Urban Toronto has partnered with Heritage Toronto to capture a moment in Toronto's past. On a weekly basis, we will both be highlighting a historic photo of the city's people, places and events, and will be telling the stories behind them. Many thanks to Derek Boles for putting together the photos and research.

Toronto Wholesale Fruit Market, City of Toronto Archives

TORONTO WHOLESALE FRUIT MARKET

The structure was built in 1866 as the Toronto terminal for the Great Western Railway. When the GWR was taken over by the Grand Trunk in 1882, it became a freight depot. Sometime in the early 20th century, probably about 1904, the building was transformed into Toronto's wholesale fruit market. Long lines of refrigerator cars carrying fruit from Florida and California were often seen unloading along the Esplanade. This view probably dates from the 1930s and the building burned down on May 17, 1952. After the fire, the site became a parking lot and the O'Keefe Centre for the Performing Arts opened here on October 1, 1960.