Category: Historical buildings (Page 1 of 3)

The Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres

September 1, 2024 / Marvin Job / 1 Comment

At 189 Yonge Street we find the fabulous Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres. These are separate theatres located in the same building: the Winter Garden is located seven storeys above the Elgin, which is at street level. They are the last surviving Edwardian stacked theatres in the world.

A Bit of History

Currently owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust, the pair of theatres were originally built as the flagship of Marcus Loew’s theatre chain in 1913. The building was designed by architect Thomas W. Lamb, who also designed the Ed Mirvish Theatre (formerly named the Pantages Theatre). The Elgin Theatre has a seating capacity of 2,149, while the Winter Garden Theatre seats a maximum of 1,410.

Lobby of the Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre

Before construction of the stacked theatres, Marcus Loew intended to rent out the Yonge Street frontage as commercial space, but the dimensions contravened a 1912 Toronto bylaw. To bypass the bylaw, Thomas Lamb had to file drawings with the City Architect’s Office that showed a “sham” entrance on Victoria Street. Today, the Victoria Street entrance is still used — as the stage door.

Both theatres were built to host vaudeville acts and the short silent movies of the time. Each theatre was intended for a different class of patron. The gold-and-marble, domed, “hard-top” lower theatre (originally called Loew’s Yonge Street Theatre) was home to continuous vaudeville and movies. The theatres played host to such greats as George Burns & Gracie Allen, Sophie Tucker, Milton Berle and Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy.

The Elgin

The classical architecture of the Elgin was typical of vaudeville stages, set apart by its lavish interiors. Renowned for its warmth of colour and coziness, it was decorated in modern French Renaissance style – with gilt, imitation marble, red damask and ornamental plasterwork of festooned grapes, ribbons and musical instruments.

In 1939, the Elgin held the premieres of classic films such as The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind. It would continue to be open for the public from the end of World War II into the late 1970s, but as a cinema the theatre was facing high taxes. Even in 1940, as it lost money, the Elgin was beginning its journey towards degradation as the splendour of the old vaudeville days was starting to fade.

The Winter Garden

The upper-level Winter Garden is an “atmospheric” country garden under the stars, painted with murals of plants and garden trellises, with tree trunk columns and lantern lights. This upper theatre was originally built for the “big time” vaudeville market and had reserved seats at premium prices, catering to affluent patrons. As well as competing in a different market, the upper theatre could be used for experimentation with acts, without the risk of closing the lower theatre.

Decline and Closure

With the decline of vaudeville, the Winter Garden closed in 1928. It remained closed for more than half a century, becoming a time capsule of a bygone era. The lower-level Elgin, with its grand domed ceiling, continued as a movie house, gradually slipping into disrepair with the passing of each decade. After closure there was left inside a large collection of vaudeville flats and scenery, now the world’s largest surviving collection.

In 1969, Loews sold the Elgin to Famous Players. By the late 1970s, the Elgin was showing mainly B movies and soft-core pornography. In 1981, the Ontario Heritage Foundation bought the structure from Famous Players. The Elgin was closed as a movie theatre on November 15, 1981; the final film presented at the theatre was the erotic sex comedy What the Swedish Butler Saw.

From March 1985 through March 1987 the musical Cats was very successfully presented in the essentially unrestored Elgin, showing the viability of the theatre. Cats went on to gross nearly $22 million in ticket sales, making it one of Toronto’s most successful commercial shows.

Rebirth

Later in 1987, a $29-million restoration began in both theatres, directed by architect Mandel Sprachman; this was the largest theatre restoration ever undertaken in Canada. The gilt plaster detail work in the Elgin required more than 300,000 wafer-thin sheets of aluminum leaf. The walls of the Winter Garden had to be cleaned using hundreds of pounds of raw bread dough to avoid damaging the original hand-painted watercolour artwork. More than 65,000 square feet of new space was created, including lobby and lounge areas and an eight-storey backstage pavilion housing modern dressing rooms and two rehearsal halls. The theatres reopened to much acclaim in 1989.

The Elgin had suffered extensive alterations through its declining years of use as a movie theatre. The proscenium arch had been destroyed to accommodate a wider screen and the opera boxes had disappeared. With the original architectural drawings and archival photographs as reference points, the interior of the Elgin with its gilt ornamental plaster surfaces, red damask wall coverings and imitation marble features was painstakingly restored or reconstructed.

Historical Photos

Out front of Loew’s Yonge Street theatre in the 1920s
Photo: Toronto Transit Commission Archives

The decaying structure of the The Winter Garden, 1967
Photo: Toronto Star Archives

The Elgin undergoing its extensive renovations in 1987
Photo: Toronto Star Archives

Here’s an excellent short video detailing the history, decline and rebirth of these beautiful theatres:

The Elgin and Winter Garden theatre building is a National Historic Site of Canada, and the theatres remain one of Canada’s finest theatrical stage complexes. A sampling of shows that have been presented here includes:

The Wizard of Oz
Kenneth Branagh’s King Lear
Robin Philips’ production of Aspects of Love
The North American premiere of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with Donny Osmond
Napoleon
George F. Walker’s Nothing Sacred
The Who’s Tommy
STOMP
Forever Tango
Tap Dogs
Mikhail Baryshnikov and the White Oak Dance Project
Grease
The Full Monty
Stones in His Pockets
The Drawer Boy
Copenhagen
Rent
Avenue Q
Tuesdays with Morri
Various productions by Opera Atelier, the Canadian Opera Company and Ross Petty Productions

The theatres have also presented musical and comedy concerts, lectures, award presentations, gala screenings from the Toronto International Film Festival and a variety of special events and receptions.

The marvelous ceiling in The Elgin Theatre

A Haunted Elgin/Winter Garden?

According to the website TorontoGhosts.org, a number of paranormal occurrences in the theatres have been reported over the years, including:

A workman in the theatres watched once as a group of theatre seats in the Winter Garden folded down as if an unseen audience had just sat down to watch a performance, and then, moments after, returned to their normal position.
The hand operated elevators, which supposedly require an operator to move, will suddenly start up by themselves and go to various floors for no apparent reason. Staff have either experienced this themselves or know someone closely who has.
Many staff and a few theatre patrons have reported an apparition of a woman in Edwardian clothing appearing in the lobby and remaining long enough to be witnessed by a few before disappearing.
Some of the volunteers doing the renovation conducted a session with a Ouija Board. Almost as soon as they started, a ghost named “Samuel” identified himself. He had been a trombone player in 1918 who had passed away by falling into the orchestra pit of the Elgin. The volunteers asked if there were any other spirits there. He said yes, but when they asked to talk to them, he refused.

If you’re still reading this – thank you! I realize this has been a long-ish post but with such a fantastic subject, it’s easy to get a little carried away – the building is certainly deserving of architectural praise. We are so very fortunate to have this historic, gorgeous theatre complex in our city and shouldn’t take it for granted. The Elgin and Winter Garden came very close to being demolished like so many of Toronto’s heritage buildings… and that would truly have been a shame.

References:

Heritage Matters
Ontario Heritage Trust
HistoricPlaces.ca
Local Film Cultures: Toronto
TorontoGhosts.org

The Carlu

July 13, 2024 / Marvin Job / 1 Comment

Originally opened in 1930 as “Eaton’s Seventh Floor,” The Carlu was spearheaded by businessman Timothy Eaton. Lady Eaton, who aspired to bring high society and world-class culture to Toronto, was actively involved in the planning and design of Eaton’s College Street and the Seventh Floor. To realize her desire for style and elegance, she commissioned famed French architect, Jacques Carlu.

The College Park elevator to The Carlu on the 7th floor

Carlu was renowned for his masterpieces in the Art Moderne style, known as streamlined monumentalism for its clean lines and grand scale. The Seventh Floor exemplified this style in every element, including the colour palette, architectural details, artwork, room appointments, as well as the glorious Lalique fountain gracing the centre of The Round Room. In fact, it is said that the sheer beauty and unique shape of The Round Room may have inspired the design of The Rockefeller Center’s iconic Rainbow Room.

In 2003, the space at 444 Yonge Street in College Park was reopened as The Carlu event venue after an extensive restoration.

Event Rooms

The Carlu has 4 event rooms, namely the Concert Hall, the Sky Room, the Round Room and the Clipper Room. The following room descriptions are from Carlu’s website:

The Concert Hall

The Concert Hall can accommodate large functions ranging from 600-1500 guests. The versatile space can be transformed from a state-of-the-art concert space, to an exquisite backdrop for large galas, conventions, award ceremonies and more:

The Round Room

The Round Room is said to have inspired the design of The Rockefeller Center’s iconic Rainbow Room. Its unique shape, paired with the Lalique fountain that graces the centre of the room, make it an impressive space:

The Clipper Room

From an intimate corporate reception, to an on-site bridal suite, the Clipper Room functions as a flexible lounge, dining and reception space that can be used independently or in conjunction with The Carlu’s additional event spaces:

Recognized as one of Toronto’s best examples of Art Moderne architecture, the style is in evidence throughout the space:

Exiting through the Carlu’s South Lobby we get one last look at the graceful Art Moderne details:

The Carlu has been designated as a National Historic Site of Canada, and has played host to royalty on several occasions as the preferred space for high profile social fetes, conventions, and corporate celebrations.

Historical data courtesy of The Carlu’s website

Click here to view the complete photo gallery of my Carlu visit

38 Dundas Street East

June 22, 2024 / Marvin Job / 3 Comments

On an oddly-angled section of Dundas Street East, just east of Yonge Street, sits a heritage building which recently has become nothing more than a hole in the ground.

Many will remember this building as the old Hakim Optical store from several years ago:

In June 2023, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU, formerly Ryerson University) announced the acquisition of two new properties, including 38-40 Dundas Street East. Prior to the sale closing, the City of Toronto deemed 38-40 Dundas Street East in a state of disrepair and required it to be demolished in order to protect public safety. The building has sat vacant since 2010 after its most recent tenant – Hakim Optical — vacated the property.

Despite its history tracing back at least 113 years, the building at 38-40 Dundas Street East lacks heritage protections, and, in its current condition, has been deemed non-salvageable.

Street Murals Found a Home

Despite the building being unsafe on the inside, the south exterior side was in good shape, providing a wide canvas for several murals over the years.

Here’s how the building appeared in October 2021:

On the Yonge Street/Victoria Street side

In August 2022 we were treated to this new Made In Canada mural:

Then, in October 2022 we were greeted by Harry Styles, gazing down at us:

So Long, Harry…

And now – in June 2024 – we say goodbye to Harry and 38 Dundas Street East, as the demolition proceeds in earnest. When I passed the building last week, Harry was quickly disappearing:

A Bit of Building History

The construction date of 38-40 Dundas Street East has been identified as 1913 in several sources. However, there is the possibility that the extant building may have incorporated parts of an older structure predating the 1910s. Notably, 38-40 Dundas Street East is situated directly on the site of the former, long-time residence of Rev. Dr. Egerton Ryerson and family. Several historical resources indicate the former residence of the Ryerson family may have been heavily renovated and incorporated into the design of the existing building at 38-40 Dundas Street East instead of being outright demolished.

38-40 Dundas Street East appears to have been painted since at least the mid-1920s and it is possible the paint was obscuring details, such as evidence of an older underlying structure and/or alterations over time. Peeling paint on the rear elevation had revealed yellow brick (likely from the mid-19th century) on the lower levels with red brick (likely from the early 20th century) on the upper levels.

The property is one of two buildings sold by the City of Toronto to Metropolitan University (TMU) in 2023, along with the adjacent Toronto Public Health building at 277 Victoria Street, topped by the iconic Sam the Record Man sign:

The iconic ‘Sam the Record Man’ sign, mounted on top of 277 Victoria Street.

Photo update

Here’s what the site looked like on June 29, 2024:

Reference: ACO Toronto

A Yorkville-Annex Walk

May 18, 2024 / Marvin Job / 1 Comment

The Annex is one of Toronto’s oldest neighbourhoods. It has an old world feel to it and is somewhat diverse, including U of T, trendy eateries, art galleries and one-of-a-kind shops. On its side-streets are gorgeous residential homes — many built around 1880.

For this walk I started at Bay Street, crossed Scollard Street, went down Hazelton Avenue, then on to Yorkville Avenue. From there I completed the rectangular route of Avenue Road, Prince Arthur Avenue, Huron Street, Lowther Avenue, returning to Avenue Road.

Scollard Street

Let’s start out with some beautiful spring tulips on Scollard Street:

Table of Love

At 120 Scollard Street there is this absolutely delightful sculpture called Table of Love by the artists Gillie & Marc.

The text accompanying the work reads:

Even though it was their first date he asked her to marry him. And she said YES. They say when you know, you know, and Dogman and Rabbitwoman both did after just one date. They met, they had dinner, he asked, she said yes. And within a week of first meeting each other they were in Nepal getting married in the foothills of Mount Everest. They still love going on dates together, sharing food, laughter and conversation. And after all this time – to adventure, to chance, to each other – they always say yes.

Hazelton Avenue

Outside Gallery Gevik at 12 Hazelton Avenue I encountered The Chorus, a 1966 sculpture by the Canadian artist Sylvia Lefkovitz:

I’ve always thought this sculpture dark, depressing, foreboding; it fills me with a sense of dread, à la the Dementors in the Harry Potter movies…

Time to move on to something a little cheerier…

Prince Arthur Avenue

Prince Arthur Avenue was named for the Duke of Connaught (1850-1942) who became Governor-General of Canada from 1911 to 1916. He first visited Canada in 1869 and this street name appeared on the Toronto registered plan in 1870.

I’ve been wanting to revisit Prince Arthur Avenue for a while. I’ve always admired the historic homes and buildings on this relatively upscale street:

**15 Prince Arthur Avenue**
“This dwelling dates to the 1870s. Its side entrance is innovative for the time, but the general tone is conservative as symmetry prevails under a conventional gable roof. Of special interest are the pairs of semicircular arched windows across the façade”.

**20 Prince Arthur Avenue**
Across the street is one of Uno Prii’s architectural masterpieces. Uno Prii claimed 20 Prince Arthur Avenue, built in 1965, was his favourite building, and it’s easy to understand why: the tower captures space age excitement with a rocket-like profile that flares outward at the base, then soars 22 storeys to scalloped peaks.

If you’d like to read my post dedicated to Uno Prii’s architectural creations in the Annex, click here.

Painted utility box outside 20 Prince Arthur Avenue

**The Duke of York – 39 Prince Arthur Avenue**
The Duke of York Pub is a Toronto landmark restaurant with a long history. It opened in 1976 and has been in successful operation since.

**36A Prince Arthur Avenue**
Outside the restaurant Trattoria Fieramosca

**“Rosamund” by Frances Gage (1968) – 50 Prince Arthur Avenue**
“Able to work in a variety of media (wood, plastic, terracotta, plaster and cast stone) and execute a number of techniques (carving, modeling, commercial bas-relief, garden sculpture and portraiture), Frances Gage is one of Canada’s most prolific sculptors. After studying at Oshawa Collegiate and Technical Institute (1943), the Ontario College of Art in Toronto (1951), and the Art Students’ League in New York (1953-55), she received a scholarship from the Royal Society of Canada to study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where she remained for two years.

Frances Gage’s numerous commissions include a twice-life-sized sculpture and four walnut relief panels for Fanshaw College in London, Ontario (1962), a portrait relief of Dr. Bertram Collip for the University of Western Ontario (1963), crests for the Metro bridges in Toronto, a fountain for the rose garden of Mrs. F.S. Albright of London, Ontario, “Woman,” a marble sculpture for the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, and many others. A member of the Council of the Royal Canadian Academy, and teacher at the Artists’ Workshop in Toronto, her other accomplishments include the Rothman purchase award (1965) and the development, with the help of her engineer father, of a new durable material called epoxy-resin. Her work has been shown in several group exhibitions, perhaps most notably at the International Congress of Medallic Arts in Florence, Italy (1984), but also in Colorado City, Colorado (1987), Helsinki, Finland (1990), and London, England (1992).”

**Thomas W. Horn House – Corner of Prince Arthur Avenue & St. George Street**
The actual address here is 180 St. George Street.
“President of a specialty glass company, Thomas Horn pulled out all the stops in creating his dream home in 1898. Employing the skills of Frederick H. Herbert, an architect with several Annex houses to his credit, he chose the Richardsonian Romanesque style. With a conical tower marking the corner site, the house also sports that other hallmark of the genre: the broad arcaded arch, here used to enhance the recessed front door and second storey loggia. The house stands out as one of the few of its type entirely faced in stone”.

Lowther Avenue

Construction of permanent dwellings began on Lowther Avenue around 1875, and shifted to the semi-detached houses that are so characteristic of the 1880s.

**82 Lowther Avenue**
“Architect Frederick H. Herbert designed this 1896 house, which is part of an attractive group of houses lining Lowther Avenue. This home’s hallmark is a circular tower with terra cotta stylings accompanying the dormer. The requisite arches and recessed entryway mark a Romanesque inspiration”.

**80 Lowther Avenue**
This home is a City of Toronto Heritage Property, built in 1900 by architect F.H. Herbert.

**78 Lowther Avenue**
This heritage Eaton Coach House was originally built in 1899. It was converted into luxury three-unit condos in 1985. Suite sizes range from 1800 square feet to 3500 square feet. One of the units is currently on the market for a mere $4.295 million. Alternately, one can rent the townhomes – in 2017 they were renting for $14,000.00 per month. The listing agent says Ryan Reynolds once lived here for a little while.

**“The Vessel” by Ilan Sandler (2011) – Taddle Creek Park**
Commissioned by the City of Toronto.
“This sculpture of a water-carrying vessel is made from 4 kilometers of stainless-steel rod. The rod measures the approximate length of Taddle Creek, which ran from Taddle Creek Park through downtown Toronto to Lake Ontario. The piece reconstitutes a memory of the buried creek by referencing its length and by bending the steel rod into water-carrying arteries. The sculpture’s surface is porous, allowing one to see light slicing through the stainless-steel rods that create its volume. Water flows from the top of the rim of the vessel over its surface and then cascades onto the ground, creating sound that drowns out the noise of traffic. The piece is like an over-flowing pitcher, evoking the creek’s long history as a source of sustenance.

Water from “The Vessel” is stored in an underground cistern and used to irrigate the park. Vessels have accompanied all peoples for millennia, and are often seen as a surrogate for the body; the desire of all civilizations to anthropomorphize these water-carrying vessels is evidence of their importance to our survival as a species. The ability to harness the flow of water both for physical and imaginative nourishment has been an inseparable part of the evolution of all societies. The Anishinaabe Nation or Ojibway-speaking people of the region would have drawn water for sustenance from many sources, including Taddle Creek. They also drew inspiration from water in the development of their creation myths, one of which says, “the rivers that run underground are the veins of Mother Earth and water is her blood, purifying her and bringing her food. Mother Earth implies reproduction, fertility and life.” Although “The Vessel” represents a container, it also acts as a fountain, relating the creek’s historical significance as a life-sustaining water source to the future pleasure of the community.”
– Ilan Sandler 2011

**Carriageway Houses: 25-29 Lowther Avenue**
“The Georgian style had come and gone and not quite come back again when this singular duo was constructed in 1875. Although not much older than their neighbours, the twin units recall an earlier urban type far removed from high-Victorian eclecticism. Restrained in detail and guided by symmetry, the houses follow the standard Georgian rules. Curiously, however, the central focus is a shared carriageway (which led to the backyard stables), topped by a gingerbreaded gable. The latter contains an oriel window, the only eccentricity in an otherwise tempered composition. Number 25 (the left side) gets the oriel”.

**31 Lowther Avenue**
This cute little house is a Heritage Property, built in 1877.

**6-8 Lowther Avenue**
This double house is a Heritage Property, built in 1892. It exhibits the Bay-n-Gable architecture theme of that era, embracing a Romanesque arch.

Avenue Road

Returning to my starting place of Avenue Road, I noticed this intriguing sculpture entitled Figure Catching a Fly by David Altmejd (2019).

Made of bronze, the sculpture sits in front of the Yorkville Private Estates at 200 Cumberland Street; the front of the sculpture faces Avenue Road.

“Altmejd’s bronze statue, standing more than eight feet in height, fancifully updates the traditional bronze figurative monument. Clad in billowing, flowing robes, the sculpture’s striding female figure arrives like a deity, simultaneously gesturing downward to earth and skyward triumphantly. With arresting appeal, Almejd’s animated bronze figure conjures the history of the Yorkville neighbourhood that in the 1960s became Toronto’s epicenter of fashion, fine art, and nightlife, signalling the city’s sophistication and cultural aspirations.” – storeys.com

That’s it for today! Thanks for joining me on this mini-tour of Toronto’s Yorkville-Annex neighbourhood.

References:
Old Toronto Houses by Tom Cruickshank
storeys.com
waymarking.com

The Old Don Jail

March 3, 2024 / Marvin Job / 1 Comment

Given that my last post was of the Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital, it seems only natural to segue into posting about its next door neighbour – the old Don Jail.

When I first arrived in Toronto many moons ago I remember hearing about the infamous Don Jail from so many different people. To say the place fell into wrack and ruin was an understatement; by all accounts it had all the charm of a medieval dungeon.

Construction & Cramped Quarters

The Don Jail was built between 1858 and 1864, with a new wing built in the 1950s. Designed in 1852 by architect William Thomas, who also designed St. Michael’s Cathedral and St. Lawrence Hall, the jail was constructed with a distinctive facade in the Italianate style.

The Don Jail opened in 1864 and closed in 1977. The Jail was state-of-the-art when it was built, and considerably more humane than jails in much of the world at the time. It was certainly a great improvement from earlier Toronto Jails. The cells, though, were tiny – just 86 centimetres wide and there was no electricity or plumbing. A bucket served as a toilet, which was emptied every morning.

Prisoners were not allowed to talk without permission and received only monthly visits from friends and family. Violations frequently resulted in flogging. For about the first 100 years, inmates generally were not allowed to speak unless addressed first by a prison official.

Prisoners spent 23 hours a day in the cell blocks with the remaining hour in the outdoor exercise yard, now a parking lot. They had to keep moving in the yard and were not allowed to sit around and soak up the sun. The inmates did much of the maintenance including painting, carpentry work and other jail repairs. They also worked a jail farm that covered much of the present Riverdale Park.

Overcrowding

In later years the Don Jail became extremely overcrowded. Frequently three inmates were held in cells meant for a single prisoner and in other cells inmates went for days without a chance to exercise. The environment was so bad that both prisoners and guards were at risk. The jail did not meet the minimum prison standards of the United Nations.

No chance of a jailbreak through these bars…

At one time the jail held 691 prisoners, well over the recommended maximum. It was designed to house 275 prisoners, one per cell, and it was noisy and plagued with mice and cockroaches. Many of the prisoners suffered from mental illness.

Public Hangings

Public hanging in Canada wasn’t abolished until 1869, and in Toronto it was moved indoors from the Don Jail yard to its confines in 1905. Before capital punishment was abolished in Canada, the Toronto Jail was the site of a number of hangings. Starting with the execution of John Boyd in January 1908, hangings at the jail took place in an indoor chamber, which was a converted washroom, at the northeast corner of the old building.

Previously, condemned men had been hanged on an outdoor scaffold in the jail yard. The indoor facility was seen as an improvement because outdoor executions were quasi-public (at the hanging of Fred Lee Rice on July 18, 1902, crowds had lined surrounding rooftops to see something of the spectacle), and because the condemned didn’t have to walk as far.

A Massive Renovation

When the Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital demolished the 1950s-era Riverdale Hospital building to replace it with a new 10-storey facility, the historic Don Jail building was extensively renovated to serve as the administrative wing for the hospital, a process which included the removal of “150 years worth of grime” from the exterior. About 20 per cent of the former jail’s heritage interior was preserved, including the centre block’s half-octagonal rotunda featuring clerestory windows, as well as original iron railings and balconies supported by griffin and serpent cast-iron brackets.

In 2012, Bridgepoint Health commissioned a complex restoration project to be carried out on the Don Jail, overseen by several architecture firms. The inflexible floor plan, established for the isolation and separation of prisoners, was transformed into an open, welcoming, and functional administrative space for the new Bridgepoint Active Healthcare Centre.

About 20 per cent of the former jail’s heritage interior was preserved, and the rest of the brickwork cleared out to make way for modern office space. Clear material distinctions were made between new and old and the patina of history. A new partition never meets an old wall, but instead is separated by a glass fin and the marks of history. This work was recognized with the 2016 Built Heritage Award of Excellence.

Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital coupled with the Old Don Jail

The east wing was formally decommissioned on January 6, 2014, at which point it too was transferred to Bridgepoint Health and demolished in March and April of that same year. The grounds of the former jail are being landscaped into a city park to be named Hubbard Park after William Peyton Hubbard. The former Don Jail Roadway has been extended and renamed Jack Layton Way after Jack Layton, the late leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada and former Member of Parliament for the area.

On A Final Note, Literally…

Those who know me know I’ll link pop music to anything, and the Don Jail is no exception. Most of us from the music video era know that a certain Canadian pop star who liked to wear sunglasses at night shot his 1984 signature video at the old Don Jail. This was way, waaaaay before its current renovated state of course:

OK, queue the pulsating synths…

Resources:

There are practically hundreds of articles written on the history of the Don Jail. The information above was gleaned from several websites, the City of Toronto and the Ontario Heritage Foundation by the Toronto Historical Board.

For an interesting 2011 article from The Globe & Mail regarding the Don Jail, click here. The piece highlights much of the harrowing and inhumane conditions in the jail during its prime.

Jarvis Street Baptist Church

February 13, 2024 / Marvin Job / 2 Comments

The Jarvis Street Baptist Church is located at 130 Jarvis Street, on the northeast corner of Jarvis Street and Gerrard Street East.

The Church has its origins in a small group of people who first gathered in October of 1818, in what was then York, Upper Canada. By 1832, the congregation had moved to Lombard Street, and by 1848, to Bond Street. In the late 1860s, church membership was such that a new, larger building was needed.

In 1875, the church moved to the current location at the intersection of Jarvis and Gerrard Streets. A fire in 1938 destroyed much of the church building. At this point, a rebuilding was accompanied by an expansion of the Sunday school and offices.

The Jarvis Street Baptist Church was designed in the Gothic Revival style by the architectural firm of Henry Langley and Edmund Burke who served for many years at Jarvis Street Baptist Church as a Sunday-school teacher, chair of the choir committee, and deacon.

It was one of the first churches in Canada to be built with an amphitheatre-shaped interior. The ground floor seating is grouped in a semicircle, while the gallery above is horseshoe shaped. The gallery is supported by iron columns. Above the gallery, another set of columns support a faux-Gothic ceiling.

The church has been protected under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act since 1999.

The main facade of the building is made from brown stone obtained from the regions of Queenstown. The stone is laid unevenly with a pattern that varies in different shades of browns and dark yellows. The material used for the roof is Canadian slate.

The roof is constructed from a series of pitched segments centrally connected by a horizontally sliced dome. There are eight entrances, each consisting of solid oak double doors framed with pointed sandstone arches.

References: Jarvis Street Baptist Church website

The Future of Toronto’s “Cube House”

February 10, 2024 / Marvin Job / 2 Comments

Last year I published a post on the unique “Cube House” in downtown Toronto. A lot of readers expressed interest in that post, found here.

The Cube House recently surfaced in the news, and I instantly thought of the post I had written earlier. Further to that, here’s an article on the Cube House from CBC News, written by CBC Toronto Reporter Ryan Patrick Jones.

Uncertainty swirls for Toronto artists after iconic cube house sold to developer

Property at Sumach Street and Eastern Avenue sold for more than $19M in November

Musicians renting Toronto’s unique cube house say they’re unsure how long they’ll be able to keep their creative gathering space alive after a new developer purchased the site.

Block Developments bought the 8,700-square-foot parcel of land at Sumach Street and Eastern Avenue, along with several nearby row houses, last year with plans to redevelop.

But Luis Vasquez, a music producer who’s rented one of the three cube units for the past year and a half, said he’s not sure what the plans are, the timeline — or what it will mean for the community of music lovers currently using the space.

“There’s this uncertainty,” he said. “We’re kind of in the dark.”

The ownership change is the latest in the saga of the unusual structure, which has been used as a billboard for a local coffee shop, a private residence and, most recently, as a space for recording artists and musical performances.

The cube house was built in 1996 by two Canadian architects inspired by cube homes in the Dutch city of Rotterdam. The three elevated green cubes include a residential unit and two commercial units.

While it isn’t a designated heritage property, the cube house land is listed on the city’s heritage register, meaning it’s believed to be of cultural heritage value or interest.

Vasquez, owner of The Audio Station, transformed his unit into a music studio where artists pay for recording, mixing and mastering services. He hosts live music and other community events on weeknights and weekends.

The cube house has become an important gathering place for musicians and music lovers, said Ronan White, a musician who puts on community events. He said he would be sad to lose it to development.

“The more and more these things happen, the less spots we actually have to congregate and be ourselves,” he said.

The potential loss of the cube house shows that art, culture and music aren’t being prioritized as the cost of living increases, Vasquez said.

“I think the community is really hurting for it.”

Redevelopment plans already underway

Plans to redevelop the cube house land have been in the works for years.

Previous owners submitted a development application in August 2021 for a mixed-use community called Sumach Artsplace. It would have resulted in a 35-storey, triangular-shaped tower being built on the site with 443 new homes, including 324 market-rate condo units, 119 affordable rental units, and a public plaza.

However, former co-owner Taso Boussoulas told CBC Toronto that the application fell apart shortly after it was submitted because it incorporated nine homes across the street that his company did not own.

Boussoulas said he had an “arrangement” with the homeowners but some pulled out. As the project sat idle, Block Developments swooped in.

“We negotiated a deal, something that we felt was fair for us and fair for them, and we sold,” Boussoulas said.

New developer working on ‘revised application’

Property records show Block Developments purchased 1 Sumach St. for $19.125 million on Nov. 30, 2023. That same day, records show the company purchased six of the nine homes across the street from the cube house.

In an email statement, Block Developments said it is working on a “revised application,” incorporating feedback from city staff on the previous proposal as well as “community priorities that have been flagged for us.”

“We are taking our time and do not want to rush this process until we feel we are ready for a robust resubmission that represents Block’s best vision for the site,” the statement said.

The first quarter of 2025 is the earliest tenants would need to vacate the cube house, according to Block Developments. It did not respond to a question about whether the company plans to demolish or move the cube house.

In the meantime, the developer said its staff are inspecting the buildings to identify any issues and to make essential repairs to make sure the units are “safe and suitable” for the existing tenants.

The company didn’t respond to a question about whether it plans to demolish or move the cube house.

Alex Walker, owner of recording studio 3CubeMusic, said he hopes he can continue running his business out of the cube house while the developer plans the site’s next steps. (Paul Borkwood/CBC)

The city of Toronto confirmed via email that it’s been talking informally with the new developer about potential changes to the previous development application, but that no new plans have been formally submitted.

Alex Walker, a beatmaker and music producer, recently opened the 3CubeMusic recording studio inside one of the cubes. He hopes he can keep operating out of the cube for at least a year.

“The future is uncertain and it’s a little scary for me as a tenant here trying to run a business,” Walker said.

“I’d be happy just to be able to say that we were part of the cube’s legacy, you know? We go down with the building.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ryan Patrick Jones

Reporter

Ryan is a reporter with CBC Toronto. He has also worked for CBC in Vancouver, Yellowknife and Ottawa, filing for web, radio and TV. You can reach him by email at ryan.jones@cbc.ca.

Scadding Cabin

December 13, 2023 / Marvin Job / 2 Comments

Scadding Cabin is a 1794 log cabin on the grounds of Exhibition Place. It was constructed for a pioneer named John Scadding and is now the oldest surviving building in Toronto.

The cabin was originally built on the property of John Scadding, an immigrant from Devonshire, in order to fulfill his settlement duties to the Crown. The cabin stood at the east side of the Don River south of Queen Street East on a 253-acre land grant that stretched north from Lake Ontario to present-day Danforth Avenue. Scadding lived in the cabin until he returned to England in 1796.

When Scadding returned to York in 1818, he sold his property, and cabin, to a farmer named William Smith, who used the cabin as an outbuilding. The cabin remained in the Smith family until 1879 when the cabin was offered to the York Pioneers (Ontario’s oldest historical society, and the second-oldest historical society in Canada).

1879 was also the beginning of the Toronto Industrial Exhibition (later the CNE) and the York Pioneers worked with the Exhibition’s founders to move the cabin to its current site (2 Strachan Avenue) to celebrate the fair’s inauguration. The cabin was dismantled, moved and reconstructed by the York Pioneers on the grounds of the first Industrial Exhibition (now Exhibition Place) on August 22, 1879.

Current use

The York Pioneers currently operate Scadding Cabin as a museum. The cabin is furnished as a pioneer home from the 1830s to early 1840s, although there are artifacts that date back to the 1790s. The oldest item is a baby’s cradle, made by Scadding himself. Furnishings include two spinning wheels and a wool winder, equipment for making bread and butter, a candle mould and utensils for cooking on an open hearth.

Scadding Cabin is open during the CNE. The cabin is also open through special arrangements and for community events during the summer months such as Toronto’s Doors Open. In the past the cabin has been open during the Luminato Festival and annual CHIN picnic when these events are held at Exhibition Place.¹

¹Wikipedia

The Tip Top Lofts

September 8, 2023 / Marvin Job / 2 Comments

At 637 Lakeshore Blvd. West just west of Bathurst Street sits the Tip Top Lofts. Just behind it lies Lake Ontario. This building has a long and prominent history in Toronto. Formerly known as the Tip Top Tailors Building, it was constructed in 1929 and housed the manufacturing, warehousing, retail and office operations of Tip Top Tailors Ltd., a menswear clothing retailer founded in 1909 by Polish-Jewish immigrant David Dunkelman.

The building was designed by Bishop and Miller architects, incorporating the Art Deco style. In 1972, the building was designated as a heritage structure by the City of Toronto.

In spring 2002, Dylex (the company owning the building) sold the property to Context Development, who converted it into condominium lofts. The conversion was designed by architects Alliance of Toronto. The conversion included the addition of six stories on the roof. The neon Tip Top Tailors rooftop sign was retained and given a slant. Inside, there are 256 beautifully renovated lofts.

A few notes on the interior lofts courtesy of the website condos.ca:

Offering “hard” and “soft” lofts: When the building was converted into lofts in the early 2000’s, Context Developments was smart-thinking to create both hard and soft lofts. What that means is that Tip Top Lofts offers both the classic, exposed brick and woodbeam “hard loft” style, as well as more modern “soft loft” styles that will feel like a contemporary condo.