Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[W. K. Lis]

1931:

View attachment 468539

Not only St. Clair Avenue West that had streetcar right-of-ways (from 1913). As shown above, even Bloor Street had streetcar right-of-ways. Even Dundas Street had streetcar right-of-ways. From link

West over the tracks at Lansdowne, 1936.

The old bridge over the rail tracks at Sterling Road, roughly where the West Toronto Railpath starts/ends today, in 1931.

Dundas West and Sterling in 1937.

Pre-reconfiguration Dundas West and Sorauren, looking west, 1936.
The right-of-ways were removed to make room so the rich and elite will be able to use for their automobiles.

 

[adma]

The right-of-ways were removed to make room so the rich and elite will be able to use for their automobiles.

It also reflected a change in visioning: henceforth, they were more purely "street railways", whereas before they were an integral part of an interurban rail network with lines shooting off to locales like Guelph, Jackson's Point, et al...

 

[thecharioteer]

Not only St. Clair Avenue West that had streetcar right-of-ways (from 1913). As shown above, even Bloor Street had streetcar right-of-ways. Even Dundas Street had streetcar right-of-ways. From link

West over the tracks at Lansdowne, 1936.

The old bridge over the rail tracks at Sterling Road, roughly where the West Toronto Railpath starts/ends today, in 1931.

Dundas West and Sterling in 1937.

Pre-reconfiguration Dundas West and Sorauren, looking west, 1936.
The right-of-ways were removed to make room so the rich and elite will be able to use for their automobiles.

Very interesting! Can see an example of this on the stretch of St. Clair east of Spadina (pity about the trees for the road widening):

1911:

1914:

 

[DSC]

I am pretty sure this is same shot, one in 1905 (Library & Archives Canada), one in 2022 (Google Streetview). Note the patterned bricks and 'ledge' above the windows.

and

 

[thecharioteer]

Old City Hall:

 

[Northern Light]

Welcome to City Place with a view of 'The Well'.......err.......circa 1958: (taken from 'near Bathurst') , looking west

Credit: Bill Thomson; sourced via Friends Who Like Vintage Toronto FB Group

Points of reference, the big black looking bridge across the rail corridor is/was the Spadina Avenue bridge.
Tall building on right in the background is the Royal York
Tall building on left in the background is Commerce Court North

Now (2021 streetview) (also sourced from the above group)

 

[adma]

Also notice the domes of the former Loretto Abbey on the left, shortly before it was demolished for the now-itself-gone Tely/G&M building.

 

[Northern Light]

Also notice the domes of the former Loretto Abbey on the left, shortly before it was demolished for the now-itself-gone Tely/G&M building.

Thank you, actually a building I wasn't familiar with from Toronto's history (needless to say demolished before I was born).

You made me go source some pics:

Credit Gil Meslin - late 1950s

Postcard (Alamy stock photo)

Credit: Toronto Star, source TPL: https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/objects/235513/loretto-abbey-18651930-wellington-street-west-south-sid

Source: TPL via FB group 'Vintage Toronto'

 

[egotrippin]

Here's another view showing the whole complex. Add me to the list of people unaware, just when I thought I knew all of the grand lost buildings; somehow I've never seen this one. Colourized shot circa 1910:

For posterity and adherence to the then and now topic, here's the Wellington location's successor.

Shorter after construction in 1930:

And now. Happy to say this one is extant:

 

[Northern Light]

North-west corner of York/Wellington - 1982

Sourced from FB group 'Friends of Vintage Toronto" - poster Don Dickinson - no photo credit

Anyone else remember that retail brand?

***

Took me a bit to figure out the corner.........the building in the foreground is long demolished. But I did

Now:

 

[thecharioteer]

North-west corner of York/Wellington - 1982

Sourced from FB group 'Friends of Vintage Toronto" - poster Don Dickinson - no photo credit

Anyone else remember that retail brand?

***

Took me a bit to figure out the corner.........the building in the foreground is long demolished. But I did

Now:

View attachment 475463

The 1889 Romanesque-revival heritage facade on York was actually disassembled and rebuilt in the current location in the mid-1980's.

Another view of the corner from 1972:

 

[flonicky]

Danforth & Jackman

Streetview 2009:

2023:

 

[egotrippin]

North-west corner of York/Wellington - 1982

Sourced from FB group 'Friends of Vintage Toronto" - poster Don Dickinson - no photo credit

Anyone else remember that retail brand?

***

Took me a bit to figure out the corner.........the building in the foreground is long demolished. But I did

Now:

View attachment 475463

I will say, while I still generally hate facadectomies, they sure have improved with more depth of the building generally kept intact. Those early cut and paste jobs are just brutal, like wearing a skin mask of your victim. Nowadays they keep the whole head.

 

[thecharioteer]

I will say, while I still generally hate facadectomies, they sure have improved with more depth of the building generally kept intact. Those early cut and paste jobs are just brutal, like wearing a skin mask of your victim. Nowadays they keep the whole head.

The worst example from the 80's has to be 25 Grenville:

 

[egotrippin]

The worst example from the 80's has to be 25 Grenville:

View attachment 479744

Oh wow, yea, I'd almost forgot about that one. Dreadful. Or who could forget this hack-job at 1 Bedford, certainly up there. Disappointingly quite recent too.

And here it is pre-molestation: