The Tenor (10 Dundas St E, Ent Prop Trust, 10s, Baldwin & Franklin)

[Richard White]

If you guys are not familiar with Little Canada, check it out. This will be modelled on Hamburg's Miniatur Wunderland, and while no-one else around the world comes close to Miniatur Wunderland's size (there are several of these popping up now that MW is Germany's busiest tourist attraction), there is millions of dollars behind Little Canada. This won't be your next door neighbour's model train set, this is next level… (and I'm convinced it's coming here).

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This may be a bigger draw in Europe where railfanning and trains are a bigger deal. In Canada trains are a means of transportation and not as popular as they were in the 40s and 50s.

This will come and go quickly if it is a model train setup. I hope it will draw in tourists because locals aren't going to flock there to see it.

That's the problem the Toronto Railway Museum has. People like taking pictures with old railway cars but they aren't interested in playing with or seeing model trains. It is why the Christmas Train Show flopped.

 

[Johnny Au]

This may be a bigger draw in Europe where railfanning and trains are a bigger deal. In Canada trains are a means of transportation and not as popular as they were in the 40s and 50s.

This will come and go quickly if it is a model train setup. I hope it will draw in tourists because locals aren't going to flock there to see it.

That's the problem the Toronto Railway Museum has. People like taking pictures with old railway cars but they aren't interested in playing with or seeing model trains. It is why the Christmas Train Show flopped.

Railfans would like to see miniature rolling highways (which are trains that transport occupied freight trucks).

 

[Richard White]

Railfans would like to see miniature rolling highways (which are trains that transport occupied freight trucks).

Before this gets too off topic there are not enough railfans in Toronto to warrant a miniature train display on a large scale.

This would be better off as the Korova Milk Bar.

Who's up for some vellocet?

 

[interchange42]

This may be a bigger draw in Europe where railfanning and trains are a bigger deal. In Canada trains are a means of transportation and not as popular as they were in the 40s and 50s.

This will come and go quickly if it is a model train setup. I hope it will draw in tourists because locals aren't going to flock there to see it.

That's the problem the Toronto Railway Museum has. People like taking pictures with old railway cars but they aren't interested in playing with or seeing model trains. It is why the Christmas Train Show flopped.

It'll depend on how they price it. When the UPX started out, there weren't that many railfans. Now, it's packed.

Ripley's Aquarium was expected to do okay, but it does very well. Make an impression beyond what people are expecting, and you just never know…

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[Richard White]

It'll depend on how they price it. When the UPX started out, there weren't that many railfans. Now, it's packed.

Ripley's Aquarium was expected to do okay, but it does very well. Make an impression beyond what people are expecting, and you just never know…

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Yes but we had one of these before. It flopped because it wasn't bringing in enough money to pay the bills.

 

[Benito]

Yesterday.

 

[interchange42]

Well, got it right…

Dear friends of Little Canada,​

We are thrilled to share with you some very exciting news. We have achieved a major milestone in our goal to launch Little Canada.​

I’m pleased to announce that the permanent home for Little Canada will be 10 Dundas East, a thriving entertainment complex in the heart of downtown Toronto. Our goal is to open to the public in 2020.​

Little Canada will occupy 45,000 square feet of space on the lower levels of 10 Dundas East, levels B2 and B3. Accessibility to all of our guests is one of Little Canada’s guiding principles. Our new home,10 Dundas East, sits at Yonge and Dundas streets, readily accessible to residents, tourists, school groups, and events via TTC, GoTrain the highway system, and sightseeing buses. 10 Dundas East has lower level access to the Dundas subway station on the Yonge line, to the Eaton’s Centre, and to The PATH, for year-round indoor access.​

10 Dundas East houses a 25-theatre Cineplex Odeon, the second busiest theatre location in the city, and four major restaurants, including Milestones and Jack Astors, and is situated opposite the always bustling Yonge-Dundas Square.​

My view is that this location is amongst the very best we could secure for our attraction in Toronto. Yonge and Dundas is a thriving tourist destination and what I see as the perfect home for Little Canada - accessible to everyone, and at the intersection of Toronto’s many wonderfully diverse communities.​

I am enthusiastic about the future of Little Canada at 10 Dundas East and what it holds for many years to come.​

Thank you for your continued support of our Vision and Mission. We’re excited for what’s ahead and hope to see you at our launch in 2020.​

Yours sincerely,​

Jean-Louis​

​

Source​

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[Richard White]

Well, got it right…

Dear friends of Little Canada,​

We are thrilled to share with you some very exciting news. We have achieved a major milestone in our goal to launch Little Canada.​

I’m pleased to announce that the permanent home for Little Canada will be 10 Dundas East, a thriving entertainment complex in the heart of downtown Toronto. Our goal is to open to the public in 2020.​

Little Canada will occupy 45,000 square feet of space on the lower levels of 10 Dundas East, levels B2 and B3. Accessibility to all of our guests is one of Little Canada’s guiding principles. Our new home,10 Dundas East, sits at Yonge and Dundas streets, readily accessible to residents, tourists, school groups, and events via TTC, GoTrain the highway system, and sightseeing buses. 10 Dundas East has lower level access to the Dundas subway station on the Yonge line, to the Eaton’s Centre, and to The PATH, for year-round indoor access.​

10 Dundas East houses a 25-theatre Cineplex Odeon, the second busiest theatre location in the city, and four major restaurants, including Milestones and Jack Astors, and is situated opposite the always bustling Yonge-Dundas Square.​

My view is that this location is amongst the very best we could secure for our attraction in Toronto. Yonge and Dundas is a thriving tourist destination and what I see as the perfect home for Little Canada - accessible to everyone, and at the intersection of Toronto’s many wonderfully diverse communities.​

I am enthusiastic about the future of Little Canada at 10 Dundas East and what it holds for many years to come.​

Thank you for your continued support of our Vision and Mission. We’re excited for what’s ahead and hope to see you at our launch in 2020.​

Yours sincerely,​

Jean-Louis​

​

Source​

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They hype it up in the press release but again I highly doubt it will last. This is not the sort of thing locals flock to.

The press release emphasizes tourists, school groups and events having easy access along with residents but it's the emphasis on people other than residents that have me concerned.

This is alot like Cullen Miniature Village in the 90s. It was heavily trafficked by school groups and tourists but it was a niche. Once you saw it you had no reason to go back.

I wish Little Canada all the best but I can see the high cost of rent versus its offerings causing it not to last. To survive they will need to charge a hefty admission as I doubt they are paying a small amount in rent. This isn't the sort of thing I'd pay 20 dollars or more to visit.

 

[taal]

Agreed completely, with that said I can see it lasting for a few years as there's always that initial intrigue, but unlike other museums / attractions I really doubt this will have any staying power !

 

[picard102]

At least it's in the basement where it's less of a waste of space than it would be street-level or above.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

They hype it up in the press release but again I highly doubt it will last. This is not the sort of thing locals flock to.

The press release emphasizes tourists, school groups and events having easy access along with residents but its the emphasis on people other than residents that have me concerned.

This is alot like Cullen Miniature Village in the 90s. It was heavily trafficked by school groups and tourists but it was a niche. Once you saw it you had no reason to go back.

I wish Little Canada all the best but I can see the high cost of rent versus it's offerings causing it not to last. To survive they will need to charge a hefty admission as I doubt they are paying a small amount in rent. This isn't the sort of thing I'd pay 20 dollars or more to visit.

I’m curious how long their lease is. I’d assume it’s fairly short (<5 years), for the reasons you mentioned. But would 10 Dundas even go for such a short lease?

 

[Northern Light]

Agreed completely, with that said I can see it lasting for a few years as there's always that initial intrigue, but unlike other museums / attractions I really doubt this will have any staying power !

Worth saying here is that Cullen miniature village lasted a very long time, decades; it did see attendance wane some in its latter years.......but the bigger reason for closure was the value of the land vs what the operation was earning.

This is the same thing that closed the nearby Family Kartways which I used to enjoy as a child and which remained popular up to its closure............the land was simply worth much more as a subdivision.

Cullen was also hurt by the fact that there was no transit access to the location; it was outdoors (lovely in good weather, but lots of days lost to rain and off-season) as well as an absence of much else to do before/after.

That will not be a problem for Yonge/Dundas with strong transit access, and multiple attractions and restaurants as well as nearby shopping.

Doubtless they will have to turn high traffic to pay the kind of rent this location merits; and the novelty-attrition may well impact long-term attendance, but I certainly see the potential for success here.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I do wish Lego is downtown instead of way out in Vaughan Mills.

AoD

 

[Richard White]

the bigger reason for closure was the value of the land vs what the operation was earning.

Doubtless they will have to turn high traffic to pay the kind of rent this location merits;

This exactly is the issue. They need high traffic to pay for what can be assumed to be high rent. Factor in the idea that the space can be put to better use..

I can see the landlord keeping them on a short leash and if they don't turn a profit quickly they will leave.

The press release screams one mans dream coming to life. Think Dollywood or Praiseland.

 

[interchange42]

If they can put together an impressive enough attraction, it'll work. Again, Miniatur Wunderland is the most visited tourist attraction in all of Germany. I'm not saying these guys are going to equal that here, but I'm saying that the possibilities are greater than the naysayers here are.

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