Strathcona Hotel (60 York Street)

[adma]

Prior to its present cladding, there was a 50s-style curtain wall, or curtain wall/brick combo. (And the dimensions of said present cladding hint at what was there.)

 

[busybeaver]

Same general view as this, but further away:

The later site of the Strathcona is where those 3 or 4 story brick buildings rise above the shacks. The building you're pointing to is the Currie building/warehouse.

The building on the left is the old W.R. Johnston & Co clothing manufacturer:
http://youtu.be/rRfSmPnNyUQ

Currie Neckware was further east on Wellington - where one of the TD Centre towers is located:
http://youtu.be/EmGFXkYASZI

map and other textile related stories here:
http://www.txtilecity.ca

 

[janis3]

Hello,

I recently came upon this discussion when I did a search on Strathcona Hotel history. Members of my family owned the hotel in the early days (at its original location and at its current location). Are you still interested in information about the Strathcona? I certainly am. If people are interested, I can give the info I have.

Janis

 

[LowPolygon]

Hello,

I recently came upon this discussion when I did a search on Strathcona Hotel history. Members of my family owned the hotel in the early days (at its original location and at its current location). Are you still interested in information about the Strathcona? I certainly am. If people are interested, I can give the info I have.

Janis

<puts his hand up>

i think a lot of people here would be interested--please share what you know!

 

[janis3]

Strathcona Hotel

I'm so glad to have someone to chat to about this

Steve and Hazel Michael came from Lebanon around 1916. They had four children (one still living) and many grandchildren. I'm not sure if all four or only some were born here. They purchased the Strathcona Hotel at 111 York Street. Steve sponsored his brother Sam and his wife Betty (my grandparents) when they came to Canada in March of 1925. Sam and Betty bought a farm in Pickering. Steve and Hazel ran the Hotel. In 1933 (?), the Globe and Mail wanted to build a large structure for their publishing house. Steve bought the Savoy Hotel at 60 York Street and renamed it New Strathcona Hotel. I have a photo of the hotel that shows the Strathcona Fruit Shop. We think that photo is the new location. It's very interesting that someone else on the forum has the same photo. I would love to know where they got it. Maybe we are even related.

My family member has memories of both locations. He remembers salon type doors at the new location. He isn't sure of the exact names but there were two drinking rooms: a beverage room and a ladies room. Both rooms sold beer only. The beverage room was mostly used by men. Woman weren't forbidden but they also weren't likely to go in. He says woman didn't often drink with men in those days. The ladies room was not often used but woman could go there to have a beer with friends or with a male companion.

Steve sold the hotel around 1941.

Here is the photo. Let me know if it doesn't display correctly:

 

[LowPolygon]

I'm so glad to have someone to chat to about this

Steve and Hazel Michael came from Lebanon around 1916. They had four children (one still living) and many grandchildren. I'm not sure if all four or only some were born here. They purchased the Strathcona Hotel at 111 York Street. Steve sponsored his brother Sam and his wife Betty (my grandparents) when they came to Canada in March of 1925. Sam and Betty bought a farm in Pickering. Steve and Hazel ran the Hotel. In 1933 (?), the Globe and Mail wanted to build a large structure for their publishing house. Steve bought the Savoy Hotel at 60 York Street and renamed it New Strathcona Hotel. I have a photo of the hotel that shows the Strathcona Fruit Shop. We think that photo is the new location. It's very interesting that someone else on the forum has the same photo. I would love to know where they got it. Maybe we are even related.

My family member has memories of both locations. He remembers salon type doors at the new location. He isn't sure of the exact names but there were two drinking rooms: a beverage room and a ladies room. Both rooms sold beer only. The beverage room was mostly used by men. Woman weren't forbidden but they also weren't likely to go in. He says woman didn't often drink with men in those days. The ladies room was not often used but woman could go there to have a beer with friends or with a male companion.

Steve sold the hotel around 1941.

Here is the photo. Let me know if it doesn't display correctly:
View attachment 28120

fantastic! thanks so much for posting that. such great Toronto social history. The Lebanese community here would have been quite small at that time i imagine...

 

[Racquette]

Thanks for this! Fascinating. The Strath is my usual hotel when visiting TO by train (lousy internet but right price and location and they've re-done the rooms very nicely and sensibly indeed). It's neat to have this glimpse into its past.

I'm so glad to have someone to chat to about this

Steve and Hazel Michael came from Lebanon around 1916. They had four children (one still living) and many grandchildren. I'm not sure if all four or only some were born here. They purchased the Strathcona Hotel at 111 York Street. Steve sponsored his brother Sam and his wife Betty (my grandparents) when they came to Canada in March of 1925. Sam and Betty bought a farm in Pickering. Steve and Hazel ran the Hotel. In 1933 (?), the Globe and Mail wanted to build a large structure for their publishing house. Steve bought the Savoy Hotel at 60 York Street and renamed it New Strathcona Hotel. I have a photo of the hotel that shows the Strathcona Fruit Shop. We think that photo is the new location. It's very interesting that someone else on the forum has the same photo. I would love to know where they got it. Maybe we are even related.

My family member has memories of both locations. He remembers salon type doors at the new location. He isn't sure of the exact names but there were two drinking rooms: a beverage room and a ladies room. Both rooms sold beer only. The beverage room was mostly used by men. Woman weren't forbidden but they also weren't likely to go in. He says woman didn't often drink with men in those days. The ladies room was not often used but woman could go there to have a beer with friends or with a male companion.

Steve sold the hotel around 1941.

Here is the photo. Let me know if it doesn't display correctly:
View attachment 28120

 

[jlangdon]

I looked through the Toronto City Directories. The name of #60 York St changed from Savoy to "New Strathcona" somewhere between 1937 and 1940. Of course the directory may have been slow to change the name. Unfortunately the 1938 and 39 directories are missing the pages York St was on.

 

[AlexBozikovic]

From the city archives, 1972. With the Spanish Donkey Lounge!

 

[Oak]

Does anybody out there know anything of the history of this building? For my own reasons, I'm trying to find out when the building was built, but it is pretty much impossible. It makes it all the harder because it's completely covered in some kind of aluminum siding which makes it really hard to date.

Here's what I know about the site:

From at least 1900 to the 1940's, 60 York Street was the site of the Savoy Hotel. I managed to find an air photo from 1930 that revealed that the Savoy was a whitish four or five storey building with oblong windows. You can see what I believe is the Savoy across from the Royal York and Prudential House.

The thirties being what they were, I am now tending to assume that the addition to 12 storeys came after the war, with the name change from Savoy to the Strathcona Hotel (sometimes called New Strathcona House or Strathcona Public House).

This is a place that didn't advertise widely, and I am fresh out of ideas. What I'm trying to verify is the year that it was built up.

it may have been built up during the war, 1943-44. My parents were married in February of 1944 in Sudbury, my dad was on short leave from the Navy and they drove to Toronto for their honeymoon and wanted a place near the train station because he had to take the train back to the east coast where his ship was. They found the Strathcona, and my mom said it was still somewhat under construction. My dad went in to see if they had a room, and he was in uniform. The desk clerk told him they had rooms, and seeing him in uniform, asked if he wanted a furnished room. My dad of course said yes, thinking some rooms did not yet have furniture yet and not realizing that in those days, a furnished room meant it came with a lady friend. When he took my mom up to the room, they had a bit of surprise, lol.

 

[Northern Light]

Here you all go:

From: https://www.acotoronto.ca/show_building.php?BuildingID=1956

 

[wmedia]

Looks like they are planning to resume hotel operations again later this summer when the current shelter closes.

With another Toronto shelter hotel to close, residents ask Mayor Olivia Chow to step in

Residents are calling on Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow to step in to stop the site's closure as a shelter next month until more suitable alternatives are identified.

toronto.citynews.ca

 

[DSC]

Looks like they are planning to resume hotel operations again later this summer when the current shelter closes.

With another Toronto shelter hotel to close, residents ask Mayor Olivia Chow to step in

Residents are calling on Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow to step in to stop the site's closure as a shelter next month until more suitable alternatives are identified.

toronto.citynews.ca

Yes, it is owned by the Silver Group who, in Toronto, also own the Novotel on The Esplanade and Hotel Victoria. See https://www.silverhotelgroup.com/hotels/ They leased all 3 to the City during covid and are now ending the leases and returning to hotel operations. Novotel now open, Hotel Victoria is open for bookings on October 1.

 

[wmedia]

Repairs/recladding:

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

I *really* want that basement bar to come back. Knew the guy who ran it.