[Robert1950]

The changing downtown and retail landscape of Toronto...

 

[Adcandour]

Yeah, why can't everything just stay the same?

 

[allthumbs56]

Yeah, why can't everything just stay the same?

View attachment 71673

You mean leave it as Montreal?

 

[Adcandour]

You mean leave it as Montreal?

That's Bay Street, smart ass

Admittedly, the montreal sign threw me too.

 

[fretzel]

 

[Guest]

 

[Budda]

@laristotle who made that?

The major bummer for me about the Shoppers moving into Hard Rock thing is that our drummer works at HRC - now he needs to find another job. Never fun.

 

[Scotty]

Those old photos are incredible

 

[Guest]

who made that?

Google images. Here's the site. A lot of interesting art.
Mathew Borrett Blog

 

[Krelf]

Do you see the union jack top left on the IOF Temple Building in the second Bay Street picture? It's possible that it's at half mast because of the death of Queen Victoria in 1901.

When I was in elementary school in the 1950's the union jack was on our flag pole and hanging in every classroom beside a picture of the Queen. We pledged allegiance to it at the beginning of each school day.


The IOF Temple was torn down in 1970 to make way for the Bay-Queen Centre. It was one of Toronto's first skyscrapers and was a truly unique building.

The tragic fate of the Temple Building

 

[High/Deaf]

You guys are too close to the forest to see the trees. We see Toronto's landscape change all day every day - as the rest of us rotate around it.

 

[Steadfastly]

Even from 1972, when I first moved to Toronto, the landscape has changed tremendously. In many cases, it's only the back streets that have remained somewhat similar.

 

[Wardo]

I was kinda hoping that the Gardner would have survived.

 

[Wardo]

About 10 yeas ago - don't look like this no more though.

 

[Krelf]

It certainly doesn't. Many of those upscale condos whose affluent buyers had been assured lake views are hemmed in my newer buildings obscuring the lake. Their only solace is the fact that the value of their suites has skyrocketed.

 

[Steadfastly]

It certainly doesn't. Many of those upscale condos whose affluent buyers had been assured lake views are hemmed in my newer buildings obscuring the lake. Their only solace is the fact that the value of their suites has skyrocketed.

Before any of those condos went up, there used to be a number of old motels along the Lakeshore. Anyone remember them?

 

[fretzel]

You can still see quite a few hotels/motels in the east end/Scarborough. Hwy 2, Lakeshore, Kingston Rd was a major thoroughfare. Along with the hotels, a lot of industry has disappeared as well.

Who remembers the bump that use to be on the gardiner about 20 years ago? You hit that hard enough you could catch some air.

 

[Krelf]

No, I can't recall them, but there were a lot on Kingston Road, which in their dying days, were renting rooms by the hour! A few may still exist.

But I do remember Maple Leaf Stadium quite near to where those condos were built. I remember going to Toronto Maple Leaf Baseball games and seeing such obscure teams as the Columbus Owls and the Atlanta Crackers in the old International League. At one time the Havana Sugar Kings played in that stadium.

Toronto’s Maple Leaf Baseball Stadium

 

[leftysg]

Was Looking for Murdoch and Crabtree in a couple of those early pics

 

[Wardo]

Before any of those condos went up, there used to be a number of old motels along the Lakeshore. Anyone remember them?

Yeah, there was a bunch of them west of the Humber on the Lakeshore and back in the 80s I always meant to get some pictures of the bastards but now they are gone.