Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[the lemur]

Boswell & Avenue Road nw 1959--2012

I could have sworn that Boswell had been cut off from Avenue at an earlier date, but anyway, here's a view from the other end (1904):

and now:
http://goo.gl/maps/EGye

 

[the lemur]

Canadian Tire-Avenue Road Pears sw 1959--2012

Before it was levelled to make way for the condo construction site, that corner was home to Downtown Fine Cars, which seems to have preserved part of the Can Tire building as its garage:

http://goo.gl/maps/ypK0

 

[Mustapha]

Do you know what the occasion was?

Don't know Anna, I can't read Chinese. I'll ask my dad. Dollars to donuts it's some kind of 'benevolent/family association' thing.

 

[Mustapha]

Then and Now for June 27.


Then. Another Old Chinatown scene. Chestnut Street, south of Dundas West, looking north. Looks to be 1964-ish, judging from the car styles. Bore mode on.

Chestnut was not the main Chinatown drag - that was Elizabeth Street's honour but being one block to the west Chestnut served as a sort of rump to Chinatown. There were some quite rundown stores here interspersed with rundown mid 19th century cottage style houses - little ginger bread trimmed bungalows. Many of the stores were run by old Chinese men - just eking out a living selling supplies to the Chinese community at prices a little less than the Elizabeth Street businesses. Many of the customers were Chinese of the less well off sort. It was here where as a toddler I learned my repetoire of Chinese cuss words in the 'hillbilly' dialect of Cantonese known as Toisanese.

Nowadays we just buy imported soya sauce in a bottle from the supermarket; but in the 50s and 60s (and possibly earlier, but I wasn't around to see it) there was a thriving industry along Hwy 10 - Hurontario Street - centered around what is now the Central Parkway intersection; where soya sauce was made by a group of - again - old - Chinese men for local bottling and consumption. I used to help skim dead flies out of the fermenting soy sauce, while learning Chinese from what I realize now were the lowest sort of people. Hmm. Hmm.

Now. March 2012. Those old homes were cleared away in the early 70s. On the right is social housing and a University of Toronto student residence. Bore mode off. Good day.

 

[Mustapha]

MacPherson & Avenue Road sw 1959--2012

And if you care to stroll north up this lane you will come upon Marlborough Place, one of the most charming streets in our city.

 

[Anna]

Before it was levelled to make way for the condo construction site, that corner was home to Downtown Fine Cars, which seems to have preserved part of the Can Tire building as its garage:

http://goo.gl/maps/ypK0

Must have been a Canadian Tire warehouse/distribution centre, based on the 'for lease sign'

 

[Hudson8]

Must have been a Canadian Tire warehouse/distribution centre, based on the 'for lease sign'

IIRC This was the original location of CTC's in-house Carburetor rebuilding plant which relocated to Yonge St across from the Young/Davenport retail store. It was also used for the manufacture of store fixtures (which they also did in-house)
I believe that is the "Relocation" referred to on the for lease sign.
This was never a retail store.

 

[barit]

And if you care to stroll north up this lane you will come upon Marlborough Place, one of the most charming streets in our city.

On the right side of the tracks?

 

[DSC]

On the right side of the tracks?

Marlborough Place is north of Macpherson - and south of the tracks. Take a look on Google streetview if you can't look in person, it is a rather pretty street.

 

[the lemur]

Marlborough Place is north of Macpherson - and south of the tracks. Take a look on Google streetview if you can't look in person, it is a rather pretty street.

It certainly is. Always had an air of small-town England to me.

 

[Mustapha]

IIRC This was the original location of CTC's in-house Carburetor rebuilding plant which relocated to Yonge St across from the Young/Davenport retail store. It was also used for the manufacture of store fixtures (which they also did in-house)
I believe that is the "Relocation" referred to on the for lease sign.
This was never a retail store.

'Rebuilt carburetors' - there's a term that has passed into history. And for the good. Fuel injection rules. I still - not fondly - remember my choke equipped car.

Hudson8. That would be (416)-488-****; the phone number that used to/still does identify homeowners in the Yonge corridor north of Eglinton and south of Lawrence. Welcome.

 

[Mustapha]

Marlborough Place is north of Macpherson - and south of the tracks. Take a look on Google streetview if you can't look in person, it is a rather pretty street.

It certainly is. Always had an air of small-town England to me.

Check out page 1 of this thread for a Then and Now of Marlborough Place.

 

[Hudson8]

'Rebuilt carburetors' - there's a term that has passed into history. And for the good. Fuel injection rules. I still - not fondly - remember my choke equipped car.

Hudson8. That would be (416)-488-****; the phone number that used to/still does identify homeowners in the Yonge corridor north of Eglinton and south of Lawrence. Welcome.

Thanks Mustapha...you are correct on the phone number reference....I was a "Broadway Brat"...I also believe we shared the same public and high schools (although I would have preceded you by a "few" years

 

[the lemur]

'Rebuilt carburetors' - there's a term that has passed into history. And for the good. Fuel injection rules. I still - not fondly - remember my choke equipped car.

No argument there, and yet there was something about that little ritual of when to pull out the choke, how much and when to push it back in ... and of course the smell of gas filling the car whenever you flooded the engine

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

"something about that little ritual of when to pull out the clutch,"
QUOTE the lemur.

I am afraid that you have choked, clutch(ing) at straws.


Regards,
J T