redevelopment | as I walk Toronto

Posts Tagged ‘redevelopment’

from oranges to little yellow birdies

Posted: May 29, 2026 in construction, galleries, graffiti and street art, history, old buildings, transportation
Tags: Bettys, Black Canary coffee, Bruno Smoky, construction, Crow Bar Cafe, Drug Trading Company, Duke Mews, graffiti, hamster, Jamaal, King St., Metrolinx, Old Town, Ontario line, Patrician grill, Power St., redevelopment, Rowell Soller, Sackville St., Shalak Attack, Sherbourne St., streetcars, TTC, uber5000, yellow birdie

subtitle: A little wander down King Street East (and area) with a look at both the past and present .

…Starting with a cup of coffee and a CONTACT exhibit – photos by Jamaal Owusu-Ansah titled “Hints of Orange” at the Black Canary coffee shop on Sherbourne Street just north of King, showing until 5th June (but coffee and goodies still available after that!)

“I don’t care what the weather says anymore, It’s iced coffee season”

below: Looking west on King from Jarvis with the steeple of St. James Cathedral rising above.

below: King Street has been a vital part of Toronto since the beginning. It was one of the original roads laid out in the late 1790s in the Town of York (which became Toronto in 1834). At that time it ended at Berkeley Street.

below: south side of King street, looking west from Sherbourne

below: The southwest corner of King and Sherbourne streets.

below: More views of the King and Sherbourne intersection – this time the northeast corner with the newer condos rising above. The old bank building became part of those condos.

below: In 1972 when this photo was taken, 230 King Street East was a branch of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). It was built in 1908.

1972 black and white photo of CIBC (bank of commerce) building at king and Sherbourne

Photo from City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841,

Betty’s (once the Betty Ford Clinic – or just the Betty Ford? – until the original Betty Ford issued a cease and desist order) has moved to Queen St East. The King location closed in 2022 after 30 years on the premises. The building, and its neighbour, 234 and 236 King Street East, are listed as city heritage sites. In 1888, the red brick building was constructed as a warehouse for a bedding manufacturer, Chaney and Co Bedding. And yes, they are empty because a developer plans to build a condo tower here.

below: Duke Mews is a short lane running west from Princess, back towards Sherbourne. It is just north of King Street, between King and Adelaide. Once upon a time, Adelaide Street was called Duke Street.

below: West end

“You are the love of my life”

below: Looking east towards Ontario Street at a view that won’t be available for much longer. The buildings that were once here have been demolished and the site is awaiting redevelopment.

below: This is the brick facade that was retained when the Drug Trading Building was redeveloped (into offices and workspaces, not condos). It was originally built in 1942 (and expanded in 1946). The Art Deco elements on the entrance were also saved. This was the administration building for the company -factories were on the other side of Ontario Street. In 2022 this was the Sun TV building even though the transition to a taller repurposed building was already underway . The Drug Trading Company had been founded in 1896 to supply independent pharmacies with medications and other products.

below: Looking northeast from Duke Mews – past the empty lot and the edge of The Shift to farther along Adelaide Street.

below: Now looking southeast from Duke Mews towards King Street. A small sliver of that property along King will become a park.

below: The facade of the three storey red brick building at Princess and King is being saved.

below: Once upon a time, the Crow Bar restaurant was on the corner of Adelaide and Princess. It closed in 2016 and in more recent years, the corner was a parking lot.

black and white photo of the Crow Bar restaurant on the corner of Adelaide and Princess street, black and white photo

This 1972 photo is from the City of Toronto Archives, fonds 2032, series 841, file 38, item 7. Fonds 2032 is from the Toronto Planning Board and series 841 is a large collection of photos taken of intersections around the downtown core in 1972.

below: Another restaurant of the same vintage nearby on King Street, the Patrician Grill, just closed

below: Interior of the Patrician Grill, at the same location since 1953.

below: Looking southeast at King and Berkeley. Metrolinx has cleared the whole block between Berkeley and Parliament for Ontario line subway construction.

below: Looking southwest at King and Parliament at the hoardings around the block that Metrolinx has taken over.

below: Brick buildings on the northwest corner of King and Power Streets. They are actually the back of 93 Parliament Street – built in 1908 for the Aluminum and Crown Stopper Company as factory and warehouse. They manufactured supplies for bottlers.

below: King and Power 1972 with a Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce on the corner.

City of Toronto Archives, fonds 2032, series 841

below: Also King and Power, but in January of 1937 when there were houses on Power Street. This photo is from a large collection of photographs taken in 1936 and 1937 of housing in this area. A large number of the houses are in awful condition, poorly built, and condemned by the city.

below: If you then turn around and face east, this is the view that you get. It’s in black and white and I bet that it could pass as a vintage photo even though I took it a few days ago (except the modern cars might give it away).

below: Another City Archives fonds 2032, series 841 photo from 1972. It’s not a direct match to the photo above, but the building on the corner of King and Power (356 King East) is the same one. It wasn’t looking too healthy in 1972! It is nice to see something that has improved with age (and some TLC). This photo happens to show the row of buildings on the north side of King adjacent to number 356.

below: There are four leaf clovers hiding in the greenery in this Rowell Soller mural beside Sackville Park

below: If you have ever walked or driven this section of King Street East, you may have noticed the bright pink exterior of Cam’s Muffler/Thruway Muffler!

below: Repairs and updates are in progress on the ramps between the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway that cross over King Street. The concrete supports were painted by Shalak Attack and Bruno Smoky a few years ago.

In 1901 King Street was extended as far east as the Don River. Because of the curvature of Lake Ontario, King Street swings north and merges with Queen just before the river.

I’ll end this blog post with three bits of cuteness, all are sections of the large Uber5000 mural on the Queen Street wall of the Toronto Humane Society, one of the last buildings on Queen Street before the Don River. Uber5000’s little yellow birdie is such a happy fellow!

long awaited ride to Kennedy

Posted: April 22, 2026 in construction, public art, transportation
Tags: construction, Eglinton Ave East, Louie Witthöft, LRT, Metrolinx, people, redevelopment, Rodney Latourelle, Sarah Morris, Scarborough, streetcar, trains, TTC

As everyone knows, the Eglinton LRT took FOREVER to plan, build, and test. Way back in June 2021, I posted about going to Kennedy and Eglinton to see the first LRT trains being tested (On a mission to Kennedy station). Little did we know then that it would be almost five years later before the trains came into service.

below: Some of the stations have artwork (six of them I think). This is the glass and mirror installation at Eglinton, “Light from Within” by Louise Witthöft & Rodney Latourelle (Witthöft Latourelle)

below: There is also some colour at Don Valley station (formerly known as the Science Centre). “Total Luna Eclipse” by Sarah Morris is a series of circles and overlapping circles in bright colours.

below: This is the interior of the concourse level on one of the subway stations along the Eglinton line. I am not sure which one it is because they all look the same. White everywhere, with an elevator in the middle.

below: Waiting on the platform at Don Valley, the last underground station before the tracks surface on their way eastward towards Kennedy.

below: My apologies Scarborough, but you are rather dull to look at from this angle….

below: But most of us don’t ride transit for the scenery

Nothing really exciting but there is definitely a sense of relief that it’s finally open. It took too long and cost too much but it’s running….

In a lot of ways, the tracks running down the middle of Eglinton Avenue create a wall, especially for pedestrians. For better or worse though, this section of Eglinton has never been pedestrian friendly. It has been designed for cars. And that’s probably not going to change in the near future.

But the coming of the LRT will affect development along Eglinton (or rather, has already started to affect development).

below: 1900 Eglinton East – From shopping center with lots of parking, to four mixed use buildings up to 48 storeys high. Will the slow down in the condo market affect this? If you are interested in this, it is application number 19208733ESC21OZ and the link takes you to the relevant City of Toronto webpage (Good luck!).

below: At 1911 and 1921, out with the old and in with 8 buildings, 4 towers, a park, and 2 new streets. This is almost right across the street from the picture above (between Pharmacy and Warden). The application wasn’t completed until Nov 2025 so not much is going to happen here for a long time yet.

Redevelopment in Toronto is slow. This plaza (strip mall) at Kennedy and Eglinton was already boarded up in 2021. It looks a little scruffier and a little rougher now but otherwise, not much has changed in five years.

Construction along Eglinton East continues as Metrolinx builds the Scarborough Subway extension. This section of subway is an extension of the Bloor-Danforth line and will run from Kennedy station, east along Eglinton past Brimley before turning north. It ends at Sheppard and McCowan. Back in 2023 I visited that intersection and I posted some photos – Intersections – McCowan and Sheppard

below: Eglinton at Midland, looking northeast (on a rainy day).

from Amsterdam to Skopje…

Posted: November 24, 2025 in locations, public art, reflections, stores
Tags: art, autumn, bowling pin art, cookies, D. Drew, East York, houses, O'Connor Drive, Peek Freans, photography, photos, pictures, redevelopment, reflections, Skopje Gate, stores, welcome banner, windows

and a few places in between.

Amsterdam and Skopje refer to two streets that intersect with O’Connor Drive in the northeast corner of East York, Amsterdam Avenue and Skopje Gate. There is also a Wakunda Place but the spelling is different from Wakanda, the fictional country that was created of Marvel Comics.

Every neighbourhood has a story to tell, even if it’s just the story of a quiet life in their own corner of the city. There are many similar threads that run through the many narratives of Toronto neighbourhoods – the ethnic stores and restaurants, the redevelopment of older buildings into new housing, quiet side streets. There’s probably a mix of residential styles – single family homes, rowhouses, older apartment buildings, and newer glass and steel condos where people are trying to live as best they can. It is a scene repeated over and over again. Parts are fascinating, parts are dull and lacklustre. There will always be utility poles and wires and garbage bins in the way. Maybe there will be an alley or two to explore – with old abandoned cars, basketball hoops, and graffiti left behind by jilted lovers or angry young men. There’s probably a vacant lot where a building has been demolished – or perhaps it hasn’t been demolished yet but it’s just sitting there taking up space and looking sadder and sadder with time.

Just because there are many similarities doesn’t make it less interesting. Here are a few images from “between Amsterdam and Skopje”.

Not every neighbourhood has a large bowling pin (as public art). Backstory – the condo that this pin sits in front of was built on the site of the old O’Connor Bowling Lanes (1951-206).

Of all the similarities that this neighbourhood shares with others in the city, not many of the others can claim to have a cookie outlet….

And even more unique, it’s also the home of the Peek Freans Biscuit factory. There was a lovely sweet vanilla-ish smell in the air the day that I walked around. Peek Freans has a long history in England dating back to the 1850s. In 1949 they established their first bakery in Canada, here on O’Connor Drive.

Although the company has changed hands numerous times since then, the East York factory still produces cookies (and other items such as Oreos and Wheat Thins) for Mondelez Canada.

Back in 1953 when this photo was taken there wasn’t much else around!

black and white photo of Peek Freans cookie factory in 1950s, on O'Connor drive, not much else is around it ,

source: City of Toronto Archives, fonds 1128, series 380, item 39

below: A couple of the metal boxes painted by D. Drew.

After I wrote this blog post I asked google for a list of streets in Toronto named after American cities. I got this answer: “Toronto has a number of streets named after American cities, such as Chicago Street, Dallas Street, and Milwaukee Avenue. These streets often have historical connections or reflect the city’s relationships with other North American metropolises.” I had never heard of these streets in Toronto! Maybe I missed something.

My next move was to look for Chicago Street in Google maps. “There is no street named “Chicago Street” in Toronto” was the answer. I also struck out looking for Dallas Street (which is when Google tried to direct me to Yonge Street). The answer when I searched for Milwaukee Street was the best of all – “There is no “Milwaukee Street” in Toronto; however, there is a street called Ossington Street, often mentioned in lists of the city’s coolest streets, and a retail store named The Milwaukee Road located at Yorkdale Mall). The next time you walk down Ossington, you can think of Milwaukee!

a little bit of Sherbourne in the sun

Posted: September 3, 2025 in construction, graffiti and street art, old buildings, public art, transportation
Tags: anser, artsbyabe, Church Wellesley village, construction, Garden of Lost Boys, houses, housing, Howard St., Ishkozi Park, Jarvis St., King St., Leader Lane, Maple Leaf Gardens, Michael Snow, O'Gradys, P.J. O'Briens, redevelopment, Rogers, Sarah Klawiter, St. James Town, Upper Jarvis

a little bit of Church Street, on the run…..

And of course, a lot of in-between too. A bit of a random walk south from Bloor on Sherbourne, Jarvis, and Church. A zigzagging walk through four neighbourhoods.

But first, coffee! De Mello Coffee on Bloor has mirrors under their counter and it makes for some strange scenes.

below: In the lobby of Postmedia Place on Bloor Street there is this sculpture – three people reading newspapers.

below: I found not one, but two, anser faces of unknown vintage in an alley just west of Sherbourne

below: Upper Jarvis was neighbourhood number one that day. The north end of Jarvis Street is at Charles Street; here Jarvis splits into Ted Rogers Way (old Jarvis Street) and Mt. Pleasant.

below: Looking south along Mt. Pleasant immediately south of Bloor. If you can see the covered pedestrian walkway over the street in this picture, that is where Mt. Pleasant turns slightly left and becomes Jarvis Street.

below: Ishkozi Park is a small green space on Huntley (actually on the grounds of Rogers Toronto headquarters). The benches have been recently painted, but the large sculpture in the center has been there a while. The walking lady in the sculpture may look familiar and you may be thinking to yourself, “Where have I seen her before?”. The stainless steel sculpture is a giant tree and is titled ‘Red, Orange and Green’ and it was created by artist Michael Snow. …. Have you figured out why she looks familiar? … She was first spotted back in the early 1960s…..

The neighbourhoods along Sherbourne and south of Bloor are other rapidly changing areas of the city. On the west, many older homes still exist but they are empty and obviously waiting demolition (or inclusion into a large condo development?).

below: Once they were a few family homes, now they are a number of smaller apartments. Interesting brickwork.

below: Another ubiquitous development notice sign – this time to inform us of a very large two tower development that involves three streets, Huntley, Linden, and Selby. Portions of some of the older houses would be kept and the towers would be behind them. I did not do a complete research on the planning application (21 227527 STE 13 OZ) but it seems like city council didn’t like many parts of the initial proposal back in 2021/2022. I do not know what it’s status is now.

below: On the east side of Sherbourne, it is Howard Street that is torn up. This is the west side of St. James Town.

below: A cheeseburger with a sesame seed bun!

below: Someone’s heart is in heaven, but Lisa and Jerry 4-Ever!

below: Jarvis & Gloucester/Earl northwest corner. Some black, some white, and lots of grey.

below: Fancy brick work, rounded windows, and a turret!

below: Church Wellesley village, neighbourhood number two.

below: Once upon a time it was Maple Leaf Gardens, home to the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team (1931-1999). Now it houses a Loblaws grocery store and TMU athletic facilities (Mattamy Athletic Centre). Northwest corner of Church and Carlton

below: Lots of pink on Maitland Street.

below: Garden of Lost Boys – dedicated to the memory of friends and neighbours lost to the AIDS epidemic.

below: Hot tub macrame!! Finally, a use for those plant hangers that you (or your mother) might have – that you probably made back in the 1980s. If you don’t have such a thing, you can find this one in a store on Church Street.

below (also above): Tribute to Sarah Hegazi, written in 2020. “To my siblings: I tried to survive and failed, forgive me. To my friends: the experience was harsh & I was too weak to resist it, forgive me. To the world: you were cruel to a great extent, but I forgive.” Hegazi was an Egyptian writer and LGBTQ activist who was arrested and tortured in Cairo for waving a rainbow banner. She found asylum in Canada in 2018 but died by suicide in Toronto two years later.

below: Patchwork teddy bear graffiti sticker by artsbyabe

below: At the end of the rainbow you will find O’Gradys – in on of the few half houses that exist in the city.

below: On a school wall – a door with rainbow stripes and hearts along with Honesty (Gwekwaadziwin) and Wisdom (Newaakaawin)

below: Gerrard Street East and the Garden District,… now we are at number three.

below: … but wait, Gerrard Street East in McGill Granby Village? The difference of course is that one is on the west side of Church and the other is on the east. Neighbourhood number four.

below: By the time we get to Queen Street, we are in Old Town Toronto, Historic Queen Street and Neighbourhood number 5.

below: The round turret of that yellow building still remains. The green scaffolding keeps the facade stable while new development occurs around it. Some of you may be old enough to remember it as a Thriftys Sports Shop. The last business to occupy the space before demolition was Shawarma’s King.

below: Church street just north of King. Fenced off and closed to traffic.

below: The intersection of Church and King, looking towards the southeast corner.

below: Still King and Church but a slightly different angle

below: … Also King Street

below: Leader Lane runs between King and Wellington. After many years of “discussion” and planning, the part of Leader Lane that is south of Colborne just might get pedestrianized. This picture show the north half of Leader Lane and yes, that section has just been completely redeveloped around the older white building.

below: P.J. O’Brien’s has been on the corner of Colborne and Leader Lane since 1966.

A quick look back at Front and Sherbourne – this is the northeast corner of that intersection. A lot of new development here!

Phew! Time for a rest!

With thanks to all the friends that I walked with that day…. shown here doing what we all do best, play in our favorite photo places (in this case, Leader Lane, side of P.J. O’Briens)

What remains

Posted: July 12, 2025 in history, old buildings, transportation
Tags: concrete, construction, Ellesmere, Lawrence East, Mike Myers Dr., redevelopment, Scarborough, Scarborough Town Centre, SRT, subway, transportation, TTC

There is talk about what to do with the Scarborough Rapid Transit (SRT) line that runs from Kennedy station, north to Lawrence and Ellesmere, and then east to Scarborough Town Centre. The SRT was built in 1985 and then closed in July 2023. The concrete and glass infrastructure still remains. The tracks are gone. A few years ago, I went for a ride on the SRT (blog post is Are you going to Scarborough? ) but I never checked out the stations themselves. Since I am not sure how much longer they are going to exist, I thought I’d better take a look before it’s too late.

below: Lawrence East station nestles under the bridge where Lawrence passes over railway tracks between Kennedy Road and Midland Avenue.

below: Although the SRT tracks have been removed, other tracks remain. These tracks continue on to Agincourt GO station and points farther north.

below: Looking south

below: Signs for 54A and 954 Lawrence buses

below: If you wanted to cross the tracks, this was the fastest way…

below: Permanently closed

below: Mike Myers Drive with Lawrence East station in the background.

below: A short distance north of the Lawrence East station is the old Ellesmere station. It too is under a bridge (under Ellesmere of course!). It is smaller than the Lawrence East station

below: Ellesmere station also has the circular hole for the stairs leading to an underground passage. The station looks like a big glass tube.

below: Someone is missing their lock.

After Ellesmere station, the SRT turned east, diverging from the other set of tracks. Midland station was just after the turn – on Midland between Ellesmere and Progress. Sorry, no pictures (busier street, no parking). Although the architecture is similar (a glass tube), Midland station is built on top of a bridge, above the road instead of below it. From Midland the trains went directly east to Scarborough Town Centre. For most of thee eastern section, the tracks run behind industrial or light industrial land. I haven’t been able to find out if there is any access or if it is all fenced off.

below: East view of Scarborough Town Centre station with covered walkways from both the federal government building on the left, and the shopping center on the right.

below: No trains run here anymore, but the station is still used for buses with the elevated rails being used as a roof.

below: Pillars supporting the elevated tracks still run through the parking lot of Scarborough Town Centre to McCowan.

below: McCowan station was the eastern end of the line.

below: McCowan station viewed from the east side. The tracks continued a short distance to the SRT yard where trains were housed and serviced.

below: At McCowan, Scarborough Transit Connect is partnered with Metrolinx to build the new Scarborough Extension subway from Kennedy station to a new terminus at Shepherd and McCowan. See a previous blog post, Intersections – McCowan and Sheppard for some photos from

below: Traffic on McCowan is impacted by the subway extension construction

below: One more view of the construction at McCowan station

below: And last, I found evidence on a pole in the parking lot at Scarborough Town Centre that indicates that I have missed the Rapture; they left without me. I guess that I am stuck here!

everything’s for sale

Posted: March 26, 2025 in construction, locations, stores, windows and walls
Tags: architecture, cars, chairs, Domestic Tank & Equipment, fences, Liquidatorz, murals, old cars, puzzle, railway, redevelopment, Rona, Scarborough, signs, vacant, walls, Warden Ave.

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!

around Wilson station

Posted: March 4, 2025 in construction, locations, public art, transportation
Tags: art, clandestinos, concrete, condos, development, Downsview airport, fourplexes, graffiti, houses, kiss n ride, murals, parking, redevelopment, Shalak Attack, street art, subway, Ted Bieler, tiles, TTC, Wilson Heights, Wilson station

Wilson subway station, on the University side of Line 1, opened in 1978 and was the end of the line until Downsview station just to the north opened in 1996. It is not a thing of beauty. Concrete. Austere from the outside. It’s entrance from under the Allen Expressway is dark, gloomy, and depressing.

below: Northwest entrance to the station, nestled up against the Allen Expressway.

below: Walkway to southwest entrance

That stretch of the subway runs down the median of the Allen Expressway.

below: Although the platform has a roof, it is open at the ends and in the winter it is cold. There are a few of these pod-like waiting areas, circular glass structures with benches for those wanting a tiny reprieve from the wind.

below: Inside the station a concrete wall sculpture by Ted Bieler entitled ‘Canyons’

What drew me here in the first place …. To help brighten up the area, some of the concrete, both inside and out, has been covered with murals by Shalak Attack, Bruno Smoky, and Clandestinos,

below: An owl and a woman’s face at the two south entrances.

below: There is a lot of street art along Wilson Avenue but most of it is under the Allen Expressway and is not well lit. Some of it is also looking very dirty.

below: Pink flowers inside the station

below: Circular “Kiss ‘n Ride” still exists.

below: Exit at Wilson Heights

below: Northeast side of the station, along with the Allen Expressway

I took most of these pictures back in the summer but I hadn’t taken the time to blog about what I had seen. When I drove past Wilson again recently, I noticed that the parking lot on the east side (towards Wilson Heights) is now fenced off. Now it is a snow covered vacant lot.

below: Parking lot before

below: … and after. You can still park your bikes here, but no more cars.

below: There is a City of Toronto development notice sign on the side of Wilson station. It looks like the city may be serious about affordable housing at this site. Apparently this has been in the works for a number of years but faced some opposition form those who wanted to keep the parking lot. Just shy of 1500 units in six buildings are planned on the site along with community space and a public park. The percent allotted to affordable housing varies from 35 to 48 percent, depending on the source of the information.

To the west of the station, on the north side of Wilson, is the remains of the Downsview Airport lands.

below: One of the four winners of the ‘XOXO Downsview, Talking Fences’ competition of 2023, is “Aandi wenjibaayan?” which translates to “Where are you from?” It was suggested by Lakhvir Sandhar. The other three winners have their words displayed elsewhere on the Downsview property.

vintage photo taken from low flying airplane of bishop-barker airplane limited,

Photo credit: Toronto Public Library online digital image archive

The south side of Wilson is retail and is now Wilson Village. It is also where you will find Billy Bishop Way named for Canadian pilot. It is nowhere near Billy Bishop Airport (that’s WAAAAY south, on the island, or the other one in Owen Sound) but is a nod to Downsview’s history as an airfield and its role in airplane manufacturing.

William Avery Bishop was born in Owen Sound in 1894. He was a Canadian flying ace during WW1.

below: Looking southeast past the old metal fence that surrounds the parking on the northwest side of Wilson station. Big box retail on the other side of Wilson, and newer midrise to highrise residential development on the other side of the Allen.

Very close to the planned “affordable housing” but on the south side of Wilson, there is already a new community being built.

There are many older single family homes to the east, in a quiet neighbourhood squeezed in between Wilson and the 401.

I even discovered an old moose hiding in the bushes! The “Moose in the City” project goes way back to 2000 when 326 life-sized moose sculptures found homes around the city. Each one was decorated by a local artist. I am not sure how many still exist but it can’t be more than a fraction of the original.

Other moose: Scarborough moose near Kennedy and 401, moose at St. Clair and Bayview. Any others?

To the east, Wilson is becoming a canyon of midrise buildings, replacing the older residences, often fourplexes and sixplexes.

The development is more intensive as you get closer to the Allen and the subway line…

… on both the north and south side of Wilson

behind Dundas, near Dufferin

Posted: February 5, 2025 in alleys, construction, graffiti and street art
Tags: alley, aner, Anna Urra, Christina Mazzulla, construction, Dufferin, Dundas West, Fabian Lopez, garages, graffiti, lanes, Mony Zakhour, murals, Paula Tikay, redevelopment, Supermalo5, three sisters, tikay, vacant

below: View from a lane that runs behind the north side of Dundas West, walking west of Dufferin. The alley also runs east of Dufferin but that will have to wait for another day. The large brick building on Dufferin is St. Annes parish hall. St. Annes church is behind, facing Gladstone Ave. The vacant lot on left was a parking lot not long ago but now it is now a construction site.

below: It looks like changes are coming on the Dundas West side of the lane as well. A concrete wall/fence has been partially demolished and there are construction fences behind some of the buildings. According to the Urban Toronto website, two 8 storey developments have been proposed – one fronting on Dundas and the other on Dufferin, with the alley remaining between them.

below: Behind Dundas West… but not for much longer.

below: Artwork by Cuban artist Supermalo5, aka Fabian Lopez who always includes a little question mark in his work along with the incorrect equation 2 + 2 = 5

below: Two big round black eyes

below: Street art painting, abstract, by Mony Zakhour

below: Screenshot from Google street view, captured in 2019. The houses on the left are now gone – you can see the blue and white development notice sign in front of them. They are now part of the vacant lot/construction site pictured above. You can also see that the lane here is Boland Lane. It runs perpendicular to Dundas West.

below: A quick look at what else is in Boland Lane

below: “Embrace what makes you unique even if it makes others uncomfortable”

below: “Perfection is the enemy of greatness”

Continuing behind Dundas….

below: Layers, old and new as well as wood, brick, and glass.

below: Rooftop decks and terraces above and street art covered garages below including a flaming hot kitty painted by Christina Mazzulla.

below: A trio of grey masked foxes (wolves? dogs?) covering two doors. This painting goes back to at least 2017 and possibly 2015 and before.

below: The lane meets Awde Street, with a teal colored garage door. Awde is only a block long, and is not the original Awde Street. Apparently what is now Croatia Street was once Awde (1908) and there is a plaque to prove it.

below: That brownish wall in above picture (where there is now a stack of firewood), was once covered with a painting. This is it in 2015.

below: Awde Street, streetview from 2019.

At this point, the lane makes a 90 degree turn towards Dundas – and lo and behold, there is even more artwork to see ( also by Mony Zakhour?)

below: On the north side of Dundas West, there is a large mural titled, “Three Sisters” painted by Paula Tikay and Aner Urra. I discussed it in a blog post from 2019 (Three Sisters, Tikay and Aner)

… and that’s the end of the alley!

Small bit of trivia: I once found my great-great-grandfather, John Marshall, and his family in a Toronto phone book from about 1910 (I can’t remember the exact year). They were on Gladstone Ave. When I went to see if I could find the house, I discovered that the number corresponded with a vacant lot (parking lot?) adjacent to St. Annes church.

Cliffcrest

Posted: January 28, 2025 in alleys, construction, graffiti and street art, history, locations, transportation
Tags: Americana Motel, Cliffcrest, Hav a Nap Motel, Henry's Motel, houses, Kingston Road, motels, mural, mural routes, radial railway, redevelopment, Scarborough, Scarborough Heritage Murals, signs, Stop 17, stores, T&YRR, winter

Cliffcrest is a neighbourhood in Scarborough that includes a section of Kingston Road between Brimley and Bellamy Roads. The southern boundary is Lake Ontario including the eastern portion of the Scarborough Bluffs.

below: At the corner of Kingston Road & St. Clair is one of the Scarborough Heritage Trail murals funded by Mural Routes. It is “In The Way of Progress” and shows a Kingston Road radial railway car at Stop 17 with Scarborough High School (later changed name to R.H. King Academy) in the background. It was painted in 1996 by Phil, Jennifer, and Jamie Richards.

below: 1922, Kingston Road looking west towards St. Clair with Scarborough High School near the intersection.

Source: City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1488, series 1230, Item 2064

In 1893 the Toronto and Scarborough Electric Railway, Light and Power Company started running a one car train along Kingston Road. The tracks went as far east as West Hill. A couple of years later, this line became part of the Toronto and York Radial Railway (TYRR). The TYRR had four branches radiating from the city, one to the west, 2 northward, and this one east along Kingston Road. The stops on the Scarborough route were numbered, starting at Victoria Park Avenue. Stop 17 was at St. Clair East & Kingston Road.

below: This 1922 photo is actually from a bit farther west, at Victoria Park. What I wanted to show was how the railway tracks just ran between the road and the sidewalk. Very simple infrastructure! Not too feasible in a city, but in 1922 this neighbourhood was more rural than urban (and they still got transit!)

1922 photo of Kingston Road, looking west from Victoria Park

Source: City of Toronto Archives, Series 71, item 1607

below: You can’t see it in this photo but the mural above is on the wall of Stop 17 Variety (by the parking lot on the right).

below: From 1973, forty years ago – looking at the southeast corner of Brimley and Kingston Road. The bus is northbound on Brimley.

black and white photo by Richard Glaze taken in 1973 at the corner of Brimley and Kingston Road, found on Transit Toronto website

Photo Credit: Richard Glaze photo 1973, Transit Toronto website. If you are interested in anything to do with transit in Toronto, check out their website. They have an extensive collection of photographs, maps, and documents. They also feature all the latest news about slow downs, route changes, and service advisories (among other things).

The same motel is still on that corner of Kingston Rd and Brimley. I don’t have the exact replica photo but this is what the Hav a Nap Motel looks like now.

below: Moving slightly west, photo taken from approximately the corner of Brimley and Kingston Road.

Once upon a time, Kingston Road was a major east west route in and out of the city. There were many motels along here. Their heyday was the 1950s and the bigger, fancier ones are long gone, leaving behind some of the smaller ones.

below: As a shoutout to these motels and their stoy is this sidewalk box decorated with images of old motel signs. The Americana and the Roycroft signs can be seen on this side.

below: The Americana Motel still exists in the Cliffcrest neighbourhood (close to Brimley). The Roycroft is farther east, beyond McCowan.

below: Henry’s Motel

below: The sign of things to come.. and yes, it’s a condo with retail at street level.

below: The north side of Kingston Road, just east of Brimley – it looks like changes are happening here too.

Brimley Road is also the main access for Bluffers Park at the foot of the Scarborough Bluffs.

below: Dairy Queen at Kingston Road and Harewood is closed for the winter

below: An alley runs behind the south side of Kingston Road

below: Mailbox with a porpoise (or two)

below: On the side of a Wild Wings restaurant.

below: Carusos Fruit Market, Groceries, Hardware & Gift Items

intersections – King & Bathurst

Posted: January 20, 2025 in construction, history
Tags: Bank of Montreal, Banknote Bar, bathurst st., clock tower, construction, facade, King St., Metrolinx, pianos, redevelopment, streetcars, TTC, Wheatsheaf Tavern

below: 504 King streetcar on a snowy January afternoon

As you all know, Toronto is being demolished and redeveloped. Almost every part of the city is affected by the construction of new condo buildings or the upgrading of public transit. It can be difficult to keep up documenting the changes! A few weeks ago I posted some pictures from Queen & Spadina where Metrolinx is building a new subway station for the Ontario Line. The next stop west from there is at King and Bathurst.

Infrastructure Ontario wants to build what they call a Transit-Oriented Community (TOC) at King and Bathurst. The gist of the plan is that these sites will feature high density development around transit hubs. Some of the plans for condo and office may still be at the concept level but the new subway station work is well underway.

below: Looking south on Bathurst from King. On the southwest corner is the Wheatsheaf Tavern which has been here since 1849. The exterior of the building hasn’t changed much in 170 years! It remains untouched by today’s construction.

below: The Banknote Bar on the southeast corner is now gone, or at least most of it has been demolished. The north facade will be incorporated into the new station, the King-Bathurst station (Are they really going to call it that? So Dull. So Bland.).

This 4 storey brick building was previously a Bank of Montreal. It was built in 1901/02 for the Canadian Biscuit Company. It then had a series of tenants until 1923 when Bank of Montreal moved in.

Previously, a mixed use development rising above the old brick structure had been proposed for the site (prior to Metrolinx). Cancelled. At this point there is no other development on this corner.

below: Looking east on King

You can see that the corner (above picture) is now covered by a very big white temporary structure where construction of another station underway. What will be revealed? Plans suggest a mixed office/residential tower above with rebuilding of most portions of the TD bank that was on the corner, as well as the building directly east of it. No car parking spots, bikes only. Concept stage? Or further along? One day we might find out!

Last, the northeast corner –

below: Clock Tower lofts dominates the corner. There really are two clocks on the side of the building, both of which are difficult to see. But that doesn’t matter since they don’t work anyhow.

below: 1919 photo of the Clocktower Building. It was in bad shape in 1980 and was demolished. The Clock Tower Lofts (above) replaced it. In 1919 it was home to Otto Higel Piano Company. The church in the background is St. Marys Roman Catholic church at Bathurst and Adelaide.

1919 black and white photo of a brick building on northwest corner of king and bathurst. 4 storeys, with small clock tower on one corner, church in the background

photo credit: City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 3008

The building dates from 1895; it was built for the Toronto Lithographing Company who used it until 1901. Next, the Newell & Higel Co. Ltd take over the building where they manufacture piano actions, keys and hammers, and organ keys, reeds, and reedboards. By 1912 they employed 450 people. They developed a Player Piano that became famous around the world and business boomed. They expanded the building north to the corner of Adelaide Street West.

By the way, a Player Piano is one that plays itself. The 1920’s were their heyday but advances in technology, especially the introduction of radios and record players, helped kill the Player Piano. By the 1930s production ceased.

below: A 1970s view of the northwest corner.

1970s black and white photo of Otto Higel Piano Company, now a furniture factory

photo credit: City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 7, Item 5,

below: Looking out the window of the Wheatsheaf Tavern. How many people have sat here and looked out this window? What did they think about?

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