Evocative Images of Lost Toronto

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

"Just for the record: I made this "Then & Now" seven years ago."

Mmm - wondering here as to who owned the S & S Funeral Coach/Van.

Regards,
J T

 

[steveintoronto]

Just for the record: I made this "Then & Now" seven years ago.
Always nice to see my work being used again.

I didn't have the link to the exact post for that, but it was credited at the link I posted as being from this forum, thus my stating:
[And lo and behold, as Goldie stated, from the "rediscovering-royal-drive" link:]

Googling leads to quite a number of references at this site.

I've gone back in a couple of these forums, and this shows in many if not most of the early photo strings:

Has the gratis status run out?

 

[Goldie]

Has the gratis status run out?

Yes, so I've cancelled my Photobucket account.
Apparently those 'warnings' will appear forever!

 

[steveintoronto]

Yes, so I've cancelled my Photobucket account.
Apparently those 'warnings' will appear forever!

I've got to ask, since I had no idea that the pages were loading some pics from a 'repository': Are you negatively affected by this? I will remove this post if this is inappropriate:
https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/4/15919224/photobucket-broken-images-amazon-ebay-etsy-paid-update

You and others have posted so many incredible pics...these picture forums have a Zen quality to them.

Edit to Add: I wonder how many pics would still be accessible via Google cache?

 

[Goldie]

I have no problem with Photobucket changing their rules of compensation.
I'm free to leave that site. Unfortunately, some images on Urban Toronto will be unavailable.
However, this should be a lesson to all who store their family photos online ---------- any of those sites may suddenly go out of business ------- and all those valued photos will disappear forever into cyberspace.

 

[steveintoronto]

I have no problem with Photobucket changing their rules of compensation.
I'm free to leave that site. Unfortunately, some images on Urban Toronto will be unavailable.
However, this should be a lesson to all who store their family photos online ---------- any of those sites may suddenly go out of business ------- and all those valued photos will disappear forever into cyberspace.

Some of the comments at the link I posted make some very good points. I'm glad you're apparently neutral on the situation as a result of not being dependent. It does debase the forums here in terms of posting a link to prior posts. I had sudden vulnerable thoughts about my Gmail account, but it's not the technology that's dissipated this, it's the business model, and any valuable pics I have saved on board, and ironically backed-up by sending them to myself. lol...I like to surprise myself...

Will you still be posting your own shots as prolifically? (Hint: You will be sorely missed if not)

 

[adma]

That latter reference to the Sherbourne Station is probably far more accurate than the "too sharp a bend" mantra touted by many if not most writers on the matter. I've studied the originally intended RoW, and it's far from being too sharp a bend, even for heavy rail passenger use.

Another thing re the Rosedale Viaduct: weren't there also early schemes to put an "underground" (subway or streetcar) down Parliament?

 

[44 North]

yes

there are some maps of the visit on my web page here -- http://rudy.ca/rediscovering-royal-drive.html

yes, on the west side of the Don Valley, just north of the Viaduct, beside where today the ramp comes up from the DVP

Thanks. Stumbling on your article years back is probably what taught me about Royal Drive and the Youtube video of Elizabeth's visit. Keep up the good work. You local area bloggers have a big effect. Don Watcher was another good one.

 

[steveintoronto]

Another thing re the Rosedale Viaduct: weren't there also early schemes to put an "underground" (subway or streetcar) down Parliament?

Can't find any, but did discover that Winchester hosted a streetcar route until the '30s:
http://transit.toronto.on.ca/photos/images/ttc-winchester-track-map.jpg
http://transit.toronto.on.ca/bus/routes/winchester-1881.shtml
http://transit.toronto.on.ca/streetcar/4120.shtml

And UT hosts a Parliament Streetcar string:
http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/parliament-streetcar.27012/page-1

And here's a stunning ('evocative') pic of the Parliament loop on Bloor:

I remember exploring Toronto as a newly arrived kid, 5c to ride Zone 1, back in the days when a nine year old could do such things safely. I lived at Jane and Annette. And the Parliament loop and streetcars fascinated me, albeit I can't remember if this was an extension of another line or a discreet Parliament car in the early Sixties.

r937 said: ↑
there are some maps of the visit on my web page here -- http://rudy.ca/rediscovering-royal-drive.html
yes, on the west side of the Don Valley, just north of the Viaduct, beside where today the ramp comes up from the DVP

Thanks. Stumbling on your article years back is probably what taught me about Royal Drive and the Youtube video of Elizabeth's visit. Keep up the good work. You local area bloggers have a big effect. Don Watcher was another good one.

OMG! I completely overlooked using that link, and found it Googling. It's an excellent site, and by a stroke of luck it seems, Goldie's pics I reposted are alive and well there while they've vaporized on this site save for the third gen image I've reposted.

Edit to Add:
Revisiting Rudy's 'rediscovering' site, I just realized the Winchester CP underpass is in this pic:

Behind the 'Railway Crossing' post mostly to the right of it. What a jungle it is over there now. The cut stone is clearly visible, and that's what was found when reconstructing the Don Cycle Path 'Belleville' underpass.

Any guesses as to whether that's a 'halt' for the Belt Line just by the bridge with parking to the left where that auto is?

 

[Goldie]

In the old days (1930s, 40s, 50s), the Parliament streetcar was the main transportation for Torontarians to visit the Zoo (at Winchester Dr.).
In those days it was the only zoo in the city - Oops! Maybe there was one in High Park?

 

[r937]

Revisiting Rudy's 'rediscovering' site, I just realized the Winchester CP underpass is in this pic:

did you see the pics in my twitter thread? there are several of the underpass, including an enhanced portion of this pic

here it is again -- https://twitter.com/rudydotca/status/891703810212626432

 

[Goldie]

Edward VII Memorial Service, Ontario Legislature grounds, May 20, 1910.
Would anything today achieve a crowd of this magnitude?
A rock-concert perhaps!

 

[steveintoronto]

did you see the pics in my twitter thread? there are several of the underpass, including an enhanced portion of this pic

here it is again -- https://twitter.com/rudydotca/status/891703810212626432

I'd missed the twitter link. My apologies, I'm a bit rushed and distracted of late, that's priceless. Great minds grovel along old roads alike. I was cycling the Caledon Trailway today and more, and kept seeing that form of underpass used for many rail rights of way, it was such a proven and economical way of doing it circa then. The cut stones are actually valuable finds in themselves. Many stone masons recover them for new uses. The problem is shipping and handling, so it's fitting that the Belleville underpass hosts the buried history as much as possible. I still find it a bit of a mind stretch to look at the old pics posted, and think about the Belleville underpass being in the same spot, the geographical context has changed so radically.

 

[steveintoronto]

Edward VII Memorial Service, Ontario Legislature grounds, May 20, 1910.
Would anything today achieve a crowd of this magnitude?
A rock-concert perhaps!

Trying to get a perspective of whether the 'circle' road is extant at that time or not. That's a massive expanse...*apparently*. I take it that view is looking south from the north park area?

 

[Goldie]

Trying to get a perspective of whether the 'circle' road is extant at that time or not. That's a massive expanse...*apparently*. I take it that view is looking south from the north park area?

I assume the view is from the steps (or a window) of the Legislature Bldg., looking south.
University Ave. is in the distance

Google street view https://www.google.com/maps/place/Q...2!3m1!1s0x882b34baf17e0bed:0xf9785ec75466b44f