 

[adma]

Ah, that's interesting--the time capsule and its gazebo totally pre-dated the actual construction of Robarts; I would have thought by its design that it was integral. (Maybe it was designed by the Robarts team, for the sake of site-specific consistency.)

Come to think of it, so much about that superblock encapsulates 60s/70s university-campus laid-back shagginess, from the ad-hoc here-there-and-everywhere dirt parking lot to the "hangoutness" of that "Macdonald" joint on the left...

[Edit: is the NE corner of the block hoarded? Would that be the beginning stage of site preparation?]

 

[Goldie]

Bloor-Yonge, N/W corner, 1971
This building created in 1899

Google street view
https://www.google.com/maps/place/B...2!3m1!1s0x882b34ac2a6598f9:0x8952e75c4eca1d62

 

[adma]

Bloor-Yonge, N/W corner, 1971
This building created in 1899

View attachment 96131

Note that the Pilot is wedged in between *two* CIBCs; the former Canadian Bank of Commerce, and (as can be seen in the frieze) the former Imperial Bank of Canada (the two were merged in 1961).

Also, the "Tavern" lettering in the rooftop sign pylon is similar to that of the El Mocambo sign.

 

[Goldie]

Near 607 Queen St. W., 1979

Google street view
https://www.google.com/maps/place/6...2!3m1!1s0x882b34ddf327b5f1:0x5be47b9fa6afd0a7

 

[Goldie]

 

[Goldie]

King At York, 1968

Google street view
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Y...2!3m1!1s0x882b34d372a06b39:0x7da73ae65b447040

 

[Skeezix]

King At York, 1968

View attachment 96252

That's the Prince George Hotel, originally known as the Rossin House Hotel, built in 1856. The Armstrong, Beere & Hime panorama photographs of Toronto, taken in 1856, were photographed from the roof of the Rossin House Hotel and are among the earliest photographs of Toronto.

Rossin House Hotel in 1856:

In 1867:

 

[UserNameToronto]

King At York, 1968

View attachment 96252

View attachment 96253
Google street view
https://www.google.com/maps/search/...ata=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sQZTgrPdWXqf9NYL_iHeVHw!2e0

Isn't the "then" photo facing southeast (with Commerce Court in the background)? Is so, then the now view would be: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Y...447040!8m2!3d43.6455434!4d-79.3825443!6m1!1e1

 

[Goldie]

You're absolutely correct, UserNameToronto!
Thank you for the sharp eyesight. -- My BAD.
Correcting immediately.

 

[UserNameToronto]

You're absolutely correct, UserNameToronto!
Thank you for the sharp eyesight. -- My BAD.
Correcting immediately.

I'm in that part of town everyday - my eyesight is poor, but memory's still good Thanks for posting in here G, I really enjoy your contributions

 

[adma]

Boy, the stripping of the Prince George façade was bleak--no wonder there wasn't much love there--and yet, the ground floor pilasters and capitals and frieze kept ticking to the very end...