Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[Mustapha]

Dec 9 addition

Was out and about yesterday... weather didn't cooperate, that's snow falling in front of the lens.

 

[TKTKTK]

The one I'm referring to survived until demolition for the Eaton Centre began in the 70's.

 

[jaborandi]

Yeah TKTKTK! You found it!!! Thanks so much my friend!

 

[TKTKTK]

Yeah TKTKTK! You found it!!! Thanks so much my friend!

Anytime! I *LOVE* picture hunts!

 

[adma]

But as you can see, it *wasn't* the one with the "elaborate roof element" (which went for Eaton's expansion), but the one a couple of buildings in...

Funny thing is, if by whatever miracle it survived as such to this day, even its "disfiguring" lower-floor Reitmans transformation might--shall I say, would?--be recognized for its 1940s-retail heritage value. (I'm seriously wondering who designed it.)

 

[slickpete83]

took this pic of 1982 Islington Avenue. It's about 100 yards from the southwest corner of Dixon and Islington. This is 'Briarcrest'; was used by executives of A.V. Roe, [Avro Arrow], as a kind of executive office in the 1950s.

cool , i lived in those buildings for 15 years and i never knew that lol , interesting to know , do you have any more photos of that neighborhood ?

 

[TKTKTK]

And a peak around the corner to Queen West, between 1885 and 1895:

Which 40 years later, looked like this:

 

[Mustapha]

cool , i lived in those buildings for 15 years and i never knew that lol , interesting to know , do you have any more photos of that neighborhood ?

No just this one picture slickpete83. I was driving through last Sunday and decided it was time to take a pic of this house. Crawford Gordon, the President of AVRO moved into this house when he left his family. Gordon's business career went on to a drunken desk slamming meeting with Prime Minister Diefenbaker - the only time they ever met. The order to cancel the Arrow and destroy the six built machines came down soon afterwards. Obviously there were other reasons.

The production czar C.D Howe had many meetings here with Gordon and other AVRO staff. Obviously I am a bit of a student of Avro Arrow history. There is a sign on Islington advertising office space for rent here. I wonder who owns it? It's a nice typical Etobicoke neighbourhood around it.

I'm not aware of anything 'historical' nearby; that's an admission of lack of knowledge, not of fact.

 

[Mustapha]

TKTKTK,

The pics you posted: In one of them, the Heintzman piano sign was still visible as a ghostly outline until about 10 years ago when commercial banner signage covered it up.

Our family bought a piano in that building in the 60s for my kid brother.

I met one of the Heintzman descendants socially awhile back. He has a piano refurbishing business. Japanese pianos killed the company.

 

[jaborandi]

In the NFB documentary "Forbidden Love", one of the participants mentions how she and her girlfriend used to go into the private listening booths to make out

 

[Mustapha]

Dec10 additions

Richmond and Augusta looking SE.

Bathurst and King looking NNW.

 

[egotrippin]

I've always really liked that old building on the northwest corner of King and Bathurst. I wish they'd spared it, as it looked so much better than the drab schlock that currently sits there.

 

[JasonParis]

In the NFB documentary "Forbidden Love", one of the participants mentions how she and her girlfriend used to go into the private listening booths to make out

My old landlord made that film!

 

[jaborandi]

My old landlord made that film!

It's a fantastic documentary.

 

[Mustapha]

Dec 15 additions

Cecil street, just east of Spadina.

Yonge, just south of Front, looking north.

The new pic is taken from the perspective of the 'cofferdam' thing that crosses the water in the middle of the old pic. To take an exactly located new pic means standing in the middle of the Yonge railway/subway underpass. I couldn't do that. I was wearing heels.

Brock and Muir, looking NE