Month: April 2025

Aura Concourse Shopping Mall

April 29, 2025 / Marvin Job / 2 Comments

Continuing on the “dead mall” theme (see my earlier post on the deserted Cumberland Terrace), we’ll take a little look at another urban mall that just didn’t make it: the Aura Concourse Shopping Mall (alternately, The Shops at Aura).

The mall is located under the magnificent Aura tower on the corner of Yonge Street and Gerrard Street East. Standing at 80 storeys high, Aura is Canada’s tallest residential condominium and is a remarkable structure:

One would think that such an impressive building would yield a world-class shopping mall at its base, but that is not the case. Although IKEA, Marshalls and a couple of other stores on the upper-platform levels are doing fine, it’s another story below ground.

Prior to my visit, I’d never been down to these shops under Aura; I’d heard a lot about them but had never witnessed them first hand. When I visited, it was the middle of a busy Saturday afternoon on Yonge Street – you’d think the mall would be hopping, but…. not so much.

Let’s Take a Look…

Outside, on Yonge Street. Doesn’t look so bad from here…

One of the doors leading to the Concourse Shopping Mall

Arrival

Prior to the below-ground mall opening, there were promises from the developers of extending the PATH up to College Park along with a new premier shopping mall and experience. None of that happened. Apparently, in the pre-planning days, the mall merchants were presented with an inflated picture, by the planning commission, of how active and successful the mall would become. Of course this is not the reality and I’ve read that the merchants are now suing the developers for false presentation.

The Food Court

BlogTO has described The Shops at Aura as “Toronto’s Worst Mall”. This is largely in reaction to the half-vacant retail space, limited offerings at the food court, and atmosphere (at present, only 3 of the 12 fast food units are occupied):

The Only Sign of Life…

“Banana Games” in store #39. This appeared to be the only place in the mall where there was some sign of life.

Get Me Out of Here!

BlogTO describes my feelings to a T while I was in this mall: “the whole place feels like an anxiety-inducing maze in which the more turns you take, the further you get from an exit”. In the half-hour or so I walked around the mall I became increasingly depressed. This gave way to a feeling of claustrophobia, like I had to get out of the place; I felt very trapped down there:

The elevators leading to College Park… maybe I can escape this way and get out of here!

I’m the last person who should be making fun of other people’s web design, but – COME ON Aura!! – their website is pure embarrassment! It looks like something a 4th grade html class might have come up with on a bad day. The site is ugly as sin, full of useless information, and most links take the viewer to the dreaded “404 Not Found” page.

Wrapping Up

So much is wrong with this mall, I don’t know where to start. There’s absolutely no street level indication that these shops exist, and without a PATH connection, people have no reason to make a detour into the Shops at Aura. There’s just not much demand these days for 30 variety shops selling cheap phone cases and snacks.

We’ll see what the future holds for this space…

Richmond Street East

April 23, 2025 / Marvin Job / 0 Comments

The sun was actually shining for more than three minutes last weekend, so I set out for another photowalk in the city. It had been a few years since I’d walked along Richmond Street East, so I thought I’d give that street a try with my trusty camera in tow.

Richmond Street East runs from Yonge Street to just east of Parliament Street, where it crosses the Don River and becomes known as Eastern Avenue. As you walk along Richmond Street East, you can tell its had a long history of hard labour and warehouses. In the 20th century, the area saw the rise of large-scale warehouses, factories, and office buildings, many of which replaced earlier low-rise structures.

These days Richmond Street East is definitely – and literally – on the rise: there are condo projects everywhere you look. The street is a vibrant part of Toronto’s downtown core, with a mix of commercial, residential, and entertainment spaces.

Walking from the start of the street at Yonge, and finishing at Parliament, here’s a bit of what I encountered:

The Confederation Life Building, a seven-floor Romanesque Revival office building, is a historic structure in Toronto. Completed in 1892, it was designated a historic property by the City of Toronto under the Ontario Heritage Act on November 26, 1975.

Condos everywhere! Looking upwards from the corner of Richmond Street East and Yonge Street.

This is currently a fully tenanted office building owned by the City of Toronto. In future it may be required for the Toronto Parking Authority.

Toronto EMS Station #40, located at 58 Richmond Street East

This is a housing co-op located at 60 Richmond Street East. It was designed by Teeple Architects and completed in March 2010. This 11-story, 85-unit mixed use building is among the first new housing co-ops to be built in Toronto in recent years. It won the Ontario Association of Architects Design Excellence Award (2010) and the Canadian Architect Award of Excellence (2007).

Another Wild Wing location meets a sad end. Located at 107 Church Street, northeast corner of Richmond Street East and Church Street.

Dwarfed and surrounded by highrise condos, McVeigh’s Irish Pub looks very out of place. The pub was founded in 1962.

The Canadian Venture Building, 82 Richmond Street East. This company provides outfitted office spaces for daily, weekly, monthly or long-term occupancy.

Mural in Green P parking lot #219, at 99 Richmond Street East

Lots of colour on the Tangerine bikes, 99 Richmond Street East

The George Street Diner, 129 George Street, northeast corner of George Street and Richmond Street East. Comfort food at a classic diner.

At 121 George Street, Alterra’s Celeste Condominiums are currently under construction. That company recently collaborated with J. Hutton, a Toronto-based multimedia artist and musician, who has brought the construction hoarding to life. Inspired by vintage cinematography and live music, his mural “Ballet & Granite”, invites the viewer to appreciate the beauty of movement, the skill of the performers, and the ephemeral nature of artistic expression. It celebrates the universal language of dance and encourages viewers to reflect on the fleeting moments that make up the tapestry of life and art.

354 Richmond Street East is the former home of the Downtown Ford Service Centre. It looks like it’s now slated for condo conversion.

384 Richmond Street East. The City of Toronto has passed a by-law designating this building as being of cultural heritage value or interest. This is the site of a future, massive condo development. The upcoming project will retain facades from the buildings at 263-265 Queen Street East, 90 Ontario Street, 410 Richmond Street, and 384 Richmond Street. All of these buildings are listed on the City of Toronto’s Heritage Registry.

The Turco-Persian Rug Co. at 354 Richmond Street East looks quite out of place amongst all the upcoming condos in the area.

These painted curbs are a nice diversion from the somewhat dreary neighbourhood. The painted curbs, seen in several areas of downtown Toronto, are an initiative of the City of Toronto’s StreetARToronto program. The program aims to make streets more vibrant, animate the paths, and showcase the work of diverse Toronto Artists.

The end of Richmond Street East. Beyond this Parliament Street intersection, the one-way Richmond Street East passes over the Don River and becomes Eastern Avenue.

Good Friday Procession

April 18, 2025 / Marvin Job / 0 Comments

OK, I cheated a little on this post. I just wasn’t up to shooting the Good Friday Procession in today’s rain, so I’ve brought forward my shots of the event from a few year’s ago.

For those unfamiliar, the Good Friday Procession is a long standing tradition taking place every Good Friday in Toronto. The mile-long procession is a three-hour event reenacting the fourteen stations of the cross, symbolizing what Christians believe to be the path Jesus took before he was crucified.

The Procession got its start in 1962. These days, thousands turn out for the Good Friday procession as it winds its way through the streets of Toronto’s Little Italy. The sombre event is organized and performed primarily by the parish of St. Francis of Assisi Church at the corner of Mansfield Avenue and Grace Street.