You can probably remember playing around as a kid in a sandbox and accidentally coming across some kind of hidden toy. Or you'll have heard stories of archealogists discovering fossils and pottery artifacts during a dig. In the case of the excavation currently under way for the Data Centre on Parliament Street at Front Street East, shovels have now revealed evidence of a 62.8 metre (206 foot) high industrial structure from Toronto's past.

Parliament Street Data Centre, image courtesy of WZMH Architects for Bresler

As construction crews clear and excavate the site of the Data Centre, the remnants of a former Consumers Gas Company gasometer built in 1926-27 are now peeking out from underneath the pavement. At the far right of the photos below you will see the semi-circular footings of the former tank which stood the equivalent of 20 storeys high, a real skyscraper on Toronto's skyline at the time.

Parliament Street Data Centre excavation, image by UT forum member Razz

Imprint of gasometer on far right, image by UT forum member Razz

The photos above by UT Forum contributor Razz, and research done by Razz and UT Forum contributor wwwebster allow us to understand what we are seeing. An aerial view of the area taken in November, 1926 shows footings for the tank under construction to the west of another gasometer already on site. The enlargement which follows shows the site more clearly.

Image of the area taken November 17, 1926 by Fairchild Aerial Surveys

Detail including footings for gasometer from image of the area taken November 17, 1926 by Fairchild Aerial Surveys

The completed gasometer appears in the April, 1927 image below from the Toronto Archives. The photographer is looking north across the rainwater pond and up the alignment of Parliament Street. By then, work to raise the railroad tracks along the waterfront on to a viaduct is underway.

Looking north along Parliament with the gasometer at right, April 28 1927, image courtesy of Toronto Archives

The find makes an intriguing start to the development of the Data Centre, taking us back to the past with its reminder of our formerly industrial central city. It can also serve as a reminder of a rich and diverse history that many of us barely know about, and as evidence of how far this City has advanced over the years.

Turning over to the present, information about the new Data Centre can be found on our dataBase page linked below. And if you have any photos or commentary regarding the development of the Data Centre, feel free to post them in our Forum!

Related Companies:  Trillium Architectural Products, WZMH Architects