Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[Mustapha]

It's amazing that the old place lasted as long as it did. There is a Wiki
and a page at hockey.ballparks.com (where I found this photo).

I was only ever at the place once for a bit of ice skating on really dull skates on a small rink up in the girders of the old barn. I wish I'd seen more of the place. That would have been in the early 80's.

These other online shots of the old days do give a decent indication of size.

This is so cool!

dbailey62, that colour brochure is wonderful.


Is it me or does it seem to me that sports facilities/arenas/stadiums are always 'works in progress' even after they've been completed. New boxes, new rows of seats, tear outs and add ons never seem to stop. New cladding as a freshen up. BMO Field... now they are thinking of adding seats. Perhaps they shouldn't have torn down its predecessor Exhibition Stadium!



December 7 addition.




Then: December 24 1929 - coming up to 80 years. Shuter looking E from Jarvis. "Walnut Hall on the left; oft discussed in preservation conversations including here at Urbane Toronto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walnut_Hall

I'll bet those skinny tires were good in the snow. But I digress.




Now: November 2009.

 

[Mustapha]

Here's an aerial view of the Mutual Street Arena (white roof, centre, above the Old City Hall and behind St. Michael's Cathedral):

My mind is running riot now with thoughts of another lost building on Mutual street. The Town and Country Buffet - on the west side across the street from The Terrace. A wonderful room with well done wall murals. Food was - a buffet - .

 

[thecharioteer]

Here's an extraordinary picture I ran across by accident in the Archives labelled "Aerial View of Orange Parade" (1930-1950). Taken from the roof of the Park Plaza, it shows a still-residential Bloor Street looking east from Avenue Road. One of the only remnants still standing (or at least its reconstructed facade) in this view is the Windsor Arms (mid-picture at right).

Another interesting social aspect of this shot is how underwhelming are the crowds. Could this illustrate the waning of Orange Toronto?

Same view, 1970's:

 

[Stumack]

Mustapha and Charioteer: Thanks for the mention-I remember visiting Yorkdale Shopping Centre for the first time on one of my 1979 visits-the TTC Spadina Line made it very easy to get there. I did not know that it was built in the mid 60s as an original enclosed shopping mall.

Those older pics interested me-especially the one with the new autos on display-in the center is a red Ford Mustang and on the left looks to be a Ford Falcon or Mercury Comet. The blue/white car on the right I am not sure about-is it another Ford product or maybe an AMC
Rambler? Another auto is hidden by the plants on the right...

The airviews were great showing the sprawling area in the Yorkdale vicinity
the interchange of ONT 401 and the WR Allen Highway. That third pic-could it be early 70s because of the large development in that area?

I noticed also the provisions made for a future rapid transit line in the early
pics-good move by the Ontario MTC as the TTC Spadina Line would not be built and open until the mid-late 70s period. I also recall that Yorkdale was a leader in the category of percentage of patrons that used public transit to
travel there-perhaps a first for car-dependent suburban shopping malls in North America.

Thoughts from Long Island Mike

Good spotting on the Rambler, Mike. The car at the left is a '65 Ford Galaxie. I was thinking this was a Ford display and that the blue/white car was a Fairlane, but I believe you're right and that it's a Rambler Classic.

 

[Anna]

Re: Maple Leaf Gardens new hockey rink

I've never before heard of a hockey rink on the second (or third) floor of a building.
Is that a common practice eleswhere?
I don't like the idea of shopping in a supermarket under what I imagine to be an extremely heavy ceiling.

The old Boston Garden was on top of the Boston North (train) Station, and Madison Square Garden is on top of Penn Station.

dbailey62, that colour brochure is wonderful.

The player in the baseball cap was a nice touch. Here is another one for you.
Wikipedia says it is from the opening of Maple Leaf Gardens. I miss the good old days of the Original Ten.

 

[Anna]

Here's an extraordinary picture I ran across by accident...Taken from the roof of the Park Plaza, it shows a still-residential Bloor Street looking east from Avenue Road...

Those houses on the south side of Bloor were at one point owned by Victoria College/U of T and were used as residences. I think Victoria College still owns the land under the Colonnade (nice picture of the day) & what at one point was the Britannia Building.

 

[LowPolygon]

Here's an extraordinary picture I ran across by accident in the Archives labelled "Aerial View of Orange Parade" (1930-1950). Taken from the roof of the Park Plaza, it shows a still-residential Bloor Street looking east from Avenue Road. One of the only remnants still standing (or at least its reconstructed facade) in this view is the Windsor Arms (mid-picture at right).

Another interesting social aspect of this shot is how underwhelming are the crowds. Could this illustrate the waning of Orange Toronto?

here are a few street level shots of the same stretch looking west from St. Thomas looking towards the Medical Arts Building. a few of these houses on the south side are still there of course...MAC cosmetics is in one of them...

 

[Hipster Duck]

That building in the last photo on the right side behind the streetcar is very modern looking for 1929.

 

[Traynor]

Without looking it up... I'll assume April 27, 1929 was a Friday... And the 29th was a Sunday!

Where did all the traffic go?????? LOL

 

[Mustapha]

Without looking it up... I'll assume April 27, 1929 was a Friday... And the 29th was a Sunday!

Where did all the traffic go?????? LOL

Church






December 8 addition. I'll call this series "Last Picture Show".


Were any UTers here last night? I've lost one of my favourite haunts.

This was a small place.

Small screen too.

 

[Anna]

Have you seen the new user interface for the Toronto Archives photo database?

 

[dbailey62]

dbailey62, that colour brochure is wonderful.


Is it me or does it seem to me that sports facilities/arenas/stadiums are always 'works in progress' even after they've been completed. New boxes, new rows of seats, tear outs and add ons never seem to stop. New cladding as a freshen up. BMO Field... now they are thinking of adding seats. Perhaps they shouldn't have torn down its predecessor Exhibition Stadium!

Exhibition Stadium is one of my great frustrations. As much as I love BMO Field, one of the main complaints by many is the lack of shelter from sun and rain. The old grandstand of the Ex would, with renovations/alterations, have been a good base around which to build a new soccer facility.

Sadly, city council didn't agree with only Judy Sgro voting against the demolition (albeit way back in 98). I still insist they were short-sighted though.

Honestly, only the old grandstand was really important here. The baseball addition of the 70's could go as it was cheaply and poorly done.

If it is of any comfort, BMO is very much on top of the old site although the demolition of the old Hockey Hall of Fame / Sports Hall of Fame really didn't need to happen.

http://pages.interlog.com/~urbanism/grandstand.html

One entrance of the old HHOF building was saved along with its mural and is now the main entrance to BMO Field.

 

[DC83]

Carlton Cinema

Wowww... I remember these terrible terrible screens!

Last time I saw a movie on a screen THAT small was at the 'Dundas Mall' (aka Eaton Ctr) Cinemas in what is now H&M, I believe. That was like 12 years ago... DAMN!

 

[Earlscourt_Lad]

Have you seen the new user interface for the Toronto Archives photo database?

I've only used it once, but it seems much better.

 

[dbailey62]

The old Boston Garden was on top of the Boston North (train) Station, and Madison Square Garden is on top of Penn Station.

Sorry to veer off topic but considering what Penn Station was, MSG is a sorry excuse of infill building. This article is a MUST read. http://www.architectureweek.com/2003/0723/building_1-1.html