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It was 1914 when Colonel Harold Bickford constructed an Arts and Crafts-style manor in what is now Scarborough's Guildwood Park neighbourhood, though after a full century of changes in ownership and use, the property that become known as the Guild Inn had seen far better days. Mid-1960s additions, a 2008 fire, and years of neglect took their toll on the property's quaint aesthetic.
By the property's centennial year in 2014 the situation had grown grim, and the City of Toronto initiated a management plan for the rapidly-deteriorating site, with a firm proposal to revive the site by Dynamic Hospitality and Entertainment Group announced the following year. With City approvals, restoration began on Bickford House, while the demolition of the building's later additions was conducted through late-2015, paving the way for a $20 million redevelopment that has since transformed the property with both refreshed heritage character and modern event spaces.
The new event space—while still under construction in some areas—is already hosting events in advance of its Gala Opening on Wednesday, June 14th, with the first function having been held on April 28th. The new Guild Inn features an extensive restoration of the 1914 Bickford House by Architect Philip Goldsmith, flanked by two modern wings designed by architects Peter Pascaris and Giancarlo Garofalo.
To prepare the historic property for its modern additions, crews removed the 1960s wings and stripped the original 1914-built structure down to its structural elements, preserving and cataloguing many of the original finishes for reinstallation. Extensive original wood panelling has been reinstalled, while deteriorated and broken elements were replaced with new custom millwork. Fronting the restored property, the building's old porte cochère has been rebuilt to the original specifications, with new wood and stone carefully selected to match the original aesthetic.
With the event space already open and the official opening celebration just a couple weeks away, work on the final elements of the Bickford House restoration are now in the process of wrapping up, with completion expected during the coming days. Once these last bits of restoration work are completed, the installation of furniture and preserved art from the property will begin. The house will include a bistro with an outdoor terrace overlooking the Guild Park and Gardens, known for its collection of preserved architectural relics from past Toronto landmarks. Upstairs, offices and bridal suites will occupy the second floor of the restored house.
The restored building is now flanked by a multi-use event space wing to the west and a gazebo wing to the east. Entering the west wing via a glazed atrium space, guests will arrive at an indoor pre-function space, featuring an abundance of natural light flowing in through clerestory windows.
Through doors is the facility's 14,000 ft² main event room. With a seated capacity of 1,500, this large modular space has been designed to support corporate functions, charitable functions, weddings, and other large events. The main space can be divided into multiple smaller event spaces with the use of folding soundproof partitions.
The modular design gives each section of the partitioned event spaces its own bar, with a dj booth placed above. State-of-the-art sound and theatrical lighting equipment will support a range of event types.
In addition to the indoor pre-function space, a terrace with access to the main event space can serve as a secondary pre-function space in good weather. It is divided from the main space by a full wall of floor-to-ceiling glass. Similar to the outdoor space at the rear of Bickford House, this patio space features views out over the Guild Park and Gardens.
On the other side of Bickford House, a glazed atrium provides access to the east wing, a gazebo-like structure supporting a 4,300 ft² sheltered open-air space with a patio overlooking the park. Natural cedar wood and stone finishes tie this space's aesthetic in with the original property's Arts and Crafts-style architecture.
Among the finishing touches left to install are the last paving stones for the pathways though the grounds. Other landscaping elements have been completed in recent weeks, including the laying of sod and planting of gardens.
Tying the historic property in with the adjacent park, a mid-century structure known as Building 191 and built as part of The Guild in 1961 is set to live on as an “arts building”. This structure includes two Art Deco bas-relief panels salvaged from the front entrance of the original Globe and Mail building that once stood at the intersection of King and York streets in Toronto’s Financial District before it was demolished in 1974. Between the two bas-reliefs sits one of two "Marguretta" stones, salvaged from the 1891-built Amouries Building on University Avenue, itself demolished in 1963.
We hope to be back soon for a closer look at some of the preserved relics that give the property and adjacent park much of its charm, and to see the finished condition of the House and additions, ready to receive guests!
You can learn more about the project by visiting our dataBase file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page, or join the conversation in the project's associated Forum thread.
