Evocative Images of Lost Toronto

[Davidackerman]

Sunnyside Beach 1940

 

[Davidackerman]

Eaton Centre construction 75

 

[Davidackerman]

Centre street 75 I think centre?

 

[Davidackerman]

Jarvis Football 1937

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

" Centre street 75 I think centre?"
QUOTE: Davidackerman.

Elizabeth, looking s/e.

Nan King Garden is the building at the end with the upright signage & the white painted north wall.


Regards,
J T

 

[LowPolygon]

Toronto Star, May 17, 1961

 

[adma]

Let's remember that that was 1961. Before the gravity of Penn Station, Euston Arch, et al blew the whole preservation movement open. Two years before "Toronto: No Mean City". Back when "late Victorianism" was still unfashionable. Etc. Etc.

 

[thecharioteer]

Let's remember that that was 1961. Before the gravity of Penn Station, Euston Arch, et al blew the whole preservation movement open. Two years before "Toronto: No Mean City". Back when "late Victorianism" was still unfashionable. Etc. Etc.

 

[k10ery]

Let's remember that that was 1961. Before the gravity of Penn Station, Euston Arch, et al blew the whole preservation movement open. Two years before "Toronto: No Mean City". Back when "late Victorianism" was still unfashionable. Etc. Etc.

Just because I enjoy being contrarian: I don't see the architectural merit in the Armories. We DO have good remaining examples of the style, such as the Consumer's Gas buildings on Parliament and Eastern Ave - less over the top, but that's ok by me. A building like that IS hard to repurpose (what's in the Ottawa drill hall now? I suspect not much). The building that now stands in its place is very, very good. We hate to lose the history but this one feels like the right decision.

 

[Goldie]

Just because I enjoy being contrarian: I don't see the architectural merit in the Armories. We DO have good remaining examples of the style, such as the Consumer's Gas buildings on Parliament and Eastern Ave - less over the top, but that's ok by me. A building like that IS hard to repurpose (what's in the Ottawa drill hall now? I suspect not much). The building that now stands in its place is very, very good. We hate to lose the history but this one feels like the right decision.

k10ery, you've raised my curiosity regarding the old Consumers' Gas building at Front and Parliament.
We know that it's now being used as a police station, but surely not the whole space.
What else is in that huge structure - anyone know?

 

[DSC]

k10ery, you've raised my curiosity regarding the old Consumers' Gas building at Front and Parliament.
We know that it's now being used as a police station, but surely not the whole space.
What else is in that huge structure - anyone know?

It's all police but they actually built a "new' building inside the old shell so they actually have less space than you might think. The main lobby is an atrium.

 

[k10ery]

11 Division on Davenport is another very nice looking station, both the old and new parts. It's a pleasant surprise that the police are so interested in heritage buildings.

[video=youtube;OpBx7BXSHOw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OpBx7BXSHOw[/video]

 

[junctionist]

Actually, the police wanted to demolish it, and the city's heritage officials kept saying it wasn't heritage (probably to help the police along with their new station) in spite of the school being a prominent architectural landmark in the area. But in the end after a lot of public pressure, they preserved the facade and an interior classroom I believe, and it was nicely integrated into the new building. It has geothermal heating. As for the old armory with its bold architecture, the article in the Toronto Star from 1961 citing the opinions of historians doesn't seem satisfactory. So what that there were similar examples in other cities? The armory was our own example of a great kind of building; it was significant in Toronto.

 

[LowPolygon]

As for the old armory with its bold architecture, the article in the Toronto Star from 1961 citing the opinions of historians doesn't seem satisfactory. So what that there were similar examples in other cities? The armory was our own example of a great kind of building; it was significant in Toronto.

its amazing how often that excuse was given as a reason for demolition. i've come across it many times. and you're right, its unconvincing. the fact that examples of a certain kind or style of building exists elsewhere seems an odd justification for tearing a building down here.

 

[adma]

Actually, the police wanted to demolish it, and the city's heritage officials kept saying it wasn't heritage (probably to help the police along with their new station) in spite of the school being a prominent architectural landmark in the area.

Actually, I think it was more a matter of Etobicoke York Community Council (y'know, the fine home of Ford, Holyday, Mammoliti, Palacio in this ward et al) wanting to help the police along; and thus the matter of "heritage status" was overridden, and the City's weak heritage regs + infrastructure meant that the preservation board could do little more than shrug. Luckily enough, the police chief wound up heeding the protests and claims and decided "hey, it's a nice building, why not save it"--and thus, the present solution.

As for the Armoury. I don't think we should be too breezy with the "if you've seen one, you've seen them all" arguments--at most, we can alibi the loss on grounds of "back then, it was still safe to do so". A decade or two later, it would have been different--notwithstanding the quality of what replaced the Armoury.