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Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

Another FB "Friends of Vintage Toronto" post:

1673041820445.png

Spadina Road - Looking north, just south of Lonsdale - 1955

No Credit given, taken from: https://scontent.fyzd1-3.fna.fbcdn....wMwXLbL0QBodEp3TPH1ycdiP8fYM3GkCA&oe=63BCB24D


The Now, via Streetview:

1673041906043.png


Interesting to note, the former Loblaws is still selling groceries, in the form of Kitchen Table.
 
Northern Light said:
Another FB "Friends of Vintage Toronto" post:

View attachment 448895
Spadina Road - Looking north, just south of Lonsdale - 1955

No Credit given, taken from: https://scontent.fyzd1-3.fna.fbcdn....wMwXLbL0QBodEp3TPH1ycdiP8fYM3GkCA&oe=63BCB24D


The Now, via Streetview:

View attachment 448896

Interesting to note, the former Loblaws is still selling groceries, in the form of Kitchen Table.
Click to expand...

It's quite unfortunate that the distinctive ornamental street lights were removed and not replaced with anything special. The public realm seems to have declined even as the area became more and more prosperous.
 
Northern Light said:
Another Subway Station one, this time from FB group Transit Timewarp:

View attachment 448992

The TTC has no shame. Leaving the walls and the floors in that condition is awful; and the latter case, dangerous too!
Click to expand...
I have not been there for ages but it looks as though they are doing some kind of construction in the 2022 photo (there is construction hoarding blocking half the width). I suppose it is possible that they plan to re-finish the corridor (which does look terrible) once that is finished. Of course, it's the TTC so one should not assume anything - the platforms at St Patrick station have been 'in process' for what seems like a decade!
 
From the City Archives, via the FB group Friends of Vintage Toronto, we have a look at the Bloor Viaduct. This photo is taken from just west of the main valley span, looking westward towards the
Rosedale Valley span:

1673445449732.png


Lets see if can find a 'now' shot:

1673445557578.png


Another spot we went backwards, sigh.

On the left, we got Rosedale School for the arts and a nominal City Park which resulted in removing a chunk of really nice forest.

On the right, we got an access down to DVP and a nominal City Park which similarly removed forest.

The Streetcar tracks are long gone, that's fair enough given the addition of a subway, but I think, overall its fair to say this space feels less scenic over a century later, and largely it need not be that way.

***

Second note, have a look at those streetcar poles, anything but utilitarian in design, and even w/lighting on them.

Here's a zoomed-in look:

1673445868033.png
 
Last edited:
lenaitch said:
+1 on the streetcar poles. I doubt something like that can be completely replicated but they can do better.
Click to expand...
Agreed but there is now VERY VERY little sharing of poles and every 'organisation' wants its own poles. Separate poles for traffic lights, street lights, TTC, utilities and Transportation for traffic signage. Silos who do not speak to each other in (in)action!
 
flonicky said:
Eglinton West looking east towards Bathurst, Jan 2023:
View attachment 449870
Streetview, 2011:
View attachment 449871
Click to expand...


What is now the Rexall at Eglinton and Chiltern (seen in the second pic)was once a Power store until about the 70's and the brand eventually got melded into the Loblaws chain:
f1257_s1057_it0502.jpg


One block east was the Nortown Theatre, demolished in the 70's:

2011221-nortown_ext.jpg
 
Trinity-Bellwoods Park: 1924, looking south-east from just north-west of Crawford.

1674447926085.png

1674447943880.png


Taken from:
https://www.facebook.com/oldtoronto/photos/a.685271021638950/2463246800508021

****

The 'Now'............well, there is no direct equivalent, since the bridge is now buried and the ravine filled in on the east side of Crawford, but from my post in the Problematic Park Design thread, I have roughly the same angle:

1674448174421.png
 
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