Evocative Images of Lost Toronto

[r937]

p.s. i was just down there last week, walking across the Don Branch trestle, and turned around and got a momentary scare as a GO train seemed to be coming right at me

of course, that's just a trick of perspective, as the GO line curves off to the right

from the trestle, you get a nice view to the northwest, "up a lazy river"

that chimney in the distance is at the Rosedale Heights School of the Arts

 

[Goldie]

Thanks for all the additional info, r937.
It's obviously a great place to explore.
I was not aware of that underpass.
I often think back to my youth (1940s) when we explored Don Milld Rd. north of O'Connor.
I recall our surprise one time when we travelled further than ever before and came upon that huge railway bridge at what is now Leslie-Eglinton.

 

[ElJay]

Nice little 4 min. home movie of Toronto in 1943.
It's unfortunate that there is no credit to the cinematographer for this excellent work.
Certainly produced on film (remember that?) in 8 or 16 mm.

http://www.blogto.com/city/2015/12/dazzling_colour_footage_reveals_the_toronto_of_1943/

Wonderful footage. Longtime lurker here, thought maybe I would contribute something. This is wonderful. Apologies if you've already seen it:

 

[Goldie]

Thanks for that film clip, ElJay.
I particularly like this frame, showing that there were still horses on Toronto's streets in 1940.

 

[ElJay]

Nice screen capture. I noticed that as well and thought for a second that he was galloping at breakneck speed - until of course I realized the film, like many old films, was running about 30% faster than normal! Glad you enjoyed it.

 

[Koolgreen]

Nice screen capture. I noticed that as well and thought for a second that he was galloping at breakneck speed - until of course I realized the film, like many old films, was running about 30% faster than normal! Glad you enjoyed it.

what street do you think this is? king around Dufferin???

 

[wolfewood]

what street do you think this is? king around Dufferin???

The video is of streetcars on Bloor so my guess is the underpass near Lansdowne? Near where the Value Village is today.

 

[Goldie]

The video is of streetcars on Bloor so my guess is the underpass near Lansdowne? Near where the Value Village is today.

However, the title is not accurate. Some streetcars are named "Roncesvalles-Dundas" and we can clearly see Eaton's Annex in other scenes.

 

[wolfewood]

However, the title is not accurate. Some streetcars are named "Roncesvalles-Dundas" and we can clearly see Eaton's Annex in other scenes.

Good point. That said, I went back and watched again and, if you watch carefully around 2:55-3:00 mins in, the streetcar passing under that overpass clearly has a Bloor sign on the right. It's the left sign I can't read though. I feel like it might say Lansdowne but I wouldn't know enough of the historic streetcar routes and their signage to take more than a guess here.

 

[Skeezix]

Thanks for that film clip, ElJay.
I particularly like this frame, showing that there were still horses on Toronto's streets in 1940.

They may have reappeared given wartime gas rationing.

 

[r937]

what a coincidence, i was on College St yesterday and took a picture of this parking lot

what makes it interesting is that it has been a parking lot for at least 49 years, because in 1967, as a first year student at U of T (i lived on Ross St, one block over), i got to know the man named Percy who was in charge of the lot, and he let me move cars for him, as i had a Chauffeur's License (they don't have these any more) -- you know, customer wants his car, but there's another car parked in front of it that has to be moved out of the way...

anyhow, Percy, in several chats we had, revealed that as far as he knew, he was the last horse-drawn milkman in the city... wish i could remember the name of his horse, but when she died, he gave it up

 

[Westdeaner]

Great video. I could be off here but that underpass and the factory on the right look a lot like Dupont and Dundas in the junction. Maybe the car did a loop end route?

 

[ElJay]

The video is of streetcars on Bloor so my guess is the underpass near Lansdowne? Near where the Value Village is today.

I think so too. I think that may be Perth street on the left at 3:18.

 

[Goldie]

Aerial view of Gooderham and Worts Distillery 1953

It would be nice to find a current view from this angle for a "Then & Now"

 

[Koolgreen]