Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[Translude15]

The Victorian houses that used to be where the Robarts Library is now used to have to most elaborate annual ice sculptures on their lawns. I seem to recall this would have been in the 1960s... anyone else here remember this?

That stretch of St. George was U of T's fraternity/sorority row. My fraternity was formerly located across the street from Robarts and moved north of Bloor in 1967 after U of T expropriated the property.

Although this is well before my time, U of T did have some sort of winter carnival during those years and that may be the source of said ice sculptures.

 

[archoman]

I went to this school and church. It is St Paul's school and church. I believe the school was torn down in the early 60's and another school by the same name was built in 1960.

 

[Cast2]

I am glad that house is gone since it was an eyesore and not mention the yard was a giant kitty litter.

 

[DSC]

I am glad that house is gone since it was an eyesore and not mention the yard was a giant kitty litter.

Where is (or was) this house?

 

[chriskayTO]

Huron & Grange: https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.6522...m4!1e1!3m2!1sH79FIeTOieLMz1GDhNblEw!2e0?hl=en

 

[Goldie]

 

[thecharioteer]

Excellent, Goldie!

 

[Goldie]

Thank you, charioteer.
It's always amazed me to discover how much land-fill exists along our waterfront.

 

[thecharioteer]

I agree. Your pics are also a reminder of the loss to the City when the New Fort was demolished in the 1950's (of which the Stanley Barracks are the sole survivors) and the continued indifference to heritage and architecture as the banal "Hotel X" rises on its site.

 

[lansd]

CN Tower Bracket Construction & Lift - April to August 1974

April through August 2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the construction and raising of the 6 segments (“cagesâ€) which would ultimately form the “working platform†at the 1120ft level.

A well publicized and publicly known aspect of the CN Tower’s construction was the “raising of the restaurant level bracketsâ€. It was front page news back in the day. The event was highly anticipated throughout Toronto, the rest of the country and parts of the world. Nothing quite like it had ever been done before.

As explained and shown in a later collage, the “working platform†would be used to (1) cradle and raise the 12 huge steel beams used to hold up the first main floor of the SkyPod, (2) hold the wooden forms into which concrete would later be poured around these 12 steel beams at the 1120ft level, (3) it would be used as the wooden form to pour the floor of the outdoor observation level and (4) it would act as a safety and working platform for the construction workers building out the levels 1 and 2 under the outdoor observation level (where the white inflated randome ring exists today at the lower edge of the SkyPod).

It was decided by the tower’s engineers that most of the work would be done on the ground rather than have all the bits and pieces hoisted up the tower piecemeal. This would be far safer, cheaper and aid in higher quality tolerances.

As shown in the upper-left image of the collage, construction of one of the 6 steel “cages†began in April 1974. Each 3 inner “cages†held in place 3 massive steel girders which would later be bolted to the tower and form one of 12 triangle brackets to hold up the floor of the outdoor observation level. There were 3 main “cages†built opposing the tower’s exposed fire escapes while 3 smaller cages were built around the outside legs (which held only 1 steel girder rather than 3). All would be lifted up in tandem to the 1120ft level in August.

The cages also hid plywood forms which were placed around the 12 steel girders. In September 1974 concrete would be poured into these forms to create the 12 triangle concrete brackets currently visible today from below the SkyPod.

The orange netting was strung below the cages to act as safety nets for the construction workers as well as to catch any falling construction materials.

In parallel with this work, the “Crown†was constructed at the top of the tower during June 1974 upon which were welded 36 “Bygging Jacksâ€. Please refer to the collage related to the “Crown†and its technical explanation. 36 massively long, 25mm stranded wire cables were lowered from each jack to the cages/brackets on the ground. Each steel bracket had its own 3 cables.

The construction of the brackets on the ground, and the “Crown†at the top of the tower, was completed in late June 1974. The first test was made on June 28. However, as something that very few people were made aware of, that test failed with almost catastrophic effect. The Bygging jacks, made in Sweden, had been designed for European braided steel cable and not the harder and slightly narrower North American braided steel cable. Also, the galvanizing of the steel cable acted like grease to the jaws and teeth of the Bygging lifting jacks. As such, one Bygging jack lost its grip and the full 1100ft cable dropped to the ground. Fortunately no one was injured.

A large testing jig was created on the ground and used to test the modified + augmented Bygging jacks during July 1974. The modified jacks included an extra safety rig under the jack to “catch†the wire in case anything further catastrophically happened.

Just to make sure everything was ready to go, the 12 brackets inside the 6 cages were raised 4 feet off the ground on August 1 and 2, and then everyone left for the weekend. However, the cages initially remained “stuck†until someone remembered to torch off some steel brackets firmly holding them down.

The big day to lift the 12 brackets finally arrived on August 6 1974. Lifting began on the Tuesday and ended on the Saturday, during calm weather, with the brackets being raised an average of 224 ft/day. Once they arrived at their destination “dvidags†were used to level and connect the 12 brackets to the tower’s main concrete shaft.

Please refer to the “Working Platform – August to October 1974†collage for the continuing saga of these 12 brackets.

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Interviews, photo scanning, photo cleanup, research & writing, Photoshop layout and media communications + relations by RC Lansdale.

Refer to the following link for the home page of all CN Tower construction anniversary collages: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40744368@N04/sets/72157632200955200">www.flickr.com/photos/40744368@N04/sets/72157632200955200</a>

 

[lansd]

The “Crown†Construction for the CN Tower – June 1974

June 2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the development of the “Crown†construction work. Being at the very top of the tower, at the 1740ft level, many people in downtown Toronto came to see this work from a distance but few, or no people, came to see close ups of what was actually going on up on the “Crownâ€.

The open question to the engineers of the CN Tower, in 1972 and 1973, was “How are we going to get the steel framework up to the SkyPod’s 1120ft restaurant level?†The two options were: hoist up all the steel work piecemeal and build it in place (dangerous and time consuming), or build more of it on the ground. The choice was made to do the latter.

The overall idea would be for 12 steel brackets for the SkyPod to be built on the ground (from April through to August 1974) and then slowly hoisted up the tower to be bolted onto the tower at the 1120ft level. The lifting would be done by 36 “Bygging Jacks†situated at the top of the tower (which we will refer to as the “Crownâ€) and via 3 steel cables per bracket.

Once the slip forming work was done in March 1974, the remnants of the slipform was dismantled and returned to the ground by the tower crane. The creation of the “Crown†then begun in early June 1974, as shown in the upper-left image of the collage. Once the steel work was in place, the 36 “Bygging Jacks†were welded onto the “Crown†and then the 36 cables strung down to the 12 brackets situated on the ground. Lifting of the steel brackets began on August 6 1974 and ended on August 7 (224ft/day).

Very few photos were published of these construction events. However, one of the most well-known, but overly promoted and overly used photos, was of Larry Porter and/or Henry Battah sitting out on the edge of one of the Crown’s triangle brackets. The photos were taken by Boris Spremo on June 5th 1974. The photos would have been so much better (like the ones provided by RC Lansdale) if they were in colour rather than the B&W photos which ended up in the newspapers and magazines of the day. Links to those images of Boris Spremo will be provided here for external reference:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kundakci/1389193850/in/photostream/
http://thestar.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341bf8f353ef0191033f4e90970c-pi
http://starstore.ca/products/td-tower-construction

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Interviews, photo scanning, photo cleanup, research & writing, Photoshop layout and media communications + relations by RC Lansdale.

Refer to the following link for the home page of all CN Tower construction anniversary collages: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40744368@N04/sets/72157632200955200">www.flickr.com/photos/40744368@N04/sets/72157632200955200</a>

 

[lansd]

CN Tower - The “Working Platform†- Aug to Oct 1974

August 2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the construction of the CN Tower’s “working platformâ€.

For those who saw and experienced the construction of the tower, this working platform was one of the iconic fixtures of the tower from August 1974 through to August 1975 when it was final dismantled and lowered to the ground. However, with it being covered over with safety nets and without any “public media relations†to explain what was going on with the tower’s construction, most Torontonians were perplexed or knowingly confused about what this “working platform†was used for. For myself, I always felt that it hid a portion of the tower which was actively under construction and would one day emerge from its cocoon to form a key aspect of the SkyPod. All of this, of course, was incorrect, and hence why this collage and explanation was created.

The “working platform†(as we will generally call it) had multiple purposes to the engineers of the CN Tower:

1) First and foremost, it would be used as a cradle to hold the 12 steel brackets which were to be hoisted from the ground level up to the 1120ft level of the tower.

2) Second, it contained the concrete wooden forms which encased the 12 steel brackets. The forms were mainly built on the ground and hoisted up to the 1120ft level along with the 12 steel brackets.

3) Third, once the temporary wooden floor of the working platform was completed in September 1974, it would be used as a base to pour the concrete floor of the outdoor observation level.

4) And fourth, after the concrete for the floor and brackets were poured, the working platform would be lowered 50ft to aid as a true “working platform†for construction people to access and work on the underside of the outdoor observation level (the “communication†levels 1 and 2, where the inflated, circular white radome can presently be seem).

As shown in a prior construction collage, the 12 brackets were raised from the ground level up to the 1120ft level between August 6 and 11 1974. The brackets were then connected to the tower, and leveled, using “dvidags†between August 17 and 30.

Thereafter, during August, the sections were connected together by the steelworkers via trusses (as seen in the upper left image of this collage). Long wood joists, then plywood, was laid down across the trusses to form the floor of the working platform.

Concrete was then poured into the wooden forms, and around the 12 huge steel beams, within and under the working platform (hidden behind the safety nets) to form the 12 triangle brackets seen today from below the SkyPod. Additional wooden forms were also installed to allow the creation of the walls of the poured-concrete “service tunnel†of level 1, ending on September 27. As a small historical note, the one & only person to die on the job was John Austin who was killed by a flying piece of plywood on the ground on October 2 during an unusually windy night.

The concrete floor of the outdoor observation level was poured in pie-shaped wedges throughout October 1974, using the working platform as the horizontal forms for the concrete pours. This can be seen in the lower-left image of the collage.

As an aspect of the tower’s construction that may have been overlooked by most or all Torontonians, the working platform was dislodged from its poured concrete (after a week of hitting the forms with sledge hammers!) and lowered 50ft where it remained until August 1975 (as shown in the lower right image of the collage). This important phase of the tower’s construction was not well documented in the media nor newspapers of the day so it was easily overlooked in the history books. The lowering occurred between Nov 2 and 8 1974. The platform was first lowered 20ft where it was used to pour the floor of level 1 then lowered another 30ft to clear the brackets (which were 45ft vertical).

The lower right image of the collage is an excellent photo of all of the work explained above. In the lower portion of the image, the “working platform†was all temporary and would be dismantled in 1975. The upper portion of the image remains as part of the SkyPod today. The floor is where the outdoor observation level is today. Under the floor are levels 1 and 2 where the communication dishes are presently shrouded in a white circular radome. The 12 concrete brackets were created by the wooden forms which remained within the working platform.

Once this critical and important phase of the tower was completed in November 1974, the “real work†could begin on erecting the steel framework of the SkyPod by CANRON.

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Interviews, photo scanning, photo cleanup, research & writing, Photoshop layout and media communications + relations by RC Lansdale.

Refer to the following link for the home page of all CN Tower construction anniversary collages: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40744368@N04/sets/72157632200955200">www.flickr.com/photos/40744368@N04/sets/72157632200955200</a>

 

[lansd]

Graham Bezant Tribute - Feb 1973

For those who remember the early 1970's, there were two well known Toronto Star photographers who "competed" with each other for the best photos -- Graham Bezant & Boris Spremo . Through the help of another well known Toronto SUN photographer of the CN Tower, RC Lansdale was able to locate Graham living in Australia. As a tribute to his memorable work done on the tower for the Toronto Star, this collage was culled together with imagery provided by Graham himself.

The left 3 photos were taken on Feb 22 1974 after the last bucket of concrete had been poured. The story goes that National Geographic had been given access to the tower but not the Toronto Star. Hence, CN Tower Ltd reluctantly gave Graham one hour notice to get this photo and leave. Graham took two cameras out on the "bucket" and photographed the most iconic photo of the tower (as seen on the left side). The camera used to take this photo was a "13mm (35mm full frame) fisheye lens unlike the circular fisheye".

Graham explains, "We did get official permission but only after months of asking and following a National geographic photographer was provided a similar viewpoint. I was friends with the N/Geo photographer and when I heard what happened I told the Star management. They were livid. I think Canadian national pride came into it but whatever it was, the big stick approach worked and we got our bucket ride on 1 hours notice. They stopped the crane work, lifted a bucket from ground level. The supervising rigger got in the bucket with me. I wore a harness attached to crane hook. It was quick. The weather was overcast. The lighting was low. We went out in the bucket from the top of the structure swung around to the CN logo and then straight back in. Possibly 5 minutes tops. I believe the safety officer was given a coffee break as there were some "please explain" questions for the top construction brass after the photos appeared. All very worthwhile."

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The two photos on the right, from May 1975, came about from Graham becoming friends with the tower's antenna painter, Tony Tracey (father of legend race car driver Paul Tracey). Graham suited up in painter overalls (to get past security) and accompanied Tony up the tower to the very top where he captured some of the very best photos made at that time. Had Graham not made such risks then we would be without such memorable photos.

As Graham recounts of his May 1975 climb to the top, " It was very hard, that is why it took 45 minutes. I only took two cameras with one lens on each body as I knew the weight, the climb and the size of anything larger than a couple of cameras may not have made it to the top. However, it was exhilarating getting to the top, poking one's head out into a "unknown stratosphere." As you emerged from the antennae section you were "in space" as it were. There was no wind that day. It was so quiet. It was like walking in space. I was tired from the climb. I had to rest for a while. Then when I looked down I put it all together as in time and space. I can still feel how it felt, especially when I look at the photos"

Graham also adds, "Heights never bothered me. I was always very careful. There was no wind that day and this was the chance of a lifetime to get such a photo. It had been planned in my mind's eye since the construction started. For this assignment I did NOT get official permission. I think it was my day off. I dressed as a painter, hid my cameras and climbed up with two painters. (The blokes in the photos). A safety harness would not have helped. What would you hook it onto? It may have even made it more dangerous. I think the most dangerous part was the climb up the steel ladders inside the antennae. They were on opposite sides and one had to swing over at the start of each ladder segment. Going straight up in the antenna after climbing the from the restaurant pod was not easy as I remember. By hey - young and full of ego - where would be without those who challenge ourselves."

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As a cross link to another interview that RC Lansdale made, Bob Bronstein of CANRON (builders of the antenna) recounted "We came back on the Monday morning and found all of my vertically hanging fluorescent lights out of alignment (which we used to determine if the antenna was plumb). After reading the newspaper, it seems that Graham Bezant had moved them while climbing the tower". Each was made aware of this story by RC Lansdale 40 years after the fact.

Also, as something that few people know, Tony Tracey used the large proceeds of his painting company to fund the racing career of his son Paul.

RC Lansdale would like to thank Graham Bezant for returning all of his emails and for openly providing these photos for the enjoyment of others.

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Refer to the following link for the home page of all CN Tower construction anniversary collages: www.flickr.com/photos/40744368@N04/sets/72157632200955200

 

[Goldie]

Thanks for that magnificent CN Tower history, Bob.
It's a WOW! story if there ever was one.
Especially the images of Graham Bezant and his daring-do.
Congratulations to all.

 

[sonny]

Thanks for that magnificent CN Tower history, Bob.
It's a WOW! story if there ever was one.
Especially the images of Graham Bezant and his daring-do.
Congratulations to all.

Great story, particularly liked the chaps initiative in dressing in the painters overalls , and also having the pluck and courage to climb the tower, i get dizzy looking at the photos.