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Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

Our coal furnace was converted into an oil furnace for our radiators by previous owners. In our living room we had two coal gas lights on the wall. . When my father in the early 70’s went to replace the back porch (deck) he found the original septic tank. Who knew? This was Avenue Rd and Lawrence which was first built up early 20 th century. The living room had an open fireplace and above it on the 2nd floor the master bedroom also had a fireplace. We never used that one.
 
Our coal furnace was converted into an oil furnace for our radiators by previous owners. In our living room we had two coal gas lights on the wall. . When my father in the early 70’s went to replace the back porch (deck) he found the original septic tank. Who knew? This was Avenue Rd and Lawrence which was first built up early 20 th century. The living room had an open fireplace and above it on the 2nd floor the master bedroom also had a fireplace. We never used that one.

We knew where ours was because it was a hump in the back yard up against the house. After we hooked to sewers, my brother and I were 'commissioned' by dad to bust it up. No rental power hammers back then - just a sledgehammer and youth.
 
Canada Foundry Company 1914, Lansdowne Ave., between Dupont St. & Davenport Rd.; looking N. from N. of Dupont St. TPL
Canada Foundry Company 1914, Lansdowne Ave., between Dupont St. & Davenport Rd.; looking N. fr...jpg


Lansdowne.jpg
 
Does anyone know how to access the old street directories of Montreal c.1900?
Librarian to the rescue!

Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) site at https://www.banq.qc.ca/a_propos_ban...d=1&n_id=de4ba7db-6486-4360-ba0b-b1e49f3b7d29
Lovell's Directories 1842-1992

EDIT: There are also Directories of several other cities (including Hamilton) on the Library and Archives Canada site: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/directories-collection/Pages/directories-collection.aspx

I think the easiest way to find Toronto Directories is from this site: http://wherethestorytakesme.ca/toronto-city-directories/
 
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Late 1950’s, Gardiner Expressway and Hwy 27
Actually, late 1930s, not late 1950s--back when the Gardiner was the budding Middle Road/QEW, and they were building the *first* QEW-27 interchange. (And as you can see on the left, the short-lived *first* Etobicoke alignment for the 1930s-improved Middle Road followed the present-day Queensway--the ghost of that alignment was evident as late as the 60s/70s. In fact, judging from the fact that traffic seems to be following the new alignment already I might date the photo to 1939/40 or so)
 
Pottery Rd. 1952
Courtesy of Lone Primate from his page at:
https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/archives-of-ontario-humber-river-photos-1940s-1950s.31423/
View attachment 300675

However, I believe the above image shows Todmorden Mills in 1952 (on Pottery Rd.) ......Fantasy Farm is out of photo, at the extreme right
View attachment 300676
What I find interesting is that Pottery Road's been shifted over a little, probably when they built the DVP there. Also, that hedge came down. That's probably seriously enhanced the safety of this curve.
 
Late 1950’s, Gardiner Expressway and Hwy 27
View attachment 301219


Now
View attachment 301213
Weird. That top photo; I would have expected to see more of a dip down into the Etobicoke Creek valley to the bow arch bridge where Evans Ave. becomes Sherway Drive, probably somewhere around the place the trees cross the way. The course looks flat as a pan.
 
Weird. That top photo; I would have expected to see more of a dip down into the Etobicoke Creek valley to the bow arch bridge where Evans Ave. becomes Sherway Drive, probably somewhere around the place the trees cross the way. The course looks flat as a pan.
We're a little too close for that; the entirety of the bottom left is now filled by Sherway Gardens. And that's Evans parallel to the QEW to the right; that is, where it actually *meets* the QEW would be roughly on a line w/the bottom of the photograph, or not far from it...
 
We're a little too close for that; the entirety of the bottom left is now filled by Sherway Gardens. And that's Evans parallel to the QEW to the right; that is, where it actually *meets* the QEW would be roughly on a line w/the bottom of the photograph, or not far from it...
Ah, I completely misread the lay of the land there. I thought we were looking west. I think we're actually looking back east.
 

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