More Lost Toronto in colour

[JasonParis]

Queen's Park and the Flatiron Building are two good candidates for a "lighting."

 

[adma]

I agree that Toronto's attitude towards lighting is quite shameful. What ever happened to the lighting for the old CIBC Tower, the old Bank of Nova Scotia and even Simpson's Tower - somebody pulled the plug.

The top of Simpsons is now dark? Don't those clods know the lighting's part of the architectural concept...

 

[Uncle Teddy]

I guess they figure they can't be seen from the lake anymore so why bother.

 

[adma]

Yeah, as if being seen from Nathan Phillips Square doesn't count.

(Though I'm crossing my fingers and hoping they're just installing more "energy-efficient" lighting.)

 

[jaborandi]

Yeah, as if being seen from Nathan Phillips Square doesn't count.

(Though I'm crossing my fingers and hoping they're just installing more "energy-efficient" lighting.)

Hopefully you're right. When was the last time you saw it lit up? I was down there a week ago and noticed it was not lit and when I tried to recall the last time I saw it aglow, I sort of drew a blank, though I don't often go down that way of an evening.

 

[thecharioteer]

Hopefully you're right. When was the last time you saw it lit up? I was down there a week ago and noticed it was not lit and when I tried to recall the last time I saw it aglow, I sort of drew a blank, though I don't often go down that way of an evening.

You're right...I had also forgotten that it ever was lit up!

 

[Anna]

Do dead birds have anything to do with it, or are they just affected by the interior lights being left on?
http://www.toronto.ca/lightsout/index.htm

 

[Conrad Black]

The Simpson's Tower looks great lit up like that.

 

[egotrippin]

Is excessive lighting really a great example to set for the citizens of the city?
Where is this power coming from? It's not free, and it's certainly not great for the environment. Exception should be made for the CN Tower and the buildings in the CBD, but for establishments that aren't open at night, there's no need for lights IMO.

I somehow knew that this viewpoint would come up. There's a balance to be struck between environmentalism and lighting for aesthetic purposes (and other environmentally "evil" things). Decorative LED lighting, especially in a big city, is something that I believe should be used somewhat liberally. The major energy draws, from a lighting perspective, are the interior lighting systems left on needlessly. On a relative scale, exterior lighting draws a rather small portion of overall energy being used, and if we focus so incessantly on things that are even slightly bad for the environment, we might as well all live in complete darkness and revert back to the stone age. A few more buildings with exterior lighting are not going to become a catalyst for some disastrous downfall of the planet.

 

[thecharioteer]

Toronto in colour 1880's to 1910's:

Gooderham and Worts:

The Ex:

The Globe:

Skyline 1901:

Yonge north of Queen:

Spadina:

Confederation Life:

Victoria College 1895:

Normal School:

Bloor and Avenue Road:

Yonge and Bloor:

The Lunatic Asylum, 999 Queen, 1910:

The Ex, 1919:

 

[Uncle Teddy]

That skyline shot from 1901 is great. Amazing change in 100 years.

 

[299 bloor call control.]

Hopefully you're right. When was the last time you saw it lit up? I was down there a week ago and noticed it was not lit and when I tried to recall the last time I saw it aglow, I sort of drew a blank, though I don't often go down that way of an evening.

I completely forgot as well. I used to see it every night from my window, but after Casa blocked my view, it must have slipped my mind. That's kinda sad that it's not lit anymore.

 

[Mustapha]

That Yonge and Queen colorized picture's realism is something else. Heintzman pianos - I'm thinking the pursuit of piano was more common per capita than it is now? I see piano advertisements in many old Toronto pictures. I met a Heintzman socially a few years ago. He was a descendant and had a tuning and refurbishment business. He mentioned that Asian pianos put them under.

Also, the "MEALS 20c" sign is neat.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Also in that picture is the Toronto Rubber Store - which eventually became Lovecraft, I believe.

The old Gooderham & Worts windmill ( second image ) was certainly a waterfront landmark in 1834, wasn't it? A practical, no-nonsense structure where people worked down by the lake, it was every bit as iconic of what the city was then as Corus and Redpath and One Yonge are of today's working city.

 

[condovo]

I wish the Confederation Life Building would reclaim its original roofline.