Rexdale Plaza

[Towered]

Roast beef dinner for $1.10. I bet that even when adjusted for inflation that that meal would still be way cheaper than anything similar offered today.

 

[Northern Light]

Roast beef dinner for $1.10. I bet that even when adjusted for inflation that that meal would still be way cheaper than anything similar offered today.

Of course you made me look it up!

From the Bank of Canada's Inflation Calculator:

 

[J-M-Z]

Of course you made me look it up!

From the Bank of Canada's Inflation Calculator:

View attachment 311613

In case you'd like to do some more converting, I recently posted this menu in the Albion Centre thread. If I have my facts straight, Big Boy Burgers was part of Albion Mall
until the mid 1970's when, as Vintage Rexdale's Instagram page mentions "was burned to the ground".

I hope that last fact didn't ruin your appetite:

From our friends at Vintage Rexdale's instagram page. Here's another amazing shot in the 1950's of the spot that would become Rexdale Plaza

Up next is a newspaper article submitted once again by Eugenio Arcilesi:

Eugenio adds:

"Towers was built as a stand alone building at the northern end of the plaza in 1972 right near where the Texaco was..
then Towers became Zellers, now it's a Fresh Value."

 

[J-M-Z]

Another obscure find from our friend Eugenio Arcilesi

.

In the early 1990's, I remember noticing Catalina Grille's solarium from the outdoor walkway that connected Zellers
to the Rexdale Plaza.

Eugenio also added a small correction with the following:

"Catalina Restaurant took over the Uniroyal Tire store at the back of Rexdale Plaza after it closed not Texaco."

This find comes from Eric Niskanen of the Rexdale - Old Photos group, it's an ad promoting the upcoming grand opening
of Rexdale Plaza on March 22nd 1956!:

I'm sure the actual "parking for thousands of cars" would eventually be the Sears Parking lot next door!


Adrian Caprara (also of the Rexdale - Old Photos facebook group) submitted this ad that promoted the Bank of Nova
Scotia's opening in the Rexdale Plaza. Dated Toronto Star. March 29, 1956. (7 days after the Plaza was opened).

 

[slickpete83]

Of course you made me look it up!

From the Bank of Canada's Inflation Calculator:

View attachment 311613

hahaha . i was thinking the exact same thing when i first saw this
I wonder what the min. wage was at the time of this $1.10 roast beef dinner ?

 

[Northern Light]

hahaha . i was thinking the exact same thing when i first saw this
I wonder what the min. wage was at the time of this $1.10 roast beef dinner ?

$1.50 per hour

 

[J-M-Z]

Sadly, the only interior shots of Rexdale Plaza that I could find were taken prior to the mall's demolition back in 2003-2004 (many of which are already posted in this thread).
Would love to see more, especially from the 1980's to early 1990's.

I remember taking a friend to Rexdale Plaza just before Christmas back in 2003. By that point, you could tell the mall was on it's last legs and (even during the holiday season),
looked like a ghost town. Needless to say, we didn't stick around long and on our way out, my friend rudely asked "why did you bring me here?!" That was the last time I visited
Rexdale Plaza when it was actually an enclosed mall.

While the area seems busier these days with Walmart, Fresh Value and what have you, it's just not the same. Then again (and just as this thread proves), nothing lasts forever.

 

[J-M-Z]

Today's Rexdale Plaza submission comes from Adrian Caprara of the Rexdale - Old Photos facebook group. The article is from the Toronto
Star and is dated May 11th, 1967:

Rexdale Plaza was about 11 years old by this point and would take a few years to incorporate more services geared towards the community.

Off the top of my head, I can think of a public library and a health club (Vic Tany's) that were later featured in the Rexdale Plaza.

A higher-quality version of the same photo from the article.

 

[DavekTO]

Any memories, photos or updates on Rexdale Plaza?

My recollections go back to the early 90's to the enclosed portion of the mall's demolition around 2004.

1970's styled signage.

Unlike the Albion Centre and the Woodbine Centre, there were no individual entrances for most stores; requiring shoppers to
step foot inside the mall first.

To the left was Catalina Grill. One of only two restaurants in Rexdale Plaza. Previously, the original owners
of Catalina Grill operated the Rexdale Tavern inside the mall.

In the middle is a walkway that served as both an entrance into Rexdale Plaza and a connector to Zellers/Towers.

In the 1960's expansion, Catalina Grill was originally a Tire shop with two garage service bays to the left.

The rear entrance (from Burrard Drive) had a hallway lined with silhouettes of shoppers. The art style is definitely 1980's.

If I recall, the other side of this hallway had silhouettes of famous landmarks from around the world.

While Rexdale Plaza didn't have a food court, it did have a single, 1970's style fast food kiosk.

You have to admire a mall's optimism. More 1980's decor.

In this spot were also a handful of kiddie rides, a kiosk to the right that sold knockoff toys (called "Into")
and to the left was Dollarama (which still exists as part of the Rexdale's strip mall makeover).

Towards the East end of the mall where (if I remember correctly) was a Sears, Shoppers Drug Mart and
a small library. The escalator led to underground parking, a Bargain Harrolds, various offices and the
washrooms.

By the early 2000's, most name brand stores had left the Rexdale Plaza and the mall itself started hosting
a flea market on weekends.

Tables were set up throughout the mall where vendors were selling just about anything you could think of.
Clothing, electronics, old Nintendo games, and even vintage Playboy magazines (...) all out in the open.

The only remnant of Rexdale Plaza's former self is the former Zellers/Towers structure that now hosts a number
of different stores all bundled together under one roof.

Photo credits to Dan Bartles (Flickr) and Urban Exploration Resource (UER).

Wow this is amazing - thank you for sharing. My family ran the Rexdale Smoke and Gift Shop which is the store you saw as soon as you entered the mall from the front entrance off of Islington Avenue. Our family was close with the people who ran the snack bar (best fries and gravy). I also remember the Baskin Robbins, women's fitness centre, BiWay, carpet shop, flower shop, sportswear (I wanted a Chicago Bulls jacket so badly), and a Radio Shack. Some of these were during different periods, but we got to know a lot of the staff and owners over the years. There used to the sidewalk sales as well where all the stores would put out tables to sell things on Sundays I believe. Times were tough in the 90s when the recession hit and there was a lot of turnover. We had to eventually shut it down as well. Some great memories!

 

[J-M-Z]

Wow this is amazing - thank you for sharing. My family ran the Rexdale Smoke and Gift Shop which is the store you saw as soon as you entered the mall from the front entrance off of Islington Avenue. Our family was close with the people who ran the snack bar (best fries and gravy). I also remember the Baskin Robbins, women's fitness centre, BiWay, carpet shop, flower shop, sportswear (I wanted a Chicago Bulls jacket so badly), and a Radio Shack. Some of these were during different periods, but we got to know a lot of the staff and owners over the years. There used to the sidewalk sales as well where all the stores would put out tables to sell things on Sundays I believe. Times were tough in the 90s when the recession hit and there was a lot of turnover. We had to eventually shut it down as well. Some great memories!

Hi DavekTO,

thanks for signing up just to share your recollections with everyone. I'm sure the archivists in this thread will also enjoy the names of the stores
you listed.

As a kid in the 90's, I had a leather Chicago Bulls Jacket. The sleeves red, white and black with a nice Bulls patch on the back. Space Jam merchandise
was everywhere, too and Taco Bell was featuring toys of Shaquille O'Neal's movie Kazaam.

In fact, my next door neighbour at the time noticed a claw machine outside the discount store next to the Snack Bar (BiWays was it?) and won a
Toronto Maple Leafs foam pennant on his first try. Show off.

If you have any vintage pics of your own from Rexdale Plaza, we'd love to see them.

 

[J-M-Z]

Today's submissions contain a few more photos of Coles book store which opened in the Rexdale Plaza back in 1958.

Credited to both Coles facebook page and our friend Eugenio Arcilesi of the Rexdale - Old Photos facebook group for personally sending me some of these shots.

Outside Rexdale Plaza.

I feel as if I'm walking through the aisles myself with these shots. Thankfully, Coles snapped plenty of photos to document a piece of Rexdale Plaza's history.

Another shot I never seen before. The cashier's desk.

Looking at the hats along the wall (look for the "Travel" section behind the cashier), Coles certainly sold just about everything back then.

Where do we even start with this cornucopia of goods for sale?

With a brief glimpse at eBay, some of the original 1958 Guillow model airplanes (in sealed condition, mind you) go for a pretty
penny these days.

1960s Coles Notes & Translations Catalogue.

And, as a bonus (not from the Rexdale Plaza location itself, to be specific), a 1971 order form.

 

[J-M-Z]

Since you guys got a kick out of the Woolworth menu from 1970, here's an original Zellers Restaurant menu:

An original Zellers Restaurant menu. The style looks to be 1990's.

I'll have some fries and gravy, please.

Page 1 zoomed in.

Page 2.

Page 3.

The back of the menu.

These photos were all posted by u/Wild_windy on reddit. Windy's original post (with plenty of discussion, too) can be found here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/canada/comments/mhx2w0

 

[J-M-Z]

Today we'll be looking at another brief glimpse into the past - followed by an extended look at Rexdale Plaza in the present day:

Photo credit: Brian Cole

Dominion remained a prominent anchor within the Rexdale Plaza since's the mall's construction from the mid 1950's all the way up to the late 1980's.
I'd estimate this photo is from the late 1950's - early 1960's.

Photo credit: Jonathan Awesomeness

Taken in 2016. On the left is the only remaining structure still intact from Rexdale Plaza's enclosure back in1972. Originally, this building served as the home
to Towers before becoming a Zellers in the years to follow.

For those wondering, Eugenio Arcilesi adds that the Zellers in Woodbine Centre came much later in 1995.

At the spot where the stop sign is used to be a walkway that connected Zellers to the Rexdale Plaza.

Photo credit: Amer Kasim

A view of the former Towers/Zellers building as seen from the long-demolished walkway.

After Zellers left the Rexdale Plaza, the structure was repurposed as a mall of it's own while being host to numerous smaller stores.

Photo credit: Umar Khan

Another modern view from the demolished walkway. In the distance is Islington Avenue and to the right (not pictured) is Bergamot Avenue.

Photo credit: Shilpa

My memory is a little fuzzy, but I remember an escalator in the former Zellers building that may have connected to the parking lot beneath the
structure. This photo looks like the escalator would have been to the right by the shopping carts.

Photo credit: Abdualqadir Isaak

The spaces where barber shops and other services used to be located under the Zellers banner are now home to individual sellers.

Photo credit: Abdulqadir Isaak

With plenty of stores huddled together, this portion of Rexdale Mall feels like a Flea Market these days.

I wonder if the counter top in the above photo was a leftover piece from the former Zellers.

Photo credit: Abdulqadir Isaak

Backing up a bit from the previous shot.

Photo credit: Vigi Senarath

Rexdale Mall also features a new grocery store: Fresh Value.

Photo credit: Shilpa

Fresh Value is just one of several establishments that have been converted into Asian/Indian markets in the Rexdale area. Off the
top of my head, I can think of:

Sunny's Food Mart (former Price Chopper on 1620 Albion rd.),
Bestco (former Food Basics on 1701 Martin Grove rd.),
Om India Food Centre (former Pizza Hut on 1729 Martin Grove rd.),
New India Grocers (former IGA and BiWay on 2626 Islington Ave.)

 

[J-M-Z]

Let's step back in time for an aerial view of Rexdale Plaza in 1957:

As Rexdale's first shopping mall, Rexdale Plaza started out as a strip mall among a backdrop of farm houses and acres of farmland.

Starting from the left is the runoff from Rexdale Boulevard. The field in the bottom left corner would be developed into the Simpsons and Sears
warehouse. Going north to south next to Rexdale Boulevard is Islington Avenue. In the middle of the shot is Rexdale Plaza before it was enclosed
into an actual mall decades later.

The top left corner would be converted in various businesses along Rexdale Boulevard and Islington; including the Rexdale Mews plaza.
The bottom right corner is also a clear indication of the suburban development that was gradually reshaping the Rexdale area in the
1950's.

Going back even further, here's an aerial view from 1953.

A few years ago, I was sitting in a Midas waiting room (249 Rexdale Boulevard) when I overheard an older man mentioning to another
gentleman about how much Rexdale had changed since the 1950's.

"Back then, you'd see a house every few miles. Not like today!"

Rexdale Plaza would be constructed four years later in the open field centre-right. In this shot, you can also see a good view of Bergamot Avenue
from the top left corner.

 

[J-M-Z]

Being the first shopping mall in a recently-created subdivision of Toronto garnered Rexdale Plaza a lot of press back in the 1950's.

Rex Heslop (for which Rexdale is named) began purchasing farmland in the Rexdale area back in 1955. Before Rex's involvement, neighbouring areas
such as Thistletown, Clairville and Smithfield were arguably Rexdale's most busiest retail locations.

As Blacksmith shops were replaced with Gas stations, log cabins converted into schoolhouses and acres of farmland redesigned into suburbs, the
new homeowners of Rexdale needed a place to shop. Enter: Rexdale Plaza.

Here's another aerial view of the area from 1953:

Photo credit: Eugenio Arcilesi

The top left corner is a wide-view of the farmer's field that would become the Sears location. The road going north to south is Rexdale
Boulevard and to the right of the field is Bergamot Avenue. You can see what looks like the familiar curved-exit as Rexdale Boulevard
meets Islington Avenue centre-left of the photo.

The very bottom of the photo will be the future home of Rexdale Plaza. I wouldn't be surprised if the street at the top right corner going east
was Kipling Avenue, too.

Our next photo comes courtesy of Larry McCarthy and was presented by Rexdale - Old Photos' Admin Alan Aerts. Alan writes:

"**𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸**

#47. It's really amazing what a difference 50 odd years can make. This photo is proof of that. It was uploaded by Larry McCarthy a while back and was taken in the early 50's in the front lawn of 10 Rexdale Blvd. Yes, that's actually the (now busy) corner of Rexdale and Islington Ave. in the background behind little Larry. To the left would be Bergamot Ave., to the right the future home of Simpsons-Sears warehouse and, past that, the future 401. Up ahead, you can almost see Pine Point with the almighty Humber River and behind us would eventually be Rexdale Plaza. This intersection has seen major changes over the years. By the looks of it, Larry's parents hadn't yet received the Baby's Health and Safety Handbook. All good, though - he survived. Great photo, Larry!"


As usual, I'm always on the lookout for more modern pictures of Rexdale Plaza. Inside shots from 1972 and onwards once Rexdale mall was enclosed. So, if you
have any photos of your own, feel free to leave a reply.