below: Signs. I always read the signs. As I approached the fence, I was preparing to read about yet another condo so I was pleasantly surprised to read, “building with Electronic Gaming and Bingo Hall”! Apparently Dolphin Gaming has submitted a number of applications for developing this site over the past few years and finally, back in November the plan for a lowrise building with plenty of parking was approved.
I came across the above sign a few weeks ago when a small group of us explored a rather forlorn section of Scarborough. “Forlorn” can be fun because often it equals interesting photography opportunities. It was still winter then; back when there was still snow on the ground.
Many people react to seeing a group of people with cameras walking in their neighbourhood. Some of the natives are friendly and want to talk, even if it’s just a minute or two of small talk. We can be a chatty group. A number of times during this walk we were asked if we were looking to buy. When we asked if what they had was for sale, the answer was frequently, “everything is for sale”. I can not vouch for how true that is, but in this section of Scarborough it certainly felt possible.
below: Signs!
below: Oh no! I can picture the driver jumping out of his Cybertruck already for his shift in a school bus!
below: Most of the architecture is one storey brick buildings, long and low. This type of roof over the entrance probably has a name, canopy? awning? – it seems very 1960s or 1970s.
below: Largest in Canada! Pink windows say: Open to the public…. We can finance your kitchen for a few dollars a week….Big or small, we auction it all… (and more)
below: Old style bus shelter with no ads.
below: Railway tracks cross Warden Avenue at a level crossing
below: A large pile of old used wheel rims
below: “Puzzle” created by Elaine Teguibon, Tara Dorey, Raymond Cho, as well as youth employment program artists, 2011. Funded by the City of Toronto. It covers the front of the Youthlink building .
below: It has a couple of Mediah murals and a Scarborough 3D sign, and now its for sale…. (more details at: Scarborough Mediah blog post)
below: More for sale! All one storey. This is steps the new Eglinton LRT (we think!). It is zoned M4A-225 which is industrial. Also sneaking into the picture – You might recognize the large white city of Toronto water tower near the corner of Warden and Eglinton.
below: Domestic Tank & Equipment with its wall of small panes of window glass. There must have been hundreds of these types of buildings in Toronto once upon a time.
I tried to find some history on this building… instead I learned a lot about “liquid storage solutions since 1952”. Industrial use tanks are actually quite interesting!
below: Where an Electronic Gambling & Bingo Hall just might go …
As I was taking the above three photos, I had my back to another very large abandoned site which happens to also be the place where I ended the walk. A large and very empty Rona store occupies a large chunk of prime real estate. It was made redundant when Lowes and Rona (both were big box hardware and building supply stores) merged a few years ago. A second, but very active, Rona store is only a block or so away.
below: It is quite a large piece of property. Present asking price is just over $50,000,000.
below: Although I know that big box stores are big, they look even bigger when they are empty. There doesn’t seem to be much to them – some beams to make a metal frame, add a few pipes and some wires, and wrap it on all sides. An engineer or a contractor may disagree, but it looks so simple.
below: Over and out!
Thanks to the usual Wednesday walking group for letting me join them once again – All bundled up for walking on a winter day!
as I walk Toronto 